Searching 2.0

Citation

Anh Tran, L. (2009), "Searching 2.0", Online Information Review, Vol. 33 No. 4, pp. 841-843. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520910985792

Web 2.0 is the second generation of services on the web that allows people to collaborate and share information via the network. In contrast to the first generation, Web 2.0 empowers people's experience and skills in using web applications rather than just providing traditional static web pages. This book provides knowledge of the latest generation of Web 2.0 tools, and methods and search strategies in reference services.

The first chapter explains the definition of Web 2.0 (called “read/write web”) and compares the differences between the traditional web and Web 2.0. Chapter 2 discusses the concepts of tagging and folksonomies which are related to most other chapters of the book.

Chapters 3‐10 explain various search tools and methods (with practical exercises for self‐testing knowledge acquisition). The chapters cover:

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  Major search engines today – this chapter focuses on the three that dominate web searching: Google, Live Search, and Yahoo.

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  Wikipedia – this chapter explains the basic concepts of wikis and the empowerment of interactivity, collaboration, etc.

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  Searching for media – this chapter discusses finding multimedia content via the network, such as graphics and images, video, and audio formats.

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  Local search – this chapter supports searching at the local level. People can search for telephone numbers, contacts in online Yellow Pages, maps, directions, destinations, etc.

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  Print search – this explains search capabilities of the internet that allow people to download and print the content of materials from the network. The chapter addresses such issues as authority, copyright and costs.

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  Google Cache, the Wayback Machine, and Wikipedia – this presents current tools for finding and tracing information resources via the network. It also explains the ways to explore the web's past in order to see what pages used to look like.

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  Searching there without being there – this describes the methods and tools for searching online resources without first having to go to the resources. For example, the OpenSearch plug‐ins allows people to search any resource directly into their browsers.

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  Desktop search describes desktop search tools that allow people to search the content of their computers/laptops. In some cases, people can integrate the results of searching their hard drives with their web search results.

Finally, Chapter 11 concludes the book by addressing “Data visualization” (a graphical search method). It examines some cutting‐edge search engines and provides suggestions for a possible future search scenario. The difference between these search engines and the others in the previous chapters is the presentation of search results, but not necessarily in the search methods.

This book is a most valuable collection for any information searcher in the networked era: for Web 2.0 beginners, and for advanced users of Web 2.0. Both groups will become more efficient and proficient from learning in depth the patterns and key components Web 2.0 usage. The editor is Technology Innovation Librarian for the Nebraska Library Commission, and his experience shows in the choice of chapters and authors. This collection clearly sets up Web 2.0 tools up and integrates them into information service. The result is a book for anyone who wants to try using Web 2.0 tools.