Topic Map Tensions

The Topic Map community is once again asking itself why no one really appears interested in the Topic Map standards and associated technologies. Following TMRA 2009 Alexander Johannsen vents his frustation at the community and states

Where is our community?
Who did you talk to? What did you talk about? How was lunch? Show us
some human interactions, dammit!

There just doesn’t seem to be much of a buzz about Topic Maps, and until now I didn’t realise this extended to those intimately involved in the community. As Patrick Durusau states :

If we want a “buzz” about topic maps then we are going to have to create
it. No one is going to create it for us.

And this all follows on from the recent Are Topic Maps Dead” thread.

Now, I like Topic Maps. The standards are mature and intuitive – much more so than other Semantic Web standards – RDF/OWL for example.And Ive always found my dealings with any of the community to be professional and helpful in equal measures. But Topic Maps are in trouble.

A case in point – the Topic Maps 2009 conference is “aiming to reach a wider audience” and whilst registration is cheaper, “most of the conference will be held in Norwegian and most of the case studies will be local”!

Topic Map standards are not gaining traction in the world of the Semantic Web and unfortunately the community seems uncertain on how to address this. Yes, the Topic Map movement is evolving and changing but it feels like it’s contracting. And thats a shame.

Running In The Extreme – Free Seminar

GoreTex Trans Alpine Challenge

Run 4 It, the Scottish specialist running retailer are holding a seminar entitled “Running In The Extreme” covering Matt Williamsons (no relation) experiences of competing in the GoreTex Trans Alpine race in Europe. Matt is a great runner, a great speaker and a nice guy so check out the link below. It’s free so get yourselves booked in.

Running In The Extreme

The Webs Awake

Sounds like a good name for a book.

Well, in fact it is one – written by a very good and old friend of mine Dr Philip Tetlow. Phil and I met at Sunderland University, although in those days it was a “polytechnic” – a kind of University for Dullards (or so the higher brow academics liked to think). We were on the same course and lived in the same halls of residence so got to know each other pretty well from day one. We had the same sense of humour, shared a love of hot curries and an appreciation of the fairer sex (although unfortunately mostly from a distance).

The thing I remember most about Phil though was his commitment and work ethic. It wasn’t all work and no play – far from it – but he always knew what he wanted to do, what he wanted to achieve and what he had to do to get there. I got a first class honours degree from Sunderland and so did Phil. Yes, I’m proud of that achievement and yes I applied myself well, but it was Phil that got me there. I got swept along in that final year frenzy. That final push towards his first academic goal. And for the first (but not the last I hasten to add) time in my life I applied myself fully and without exception to the problem at hand.

Of course, that commitment of Phil’s is evidenced by the plethora of titles, memberships and certifications that appear after his name these days. All of them sighted, targeted and dispatched with style no doubt. And I’m glad. He deserves the success and the professional plaudits he gains. More importantly I look forward to reading his book, “The Web Is Awake”.

But now the rub. I’ve skimmed the book and its undoubtedly well written and well argued (and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in computing, Information Technology, Biology or evolution) but at the moment I just don’t believe its basic premise – that The Web is a living thing (or at least exhibits many of the same characteristics), that it evolves or even that it warrants its own branch of science – “Web Science”. Maybe I just don’t have the necessary imagination to recognise what’s there in front of my eyes as I traverse The Web, or maybe I don’t see the bigger picture. Regardless I can’t currently make that leap.

Currently. Because as you will have noticed I’ve not actually read it yet.

Now I reckon that I have a better grasp of what life is than most professionals within the IT industry. A short yet frenetic career in Emergency Medicine gives me, what I believe to be, an insight into what Life actually is. What makes it so fragile. What happens when it flows from you. And what that means to others. So I plan to read Phil’s excellent book fully, and I plan to do so with an open mind. But I’ll read it in the context of my own experiences.

Maybe I’ll be convinced. Maybe I’ll be able to add something new to the discussion. Maybe I just won’t get it. It doesn’t matter – I’m just going to enjoy reading words written by my old pal Phil.

20 years

since Sunderland AFC beat Newcastle United at home.

Now, I don’t want you to think that this post is unbiased, so I have to confess right now that I am a Sunderland supporter. A “Mackem”. One of the Red & White army. One of those poor souls that have endured the endless dominance of our local rivals. Newcastle.

Well no more. On Saturday we beat them. And we beat them well.

I must confess that, probably like most Mackems, I never thought we’d win. Even leading 2-1 as the clock ticked towards 93 minutes I didnt think we’d do it. We never do. Its just not the way we do things. We’re just one of those teams that seems to always throw things away, particularly the most important things. But not on Saturday.

We hung on and we won.

2-1.

poor magpie .......

Tony Williamson

An IT Technical Architect with extensive experience of Service Oriented Architecture, Web Services and XML standards, the UK Financial Services Industry, selling trainers to strangers and Emergency Medicine.

Well the last bits are sort of true. After all, life’s too short to stay shackled to any one place, which is why my IT career, as exciting, succesful and invigorating as it has been, has been punctuated with spells in both healthcare and retail. Both these spells have taught me more about myself and my relationship to others than working in large corporations, with many thousands of colleagues had ever done.

So whats this blog all about? Well I guess I’m not really too sure yet. But I don’t want it to just be about me or about my job. Rather I’d like it to be a sort of record about what I feel, what’s important to me and about what I’m really thinking. Tony’s life mash up if you like. If any of it is of interest I’ll be delighted. If it’s not I can only apologise and try harder.

Please, feel free to post comments on any subject.