In reading through the articles that were provided on the main NEFLIN’s 23 blog, I noticed that they were all (with the exception of the article from Library Technology Reports) from 2006. That is three years ago. Not that the info is obsolete, or even not relevant-I found all the articles to be informative-but the web world has moved in the last three years. The introduction of more Web 2.0 content has increased, as well as the use of that content. I am not in the least Web 2.0 savvy, or even have much of a personal interest in most of what 23 Things is examining, but I am very interested in being proactive towards my professional education and development. So with that, I read three articles which were published in the last six months.
The first article is:
Hawkins, Donald T. “All Things 2.0: The Fall of 2008 ASIDIC Meeting.” Information Today 25.10 (2008): 32-3. Library Literature & Information Science Full Text. Wilson. SJRCC Library. 22 Jan 2009
As the title states, this article came out of The Association for Information and Dissemination Centers’ (ASIDIC) fall conference. Much of the content is looking at how business and industry are addressing Web 2.0 opportunities, and the challenges of the change that is coming with this new environment. Consumers (or users to most of use) have become expectant of interaction with products. In recognizing this, providing that interaction can also provide opportunities to track how much specific areas, or even documents, on a web site are being interacted with. Tag clouds, word trees, and bubble charts are all ways for users to interact with the content being presented, and there are tangible and scalable results that are produced and can be captured.
Libraries can create accounts using Web 2.0 applications already available that could be used in similar ways. Instead of looking at raw statistics and some surveys, implementation of a user interactive environment could provide feedback by analyzing the cloud tags.
The article continues into how business models are shifting for some companies. Now in the library world, this does not apply as much, but the idea of cloud computing is brought up, and could have elements of interest to us. This concept is also explored in the next article I read:
Hempel, Jessi. “Web 2.0 Is So Over. Welcome to Web 3.0.” Fortune 19 Jan. 2009: 36. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. SJRCC Library. 22 Jan. 2009
This article brought up some very interesting perspectives, but for the moment let’s stay with the concept of cloud computing. Cloud computing allows entire organizations to create remote environments, where all shared applications, files, and even “desktops” are stored through an online service. These applications are then accessible to the employees/participants from any where with internet access; a true wall-less environment that removes the need for an intense infrastructure. How could libraries utilize such capabilities? That requires some understanding of what can be used and some imagination. I don’t have answers right now, but I think it is important to see how these developments are coming around and pay attention to how different companies/organizations are utilizing them. Ideas could spring up anywhere.
The rest of this second article I found very interesting, in that it covers how the initial promise of e-commerce through Web 2.0 applications is not being readily realized. Many of the most popular social-networking websites are a bust in terms of commercial viability. Millions use Myspace and Facebook, but profits aren’t being generated. Though tools like these may draw huge users, newer and more dynamic tools will not be developed until a way to make a profit can be realized. The ad revenue that Google can generate is not being translated to these other applications, where users just aren’t interested in the products presented. If this persists, the development of these Web 2.0 products will slide into oblivion, regardless of how much the users like the connectivity. Some kind of shift is going to happen in the next few years, and the current face of Web 2.0 is going to change. How it will change and how we may be able to gain advantage from it remains to be seen.
The next article I read is:
Thompson, John. “Don’t Be Afraid to Explore Web 2.0.” Education Digest 74.4 (Dec 2008): 19-22. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. SJRCC Library. 22 Jan. 2009
This article is taken from an educational perspective, and suggests using the different Web 2.0 applications to create educational sharing environments. I like this idea. It gives me something to really ponder over the next few months as we explore all this information. Not just for the promotion of library materials, but in a dynamic and collaborative learning atmosphere that could allow users direct input into how we shape the use of the resources that are available. Much to think on.
So that is about as bloggy as I am getting on this topic. On to thing 3…
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment