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Between CISSP studying and developing new projects, I have been much amiss in writing here. I spent the summer (the un-fun part) delving into the world of Web 3.0 and Semantic Technologies. What is Web 3.0 and Semantic tech? Unforgivable, but accurate, Wikipedia quote:

The Semantic Web is an evolving development of the World Wide Web in which the meaning (semantics) of information and services on the web is defined, making it possible for the web to understand and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use the web content.[1][2] It derives from World Wide Web Consortium director Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s vision of the Web as a universal medium for data, information, and knowledge exchange.[3]

Welcome to the world of Linked Data. From the Data.gov initiative, to climate change findings, to spotting financial trends – linked data/semantic web/web 3.0 is the new “new”. To keep things simple here, I will stick to using the Linked Data phrase as my subject.

Linked data allows users of disparate systems and underlying technologies to process and consume data because of standards such as the Resource Description Framework (RDF). Using specifications such as RDF and standard semantic queries or SPARQL(SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language) queries users can easily query other data sources of the semantic web without having to understand programming languages or data structures.

Semantic Web offers a dearth of opportunity, especially in today’s data overloaded world. The folks who are able to create the most compelling mashups of different data, may profit handsomely, or may simply receive an award at a conference such as the ISWC2009.

Anyhow for some more details on the semantic web look at the Semantic Web Gang podcast.

Also, for a display on the Data.gov effort, and mashups that can be created with government data see Sunlight Labs appsforamerica2 – the winning app takes home $10,000.

Till next time…

Semantic Web

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After reading WIkinomics, I decided its time to get back to blogging about tech again.  Wikinomics is a book that we can all learn something from.   The book describes the trend of mass collaboration and how the tools or “Weapons of Mass Collaboration” are allowing companies to innovate faster, cheaper, and better.  Wikinomics teaches us that the open source model is not the taboo that once was, but an economical alternative to the vendor lock in that the large software houses seek to impose on fat enterprise budgets (read Microsoft, Oracle, SAP).

Companies and the Government are awaking to see that enterprise software doesnt always have to be a $10 million compromise of the IT budget and for good reason.  Many times, the functionality required for a project can be discovered and implemented using an existing Open Source platform.

WIkinomics describes how systems that were built with Peer Production or “Pro-sumer” input has created vibrant user driven communities that surpass the technical support you would pay for from a “big 3″ vendor (MS, ORACLE, SAP).

The bottom line?  Software should not be a top heavy budget item.  With the proper assistance, companies and government agencies can successfully adopt open source platforms and dramatically increase their ROI.

You can buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Wikinomics-Mass-Collaboration-Changes-Everything/dp/1591841933/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207324794&sr=8-1

Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Chang...

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Goodby 2008, hello 2009.  This will be my new place to expose my thoughts and discoveries Web 2.0-3.0, Open Source Tech (LAMP), and other musings as necessary.  I will welcome all comments and suggestions.

This first post is the result of launching into WordPress, quite possibly the best invention since GoogleMaps.  I am looking forward to empowering businesses through internet technologies.   After working with Joomla, I do believe that WordPress is smoother thus far…

Popularity: 34% [?]