Improving the User Experience: Tips &Strategies for Success. Agenda

Transcription

1 Improving the User Experience: Tips &Strategies for Success Jane Dysart IFLA Agenda Social/Collaborative/Web 2.0 Software/Tools Blogs, RSS Wikis 1

2 Web 2.0 Definition Tim O Reilly What is Web /09/30/what-is-web-20.html Platform of participation Web as platform, users participation, collaboration, interactivity, conversations Using content to make connections among people Read/write web with an architecture of participation Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0 Web 1.0 Britannica Online Personal websites Publishing Content management systems Directories, taxonomies Web 2.0 Wikipedia Blogging Participation Wikis Tagging & folksomonies 2

3 Competencies of Web 2.0 Orgs Services, not packaged software, with costeffective scalability Control over unique, hard-to-recreate data sources that get richer as more people use them Trusting users as co-developers Harnessing collective intelligence Leveraging the long tail through customer selfservice Software above the level of a single device Lightweight user interfaces, development models, AND business models 3

4 Library 2.0 Savvier audience of users Opportunity RSS, Wikis, blogging, personalization, podcasting, streaming media, ratings, alerts, folksonomies, tagging, social networking software, and the rest could be useful in an enterprise or community environment and could be driven or introduced by the library Interface & Productivity Tools DBs Current Awareness Users 4

5 Social Software Lets people connect, collaborate and communicate over the web Injects humanness into the web Two-way communication User generated content 5

6 Social Software Going where the user is Free (or really cheap) Really, it is fun Further reading: Social Machines, Technology Review August

7 Weblogs -- Blogs A weblog, which is usually shortened to blog, is a type of website where entries are made (such as in a journal or diary), displayed in a reverse chronological order. Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Most blogs are primarily textual although many focus on photograph (photoblog), videos (vlog), or audio (podcasting). Wikipedia Tool to publish; log of web travels Why Blog? Inexpensive, non-techie, easy/quick to launch Capture, annotate information Indicate document relevancy, provide taxonomy, create info relationships Make info visible that would otherwise be overlooked Document management tool, from micro to macro (personal, departmental, organizational) Excellent adjunct/alternative to overload Leverage your research and ability to disseminate it Create and promote key relationships within and across departments, groups and services 7

8 Why Blog? Expand services to those across your organization Increase productivity and info exchange through better time management and resource allocation Seamless access via internal network Read the website, receive RSS feeds or updates through Promote internal marketing for individual, group/dept. and/team initiatives, projects (long and short term) Content is searchable, browsable, archived and users can comment Alternative to vast, impenetrable file folders of s valuable database is created and expanded continuously Inexpensive, practical KM system that does not require lots of $ 8

9 What to Blog About: Share Knowledge For Clients For Staff Projects, new or ongoing Planning Services, new or current Tracking trends ones that require better Tasks: group/departmental promotion/info dissemination Org/management tool Training Calendar, projects, Topical/subject specific passwords, subscriptions research New initiatives: evaluation, Events design, roll-out, testing Virtual reference, Training electronic services Clients From topics specific or broad, it is up to you! 9

10 Ann Arbor District Library 10

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14 Example of a blog used for development, collaboration, testing Blogs facilitate organization of, and access to, relevant data by topics 14

15 EU Commissioner for Institutional Relations & Communication Consider the options, value and flexibility offered by RSS Feeds News feeds help you get the word out about updates to your blog In-house or to the public Offer your readers/community an alternative to only, or as a supplement to it for those who opt-in Review websites you use that offer feeds To locate feeds, look for the orange icon or button that says RSS, XML, Syndicate or Atom. Really Simple Syndication 15

16 More Reasons Why You Should Blog Identify and target your users Provide channels of information Choice/selection in data stream From the general to the granular, your readers can choose if you offer them a range of content Supplementing info/data/resources from websites, e-newsletters, paid subscription services, online databases Tracking policies, legislation, issues Aggregate your current publishing formats Intranet Portal Websites Handouts/brochures Power Points s Newsletters News & Current Awareness Branding/marketing vehicle for your library good PR Offers tangible, ongoing documentation of work product Justify resources, staffing, additional services Where is that report, news article, survey, training manual? Promote, maximize internal collaboration, knowledge base management of resources, tasks and projects Real time publishing Direct, no intermediary req d You are the expert Blogging will focus and expand upon your skills Level the playing field minimize barriers and increase visibility, communications, integration of resources Blogs can they replace an intranet? 16

17 Microsoft has over 800 employees blogging take a look 17

18 Bloggers from Sun Microsystems CEO s Who Blog 18

19 Library & Law Blogs Library blogs by country Annotated Bib with focus on libraries/librarians Directory of Law related blogs 19

20 Library & Law Blogs Sabrina Pacifica: Blog related issues & sources Law Journal Feeds Links to US Sstate Legislators Blogs & Legislatures with RSS Feeds News and Resources About Corporate Blogging Blogging for Business With readers flocking to their Web postings, execs are finding blogs useful for plugging not just their products but their points of view. Business Week, August 9, Blogging With The Boss's Blessing More companies are helping employees to speak freely -- and bond with customers. Business Week, June 28, Blogging behind the firewall InfoWorld s internal Weblog started as an experiment. Already, it s indispensable. InfoWorld, May 24, The Corporate Blog is Catching On, New York Times, June 23, Google sees benefits in corporate blogging, Company says internal blogs can be used to track meeting notes, share diagnostics information and code. InfoWorld, November 18, HP quietly begins Web log experiment Hewlett-Packard Co. has become the latest IT vendor to dip its toes in the wild world of Web logging, or blogging. IDG News Service, 23 Nov

21 Books The Corporate Blogging Book; Debbie Weil Blog Marketing; Jeremy Wright Naked Conversations: How blogs are changing the way businesses talk to their customers; Robert Scoble & Shel Israel 21

22 Blog Tools Easy to publish/update; simple design, permanent links; allow comments; easy to share content Blogger.com; 10 languages Typepad.com; 9 languages WordPress.com; 50+ languages Tractionsoftware.com; iupload.com Blog Software 22

23 Wikis: Collaborative Spaces Type of website that allows users to easily add, remove, or otherwise edit and change some available content, sometimes without the need for registration. Freely-expandable collection of interlinked web pages; a hypertext system for storage & modifying info; DB with each page editable by any user The first wiki, WikiWikiWeb, is named after the "Wiki Wiki" line of Chance RT-52 buses in Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii. It was created in 1994 and installed on the web in 1995 by Ward Cunningham, who also created the Portland Pattern Repository. "Wiki-wiki" means "hurry quick" in Hawaiian. It also refers to a type of native fish of the islands. Wikis: Collections of Pages Main Page Contact Us Electronic Virtual edit edit edit edit Wiki pages look like web pages Anyone with a web browser can read a wiki site Illustrations adapted from Guillaume du Gardier. What is a wiki? June 2,

24 Wikis: Collaborative Spaces Shared online sketchpads Spaces for brainstorming Easy authoring of Web content Open access -- trust Unrestricted collaboration Incremental Observable (see changes happening) Organic site structure for everyone Wikipedia: Free Encyclopdia English 1,350,000 articles French 340,000 German 443,

25 Wikipedia.org Why Use a Wiki? Simple, HTML not necessary Share knowledge; co-create Collected experiences of group publishing, communicate by sharing knowledge in a pool/information space Compare previous versions of a page Discuss issues prior to making changes Track who edited what & when 25

26 Why? Asynchronous benefit of incorporating assistance of experts, peers, etc.; harnessing power of diverse individuals to create collaborative works Annotate evolving issues Facilitate the exchange of ideas for a small group project (reduce back/forth s) Creative environment & knowledge base in project management; forum for improving knowledge & advancing thought processes Build a community; events, CoPs MediaWiki 26

27 PmWiki MoinMoin 27

28 MediaWiki MediaWiki List_of_libraries_providing_virtual_reference_services 28

29 What to Wiki About Subject pages Internal project or team work -- planning Documentation Personal web publishing Event or conference Intranet SCJPL: Subject Guides 29

30 Wikis: Professional Knowledge Repositories Wikis: Conference 30

31 Pbwiki.com Wiki Tools largest consumer wiki farm; 23 languages Twiki, Jotspot Socialtext.com Huge list of wiki software 31

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33 More Wiki Resources Emma Tonkin s Making the Case for a Wiki. Ariadne, January Bibliography & Links from Darlene Fichter Wikis Weblogs Group voice Unstructured, organic Anyone edits Fluid medium: change any time Better management: versions, rollback and change log, syndicate changes Less familiar Individual voice Default is by date, reverse chronological Anyone comments Post medium like (comment, reply, comment, ) Edits aren t tracked usually, new items are syndicated More familiar 33

34 It s Easy: Just Try It! Easy to get started & use Not just for diaries & encyclopedias; enterprises & organizations too Wikis_Technologies_for_Enterprise_Applic ations.html Simple information, content and knowledge management tools Lots of possible applications Learning new technologies Try it, have fun Let me know how you re doing Slides: Thank you Jane Dysart Dysart & Jones Associates jane@dysartjones.com 34