Welcome, and some comments (was RE: [rdfweb-dev] hey)

[Bill Kearney]

>- new user joins - by creating a FOAF file and posting it
> somewhere

How about elevating this away from the user 'creating the file'?  Rather, like
the eAcademy approach, the community in which they participate does the dirty
work for them instead.

> - #1 perspective #1 - there doesn't seem to be ONE way
> to structure the URL.  Am I wrong about that?
>- wouldn't having ONE way to do a URL be easier-simpler
> - or am I being naïve?

Nor should there be.  Trying to force this would be a great insult to the many
tools that might be used to create foaf data.  Look at the amazing success of
things like RSS with it's ability to use any form of URL.  This holds up no
barrier to any tool.  The URI path can be the result of whatever the tools and
servers /need/ to use.  So if a source wants to create foaf data dynamically and
it's server doesn't provide a URL rewriting mechanism it won't be excluded from
participating.   Thus foaf.php, foaf.cgi, networkofcoolpeople.pl and any number
of other URL fragments would be prefectly fine.  Let's not force them to use a
fixed style simply because it makes them easy to google.

> - I find it frustrating using FOAf Explorer to select
> the bookmarklet and get nothing - from RDF nerd pages
> which I KNOW have FOAF in there - somewhere.

The use an HTML link head tag, a la that used for RSS autodiscovery.  That a
given tool doesn't "do it all for you" at this stage is a clear sign of
opportunity for others to create tools that do.

> - THEN I can sit down and design how WE'RE going to use
> FOAF.....

Like anything else there's a discovery process.  Everything worth learning takes
effort, one might be tempted to say.  The cool thing is you're certainly known
for applying enthusiasm to your efforts!

> I'm also excited about trying out the import/export from eCademy - and
> seeing if any of this works with TypePad right now.

Be sure to report back with what you find.

-Bill Kearney