Data portability and relation management in social web applications

Contents

1 Introduction

2 Social network services

2.1 Definition

2.2 Present SNS usage

2.3 Relation and identity management in SNS

2.4 Present data portability and its problems

2.4.1 Political situation

2.4.2 Technical situation

3 Current data portability solutions

3.1 Microformats

3.2 XRDS-simple

3.3 OAuth

3.4 RDF

3.5 OpenID plus Attribute Exchange Extension

4 Concept for a SNS metadirectory

4.1 Goals

4.2 Concept description

5 Development of the prototype

5.1 Analysis

5.1.1 Functional and data description

5.1.2 System architecture

5.1.3 Interface description

5.1.4 Usage scenario

5.1.5 Data model

5.2 Design

5.2.1 Data design

5.2.2 Architectural and component-level design

5.2.3 Interface description

5.3 Implementation

5.3.1 Setting up the OpenID server and the SNS

5.3.2 Attribute Exchange - Fetch Message

5.3.3 Processing the FOAF data

5.3.4 Attribute Exchange Store Message

5.4 Appraisal of results

6 Summary and Outlook

Research Objectives and Key Topics

This thesis addresses the challenges of fragmented identity and relation management in social network services. The primary goal is to develop a central identity provider system using existing standards that enables data portability and cross-platform contact synchronization, while preserving the user's ability to maintain separate social circles.

• Analysis of current data portability limitations in social networks.
• Evaluation of existing standards including OpenID, RDF/FOAF, and Microformats.
• Design of a centralized metadirectory architecture for contact synchronization.
• Implementation of a prototype using the Ruby on Rails framework.
• Discussion of privacy and technical hurdles in establishing portable social web environments.

Excerpt from the Thesis

Summary of Chapters

1 Introduction: Introduces the rise of social network services and the resulting fragmentation of user information and identities.

2 Social network services: Defines social network services, examines their usage trends, and analyzes the challenges of identity and relation management.

3 Current data portability solutions: Explores existing technologies like Microformats, XRDS-simple, OAuth, RDF, and OpenID to facilitate data exchange.

4 Concept for a SNS metadirectory: Outlines the architectural goal of creating a central identity provider to synchronize contacts across platforms.

5 Development of the prototype: Details the technical analysis, design, implementation, and appraisal of a prototype using Ruby on Rails, FOAF, and OpenID.

6 Summary and Outlook: Concludes the thesis by evaluating the prototype's success and discussing future improvements for data portability.

Keywords

Data portability, social network services, SNS, identity management, relation management, OpenID, FOAF, RDF, contact synchronization, Ruby on Rails, metadirectory, web 2.0, social graph, user-centric identity, attribute exchange.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core issue addressed in this work?

The work addresses the problem of user data being fragmented across multiple social network services, which makes managing relationships and identities across platforms difficult.

What are the primary themes discussed?

The primary themes include data portability, user identity management in social networks, and the technical implementation of interoperable standards for contact synchronization.

What is the primary research goal?

The goal is to design and implement a central identity provider system that allows users to synchronize their contacts across different social network services while maintaining control over their data.

Which scientific methods or tools are utilized?

The study uses an analytical approach to review current standards and a practical implementation method by developing a prototype using the Ruby on Rails framework and RDF/FOAF standards.

What is covered in the main body of the work?

The main body covers the analysis of current social network limitations, an evaluation of portability standards, the conceptual design of a metadirectory, and the step-by-step implementation of a working software prototype.

How would you describe the project using key terms?

The project is best described by keywords such as data portability, social network synchronization, OpenID, FOAF, and centralized identity management.

Why are proprietary "walled gardens" problematic according to the author?

The author argues that they hinder data reuse, create redundant storage of user information, and lock users into specific platforms due to the high social cost of rebuilding contacts.

How does the proposed prototype handle data privacy?

The prototype allows the user to control the submission of their contact data via the identity provider, though the author notes that significant privacy and trust challenges remain regarding the identity provider's access to user activity.