Kansans Rate Emerging Web Technologies

There is quite a bit of buzz surrounding such emerging technologies as podcasts, electronic information feeds (RSS feeds) and blogs. A recent random sampling of K-State Research and Extension users found that, with knowledge of these technologies, Kansans will be receptive to using them.

The survey, conducted in March, 2007 by K-State Research and Extension's Department of Communications, found that podcasts and RSS feeds represent the greatest opportunities for distributing information from K-State Research and Extension.

On a five-point scale on which 3.0 is a neutral score, users reported their awareness of what an RSS feed is at a mean of 1.59. When given a definition of an RSS feed and how they can be used, the same users reported a mean of 3.45 for their likelihood to use RSS feeds in the future.

Similarly for podcasts, users' awareness was 2.50, but was 2.90 when these users reported their likelihood to use a podcast in the future.

Blogs, while useful, had an opposite trend, though minimal. Users' awareness was reported at 3.13, but dropped to 3.01 when users were asked to rate their likelihood to use a blog in the future.

K-State Research and Extension's new CMS software will help to make these technologies more easily available to all offices statewide. If you need more information, please contact Linda Sleichter at 785-532-5804, or e-mail lsleicht@ksu.edu.

--Pat Melgares melgares@ksu.edu

Kansans Rate Emerging Web Technologies