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Using FOAF To Support Community-Building

Brian KellyUKOLNUniversity of BathBath

EmailB.Kelly@ukoln.ac.ukURLhttp://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

UKOLN is supported by:

Leigh DoddsingentaBath

EmailLeigh.Dodds@ingenta.com

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Aims Of This Paper

This paper aims to:• Promote the ideas behind the Semantic Web• Provide an easy-to-comprehend and easy-to-use

demonstration of a Semantic Web application• Demonstrate simple authoring tools for FOAF• Encourage use of the tools by all IADIS

participants• Encourage the developer community to build on

existing work

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About The Semantic Web (1)

The Semantic Web:• Why is it needed?

The Semantic Web is needed is order to provide a more structured Web in which resources can be brought together for a variety of purposes

• What is it?The Semantic Web can be regarded as a global distributed database, which can be developed without central coordination

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About The Semantic Web (2)

The Semantic Web:• How is it done?

The Semantic Web is an XML application which contains a simple mathematical model which defines relationships which are defined using a URI

• What are the challenges?The Semantic Web is perceived as difficult to understand. These apparent difficulties provide a barrier to its deployment

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Is It Difficult?

The mathematical model behind the Semantic Web is based on simple tuples, as illustrated

Is this really conceptually difficult?Is this really conceptually difficult?

The relationship ('knows' in this case) is defined at a URI

Brianknows

Leigh

UKOLNworks at

01225 xxxHas phone no.

FOAF paper

DC.Created by

Leigh

Brian

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FOAF – A Simple SW Application

FOAF:• Stands for "Friend Of A Friend"• Provides structured links• Information distributed & extensible• Avoids data protection concerns

Me, email,

work place,friends

…

Leigh, email, …location,interestsfriends

Leigh's friend 1

Leigh's friend n

My friend 1

My friend n

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FOAF Example (1)

FOAF Explorer - <http://xml.mfd-consult.dk/foaf/explorer/>

A view of my FOAF file, showing links to my friends

Further information in my FOAF file

Leigh's FOAF file, showing his additional information

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FOAF Example (2)

FOAFNaut - <http://www.foafnaut.org/>

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Creating FOAFSeveral types of FOAF authoring tools are available:

• Do it by hand• Web-based tools• Dedicated tools• Using a Wiki

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What Does This Provide?

We have shown :• An interface to a structured Web, known as the

Semantic Web• Examples of different clients for viewing this

Semantic Web• Examples of how the data is extensible• Examples of simple authoring tools

What we need now is:• Motivating factors to encourage uptake • Richer tools for data-mining

This is similar to the Web in 1992, before authoring tools were popular, before search engines were invented and only technical content was available

This is similar to the Web in 1992, before authoring tools were popular, before search engines were invented and only technical content was available

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FOAF And Events

We are using events (conferences, seminars, etc.) as a means to promote SW take-up:

• Delegates often want to establish links with people they meet (cf. use of business cards)

• Encouraging delegates to create their own data gets them motivated

• This also avoids data protection concerns and places maintenance of individual

Use at technical conferences also provides:• Feedback • Opportunity to get developers engaged in further

work

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What Next?

What can happen next:• Further promotion of this concept at other events• Encouragement for additional development:

• Dedicated viewing tools• Search facilities• …

Brian Leigh

IADIS WBC 2004

XML 2004

Beyond BrowsingFind we people who attended WBC 2004 and XML 2004 who have an interest in xxx

Beyond BrowsingFind we people who attended WBC 2004 and XML 2004 who have an interest in xxx

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FOAFNaut

FOAFNaut application is being extended to include visualisation of events data

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What Next – For You

Delegates• Say hello to Brian – I can then add you to my

FOAF file• Create a FOAF file and link to me• Use foaf-a-matic 2.0 / conference Wiki tool / …

and include information on attendance at this participations

• Promote FOAF and the SW in your institution

Conference Organisers• Promote use of this approach

Developers• Work with the FOAF community in developing

further tools

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Conclusions

To conclude:• We have (briefly) explained the rationale

for the Semantic Web• We have demonstrated FOAF• We have shown that using this Semantic

Web application is not difficult• We hope we have encouraged you to:

• Create your own FOAF file• Work with the FOAF development community

in further developing FOAF applications

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Further Information / Questions

About FOAF:

<http://www.foaf-project.org/>

FOAF-a-matic v2:

<http://www.ldodds.com/wordtin/Wiki.jsp?page=FOAFaMaticMark2>

FOAF Wiki:

<http://rdfweb.org/topic/FoafProject>