Semantic: "Part of the structure of language, along with 
phonology, morphology, syntax, and pragmatics, which involves 
understanding the meaning of words, sentences, and texts." 
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8&newwindow=1&c2coff=1&q=define%3Asemantic&btnG=Search

Computers exist as machines with memory, but without 
understanding. Movies like Terminator 3 depict computers with 
the ability to share information with each other and understand 
that information. For this to happen computers and the 
applications that run on computers must have some form of 
reference description framework and common language.

People can take information from one computer system and 
understand it and the relationships that information might have 
with information on another computer system. Computers, on the 
other hand, can only share and process information. Computers 
have no capabilities to freely associate information not 
directly linked or associated to other information.

For example, Peter is my friend and I am Peter's friend. While 
a searcher might seek information about Peter the relationship 
on Peter's web site may not indicate that we are friends. If I 
indicated, on my web site, that we are friends, search engines 
that are semantically capable can bring the information together.

Some browsers include the ability to find related web sites. 
Some toolbar plug-ins for Internet Explorer include the ability 
to find related web sites. These two tools provide some basic 
semantic functionality. These two tools often provide odd 
results that seem totally unrelated. However, these tools 
operate on functionality barely comparative to the true vision 
of the semantic web.

The Resource Description Framework allows the semantic web to 
exist. The framework requires a common programming and naming 
schema. This schema then allows various computers to talk to 
each other and begin to understand how supposedly unrelated 
information can actually be related.

A sociological research project sought to find out the 
relationship between temperature and crime levels. This research 
project showed an increase in crime as temperatures increase. 
Interestingly a correlation with temperature also showed ice 
cream sales increased as the temperature increased. Humorously, 
one could say that crime increases as ice cream sales increase 
or that ice cream sales have a direct relationship with crime.

Until computers are smart enough to rationally evaluate 
relationships between information the semantic web will not 
exist. The visionaries at the World Wide Web Consortium believe 
that computers can reach this level of understanding. The 
development of the Resource Description Framework can help 
achieve this understanding.

However, computers must have an artificial intelligence before 
they can understand the relationships between various data. 
Google's Topical Match exists as a first attempt for Google's 
search engine to become semantically aware. Google hopes that 
as it becomes semantically aware its results will become more 
relevant. And even more excitingly when people search for 
information related information can be returned as well.

If we examine how people associate semantic relationships we 
find people can be talking about the same thing using different 
words and phrases. Take, for example, "the glass is half empty" 
and "the glass is half full." While the views are different the 
phrases mean the same thing. More elaborate examples exist and 
as professionals we often find ourselves in debates which end 
up with someone realizing it's a matter of semantics.

When computer applications become semantically aware, they 
will be able to understand the nuances of language. Instead of 
computers thinking on a two-dimensional level, computers will 
be able to think three-dimensionally and find relations that 
may not be obvious. This will help us when performing research 
on products or research covering other topics.

No longer would we be stifled by the simple "what's related" or 
"similar pages" offered by the search engines. We will be able 
to broaden our understanding of the topic.

The semantic web will enable search engines to provide more 
information relating to the topics people search for. Instead 
of providing a flat presentation based strictly upon the words 
in the query, search engines will be smart enough to realize 
what the searcher is actually seeking. Not just offering correct 
spellings, but actually offering highly relevant information.