Interacting with the Web of Data through a Web of inter-connected lenses

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Description/Abstract

As a medium of structured information available on the Web, Linked Data is still hard to access for most end users. Current solutions facilitating end user access to Linked Data are either thought the use of data-mapping approaches, which allow configureable interfaces to be quickly deployed over preselected aggregations of Linked Data, or enable users themselves to browse the Web of Data through the use of generic data browsers. While the first approach is useful and promotes surfacing and easy repurposing of structured data it does little to promote the use of linkages to other, remote datasets. The second approach is much less useable for end users, however enables them to experience browsing a interconnected Web of Data. In this paper we present mashpoint, a framework that aims to provide a middle ground between both approaches. The approach treats data-centric applications as high-level lenses over the data, and allows selections of data to be pivoted between applications thus facilitating navigation. The paper presents an initial prototype and discusses both implications and challenges in terms of interaction and technology.