Semantic Content Syndication Needs User Testing
Structured content horizons for online content!
Recently, the publishing of structured, semantic information as linked data [1] has gained momentum. A large number of linked data providers publishes more than 200 interlinked datasets amounting to 13 billion facts. For ordinary users on the Web, however, this information is not yet very visible and (re-)usable.
A new approach for the syndication and use of linked data based on the definition of templates for linked data resources is presented in a new content syndication service for linked data, called LESS [2], a collaborative web platform for editing and publishing of syndication templates.
It should therefore become easier with such a system to publish templates for common types of entities can then be combined with specific, linked data resources or results from semantic query language (SPARQL) and integrated into a wide range of applications, such as personal homepages, blogs/wikis, mobile widgets etc.
To improve the reliability and performance of linked data, LESS caches versions either for a certain time span or for the case of inaccessibility of the original source. It supports the integration of information from various sources as well as any text-based output formats. This allows not only to generate HTML, but also diagrams, RSS feeds or even complete data mashups without any programming involved.
At this stage the system targets primarily the usability aspect of linked data for end users, say the researchers behind the project.
Another important problem of the linked data web that the system aims to tackle are are quality issues, in particular with regard to performance and reliability of linked data endpoints.
As a result, a blogger writing about a recent trip to Berlin can easily integrate a nicely formatted fact box with important information about Berlin obtained from Wikipedia into her blog post, and a community of science fiction fans can integrate lists on a recent BBC programming matching their preferences into their community portal.
Wikipedia authors could use LESS to generate pages with lists from DBpedia content. Citizen scientists interested in earthquakes could display recent earth crust activity in their region on a map without having to do any programming. The system supports the integration of information from various sources as well as any text-based output formats. This allows not only to generate HTML, but also diagrams, RSS feeds or even complete data mashups without any programming involved.
Test it yourself (http://less.aksw.org), the developers would like to receive feedback.
[1]http://linkeddata.org/
[2]http://www.informatik.uni-leipzig.de/~auer/publication/semtem.pdf
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