It might also be worthwhile to start thinking about what people would actually want to do with their G+ takeout data.
It might also be worthwhile to start thinking about what people would actually want to do with their G+ takeout data. Given that there are huge mismatches in capability and features between platforms any data transformation will likely come at a loss based on what the lowest common denominator between these platforms is. And then there are also the pesky questions of copyright, ownership and control.
The simplest use-case would be a static archive of some part of the G+ experience, reproducing semantic and/or visual structure of the data on the G+ site today.
At the other end of the spectrum would be a live transfer on a new transfer with entity remapping (user identity, posts timeline and interactions) and with full referential integrity. I don't know if anybody would want to be ambitious enough to attempt something like that.
What I am planning to do is somewhere in the middle. Take only a small subset of the data (my own identity & post data) and transform it to create new, similar posts under a new identity on a new platform with similar capabilities (long-form text, link-sharing, photo-sharing).
The simplest use-case would be a static archive of some part of the G+ experience, reproducing semantic and/or visual structure of the data on the G+ site today.
At the other end of the spectrum would be a live transfer on a new transfer with entity remapping (user identity, posts timeline and interactions) and with full referential integrity. I don't know if anybody would want to be ambitious enough to attempt something like that.
What I am planning to do is somewhere in the middle. Take only a small subset of the data (my own identity & post data) and transform it to create new, similar posts under a new identity on a new platform with similar capabilities (long-form text, link-sharing, photo-sharing).
« with entity remapping (user identity, posts timeline and interactions) » would probably face legal challenges, as you'd appropriate the identity of people without their consent.
ReplyDeleteWhat you call "the middle" is indeed reasonably doable: e.g. most of the posts on my koan.mu website are generated (via PHP scripts, applied on the 'post' files from the google takeout archive) from g+ posts. E.g. http://www.koan.mu/gplus/ZiGaha2zs5a was automatically generated, by script, from https://plus.google.com/+DenisWallez/posts/ZiGaha2zs5a via JSON takeout [I actually even adapted the PHP scripts recently, so that images are now downloaded on my website, while previously they were just links to google's version (which will eventually disappear)].
Bernhard Suter Absolutely worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteA fairly common practice in tech circles is to think through "user stories". I like to think in terms of goals and capabilities: what do I want to do, or what do I want to be able to do, with a given resource.
Identifying a set of user types (individuals, businesses, techies / advanced users, nontechnical users, community leaders, etc.) and what they do or don't want to do (recover photos, create a local archive, port to a new service, create a blog, ...) is also likely useful.
After I came up with the G+ Community Mods survey earlier today I messed around with Google Forms for the first time, and created a version of the survey there (I'm now of course trying to decide whether I want to leave the current form up or switch to the Forms version). Google Forms are an excellent data capture mechanism.
But ...
... the weakness of online surveys is that it's very easy to confuse "easy to gather information" with "useful information". Bad sampling methodology is the bane of much statistical research.
(My excuse is that I'm seeking responses from a known population and can target them specifically if necessary, though I may still not get cooperation.)
That said: float some posts and see what kinds of responses come back, then see if maybe a Forms-based survey might be appropriate.
But I absolutely love what you're doing here, thank you so very much.
I will consider an ability to import G+ takeout in my replication effort.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I am taking the shut down as an opportunity to reduce my online exposure - again. Those 'pesky' questions - nicely put :)
ReplyDelete