What Have We Learned From Web Science? - A Status Report

Speaker: Bebo White

Affiliation: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University

Time: Monday 19/11/2012 from 10:30 to 11:30

Venue: Access Grid UWS. Presented from Parramatta (EB.1.32), accessible from Campbelltown (26.1.50) and Penrith (Y239).

Abstract:

The World Wide Web has proven to be an invaluable collaboration tool in the physical, biological, and social sciences. The unique aspects of the Web have led to the definition of its own branch of science. Web Science has become a recognized research area and numerous universities have added its study to their curriculum.

"Web Science embraces the study of the Web as a vast information network of people and communities. It also includes the study of people and communities using the digital records of user activity mediated by the Web. An understanding of human behavior and social interaction can contribute to our understanding of the Web, and data obtained from the Web can contribute to our understanding of human behavior and social interaction." [http://www.websci12.org/] Web Science has been described as "studying the online world to understand the offline world."

In this talk, Bebo will start with a brief introduction to the concepts of Web Science. He will follow with an evaluation of the current state of Web Science and discuss some of the diverse and fascinating results that Web Science researchers have uncovered.

Biography:

Bebo White is a Departmental Associate (Emeritus) at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, the U.S. national laboratory for high-energy physics and basic energy science at Stanford University. Working as a computational physicist, he first became involved with the emerging Web technology while on sabbatical at CERN in 1989.

Upon his return he was part of the team that established the first American Web site at SLAC (the fifth site in the world). Ever since, his academic research interests have evolved in parallel with Web technology. He is often considered to be the 'first American Webmaster' and one of the founders of the discipline of Web Engineering.

In addition to his work at SLAC, he also holds faculty appointments at several other institutions, is involved with a number of major conferences series, and is a frequent conference speaker. He is the author (or co-author) of nine books, and over 100 papers and journal articles. His current research interests are Web Science, Social Media in Education, and Cloud Computing. However, given the opportunity, he will talk mercilessly about high-energy physics, jug band music and wine.