I have to admit that I had never heard of an RSS feed before I began 23 Things, but I can see why it might be seriously addictive! I am part of a book group that decided since I was a librarian I should be in charge of picking out all of our books, and the ease at which I can now browse thorough several different sites on the best book club books is going to be great! Not to mention great tips for beginner gardeners, the latest in environmentally friendly diapers and recipes my kids will actually eat! And maybe even whether or I not I should be giving my kids probiotics or not! But enough with my personal life!
I might be missing something though. Is the feed supposed to be attached to my blog? I had the impression that it would be, but I think I might have made that up. I'll have to go back and look at the 23 things home page.
Anyway, this is pretty cool. Now I'm really going to have to convince my husband we need a laptop and wireless at home!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Thing 2, Library 2.0
Wow! What a lot to think about! And I was reminded, again, while reading the articles how easy it is while on the web to click on a few links and get yourself totally off on a tangent! I could have spent several more hours wandering through articles and blogs on the topic, which is both thrilling and terrifying!
The blog prompts from 23 things mentioned time and that is one of the things I found interesting about the Abrams video. I liked his analogy about finding times for things you think are important, however, I doubt fifteen minutes a day is going to do it for me where technology is involved. I think that is why it all feels so daunting. I finished library school in 2001 and just since then so much has changed! Of course, not being in a library full time, or even part time doesn't help. But I do think that is why I really like the idea of 23 things. Most of this can be picked up, it just takes a few steps or shoves in the right direction. So, what I hope to gain from this program is enough knowledge to get me out there, on the web, doing what every twelve year old seems to know how to do now days.
As for libraries, especially small public libraries like the one in my town, I can see where Library 2.0 can really bring up some complicated issues. It seems like one of the most important points would be the people the library serve and how technology could best serve them. I teach basic computer classes to mostly older patrons, and they are really thrown by the idea they can renew their books online. I can't imagine trying to explain a blog to them. I think there is a real fear where technology is concerned (for people of all ages) and that needs to be taken into consideration. Yet, you can't fall too far behind the times. And most people seem to be open to new technology if there is someone available to help them out when they get stuck or have a question. I think there are some really exciting things out there that could get younger people more involved. My children are already fascinated with the computer at five and three and my only hope is that I can somehow keep up with them!
I also really liked the quote from the Ongoing Web Revolution article that talked about the transparent library that has "no secrets..connected, breeding the expectation for open conversation." I really relish the idea of working in a place where people feel comfortable coming in and asking questions, and expect good answers. A place where people do feel connected to the world at large. That is the library I want to be a part of.
The blog prompts from 23 things mentioned time and that is one of the things I found interesting about the Abrams video. I liked his analogy about finding times for things you think are important, however, I doubt fifteen minutes a day is going to do it for me where technology is involved. I think that is why it all feels so daunting. I finished library school in 2001 and just since then so much has changed! Of course, not being in a library full time, or even part time doesn't help. But I do think that is why I really like the idea of 23 things. Most of this can be picked up, it just takes a few steps or shoves in the right direction. So, what I hope to gain from this program is enough knowledge to get me out there, on the web, doing what every twelve year old seems to know how to do now days.
As for libraries, especially small public libraries like the one in my town, I can see where Library 2.0 can really bring up some complicated issues. It seems like one of the most important points would be the people the library serve and how technology could best serve them. I teach basic computer classes to mostly older patrons, and they are really thrown by the idea they can renew their books online. I can't imagine trying to explain a blog to them. I think there is a real fear where technology is concerned (for people of all ages) and that needs to be taken into consideration. Yet, you can't fall too far behind the times. And most people seem to be open to new technology if there is someone available to help them out when they get stuck or have a question. I think there are some really exciting things out there that could get younger people more involved. My children are already fascinated with the computer at five and three and my only hope is that I can somehow keep up with them!
I also really liked the quote from the Ongoing Web Revolution article that talked about the transparent library that has "no secrets..connected, breeding the expectation for open conversation." I really relish the idea of working in a place where people feel comfortable coming in and asking questions, and expect good answers. A place where people do feel connected to the world at large. That is the library I want to be a part of.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Thing 1, take 2
Okay, so maybe I spoke too soon! No sooner had I finished my last post and attempted to show my husband how easy it was to create an avatar by creating a Star Wars inspired avatar (think Ross' fantasy of Rachel in a Princess Lea inspired bikini from Friends) then that avatar decided to attach herself to my blog and stay for a while! I spent a frantic hour trying to get my current avatar back with absolutely no luck and finally gave up, shut the computer down, and prayed that my blog wouldn't get registered until after I fixed the mix up. I never did figure out exactly what happened, but managed to get things straightened out by creating a new Yahoo account and starting the avatar process over.
It was simply a reminder to me that sometimes when you are working with computers it is best to walk away, take some deep breaths, and try again. It also was a fitting reminder that I can never get cocky where technology is concerned. Although when in a crunch I can usually fake my tech savy, inside I always feel one step behind! Apparently I need these "23 things" even more than I thought!
It was simply a reminder to me that sometimes when you are working with computers it is best to walk away, take some deep breaths, and try again. It also was a fitting reminder that I can never get cocky where technology is concerned. Although when in a crunch I can usually fake my tech savy, inside I always feel one step behind! Apparently I need these "23 things" even more than I thought!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Thing 1
This is good. I learned something new, and only had to rush off to discover the reason for screaming baby once. The avatar was fun to create, and although my kids are different ages than the ones on my avatar, and despite the fact that I only rarely ever look that put together, it is relatively accurate. I can understand why many of my friends have turned to blogging as a good way to keep in contact with friends and family and share pictures of what is going on in their lives. If "23 Things" continues to be this easy to follow I look forward to the next "Thing".
First things first...
Well, so far so good. I have been looking for ways to keep up with what is going on in the library while at home with my kids, so this should be a good match. My only real question is whether my computer at home can keep up. I guess we shall see! :-)
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