Steve Cook's WebLog

Metadata

I’m just back from an intense week in Redmond.  A few days before going I gave another talk, this time to the British Computer Society’s Advanced Programming Group.  During the talk I was asked what I meant by “metadata”.  I realized that these days I use this term to mean data about any kind of information or computing resource; whereas a few years ago it just meant “data about data”. Having metadata available wherever it can be used is a central tenet of our Software Factory vision.

 

Here are some interesting links about metadata:

 

Defining Metadata

 

Barry Talks!

 

Metacrap

 

 

Published Monday, February 21, 2005 5:11 PM by Steve Cook

Comments

 

Ralph Hodgson said:

"It's getting a little meta all the time" - adapted from a Beatles song

I want to chip in on Semantic Technology. Here we find information described by models (ontologies) that are "meta" in the sense that we not only have attributes about data (or information) but also ways of relating data, "connecting the dots (between data)" as some people say.

Metadata is often restricted to what can be said using standards like ISO 11179 or Dublin Core. With OWL models can provide more interesting connections. I can't imagine we will ever talk about "metarelationships" or "metaconstraints". It's in the realization of RDF, RDFS and OWL (where we find Description Logics at work) that we are now seeing a fuller realization of "meta".

Ralph Hodgson
February 24, 2005 1:50 AM
 

Steve Cook said:

Hi Ralph

I think an important difference between the modelling world, where I've mostly been working, and the semantic technology world, is that objects in the semantic world can dynamically acquire and discard metadata. In the modelling world, things are heavily influenced by OO programming technology (remember?!) and an object can't usually change its class.

-- Steve
February 24, 2005 10:38 AM
 

Vibro.NET said:

February 26, 2005 4:17 PM
 

SBC said:

XML MetaCrap, etc.. -
http://weblogs.asp.net/sbchatterjee/archive/2005/01/28/362531.aspx
February 27, 2005 2:17 PM
New Comments to this post are disabled

This Blog

Syndication

News

Locations of visitors to this page
Disclaimer

The information in this weblog is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. This weblog does not represent the thoughts, intentions, plans or strategies of my employer. It is solely my opinion. Inappropriate comments will be deleted at the author’s discretion. All code samples are provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose.

© 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use  |  Trademarks  |  Privacy Statement
Microsoft
Page view tracker