This document provides an overview of various social software tools relevant to forestry professionals, including blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, wikis, instant messaging, and social networks. It defines each tool, provides examples of their use in forestry, and discusses how professionals can implement them. The goal is to introduce these Web 2.0 technologies and foster more interaction within the forestry community.

1. Web 2.0 in Forestry: a practical overview
Eugene Barsky
Science and Engineering Librarian,
University of British Columbia
October 20, 2008
(Email/MSN Messenger) eugene.barsky@ubc.ca

2. Goals of this session
Introduce social software to forestry and wood science
information professionals
Provide and share personal experiences
2

3. Social software - definition
My definition: “social-software refers to web-based software
tools that support or foster group interaction”
Social software is mostly about interaction
Web 2.0 creates conversations
3

4. Social tools to be covered today
Blogs
RSS feeds
Podcasting
Wikis
Instant messaging
Social networking
Anything else?
4

5. What is a blog?
A frequent, chronological, and personalized publication of web content
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI
5

6. Why use a blog?
Pros of blogs:
No need to know html coding
No need to find server space
Usually free
Allow interactivity and sharing
Cons of blogs:
Too many – hard to select
It takes time to read and write
6

7. Blogs in forestry
Examples:
Forester blog by Robert Borhi, BC Registered Professional Forester -
http://foresterblog.blogspot.com/
UBC Science and Engineering Blog has a section for wood sciences -
http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/scienglib/
7

8. Searching blogs
Searching blogs:
Technorati - http://technorati.com/
Google blog search - http://blogsearch.google.com/
8

9. What is RSS?
Pushed vs. pulled content from blogs and websites
Instead of you going to check for new info – the info comes to
you
Video - http://www.blip.tv/file/205570/
9

10. Why use RSS?
Blogs - RSS feeds let readers know when a blog has been updated.
News – stories are published, and users are alerted via the feed.
Examples: Google News, CBC, newspaper sites
Press releases and announcements - RSS is a useful tool for formal
announcements (http://www.news.gov.bc.ca/rss/).
Scientific literature – Many e-journals and databases (e.g.
Compendex or Web of Science) provide search results and updates in
RSS format.
10

11. Reading RSS
You need a free reader:
Web-based – Bloglines (http://www.bloglines.com/) or Google
Reader (http://www.google.com/reader)
Standalone clients - SharpReader (http://www.sharpreader.net/)
Plugins – are integrated into software packages like Microsoft
Outlook, and downloaded to your desktop or browser
11

12. Finding forestry-related RSS feeds
Use Bloglines.com search option for feeds
Use LibWorm search options - http://www.libworm.com/
Example – FAO Forestry news - http://www.fao.org/forestry/home/en/
Example - NYTimes feed on forests and forestry -
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/forests_and_forestry/index.ht
ml?rss=1
12

13. What is podcasting?
Audio files, thrown on RSS feed
Download themselves to the subscribers’ machines
Don’t need iPod
http://www.vimeo.com/926896
13

14. Why use podcasts?
Current awareness alternative for busy forestry professionals
Portable, cheap to produce,
Easy to find and use (listen on the go and at your convenience)
Perfect for auditory learners (some 30% of learners)
14

15. Forestry related podcasts
Forestry and Environment podcasts:
Forests and Oceans for the Future (UBC seminar series) -
http://www.ecoknow.ca/seminars.html
Environment@Yale podcasts -
http://environment.yale.edu/multimedia/EnvironmentYale-Podcast/
15

16. Science podcasts
Eugene’s favorites:
BBC Naked Scientists podcasts -
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/listen/
Science Magazine podcasts -
http://www.sciencemag.org/about/podcast.dtl
16

17. Searching podcasts
Directories:
Podcast.net - http://www.podcast.net
Apple iTunes - http://www.apple.com/find/searchtips.html
Search tools:
Podscope - http://podscope.com/
17

18. Recording podcasts
Easy to do with free (or almost free) tools
We use Audacity to record - http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
1 min. of recording is roughly 1MB
All files live on UBC Institutional Repository -
https://circle.ubc.ca/dspace/
Subscribe to our podcasts -
http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/scienglib/podcasts/index.xml
18

19. What is a wiki?
An online resource which allows users to add and edit content
collectively
Wikis are participative and allow many people to work together
Software is usually free and easy-to-learn and use
Video - http://blip.tv/file/246821
19

20. Where to use a wiki?
A conference planning committee needs a Web-based tool to keep track
of their activities and who is doing what (Canadian Health Library
Association, 2005-08)
An executive committee is looking for an easy way to create and maintain
its documents (Saskatchewan Health Information Resources Partnership
2005-07)
A company would like any authorized staff member to be able to update
content on its intranet as necessary, without needing to use specialist
software (British Columbia Securities Commission, 2006-07)
20

21. Examples of wikis
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org
Wikis in Forestry:
Nepalese Forestry Wiki - http://www.forestrynepal.org/wiki with
authors from Canada and even UBC ☺
21

22. Software for wikis
Examples of wiki software:
PBwiki – http://pbwiki.com/
MediaWiki – http://www.mediawiki.org - package used by
Wikipedia and our own UBC Health Library Wiki
22

23. Problems with wikis
Wikis are sometimes prone to vandalism (wiki-spam)
Quality issues – since everybody can edit
Can be time consuming
23

24. What is Instant Messaging (IM)?
A system which allows instant text communication between two or
more people through a network
Very popular with NextGens, Generations Y and X (young
professionals)
24

25. Example of Instant Messaging (IM)
Using IM to provide reference services to
our users
IM on our subject guides and contact
pages -
http://toby.library.ubc.ca/libstaff/showperso
n.cfm?PID=622
25

26. What are social networks?
My definition: “Virtual communities that are structured to delineate and
build on relationships that members have with each other by virtue of
their being part of that community.”
Video - http://blip.tv/file/282928
26

27. Examples of general social networks
MySpace – http://www.myspace.com - world's sixth most popular
English-language site.
Facebook - http://facebook.com - Users join one or more participating
networks, such as a high school, place of employment, or geographic
region.
Linked-In - http://www.linkedin.com/ - LinkedIn is a business-oriented
social networking site, mainly used for and by professionals.
27

28. Example of social networks in forestry
Facebook has dozens of forestry interest groups with some of them counting
hundreds of members:
1. UNB Forestry Alumni
2. Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources
3. UBC Forestry Alumni
4. U of A Forestry
5. Future of Forestry
6. World wide group of forestry and enviroment and natural resources
28

29. Summary and brainstorm
Socialization is the dominant feature of Web 2.0
Web should remain an open and optimal learning space
More productive? Careful thinking is needed!
Your ideas?
29

30. References:
Barsky E., & Giustini D. Web 2.0 in Physical Therapy: A Practical Overview. Physiotherapy
Canada, 60(3): 207-210.
Barsky E., & Giustini D. Introducing Web 2.0: wikis for health librarians. J Can Health Libr Assoc
2007; 28(4): 147-150
Barsky E, Cho A. Introducing web 2.0: Social search for health librarians. J Can Health Libr Assoc.
2007;28:58-61.
Barsky E. Introducing web 2.0: RSS trends for health librarians. J CAN HEALTH LIBR ASSOC.
2006;27:7-8.
Barsky E. Introducing web 2.0: Weblogs and podcasting for health librarians. J CAN HEALTH LIBR
ASSOC. 2006;27:33-34.
Barsky E, Purdon M. Introducing web 2.0: Social networking and social bookmarking for health
librarians. J CAN HEALTH LIBR ASSOC. 2006;27:65-67.
Boulos MN, Maramba I, Wheeler S. Wikis, blogs and podcasts: A new generation of web-based
tools for virtual collaborative clinical practice and education. BMC Med Educ. 2006;6:41.
Boulos MN, Wheeler S. The emerging web 2.0 social software: An enabling suite of sociable
technologies in health and health care education. HEALTH INF LIBR J. 2007;24:2-23.
30