Value is the core of Web 3.0

In two presentations, Reynald LeMaire of Belgian-based Anais-IT and Jermoe Laredo of Atex described the semantic elements of Web 3.0 and how they make the latest web evolution value-centric. "The semantic web," explained LeMaire, "is able to describe things in a way that computers can understand. It helps computers relate pieces of information better. It helps them understand the context of content."

He used the example of the film Top Gun. A simple search would list thousands of links to information about the movie, but it might not give the reader exactly what he or she seeks. On the semantic web, metadata can be used to qualify the term "Top Gun", giving the information seeker more targeted results.

In a like way, more targeted advertising can accommodate this content and help publishers add to their digital bottom line. LeMaire referred to the limited pay-back of classical online display advertising and described how semantic advertising would work, placing the "right ad in the right context".

Laredo pointed to the advantages the semantic Web could bring to publishers' archives. With proper tagging of content and metadata, publishers can "improve story depth" and create "topic pages" that help the audience to understand an entire story, not just the latest development. But Laredo warned that relying on humans to do this is near impossible. Currently, automated tagging technology is rapidly evolving and will only continue to organise the world's information in a more logical and user-friendly manner. For instance, with the right technology, a term like "New York City" would automatically be placed in the general category such as "Location" and categorised more specifically under "U.S. Cities".

Accompanying the semantic web is the idea of personalised news. Stefan Lechere of personalised news specialist Netvibes, a rapidly growing Web 3.0 start-up declared that "Personalisation is the essence of the Web." The company, which already works with 15,000 publishers and developers as well as 1000 official brand and content partners, helps publishers, brands and marketers to "ensure long-term consumer engagement". It does this by personalising the news and ecommerce experiences with widgets that can be used offline and online and personalised pages through which the end-user maintains complete control over his or her daily surfing. In a similar way to what LeMaire and Laredo envisioned, personalised content also allows for personalised advertising making users and advertisers happier in their online experience.

The semantic Web is in its early stages but promises to develop rapidly in the coming years. Before it is to become widespread however, certain industry standards of organising information must be reached. For instance, one conference delegate pointed out that if all Internet users are categorising "Top Gun" differently then it will be difficult for computers to fully understand the context. As these standards are being defined, smart publishers will keep a close eye on how the semantic Web is developing and will define future relationships with their audience and advertisers accordingly.