"PC users have volumes of information saved on their computers, most of it disconnected and disparate save for a basic directory system. The answer to connecting all the information into a local semantic Web of information is closer than you might think. Thanks to the open source NEPOMUK (Networked Environment for Personalized, Ontology-based Management of Unified Knowledge) effort, the Semantic Desktop isn't a dream; it's an emerging reality and will be here with the upcoming release of KDE 4 for the Linux desktop."
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Member since:2005-11-10
I'm pretty much in agreement with that. During Vista development, I was really put off by Microsoft dropping meta data for everything but Office files. Losing WinFS and then any semblance of meta cut the heart out of the new Explorer. Now Apple may have delivered detailed meta searching (and decent saved searches), but there is still no up front way of tagging and editing meta on the filesystem, and this is where NEPOMUK is stepping up the game.
My only real concern is that It's going to be near impossible to breakdown the desktop/folder metaphor that everybody is so used to, and go fully meta.
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2005-07-06
> It's going to be near impossible to breakdown
these sorts of changes will inevitably be multi-generational. but they need to start at some point, right? =) we shouldn't be discouraged if we don't get to the final destination with the first iteration. we should only be discouraged if we aren't moving towards that destination as quickly as possible.
there are several things in kde4 that are like this, btw.
Member since:2006-02-05
The thing is people already use folders and file names for this purpose. You have pictures/family/vacation/2001/franksallybeach22.jpg. Instead, it could be /personal/nice day.jpg tagged with family, vacation, vacation 2001, frank, sally, beach. Using folders for this purpose, you end up with extraordinarily long mazes with your information at the end, with very little flexibility in navigation. Using a meta approach is such a jump forward in every way, i really think people would jump on it, even though it is quite different.
I mean, look at flickr, facebook, gmail, digg, etc. People get tagging, they love tagging, and they use tagging. The technology is here for operating systems, and it boggles my mind that neither Apple or MS is moving forward with this.
Member since:2005-08-11
"Then MS starts talking about all the cool new things they will do with it, and I thought "Man, what a slap in the face for apple, to be beaten to the punch for once by MS"
Actually, MS started talking about integrated search long before spotlight. This was one of the rationals behind the failed "WinFS" DB driven filesystem. Apple came out with spotlight to counter that, and they succeeded. MS couldn't make it work, and had to drop it from Vista.
Member since:2006-02-05
Member since:
2006-02-05
From the very first mention of spotlight, I have been waiting for people using DB file systems to actually start innovating on the same tired ideas we have been using for years now. At first, I was sure Apple would give it to us, as they tend to lead the way in such things. Instead, we have just gotten better and better searches with spotlight. Then MS starts talking about all the cool new things they will do with it, and I thought "Man, what a slap in the face for apple, to be beaten to the punch for once by MS". Instead, we got something that is significantly WORSE then spotlight. Then beagle gets announced, I try it out, and it seems like a simple "Me Too" type of technology that will forever be a few generations behind the other two.
Fast forward a few years, and its Linux who is leading the way. I honestly didn't think it would happen, but we are seeing far more progress on this front with NEPOMUK then with anything else. I still cant wait for the day when folders are no longer used in place of metadata, allowing for fairly flat filesystems, and file names are only one of many identifiers for what you are looking for, but at this point any step in that direction is reason for celebration.