The internet is at the dawn of a new era of open data, according to Sir Tim Berners-Lee.
The inventor of the world wide web said open data and the semantic web would virtually link every physical device and piece of data online.
"The vision of a semantic web has taken a while to come into being because the web is so exciting in many other ways," said Berners-Lee, speaking at the Teradata conference in Dublin, Ireland.
The goal is having data available in such a way that it is more powerful, linkable and usable.
He said the future of the web is one where "data and devices everywhere will be interlinked and metadata is central to this."
Leading this revolution would be governments and organisations that open up datasets for people and businesses to make better choices and informed decisions, said Berners-Lee.
The quality of this data would be central to the success of this revolution, he added, and it would have to be made available to all.
To overcome this, there should be a five star system to denote the data's quality, he suggested.
"The first star is for data that is available to all, even when it is in the worst format. Everything is a fax or a scan or an image. Somebody has to untangle that and pipe it back in," he explained.
However, getting organisations to release data in an open format, that is readily accessible, easily queried and linked to other sources, would require a huge effort.
"Open data can change how government works. The goal is having data available in such a way that it is more powerful, linkable and usable," he added.
-
Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI launch brace of new channel initiativesNews Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI have announced the launch of two new channel growth initiatives focused on the managed security service provider (MSSP) space and AWS Marketplace.
-
Third time lucky? Microsoft finally begins roll-out of controversial Recall featureNews The Windows Recall feature has been plagued by setbacks and backlash from security professionals
-
TikTok to open first European data centre in IrelandNews The move could signify a desire to shift its operations away from the US as well as secure its position in the European market
-
MPs in a muddle over GDPR and storing voters' personal dataNews Labour MP Chris Bryant says his staff were told to delete constituents' data
-
Trump resort will not be charged for breaching data lawsNews Presidential hopeful's Scottish golf course failed to register under the Data Protection Act for four years
-
Banks urged to share data but warned over securityNews Experts voice concern over security of open API recommendations
-
EU centralises European open data through one portalNews Open Data Portal will enable public sector bodies to share information
-
Experts question sheer scale of data storage required by Snooper's CharterNews Who will foot bill for physical infrastructure to house UK's browsing histories?
-
Snapchat's T&Cs update could put user data at riskNews Kaspersky said giving the service permission to share pictures with third parties could lead to a serious breach of privacy
-
Transport Systems Catapult launches data sources catalogueNews Intelligent Mobility Data Index could push forward smart transport innovation in the UK
