July 01, 2005
"A Content Management System For Users"

Here is the first explanation of what Yahoo’s new-ish MyWeb 2.0 is, and why we should care, that actually rings my bell:

“My Web” actually is a content management system for users. It combines a number of new ideas — folksonomy tagging, social networking, recommendation engines — into a tool that helps users organize information around their own interests.

We all struggle with content management when producing our news websites. Rarely do we look at the problem from the user side…

Too true, and not just for news sites — all us e-advocates could say the same.

Yahoo’s Jeremy Zawodny says some interesting things about MyWeb, too:

[E]veryone I know is an expert… in something. If I have questions about electronics or radios, I’d ask my Dad. He’s always looking at that stuff on-line. Astronomy and Astrophotography? My Uncle. Construction and remodeling? My brother in law. Real estate? A couple of my old college friends. The list goes on.

The point is that for most topics I might want to know more about, I already know someone that’s smarter than me on the subject. I have my very own community of experts (we all do). I just need a way to tap into their accumulated experience.

My Web 2.0, the latest release of our My Web service might just be what they need. It gives them an easy way to bookmark, annotate, tag, and share sites they discover. And it gives me a way to get at their stuff. I can subscribe to an RSS feed of someone’s newest bookmarks, or maybe just those sites they tag as “funny” or “real estate.” I can search my entire community’s bookmarks. Or I can just start tag surfing to see what turns up.

From that description, it’s no wonder some folks are calling MyWeb a “del.icio.us killer”. Or maybe it’s better seen as del.icio.us++?

There is an API available to allow you to integrate MyWeb into your own site or application. Take a look and start thinking — are there ways services like this can enrich online activism?

Posted by Jason Lefkowitz at July 01, 2005
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Ant's Eye View is edited by Jason Lefkowitz, a consultant and Web developer in Alexandria, Virginia. Got a question, comment, or concern? Let me hear it!

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