The Next Web of Linked Data
Delivered at TED2009 in Long Beach, California, advocating for open data and the transition from a web of documents to a web of linked data.
Full Transcript
Twenty years ago, I had a idea for a global information system called the World Wide Web.
At first, it was about connecting documents—HTML pages linked to other HTML pages. But documents are only containers for something far more fundamental: data.
Imagine if, instead of clicking links to read articles, computers could query raw data directly across thousands of databases around the globe.
Data is precious and it’s going to last longer than the systems themselves.
If governments, scientists, and businesses release their raw data in open formats—linked together using URIs—we can solve huge global problems: predicting climate change, finding cures for diseases, and holding institutions accountable.
So my message to everyone today is simple: Raw data now!
Defining Key Excerpts
"Data is precious and it's going to last longer than the systems themselves."
"Raw data now! We want our data accessible, interlinked, and reusable by all."
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