Joep Meindertsma, CEO of Ontola.io and creator of Atomic Data, discusses the challenge of data silos imposed by Big Tech. He introduces Atomic Data as a modular specification that enhances data sharing and interoperability, inspired by Tim Berners-Lee’s vision for the semantic web. Joep highlights how this project can personalize user experiences and improve collaboration. He also sheds light on the effect of NGI Zero funding on Atomic Tables and offers advice for potential grant applicants, emphasizing community engagement and innovation.
Joep Meindertsma highlights the issue of data silos imposed by Big Tech, advocating for the open-source Atomic Data to enhance data interoperability.
The NGI Zero grant provides essential support for developing open-source projects like Atomic Data, enabling innovation without revenue pressures.
Deep dives
Data Ownership and Silos
A major challenge in the current web landscape is the silos created by large tech companies, which limit users' control over their data. These companies design ecosystems that trap users, making it difficult to switch to alternative services, as seen with reliance on platforms like Google for email and calendar services. This situation not only stifles innovation but also creates dependency on these platforms, which can manipulate user experiences and data usage. Joop Meijnersma emphasizes the need for open tools that can seamlessly interact and promote user ownership, as the lack of standardized APIs has hindered effective integration.
Atomic Data and Semantic Web
The concept of Atomic Data is introduced as a streamlined subset of linked data that addresses the limitations of the traditional RDF framework. Joop Meijnersma identifies key improvements, such as enforcing JSON compatibility and type safety, to enhance usability for developers. Atomic Data aims to simplify the interconnectedness of data on the semantic web, making it more accessible and useful for software engineers. The challenge lies in creating a specification along with practical implementations that can demonstrate the real-world benefits to potential users.
Building a Community Around Atomic Data
To ensure the success and adoption of Atomic Data, building an active community around it is vital. Meijnersma points out that developers should not only focus on creating robust specifications but also engage with users to foster interest and encourage experimentation. Platforms like Discord can serve as spaces for users to collaborate, share projects, and provide feedback, which helps in refining the tools and ensuring they meet real-world needs. The growth of such a community can lead to organic adoption and innovation as more individuals start to create applications leveraging Atomic Data.
NGI Zero Grants and Sustainable Development
The NGI Zero grant plays a crucial role in supporting open-source projects like Atomic Data by providing the necessary funding to develop specifications and implementations without immediate revenue pressures. Joop Meijnersma explains that these grants enable teams to focus on fundamental research and user adoption before seeking a sustainable business model. This approach allows for the development of high-quality, user-oriented tools that can attract interest and foster growth organically. Ultimately, the success of such initiatives hinges on community engagement and the ability to demonstrate the practicality and advantages of using Atomic Data.
One of the issues with today’s internet is that a lot of data is siloed. Consequently, users are locked into Big Tech ecosystems and its hard to reuse data. Joep Meindertsma, CEO of Ontola.io, talks about how his project Atomic Data addresses this problem with LinkedData. The free and open source project is a modular specification for sharing, modifying and modeling data. It uses links to connect pieces of data which makes it easier to connect datasets - even when these datasets exist on separate machines.
Inspired by Tim Berners-Lee, Joep works on an iteration of the semantic web that enforces JSON compatibility and type safety.
He also talks about the effect of NGI Zero funding on Atomic Tables and has some advice for people who are considering to apply for an NGI Zero grant.