Web as a Platform

May 09, 2008

by Evgeny Morozov

Why do we need Why do we need platforms?platforms?

THEY HELP US BUILD STUFF

They help us build stuffThey help us build stuff

Windows OS is a platformWindows OS is a platform

It helped to build this man's fortuneIt helped to build this man's fortune

But it also helped to build millions of software applications for

Windows

How do you become a Bill Gates (i.e. How do you become a Bill Gates (i.e. build a successful platform)?build a successful platform)?

IMPORTANT TAKE-AWAY!IMPORTANT TAKE-AWAY!

Caution: do you really want it?

Answer: Develop a good API

Do we need another API? :-)

Academic Programs InternationalAmerican Petroleum InstituteAustralian Property Institute

Australian Pharmaceuticals IndustriesAmerican Press Institute

Aerospace Products InternationalAnimal Protection Institute

Asia Paranormal InvestigatorsAttachment Parenting International

American Poster Institute

API crash-course

API, or Application Programming Interface, is a set of functions that one computer program makes available

to other programs so they can talk to it directly.

Programs talk to each other all the time ( programmers not so much;-)

How does one create software that draws?

Program: "I need to draw a line"Program: "I need to draw a line"

Windows: "To draw a line, use Function 1”Windows: "To draw a line, use Function 1”

COMMAND: "...if a program asks for Function COMMAND: "...if a program asks for Function 1, execute Activity 1”1, execute Activity 1”

Result: Photoshop

Program: I need to input & edit textProgram: I need to input & edit text

OS: “To delete, use Function 1, to start a new OS: “To delete, use Function 1, to start a new line use Function 2”line use Function 2”

COMMAND: “If program requests Function 1, COMMAND: “If program requests Function 1, execute Activity 1; if program requests execute Activity 1; if program requests

Function 2, execute Activity 2”Function 2, execute Activity 2”

Result: MS Office

+ millions of other commands

=Microsoft Vista (400 USD and 20 GB of space)

How Not to Become a Bill Gates

Build a poorly structured and undocumented platform

Internet was born in chaos, more a Internet was born in chaos, more a data dump than a platformdata dump than a platform

Internet before Web2.0 was great for displaying and viewing data, not for building data applications

Teaser: Web2.0 changed some of that

...but first

Crash course on “Data Crash course on “Data studies”studies”

1. Content2. Structure

3. Presentation

1. Content1. Content2. Structure2. Structure3. Presentation3. Presentation

Web data: 3 key features

:CONTENT::CONTENT:

Content

“Free for all” area that contains just the words (or numbers)

The words could be about:

* A story * Instruction * Definitions * Or what have you

text

:STRUCTURE::STRUCTURE:

II. Structure

This is the document type and the organization ofits elements. For example:

* Memo * Contract

* Newspaper article * Glossary

* Index

:PRESENTATION::PRESENTATION:

III. Presentation

This is where the information presented to the client is organized and formatted

Presentation would control elements such as font types and sizes, etc

Time for inappropriate analogy!

Is music data? Is music data?

Anatomy of a tune

1.1. Content (the actual sounds)Content (the actual sounds)2. Structure (length, volume)2. Structure (length, volume)

3. Presentation (tempo, mood)3. Presentation (tempo, mood)

Anatomy of a tuneAnatomy of a tune

Same tune; two methods

The intuitive wayThe intuitive way

The academic wayThe academic way

Web1.0: Era of HTML

With HTML your Content, Structure, andPresentation are all integrated.

In short, the HTML code

a) makes your page look like it doesb) contains the actual data displayed on the page

c) controls fonts, text size, etc

HTML PROVIDES FOR DISPLAY, HTML PROVIDES FOR DISPLAY, NOTNOT DOCUMENT DOCUMENT STRUCTURE, SEMANTICS, OR CONTENTSTRUCTURE, SEMANTICS, OR CONTENT

HTML=The Intuitive Way

You play the tune even though you have no idea about sheet music

Web2.0: Era of XML

Content, Structure, Presentation are separate

XML provides a standard approach for

*Describing information * Capturing information

* Processing information * Publishing information

XML allows you to describe the XML allows you to describe the abstract structure of your data using abstract structure of your data using

your own vocabularyyour own vocabulary

XML=The Academic Way

You know how to read musicYou know how to read music

Cooking Rhubarb CobblerEvgeny Morozov

May,09 2008Rhubarb Cobbler made with bananas as the main

sweetener. It was delicious. Basically it was2 1/2 cups diced rhubarb

2 tablespoons sugar2 fairly ripe bananas

1/4 teaspoon cinnamondash of nutmeg

Combine all and use as cobbler, pie, or crisp. Related recipes: Garden Quiche

What is “rhubarb”?

HTML<h1>Cooking Rhubarb Cobbler</h1>

<h2>Evgeny Morozov</h2><h3>May,09 2008</h3>

Rhubarb Cobbler made with bananas as the main sweetener. It was delicious. Basically it was

<table> <tr><td> 2 1/2 cups <td> diced rhubarb

<tr><td> 2 tablespoons <td> sugar <tr><td> 2 <td> fairly ripe bananas

<tr><td> 1/4 teaspoon <td> cinnamon <tr><td> dash of <td> nutmeg

</table>

Combine all and use as cobbler, pie, or crisp.

Related recipes: <a href="#GardenQuiche">Garden Quiche</a>

XML<recipe id="117" category="dessert">

<title>Rhubarb Cobbler</title> <author>Evgeny Morozov></author>

<date>May 09, 2008</date>

<description> Rhubarb Cobbler made with bananas as the main sweetener.

It was delicious. </description>

<ingredients> <item><amount>2 1/2 cups</amount><type>diced rhubarb</type></item>

<item><amount>2 tablespoons</amount><type>sugar</type></item> <item><amount>2</amount><type>fairly ripe bananas</type></item>

<item><amount>1/4 teaspoon</amount><type>cinnamon</type></item>

<item><amount>dash of</amount><type>nutmeg</type></item> </ingredients>

<preparation> Combine all and use as cobbler, pie, or crisp.

</preparation>

<related url="#GardenQuiche">Garden Quiche</related></recipe>

Building an APIBuilding an API

Super-cool cooking site: “How do I display Super-cool cooking site: “How do I display how many spoons of sugar to use to cook how many spoons of sugar to use to cook

Rhubarb Cobbler?”Rhubarb Cobbler?”

XML site: “Query for <amount> of the <type> XML site: “Query for <amount> of the <type> “sugar”“sugar”

HTML site: I beg your pardon? (eventually HTML site: I beg your pardon? (eventually crashes ;-)crashes ;-)

From rhubarb to YouTube

YouTube's API

Your blogYour blog: "I need to display all videos from your site : "I need to display all videos from your site tagged as "FUNNY" tagged as "FUNNY"

YouTubeYouTube: "Please access videos at : "Please access videos at youtube.com/tag/word, where "word" should be youtube.com/tag/word, where "word" should be replaced with "FUNNY" replaced with "FUNNY"

COMMAND:COMMAND: "...to display video tagged with a "...to display video tagged with a particular tag, the query should be of the form particular tag, the query should be of the form youtube.com/word/tag/"youtube.com/word/tag/"

AMAZON's API:

Online retailer: "I need to display price for all Amazon items I am selling”

Amazon: "Please ask for parameter PRICE to get price information"

COMMAND: "...if a third-party site asks for PRICE, display PRICE value"

Online retailer: "I need to display price for all Online retailer: "I need to display price for all Amazon items I am selling” Amazon items I am selling”

Amazon: "Please ask for parameter PRICE to Amazon: "Please ask for parameter PRICE to get price information" get price information"

COMMAND: "...if a third-party site asks for COMMAND: "...if a third-party site asks for PRICE, display PRICE value"PRICE, display PRICE value"

XML allows to EASILY move data between different platforms

XML allows to EASILY move XML allows to EASILY move data between different data between different

platformsplatforms

How do you play the guitar part on the piano?

Academic: “just look at the Academic: “just look at the sheets, stupid”sheets, stupid”

““Intuitive”: “this keyboard Intuitive”: “this keyboard looks...ummm...weird..”looks...ummm...weird..”

Web2.0 explained in one line

XML liberated data from its “carriers”

RSS: a way to distribute XML contentRSS: a way to distribute XML content

RSS is content neutral: it could deliver text,RSS is content neutral: it could deliver text, could be photos, could be videoscould be photos, could be videos

It's just a pipeline carrying content to the end-It's just a pipeline carrying content to the end-useruser

Push versus Pull

““Digital Footprints”Digital Footprints”

Why remix?

Most data sets are imperfect and incomplete; Most data sets are imperfect and incomplete; mixing it with other sets of data often helps make mixing it with other sets of data often helps make

a better/informed decisiona better/informed decision

Leg Room Information

+Flights

= Flights with more Leg Room!

Remixing the data was extremely Remixing the data was extremely difficult in the age of Web1.0difficult in the age of Web1.0

Remixing in the age of Web1.0

Remixing in the age of Web2.0

Spot the difference

WEB1.0

WEB1.0WEB1.0 WEB2.0

Web2.0: the Age of the Conductor

Yahoo Pipes: The Conductor

It's not oil, it's data!

A web mashup is a web page or application that combines data from two or more external online sources

Mash-ups: The Lego Model

3 Lego blocks

PicturesMapsText

Pictures

Pictures

Maps

Maps

Text (news)

Text (news?)

Mash-up Matrix (basic)

Pictures Text MapsPictures - Mash-up Mash-up

Text Mash-up - Mash-upMaps Mash-up Mash-up -

Pictures+Text

Pictures+Maps

Pictures+Maps

Maps+Text

Mash-up Matrix Advanced

Pictures News Maps Tags Weather Stock prices Wikipedia Biographies MusicPictures X ? ?

News XMaps XTags X

Weather XStock prices XWikipedia X

Biographies XMusic X

Programmable Web Mashup Matrix

#Most mash-ups are developed by third-parties

#Just let them know how to use your functions (=provide an API) or give out as much raw data as

possible (=provide XML feeds)

Good APIs

GOOGLE MAPS: 1412 mash-upsFLICKR: 336 mash-ups

YOUTUBE: 239 mash-ups

Source: Programmable Web, May 2008

Maps Mash-ups: case-study

Working with textual data can Working with textual data can often be EVEN more rewarding often be EVEN more rewarding

than working with mapsthan working with maps

COMMUNITY