Mashups
From LIS 460 Summer 2007
Contents |
Definition
Combining two songs to make another in the music world is known as a Mashup. Internet users who are able to hack code from two different sources and combine them to make a new application call their creations mashups as well. Users get code--called API -- from the company that created the software that the user/hacker wants to change in order to create their mashup.
Mashups are created by using tools such as Greasemonkey. The definition, from an online book called Dive into Greasemonkey describes it as "a Firefox extension that allows you to write scripts that alter the web pages you visit. You can use it to make a web site more readable or more usable...Greasemonkey by itself does none of these things. In fact, after you install it, you won't notice any change at all... until you start installing what are called “user scripts”. A user script is just a chunk of Javascript code, with some additional information that tells Greasemonkey where and when it should be run."
Describing a mashup helps define it. A typical mashup example would be the combination of a section of google maps code and a restaurant locator application. Combining the two scripts creates a map that shows the locations of local restaurants-- a totally new service!
When explaining mashups to peers and students, it would be interesting to note a point I read about on the discussion tab of the wikipedia entry for mashup. Mashups are an example of an established art form called Bricolage. Seeing mashups as part on an ongoing art tradition would help teachers understand the curriculum and standards validity of creating mashups for school projects and assignments.
Uses in the School Library
Mashup techniques fall into the information literacy standard. High School students could create mashups using safe scripts cleared by the SLMS to:
Enhance geography projects--Google and yahoo map scripts can be combined with other applications to create unique information about a region. Students could use the schmapplets mashup service to make their mashup.
The librarian could create mashups that uniquely support the curriculum or school. For example, combining code from a time-line tool with flickr images from the school year to create an ongoing historical record of the school. S
The key word to mashups is customization. This is what gives Mashups the value to school libraries. Students have limitless possibilities for incorporating information technology into every area of the curriculum.
News and Web links
mashup news This news site posts lead stories based on the number of times bloggers post about them.
[1] a blog for Greasemonkey: (from the homepage) "Greasemonkey is a Firefox extension that allows you to customize the way webpages look and function. Hundreds of scripts are already available for free. And if you're the tinkerer sort, you can also write your own."
The Greasemonkey wiki Greasespot.
Dive Into Greasemonkey An online book introducing the extension.
Issues and Concerns
Mashups are popular in the Web 2.0 environment. Like everything else on the Web, it's important to teach students how to verify sources. Students--like anyone-- could be susceptible to misinformation created in a mashup. For example, a student doing research or creating a project on the upcoming election might attribute a quote found in a video cast to a politician that was never said.
Also, the security issues inherent in lifting chunks of code and combining them are obvious. A malicious hacker could write code that compromises the security of the school's network. In addition to malicious attacks, a student could also innocently create a mashup that causes a computer to crash.
Mashups in the school environment should be done in a heavily supervised setting, if students are creating them on school computers.
