[esip-semantictech] Roadmap review

[John Graybeal]

I don’t think a reminder email has gone out for this meeting yet, so if it is still on, this might do:
 
Meeting is today at 1 PM/2 PM/3 PM/4 PM!  Meeting details:
   http://wiki.esipfed.org/index.php/Semantic_Technologies
   	• GoToMeeting: https://www.gotomeeting.com/join/976796333
	• Phone Access: United States: +1 (872) 240-3212
	• Access Code: 976-796-333

I will be interested in hearing everyone else’s inputs. I would like to add something to the mix that isn’t in the slide deck, though I think many things in the slide deck would be great.

Inspired by the general gestalt at the US2TS meetings last year, and particularly Yolanda Gil’s talk on motivating additional investment in these technologies, I propose the most important tasks may not be particular technical ones, but ones leading to greater adoption and uptake of semantic technologies. The many initiatives that have started, struggled, and either limped along or foundered since the roadmap was created (and the relatively few that have prospered) suggests that there are not enough resources to sustain progress and confidence in this domain. 

A few examples of basic semantic capabilities (meaning, should not require semantic or programming or Google-fu expertise to use) that are non-trivial:
 * I have a vocabulary I want to make semantically interoperable. Where’s the basic tool I use to do that?
 * I want to find an ontology _or other semantic resource_ that does X/has X/is used for X. How do I look that up?  (Same question, but “the best ontology”.)
   * Other semantic resources: taxonomies, vocabularies, mappings
 * (for non-semantic programmers) I want to make my tool semantically interoperable, but my users don’t want to deal with unique identifiers. What library do I use?
 * This tool doesn’t have the right semantic content. Where do I send my suggestion for an improvement? 
 * Where’s the best web site to get the answers to these basic needs?

We need the on-ramp that gets people from “semantics seems important, but how do I use it” to actually finding it useful in their day-to-day activities. (And I don’t think the answer is just a web site, though a really good one would help.)  

I think this is capacity building at the most fundamental level, and that only after some adoption is taking place will the funding agencies start driving the developments. In Yolanda’s talk she emphasized the value of a major new initiative, comparable to the super-computer funding initiative in the U.S. a few decades ago. That would be great too, but I’m not sure I’m seeing critical mass, so I’m thinking about what could be done 

My two cents.

John

---------------------------------------
John Graybeal
jbgraybeal at mindspring.com
650-450-1853
skype: graybealski
linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johngraybeal/

> On Sep 7, 2018, at 10:31, Beth Huffer via esip-semanticweb <esip-semanticweb at lists.esipfed.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello Semantic Techies! 
>  
> Tryin’ not to lose momentum here… Between now and our next meeting on 9/25 at 4pm EDT, please try to take some time to review Peter’s slides <https://github.com/ESIPFed/stc/tree/gh-pages/Semantic_Tech_Roadmap/Relevant_Documentation>and think about areas where this committee might be able to help make progress toward achieving some of the semantic capabilities identified in the roadmap. We’ll spend some time at our next meeting discussing and documenting people’s opinions on what we could/should/would do and maybe try to come to some sort of agreement about what our priorities are. In particular, the last few slides in Semantic Web Infusion Roadmap V1.0 Gap Analysis 1.6 deck include some concrete suggestions for things that could be done. Take a look and come prepared to discuss on 9/25. Thanks everyone!
>  
> Beth 
>  
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