I have a habit of returning my library books a few days after their due dates. I don't like the fines and returning the books late is disrespectful to other people on the waiting list. In order to make myself feel better (and save a few bucks), I signed up for the Hennepin County Library's email alert service because it promised to send me a reminder a few days before the books are due.
When the first alert arrived, I remembered the books sitting on my nightstand, but the most interesting thing about the email was the comment link next to each book. Clicking the link opened library's site and allowed me to write a review or leave a comment about the books for other library patrons to read.
The comment feature probably isn't new for the Hennepin County Library. Afterall, I have been writing and reading product and service reviews on sites like Amazon, Expedia, and Trip Advisor for years. The link did, however, remind me of an article I read in the most recent issue of Wired magazine (May 2008). In the "Information Overlord" article, the author discusses the virtues of a semantic Web applications. He writes:
"...sometimes social connections are less useful than semantic ones... My Facebook page attracts my friends, with whom I share social bonds. Meanwhile, my science blog attracts complete strangers, with whom I share a common interest in a topic... It's a semantic relationship, based on shared meaning."
The point is interesting and relates to the library link. When I'm planning a vacation, I read the customer reviews at Trip Advisor and Expedia. Before I buy a book, I read the customer reviews at Amazon.com. The library now provides the same convenience. Before I check out another book, I'll read other people's reviews before I spend my time on a book that won't meet my expectations.
While I trust my friends about some topics, books and vacations are a different story. I need to depend on my semantic relationships. Those real people who have already read the book will be more useful than some pretentious reviewer or uniformed friend.
When the first alert arrived, I remembered the books sitting on my nightstand, but the most interesting thing about the email was the comment link next to each book. Clicking the link opened library's site and allowed me to write a review or leave a comment about the books for other library patrons to read.
The comment feature probably isn't new for the Hennepin County Library. Afterall, I have been writing and reading product and service reviews on sites like Amazon, Expedia, and Trip Advisor for years. The link did, however, remind me of an article I read in the most recent issue of Wired magazine (May 2008). In the "Information Overlord" article, the author discusses the virtues of a semantic Web applications. He writes:
"...sometimes social connections are less useful than semantic ones... My Facebook page attracts my friends, with whom I share social bonds. Meanwhile, my science blog attracts complete strangers, with whom I share a common interest in a topic... It's a semantic relationship, based on shared meaning."
The point is interesting and relates to the library link. When I'm planning a vacation, I read the customer reviews at Trip Advisor and Expedia. Before I buy a book, I read the customer reviews at Amazon.com. The library now provides the same convenience. Before I check out another book, I'll read other people's reviews before I spend my time on a book that won't meet my expectations.
While I trust my friends about some topics, books and vacations are a different story. I need to depend on my semantic relationships. Those real people who have already read the book will be more useful than some pretentious reviewer or uniformed friend.
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