Tag Archives: subject-centric micro-blogging

iPhone OS 3.0 – ready for Subject-centric computing

Apple just introduced iPhone OS 3.0 (beta) and 3.0 SDK. There are lots of improvements and new features. iPhone is a great platform for developing mobile applications. OS 3.0 makes it even more compelling for building Subject-centric solutions. One of my favorite features is Push Notification Service.

We introduced Subject-centric RSS feeds some time ago on Ontopedia PSI server . With RSS feeds in place, we can subscribe and monitor information about subjects that we are interested in using RSS (including mobile) aggregators. As Ontopedia user, I can submit an assertion, for example, that I am thinking about Blogging Vocabulary . Everyone with RSS subscription to Blogging Vocabulary or to my PSI will be notified about this new assertion.

But, of course, existing RSS aggregators and pull model do not allow to realize full potential of Subject-centric micro-blogging. Services like iPhone Push Notification Service are game changers. I wrote this blog post many years ago about Subject-centric real-time messaging. Now is the right time to implement it. And with new Apple iPhone SDK it should be fun.

Subject-centric micro-blogging and Ontopedia’s knowledge map

Traditionally, when we think about subject-centric approach to organizing information, we have in mind equivalent of “master data” – main entities, their properties and relationships. This type of information is relatively static. Of course, subject-centric approach works well also for representing/organizing information about “transactions” and “events”.

“Master data” (PSIs for people, places, companies, products etc.) is a conceptual frame/”endoskeleton” of Ontopedia’s knowledge map. For example, http://psi.ontopedia.net/Apple_Inc is a core, “master” entity.

Assertions
Apple Inc is a Company , Apple’s product line includes Mac Mini, iPhone, … are also part of this core knowledge map.

But Ontopedia’s knowledge map is not limited by this relatively static information. Ontopedia’s knowledge map also has PSIs for events, such as
http://psi.ontopedia.net/Apple_reports_financial_results_Q4_2008
and http://psi.ontopedia.net/Apple_Event_October_14th_2008

“Master Data” combined with “Events” create amazingly powerful conceptual framework for mapping of our knowledge.

Ontopedia’s knowledge map has explicit concept of time and has focus on “current moment on Earth at human size level of (real) world” with recording of history and results of forecasting. History does not disappear in the knowledge map. For example, Ontopedia can “remember” that Apple Inc was called “Apple Computer Inc” at some point and that eMac was in Apple’s product line. History is available for referencing and continues to play an essential role in organizing information.

Explicit modeling of time helped us to introduce even more intriguing features such as Subject-centric micro-blogging.
We are experimenting with “dynamic” associations and properties such as Currently Reading [Person, Book], Currently Located At [Person, City], “Currently Thinking About [Person, Subject]”, “My favorite link of the day” etc.

To support this “dynamic” perspective on Ontopedia’s knowledge map, we recently added subject-centric RSS feeds. Each subject page in Ontopedia’s knowledge map has own RSS feed which provides quick access to all assertions about specific subject. Each assertion has associated time stamps which allow to track changes in the knowledge map and report them in RSS feeds.

In addition to traditional “source-centric” RSS feeds in my RSS aggregator, I have now folders like People, Companies, etc. with subject-centric RSS feeds from Ontopedia’s knowledge map. These feeds are available on my laptop, but I also have a synchronized RSS aggregator on my mobile phone. Mobile RSS aggregator and mobile browser allow me to work with Ontopedia’s knowledge map when I need it. It makes me feel like Subject-centric computing is (almost) here…