The Future of web applications in science

A talk on the future of web apps given at the Computational and Molecular Population Genetics, University of Bern

1. ∅ The Future of web applications in science David Roessli Apr 16, 2007 Bern CMPG Universität Bern
2. ∅ I am a scientific collaborator at the University of Geneva. In charge of IT for the dept of Anthropology and all of its online presence. About me I am a freelance webdesigner passionate about web standards and accessibility, information and interaction architecture, and user interface design. anthro.unige.ch cybmed.com davidroessli.com
3. ∅ The Future
4. ∅ The future is going to be great! The Future of Web Applications in Science – Khoi Vinh, FoWA London Feb 2007
5. ∅ Space colonies http://www.subtraction.com/archives/2007/0225_back_from_th.php
6. ∅ The future of style http://www.subtraction.com/archives/2007/0225_back_from_th.php
7. ∅ Users will change http://www.subtraction.com/archives/2007/0225_back_from_th.php
8. ∅ We’ll have great T-shirts http://www.threadless.com/product/63.html
9. ∅ The Future http://www.threadless.com/product/63.html
10. ∅ The Future where is my jetpack, where is my robotic companion, where is my dinner in pill form, where is my hydrogen fueled automobile, where is my nuclear powered levitating house, where is my cure for this disease they lied to us this was supposed to be the future http://www.threadless.com/product/63.html
11. ∅ What I will not be talking about today Today • User interface design • Web standards compliance • Content semantic markup • Accessibility and usability • Behaviour architecture
12. ∅ What is behind the Web 2.0 concept and how it impacts web based applications in science. The next 41 minutes • What is the web changing into? • What can you build upon it? • Science’s low adoption of web 2.0 principles • Web services in science
13. ∅ What is behind the Web 2.0 concept and how it impacts web based applications in science. The next 41 minutes • What is the web changing into? • What can you build upon it? • Science’s low adoption of web 2.0 principles • Web services in science
14. ∅ What is Web 2.0?
15. ∅ Blogger http://blogger.com
16. ∅ Rollyo http://rollyo.com
17. ∅ Chatsum http://chatsum.com
18. ∅ Carbonmade http://carbonmade.com
19. ∅ Technorati http://technorati.com
20. ∅ Lastfm http://last.fm
21. ∅ Flickr http://flickr.com
22. ∅ Flickr http://flickr.com
23. ∅ Flickr http://flickr.com
24. ∅ an emerging network-centric platform to support distributed, collaborative and cumulative creation by its users – John Hagel What is Web 2.0 ?
25. ∅ Web 1.0 was about commerce. Web 2.0 is people – Ross Mayfield What is Web 2.0 ?
26. ∅ A startup that generates more RSS than revenue – Endgadget What is Web 2.0 ?
27. ∅ Web 2.0 is a state of mind – Andy Budd What is Web 2.0 ?
28. ∅ What is Web 2.0 ? • Buzzword • Conference • Marketing • A new bubble • All of the above and less
29. ∅ Tim O’Reilly started it all back in 2005 with a article published on his website. September 30, 2005 What Is Web 2.0 Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software http://www.oreillynet.com/lpt/a/6228
30. ∅ What is Web 2.0 ? http://www.oreillynet.com/lpt/a/6228
31. ∅ Web 2.0 meme map
32. ∅ Web 2.0 meme map
33. ∅ Web 2.0 meme map
34. ∅ Web 2.0 meme map
35. ∅ Web 2.0 meme map
36. ∅ Web 2.0 meme map
37. ∅ What it is about Open data Social interaction User participation Enhanced user experience Technology and standards
38. ∅ What it is about Open data Social interaction User participation Enhanced user experience Technology and standards
39. ∅ Technologies Open APIs Ajax Microformats http://www.flickr.com/photos/ latrent/215381839/ RSS
40. ∅ Twitter Flickr Technorati Linkedin Basecamp Digg Ning Meebo Lastfm Odeo YouTube Facebook Upcoming del.icio.us Magnolia NewsVine Moo BackPack MeasureMap Rollyo Plazes Yelp Netvibes Ask City Popular web 2.0 apps
41. ∅ Twitter Flickr Technorati Linkedin Basecamp Digg Ning Meebo Lastfm Odeo YouTube Facebook Upcoming del.icio.us Magnolia NewsVine Moo BackPack MeasureMap Rollyo Plazes Yelp Netvibes Ask City Popular web 2.0 apps
42. ∅ Principles features of web 2.0 The Web As Platform Harnessing Collective Intelligence Rich User Experiences Data is the Next Intel Inside Data is the Next Intel Inside Data is the Next Intel Inside End of the Software Release Cycle Lightweight Programming Models Software Above the Level of a Single Device
43. ∅ A web of data
44. ∅ A web of data http://flickr.com/photos/meskill/168566452/
45. ∅ The web as it was
46. ∅ The web as it was CMS and publishing tools big silo of information very large database yet another source of info B.I.G database of important stuff
47. ∅ Tomorrow’s web?
48. ∅ Tomorrow’s web?
49. ∅ Tomorrow’s web? an aggregate web of connected data sources and services
50. ∅ Tomorrow’s web? A web of data sources, services for exploring and manipulating data, and ways that users can connect them together
51. ∅ Tomorrow’s web? A web of data sources, services for exploring and manipulating data, and ways that users can connect them together
52. ∅ Tomorrow’s web? A web of data sources, services for exploring and manipulating data, and ways that users can connect them together
53. ∅ Tomorrow’s web? A web of data sources, services for exploring and manipulating data, and ways that users can connect them together
54. ∅ Tomorrow’s web? A web of data sources, services for exploring and manipulating data, and ways that users can connect them together – Tom Coates
55. ∅ A web of data a web of pages
56. ∅ A web of data a web of pages + mashups! +
57. ∅ A web of data a web of pages + mashups! + a web of data? ?
58. ∅ What can you build upon it? • add data • open your data sources, give data a definitive home • give ways of adding new data, annotating, enhancing existing data How can I add value to the aggregated web?
59. ∅ What can you build upon it? How can I add value to the aggregated web? • give ways of exploring, manipulating and organising data • give ways of navigating data
60. ∅ What can you build upon it? How can I add value to the aggregated web? • remember that data is the core service of the next 10 years
61. ∅ What can you build upon it? Some of the stuff you need to do • standard ways of representing, identifying and accessing data • mechanisms for distributing and replicating data • ways to interact or enhance data
62. ∅ Mashups and web services
63. ∅ Mashups http://flickr.com/photos/dictybloke/412791223/
64. ∅ Mashups A mashup is a website or application that combines content from more than one source into an integrated experience. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup
65. ∅ Chicago Crime http://www.chicagocrime.org/
66. ∅ Overplot http://persistent.info/overplot/
67. ∅ Overplot http://persistent.info/overplot/
68. ∅ Overplot http://persistent.info/overplot/
69. ∅ HYDESim http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/gmap/hydesim.html
70. ∅ HYDESim http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/gmap/hydesim.html
71. ∅ Twitter http://twitter.com
72. ∅ Twitter http://twitter.com
73. ∅ Twittervision http://twitter.com
74. ∅ Flickr http://flickr.com
75. ∅ Flickr http://flickr.com
76. ∅ Moo as a web service over Flickr http://moo.com
77. ∅ Moo as a web service over Flickr http://moo.com
78. ∅ Pipes http://www.flickr.com/photos/ickypic/447928809/
79. ∅ Pipes Pipes is an interactive feed aggregator and manipulator. http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes
80. ∅ Real world task Find an apartment to rent in walking distance (< 1mile) of a park in San Francisco..
81. ∅ Real world task http://sfbay.craigslist.org/apa/
82. ∅ Real world task http://sfbay.craigslist.org/apa/ http://maps.google.com/
83. ∅ Real world task http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.edit?_id=1mrlkB232xGjJDdwXqIxGw
84. ∅ Real world task http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.edit?_id=1mrlkB232xGjJDdwXqIxGw
85. ∅ Real world task http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.edit?_id=1mrlkB232xGjJDdwXqIxGw
86. ∅ Real world task http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.edit?_id=1mrlkB232xGjJDdwXqIxGw
87. ∅ Real world task http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.edit?_id=1mrlkB232xGjJDdwXqIxGw
88. ∅ Network effect of services • Every new service can build on top of every other existing service - the web becomes a true platform • Every service and piece of data that’s added to the web makes every other service potentially more powerful A web of data sources, services for exploring and manipulating data, and ways that users can connect them together
89. ∅ Science
90. ∅ Science today • Scientists are both Internet pioneers, early adopters, and late adopters • Slow adoption of Web 2.0 in science • Excessive competition and data restrictions remain the main barriers (?) For most users, the web remains a big online library where they mainly search for information.
91. ∅ Why? • Journals • Conferences • International community • Scientists are the leaders and early adopters in many areas of computing Science led by centuries in collaboration
92. ∅ Science weblogs http://scienceblogs.com/channel/biology/
93. ∅ Science weblog aggregator http://postgenomic.com/
94. ∅ Science weblog aggregator http://postgenomic.com/
95. ∅ Science weblog aggregator http://postgenomic.com/
96. ∅ Communication • The emerging web is largely being shaped by dynamic interactions between users in real time; • Researchers still see publications in the formal scientific literature as ‘the’ means of scientific communication. There may be more to science that the ‘Journal’
97. ∅ Communication • Scientists are missing out on new ways to communicate with each other and the public; • Science communication would be enhanced, both before publication, when generating ideas, and after publication, when discussing results. There may be more to science that the ‘Journal’
98. ∅ Blogging in Science Weblogs are still largely frowned upon. • Blogging is perceived as an unattractive distraction from real work, background noise, coffee-room chatter or exhibition; • The ‘fear of blogging’ effect prevails: give a poor image, waste of time, or even dangerous.
99. ∅ Blogging in Science Weblogs as journals. Think about it. • Low-circulation/low value-add/high-cost journals (ie most) are fit for replacement by such cheaper online community solutions. Open access; • High-circulation/high value-add/low-cost is a different model; • Need stable archiving. Need recognition and an impact factor.
100. ∅ Web services in Science today Web services and mashups exist in some disciplines • A bioinformatician can get a gene sequence from the GenBank database, its homologues using the BLAST alignment service, and the resulting protein structures from the SwissProt site in one step.
101. ∅ Web services in Science today Web services and mashups exist in some disciplines • An astronomer can automatically collate all available data for an object, taken by different telescopes at various wavelengths, into one place, rather than having to check each source individually.
102. ∅ Issues Generalising the model raises issues to be addressed • Semantic web, data parallelisation is an issue; • Data availability and access is the big issue.
103. ∅ Avian flu report http://www.nature.com/avianflu
104. ∅ Avian flu report http://www.nature.com/avianflu
105. ∅ Avian flu mashup
106. ∅ AntWeb mashup http://www.antweb.org/index.jsp
107. ∅ AntWeb mashup http://www.antweb.org/index.jsp
108. ∅ AntWeb mashup http://www.antweb.org/index.jsp
109. ∅ Now, where to? • Look to add value to the aggregated web of data • Build for normal users, developers and machines • Start designing with data, not pages Embrace the web of data
110. ∅ Now, where to? • Identify your first order objects and make them addressable • Use readable, reliable and hackable URLs • Build list views, and batch manipulation interfaces • Make your data as discoverable as possible Embrace the web of data
111. ∅ Thank you For those interested, the presentation slides are available at, http://davidroessli.com/talks/2007/04/cmpg http://www.flickr.com/photos/angela7/76598852/
112. ∅ Thank you For those interested, the presentation slides are available at, http://davidroessli.com/talks/2007/04/cmpg