A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Exploiting The Potential Of The Social Web: Recognising and Addressing The Barriers Brian Kelly, UKOLN University of Bath Bath, UK UKOLN is supported by: This work is licensed under a Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat) Resources bookmarked using ‘ aim-2009 ' tag Acceptable Use Policy Recording/broadcasting of this talk, taking photographs, discussing the content using , instant messaging, blogs, SMS, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised. Acceptable Use Policy Recording/broadcasting of this talk, taking photographs, discussing the content using , instant messaging, blogs, SMS, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised. Twitter: Blog:

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 2 Group Exercise 1 In small groups: Identify areas in which Web 2.0 technologies and approaches can benefits your organisation Group these areas into:  ‘Low-hanging fruit’ – benefits which can be achieved easily and which will provide tangible benefits without significant effort  More challenging areas – in which realisation of the benefits will require either significant effort or changes of policies or attitudes by others in your organisation Note: this group session provides an opportunity to be optimistic and address your specific needs Your comments will be shared with the other groups

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 3 Group Exercise 2 In small groups: Describe the barriers you foresee in using Web services in your organisation Group these into:  Establishing new services  Using services  Sustaining services in the longer term Discuss and summarise how you might address these barriers Note: this group session provides an opportunity to be realistic. Your comments will be shared with the other groups

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 4 Addressing the Concerns Let’s look at ways in which concerns can be addressed: Gaining a better understanding of the concerns Depersonalising concerns Prioritising activities (low-hanging fruit or big strategic objectives?) Using a risk management approach Involving Critical Friends and friendly critics

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 5 Renaissance West Midlands workshop, Feb 2009 MLA East of England workshop, Nov 2008 Concerns identified in discussion group sessions at various UKOLN 1-day workshops for the cultural heritage sector

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 6 The Challenges Challenges Resources Expertise Time Money Understanding Legal Issues IT Services Colleagues Management Accessibility Sustainability Reliability Cultural issues Technical Issues Interoperability Privacy, DPA, FOI,.. Council

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 7 Take-up Of New Technologies The Gartner curve Developers Rising expectations Trough of despair Service plateau Enterprise software Large budgets … Early adopters Chasm Failure to go beyond developers & early adopters (cf Gopher) Need for: Advocacy Listening to users Addressing concerns Deployment strategies … This talk looks at approaches for avoiding the chasm & reshaping the curve

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 8 The Backlash Is Predictable When significant new things appear: Enthusiasts / early adopters predict a transformation of society Sceptics outline the limitations & deficiencies There’s a need to: Promote the benefits to the wider community (esp. those willing to try if convinced of benefits) Be realistic and recognise limitations Address inappropriate criticisms Web 2.0: It’s a silly name. It’s just a marketing term. There are lots of poor Web 2.0 services. There wasn’t a Web 1.0. What follows it? It does have a marketing aspect – and that’s OK. It isn’t formally defined – it describes a pattern of related usage. There will be poor (and good) Web 2.0 services – just like anything else. Any usage will arrive at a follow-up term. Web 2.0: It’s a silly name. It’s just a marketing term. There are lots of poor Web 2.0 services. There wasn’t a Web 1.0. What follows it? It does have a marketing aspect – and that’s OK. It isn’t formally defined – it describes a pattern of related usage. There will be poor (and good) Web 2.0 services – just like anything else. Any usage will arrive at a follow-up term. Twitter? Another silly name. Trivial junk. Only for people with nothing better evolves to We must have a Twitter feed – impact; marketing; audiences; … and then (from the early adopters) It was meant to be fun. It’s been institutionalised, We want it back! Twitter? Another silly name. Trivial junk. Only for people with nothing better evolves to We must have a Twitter feed – impact; marketing; audiences; … and then (from the early adopters) It was meant to be fun. It’s been institutionalised, We want it back!

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 9 Beware The IT Fundamentalists We need to avoid simplistic solutions to the complexities: Open Standards Fundamentalist: we just need XML Open Source Fundamentalist: we just need Linux Vendor Fundamentalist: we must use next version of our enterprise system (and you must fit in with this) Accessibility Fundamentalist: we must do WAI WCAG User Fundamentalist: must do whatever users want Legal Fundamentalist: it breaches copyright, … Ownership Fundamentalist: must own everything we use Perfectionist: It doesn't do everything, so we'll do nothing Simplistic Developer: I've developed a perfect solution – I don't care if it doesn't run in the real world Web 2.0: It’s new; its cool! IT Services Coelacanth Organisational culture

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 10 The Librarian Fundamentalists Librarians who have failed to evolve: Think they know better than the user e.g. they don't like people using Google Scholar; they should use Web of Knowledge (who cares that users find it easier to use Google Scholar & finds references they need that way?) Think that users should be forced to learn Boolean searching & other formal search techniques because this is good for them (despite Sheffield's study). Don't want the users to search for themselves (cf folksonomies) because they won't get it right. They still want to classify the entire Web - despite the fact that users don't use their lists of Web links. Want services to be perfect before they release them to users. They are uneasy with the concept of 'forever beta' (they don't believe that users have the ability to figure things out themselves and work around the bugs). Library Coelacanth Organisational culture

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 11 Let’s Be Realistic Ning allows you to set up and manage your own social network. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But: Will it have the momentum to support thriving discussion? Might it not just be an automated aggregator of content Over-hyping expectations

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 12 Let’s Be Realistic Want to provide a safe social networking environment? You can with Ning. But what of the pitfalls? “Am I bovvered?” Over-hyping expectations

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 13 Let’s Be Realistic A UK National Archives Network Ning site is available It is being used to support discussions such as a follow-up to a topic raised at meeting But do the concerns about numbers of participants & amount of discussions really matter? Can you identify success or failure without knowing purpose, investment, …? Over-hyping expectations

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 14 Accessibility Concerns Aren’t Social Web services: Inaccessible to people with disabilities? Break accessibility guidelines (WCAG) Leave us liable to be taken to court? People with disabilities are using Social Web services People with disabilities are using Social Web services – as are disability activists DDA: Institutions must take ‘reasonable measures’ to ensure PWDs aren’t discriminated against. Is it discriminatory to fail to provide services? Accessibility

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 15 The Council Firewall The reality: Useful Web services do get blocked There is dodgy/illegal/ dangerous material on the Web It may be simple to have a blanket ban Suggested approaches: We can accept certain levels of risks More sophisticated responses are needed We should share the approaches we’ve taken New Internet access policy for children From December 2008, children will be able to enjoy improved Internet access in all Portsmouth Libraries. The current “Walled Garden” arrangement will be discontinued. The Internet access offered will be similar to that provided in Portsmouth schools but we will also be allowing access to games, Web chat and social networking sites. For further information, please contact … Feel free to respond to blog post at Organisational barriers

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 16 Some Concerns Sustainability What happens if Web 2.0 services: Are unreliable? Change their terms & conditions (e.g. start charging)? Become bankrupt Interoperability What happens if Web 2.0 services: You can’t get the data back out? You only get the unstructured or poor quality data back out? You can’t get the comments, annotations, tags out? Sustainability / Interoperability

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 17 Support Issues I don’t have the time to: Understand it all Use the technologies Embed technologies in daily working practices Train my colleagues Common Craft video clips You can: View them at work Listen to the podcast on the Tube Use them in training Training & staff development Note UKOLN’s workshops for cultural heritage sector and briefing documents with CC licences

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 18 Deployment Strategies I want to do use the Social Web but: The IT Services department bans it The council bans it My boss doesn’t approve Area of interest to UKOLN: “Just do it” Subversive approach – ‘Friends of Foo’ if Foo can’t use it Encourage enthusiasts Don’t get in the way UKOLN briefing papers available with Creative Commons licence. (~ 50 docs published)

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 19 Deployment Strategies Interested in using Web 2.0 in your organisation? Worried about corporate inertia, power struggles, etc? There’s a need for a deployment strategy: Addressing business needs Low-hanging fruits Encouraging the enthusiasts Gain experience of the browser tools – and see what you’re missing! Staff training & development Address areas you feel comfortable with Impact analysis and assessment Risk and opportunity management strategy Critical Friends and friendly critics …

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 20 What Do We Mean By ‘Risk’? “Risk is a concept that denotes the precise probability of specific eventualities” When should we take risks? Never If the probability is low If the dangers are insignificant If the context if appropriate But what if human life is at risk: In the army Driving a car Travelling on the train … We can’t ignore the context, the benefits (real and perceived)

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 21 Risk Management JISC infoNet Risk Management infoKit: “In education, as in any other environment, you can’t decide not to take risks: that simply isn’t an option in today’s world. All of us take risks and it’s a question of which risks we take” Examples of people who are likely to be adverse stakeholders: People who fear loss of their jobs People who will require re-training People who may be moved to a different department / team People.. required to commit resources to the project People who fear loss of control over a function or resources People who will have to do their job in a different way People who will have to carry out new or additional functions People who will have to use a new technology

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 22 Critical Friends JISC U&I programme is encouraging establishment of “Critical Friends” See Paul Walk (UKOLN) was described as a ‘critical friend’ of JISC See

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 23 Biases Subjective factors Towards a Framework “Time To Stop Doing and Start Thinking: A Framework For Exploiting Web 2.0 Services”, Museums & the Web 2009 conference Intended Purpose Benefits (various stakeholders Risks (various stakeholders Missed Opps. (various stakeholders Costs (various stakeholders Sharing experiences Learning from successes & failures Tackling biases … Critical friends Application to existing services Application to in-house development …

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 24 Using The Framework Use of approach in two scenarios: use of Twitter & Facebook Intended Purpose Benefits (various stakeholders Risks (various stakeholders Missed Opps. (various stakeholders Costs (various stakeholders Community support Rapid feedback Justify ROI Org. brand Community- building Low? Twitter for individuals Organisational Fb Page Marketing events,… Large audiences Ownership, privacy, lock-in Marketing opportunity Low? Critical friends: Paul Walk / Brian Kelly blog posts) MCG discussions Learning UKOLN cultural heritage guest blog post Conferences Papers … Note personal biases!

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 25 Use The Framework Yourself Feel free to you apply framework to: Services you’re planning Existing services Large scale initiatives (e.g. Creative Spaces) Intended Purpose Benefits (various stakeholders Risks (various stakeholders Missed Opps. (various stakeholders Costs (various stakeholders What is the purpose? Who are the users? What are the benefits? To whom? What are the risks? To whom? What are the risks of doing nothing? What are the costs – to developers, to users,… Remember the biases! Is the service really intended to sustain the service provider? Remember the need for the critical friend and the need for sharing?

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 26 The future is exciting - but Librarian Sapiens will need to address the challenges. Let the debate begin! Conclusions Acknowledgments to Michael Edson for the Web Tech Guy and Angry Staff Person post / comic strip

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 27 Questions Any questions