june 19, 2002

*context weblog <http://straddle3.net/context/> publish fifth issue of context series. Still in a very early stage of development, semantic web vision is designed as the second-generation web, building the foundation of a new information space. The World Wide Web Consortium, the web standars body, presents the semantic web as "an extension of the current web in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation."

The semantic web is one of emerging and converging technology trends -- with the grid, mobility, and web services -- that are shaping the Web's future.

This technology trends were discussed in recent WWW2002, the eleventh international World Wide Web conference (Hawaii, may 7-11, 2002). But the main concern was the intellectual property, following debate on W3C about patent policy and licensing (RF- royalty-free vs RAND - reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing options). Tim Berners-Lee, WWW inventor, said before the conference, "the reason people invest their lives and careers (working on new technology) is that they don't expect some company to come into take it away from them. Just the rumor of patents and royalties will put a two years stop in development -- we can't afford that." And after the conference, he said "if we don't get this intellectual property issue right, there is a danger that the next Internet revolution won't happen. It could mean that the Semantic Web doesn't really happen."

>see june issue of *context series :

> collaboratory

> about context series

the world emerge as a new territory constantly reconfiguring itself. A discovery journey is needed. At context weblog we do this journey by processing the flow of information --sampling, mapping and experiencing the new territory, the emerging digital culture. Almost daily we take and publish "samples" in a blog (or weblog) and monthly we take a look to new cartographies, to the digital mapmaking of reality.

The map isn't the territory, as the model isn't reality. The map is a referential structure; inside a coordinate system all can be referenced laying the gridwork for reality. We choose the coordinate system of internet references for our "mapping" activities. The *context series <http://straddle3.net/context/index.html#series> section of context weblog have this mapping function. By spring 2003, we will pack the 2002 context series as a physical exhibition with their book-catalogue offering a wide mapping on emerging culture.

The first series was devoted to 'Information Arts. Intersections of Art, Science and Technology' book by Stephen Wilson, a key contribution to the mapping of art in our contemporary context, focusing on the revolutionary work of artists and theorists who challenge the separations of art and science initiated in the Renaissance. The second issue of context series was devoted to 'Aesthetic Computing', that refers to the search for a new development of representation and notation, the exploration on the use of artistic methods and processes within common representations found in computing. The third issue of context series was devoted to 'Science Commons', that referenced some significant developments related with the free flow of knowledge in the shared on-line environment and the need to kept information free. The fourth issue of context series was devoted to 'Weblog, a new flow of information', presenting the publishing phenomena of weblogs as a next step in an emergent and self-organised flow of information, characteristic of our post-web world.

> about context weblog

an online publication of the *context project <http://straddle3.net/context/>, which aims to appropriate and disseminate the emerging culture as a new 'art de vivre' the planetary civilization that technology is creating. The 'zero ground' current situation highlights the need of this kind of public observatory, this research and development project, this innovative publishing model that contribute to be ready for the coming context, for the next cycle; "the tech revolution is about to get rebooted."

> send your comments to context@straddle3.net