Assignment 2

CIO Recommendations

Project

Social Networks in Providing Professional Development Experiences for Staff

Client

Multinational Company

Stakeholders

CIO - Project sponsor

IT manager - Implement project

Staff - Participants

Margaret, Jennifer & Sanjeewa - Research

Social Networks

SecondLife, Skype, Facebook, Twitter

See the complete list of CIO recommendations by Indigo group

Table 1 - Issues involved using social networks

Second life

Strengths 3D environment Separate space as meeting rooms People can be reflected as animated and customizable avatars Behavior can be reflected Real time interaction Groups can be set up

Weaknesses Require more technical understanding to use Specific requirement of client software and preferable to have newer hardware to achieve maximum user experience Security Privacy Separating private and official content is difficult

Face book

Strengths Very easy to use Groups can be set up

Weaknesses Separating private and official content is difficult Security Privacy

Twitter

Strengths Text based user interface Interaction with mobile phone Easy to use RSS updates provided

Weaknesses User interaction can be seen only via exchanged messages Third party applications or software required to exchange files Security Privacy Separating private and official content is difficult

See the social network issues group discussion

Table 2 – Web 2.0 tools complementing the networks

Second Life

Strengths Stream video Podcasts Chat Interaction with other social networks

Face book

Strengths Blogs Wikis Chat Video Interaction with other social networks

Weaknesses System response may affect as number of users increases

Twitter

Strengths Post from mobile phone or other web tools provided

Weaknesses Multimedia content use is not directly available Chat facility unavailable

See the web 2.0 tools group discussion

Table 3 – Develop and sustain work related social network

Plan

Define clear purpose for the site Identify different user experience levels to determine if training required

Cost

Above social networks are free to use

Implement

Company policy should include what is expected from staff in terms of using social networks

Sustain

Provide opportunities to staff to use social networking Define clear goals to achieve Organize corporate events for staff to meet in person

See the sustaining a social network group discussion

Assignment 1

Internet has become an essential component of the daily life of many individuals and almost all of the businesses operating today. There have been many significant events that helped Internet become what it is today. Technology advances beginning from circuit switching, packet switching to data transfer mediums & speeds. In order to integrate different hardware and software applications protocols and standards such as TCP/IP, SMTP & HTTP were developed. Research institutes, Government and military agencies have assisted with the required funding and people to help with these demanding requirements.

Since the beginning of World Wide Web there is a steady evolution of technologies, organizations & standards that are facilitating people to work collaboratively.

Ward Cunnigham, Adam Curry, Jenny Preece and David Winer are few of the people who have made valuable contributions to the growth of the technology and the cause for development of online communities.

Wiki

Ward Cunningham has been a computer programmer, and a pioneer in wiki development, design patterns and extreme programming. He developed and installed the WikiWikiWeb software in 1994 in his c2.com web server (Wikipedia, 2009a).

While he was working on projects he realized the need for a method of updating project status and performing documentation by the entire team. In his interview with Venners (2003) he describes other important criteria of providing the facility to effectively capture the nature of communicating via talking and enable the reader to discover the structure of what the author had to say.

Reviewing the current notable list of wikis (Wikipedia, 2009b) available and the applications they are being used for it can be said the work done by Ward Cunningham and his ideas has been successfully applied for daily applications.

Really Simple Syndication

Dave Winer a software developer, entrepreneur and writer is the creator of RSS 2.0 implementation. He has successfully created and managed to establish RSS 2.0 implementation among other competitors such as Netscape’s RSS implementation. (Wikipedia, 2009c)

His involvement with software development, online publishing and XML syndication contributed significantly for news agencies to make the decision to use RSS 2.0 to syndicate their news articles. (Wikipedia, 2009c)
Nomination by InfoWorld as one of top ten technology innovators in 2002 recognizes his valuable and successful contributions to the community.

Podcasting

Adam Curry was a well known video jockey on the music TV channel MTV during 1987 to 1994. And he is noted as one of the first celebrities to have been known as a world wide web entrepreneur to create and administer a web site in the 1990s.(Wikipedia, 2009d)

In 2005 he founded PodShow Inc. a podcast promotions and advertising company. He is also the producer and presenter of a podcast named Daily Source Code. He has even promoted the podcast in Second Life.

Unlike Ward Cunnigham and Dave Winer contributing via inventing new technology Adam Curry has utilized emerging technology to successfully reach new audiences and also to generate publicity for emerging technologies.

Sustainable online communities

Jenny Preece has been involved with various studies and research about Human Computer Interaction for many years. She has also authored, co-authored or editor of seven books on the subject of Human Computer Interaction (University of Maryland Baltimore County, 2009). What makes online communities successful is her research focus and the studies have provided insights into how sociability and usability are connected.

Usability of many of the major social sites would definitely be a key factor for their popularity and hence the growth and sustainability.

Reference List

University of Maryland Baltimore County, 2009,

Jennifer J. Preece, Retrieved September 7,2009,

From http://www.ifsm.umbc.edu/~preece/

Venners B, 2003, Exploring with Wiki, A conversation

with Ward Cunningham, Retrieved September 7, 2009,

From http://www.artima.com/intv/wiki.html

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation Inc., (2009a),

Ward Cunningham, Retrieved September 07, 2009,

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Cunningham

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation Inc., (2009b), List of wikis,

Retrieved September 09, 2009,

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wikis

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation Inc., (2009c), Dave Winer,

Retrieved September 07, 2009,

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Winer

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation Inc., (2009d), Adam Curry,

Retrieved September 07, 2009,

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_curry