Social Software Design for One
Thomas Vander Wal
Presented to: DCampSouth
2 June 2007 :: Raleigh, North Carolina
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Who is
Thomas?

Person
Focus on the User

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫ ∫
The Math of ÷
∛
Social Software... ∑
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
∛ Design with + not x, ÷
nor complex algorithms ∑
+
÷ -
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
÷
∛
1 Person
∑
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
÷
∛
1 Service
∑
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
÷
∛
1 “Friend” +
∑
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
÷
Person now sees “2”
∛
+
- Self & Friend
∑
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
+
Designer & Developer
÷
∛
see this as doubling
∑
use in the service
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
+
Designer &
÷
∛
Developer see “3”
∑
+ (2 people and the tool)
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
∛ Designer & Developer÷
usually see in multiples ∑
+
÷ -
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
Person adds 1 more
÷
∛
“friend” & finds +
∑
richness
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
Designer &
÷
∛ Developer see
+
service multiplying ∑
+
÷
and scaling -
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
Designer & Developer
÷
∛
follow costs & revenues
∑
+ through formulas
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
Designer & Developer
÷
∛
sees social network as
∑
spikes in service use
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫ People view social
∫
÷
networks as single
∛
connections with
∑
+ other people ÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
I met Zorba on the
People express the beach in Greece as
he was dancing
and singing by
himself
÷
∛
richness with another
+
person by a story
∑
+ about the person ÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫ People value the
∫
÷
∛ relationship
between others
∑
+ & services ÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫ People see a
∫
÷
connection to their
∛
network through
∑
+ the tool/service
÷
-
∓
∛ -÷∑ + ∛
∫
∫∓ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
A person’s network
÷
∛is comprised of
∑
individuals (1s)
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
People use the social tool if it
÷
∛
works for managing & connecting
∑
the individuals in their life
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
People see 1 + 1
÷
∛
& Designer & Developer
∑
see multiples
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫ Successful service ∫
÷
∛
designers & developers
have their sight on the
∑
+ person & personal needs
÷
-
∓
∛ -÷∑ + ∛
∫
∫∓ +
∛ ∓

+
∓
x ∑
∛
÷ -
+ ∑ ÷
∫
∫
÷
∛
Are you focussed on 1 + 1?
∑
+
÷
-
∓
∛ ∑
- ÷ + ∛
∫
∓
∫ +
∛ ∓

The Focus of the Web
has Changed
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Was
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

I Go Get Web
We sought “their” information
❖
Focus on content provider
❖
One device
❖
One use
❖
Proprietary formats
❖
Findability focus
❖
Development metaphor was navigation
❖
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Is
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Come To Me Web
“My information” is found or created
❖
Focus on person using
❖
Reuse
❖
Attracting and keeping attracted
❖
Across devices
❖
Open formats
❖
Refindability focus
❖
Development metaphor is attraction
❖
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Attract to Where?
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Personal
InfoCloud
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

InfoClouds
Global InfoCloud
Personal
InfoCloud
Local
InfoCloud External InfoCloud
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Local InfoCloud
Portals
Location
Social
Software
Local
InfoCloud
Friends
Affiliations
Near in
Work
Thought
Organizations
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

People
Trust
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Resources
Trust
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Devices
Trust
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Personal Information
Workflow
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Design for Personal Workflow
Person-centered
❖
Access to information
❖
Organization
❖
Tasks, actions, context aware
❖
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Personal Info Cycle
Seeking
Local
InfoCloud
Recognizing
Global
InfoCloud
Personal
Retaining/Storing InfoCloud
Using/Creating
Following
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Information is needed
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Everywhere
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Everywhere with
Context
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Foundation for Development
❖ Build around & for people
❖ Capture perceptions, needs, &
uses/reuses
❖ Design information for adaptability
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Attraction Receptors
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

MOA - Receptors
Perceptual
Intellectual
Physical Mechanical
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Sharing
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Spheres of Sociality
Mob
Collective
Selective
Personal
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Directional Sociality
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

All Relationships
Are Not Equal
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Real Relationships
Self Friend
Self Friend
Self Friend
Self Acquaintance
Self ? Stranger
?
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Public & Private
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Unequal Access
Public
Private
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

What Is Tagging?
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Tagging: Definition
Simple data/metadata externally applied to
❖
an object
Used for sorting
❖
A hook for aggregating
❖
Provides identifier and/or description
❖
Personal markers
❖
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

The “F” Word
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Folksonomy
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Folksonomy: Definition
❖ Folksonomy is the result of personal free
tagging of pages and objects for one's own
retrieval
❖ The tagging is usually done in a social
environment (shared and open to others)
❖ The act of tagging is done by the person
consuming the information
http://vanderwal.net/folksonomy.html
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Folksonomy:Value
The value in this external tagging is derived
from people using their own vocabulary
and adding explicit meaning, which may
meaning
come from inferred understanding of the
information/object.
People are not so much categorizing, as
providing a means to connect items
(placing hooks) to provide their meaning in
their own understanding.
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

“The beauty of tagging is that it taps
into an existing cognitive process without
adding much cognitive cost”
Rashmi Sinha
http://www.rashmisinha.com/archives/05_09/tagging-cognitive.html
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2006

Every person is an
expert in their own
vocabulary (tags)
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Every Tag is Sacred
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Folksonomy Triad
Object Identity
Interest
Definition
Vocabulary
Metadata
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Dual Folksonomy Triad
Object Identity
Interest
Vocabulary
Culture
Definition
Terminology
Community Metadata
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

The Business Value
of Tagging
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Business Tensions
Naming control People’s vocabulary
Sample groups Every perspective
In-house Outside service
$$$ w/ value $ w/ unknown value
Consistent Emergent
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Cold Start Problem
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Understanding Scaling
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Scaling and Functionality
A - Personal Use
D
B - Serendipity
C C - Social Tagging
# People Tagging
Mature
B D - Complex Social
System
A
Times Object is Tagged
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Phases of Interaction
Saving and tagging
❖
❖ Refinding
❖ Clicking, pivoting, exploring
❖ Searching
❖ One’s own tags
❖ Other’s tags
❖ Group
❖ Everybody
❖ Group Social Interaction
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Personal to Social
Social
Personal Serendipity Complex
Mature
X X X X
Save & Tag
X X X X
Refind
X X X
Pivot & Explore
X X
Search
- X
Group Interaction
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Social Web Ecosystem
~ 88.9%
Consumer
~ 10.%
Creators
~ 1%
Developers
~ .1%
Platform
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007

Contact
E-mail: thomas@infocloudsolutions.com
E-mail: thomas@vanderwal.net
AIM: vanderwal
YIM: tjvanderwal
Skype: tjvanderwal
InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. - 2007