I had heard of Mashups and Widgets, but had never used
either social media tool. In comparing
the two, I found they each serve a relatively different purpose. After personal interaction with both, I think Widgets would be more
effective in reaching audiences than Mashups.
Mashups provide a way to combine data with a corresponding location,
resulting in a visual aid for users. One
example provided was combining a health care clinic address with a local map to
provide a map of clinic locations to users.
I actually have a Mashup product
at my animal shelter. I never realized
the type of technology that was used to create it. We are provided a map of
Rabies positive specimens by our local Health Department. From the perspective of tracking disease
transmission and implementing disease prevention, the Mashup tool is ideal for
providing that information. We can see
where there is a concentration of Rabies positive animals and provide public
awareness and education. People are
often interested, or at least curious, to see how close a Rabid animal was to
their home or work location, so we are able to post that map as an educational
tool. Additionally, the visual component
of a map will often encourage pet owners to comply with Rabies vaccine laws.
Widgets seem to be mostly associated with social media, but
they can also be embedded in a blog or website.
One example provided was using a Widget to track fundraising
results. A widget could be embedded into
a Facebook site for a local Fire Department to provide viewers an up-to-date
look at a current fundraising effort.
I discovered there are a few differences between Mashups and
Widgets. Mashups combine a location and
data relevant to that location. Mashups are
geared towards an audience seeking to retrieve that specific combination of data.
There was no mention of real-time ability in any of the Mashup descriptions I
came across. While Mashups can be placed
on a website or social media page, there was no indication that there is a distribution
function available. Nor was there
mention of an option for users to receive automatic updates. Learning about Mashups led me to think that users
looking for that specific data must retrieve the information, then maybe reload
the website page to check for updated information. Widgets, on the other hand, do allow users to
get automatic updates. This can be
important to an audience that may be following election night results. Widgets seem to be more user-friendly by engaging
users, then keeping them engaged by offering customized applications.
In comparing the two tools, Mashups seem to have a more
official, business-like tone and administrative function. Widgets seem to incorporate more of the traditional
definition of “social” into a social media component. Even the name is appealing, and the Widgetbox
Explanation page offers an extensive collection of theme choices and options. Mashups are more of an up-to-date finished
product, made available to users.
Widgets can be set to automatically populate with updated information.
Widgets can be designed to be very diverse and dynamic in
nature. Mashups provide information on a
map, which is useful, but more static. Widgets
are more appealing from that standpoint that they can be embedded on social
media sites and offer a more creative opportunity for Widget programmers. Widgets can be used to distribute content to
the audience and be developed to “add engagement” to a site (What's a
Widget?, 2013). Many users of new media are intrigued by
applications that allow them to become more than just viewers. Widgets can be programmed to allow users to
customize what part(s) they are interested in viewing or using. I think for all those reasons, Widgets would
be more effective in reaching audiences than Mashups.
Sources:
How To Make Your Own Web Mashup. (2013). Retrieved from Programmable Web:
http://www.programmableweb.com/howto
Mashups.
(2013, July 1). Retrieved from AIDS.gov:
http://aids.gov/using-new-media/tools/mashups/index.html
What's a Widget? (2013). Retrieved from Widgetbox:
http://www.widgetbox.com/info/widgets/explanation/
Widgets.
(2013, July 1). Retrieved from AIDS Website:
http://aids.gov/using-new-media/tools/widgets/index.html
Honestly, I am really liking this weeks blog assignment because I am learning a lot of new information. I am still new to social media in that sense that I had never even used Twitter. Your examples are good and something I didn't even know was available to me. I like the idea of Widgets because you can get the up to date information and alerts. I find that extremely helpful when keeping up with something. As for the mashups I think those are a good tool as well but for a more specific group of people. It seems the widgets can reach a much wider group. Thanks for the information.
ReplyDeleteLinda-
ReplyDeleteOne of the tools I chose to try was widgets, as well. I thought they are a great tool for designing things, for example one of the sites helps create a flip book template.
I have never used a mash-up, and I am glad you wrote so much on it. I think it could be useful, and do agree that it caters to a more specific group of people. However, I think they have much more information, particularly local it seems, than in comparison to Widgets.
Thanks for sharing!
Becky
Interesting post, Linda. I like how you compared the differences you noticed in each tool. I also thought you did a good job incorporating your own work into the post. These are the most useful learning moments: when we can learn to extrapolate what we learn in the classroom to other areas of our lives.
ReplyDelete