Bloghttp://www.kimengi.com/blog/en-US2010-03-12T15:50:32ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Web 3.0: Not yet there, but the vibe ishttp://www.kimengi.com/blog/2010/2/25/web-30-not-yet-there-but-the-vibe-is.htmlTristan Teunissen2010-02-25T20:00:00Zpowerset realtime search semantic web twitter vulcan web 3.0I attended the Web3.0 conference last month in Santa Clara. The conference was truly inspiring, but web 3.0?  One of the first questions you have to ask is "Does web 3.0 mean the semantic web?"  Should we view the semantic web as a world wide database, as suggested by Dr. Mark Greaves of Vulcan, and what issues will it raise?  
How cumbersome will working with numerous database administrators be?  If it is a database, it will certainly be the largest - and noisiest - database in the world. This so-called noise is a big problem for the semantic web.
Another problem is that for many topics there is a vast surplus of information available - how do you find out the richest links?  On the other hand, it is democratic, crowdsourced, scalable knowledge engineering, which makes the semantic web a great knowledge base for humanity.
Freshness has always been important for search and over the last months ‘live-search’ has become very popular. Due to the popularity of social media sites like Twitter, search engines have had to go hyper-fresh. People are creating a constant stream of new input, which can contain very useful and especially up-to-date information. But these hyper-fresh content services are creating new problems for search engines. Tweets aren’t always written in English and there are only 140 characters available to broadcast your message. Because there are only 140 characters, semantic technology can be quite helpful in extracting the true meaning of a message. Through semantic technology it’s possible to detect entities that are referenced and disambiguate them.
Search engines like Bing (Microsoft) are already implementing semantic technology for extracting information. “All search engines are somewhat semantic already” according to Scott Prevost, Principal Development Manager for Bing. Whatever the real definition for semantic search is, “it’s already here but it hasn’t been a 'Voila!' moment. Semantic search won’t be a big revolution from a new startup, but there will be game changers”.  Scott has had first hand experience here with Powerset, often called “The New Google” in the media before their acquisition by Microsoft in 2008 as a feature for their search technology. 
Semantic technology, like all technology, needs a certain critical mass. The good thing is that the ecosystem is growing at the moment, with more and more publishers helping out. But the main focus of semantic tech companies should be on creating systems which can automatically promote open content, so we won't be dependent on the efforts of publishers. By creating this kind of technology the costs of semantic publishing will shrink to almost zero in several years, just as online publishing did during the web 2.0 era.  
The technology is here now - there are already more than 1600 APIs and they are growing at a non-linear accelerated rate. People are starting to work in the cloud as the new data center and it is the illusion of infinite scalability and omniscience that serve as inducements. Tom Gruber, a recognized expert in Artificial Intelligence, intelligent interfaces, semantic technologies, and presenter at Web3.0, strongly believes in the “Gigantic Join” which he thinks web 3.0 will become. The semantic web will include the possibility of numerous "joins" of APIs, and his latest product Siri.com is built on this idea. Siri is a mobile device-based question and answer application using speech as input, and is built on a collection of available APIs. 
This application is a good example for the upcoming mobile web, which is creating new rules, and possibilities for the semantic web. Mobile devices create new sources of input - users don't speak in keywords, they ask questions in their native language. These new ways of input have to be interpreted, and that’s where semantic technology kicks in. “Semantic technology is the hottest area of web architecture right now,” according to Dr. Greaves. “It’s a new way of thinking about the web as we know it” says Scott Prevost. 
You could indeed feel this vibe at web 3.0. People are eager to learn from each other, sharing thoughts and inspiring each other.  In the coming weeks I will dig deeper into some of the Web3.0 topics related to semantic technology like SEO, search and business and opportunities.

 

 

]]>Pay no attention to the man behind the curtainhttp://www.kimengi.com/blog/2010/1/26/pay-no-attention-to-the-man-behind-the-curtain.htmlLucien2010-01-26T17:35:20Zanton zeef developer team tristan teunissenThe great and mighty Oz didn't want anyone to know how he made things work, but we don't mind sharing that with you here at f»dforward. In this post, we would like to introduce you to some great brains in our team, Anton Zeef and Tristan Teunissen.

Anton is one of our senior developers and has a serious mathematical background with several years of experience in the key development of web applications. Anton focuses on the algorithms and statistics used in both our recommendation engine and social analytics tools. Anton holds a Beta-Gamma degree with major Mathematics from the University of Amsterdam. Not you average twitterer, but he might enjoy you following him...

Tristan Teunissen, also a senior developer and Web 3.0 specialist, has a background in computational linguistics and information retrieval. His education and already vast experience contributes the advanced semantic elements of f»dforward. During his college years, he owned his on web business, initiating and managing several retrieval and  semantic technology related projects. Tristan has a degree from the University of Groningen (RUG) in Information Sciences, with a specialization in Computational Linguistics. Tristan focuses on all web 3.0 aspects within f»dforward. If you are into web 3.0 too and attending Mediabistro.com's web 3.0 in Santa Clara, you can meet him right there. Follow Tristan on twitter and send him a message.

Now that you are introduced, be on the look out for regular posts from both of these semantic and recommendation tech top dogs!

 

]]>10 and 3 make Web 3.0http://www.kimengi.com/blog/2010/1/26/10-and-3-make-web-30.htmlTristan Teunissen2010-01-26T15:00:43Z2010 API advertising mobile web search engines semantic web time-to-result web 3.0Ten is the start of a new decade and the third decade for the Web. The third decade is often seen as and referred to the decade of the semantic Web. So we think that it’s a great way to start this new decade in 2010 by attending the Web 3.0 conference deep in the the heart of the information technology forest - Silicon Valley.

During the previous decade the Web was getting more social. Through user generated content the web is growing containing more and up-to-date knowledge. API’s for making web data accessible are more common, so in future connecting knowledge is getting easier. 

Semantic technology is ready to get mainstream and leaving the research labs. But businesswise semantic technology is still often difficult to pitch and understand. Could semantic advertising create a success? Having more knowledge about content could increase the ROI for advertisers due the increased relevance of an ad? How can semantic technology enrich our web experience, making user information needs more meaningful. Could the growing mobile Web create a breakthrough for semantic technology?

Adding semantic technology time-to-results can be increased which is important for ubiquitous mobile devices. What are search engines like Google and Yahoo doing with semantic technology? Are they only implementing it to increase time-to-result or do they see other advantages? What is the future of semantic search in general? Should start ups compete in the market of the search giants? Or should they just concentrate on universal solutions and implement search for a smaller domain? 

I'm confident Web 3.0 will give some great new insights and we will report back from our experience and findings at this event that starts today!

]]>Next step forward: Social Analytics and Corporate Brandshttp://www.kimengi.com/blog/2010/1/11/next-step-forward-social-analytics-and-corporate-brands.htmlLucien2010-01-11T17:18:37Z2010 publishers semantic web socialWe have just received some great coverage in the SemanticWeb about our new features and the road ahead for f»dforward.

Whats next? The social trail side of your network – how people are moving around it and what does that mean to users, publishers and businesses. Stay tuned, 2010 is just getting started!

]]>Semantic Web Prediction for 2010http://www.kimengi.com/blog/2009/12/22/semantic-web-prediction-for-2010.htmlLucien2009-12-22T18:38:51ZThe Semanticweb.com recently asked us (and a few others) our thoughts on 2010 semantic technology predictions.

You can read our predictions in the blog post (semantic web will not arrive in 2010) but with our second prediction, we wanted to elaborate a bit more.

Semantic Prediction for 2010: API's will provide the breeding ground for the next phase of the semantic web

As the current web will not readily evolve into a semantic web in 2010, we do see some promise in API's that can help enrich current available data on the web. Many services, like facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and of course our f»dforward network, are able to enrich existing data by analyzing it and connecting it to other data on the fly. As these web services will open up more and more and become available for other services to use, we expect that a web of API's will arise that can work together. This will probably be the first part of the semantic web that the general web audience will experience. So, in a way, 'Open Data' might lead the way to Linked Data a.k.a. the Semantic web.

API's are taking us one step closer to where we all want to be. A smarter web that works for us.

For other 2010 predictions, read the full post at Semanticweb.com

 

]]>Track Viewing Timehttp://www.kimengi.com/blog/2009/12/22/track-viewing-time.htmlLucien2009-12-22T08:20:31ZWant to see what tracks looks like from people visiting your blog? Click on any avatar (picture) of people present in the widget. A track view shows you articles they have visited and articles they have recommended. A single track view is different from the standard view of the widget.

The standard view of the widget as you can find at the bottom of this article, shows recommendations based on tracks of all users reading this article. The screenshot below shows the single track view of ... me!

Single Track View F»dforward Widget

Just imagine what you will get if we combine all tracks of all visitors to serve you recommendation on where to go next? That is exactly what we do. 

The f»dforward widget isn't like any other related content tools. It's smarter, it is networked and it analyzes and gives you insight into where your content is going and who is reading it.

Get in the driver's seat and grow a bigger blogger network. Get f»dforward now at http://getfeedforward.com.

]]>First thoughts from LeWeb and it's all about publishinghttp://www.kimengi.com/blog/2009/12/9/first-thoughts-from-leweb-and-its-all-about-publishing.htmlLucien2009-12-09T19:03:21Z

News From ScratchThis year at LeWeb, Marrisa Mayer from Google was interviewed by Michael Arrington from TechCrunch. This was a smooth interview with not too many prodding questions, like privacy issues when you provide personal search for all unregistered users. I digress.

An interesting takeaway from Marissa was her comments on the way Google approached news publishing and she talked about what if news publishing could be designed from scratch - here are three elements we noticed:


1. Providing an option of what to read next at the end of an article
2. Using your social network to provide insight of what is interesting
3. Creating a personal stream of news

Now, this sounds familiar to us of course since this is what our widget is all about. The question is, how will Google implement this because it would mean several consequences including impacting their business model.

1. Marissa assumes that publishers do not yet have a related content section at every page below the article. That was an ill-informed comment because most related content is normally situated right there. It also means that Google might take their business outside of the publishers site.

2. With social networks, do they mean all social networks? She was probably indicating Google friends we assume?

3. Where does this stream take place? Within Google News or will Google really take their main business out of the search portal? It would be impressive if they would but there is a risk involved of losing revenue because the best performing ads get less attention.

So in all, from a f»dforward point of view, we think it is truly great to hear that Google endorses what we are trying to accomplish already with our recommendation widget. For Google to make a success of implementing a personal recommendation service that is distributed among the web, including the contribution from your peers, they will have to drive traffic away from their search portal where they have their biggest revenue and every person will probably need to connect to a Google friend or else they will disclose a lot of data to the like of Facebook, MySpace. So the problem with Google in this case is search legacy, current strong revenue streams, and semi-openness.

It will be very interesting to see how this develops. In the mean time, try f»dforward right here, right now.



]]>Things to do after installation: Adding Twitter!http://www.kimengi.com/blog/2009/11/5/things-to-do-after-installation-adding-twitter.htmlLucien2009-11-05T21:32:07Zavatar connect expert follow f»dforward recommendations share track twitter widget

Can you blog without Twitter? You sure can, but you probably use Twitter like many bloggers to inform your peers that you have created another masterpiece at your blog. So, how about showing even more expertise by connecting Twitter and f»dforward?

Adding Twitter to f»dforward
In the f»dforward recommendation network, Twitter offers you more options to show your blogging expertise. By adding your Twitter account to your widget, you will be able to: 

1. Get Better Recommendations
Adding Twitter on top of f»dforward, creates a larger foot print of your profile that can build additional interest for you. The better your interests are known, the better recommendation we serve to you. And because f»dforward's recommendation are social based, your readers benefit from your expert reading as well.

2. Share your track record
Don't just share your blogpost, share everything that you write and read! When you read a blogpost and use f»dforward to Tweet about it, people who follow your link and get served your previous recommendations and previous reads at the end of the blogpost. This means they can continue on the same track (of reads) you took around the network.

3. Meet Other Interesting People
Having Twitter integrated in f»dforward will show other bloggers (and blog readers) that you have read their posts. Your avatar will appear on the people recommendation panel at the top of the widget. By clicking it, people check out your track record and start reading other blogpost you have read. They might feel you share the same interests and start following you around, both in f»dforward and on Twitter. And, while you browse across the network you might come across some interesting people yourself!

More twings coming your way
These are just more viral features you get from adding the f»dforward widget to your blog. More cool things are coming your way including further social network integration into f»dforward.


How-to: Connecting Twitter to f»dforward
Here is how you add Twitter to your f»dforward account. Watch the screencast below or read on and add your twitter account right now in our widget below.



Add Twitter right now!
Scroll down to the widget on this blogpost and click the Twitter 'connect' option on the right in the top panel. Now follow these two simple steps
1. Share a what you are reading on twitter by tweeting a f»dforward link
2. Provide us with your twitter name and click 'connect me'

That is it! You are now connected with your Twitter account and you can start sharing your reads and recommendations in f»dforward and on twitter of course!

 

]]>Things to do after installation I: Change Designhttp://www.kimengi.com/blog/2009/11/2/things-to-do-after-installation-i-change-design.htmlLucien2009-11-02T11:56:11Zdesign f»dforward settings widgetAfter installing the f»dforward widget on your blog there are some quick, easy actions you can take enjoy your widget even more! In this blogpost we talk about changing the skin of your widget to match your blogs theme.

Change Design and/or Language
Everyone's blog has a unique design. So, we wanted to create a recognizable widget in order to create a continuous experience across the f»dforward recommendation network. The result is some colorful skins to match the widget with your blog template. 

skins
There are skins for darker and lighter backgrounds and for each of those types we provide several main colors to match the main theme color of your blog. Next to that there two special skins that try to blend in as much as possible. We call them the minimal skins. 

Video Tutorial
In the screencast below, I'll explain what you can change and how to do it. I use my own personal blog, because as always, you will need admin rights to a widget to change these kind of options.

Take a look at the video or read on below if you want to change it right away.


How To Do It Right Now
It's quite easy to change the skin of the widget. If you want to change it right away, go to your own blog (important, you can't change other people's widget) and open a post in a single post page. Scroll down to your widget and click on 'settings' in the top menu of the widget. Next, choose 'Change Widget Design' in the second section on the Settings page. Now try out some skins to see how they match your blog theme by choosing one of the available skins.

 

]]>Four blogging platforms, one great widgethttp://www.kimengi.com/blog/2009/10/7/four-blogging-platforms-one-great-widget.htmlLucien2009-10-07T19:10:51Zblogging platforms blogs blogspot f»dforward installation typepad web-log widget wordpressWe would like to tell you about the latest features we have been working on at Kimengi for f»dforward. The f»dforward widget is now available on four blogging platforms with an easy install option:  TypePad, BlogSpot, WordPress and the Dutch Web-log.

Let us tell you how to use the f»dforward widget on these platforms. When you open de widget like this (<- click to scroll to widget and open on Install page), you can choose your type of blog as shown on the screenshot below.

Screenshot start page f»dforward widget install

By choosing TypePad, BlogSpot or Web-log you will be directed straight to the administration section of your own blog and the widget code will be inserted in the right section. After confirmation, your widget is available for your review on any of your single page blogposts (i.e. not on your homepage)!

WordPress is also available. You wil be directed to the widget plugin download page at Wordpress. Follow instructions, as this is a common WordPress installation.

Remember, after installation, you will be the only one who will see the widget until you publish it. There is an option on each widget for publishing on any of your posts. This way you can review it, but you can also make changes to the widget design, language, start adding blogs to your network to recommend them or block certain recommendations you don't appreciate. We will explain more about those topics in another post.

The bottom line is that once the  f»dforward widget is added to any of these blogging platforms, you can bring new, relevant readers to your blog, understand who is reading and recommending your blog, but most importantly, you can grow your own blog  and create a richer more relevant network of blogs.

]]>