Motivation for this post arose from a series of Twitter exchanges between Tony Hirst and I, in relation to his blog post titled: So What Is It About Linked Data that Makes it Linked Data™ ?
At the end of the marathon session, it was clear to me that a blog post was required for future reference, at the very least :-)
What is Linked Data?
"Data Access by Reference" mechanism for Data Objects (or Entities) on HTTP networks. It enables you to Identify a Data Object and Access its structured Data Representation via a single Generic HTTP scheme based Identifier (HTTP URI). Data Object representation formats may vary; but in all cases, they are hypermedia oriented, fully structured, and negotiable within the context of a client-server message exchange.
Why is it Important?
Information makes the world tick!
Information doesn't exist without data to contextualize.
Information is inaccessible without a projection (presentation) medium.
All information (without exception, when produced by humans) is subjective. Thus, to truly maximize the innate heterogeneity of collective human intelligence, loose coupling of our information and associated data sources is imperative.
How is Linked Data Delivered?
Linked Data is exposed to HTTP networks (e.g. World Wide Web) via hypermedia resources bearing structured representations of data object descriptions. Remember, you have a single Identifier abstraction (generic HTTP URI) that embodies: Data Object Name and Data Representation Location (aka URL).
How are Linked Data Object Representations Structured?
A structured representation of data exists when an Entity (Datum), its Attributes, and its Attribute Values are clearly discernible. In the case of a Linked Data Object, structured descriptions take the form of a hypermedia based Entity-Attribute-Value (EAV) graph pictorial -- where each Entity, its Attributes, and its Attribute Values (optionally) are identified using Generic HTTP URIs.
Examples of structured data representation formats (content types) associated with Linked Data Objects include:
- text/html
- text/turtle
- text/n3
- application/json
- application/rdf+xml
- Others
How Do I Create Linked Data oriented Hypermedia Resources?
You markup resources by expressing distinct entity-attribute-value statements (basically these a 3-tuple records) using a variety of notations:
- (X)HTML+RDFa,
- JSON,
- Turtle,
- N3,
- TriX,
- TriG,
- RDF/XML, and
- Others (for instance you can use Atom data format extensions to model EAV graph as per OData initiative from Microsoft).
You can achieve this task using any of the following approaches:
- Notepad
- WYSIWYG Editor
- Transformation of Database Records via Middleware
- Transformation of XML based Web Services output via Middleware
- Transformation of other Hypermedia Resources via Middleware
- Transformation of non Hypermedia Resources via Middleware
- Use a platform that delivers all of the above.
Practical Examples of Linked Data Objects Enable
- Describe Who You Are, What You Offer, and What You Need via your structured profile, then leave your HTTP network to perform the REST (serendipitous discovery of relevant things)
- Identify (via map overlay) all items of interest based on a 2km+ radious of my current location (this could include vendor offerings or services sought by existing or future customers)
- Share the latest and greatest family photos with family members *only* without forcing them to signup for Yet Another Web 2.0 service or Social Network
- No repetitive signup and username and password based login sequences per Web 2.0 or Mobile Application combo
- Going beyond imprecise Keyword Search to the new frontier of Precision Find - Example, Find Data Objects associated with the keywords: Tiger, while enabling the seeker disambiguate across the "Who", "What", "Where", "When" dimensions (with negation capability)
- Determine how two Data Objects are Connected - person to person, person to subject matter etc. (LinkedIn outside the walled garden)
- Use any resource address (e.g blog or bookmark URL) as the conduit into a Data Object mesh that exposes all associated Entities and their social network relationships
- Apply patterns (social dimensions) above to traditional enterprise data sources in combination (optionally) with external data without compromising security etc.
How Do OpenLink Software Products Enable Linked Data Exploitation?
Our data access middleware heritage (which spans 16+ years) has enabled us to assemble a rich portfolio of coherently integrated products that enable cost-effective evaluation and utilization of Linked Data, without writing a single line of code, or exposing you to the hidden, but extensive admin and configuration costs. Post installation, the benefits of Linked Data simply materialize (along the lines described above).
Our main Linked Data oriented products include:
- OpenLink Data Explorer -- visualizes Linked Data or Linked Data transformed "on the fly" from hypermedia and non hypermedia data sources
- URIBurner -- a "deceptively simple" solution that enables the generation of Linked Data "on the fly" from a broad collection of data sources and resource types
- OpenLink Data Spaces -- a platform for enterprises and individuals that enhances distributed collaboration via Linked Data driven virtualization of data across its native and/or 3rd party content manager for: Blogs, Wikis, Shared Bookmarks, Discussion Forums, Social Networks etc
- OpenLink Virtuoso -- a secure and high-performance native hybrid data server (Relational, RDF-Graph, Document models) that includes in-built Linked Data transformation middleware (aka. Sponger).
Related
- Hypertext Transfer Protocol 1.1 RFC
- Open Data Protocol Glossary
- Simple Explanation of RDF and Linked Data Dynamics
- Collection of post from the past about Linked Data
- Are We There Yet Re. Web++? -- includes link to podcast conversation with Jon Udell
- Web of Linked Data Pivoting Demo from TED -- by Microsoft's Gary Flake
- Microsoft Pivot atop Virtuoso Quad Store's Faceted Browser Engine-- My Demonstration of EAV model transcending data representation variations (i.e., RDF's EAV data model data served up in Microsoft CXML data representation format).
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