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It is also possible to apply this technique and use these tools to mine content other
than data, namely text mining, thematic analysis, and web mining to look at what
content, how often, for how long (e.g., number of hits) which is very helpful
in content management. Similarly, skill mining or expertise profi ling can be used
to detect patterns in online curriculum vitae of organizational members. Expertise
location systems can be automatically created based on the content that has been
mined. Commercial software systems can also be used to mine e-mail data in order
to determine who is answering what types of queries or themes. Organizational experts
and expertise can be detected by looking at the patterns of questions and answers
contained within the e-mails. The same caveat applies to all of these data mining
applications — a human being is always needed in the loop in order to carry out “ reality
checks ” (i.e., to verify and validate that the patterns do indeed exist and that they
have been interpreted in a useful and valuable manner).

Blogs
A blog is a term for a web log — a popular and fairly personal content form on
the Internet. A blog is almost like an open diary; it chronicles what a person wants
to share with the world on an almost daily basis ( Blood 2002 ; see also http://www
.rebeccablood.net/). While the “ blogosphere ” started off as a medium for mostly per-
sonal musings, it has evolved into a tool that offers some of the most insightful
information on the web. Further, blogs are becoming much more common, as busi-
nesses, politicians, policy makers, and even libraries and library associations have
begun to blog as a way of communicating with their patrons and constituents.
Several librarians publish blogs that offer a wealth of information about social
software and its uses. SNTReport.com focuses on the social software industry and how
social software tools are being used to help people collaborate. Blogs not only offer a
new way to communicate with customers, they have internal uses as well. For example,
large organizations can use a well-formed blog to exchange ideas and information
about web development projects, training initiatives, or research issues. These ques-
tions and answers can be cross-indexed and archived, which helps build a knowledge
network among the participating members. Most important, the price of setting up a
well-formed, secure blog and leveraging it into a knowledge and content management
tool is a pittance when compared to other proprietary solutions.
Right now, the majority of blogs are published exclusively in text. The next genera-
tion of blogs, however, will implement audio and video elements, bringing a sophis-
ticated multimedia blend to the medium ( Dames 2004) . The overwhelming popularity
of YouTube (www.youtube.com) attests to the powerful draw of the image, and in
particular, the moving image. On YouTube, short video clips can be posted on practi-