Shock Digest 2
‘Does Web 2.0 Herald the end of in-house development and provision of IT services?‘ Paul Walk, UKOLN.
As previously discussed, the answer to this question is not clear cut. The critical mass of usage (and/or the weight of the Market) appears to demand branded, recognisable web 2.0 products in all things, but whether this is a demand is ergonomic, and within the academic and personal sphere is unclear. Walk cited two students’ assertion of gmail’s prowess in comparison to their own institutions web services at a conference in Edinburgh. During my MA research, students with disabilities expressed similar sentiments, and (albeit good humoured) dismay concerning the learning curve of associated computer services in general. For accessible, searchable, inboxes gmail won out. Walk suggests institutions learning from commercial 2.0 approaches to development and considering some of the benefits, and costs, of institutional use of third party services.
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