mashing it up: why, and how mike ellis, solutions architect, Eduserv http://www.flickr.com/photos/plasticrevolver/61068219/

so.. here’s what we will be doing: 1.30 - 2.00: introductions - about me (and you) - what you want from the day 2.00 - 2.30: what ARE mashups and why use them? - a brief overview of the concept - some (museum) examples - why are mashups important and what are the benefits? 2.30 – 3.00: group exercise: what have you seen? - what have you seen - what would you like / what are you planning to do? 3.00 – 3.30: a mapping mashup case study - case study and deconstruction: mapping and mashing of UK museums 3.30 - 4.00: coffee in Ballroom Foyer 4.00 – 5.00: mashup techniques and tools - typical mashup “design pattern” - a superfast look at Yahoo! Pipes, Google Mashup Editor, MS Popfly - Yahoo! Pipes in action: a simple example 5.00 – 5.15: data, issues - getting and providing data and “what if...?” 5.15 - 5.30: summing it all up, questions, and “what next”..? - moving it forwards: This week...Birds of a Feather...”mashedmuseum”... 1.30-2.00: introductions

here’s what we will be doing:

today people have a variety of backgrounds, skills and requirements the entire point is that you go away with what you need from today... ...so please ask questions at any time or at any time this week, grab me! ...or do it virtually. There is also a Google Group. 1.30-2.00: introductions

people have a variety of backgrounds, skills and requirements

the entire point is that you go away with what you need from today...

...so please ask questions at any time

or at any time this week, grab me!

...or do it virtually. There is also a Google Group.

me, me me I am..Mike Ellis I was Head of Web for NMSI for 7 years ..and now a “Solutions Architect” for Eduserv (I am a consultant who helps people realise their content vision using appropriate technologies) I’m fascinated with the real use of technology: I’m a geek but hopefully a “real-world” one... ...in other words, the things I’m going to talk about should be useful (!) 1.30-2.00: introductions

I am..Mike Ellis

I was Head of Web for NMSI for 7 years

..and now a “Solutions Architect” for Eduserv (I am a consultant who helps people realise their content vision using appropriate technologies)

I’m fascinated with the real use of technology: I’m a geek but hopefully a “real-world” one...

...in other words, the things I’m going to talk about should be useful (!)

about Eduserv Eduserv are a not for profit IT company We work to “realise the benefits of ICT for learners and researchers” We provide web dev, hosting, consultancy, ATHENS, CHEST, and have a Foundation who plough money back into the HE community We are actively looking at providing mashup-style services Please come talk to me anytime this week, or via email/blog/phone/skype/twitter/... [details at the end of the day] 1.30-2.00: introductions

Eduserv are a not for profit IT company

We work to “realise the benefits of ICT for learners and researchers”

We provide web dev, hosting, consultancy, ATHENS, CHEST, and have a Foundation who plough money back into the HE community

We are actively looking at providing mashup-style services

Please come talk to me anytime this week, or via email/blog/phone/skype/twitter/... [details at the end of the day]

you... 74% have some experience of html/coding but you aren’t experts... 75% know what a mashup is, and 35% have “been involved” in building one Most people have heard of the “top 3” tools: Yahoo Pipes, Google ME, MS Popfly 78% want to go away with confidence to guide and manage a “mashup project” 1.30-2.00: introductions

74% have some experience of html/coding but you aren’t experts...

75% know what a mashup is, and 35% have “been involved” in building one

Most people have heard of the “top 3” tools: Yahoo Pipes, Google ME, MS Popfly

78% want to go away with confidence to guide and manage a “mashup project”

mashup overview “ more than one source” consumption of data and services mashup environment = paradigm shift: the “web of data” machines talking to each other RSS this is (or can be) a black-box environment but more important, this is about approach : data and services are “out there” and available “ we are smarter than me” 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

“ more than one source”

consumption of data and services

mashup environment = paradigm shift:

the “web of data”

machines talking to each other

RSS

this is (or can be) a black-box environment

but more important, this is about approach :

data and services are “out there” and available

“ we are smarter than me”

the black box he knows how to drive... ..but he doesn’t know what makes the car work. 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

in one sentence “ mashups let you do more with less” 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

mapping “ Museums in Paris with free admission” http://www.archi-nova.net/paris/tips.html 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

you provide the data (museum name, location, review, description, etc) mapping service provides a way to display these locations on a map (plus some additional stuff) data and service is mashed and displayed on your site mapping data service your site 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

you provide the data (museum name, location, review, description, etc)

mapping service provides a way to display these locations on a map (plus some additional stuff)

data and service is mashed and displayed on your site

mapping 1. Page loads the API 2. Call includes your key 3. Initialize() is called 4. Your data is included here 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

timeline From UK Natural History Museum “dinosaur directory” http://simile.mit.edu/timeline/examples/ 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

you provide the data (exhibit date, description, etc) timeline service provides a way to display these dates data and service is mashed and displayed on your site timeline data service your site 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

you provide the data (exhibit date, description, etc)

timeline service provides a way to display these dates

data and service is mashed and displayed on your site

timeline 1. Page loads the API 2. Options for display 3. Your data 4. Display it 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

RSS A lightweight data source Traditionally used for news, but actually is starting to gain mileage because it is simple As we’ll see later, things like Yahoo! Pipes make extensive use of RSS 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

A lightweight data source

Traditionally used for news, but actually is starting to gain mileage because it is simple

As we’ll see later, things like Yahoo! Pipes make extensive use of RSS

RSS From me (!) – “RSS to Image” http://electronicmuseum.org.uk/experiments/rss-to-image/ 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

RSS services provide data RSS (title, description, link..) service provides means to analyse this content my code provides a way to mash data and display RSS (news) Flickr search API display Term Extractor data service your site 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

services provide data RSS (title, description, link..)

service provides means to analyse this content

my code provides a way to mash data and display

why? developing these things from scratch would be: expensive complicated bespoke ...and therefore silly... you also get a shared resource pool for any problems that occur 2.00 – 2.30: what are mashups and why use them?

developing these things from scratch would be:

expensive

complicated

bespoke

...and therefore silly...

you also get a shared resource pool for any problems that occur

group exercise what have you seen? what did you like? what are you planning to do? which sites do things well? how do they do it? which sites do things badly? why? 2.30 – 3.00: group exercise

what have you seen?

what did you like?

what are you planning to do?

which sites do things well?

how do they do it?

which sites do things badly? why?

case study aim : to put all UK museums on a Google map data : from 24hr museum required considerable munging postcode lookup (hacked API!) extensive use of Excel, Access, Word...! service : Google Maps (Google Earth) + Postcode lookup site : display using Google maps but also output as KML for use with Google Earth (NB: and other services...!) 3.00 – 3.30 : a mapping mashup case study

aim : to put all UK museums on a Google map

data : from 24hr museum

required considerable munging

postcode lookup (hacked API!)

extensive use of Excel, Access, Word...!

service : Google Maps (Google Earth) + Postcode lookup

site : display using Google maps but also output as KML for use with Google Earth (NB: and other services...!)

identify the need from your users find data and service sources look to see who/what else is out there – and see if you can borrow or copy. View source! decide on an acceptable SLA, and work on contingencies determine how you’re actually going to do it based on these decisions project pattern 3.00 – 3.30 : a mapping mashup case study

identify the need from your users

find data and service sources

look to see who/what else is out there – and see if you can borrow or copy. View source!

decide on an acceptable SLA, and work on contingencies

determine how you’re actually going to do it based on these decisions

case study “design pattern” determine what you want to do identify map service (Google, Yahoo, MS) sign up for API key (specific to URL root) identify your data source(s) identify any data services shape data sources to fit requirement drop these into the code shape the prototype 3.00 – 3.30 : a mapping mashup case study

determine what you want to do

identify map service (Google, Yahoo, MS)

sign up for API key (specific to URL root)

identify your data source(s)

identify any data services

shape data sources to fit requirement

drop these into the code

shape the prototype

data service your site design pattern 3.00 – 3.30 : a mapping mashup case study

case study “ Museum Directory v3” http://www.mashedmuseum.org.uk/mm/museumdirectory/v3 3.00 – 3.30 : a mapping mashup case study

coffee... http://www.flickr.com/photos/basak/1264568795/ 3.30 – 4.00 coffee (Ballroom Foyer)

techniques and tools there are three major “mashup building” tools: Yahoo! Pipes ( http://pipes.yahoo.com ) Google Mashup Editor ( http://editor.googlemashups.com ) Microsoft PopFly ( http://www.popfly.com ) these do similar things but are for different audiences all require you to “think flowchart” we’ll look at Y!Pipes in more detail in a moment... 4.00 – 5.00 : mashup techniques and tools

there are three major “mashup building” tools:

Yahoo! Pipes ( http://pipes.yahoo.com )

Google Mashup Editor ( http://editor.googlemashups.com )

Microsoft PopFly ( http://www.popfly.com )

these do similar things but are for different audiences

all require you to “think flowchart”

we’ll look at Y!Pipes in more detail in a moment...

Yahoo! Pipes drag and drop “ patchbay”-like RSS-focus techniques and tools 4.00 – 5.00 : mashup techniques and tools

Yahoo! Pipes

drag and drop

“ patchbay”-like

RSS-focus

Google Mashup Editor code, pseudo-code, html google gadget output techniques and tools 4.00 – 5.00 : mashup techniques and tools

Google Mashup Editor

code, pseudo-code, html

google gadget output

MS PopFly nice but confusing interface requires Silverlight webpages, too techniques and tools 4.00 – 5.00 : mashup techniques and tools

MS PopFly

nice but confusing interface

requires Silverlight

webpages, too

we’ll use Yahoo! Pipes to do something simple... build something! 4.00 – 5.00 : mashup techniques and tools

we’ll use Yahoo! Pipes to do something simple...

problems! you are relying on 3 rd parties often no SLA – is this ok for you? what if the service, system or data disappeared? accessibility: a changing landscape... how do you measure goodness...? where can you get data from? 5.00 – 5.15: data, and some issues

you are relying on 3 rd parties

often no SLA – is this ok for you?

what if the service, system or data disappeared?

accessibility: a changing landscape...

how do you measure goodness...?

where can you get data from?

next..? let’s talk this week birds of a feather? keep an eye on www.mashedmuseum.org.uk join the mailing list keep in touch! 5.15 – 5.30 : summing up

let’s talk this week

birds of a feather?

keep an eye on www.mashedmuseum.org.uk

join the mailing list

keep in touch!

thanks! thanks very much for coming along you can talk to me anytime – you should have my details by now, or go here: twitter: dmje blog: http://electronicmuseum.org.uk or http://blog.eduserv-psg.net/