Community Project

Media Management

Collective Imagination: Inventory and Collection Management

1. Project Description Managing relationships of objects, attriubtes and processes

Basically, your standard desktop widgets, but based on the SPARQL JSON format for maximum portability and scalability. Possibly investigate existing library toolkits, and further SW activities. Look into JS-based agents, implemented as widgets. Perhaps have tie-ins to IRC, Jabber, etc.

2. Why did you select this particular project?

There needs to be a simple, open widget standard that can be driven from ad-hoc SPARQL queries. The ad-hoc nature of widgets is similar to that of the ad-hoc quick results of the SPARQL JSON format.

3. Why do you think this project will have a wide impact?

I think that microformats represent a general concept of microcontent. We have the engines, but a simple widget specification could solidify building the application whilst the data is discovered by creating corresponding widgets for each application or agent.

4. Can your project be easily integrated with other wide-spread systems? If so, which and how?

If done right, it would work with all of the existing JS widget libraries.

5. Why is it that this project should be done right now, i.e. why should people prioritise this ahead of other projects?

Sometimes I feel that we're too enveloped by the brochureness of the web, and we need to get back to hyper media.

6. What can you contribute to the project?

BS, Python, Java & JS.

7. What contribution would you need from others?

Organization, idea bouncing, discussions in code.

8. What standardisation should the Semantic Web community at large undertake to support the project?

Offer the lowest common denominator to enable this, but whilst maintaining integration.

9. How does your project encourage others not currently involved with Semantic Web technologies to get involved (by providing data or make a coding commitment)?

If you don't want to program, ever, you just might make a widget. They're fun, and you can be done in no time flat, and maybe learn a little something without getting wrapped up in a big commitment. Sometimes, we treat interesting data like this too, and we dread data that becomes a big project. By making consistent lego-blocks of JS, perhaps even leveraging existing JavaScript libraries, and SemWeb related formats, it could make for some great fun. If we

10. What would be the main benefit of using Semantic Web technologies to achieve the goals of the project, compared to other technologies?

Anything else is this space is not SemWeb friendly, but incredibly SemWeb friendly at heart. Widgets are inspired by small, specific, and precise representation of information. The Semantic Web needs an instrument panel.

Commitments

If you like this project, please write your name below and indicate what contribution you can make to the project.

Thomas Winningham

Kingsley Idehen - SPARQL accessible Content Management Platform via ODS and SPARQL and JSON supporting Ajax Framework.

BenjaminNowack - Have been working with sparql-driven widgets for some time (called them "sparqlets"), but usually generate them on the server side and just use AJAX for inline refreshs. Would love to see some standardization.

Discussion

Kingsley -- I love most everything that is coming out of OLDS ... how can parts of it be reused in a lighter fashion or do you basically have to use everything together? Also, thanks for commenting you two! -- Thomas 3-29-07