What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
My favorite discovery was hulu.com and fancast.com.
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
The most I can see how it has affected my perspective of the big picture is a few more angles of how the future development of this technology we call the Internet will affect our culture.
Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I watch more television on the Internet now.
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
Maybe breaking it down into different sizes and levels. Staff that has more computer experience find certain tasks a tad boring. Those that are new to the vastness of the web can find some of the tasks a bit challenging (especially those sites that are new, and have a clunky/not very intuitive interface). Then again it's good to get everyone on the same page. I can think of several different ways that the program, but they all gain some things, but you lose on others.
If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again chose to participate?
Depending on the content I would be very interested. Even with the most basic of task like creating an E-mail changes slightly from year to year. We are just playing a continual game of catch-up.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Gaming the System
Video games began appearing in our culture about 40 years ago. When you really think about it, there is nothing new about video games. The storytelling or hand to eye coordination in many games originally started when humans first began forming into groups. Music is added to games when is a simple addition just like we have brought ancient games of strategy into an electronic version.
Just as computers and the Internet are the start of a new age similar to the Industrial Revolution (and being in the middle of it we aren't sure where it will take us), games are evolving also. What all of the end results will be can only be guessed at. The changes we can see right now is interactive worlds online, interactive movies, and educational programs.
Libraries in the future will probably be able to use games to educate the public. Staff might be able to use games as training tools (like rewards working through a visual future version of Web5.0). In the end we will still be using games to do things like relax.
Just as computers and the Internet are the start of a new age similar to the Industrial Revolution (and being in the middle of it we aren't sure where it will take us), games are evolving also. What all of the end results will be can only be guessed at. The changes we can see right now is interactive worlds online, interactive movies, and educational programs.
Libraries in the future will probably be able to use games to educate the public. Staff might be able to use games as training tools (like rewards working through a visual future version of Web5.0). In the end we will still be using games to do things like relax.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Google the Earth
I have played with Google Earth before. The ability to have the elevation of an area in physical 3D makes it fun to use and gives you an idea of how steep that hike/walk will be. Google Maps just lacks that detail. I tried using the 3D building feature in Walt Disney World and it caused the program to slow down to a crawl.
Google Earth is a fun program.
Google Earth is a fun program.
Monday, June 30, 2008
In Thy Own Image
I created an avatar real quick. I have never been into creating the unique images of yourself as if you were animated. tektek.org did seem to be the better program though. To me the Avatars we create are like having your portrait painted. The other option is to have an avatar that doesn't look at all like, these might be a symbolic representation of who you are or who you wish you are or an escape from everything (thinking about the psychology of it all might be more than you want to know).
[url=http://www.tektek.org/dream/avatar.php?a=15857882][img]http://public2.tektek.org/img/av/0806/d30/17/891b80.png[/img][/url]
Total Value: 862 Gold
[url=http://www.tektek.org/dream/avatar.php?a=15857882][Item Information][/url]
Item List:
[url=http://tektek.org/?price=1816]Black Goth Boots - M[/url]
[url=http://tektek.org/?price=1359]Baggy Gray Sweat Pants[/url]
[url=http://tektek.org/?price=4709]Bullseye Shirt[/url]
In the world of second life it seems like a logical progression of the Internet. It's more than just a game it more of an interface. Instead of having a 2D interface called Internet Explorer your browser is the Second Life application and your mouse cursor is also your Avatar. Currently it is more of a toy and less of a tool, but as more content is added it will become more useful. Some might consider it the beginning of the Matrix.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Putting pen to pixel
Most of the time I use a word processor only at work, so I just use MS Word. Google Docs I have had training before and is nice for a free word Processor, but it doesn't have as many nice features as MS Word. Zoho seems to narrow that gap. Google Gears also seems like a nice feature, taking Zoho to your desktop when you are not connected to the Internet (like on a laptop).
There can still be bugs just as any piece of software (and trying to load things off the Internet). In time there should be fewer and fewer glitches.
There can still be bugs just as any piece of software (and trying to load things off the Internet). In time there should be fewer and fewer glitches.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Searching.........
It's a rare day when I don't use a search engine to find something. We use Google to replace our Phonebook, Atlas, Menu Guide, and Encyclopedia. Most of the time I can find what I am looking for using the correct search terms. Sometimes I use the Advanced Search to limit certain words or to make it only search one specific web site.
I used dogpile a few time about eight years ago and it doesn't seem to have changed to often. It's nice if you have an odd search term and you want to do a compare and contrast between all the different search engines out there, but some information didn't seem useful (like the information coming from yahoo ads search). Mamma.com seemed to improve things slightly with a cleaner look.
When I was starting to form my own brand loyalty to a search engine I never used Yahoo because it was too busy and had blatant advertising. Checking it out today it seems they have cleaned up the appearance of their site.
In the end I suppose Google works for me, so I use it.
I used dogpile a few time about eight years ago and it doesn't seem to have changed to often. It's nice if you have an odd search term and you want to do a compare and contrast between all the different search engines out there, but some information didn't seem useful (like the information coming from yahoo ads search). Mamma.com seemed to improve things slightly with a cleaner look.
When I was starting to form my own brand loyalty to a search engine I never used Yahoo because it was too busy and had blatant advertising. Checking it out today it seems they have cleaned up the appearance of their site.
In the end I suppose Google works for me, so I use it.
Monday, June 16, 2008
What Will Pop Out of that Pod?
Which library podcasts did you listen to?
The library podcast that I downloaded was called the "Library Survival Guide" that I found through Podcast Alley. It was interesting listening to their first podcast compared to their later ones (Their first podcast had a loop of music looping constantly throughout the entire episode, later episodes did not make this mistake).
When I checked out the Podcatchers I looked at Fireant, but they didn't have it available anymore. Fireant did endorse a successor called Miro. It's a Video Podcatcher, a basic search through the directory didn't give a many good options for "Library." I found one called WineLibrary, but watching a guy spitting wine is not exactly my cup of Merlot. When you begin expanding your search to other sites you get more options, but it does require some weeding down and instead of adding a subscription you add a channel.
Do you see podcasting as a useful tool for Sno-Isle Libraries? Any ideas about which topics our patrons might be interested in hearing?
The biggest problem with podcasting is the level of quality that is out there. If you are looking for something that has the audio or video quality of radio or television you will be disappointed by the vast majority of content out there. It is a way for someone who aspires for greatness to make a break into the market. If there is a storytime that is always packed we could provide that librarians performance to the world, just as Nancy Pearl does her Book Talk on KUOW (which I think can be downloaded as a podcast). Quality is very important to retain a reliable audience, they have an entire world of media to choose from.
Topics that might have potential is a audio version of the events at a specific branch or across the entire region, Storytimes, booktalks, and highly popular programs of an educational nature that have high attendance.
Do you have any experience with listening to, or creating podcasts?
I have never created a podcast, though I have occasionally listened to one. I don't own a MP3 player, so downloading a podcast means I only listen to it on my computer. Most of the time I can find something far more entertaining on the Internet (like hulu.com) to spend my time with.
The library podcast that I downloaded was called the "Library Survival Guide" that I found through Podcast Alley. It was interesting listening to their first podcast compared to their later ones (Their first podcast had a loop of music looping constantly throughout the entire episode, later episodes did not make this mistake).
When I checked out the Podcatchers I looked at Fireant, but they didn't have it available anymore. Fireant did endorse a successor called Miro. It's a Video Podcatcher, a basic search through the directory didn't give a many good options for "Library." I found one called WineLibrary, but watching a guy spitting wine is not exactly my cup of Merlot. When you begin expanding your search to other sites you get more options, but it does require some weeding down and instead of adding a subscription you add a channel.
Do you see podcasting as a useful tool for Sno-Isle Libraries? Any ideas about which topics our patrons might be interested in hearing?
The biggest problem with podcasting is the level of quality that is out there. If you are looking for something that has the audio or video quality of radio or television you will be disappointed by the vast majority of content out there. It is a way for someone who aspires for greatness to make a break into the market. If there is a storytime that is always packed we could provide that librarians performance to the world, just as Nancy Pearl does her Book Talk on KUOW (which I think can be downloaded as a podcast). Quality is very important to retain a reliable audience, they have an entire world of media to choose from.
Topics that might have potential is a audio version of the events at a specific branch or across the entire region, Storytimes, booktalks, and highly popular programs of an educational nature that have high attendance.
Do you have any experience with listening to, or creating podcasts?
I have never created a podcast, though I have occasionally listened to one. I don't own a MP3 player, so downloading a podcast means I only listen to it on my computer. Most of the time I can find something far more entertaining on the Internet (like hulu.com) to spend my time with.
Friday, June 13, 2008
A picture is worth a thousand words, or at least as many as you put into it.
I didn't really get into this one too much. The sites seem to be primarily about advertising. One of them that I tried was a program where you could type out text and convert it into an image. This could easily be done with almost any image creating program. If you don't have experience creating images on a computer this might be a fun site.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Overview of Overdrive
Did you notice anything you liked, didn’t like?
It was interesting going through the titles and I found a few books that I didn't realize that we were purchasing for the system that I wanted to put on hold. Using the Overdrive Media Console to play the stories at a quicker speed could be useful to students who need to get through a book quickly. It will be nice when IPods are added, then we will be getting a major increase in usage.
How was the selection of titles on the topics you browsed?
Many of the titles I browsed actually had hold queues that surprised. Sometimes the waiting list was longer for the downloadable version than the physical version. Some authors that I liked had a good selection, some only had one title available. Downloadable video was not that great since most items I wouldn't normally want to watch if the TV was on and I didn't have anything better to do (though the documentaries could be useful in a research way).
Were your favorite authors available in the collection?
They had at least one title, some had quite a few.
Did anything surprise you about this service?
The amount of holds that are pending for many of the items.
It was interesting going through the titles and I found a few books that I didn't realize that we were purchasing for the system that I wanted to put on hold. Using the Overdrive Media Console to play the stories at a quicker speed could be useful to students who need to get through a book quickly. It will be nice when IPods are added, then we will be getting a major increase in usage.
How was the selection of titles on the topics you browsed?
Many of the titles I browsed actually had hold queues that surprised. Sometimes the waiting list was longer for the downloadable version than the physical version. Some authors that I liked had a good selection, some only had one title available. Downloadable video was not that great since most items I wouldn't normally want to watch if the TV was on and I didn't have anything better to do (though the documentaries could be useful in a research way).
Were your favorite authors available in the collection?
They had at least one title, some had quite a few.
Did anything surprise you about this service?
The amount of holds that are pending for many of the items.
A place for links
How can libraries take advantage of social bookmarking sites?
It seems to be a way that librarians might be able to share new resources that are always changing and being added to the Internet. When it comes to the public, most patrons would probably just like to have a links section and not have to go to another website.
Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance?
In personal research I see it similar to asking a friend for what sites they found useful... with a social bookmarking site you have many more friends to ask for advice (though be careful which friend you ask).
Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere?
If I needed that feature, it would be very useful. Most of my favorites I use at work I only use from within my computer at work. Sites I use at home I normally only use at home. The few sites I use at both places I have memorized. Occasionally there are sites that I hardly ever use, but quite often the site has changed or there are better sites by the time I need it again and a fresh search is very beneficial.
It seems to be a way that librarians might be able to share new resources that are always changing and being added to the Internet. When it comes to the public, most patrons would probably just like to have a links section and not have to go to another website.
Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance?
In personal research I see it similar to asking a friend for what sites they found useful... with a social bookmarking site you have many more friends to ask for advice (though be careful which friend you ask).
Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere?
If I needed that feature, it would be very useful. Most of my favorites I use at work I only use from within my computer at work. Sites I use at home I normally only use at home. The few sites I use at both places I have memorized. Occasionally there are sites that I hardly ever use, but quite often the site has changed or there are better sites by the time I need it again and a fresh search is very beneficial.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wiki in a quicki!
I have used Wikipedia before and I find it useful as a starting point to gather information or if I want to find popular information. I also have used a Wiki years ago when a friend of mine started one to gather information in a game that we played. Other than that I haven't used them too often.
For all the possible personal uses it doesn't seem to be time yet for all these various web applications. If you could combine your E-mail/Blog/Wiki/IM/RSS feed/etc. into one site that all your friends were on then these things would really take off. We are still in the dark ages of putting all these bits of information together.
If Sno-Isle had it's own Wiki we could use it as a discussion board for staff on various topics. In the Public area it could be used as an online version of a book talk group, A teen graffiti area, or just general discussion on the many services Sno-Isle offers.
For all the possible personal uses it doesn't seem to be time yet for all these various web applications. If you could combine your E-mail/Blog/Wiki/IM/RSS feed/etc. into one site that all your friends were on then these things would really take off. We are still in the dark ages of putting all these bits of information together.
If Sno-Isle had it's own Wiki we could use it as a discussion board for staff on various topics. In the Public area it could be used as an online version of a book talk group, A teen graffiti area, or just general discussion on the many services Sno-Isle offers.
Monday, May 12, 2008
TV on the Intrawebs
YouTube
Look for videos about libraries.
What did you find?
Hulu and Fancast
Explore both sites and look for movies or tv shows that might interest you.
Would you use either or both of these sites? Why?
I found quite a few shows that I haven't seen in quite a few years and some that I wish I had seen. I liked Hulu a little better than Fancast. The image quality isn't as good on Fancast, but then if you want to see something with good image quality, getting a DVD is the better option. I might be using Hulu tonight at home.
Would either of these sites be useful for libraries?
Look for videos about libraries.
What did you find?
Hulu and Fancast
Explore both sites and look for movies or tv shows that might interest you.
Would you use either or both of these sites? Why?
I found quite a few shows that I haven't seen in quite a few years and some that I wish I had seen. I liked Hulu a little better than Fancast. The image quality isn't as good on Fancast, but then if you want to see something with good image quality, getting a DVD is the better option. I might be using Hulu tonight at home.
Would either of these sites be useful for libraries?
They are good websites. There are some news resources that could be considered educational. If a patron had missed an episode of a TV show they could catch up with it at the library (but a movie would be a bad idea with the time limitations on our computers.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Friend Networks
The new site I tried was Facebook. I didn't really get into it though. Once I had it set up the only thing I found to do was clicking around trying to find people. It reminds me of a less flashy version of Myspace.
I first started using social networks about eight years ago on Livejournal when I had a few friends using it. Then I started using Myspace about four years ago when other friends had myspace pages for themselves and their bands. Personally I find these website as different form of Email and a way to keep up with what is happening in the lives of friends (through their blogs) I might only see once a year.
I first started using social networks about eight years ago on Livejournal when I had a few friends using it. Then I started using Myspace about four years ago when other friends had myspace pages for themselves and their bands. Personally I find these website as different form of Email and a way to keep up with what is happening in the lives of friends (through their blogs) I might only see once a year.
Monday, May 5, 2008
a window into the soul
http://www.flickr.com/photos/proverbs31/2290994031/
It's interesting just looking around and seeing all the things people photograph. The various apps available on Flickr makes for some unique ways to find an image. I have been to this site before because I have some friends who upload to it. Maybe I will to someday, when I have a camera.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Sound of Music
Today we explore the world of online streaming music sites.
I have used Pandora several times before. The site begins playing music very easily and has a nice user interface, but if you have something in particular in mind it doesn't work that well. The review process can be fun in that you are given the feeling that your opinion has an affect on what will be coming up next.
Today I tried out FineTune. The idea seems nice, but the limitations make it a little less desirable. In FineTune you create your own playlist or you can listen to others. The limitations are that you can only have three of a particular artists work in a playlist. Also when I was searching the Beatles discography the songs in each album were listed, but not actually available. They have a lazy feature that will fill out the rest of a playlist if you don't want to do it yourself (which strangely put some Beatles songs on that had appeared to be unavailable). The design of the website also was not very intuitive, but had a very stylish look.
What I would like is a site that lets you do what you want without restrictions, but that would probably violate the record companies copyrights.
I have used Pandora several times before. The site begins playing music very easily and has a nice user interface, but if you have something in particular in mind it doesn't work that well. The review process can be fun in that you are given the feeling that your opinion has an affect on what will be coming up next.
Today I tried out FineTune. The idea seems nice, but the limitations make it a little less desirable. In FineTune you create your own playlist or you can listen to others. The limitations are that you can only have three of a particular artists work in a playlist. Also when I was searching the Beatles discography the songs in each album were listed, but not actually available. They have a lazy feature that will fill out the rest of a playlist if you don't want to do it yourself (which strangely put some Beatles songs on that had appeared to be unavailable). The design of the website also was not very intuitive, but had a very stylish look.
What I would like is a site that lets you do what you want without restrictions, but that would probably violate the record companies copyrights.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
All the RSS
I have been using RSS feeds on my personal blog for a year or two now. My favorites have been Astronomy Picture of the Day (the source of many of the wallpapers on the computer), Unshelved Comic, Dilbert Comic, and the Daily Show with John Stewart. Anything that allows me to be more lazy or efficient I like. My personal blog is on LiveJournal and it has a convenient way to have a page that lists all your friends blogs, RSS feeds, and other communities of interest all on the same page. Bloglines seems to have a lot of features, but it's not very straight forward (which could be intimidating to people who just want something that will simply give them their updates). I sometimes find some RSS feeds to be a little overwhelming if they make more than five posts in a day (If you are subscribed to more than 10 feeds it can get overwhelming quickly).
The best uses for RSS in the library are update patrons on new databases, upcoming events, and new books (if there was a way to set a specific search option, like Google News Alerts, it could be really popular).
The best uses for RSS in the library are update patrons on new databases, upcoming events, and new books (if there was a way to set a specific search option, like Google News Alerts, it could be really popular).
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Instant Messaging
It's been a long time since I have used Instant Messaging. Probably five years or so. Back then I tried a variety of IM software (ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo, AIM, Trillian, etc.). Gtalk seems very simple and easy to use, though many of the features are so streamlined that it can be challenging for some to discover and use features (like Group chat) that might be fun or useful.
Several of us here at Mukilteo used the group chat feature and it was interesting to see how everyone used it. One of the interesting features is the "Off the Record" option. Just like your phone's text messages, everything is (by default) recorded.
I will be testing the other downloadable IM programs that are out there soon. It might be a useful tool for staff at the front desk if they need to get the attention of the staff in the backroom. I will just need to find a good program that can have it's message alert sound altered.
Several of us here at Mukilteo used the group chat feature and it was interesting to see how everyone used it. One of the interesting features is the "Off the Record" option. Just like your phone's text messages, everything is (by default) recorded.
I will be testing the other downloadable IM programs that are out there soon. It might be a useful tool for staff at the front desk if they need to get the attention of the staff in the backroom. I will just need to find a good program that can have it's message alert sound altered.
Monday, March 17, 2008
How do you find people?
Last week I worked with Alisa in discovering how to find another person's blog. If you just go out looking for a blog without knowing it's name you are going to have a hard time. The best way it seems to share your blog with friends and co-workers is by sending your URL to everyone in an E-mail.
If you find a blog you want to keep caught up on there is a link that sets up your RSS Feed (which I believe we will be covering in more detail in week five).
If you find a blog you want to keep caught up on there is a link that sets up your RSS Feed (which I believe we will be covering in more detail in week five).
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Censorship
http://www.idahopress.com/news/?id=4310
I find it interesting how people want things that they find intellectually uncomfortable treated. If we put everything that someone found offensive into one room the original library would be a very empty place and we would have to come up with a new place filled with dangerous thoughts.
http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20071006
I find it interesting how people want things that they find intellectually uncomfortable treated. If we put everything that someone found offensive into one room the original library would be a very empty place and we would have to come up with a new place filled with dangerous thoughts.
http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20071006
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