Semantic Web
The word web in the semantic web is what confuses and misleads mostly. It must be read as web of semantics. Meaning, it sees the internet as a web of data which can be understood by machines.
Semantic Web topic contains multiple topics which are aimed at expressing and exposing understandable and linkable data.
Semantic Web vs WWW
Semantic web is better understood when we compare it with world wide web.
| Aspect | World Wide Web (WWW) | Semantic Web (SW) |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Documents (HTML pages) | Data (Facts about things) |
| Structure | Hyperlinks (links between pages) | Linked Data (links between concepts and entities) |
| Result | A vast, distributed library of information. | A vast, distributed knowledge graph or database. |
Consumers of Semantic Web
The consumers of semantic web are mostly machines and hence the data must be understandable by machines and also applying logical reasoning must be possible.
example of logical reasoning
Assume a ontology provides this data using RDF triplets.
- All dogs are mammals
- All mammals are warm-blooded
- Fido is a dog
With logical reasoning rules, a system can automatically conclude: "Fido is warm-blooded"