XML and the Semantic Web from 10,000 Feet
by Eric Hanson
http://www.aquameta.com/~eric/writings/ semantic-web.html
= interesting, promising
Online Article
FREE

This is an online post by Eric Hanson about the Semantic Web.
Mr Hanson overview makes it much clearer to understand what XML and the Semantic Web are all about and the ways and methods in which they could come to be useful to us.

Mr Hanson draws some interesting points in his page-long post dated May 2001, and the style he uses is extremely effective and clear.

Mr Hanson states: "XML can represent real-world objects like used cars, but it can also represent concepts and ideas. Just like the ontology for a used car could unite the used-car selling and buying people of the world, an ontology for an idea could unite the people of the world around a single idea.

Using XML to represent the idea that the president should be assassinated could unite would-be assassins in a single online community. XML will unite people with common interests and goals in ways never before possible. Scarry thought huh?".

And also..."By stretching a net of approximate categorization over our earth, a line is drawn between those things that can be classified and those that cannot.

Mass produced goods take on all the beauty of a grey lego block. Things that can't be captured in this web, things like art, music, literature, nature, stand out and shine brighter.

XML and the Semantic Web will profoundly affect our earth and the way we think of it. It will challenge capitalism as we know it, and unite people around common interests no matter how obscure. How soon it will take off is anybody's guess but it has the potential to revolutionize the world as we know it.".

Interesting read.