I have been introduced to a new word in this course: "mashup".
The end product is exactly what it sounds like but for some reason I couldn't intuitively figure out what it meant. So I went exploring...
One neat tool I came across is a plugin for Firefox called Ubiquity.
It does a number of different nifty things (some of which I hope to use in my produsage assignment) including creating a sort of mashup.
I believe at this point this is as close to an actual mashup that most of us will get, with most of the class having no programming knowledge.
However, rather than trying to explain all the things it can do - I'll embed a video from the site.
The "google map in the email" bit is a mashup. Some of the other utilities - not so much.
Anyway... here you go:
Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.
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6 comments:
This was one of the most interesting things I saw during my week of Web 2.0 inundation.
Thanks for posting this. I plan to start playing with the technology and see what I can make of it.
Very interesting - I can see the benefit of this application to make my life easier, not more complicated. Maybe this should be a Web 3.0 tool?
So what is "Web 3.0" according to you? ;)
On a more serious note, are you implying that web 2.0 tools are making your life more complicated?
I hesitate to define Web 3.0, but meant my response as a bit of irony.
To answer your "on a more serious note," yes. I find that while I occasionally benefit from some of the Web 2.0 tools we have found (such as primarily lurking friends on FB, only occasionally interacting, and rarely uploading photos or doing quizzes), I find that most tools are a burden. Mostly, because there seems to be an implied obligation to reply to SMS, tweets, and so on. (I think you addressed this in another post.)
Outside of my consent to participate during this class, my experiences so far smack of social compulsion. "Everybody is doing it, you should too!" I like tools that make my life easier in some way from time to time and otherwise sit quietly in the drawer.
Now, I am not a Luddite! I still dig technology and am regarded as a techno-geek in most groups I am in. That's where my comment on Ubiquity comes from. Based on the YouTube video, Ubiquity looks like a truly useful tool. I downloaded the FireFox plugin and look forward to playing with it.
Of course, the purpose of our class is to view these tools and technologies with IS in mind. I DO see opportunities in these areas and am enjoying that aspect of the learning. I'm just cautious when I feel I am being offered Kool-Aid. :)
Or maybe I'm just getting old.
Social compulsion is a good way to put it.
I resist most of it though... I'm still not on twitter and refuse about 5 requests a week for new social networking sites.
However, that twitter thing will have to change (and more) for this class...
Oh well...
I appreciate you sharing this information. It has definitely helped me better understand mashups, a new term for me as well. Thanks AJ.
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