The Wiki-based software guide Iterating.com has created a Semantic Web service that provides access to data and ratings on thousand of open-source, commercial and hosted software products in its database. ITerating collaborated with Tim Berners-Lee and other leaders in the Semantic Web community by extending existing Semantic ontologies to create a definition for rating open source software. The ontologies include DOAP (Description Of A Project), FOAF (Friend Of A Friend), Open BRR (Business Readiness Rating) and Review. The new web service will allow other software repositories, such as Linux archives and other online guides to synchronize with Iterating.com.
"The ability to exchange software product information in a free, standard format is a tremendously valuable asset for the software community," said Larry Augustin, venture investor, open source evangelist founder and founder of Sourceforge.net. "We look forward to seeing more companies endorse it."
"Our goal is to offer the world's first comprehensive software guide that is always up-to-date," said Nicolas Vandenberghe, CEO of ITerating. "By combining a Wiki format with Semantic Web services, we are able to ensure that the information on the ITerating site is both comprehensive and up-to-date. Now everyone has the opportunity to use this powerful but simple tool to organize, share and combine information about software on the web."
