To Web 2.0….Practical uses for Web 2.0

– an overview

November 2010

Chris Johns

What is Web 2.0?

Let’s just not go there shall we?

Definitions are less important than what you

can do with it

Oh, if you really insist…

What is Web 2.0?

‘Web 2.0 is a term often applied to a perceived ongoing transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of websites to a full-fledged computing platform serving web applications to end users. Ultimately Web 2.0 services are expected to replace desktop computing applications for many purposes.’Wikipedia entry

Web 1.0

was computer based

relied on software

was solitary

was individuals working

alone

was data in one place

was about consuming (data)

Web 2.0

uses the web as a platform

uses the browser

encourages sharing

is community, sharing wisdom

is the portability of data

is about creating data

Web 1.0 • was home pages • was tracking

information down• was badging your

content • was slow transfer • was hardware £s • was getting it perfect• was stationary • was about limitations

Web 2.0 • is weblogs • is having information

come to you • is getting the answer

out there quickly • is about broadband• is broadband £s • is doing it & move on • is mobile • is about a state of

mind

Yes… but? “It’s vacuous marketing hype”

“Web 2.0 is totally silly”

“Meaningless”

“is made entirely of pretentious self serving morons.”

“a lot of thin but very hot air blown at you by those who are convinced that having nothing to say is by no means a good reason to shut up.”

So…How can I use it?

Weblogs

• Photograph/video sharing

• Wikis

• Collaborative resources

• Social networking

• Bookmarking

Weblogs in libraries• Create a library weblog• Additional or new library resources• Introduce members of staff• Use it as a repository of data and information by

using categories and tags

• Don’t regard a weblog as a diary – it’s an important website in its own right…

• Use the weblog RSS as a news feed

So what exactly is RSS again?

• Really Simple Search

• Rich Site Summary

• ‘Read some stories’

Communication - Podcasts

• Provide access to audio content

• Guides/tours around a library

• Content that can’t easily be made available in other formats

• Content that is accessible on the move

• Not time or place dependent

Instant messaging

• “Email is for old people”

• Talk instantly back and forth

• Share files (or not!)

• Share webcam discussions

• Group chat

Communication - microblogging

Twitter• “What are you doing?”• 140 character messages• News, information about you, your

organisation• Alerting service• Port weblog entries across• Use with a mobile phone

How can libraries use microblogging?

Instant messaging tools for ‘Ask a librarian’

services:

• Pluggo

• Gabbly chat

• Meebo rooms

Or even Facebook

Video chat with Tinychat.com

Collating and sharing data

• Providing answers to enquirers in a dynamic format

• Setting up a mechanism to self update

• Getting assistance from other people

• Sharing data easily and quickly

Collating content - Wikis

• Create your own websites

• Allow multiple authors

• Instant updating, editing

• Embed content from various sources

Example Wikis

• LIS wiki

• Library success wiki

• Wikipedia

• PB Works

Netvibes Examples of NHS dashboards

South Tees NHS Librarieshttp://www.netvibes.com/southteeslibraries#General

Burton & Stafford NHS Health Libraries

http://www.netvibes.com/bsnhslib#Welcome

Shrewsbury & Telford Health Librarieshttp://www.netvibes.com/sathlibraries#Welcome

Collating data – other resources

How many of these have you used?YoutubeFlickrZimbioSquidooFacebookSlideshareWallwisher or StixySurveyMonkey

Royal Colleges and Societies are using Web 2.0 for training

• Edinburgh Student Surgical Society

• British Pain Society

• Peak flow measurement animation -RCSE Approved

• Medical Research Council

Bookmarking

• Limited to a specific machine

• Not informative

• Difficult to find what you want

• Inflexible

• Cannot easily share bookmarks

What are the alternatives to bookmarks?

Del.icio.us - http://www.delicious.com/Philbradley

Other examples:

Diigo

Simpy

SPURL

You can Share your bookmarks :

Between computersBetween colleaguesBetween users

Create bookmark setsTo supplement projectsTo assist usersAnnotate (or tag) bookmarks

Create your own search engines

• Limit to trusted sites• As small as you want, as large as you need• Use the given URL or• Cut and paste onto your own site• Use them and then throw them

Examples:

Rollyo

Google Custom Search Builder

Let others collaborate

• On documents – Google docs

• On spreadsheets – NumSum

• With calendars – 30 Boxes

• With training – WizIQ

• With projects – MyWebDesktop

• With To Do lists – TaDaList

Use tools to help with designing promotional items

Wordle - http://www.wordle.net/

Make Web 2.0 work for you

• Combine everything!

• Create search engines

• Share content

• Involve others

• Start a library weblog?

• Create a flickr group

• Podcast information

And then…

• Create del.icio.us or FURL accounts and share them

• Create a book reading club using LibraryThing, Amazon and a weblog

• Have a library tour on YouTube

Patients are using these resources….

So should staff be aware of what is out there!

Want more?

Visit Phil Bradley’s site:http://www.philb.com