Semantic Web For Dummies

1. … a quick introduction to:

2. What is the Semantic Web?
The Semantic Web means different things to different people. (ironic, eh?)
Semantic Web for Dummies defines it in the following ways:
a) Family of Web standards aimed at making data on the Web easier to use and re-purpose.
b) An upgrade to the current Web that marks a new era of intelligence in the applications you use in a Web browser.
c) Collection of metadata technologies to improve the responsiveness and adaptability of business software applications.
d) Social movement favoring free open-source data that can be linked together, re-purposed or re-mixed
e) Web generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that builds upon Frame Systems, Semantic Networks and Description Logics
f) Controversial vision derided by some people as hyperbole, failed AI technology, and unachievable wishful thinking.
…what it isn’t
A better search engine….a “Google killer”….or, the Wolfram Alpha
An “Ivory Tower” ….dressed up Artificial Intelligence for expert systems
HTML tagging language ….competition for Microformats ….Dewey Decimal for the Web
A multi-billion dollar software industry (I wish!)

3. Semantic Web in your life…
Idealistic (and controversial): More Down to Earth:
• Making our country safer • Making your life simpler
• Making our country more prepared for disasters • Fewer mouse clicks to find data; stay organized
• Improving the speed we find new medications better on the Web and in your Browser; collect
• Unifying disconnected software standards and share your interests easier; organize your
• Making business software more change-resilient and travel plans; pinpoint your news content
less expensive • Save you time and money
• Building the giant database in the sky from open- • Finding online resources easier; preserve
source data knowledge better; integrate information;
• Giving humanity the gift of open knowledge linking Web services; build mash-ups faster;
more targeted advertizing
Semantic Web at work for business…
Empower new business capabilities with stronger and more
•
consistent metadata linking, automatic inference for dynamic data DCF Risk Trap!
structures, and a more declarative foundation model for shared
business information
• Throttle back IT expenditures within medium and large businesses
with reduced head-count requirements for the management of
enterprise information assets, decrease the long-term costs of
integration, and simplify decentralized data architectures
• Transform enterprise software foundations as major software
vendors and standards communities adopt Semantic Web
specifications within the context of mainstream tools, applications
and infrastructure.
(aka: Semantic Web isn’t as risky as you think it is!)

4. Building the Semantic Web
Example: TopBraid Composer
Other Semantic Web enablers…
often mistaken as Semantic Web:
• Natural Language Processing (NLP) – entity extraction
• Rule Interchange Format (RIF) – business rules
• Theorem Provers, Fuzzy Logics, Production Systems etc.
often overlooked in real Semantic Web solutions:
• Relational DBs, Java, XML, and mainstream data tools like ETL, Data Profiling and
Data Quality

5. Linked Data Web

6. Rise of the Information Worker
Who are they? What do they do?
• Business Analyst • Search Optimization
• Corporate Librarian • Business Intelligence
• Taxonomist • Data Accuracy and Data Quality
• Ontologist • Content Tagging
• Information Architect • Data Modeling
• Data Steward
• Database Architect
Enterprise Semantic Web
• Databases
• Warehouse
• SOA / Integration
• Business Intelligence
• Content Management
• Enterprise Search
• Applications

7. Early Examples & Implementations
Consumer Web Sites: Business Software:
• Twine • Thomson-Reuters Calais
• Harpers Magazine • Oracle Database
• Dbpedia and Dbpedia • IBM Registry
Mobile • Garlik Online Identity
• Yahoo! Protection
• hakia • Dow Jones Client Solutions
• Freebase (by Metaweb) • Microsoft (various)
• TripIt • Metatomix Semantic
• ZoomInfo Integration
• BBC Online • TopQuadrant TopBraid
Composer

8. Ten Myths…
1) Semantic Web is science fiction
2) Semantic Web is for tagging web sites
3) Semantic Web will put Google out of business
4) Semantic Web is too complex to succeed
5) Semantic Web is a catalog system
6) Semantic Web is an ivory tower design
7) Semantic Web is Description Logic (only)
8) Semantic Web is (just) Artificial Intelligence
9) Semantic Web is a $20B industry
10) Semantic Web hasn’t changed the world

9. Ten Next Steps…
1) Try Twine
2) Explore Yahoo! Search Monkey
3) Check out Calais
4) Learn RDF and/or take Training
• Semantic Arts, TopQuadrant, Zepheria
5) Read the W3C Specifications
6) Contact your trusted vendors
7) Write down and assess your own ideas
8) Ask Zepheria
9) Prototype using open-source software
10) Sell your boss on the idea!

10. Questions?