Re: A discussion: Is semantic web an old fashioned idea?Is it bubble,unworthy or an interesting researcharea - Post your c omments

* Jean-Luc Delatre <jld@club-internet.fr> [2004-06-17 22:10+0200]

> The real challenge, and I suspect that you are very well aware of this,
> is to define "something" (standards, formats, protocols, whatever) that
> will allow to MEANINGFULLY interconnect at will, any two
> applications with no or only nominal human intervention
> or tailoring of the interface.
> 
> THIS seems to be the not so clearly stated, if strongly hinted, goal of the Semantic Web.

No. 

What we are trying to do is provide a basis for arbitrary
application data formats to share common structures (eg. the bits that
represent Documents might use Dublin Core, the bits that represent
Persons might use FOAF, the bits that represent calendars/schedules
might use rdf-ical, ...), alongside their own, application-specific data
structures. Not a complicated idea. This is very different from a 
fairytale effort to enable abitrary pairs of applications to 
"meaningfully interconnect" in the stronger sense of working 
seamlessly together. The Semantic Web project is an effort 
to remove _arbitrary_ and wasteful barriers between applications. 
We make it possible for them to share some structure, and have partial
understanding of data created elsewhere.
 
If you think W3C materials on the SW somehow give the impression we are 
trying to build thinking machines, flying saucers, never-empty coffee
cups or software that automatically works perfectly with all other
software, please cite the URLs so we can refine our materials. 

> This is NOT ACHIEVABLE within the current state of the 
> technology nor within any short or medium term foreseeable future.
> 
> This is MY challenge:
> 
> Show evidence that this goal is achievable and give a time schedule!

You have confused the Semantic Web project with something else.

Dan

Received on Thursday, 17 June 2004 16:30:40 UTC