> -----Original Message-----
> From: Zack Rosen [mailto:zack_at_civicspacelabs.org]
> Sent: 17 January 2006 19:52
> To: general_at_simile.mit.edu
> Subject: Re: A bit of bomb throwing....
>
>
> >> Sure this is how academia works. I get that. But this model
> >> simply will not be an effective vehicle for creating the
> semantic
> >> web.
> >>
> >>
> > Agreed. What I don't get is why you demand that academia create
> > your semantic web. Academia doesn't implement wide-scale
> > architecture like that--that's the kind of thing engaged hobbyists
> > and industry people do.
>
> Engaged hobbyists and industry people are for the most part sitting
> out the semantic web. You need a new plan.
I think this is rather prematurely pessimistic.
For a start, lots of technologies have a latent period - look at client side javascript - it spent about 8 years not being used in any really significant way before recently exploding. Semantic web technologies show a lot of signs of being woken from their slumber.
Also, I know for a fact that plenty of hobbyists (e.g. those involved in OpenOffice.org for one thing) and industry people (commercial publishers like BioMed Central and Elsevier, technology providers like IBM and Oracle) are now focusing on semantic web stuff in a way that they weren't a few years ago.
I couldn't agree more that the semantic web is still looking for its gmail/google maps moment. It hasn't happened yet - but I think it will. Whether it will come from academia, indsutry or hobbyists remains to be seen - all 3 are possible and have happened in the past. I don't thing there's a single model.
It can go:academia proves this concept, industry commercializes it, hobbyists extend it to sectors that appeared to lack commercial interest
But it can also go: hobbyists invent something, industry grabs it, academics refine it.
Or whatever...
Matt
>
> -Zack
>
This email has been scanned by Postini.
For more information please visit
http://www.postini.com
Received on Tue Jan 17 2006 - 20:10:39 EST