Web 2.0 Information Technology Tools

Web 2.0 Information Technology Tools

• Google Maps enhances user experience by providing pictures, reviews, and attractions posted by users, making it a collaborative platform.
• A blog is a personal website where the creator expresses opinions, conveys news, and shares links to other articles and websites.
• Bloggers create and maintain blogs, and the blogosphere refers to the millions of blogs on the web.
• Companies often listen to consumers' views on their products, which are referred to as consumer-generated media.
• Blogs have benefits, such as providing current news and information, but limitations, like potential inaccuracies.

Microblogging

• Microblogging is a form of blogging that allows users to write short messages (up to 140 characters in Twitter) and publish them.
• Messages can be submitted via text messaging, instant messaging, email, or the web.
• Microblogging services, such as Twitter, differ from blogging due to the limited space per message.

Wikis

• A wiki is a website where users can add, change, or delete material, fostering collaboration and relying on the combined input of many individuals.
• Wikipedia is an example of a wiki, being the largest online encyclopedia.
• However, there are debates over the reliability and accuracy of Wikipedia articles, with some educators not allowing students to cite references from Wikipedia.

Social Networking Web Sites

• A social network is a social structure composed of individuals, groups, or organizations linked by values, visions, ideas, financial exchange, friendship, or trade.
• A social network can also be described as a map of all relevant links or connections among the network's members, referred to as their social graph.
• Social networking refers to activities performed using social software tools or social networking features.
• Social capital refers to the number of connections a person has within and between social networks.

Enterprise Social Network

• An enterprise social network is a business-oriented social network, which can be public or private, and is owned and managed by an independent company or created in-house for employees, business partners, and/or customers.

Social Computing in Business: Shopping

• Social shopping combines social networks with online shopping, allowing customers to connect with others based on tastes, location, age, gender, and other attributes.
• Customers use social networking to guide their purchase decisions, relying on ratings, reviews, and recommendations from friends, fans, and experienced customers.
• Group shopping websites offer major discounts or special deals during a short time frame, known as flash sales.
• Social marketplaces act as online intermediaries, introducing, buying, and selling products and services, and helping members market their own creations.
• Peer-to-peer shopping models allow individuals to sell, buy, rent, or barter online with other individuals, facilitating collaborative consumption.

Social Computing in Business: Marketing

• Marketing involves building profitable customer relationships by creating value for customers and capturing value in return.
• Social computing is particularly useful for advertising and market research, allowing advertisers to target potential customers and monitor user dynamics.
• Social advertising makes use of social context, such as friend recommendations and likes, to impact user dynamics.
• Advertisers are willing to pay to place ads and run promotions on social networks due to the large number of visitors and time spent on these platforms.

Social Computing in Business: Customer Relationship Management

• Social computing has transformed customer relationship management, empowering customers and requiring companies to respond quickly and appropriately to customer issues.
• Companies use social computing to proactively involve customers, reducing problems and turning disappointed customers into champions for the firm.

Social Computing in Business: Human Resource Management

• Human resource departments use social computing applications primarily in recruiting and training.
• Recruiters scan online social networks, blogs, and other social resources to identify and find information about potential employees.
• Companies use virtual worlds for training purposes.