Where Can I Learn More?

Annotation by: Grant Lattanzi

This article outlines how Solid can work with the Internet of Things (IoT) by proposing “SOLIOT—a combination of lightweight industrial protocols with the integration and data control provided by SOLID” (p. 1). Like many other academic discussions, this provides a good base-level description of what Solid is. It also proposes future directions for Solid that will allow it to interact with technologies associated with the World Wide Web. It also moves to a more abstract level to present the idea of the “digital twin” as a way to understand Solid PODs.

Keywords: IoT; Future directions; Digital twin

Annotation by: Grant Lattanzi

This article outlines the “Solid Ecosystem” in order to assess how the technology could enhance data security using blockchain. Digital signatures are cited as a specific component of blockchain that could work well within the Solid Ecosystem. In addition to providing a succinct summary of Solid, and the general objectives of the technology, this article was helpful in clearly tracking the many moving parts that create Solid, including Pods. This article also takes care to emphasize that Solid is still in its infancy and there are a lot of questions about how it will connect with blockchain and other technologies. This article could help anyone looking to learn more about how Solid can be discussed alongside other technologies.

Keywords: Summary of Solid; future direction for Solid; connection to Blockchain

Annotation by: Mary Margaret Herring

This working document lists the architecture and requirements of a Solid ecosystem. While the authors use highly technical language that can be difficult to understand, this document offers a first hand account of how the project’s founders envision Solid. The “Resources,” “Reading and Writing Resources,” and “Cross-Origin Resource Sharing” sections of the protocol were particularly relevant in the discussion of how data is described. However, other sections of the protocol are likely to offer additional information on other aspects of Solid.

Annotation by: Camille Alejandro

This video is a presentation that John Bruce, CEO of Inrupt gave at a conference on February 27, 2019. John Bruce is the business partner of Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web and Solid. Bruce outlines the motivations to produce Solid, proposing there are three major constituencies for the Web: users, organizations, and developers. This video is helpful for a brief overview of Solid and why it is important for data ownership to someone who had never heard of it before.

Annotation by: Grant Lattanzi

The process of getting a POD can help understand what they are and how they work. This part of the Solid project website explains that process and has a lot of great hyperlinked information that can help anyone interested in the nitty-gritty of the POD data structure including definitions of key technical terms and differences between PODs and data “silhos.” It demonstrates the different actions needed to “self-host” a POD versus working with a POD provider, and even provides a list of current POD providers users can choose from.

Keywords: PODs; POD providers; data storage; user experience.

Annotation by: Grant Lattanzi

As the startup developing SOLID, Inrupt is one option for a user’s POD Provider. This landing page has links to more detailed information about one specific POD Provider, relative to other sources in this bibliography that discuss POD Providers in general. This is also where anyone interested in getting a POD and using Inrupt as a Provider can sign up with the company. To reiterate a caution on the site, this is an Alpha version — if you use it, do NOT upload personal or sensitive information, as the infrastructure is still being developed and made secure.

Keywords: PODs; POD Providers; Inrupt; Try it out

Annotation by: Meera Kolluri

This article is a basic run through of Solid and its intersection with Inrupt, the startup working to construct a data protective vision of the internet. It speaks to the unavoidable influence of large organizations and governments in regards to data control. In order to put people back in charge of their data without disrupting existing website development, Inrupt champions data power being redirected tothe user through various versions of Solid. This article specifically addresses the necessity and convenience of an enterprise version of Solid to ensure safety and security at a large scale.

Annotation by: Grant Lattanzi

This is THE paper. THE Solid paper. In this, Berners-Lee and co. discussed their idea for Solid for the first time. They define key terms, explain the technology, outline the objectives for Solid, and provide a sense of direction for the tech. Since this was the first published discussion of Solid, it presents the components of the technology without presupposing any knowledge, so it is a good starting point for anyone looking to learn more. The discussion goes step by step through the Solid Ecosystem and justifies the decisions behind each aspect of the technology. This source is helpful to get at the why of Solid, not just the what or how. It also includes helpful diagrams of Solid PODs and the Solid ecosystem.

Keywords: Solid fundamentals; architecture; algorithm

Annotation by: Mary Margaret Herring

Note: Other pages in the tutorial include How to Create Your Own Vocabulary, Publish Your Vocabulary on Your Pod, Describe Data, and Code With Your Vocabulary.

The Vocabularies Tutorial provided by Solid offers an in-depth overview of how to create a linked data library. While the tutorial assumes no prior technical knowledge and offers helpful examples, there are many concepts that people unfamiliar with the world of linked data (like myself) may have to investigate further for a more robust understanding of how these components interact. This is a great starting point for people interested in how data is described in Solid and other linked data platforms.

Annotation by: Camille Alejandro

This video is a conversation between John Bruce, CEO of Inrupt; Tim Berners-Lee, CTO and Co-founder of Inrupt and inventor of the World Wide Web and Solid; and Robin Pagnamenta, Head of Technology at The Telegraph. It highlights the path of Tim Berners-Lee from his creation of the World Wide Web to his motivation to create Solid to re-decentralize the web. Berners-Lee outlines the benefits of Solid with users being able to take control of their data and app developers concentrating on the main goals of their technologies.

Annotation by: Meera Kolluri

This article is a follow up to a previous Hackaday article that introduced Solid and its promising data power and privacy approach to the internet. It elaborates on the practicality of user protection and the attractiveness of data portability to future customers. There are additional hopes of future competition and the excitement of data storage and hosting as potential spaces for remodeling.