In the spirit of this week's exercise, today I have been so productive that I not only made it to the Council Staff Xmas Gathering at Frog's Hollow, shelved, did tea relief, emptied the dishwasher, did a spot of weeding and answered a very tricky reference question regarding a vaguely recollected line of a poem (thanks to Google, my Dad and a somewhat unorthodox use of search terms) but I also made it through 3 whole exercises (- just don't test me on them next week).
I have just spent 10 minutes 'pimping' (and then 'depimping') my Google page. I think I will just end up removing the 8 widgets (am I using this term correctly? - or are they applications or something else?). It all seems a bit distracting (a bit like Pimped Japanese Trucks - http://damncoolpics.blogspot.com/2006/12/pimped-japanese-trucks.html) but so very easy to use. I have also taken my own advice (which was no doubt someone else's advice) and done the exercise in FireFox.
And what have I learned? That the next time I need to convert a document I can try Zamzar (I usually try one of a number of free online tools depending on the day of the week) and that I could recommend it to people trying to view attachments sent to them via email that are docx (until we upgrade). That everytime I open up FireFox I can read all the Learning 2.0 blogs (as I've subscribed to them all and now Google Reader has added them to my browser page). That after doing 8 exercises I'm still unsure what to call things, and finally, that it is now time for me to go home and rest my noggin in order to get through the next 2 weeks activities.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Week 7: Tagging, Technorati and del.icio.us
I have to admit I kind of raced through this one (maybe spent 45 minutes). As someone who did their degree in the last 10 years, I am quite familiar with the concept of tagging and metadata etc. I can understand it's uses and actually think the library catalogue receiving feeds from LibraryThing is quite a good development (from a Readers Advisory perspective). Yes, AquaBrowser (and other products/resources) might be more spectacular, but I find the ability to let library patrons do their own 'if you liked this, try this' quite helpful (and they usually think it's pretty good too) - most especially because it's only linking off to other items in the library catalogue (I think our collection is big enough to do this - smaller libraries and library services might not be well-served by this).
I could go on with del.icio.us but I've never found it personally helpful and really struggled with my browser over this (n.b. I will try the next weeks activities with FireFox - like I think I should've already been doing). I'm also not one for tagging (but I'll try to tag this) - possibly pretty shameful for a librarian/information manager but I'm being honest. I also struggled with Technorati but only because it seemed pretty unspectacular to me (and when I have a reaction like that I always wonder if it's because I failed to grasp/see the concept). This is why it would've been good to participate in Learning 2.0 as a group, rather than as a lone librarian on a friday afternoon (when I think I should be out weeding the 920's), but it just didn't work out that way. Maybe for Learning 4.12...
I could go on with del.icio.us but I've never found it personally helpful and really struggled with my browser over this (n.b. I will try the next weeks activities with FireFox - like I think I should've already been doing). I'm also not one for tagging (but I'll try to tag this) - possibly pretty shameful for a librarian/information manager but I'm being honest. I also struggled with Technorati but only because it seemed pretty unspectacular to me (and when I have a reaction like that I always wonder if it's because I failed to grasp/see the concept). This is why it would've been good to participate in Learning 2.0 as a group, rather than as a lone librarian on a friday afternoon (when I think I should be out weeding the 920's), but it just didn't work out that way. Maybe for Learning 4.12...
Week 6: Fun Stuff
Wow - I finally have some time to finish week 6 (I think this is my 3rd week of week 6 - but it's a lot more fun than my 3rd year of 3rd year of Uni but that's another story).
I know I had all these intelligent things to say after spending a wonderful 15 minutes stumbling upon random web pages (and they were random - I think that I ticked that I was interested in just about everything). One of the pages was an incredible find (for me) as it allows you to upload an image and divide it into smaller ones for printing - something of great use for the library and our current printing resources (http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1yWuJy/www.blockposters.com/). I was quite happy to find something on the Internet that kept me interested for longer than 5 minutes. I don't think that I'm easily bored - I think that I often limit myself to various sites on the Internet rather than taking the time to explore (perhaps this is a bit like going to the library and only looking at the DVD's and perhaps going home empty handed because you've already seen the ones you want to see).
I keep finding that Learning 2.0 is making me interact with websites that I knew about but didn't bother (for whatever reason - though I've probably gone into why in various previous ramblings/posts.) Again, I'm having trouble viewing some of the pages/resources due to IT shortcomings but I think the basic idea is to interact with what you can and possibly keep the others in mind for when some very distant relative leaves me a fortune and I finally buy a computer (by which time of course, the Internet will have moved on - Web 67.5 anyone?). I can't say that I can totally understand what Rollyo is doing - at the moment I'm wondering if it is to help you create directories and then search them (yes, I know that there is a description but I need to understand this in my own way) - I think I may have a look through other blogs and see whether anyone else has had anything to say about it.
I know I had all these intelligent things to say after spending a wonderful 15 minutes stumbling upon random web pages (and they were random - I think that I ticked that I was interested in just about everything). One of the pages was an incredible find (for me) as it allows you to upload an image and divide it into smaller ones for printing - something of great use for the library and our current printing resources (http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1yWuJy/www.blockposters.com/). I was quite happy to find something on the Internet that kept me interested for longer than 5 minutes. I don't think that I'm easily bored - I think that I often limit myself to various sites on the Internet rather than taking the time to explore (perhaps this is a bit like going to the library and only looking at the DVD's and perhaps going home empty handed because you've already seen the ones you want to see).
I keep finding that Learning 2.0 is making me interact with websites that I knew about but didn't bother (for whatever reason - though I've probably gone into why in various previous ramblings/posts.) Again, I'm having trouble viewing some of the pages/resources due to IT shortcomings but I think the basic idea is to interact with what you can and possibly keep the others in mind for when some very distant relative leaves me a fortune and I finally buy a computer (by which time of course, the Internet will have moved on - Web 67.5 anyone?). I can't say that I can totally understand what Rollyo is doing - at the moment I'm wondering if it is to help you create directories and then search them (yes, I know that there is a description but I need to understand this in my own way) - I think I may have a look through other blogs and see whether anyone else has had anything to say about it.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Week 5: Photos & Images
Do you like this picture? - I have plenty more where this comes from including approximately 1555 photos of trees (of course I exaggerate).
I thought this was an apt picture as I have just recently spent 4 or 5 or 6 weeks away from Learning 2.0 (alas, I was not on the holiday pictured or indeed any holiday at all). Now I'm not quite sure that I'll get it all finished in time given that this Learning 2.0 thing appears to have gotten all competitive - thanks Jaynie :-).
Also sometimes I feel as old as this picture as I grapple with the everything of the Internet. I know that as an information professional I should feel happy that it's all out there for everyone but oh the dilemmas of having too much choice!! Whinge whinge.
Anyway, on to the topic du jour...
I have been on Flickr since April 2006 (smug - but that's what it tells me - but that's after it got bought up by Yahoo so I'm not really old school). I think it's incredible but I'm only a minor user of its features and an ad hoc poster -and most of my pictures are set to private as I use it to store pictures 'in the cloud' (technical term there) so I can access them whenever without needing to have one of my usb's or camera devices. Actually I have about 500 pictures I intend to post there but haven't gotten around to do it and in the interim (since my last upload) a million different things have happened on Flickr and now I feel as old as the house as I don't know about any of them. Please take a look at my pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaeldo/ - many of them are from 2006 when I found 10 rolls of undeveloped film from about 1996 and had them developed so please feel free to relive a heavily censored version of my days as an Arts student in Carlton.
Ok - as for this week's exercise. My computer obviously took sympathy with my old state of mind and went back to 1999 speeds to help me relive my Internet youth and it took me half an hour to do anything (and none of the apps would load), but I am completely intrigued by the apps that allow you to find photos by colour (as it is one day my intention to catalogue a library full of books via colour - actually I achieved this as a 5 year old when I catalogued all my 2nd hand fairy tale collections via the spine colour - and then forgot all about being a Librarian for 25 years). I'm going to wait until the always immiment computer rollout and see if I could have a look at some of these apps then.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Week 4: RSS Feeds
I have to admit I have been wondering why I've never bothered to sign up for RSS feeds. Possibly I knew that if I could potentially have all the latest updates from my favourite (admittedly quite lowbrow) sites flash across the bottom of my page, that I would barely get any work done. Of course I might still not have got the idea of RSS feeds right (I know that bloglines is but one application and that I should take the time to have a look at some other free sites that provide this service in possibly different ways) but this is what I have understood them to be. I know that Google have already capitalised on the idea of having a personalised web account that when you open it, has quicklinks to all your favourite sites etc. (yes, I know they probably didn't pioneer this idea but I have not been keeping up with the latest in web innovation - it's been almost 6 years since I graduated - and I know that this is the point of Learning 2.0). Phew, I apologise for the long and unwieldy sentence.
I have been inspired by the intelligent musings on the drawnthreads blog to comment on what I think might be the potentially usefulness of this weeks highlighted web 2.0 application in relation to public libraries. I'd say that I'm not the first person to think that we could have constant feeds regarding new items but that this is possibly an inappropriate use unless you're in one of those poorer public libraries where you get a few books a month (in which case you might not like to broadcast this). It probably works far better for events that are coming up - you want your library service to appear busy and dynamic but you don't want actual and potential patrons confused (which is what happens when you have too much information). I am going on a bit aren't I? Might be time for some camomile tea.
I have been inspired by the intelligent musings on the drawnthreads blog to comment on what I think might be the potentially usefulness of this weeks highlighted web 2.0 application in relation to public libraries. I'd say that I'm not the first person to think that we could have constant feeds regarding new items but that this is possibly an inappropriate use unless you're in one of those poorer public libraries where you get a few books a month (in which case you might not like to broadcast this). It probably works far better for events that are coming up - you want your library service to appear busy and dynamic but you don't want actual and potential patrons confused (which is what happens when you have too much information). I am going on a bit aren't I? Might be time for some camomile tea.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Social Networking Sites
Thankfully Learning 2.0 has not 'forced' me to register on Facebook/MySpace/Bebo etc. I feel hugely intimidated by the idea of online 'friends'. The slings and arrows of real life are bad enough without propelling myself into the virtual sphere and wondering whether people are going to ask me to be my friend (and yes, I'm including the idea of Ning 'friends'). How I feel wounded that everybody hasn't asked me to be their friend while they're busy making friends with each other. But do I really need to be a Ning 'friend' to the person currently sitting down the other end of the workroom?
Yes, I know this is a very personal post. But that is what online social networking is about. I have a real-world friend who is constantly checking Facebook on his mobile. That includes the middle of the night, when he is working, when he is in class, when he is having a conversation with me. Is this the equivalent of constantly scanning the room when you are engaged in an interaction with someone or is it just an extra dimension of reality that we're all going to have to get used to in some way (before the online social networking backlash begins).
Twitter.
Hmmmmmmm.
As there didn't appear to be an escape clause, I did sign up. When I figure out how to do a 'follow me on twitter' I will put it somewhere on this Blogpage (until then: http://twitter.com/jearnieandsitu). Not that I'm anticipating Twittering but you never know - I can't rule out being seduced by the challenge of describing what I'm doing in 140 characters or less when I'm quite obviously sitting down at my desk typing on my computer. Yes, I'm being incredibly facetious but it's almost 7pm on a Friday night and I really should be getting home. Where I don't have the Internet. On purpose (though possibly it might enhance my quality of life - I don't know - no doubt this will be the first place to hear about any change of mind I might have).
Yes, I know this is a very personal post. But that is what online social networking is about. I have a real-world friend who is constantly checking Facebook on his mobile. That includes the middle of the night, when he is working, when he is in class, when he is having a conversation with me. Is this the equivalent of constantly scanning the room when you are engaged in an interaction with someone or is it just an extra dimension of reality that we're all going to have to get used to in some way (before the online social networking backlash begins).
Twitter.
Hmmmmmmm.
As there didn't appear to be an escape clause, I did sign up. When I figure out how to do a 'follow me on twitter' I will put it somewhere on this Blogpage (until then: http://twitter.com/jearnieandsitu). Not that I'm anticipating Twittering but you never know - I can't rule out being seduced by the challenge of describing what I'm doing in 140 characters or less when I'm quite obviously sitting down at my desk typing on my computer. Yes, I'm being incredibly facetious but it's almost 7pm on a Friday night and I really should be getting home. Where I don't have the Internet. On purpose (though possibly it might enhance my quality of life - I don't know - no doubt this will be the first place to hear about any change of mind I might have).
Thursday, September 17, 2009
#Week 2 Blogs/Wikis/Nings and Setting up Your Own Blog
Although I feel an urge to create via the written word I am also extremely protective of my privacy. There are ways to go about exerting a certain degree of anonymity when creating content (like this) for electronic dissemination but I find the fact that I can see my email address up the top of this page extremely confronting (yes, I know that it's just because I'm signed in and I have set the profile to not display it). I'm not Gen Y or Z (or whatever they might be called: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generations), but I don't think it's a simple as that. Does anyone else feel similarly intimidated by putting themselves/their thoughts etc on to the Internet? Should I just go and make myself a large pot of Camomile tea?
I also have 1 small piece of advice for everyone else starting the 2nd generation of Learning 2.0 - compile a list of all the addresses, usernames and passwords and keep it by your computer (or in a document on your computer). Unless of course, you are keeping track of them all on your iphone.
I also have 1 small piece of advice for everyone else starting the 2nd generation of Learning 2.0 - compile a list of all the addresses, usernames and passwords and keep it by your computer (or in a document on your computer). Unless of course, you are keeping track of them all on your iphone.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)