Yes data is beautiful–but SEXY?! That’s right. It’s powerful, self-sufficient; it can write its own ticket. Data doesn’t need you anymore...or does it?We’re all looking for ways to pull useful information from the overwhelming amount of data flooding the Internet. Two solutions have surfaced–dataviz and semantic web. Both are taking on a life of their own but they’re tackling the problem in very different ways.Data visualizations give us the means to understand the multitude of data out there. But what’s next? Ever heard of XBRL? RDF? These and other semantic web technologies are changing the way we understand data. They give data context. Without context, data is meaningless, and data can’t organize itself.Back end semantic web & front end visualizations both make data more usable but require a human catalyst. Are we entering a time that data will make itself more usable by organizing itself contextually and representing itself visually?Moderator: Greg Ebert, Rivet Software