Full circle or what is old is new again.....

Smashing is what I would say about Mashups and API. I think it truly reflects the cleverness of some folks. It could be compared to things that are so common place today, but are someone's clever insight into opening a can with a pull tab, or making light switches glow in the dark, obvious after you see it, but did not think of it. Taking common programs and working them in a new way to synthesize the information or data to be more useful, easier understood, and possibly even providing new insights. Being a practical person, many of the Mashups that I look at caused me to think,"I will never use that". For instance "lifestream" - were everything you do on the web is captured and presented so that your "followers" can see what you are up to at any given moment. Gee, my life is not that boring that I need to see what others are doing to get ideas about what I should be doing. Then again I looked at the followers and they were all of a certain age...young. In some ways this is replacing the town square and the "Mall" where we would hang out with friends and talk about what we are doing. Now it is virtual. Not for me. It is too much an invasion of privacy which is discussed below.

Another Mashup was "typeracer" providing the opportunity to compete with unknown thousands of other folks entering information onto their facebook page, web page, or blog. It provides the top performers "something to brag about". Well I guess when your world is online, and those who can talk the fastest...type the fastest...get the most. Interesting, but I can spend my time in a more productive fashion.

Let me interject here that I found the readings on API and Mashups very interesting. Some of it was deeper than I need, but it is helpful to understand how the programs are working. It was also a good place to learn about some new web sites and to explore some new links.

I did not find the explaination of Rollyo to be clear. I will need to go back and poke around some more to fully understand what is going on there and if there is any potential use for me. The privacy issue is near and dear to my heart. To visualize my image of putting too much personal information out on the web I would imagine it this way: have a thousand people in a large room, you are standing in the middle with a spotlight only on you, everyone can see you, but you cannot see anyone else. In other words you have no idea who is looking at you or your information. The 9,000+ entries for "privacy" indicate that it continues to be a hot topic. Bloggers were concerned with site privacy; about governement privacy protection; intellectual freedom and privacy; there were generational perspectives on privacy where young folks did not think it to be a big deal and older folks where up in arms...; and then there is Google that everyone likes to beat upon, and how Google is the worst when it comes to privacy protection. I am all in favor of privacy protection.

This have been a fascinating course and I am just delighted that I put the effort into it rather than being a Ludite. I need to force myself to be more technologically involved but I find it pulls me away from other activities that are established in my life. I have had some great chats with folks from all over the world thanks to facebook. I have re-connected with friends and former co-workers and I believe made some new friends in the process. I do hope that the Web 2.0 course work, with all the links, will be available for some time in the future. I say this because I plan to review what I have done, and turn around and offer an "introduction" to the various 2.0 technologies to my co-worker. I will at least be able to tell them a bit about each one, show them what it is, and provide some links for them to go and practice on their own. If the course director is still reading this far down...thank you...for a great experience.

Library Cheer

This is the video I used in my department presentation. It provided a rousing ending to my one person show.

Moving target

We have monthly all staff meetings where I work. At each meeting a different department presents the role of each staff member and the "work" of that department. This is a way to instruct new employees and remind the long term folks. Last February was the Library presentation. Being solo, I put together a PowerPoint but wanted to leave them laughing. I searched YouTube and found the video "Library Cheer" which I used to end my presentation. It was great fun and everyone enjoyed.

I don't see myself as a producer or subject of a YouTube video. I like to fly under the radar. The organization has produced a YouTub video about the nursing profession that has been very successful.

Regarding Podcasting and this library, I think it would be a novel way to provide introductions to various dimensions of the library...the collection...how to use the scanner.....and databases available. Will I ever get to the point of actually creating on remains to be see. This course has certainly immersed me in technology much more than I have been. It is also teaching me how time consuming it can be to keep up with readers, blogs, and keeping posts fresh and engaging.

Mascot

My life in pictures

I guess if there was a Murphy's law of computer programs, I experienced it with this project. Photo sharing was suppose to be the easiest part of the course, but for me became my nightmare. I struggled for some time the other day with trying to get the photo to upload to the blog. Today when I logged in, there is a message explaining that the problem with uploading photos has been fixed. Ugh! None the less, I still needed a programing tech to come and check the code since my picture appeared twice on the post and not in the box it was suppose to be in. Part of the problem may be that I used a less popular photo sharing site, "Web Shots" where I already have some albums posted. I had similar difficulties with posting the entire album from Web Shots onto Facebook. I have not given up the ship and will continue to try to make the postings to Facebook work.

Vaction 2007

Here we are at the Florida Welcome Center where we stopped for a free cup of orange juice. The picture is hazy because the camera was in the air conditioned car and here we are standing out in the heat and humidity.

Common point of reference

Reflecting on a concept to pull together web office tools the memory of using a protractor appeared. On a central point all of the the other points in the circle were related, and in some way any point that may be between the circle and the central point. Well to my mind whatever we may be working on, i.e., spread sheet, PowerPoint or document, is the central point and anyone who is within the circle (has permission) can access and edit the "central point". In this way a virtual office exist around documents rather than people. It is a whole new way of thinking and doing business, and I like it. I did not have trouble working on documents, spreadsheets, etc. online, but some of the folks I invited to "work with me" did. It is a growing technology and as time goes by folks will learn and become more comfortable. My crystal ball is cloudy on what the future holds but I do think it will take a generation for this to happen. Some of us grew up learning all the "body language" skills, face to face encounters and how to "act professionally". The generations coming up are learning the same skills only with a technology edge to them and how to read a post and somehow know the verasity of the content and reliability of the source. It is only in hindsight that we will learn what pioneers we are as we layer new technology on top of our "old" interpersonal skills and fill out our bloggs and facebook entries.