Web 2.0 and Beyond: Principles and Technologies draws on the author’s iceberg model of Web 2.0, which places the social Web at the tip of the iceberg underpinned by a framework of technologies and ideas. The author incorporates research from a range of areas, including business, economics, information science, law, media studies, psychology, social informatics and sociology. This multidisciplinary perspective illustrates not only the wide implications of computing but also how other areas interpret what computer science is doing.
After an introductory chapter, the book is divided into three sections. The first one discusses the underlying ideas and principles, including user-generated content, the architecture of participation, data on an epic scale, harnessing the power of the crowd, openness and the network effect and Web topology. The second section chronologically covers the main types of Web 2.0 services—blogs, wikis, social networks, media sharing sites, social bookmarking and microblogging. Each chapter in this section looks at how the service is used, how it was developed and the technology involved, important research themes and findings from the literature. The final section presents the technologies and standards that underpin the operation of Web 2.0 and goes beyond this to explore such topics as the Semantic Web, cloud computing and Web Science.
Suitable for nonexperts, students and computer scientists, this book provides an accessible and engaging explanation of Web 2.0 and its wider context yet is still grounded in the rigour of computer science. It takes readers through all aspects of Web 2.0, from the development of technologies to current services.
What Is Web 2.0?
The Dot-com Boom and Bust
The Emergence of Web 2.0
Controversy around the Web 2.0 Moniker
O’Reilly’s Web 2.0
So, What Is Web 2.0?
The Iceberg Model
THE SIX BIG IDEAS
User-Generated Content
Why People Do It
Sc ale of Activity
The Problem with User-Generated Content
The Value of UGC as a Term
Architecture of Participation
History of Architecture of Participation
Designing for Participation
Data on an Epic Scale
A Short History of Search
The Web Goes Commercial
Working at the Internet Sc ale
Using the Epic Scale of Data
Harnessing the Power of the Crowd
The Wisdom of Crowds
Collective Intelligence
Harnessing the Power of the Crowd
Harnessing the Power of Critical Thinking
Openness
The Roots of Openness on the Web
Principles of Openness
Openness in Practice
Applying Ideas of Openness to Web 2.0
The Network Effect and Web Topology: What Size and Shape Is the Web and Why Does It Matter?
The Network Effect
Web Topology
WEB 2.0 SERVICES
Blogs
Introduction to Blogs
A Short History of Blogs
Blog Software Development
Blogging Takes Off
The Blogosphere
Researching the Blogosphere
Wikis
Introduction to Wikis
Short History of Wikis
Example System: MediaWiki
Wikipedia
The Wikisphere
Researching the Wikisphere
Online Social Networks
Introduction to Social Network Sites
A Short History of Social Network Sites
Example System: Facebook
SNSs Take Off
The SNS Ecosystem
SNS Research
Media Sharing
Podcasting
Photo-Sharing Sites
Video-Sharing Services
Social Bookmarking Sites
Introduction to Delicious
Short History of Delicious
The Social Bookmarking Ecosystem
Research
Microblogging Services
Introduction to Twitter
Short History of Twitter
Twitter Technical Architecture
The Twitter Ecosystem
Research
FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE
Technology and Standards
How the Web Works
How Web 2.0 Services Work
Handling the Epic Scale of Data
Standards
Beyond Web 2.0
The Semantic Web
Smartphones and the Rise of Apps
Leveraging the Social Graph
WebOS and the Browser as Operating System
Cloud Computing
Big Data
The Internet of Things
Web Science
Epilogue
References
Index
Exercises, Discussion Points, and Further Reading appear at the end of each chapter.
Biography
Paul Anderson is a writer and technology forecaster for Intelligent Content Ltd. and was recently technical editor for JISC TechWatch, a horizon scanning service for UK universities. A graduate in computer science from the University of Leeds, he has worked for more than 25 years in industry and academia as a software developer, technology transfer officer, and technology futures specialist. He has also written extensively for a range of education, trade, and current affairs publications and was awarded the EPSRC’s Computer Science Writer of the Year prize in 2007.
Besides discussing technology development and current services, parts of Anderson’s book address the needs of undergraduates and post-graduate research students. This book will help future researchers form a deeper understanding of what Web 2.0 is and how it could develop in the future. … Web 2.0 and Beyond explains Web 2.0 and its wider context in an accessible and engaging style, helping readers, especially beginners, understand every aspect of Web 2.0 without difficulty.
—Yijun Gao, First Monday, Volume 17, September 2012
"Some readers may not get past this book's title and spend too much time debating what Web 2.0 might mean. Without a doubt, the web has had a dramatic impact on society. Anderson (Intelligent Content, UK), an experienced computer/technology professional, steps back and takes a long look at the web relative to the technology in the past, where it is today, and trends for the future. Chapter 1 sets the stage for the three sections that follow. Although somewhat brief, this chapter establishes the author's perspective on the web. Section 1, "The Six Big Ideas," presents the elements that come together to create a technology that will continue to grow in importance worldwide. Section 2 presents the services that form the heart of what the author refers to as Web 2.0. The third section, "Framework for the Future," is a combination of a "look under the hood" to see how the web works and the author's thoughts on where it goes from here. Each chapter ends with "Exercises and Points to Ponder" and chapter references. Readers should spend some time exploring the exercises and key points, and pay close attention to some of the thought-provoking team exercises. … Recommended."
—J. Beidler, University of Scranton for CHOICE Magazine
