Author: José Antonio Merlo Vega (*)
Source: http://www.thinkepi.net
(*) Member of Thinkepi
: http://www.thinkepi.net
Professor at the University of Salamanca: http://exlibris.usal. com / merlo
Vice AOSIS: http://www.apeiasturias.org
The social web or Web 2.0 is a phenomenon that is affecting both the different areas of human activity . The new site is present in social relations, economics, communication, administration, education, the culture ... No area is beyond the scope of the Internet for new generacióny much less those in which management information is the basis of their professional practice. During 2007 there have been several publications of interest to analyze the social web and its impact on information centers. In order of appearance, the works of Farkas (1), Casey and Savastinuk (2), Bradley (3), Courtney (4) and Stephens (5) were published in this Anoy in all applications studied 2.0 in libraries and information units. In Spain, the only professional journals have devoted special attention to the issue have been the case volume of the information professional (6) and Educacióny library (7), whose dossier on "Libraries and social web 'was lucky to coordinate and which were published ten contributions that allow teoríay contextualize the practice of participation technologies in libraries. In the article that opened the monograph, systematized into ten categories of social web technologies, in addition to group classes in ten applications of these tools in the information centers. In this note Thinkepi back to resort to the dozen to offer the features that explain the success of the social web. This is a learning process without further claims that those due to popularization. In my opinion, there are ten principles that define the social web:
1. The browser as a tool. The social web is primarily web, so that their systems and applications are based in markup languages. CCS XHTML or XML are the foundations of this technology, so that from any browser can access the web 2.0 services. The new Internet does not annul the previous one, but complements and improves the decision should be based and what it is. 2.0 The label implies an evolution, but you can keep talking about the web, without qualification, an Internet development, where opportunities for participation are the main novelty.
2. Cooperation as a method. The group is important and the social web of recognition. Social technologies are designed to open information architectures that allow join the opinions and behaviors of all are taken into account. In the new Internet are working in a distributed manner, but through direct relationships, which are reflected in actions such as the joint construction of content online or in the ability to post comments external pages. It is the consideration of collective intelligence.
3. Interoperability as a foundation. Participation technologies employed by the social web enable tool integration. Systems Programming as AJAX or markup languages \u200b\u200bprovide the ability to share code, play in particular sites external content or interface with applications running on remote servers. APIs, the 'mashups', the 'widgets' or association are examples of this principle. The use of common protocols, standardized metadata and open architectures explain the undeniable success of the social web.
4. The simple guidelines. The social web has simplified the most of the publishing. The ease of creating and maintaining blogs or wikis, favorite web-development, dissemination personal profiles on social networks, to name a few examples, are actions that require little expertise. To share files, redistribute resources, news filtered or integrated into web services outside themselves need not be an expert. The popularity of social web services are largely due to the paucity of knowledge required.
5. Labeling as a system. Digital information has the characteristic of being able to include information about itself. The social web tools used descriptions by users, which are exchanged automatically, networking llevarána terms that similar information, with the added value that the widespread use of a term will involve a significant amount of digital resources in whose description has been used. Metadata schemas and microformats, or the inclusion of tags in social applications are crucial to share semantic information, which is to share digital resources.
6. Participation as a principle. In the social web information is shared. Personal data are disseminated in social networks. Social software enables being valued resources and are labeled according to the opinion of those who employ them. Filtering systems allow content considered interesting stand out from those generated in a period of time, in a medium or on a topic. Favorites shared, social shopping and valuation systems that are offered as a result users who set the quality or utility of resources. The technologies allow cooperation resulting in the collaboration of users through their contributions, their behaviors and opinions.
7. The variety and achievement. The social web does not support limits, as there is a wide variety of demonstrations. Services informacióny diverse applications can be categorized as Web 2.0. Since the purchase of products from suppliers that take into account the tastes, actions and habits of users to services where you can tag information through the file storage server, in which related documents regardless of their origin, all can be classified as 2.0. A reference service based on user responses is social web. An application that can integrate into a page digital daily news, please contact the same e-mail or using office tools, it is also web 2.0.
8. Customization as possible. The user decides how to use the technology of participation, what services are useful and under what terms and conditions will use them. The adaptation of applications, development of interface tools, the use of external content by means of the insertion sindicaciónoa code, the use of 'widgets' to the integration of external information resources (maps, temperature, dictionaries, news, etc..) are different pieces that employ user based on their creativity and their needs. The technologies are the same, the services, too, resources, identical, but the user can identify at their discretion and convenience.
9. Experimentation as the norm. Nothing is eternal in the social web. The renovation of the results is constant updates, permanent developments, daily. This is the continuous beta, as they call this feature of the Internet 2.0. Advanced technologies and offer new possibilities. Services adopting the new technology and adapt them to their goals. Users who use the social web are aware of the constant renewal of resources and the consequent potential for improvement which represent, so they expect and accept the changes permanent.
10. The lack of interest as base. The social character of the new site also includes search as a defining element of the common good. Technologies are open, as are the resources. It starts with the lack of commercial intent, generosity or altruism in the use of applications, services and information. The communities of free software and open access initiatives for scientific information are in tune with the sharing of resources that enable the social web technologies. 2.0 The Internet also has a commercial side, but usually does not affect the general user, but companies that want to target specific sectors, meet and communicate with them directly and relevant.
I am aware that the synthesis is done in this decalogue ignores concepts that have been edited to suit the purpose of Thinkepi texts, but the subsequent debates that often accompany these notes ayudarána address the gaps and inaccuracies that may be incurred. My intention, I repeat, not the establishment of theses, but the dissemination of the principles of which like to call the technologies of participation.
References:
(1) Farkas, Meredith. Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication, and Community Online. Medford: Information Today, 2007.
(2) Casey, Michael E.; Savastinuk, Laura C. Library 2.0: A Guide to
Participatory Libray Services. Medford: Information Today, 2007.
(3) Bradley, Phil. How to Use Web 2.0. in Your Library. London: Facet
Publishing, 2007.
(4) Courtney, Nancy (ed.). Library 2. 0 and Beyond: Innovative
Technologies and Tomorrow's User. Westport: Libraries Unlimited, 2007.
(5) Stephens, Michael. Web 2.0 & Libraries, part 2: trends and
technologies. Chicago: ALA Techsource, 2007.
(6) El profesional de la información. Marzo/Abril 2007, vol. 16, n. 2. Web 2.0: blogs, participation and Lib 2.0. Summary available at: http://www.elprofesionaldelainformacion.com/sumarios/sum162.html .
(7) Educacióny library. September / October 2007, n. 161. Libraries and social web. Summary available at: http://exlibris.usal.es/merlo/escritos/pdf/eybwebsocial.pdf .
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