Week 7 - Sharing Links
Thing 25: Learn about tagging and explore Del.icio.us
Some people call it "tagging." Some call it "folksonomy." Some call it "social bookmarking." It all adds up to the same thing -- an easy, social, Web. 2.0-centric way of organizing our favorite Internet content.
Tagging is an open, informal method of categorizing that allows users to apply keywords to online content (Web pages, pictures, blog posts, etc.). Tagging is completely unstructured and free-form, allowing users to create connections between data in any way they want.
Let's take a closer look with a YouTube video called "Social Bookmarking in Plain English." (Remember, tagging and social bookmarking are essentially the same thing.)
We've already explored one Web 2.0 site -- Flickr -- that allows users to take advantage of tagging. This week, in addition to exploring Technorati tagging, we want to also take at popular social bookmarking site called Del.icio.us (typed in as http://del.icio.us).
Del.icio.us a social bookmarking manager which allows you to bookmark a Web page and add tags to categorize your bookmarks.
Many users find that the real power of Del.icio.us is in the social network aspect, which allows you to see how other users have tagged similar links and discover other Web sites that may be of interest to you. You can think of it as peering into another users’ filing cabinet, but with this powerful bookmarking tool, each user's filing cabinet helps build an expansive knowledge network.
For this assignment, you are asked to take a look at Del.icio.us and learn about this popular bookmarking tool. First, though, here are a few resources that might prove helpful:
- Otter Group's Del.icio.us tutorial: An 8-minute video
- Us.ef.ul: A beginner's guide to Del.icio.us
- Several habits of wildly successful Del.icio.us users
This week's assignment: Explore Del.icio.us
Here's what to do:
- Explore the Del.icio.us site options and try clicking on a bookmark that has also been bookmarked by a lot of other users. Can you see the comments they have added about this bookmark or the tags that they used to categorize this reference?
- Create a blog post about your experience and thoughts about this tool. Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance? Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere?
Want to take it further?
Consider creating your own Del.icio.us account and starting your own list of personal bookmarks and tags.
And if you create your own Del.icio.us account, don't forget to tell us about your experiences in your blog!
One more note: If you do set up a Del.icio.us account, here’s a quick word about the Del.icio.us buttons. On PCs that have the toolbars locked down, these will install as options in your browser bookmarks. Use the “Post to my Del.icio.us” link to add the current Web page to your account (you may need to log in). Use the “My Del.icio.us” link to view your online account.
Thing 26: Explore Technorati
Now that we know more about Del.icio.us, it's time to move on to Technorati.
In general terms, Technorati is Del.icio.us for blogs. It's a social bookmarking site that allows users to bookmark and tag their favorite blogs, and to search for other interesting content among other users' favorite blogs. It's all part of the tagging trend that has launched similar folksonomy sites like Flickr, Digg, Reddit and others.
Let's check out Technorati and see how it works.
- Explore the Technorati site options and try clicking on a bookmark that has also been bookmarked by a lot of other users. Check out the top tags, latest posts, fans, and blog reactions for each of the bookmarks.
- Create a blog post about your experience and thoughts about this tool. Can you see the potential of this tool for blog fans? Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere?
Want to take it further?
Consider creating your own Technorati account and starting your own list of personal bookmarks and tags.
And if you create your own Technorati account, don't forget to tell us about your experiences in your blog!
Thing 27: Read and blog about some perspectives on Web 2.0
Here are a handful of commentaries about Web 2.0 technologies:
- Joined-up thinking: Social-networking sites are not just for teenagers. They have business uses too (The Economist)
- A new way to network (The Baltimore Business Journal)
- Social networking boom reaches the workplace (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- Social networks: "helping you define your work"? (The Melcrum Blog)
Now, for your Thing 26 assignment:
- Read two or three of the perspectives on Web 2.0 from the list above.
- Create a blog post about your thoughts on any one of these. Tell us: What do you think Web 2.0 means for the working world, and for your organization in particular?