#20 Discovering Other Web 2.0 Tools

Throughout the course of this Learning 2.0 program we’ve explored just a small sampling of these new internet technologies and websites that are empowering users with the ability to create and share content. But, given time, there are so many more we could explore. There are currently hundreds of web 2.0 tools available with only a handful emerging as market dominators. And although time will only tell which of these new collaborative, social networking and information tools will remain on top, one thing is for sure, they're not going to go away (at least anytime soon).

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to select any site from this list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees and explore it. With so many to choose from, it might be handy to first select a category that interests you (like Books or Personal Organization) and then simply select a tool/site to explore. Be careful to select a tool that is Free and that doesn't require a plug-in or download. The majority of these free, so this shouldn’t be a problem.


Discovery Exercise

1. Select any site/tool from the list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees. (If you prefer to select from just the winners, here’s a link to the short list.)
   
2. Explore the site you selected.
   
3. Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about the tool? What were the site’s useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a library setting?

Web 2.0 – so much to explore! (Just start with ONE!)

#19 Social Networking

Our patrons are using MySpace, both in our computer labs and at home. This shouldn't come as any surprise to you. According to Alexa Online, a company that provides statistics on web traffic, MySpace is the 3rd most popular website in the United States (behind Google and Yahoo) and the 6th most popular website worldwide. Despite this, you may not be completely sure what exactly MySpace is or what it has to do with our library.

MySpace is a free interactive social networking site that connects people, ideas, videos and music via user submitted information. Social networking sites have become some of the most popular destinations on the Internet -- more than 200 million people worldwide use MySpace. They function as gathering places, promotional tools, and virtual hangouts for millions of users all over the world.

How do they work? There are two basic principles that account for their success:

1. They make it easy for users to create a customized page of their own where they can express their personality
   
   
2. Users can link their sites to their friends, allowing them to create a quantifiable manifestation of their social network.

Another popular social networking site is Facebook. It's the 5th most popular website in the US and the 7th most popular in the world. When it started, Facebook was only open to students, first university, then also high school. Now, it's open for anyone to join. It currently boasts more than 55 million active users.

One of the most underrepresented populations in libraries is young adults. Conveniently enough, the overwhelming majority of young adults in this country are members of MySpace, Facebook, or both. Many libraries across the country have established a presence on MySpace and/or Facebook to take advantage of this fact.


Discovery Resouces
Why are social networking sites so popular? Let's ask the folks at Common Craft for an explanation of Social Networking in Plain English.

Check out this list of social networking sites at Wikipedia, to see the variety of sites available.

Explore how these public libraries are using social networking sites:

• River Rouge Public Library (Michigan) on MySpace
• Austin Public Library (Texas) on MySpace
• Birmingham Public Library (Alabama) on MySpace
  
• Hennepin County Library (Minnesota) on MySpace and Facebook (link to news post; you must have a Facebook account to view their profile)
• Bangor Public Library (Maine) on MySpace and Facebook
• Find other libraries listed the the Library Success Wiki.
  

Discovery Exercise
Visit one or more of the following social networking websites. If you already belong to one or more social networking sites, try visiting one you're not familiar with.

• MySpace: The most popular social networking site on the planet, frequented by millions of teens and twentysomethings, and used by bands as a marketing tool
• Facebook: Originally designed for use on college campuses, skews to a slightly older audience, and features a cleaner, more customizable interface
• LinkedIn: Designed for professionals to post resumes and build contacts.
• Eons: Social networking and activity sharing geared toward ages 50+.
• TeeBeeDee: Network and connect with other people ages 40+.
  
• Bookspoke: A social networking site for readers and writers.
  

What features do you like or dislike about the site(s) you visited? What do you think makes them so popular? Should our library system be using social network sites to reach patrons? If so, how? Post an entry to your blog with your thoughts.


Discover More
If you're up to the challenge...

• Create a profile for yourself at one of the sites listed above. (You don't have to use your real information if you're concerned about privacy.)
• Once you've created your profile, explore the site a little more. Search for somebody -- a friend, a coworker, a former classmate, a famous author, or even one of the current presidential candidates. Add them to your friends list.
• Create a blog post about your experience. Have your thoughts or opinions changes about the site, now that you've seen it from a member's perspective?
  

Want to learn more? Read some of these perspectives:

• Libraries in Social Networking Software (by Meredith Farkas, Distance Learning Librarian at Norwich University)
  
• Is MySpace Scary? (by Stephen Abram of SirsiDynix)
• MySpace for Parents (by Matt Gullett, Technology Education Librarian with PLCMC, includes downloadable brochure)
• The Death of Email (from Slate.com)

13 Tagging, Folksonomies & Social Bookmarking

Tagging is an open and informal method of categorizing that allows users to associate keywords with online content (webpages, pictures & posts).

Unlike library subject cataloging, which follows a strict set of guidelines (e.g., Library of Congress subject headings), tagging is completely unstructured and freeform, allowing users to create connections between data anyway they want. This system of social classification, or collaborative tagging, is known as folksonomy.

In the past few weeks, we’ve already explored a few sites — Flickr and LibraryThing to name two — that allow users to take advantage of tagging.

This week, in addition to exploring Technorati tagging, we want to also take at popular social bookmarking site called del.icio.us (typed in as http://del.icio.us/). Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking manager which allows you to bookmark a web page and add tags to categorize your bookmarks.

Many users find that the real power of del.icio.us is in the social network aspect, which allows you to see how other users have tagged similar links and also discover other websites that may be of interest to you. You can think of it as peering into another users’ filing cabinet, but with this powerful bookmarking tool each user's filing cabinet helps to build an expansive knowledge network.

For this discovery exercise, you are asked to take a look at del.icio.us and learn about this popular bookmarking tool.

Discovery Resources

• Social Bookmarking in Plain English - a brief video explaining what social bookmarking is and why you should use it
• Otter Group del.icio.us tutorial (8 min video, under Featured Podcast) - you can also view another version of this video (bigger size, but less readable)
  
• Us.ef.ul: A beginners guide to del.icio.us
• Several Habits of wildly successful del.icio.us users
• PLCMC's podcast on tagging, folksonomies & social bookmarking

Discovery Exercise

• View the above listed resources to get a good overview of del.icio.us's features.
• Explore de.licio.us, including the hotlist of popular bookmarks (on the left side of the main page), the "tags to watch" list (on the right side of the main page, the tag cloud, and/or the LPLS del.icio.us bookmark list.
  
• Create a blog post about your experience and thoughts about this tool.
• Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance? Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere?
• How could library staff use this tool?
  

Discover More
If you’re up to the challenge, create a del.icio.us account for yourself and discover how this useful bookmarking tool can replace your traditional browser bookmark list. You can create a network badge to share your del.icio.us list with your coworkers.

(Psst! See an example at the end of the navigation sidebar on the right.)

NOTE: If you do setup a del.icio.us account, here’s a quick word about the del.icio.us Buttons. On PCs that are locked down (ie, most staff computers), these will install as options in your browser bookmarks. Use the “Post to my del.icio.us” link to add the current webpage to your account. (You'll need to log into your del.icio.us account first to use this button.) Use the “My del.icio.us” link to view your online account. Read a guide to saving bookmarks for more information.

Here's how to make it work for staff computers: Once you register for a del.icio.us account, you're taken to Step 2: Install Buttons. Instead, scroll down and look for where it says "Alternatively, you can use: Bookmarklets available on the help/buttons page." Follow that link. Under the section labeled "How do I get them?" click on the install link. You'll need to click Run on a couple of boxes that pop up. Once the installation is complete, you can find the bookmark buttons in your browser's Favorites menu, under Links. If you have any problems completing this process, please ask Jerianne for help.