Thing 22

I chose to look at SEOMOZ.org to see what that site lists as significant web 2.0 sites and tools. I noted that Mango previously won SEOMOZ's award for one of the best in education category, so that validates our choice of a language database. SEOMOZ has some interesting tools and articles about optimizing your site in the search engines (i.e., internet marketing). This is probably of greater interest in the corporate world, but visibility is always a good thing for libraries as well.

Wikis -- Thing 21

Wikis have great potential as a means of sharing expertise. The collaborative efforts of a group of experts can result in a powerful resource. Unfortunately, wikis such as wikipedia have diluted respect for this "thing". While nearly everyone I know has visited wikipedia, most have learned to look for the tags telling you that verification is needed, and to apply a healthy dose of skepticism to the postings. I prefer to use professional wikis (i.e., created by professionals in a specific field). An example is structuralwiki.org by structural engineers. It is well-organized, and includes a good glossary of terms as well as discussions on engineering topics, software reviews, and a directory of engineers. So if you want to know what a purlin is, or about finite-element analysis software, here is your opportunity.