Spinning a Stronger Web

My friend just forwarded me this excellent documentary about Web 3.0 that I highly recommend checking out.

Web 3.0 from Kate Ray on Vimeo.

I don't know about you, but those relationship-graphs make me think ..."I can't believe someone sat down at a desk and put all that together." That, and also more academic, intelligent reflections, such as:

How making sense of all the information on the web is a daunting task (although, I just learned that there are more stars and planetary objects in our galaxy than there are grains of sand in all of the world- think about it). As you can see in the video, there's some conflict between how we approach creating a Semantic Web. Should we:

A) Organize our data so it can be interpreted my machines, or
B) Keep data the way it is, and augment it with hints to help machines interpret it.

I like the humanistic approach of the idea B; it somehow implies a more dynamic system that caters to the way we already encode and use information. Certainly, simplifying the web to fit users needs is extremely valuable, so it will be interesting to see the interfaces and platforms that emerge.

Checking out Google's Wonderwheel gives you an applied idea of how we can visualize these categorizations and semantic links. I personally am not a fan of the way this information is presented, as it seems rather rudimentary. Needless to say, I haven't switched over my Google search just yet. But, with a cooler interface- perhaps a little black and silver- I think it could be an excellent way to streamline the web.

~ Kathryn

Helping Haiti

Like the many of us not living under rocks, I've been closely following the Haitian Earthquake online and in the news. Now more than ever, it has really struck me how beneficial it is to have such a global community- that we can be close, and help one another, even if we were physically far apart. Today, ideas, messages, and this week especially- money- can be transferred with a click or text. How wonderful it is that now those of us with money to spare can do something immediately to help others suffering from such a devastating natural disaster.

The Red Cross effort- Text HAITI to 90999- has been all over the internet and TV, from Tegan and Sara's Twitter to an uncommonly serious ending to Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. With that simple message, $10 can be sent to Red Cross.

Consumer Affairs reports that:

"So far, the American Red Cross has received $37 million in donations, breaking records for pledges to the Red Cross made within the same time period after a disaster. More than half of the donations have been through online contributions on the Red Cross and other Web sites, with strong support from corporations and record-setting activity in mobile giving."

We've come a long way from even the 2004 Tsunami, which seemed to raise money mostly through Telethons. Now, social networking tools, blogs, forums, and news sources are harnessing the power of the Internet to enable others to save lives, or at least, begin to repair them. And, that's something to feel good about.

~ Kathryn