"Compare for example a search in Google Squared using "Books on Fish"
(http://www.google.com/squared/search?q=books+on+fish) with a
catalogue search for Dewey = 597.2 It is like the difference between
today's web and the Semantic web."
*Google is:
"Use algorithms, including the full text of books, to guess which
books are about fish."
*Dewey is:
"Give me books that catalogers who usually haven't read the book
*think* are about fish, minus categories we arbitrary decide aren't
about fish, like fishing fish, fish culture, fish as pets, cooking
fish, fish ponds, anything for younger people or fiction, and assuming
a nonsensical model of the world in which books can only be "about"
one thing, so if it's a book of maps of fish, fish oils or fish
genomes well, hey, it might be anywhere but, while you'll have to
guess, we're not guessing since we have a system!"
This isn't the difference between the web and the semantic web. It's
the difference between a spaceship and a Stanley Steamer. Except that
DDC was already out of date when the Stanley Steamer was created.
Tim
Received on Fri Jul 10 2009 - 08:07:39 EDT