Web 2.0 23 Things- The End

Going through the Web 2.0 23 Things exercise has, of course, been a huge learning experience for me. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to 'catch up' on tools/technology that have been around for quite a little while now, but some of which are new to me having been out of the field for a couple years. I especially enjoyed learning about Lulu.com and podcasts, both of which I plan to use in the near future.

This introduction to these tools has ignited a desire to continue to keep up-to-date with "all things web". This is a surprising outcome of completing the exercises, because prior to this I felt that many of the 'new' web tools and technology cropping up every hour were overkill. Spending the time to use and learn about these tools makes me see that most of us will take what we will from the perpetual fresh crop of web tools, those most useful to us and our patrons, and shelve the rest. All in all, the simple experience of exposure is invaluable.

PodCasts

One of the first things I did when I got my Iphone a few months ago was to subscribe to a couple Podcasts. One was for a show on HBO that I can't view because I don't subscribe to cable, and the other was President Obama's weekly national address.

I somehow thought these podcasts would update automatically with each new 'cast', but that hasn't been the case. That said, I haven't been interested in finding other podcasts. It could be that the nature of the podcast, its brevity, is all to 'twitter-ish' for me!

YouTube

YouTube is an interesting push forward for the world of video. It allows internet users to replicate the experience of television watching. In fact it has all but allowed the internet to replace television for many people.

I chose the video entitled 'SuperLibrarian', for obvious reasons. It's humorous, relevant, and has a pretty good viewership/rating.

Still figuring out how to download the video, so I can then upload it to the blog. Hopefully there's another method for attaching the video to this blog post.

LuLu.com

LuLu.com is an innovative website which allows artists to design, create, publish and sell their work, all on their own. It is a global 'studio' and marketplace available to anyone with internet access and a web browser. Im not sure how popular it is and if it is well-known to the general public, or if it's just a 'meeting place' for artists. I also wonder how it is marketed, by the site owners or by individuals selling through it.

Web Application Tools

Zoho Writer is an interesting name for an application; inspires one to find out exactly what Zoho means!

Having used Google Docs, Zoho seems to have been left behind in terms of functionality, usability and popularity. Nonetheless, I created 3 simple test documents and will be uploading one to this blog, if I figure out how to do that.

PBWorks

I couldn't for the life of me figure out where to add my blog to the wiki sand box :(
Could it be the 'edit' feature? Though, I don't seem to have permission to edit anything. (?)

Wiki's

What's interesting about Wiki's is the collaborative aspect. Usually we think 'too many cooks spoil the broth' but somehow when it comes to creating, updating and sharing knowledge, it somehow works.

I liked the Bull Run wiki the best, it was attractive visually and in terms of the lay-out. I prefer this look to the plain, text-based wiki.

Web 4.0

Dr. Wendy Schulz describes Web 4.0 as the library experience of the future, one of luxury, relaxation and meditation.

It seems the ASL Crunch Time event was quite forward-thinking with it's Zen Zone, meditation, hypnosis and yoga sessions!

Technorati

Technorati is not as user-friendly as I expected. I couldn't find the area of the page to search the 'Blog Directory'. I'm not sure this is supposed to be up front and obvious, but it wasn't to me. I did find the Blog Directory eventually. I expected to be able to search the three areas mentioned in one spot.

If I ever have another blog I think registration with Technorati is worthwhile, along with tagging for increased 'searchability'.

Del.icio.us

I set up my Del.icio.us account, but have not 'uploaded' my bookmarks. I'll do that for my personal bookmarks at home later. Like LibraryThing, I hope to use this product but I'm not sure how I will use it. I think it's a great tool for people who travel alot for work!

Rollyo

I am going to find Rollyo extremely useful, as, like most people, I am prone to browsing several websites at one time, on a given subject. The concept is so simple, it makes we wonder how simple it was to actually create the software!

LibraryThing

I already have a LibraryThing account with a few of my small collection of my books added. It's nice to get an online visual of those books, instead of a traditional catalog list, which Im used to seeing, as a librarian. This feature is similar to the visual format of worldcat.org and of course online bookstores like amazon.com and barnes&noble.com.

Image Generator

This takes me back. I have hazy memories of fingering
through the card catalog in elementary school.
I actually preferred to browse the stacks for new Nancy Drew books. We've come a long way!

Flickr Color Pick

Flickr Color Pick reminds me of the 'colorway' books which are a part of the Textile Collection at the Museum at FIT in New York. The books, which pretty much dictate what colors will be 'hot' each season, are published seasonally for designers to use in their creations.

Im not sure Flickr Color Pick would appeal to the traditional designer, simply because they don't choose the colors they work with each season. I can see it appealing to a modern artist, maybe someone who does collages of some sort. It would also be great for kids working on school projects of one kind or another.

If nothing else it would be interesting to pick a color according to your mood and see how the pictures relate to in any way.

Flickr Image

This is an interesting, colorful image. Nice use of focus. Color can have a positive effect on us, so I thought I'd use this for this exercise.

p.s.- also contrasts nicely with the dots on this page.

Blogging at Work

This isn't my first foray into the world of blogging. I have blogged once before, and even thought about becoming a professional blogger. The trick is to figure out what to blog about, in other words, what do people want to read about? What is there about your life, your work, your hobbies that anyone else would want to read about on a regular basis? Judging from the plethora of blogs out there, from ants to zygotes, I suppose the initial question doesn't deserve much thought!