Semantic Web

One of the best definitions of the  comes from the Scientific American:

"The Semantic Web is an extension of the current web in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation."

This principle is expected to arrive in the version of the web referred to as.

Goals of the Semantic Web
The Semantic Web aims to convert the current Web, dominated by unstructured and semi-structured documents, into a complete web of data. Additionally, it will implement a system where machines can understand and respond to complex human requests.

The vision of the Semantic web is to extend principles of the Web from documents to data. This data should be accessed using the general Web architecture and should be related to one another just as documents are already. This will require creation of a common framework that allows data to be shared and reused accross application, enterprise, and community boundaries and processed automatically. 1



Potential application areas for Semantic Web technologies:
 * - whereby data in various locations and various formats can be integrated into one seamless application
 * Resource Discovery and Classification - providing better, domain specific search engine capabilities
 * - describing content and content relationships available at a particular website
 * Intelligent Software Agents - facilitating knowledge sharing and exchange
 * Content Rating - describing collections of pages that represent a single logical document 1

Purpose
The Semantic Web aims to create a setting where machines can interpret the web in a way similar to the way that humans can. In theory, the machine should be able to analyze data on the web and to carry out commands using existing web data. "'At the doctor's office, Lucy instructed her Semantic Web agent through her handheld Web browser. The agent promptly retrieved information about mom's prescribed treatment from the doctor's agent, looked up several lists of providers, and checked for the ones in-plan for mom's insurance within a 20 mile radius of her home, and with a rating of excellent or very good on trusted rating services. It then began trying to find a match between available appointment times (supplied by the agents of individual providers through their Web sites) and Pete's and Lucy's busy schedules.' 3" In the example, information is automatically gathered for Lucy regarding what is initially input.

Building Blocks
To achieve the goals of the Semantic Web, one primary objective is to be able to define and describe relations among data on the Web. Based on that objective, the following potential building blocks are constructed:
 * Tools to query information described through such relationships
 * Tools to have a finer and more detailed classification and characterization of those relationships as well as the resources being characterized
 * Tools to extract from, and to bind to traditional data sources to ensure their interchange with data from other sources 1

Industry Applications
The Semantic Web originated in research labs, and was eventually picked up by the open source community. Later, it was beginning to be used by start-ups and eventually businesses in general. Currently, the Semantic Web is increasingly being used by various businesses including Oracle, IBM, Adobe, Software AG, and Yahoo!. In addition to this, large application areas such as the health care and life sciences are looking to data integration possibilities with the Semantic Web in order to help in solving their research and development problems. 1

The Pull Paradigm
Transitioning into the age of the Semantic Web involves making a change from pushing information, to pulling it.

"Originally, the TV networks sent out signals for shows according to a schedule that benefited their advertisers. Then, VCRs let consumers watch when they wanted and skip the ads. Now on-demand services let consumers watch a handful of TV shows whenever they like. The future is online, where you can find and watch any video ever recorded any time you like on any device."

This is expected to happen in many industries. People will have the ability to pull information to them at any time, and will use online data lockers to store and make use of their information. Furthermore, many processes will invert in favor of the customer. users will no longer search for things, and instead just say what they are looking for and let things find us. Everyone will be both a producer and consumer of information that becomes part of the ecosystem. 2