The Interoperability of Information and its Representation in New Media: A Case Study of a Global Content Provider

Abstract This paper tries to illustrate, by means of the case of a global content provider, how socially-driven technologies on the Internet (also called ‘web 2.0’) are ushering in a new era of the interoperability of information. Today, information from different sources may have a higher chance to become interoperable by means of common protocols and standards. This paper focuses on the concept of interoperability of web-based information systems, commonly known as ‘mashups’. The notion is applied towards a content provider, BBC online, and its content delivery platform, BBC Backstage. The aim is to determine the technical and social settings that emerge when supplying content in standardized form over the Internet and how interoperability of the contents with other sources may generate new innovative applications. Different actors involved may have different visions on how to innovate and potentially develop commercial applications. The standardization of information generates uncontrollable effects in the same way that the non-standardization of information generates closed and controlled systems. Using the case as an example, we emphasize the dichotomy that arises when deploying content over the Internet while at the same time there is a need to maintain the quality of its original source. Finally, we give a critical perspective on the consequences of interoperability by using different sources of information, both in its symbolic representation as well as through the use of interfaces.

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