Social Web: Web 2.0 Technologies To Enhance Knowledge Communities

In recent years, online social networks have grown immensely and become widely popular among Internet users. In general, a social network is a social structure consisting of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are connected by one or more specific types of relations. These online groups are made up of those who share passions, beliefs, hobbies, or lifestyles. These networks allow the development of communities that exploit the capacity of the Internet to expand users' social worlds to include people in distant locations, binding them more strongly. The Internet helps many people find others who share their interests regardless of the distance between them.These social networks use a variety of communication and collaboration technologies such as blogging, video conferencing, and Wild tools to name a few, which can be used to harness collective intelligence. Thus, they provide great communication potential and tremendous opportunities for both casual users and professionals to share knowledge with others and thus benefit from the collective pool of shared knowledge. For instance, in the context of learning where communication of knowledge about issues and experience may be limited by traditional means, educators can share experiences and teaching materials that can advance eLearning. In other communities such as the health care domain, doctors and nurses can share practices, experiences, and other resources to provide better health care. Another example can be experiences and knowledge shared by emergency workers which can improve emergency responses in various dimensions.In this chapter, we discuss how Web 2.0 technologies can enhance knowledge-based professional communities. Specifically, we identify a few select communities and discuss the technologies that are used, the ways in which they can be used, and the potential opportunities and challenges encountered by these communities.