A centre of expertise in digital information management Lessons Learnt From FOAF: A Bottom-Up...

A centre of expertise in digital information management

www.ukoln.ac.uk

Lessons Learnt From FOAF: A Bottom-Up Approach To Social Networks Brian KellyUKOLNUniversity of BathBath

[email protected]

UKOLN is supported by:

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/jisc-cetis-2005/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/jisc-cetis-2005/

About This TalkThis talk introduces FOAF, describes the advantages & disadvantages of a grassroots approach to development and ponders on the wider implications.

About This TalkThis talk introduces FOAF, describes the advantages & disadvantages of a grassroots approach to development and ponders on the wider implications.


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Contents

• Background – The Semantic Web• What Is FOAF?• Relevance Of FOAF To This Conference

And Session• The Development Culture Behind FOAF• The Limitations• Wider Implications


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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 about individuals• 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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My Aims

SW Promotion • Promote use of FOAF as a lightweight Semantic

Web application• Enable people to be part of the Semantic Web

Community-Building • Use a FOAF application which supports

community-building at events

Implementation • Joint work with local FOAF geek (Leigh Dodds)• Development of tools• Use of tools (at IWMW 2004)• Paper presented at IADIS WBC 2004


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Creating FOAFSeveral types of FOAF authoring tools provided:

• Do it by hand • Web-based tools• Dedicated tools• A Wiki (experimental)


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A FOAF Application

We've got :• Powerful standards (RDF/FOAF)• Simple authoring tools

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

Application:• Who attended JISC-CETIS conf 2004?• Who's going to JISC-CETIS conf 2005?• Who's going and is interested in LIP, LOM, real

ale, …Background:

• Addressed previously but application-specific


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FOAFNaut

FOAFNaut application is being extended to include visualisation of events data


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Review: FOAF And Events

We explored using events (conferences, seminars, etc.) 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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What Happened?

Take-up• Promoted at IWMW 2004 (flyer in pack)• But few delegates used (& they were the

techies)

Technologies• FOAFNaut support for events has still not

been included in main version• Wiki authoring tool hacked

People• Develop had other commitments


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Reflections

Some thoughts:• Privacy issues• Branding issues ('he's not my friend')• Getting beyond the early adopters• Is FOAF more appropriate back-stage

(e.g. export format in Blogs)?• Do we want shrink-wrapped solutions

(e.g. Orkut)?• Is the interest in the technology too far

away from users' needs?• Has FOAF been a failure or a success?


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Discussion

Questions., comments, etc. welcome

A centre of expertise in digital information management Lessons Learnt From FOAF: A Bottom-Up...

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