$\mathcal{DS}^4$: A Distributed Social and Semantic Search System

Abstract

We present $\mathcal{DS}^4$, a Distributed Social and Semantic Search System that allows users to share content among friends and clusters of users. In $\mathcal{DS}^4$ nodes that are semantically, thematically, or socially similar are automatically discovered and logically organised. Content retrieval is then performed by routing the query towards social friends and clusters of nodes that are likely to answer it. In this way, search receives two facets: the social facet, addressing friends, and the semantic facet, addressing nodes that are semantically close to the query. $\mathcal{DS}^4$ is scalable (requires no centralised component), privacy-aware (users maintain ownership and control over their content), automatic (requires no intervention by the user), general (works for any type of content), and adaptive (adjusts to changes of user content or interests). In this work, we aim to design the next generation of social networks that will offer open and adaptive design, and privacy-aware content management.

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement No 296170 (Project PortDial).