Using the Internet and evolving technologies associated with the World Wide Web to publish information in effective and accessible ways
Web 2.0 has allowed regular, non-technical people to fulfill some of the tasks normally completed by computer programmers, web designers, information scientists, or librarians. Although Tim Berners-Lee asserts that the original intent of the Internet was to embody the web 2.0 characteristics by saying “the dream behind the Web is of a common information space in which we communicate by sharing information”; there has been an obvious shift from the web 1.0 presentation technologies to the web 2.0 collaboration technologies. (Berners-Lee) For example, social networking sites like Blogger, Facebook and Twitter allow users to essentially have their own web pages on the World Wide Web in a matter of minutes complete with text, images, and videos. Additionally, with tagging and description/caption features, it’s quick and easy to add basic metadata to organize and share your postings. All of these sites are useful means of publishing information based upon your communication needs. For example, if you need to get a quick message across or you want to direct people to another place, you can use Twitter to send a short tweet. If you can say what you need to say with a few extra words, you can use Facebook. Finally, if you’ve got a lot to say, you can write a blog. All of these web sites are easily accessible to anybody with internet access whether on a traditional computer, laptop or a mobile device. In addition to advertising personal lives, Web 2.0 technologies are being used by activists to publish their messages to a wide audience and by techno geeks who want a better experience at a week-long festival.
For some, social networking has become the vehicle for activism. Deborah Amos of National Public Radio reports, “Young Egyptians are using social media to fight police brutality and urge a more open government… Wael Abbas is one of the leading bloggers in Egypt's social media movement. So when he tweeted the proceedings of a recent trial involving the Web, his words were widely read… Egypt's social media movement is the oldest and largest in the Arab world, with thousands of bloggers online. The movement is a model in a region where young people are the majority. Technology is drastically changing their lives. Smart phones and Internet cafes are widely available. Some 15 million Egyptians are Web users.” (Amos, 2010) A professor, Sadek, mentioned that young Egyptians, “see the future as bleak... They don't know about the job, marriage, housing — they see torture. They see corruption. They see rigged elections. What can they do? Of course: The only tool in their hands is their fingertips. And the keyboard." (Amos, 2010) Before social networking, injustices such as these would be spread through word of mouth, street marches and rallies, and/or through print journalism. Obviously, those methods can be effective but do not have the ability to reach as many people in such a short amount of time as social networking. Because 2/3 of Egypt’s population is under 30 and is more technologically inclined than the older generations who rule the country, the use of social networking seems as if it could be an effective way of bringing about change for Egypt’s citizens.
Web 2.0’s advanced technology is not only being used to battle social injustice, but to make navigating an event with 40,000 people much easier. Burning Man, a week-long tech-art festival held in Nevada, United States is an opportunity for techno geeks to learn about new software and technologies. However, because the festival only lasts a week and is in a different location each year, there has never been the opportunity for commercial enterprises to map it. However, in 2009, the Burning Man organization assisted with “with the launch of an API. With the API you get access to descriptions and locations of the Streets, Art, Camps and Events. When combined with a map this is everything you need for a local city guide. And that is exactly what the iPhone app does… It maps all of those entities, will geolocate you and let you mark favorites.” (Forrest, 2009) This new API allows users to plan their activities at the festival like never before. You can find out what you want to do and exactly how to get there in the makeshift town. This is especially innovative as these makeshift towns are recreated in a new place every year.
Identifying appropriate and innovative methods of digital data representation and organization and assessing their potential for use in the information sciences
I am most familiar with my company’s warehousing services and the responsibilities of the employees who fill those roles. The contract managers are responsible for keeping track of all the productivity, financial, and training data and much more. Although much of this data is already stored electronically, most of it is stored in separate locations and may not be readily available. So, if CEVA created an API to call training information from our Learning Management System (LMS) web site and an API to call information from our Warehouse Management System, then a mashup could be created to clearly organize, present, and track the relationship between training and productivity in each contract. Additionally, if the mashup also contained financial data organized by month, then it would be easy to track how an associate’s training affects the contract’s productivity and in turn, how a contract’s productivity affects its finances. The Key Performance Indicators for each contract are stored and reported through an online software system, however, just as with the other systems, that data is kept separate. Using the API technology, only that specific contract’s data would be called from each system and ‘mashed’ together to create a great source of information for the contract manager. A contract manager probably wouldn’t call himself an information worker; however, critical business decisions are made based upon the quality of information that is available to him. Additionally, we have multiple contracts in different locations with some of our customers. For example, we have three Verizon facilities; Texas, Florida, and New Jersey. Because we provide the same services in each of those locations, we can reasonably compare data from one contract to the next. A mashup could be created that plotted each location on a map and had the financial and productivity details available too. Having this visibility can give the vice presidents information on how to completely manage the business.
One of the dangers of using web services and of cloud computing is that the ground rules are not completely established. What happens when the content enters the cloud? Who does it belong to? What happens when a third-party developer has access to your API? Savio Rodrigues spoke with Sam Ramji of Sonao Systems. According to Rodrigues, Sam says, “Without careful consideration, the potential load from a third-party application could disrupt the company’s own, likely business critical, use of the application or service… Sam explained that the explosion of third-party mobile applications is driving interest and use of open APIs. For some companies, this is a double edge sword. Third party use of a company’s APIs increase revenue potential, but also increase risk of core system downtime based on factors beyond the company’s control, whether through misuse or abuse of the open API.” (Rodrigues 2010) Sonoa Systems provides a service to protect enterprises from misuse or abuse of their APIs, so there are ways around this challenge.
Another innovative idea is to create mobile versions of some of our software applications. Many of our sales associates are “road warriors”, meaning they spend more than 25% of their time out of the office. It might be beneficial to show customers a mobile application of our Warehouse Management System or our Transportation Management System. For example, GM has created a way for their road warriors to be just as productive on the road as they would in the dealership. Willie Jow writes, “a custom app developed by General Motors is a good example of a revenue generator. As reported in InformationWeek, GM is building an iPhone app for its salespeople that will allow them to close the sale of GM’s new Cruze from anywhere, not just in the dealership. The app links videos of the automobile to share with a customer and allows the salesperson to search inventory prices. The app not only eliminates the paperwork associated with buying a car, it can also transform how GM makes a sale and potentially lead to key revenue gains...” (Jow, March 2010) However, it is important to consider the dangers and conflicts associated with using smart phones for business purposes. It’s important to consider how to ensure that personal and business information and applications remain separate and how to keep enterprise information secure. Jow reports that, “Since mobile phones by nature are highly portable, they are relatively easy to steal or lose. And an intruder can quickly gain access to confidential information on an unprotected device or even capture information from unsecured wireless transmissions. Even though mobile security breaches occur from a variety of causes, the primary challenge for IT departments with mobile devices in the enterprise is consistent: remote management and data protection.” (Jow, November 2010) Jow continued to write that mobilizing the workforce is a viable business solution as long as the same stringent security measures applied in office buildings are applied to mobile technology.
Utilizing recent advances in information and communications technology to support the successful completion of a wide range of information related tasks with proficiency and efficiency in an online digital environment
Using the classification of web related tasks in the study “A Goal-based Classification of Web Information”, information related tasks fall into three categories: information seeking, information exchange, and information maintenance. According to Kellar, Watters, and Shepherd, “information seeking tasks consist of Fact Finding, Information Gathering, and Browsing…Information exchange tasks consist of Transactions and Communications…Maintenance tasks generally consist of visits to web pages to ensure that the content appears as it should, that links are working properly, as well as updates to user profiles.” (Kellar, Watters & Shepherd, 2007) Until now, I didn’t realize how much of my job required me to use technology to complete information related tasks. A typical work day could include the following: Wake up in the morning and check my work email and calendar on my android phone. Upon arrival at work, I’d update my tasks in our team’s collaboration team room on MS SharePoint. Attend virtual team meetings using video web conferencing software. Run reports on our SaaS LMS. Field questions that pop up on MS Communicator. Prepare physical training records for a contract in town and then use the GPS app on my phone to direct me to the warehouse to make the delivery. Update my goals and my profile in our company’s public performance management system. Check the LMS to ensure that links to training materials are functioning.
Because we are a global company, it’s imperative that we have multiple methods of communicating with our other business units. Though I only supported the North American business unit, I collaborated with the training manager in Turkey. She and I would collaborate through email, the LMS, and Skype. Additionally, the online digital environment enabled me to conduct one the toughest training sessions that I’d encountered. I had to provide simultaneous training classes in 9 different locations in the US covering three different time zones. We used our corporate office in Jacksonville, FL and my location in Lakeland, FL as the two main spots where live training occurred. We broadcasted the training sessions via webinar to all of the trainees across the United States. It wasn’t as ideal as having a live instructor in each location, but we got the job done. Without an online environment, this would have been impossible.
References and Resources
Amos, D., 2010. Blogging and Tweeting, Egyptians Push for Change. National Public Radio. Viewed 10 December 2010. < http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129425721>
Berners-Lee, T. Frequently Asked Questions. Viewed 10 December 2010. Available at < http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/FAQ.html>
Forrest, B. 2009., Burning Man Gets an API (and a Whole Lot More). Available at < http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/08/burning-man-gets-an-api-and-a.html>
Jow, W., 2010. Protecting Your Mobile Devices and Data. Available at < http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/community/features/guestopinions/blog/protecting-your-mobile-devices-and-data/?cs=44450>
Jow, W., 2010. Mobile Apps Mean Business. Available at < http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/community/features/guestopinions/blog/mobile-apps-mean-business/?cs=40087>
Kellar, M., Watters, C., & Shepherd, M. 2006. A Goal-based Classification of Web Information Tasks. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 43(1), 1-22. Retrieved December 10, 2010, from Wiley InterScience Journals.
Rodrigues, S., 2010. Using open APIs for business growth. Available at < http://saviorodrigues.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/using-open-apis-for-business-growth/>
