This link has been bookmarked by 35 people . It was first bookmarked on 29 Mar 2008, by gsiemens.
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29 Nov 15
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09 Oct 12
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The concept of having relationships between objects be separate from the objects themselves is the core concept behind what is known in computer science as graph theory. Graphs are collections of pieces of information and the connection between those pieces of information. In a graph, the pieces of information are called “nodes,” and the connections between nodes are called “edges.” Computer scientists like graphs because they are a universal way of expressing literally almost any type of information.
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The graph is the underlying model of a new highly discussed but rarely used data storage concept called the semantic web. The semantic web is really, in its simplest form, the idea that information on the web should be stored in databases structured like graphs. This would allow information on the web to be much more intelligently accessible and expandable in a way that relational database systems are not.
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The problem is that the people that created the semantic web were just way too smart. In fact if you read even the watered down Wikipedia description of the semantic web, it sounds like useless abstract gobbledygook. As a result, the semantic web is too great a leap from the tried and true relational database.
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relational tools are being greatly simplified, which just increases the gap.
Specifically, newer technologies like the ActiveRecord system in Ruby on Rails, have done a great job at abstracting much of the mind numbing complexity out of the relational model.
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26 Feb 11
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The relational database is becoming increasingly less useful in a web 2.0 world. The reason for this is that, while the relational database model is great for storing information, it is horrible for storing knowledge.
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Needing to know your database structure upfront is like needing to make a list of all of your unborn child’s potential friends. Forever. This list must even include future friends that have not been born yet, because once the child’s friends list is built, adding to it requires major surgery.
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For example, imagine starting out with a contact list. Some months later, you add a restaurants list. Some months later again, you decide it would be great to be able to capture, for each contact, what their favorite restaurants are. Ideally one would want to just establish a “favorite” relationship between a restaurant and a contact without changing the restaurant structure or the contact structure. This is a simple example, but the bigger point is that relationships between pieces of information will always grow more complex tomorrow than they are today. Capturing and leveraging new types of information to increase knowledge should be a key design goal of modern databases.
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18 Aug 10
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Needing to know your database structure upfront is like needing to make a list of all of your unborn child’s potential friends. Forever. This list must even include future friends that have not been born yet, because once the child’s friends list is built, adding to it requires major surgery.
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For example, imagine starting out with a contact list. Some months later, you add a restaurants list. Some months later again, you decide it would be great to be able to capture, for each contact, what their favorite restaurants are. Ideally one would want to just establish a “favorite” relationship between a restaurant and a contact without changing the restaurant structure or the contact structure.
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13 Feb 10
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06 May 08
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31 Mar 08
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29 Mar 08
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28 Mar 08
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Peter Shankswhile the relational database model is great for storing information, it is horrible for storing knowledge
database semanticweb relational databases web3.0 connectivism
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27 Mar 08
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26 Mar 08
ken .RDMS -> "the relationship between objects is *built into* the objects... An invoice knows *as part of its structure*, who the customer is", BDUF embeds pointers in structure -> bad -> no room for emergence -> graphs over relations (Bachman, Cyc?)
computer data database design emergence information knowledge network semantic structure web
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23 Mar 08
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22 Mar 08
Adriana Lukasthis is brilliant. I blogged his talk below, here in own writing. fits with VRM Mine! data structure exactly. "the bigger point is that relationships between pieces of information will always grow more complex tomorrow than they are today." in other words
relational database data structure relationship information knowledge Mine! complexity usage delicious
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10 Mar 08
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18 Feb 08
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17 Feb 08
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