The Semantic Web is an idea of World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee that the Web as a whole can be made more intelligent and perhaps even intuitive about how to serve a users needs. Although search engines index much of the Web's content, they have little ability to select the pages that a user really wants or needs. Berners-Lee foresees a number of ways in which developers and authors, singly or in collaborations, can use self-descriptions and other techniques so that the context-understanding programs can selectively find what users want.

The Semantic Web: Crafting Infrastructure for Agency presents a more holistic view of the current state of development and deployment. This a comprehensive reference to the rapidly developing technologies, which are enabling more intelligent and automated transactions over the internet, and a visionary overview of the implications of deploying such a layer of infrastructure.

• A through examination of the Semantic Web, including the following topics: web information management, languages and protocols, application and tools, and collaboration and agency.
• A unique volume of practical information, in-depth analysis, conceptual overviews and contextual material from professionals in the field.
• Features appendices of technical terms and glossary, Semantic Web resources, intellectual property issues and lists of elements.

This is essential reading for engineers, web developers and industry professionals wishing to enhance their knowledge of recent developments. Management staff, lecturers. postgraduate and undergraduate students will also find this book appealing.

Bo Leuf has extensive experience in technical communication and teaching, coupled with a deep understanding of cross-platform software product design, user interfaces, and usability analysis. He maintains several professional and recreational Internet Web sites, including one that provides commercial Web hosting services for others. This Internet presence provides a platform for experimenting with various collaborative and sharing technologies.

An independent consultant in the computing sector in Sweden for over 25 years, Bo has been responsible for software development and localization projects. Training issues came to the foreground during a number of years as head of a language school specializing in an immersive teaching methodology. He is currently a freelance consultant and author, specializing in software documentation, translation, and design-team training. He is a regular contributor of feature articles to Datormagazin, Sweden’s largest and most prestigious computer periodical.