Arguing on the Semantic Grid

Among the most influential domains of Internet sciences to date we find Web services, Grid computing, the Web 2.0, and the Semantic Web. These are components of a wider vision, which we call the Semantic Grid. We believe that the Semantic Grid is an interesting domain for Argumentation, for two reasons. First, its new challenges can give motivation to further Argumentation research in ways that have not been explored so far. Second, existing Argumentation theories and technologies can find in the Semantic Grid a natural and convenient application domain. In this chapter, we aim to give a gentle introduction to the Semantic Grid, to Argumentation researchers potentially interested in this new research and application domain. We also argue that Argumentation research can contribute to the creation of an "argumentation-enabled Semantic Grid" vision. We give concrete examples of how this can be achieved, and we discuss the main challenges that must be faced. We conclude by discussing some application areas where argumentation-based approaches to the Semantic Grid may be particularly influential.