Web 2.0 and Beyond ─ Principles and Technologies

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.

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.

What Is Web 2.0? The Dot-com Boom and BustThe Emergence of Web 2.0 Controversy around the Web 2.0 Moniker O’Reilly’s Web 2.0So, What Is Web 2.0? The Iceberg Model

THE SIX BIG IDEASUser-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 IntelligenceHarnessing 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 EffectWeb Topology

WEB 2.0 SERVICESBlogs Introduction to Blogs A Short History of Blogs Blog Software Development Blogging Takes Off The Blogosphere Researching the Blogosphere

Wikis Introduction to WikisShort History of Wikis Example System: MediaWiki WikipediaThe 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 PodcastingPhoto-Sharing SitesVideo-Sharing Services

Social Bookmarking Sites Introduction to DeliciousShort History of Delicious The Social Bookmarking Ecosystem Research

Microblogging Services Introduction to TwitterShort History of Twitter Twitter Technical Architecture The Twitter EcosystemResearch

FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURETechnology and Standards How the Web WorksHow Web 2.0 Services WorkHandling the Epic Scale of Data Standards

Beyond Web 2.0 The Semantic WebSmartphones and the Rise of Apps Leveraging the Social Graph WebOS and the Browser as Operating SystemCloud 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.