This document discusses linked data and the semantic web. It begins with an outline and overview of the evolution of the world wide web. Specifically, it notes how the web has become more interactive and intelligent in recent years. It then discusses introducing new standards through organizations like the W3C. Next, it covers topics like open government data, scientific data, and liberating web databases from legacy structures. A key focus is on linked data and the semantic web, how they are related, and essentials of linked data. Other areas explored include the linked data cloud, unlocked potential of linked data, and perspectives from different groups. It concludes by comparing semantic search engines to ordinary ones.