In search of...a metadata standard

The World Wide Web Consortium has released a set of proposed standards that would improve the way information is presented and interpreted on the Web.

Using XML, the Resource Description Framework (RDF) would define a framework for processing metadata, providing a way for applications to automatically exchange and interpret information, according to W3C officials. Search engines and content providers would then have a common reference for metadata like "title," "author" and "format."

The new standard would steadily improve the value of the Internet as a global information resource, according to W3C director and Internet guru Tim Berners-Lee.

Eric Miller, co-chair of the W3C RDF Working Group, expects early adoption of the RDF proposal from the metadata community, including content libraries, providers, commercial software vendors and academics