Eclectic Echoes

Linkfest: RSS & Semantics

Quick daily (well maybe regular would be more appropriate) read linkfest:

• RSSWeather is still listed as experimental, but has been very accurate.
• Clay Shirky has an interesting piece on the “Semantic Web”. The gist of it is that:
  • The Semantic Web is a machine for creating syllogisms
  • syllogisms don’t work well in the real world (for a number of reasons)
  • As a result, the Semantic Web will not be very useful either.

  I’m not sure yet whether I agree with his argument in it’s entirety, but he makes some excellent points. Knowing the developmental history of the web, I think the Semantic Web—as put forth by most of it’s proponents—will not succeed in it’s entirety, but there will be some very good developments that do come out of it.

• Shelly is taking BurningBird to a more private level after it was visited by the IRS.
• Joe Maddalone figured out how to get multiple versions of IE running on one system.
• Support the ACLU give up your privacy.