Digital Media Buzz > ‘Semantics’ and the Future of Web Technology:A conversation with social media company, IngBoo

‘Semantics’ and the Future of Web Technology:A conversation with social media company, IngBoo

By Contel Bradford

When it comes to any software application, version 2.0 of the product always tends to be that intermediate, short-lived stage. It gets the end user through to 3.0, which is where the full potential is finally realized. A perfect example would be the Windows operating system. Version 1.0 was congested with so many bugs that using the system efficiently was impossible. 2.0 addressed some major issues but still had its shortcomings. 3.0 was almost an instant success, paving the way for the feature-rich, super-functional Windows OS we know today.

Web 2.0 follows a similar trajectory. Though a phenomenon, Web 2.0 represents an era of Web life that is simply here to hold us over until the more durable and efficient Web 3.0 emerges.

Recently, DigitalMediaBuzz.com got the opportunity to pick the brains of Furkan Khan and Rikard Kjellberg of the popular social media outlet, IngBoo.com. Founded in 2007, IngBoo consolidates and tracks updates from just about any social networking website, be it individual blogs or networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Khan and Kjellberg shared their thoughts on the current state of social networking and Web 2.0 as well as the inevitable rise of Web 3.0.

What is IngBoo’s current position in the Web/social networking atmosphere?
Rikard Kjellberg: In addition to consolidating all of a user’s social updates into one easily accessed page, users can share topics with others and add their own context. For example, I subscribe to Digital Media Buzz in my IngBoo list, and I am particularly interested in updates on the topic of “social media,” so I add a filter for it. Now I can take the information snippet that IngBoo generates and share it with my friends as an expert resource on “social media” topics. By creating this topic update in my IngBoo list, it also allows consumers searching IngBoo for “social media” to see my information snippet as a matching content source. As a result, I am able to share highly contextual information connections with other IngBoo users.

Users can also create their own topics by pointing IngBoo to an information source of their choosing, even if it is not currently part of the IngBoo catalog. By doing this, the topic they create become spart of the overall IngBoo inventory that other users can discover and incorporate into their own updates. For example, I recently created a topic on windsurfing that includes my favorite windsurfing blog. It is now available to other IngBoo users without them having to search the Web.

Some experts are claiming that Web 2.0 is dead or rather, waiting in limbo until Web 3.0 fully emerges. What do you think?
Furkan Khan: The Internet is constantly evolving. Web 2.0 spawned the ever-present social networking category, which continues to innovate to this day — so we don’t believe Web 2.0 is in limbo. The semantic Web (Web 3.0) as defined by Tim Berners-Lee is a work in progress. Incremental steps are taken all the time. IngBoo is already leveraging several Web 3.0 technologies, such as microformats. In other cases, we provide semantics via proprietary methods.

What role will the following elements play in Web 3.0?
Khan:

API services: API services are extremely helpful in creating mashups that have semantic aspects. For example, we can already associate a street address with a map and provide a graphical representation of the location. This can be done without access to the map technology, simply by using the address with the Google Map API.

Data Aggregation Services: With regards to data aggregation services, we are entering the era of co-opetition (cooperation and competition at the same time). We share data, technology, users and resources already. Any website that draws from other resources is by definition an aggregator. The core value the aggregator can provide is to assemble disparate information in an accessible format, thereby improving the overall user experience of the Web. IngBoo does that.

Application services: It is hard to separate application services from API services, as we believe they are truly integral. Web-available applications provide contextual elements to various larger applications available to end users. This way, we can build increasingly powerful services for the end users. Hopefully, we also build intuitive and accessible services for the mass market, not just the early adopters.

Is it possible for client-side services to keep pace with these Web technologies?
Khan: Client-side applications are currently in vogue with the mobile device community, where they can mitigate inherent limitations in terms of small form factor and reduced compute power. Combine this with the latest client-side frameworks (e.g., iPhone) that make it really simple to bring popular Web applications to the client without compromising the user experience. Mobile devices have reached an inflection point, and we believe they can keep pace with, and complement, the fast pace of evolution in Web technologies.

Are consumers ready for Web 3.0?
Khan: The semantic Web is an evolutionary process. We will all find ourselves there at some point. It makes sense and it’s a natural way to think about your real world. The Internet is just beginning to mimic the real world. So, yes, we believe that consumers will find Web 3.0 perfectly obvious.

How will IngBoo make this inevitable transition easier for the Web community?
Khan: IngBoo is designed with semantics in mind. The core concept is to provide improved relevancy (context, format and timing) to the user. The underlying technology continues to evolve. For example, IngBoo is taking the lead in leveraging the microformats standard to further enhance consumer interaction with content. The good thing is that the consumer can simply begin to enjoy these Web 3.0 technologies without having to learn new behaviors or install new applications. IngBoo hides the underlying technology implications from the user and brings new value in the form of improved user experience and incremental functionality.