Thing #19 being next on my list, I spent some very enjoyable time this evening exploring a number of different sites on SEOmoz’s Web 2.0 Award Winners short list.
Lulu was entertaining. The site is eclectic in the extreme, and therefore unsurprisingly piques my interest. The eccentric-sounding titles for sale in the book section were immensely fun for me to explore, and the music section had some intriguing items in it as well. One particular item in the Comics & Graphic Novels section caught my attention… Okay, I didn't read the blurb, but. Great title. *g*
Also, the very democratic method of publishing through Lulu pleases me, though it does demand a very high degree of evaluation of any potential purchase. I’m certainly not likely to buy a download from a writer with grammar errors in the blurb! I like the option to purchase downloads instead of paperbacks, so I expect I’ll be a customer there at some point, once I’ve established some rudimentary rules for quality checking.
Next on my list to explore was Biblio, which I found easy to navigate and full of treasures. I did, in fact, find a copy of the book I raved about in another post selling for one dollar! (The book in question was The Hot Jazz Trio by William Kotzwinkle). Simple searches there seem easy enough to run, and more complex searching is quite convenient and nets useful results. I think I’ll be using it consistently.
The third site I spent a little time exploring was Netvibes. I like the idea of a customizable start page a lot. Somehow, though, the site seemed so cluttered, that it strikes me as more of a distraction than a useful addition to my browser. How many of those widgets do I really need? Also, the themes, wallpapers, and focus of the site didn’t quite appeal to me much. I think I’m going to try to set up my own blog or livejournal, possibly wiki, as a starter page instead. I should be able to find the widgets I need, and Firefox extensions provide a lot of the same functions in my browser frame.
Thing #19 was a lot of fun. I’m glad I did it from home, though, because I could never have completed it at work within our limited time budget for the Things. It would have taken me weeks at one hour per week.
Any of these three sites could be useful for library work, given the many possibilities of patron needs. Biblio and Lulu are both media vendors and could help us provide rare or specialty materials that our patrons need. It is also conceivable that the library system could publish collaborative works through Lulu. Netvibes, used at the circulation desk, could be customized to allow for quick reference responses. I know the weather widget alone would cover the questions of whether rain is imminent. *g* I do feel we should take advantage of some of these things while they are being developed, because library workers are great beta testers, and our presence on these sites may mean we can collectively influence the direction of their development in a good way.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
Week 8 Thing 18: Zoho and Friends
Thing #18 requires us to sign up with Zoho Writer and make a few test documents. I made a grocery list, a list of phone numbers, and wrote a few paragraphs of a short story idea. Since I don't plan on sharing my grocery list with the world (I know: it's a great loss), I'm going to use Zoho to post to my blog as my method of demonstrating that I've been playing there.
I will insert a picture too. See? Isn't he cute?
He is a dwarf hamster and this photo was taken from Flickr. It was uploaded on Dec 2, 2007 by romap. I have been told I am not to bring one of these home, as it will upset the cat. But I am deeply tempted. I wonder if one day, young people's sections within a library will have virtual tanks, with animated images of small animals like this one. It could happen.
Zoho seems to offer a lot of possibilities, and I think it's going to take me a bit of time to decide whether it is more helpful or distracting. Combination with a wiki may make my life more convenient, or merely messy. Only long-term play-testing will show. I think I'm going to try using Zoho as a creation tool for my wiki's pages, and if this works well enough, possibly a method of posting to my blog. It's use as a work tool for me seems limited, since I'm getting what I need from Microsoft at the moment. Obviously that may change, if I become involved in a collaborative project.
I will insert a picture too. See? Isn't he cute?
He is a dwarf hamster and this photo was taken from Flickr. It was uploaded on Dec 2, 2007 by romap. I have been told I am not to bring one of these home, as it will upset the cat. But I am deeply tempted. I wonder if one day, young people's sections within a library will have virtual tanks, with animated images of small animals like this one. It could happen.
Zoho seems to offer a lot of possibilities, and I think it's going to take me a bit of time to decide whether it is more helpful or distracting. Combination with a wiki may make my life more convenient, or merely messy. Only long-term play-testing will show. I think I'm going to try using Zoho as a creation tool for my wiki's pages, and if this works well enough, possibly a method of posting to my blog. It's use as a work tool for me seems limited, since I'm getting what I need from Microsoft at the moment. Obviously that may change, if I become involved in a collaborative project.
Week 7 Thing 17: Playing in the Sandbox
I went to the PLCMC Sandbox wiki and added my blog to the list. It was a little confusing, since there were a number of headers, but none for SCPL. I just added mine to the "General" list, and I hope that was correct.
Adding favorites is always enjoyable. I added the following entry to the favorite books page:
There are so many books I love, I've learned to think "favorite of the moment" instead of permanent favorites. Right at this moment, I'm remembering a book which will always have a special place in my heart; The Hot Jazz Trio by William Kotzwinkle. There are a number of lovely, surrealist tales in the book, but the best of them all is "Django Reinhardt Plays the Blues". It is a stunning display of his skill at creating unique images full of mystery and beauty, and along with "Blues on the Nile" is one of my very favorite stories ever written. Unfortunately, it's a bit hard to find.
If I had a lot more time to spend on this exercise, I think I would like to read through everyone else's favorite entries from SCPL. It's a great way to get local recommendations. As it is probably the most I'll get out of it is a little practice at a group wiki (which I'm already getting at the SCPL 2.0 wiki and my family wiki) and the opportunity to see how huge the group learning 23 Things has grown. Oh, and being reminded of one of my all-time favorite books, of course.
Adding favorites is always enjoyable. I added the following entry to the favorite books page:
There are so many books I love, I've learned to think "favorite of the moment" instead of permanent favorites. Right at this moment, I'm remembering a book which will always have a special place in my heart; The Hot Jazz Trio by William Kotzwinkle. There are a number of lovely, surrealist tales in the book, but the best of them all is "Django Reinhardt Plays the Blues". It is a stunning display of his skill at creating unique images full of mystery and beauty, and along with "Blues on the Nile" is one of my very favorite stories ever written. Unfortunately, it's a bit hard to find.
If I had a lot more time to spend on this exercise, I think I would like to read through everyone else's favorite entries from SCPL. It's a great way to get local recommendations. As it is probably the most I'll get out of it is a little practice at a group wiki (which I'm already getting at the SCPL 2.0 wiki and my family wiki) and the opportunity to see how huge the group learning 23 Things has grown. Oh, and being reminded of one of my all-time favorite books, of course.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Week 7 Thing 16: Wikis
Browsing through the world of library wikis, it immediately becomes apparent that wikis can and will change how catalogues are made available to the public. Most of the wikis we were asked to look at as a part of Thing #16 functioned primarily as pathfinders, user-friendly guides which, like a library catalogue leads to physical information resources, guide the user to sites or catalogue entries carrying more detailed information. As long as a significant portion of information on the internet remains free to access, and/or libraries are willing to pay to access charging sites, it seems obvious that this is the way to best assist patrons in using both our catalogues and the informational resources of others. The patron won’t have to understand any form of complex cataloguing to find an item, but at the same time more complex informational taxonomy can be sustained.
What really makes the wiki is, of course, participation by many well-informed users. As more and more librarians and library workers come to participate in the creation of content, I think the patrons will be more and more easily able to find and access the materials that they need in a timely fashion. I have great hope that local libraries will be able to keep extremely current listings of local services and events once we find ways to allow members of the public to join in the effort as well. Comprehensiveness is impossible if significant enough numbers don’t assist in content creation, however.
I found the guide to books only minimally useful, with so few entries in the genres I was in the mood to read. All of the entries were books I’m already familiar with, and I was disappointed in my hopes to find suggestions on good books to read. If enough people joined the wiki, though, it could become a valuable resource for me.
I have no idea what percentage of the population wants access to content creation in information services, but if it is high enough, the possibilities for information sharing are phenomenal, and staggering. I definitely want to be a part of that, and I am grateful that this program has gotten me motivated enough to get involved in wiki development. My husband and I have created a wiki for our family, and are already using it to share lists and work on joint writing projects. (Not to mention the silly picture war we have going on the front page. Hee.)
What really makes the wiki is, of course, participation by many well-informed users. As more and more librarians and library workers come to participate in the creation of content, I think the patrons will be more and more easily able to find and access the materials that they need in a timely fashion. I have great hope that local libraries will be able to keep extremely current listings of local services and events once we find ways to allow members of the public to join in the effort as well. Comprehensiveness is impossible if significant enough numbers don’t assist in content creation, however.
I found the guide to books only minimally useful, with so few entries in the genres I was in the mood to read. All of the entries were books I’m already familiar with, and I was disappointed in my hopes to find suggestions on good books to read. If enough people joined the wiki, though, it could become a valuable resource for me.
I have no idea what percentage of the population wants access to content creation in information services, but if it is high enough, the possibilities for information sharing are phenomenal, and staggering. I definitely want to be a part of that, and I am grateful that this program has gotten me motivated enough to get involved in wiki development. My husband and I have created a wiki for our family, and are already using it to share lists and work on joint writing projects. (Not to mention the silly picture war we have going on the front page. Hee.)
Friday, November 16, 2007
Week 6 Thing 15: Straddling the Line between Caution and Enthusiasm
Reading through the essays on the concept of Library 2.0, a few common themes become clear. First, the presumption is that libraries need to change in order to serve the populations to which they are responsible. Secondly, it seems to be assumed that we are in an either/or situation; either traditional service or technologically-enhanced service can be offered, not both. I find that I actually agree with both of these in certain contexts, but overall disagree. While some of the notions of a 2.0 Librarian seem reasonable and useful to me, I think there is a disconnect between our projections of future possibilities and actual patron needs in the present moment.
The idea of enabling techno-savvy patrons to maximize their information access is wonderful, and I’m tremendously excited to see it emerging and taking on steam. As an enhancement of previous services, I believe it has potential to make libraries invaluable as a resource for self-motivated early adopters of innovation. As a replacement for traditional services, at least in the present day, I think it is extremely problematic.
As huge changes rock our country, our economy, our climate, and our levels of technological innovation, Americans are bombarded by the swift and sometimes terrifying alteration of their expectations at a rate that many will find difficult to integrate. Meanwhile, our demographic is skewing, not to the young and technologically-skilled, but to the retirement age. Libraries are in a unique position to offer the comfort of consistency and assistance in a maelstrom of information overload.
I myself love technological innovation, and I tend to find it thrilling and see possibilities in change. But the patrons with whom I speak routinely seem to be a varied population, with strong resistance to change in a quite large proportion of them. It is true that over time, new models will become more commonly accepted and the young users, aging, will have different expectations than our current ones do. We aren’t there yet, however, and it will take some time (thank goodness).
Given such a current situation, I tend to think we will do better offering variation and possibility, learning to conform to changes while maintaining a solid, reliable core of predictable services and options. None of us want to force change on a reluctant population if it’s not necessary, or deny patrons the services they currently pay taxes for us to provide for them. We do, however, need to recognize transformation of culture and advancements, and make services based on them available to those users prepared to take advantage of them.
I am eager to add to the range of services we offer to patrons of all ages and needs, and can’t wait to see things like truly comprehensive databanks of published works emerge and become publically available. Enabling the users to be interactive with the information is one of the best things to happen in the last decade, with its potential for inclusiveness. Traditional, physical libraries and printed collections have not reached the end of their usefulness, however, and I would like to get rid of the bathwater and still have the baby, new toys included. If every library looks to its population, not just for the majority but also the minority groups within it, I think we will find there are a multiplicity of needs we are uniquely placed to serve.
Library 2.0, to me, means adding to choices, enhancing possibilities, and using all the possible means we can find to make these options available to the populations we serve in a respectful and supportive manner.
The idea of enabling techno-savvy patrons to maximize their information access is wonderful, and I’m tremendously excited to see it emerging and taking on steam. As an enhancement of previous services, I believe it has potential to make libraries invaluable as a resource for self-motivated early adopters of innovation. As a replacement for traditional services, at least in the present day, I think it is extremely problematic.
As huge changes rock our country, our economy, our climate, and our levels of technological innovation, Americans are bombarded by the swift and sometimes terrifying alteration of their expectations at a rate that many will find difficult to integrate. Meanwhile, our demographic is skewing, not to the young and technologically-skilled, but to the retirement age. Libraries are in a unique position to offer the comfort of consistency and assistance in a maelstrom of information overload.
I myself love technological innovation, and I tend to find it thrilling and see possibilities in change. But the patrons with whom I speak routinely seem to be a varied population, with strong resistance to change in a quite large proportion of them. It is true that over time, new models will become more commonly accepted and the young users, aging, will have different expectations than our current ones do. We aren’t there yet, however, and it will take some time (thank goodness).
Given such a current situation, I tend to think we will do better offering variation and possibility, learning to conform to changes while maintaining a solid, reliable core of predictable services and options. None of us want to force change on a reluctant population if it’s not necessary, or deny patrons the services they currently pay taxes for us to provide for them. We do, however, need to recognize transformation of culture and advancements, and make services based on them available to those users prepared to take advantage of them.
I am eager to add to the range of services we offer to patrons of all ages and needs, and can’t wait to see things like truly comprehensive databanks of published works emerge and become publically available. Enabling the users to be interactive with the information is one of the best things to happen in the last decade, with its potential for inclusiveness. Traditional, physical libraries and printed collections have not reached the end of their usefulness, however, and I would like to get rid of the bathwater and still have the baby, new toys included. If every library looks to its population, not just for the majority but also the minority groups within it, I think we will find there are a multiplicity of needs we are uniquely placed to serve.
Library 2.0, to me, means adding to choices, enhancing possibilities, and using all the possible means we can find to make these options available to the populations we serve in a respectful and supportive manner.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Week 6 Thing 14: Joining the Technorati
Technorati is an intriguing site. I haven’t used it before starting this program, and it took me a little while to feel at ease there, but it was definitely worth the effort. Searching blog entries, tags, and directories is something I’ve done before in bits and pieces, but it was convenient to do it all from Technorati’s advanced search page. I also liked being able to specify authority level.
The blog directory search for “Library 2.0” turned up some useful blogs about the subject, the posts search gave me some great entries to read, and the tag search was more specific to the exact subject. I’ve gone ahead and made sure my blog is public and enabled blog listings so that it will ping Technorati with my tags. Hopefully this means I’m adding to the site in a small way.
I feel that Technorati will be most useful as a way to familiarize myself with a subject, or when I have the time and the inclination to pursue a study of a popular topic, rather than as a quick reference tool or something I do on a daily basis. It’s a fantastic method of exploration, and enables one to quickly get a fairly broad grasp of something, but it isn’t a precision tool. The separate sections for images and vids please me, though, and I think they will be worth spending time to explore.
I loved following the popular items page, because it was full of topics I’m personally intrigued by. In fact, I discovered that my favorite tech feed (Gizmodo) is still apparently everyone’s favorite! I also picked up some new, related feeds that look very useful for web development and tweaking.
One of the searches I made was on the topic of a favorite musical group, The Decemberists. In the interests of maintaining my blogger-fu, here is a picture Technorati found for me of the band in concert. It was originally posted on Flickr by lucylarou.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Week 6 Thing 13: Isn't It del.icio.us?
I’ve been using del.icio.us for some time, following links from friends’ blogs and from email. It is a great resource for story recommendations if you belong to loose associations of amateur writers, as I do. Never had I bothered to make my own account, however, and with this exercise I have finally remedied this oversight.
Now that I have an account and have begun using it, I am wondering how I ever took so long to get around to it. It is so much easier to tool around del.icio.us than it is to use bookmarks, and the tag-based sorting system is simpler to use than the more cumbersome file/folder system. Also, multiply tagging each link simultaneously is simply fantastic. Unlike the file/folder system, it can be filed in many categories at once, making it far easier to find links. Plus, the shared links mean that dead entries will probably be discovered more quickly, and the whole account will remain more up to date.
It becomes obvious that this sort of bookmarking can be useful to any researcher, and I assume that telephone reference librarians are already using it. What pleases me about the site in regards to the circulation desk is that I can link and tag all of the sites I regularly use to answer basic questions and use it from any computer. Yahoo maps for directions,
I’ve already found great learning resources through the PLCMCL del.icio.us account, such as David Lee King’s Library Videoblogs, and the online reference “Library Succes: A Best Practices Wiki.” I have also started an account, attached a widget to my blog (it’s on the right of the screen), and begun linking knitting and crochet resource, online books, and of course, the Wikipedia.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Week 5 Thing 12: Rollyo Search Engines
Yesterday morning I woke ready to work on the 23 Things projects, and the next up was Rollyo. I hadn't actually heard of this site previously, so it was a bit exciting to explore something this new to me. I spent a little time looking the site over and trying out searches on other people’s engines, with varying degrees of success. The litmus test was definitely going to be setting up and running my own, I knew.
I’m a big fan of free online knitting and crochet patterns, and I also enjoy looking at other folks’ versions of any project I’m considering, so that was something I knew I’d end up searching for this winter. Especially as there is a nip in the air that makes me crave colorful wool to play with.*g*
Friday, October 26, 2007
Week 5 Thing 11: Making My Own Thing
Setting up an account with Library Thing was ridiculously easy. I'm impressed with how user-friendly and intuitive they've made the site. It's also quite simple to find useful recommendations, once some books have been added.
I did have one quibble with the setup, however. Choosing only from particular editions makes it trickier for someone who merely wants to add a book by title and author, as I did. I can't remember all the specific editions, and it took much too much time to search. Of course, I'm adding books from memory. Also, it would be a truly daunting task to add all the books I own, so I'm adding only those I've most enjoyed, and only a few at a time. It's hard for me to even include examples from all the genres I like to read within the 200 book limit for free accounts.
The widget for my blog was also easy to add, taking less time than browsing suggestions! It seems fun to have a small sampling of my favorite books listed on my blog, and I think I'd like to do something similar with music and movies or television. Perhaps ebooks and audio books as well.
My Library Thing catalogue, such as it is so far, can be found here. I have great hopes that the site will make it easier to find things to read with much less margin for error than browsing covers. Who knows, it may turn out to be a social boon as well. Given enough time, I think I would really enjoy reviewing and engaging in discussion boards.
I did have one quibble with the setup, however. Choosing only from particular editions makes it trickier for someone who merely wants to add a book by title and author, as I did. I can't remember all the specific editions, and it took much too much time to search. Of course, I'm adding books from memory. Also, it would be a truly daunting task to add all the books I own, so I'm adding only those I've most enjoyed, and only a few at a time. It's hard for me to even include examples from all the genres I like to read within the 200 book limit for free accounts.
The widget for my blog was also easy to add, taking less time than browsing suggestions! It seems fun to have a small sampling of my favorite books listed on my blog, and I think I'd like to do something similar with music and movies or television. Perhaps ebooks and audio books as well.
My Library Thing catalogue, such as it is so far, can be found here. I have great hopes that the site will make it easier to find things to read with much less margin for error than browsing covers. Who knows, it may turn out to be a social boon as well. Given enough time, I think I would really enjoy reviewing and engaging in discussion boards.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Week 5 Thing 10: Generations
I had a great time with this exercise. I tried out the suggested links, but enjoyed most the one I found by doing a couple of Google searches. Here we have the cover of a brilliant novel by an exciting new writer, and the central character reminds me strongly of someone I know!
I used the romance novel cover generator found here to produce this. A few candid photos from around the library, and there may be no end to the possible fun. Used with discretion, of course. And that glorious thing, permission.
(I tried to interview the couple photographed for this cover, but Miss Hunter's agent informed me that she is booked solid for the next two years.)
I used the romance novel cover generator found here to produce this. A few candid photos from around the library, and there may be no end to the possible fun. Used with discretion, of course. And that glorious thing, permission.
(I tried to interview the couple photographed for this cover, but Miss Hunter's agent informed me that she is booked solid for the next two years.)
Week 4 Thing 9: RSS Search Engines
As with the previous exercise, I have already done the tasks on the list. I have enough links on my reader for the moment. I did play a bit with making my reading list public (I added my blogroll to the main page of my blog), and also with using the search engines suggested to see if there were any new sites that I really ought to be watching on my favorite topics.
So far, Feedster has been of little use to me. I disliked the way it skipped sites I already know of that do interest me in terms of my chosen topics, and selected sites that had little or nothing to do with my purposes. I decided to play with it a bit and find out if I could use it in some capacity, and make myself a widget to place on my blog as an experiment. But then I realized I'd have to make an account with Feedster, which seemed unappealing, so I scrapped that plan. It was nice that one could choose to search in various media, but then the search engine did not allow a combined search for more than one type. Overall, I'm not impressed with Feedster.
Topix is a little more interesting. It's helpful to be able to search for coverage on a topic, and in fact I did add the topic feed "Santa Cruz, CA" to my Bloglines. I regret that it doesn't cover blogs, but you can't have everything.
Now, Syndic8 appeals to me because of the user-submitted links. It is necessarily limited, however, for the same reason, and also tends to operate like many user-oriented sites do. It draws in users who find things there that appeal to them, and they add more links on the same or similar subjects, and eventually there are large, useful networks of links: on very particular topics only. The site maintainers do seem to be attempting to overcome this tendency, and I hope they are successful. The best thing about the site is that I find user-generated links seem to be of more reliable quality than random sets.
Being fond of blogs as information networks, I really like Technorati. The site design is easy to follow, the search engine allows for refinement, and their lists of currently popular search terms and subjects is good for both interest and a laugh. Blogs on a topic are great sources of related, non-commercial links. The only real drawback to this site, for me, is that many bloggers set their blogs to be "dark" to search engines, and won't be discovered here.
I was pleased to find that one of my favorite feeds, the Gizmodo feed, is on Technorati's Top Blogs list.
\0/
(The above is an emoticon; read it as a person throwing their arms up in triumph or joy. I mean it here as something like, "Go Team Gizmo!")
So far, Feedster has been of little use to me. I disliked the way it skipped sites I already know of that do interest me in terms of my chosen topics, and selected sites that had little or nothing to do with my purposes. I decided to play with it a bit and find out if I could use it in some capacity, and make myself a widget to place on my blog as an experiment. But then I realized I'd have to make an account with Feedster, which seemed unappealing, so I scrapped that plan. It was nice that one could choose to search in various media, but then the search engine did not allow a combined search for more than one type. Overall, I'm not impressed with Feedster.
Topix is a little more interesting. It's helpful to be able to search for coverage on a topic, and in fact I did add the topic feed "Santa Cruz, CA" to my Bloglines. I regret that it doesn't cover blogs, but you can't have everything.
Now, Syndic8 appeals to me because of the user-submitted links. It is necessarily limited, however, for the same reason, and also tends to operate like many user-oriented sites do. It draws in users who find things there that appeal to them, and they add more links on the same or similar subjects, and eventually there are large, useful networks of links: on very particular topics only. The site maintainers do seem to be attempting to overcome this tendency, and I hope they are successful. The best thing about the site is that I find user-generated links seem to be of more reliable quality than random sets.
Being fond of blogs as information networks, I really like Technorati. The site design is easy to follow, the search engine allows for refinement, and their lists of currently popular search terms and subjects is good for both interest and a laugh. Blogs on a topic are great sources of related, non-commercial links. The only real drawback to this site, for me, is that many bloggers set their blogs to be "dark" to search engines, and won't be discovered here.
I was pleased to find that one of my favorite feeds, the Gizmodo feed, is on Technorati's Top Blogs list.
\0/
(The above is an emoticon; read it as a person throwing their arms up in triumph or joy. I mean it here as something like, "Go Team Gizmo!")
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Week 4 Thing 8: Feed Your Head
I took an earlier class in which we learned about RSS feeders, so I’ve had a Bloglines account for a little while now. Quite often I don’t really have time to look it over, but the convenient thing is being able to tell at a glance if one of my sites has updated. That does end up saving me a lot of time and bandwidth. Also, I love being able to skip the bulk of advertising at the sites of the originating feeds.
When I set up my Bloglines account, I also set up a Google Reader account. I haven’t found that one to be as intuitive to use, with more clicks and alterations necessary to follow up on the subjects that interest me. Bloglines defaults to a setup where each article title line is a hotlink to the full article, and that makes it a lot easier to follow. Also, Bloglines makes it really easy to set up playlists of feeds, so I can group news with news, blogs with blogs, or collect all the feeds on a subject for easy one-click perusal.
I think that I prefer very streamlined sites with the minimum of extras unless I choose them myself, and Bloglines fits that model much closer than the perhaps overly-helpful Google Reader does.
Here is a jpeg image of my bloglines reader:
ETA (Edit to Add): Cathy's, Patty's, and Rene's blogs are now all on my reader, and should be a lot easier to keep track of now.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Week 3 Thing 7: Waiting for the Price to Drop
The real difficulty with the instruction to blog about “anything technology-related that interests you” is how to narrow it down to just one thing. Recently, I read that the
But if I had to say what piece of technology interests me the most right this moment, if would definitely be the iPhone which I haven’t yet purchased. There seems to be some kind of quiet revolution taking place, with hackers developing ways around the software limitations and restrictions, and Apple and other companies involved in the product using their own wiles to try to assert control. Who knows how many brilliant young minds will be recruited to Apple through their hacking exploits? And will I benefit from their genius, or will the version of the iPhone I eventually buy have tons of useless software just to control my use?
I still want an iPhone, draconian hack-busting or not. Here you have a device that can allow you to communicate almost instantaneously with anyone almost anywhere in the world, while listening to music and working on work or hobby projects at the same time. You can capture your environment visually, alter it, and upload your creation to a blog that reaches potentially millions, and reporting will never be the same again. It’s also very shiny. With the advent of ebooks, you can read on it. If you prefer sound, you can play audiobooks, listen to podcasts, cycle through your favorite songs, or even listen to real-time live performances. If none of this suits you, instead of being a couch potato, you can watch TV while you exercise or ride the bus
.
It’s really kind of cool, and seriously? I want one. Scary, too, but mostly cool.
See? Isn't it shiny?
(Image uploaded on June 29, 2007 by Dan H.)
Week 3 Thing 6: Felis Snugglicus
I used FD Toys’ Trading Card Maker to create a trading card for Hunter. I worry that she might not want the world to know of her particular vulnerabilities, but I have no doubt she will be pleased that her beauty is being appropriately recorded for posterity.
It was amazing how easy this was to create; just fill in the fields and click. It could be a lot of fun to make these up for our volunteers at Headquarters, and print them up. It ought to make them laugh, and maybe show them how much we appreciate their work.
The cards would also be a nice addition at a family reunion, I think. And planning weddings will be a lot cheaper if everything can be self-made and still look great. Flickr will definitely further blur the line between professional and amateur art.
It was amazing how easy this was to create; just fill in the fields and click. It could be a lot of fun to make these up for our volunteers at Headquarters, and print them up. It ought to make them laugh, and maybe show them how much we appreciate their work.
The cards would also be a nice addition at a family reunion, I think. And planning weddings will be a lot cheaper if everything can be self-made and still look great. Flickr will definitely further blur the line between professional and amateur art.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Week 3 Thing 5 part 2: The Lie of the Land
I'm pretty sure I covered the thing 5 exercise properly in my last post, but I couldn't resist posting a photo using Flickr's "blog this" button when I spotted this beautiful image. Someone named Mark Twells uploaded this yesterday; I think I'm going to have to look up his other public photos as well. In this picture, look at the way he's used light and color to add dimension to the scene. It really makes me want to enter the image and go exploring.
Week 3 Thing 5: Advent of the Avatar
I've been playing a bit with a digital camera in a desultory way over the last year. Not much, just taking some photos of my folks, a few nature images, the cat, my husband; primarily creating memory markers or wallpaper images. Flickr is going to change the way I think about taking pictures, though, and I expect I'll be taking quite a few more this year than I ever have in the past. My adventures there have already shown me how much can be done with a little light, a little Picasa, and some imagination.Here is an image from a set my husband took of our cat, Hunter. She was almost feral when we adopted her a few years ago, but as you can see, she's settled in to near-domesticity. I like the color contrasts he achieved in the image, and the way she seems so unimpressed by the camera.
Following online photo etiquette, I really ought to ask her before posting her pictures, but when I attempt to broach the subject she just flicks her tail and refuses to answer. I have settled on getting the photographer's permission.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Week 2 Thing 4: Registering What Is Already Registered
If I'm correct about what they mean by this, we already set up individual tracking logs earlier this week on the SCPL Learning 2.0 wiki, so this is a bit redundant here. But I'm all set up to record my progress, which is good. It never hurts to backtrack a little to stay on top of the subject, anyway. All around I can hear people figuring out how to do that, and it's nice to know we'll be on the same exercises at least for some of this.
I find myself wishing I knew how to add links to my blog on the side of the entries, so I could jump around more easily. The Blogger site is easy to use in terms of basics, but I think I prefer other blog sites for their custom fit. Still, the lines of my blog being clean will make it simple to track my progress.
I find myself wishing I knew how to add links to my blog on the side of the entries, so I could jump around more easily. The Blogger site is easy to use in terms of basics, but I think I prefer other blog sites for their custom fit. Still, the lines of my blog being clean will make it simple to track my progress.
Week 2 Thing 3: Blogging the Habit
So here I am at the last part of week 2, where I need to blog about the "7 1/2 habits" podcast I listened to in Thing 2. The instructions ask which habits of lifelong learning I find easiest, and which hardest.
Probably the easiest for me is accepting responsibility for my own learning, habit #2. Though 7.5 isn't much of a challenge. (Play!) I really enjoy investigating new things and exploring creative possibilities, so learning is something I really can't help doing. If I waited to be taught all the time, I'd be going crazy with pent-up curiosity.
The hardest is really staying focussed on my particular goal, rather than a general mashup of interests and oportunities. So habit #1 is probably the one that is the biggest challenge. I am somewhat easily distracted by shiny new buttons and links. To overcome that, I think I should probably spend a few minutes a week just reviewing my purposes in participating in the 23 Things.
Probably the easiest for me is accepting responsibility for my own learning, habit #2. Though 7.5 isn't much of a challenge. (Play!) I really enjoy investigating new things and exploring creative possibilities, so learning is something I really can't help doing. If I waited to be taught all the time, I'd be going crazy with pent-up curiosity.
The hardest is really staying focussed on my particular goal, rather than a general mashup of interests and oportunities. So habit #1 is probably the one that is the biggest challenge. I am somewhat easily distracted by shiny new buttons and links. To overcome that, I think I should probably spend a few minutes a week just reviewing my purposes in participating in the 23 Things.
Week 1 Thing 2: Podcasts sans Pod
The Lifelong Learning podcast was mildly interesting, but basically just reiterates things that I've already absorbed through other sources. The sound quality wasn't fantastic, but it was very easy to use and I liked the simplicity. It's exciting that I can listen to the podcasts associated with this process while working on my regular duties.
I know it'll take awhile for everyone to get up to speed, but I find I'm really looking forward to reading other people's blogs and commenting. The Friday morning session really motivated me, just having a chance to interact with other folks interested in applications for the skills we'll be learning. It's a lot more fun as a group activity, even if only virtually.
I know it'll take awhile for everyone to get up to speed, but I find I'm really looking forward to reading other people's blogs and commenting. The Friday morning session really motivated me, just having a chance to interact with other folks interested in applications for the skills we'll be learning. It's a lot more fun as a group activity, even if only virtually.
Week 1: Gaining a Clue
Getting started took a bit of time on the old computers in the Training Room, but a little patience and here I am, ready to read the 23 Things blog and get started. Wow, what a lot of links. Some look interesting, some redundant.
The list looks pretty easy to complete in the time provided. Still, I think I'll be spending a bit of time at home doing this as well as the weekly work hour. It'll definitely be easier on a real computer.*g*.
The list looks pretty easy to complete in the time provided. Still, I think I'll be spending a bit of time at home doing this as well as the weekly work hour. It'll definitely be easier on a real computer.*g*.
Monday, September 17, 2007
::taps microphone::
Hey, is this thing on?
Poking around the Technology Petting Zoo has been a lot of fun. It seemed wise to set up my blog posthaste, so here I am. Not sure what I think of Google's blogging service yet, but I should have an opinion soon enough. Set up was easy, since I just used the id from my Google RSS Reader account.
Poking around the Technology Petting Zoo has been a lot of fun. It seemed wise to set up my blog posthaste, so here I am. Not sure what I think of Google's blogging service yet, but I should have an opinion soon enough. Set up was easy, since I just used the id from my Google RSS Reader account.
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