Eugene Eric Kim asks Do We Need the Semantic Web?

Whilst undoubtedly excited about the potential for this area to improve the ways in which we communicate online, he is concerned to identify the real costs and benefits of going down the Semantci Web path.

He concludes thus:

I'm not saying that the Semantic Web is a waste of time. Far from it. I think it's a valuable pursuit, and I hope that we achieve what the authors claim we will achieve. Truth be told, my inner gearhead is totally taken by some of the work in this area. My concern is that our collective inner gearhead is causing us to lose sight of the original goal. To paraphrase Doug Engelbart, we're trying to make machines smarter. How about trying to make humans smarter?

Elsewhere, Peter Merholz is also reading a book that relates to the Semantic Web. He is struck by the relationship between Semiotics and the ideas of the Semantic Web:

"Maybe these Frenchies are onto something."