Guten Tag. Und Wilkommen in Tag Schema
This blog was originally created to discuss database designs underlying the emerging tagging or folksonomy applications (Flickr, del.icio.us ....) at the leading edge of Web 2.0. Over the next year or so the frenetic activiy in that area stabilised and the focus moved to the so called 'social network' applications. While those were not the subject of the original folksonomy discussions, they underlined some importamt and related database issues.
One such issue is that of the database schemas induced by the need to model 'friend' relationships. As it turns out these are just as interesting as the folksonomy schemas. In parallel, other issues emerged - "data in the cloud" and "data portability". The former is about the move away from centralized, relational databases based on SQL and the latter is about data ownership issues created by having personal digital assets distributed all over the Internet captive inside Web 2.0 applications.
So the current trends on the net have major implications for underlying data structure. As the application architectures change and as new disruptive ones emerge, the underlying data layers experience corresponding tectonic shifts. And it is the new agenda of this blog to track all these data related issues as they emerge. This is much broader than the original narrow issue of folksonomy database design but in retrospect it is a natural evolution. The only problem that remains is the name 'tagschema' which seems so narrowly focused on tagging database schemas.
Luckily at a recent MySQL event the solution emerged in a conversation with Kaj Arno of MySQL, now Sun. "Ahhh ..." he said looking at the word 'tagschema' on my name tag. "That sounds like a German daily tv show 'Guten tag und wilkommen in Tag Schema' - that means 'Good day and welcome to Tag Schema - schema of the day'". I thought nothing more of it but the phrase 'Guten tag und wilkommen in Tag Schema' kept playing in my mind. Later the name for the new blog came back to mind and I realized that Tag Schema could mean - schema of the day or 'Current schema' or 'Current trends in schema' more generally 'discussions of underlying structure of the day' which is generally where we will be going with this blog. - exploring new data structures and technologies as they emerge.
So thanks very much Kaj Arno for that moment of zen serendipity.
And so 'Guten Tag. Und Wilkommen in Tag Schema'
One such issue is that of the database schemas induced by the need to model 'friend' relationships. As it turns out these are just as interesting as the folksonomy schemas. In parallel, other issues emerged - "data in the cloud" and "data portability". The former is about the move away from centralized, relational databases based on SQL and the latter is about data ownership issues created by having personal digital assets distributed all over the Internet captive inside Web 2.0 applications.
So the current trends on the net have major implications for underlying data structure. As the application architectures change and as new disruptive ones emerge, the underlying data layers experience corresponding tectonic shifts. And it is the new agenda of this blog to track all these data related issues as they emerge. This is much broader than the original narrow issue of folksonomy database design but in retrospect it is a natural evolution. The only problem that remains is the name 'tagschema' which seems so narrowly focused on tagging database schemas.
Luckily at a recent MySQL event the solution emerged in a conversation with Kaj Arno of MySQL, now Sun. "Ahhh ..." he said looking at the word 'tagschema' on my name tag. "That sounds like a German daily tv show 'Guten tag und wilkommen in Tag Schema' - that means 'Good day and welcome to Tag Schema - schema of the day'". I thought nothing more of it but the phrase 'Guten tag und wilkommen in Tag Schema' kept playing in my mind. Later the name for the new blog came back to mind and I realized that Tag Schema could mean - schema of the day or 'Current schema' or 'Current trends in schema' more generally 'discussions of underlying structure of the day' which is generally where we will be going with this blog. - exploring new data structures and technologies as they emerge.
So thanks very much Kaj Arno for that moment of zen serendipity.
And so 'Guten Tag. Und Wilkommen in Tag Schema'
posted by Nitin at 6:38 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home