At the Uni we are yet to convince everyone of that old chestnut, that 'content is king'. Content is still the last thing to be considered in many web projects. Now the word on the ground is that content is no longer king, it's all about INTERACTION. I have discussed this before, that services like Flickr and Del.icio.us are putting interaction at the centre of things and content, at least in terms of pure information, is taking a backseat. A good example of traditional (and interesting) content meeting interaction is the BBC. (Have I ever told you how much I love the BBC's web presence? No? I love it. Really.) The BBC has a lot of really good content. They also know what to do with it. They use blogs, podcasting, RSS and open up their development to others through Backstage ("Use our stuff to build your stuff") If you're interested, check out:
- Grokking BBC Online and Web 2.0 media business models
- Content is king no more: Web 2.0 is about interaction
Examples of sheer interaction with very little content supplied by the website include the usual suspects: Del.icio.us, Flickr, Citeulike and productivity tools like Backpack.
So where can this be useful for the Uni?
- Models for systems like Citeulike could be adapted for researchers and academics in general
- Writely offers a model online collaboration on just about anything that involves writing and is low-cost and immediate.
- Blogs are obvious, as is podcasting.
The trick as with all things is to match a real need with the right technology. There is no point in implementing some 'hot', 'cool' technology just because it is there. It has to balanced with a need and the right content. There has to be a need to interact and it has to be easy to use. Sometimes the system can be technically brilliant but the need just not there, whether it was an expressed need or not. This is what the BBC does so well, their strategists identify needs or potential needs and tailor their offerings to suit. They don't invest in technology for the sake of it.
--------