Getting a handle on social MDM

Since this is the first work related post for a while, it’s probably a good idea to drop in the usual disclaimer as a reminder: “The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.”

Anyway, I recently spotted an MDM enhancement request, Improve Better support for social handle support, and it seemed odd that there wasn’t already something in the data model that could do a better job than using misc values. There are probably several options but I think this is what I’d do…

Add a new “Social Network” contact method category, and associated contact method types, for example: “Twitter”, “LinkedIn”, etc. Here’s what those look like in the Business Admin UI:

Now you can just add social network contact methods in the same way as you would for telephone numbers and email addresses, which means you get all the standard functionality you’re likely to need.

For example, here’s what an example getPerson response looks like with my Twitter and LinkedIn details:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<TCRMService xmlns="http://www.ibm.com/mdm/schema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.ibm.com/mdm/schema MDMDomains.xsd">
    <ResponseControl>
        <ResultCode>SUCCESS</ResultCode>
        <ServiceTime>17</ServiceTime>
        <DWLControl>
            <requesterName>mdmadmin</requesterName>
            <requesterLanguage>100</requesterLanguage>
            <requesterLocale>en</requesterLocale>
            <userRole>mdm_admin</userRole>
            <requesterTimeZone>EST5EDT</requesterTimeZone>
            <requestID>247353</requestID>
        </DWLControl>
    </ResponseControl>
    <TxResponse>
        <RequestType>getPerson</RequestType>
        <TxResult>
            <ResultCode>SUCCESS</ResultCode>
        </TxResult>
        <ResponseObject>
            <TCRMPersonBObj>
                <PartyId>531938348064117624</PartyId>
                <DisplayName>James Taylor</DisplayName>
                <PartyType>P</PartyType>
                <CreatedDate>2013-11-03 07:10:40.909</CreatedDate>
                <PartyLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:10:41.175</PartyLastUpdateDate>
                <PartyLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</PartyLastUpdateUser>
                <PartyLastUpdateTxId>153838348064091041</PartyLastUpdateTxId>
                <PersonPartyId>531938348064117624</PersonPartyId>
                <PartyActiveIndicator>Y</PartyActiveIndicator>
                <PersonLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:10:41.767</PersonLastUpdateDate>
                <PersonLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</PersonLastUpdateUser>
                <PersonLastUpdateTxId>153838348064091041</PersonLastUpdateTxId>
                <TCRMPartyAddressBObj>
                    <PartyAddressIdPK>537638348082796792</PartyAddressIdPK>
                    <PartyId>531938348064117624</PartyId>
                    <AddressId>539338348085784022</AddressId>
                    <AddressUsageType>3</AddressUsageType>
                    <AddressUsageValue>Business</AddressUsageValue>
                    <StartDate>2013-11-03 07:13:47.966</StartDate>
                    <PreferredAddressIndicator>Y</PreferredAddressIndicator>
                    <AddressGroupLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:14:17.854</AddressGroupLastUpdateDate>
                    <AddressGroupLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</AddressGroupLastUpdateUser>
                    <AddressGroupLastUpdateTxId>537038348085749779</AddressGroupLastUpdateTxId>
                    <LocationGroupLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:14:17.839</LocationGroupLastUpdateDate>
                    <LocationGroupLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</LocationGroupLastUpdateUser>
                    <LocationGroupLastUpdateTxId>537038348085749779</LocationGroupLastUpdateTxId>
                    <TCRMAddressBObj>
                        <AddressIdPK>539338348085784022</AddressIdPK>
                        <ResidenceType>11</ResidenceType>
                        <ResidenceValue>Office</ResidenceValue>
                        <AddressLineOne>IBM UK Ltd</AddressLineOne>
                        <AddressLineTwo>Hursley Park</AddressLineTwo>
                        <City>Winchester</City>
                        <ZipPostalCode>SO21 2JN</ZipPostalCode>
                        <CountryType>183</CountryType>
                        <CountryValue>Great Britain and N Ireland</CountryValue>
                        <AddressLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:14:17.839</AddressLastUpdateDate>
                        <AddressLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</AddressLastUpdateUser>
                        <AddressLastUpdateTxId>537038348085749779</AddressLastUpdateTxId>
                    </TCRMAddressBObj>
                </TCRMPartyAddressBObj>
                <TCRMPartyContactMethodBObj>
                    <PartyContactMethodIdPK>533238348104476375</PartyContactMethodIdPK>
                    <PartyId>531938348064117624</PartyId>
                    <ContactMethodId>534438348104476393</ContactMethodId>
                    <ContactMethodUsageType>10</ContactMethodUsageType>
                    <ContactMethodUsageValue>LinkedIn</ContactMethodUsageValue>
                    <SolicitationIndicator>N</SolicitationIndicator>
                    <StartDate>2013-11-03 07:17:24.762</StartDate>
                    <ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:17:24.778</ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateDate>
                    <ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateUser>
                    <ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateTxId>535838348104476350</ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateTxId>
                    <LocationGroupLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:17:24.762</LocationGroupLastUpdateDate>
                    <LocationGroupLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</LocationGroupLastUpdateUser>
                    <LocationGroupLastUpdateTxId>535838348104476350</LocationGroupLastUpdateTxId>
                    <TCRMContactMethodBObj>
                        <ContactMethodIdPK>534438348104476393</ContactMethodIdPK>
                        <ReferenceNumber>http://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorjm</ReferenceNumber>
                        <ContactMethodType>3</ContactMethodType>
                        <ContactMethodValue>Social Network</ContactMethodValue>
                        <ContactMethodLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:17:24.762</ContactMethodLastUpdateDate>
                        <ContactMethodLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</ContactMethodLastUpdateUser>
                        <ContactMethodLastUpdateTxId>535838348104476350</ContactMethodLastUpdateTxId>
                    </TCRMContactMethodBObj>
                </TCRMPartyContactMethodBObj>
                <TCRMPartyContactMethodBObj>
                    <PartyContactMethodIdPK>539138348072352465</PartyContactMethodIdPK>
                    <PartyId>531938348064117624</PartyId>
                    <ContactMethodId>532838348072329035</ContactMethodId>
                    <ContactMethodUsageType>9</ContactMethodUsageType>
                    <ContactMethodUsageValue>Twitter</ContactMethodUsageValue>
                    <PreferredContactMethodIndicator>Y</PreferredContactMethodIndicator>
                    <StartDate>2013-11-03 07:12:03.523</StartDate>
                    <ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:12:03.57</ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateDate>
                    <ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateUser>
                    <ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateTxId>536538348072325964</ContactMethodGroupLastUpdateTxId>
                    <LocationGroupLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:12:03.523</LocationGroupLastUpdateDate>
                    <LocationGroupLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</LocationGroupLastUpdateUser>
                    <LocationGroupLastUpdateTxId>536538348072325964</LocationGroupLastUpdateTxId>
                    <TCRMContactMethodBObj>
                        <ContactMethodIdPK>532838348072329035</ContactMethodIdPK>
                        <ReferenceNumber>@jtonline</ReferenceNumber>
                        <ContactMethodType>3</ContactMethodType>
                        <ContactMethodValue>Social Network</ContactMethodValue>
                        <ContactMethodLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:12:03.289</ContactMethodLastUpdateDate>
                        <ContactMethodLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</ContactMethodLastUpdateUser>
                        <ContactMethodLastUpdateTxId>536538348072325964</ContactMethodLastUpdateTxId>
                    </TCRMContactMethodBObj>
                </TCRMPartyContactMethodBObj>
                <TCRMPersonNameBObj>
                    <PersonNameIdPK>533538348064198718</PersonNameIdPK>
                    <NameUsageType>7</NameUsageType>
                    <NameUsageValue>Preferred</NameUsageValue>
                    <PrefixType>14</PrefixType>
                    <PrefixValue>Mr.</PrefixValue>
                    <GivenNameOne>James</GivenNameOne>
                    <StdGivenNameOne>JAMES</StdGivenNameOne>
                    <LastName>Taylor</LastName>
                    <StdLastName>TAYLOR</StdLastName>
                    <PersonPartyId>531938348064117624</PersonPartyId>
                    <StartDate>2013-11-03 07:10:41.986</StartDate>
                    <PersonNameLastUpdateDate>2013-11-03 07:10:41.986</PersonNameLastUpdateDate>
                    <PersonNameLastUpdateUser>mdmadmin</PersonNameLastUpdateUser>
                    <PersonNameLastUpdateTxId>153838348064091041</PersonNameLastUpdateTxId>
                    <LastUpdatedBy>mdmadmin</LastUpdatedBy>
                    <LastUpdatedDate>2013-11-03 07:10:41.986</LastUpdatedDate>
                </TCRMPersonNameBObj>
                <DWLStatus>
                    <Status>0</Status>
                </DWLStatus>
            </TCRMPersonBObj>
        </ResponseObject>
    </TxResponse>
</TCRMService>

Does that sounds sensible? Are there any enhancements? For example, I wonder about standardization: I put an ‘@’ on my Twitter ID, but I can easily imagine several variations ending up in there. I’ll leave that as an exercise for another day!

Check out the MDM Developers community for much more useful MDM related posts, forums and other resources.

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Master Data Management links: March

It’s been a while since I last pulled together a few MDM related links, and I haven’t done it in March before, so here are a few sites I’ve been keeping an eye on lately. There’s a loose theme this month as well; these are a few of the MDM communities that are out there.

First up is a brand new group on LinkedIn. Created by Henrik at the end of February, this group already has 125 members and has immediately sparked some interesting discussions. (The group may be new but Henrik has been blogging for a while.)

• Multi-Domain MDM

There are plenty of other MDM groups on LinkedIn, and I’m a member of a few others, but so far none have really stood out. I’m hoping Multi-Domain MDM maintains momentum after it’s good start.

The next link is a community I’ve been a member of for a bit longer, in fact it featured in my first MDM links post! Dan was one of the earliest MDM bloggers I discovered, and is still posting on the Hub Designs Blog, so I’m not surprised this community is still going strong.

• The MDM Community

Blogging provided strong foundations for both these communities, and in some respects you don’t really need a purpose built ‘community’ site. An active blog with plenty of posts and discussions is just as good, and I’ve recently been enjoying this one:

• Mastering Data Management

And finally, communities are all about people, and that’s what twitter is good at. Lists make it easy to share people worth following and luckily Dan has one already, which saved me creating one myself!

• Dan Power’s List of People Interested in MDM

Are there any other MDM communities you’d recommend?

The global kitchen

I recently compared virtual worlds to a global shed so I thought I’d try another house related analogy…

After a few discussions with Andy recently I’m toying with the idea that social software is like a global kitchen. A kitchen is a good place for a nice cup of tea and a sit down when friends or neighbours pop round, and it’s where a large proportion of the guests are likely to be found at a party (and coincidentally where all the alcohol is). Like the kitchen, Weblogs, Dopplr, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and (insert your favourite here) all provide a sociable place you can connect to people through. Unlike the kitchen, the people can be from anywhere, and they can stop by at any time to leave a note on your fridge, even if you aren’t in.

I find it fascinating how people are connected; for example, Andy and I connected a contact he has made online with someone I know in person (and only recently discovered has a blog, through Facebook!) in one degree of blogroll. It seems to me that the people you meet in person and those you meet online are no different, and there’s quite an overlap anyway: people you meet in person move away, and you can meet people in person that began as virtual friendships (Dopplr perhaps makes that more likely). I often struggle to remember when, or how, I first met someone but the process seems to be similar whether in person or through social software. You can be introduced to a friend of a friend in person or on LinkedIn, and you can bump into someone randomly on the way to the fridge or stumble upon their weblog by chance.

One thing that I do find odd is that, despite their primary purpose, sites that record your network of contacts don’t seem to help making those contacts in the first place. At least in my experience, I have only ever added someone to my Facebook or LinkedIn network after meeting them elsewhere.

For slightly more coherent thoughts on the subject, with no mention of kitchens, here are the blog posts Andy pointed me at in the first place:

What the heck is a non-meta friend anyway?

Christine Rosen on Virtual Friendships And The New Narcissism