[uf-discuss] How to avoid building erroneous social network graphs?

[Costello, Roger L.]

Hi Folks,

Recall that a "representative hCard" identifies the person or
organization that represents the current web page.

Suppose that Alice has a web page on a social network.  The web page
contains a representative hCard for Alice. On this web page Alice
invites her friends to add comments to her page.  Bob is one of her
friends, and he adds this comment:

<p>Hi Alice.  Nice page.  I would like to introduce you to my friend <a
href="Sally.html" rel="friend">Sally</a> some time.</p>

Notice the use of XFN: >> rel="friend" <<

When a robot application encounters Alice's web page it will see the
representative hCard for Alice and it will see the XFN-bearing link.
Here's the relationship that the robot constructs:

   Alice is friends with Sally

But that's completely wrong.  Bob stated the relationship.  The correct
relationship is:

   Bob is friends with Sally

How would a robot avoid this error?

/Roger