xbiz world
xbiz premiere

Web Consortium Wants Linked Open Data

There is a near infinite amount of data floating around cyberspace, that when taken as a whole, develops an in-depth demo- and psychographic profile of individual consumers. For example, tying the purchases you make using your credit or debit card to the titles of the books and magazines you read; the videos you watch; the music you listen to; the places you travel to — the list is never ending in our barcoded, scan-and-swipe world. Add an email address and social network contacts into this data set, and provide it all to today’s perceptive online marketers, and you have a recipe for advertising success.

Better-targeted spam is not the only use of this interrelated Linked Data, however — with some uses being far more beneficial — and others far more malevolent, as criminals, marketers, researchers and governments all seek to meld this disparate data stew into a cohesive look at anyone or anything.

According to LinkedData.org, “Linked Data is about using the Web to connect related data that wasn’t previously linked, or using the Web to lower the barriers to linking data currently linked using other methods.” Wikipedia further defines it as “a term used to describe a recommended best practice for exposing, sharing, and connecting pieces of data, information, and knowledge on the Semantic Web using URIs and RDF.”

While privacy advocates are concerned about the practice’s intrusive social aspects, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) envisions open data architectures for the cloud, where a variety of applications flexibly store and share information. W3C recently hosted its Linked Open Data Camp at the 19th International World Wide Web Conference in Raleigh, N.C., where web creator Tim Berners-Lee discussed the game-changing power of combining data from different sources to provide a clearer picture of an overall issue.

As one example, Berners-Lee cited a class-action lawsuit in Zanesville, Ohio, in which an attorney combined data on housing with data detailing the routing of municipal water lines to prove that black residents were not receiving equal access to these services.

Berners-Lee also cited the U.S. government-created Data.gov website and its U.K.-based sister site, Data.Gov.UK, as examples of innovative dataset collating.

On the private-sector front, Facebook has announced its Open Graph protocol, which allows users to place Facebook elements on to third-party websites — a technology that may be of some interest to Facebook marketers that are promoting adult personalities.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Identifying and Preventing Transaction Laundering

Recently, a few merchants approached me after receiving compliance notifications from their acquirer about transaction laundering. They were unsure what it meant, and unsure how to identify and fix the problem.

Cathy Beardsley ·
profile

WIA: Alexis Fawx Levels Up as Multifaceted Entrepreneur

As more performers look to diversify, expanding their range of revenue streams and promotional vehicles, some are spreading their entrepreneurial wings to create new businesses — including Alexis Fawx.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

Navigating Age-Related Regulations in Europe

Age verification measures are rapidly gaining momentum across Europe, with regulators stepping up efforts to protect children online. Recently, the U.K.’s communications regulator, Ofcom, updated its timeline for implementing the Online Safety Act, while France’s ARCOM has released technical guidance detailing age verification standards.

Gavin Worrall ·
opinion

Why Cyber Insurance Is Crucial for Adult Businesses

From streaming services and interactive platforms to ecommerce and virtual reality experiences, the adult industry has long stood at the forefront of online innovation. However, the same technology-forward approach that has enabled adult businesses to deliver unique and personalized content to consumers worldwide also exposes them to myriad risks.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Best Practices for Payment Gateway Security

Securing digital payment transactions is critical for all businesses, but especially those in high-risk industries. Payment gateways are a core component of the digital payment ecosystem, and therefore must follow best practices to keep customer data safe.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

Ready for New Visa Acquirer Changes?

Next spring, Visa will roll out the U.S. version of its new Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP), which goes into effect April 1, 2025. This follows Visa Europe, which rolled out VAMP back in June. VAMP charts a new path for acquirers to manage fraud and chargeback ratios.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

How to Halt Hackers as Fraud Attacks Rise

For hackers, it’s often a game of trial and error. Bad actors will perform enumeration and account testing, repeating the same test on a system to look for vulnerabilities — and if you are not equipped with the proper tools, your merchant account could be the next target.

Cathy Beardsley ·
profile

VerifyMy Seeks to Provide Frictionless Online Safety, Compliance Solutions

Before founding VerifyMy, Ryan Shaw was simply looking for an age verification solution for his previous business. The ones he found, however, were too expensive, too difficult to integrate with, or failed to take into account the needs of either the businesses implementing them or the end users who would be required to interact with them.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

How Adult Website Operators Can Cash in on the 'Interchange' Class Action

The Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement resulted from a landmark antitrust lawsuit involving Visa, Mastercard and several major banks. The case centered around the interchange fees charged to merchants for processing credit and debit card transactions. These fees are set by card networks and are paid by merchants to the banks that issue the cards.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

It's Time to Rock the Vote and Make Your Voice Heard

When I worked to defeat California’s Proposition 60 in 2016, our opposition campaign was outspent nearly 10 to 1. Nevertheless, our community came together and garnered enough support and awareness to defeat that harmful, misguided piece of proposed legislation — by more than a million votes.

Siouxsie Q ·
Show More