Semantic web trust : the next step in web evolution

Abstract

The inception of the World Wide Web marked the beginning of a new age, an age where information is easily distributed and accessible to everyone. Years after it was conceived, the net is still growing at a higher rate than ever. It is becoming ever more apparent that the World Wide Web’s current software infrastructure will need to evolve if it is to remain a reliable and dependable resource. In this paper we will be looking into the facets that make web content accessible and reliable. We will also be proposing a structure that makes use of technologies such as the Semantic Web and Agent Technology to help resolve data access and classification issues. The approach that we are proposing will involve the creation and distribution of data tags, policies and reasoners. We will also show how these items can be used by entities such as software agents or users to specify access control, classify the resources in terms of relevance and to decide on how trustworthy the information being used is.