With a little help from our friends: the social web ECLS Tech Tips November 21, 2008 Louise Alcorn Reference Technology Librarian West Des Moines Public Library

What is the Social Web? Also known as social software and social networking. Allows you to share with your colleagues, friends, family and strangers. Allows you to share your writings, thoughts, videos, music, pictures and more. Essence of the whole “Web 2.0” thing It’s the Wave of the Present

Also known as social software and social networking.

Allows you to share with your colleagues, friends, family and strangers.

Allows you to share your writings, thoughts, videos, music, pictures and more.

Essence of the whole “Web 2.0” thing

It’s the Wave of the Present

Web 2.0 “ While the old Web was about Web sites, clicks, and “eyeballs,” the new Web is about communities, participation and peering . As users and computer power multiply, and easy-to-use tools proliferate, the Internet is evolving into a global, living, networked computer that anyone can program. Even the simple act of participating in an online community makes a contribution to the new digital commons – whether one’s building a business on Amazon or producing a video clip for YouTube, creating a community around his or her flickr photo collection or editing the astronomy entry on Wikipedia.” – Wikinomics, Don Tapscott & Anthony D. Williams

“ While the old Web was about Web sites, clicks, and “eyeballs,” the new Web is about communities, participation and peering . As users and computer power multiply, and easy-to-use tools proliferate, the Internet is evolving into a global, living, networked computer that anyone can program. Even the simple act of participating in an online community makes a contribution to the new digital commons – whether one’s building a business on Amazon or producing a video clip for YouTube, creating a community around his or her flickr photo collection or editing the astronomy entry on Wikipedia.” – Wikinomics, Don Tapscott & Anthony D. Williams

Features of the Social Web Simple publishing – “anyone can do it” Tagging Friends / Contacts Comments Recommendations / Ratings Feed publishing Share, share, share! (Not all social services have all features)

Simple publishing – “anyone can do it”

Tagging

Friends / Contacts

Comments

Recommendations / Ratings

Feed publishing

Share, share, share!

(Not all social services have all features)

Simple Publishing Little to no markup language skills necessary. Usually it’s create, click, and publish.

Little to no markup language skills necessary.

Usually it’s create, click, and publish.

Tagging The act of adding descriptive keywords to an item. Simple metadata “folksonomy”

The act of adding descriptive keywords to an item.

Simple metadata

“folksonomy”

Friends / Contacts By making another account holder your “friend” you are automatically kept up to date with what that person is doing in the system. Creates connections between people with similar interests. It’s why many users go on the Web at all.

By making another account holder your “friend” you are automatically kept up to date with what that person is doing in the system.

Creates connections between people with similar interests.

It’s why many users go on the Web at all.

Comments Submit your opinion(s) on the creations of others. Others submit their opinions on your creations, or on other commenters’ posts. Can often be edited/deleted by original creator as required. Can also be limited to a group of users (in some cases).

Submit your opinion(s) on the creations of others.

Others submit their opinions on your creations, or on other commenters’ posts.

Can often be edited/deleted by original creator as required.

Can also be limited to a group of users (in some cases).

Recommendations: Two Styles Automated based on previous experiences Amazon.com LibraryThing (Suggester and UnSuggester) Last.fm (radio/music) User generated recommendations Ratings (YouTube) Digg It

Automated based on previous experiences

Amazon.com

LibraryThing (Suggester and UnSuggester)

Last.fm (radio/music)

User generated recommendations

Ratings (YouTube)

Digg It

Feed Publishing RSS / ATOM Allows people to subscribe to your information Users receive information quickly and with little effort on their part Users have the control over the information they receive Most used with blogs

RSS / ATOM

Allows people to subscribe to your information

Users receive information quickly and with little effort on their part

Users have the control over the information they receive

Most used with blogs

Examples of Social Software Wikis Blogs YouTube Flickr delicious last.fm 43Things Digg LibraryThing MySpace SlideShare.net Squidoo Amazon.com Second Life

Wikis

Blogs

YouTube

Flickr

delicious

last.fm

43Things

Digg

LibraryThing

MySpace

SlideShare.net

Squidoo

Amazon.com

Second Life

Wikis A Web site “anyone” can edit with little knowledge of markup Allows for collaboration and sharing of information More Later!

A Web site “anyone” can edit with little knowledge of markup

Allows for collaboration and sharing of information

More Later!

Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org

Blogs Online journals, diaries, news Can be exported via RSS feed Pew Internet & American Life Project report on bloggers published 7/2006 Bloggers seek place for “creative, personal expression” “ most are focused on describing their personal experiences to a relatively small audience of readers” Increasingly non-white, mostly <30yo, men and women (50/50) Being used by libraries more and more!

Online journals, diaries, news

Can be exported via RSS feed

Pew Internet & American Life Project report on bloggers published 7/2006

Bloggers seek place for “creative, personal expression”

“ most are focused on describing their personal experiences to a relatively small audience of readers”

Increasingly non-white, mostly <30yo, men and women (50/50)

Being used by libraries more and more!

PaperCuts - papercuts.tscpl.org/

Micro-Blogging (Twitter) Microblogs are sites that feed in real time, but allow for limited text (150 char/post) Twitter is the most popular Me: http://www.twitter.com/weez42 Great way to get out the word on your website, without having to write a lot. Great for News items. Options for submission via email (TwitterMail.com) or have your library blog feed to Twitter (TwitterFeed.com) Can use TwitterFeed to pull any RSS feed, so instant content!

Microblogs are sites that feed in real time, but allow for limited text (150 char/post)

Twitter is the most popular

Me: http://www.twitter.com/weez42

Great way to get out the word on your website, without having to write a lot. Great for News items.

Options for submission via email (TwitterMail.com) or have your library blog feed to Twitter (TwitterFeed.com)

Can use TwitterFeed to pull any RSS feed, so instant content!

Example of Library Using Twitter http://twitter.com/askundergrad

YouTube – www.youtube.com Submit and share videos of up to 10 minutes in length Purchased by Google for $1.65 billion Subscribe to the videos of users (friends, organizations, etc.) Create Favorites and PlayLists Comment on videos

Submit and share videos of up to 10 minutes in length

Purchased by Google for $1.65 billion

Subscribe to the videos of users (friends, organizations, etc.)

Create Favorites and PlayLists

Comment on videos

My YouTube home page

Johnson County KS Library on Blip.tv, another video sharing site (higher quality videos)

Flickr – www.flickr.com Photos Share Tag Organize into sets Contribute to group pools Leave comments and notes Send to your blog and other social sites Now owned by Yahoo!

Photos

Share

Tag

Organize into sets

Contribute to group pools

Leave comments and notes

Send to your blog and other social sites

Now owned by Yahoo!

My flickr home page

Delicious (formerly del.icio.us) – http://www.delicious.com/ Social bookmarking service Use in conjunction with or as a replacement for your browser’s bookmarks Great way to make your bookmarks/favorites “portable” Example: similar class’s bookmarks: http://delicious.com/lalcorn/CILSASocialWeb

Social bookmarking service

Use in conjunction with or as a replacement for your browser’s bookmarks

Great way to make your bookmarks/favorites “portable”

Example: similar class’s bookmarks: http://delicious.com/lalcorn/CILSASocialWeb

My delicious home page

last.fm – www.last.fm Share, tag, and recommend the music you listen to on your computer Integrates with iTunes, Windows Media Player, and WinAmp Client software, not a Web site

Share, tag, and recommend the music you listen to on your computer

Integrates with iTunes, Windows Media Player, and WinAmp

Client software, not a Web site

43Things – www.43things.com Submit and tag 43 things you want to accomplish in your life (or for your library!) Also: 43Places (places you want to go) Find others who want to do the same things in your area or from around the world Share tips and inspiration for completing your goals, travel tips for places you’ve been or want to go, etc.

Submit and tag 43 things you want to accomplish in your life (or for your library!)

Also: 43Places (places you want to go)

Find others who want to do the same things in your area or from around the world

Share tips and inspiration for completing your goals, travel tips for places you’ve been or want to go, etc.

My Things Note the feed from Flickr to right. Note the “tag cloud” at the bottom from all of 43Things.

Digg – www.digg.com Social news service Tag “ Digg It” – user ratings/comments/preferences Thumbs up / Thumbs down (rating)

Social news service

Tag

“ Digg It” – user ratings/comments/preferences

Thumbs up / Thumbs down (rating)

My Digg homepage

LibraryThing – www.librarything.com Catalog, tag, and share your book collection. A bibliophile’s dream playground! Yes, it does MARC records. Includes a Suggester (if you like this, try…) Also, an UnSuggester (if you like this, you will NOT like this!) WARNING: Completely Addictive!

Catalog, tag, and share your book collection.

A bibliophile’s dream playground!

Yes, it does MARC records.

Includes a Suggester (if you like this, try…)

Also, an UnSuggester (if you like this, you will NOT like this!)

WARNING: Completely Addictive!

LibraryThing book page

MySpace – www.myspace.com “ Friends, messaging, and blogging all wrapped up into most of the worst-designed Web pages ever” – a friend. That said, for libraries, it can be a “pull” tool for library promotion. Especially popular with the teen and tween crowd, and also musicians and artists, to showcase their work.

“ Friends, messaging, and blogging all wrapped up into most of the worst-designed Web pages ever” – a friend.

That said, for libraries, it can be a “pull” tool for library promotion.

Especially popular with the teen and tween crowd, and also musicians and artists, to showcase their work.

Waverly Public Library on MySpace

Facebook Think of it as a classier, cleaner, but more boring (for teens/tweens) MySpace. Originally was for colleges and universities, but has now expanded to “the rest of us”. Great way to find old friends and colleagues with similar interests, thanks to “find a friend” features (six degrees, etc.).

Think of it as a classier, cleaner, but more boring (for teens/tweens) MySpace.

Originally was for colleges and universities, but has now expanded to “the rest of us”.

Great way to find old friends and colleagues with similar interests, thanks to “find a friend” features (six degrees, etc.).

SlideShare – www.slideshare.net Share and tag your PowerPoint presentations Can share publicly, only with contacts, or only have access to yourself. Note: whenever I do a presentation away from home, I load it up there, “just in case”. View and comment on others’ presentations

Share and tag your PowerPoint presentations

Can share publicly, only with contacts, or only have access to yourself.

Note: whenever I do a presentation away from home, I load it up there, “just in case”.

View and comment on others’ presentations

My SlideShare Page

Squidoo – www.squidoo.com Create and share online bibliographies List and link to resources from traditional Web sites, flickr, delicious, and podcasts A Squidoo page is known as a “lens”

Create and share online bibliographies

List and link to resources from traditional Web sites, flickr, delicious, and podcasts

A Squidoo page is known as a “lens”

Library 2.0 Reading List

My New Addiction: Friend Feed http://www.friendfeed.com Works like an aggregator, pulling in much of your online feeding (Facebook, Twitter, blog, Flickr, Amazon and more) Also allows for conversations, so more enhanced than simple feed aggregator

http://www.friendfeed.com

Works like an aggregator, pulling in much of your online feeding (Facebook, Twitter, blog, Flickr, Amazon and more)

Also allows for conversations, so more enhanced than simple feed aggregator

Thinking More Broadly

Amazon.com = Social Software Surprised? It includes many social web elements: tagging recommendations friends product wikis favorites (lists)

Surprised? It includes many social web elements:

tagging

recommendations

friends

product wikis

favorites (lists)

Amazon.com has social features

Second Life – www.secondlife.com “ A 3D online digital world imagined, created, & owned by its residents.” From Linden Lab Social in the sense that users interact with other users Libraries are getting involved: Info Island Project: infoisland.org

“ A 3D online digital world imagined, created, & owned by its residents.”

From Linden Lab

Social in the sense that users interact with other users

Libraries are getting involved:

Info Island Project: infoisland.org

Second Life Library

A final thought… “ It’s the simplest lesson of the Internet: it’s the people stupid. We don’t have computers because we want to interact with machines; we have them because they allow us to communicate more effectively with other people.” ─ Douglas Rushkoff, Get Back in the Box: Innovation from the Inside Out

“ It’s the simplest lesson of the Internet: it’s the people stupid. We don’t have computers because we want to interact with machines; we have them because they allow us to communicate more effectively with other people.” ─ Douglas Rushkoff, Get Back in the Box: Innovation from the Inside Out

The Social Web Thank You! My email: [email_address]

Thank You!

My email:

[email_address]