RDF Next Steps

The Resource Description Framework (RDF), the first layer of the Semantic Web, became a W3C Recommendation in 1999. A major revision was published in 2004, including the general concepts, its semantics, and an XML Serialization (RDF/XML) syntax.

Since then, several newer standards based on RDF have been published, including like SPARQL, OWL 2, POWDER, SKOS, and RIF. Through this standardization work, the thriving R&D activities in the area, and an ongoing deployment of these technologies across multiple industries, a number of issues regarding RDF came to the fore. In June 2010 the W3C held a workshop to gather feedback and begin to determine if another revision of RDF is warranted and, if so, which elements should be added or clarified. The workshop established a list of possible work items which was summarized by the report of the workshop. This was followed by a public discussion on various email lists and fora as well as a public questionnaire set up by W3C and which was answered by over 120 people from the community. W3C is working on a charter for a Working Group whose goal is to handle the top priority issues in a future version of RDF. This presentation will outline the current plans for the charter.

This presentation, and the discussion that follows, is one of the last public discussion forums on the charter before it is sent to the W3C Advisory Committee for approval. Feedback is, therefore, essential!