What is Web What is Web 2.0?2.0?

Tsinghua UniversityTsinghua University

April 2008April 2008

Bebo WhiteBebo White

bebo@slac.stanford.edubebo@slac.stanford.edu

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What is Web 2.0?What is Web 2.0?

(Andy Budd)

“Putting The ‘We’ in Web”

‘…the Living Web’

---Newsweek, 4/3/2006

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What Web 2.0 is NotWhat Web 2.0 is Not

The Semantic Web (though there are some The Semantic Web (though there are some crossovers)crossovers)

A new collection of technologies (though A new collection of technologies (though there are new applications of existing there are new applications of existing technologies)technologies)

Just blogging, wikis, AJAX, mashups,and RSSJust blogging, wikis, AJAX, mashups,and RSS

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Web 2.0 is Happening

Logos of start-ups “claiming” to be Web 2.0

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Web 2.0 By Web 2.0 By ExampleExample

Web 1.0 Web 2.0

Personal Web Sites Blogs

Britannica Online Wikipedia

Content Management Systems

Wikis

Directories (Taxonomy) Tagging (“Folksonomy”)

Screen Scraping Web Services

Etc. Etc.

(from Tim O’Reilly)

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Web 2.0 Drivers - Web 2.0 Drivers - TechnologyTechnology

Computing power Computing power Still doubling every 18 monthsStill doubling every 18 months PC-based data centersPC-based data centers

ConnectivityConnectivity Low cost, broad reach Low cost, broad reach

InternetInternet Wireless, broadband accessWireless, broadband access

Device proliferationDevice proliferation PDAs, cell phones, etc.PDAs, cell phones, etc. Towards a digital devices Towards a digital devices

decadedecade Internet standardsInternet standards

XML-based integrationXML-based integration User InterfaceUser Interface

Many possibilitiesMany possibilities

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Web 2.0 Drivers - Web 2.0 Drivers - EnvironmentalEnvironmental

The “dot-com” collapse forced The “dot-com” collapse forced a Web re-examinationa Web re-examination

The “long tail” – the collective The “long tail” – the collective power of small sites that make power of small sites that make up the bulk of the Web’s up the bulk of the Web’s contentcontent

The Web reached a critical mass The Web reached a critical mass ofof (Good) information content (Good) information content

sourcessources Use (and desire for reuse)Use (and desire for reuse) TrustTrust

Web users developed an Web users developed an expectation of fulfillmentexpectation of fulfillment

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So, What is Web 2.0? So, What is Web 2.0? (1/2)(1/2)

Definition is still evolving…Definition is still evolving…

A marketing term, a buzzword, but moreover an A marketing term, a buzzword, but moreover an ATTITUDEATTITUDE

Shifts the focus to the user of the information, Shifts the focus to the user of the information, not the creator of the informationnot the creator of the information

Information moves “beyond” Web sitesInformation moves “beyond” Web sites

Information has properties and these properties Information has properties and these properties follow each other and find relationshipsfollow each other and find relationships

Information comes to users as they move Information comes to users as they move aroundaround

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So, What is Web 2.0? So, What is Web 2.0? (2/2)(2/2)

Information is broken up into “microcontent” Information is broken up into “microcontent” units that can be distributed over many units that can be distributed over many domains domains

Interaction is no longer limited to (X)HTMLInteraction is no longer limited to (X)HTML

Users are able to control how information is Users are able to control how information is categorized and manipulatedcategorized and manipulated

User agent becomes a “fat” rather than “thin” User agent becomes a “fat” rather than “thin” clientclient

Requires a new set of tools to aggregate and Requires a new set of tools to aggregate and remix microcontent in new and useful ways remix microcontent in new and useful ways

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Is It Natural Evolution?Is It Natural Evolution?

Web 1.0

Semantic Web

Web 2.0

Data-centric

User-centric

Web 1.0

That will ultimately converge?

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Basic Paradigm Basic Paradigm Shifts (1/2)Shifts (1/2)

Web 1.0 Web 2.0

Governance Top down Bottom Up

Communications

People to Machine

Machine to Machine and People to People

Information Discovery

Search and Browse

Publish and Subscribe

Information Retrieval

Transactional Relationships

Information Aggregation

Portals, Commercial Aggregators

Micro-Aggregation

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Basic Paradigm Basic Paradigm Shifts (2/2)Shifts (2/2)

Web 1.0 Web 2.0

Marketing, Selling

Push, Contextual

Conversational, Personal

Content Control Publishers, Aggregators

Content Authors

Content Structure

Documents, Pages

Tagged Objects

Applications Closed, Proprietary

Open, Standards-based

Technology HTML, Solaris, Oracle

XML, AJAX, RSS, PHP, MySQL, XQuery

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Five Characteristics of Five Characteristics of Web 2.0 InfrastructureWeb 2.0 Infrastructure

““Web as Platform” – “A platform beats an Web as Platform” – “A platform beats an application every time”application every time”

Web as “Point of Presence” – “visiting vs. Web as “Point of Presence” – “visiting vs. immersion”immersion”

Microcontent-based – open, decentralized, Microcontent-based – open, decentralized, bottom-up, and self-organizing infrastructurebottom-up, and self-organizing infrastructure

22ndnd Order Content or Metacontent – content Order Content or Metacontent – content reuse, out of contextreuse, out of context

A Metaweb – to support the dream of the A Metaweb – to support the dream of the Semantic WebSemantic Web

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The Big Ideas of Web The Big Ideas of Web 2.02.0

Fresh, useful data is the coreFresh, useful data is the core

The ability for other parties to manipulate that dataThe ability for other parties to manipulate that data

““Living” applications that can be easily adaptedLiving” applications that can be easily adapted

Harnessing the collective experienceHarnessing the collective experience

““The Web as a platform,” independent of user The Web as a platform,” independent of user platformplatform

Primary focus of participation, rather than publishingPrimary focus of participation, rather than publishing

Trusting of users to provide reliable contentTrusting of users to provide reliable content

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What is Web 2.0 What is Web 2.0 Again? (1/2)Again? (1/2)

“Web 2.0 is a set of economic, social, and technology trends that collectively form the

basis for the next generation of the Internet – a more mature, distinctive medium characterized

by user participation, openness, and network effects”

----”Web 2.0, Principles and Practices,” O’Reilly Media

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What is Web 2.0 What is Web 2.0 Again? (2/2)Again? (2/2)

“The tool that makes this possible is the World Wide Web. Not the Web that Tim Berners-Lee hacked together (15 years ago, according to Wikipedia) as a way for scientists to share research. It's not even the overhyped dotcom Web of the late 1990s. The new Web is a very different thing. It's a tool for bringing together the small contributions of millions of people and making them matter. Silicon Valley consultants call it Web 2.0, as if it were a new version of some old software. But it's really a revolution.”

---TIME magazine, 12/27/06

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““Implications of Web 2.0 Implications of Web 2.0 on Web Information on Web Information

Systems”Systems”

WIS Practices WIS Practices (1/2)(1/2)

Web technology can be used as front-end, Web technology can be used as front-end, e.g. application is available on the Web (or e.g. application is available on the Web (or Intranet) via a client/browserIntranet) via a client/browserEnables easy use and maintenance of Enables easy use and maintenance of

(personalized) end-user access(personalized) end-user accessWeb metaphor is appealing for end-usersWeb metaphor is appealing for end-usersRequires different techniques for Requires different techniques for

engineering the system’s interfacesengineering the system’s interfaces

WIS Practices WIS Practices (2/2)(2/2)

Web technology can also be used in back-Web technology can also be used in back-end of information systemend of information systemOrganize (connect) the data inside the Organize (connect) the data inside the

system using Web technologysystem using Web technologyUse Web as provider of dataUse Web as provider of dataTypically highly volatile information Typically highly volatile information

(distributed and heterogeneous)(distributed and heterogeneous)Requires different techniques for Requires different techniques for

engineering the implementationengineering the implementation

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Web 2.0 and Social Web 2.0 and Social Networking (1/2)Networking (1/2)

Not to be confused with “social engineering!”Not to be confused with “social engineering!”

A group launches a highly interactive service based on A group launches a highly interactive service based on common interests between userscommon interests between users

Easy to use communications tools detail and promote those Easy to use communications tools detail and promote those interests to othersinterests to others

The group is expanded by invitation or “virally”The group is expanded by invitation or “virally”

B2C, C2C, B2BB2C, C2C, B2B

Networks of “credibility”Networks of “credibility”

Reinforces the validity of the theory of “six degrees of Reinforces the validity of the theory of “six degrees of separation”separation”

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Web 2.0 and Social Web 2.0 and Social Networking (2/2)Networking (2/2)

People (not just Websites) can/have become entities on the People (not just Websites) can/have become entities on the InternetInternet

It’s not just people using data, but people developing It’s not just people using data, but people developing capabilitiescapabilities

Provide a rich user experience/interfaceProvide a rich user experience/interface

Blogs – combined with aggregation toolsBlogs – combined with aggregation tools

Geographical mappingGeographical mapping

Comment systemsComment systems

FolksonomiesFolksonomies

etc., etc.etc., etc.

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““Web 2.0 Applications Web 2.0 Applications Address Basic Group Address Basic Group

Interactions”Interactions”

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LinkedIn is a Business Contact Social Network

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ChipIn is a Fundraising ChipIn is a Fundraising Social NetworkSocial Network

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Flickr is a Photo-Sharing Flickr is a Photo-Sharing Social NetworkSocial Network

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Eventful is a Calendar/Announcement Eventful is a Calendar/Announcement Social NetworkSocial Network

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Del.icio.us is a Bookmark-Sharing Del.icio.us is a Bookmark-Sharing Social Network Social Network

Tags: Descriptive words applied by users to links. Tags are searchable

My Tags: Words I’ve used to describe links in a way that makes sense to me

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Web 2.0 By Example - Web 2.0 By Example - AgainAgain

Web 1.0 Web 2.0

Personal Web Sites Blogs

Britannica Online Wikipedia

Content Management Systems

Wikis

Directories (Taxonomy) Tagging (“Folksonomy”)

Screen Scraping Web Services

Etc. Etc.

(from Tim O’Reilly)

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User Response to User Response to BlogsBlogs

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WikipediaWikipedia

A Collaborative Dictionary being edited in real time by anyone.

Everyone becomes an author, an editor, and a publisher.

“Wikipedia Risks” –Communications of the ACM,December 2005

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OhmyNewsOhmyNews

41,000 “citizen reporters”41,000 “citizen reporters”

60 “professional reporters and editors”60 “professional reporters and editors”

700,000 repeat visitors per day700,000 repeat visitors per day

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“No journalism organization, no matter how big it is, knows as much about a particular topic as the people who read or listen to it. …That doesn’t mean that there is no longer a role for journalists – there is a huge role. But in a world that is moving away from a lecture to a conversation, it makes sense for there to be more participation from the audience.”

---Dan Gillmor, We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People

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Web 2.0 and Web 2.0 and Copyright/CopyleftCopyright/Copyleft

User focus builds uponUser focus builds upon The ability for legal copying, modification, The ability for legal copying, modification,

sharingsharing Creative CommonsCreative Commons GNU Free Documentation LicenseGNU Free Documentation License

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Key Element of Web 2.0 – Collective Key Element of Web 2.0 – Collective IntelligenceIntelligence

An architecture of participationAn architecture of participation

Users add valueUsers add value

An evolved Web perspectiveAn evolved Web perspective PaymentPayment VolunteeringVolunteering Selfish interests build collective value as an Selfish interests build collective value as an

automatic byproductautomatic byproduct

User ratingsUser ratings

User tagging (lightweight)User tagging (lightweight)

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User Tagging (1/3)User Tagging (1/3)

FolksonomyFolksonomy – alternative to Taxonomy – A – alternative to Taxonomy – A style of collaborative categorization of Web style of collaborative categorization of Web sites using freely chosen keywords (tags) sites using freely chosen keywords (tags) allowing for retrieval methods generated by allowing for retrieval methods generated by user activityuser activity

Grew out of user ratingsGrew out of user ratings eBayeBay AmazonAmazon

Becomes an active part of the content corpusBecomes an active part of the content corpus

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User Tagging (2/3)User Tagging (2/3)

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User Tagging (3/3)User Tagging (3/3)

(Ref: XFN )

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Del.icio.us is a Tag-Sharing Del.icio.us is a Tag-Sharing Network Network

Tags: Descriptive words applied by users to links. Tags are searchable

My Tags: Words I’ve used to describe links in a way that makes sense to me

““A folksonomy is an Internet-based A folksonomy is an Internet-based information retrieval methodology information retrieval methodology consisting of collaboratively generatedconsisting of collaboratively generated, , open-ended labels that categorize content open-ended labels that categorize content such as Web pages, online photographs, such as Web pages, online photographs, and Web links”.and Web links”.

Thomas Vander WalThomas Vander Wal

The main difference from formal The main difference from formal knowledge models like ontology:knowledge models like ontology: Subjective view (community-based)Subjective view (community-based) Uncontrolled vocabularyUncontrolled vocabulary Poor structurePoor structure

Ontologies and Ontologies and FolksonomiesFolksonomies

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Current Web 2.0 Practices

(1/2)• Database driven • Rich interfaces • Volatile/dynamic data

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Current Web 2.0 Practices

(2/2)

• Questionable usability• Questionable standardization• Security/privacy/legal/ethical issues

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Web 2.0 for Web 2.0 for Developers (1/3)Developers (1/3)

Write semantic markup (start using XML)Write semantic markup (start using XML)

Write for content re-useWrite for content re-use

Start using Web Services (move away from Start using Web Services (move away from place/site) – plays a role in all three place/site) – plays a role in all three evolutions of the Webevolutions of the Web

Start “re-mixing” content (think “when and Start “re-mixing” content (think “when and what,” not “who or why”)what,” not “who or why”)

Accept emergent navigation and relevance Accept emergent navigation and relevance (users are in control)(users are in control)

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Web 2.0 for Web 2.0 for Developers (2/3)Developers (2/3)

Let metadata be added over time (let social Let metadata be added over time (let social communities describe content)communities describe content)

Become a programmer (in order to separate Become a programmer (in order to separate structure and style, designers need to structure and style, designers need to become more like programmers)become more like programmers)

Allow the user to enter information as Allow the user to enter information as naturally as possiblenaturally as possible Taking account of device, context, specific Taking account of device, context, specific

writer, etc.writer, etc.

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Web 2.0 for Web 2.0 for Developers (3/3)Developers (3/3)

Capture what the user means at the most Capture what the user means at the most abstract level possibleabstract level possible

Make the information reusable by the same Make the information reusable by the same and other usersand other users APIs to the data sourceAPIs to the data source Independently of device, context, specific Independently of device, context, specific

reader, etc.reader, etc.

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A Goal of Web 2.0 - A Rich A Goal of Web 2.0 - A Rich User ExperienceUser Experience

Get the user to content they wantGet the user to content they want

Link the user to content they might wantLink the user to content they might want

Don’t tell the user how to find contentDon’t tell the user how to find content

Let the user decide how to use the contentLet the user decide how to use the content

Do all of the above quickly and efficientlyDo all of the above quickly and efficiently

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Mashups – Programming for the Web

This is made possible by accessible APIs fostering creativity

Is Arnetminer a Is Arnetminer a Mashup?Mashup?

Collects data from Collects data from different sources on different sources on the Webthe Web

““Screen-scrapes” Web Screen-scrapes” Web sitessites

Combines results in a Combines results in a single applicationsingle application

Gives greater meaning Gives greater meaning for the collected for the collected informationinformation

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The Bias of Web 2.0The Bias of Web 2.0

Bias towards an intelligent userBias towards an intelligent user Specific information goal Specific information goal Knowledge of where to startKnowledge of where to start Specific fulfillment outcomesSpecific fulfillment outcomes

Bias towards “current” usersBias towards “current” users Expected level of sophisticationExpected level of sophistication Expected level of vocabularyExpected level of vocabulary Cultural expectationsCultural expectations

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Summary: The Great Summary: The Great Ideas Behind Web 2.0Ideas Behind Web 2.0

Focus on users, not technologiesFocus on users, not technologies

Focus on utility, not functionalityFocus on utility, not functionality

Value delivery, not dataValue delivery, not data

Focus on agility, not reactivityFocus on agility, not reactivity

Provide constant improvementsProvide constant improvements

Drive innovation by user (not consumer) Drive innovation by user (not consumer) satisfactionsatisfaction

Remember: How Much of Remember: How Much of the Web is Hype? (1/2)the Web is Hype? (1/2)

Remember: How Much of Remember: How Much of the Web is Hype? (2/2)the Web is Hype? (2/2)

Thank You!

Questions? Comments?

bebo@slac.stanford.edu