 |
 |
Linked Data (capital L capital D) is as defined at http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/LinkedData.html and I'm not sure it is helpful to try and define it differently for the museum community? As you say, it is essentially the 4 principles: 1) Use URIs as names for things 2) Use HTTP URIs so that people can look up those names. 3) When someone looks up a URI, provide useful information, using the standards (RDF, SPARQL) 4) Include links to other URIs. so that they can discover more things. I think it would also be dangerous to try and define 'linked data' (little l, little d) to mean something different (I presume you weren't trying to do this?). So I think your question is really something like, "do we want to do Linked Data in the museums sector or do we want to do something else, let's call it 'open data' or 'machine-readable data' (as used by Mike Ellis at http://www.slideshare.net/dmje/dont-think-websites-think-data)?". Or to put that another way, "is there a variant of 'open data' that isn't Linked Data (i.e. that doesn't require the use of RDF and SPARQL) but that allows the museums sector to achieve workably machine-readable, semantically-interoperable data?". Standards like the OAI-PMH and SRU would be examples of this. My strong suspicion is that the answer will depend on your interpretation of 'semantically-interoperable' and your understanding of the size of the community you want to interoperate with. Plus a big pinch of religious belief thrown in as well :-) APIs and linked data can definitely work together, at least in the sense that SPARQL is an API and Linked Data is an architectural approach - both are compatible. However, I suspect that you mean non-RDF-based APIs here? If so, yes, they can work together but I think you are right to assume that there might be some duplication of effort to do that. I presume the Collections Trust meeting last week (that Jeremy referred to) covered a lot of this ground (I wasn't able to attend unfortunately) so it'll be interesting to see the results. Andy -- Andy Powell Research Programme Director Eduserv t: 01225 474319 m: 07989 476710 twitter: @andypowe11 blog: efoundations.typepad.com www.eduserv.org.uk > -----Original Message----- > From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of > Mia > Sent: 03 March 2010 14:45 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: What do you mean by 'linked data'? Was: Re: How niche is too > niche? > > Bearing in mind Bridget's request below, and so that we're all talking > about > something similar - what do you mean by 'linked data'? > > The original definition (from > http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/LinkedData.html) > was: > > 1. > > Use URIs as names for things > 2. > > Use HTTP URIs so that people can look up those names. > 3. > > When someone looks up a URI, provide useful information, using the > standards (RDF, SPARQL) > 4. > > Include links to other URIs. so that they can discover more things. > > > I think a lot of the confusion, resistance or general angst revolves > around > point 3 - even some geek-ish eyes glaze over at the mention of RDF or > SPARQL, and that they immediately put linked data in the 'too hard' > basket. > > So one of my questions is - how strict a definition do we need to > follow to > achieve workably machine-readable, interoperable data? > > When I say 'interoperable', I mean particularly semantic > interoperability - > to nick a definition from Wikipedia, "the ability to automatically > interpret > the information exchanged meaningfully and accurately in order to > produce > useful results as defined by the end users", or more simply, "what is > sent > is the same as what is understood". > > For museums, this might mean that 'date made' has a common meaning, > whether > that means 'date painted' or 'date manufactured' in the context of your > particular collections. > > So my second question - what does this definition mean in reality, for > you? > Does it differ if you're publishing or consuming linked data? > > Another, bigger question: how do you think APIs and linked data can > work > together, or do you see them as an either/or choice, particularly when > resources are limited? > > cheers, Mia > > On 3 March 2010 13:45, Bridget McKenzie > <[log in to unmask] > > wrote: > > > I would appeal, though, for writers to explain if new terms or > acronyms are > > introduced, or to demonstrate by linking to an example where a > technology is > > used. > > > > **************************************************************** > For mcg information visit the mcg website at > http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/ > To manage your subscription to this email list visit > http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/ > ****************************************************************