users vs topics

I feel we need to not only model users, but also
topics/channels/groups/hangouts/teleconferences/mailing
lists/hashtags.

In each search result row i want to indicate a 'U' for user or a 'T'
for topic. That way, you can subscribe to both users and topics, and
also read the static contents of user and topic 'pages', and comment
on them. Messaging only makes sense for users.

So a typical user for which we have a plain web page and an email
address would get symbols: (U)ser, (R)ead, (M)essage.
If they also expose an ActivityStream then we would add (S)ubscribe,
and if they allow commenting through salmon or some equivalent of blog
comments or the facebook wall, then we would add (C)omment.

For a chat channel we would typically have (T)opic, (C)omment,
(S)ubscribe, and maybe (R)ead if it has public archives. So to
summarize:

    - (U)SER/(T)OPIC - indicates if this is considered a user or a
topic (group, channel, page, hangout, teleconference, ,,,

    - (R)EAD - read (visit) this person's or topic's web page, blog,
profile, timeline, channel archive, ...

    - (C)OMMENT - leave a comment on this person's or topic's blog,
wiki, wall, channel, ...

    - (S)UBSCRIBE - get notified about updates and streamed content
from this user or topic. Updates may be text (online/offline status,
ActivityStreams) or media (like podcasts), but two-way conversations
like (video) chat fall under message, because it's not subscribing to
a pre-existing feed.

    - (M)ESSAGE - send a one-off message to this user. This may be a
chat message, an email-like message, but also an attempt to initiate a
voice or video call.

Let me know if you see any flaws in this classification, otherwise
those will be the 6 symbols that get added to result rows on
useraddress.net to indicate which social tools are available.


Cheers!
Michiel

Received on Thursday, 26 July 2012 13:43:27 UTC