Comments on: “Semantic Web”? Wha… ? http://www.calebbooker.com/blog/2008/12/19/semantic-web-wha/ New Media, Life and Work Online Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:29:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Caleb Booker http://www.calebbooker.com/blog/2008/12/19/semantic-web-wha/comment-page-1/#comment-1875 Caleb Booker Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:37:18 +0000 http://www.calebbooker.com/blog/?p=699#comment-1875 Hi Tuna, Thanks for the feedback! I feel your pain regarding "Web X.doh" terminology, I really do. It's a confuser, not a clarifier. HOWEVER... Face it: we're stuck with it. People would rather feel like they understand things than feel like they don't, and the comfort of putting version numbers on something they think they "get" (the web in this case) is just too tempting. Also, people will repeat buzz terms over actual explanations any day. It's more satisfying to tell people nothing and make them feel like they've learned something than to tell them how things really are and risk them feeling overwhelmed. The first earns friends and fans, the second earns blank stares. Sad but true. This phenomena isn't just sold by people speaking to management types who know nothing: even the community's intelligencia are often guilty of using terms that gloss over the details. Nerds need love too. There's also payoff for them on another level: this way they can catch a reporter on an off day when they're too busy to think things through. (We call those days "weekdays".) Headlines = Academic Street Cred. For folks who've gone through the horrible PhD procurement procedure, Street Cred is mana from Heaven. Regards, Caleb Hi Tuna,

Thanks for the feedback! I feel your pain regarding “Web X.doh” terminology, I really do. It’s a confuser, not a clarifier.

HOWEVER…

Face it: we’re stuck with it. People would rather feel like they understand things than feel like they don’t, and the comfort of putting version numbers on something they think they “get” (the web in this case) is just too tempting.

Also, people will repeat buzz terms over actual explanations any day. It’s more satisfying to tell people nothing and make them feel like they’ve learned something than to tell them how things really are and risk them feeling overwhelmed. The first earns friends and fans, the second earns blank stares. Sad but true.

This phenomena isn’t just sold by people speaking to management types who know nothing: even the community’s intelligencia are often guilty of using terms that gloss over the details. Nerds need love too.

There’s also payoff for them on another level: this way they can catch a reporter on an off day when they’re too busy to think things through. (We call those days “weekdays”.) Headlines = Academic Street Cred. For folks who’ve gone through the horrible PhD procurement procedure, Street Cred is mana from Heaven.

Regards,

Caleb

]]> By: Tuna http://www.calebbooker.com/blog/2008/12/19/semantic-web-wha/comment-page-1/#comment-1873 Tuna Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:05:02 +0000 http://www.calebbooker.com/blog/?p=699#comment-1873 I found your article on the Semantic Web very interesting and useful. But, I have to ask you to please stop using this term "Web 3.0." Please, don't even use Web 2.0. And please, tell your friends and business partners not to use these terms. There is no such thing. It only exists as a buzz word and defines nothing but vagueness and mythical value. Everyone is selling "Web 2.0" and now "Web 3.0" snake oil to upper management types who are clueless about to just about everything except their need to look hip and on top of technology. I do not want to have to explain why WE don't have the "Web 3.0" or what version of our web sites are. Largely because they won't believe me. After all, I'm just an employee. So, please, refuse to use that term. This isn't AOL your selling here. I found your article on the Semantic Web very interesting and useful. But, I have to ask you to please stop using this term “Web 3.0.” Please, don’t even use Web 2.0. And please, tell your friends and business partners not to use these terms. There is no such thing. It only exists as a buzz word and defines nothing but vagueness and mythical value. Everyone is selling “Web 2.0″ and now “Web 3.0″ snake oil to upper management types who are clueless about to just about everything except their need to look hip and on top of technology. I do not want to have to explain why WE don’t have the “Web 3.0″ or what version of our web sites are. Largely because they won’t believe me. After all, I’m just an employee. So, please, refuse to use that term. This isn’t AOL your selling here.

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