Knowledge Hub Data & Apps Workshop - Stephen Dale

Some people here may remember my original vision for the Knowledge Hub, which was a combination of Communities and a data repository and app library with tools for users to create and share the apps they develop. Unfortunately the data and apps bit never got delivered, for various reasons (budget was one of them). But we did have an active  Advisory Group and I hosted a series of workshops to help spec out the data/apps functionality. By chance (I wasn't looking for it) I came across my notes from one of the workshops, so I thought I'd post it here for posterity :-)  I might remind readers that this post dates back 15 years, when AI Agents were still in the realms of Science Fiction, and could probably do now what I was trying to do then! But never mind, it was all good experience.  And so, a look back in time: -

This blog post is to thank all of the participants (presenters and delegates) to the Knowledge Hub Data & Apps workshop that was held in London yesterday (27 April 2011). The workshop was used to establish the foundations for the “KHub Data and Apps Advisory Group”, who we are hoping will help us to shape the forthcoming data/apps developments for the Knowledge Hub.

As readers of my previous posts about the Knowledge Hub may be aware, the first (Beta) release will go live next month (May – exact date TBD). This represents the completion of Sprint 9 of 22, which delivers the collaboration tools and facilities (blogs, wikis, library, events, people-finder, library, web conferencing, activity streams etc.). [NB. Sprints are the functional elements delivered as part of an agile development process].

The remainder of the Sprints will be delivering key data intelligence/data management features, including:

1. Semantic Matching Engine

• Will match aggregated conversations, communities and topics to people;
• Will suggest connections between people
• Will recommend content according to explicit and implicit profile data

2. Data library/catalogue

• Can upload data/datasets in semi-structured and machine readable formats (e.g. Excel, CSV,  XML)
• Can identify and catalogue external (e.g. open and/or linked) datasets
• Ability to create/edit metadata for each dataset (e.g. for provenance, licensing etc.)
• Datasets can be permissioned.
• Datasets will be indexed by the KHub search engine

3. Mashup Engine

• Allows users to combine or compare data (meaningful comparisons will require a common schema)
• Data can be ‘mashed’ using KHub-sourced data and external data sources.
• Support for data visualisations
• Features similar to mashup.org
• Will use open source mapping services
• Potential to provide index of SPARQL end-points

4. App Store

• Supports any app compliant with the OpenSocial standard
• Mashups developed on KHub can be simply added to the App Store
• Will include reviews and star ratings
• Support for free and commercial (licensed) apps
• Apps will be able to use data from both Khub (via an API) and/or external sources

Data Repository

• Requirements to be refined, but intention is to be able to support triple-stores (RDF/SPARQL) and XQuery/XML)

All of the above is scheduled to be developed and released between June and October this year. The Data & Apps Advisory Group will be instrumental in shaping these features and capabilities, as well as providing advice on the underlying support and operational procedures, and skills/training needs.

Initial outputs from the workshop are available on the Knowledge Hub Community of Practice (Data and Apps Advisory Group Theme).

Terms of Reference for the Data & Apps Advisory Group is in the attached PDF. If anyone with the appropriate skills and knowledge wishes to be involved in this group, then please let me know (add your expression of interest into the comments section of this blog).

I will post an update to this blog once the full report from the workshop is available.

Steve Dale
(ex) KHub Product & Project Manager