• Tom Murphy
• Wed, 12/15/2010 - 19:49
• Comments

As we approach the end of year break we thought we would take the opportunity to share with you our greatest hits of 2010. We had to apply a weighting system to account for the fact that a lot of our older posts are still being searched for shared and read.

We have also added a little behind the scenes paragraph or two to illustrate various points that might not have been obvious from the original articles. So let's start at the most read first:

• Number one: Linked Data: An Introduction

  The simple aim of this article is to make the ideas and technology around Linked Data more accessible. The idea of approaching the subject from an imaginary Q&A perspective enabled us to avoid the constant use of acronyms in the main body of the text. (There is a glossary with links at the end.)

  We wanted to be able to describe the work that is going in the development of the Semantic Web in as conversational a manner in terms of style as possible. We thought it would be more easily assimilated by the curious and the interested but who perhaps were either not that technically inclined or unfamiliar with this area of technological development.

• Number two: Lin Clark On Why Drupal Matters

  Lin really saved my bacon the day we did this interview. It was four in the afternoon and all my scheduled interviews for the afternoon had fallen through. On the off-chance I gave her a call and put in a request for an interview and she said, “Sure.” The outcome: A really great interview that required almost no editing.

  We are looking forward to interviewing her again in the New Year to talk about Drupal 7.

• Number Three: Who's "Most Tweeted" In The Irish Twitterverse?

  How can one explain the popularity of this post? “Vanity is All” Ecclesiastes, perhaps.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Number Four: Blaine Cook Introduces Us To Webfinger

Blaine gave a terrific talk at BlogTalk 2010 here in Galway. However, I interviewed him a few days later when he was in England and the connection was not the best. Probably the shoutiest interview ever. Hopefully next time we chat it will be in somewhat more genteel circumstances.






• Number Five: Virtual 3D Galway

  Probably our find of the year. As I passed by Realsim's office late in the evening I kept seeing Eoghan Quigley working away at his computer. Finally, curiosity got the better of me and I knocked on the door and introduced myself. He showed me what he was doing - creating a Virtual 3D Galway.

  What was even more amazing was to discover the years of solid work put in by Gavin Duffy in painstakingly photographing every street, house and building in the central area of town.

  Even if you don’t know Galway it is really worth watching the fly-through video.

• Number Six: The Virtual World Of Gifted Kids

  This was probably the most fun assignment of the year. It was just wonderful to see the children’s response to the virtual world technology adapted and developed by Irish company Daynuv.

  It is really worth watching the video in conjunction with the story. In the text you have the adult, grown up story and in the video you have only the children’s perspective. Two different approaches to the same story but they work together very nicely.

  NB: The video was shot on an iPhone because I felt the loss in quality was more than made up by removing the distractions that come from having a larger more obtrusive camera.

• Number Seven: Number Eight: Interview With John Hartnett: ITLG Brings Silicon Valley To Ireland

John and his team are doing a remarkable job of creating and cementing the links between Ireland and Silicon Valley. The ITLG conference that took place in Limerick in November was very successful in this respect.

It was important to be able to introduce Irish Entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley capital in the form of the visiting VCs. Also, equally important in many ways was the enhanced recognition that ITLG brought for the need to have closer ties between the public sector in the form of research universities and the private sector.

• Number Eight: Interview: Cisco's Carlos Dominguez: "Cooperation Is The Killer App"

  The interview conducted by Telepresence with Carlos in New Jersey, USA and myself in Galway, Ireland will probably be as close as I’ll ever get to experiencing the holodeck from Star Trek.
  
  
  
  

• Number Nine: "Galway Is A Mini San Francisco": 091 Labs Nurtures Creativity In Another Bay Area

  We, at socialmedia.net, are big fans of 091 Labs in Galway. Every town, no matter how big or small, should have something like it. There is no excuse really. People just have to get together, decide what they are going to do and get on with it.

  From a coffee table in March, to a fabulous location in June, to being just about sustainable from subscriptions in September - the creation of this hackerspace has to be one of the year’s triumphs.

• Number Ten:How To Influence On Twitter: Research Results From New Algorithm Give Guidance http://socialmedia.net/node/144

  We would like to thank Bernardo Huberman from HP Labs for really taking the time to explain the research on Twitter that is being done in Palo Alto. From one interview we ended up with three different articles, this being the first in the series.






• Number Eleven: Arduino: A Big Revolution In A Small Package

  Nobody really knows what the future will hold but it is certain that the Arduino and uses it will be put to will play an ever-increasing role. It allows those with the minimum of technical ability to make really cool ideas possible. It breaks down a very important barrier between having an idea and being able to express it as best as one can.




We are not going to disappear over the holiday period. We will still be posting articles and blogs, just not on a consistent daily basis. Full service should resume very shortly into the New Year.