This document proposes a framework called the "Being-Query framework" for discussing existence on the web. It consists of four interconnected networks: queries, topics, users, and web beings. Web beings are defined as any entity that can be communicated through the web via a URI. The framework is intended to help understand and compare models of the web, expand concepts, and initiate new questions. It could provide insights into areas like the digital economy, relationships between online and offline worlds, and how influential concepts are affected by networks.

1. Initial thoughts
about existence
in the Web
Philoweb 2011
Thessaloniki, 5/10/2011
Michalis Vafopoulos
vafopoulos.org

2. Preface
Web needs science & philosophy
Science should “pay back” the Web
This Not a philosopher’s approach
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3. Main issues
Discussing existence in the Web through a
simple framework
• more complex reality
• Web-centric abstractions
• Linking, virtualization
• networks, URI
(work in progress, few things fixed, comments are
welcome)
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4. Outline
① The easy part: criticism
② The hard part: build concepts & models
③ The Being-Query framework: network
inside!
④ Introducing the Web: Web Beings
⑤ The Being – Query framework expanded
⑥ How can this framework be useful?
– Understand & compare diverse models
– Expand existing & create new concepts
– Initiate interesting questions
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5. The easy part: criticism
“Web …
resource”
• economic and ecological connotations
– human, natural, renewable etc.
– land, labor, and capital
– 12 appearances in Economics classification
(JEL)
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource
not a single word about Internet or Web
thing”
• Not descriptive, too general, multiple meanings
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6. The hard part: build concepts
Step 1: definition & assumptions
• A Being exists if and only if there is a communication
channel linking to it. (possible update based on HH)
• A Query is the phrasing of a question by a Being,
usually in terms of a code. The questions are messages
expressed as sequences of symbols in the query
language. Beings have Queries that address them to
other Beings.
up to now: an abstract model that could be described by
a weighted network of Beings (not very useful!)
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7. … and models
Step 2: building the framework
• Users, are Beings that can “consciously” form
Queries.
• Queries are organized in Topics (tractable and
processable).
Querie
Topics s
Users Beings
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8. The Being-Query framework: network inside!
A quad network:
contraction of 4 interconnected networks
Querie
Topics s
Users Beings
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9. Introducing the Web: Web Beings
Beings that can be communicated through the
Web.
 URI: The minimal description of invariant
elements in communication through the Web.
 Directly connected to existence (birth, access,
navigate, edit & death of a Web being)
 Other characteristics of Web beings may change
in time.
 A change in URI means the death of existing &
birth of a new WB.
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10. The Being – Query framework expanded
“Teleportation”, Search Engines, relevance
feedback, …
Search Engine: get as inputs Queries and produce
collections of Web beings
Queries
Topics
Web
Queries
Search engine
Users “teleportation” Beings
Web Web
Users Beings
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11. How can this framework be useful?
Networks facilitate understanding, measuring,
modeling, comparing, deciding & forming policy
when connections matter and today matter
more than ever…
A. Understand & compare existing models
B. Expand existing & create new concepts
C. Initiate interesting questions
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12. A. Understand & compare existing models
① Computer science [e.g. User models, TF (single: Web)]
② Network science [e.g. Barabasi (single: Web)]
③ Economic modeling (e.g.)
– Stegeman (dual: Users-Web)
– Papadimitriou et al (triad: Users-Queries, Topics, Web)
– Katona-Sarvary (triad: Navigators-Users, Editors-
Web, Topics)
– Not yet published (quad-network models)
Possible extensions in DSS, ERP, Bus. Intelligence
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13. B. Expand existing & create new concepts
• Existing: e.g. Digital economy, ICT4D,
internet of things,…
• New: e.g. Web goods
Web beings with economic value
Web Users
Web economy
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14. Web Users and economy
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15. C. Initiate interesting questions
Incorporates directly the relation and co-
evolution between online and physical world
• What is the quality & quantity of this relation?
• Rethink influential concepts under the
proposed framework:
Embodiment, artifactualization, network
individualism, privatised spaces and peer
production.
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16. Thank you!
?
Michalis Vafopoulos
vafopoulos.org
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17. Supplement
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18. Web Science Subject Categorization
A. General
B. Web History and Methodology
C. Web Technologies
D. Web Analysis
E. Web Society
http://webscience.org/2010/wssc.html
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19. Web economy
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20. Web users
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