Web 101

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Chapter 4Web 2.0

• Web 101
• Third Edition
• by Wendy G. Lehnert Richard L. Kopec
• Modified by Linda Kenney
• 2/5/08

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Learning Objectives

• Learn how to blog and find blogs.
• Learn how to find and participate in social
  networks.
• Learn about RSS and podcasting
• Learn about wikis
• Learn about discussion groups
• Learn about chat rooms and instant messaging
• Explore the psychology of chat rooms
• Learn about Google Earth

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Web 2.0 technology

• People are the key component of Web 2.0
• People contribute content in various ways
• Video files (YouTube)
• Social Networking (MySpace, FaceBook)
• Audio files (podcasts)
• Personal commentary (blogs, online forums)
• Scholarly information (wikipedia)

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People Taking Charge

• Web 2.0 services support the formation of virtual
  communities, that is people interacting with each
  other via the internet
• Privacy may be an issue in online communities
• Some groups logs are archived to Web pages
• Law enforcement may be able to gather group
  correspondence from the hosting ISP
• Some groups are private, but none can guarantee
  complete privacy

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Taking Charge (cont.)

• If you are concerned about privacy, you can use
  an anonymous remailer.
• An anonymous remailer is an e-mail account that
  safeguards your real identity.
• The service is operated outside the US.
• It is like a Swiss bank account for online
  communications.
• Some anonymous remailers are free other are not.
• http//www.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/E-mai
  l/Anonymous_Mailers/

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Taking Charge (cont.)

• Having a general understanding of the visibility
  of your communications is important.
• You never know who may see your communications
• Corporate data collection operations
• Your boss (or prospective boss)
• Your significant other

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Blogs

• Weblog - online equivalent of a diary or personal
  journal
• Requires the use of a blog service provider like
  http//www.blogger.com
• Or, service often packaged with membership in a
  social network

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Blogs (cont.)

• Blogging and personal safety tips
• Blog anonymously, use an alias
• Limit your audience using access control tools,
  if provided
• Dont write anything you may come to regret
  later, especially those nasty comments about your
  boss, coworkers, or neighbors!
• Observe good grammar.

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Blogs (cont.)

• Never reveal confidential information
• No unlawful posts (libel, harrassment, threats,
  etc.)
• Dont encourage criminal activity
• Read and observe your service providers Terms of
  Service

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Social Networks

• Online communities are quite common

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Social Networks (cont.)

• Most social networks are open to all
• But, some social networks are restricted
• Some social networks may support a common
  interest
• Require a profile
• What info might be in a profile?

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Social Networks (cont.)

• FTC recommendations for social network
  participation
• Learn how members may control contact with others
• Restrict access to information you post to known
  friends
• Never post information that could be used to
  locate you
• Choose a login name that has no obvious
  connection to you

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Social Networks (cont.)

• Remember that posted information cannot be
  recalled!
• Consider not posting your photo
• Avoid flirting with strangers online
• Be wary if a new online friend wants to meet you
  in person
• Trust your gut if you have suspicions

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Virtual communities are not risk-free

• Consider carefully, then exercise extreme caution
  when changing virtual relationships into real
  ones
• Physically meeting virtual friends has resulted
  in evidence of personal misrepresentation,
  physical assault, and worse
• Also, marriage has resulted from meetings.

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RSS

• Acronym has various interpretations
• Really Simple Syndication is the interpretation
  most commonly used
• A Web 2.0 server technology that allows users to
  syndicate their posted material
• Uses XML to create an RSS file generally of
  headlines for your website.
• Headline syndication does not deal with the full
  text of articles, it is simply about syndicating
  an automatically updating list of headlines, with
  each headline being a link to the item that it
  refers to on the publishers website.

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RSS (cont.)

• Syndicated content is polled by an RSS client
• RSS clients display a time ordered list of
  publications featuring new or updated content
• Similar to a bookmark, except for the time
  ordering of the syndicated content
• RSS feeds are updated dynamically

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Viewing RSS content

• RSS clients (aka Aggregators) can be
• standalone applications (FeedReader),
• A browser feature or add-on (IE v7, Firefox
  1.5)
• Web site aggregator services (NewsGator Online)
• Add-ons to older browser or mail clients

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Firefox includes an integrated RSS client
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Feedreader is a standalone RSS client
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RSS (cont.)

• Many Web sites (and browsers) now include RSS
  feed support
• Look for these icons in/near the URL field

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Podcasting

• Syndicated audio content originally known as a
  podcast.
• Originally, an audio broadcast (aka Webcast) on
  the Internet using streaming technology
• Streaming technology designed to view/listen to
  files (video/audio) as they are being
  transmitted.
• These files can be recorded for later viewing
  and/or listening.
• Apples iPod/iTunes supports podcasts
• See separate podcast PowerPoint

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Wikis

• Wiki server software that provides the
  capability to create and edit Web page content
  using any Web Browser.
• Uses database technology to store organize,
  retrieve content on demand.
• Web 2.0 philosophy is central - content is
  provided directly by the users.
• Wiki staff primarily provides server support, not
  content

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Wikis

• User contribution of content both a strength and
  a weakness -
• Any user can post
• Any user can edit
• Can assemble vast array of information rapidly
• But content verification also a user task
• ? Content is suspect
• Some users deliberately post malicious, erroneous
  content

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Wikis

• Some wiki sites now require user registration
  (wikipedia).
• Users may be blocked from contributing when
  violating rules.
• Other sites may include content review staff.

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Wikis

• wikipedia most visible example
• http//www.wikipedia.org/

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Wikis

• Other examples
• wikibooks
• wikispecies
• Wiktionary
• PBwiki

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Discussion Groups

• Forums where people can share information with
  each other via the Internet.
• Various forms exist
• Message Board (aka Forum)
• Web-based Mailing List
• Usenet
• E-mail Mailing List

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Discussion Groups

• Posts to the various discussion groups should
  follow netiquette guidelines
• Keep the message short.
• Be sure that your topic is relevant to the list.
• Send personal messages to individuals, not to the
  list.
• Clearly separate facts from opinions.
• Try to avoid insulting anyone.
• Include your full name and e-mail address in your
  signature.
• Do not include e-mail attachments.
• Do not use an autoreply if youre active on any
  mailing lists.

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Discussion Groups

• Netspeak may be used in messages to convey common
  aspects of communication
• LOL Laugh Out Loud
• ROFL Rolling on the Floor Laughing
• Some of these abbreviations are used to soften
  potentially offending content.
• Examples include
• FWIW For What its Worth
• IMHO In My Humble Opinion
• (http//www.noslang.com/articles.php )

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Message Boards

• Permits posting messages on a variety of
  board-theme topics.
• Anyone can contribute.
• May or may not require registration
• Examples include
• Voting polls
• Opinion surveys
• Topical discussion boards
• Product review forums
• http//messages.yahoo.com/

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Web-based Mailing List

• When you subscribe to a Web-based mailing list,
  you can set delivery options
• Messages can be e-mailed to you
• Messages can be viewed over the Web
• You can set privacy controls too
• Most groups are open to the public

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Web-based Discussion Groups warnings

• Be careful when you are looking for information
  in a message board
• People may misrepresent themselves or their
  institution online
• People may post misinformation
• Always verify information
• Be especially careful when getting technical,
  medical and legal advice

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Usenet Newsgroups

• Usenet newsgroups are the oldest collection of
  message boards on the Internet
• The groups are public, and are separated into a
  variety of topics
• The newsgroups are organized in a large
  hierarchy, utilizing the Network News Transport
  Protocol
• A message posted to a newsgroup is called an
  article

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Usenet Newsgroups

• Similar to an e-mail message, each article
  contains a header
• To read and post articles, a news reader client
  was originally required
• Some browsers contain a news reader, but the best
  way is to access Google Groups (http//groups.goog
  le.com/ )
• Usenet newsgroups are constantly being added (and
  some are removed)

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Usenet Newsgroups

• The newsgroups are organized in a hierarchy
• Names are read from left to right
• From the broadcast name to the successive
  subcategories

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Mailing Lists (listserves)

• A mailing list is a forum where people use e-mail
  messages to share information with each other.
• A mailing list generally has a particular subject
  area that is discussed.
• Mailing lists vary in size in terms of the number
  of subscribers.
• Some mailing lists are private while others are
  open for anyone to join.
• Communication is generally in plain text.

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Mailing Lists

• Joining a mailing list subscription
• To subscribe, send an email to automated list
  server software (aka listserv)
• Mailing lists have two delivery options
• Regular list subscription each list posting is
  sent to you as a separate e-mail
• Digest subscription a number of postings are
  collected and e-mailed to you as one e-mail
  message

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Mailing Lists

• When working with a mailing list, you need to be
  aware of 2 e-mail addresses
• List command address used to interact with the
  list server software (e.g. subscribe and
  unsubscribe)
• List distribution address used to post a message
  to everyone on the list

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Listserv examples
http//www.theteachersguide.com/listservs.html
http//www.gwu.edu/greenu/tryit.html
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Google Earth

• A Web 2.0 application
• Capable of displaying images of the Earths
  surface
• Allows viewing, searching, and sharing
  information about the Earth
• Can be used to find specific locations, provide
  travel directions, create virtual tours

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Google Earth http//earth.google.com/

• Not quite a wiki -
• Includes database of assembled images of the
  Earth
• Users can zoom in and out
• Image resolution ranges from 6/pixel and up
• Landmarks, buildings, even people (in some cases)
  can be identified

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Google Earth

• Individual locations and buildings can be labeled
• Streets, cities, and various other points of
  interest can be labeled
• Users can add their own labels, known as
  placemarks
• User placemarks can be published
• Must join the Google Earth Community to publish
  bookmarks and tours

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Google Earth

• The Google Earth Community supports discussion
  groups and allows users to post their tours
• Tours are written in KML (Keyhole Markup
  Language)
• May be saved in a compressed format (.kml or .kmz
  files)

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Internet Relay Chat, Web-based Chat and Instant
Messaging

• Communication in real-time is also possible on
  the Internet
• Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
• Predates the web
• Relies on IRC servers
• Users connect to the server with an IRC client
  and tune into available channels
• Different IRC channels cover different topics

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Internet Relay Chat, Web-based Chat and Instant
Messaging

• Web-based Chat
• Requires a JavaScript-enabled browser
• The chat rooms may discuss a particular topic
• Some chats are even scheduled
• Some people have chat rooms on their web pages
• Some companies offer customer support through
  chat rooms

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Internet Relay Chat, Web-based Chat and Instant
Messaging
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Internet Relay Chat, Web-based Chat and Instant
Messaging

• Instant Messaging
• Is a hybrid between IRC and Web-based chat
• Requires a client to participate
• You can find chats that are ongoing or start your
  own chat (even a private one)
• Can even share files
• If you want to chat with someone, then you both
  must be on the same network (ICQ or AOLs Instant
  Messenger)