02.24.11
Sharing the Knowledge with Ontology
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The ability to capture knowledge in a machine-readable form has reached a turning point. The W3C has approved the standard for a web ontology language, OWL. This language provides a complete syntax for defining the classes, class properties, data properties, and individuals of a domain of knowledge.
Several industries involved in complex research are beginning to store their findings in the form of OWL. This offers them a way to capture their research findings for everyone else to see. The logical information they capture can be validated for consistency using reasoners (algorithms that connect the logical statements to determine valid outcomes). It also allows them to combine different domains to have an even greater body of knowledge.
Building domain knowledge is a form of programming and is therefore not something that everyone will understand. But, storing knowledge is not the same thing as using knowledge. Everyone has read a book, but only a few actually write books. In the same way, the knowledge stored in a web-based ontology can be accessed and used by anyone. Just like reading a book, a web-based ontology can be queried. Its structure can be visualized in diagrams.
This visualization of web-based ontology is the next big step for its acceptance. This visualization must be easy to use and easily understood. Anyone should be able use the internet to get full access to the knowledge of the world without the use of search engines.
Search engines are an invaluable tool on the internet. You can find just about anything by entering a few words or phrases. Even social networks provide content-specific search engines. Web-based ontology does not replace the need to search. It provides a way to search based on concepts rather than just words or phrases.
We are all looking for more input. We want to know more. We get our news from the internet, TV, newspapers, and magazines. We attend school for years where we learn to read and write so we can learn and understand more about our world.
Ontology opens up a new means of capturing knowledge so it can be validated, shared, and built upon. There is no doubt that this will change information-sharing forever.
The Enterprise Architects can see what is coming and are already preparing. They know that this will be their time. Corporations will be able to completely focus on their business, and automation will be viewed as an agile enabler. Automation will finally become the self-service contributor that the Corporate Office has always wanted it to be. –Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City
Closing the Business / IT gap.
