Digital Present - Digital Futures: Social Computing and Web 2.0 (23)

“We've got to get back to the future, Marty.”

Slot 6 Tutor: Dr Adam Prugel-Bennett (APB)

Tom Russell, Eyo Ndem, Chris Saunders and Joe Saunders

Web 2.0

Describes the modern implementation of the internet, which focuses more on interactively using existing or user-developed content instead of simply storing and displaying information.

Social Computing is Changing the World

'Superpoke' – a facebook application which adds functionality to the traditional poke feature by

allowing users to smile, wink, smack and slap (as well as throw virtual sheep) at their friends.

Is this supposed to be the future of computing?

Prblog.typepad.com

Social Computing is Changing the World

...Or are they?

For these tools to really be the future of the web requires a degree of

expandability. The technologies behind them must be sound, robust structures that can be utilised in myriad ways if social web is truly to be called “the

Future.”

Rich Internet Application RIA

This is a web application which gives the user features and functions normally associated with desktop applications.

This includes visually engaging websites such as:http://www.philips.co.uk/

Components of RIA

The most common languages used for RIAs include:

Flash JavaFX Microsoft Silverlight

RIAs are visually engaging, interactive and appeal to our sense of beauty

Components cont.

An advantage of RIAs is that it splits the processing across the internet by locating the user interface on the client side, and by using data manipulation on the application server side.

This improves the speed of the applications and gives the user more control over the application

Riastats.com

WOA 101(0)

Web Oriented Architecture is not very well defined, but is central to the Web 2.0 mindset.

Based on the Service Oriented Architecture, which is a set of principles for designing and developing software to perform services.

More specific than SOA

Definition of WOA

“A succinct, direct and complete explanation of WOA is lacking”.

Every resource on the network has

a unique address known as a URI.

It is the responsibility of the components to understand the resources they manipulate.

Resources are manipulated by HTTP verbs, like GET, POST, BREW etc., using REST architecture.

Time for a REST

Representational State Transfer.

The style of software architecture used for the World Wide Web.

Five constraints: Client-server, stateless, cacheable, layered, and uniform interface.

As long as an architecture conforms to these constraints, it is RESTful.

This style is extremely common.

Why WOA is central to Web 2.0

WOA ensures that applications promote reusability, using general architectures, and neutrality.

WOA greatly benefits identification and manipulation of resources.

WOA lets developers re-use code.

The Social Web

What is the Social Web?

Social technologies

Social impacts

Economic impacts

Modern-day socialising

History and evolution

Howard Rheingold used the term “virtual community centre” to describe the web

'The idea is that we will lead the transformation of the Web into a social Web’[1]

[1] (Rheingold and Howard, 2000)

Social technologies

The Web 2.0 enables socialinteractions on aglobal scale through socialtechnologies

Collaboration

The Web 2.0 facilitates collaboration on the Social Web

Social Web collaboration spectrum [1]

[1] (Chi and E.H, 2008)

The growth of the Social webThe growth of the online encyclopaedia “wikipeida.org”

[1] (Chi and E.H, 2008)

Empowering consumersOnline review site – cnet Online auction site – ebay

Social Computing is Changing the World

The 'It Gets Better' initiative certainly made a difference to people's lives.

Social Computing is Changing the World

And there are plenty of other applications being developed that really can make a difference to our lives.

'Zimride' is a carpool scheme which, according to the company, has enabled 300,000 worldwide users to carpool with people that they otherwise would never have met.

An environmentally friendly, world changing use of social computing, what could be better?

Zimride.com

Web 2.0 is Changing the WorldAnd Web 2.0 is helping too!

NetSquared.org, was launched and equipped with as much Web 2.0 technology as possible: blogs, online communities, RSS feeds etc.

It claims to have distributed computer material to more than 50,000 non-profit companies, reportedly saving the sector $400 million (around £260 million)

“Information technology is moving away from what non-profits have the least of – money – and toward what we have the most of – people and community.”

NetSquared founder Daniel Ben-Horin

TechSoup Global

Thank youAny questions?