This was really a great program and I am so glad it has been offered. While most of the topics have been part of my Web life for quite some time, it is always good to look at things fresh and I did use a few tools that I don't use much but were good to play around with such as IM.
The best part of this program is that we have a whole community of staff who are familiar with the terms and the tools and as we continue to offer these services on our Web site and Intranet they are now familiar to staff.
I think it is wonderful that Sno-Isle has supported this exploration into the brave new web world.
Perhaps we'll have a Web 2.5 or Web 3. in a year or so? There will be a whole new load of applications by then, so get ready!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Gaming
This is a dangerous area for me as I can easily become addicted to computer games. I love math games and quick reaction skill games as well as hunt and find games. I haven't done much online collaborative gaming, but I can certainly see the attraction in it.
I think there is loads of learning potential in gaming that could be applied to work situations. I could see many situations where it would be great to have a game that could teach staff how to do different tasks and maybe even work collaboratively on them, but it would require development to make a game for our specific types of jobs.
I think it is also important to take into consideration the fact that a whole generation of gamers are growing up with different expectations and we need to keep that in mind as we develop services.
I think there is loads of learning potential in gaming that could be applied to work situations. I could see many situations where it would be great to have a game that could teach staff how to do different tasks and maybe even work collaboratively on them, but it would require development to make a game for our specific types of jobs.
I think it is also important to take into consideration the fact that a whole generation of gamers are growing up with different expectations and we need to keep that in mind as we develop services.
Maps and Geotagging
I love google earth. It is one of the most amazing applications on the web and I think has even more potential than I realize just yet. Google street view is pretty cool also.
I once saw a map where someone had geotagged all of the Sno-Isle Libraries. I can't find it any more, but it is a nice idea. One of the things I have noticed about Library Web sites is that it is not always clear where on earth they are. They give their name of course, but it is often a county or city and it is hard to tell what state they are in. I think it would be nice to have a geotagged google map on library pages.
I once saw a map where someone had geotagged all of the Sno-Isle Libraries. I can't find it any more, but it is a nice idea. One of the things I have noticed about Library Web sites is that it is not always clear where on earth they are. They give their name of course, but it is often a county or city and it is hard to tell what state they are in. I think it would be nice to have a geotagged google map on library pages.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Avatars and Second life
Avatars are a great alternative to allow people to express themselves in ways that photos can't. They are fun to make and fun to look at. Since so many Web 2.0 networking sites ask for images, an avatar is great alternative.
It is so interesting how Second Life has developed and matured. It is great that librarians were early adopters and have such an established presence. It is excellent outreach for libraries and librarians. I personally don't participate as it is time consuming and not an area I can focus on right now, but I can see where there is a need for virtual librarians to actively participate and maintain the presence.
It is so interesting how Second Life has developed and matured. It is great that librarians were early adopters and have such an established presence. It is excellent outreach for libraries and librarians. I personally don't participate as it is time consuming and not an area I can focus on right now, but I can see where there is a need for virtual librarians to actively participate and maintain the presence.
Online Apps Lesson 16
I have been using Google Docs for a long time for both personal and some work documents. I love it. Since I use a personal linux laptop that is very small and has very little storage capability to keep it lightweight, I rely on Google Docs to access my work no matter where I am. My only concern is losing data, but so far it has been extrememly reliable and I always back up my work anyway.
I used both Google Docs and Zoho last summer when working on a joint conference presentation with people at the Denver Public Library. It worked really well when we were putting the info together, but just before we were ready to give the presentation, Zoho lost some of the data. We were able to quickly recreate the work in PowerPoint. I think Zoho is fine for collaborative work, but it was a good reminder to me to back up work.
I used both Google Docs and Zoho last summer when working on a joint conference presentation with people at the Denver Public Library. It worked really well when we were putting the info together, but just before we were ready to give the presentation, Zoho lost some of the data. We were able to quickly recreate the work in PowerPoint. I think Zoho is fine for collaborative work, but it was a good reminder to me to back up work.
Search Engines Lesson 15
It is true that 9 times out of 10 I use google and usually get results that I need. It is great to have alternatives out there when I either don't see what I want in google results or I want to do an extensive, thorough search.
Rollyo, Mamma and dogpile give good results and I would use in situations where I want to make sure I capture as much as possible, but I probably wouldn't use them on a daily basis. I think the issue is time more than anything. As long as I find what I need with google, then that is sufficient and I don't need to spend time any place else. It is in the cases where I want to spend time and do deep research that I would use the other options.
Rollyo, Mamma and dogpile give good results and I would use in situations where I want to make sure I capture as much as possible, but I probably wouldn't use them on a daily basis. I think the issue is time more than anything. As long as I find what I need with google, then that is sufficient and I don't need to spend time any place else. It is in the cases where I want to spend time and do deep research that I would use the other options.
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