Slides for a workshop session on \"Managing New Technologies: The Challenge Of Web 2.0\" given at the Umbrella 2007 conference. See http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/umbrella-2007/

1. A centre of expertise in digital information management
Managing New Technologies:
The Challenge Of Web 2.0
Brian Kelly
UKOLN
University of Bath
Bath
Email
B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk
UKOLN is supported by:
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/umbrella-2007/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/umbrella-2007/
This work is licensed under a Attribution-
NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence
(but note caveat)
Resources bookmarked using ‘umbrella-2007' tagResources bookmarked using ‘umbrella-2007' tag
Acceptable Use Policy
Recording/broadcasting of this talk,
taking photographs, discussing the
content using email, 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 email, instant
messaging, blogs, SMS, etc. is
permitted providing distractions to
others is minimised.

2. A centre of expertise in digital information management
2
Contents
• Web 2.0 has arrived – let’s just use it
• Or has it?
 Sustainability  Quality
 Reliability  Dependencies
 …
• Deployment strategies:
 Do nothing  Embrace fully
 Middle ground
• Application in your areas of interest

3. A centre of expertise in digital information management
3
Web 2.0: Why?
Realisation of Sir Tim’s dream:
• Web was meant to be interactive & user-driven
Technical infrastructure now in place
• But only now are the standards in place, use cases
tested and commercial infrastructure deployed
User acceptance:
• Users love it – look at popularity of SNs
Saving scarce in-house resources:
• Institutions can now focus on relevant areas, rather
than duplicating services already available
• Enhancing quality of what we do do
• Developing digital citizenship
• Addressing the gaps (e.g. information literacy, …)
See Web 2.0: Supporting Library Users for other examplesSee Web 2.0: Supporting Library Users for other examples

4. A centre of expertise in digital information management
4
In Slightly More Detail
Talk last week at UCISA
SDG conf on Facebook:
• Embraces social
constructivism, informal
learning, …
• Allows us to get our data
(e.g. RSS) to where the
users are
• Can develop apps for
the platform (e.g. OPAC)
• Can engage with our
peers
• Avoid IT Services
conservatism
• …

5. A centre of expertise in digital information management
5
Web 2.0: Why Not?
Small group exercise:
• What concerns do you have?

6. A centre of expertise in digital information management
6
Web 2.0: Why Not?
Why not?
Security
Performance
…
Always available
Licence conditions
…
Training
Understanding
…
Support
Expertise
…Dumbing down
Privitisation
…
…
…
TechnicalTechnical
SustainabilitySustainability
UsersUsers
ManagementManagement
PhilosophicalPhilosophical
Other ReasonsOther Reasons

7. A centre of expertise in digital information management
7
Did You Miss?
Web 2.0 concerns:
• I’ve got my own empire and I don’t want it
undermined
• I feel threatened by stiff I don’t understand
• We’ve just bought a new CMS (on my
recommendation) and it doesn’t do Web
2.0 stuff
• …

8. A centre of expertise in digital information management
8
Context
You are considering:
• Encouraging your staff to blog using the
WordPress.com service
• Using a hosted Wiki service (e.g. WetPaint) to
engage with your users in planning of a Podcast
service
• Providing access to library RSS feeds on
Facebook
• Setting up a group on Facebook to solicit
feedback form your users
• …
What processes should you take to ensure these
services work effectively?

9. A centre of expertise in digital information management
9
Approaches
Approaches
Opportunity
Costs
Opportunity
Costs
Scenario PlanningScenario Planning
Risk AssessmentRisk Assessment
Risk ManagementRisk Management
User
Engagement
User
Engagement
Cultural
Change
Cultural
Change
Embracing
Diversity
Embracing
Diversity

10. A centre of expertise in digital information management
10
Scenario Planning (1)
Scenario Planning
• Being piloted in JISC’s Users and
Innovation (U&I) programme
• Identify various futures (even unlikely
ones) and exploring:
• The implications
• Preparation for the unlikely
The Unlikely May Happen
In the 1980s and early-mid 1990s would we have expected
• A Labour government in power for 3 terms
• Labour PM admits his admiration for Margaret T.
• Conservative leader tries to move party to left of centre
The Unlikely May Happen
In the 1980s and early-mid 1990s would we have expected
• A Labour government in power for 3 terms
• Labour PM admits his admiration for Margaret T.
• Conservative leader tries to move party to left of centre

11. A centre of expertise in digital information management
11
Scenario Planning (2)
Steady as
she goes
Steady as
she goes
Web 2.0 winsWeb 2.0 wins
Web 2.0
fails
Web 2.0
fails
Student
revolts
Student
revolts
Like today,
only more so
Google/Yahoo …
provide services
Social networks
Why JISC?
Web 2.0 fails
Google goes bankrupt
Yahoo nationalised???
“SNs? For primary
school”
Appeal of “retro VLEs”

12. A centre of expertise in digital information management
12
Risk Assessment
Understanding risks:
• Walking across a busy road
General application of risk assessment:
• Future of JISC services and projects (cf. AHDS)
• Future of established vendors (cf. Blackboard)
Application to Web 2.0:
• Stability of the company
• Persistency of the data
Note parallels with selection of open source software: is there a community;
is it sustainable; is it taking me in a direction I’m happy with; …
Advice given in “Top Tips For Selecting Open Source Software” QA Focus
briefing document no. 60
Note parallels with selection of open source software: is there a community;
is it sustainable; is it taking me in a direction I’m happy with; …
Advice given in “Top Tips For Selecting Open Source Software” QA Focus
briefing document no. 60

13. A centre of expertise in digital information management
13
Risk Management
Risk management:
• What to do if risks occur?
Possibilities:
• Migration of service and data
• Provision of alternatives
• Acceptance:
• Times change
• The service provided valuable learning
• …

14. A centre of expertise in digital information management
14
User Engagement
User engagement:
• Talking to the users and strengths and
weakness on proposed Web 2.0 services
• Giving them a feeling of ownership
• Libraries should be good at this 
• IT Services possibly less so 
Case Study
Skype use allowed on campus, but user feedback from students
in halls of residence show performance problems
• Banning on Resnet in response to user concerns
• Discussions with SU exec over increasing student demand
• Ban removed during summer vacation
• Technical solutions deployed in vacation
Case Study
Skype use allowed on campus, but user feedback from students
in halls of residence show performance problems
• Banning on Resnet in response to user concerns
• Discussions with SU exec over increasing student demand
• Ban removed during summer vacation
• Technical solutions deployed in vacation

15. A centre of expertise in digital information management
15
Cultural Change
“Using Google is privitisation of the educational sector!”
• Do users care?
• Hasn’t this happened already?
“Folksonomies is dumbing down!”
“Users must learn boolean!”
• This isn’t being user-centric
• Education and training needs to complement what
users will actually do
“Libraries are trusted. Amazon links will lose endanger
our relationship with our users & devalue our brand ”
• Will it?
• …

16. A centre of expertise in digital information management
16
Opportunity Costs
“We can’t use del.icio.us as it might not be there in 5
year’s time. We’ll develop something in-house”
Consider:
• Missed opportunity costs in no service during this
time
• Costs of in-house development
• Enhancement of quality of del.icio.us service
• Deployment of additional del.icio.us products

17. A centre of expertise in digital information management
17
Embracing Diversity
Diversity is central to the nature of higher education &
cultural heritage
Teaching & Learning / Research
• Different disciplines & teaching methods
• Need for innovation
Users
• Different learning styles
• Accessibility
• …
What Second Life Could Offer
Imagine a paraplegic user who cannot operate a PC. How a helper
can support the users engagement in Second Life. The user can
now fly in this deeply immersive environment.
What Second Life Could Offer
Imagine a paraplegic user who cannot operate a PC. How a helper
can support the users engagement in Second Life. The user can
now fly in this deeply immersive environment.

18. A centre of expertise in digital information management
18
Application In Your Context
How might the approaches of:
• Risk assessment & risk management
• User engagement
• Understanding implications of cultural
change
• Avoiding missed opportunity costs
• Embracing diversity
apply in your areas of work?
See Web 2.0: Addressing the Barriers to Implementation
in a Library Context for further suggestions
See Web 2.0: Addressing the Barriers to Implementation
in a Library Context for further suggestions

19. A centre of expertise in digital information management
19
Questions
Questions and comments welcomed