The WiSETI Annual Lecture will be held on Wednesday 2nd May. Professor Wendy Hall, CBE, FREng., Professor of Computer Science, University of Southampton is giving the lecture entitled: "Towards a Science of the Web: the Power of Networks." The lecture to be chaired by the Vice Chancellor will take place between 5.00 - 6.00 pm in The Palmerston Lecture Theatre, Fisher Building, St John's College, St John's Street.

All are welcome to attend.

Summary of Talk:

Long before the Web existed hypertext visionaries foresaw a richly inter-linked global information network. The Web provided the infrastructure to enable those ideas to become reality but is strangely devoid of links. The development of the Semantic Web promises to take us much closer to achieving the original vision. However, there is a growing realization among many researchers that if we want to model the Web and understand its future trajectory; if we want to understand the architectural principles that have provided for its growth; and if we want to be sure that it supports the basic social values of trustworthiness, privacy, and respect for social boundaries, then we must chart out a research agenda that targets the Web as a primary focus of attention. The emergence of this exciting new discipline, which we call Web Science, will be a focal part of this talk.

As we design and build complex knowledge-based systems to help us make sense of the vast amounts of information available to us on an everyday basis via the Web, I am constantly aware of how we use networks of machines, systems and people to solve our problems. I have found in my career that the power of networks is the best way to overcome some of the issues that arise from the still overwhelming gender imbalance in SET. I will interweave my talk with illustrations of how I have used networks to help me in my career and how I try to encourage others to do the same.