[Sigia-l] Turning URLs into directories

[Christine Peterson]

The library community has created a URL that uniquely identifies an
electronic resource.  It is called an OpenURL and is a NISO standard --
Z39.88:
http://www.niso.org/standards/standard_detail.cfm?std_id=783

It uses metadata within the URL to identify unique characteristics.
Here is an example of one:
http://www.monash.edu.au/openurl/cgi?genre=book&isbn=0836218310&title=Th
e+Far+Side+Gallery+3

Libraries and database vendors have been using this standard for a
number of years.

Christine Peterson
peterson at amigos.org

-----Original Message-----
From: sigia-l-bounces at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-bounces at asis.org] On
Behalf Of Ziya Oz
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 4:43 AM
To: SIGIA-L
Subject: [Sigia-l] Turning URLs into directories

But why is it that when we find something on one site it is still not
easy
to find it on another? Say you found a Harry Potter book on Barnes and
Noble, why is it still hard to find the same item on other sites like
Amazon
and Powells? Why is search a one time deal?

Imagine that the URL for the Harry Potter Goblet of Fire book is this:

http://www.amazon.com/books/j-k-rowling/harry-potter-and-the-goblet-of-f
ire

In other words, if there was a standard way to turn things into URLs,
then
finding information would be a lot easier.

The basic idea behind standard URLs is simple - given a type of object,
like
a book or a movie or a music album, create a URL schema that can be used
by
any site. 

First, the objects are divided into categories such as books, music and
movies. The category is followed by a major attribute such as author,
artist
or director. Finally there is the title of the object. So for example,
if
this scheme worked, we could type in:

http://www.netflix.com/movies/alejandro-inarritu/babel

...to get to that movie on Netflix. Or:

http://www.blockbuster.com/movies/alejandro-inarritu/babel

...to get to the movie on Blockbuster.com.

<http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/standard_urls_proposal.php>


What architectural issues do you foresee for this?

----
Ziya

Business = Design = Business.


------------
IA Summit 2008: "Experiencing Information" 
April 10-14, 2008, Miami, Florida

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