Open Creative Industry

Open CI is based on an Internet standard that enables data exchange between websites. The purpose of the project is to enhance the visibility of all related people, organisations and projects. The Creative Amsterdam portal will thereby give users access to all the data (content) in a wide range of online communities in the creative sector in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. The communities who participate in the Open Creative Industry Network are: Creative Amsterdam, CCAA, Mediamatic, Picnicnetwork, De Paviljoens and Netwerk CS. A number of other networks will also be linked to the project in the future.

The Open-CI icon is shown on content and users when their original is on another website in the Open CI network.

Applications

Two applications are released with Open CI:

• 1. Open CI Search - Open CI Search is the first component that was launched in June 2008. As the name suggests, this is a search engine that indexes and enables searches of the creative sector. The search engine searches all pages that are accessible to the public. Open CI Search is an extra service that Creative Amsterdam offers visitors to the website. Visitors can search the Creative Amsterdam portal or all the creative communities in Open CI. The use of Open CI will make the CA portal the index par excellence for the creative industry in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area.

To run a search with Open CI, simply go to Openci.ccaa.nl or use the search box at the top of the website by clicking on open search.

• 2. Open ID - Good news for those who face social network fatigue! No need to register again and again, pick a username, password, write a new profile, and reconnect to your friends for the 2nd, 3rd or 4th time. Creative Amsterdam and Mediamatic have developed Open-CI to enable social networks to work together seamlessly. With a single account you can be active in the Open CI Network of websites. Open-CI allows you to register for activities, announce events, connect to people or link to content on all these websites, using only one account!

Benefits of Open CI

Websites implementing the relevant standards will offer the following benefits.

Benefits of Open-CI for users

• Universal login - Users are saved from the cumbersome process of having to create accounts on every site and have to remember only one username + password.
• More connections, better visibility - New users can get up to speed quicker and existing users can easily participate on other sites. And because of data sharing searching and finding more complete information on people, organisations and projects is enhanced.
• Updated account information - Account information is be shared across websites. Changes to an account are propagated to the other websites where this user is present.
• Less social network fatigue - The problem for adding people as 'friends' on every site you become a member of is solved.
• Flexibility Users - can use their original identity to create content and make connections on websites in the network. Users may also choose to keep separate profiles, with unique data and a completely other set of friends.

Additional advantages for organisations

• Increased participation - Open-CI makes it easier for users to participate in activities of other websites.
• Improved information flow - Open-CI indexes the information on all connected websites thus improving the dissemination of information on the site.
• Stimulate creativity - Users can quickly find things and people they are looking for. And when they want to create something new, they can find users and other objects in the index to serve as a starting point.
• Reusable content + improved search results - Open-CI indexes content from other sites and updates references to included content automatically when there are changes.
• Websites keep identity - The boundaries between networks are maintained and every website keeps its own identity but the effort for users to cross them is greatly reduced.

More information on Open CI:

• Interview - The Hackers Campat at PICNIC and the launch of Open-CI - Interview with Willem Velthoven of Mediamatic
• White Paper Open CI - Open CI is a new standard that enables social networks to work together seamlessly. By enabling interoperability Open CI removes the waste of time and closedness currently inherent in social networking. Any party interested in implementing this standard can do so with relative ease using existing technologies and the guidelines provided by Open CI. White Paper
• Open CI blog - Open CI allows people to declare relationships and create works across different services. Such services work together as equal partners in a federation based on open protocols and formats. This blog is the main point of entry for the effort to discuss, develop and document the protocols, formats and software enabling a federation of social networks. Open CI blog