It’s been three years since I last posted, and there have been changes in the Learning 2.0 world. Facebook has been changed and changed again. Features have come and gone, and the privacy policy has been changed. Right now, users are being switched over to a new format called Timeline, which is supposed to make the Facebook experience feel more like an online scrapbook of one’s life. I have not yet switched my account over to the timeline, and am going to hold off on that as long as possible.
I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. I love how easy it makes it for me to keep up with organizations that I care about, such as my bike group, or businesses that offer good deals or coupons via posts. I have enjoyed reconnecting with friends from my high school days, and keeping in touch with distant relatives who I would otherwise probably not hear from except at the holidays. I dislike all the games, and have blocked them all from my wall. I dislike getting friend requests from people that I really don’t know. Usually I don’t accept those requests, but occasionally, I still feel an obligation to do so. I particularly have a hard time with requests from work colleagues. I don’t really want them to know what I am up to in my private life (not that I have much to hide, but still), and it is awkward to say, I like working with you, but I don’t want to be your friend!
Besides Facebook, there is now Google+. After an early buzz, where a person had to be invited to join, it’s now open to all, and has some features that address my concerns regarding what gets shared with whom. I like the circles feature. You can put each connection that you make in specific circles that you create, i.e. “Family,” “Close friends,” “Acquaintances,” “Colleagues,” and so on. When you post anything, you can choose which circles get to see that post. So far, not that many of the people I am connected with on Facebook have signed up with Google+, however, when enough of the ones I care about do, I will probably stop using Facebook altogether.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Monday, July 20, 2009
Thing 23: Evaluation
This has been an interesting, fun and frustrating project. I learned quite a lot, and explored a number of social networking and productivity tools that I would not have discovered without this project's tasks. I particularly enjoyed learning more about Flickr, which I had been using, but didn't realize how much more there is to learn about it, until doing some of the exercises involved in Learning 2.0
I did a lot of the projects on personal time, because it is just too hectic at work, and I need time to think about what I write. Since I really wanted to learn, this was certainly not a problem for me.
In order to remain relevant, I think the Learning 2.0 program needs to be updated on a more frequent basis. Some of the things I looked at, including Technorati and Rollyo, don't seem all that useful at this point. Instead of Rollyo, I think it would be great to do a project on creating your own search engine, using Google Custom Search.
There are also new things out there, such as Twitter, that would be really helpful to know more about. I am on Twitter, but I really don't understand it very well, and I know I'm not using it all that effectively. I think the library could be Twittering, and if we were to consider that, it would be most helpful if the staff had a working knowledge of the codes and lingo used there. Twitter is not even mentioned in the version of Learning 2.0 that we used.
It also would have been nice if there would have been a little more feedback. I tried to post comments on other blogs involved with this program, but very few of my colleagues returned the favor. It was a little lonely writing only for myself!
I will continue to blog, as it's a nice way to think about and share ideas, and so far as SCLD's program goes, I am very pleased that there is now a blog for sharing continuing education information and another for sharing book reviews. I hope to continue to contribute worthwhile content to both of them!
I did a lot of the projects on personal time, because it is just too hectic at work, and I need time to think about what I write. Since I really wanted to learn, this was certainly not a problem for me.
In order to remain relevant, I think the Learning 2.0 program needs to be updated on a more frequent basis. Some of the things I looked at, including Technorati and Rollyo, don't seem all that useful at this point. Instead of Rollyo, I think it would be great to do a project on creating your own search engine, using Google Custom Search.
There are also new things out there, such as Twitter, that would be really helpful to know more about. I am on Twitter, but I really don't understand it very well, and I know I'm not using it all that effectively. I think the library could be Twittering, and if we were to consider that, it would be most helpful if the staff had a working knowledge of the codes and lingo used there. Twitter is not even mentioned in the version of Learning 2.0 that we used.
It also would have been nice if there would have been a little more feedback. I tried to post comments on other blogs involved with this program, but very few of my colleagues returned the favor. It was a little lonely writing only for myself!
I will continue to blog, as it's a nice way to think about and share ideas, and so far as SCLD's program goes, I am very pleased that there is now a blog for sharing continuing education information and another for sharing book reviews. I hope to continue to contribute worthwhile content to both of them!
When this project first started, I opened a Facebook account. I had looked at MySpace, but hated it's messy layout. Facebook seemed tidier. My daughter was desperate to open an account on one of those two sites, but I was not willing to allow her, without really understanding what it entailed myself. So, there I went.
The first week that I had my account, I re-connected with a couple of classmates from highschool, which was fun. Then suddenly, nearly every member (including my 74-year-old mother) also signed up for accounts. Then, acquaintances from other on-line social networks that have undergone some changes, reconnected as well, and I found myself spending more time than I like to admit, catching up with all of them.
I finally allowed Siobhan to open an account after school let out for the summer. I've had sufficient time to learn the ins and outs of privacy settings, and she is instructed that we must remain "friends," in order for her to continue.
I still see some huge pitfalls with this very entertaining website. If a kid "Friends" most of their classmates, and then sees that there is a meet-up somewhere, to which they have not been invited, that will be a very sad moment. If somebody writes something nasty on somebody else's wall, every friend they have will see that, reflecting badly on possibly everybody that reads or partakes in that conversation. I have also learned that it is possible to "block" somebody, which can cause terribly hurt feelings. My teenaged niece puts such random posts up that it litters my wall, and makes no sense. I think she is having a private conversation and doesn't realize that where she puts it makes it public for all 700 of her friends. Another relative put up some highly private (in my opinion) information about herself that I felt would damage her reputation and possibly come back to haunt her in job searches. She too has hundreds of "friends," so even though not everybody has access to her information, I believe that she may be putting herself at risk.
My privacy settings were set so high, that nobody could find me; in fact when my daughter signed up, between her privacy settings and mine, we could not find each other, by e-mail or name. At the moment my privacy settings are a little looser, and I have had a few friend requests since. Once I feel like I've connected with the folks that I might like, I will lock it down tight once again.
For now, if you want to find me, look for "Wilma Gyswyt Flanagan." I have filled out all the profile information and followed all the steps on "The Extra Super Bonus Set" of the Learning 2.0 project.
The first week that I had my account, I re-connected with a couple of classmates from highschool, which was fun. Then suddenly, nearly every member (including my 74-year-old mother) also signed up for accounts. Then, acquaintances from other on-line social networks that have undergone some changes, reconnected as well, and I found myself spending more time than I like to admit, catching up with all of them.
I finally allowed Siobhan to open an account after school let out for the summer. I've had sufficient time to learn the ins and outs of privacy settings, and she is instructed that we must remain "friends," in order for her to continue.
I still see some huge pitfalls with this very entertaining website. If a kid "Friends" most of their classmates, and then sees that there is a meet-up somewhere, to which they have not been invited, that will be a very sad moment. If somebody writes something nasty on somebody else's wall, every friend they have will see that, reflecting badly on possibly everybody that reads or partakes in that conversation. I have also learned that it is possible to "block" somebody, which can cause terribly hurt feelings. My teenaged niece puts such random posts up that it litters my wall, and makes no sense. I think she is having a private conversation and doesn't realize that where she puts it makes it public for all 700 of her friends. Another relative put up some highly private (in my opinion) information about herself that I felt would damage her reputation and possibly come back to haunt her in job searches. She too has hundreds of "friends," so even though not everybody has access to her information, I believe that she may be putting herself at risk.
My privacy settings were set so high, that nobody could find me; in fact when my daughter signed up, between her privacy settings and mine, we could not find each other, by e-mail or name. At the moment my privacy settings are a little looser, and I have had a few friend requests since. Once I feel like I've connected with the folks that I might like, I will lock it down tight once again.
For now, if you want to find me, look for "Wilma Gyswyt Flanagan." I have filled out all the profile information and followed all the steps on "The Extra Super Bonus Set" of the Learning 2.0 project.
Thing 22: Downloadable Audiobooks
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with our down-loadable audiobooks. This is mainly because my computer is a Mac, and even though I can now get some books in the MP3 format, which can be downloaded onto the Mac, most things are still only available to download via a Windows machine. I have hope that as time goes by, this will change, especially since recently, many books that were previously unavailable for use on an iPod have now become iPod friendly. When the software becomes more Mac-friendly, I will be using this service a lot more, I'm sure!
My daughter uses the service all the time. She uses my little Netbook to download and transfer her books to a 2 GB Sansa Clip. She has certain books that she listens to over and over again. Although her rights to listen expire after the two week check-out period, she leaves the files in place, and re-reserves the books. Then when she gets the new check-out, she simply re-installs the rights, and doesn't have to re-download the whole book. Clever child.
I have assisted a number of customers with difficulties in getting the software properly installed on their computers. I even made a "housecall" once, to a customer who turned out to be a neighbor of mine!
I still prefer to actually read my books, but under certain circumstances, like a long journey, a good audiobook is just the ticket. Among long journeys, I count my longer bike rides, where I can listen, using earphones that still allow me to be aware of what is happening around me. The Overdrive program is great, because you don't have to permanently store the data on your hard-drive, and of course the price cannot be beat. I'm waiting for the day when we add digital downloads of the print versions as well for e-book readers. Our libraries can be smaller, and hold so much more. It's a good thing, as Martha Stewart always says.
My daughter uses the service all the time. She uses my little Netbook to download and transfer her books to a 2 GB Sansa Clip. She has certain books that she listens to over and over again. Although her rights to listen expire after the two week check-out period, she leaves the files in place, and re-reserves the books. Then when she gets the new check-out, she simply re-installs the rights, and doesn't have to re-download the whole book. Clever child.
I have assisted a number of customers with difficulties in getting the software properly installed on their computers. I even made a "housecall" once, to a customer who turned out to be a neighbor of mine!
I still prefer to actually read my books, but under certain circumstances, like a long journey, a good audiobook is just the ticket. Among long journeys, I count my longer bike rides, where I can listen, using earphones that still allow me to be aware of what is happening around me. The Overdrive program is great, because you don't have to permanently store the data on your hard-drive, and of course the price cannot be beat. I'm waiting for the day when we add digital downloads of the print versions as well for e-book readers. Our libraries can be smaller, and hold so much more. It's a good thing, as Martha Stewart always says.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thing 21: Podcasts
I've been listening to podcasts for a couple years; mostly when I go to the gym, or when I go for a long bike ride along a well known route. I always make sure that I am quite able to hear what is going on around me, so I really don't think I'm being dangerous. I wear headphones that allow outside sounds in, and I don't keep the volume up at all.
There are two kinds of podcasts that I listen to. I have several subscriptions to knitting podcasts (was shocked to discover that there's a lot to be said about pointy sticks and string!) and I also time-shift many of my favorite NPR programs and listen to them via podcast. I particularly enjoy Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and Fresh Air. Sometimes, I also download a segment of On Point, or Talk of the Nation. I get video podcasts from Apple with tips and hints about using OSX, the operating system that my Mac runs on.
Most of the podcasts that I listen to, I've found either through the blogs that they are attached to, or through iTunes, which is also how I manage my iPods, music, and movies. I've not tried iTunes on a PC, but on the Mac, it's extremely simple and intuitive to use. I have an iPhone, an older Nano, and an older Shuffle. The computer recognizes each one, and keeps track of which subscriptions I like to sync to each one. My Nano doesn't do movies, so the video podcasts don't work there. The shuffle is the simplest, but also the least flexible, so that's become mostly just a back-up device.
It's easy in iTunes, to see which podcasts are up-to-date, and once I've subscribed to a particular one, anytime I open iTunes, if there's a new one, it will automatically download. I can also go to the podcast section of my iPhone, and download podcasts from there via WiFi. I can even download whole video podcasts right onto the phone. It's amazing!
I spent some time poking around with Podcast Alley, and found a number of Library podcasts. However, after clicking on the descriptions, and then clicking on the link to download or subscribe to them, discovered that most had not been updated in more than a year. I could not see any way to sort them according to how up-to-date the listings are.
Podcast.com works a little better, because each listing shows when it was last updated. If it hasn't been updated in a year or more, it is probably not worth subscribing too. However, it might still be useful to find a podcast on a particular topic that one would like to hear. An example of this might be the very informative This American Life segments that have explained how the downturn in the economy happened, in a way that non-economists could easily understand!
If you want to try a quick, fun, and very useful podcast, I highly recommend Grammar Girl, hosted by Mignon Fogerty. Each podcast is under five minutes long, but explains language usage and writing style in an entertaining and easy to understand way.
There are two kinds of podcasts that I listen to. I have several subscriptions to knitting podcasts (was shocked to discover that there's a lot to be said about pointy sticks and string!) and I also time-shift many of my favorite NPR programs and listen to them via podcast. I particularly enjoy Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and Fresh Air. Sometimes, I also download a segment of On Point, or Talk of the Nation. I get video podcasts from Apple with tips and hints about using OSX, the operating system that my Mac runs on.
Most of the podcasts that I listen to, I've found either through the blogs that they are attached to, or through iTunes, which is also how I manage my iPods, music, and movies. I've not tried iTunes on a PC, but on the Mac, it's extremely simple and intuitive to use. I have an iPhone, an older Nano, and an older Shuffle. The computer recognizes each one, and keeps track of which subscriptions I like to sync to each one. My Nano doesn't do movies, so the video podcasts don't work there. The shuffle is the simplest, but also the least flexible, so that's become mostly just a back-up device.
It's easy in iTunes, to see which podcasts are up-to-date, and once I've subscribed to a particular one, anytime I open iTunes, if there's a new one, it will automatically download. I can also go to the podcast section of my iPhone, and download podcasts from there via WiFi. I can even download whole video podcasts right onto the phone. It's amazing!
I spent some time poking around with Podcast Alley, and found a number of Library podcasts. However, after clicking on the descriptions, and then clicking on the link to download or subscribe to them, discovered that most had not been updated in more than a year. I could not see any way to sort them according to how up-to-date the listings are.
Podcast.com works a little better, because each listing shows when it was last updated. If it hasn't been updated in a year or more, it is probably not worth subscribing too. However, it might still be useful to find a podcast on a particular topic that one would like to hear. An example of this might be the very informative This American Life segments that have explained how the downturn in the economy happened, in a way that non-economists could easily understand!
If you want to try a quick, fun, and very useful podcast, I highly recommend Grammar Girl, hosted by Mignon Fogerty. Each podcast is under five minutes long, but explains language usage and writing style in an entertaining and easy to understand way.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Thing 20: You Tube & Video Sharing
My very first post contains an embedded video that I made last summer, while cycling along the Centennial Trail. I've made a variety of small videos, mostly having to do with bicycling, but also one showing a very clever cast-on method for knitting a hat from the center out. I tried to demonstrate the cast-on in a knitting shop, but developed stage fright, which caused my hands to shake so bad that I could barely do the steps. Making the little movie in the privacy of my dining room, and then sharing it via You Tube was a whole lot easier for me!
Embedding video from YouTube (or many of the other sites) is extremely easy. Usually, to the right of the video, or underneath it, is a link you can click to share the video. From that you can either e-mail a link to a friend, or you can copy some HTML to "embed" the video into your own blog. (You can do the same thing with slideshows from Flickr).
Here is one that I'm quite proud of, because it was created by my thirteen-year-old daughter:
Doesn't that make you want to go and read this book?
And that is one way that I think libraries can really use YouTube. Get teens (and other ages as well) to create little video reviews of books, and post them, then link to them through the library website. Teen film-making classes, video tutorials for using databases, or software could also be very handy.
Besides YouTube, there is one other video sharing site that I like to visit. One of the cool things about Vimeo, is that many of their videos can be downloaded. This makes it possible for me to save and play the videos on my iPhone. The filmmaker has control, so can allow download or not.
There are ways to download YouTube videos as well, but at least with the Mac platform, it requires separate software.
Here's a Vimeo video that I particularly enjoy:
Embedding video from YouTube (or many of the other sites) is extremely easy. Usually, to the right of the video, or underneath it, is a link you can click to share the video. From that you can either e-mail a link to a friend, or you can copy some HTML to "embed" the video into your own blog. (You can do the same thing with slideshows from Flickr).
Here is one that I'm quite proud of, because it was created by my thirteen-year-old daughter:
Doesn't that make you want to go and read this book?
And that is one way that I think libraries can really use YouTube. Get teens (and other ages as well) to create little video reviews of books, and post them, then link to them through the library website. Teen film-making classes, video tutorials for using databases, or software could also be very handy.
Besides YouTube, there is one other video sharing site that I like to visit. One of the cool things about Vimeo, is that many of their videos can be downloaded. This makes it possible for me to save and play the videos on my iPhone. The filmmaker has control, so can allow download or not.
There are ways to download YouTube videos as well, but at least with the Mac platform, it requires separate software.
Here's a Vimeo video that I particularly enjoy:
Gorge Fog from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Thing 19: Award Winning Web 2.0 Sites TWITTER
I looked at the link for the 2008 SEOmoz Web 2.0 Awards, and was rather puzzled to find that those awards were bestowed on May 9, 2007. Given how fast trends change and websites morph into other things, that seems like a really old set of awards. And why was it called the 2008 awards more than half a year ahead of time? But aside from that, I enjoyed poking around and looking at some of the websites they featured. Many were familiar: Facebook, Myspace, Delicious, and more that Learning 2.0 has explored. Others are long gone, or require a paid subscription to access.
The Tool that I have spent the most time with is Twitter. I signed up for an account back in January, and posted a couple of pretty boring updates: "I'm waiting for the bus." or "Having a cup of coffee." This may be why I have so few "followers!" On the other hand, I quickly caught on to the fact that it's fun to follow Tweeters who have something to say. I don't like to spend a lot of time with it, so I don't follow many, but I enjoy following Scott Simon and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me from NPR. I follow Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and several of my knitting sheroes. I follow Steven Fry (British voice of Harry Potter, and Jeeves, from the Jeeves and Wooster series). He's geeky and fun, and very up with all sorts of world events. He also likes to try all sorts of Web 2.0 apps, and shares them regularly via his website and tweets. Besides people, I follow Bike to Work Spokane, which keeps me up-to-date on what's happening with the local cycling scene. And, I follow the tweets of Sno-Isle Regional Library.
Sno-Isle sends out several tweets every day with reminders about upcoming programs, book recommendations and more. They post links to more information so the 140 character limit of a tweet is no problem. I subscribe to the general Sno-Isle tweets. They also have a Twitter account just for Teens, in which they promote their services just to teens.
I think it would be fun to see how we could make this service work at SCLD as well. Like Sno-Isle, it would be great to remind followers about our many programs and services, but I also wonder if it could be used to do some quick reference services. Our customers could tweet us with a quick question, and we could reply within a certain time frame, say every 1-4 hours. Since it isn't necessary to do it in real time, the way QuestionPoint is, it could be easily managed from the reference desk. Something to explore, I think.
I log in to Twitter in two ways; via my computer at home, directly on the web. I also have a program on my iPhone, called Twitterific, which allows me to check what's new, and post my own tweets. I can even post Twitpics that way. And, whenever I post anything, I have it linked into my Facebook account, so the Tweet or Twitpic shows up there as well.
The Tool that I have spent the most time with is Twitter. I signed up for an account back in January, and posted a couple of pretty boring updates: "I'm waiting for the bus." or "Having a cup of coffee." This may be why I have so few "followers!" On the other hand, I quickly caught on to the fact that it's fun to follow Tweeters who have something to say. I don't like to spend a lot of time with it, so I don't follow many, but I enjoy following Scott Simon and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me from NPR. I follow Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and several of my knitting sheroes. I follow Steven Fry (British voice of Harry Potter, and Jeeves, from the Jeeves and Wooster series). He's geeky and fun, and very up with all sorts of world events. He also likes to try all sorts of Web 2.0 apps, and shares them regularly via his website and tweets. Besides people, I follow Bike to Work Spokane, which keeps me up-to-date on what's happening with the local cycling scene. And, I follow the tweets of Sno-Isle Regional Library.
Sno-Isle sends out several tweets every day with reminders about upcoming programs, book recommendations and more. They post links to more information so the 140 character limit of a tweet is no problem. I subscribe to the general Sno-Isle tweets. They also have a Twitter account just for Teens, in which they promote their services just to teens.
I think it would be fun to see how we could make this service work at SCLD as well. Like Sno-Isle, it would be great to remind followers about our many programs and services, but I also wonder if it could be used to do some quick reference services. Our customers could tweet us with a quick question, and we could reply within a certain time frame, say every 1-4 hours. Since it isn't necessary to do it in real time, the way QuestionPoint is, it could be easily managed from the reference desk. Something to explore, I think.
I log in to Twitter in two ways; via my computer at home, directly on the web. I also have a program on my iPhone, called Twitterific, which allows me to check what's new, and post my own tweets. I can even post Twitpics that way. And, whenever I post anything, I have it linked into my Facebook account, so the Tweet or Twitpic shows up there as well.
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