Перевод "What is RDF and what is it good for?"

Original. Submitted by dulanov 09.12.2008.
Tags: linkeddata, owl, rdf, semanticweb, sparql, w3c, webofdata.
Submitted for translation by masuna 14.03.2010.

This is an introduction to RDF (“Resource Description Framework”), which is the standard for encoding metadata and other knowledge on the Semantic Web. In the Semantic Web, computer applications make use of structured information spread in a distributed and decentralized way throughout the current web. RDF is an abstract model, a way to break down knowledge into discrete pieces, and while it is most popularly known for its RDF/XML syntax, RDF can be stored in a variety of formats. This article discusses the abstract RDF model, two concrete serialization formats, how RDF is used and how it differs from plain XML, higher-level RDF semantics, best practices for deployment, and querying RDF data sources.