Taking Advantage of Linked Data

Abstract

Linked Data refers to links between data sources, as well as the practice of connecting data on the Web. I have already discussed one part of Linked Data: using RDF to make statements about properties or data resources on the Web and to make statements about the relations between resources. I think that Linked Data will be a key Web 3.0 technology as more Linked Data resources become available. Resources you’ll find useful today include DBpedia, Freebase, and Open Calais, and in this chapter you’ll see examples of using Linked Data from all three of these. You will also see that it is easy to publish content in relational databases as Linked Data using the D2R system. (I’ll use D2R here and in Chapter 15.) Using Linked Data can expand the scope of your Web 3.0 applications to use a wider variety of information sources than you can create with your own resources.