Today, the Web is by far the largest human information construct in history and is truly transforming society. Unfortunately since the World Wide Web was invented back in 1989, it has largely been described in terms of the technologies that define it and the applications it supports. In contrast, the emerging discipline of Web Science seeks to understand the phenomenon that is the Web as an independent entity and the ecology in which it exists.
Thursday morning’s keynote speaker Bebo White will introduce us to this new interdisciplinary approach to understanding the web. While working as a computational physicist, Bebo first became involved with the emerging World Wide Web technology while on sabbatical at CERN in 1989. Upon his return to the US, he was part of the team that established the first American Web site at SLAC (the fifth website in the world). Ever since, his academic research interests have evolved in parallel with web technology.
The Web Science Trust was set up as a charitable body hosted by the University of Southampton with the aim of supporting the global development of Web Science. Web Science draws on existing areas and requires new methods and techniques to be developed. Bebo is recognized by the Web Science Trust as a “Web Science Champion”.
We have a unique opportunity and obligation to better understand what the Web is, engineer its future and ensure its social benefit. Meet Bebo White in Aarhus in November and get the insiders’ view on the issues and challenges that will shape the future use and design of the Web.
