Lesley Anderson

Aggregation, syndication and the social engine

Explain how the Elgg social engine works on a Web site where it is installed?
Is this the type of application you want on your Web server in the workplace?

Elgg is built on LAMP[i] it is open source software, released under the GPL[ii].  Elgg has its own system of plug-ins and also supports RSS, OpenID, FOAF and XML-RPC for integration with most blogging sites.

Elgg provides each user with their own blog, file repository, online profile and RSS reader and their content can be tagged with keywords - connecting them to users with similar interests and giving the ability to create their own PLN(Personal Learning Network).  It is different to other blog facilities or commercial Social Networking sites such as Facebook in the amount of control users are given over who can access the content they publish. Each individual profile item, blog post or uploaded file can be assigned its own access restriction, ranging from being fully public to only readable by a selected user or group of users.

New Elgg users begin by creating an identity which says who they are and what they are interested in. Published items can be tagged and the software uses these tags to connect other users with similar interests. Read the rest of this entry »

Data portability, FOAF and the Semantic Web

1.  Begin with the YouTube video at http://www.foaf-project.org/community

I found this video an interesting and novel way to get an IT based message across to an audience.  It does it though - reminding  the viewer  that for each social networking site you sign up to, you have to fill in the same data or information about yourself over and over again and how much easier life would be if you could just “get your date out” once.  One size to fit all, saving time and energy and letting you get on with the social side of social networking.

2. Like a chain letter, our data seems to move within and between
tools like Facebook and Twitter. Is this a good thing?

People’s web presence forms part of their identity so they should have the right to move their information wherever, whenever they wish.  It is understandable that a business - once you sign up with it - is going to do everything in its power to keep you tied to them. They may use the term ’service’ but ultimately they are businesses and like all other businesses need to make a profit to stay in business.  The number of people they have within their network has to be the clincher for the advertising attached to sites that ultimately makes them money.

Giving users flexibility to move, if they want to, from one network to another and take their data with them, could possibly be what spurs network creators to do better things with their sites and software - so that people won’t want to leave. In that way there are benefits to all parties. Sites keep their numbers and users keep their data and options to use it wherever they like.

I have to admit, I am over filling in the same information repetitively in order to access sites that offer social networking software and facilities but that is more to do with laziness than retention of my own identity or data. Read the rest of this entry »

Trust and Reputation - How is it achieved?

Analyse and comment on other aspects of online trust and reputation  that you feel are worth discussing across any TWO online communities. Consider how design for usability, sociability and sustainablity can help to foster trust and build a reputation among users especially the pragmatists, conservatives and skeptics.

Diego Gambetta

http://wiki.uni.lu/secan-lab/Trust+($28)Diego+Gambetta($29).html

Beginning as a closed network for American students, Facebook was perceived as safe by users who networked solely with friends. Opening Facebook up to the rest of the world brought issues that challenged user trust.

Seemingly from other users -

• phishing scams - WALL postings linking to urls mimicking Facebook accounts
• friend spam - people asking to be friends but really wanting you to sign up for other services

 Others from within the facility -

• text alerts sent to the wrong people
• linked advertisement systems - broadcasting user purchases made from affiliated sites on their WALL.
• Treatment of personal data such as   
  • inexplicable loss or disappearance
  • inability to delete personal data from deactivated accounts

Discovering these glitches, I questioned participation and wondered why Facebook is still well trusted, was recently announced within Truste’s top 10 sites - www.truste.com and  a world user-base topping 300million in Sept.2009. 
Both usability and sociability are high on the reasons why. 
Facebook is easy to join and use, offering  ‘connection’ to others across the world.  It caters for  fast moving lives, where computer use is ever present,  allowing frequent message posting and reciprocation to WALLS - rather than making contact less frequently by other methods.
Facebook has encountered problems, yet the privacy section covers them, stating age limits and user rights and responsibilities - how many people actually read the fine print? 
There is also a page at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=555062239&ref=name#/facebook?ref=pf   dealing with  current software or user problems and there is no fear of media releases  such as
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90781/90877/6742651.html  reporting on Canadian legislation set to change how all personal data will be dealt with on the site.
Acceptance by sites like Truste build Facebook’s reputation and credibility in user eyes, showing that they are working on problems adds to perception of expertise and honesty - “we aren’t perfect but we are doing something about it”.  Users also perceive that the majority of experiences are positive and decide to ‘follow’ - taking risks with the site, which they might not have taken otherwise and add constantly to the overall level of trust in the site. Read the rest of this entry »