Wikis, Social Networking and the Blogosphere.
Let's learn some Web 2.0 terminology and look at three representative examples of types of Web 2.0 services. Via these examples we can gain an appreciation for the constellation of Web 2.0 services and the characteristics that make them powerful. We can then consider their relevance for Africa and the missions of African civil society organizations. You are encouraged to visit and explore the websites described.
Wikipedia
Perhaps the best example of the "read-write" web is Wikipedia, the self-pronounced "biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet". Wikipedia is indeed an extremely convenient source of information on a wide range of topics, with more than two million pages of information created and maintained by millions of volunteer contributors around the world. A quick wikipedia search can bring an answer or definition in moments.
The "wiki" tool used to create it is designed to facilitate collaboration and consensus building, so for example there is a discussion tab for every page where contributors discuss the page contents and hopefully resolve any disagreements so the information on the page is as accurate and balanced as possible.
Contentious topics can be nominated to be checked by editors for their neutrality, and the discussion pages for those pages tend to make very interesting reading. An example of this is the Ebonics page.
There is frequent debate surrounding the accuracy of information on Wikipedia, and while it is a very useful resource it generally is recognized (even by its own editors) that it should not be considered a reliable exclusive source for academic papers.)
Social Networks
A new generation of online community websites devoted to social networking is attracting a new generation of Internet users. Users may spend many hours a day checking their e-mail and exchanging photos and other information about themselves with their friends. "The process of using these sites is as simple as logging on, writing a bit about yourself and what you do, e-mailing your friends asking them to visit your profile, and before you know it, you're interacting with your friends, your friends' friends, and even people you've never met - all by sitting solo at your computer."
Typical examples of trendsetting social networking sites are MySpace and Facebook. Facebook is a social networking site originally created for university students to meet and keep in touch, while MySpace is more like an enormous bulletin board or forum where anyone can get an account and connect with others around shared interests. Two other well known social networking sites are Flickr for sharing photos and Youtube for sharing videos. All of the social networking sites allow for users to generate their own content - text, photos, video, audio and to allow other users to make comments and enter into discussions.
Blogs and the Blogosphere
Beyond social networking sites is blogging and the so-called blogosphere. Simply put, blogs are the published online content by an individual or a group of people. The Blogosphere is the collective space of blogs and the blogging communities. For example there is the global blogosphere - all blogs; the African blogosphere - all blogs by Africans; the Ghanaian blogosphere - all blogs by Ghanaians. Clearly there are overlaps as every blogger is a member of at least 2 or 3 "blogoshperes.
Unlike Wikipedia (which is hosted by a charitable nonprofit) and online community websites (mostly nonprofit networks or commercial operations driven by advertising), the blogosphere exists because many independent blogs link to one another, forming an organic network of shared interest and concerns.
The networking and linking of blogs is enhanced by innovative blog aggregator websites that make useful blogs easy to find and engage with such as Global Voices, Technorati, and FeedBurner.
Online Personalised Desktops
Websites such as NetVibes, PageFlakes and iGoogle incorporate an online personalised desktop with a search, email, calendar, "to do" features as well as a news and blog aggregator all combined within a social network.
