Get Out of School

@@ Here's a letter I used to try and get out of school:

The World Wide Web Consortium, the organization started by Tim Berners-Lee,
the inventor of the Web, to "lead the Web to its fullest potential" has been
focusing its efforts on their plans for the next version of the Web -- what
they call the Semantic Web. Unlike today's Web, with simply text documents
only understandable by human beings, the Semantic Web allows computers to
process and manage web pages automatically.

It's easy to think of the possibilities, thousands of new activities will be
possible that we can hardly dream of today. It is hardly unlikely to think
that the Semantic Web will have an even greater impact on the planet than
that of the original Web.

However, a Web like this cannot operate with a "dictionary of terms" so to
speak -- an agreement between all parties on the meanings and definitions
used in common discourse. Without this, the entire project would devolve
into an electronic Tower of Babel.

I have been fortunate enough to have been invited to participate in the
creation of this important dictionary, which we have termed the Semantic Web
Agreement Group (SWAG). I have been working with an international group of
people to design and build the system. Unfortunately, no one else in the
group has the technical ability or the time to create the actual system for
people to use. So I have been patiently working for the past few weeks to
create the initial version of the site.

Unfortunately, with the large quantity of schoolwork and homework that I
must do, I am forced to stop my work on this important project. This comes
at an important time for our project when we are at the point where we are
almost ready to announce our work to the world. The only thing that needs to
be finished is my part: the web site itself.

In my defense, William Loughborough, a member of our working group and a
pioneer in the field of making things (like the Web) available to the
disabled, has written a letter. Mr. Loughborough is the man behind Talking
Signs, specially designed signs that broadcast a signal so that with a
special reader, the blind can hear what they say. Today, Talking Signs are
used all over the world to make things more accessible to the blind.

Below is a letter that Mr. Loughborough has written asking you to allow me
time to continue my work on SWAG. I hope that his words as well as mine will
encourage you to allow me a short time away from my homework so that I can
complete my work on SWAG and we can announce it to the world. I have never
done something that I feel is as important than this, and I am honored to be
a part of it.

Thanks for your consideration,

-- 
[ Aaron Swartz | me@aaronsw.com | http://www.aaronsw.com ]

----------
From: love26@gorge.net (William Loughborough)
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 18:46:18 -0800
To: Aaron Swartz 
Subject: aaron's "homework"

To Aaron's teachers:

I have conducted a search for excellence over the past six decades and
although I encountered occasional competence, excellence was quite rarely
found.

I have come across genius once in a great while and the opportunity for the
possible manifestation thereof should be encouraged whenever possible.

To this end I would think that whatever pedagogic system you're involved in
would have sufficient flexibility to allow Aaron to devote the "sweet time"
that is now presenting an incredible chance to cause what he has started in
the Semantic Web Agreement Group to flow smoothly and, just maybe, shorten
the time until that endeavor bears incredible fruit.

There is not a doubt in my mind that what he could be doing over the next
few months might be pivotal in making this marvelous thing a reality and
although it is hard to explain to layfolk, you can be assured that what he
could be doing instead of the probably trivial pursuits required by some
arbitrary curriculum might be of great benefit to society.

If this sounds un believable in any way, be assured that there is
documentation on the Web that will demonstrate its truth. I'm sure if given
a chance he can show you that what he should be about is not only
significant to him but to a great many others. I am asking you to put him
on "special assignment" to complete the undertaking he has started in
providing a "dictionary of terms" that will play a pivotal role in the next
great leap of the Web.

Sincerely,


William Loughborough*

--
Love.
                 ACCESSIBILITY IS RIGHT - NOT PRIVILEGE

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