Reflecting

I am very pleased that I had the opportunity to participate in Web 2.0

Some of the applications I learned were new to me, some I had previous experience with. I understand that our world is everchanging and to be able to keep up with it all is impossible. These weekly lessons have given me some ideas for things I would like to learn more about. I have found that I am using the internet more for photo storage and I have started a new blog for my personal endeavors.

My husband was somewhat jealous that I was able to be part of Web 2.0. Hopefully I can share what I've learned.

I would definitely like to participate in similar courses if they become available.

Gaming

I have always enjoyed games. Before computer games I spent my free time playing pinball at the Arcade. I know, I'm old. But I haven't lost my passion for games. I especially like the quick free games since my free time is rare. I have several free game sites bookmarked on my computer at home.

Because I have raised three boys I have become familiar with Warcraft, cheats, and hours and hours spent in front of the computer screen. They chat with each other and blow each other up. Sometimes I come home from work to see three boys on three different computers all battling. What a sight. My point is that I am aware of the impact of gaming in our society today. I am especially pleased that the library is embracing that and inviting the community to do the same.

Mapping

I have been familiar with Google Earth for a while now. Not only is it fun to play with it has helped me plan vacations. When we decide where we want to go we plug in the city and search for lodging. That way we can see if we are going to be in an ideal location or not.

I visited Weimar, the town I stayed in while I was in Germany, and was able to see pictures of different locations throughout the town. It was very nostalgic and somewhat educational.

When I look at my address I can almost tell the exact time the image was posted. I think we had just opened up our outdoor umbrella!

Avatars

It took several tries but I was finally able to save my Avatar!

The avatars are fun. You can create different images depending on your mood.

I watched the Second Life videos and went to a couple of locations and I have to say that I think it's a little creepy. I don't already live there and I don't think I want to. It reminds me of adults sitting around the computer like teenagers, glued to an interactive game. Again.... where do people find the time?

Online Applications

I created documents in google and zulu and thought it was pretty easy to use. These applications could really come in handy when people don't have anywhere to save anything. They can create their documents and return to them next time they are at the library.

Search Engines

I tried all the mentioned search engines with the exact same search.
The results were as follows:

Yahoo 351
Google 312
Rollyo 151
Ask.com 89
Dogpile 57
Mamma 11

Dogpile was very slow and it did not tally the hits, I had to count them myself. However, it did produce some obscure sites that are probably hidden near the end of the long lists that I never seem to reach.

It was interesting to see how the results were grouped in each search engine.

Podcasting

I subscribed to TechTracks Podcasts which is a class like web2.0 out of SC State Library. The part I listened to had to do with MySpace and social networks. I also subscribed to Booktalks Quick and Simple which are booktalks by expert Nancy Keane. Both of these subjects would be interesting to patrons. Those who are looking for more technical instruction than they can get from us could listen to these techie podcasts while they are hanging out at the computer. Patrons looking for reading ideas seem to want input from all different sources. This is definitely a way to get that kind of information. If we have a way to point people in this direction I think patrons would be thrilled with the amount of information available to them.

For fun I subscribed to German in 5 minutes a day. We'll see if that's helpful at all.

My first experience with Podcasting was a while back when I was researching graduate school options. I was able to sit in on a Podcast about the different programs I was interested in. I thought that was so convenient because the alternative was to physically visit the college and sit in on a group meeting.

Finally, my biggest hesitation is that this is another time consuming project. If only I had extra hours in each day to explore and learn but alas...

Image Manipulation

I fiddled around on the website and was able to create a couple of fun things.

However,

I had trouble trying to upload pictures and when I got one to work the options that I could choose did not work properly. I'm afraid if a patron needs help with this I won't be of much use.

Downloadable Media

I downloaded some music and an audio book using Overdrive. They were both available for checkout right away which is nice. I think it's surprising that you have to put digital media on hold. It seems like it should always be available. I like the fact that some titles are able to be burned onto CD. I looked specifically for items that were burnable that I knew I really wanted to have.

I have been helping people with this service since we started and it can be very confusing for some. It is especially hard when someone calls from home and can't get it to work. It's one of those things that the more you use it, the easier it gets.

del.icio.us

Okay, so I have tried del.icio.us. I put the web2.0 address on it but it seems so much easier to just go to my favorites. I typically use one computer at work and I have one computer at home and the type of things I do on each of those computers is not really related so I can't see that storing my favorites on-line will be more efficient. I can see, however, how it would be beneficial in different circumstances so I will continue to add to my site and learn more about it.

Wiki

I really like the concept of a collective source of information. I found it interesting how much ettiquette is involved in the process of maintaining a reputable site.

I am sure that wikis could be useful for the library. Considering we are "branched" out but have common goals it seems this would be a good way to share information. I especially like the book review wikis.

YouTube Hulu and Fancast

There are endless videos to browse through on YouTube. I think you could spend a lot of time (which is something I don't really have) just looking at goofy things. I searched for my last name and I actually got a hit. My son had posted just yesterday a video of himself and his friends rehearsing for a talent show. It was fun to see him in his dorm room at college doing what he probably does way more than school work.

The movies and TV shows on the other two sites are pretty fun. I think I might use these if I miss an episode of one of my favorite shows. I haven't watched anything all the way through so I don't know what kind of advertising they do but it seems like something I would try.

I'm not sure how useful this would be for the library unless people are looking for current DVDs, maybe we could suggest they check these sites out.

I have already posted a YouTube video on this blog. My son Kevin helped me do it because he was proud of his film.

Onward to the next task....

Facebook

I had been tempted for a while to create a Facebook account but wasn't quite sure if I really wanted to throw myself out into cyberspace. Making it an assignment pushed me over the edge. Now anyone can look me up and even see my picture.

It has been fun looking for people I might know. I added a couple of friends, one from Sno-Isle (okay, it was Jenny) and the other is my son. I think it could be a pretty fun way to keep in touch. It's a little like a blog but it doesn't feel like journaling.

More Photos

Jenny showed me how to email to my blog!!

From: Barb Peskuric
Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 2:41 PM
To: Barb Peskuric
Subject: Emailing: of=50,332,442

Flickr

Well, I've got a picture posted to Flickr. I was disappointed that I had to have a Yahoo account to use Flickr. I have way too many accounts these days. I have previously used Snapfish to back up my photos.

Streaming Music

I like streaming music. Especially now that I have set up a station with Pandora. I have used my favorite radio stations streaming function but this is even better. Now I get to hear only music that I like. I put in one of my favorite groups and one my favorite songs. Pandora chose a bunch more based on those choices and so far I like them all.

I often tell patrons to find streaming web sites when they want to hear music since our public computers do not play CDs.

RSS Feeds

What do I like about RSS feeds and feed readers? Well, I get information on things that I am interested in that I normally wouldn't just come upon. I also think it's nice that all the RSS feeds are collected together in one reader so that I can get all my information at one location.

I'm not sure how RSS feeds would help me at work. At home it would be nice to be able to update weather forcasts and news items whenever I want.

It could be beneficial to the library to collect certain RSS feeds that give us the information we need to keep on the cutting edge of technology and the normal changes in our day to day world. It seems to be another way for us not to fall behind.

I have only tried the Bloglines reader so I don't have anything to compare it with. It seems a little busy and not as user friendly as it could be but I did not have trouble setting it up and viewing my feeds. I will keep checking it when I get a chance.

IMing

Teresa and I chatted using Meebo, it was the first time for me. Our thoughts overlapped a little before we got the hang of back and forth conversation. I think this form of communication has its place but I'm not sure if I like it yet. I do like Meebo so that I don't have to download software every time a change computers.

Amazing Video

This is my son, his friends and what they do when they have some free time.

By the way, it has a five star rating!!

It's a new week

I've been out for a week so I have a little catching up to do. It's interesting to read everyone's blog entries. Some are very elaborate and some quite simple. I'm happy to know I'm not the only one that this is new for.

First Entry

Today I enter the world of blogging. I have never had my own blog, however, I have enjoyed reading others. I enjoy learning these new things and I think this project will be fun.