What’s in a mashup? And why? Studying the perceptions of web-active end users

Mashups - Web applications that integrate multiple data sources or APIs into one interface - have attracted considerable attention in recent years. The availability of Web-based APIs and a growing array of XML data feeds has enabled this novel approach to Web applications. However, due to the relatively advanced programming languages needed to integrate the Web APIs and data feeds, mashup development still requires considerable programming expertise. In this paper we share the results of an exploratory study of active Web users, their perceptions of what mashups could do for them and how they might be created. These users engage in many Internet-based activities but not Web programming. Our results show that the technology initiative present in these users is a predictor of the value they see in mashups and the types of mashups they are interested in creating. While they may lack the programming skills, the users do see benefit in the use and creation of mashups as a tool for sharing and integrating information, as well as a means of effectively searching for information.