xml-dev - Re: A certain difficulty

["Mark" <mreitman@mindspring.com>]

When I first learned about the building of a sub class to XML that would
allow a common semantic for knowledge, RDF, I became very excited (I guess
it dosn't take much). As a prior developer of a commercial PICS enterprise
(NetShepherd) I became convinced that individual ratings of web sites and
building massive data warehouses (the PICS label bureau) were impractical.

We were never really interested in thin ratings for blocking when the real
challenge was making INFO more usefull. I think that blocking was a
"political" stone hung around PICS neck because it was an easy to understand
use of the technology. Reality:Blocking=Filtering=Knowledge (ok, end of
speech).

However, a world wide standard that allowed sharing from existing data
stores could work. Especially in the current digital economy. It made sense
to me that RDF was the next logical step in creating this world wide
information data warehouse. RDF is essential to get greater value out of the
world wide web data resource.

My suggestion is that you ASK THE USER before rewritting it or killing it.

For example, an ecommerce site might ask for a common way to share catalog
information.

Subject (Resource):
http://www.gap.com/onlinestore/gap/shops/jjacket_w_s.asp?sid=3L6LCLJ5VVS12G6
B00A3H20T8BHF02J4&wdid=301
Predicate (Property):   Gap:Shops:Jackets:Suede:Tan:Medium
Object (literal):   # 1216120020002;$168.00

This standardized information could be used by Gap affiliates, accross Gap
language sites, stores, supply chain, and consumers who could pay for all on
line purchases with a single click (makes digital wallets more practical).

Newswires currently send info out the door at a blazing speed in proprietary
formats. With a common format, RDF, they could tag data so that end users
could get greater value. Sites would be able to reduce the cost of parsing
data. MAKE MORE SENSE OUT OF IT. Users could personalize pages to include
info accross news sources (not requiring the provider to do custom
programming) and other outlets (wireless, appliances, fax, neuro implants)
would only have to pass the data through a template to reformat.

So just as "blocking" (ugh) was a practical use of PICS let's do something
like creating an ecommerce RDF standard. Enlist the help of companies like
SAP, Peoplesoft and Amazon.com who have the most to gain from this. It will
drive the technology forward and we will get valuable input from the user.

I'm starting the "Save the RDF" movement.

--Mark


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