Lessons%20Learnt%20From%20FOAF:%20A%20Bottom-Up%20Approach%20To%20Social%20Networks

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Lessons Learnt From FOAF A Bottom-Up Approach To
Social Networks
http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conference
s/jisc-cetis-2005/

• Brian Kelly
• UKOLN
• University of Bath
• Bath

About This Talk This talk introduces FOAF,
describes the advantages disadvantages of a
grassroots approach to development and ponders on
the wider implications.
Email B.Kelly_at_ukoln.ac.uk
UKOLN is supported by
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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

The relationship ('knows' in this case) is
defined at a URI
Is this really conceptually difficult?
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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
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FOAF Example (1)
A view of my FOAF file, showing links to my
friends

• FOAF Explorer - lthttp//xml.mfd-consult.dk/foaf/ex
  plorer/gt

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FOAF Example (2)

• FOAFNaut - lthttp//www.foafnaut.org/gt

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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 FOAF

• Several 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

Beyond Browsing Find we people who attended WBC
2004 and XML 2004 who have an interest in xxx
Leigh
Brian
IADIS WBC 2004
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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