Semantic+Web

=General Definition= "The Semantic Web is an extension of the current web in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation." -- Tim Berners-Lee, James Hendler, Ora Lassila, [|The Semantic Web], Scientific American, May 2001 -- The Semantic Web plays a large part in the future of the Internet, in plain English, it is the creation of a new Internet communication system that allows machines to use and read the Internet in the way that humans do now. This technology can create a lot of new possibilities, but like all new technologies opens the doors for potential problems. toc

**What is the Semantic Web?**
The **Semantic Web** provides a common framework that allows **data** to be shared and reused across application, enterprise, and community boundaries. It is a collaborative effort led by W3C with participation from a large number of researchers and industrial partners. It is based on the Resource Description Framework (RDF), which integrates a variety of applications using XML for syntax and URIs for naming.

The Semantic Web is not a separate Web but an extension of the current one, in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation.

For the semantic web to function, computers must have access to structured collections of information and sets of inference rules that they can use to conduct automated reasoning.

Two important technologies for developing the Semantic Web are: eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and the Resource Description Framework (RDF).

An Example of what Semantic Web Will Do
Think of the Semantic web as your Agent or Personal Assistant, you teach it what you like and it does the rest for you. Let’s say that you want to buy a U2: Greatest Hits Live CD that is coming out in a few months, you know that you want the special edition CD and that you want the cheapest copy available with the fastest and cheapest shipping. By this time you have already bought quite a few CD’s through the Semantic Web, and as a result your Agent has learned what you like and what you don’t like. On your “to buy” list you enter “U2: Greatest Hits Live CD” and enter. The Agent will go out onto the web, search for the CD through millions of different databases, and realize that the CD is not yet available, so it will record the release date of the CD and schedule a reminder for itself for that day. When the day rolls around the Agent will go back out and do the search again, find the cheapest copy available including shipping and find the closest locations for best delivery time. It will take the closest and cheapest locations, take three for example: store one, two, and three. It will remember that you previously were not satisfied with the service you received from store two and will remove it, leaving the final two. The agent will then look at the final two stores with the same price offering, and go back out on to internet and search for which of the two has a better customer satisfaction ratings and choose that one. You have already given the Agent your financial information and personal information, so it will pay for the CD and arrange to have it shipped to your house. From there the Agent will take the payment information and record it in your financial software, and schedule the expected due date in your calendar. Best of all, this entire process will be completed in seconds using the power of the computer and the Internet.

How does this work?
The beginning of the Semantic Web is built primarily on two existing technologies XML (eXtensible Markup Language) and RDF (Resource Description Framework).

- XML is a markup language that works with HTML. HTML controls the information and appearance of a site; XML describes the data that is present on the site using tags. These tags are invisible to humans but can be seen by computers. Right now search engines use bots that go out on the Internet and search out and read these tags to help expand their search parameters and also informs the bots about information that is attached to the site. In connection with the previous example, stores on the Internet would have individual Tags for each product, providing the Agent with all the information it needs to make good choice regarding the product. Doing for Internet shopping much more than the Universal Bar Code did for speeding up grocery store lineups.

-RDF uses the XML tags to describe the resource it is attached to. RDF technology usually uses what it calls triples: a subject, a property, and an object. To relate back to our example the subject could be the U2: The Greatest Hits Live, the property could include price, shipping, track listings, and whatever else the tag creator wanted to be said about the product, and the object being a special edition CD. What this process does is allow the Agent to make sure it is finding exactly what is being looked for, and also gain as much information about the product before buying it.

Possibilities and Potential Draw Backs
It is clear to see how much easier this technology can make our lives. It’ll allow us to automate many aspects of our lives, from our groceries to having flowers automatically delivered to the ones we love without having to do or remember anything. What makes things better is that the longer we use these agents is the better they will get to know us, and what makes our lives easier. There are endless possibilities that come out of this technology, so many that it can be left to your imagination as to how far things can go.

On the other hand, things cannot be so perfect, there are bound to be problems that plague this new technology. One that comes to mind are the next generations of spy-ware that finds its way into our Agents and is able retrieve all of our personal information and even worse all of our habits and financial accounts. Another possible downfall is that fake sites, or scammers will create tags claiming they have what is needed but do not send what is described.

The Future of the Semantic Web
This technology will change the Internet and may even be the on ramp to Web 3.0. A big plus for this technology is that it is open source, meaning that no individual owns the technology, this usually results in a faster development, look at Wikipedia for example. There are leading roles regarding the technology including W3C, universities, and the general public. Like the current Internet, things have to start and as development continues things will become more secure and more functional. Since the technology is still in its development stage, one can only anticipate that the world will realize the great benefit the Semantic Web can provide and with that be able to push it further along so that its potential can be reached.

The Semantic Web Links:
1. Berners-Lee, Tim, James Hendler, and Ora Lassila. "The Semantic Web." __Scientific American: The Semantic Web__. 17 May 2001. Scientific American. 8 Feb. 2006 