For this second-to-last challenge I wanted to try something out other than Library Thing or Rollyo. I followed the Web 2.0 Awards link and tried out several of the different links.
First I tried the mashup Coverpop.com The site was billed as a montage which allows you to view different images from one main collage. After playing with the different montages and being absolutely intrigued mostly because I tried to do a similar collage effect with the pictures of the kids on the front of my blog. I decided against using it. Unfortunately I didn’t think this was going to help with this assignment.
Then I tried OneSentence.org, “true stories, told in one sentence.” I tend to ramble and repeat myself so I thought this would be helpful. It was interesting and entertaining, unfortunately not something that would be helpful to me.
I was hit and miss with a few others like CocktailBuilder.com, Guess-the-Google, Boxxet, Yahoo Answers (which was very promising), and Findory (which is now defunct). I finally settled on Yelp.com. Yelp.com is a city guide to help you decide on where to go, what to do, and most importantly, WHERE TO EAT! On a personal level, I was excited to stumble upon it to add as one of the tools I can use to try new things. I have had some success with Yahoo Local in finding new places to go so Yelp.com was an added bonus. I think if somebody were to take a trip, this can be a good tool in helping decide where to go and what to try. On the flip-side, if you are one to take pictures of everything you eat and everywhere you go (you know who you are), this is a great way to share your experiences. Next week, my family plans on taking a little vacation and I already have a small list of places to eat that I have all intentions of dragging my family to. Who knows, I might be one of those shutterbugs that’ll take pictures of the food and post on the internet.
From a library point of view, I can see using this tool to help patrons find places to go, see, and eat. I know this tool will come in handy if I want to share the local eateries with some workshop attendees. I don’t even have to give them a review of the food, they can go look it up themselves. So be adventurous, try one of the hole-in-the-wall places that Yelp.com might send you to. You just might be pleasantly surprised. Bon Appetit!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Week 9 & 10 - BoobTube on the internet
My username on youtube is akgonz. I have to say I usually peruse YouTube as an afterthought or a distraction. I usually get into it when I hear of a video clip that’s a must see. Or if there’s a song I want to listen to, but I don’t have it on hand or it’s not playing on the radio… no problem… youtube it then play it on the computer. It is not one of my regular and daily stops. I like it a lot for it’s entertainment value. I do have to concur with something that Garo posted on his blog about videos disappearing. Sometimes I want to go back to it, but the original is gone. Like I said, I normally use YouTube as an afterthought or to listen to a song. So for my purposes, if the video is gone, no big deal. If the original is no longer available, there will be lots of other people posting their vids with the same song playing through it, specially if it’s a hit song…. Serves my purposes.
Here’s one of the videos I like a lot. It’s from a prison camp in the Philippines. It’s nice to see that there are still places that trust their prisoners enough to get something like this together. I have to say, if I have to ever serve time, I’d like to be in a place like this. Encarcerated dancers!
For this assignment, I opted not to try any other video hosting sights. YouTube seems to be the biggest one out there. And I really like the way it works for me and serves my purposes. Yes, on occasion I want to be able to watch something that won’t be available, but it won’t be available anywhere else either without hours of scouring the internet.
Components for APL, or how APL might use YouTube? Well, like MySpace, it would be nice to be able to use YouTube to publicize some of our events. Perhaps even a vid clip on YouTube that would give somebody a tutorial on some of our services (online catalog, renewing materials online, a how to clip that was done during a teen program, even crafts from Children’s storytime). Like MySpace, if an upcoming performer, like the Kaleidoscope Concert series or a Children’s performer has a clip on YouTube, why not link it to our homepage as a preview of what’s to come.
And podcasts... Ok, so this is one I am not completely sold on yet. I figure, theoretically, I can download the podcast on an mp3 player and listen to it on the go. Or, if I want to listen to it on my computer, I can have it run while I do other things around my computer so I can hear the podcast? Since I don’t have a video player, I’ll treat this as an audio experiment… which then kinda makes it nostalgic. Like the old days when people would listen to a radio program instead of watch TV. But I suppose once I catch up to the times, I can get a video podcast and view it anywhere I want. It did give me a chance to catch up with some guys I used to listen to on NPR, Click and Clack with Car Talk. 2 guys discussing funny stuff that happens to them, usually pertaining to cars. This is one I’ll have to experiment with further since I’m not so sure I’m ready to podcast, yet. I will however add that one of our programs last year, it was a back to school program, was very well attended. Unfortunately it was at the same time one of the schools had open house so many people missed it. The big highlight of the evening was showing how Tutor.com worked. On our website it is currently a PowerPoint presentation. Perhaps others might find it beneficial as a podcast that they can follow while using the site. Maybe even as a story time for the Children's room. I noticed that Denver Public Library has children's books on podcasts. I think it can be entertaining and education for kids to be able to read along with their books..... kinda like our kits.
Here’s one of the videos I like a lot. It’s from a prison camp in the Philippines. It’s nice to see that there are still places that trust their prisoners enough to get something like this together. I have to say, if I have to ever serve time, I’d like to be in a place like this. Encarcerated dancers!
For this assignment, I opted not to try any other video hosting sights. YouTube seems to be the biggest one out there. And I really like the way it works for me and serves my purposes. Yes, on occasion I want to be able to watch something that won’t be available, but it won’t be available anywhere else either without hours of scouring the internet.
Components for APL, or how APL might use YouTube? Well, like MySpace, it would be nice to be able to use YouTube to publicize some of our events. Perhaps even a vid clip on YouTube that would give somebody a tutorial on some of our services (online catalog, renewing materials online, a how to clip that was done during a teen program, even crafts from Children’s storytime). Like MySpace, if an upcoming performer, like the Kaleidoscope Concert series or a Children’s performer has a clip on YouTube, why not link it to our homepage as a preview of what’s to come.
And podcasts... Ok, so this is one I am not completely sold on yet. I figure, theoretically, I can download the podcast on an mp3 player and listen to it on the go. Or, if I want to listen to it on my computer, I can have it run while I do other things around my computer so I can hear the podcast? Since I don’t have a video player, I’ll treat this as an audio experiment… which then kinda makes it nostalgic. Like the old days when people would listen to a radio program instead of watch TV. But I suppose once I catch up to the times, I can get a video podcast and view it anywhere I want. It did give me a chance to catch up with some guys I used to listen to on NPR, Click and Clack with Car Talk. 2 guys discussing funny stuff that happens to them, usually pertaining to cars. This is one I’ll have to experiment with further since I’m not so sure I’m ready to podcast, yet. I will however add that one of our programs last year, it was a back to school program, was very well attended. Unfortunately it was at the same time one of the schools had open house so many people missed it. The big highlight of the evening was showing how Tutor.com worked. On our website it is currently a PowerPoint presentation. Perhaps others might find it beneficial as a podcast that they can follow while using the site. Maybe even as a story time for the Children's room. I noticed that Denver Public Library has children's books on podcasts. I think it can be entertaining and education for kids to be able to read along with their books..... kinda like our kits.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Week 8 - MySpace
I think what I liked best about MySpace and probably other social networking sites is that it gave you a chance to see your friends through another perspective. I’ve heard it said that you can tell a lot about somebody by the friends they keep. Well, sometimes you can’t see the other types of friends your friends might have. Well, these social networking sites lets you get to know your friend’s friends. Kinda gives you another perspective into who they are. Another thing I like about it is that it lets you see somebody’s more creative side which they are not always open about. Cons, well, within minutes of signing up with MySpace I had 3 friend invites from spammers. Not to mention all the advertising and junk on certain pages. Sometimes it just gets too busy. Then again, maybe I’m just getting old.
I think Social networking sites are popular for the same reasons I described above. Moreover, I think social networking sites are very popular with the younger generation. Online allows for more free expression. Myspace allows free expression and lets you keep in touch with other friends with the tools they have available, like IM, sending messages, posting pictures. And I haven’t even touched on the music part of MySpace which is a huge part of what they do. Discovering music by bands that have not been mainstreamed I think is a thrill on its own.
Honestly, I think a social networking site is just an additional tool the library could use to publicize events. Perhaps if a performer for a Children’s program or the Kaleidoscope Concert Series had a MySpace page, it could give the public an idea of what to expect in the upcoming performance. Curious Gonzo's MySpace
I think Social networking sites are popular for the same reasons I described above. Moreover, I think social networking sites are very popular with the younger generation. Online allows for more free expression. Myspace allows free expression and lets you keep in touch with other friends with the tools they have available, like IM, sending messages, posting pictures. And I haven’t even touched on the music part of MySpace which is a huge part of what they do. Discovering music by bands that have not been mainstreamed I think is a thrill on its own.
Honestly, I think a social networking site is just an additional tool the library could use to publicize events. Perhaps if a performer for a Children’s program or the Kaleidoscope Concert Series had a MySpace page, it could give the public an idea of what to expect in the upcoming performance. Curious Gonzo's MySpace
Monday, March 10, 2008
Week 7 - Google Docs
GOOGLE DOC! - my link to my spreadsheet.
Google docs it think was pretty easy to setup. It looks like there were a couple of ways for me to have set it up. I could have created a document directly from the google docs page or I could upload a file I’ve already created. Either way looked simple. In this case, I opted to upload one I created offline first.
Google docs is relatively easy to use. I think there’s a learning curve in using it. But the learning curve is not necessarily learning how to use the word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation tool. Learning it is more like learning a new version of something you already know. For example, we recently upgraded at work from Windows 2000 to XP. The same tools were available, but not necessarily in the same places we usually find them. In some cases, features disappeared. Well, same goes for Google docs. The bulk of the features are there, but getting used to it will be the biggest challenge for somebody that is fairly comfortable using computers.
I may use it on a regular basis. I’m a student so I work on my homework whenever I get a chance and whatever computer I have access to. If I’m at work, I’ll use that. If I’m at my parents’ house, I’ll use that. But instead of worrying about what version I have, I can just use Google docs to make sure I’m working off the same file. If I need to fine tune it, then I can see myself opening that file in MSWord and using MSWord to make my document look exactly the way I want it to look including page numbers, margins, etc. At least I don’t have to keep retyping the information, which by the way is also my favorite feature of Google docs. My least favorite feature is that I’m not 100% certain about the features available through Google docs. I suppose if I were to practice even more, that I would be more comfortable.
For the library, I can see how Google docs is being used by organizers of 2.0 to keep track of which blogger has already completed each task. I also help put together the Emergency procedures manual. I suppose this is where everybody’s input would be invaluable.
Google docs it think was pretty easy to setup. It looks like there were a couple of ways for me to have set it up. I could have created a document directly from the google docs page or I could upload a file I’ve already created. Either way looked simple. In this case, I opted to upload one I created offline first.
Google docs is relatively easy to use. I think there’s a learning curve in using it. But the learning curve is not necessarily learning how to use the word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation tool. Learning it is more like learning a new version of something you already know. For example, we recently upgraded at work from Windows 2000 to XP. The same tools were available, but not necessarily in the same places we usually find them. In some cases, features disappeared. Well, same goes for Google docs. The bulk of the features are there, but getting used to it will be the biggest challenge for somebody that is fairly comfortable using computers.
I may use it on a regular basis. I’m a student so I work on my homework whenever I get a chance and whatever computer I have access to. If I’m at work, I’ll use that. If I’m at my parents’ house, I’ll use that. But instead of worrying about what version I have, I can just use Google docs to make sure I’m working off the same file. If I need to fine tune it, then I can see myself opening that file in MSWord and using MSWord to make my document look exactly the way I want it to look including page numbers, margins, etc. At least I don’t have to keep retyping the information, which by the way is also my favorite feature of Google docs. My least favorite feature is that I’m not 100% certain about the features available through Google docs. I suppose if I were to practice even more, that I would be more comfortable.
For the library, I can see how Google docs is being used by organizers of 2.0 to keep track of which blogger has already completed each task. I also help put together the Emergency procedures manual. I suppose this is where everybody’s input would be invaluable.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Week 6 - flickr
The ability to search an unlimited number of pictures was pretty cool. I started by looking at some pics I thought would be cool. Then while I was looking at somebody’s sets that they had tagged, I found some other cool pics.
In looking at the all those pics on flickr, I saw this and I SO WANT ONE!!! Street legal bumper cars?! Are you kidding me?! Maybe my wife will see it and I can get it for my birthday.
Tagging is important to help accurately find what you are looking for. If not properly tagged, then it’s possible that nobody will ever find a picture. I guess if you don’t ever want anybody to find your picture, then don’t tag it. I wonder if it works that way?
I did the ID Badge just for fun, and it was pretty cool. I wouldn’t mind printing up a little nametag of myself saying, “hello and I’m the head dork of this department. If you don’t like what I say, blow it out your piehole.” Then of course, I better not.
That people will share just about anything on the internet through flickr and through other websites. It’s interesting the amount of stuff that’s out there. I could get lost in flickr just looking at all the different things people want to share.
I’m sure I’m not the only one that has said this and included the library 365 program in their reflection. I think it’s great that flickr allows us to showcase what we have going on. Publicizing programs is one thing, but publicizing a program and showing the pics from last year’s program I think brings a new element to having people show interest in a library program.
That people will share just about anything on the internet through flickr and through other websites. It’s interesting the amount of stuff that’s out there. I could get lost in flickr just looking at all the different things people want to share.
I’m sure I’m not the only one that has said this and included the library 365 program in their reflection. I think it’s great that flickr allows us to showcase what we have going on. Publicizing programs is one thing, but publicizing a program and showing the pics from last year’s program I think brings a new element to having people show interest in a library program.
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