In order for the Semantic Web to become a reality and success, there needs to be data on the web published as Linked Data. However, data on the web is not a new thing. People have been publishing raw data for a long time as XML, CSV or even spreadsheets. Data can also be accessed through APIs.  But where does most of the data on the web come from? Relational Databases!

The Rule Interchange Format (RIF) Working Group has published six Proposed Recommendations. Together, they allow systems using a variety of rule languages and rule-based technologies to interoperate with each other and with Semantic Web technologies. Three of the drafts define XML formats with formal semantics for storing and transmitting rules:

Since 2002, several US federal agencies have been deploying XML standards for the exchange of complex data sets. Led by a large project at the US Department of Justice and homeland security, there are now hundreds of states and vendors supporting an emerging XML standard called the National Information Exchange Model or NIEM. This presentation will look at the NIEM processes and show how they are being used to promote semantically precise data exchanges as well as promoting transparency in government.

When most people think about “semantic” or “Semantic Web”-based software, they tend to think about applications that are quite explicit about their use of RDF, SKOS and OWL. While these types of applications are clearly becoming more popular, the vast majority of people have no clue why they should care about such things.