Modeling, modeling, modeling: From web to enterprise to crowd to social

Abstract

Data management is continuously evolving for serving the needs of an increasingly connected society. New challenges apply not only to systems and technology, but also to the models and abstractions for capturing new application requirements. In this paper, we describe several models and abstractions which have been progressively designed to capture new forms of data-centered interactions in the last twenty five years – a period of huge changes due to the spreading of web-based applications and the increasingly relevant role of social interactions. We initially focus on Web-based applications for individuals, then discuss applications among enterprises, then we discuss how these applications may include rankings which are computed using services or using crowds; we conclude with hints to a recent research discussing how social sources can be used for capturing emerging knowledge.