"So you use Nature Networks, but what do you really think of the impact of Web2.0 on research?" - rather implies that Nature Network is a Web 2.0 application. It isn't and that's part of the problem. Perhaps "NN not working?" is a better tagline. - Neil Saunders

Ooh, Neil, that's a bit harsh! And wrong, I think. The group is set up by the "Talk Science" team at the British Library as part of their series of seminars. It has not been set up by the NN team and it is not at all "implying that NN is a web 2.0 application", it is about "web 2.0 as applied to science research". The BL talk related to this topic is happening next month, and the group is partly there for pre-meeting discussion of topics. If you would like to visit the group's NN page itself, rather than just commenting on the title I've posted here, you'll see the BL's agenda right there on the first page. - Maxine

Yeah, I was just being devil's advocate. Or overly harsh. Or something :) That and conference preparation stress. I have visited the group page (how else would I quote the opening sentence?) and I do see that it's web 2.0 + science, rather than NN specifically. The opening line does appear to equate NN and web 2.0, though. - Neil Saunders

I think the scientists who are using NN are probably interested in the social web and hence the questions the group is asking - at least that's how I read the opening sentence. Hope your conference preparation stress reduces soon! Good luck with your talk. - Maxine

I would love to go to this talk. Not everything Web 2.0 for Scientists is working. David Crotty (CSH Protocols) has written a lot about this. - Martin Fenner

Well I signed up and it asked me to join Nature.com first. Now I have access to free science and medicine article on Nature - big thank you! - Sally Church

I hope you can make the talk, Martin. It's in September, actually, not "next month", sorry for my mistake above. - Maxine

I think very little "web 2.0 for scientists" is working. In terms of not only uptake, but also the type of sites being developed. It's the data that need to be social, not the people. - Neil Saunders

I hope you can come over for the talk, too, Neil, to liven things up! - Maxine

Just joined up. I must quote Jon Udell ... "Data finds data, then people find people" (channeling Jeff Jonas) Link: http://blog.jonudell.net/2007... ... We need to realize that web 2.0 has multiple aspects. I believe that we are not spending enough time trying to channel the programmable web aspect of web 2.0 (the data part) and too much time with the social (read people) aspects. - Deepak Singh

Isn't there room for both, though, Deepak? The internet is a big place. - Maxine

Didn't you get the memo? Programmable web data is Web 3.0 :-) - Eric Jain

Hi, are you "the" Eric Jain whose name is on ClaimID? I use ClaimID for my open ID but every time I use it, from whichever computer, I have to log in. Any tips? - Maxine

Maxine, more than enough room, but communities build around common interests, not around interfaces, so the data has to come first. The latter are important too. Without good front ends, you can have all the data you want, but people are not going to come together - Deepak Singh

Eric, I seem to be missing a lot of memos these days :) - Deepak Singh

Never heard of ClaimID... - Eric Jain

:-) - Mitchell Tsai

Maxine, I use (sort of) ClaimID and have to log in each time, too. Sometimes I bother to press carriage return a few times, sometimes I don't. - Heather

Since there's always questions about what is Web2.0 good for in science, let me point out that people get funded to study string theory without people expecting practical applications to come immediately. Maybe we're a little too quick to judge science 2.0? - Mr. Gunn

Sorry, Eric, the name is "Jan" Rain, obviously no relation. I use a site called "claim id" as my open ID site as I was recommended it by one of the NN users (can't remember who). I wish I didn't have to log in so often -- most sites have a "remember me" or "keep me logged in" option that is good for a few days or a day at least. - Maxine

:-) - Mitchell Tsai