Week 8 #19 Web based Apps

The sound of gritting teeth is accompanying this
blog entry. I did go to ZoHo Writer and created a
document about travel. After trying ENDLESSLY
to post it on my blog, I gave up! I can dimly see
the application of this but I suppose it would be
more useful if I actually had a document to create
and share.

Week 8 #18 Social Networks

Interesting. I can see the usefulness of a network if
I were to pursue a hobby and were searching for like-
minded individuals, similarly inclined. Maybe a group
that embroiders while rock-climbing. Oh, I did go to
MySpace to search for a relative and in fact found
him. Maybe when I'm retired I'll look for old friends.

Week 7 #17 Technology, oh the joys!

My eyes have been opened to the vastness of
the tech world that surrounds us. It has been
fun, not acquiring and certainly not mastering,
but being introduced to this brave new world.
Three things I've learned about and truly like:
blogs, avatars and wiki. Who knew! I have
started a blog on my own and look forward to
developing it when I have more time.
I did post a comment on a Favorite Blog
because I was so impressed with the content
and style. I think it is Aunt Clara.

Wk. 7 #16 Why wiki? Why not?

Finally I know what a wiki is. It's been driving me crazy. A
little knowledge is a frightening thing. The thing about wikis
is that the "collective" can add, edit, modify, eliminate, truths,
falsehoods and anything in between. In this case, "let the buyer
(reader) beware". Still, I can really see the practical uses for
wikis that are closely monitored, eg. the Library Success comes
to mind. I can see that the various offerings would be useful to
librarians, like adult programs. Probably the most useful is
community information which by it's nature is alwasys changing
and difficult for librarians to maintain. This is where community
input is key. The SJCPL Farmers Market comes to mind. I did
add a favorite book under Favorite Books.

Week 6 #15 Library 2.0 & Web 2.0

My head is reeling from the vision of the future I just read
about and had no clue about until recently. The idea of the
library as constantly changing its' information offerings
with input from a host of "players" providing content
and changing that same content, remixing as needed,
well, the mind boggles! I think the iceberg article is a wee
bit on the negative side; the "just in case" and "come to
us" library model is a library mired in tradition and un-
willing to grab the arc of the future. More libraries, I hope
fall into the Librarian 2.0-trendspotter, gets content,
embraces Web 2.0 tools and my personal favorite,
controls technolust. My philosophy is more in line with
the (one and only woman contributor). Going back to the
Alexandrian library, she examines library as commodity
and product. Ultimately she sees the library of the future
going beyond Library2.0 to Library 4.0 which she aptly
calls "the knowledge spa" an immersion in a luxury of
ideas and thoughts, a retreat from techno-hustle, you
know, the library". I could not have expressed it better
myself. That's where I'll be. Will you?

Week 6 #14 More about Technorati & Tagging

I did the keyword search on technorati for learning
2.0; it yielded 35,782 hits. Ditto for searching Tags
and the blog directory. I like the heading under
tags, Everything in the Universe" and that is just
what I felt was revealed. Everything! Too much.
I read some blogs and thought, what is this ranting
and raving. On the other hand, I read one blog from
yesterday about how Verizon is getting ready to slyly
avail all comers (with money) of their cell users buying
and calling patterns and habits. I thought, wow, this
is grave and should be on the news. This morning,
IT WAS ON THE NEWS! I felt smug.

Week 6, #13 Tagging, Technorati, Del.icio.us

Well, my first reaction to the tags and social
bookmarking is Information Overload. I
went to Technorati and experienced it first
hand. Tags that scrolled ( I guess never to be
retrieved) and tags that could be selected
from the far right column. Tags across the top.
Enough! Social bookmarking made more sense
because I recognized sites that I had been con-
stantly typing in the URL; who knew? I can
definitely see the use for these for interests,
activities and hobbies. Once you've taken the
time to find these sites, it is a timeserver to
save them.

Week 5, #10 Image Generator, #11 Library Thing
& #12 Library Elf

The most fun that can be had without spending money is
hands down, Image Generator. I signed up with Meez and
had a fabulous time creating a persona.

Library Thing, interesting but doubt I'll use it. I did sign
up and selected titles for my library.

Library Elf, is I believe, already being done by our
own library system. Maye if I had many children.
Thankfully, not a reality for me.

locked & loaded

Librarian! Whoohoo. Image generator of a truly
audacious, take-no-prisoners woman. Thanks
to a helpful co-worker, I was able to place this
image I "created" in my blog. I must admit
somewhat sheepishly that the most fun I had
was in Meez (sp?) It is amazing what you can
do, it's almost like playing with paper dolls
only you can make lightening changes to
make-up, dress, hair, clothes, etc.

Week 4 #9 Addendum-"More Feeds"
Okay, I set up my Bloglines account and subscribed to
some Quick Pic feeds but also subscribed to iHCPL
participant Beatle Fans and to a Yahoo RSS on
updated music video.

Hello world, (micro not macro) Week 4, #9
FEEDS. Feeds could mean actual food to sustain
oneself, but no, this is the library so of course
our "Feeds" are informational not neccessarily
intellectual.

I went to Blogline and used the search tools
investigating Feedster and Topix. In Feedster
I clicked on Ethiopia thinking this might prove
interesting and so it did. I learned about
"returnees" having long lived in the U.S.
(some 20-30 years) going back to their home
country and trying to adjust to the pace of
life, interrupted amenities and doing business
the Ethiopian way.

I also tried Topix and appreciated the easy
connection to local news. I can see that Feeds
can be tailored quite finely to your particular
interests. I found the news feeds the most
useful.