28.9.08

Please comment

I just want to know if these are the facts. I am not taking sides, I just want to know if this is the true picture of the events that have brought us to where we are now. Just watch and please comment or twitter your thoughts.

Later...Bill comments on his part;

and....

SNL

27.9.08

Love

This is just too much fun....

It's in the numbers

Here we are in a financial colapse of historic proportions and over a year ago, the data pointing to this was already available. Watch this (it's about an hour long, but should be required)

24.9.08

The Webware 100



http://news.cnet.com/html/ww/100/2008/winners.html
I could spend hours...days...weeks....months??? Who knows?

fun search= http://news.cnet.com/webware/?search=embed

Wiki #16

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/72347/july-31-2006/the-word---wikiality
Here we are at the Learn and Play thing again; http://columbusmetropolitanlibrary.wordpress.com/2008/09/21/17-playing-around-with-wikis-pbwiki/ and I added some restaurant favorites, a favorite animal, and this favorite blog plus another; http://www.roytanck.com/
Read this guy's welcome statement....LOL. I like informative blogs with a sense of humor.
I wasn't too sure that I got it right when I was adding things to the Wiki, but since the entries seemed to show up right...I am hoping somebody will tell me if I got it wrong so I can do it again.
At the start, there were issues with getting onto the Wiki, but a little patience and viola, I was off and running. This is one of those things I'd like to take some time getting aquainted with so I can have a nice design going. Enough about me, though.
I found something interesting on Wikipedia http://en.wikip
edia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Information_suppression
This page is marked "currently inactive and is retained for historical reference." It discusses how views can slant to a particular side of an issue and thus represent an idea in an unbalanced manner. This can be accomplished through somebody deleting information from a different perspective concerning an idea and filling in a great deal of information to support another perspective.
Since we are heading toward an election, I found this article stimulating to my thought process regarding how complicated issues are handled politically. In addition, it reminds me that aside from basic informative content, there is a danger of information on a Wiki being used in a manner that misrepresents a topic.
I trust you'll read through the page and think about what it is saying.

Wiki #15

I started to do #16 before #15 because it was the first thing I saw for this week's Learn and Play assignment. So I am backtracking. The first link presented is for Wikipedia's Main page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page. I had used Wikipedia before to search for specific information, but I hadn't seen this page that offers these services:
Help desk — Ask questions about using Wikipedia.
Reference desk — Serving as virtual librarians, Wikipedia volunteers tackle your questions on a wide range of subjects.
Village pump — For discussions about Wikipedia itself, including areas for technical issues and policies.
Community portal — Bulletin board, projects, resources and activities covering a wide range of Wikipedia areas.
Site news — Announcements, updates, articles and press releases on Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation.
Local embassy — For Wikipedia-related communication in languages other than English.
...and lists Wikipedia sister projects, featured article, etc etc. Let's just say the main page is jam packed with information and worth exploration.

This article http://www.webjunction.org/social-software/articles/content/438229 mentions opening up a wiki as a community resource and I feel that putting together several contributor's inputs on a wiki is a perfect use of it's collaborative functionality. In addition, it mentions internal use of a wiki by librarians and I have since discovered that CML already has a task force utilizing a wiki.
Other links for thing #15;
SJCPL: http://www.libraryforlife.org/subjectguides/index.php/Main_Page has a clean, easy to understand, easy to use presentation.

Book Lovers Wiki: http://booklovers.pbwiki.com/Princeton%20Public%20Library is a little more dressed up, but also exibits the same ease and functionality. The dates are older, though, which makes me wonder if this is an abandoned project.
I really like how Bull Run Library's Wiki can be linked to delicious, digg, reddit, furl, and spurl. You can also subscribe to it's feed...and that is a real plus since there are continuous updates.
I think a Wiki lends itself very nicely to the constant need for collaboration and presenting updated information as programs change throughout the year at libraries as well as in communities. The down side is when a project is abandoned, but the wiki still exsists and clutters up the landscape when you are searching for information. I feel that if something like this is started that it should be nurtured and supported so that it is ongoing and something that the public will rely on and trust. Even if there are mistakes, those can be addressed, just as long as it keeps on going so that people will keep using it.

Google project 10^100



http://www.project10tothe100.com/

Check this out!

23.9.08

The moral of the story.....about a picture book


On the back of this book are a couple of reviews; "The humor will enchant any youngster with a fondness for animals and a taste for the ridiculous."-New York Times

"Children will be delighted with its nonsense."-Booklist

The fact is, if you are a grown up, you may be touched by the many morals going on in this book. Borrow it @ http://catalog.columbuslibrary.org/

21.9.08

del.icio.us


http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+use+del.icio.us&search_type=&aq=f
Reference the link to watch YouTube videos that tell you how to use del.icio.us.

After looking at some of the bookmarks of the learn and play post #13; http://columbusmetropolitanlibrary.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/13-tagging-folksomonies-social- I realized that delicious would make it easy to access information from any location and facilitate most any project. I added the bookmarks to my delicious so that I can view them without going to or through the Learn and Play blog.

Here are instructions on making your blog bookmarkable: http://delicious.com/help/tools
Add this blog to your bookmarks!!

18.9.08

David Foster Wallace


"There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says "Morning, boys. How's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes "What the hell is water?"......if you're worried that I plan to present myself here as the wise, older fish explaining what water is to you younger fish, please don't be. I am not the wise old fish. The point of the fish story is merely that the most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about."

Commencement speach at Kenyon College, May 21, 2005 http://www.marginalia.org/dfw_kenyon_commencement.html

Somebody mentioned this author and how sad it was that he was gone. I had no knowledge of him then. So I had to look him up and see who this was. I watched some videos of him in interviews. I read some reviews about his writing and then I came upon his speach to the students at Kenyon College and I read it. I fell in love and I cried. Please read this speach if you haven't already.

17.9.08

Library 2.0 Web 2.0


A few months back we needed information about a car part and I used the "ask a librarian" feature of CML's homepage. What I got was a scanned image from one of the car repair publications delivered into my e-mail. I was thrilled.
Technological innovations that allow information to be accessible through the Internet are important because having to drive to a library, search the available publications on site, or wait in line to get help is often too time consuming and tedious for our purposes. Patrons need to feel not only comfortable, but pleased with their library experiences and proud to say "I just went to the library homepage....".
Michael Stephen's "Into a New World of Librarianship" points out many of the important traits necessary to support the above mentioned experience between a patron and librarian.
In addition, Tim Burners-Lee describes web 2.0 technology components as "the idea of the proliferation of inter connectivity and interactivity of web-delivered content" see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0.
There are libraries currently connected to Twitter so that content announcing upcoming events automatically posts to Twitter. The use of Twitter among other social networking tools allows for much greater interaction that is on par with how our world is using the Internet to stay informed and collaborate.

I do feel that the library is afraid of a load it can't carry well, though. For example, if there are many patrons in need of assistance and not enough staff to fulfill their needs, it really doesn't matter what technology you have in place. People will be frustrated. We have had computer failures before when not as catastrophic conditions as those we have experienced in the aftermath of Ike occurred and patrons who were interested in books expected staff to be able to take them to materials. Another example of us being unable to carry our load well is when an announcement has been made that we are unaware of which alerts customers to materials we don't know about or services we lack knowledge of or ability to deliver well. If 2.0 means communication and collaboration, it must be well done internally first and thus will be reflected in our ablility to better serve the public.

13.9.08

Twitter help during Ike



I have been tracking Twitter use during Hurricane Ike. Several accounts are devoted to assisting or communicating updates during the crisis;
TrackingIke http://www.statesman.com/
hurricaneike http://digg.com/general_sciences/Live_Hurricane_Ike_Coverage_on_Twitter
dw_Ike http://www.disasterwatch.org/
chronhurricane http://www.chron.com/news/specials/hurricane/

This one is of particular note: http://www.ecitizencorps.com/ showing up as "ecert" on Twitter, it's purpose is stated as;
"Uniting New Media Communities for National Preparedness
eCitizen Corps asks you to embrace the personal responsibility to be prepared; to get training in using social networks, blogging and new media; and to use these skills as a eVolunteer to support local emergency responders, disaster relief, and community safety."
One of the leaders of eCitizenCorps was sending messages such as; "US Department of Homeland Security Guard deployed 3500+ officers have come in through EMAC http://www.emacweb.org/ Hurricane Ike #Ike"
The number sign ahead of Ike is a hashtag(a community-driven convention for adding additional context and metadata to your tweets. They're like tags on Flickr, only added inline to your post. You create a hashtag simply by prefixing a word with a hash symbol: #hashtag) developed as a means to create groupings on twitter. See; http://hashtags.org/
In addition, the Red Cross is also on Twitter with an account called "Safe and Well" https://disastersafe.redcross.org/and at http://redcrosschat.org/
Updates and links to services and information made available through Twitter are an effective way to communicate in a crises on a large scale.

12.9.08

Columbus Gasoline Prices and Hurricane Ike

As I was driving to the storage space, I filled up with gas; $3.52/ga. As I was driving back I looked at the sign and; $3.79/ga. Even before any damage is really done, they have raised the price. So, with that in mind...

11.9.08

Put your Blog posts on Twitter



http://www.twitterfeed.com/

I am playing with this one. Not sure I got it together, but will see. It's just what you need to communicate automatically what is happening on your blog.

Mad Money

Music over Twitter

I took this one off because of the huge # of tweets, but it's a good one for a short while to get the URL and pick a station.
Found an internet radio station portal on Twitter http://www.stationportal.com/?page=stationhistory%26u=http%253a%252f%252f207.200.96.227%253a8008
Follow me on Twitter and look for the icon. Click on it and you can see tweets from that icon. If you want to...you can follow the person/reference so that their tweets are visible on your twitter. The icons here are just so u know what to look for or you can search them by their name/title.

10.9.08

Westerville Tweets


I am absolutely mystified. How can it be that Westerville is so savy that they are tweeting good stuff, using slideshare, etc etc. Check em out...http://tinyurl.com/5lxkd6

I am following several news and information tweets. Having small bits of info usually including a link is very practical. Follow me on twiiter via the widget in the sidebar.

Storage search


Searching for storage facilities today on the web. I am familiar with a couple near where I am located that are not easily located via the internet. That surprises me. Even though they are missing from this site: http://www.usstoragesearch.com it is the best resource for finding storage because each facility has to give you a 1 month free coupon that are offered because they post with the service.

8.9.08

Blogging On

Click on title...get a "whizle" guide to blogging. The guide mentions not being concerned that nobody is reading your blog. It's a "just dive in" approach to the "art". Anyway, since we are moving along a week at a time on this, I backed off from running ahead because there are assignments. I have already used del.icio.us and LibraryThing. I have also found some cool tools such as http://goanimate.com/ After creating a mashup with silverlight, I discovered that people would have to download it to see my work. Flash is better.
I really like blogging. I started having ideas for themes to blog about that some "civilians" might take an interest in. I am looking for a widget that allows visitors to chat with each other on my blog. Now that would be convenient. It's like point of purchase advertising...you need to connect NOW. Not tomorrow or maybe next week sometime to get an impact.

7.9.08

"Ray of Light" video made for Staff Development Day at St Joseph County Public Library

Our Hyperlinked friend is in this.....enjoy!!

Top 25 Web 2.0 tools for librarians

Clicking on the title takes you to the page.

WiFi Hotspot Locator

WiFi Hotspot Locator

4.9.08

Bloglines

I am following the directions per the Learn and Play site;
How to find your public Bloglines URL:

"Click on the Share tab within your Bloglines account:
Scroll down the right screen pane and locate the public URL (see screenshot)
Be sure to add this as part of your post to demonstrate your completion of this activity!"

http://www.bloglines.com/blog/pixelwiki


Frankly, I have been really frustrated with bloglines because of a message that has continued to appear at the top of the page; "Your account has not been confirmed yet, please reply to the email verification message that was sent by Bloglines." I have responded to that e-mail numerous times to no avail, but I have continued to add to my list of feeds anyway.
The use of rss makes it easier to visit things/people since you can include their blogs/rss feeds on a blog or in e-mail. I especially appreciate being able to have the CML Learn and Play feed on the blog.

Google Sky

Greetings Earthlings


My creation
Originally uploaded by pixelwiki
It was just too tempting to go back and try some more Flickr fun. As soon as I get my camera fixed, It will likely be one of those hugely successful addictions. Besides, I wanted to be sure to try the Learn and Play blog suggestions.