The document discusses the concepts of Web 2.0 and how it has led to the development of social media technologies and online communities. It notes that Web 2.0 facilitates communication, information sharing, collaboration and interoperability on the World Wide Web through technologies like social networks, blogs, wikis and multimedia sharing sites. The document also addresses some of the cultural challenges that organizations may face in adopting social media tools and the importance of implementation strategies that benefit both individuals and the organization.
5. Technologies Enable Community "Web 2.0" refers to a perceived second generation of web development and design, that facilitates communication, secure information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services, and applications such as social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 Technology is necessary, but not sufficient! (more on that later)
Is it culture, represented by these kinds of concepts?
Is it technology represented by these ideas and technologies? These technologies all represent maturation of innovation in the web space over the last 5+ years.
It’s BOTH. Technology and culture work together synergistically to allow users to interact in a new way.
10 years ago, it was very difficult to share anything or collaborate electronically/remotely. The only tool most people had was e-mail. Now with many end user tools, virtually anyone post and share anything – to many people’s chagrin! Powerful, enabling, dangerous.
What does Web 1.0 look like? Sites are linear, hierarchical, inflexible content, controlled content, one way – can be “rich” with multimedia, “whizbangy” UI and sophisticated backend technologies – but, web 1.0 nonetheless. Not bad and can be very informative and valuable, just not web 2.0. There are a lot of examples where sites have “blogs” that are just recast same old same old content.
What does Web 2.0 look like? Social Networks: Discovery of likeminded people, Maintaining/developing relationships, Strengthening weak ties, Broadcasting questions/news to your network, Energizing your network
Online Social Networks are very much “in the news”. Current failure mode in projects – we fail to take advantage of information we already have. Technology can improve the efficiency & effectiveness of our networks (reduce friction, etc)
These are representative. Many times in the enterprise, what limits the application of web 2.0 is access control. Where agencies always have trouble is in the intersection between public and inside because of access control, but this is an area that is ripe for new ideas. There are government initiatives that address both internally and externally facing tools for use in this space that will help prevent silos.
Examples of social media and integration between social media applications using APIs. It’s the API stupid.
Trust is key.
Social media provide the same benefits as other non-electronic networks, but unlike face to face networks, social media can easily cross physical limitations. Examples of trusted weak links. I trust their opinions, but do not “know” them: Twitter with Dave Winer, Robert X Cringely, David Pogue
This is the GOTCHA. Even Web 2.0 tools sometimes are only used in a web 1.0 way, due to lack of proper culture.
Build it and they will come does not always work. For personal networks (facebook, twitter, linkedin) there is a lot of what’s in it for me: friends, followers, jobs, dates; not a lot of work focused activity (no incentive for the enterprise). For many agency-based networks, there is a lot of what’s in it for the organization: expert locator, knowledge management etc.; great in theory for the organization, but typically a lot of work for individuals, and not much personal value (no incentive for the employee).
The commercial landscape has really changed the users’ expectations of how systems work. Why can’t we just have search like “Google”? Why can’t I just post my video like on You Tube, why does it have to be closed captioned?
It is important to involve human resources, legal, labor relations, diversity/eeo stakeholders.
Loss of control or perception of loss of control, lack of chain of command and others are huge cultural factors in adoption. Recognizing the benefits, the cultural challenges and the fact that this is becoming the new norm for younger employees is essential for any government manager.
