Susan's Musings

Can you Digg it, can you Digg it, can you Digg it? Have to say I am not really digging it. It seems so much like the up-down thumb, check mark, buzz, etc. already prominent in so many pages - I do understand the concept - what people like right now, what they found newsworthy - but I saw a lotta old news on the Digg main page and I have to say that I wasn't greatly impressed by the options available.

I do see possibilities for this type of application though - I think it would be great to use as an add for an OPAC along with user reviews - it would be fabulous to implement on a library page for the news/events and features page (are people reading the message - did they like the event, etc.)

So I don't dig Digg - but I will look at some other sites. I already have Twine and Newsvine accounts, but it has been awhile since I popped in there - I get back with more in part deux.

Ooohh - Delicious - I love tagging - why? Because tagging makes sense to the average user. I love the LC Subject headings - but Cookery? Come on.

LC is also so slow to change or to adapt to common everyday terminology it is frustrating.Tagging can solve that issue - it isn't about indexing or cataloguing something perfectly, but just good enough. I really like the way that Solinet instructor Russell Palmer makes use of Delicious bookmarks - he provides a grouping of links for each of his sessions so that people can easily access them after the online sessions - here is a link to his main Delicious page. He has some great links there.

I think you are going to see a huge amount of research into the concept of online language, semiotics and sociolinguistics as it applies to the online environment.

Sharing - I love sharing - never reinvent the wheel - borrow (Creative Commons Licensing is a fabulous thing) and or retool - but don't reinvent. Do you have a great presentation? Share it! I have a widget from SlideShare on my blog and I have seen some great presentations on Library 2.0 applications, cataloguing and even some presentations on open source applications. It is a great place to get a quick overview of a concept. Staff training using presentations is also easier, considering budget cuts and travel for training is often cut first. Staff can view presentations at their own pace. I will be uploading a couple of presentations and classes that I have created to Slideshare - I'll let you know how that goes.

I still need to remember to bring in my camera and take pictures of the library to load to my Flickr account - after I do I am intrigued by the idea of creating a database and or slideshow of the photos - probably a widget will have to come off the blog to make room for it - look for it in the near future. Anyone try Picture Trail? I like the idea of linking for the blog - I am currently using Picasa Web for my online photos and other family is using DropShots

Ahhh communication in the webverse - good times to be had. OK I feel dyslexic about IM technologies - I love IM have used it from the good old days - MSN, Yahoo, trillion, now Google and Meebo - love them all - even liked Web conferencing - but I really really hate phone texting - I guess I just don't get the point - instead of talking on the phone - hmmm, typing; and not typing to look something up (i.e. web surfing) but typing to communicate - I guess I just don't get it - why bluetooth and handsfree when everyone is so hands-on?

So I am going to imbed a Meebo widget - don't expect people will use it much - but what the heck. I noticed a Vermont colleage has a Twitter account so I think I will sign up and follow his exploits - it seems you can Twitter from a computer - that I can do - cell phone not likely - but stranger things have happened - I'll let you know how it goes.


Part 2

Success? Have done a Meebo widget and now have a Twitter account - "following" some people who were in my email address book - have to say it feels a little bit like a web stalker. Found David Pogues Twitter feed - OMG - how many 'twits' (?)can that man do in a day?

Part 2a

We have had IM enabled for our staff for several years - some people use it, others don't - I like it, I like to know if someone is available to talk or if I can send an email and expect a response.

I thought this was a great little site - Banner Generator http://www.lintukoto.net/english/demonstration/index.php This could have some great web app possibilities - I think using these as small web buttons/links might be nice as well.

Quick piece of 3D art setup as a test render

Ahhh - the Blogosphere. I have to say I don't often look or search for particular blogs - I just kinda happen onto them. That's why I love aggregators and readers so much - just throw the blog into the mix and if you find a catchy topic off you go.

I have used Technorati before, but as I said, I don't often search for blogs so it is not a site that I frequent often. It suffers in many ways from Yahoo!'s syndrome - a lot going on on that page - but I like that the 'happening' stuff is on the main page and that with a quick glance I can see what people are blogging about. This is in contrast with Google's blog search (which like their search rankings seems to rely on a popularity/frequency algorithm).

A search on the term earthquake produced vastly different results - Google pulling from USGS multiple blog listings - Technorati pulling from many different blog sources. What I do like about the Technorati results was the recommendation to search a specific blog channel and the fact that it offered links to video pulled from my search query.

Still will probably stumble upon my blogs of interest - I tend to find them as results of Internet searches in topics that I have an interest in. I don't see myself deliberately searching for blogs unless it is necessary - if I do search blogs I would probably use both tools - but I do like the options of Technorati better - it just feels better.

RSS and Newsreaders

There are so many ways to use RSS - did you know that if you use IE7 you have a feed or newsreader built in to your browser? If you are using Firefox there are all kind of wonderful aggregate tools - you can use Live Bookmarks which is built into the browser or you can use some wonderful add on tools. Firefox literally has dozens of plugins to enhance your RSS or Newsfeed experience - I particularly like infoRSS and use it as my RSS ticker for Firefox on my home systems.

Another option besides using Google Reader - if you have an iGoogle page you can set RSS feeds to preview in your iGoogle page. This is really nice to use if you are using other Google services like email since all your Google content can show up in one personalized page. Yahoo has recently incorporated the same ability into your My Yahoo page - so whether you have Yahoo or Gmail try to personalize your page and set your favorite feeds to go there - it saves time and it is handy to go to one place for email and newsfeeds. It is the convenience of the old school newsgroups (which you usually read in your email client) but fancied up with Web 2.0 loveliness (graphics, active links, etc.)

O.K. - playing with Web 2.0 technology is never a problem - writing about it - ah there is the rub. I have finally decided to just make all 23 Thing blog entries and edit them with content as I can. Hopefully I will be so disgusted with myself that I actually write about these 'Things' - so don't get too excited if you suddenly see 20 someodd new post topics pop up on your radar.

So how do I feel about Web/Library 2.0?

Will and can a library today do without Library 2.0? I am sure they can, and they will continue to serve the same bricks and mortar population that they always have. What about the population that doesn't go to the physical library - that wants content to be pushed to them? Wants to know without having to search what new library events, or materials are available? What about the aging senior that can't make it to the library as often as they would like - wouldn't it be great to go online and see the latest author visit hosted on a web page? Working parents who are trying to help with their childs school project know they can IM a librarian for help. The absolutely fantastic thing about most of these new Web/Library 2.0 tools is the fact that they are minimal cost to implement, they are easy, fast and fun - and make no mistake about it - our members are already using these tools. The great thing about these concepts and tools is that in some ways they are ephemeral - if it doesn't work for you or a mistake is made it is easy to change it - you don't have to wade through tons of script and coding to change something that didn't work - so try it.

To those who doubt this as a passing fad - it might be - but then again some bemoan the death of the physical card catalog - technology and change happen - they exist. I leave you with this wonderful link to a blog post by Karen Schneider the Free Range Librarian - The User is Not Broken