open letter to Steve

What an amazing class.
Things I would change....

First, speaking as one seemingly fused to my desk chair, the final project HAS to go.

Second, more discussion. Although I am beyond grateful that I wasn't obligated to comment more, there were so many comments I had in my head as I read incredibly well written and/or laugh aloud funny blog posts that I just didn't take the time to make because I didn't have to. On the other hand, I had some pretty involved discussions via IM about specific topics and tools we used, which gave me another perspective, reinforcing what I was thinking or made me take a second look at something I'd too easily or quickly dismissed (many blog posts did this too). So, with my apologies to future sections of this class, there needs to be more discussion....whether that's accomplished via chat rooms, SL, whatever shiny new SS resource turns up next week. You could maybe kill one of the weekly blog posts to free up some time.

Third, excellent readings; the fact that my copies are not already listed at half.com makes them the exception to the rule. Really enjoyed Everything Bad (it's a keeper), Feed -if I hadn't borrowed it from the library, I would have handed it over to my daughter (but, for lack of a better description, it got into my head; I would have kept it also), Farkas was good and more than justified, but I don't know that Brown & Duguid was worth the investment in terms of the time or expense for the point(s) made. IMHO.

so, that's it. Nothing huge and certainly nothing that's going to change the very positive buzz about the course or dissuade anyone from taking it. :)

if everything bad IS good for you....

what does the future hold for libraries and educational organizations?

well....for one, higher expectations on the part of patrons/users/learners for more interesting, creative, customizable, thoughtful, engaging presentation and ways to interact with the product whether that product is information or learning opportunities, but for the reason those expectations are higher is the same reason fulfilling them is possible. The technology is within reach, the tools (as I think we demonstrated over the past 15 weeks) are relatively easy to manipulate, but the challenge of putting them into use can be daunting.

I have to admit I have mixed feelings when I hear or read the complaints that it's no longer good enough to just teach; educators resent the pressure to create a learning environment that must entertain in order to be able to fulfill their real role. I do agree that not everything has to be fun, but I do not think that learning has to be a miserable experience to be considered successful (see above comment about the past 15 weeks).

more snapshots in world

This was the best merry-go-round I've (n)ever been on.
Located on Imagination Island, got to the ride by that transport bubble on the right......
and when I got tired of riding on killer whales, I found a well right out of Alice in Wonderland, one touch later and I was underwater with turtles and seahorses.

2nd life

I could not have been more surprised by this experience. Initially, it was pretty much what I expected: a waste of time, annoying and frustrating...yet another variation on the emperor's new clothes theme; it left me (or actually, I left it) wondering what exactly all the fuss is about, but then, once I'd worked out some of the perspective issues (with the help of a librarian of all people), got better at navigating and felt less awkward, the conversations began. I chatted with a number of people about why they were in world (lots of students exploring 2nd life for a class), and wandered through areas filled with people there to share. In the image, I am at China Cafe, enjoying the beautiful setting and discussing chinese icons/artwork.
I think this is one of those things that has to actually be experienced to get any substantive sense of what it's about and how it works, and fortunately or not, the awkwardness makes it a more authentic.
I don't know for certain if I'll go back after this week, but I think I will.

sophisticated delivery of stupidity

Johnson makes a pretty convincing argument that the content of tv, games, et al. have actually become more engaging. Many forms of popular culture have evolved past entertainment as something that just washes over us, the outcome of games and even television programs are controlled by our input. Although I don't know whether it actually matters that we as an audience are there, have an opinion, vote, buy into good old-fashioned voyeurism repackaged as reality - we believe it matters which makes it real enough.
While it is true that the delivery has grown more sophisticated, I think the content is at least keeping pace.

choosing a gaming console

Since this is uncharted territory for me, I would start with research and evaluations online so I could get a basic understanding and working knowledge/vocabulary to be able to compare the differences, benefits, predictions about the useful lifespan for the console and the particular platform.
I would go to the websites of public libraries with similar demographics to see if they were promoting a particular system, I would without hesitation contact staff at other libraries to see if they had any experience or advice to share.
I would take a look at the circulation stats for the games available from the library, see whether there's some sort of discernible pattern, which among the selection of xbox 360, ps3 or wii games seem to be the ones circulating the most, and speak with the circ staff to see if they have a feel for why one platform is more popular than another. If the ps3 games are getting the least play, it may be that too few of our patrons have the players, but the circ staff talks to patrons up to 12 hours every day, I would ask them what the people borrowing the games are saying.
I would survey patrons, online, on paper and in person.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

what would I buy?
wii, I think. Based on my readings and just a surface understanding of the differences and benefits, the wii is the most bang for the buck. The console itself is not terribly expensive and the games seem to be more reasonable.
for what it's worth, the library system I work in just bought ps3's for each location, but I don't know how much of this was fueled by the largish collections of blu-ray's that were perhaps a bit premature since they seem to be spending more time on the shelves than actually circulating.

screencast best practices

• unplug the phone
• leave enough time, trying to do screencasts at the last minute will invariably produce poor results
• invest in a good headset
• do a couple of dry runs to make sure the screen capture encompasses everything it should and any other necessary pages are tabbed and ready to go
• warn those with whom you share living space that interruptions will not get a warm reception
• expect that they will get better and easier with time and practice
  

interactive game

Yet another benefit of having a 13 year old in the house......
We played Dubloon Disaster at Neopets; so far the only assignment I've laughed uproariously while doing.



Link to the screencast of the game being played

screencast about how to put videos on a profile page

how to put videos on your myspace profile page

ning

Advantages include the ease with which groups can be formed and joined, how personal pages/profiles can be shared selectively or exclusively among group members, and, in contrast to the accumulation of friends in MySpace or facebook that are relationships that often already exist, Ning groups are people linked by common interest(s), providing opportunities for new connections on an international level and across all socioeconomic lines (although I suppose this might be a disadvantage as well, new connections are more tenuous/less cohesive).
The only disadvantage I can see are that some people may be reluctant to sign up and join.

In a work environment, Jing groups could be used like a wiki, acting as a forum to track and complete some short-term project or goal, or in a more open-ended way for members connected an ongoing interest or commonality. For example, a Jing group could be formed for new employees at a large institution or organization, giving people who might be scattered across departments or even locations, an opportunity to connect with eachother, share experiences, arrange to meet in person, etc. In a library, a Jing groups could be formed for patrons interested in specific genres, or programming such as parents who attend storyhour but are not able to have meaningful or uninterrupted discussions during or after events.

information/lessons libraries should take away from boyd

Specifically, libraries might observe that not only are social networking sites here to stay, but that they provide opportunities to connect and stay connected with diverse groups, particularly older teens/young adults.
In a broad sense though, libraries, seeking a heterogeneous mix of the population they serve, should observe that our virtual meeting places and congregating online reflects the same social stratification that exists in the physical world. In order to connect with and remain relevant to a wide range of people, libraries need to have a presence in multiple areas and sites.

what makes sns sticky?

MySpace reminds me so much of a fair midway, it is an unrelenting assault on my senses; it is visual chaos, flashing lights, spectacle often without substance. In fact, the only thing missing is odor. (perhaps there should be a parenthetical addendum of so far). The fact that it's sticky just completes the image.

However, thinking about why social network sites attract and retain visitors, a couple of questions come to mind........Is it the content? Is there something about members and/or visitors that makes them more likely to get stuck?
Yes, and yes.

Visitors return because there are new things to see, there is a dynamic quality to personal pages, reflecting shifting moods, new interests, events, and fluctuating favorites and dislikes, compounded by how interactive having friends and belonging to groups can be. Of course, all of this presupposes that members are spending time updating, creating and bolstering their presence, adding and interacting with friends and groups.

As to commonality among users, I think by virtue of the fact that people go to these sites either by invitation or their own prerogative, and reflecting on boyd & Ellison (2007), the networks parallel users more 'real' lives, "primarily communicating with people who are already a part of their extended social network."; the sns is not the fundamental link between users, it is the medium.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
as for myself, sns are kind of an interesting phenomena, and while I am all over social software tools that make work easier and more efficient, I am not looking for ways to substitute the virtual for real contact in my personal life. And to that end, of the social networks I tried, I liked Ning the most - I found a whole lot easier to navigate and understand, visually it was less confusing.

how i'm spending my weekend

....mowing, cleaning, packing, throwing away and actually looking forward to some quiet time at my desk tonight. too many late nights lately, scattered thinking and limited concentration only a reflection of the more overall chaos.

anti-social software

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/style/18divorce.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

youtube favorites

lorri's contemplation and debate about shoes is a classic example of how a well-thought out idea and a sense of humor can elevate even something as simple as comparing shoes to a really entertaining video.

carina's how to make a dog sit is incredibly well done, easy to follow and understand.

laura g's how to dog-proof the house made me laugh aloud...we do exactly the same things at my house!

zoho database app creation and embedding a form

screencast (blip.tv)
In this screencast I ran through the process of setting up a zoho database application, creating a form and embedding it in a blog. After a dozen or so false starts, huge errors and thinking I'd mentioned something when I had in the previous and just discarded attempt, but neglected to in the current recording - this might have actually qualified as a comedy of errors. that is, if it had been funny.

if nothing else I have a whole new appreciation for the long list of screencasts every week. :)

Click To Play

Link to the video at blip.tv

zoho sign up (jing/screencast)

In this first screencast (3:09) I (somewhat hesitantly) describe the features of zoho in the broadest terms, and explain how to sign up for a zoho account. This is 1 of 3.

how do I contact you?

this is a test for my screencast, but feel free to fill in the form.
enter your scils598s08 username (xxscils598s08) and a more permanent IM, and the other fields if you like, I was just playing with the features and possibilities at zoho.



and if, for some reason, I do not demonstrate zoho creator for my screencasts, have a look!

educational vs entertainment videos

Short answer: I think there's increasingly less distinction.
Longer answer: I think there's an expectation for video in general to be interesting, attractive, fun to watch and because the means to produce media is getting easier to use....I will come back and finish this in a bit.....

educational/instruction vodcast

The blip.tv pop-up post.
A how-to-make-scones vodcast using both still and video files.


Click to play

entertainment video

these are images I shot in Ireland too many years ago.



Watch the video at YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU9KrOsuM0c

our flickr similarities & differences

Clearly all of our lives are dominated by technology, books, and the places we work at work and home, and while I pretty much expected the consistencies, I think there are far fewer of the ones like those that seem to dominate flickr more generally - the friends, the meals, birthdays and travels....the images of the minutiae and monumental of our selves and days that are added naturally as those events occur, unrestricted by the confines of a semester and with a luxury of time few of us have. Whether it's due to the newness of the concept and habit of photo sharing, or overwhelming schedules and demands, I think the predefined theme sets suggest more in common than actually exists in our multi-faceted and busy lives.

the tail end of the long tail

...can libraries as a whole effectively utilize the "long tail" of our collections? Is it worth it? What would we have to do? or, what question didn't I ask that I should? why should I ask it?

to effectively use the long tail of our collections libraries would need to cooperate, pooling resources, creating a virtual centralized inventory which, I think, are the fundamental principles and objectives of ILL, consortia.....the NJ Union List of Serials. Libraries are increasingly offering more and more resources in digital formats. So, I think libraries are doing it, but maybe the more important question is how might it be done better, more effectively.

• perhaps designating specific member libraries to specific niches
  
• incorporating as many opportunities and tools as possible to give users/customers a way to impact, influence, "crowdsource" (pg. 219), customize their experience to their needs and their own time and skills.

the benefits/detractions of podcasts vs. text blogging

The benefits of podcasting compared to text-based blogging:

• There is another level of detail to podcasts that text-based blogging cannot achieve. I don't know if it is actually authenticity, but there is a more human, personal quality to spoken words; podcasting can add emotion to content where it might be indiscernible in text.
  
• Good for users who cannot read for a variety of reasons ranging from visual impairments to a lack of time.
• Good for auditory learners.
  

The detractions of podcasting vs. text blogging

• Podcasting requires a little more equipment than text based blogging. Access to a keyboard is fairly ubiquitous and text blogging can be done anywhere, but microphones are (I think) not necessarily standard and recording a podcast requires somewhat more privacy and space to create and not disturb others.
• Podcasting cannot be edited as simply and easily as text based blogs. In the worst case, once a podcast has been posted, in order to "edit", a new mp3 must be generated and uploaded. Text blogs can be edited in situ.
  
• Not so good for visual learners. For myself, I am a better and more careful reader than listener and it's not so much that I don't actually listen, but I will try to take advantage of the opportunity to do other things while I listen and often find my attention drifting, listening less carefully.
  

a podcast story

This is a story that I always think of as my Mr. Magoo moment.

the long tail

Libraries/librarians act as New Producers to the extent that they are concerned with the development and the implementation of usage-centric metadata, making media more accessible to users, rather than production-centric metadata. Looking at Anderson’s Architecture of participation diagram (pg. 84), while librarians can and do create original media, the more traditional role is closer to being a ‘remixer’ – modifying and/or adapting the works of others to fulfill info needs—able to harness the production-centric metadata to achieve that end and able to create usage-centric metadata to make the information more accessible to users.

“..new tastemakers are simply people whose opinions are respected. They influence the behavior of others, often encouraging them to try new things they wouldn’t otherwise pursue.” (pg 107)

Because they may not know those things exist, or there’s a connection between something they do like and an unknown. I’m thinking specifically about the long list of ways the library where I work provides variations on the “what to read next” theme. We have stacks of free bookmarks that start with the line “If You Like author A, you might like B,C,D, or…”, we have email newsletters promoting new titles, Notable Books, anything else that both promotes the library itself as a useful institution and the materials housed within. And from the 'If you build it, they will come'-category, my library (and no doubt as many others with budgets that permit) buy new packaging or formats in an effort to be current, anticipating needs based on experience. For example, we got 100 or more Playaways in and it took some promotion within the library, talking them up, demonstrating how easy they were to use, mentioning to someone borrowing books-on-tape or CDs that we’d just gotten in a new format they might like to try. Ditto Blu-ray, but this may backfire. There's some internal debate about whether enough patrons have the players, or whether there's going to be a reaction from the public as there was when the VHS-DVD transition started.

I’m a little vague on the New Markets question….reread that chapter twice and cannot see the link to librarians.

There is one point that I completely disagree with Anderson though. In the comparison of Google to a library, claiming that the “constraints of physical shelves” are no match for the freedom of natural language searches in Google. Anderson uses the example of his own book and all of it’s various and potential shelf placements using the Dewey Decimal System versus the category-free access in Google. I thought the implication that shelf browsing as the primary means to access his book in a library was odd, or at least presumptive. I guess I’m wondering if he knows about subject headings which combat the issue of books (or any other media) that span two or more subjects.

no rest for the wicked

or, my educational experience at SCILS....
is actually a continuation of an educational experience that began in 2003.
Through a happenstance meeting of a new friend at the Avon 3Day in 1999 and a variety of personal circumstances/events, I decided I wanted an MLIS. I love libraries; after working at a public library for a couple of years, I realized that the order and organization, the impact of technology, the value to the community each library serves made it an interesting place to work, with some level of predictability, but there is an everyday element of surprise and novelty as well - new books, new questions, new knowledge. However, there was no applying to grad school before I'd finished my undergraduate degree that had been deliberately abandoned in a inexcusably lucid moment some 20 years earlier. I finished my B.S. in an online program in the minutes in between working, parenting, marriage, homeownership, and being a friend (it also ate most of my weekends), but I came out confident I could survive the rigors of grad school, learning at 6 credits per semester, able to write and communicate clearly, nimble with electronic resources, and juggling all the people and other important things in my life. I turned in my final project three weeks before orientation at Rutgers in August 2006. And I was barely prepared for what I'd gotten myself into.

This program has been more difficult than I ever would have imagined (despite the fact that I am frequently reminded that it's library science, not rocket science). The reading and lectures, my own attempts at stretching the day, adding minutes at the start and hours at the end, and the gallons of the jet-fuel I brew in my kitchen only helped up to a point (and earned me an ulcer last summer), but there is a tremendous sense of accomplishment as the semesters progress.

I am grateful for this distance-learning option, I simply would not have been able to pursue either of the degrees any other way and I have no one to blame but myself for having limited options, but the truth of the matter is that I think it's been a pretty great ride. I've had some truly outstanding professors, having stayed in contact with three of the six I've had so far. I love the incredible and endless collection of materials I can access through the RU Libraries. I have developed some new skills; my perceptions about many things have changed and expanded. Socially, I think there are certainly fewer casual acquaintances -- name recognition and a sense of mutually achieved survival isn't really the same thing as having a cup of coffee in the same place and chatting once a week before class-- but, I think I probably have developed as many better friends as I would have in person.

My educational experience set at Flickr
Our collective educational experience

google analytics

Browser:
84% Firefox
13% Explorer
1.7% Opera
0.87% Safari
Connection Speed:
Cable: 79%
Unknown: 16.5%
DSL: 4.3%

yawn.

So much to look at, so many reports and browser and connection speed is just the beginning (and not nearly so cool or colorful as some of the others). I have to say the Map Overlay was lots of fun and very interesting, I have sense of how geographically scattered some of us are and, at the same time, anticipated how concentrated most visitors would be, but sort of curious about the visitors from Seattle and Monterey, CA.

I had a commercial site a couple of years ago, hosted by GoDaddy and until the last year the stats were free (it became a premium service, or part of a hosting package I wasn't paying for), I checked them everyday and had a real sense of where visitors were coming from, what they were looking at and how long they were staying. It's hard to say what it all really means, but it gave me something to base changes on, or conversely - leaving what seemed to be working alone.

As soon as I figured out Google Analytics, I sold it at work and I think we now have the code installed on just a couple of the library's web pages. I think the fact that it was free was a huge plus, but the tipping point was the browser/operating system report - at least there's a sense of being able to test the site to see what most visitors are actually seeing.

pbwiki vs wetpaint

I was all set to love wetpaint, forewarned that it was more design-y/creative, but while the template choices were very good and fun, I find the ads overwhelmingly distracting. So much so that I would not set up a wiki there. And, for sake of argument, I set up an account at wikispaces as well - it's very spare, not so many colors and distractions.
However, form follows function to greater degree with wikis than blogs; it seems to me that blogs are our personal spaces, and while people should and do visit those spaces, the creators are the only ones obligated to work in them. Wikis can be personalized, but the visually busy look detracts (and distracts) from the work.

google docs in academics

I think using Google Docs is an improvement over the way Word (or some other) docs are sent via email in an attempt to complete a group project and, in any group larger than two, it can be a challenge to maintain enough control so that there's only one version of a mutually created and edited document. It circumvents using different colors to keep authors straight, progress is not held up by a group member with a scheduling issue, and there is no need for one person in the group to take on the responsibility of trying to coordinate all of the changes or having to police other members.

Another clear benefit is that Google Docs increase flexibility in terms of time and location of contributors; being able to create/edit/publish text documents and spreadsheets does not require specific software, just an internet connection to access free web-based software.

It seems like it serves an obvious need in online courses with group work and I think both online students and some faculty --some faculty seem very interested and open to trying to incorporate all or any new technology; some seem to prefer to go with what works-- would certainly explore the possibilities this option offers. I'm not certain how much need there is for this for on-campus students --it's not my experience-- but I would guess that the difference between online and on-campus students is commuting time and/or geography, I would not assume was less busy or had fewer commitments than the other; Google Docs would allow students to collaborate despite conflicting schedules.

scils598s08 tag at del.icio.us

If looking at the kinds of titles on others' bookshelves act as a window into who they are, getting a look at the kinds of sites people visit and save has to be a close second. I think this is a great way to introduce eachother as well as being great way to dive into the class AND it will grow as the course progresses, evolving into a collection of useful tools and web finds.

It usually hits me three weeks after the end of the semester that I neglected to save an item contributed to the webliography, or a site that was recommended somewhere along the way, but by bookmarking them in del.icio.us, we're creating a resource that will endure....or at least be accessible beyond the limits of the semester.

implications for the educational system in the U.S.

based on Brown & Duguid's (2002) conclusions.

The warning or conclusion I found most interesting, and perhaps most plausible was that technology has the potential to create a new glass ceiling for many students particularly those who are or were likely to be educationally and/or socially marginalized to begin with; education made possible by technology may not take into account the other factors that interfere with learning. Furthermore, distance-learning students may achieve the appearance of an equivalent degree yet those students will have missed out on the interpersonal and group learning experiences and social dynamics --"communities of learning"-- which are the flip side of the educational coin, and professional opportunities will be just out of reach for technically credentialed, though unprepared individuals.
Brown & Duguid suggest that there will have to be parallel changes in the institutions to create and maintain communication and interaction between students, faculty, administration and institutional services that may lead to (or be precipitated by) fundamental changes in how we think of education: as a student-directed constant, rather than ending at the completion of a degree.

librarything

I looked at librarything years ago and was fairly unimpressed, doubtful about the potential of it, wondering how useful subjective tagging was going to be toward contributing to some sort of cohesiveness between all of the individual collections.

So very glad I took another look and this might actually be a service I would subscribe to and use. Three fierce readers in the house and conservatively 250 linear feet of sagging bookshelves, so I gave it a whirl and listed about ten books either sitting on my desk or the closest ones on the nearest bookshelf. I did not tag, all I did was enter titles.

It's a simple enough process to register (although the free account only allows 200 books); the paid account choices are very reasonable. Entering books into your library is much faster and far more convenient than I recall, typing in either title, author, ISBN, etc. produces a list of possible matches from Amazon (with the choice to broaden the search), click on the correct edition and -- it's done. Tags can be added, status --currently reading or to be read-- along with a page for an incredible level detail (which would be a great place to keep track of loaned out books), including reviews, the source of the book, cost....anything. It can be as detailed (or not) as the owner of a given collection wants. Each title can be clicked on, linking to a cloud tag of other members' tags for that book, recommendations for other books, and reviews from other members.

Extra features include widgets, chicklets, being able to access the account from a cell phone/mobile device, importing and exporting titles, I know I probably missed or am simply not mentioning the boatload of other ways to customize and put this resource to use.

The social aspect is passive in some regards --by adding a book, that listing is linked to other libraries/users with the same title-- but the active social possibilities of librarything are varied and numerous, with groups designated by book or reader characteristics, providing members with areas to post, debate and discuss. With a librarything widget it's possible to link our other online social selves to our librarything personas and holdings.

The only thing I looked for but did not find was whether it's possible to list a title, but being able to keep it private. Anyone know?

bloglines vs. googlereader redux

just a quick note and observation...
I went to my googlereader page completely by accident and realized that with a number of subscriptions and only checking on the page periodically, googlereader is actually easier to skim and use than bloglines. Because my bloglines account is open in a separate tab for about 15 hours per day, I read things as they come in or at least within a few hours, but for occasional or even just once per day use (and presumably with a life less dominated by a computer screen), I think I'd switch my aggregator to google. I really did not understand what seemed like the overwhelming preference for googlereader until I saw the way multiple subscriptions and ten days accumulation of posts displayed. For anyone else who thought they preferred bloglines, go take a look at your googlereader page.

among idle....lascivious

(it's an anagram for del.icio.us vs. ma.gnolia)
...and the anagram engine can be found among my bookmarks in del.icio.us.

I have to say (and agree) that ma.gnolia is prettier by miles and if there was a bookmarklet that looked like the logo, I'd probably switch, but I imported my del.icio.us bookmarks and ma....(alright, from here on in, it's going to just have to be delicious and magnolia because I will not spend any more time typing it correctly) and magnolia does display them in an easier to read format with different colors whereas delicious is visually kind of tedious.

The navigation differences are kind of interesting; it's not that one is better than another, but in delicious it's 'your network' compared to magnolia with contacts and groups.

Something at magnolia I thought was interesting was the Roots feature, by adding the roots bookmarklet to the toolbar and clicking it while you're on a new page, if the page has been bookmarked and commented on at magnolia, those comments will appear on a pop-up screen.

Prettiness and cool features aside (and magnolia has t-shirts for sale too), I found delicious faster and easier to work with. It's possible that I've just been working with delicious just a little longer and the convenience and speed is like so many other just marginal preferences for one service over another - based on familiarity.

feed

We are already there in some ways and I cannot fathom us ever being there in the rest.

I regularly get email from Amazon or on checkout I get a message that starts with ‘since you’ve purchased x, y, z in the past, we thought you might like…’. iTunes is full of suggestions based on my download history, but I am free to browse, not browse, delete or ignore……or unsubscribe and choose not to return to the site. To have a relentless stream of advertising based not only on my history, but in reaction to my thoughts, to not know where I end and it begins – it’s the modern fourth circle of Hell.

Despite the ways all of these systems have infiltrated our lives, legitimately making us more (or arguably less) informed, giving us the freedom of anonymity and placelessness, I’d like to believe that there is an enormous distance between using the tools and taking advantage of the convenience and power of the system and the acquiescence and oblivion at becoming a robot designed to acquire and consume, unable to finish a sentence without the feed’s prompt.

There’s a section in one of my favorite books titled archy & mehitabel by don marquis (1927) that kept coming back to me while I read Feed:

“…there is
something to be said
for the lyric and imperial
attitude
believe that everything is for
you until you discover
that you are for it
sing your faith in what you
get to eat right up to the
minute you are eaten…”

to be continued.....

new to me web 2.0

goodreads
I like the different perspectives and opportunities for impromptu book discussions , I like the way the site is organized. As to whether I'd use this in the future.......possibly. I would like to think that once I'm not quite so tethered to a computer, I'll be spending time with others actually, rather than virtually, but I can certainly see the uses and value of this. I have 13 yr old who would LOVE this; a great place for a reader who reads unlikely books for their age, but also for anyone reading anything of their own choosing and looking for more.

rss/rss aggregators

At this stage in adapting to it (and it to me), RSS aggregators actually mitigate information overload. I’m getting feeds from a handful of sites I’d be visiting on a regular basis anyway and I don’t find myself drifting off on tangents as much. It’s possible in terms of the savings in time and maintaining my own narrow focus and interests, it’s good, but it’s a little dull; it’s that unpredictable quality of never knowing where I’ll end up or what can be learned in the traditional unfiltered and unfettered meandering through my favorite sites and blogs that’s missing.
On the other hand, I can see myself adding subscriptions at the same rate as I once bookmarked websites; this could absolutely get out of hand.

In a more general sense (and to answer the actual question), does the use of RSS/RSS aggregators mitigate or aggravate the problem of Information Overload in today’s society…those posts and articles are there regardless whether we read them as they’re sent through a feed, reading them (or choosing not to) in an aggregator is as much a choice as deciding to take a break from the computer for an afternoon, or a week. As long as RSS/RSS aggregators are tools rather than shackles, they represent a tremendous way to be able to quickly review or read articles and posts from select sources.

new to me Web 2.0

I tried a couple of things that are worth sharing.
I signed up for an account at Thinkature.com and while it loaded incredibly slowly and my workspace was lost as I was uploading an image, this is an idea and collaborative tool worth going back to and trying again. In theory at least (as I mentioned, I didn't actually get it to work), it's a virtual whiteboard; the creator of the workspace invites others to text or voice chat, type/edit text, draw, link cards/ideas in real-time.
Another social software service/site I signed up for was 30boxes.com. It's an online calendar/social aggregator hybrid. Again, this is sort of one-stop, catch all the updates at once which is definitely useful, but I am starting to wonder where all of these conveniences start to become more of a burden than the collection of people, dates, and posts we try to keep up with. I realize we are an unusual group in the sense that we have accounts all over the place with duplication of services, but isn't there a risk that the means become (or at least overshadow) the ends?

bloglines vs. google reader final

While I wasn't a total convert on the subject of twitter --in fact, I described it in pretty disparaging terms for the first few days-- but through some use and considering some of the comments in other class blogs, I am starting to appreciate its purpose, seeing what I once perceived to be limitations or inherent flaws as a potential strength or value.

I am completely sold on Bloglines however and am seeing and taking advantage of feed icons on all my favorite sites. It's saving me a huge amount of time, rather than trying to work my way through a list of sites to check on blog postings/updates both personal and academic, civil service exam announcements, irreverence and the occasionally profound from a wide and unusual collection of sources - it's one click anytime, anywhere with 30 seconds free. Way cool.

Google Reader is merely OK, but I think the real issue is that I set it up for comparison and have spent most of this week reading and adding at Bloglines. It's not one more than the other, it's the familiarity of Bloglines and not having to think about how it works or how to make changes - it just does/I do.

meebo, bloglines, podcasts.....

I feel like I am edging toward what I used to think would be an ideal solution - being wired directly to the internet at the base of my spine. Since I've not yet finished reading Feed, these are not my reflections and observations about that, but I am into it enough to get a sense of the story. Since I signed up for Bloglines on Sunday night and subscribed to the various assigned feeds (and others), and then subscribed to the various assigned podcasts (and others) in iTunes along with almost always having meebo open in another tab, there is an odd feeling of being more connected yet incrementally less aware. I can certainly make the argument for customizing and consolidating the content we see, but I have been wondering where the line is between filtering out the extrinsic and virtual blinders. I'll keep paying my cable bill, I would not give up the access, information, human connections and possibilities these means make available to me, and --in truth-- I do not know whether it's just really just a function of being mired in another busy semester, but there is less serendipity crossing my path.

baaaaaaaaaaaaaad dog

bloglines vs. google reader....so far

While it is by no means a make-or-break difference, there are feed bundles in Google Reader --collections of blogs/feeds within subject categories-- in manageable sizes of 5-9 subscriptions. Bloglines provides the Top 1000 which is interesting and contains a broad selection of possible subscriptions, but the potential subscriber must either preview and/or guess the subject content from the title/name.

In Bloglines I am able to adjust the width of the navigation/left pane for more space on the right for posts; in Google Reader the page layout seems fixed.

In Bloglines the edit and subscribe buttons are marginally easier to find; in Google Reader the edit/unsubscribe is in a pull down menu.

the social life of information

Brown and Duguid (2002) made several critical points about the balance between social needs and influences on and by technology that are relevant to libraries and librarians.
First, while technology has made it possible to work independent of others, neglecting the social needs of people impacts learning and productivity. Technology cannot supplant the role of other people in how we learn and work, technology is the conduit; information derives meaning when we interact with and apply it. Ironically, in fact, technology has amplified our need for others to help resolve problems with "frail and fickle technologies and unlimited technologies" (pg. 79).
The example of Chiat/Day illustrates the dangers and perhaps inevitable failure of underestimating the significance of social ties, organizational structure, and the relationship between place and identity. Again, technology is not a substitute for contact; the benefits of technology include enhancing and extending social relationships.
Successful technology design drafts social dynamics and resources to create more useful technologies, both enriching and enriched by the contributions of social influences.

The relevance to libraries and librarians is that human collaboration is key to the success and usefulness/usability/application of technology. Databases, virtual reference, and the myriad ways information resources can be accessed remotely only extend the services libraries and librarians provide and the role the institution and its actors play in the ability to use and apply information and technology.

library blogs

Darien Library has - in my opinion- a fairly hideous web site, but their use of blogs is incredibly interesting and furthermore, the blogs have much more style, are visually appealing and less confusing than the main site.
The site offers an explanation about the purpose and role of blogs generally and for/between the library and community. There is a Director's blog, a blog to chronicle the progress of the new (still under construction) building, blogs dedicated to music & movies, books, children, teens, information and technology and the Front Desk blog. Whether it's a tribute to the fundamental nature of blogs or whether the Darien Library is using blogs to link events in patrons lives and world to the resources and services at the library, the blogs make interesting reading. For example, in the Movies & Music blog, a posting notes that Tom Petty was a featured artist at the Super Bowl halftime show, with links to the library's holdings of Petty's work, also listed are the February DVD new releases, youtube clips of a documentary that might be overlooked about Donkey Kong players competing for the World Title, etc. The blogs just represent a wealth of information (and entertainment).

Another use of a blog by a library I liked was this, it's a resource for the staff of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, ostensibly designed to keep LVCCLD staff members informed about virtual library issues and events. I wasn't able to get to it from the library's site and, although it can be located by non-staff, it has information about conferences and details about new or changed digital resources in the form of a virtual newsletter at a static address.
I talked to some people at work about trying a similar approach for our staff, it just seems like such a great idea particularly with multiple facilities and scattered staff, but the response was lukewarm at best.

dancing birds

blogger vs. wordpress

I opened up blogs in both and just find WordPress more appealing in terms of layout of the dashboard and choices available to me in ways to customize my blog - particularly the templates, AND when obligations of this class are fulfilled, I think I will create a more permanent blog on WordPress, but in the meantime - the differences between Blogger and WordPress I noted are:

• Both Blogger and WordPress have ways to organize posts by categories; Blogger categories are displayed as a tag cloud, WordPress categories display as lists and/or clouds. Love choices.
  
• Template changes in Blogger result in a loss of formatting, formatting selections are maintained with template changes in WordPress. I like to changes templates and while I might go in and make a few changes to my formatting for the new look, it's almost too much work or too time consuming to redo all of the formatting.
  
• Blogger offers AdSense although a more convoluted path to stats; AdSense widgets are easy to drop into the sidebars on blogs and WordPress stats are one easy click on the dashboard.
  
• Blogs from other services cannot be imported into Blogger; blogs may be imported from Blogger, LiveJournal or another WordPress blog into a WordPress blog.
• Widgets are equally easy to install on Blogger and Wordpress although Blogger requires a little less hunting than WordPress to post a Meebome widget...on the other hand, what fun is life without the occasional challenge?
• 300 MB free space with Blogger; 3 Gigabytes free space with WordPress.
  

Sometimes more is more.