What is a Mashup ?
Wikipedia defines a mash-up like this: “An application which combines the contents coming from several more or less heterogeneous applications”.
In the world of the Web, this corresponds more precisely to a website which gathers the services suggested by other already existing sites via the use of modules, called Application Programming Interface (API), such as Google Maps. These modules are developed by editors who see the means there, of offering their services to a greater number, and to thus make an additional publicity with their company. Everyone gains there!
Everyone gains there… at the same time, yes and no. Even if sometimes the use of certain APIs can lead to a new service suggested exclusively by the mash-up, the mash-ups depend on content proposed by others, pertaining to others, which makes their situation sometimes unstable.
This being said, the new development of the mash-ups awaits answers. The Net surfers who saw the services multiply in recent times, now wish to see all of them united to interact and communicate between them on one single interface!!
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March 13th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
[...] have already previously written about APIs in our Mashup Article and the Opensocial Project but this one is particular interst for media and content websites. [...]