Wow. The reserch project calender rocks. It seems like it was built for procrastinators like myself. Just putting in random dates it generated a whole checklist of things, each clickable for more information.
I think this tool might be especially useful to high school students who are learning how to managed their time. I have always believed that every student needs to learn good habits of how to study and time management, something I was not taught and continue to struggle with even now (as evidenced by the day before marathon blog session).
There is some especially good information in Step 2 dealing with gathering of information. This is another area I think young people need help with, as google has shown us that merely typing in some keywords will give us everything we need to know about anything (not really). The idea of authority (something I'm glad we are talking about in many of my classes) is a lesson that needs to be brought to the forefront of young people's education.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Second Life scares me.
I think it is because I've been addicted to online games before. It started with Everquest and then changed to World of Warcraft. I am very lucky that by the time I started the Masters program I had quit playing, as these games tend to suck up more and more of your time until it is all you can do to not play (I know that some people are able to find the balance between work and play, but I was not one of those).
Second Life is more interesting because people are actually using it as a tool to navigate the real world (first life?) I remember reading that one of the news organizations set up a bureau in Second Life, something I thought was rather interesting. It makes me think of all that cyberpunk I've read and wondering if our world will ever eventually turn into that.
Can libraries use Second Life to read a bigger audience? Some might be able to, it really depends on if their audience is already participating in that world.
Second Life is more interesting because people are actually using it as a tool to navigate the real world (first life?) I remember reading that one of the news organizations set up a bureau in Second Life, something I thought was rather interesting. It makes me think of all that cyberpunk I've read and wondering if our world will ever eventually turn into that.
Can libraries use Second Life to read a bigger audience? Some might be able to, it really depends on if their audience is already participating in that world.
It is the Thing that is a Library
I'm glad for this thing, as it made me finally get around to creating an account on LibraryThing. I've been putting it off for some reason, and since our project deals with tagging and Librarything, this will be another thing I can cross off my list.
I was surprised that more people have not added Gaiman's new book to their lists, after the popularity of The Graveyard Book. I am in the process of reading Odd and the Frost Giants to my wife and unborn daughter, and it is such a great read so far. We are all (well I hope all) enjoying it a great deal.
LibraryThing is a neat tool, and I can see how librarians could use it to encourage their readers to create their own pages to talk about what they have read. There is also some really neat message boards on the site, and it looks like a great community of people that frequent the website. I look forward to my time there.
I was surprised that more people have not added Gaiman's new book to their lists, after the popularity of The Graveyard Book. I am in the process of reading Odd and the Frost Giants to my wife and unborn daughter, and it is such a great read so far. We are all (well I hope all) enjoying it a great deal.
LibraryThing is a neat tool, and I can see how librarians could use it to encourage their readers to create their own pages to talk about what they have read. There is also some really neat message boards on the site, and it looks like a great community of people that frequent the website. I look forward to my time there.
Self Made Home Page
This Thing made me check my email.
I've had a gmail account for forever. I actually paid someone on ebay for an invite a million years ago, so I could for sure get my name as an address. Since then I have been a fan of all the products that google has put out, from email to google docs, to igoogle, the homepage that greets me every morning.
It amazes me go over to my Mom's house and see her Yahoo homepage. It is so busy, with flashing banners and crazy amounts of useless content. Finding the tab where her email lives is like looking for something in a casino. Compared to the sleek sparse way I have my igoogle set up, it makes my eyes cry a bit every time I see it. Email in one corner, a blog roll in the middle, and a calendar on the other side. I can add things if I need, take them away when I don't, and enjoy no flashing lights or loud noises. It is like the morning paper that I always wanted, presented every day for free when I start up my computer.
I've had a gmail account for forever. I actually paid someone on ebay for an invite a million years ago, so I could for sure get my name as an address. Since then I have been a fan of all the products that google has put out, from email to google docs, to igoogle, the homepage that greets me every morning.
It amazes me go over to my Mom's house and see her Yahoo homepage. It is so busy, with flashing banners and crazy amounts of useless content. Finding the tab where her email lives is like looking for something in a casino. Compared to the sleek sparse way I have my igoogle set up, it makes my eyes cry a bit every time I see it. Email in one corner, a blog roll in the middle, and a calendar on the other side. I can add things if I need, take them away when I don't, and enjoy no flashing lights or loud noises. It is like the morning paper that I always wanted, presented every day for free when I start up my computer.
Be careful in there, there are many things.
I'm addicted to Reddit. Addicted may not actually cover it. A few years ago it would take up my whole day, just clicking on links after link, until I had consumed so much information about random things that I could not take it any more. And yet I keep going back (much less now thank goodness). I typically try to scan the front couple of pages to see what I might have missed on CNN.com or in my blog travels. What is interesting about these sites is that they have their own culture, and trends. Right now on Reddit the big thing is AMA (ask me anything) where people post what they are/have done/are doing and people ask them things. The trend started about a month ago, and usually makes up 25% of the front page (which is a lot). The other interesting thing about these sites is they are often ahead of the main stream news sites. I usually read about a story, then hear it on the news a few days later. I don't know if it is because they news gatherers are looking to these outlets for ideas, or if that is just how long it takes for a story to filter through the various layers before it lands on the main news idea space.
I like the middle question on the 23 blog. In my experience these sites kill productivity, though they are good when you brain needs a break from studying to unwind and not be so 'thinky'.
I like the middle question on the 23 blog. In my experience these sites kill productivity, though they are good when you brain needs a break from studying to unwind and not be so 'thinky'.
Tagging and things that taste good.
Tags fascinate me. The idea that users can create their own way to categorize information, either that the create or that the find, for some reason really captivates me. I have spent more hours than I'd like to admit going through Flickr and just seeing what people have tagged things with, then following those tags to other pictures. It is easy to get lost in that, looking from one picture set to another. I'm very glad our project for this class is on tagging, as it is something that I think will continue to become more and more used as time goes on.
Del.icio.us would be very useful if I needed to have more than one computer set up, like one at home and one at work, where I could access my bookmarks from both. I had an account a year ago, but never updated it when Firefox came out with a new version (slacker!). At my current job I don't really need/get to look at the Internet very much, but for school, especially my reference class, it would be a great alternative to just bookmarking websites I think will be useful in the future. Perhaps I should dust off my account...
Del.icio.us would be very useful if I needed to have more than one computer set up, like one at home and one at work, where I could access my bookmarks from both. I had an account a year ago, but never updated it when Firefox came out with a new version (slacker!). At my current job I don't really need/get to look at the Internet very much, but for school, especially my reference class, it would be a great alternative to just bookmarking websites I think will be useful in the future. Perhaps I should dust off my account...
The book of faces
I resisted getting a Facebook account for the longest time. I was slow to change and really did not want to get myself drawn into another 'how many friends can I find in the world' contest.
Like many librarians, I was slow to change. I'm glad I've come to my senses. Because this is how people connect, share information, and find out about the world. A library with a Facebook page can make their events known to more than just the people that happen to come in to their physical space that day. They can create polls which help them decide what events to plan and create, and which ones are hits or misses.
Also, I need more pictures in my Facebook album. Because my mosaic kinda stinks.
Like many librarians, I was slow to change. I'm glad I've come to my senses. Because this is how people connect, share information, and find out about the world. A library with a Facebook page can make their events known to more than just the people that happen to come in to their physical space that day. They can create polls which help them decide what events to plan and create, and which ones are hits or misses.
Also, I need more pictures in my Facebook album. Because my mosaic kinda stinks.
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