Wow! I remember using Spy Glass Mosaic to surf the World Wide Web. I remember what magic
you can do with a little HTML and a few animated gifs (GIF 87A/89A). I remember BCP before SQL Server had DTS. I also clearly
remember the entry of XHTML and XML and still feel the effects they had and are having on defining new
web protocols. I could go on and
on with the Acronyms and Terminologies, but I think you get the point.
I
never really thought the utility I first came to know as "The Information
Super Highway" was going to have a social aspect this early on. Much like a normal highway, I thought
it would be a utility long before it established cognitive and social aspects. So, What are the Acronyms and Terminologies emerging in this quickly
forming Social Cloud? What do they
mean? How can you learn more about them?
Well,
I'm glad you asked.
Here
are just a few Acronyms and Terminologies being actively being discussing in conjunction
with the “Social Cloud”:
Acronym:
XFN
XFN (XHTML Friends Network) is a simple way to represent
human relationships using hyperlinks.
Social
Cloud Type: Friend Networks
Wikipedia
Definition: XHTML Friend Network
(Early)
Functional Specification: XFN 1.1 relationships meta
data profile
Other
Information Links: General XFN Links, URLs
are People, Too, XFN Getting Started
Acronym:
FOAF
The Friend of a Friend (FOAF) project is creating a Web of
machine-readable pages describing people, the links between them and the things
they create and do.
Social
Cloud Type: Friend Networks
Wikipedia
Definition: Fried of a Friend Network
Functional
Specification: FOAF Vocabulary Specification 0.91
Other Information Links: The Friend of a Friend (FOAF) Project, So
you want to foaf?, XML Watch:
Finding friends with XML and RDF
Acronym:
XMPP (a.k.a. MicroID)
MicroID is a lightweight identity layer for the web that enables
anyone to claim verifiable ownership over content hosted anywhere on the web
(social networking sites, discussion forums, blogs, etc.).
Social
Cloud Type: Identification
Wikipedia
Definition: Extensible
Messaging and Presence Protocol
Functional
Specification: RFC3920
Other
Information Links: MicroID
- Small Decentralized Verifiable Identity
Term:
OpenID
OpenID is an open, decentralized, free framework for
user-centric digital identity. In
short, OpenID eliminates the need for multiple usernames across different
websites, simplifying your online experience.
Social
Cloud Type: Identification
Wikipedia
Definition: OpenID
Functional
Specification: OpenID
2.0 Authentication 2.0 - Final
Other
Information Links: OpenID.NET, OpenID Enabled, OpenID Wiki
Term: Microformats
Designed for humans first and machines second, microformats
are a set of simple, open data formats built upon existing and widely adopted
standards. Instead of throwing away what works today, microformats intend to
solve simpler problems first by adapting to current behaviors and usage
patterns (e.g. XHTML, blogging).
Social
Cloud Type: Data Formats
Wikipedia
Definition: Microformats
Further
Definition: hCard, hCalendar, hReview
Other
Information Links: Microformats
Wiki
Some
of these concepts are from the late 1990’s some are more recent. They are all still gaining traction and
acceptance. Some will evolve and
mutate, some won’t. New ones are
sure to come along sooner than later.
Since
late last year, I found myself at conferences and meet-ups discussing OpenID,
MicroID, Data Portability, Online Reputation, and Social Graph
Programming. We are now seeing the
social plumbing get pieced together.