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http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/jisc-cetis-2005/. Lessons Learnt From FOAF: A Bottom-Up Approach To Social Networks. About This Talk - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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A centre of expertise in digital information management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
Lessons Learnt From FOAF: A Bottom-Up Approach To Social Networks Brian KellyUKOLNUniversity of BathBath
UKOLN is supported by:
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/jisc-cetis-2005/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/jisc-cetis-2005/
About This TalkThis talk introduces FOAF, describes the advantages & disadvantages of a grassroots approach to development and ponders on the wider implications.
About This TalkThis talk introduces FOAF, describes the advantages & disadvantages of a grassroots approach to development and ponders on the wider implications.
A centre of expertise in digital information management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
2
Contents
• Background – The Semantic Web• What Is FOAF?• Relevance Of FOAF To This Conference
And Session• The Development Culture Behind FOAF• The Limitations• Wider Implications
A centre of expertise in digital information management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
3
About The Semantic Web (1)
The Semantic Web:• Why is it needed?
The Semantic Web is needed is order to provide a more structured Web in which resources can be brought together for a variety of purposes
• What is it?The Semantic Web can be regarded as a global distributed database, which can be developed without central coordination
A centre of expertise in digital information management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
4
About The Semantic Web (2)
The Semantic Web:• How is it done?
The Semantic Web is an XML application which contains a simple mathematical model which defines relationships which are defined using a URI
• What are the challenges?The Semantic Web is perceived as difficult to understand. These apparent difficulties provide a barrier to its deployment.
A centre of expertise in digital information management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
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Is It Difficult?
The mathematical model behind the Semantic Web is based on simple tuples, as illustrated
Is this really conceptually difficult?Is this really conceptually difficult?
The relationship ('knows' in this case) is defined at a URI
Brianknows
Leigh
UKOLNworks at
01225 xxxHas phone no.
FOAF paper
DC.Created by
Leigh
Brian
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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FOAF – A Simple SW Application
FOAF:• Stands for "Friend Of A Friend"• Provides structured links about individuals• Information distributed & extensible• Avoids data protection concerns
Me, email,
work place,friends
…
Leigh, email, …location,interestsfriends
Leigh's friend 1
Leigh's friend n
My friend 1
My friend n
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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FOAF Example (1)
FOAF Explorer - <http://xml.mfd-consult.dk/foaf/explorer/>
A view of my FOAF file, showing links to my friends
Further information in my FOAF file
Leigh's FOAF file, showing his additional information
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FOAF Example (2)
FOAFNaut - <http://www.foafnaut.org/>
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My Aims
SW Promotion • Promote use of FOAF as a lightweight Semantic
Web application• Enable people to be part of the Semantic Web
Community-Building • Use a FOAF application which supports
community-building at events
Implementation • Joint work with local FOAF geek (Leigh Dodds)• Development of tools• Use of tools (at IWMW 2004)• Paper presented at IADIS WBC 2004
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Creating FOAFSeveral types of FOAF authoring tools provided:
• Do it by hand • Web-based tools• Dedicated tools• A Wiki (experimental)
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A FOAF Application
We've got :• Powerful standards (RDF/FOAF)• Simple authoring tools
What we need now is:• Application area to encourage uptake • Richer tools for data-mining
Application:• Who attended JISC-CETIS conf 2004?• Who's going to JISC-CETIS conf 2005?• Who's going and is interested in LIP, LOM, real
ale, …Background:
• Addressed previously but application-specific
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FOAFNaut
FOAFNaut application is being extended to include visualisation of events data
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Review: FOAF And Events
We explored using events (conferences, seminars, etc.) to promote SW take-up:
• Delegates often want to establish links with people they meet (cf. use of business cards)
• Encouraging delegates to create their own data gets them motivated
• This also avoids data protection concerns and places maintenance of individual
Use at technical conferences also provides:• Feedback • Opportunity to get developers engaged in further
work
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What Next?
What can happen next:• Further promotion of this concept at other events• Encouragement for additional development:
• Dedicated viewing tools• Search facilities• …
Brian Leigh
IADIS WBC 2004
XML 2004
Beyond BrowsingFind we people who attended WBC 2004 and XML 2004 who have an interest in xxx
Beyond BrowsingFind we people who attended WBC 2004 and XML 2004 who have an interest in xxx
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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What Happened?
Take-up• Promoted at IWMW 2004 (flyer in pack)• But few delegates used (& they were the
techies)
Technologies• FOAFNaut support for events has still not
been included in main version• Wiki authoring tool hacked
People• Develop had other commitments
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Reflections
Some thoughts:• Privacy issues• Branding issues ('he's not my friend')• Getting beyond the early adopters• Is FOAF more appropriate back-stage
(e.g. export format in Blogs)?• Do we want shrink-wrapped solutions
(e.g. Orkut)?• Is the interest in the technology too far
away from users' needs?• Has FOAF been a failure or a success?