Meredith FarkasMeredith Farkas

Norwich UniversityNorwich University

Readex Digital Institute 2007Readex Digital Institute 2007

Power to the PeoplePower to the PeopleUser-generated content in digital User-generated content in digital collectionscollections

Web 1.0: Democratized Web 1.0: Democratized access to informationaccess to information

Web 2.0: Democratized Web 2.0: Democratized participationparticipation

What is social software?What is social software?My definition: To be defined as social software, a tool must meet at least two of the following conditions:

1. It allows people to communicate, collaborate and build community online

2. It can be syndicated, shared, reused or remixed, or it facilitates syndication

3. It allows people to easily learn from and capitalize on the behavior or knowledge of others

User contributions to the User contributions to the webweb

ContentContent

BlogsBlogs

PhotosPhotos

Online community Online community contributionscontributions

WikisWikis

Audio and videoAudio and video

AnnotationsAnnotations

CommentsComments

TagsTags

RatingsRatings

Custom collectionsCustom collections

Cultural heritage materials Cultural heritage materials onlineonlineToo much stuff to process by expertsToo much stuff to process by experts

Insufficient metadata makes things un-findableInsufficient metadata makes things un-findable

Issues of re-findabilityIssues of re-findability

Goal of museums and related institutions - foster Goal of museums and related institutions - foster connection to historical materialsconnection to historical materials

Traditional linear exhibits do not translate well online, Traditional linear exhibits do not translate well online, reflects a single way of looking at/collecting items.reflects a single way of looking at/collecting items.

TagsTags

• User-created descriptive metadataUser-created descriptive metadata

A tag is usually a single word, but multiple tags can be A tag is usually a single word, but multiple tags can be assigned to a specific itemassigned to a specific item

• Brings similar content togetherBrings similar content together

• Makes content more findableMakes content more findable

• Folksonomy - system of organizing items through Folksonomy - system of organizing items through tagging tagging

Many ways to describe...Many ways to describe...dogdogbrooklyn ice cream factorybrooklyn ice cream factoryIce CreamIce CreamNYNY

corgicorgisummersummergirlgirl

ice creamice creamLaSalleLaSallepuppypuppybad ownerbad owner

How will people search for this?How will people search for this?

Where the tags areWhere the tags are

Why tags?Why tags?• Lets people make sense of content using their own Lets people make sense of content using their own

vocabulary (cinema? movies? film? motion picture?)vocabulary (cinema? movies? film? motion picture?)

Helps people to re-find contentHelps people to re-find content

• Helps people to discover contentHelps people to discover content

• Good solutions for situations where content can’t be Good solutions for situations where content can’t be formally catalogedformally cataloged

Why not?Why not?• No controlNo control

Multiple terms to describe a single conceptMultiple terms to describe a single concept

• No disambiguationNo disambiguation

• People can use plural or singular, use dashes or People can use plural or singular, use dashes or underscores to connect words, etc.underscores to connect words, etc.

Different levels of specificityDifferent levels of specificity

• People tag selfishly (to_read, chapter1, EN101, etc.)People tag selfishly (to_read, chapter1, EN101, etc.)

• ““Tagging bulldozes the cost of classification and piles it on Tagging bulldozes the cost of classification and piles it on the price of discovery.” (Ian Davis of Talis)the price of discovery.” (Ian Davis of Talis)

Improving taggingImproving tagging

Improving taggingImproving tagging

PersonalizationPersonalization

• People want to collect like items for research, etc.People want to collect like items for research, etc.

People want to remind themselves why they People want to remind themselves why they collected each itemcollected each item

• People want to search the collections they’re People want to search the collections they’re interested ininterested in

People want recommendations based on their People want recommendations based on their interestsinterests

Social software features for Social software features for digital collectionsdigital collections

• CommentsComments

TaggingTagging

• Personal annotationsPersonal annotations

• Personal collectionsPersonal collections

• Social networkingSocial networking

Examples: CommentingExamples: Commenting

Examples: TaggingExamples: Tagging

Personal collectionsPersonal collections

Examples: RecommendationsExamples: Recommendations

Social Networking FeaturesSocial Networking Features

• Friending - follow other people’s tags or Friending - follow other people’s tags or annotated bibliographiesannotated bibliographies

Groups - collect items in a single potGroups - collect items in a single pot

• Profiles - who are these people?Profiles - who are these people?

Discussions - discussion boards on relevant Discussions - discussion boards on relevant topicstopics

Why do any of this?Why do any of this?

• Allows the user to interact with the resources in a more Allows the user to interact with the resources in a more personal waypersonal way

The stories people tell about historical items are as The stories people tell about historical items are as important as any other characteristicimportant as any other characteristic

• Tags make items more findableTags make items more findable

• Let your users make your materials more findableLet your users make your materials more findable

• Building community makes your site more stickyBuilding community makes your site more sticky

IssuesIssues

• ModerationModeration

Differentiating between user content and institutional Differentiating between user content and institutional datadata

• Making it easy to contributeMaking it easy to contribute

• Making it appealing to contributeMaking it appealing to contribute

No more silos! Making content portable and shareableNo more silos! Making content portable and shareable

• If you build it, will they come? Evaluate your populationIf you build it, will they come? Evaluate your population

Thanks!Thanks!Meredith FarkasMeredith Farkas

mgfarkas@gmail.commgfarkas@gmail.com

meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/

Slides and links at Slides and links at http://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.comhttp://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com