Lewis 20040428

The Semantic Web… What is this dialog all about?: 

The Semantic Web… What is this dialog all about? April 28, 2004 Y. Renee Lewis

Overview: 

Overview What’s this all about? Why is it important? Where are we now? Where are we going?

What’s this all about? Next generation Web, Or Tower of Babel?: 

What’s this all about? Next generation Web, Or Tower of Babel?

Semantic Web - Next Generation?: 

Semantic Web - Next Generation? The building of the tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel, 1563 Oil on oak panel, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna "Babel" is composed of two words, "baa" meaning "gate" and "el," "god." Hence, "the gate of god." A related word in Hebrew, "balal" means "confusion."

“I have a dream… for the Web, and it has two parts”: 

“I have a dream… for the Web, and it has two parts” In the first part, the Web becomes a much more powerful means for collaboration between people… In the second part…collaborations extend to computers... Machines become capable of analyzing all the data on the Web – the content, links, and transactions between people and computers… When it arrives, the day-to-day mechanisms of trade, bureaucracy, and our daily lives will be handled by machines talking to machines, leaving humans to provide the inspiration and intuition… The intelligent "agents" people have touted for ages will finally materialize… This machine-understandable Web will come about through the implementation of a series of technical advancements and social agreements that are now beginning… Weaving the Web, Tim Berners-Lee, with Mark Fischetti. Harper San Francisco, October 1999

What’s he really talking about?: 

What’s he really talking about? Ubiquitous access to knowledge Through serendipitous discovery and collaboration Via self-promoting content Using omnipotent data So that computers can converse intelligently Whoa! cite

Formula for computer “conversation”: 

Formula for computer “conversation” Meaning = Ontology + representation + constraints Conclusions = Inference engine (new knowledge, experience, context) myBot Must find best price from a trusted source. Two day delivery. Pick up less than 50 miles from home.

Why is it important? Will this save time and money?: 

Why is it important? Will this save time and money?

Historical perspective: 

Historical perspective mail telegraph telephone facsimile email cell phones e-commerce Semantic Agents?

Expect early disbelief: 

Expect early disbelief The engineer-in-chief of the British Post Office failed to be impressed with the phone when he saw it. "The Americans," he said loftily, "have need of the telephone—but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys..." "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." (Western Union telegraph company memo, 1877) "It (the telephone) will unmake our work. No greater instrument of counter revolution and conspiracy can be imagined." (Josef Vissarvonovich Stalin)

Be careful of techno-enthusiasm: 

Be careful of techno-enthusiasm

Where are we now? Is it soup yet?: 

Where are we now? Is it soup yet?

Now playing: Dance of the Technologists: 

Now playing: Dance of the Technologists Act 1: The Dream The Intellects discuss and ponder the world as is could be, should be and may be someday. Then, they simultaneously discover that their meta-physical world has application to certain aspects of reality. Act 2: Dance of the Standards Act 2 opens with a lively discussion between The Intellects and The Academics who join the discussion seeking to advance their research. Together they vow to change the world forever by introducing these concepts to the world… yet stay true to the original concepts. ---------- Intermission ---------- Act 3: Call of the Revenue Stream In Act 3, Dudley hears from one of his professors about a new and emerging capability that will change the world. He unknowingly shares this “secret” with his employer trying to understand better how their current customers might make use of it. Being quick to understand the implications of such a powerful capability, Mr. Industry anticipates the idea is pure gold… as long as… he can influence the standards to make it harder for the competition to use them. Finale: Revolt of the Users? Mr. Industry’s epitaph merely read “He lived like a wolf and died like a dog.” For, over time, users grew weary of the arrogant assertions and obvious limitations that Mr. Industry’s technology forced upon them. They not only turned to his nearest competitors who better understood the original vision, but also the growing base of open source code placed there by disgruntled users who could.

What needs to be accomplished: 

What needs to be accomplished Prerequisites to dialog: Grammar/Syntax – Ontologies Vocabulary – Common Understanding Representation – Proper Interpretation Solve NEW problems – demonstrate broad capabilities Test success based on adoption – habitual usefulness (e.g., could you live without your phone?) Remember, we don’t know what we don’t know! Evolution. Evolution. Evolution.

Discovering the new semantic worlds: 

Discovering the new semantic worlds Future – ubiquitous, machine-to-machine collaboration Today – increasing consistency of metadata management for some localized uses cite

Understand risks: 

Understand risks If machines talk to machines … on our behalf … How is context defined to ensure accurate interpretation? Is there a legal responsibility for and duty to proper representation – including constraints? How do we validate interpretation? If everything is connected to everything … where does it stop? How do we maintain knowledge so it is current?

Make sure this isn’t you: 

Make sure this isn’t you A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn't seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out a cell phone and calls emergency services. He gasps to the operator, “My friend is dead! What do I do?” The operator in a calm soothing voice says, “Just take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy's voice comes back on the line. He says, “Okay, now what?”

Where are we going? If you build it, they will come.: 

Where are we going? If you build it, they will come.

Enthusiasts & Industry: 

Enthusiasts & Industry Keep it simple – …complexity destroys innovation Don’t over promise – …trust has to be earned Ensure reliable outcomes – …trust is easy to lose Address useful problem domains – …save time, reduce complexity, improve quality… that is all that there is!

Consumers, Government … & Cynics: 

Consumers, Government … & Cynics Don’t buy into hype – …this is an organic process Constantly assess context – …without understanding context, you’ll never find useful Don’t stop asking questions – …you need to understand what they tell you! Think about what success means to you – …you are the target user!

Unique role of Government: 

Unique role of Government Government can have an important role – e-Gov problems demand semantic capabilities Government’s responsibility: Articulate the needs and the goals Dictate performance objectives Evaluate performance outcomes Demand the promised efficiencies Plan for evolutionary approach User-centered design has a whole new role – insist upon it Industry can play both villain and savior – your involvement will influence the desired outcome

Summary: 

Summary It’s about “me” – the user Useful… to the ME – the USER! Context… of my environment Relevance… to my tasks Everything else is a means to an end Standards Metadata tagging engines Interoperable ontologies Rules and constraint languages Inference engines

How will we know when we’re done?: 

How will we know when we’re done? Search for the principles governing the universe and help advance the evolution of humanity in accordance with them ... finding ways of doing more with less to the end that all people everywhere can have more and more.   R. Buckminster (Bucky) Fuller

Aloha(hello? Good-bye?): 

Aloha (hello? Good-bye?) Y. Renee Lewis Renee.Lewis@pensaregroup.com 301-332-4677 make the invisible - visible

Cast of characters: 

Cast of characters Enthusiasts – …believe that the new techniques will achieve new heights in addressing global needs Cynics – …“been there, done that” so many times that they no longer trust the value of their knowledge Industry – …have a vested interest in making money Government – …interested in harvesting the efficiency from new technologies Consumers/Citizens – …have a need and don’t care how it is addressed