Describing and retrieving photos using RDF and HTTP
The W3C has a discussion note about how RDF can be used to describe photos. I have a problem with this. A few weeks ago, I wrote about “Why EXIF is so Important.” The discussion note doesn’t factor in EXIF data in any way. The JPEG images that result from today’s digital cameras all contain rich meta data about a photo. This article doesn’t mention how that EXIF data can be used as a basis for better search, retrieval, and cataloging of images. Although, currently most cameras today only produce EXIF data about technical details of a picture, I don’t think EXIF should be abandoned in favor or RDF. The big benefit of EXIF is the fact that the meta data is tied directly to the image. If the image is shared, moved, or copied, the meta data is still there. I know that EXIF data is fragile and can be changed, deleted and tampered with using different imaging applications, but assuming that it isn’t, I think it’s the best way for data to live with the image.