Rule Based Communication Protocol between Social Networks using Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL)

Abstract

Social network sites have become de factor in fostering human relationships and business prospects. Several social networks abound with little interoperability functionality that enables exchange of profiles of users. Though, proprietary Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are provided as endpoints for applications in retrieval of user profile. Moreover, semantic web Friend of a Friend (FOAF) is now been used as a medium for realizing semantic social networks to be able to share user’s profile across sites. And since the goal of semantic web is to provide autonomous data centric system coupled on ontology and reasoning, we propose a novel communication protocol named iProc, and usable by autonomous agents that relies on the distributive nature of social network data in coalescing a virtually centralized social network and as well providing means to enlarge user’s connectivity to other users across different sites. This paper presents the architecture for a proposed iProc. Furthermore, an implementation of the FOAF files to be used was carried out and discussed.