Licence 2 Test Drive week 6 - Videos online

I like this one (though I'm not sure I agree with all she says - perfection is always something to strive for even if we will never achieve it). As you can see, I've embedded videos before when doing the Joneses. Video sharing is really great for libraries. I enjoyed looking at the examples of the ways libraries are using this technology. Early this year we posted a video to YouTube at Logan Libraries. The kids who participated in the activity really enjoyed seeing themselves. It also promotes the library!

Licence 2 Test Drive - Part B week 5

More Google! Google really will take over world one day. The different features are useful and easy to use. I recently learned about Google Translate and it is a really useful feature,even though it's not necessarily spot on accurate. I also like my iGoogle page, especially the little search bar I was able to add to search Logan Libraries' catalogue! My page is personalised with a TARDIS theme. The great thing about igoogle is that the things you use regularly are in one place and you can have one spot for television, politics, etc. Google is extraordinarily useful and while I would like to be fair and say that other search engines are good too, Google is delivering quality products and while it continues to do that it will continue to be popular!

Licence 2 test drive part B week 4 Web Browsers

I knew a little about web browsers: that I had one, that there were different types...I have used Internet Explorer of course, and Safari on a Mac, and my brother is Linux crazy so I am using Firefox right now. Well after watching the prize-fight -lol :D - looks like my brother's right, Firefox really does have good stuff going for it. My phone is not a 'smart phone', I just use it to make phone calls, very oldfashioned I know. But it is good to know of the options out there. I have just installed the Foxy Tunes add on for Firefox, it looks like a good one for me. As for a good one for a library, I like the look of gTranslate, that could be very useful.

Learn 2 Test Drive part B week 3 - Podcasts

I had learned something about podcasts through the Joneses program. I like listening to audio and there is certainly an important place for podcasts in this time-poor world. I am very interested in Kimmidoll's ideas on the role of podcasts regarding the library talks and local studies. I have not used podcasts myself, but I have just started using my new mp3 player and my usage may increase! It's great to listen to an audio file while in transit or while out walking. As more people have ipods and mp3s, the more popular podcasts will become. And of course for university students or visitors to an exhibition, podcasts are spot on the money!

Week 8 - Search Engines

The last session of the Joneses! I confess I have been putting off this entry, I'm not keen on searchenginewatch. It's a very 'busy' site, and I had to look for a while before I found the 'Ratings and Stats' section where the search engines were directly measured up against each other I think it's great to have sites that are dedicated to the search engines themselves and that can monitor them, but I personally don't find these sites that useful. As for the search engines themselves:
1. I always use Google, I know it's the most popular, and I think that's because of the simple layout. If I am looking for something very specific and have already tried an advanced search, boolean terms and so forth, I would be inclined to look at a specific database that related to my topic, eg the Health and Wellness database that is accessible through Logan Libraries' catalogue.
2. Bananaslug! how could you not like something called bananaslug. An interesting alternative way of searching, and also one that could turn up interesting results. Probably a good idea to use this if you are starting a project as you can combine your search terms with a random word from one of the categories. I tried 'Jane Austen' and clicked on 'Themes from Shakespeare'(random theme was charity) which was probably a good combination.
3. I know people who like Ask.com (they liked it better when it was Ask Jeeves!), it is good that it offers you different combinations of search terms, and questions that you might be asking.Nice and simple, yes please!
4. Yahoo doesn't appeal to me, I don't like the ads or the layout, but I think my likes and dislikes in a search engine reflect what I search for (ie research and scholarly stuff!) rather than recreation.
5. I like Dogpile's layout, it is very easy on the eye. It is a metasearch engine which means it combines the search results of the others like yahoo & google. I also like the white and yellow pages search facility-BUT it is AMERICAN so no good for me. No Australian version unfortunately.
6. There is a sound idea behind Wink, but again it is very American and I think the data it retrieves is too limited.
Well, I have learned a lot through the Joneses, but the best thing I learned is that there is so much more to learn!!! Web 2.0 is growing and changing and developing all the time!

Learn 2 Test Drive: Week 2 Mashups

When I heard the term mashups for the first time, I thought of the youtube mashups and photo mashups. But there is so much more to it! (I admit the video got confusing towards the end - there was just too much going on the whiteboard!) But I didn't think of the Google maps being used in different websites. I really liked the suburbview website. Some websites mashup more effectively than others. I will have to create my own map - I think I would like to focus on the galleries and museums of the local area.

Week 7 - Library Thing and DoppelMe

Here is my new avatar
A bit dorky I know. I don't think Doppelme's really my thing. LibraryThing on the other hand - Thank you Thing! I have always wanted to catalogue my books, and have tried using database software like Microsoft Works Database or Access, but LibraryThing makes it so much EASIER! It just pulls the information from Amazon and you can share reviews with other users and so on. My username is sweetphudge. Ooh Ooh Ooh I'm excited!

Week 6 - RSS & Rollyo

Back on the Joneses! I enjoyed creating my own search engine (Briz art & culture) just searching pages I use a lot. However, I think I'm more of a Google than a Yahoo person (is it a bit like Holden and Ford?) The RSS feeds are very useful and also fun! I subscribed to the Queensland public library news but also to Lolcats which has lots of funny photos! A great way to keep up to date and get a laugh every day. You can see my Bloglines feeds on the left.

Licence 2 Test Drive Part B week 1

I am looking forward to this - there is so much to learn about the online applications available to everyone. I had no idea that Google offered this much. The Docs application is really useful. Of course, you need a working internet connection for it whereas if you have your document saved onto USB or CD you can still access it if you're not online. I guess like the clip says, it's designed to replace emailing different versions. It's still best to have backups of your data!!!
Zamzar is just so useful. With everyone using different software, it's sometimes hard to open documents and they look like gobbledegook. But Zamzar makes it easy by converting your document and emailing it to you in your desired format. Very handy!

Week 5: Wikis and Widgets

Before this week, all I knew about wikis was Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. But there are lots of other wikis out there. Wikis enable people to contribute to the internet and put their opinions, stories and information out there. And you guessed it, I found http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Doctor_Who_Wiki.
The major problem with wikis (from my perspective) is that you get inaccurate information and bad spelling on wikis! But that is a fundamental part of Web 2.0; you, the user, are sharing with other users, it is your content. We just have to be aware when we are looking at wikis that they can be set up by anyone and that any information presented should be verified with other sources.

Widgets are FUN!

Week 4: Getting Social

I JOINED FACEBOOK!
I was wary before joining, because there is the whole issue of privacy; are you putting yourself out there for everyone to see (we all know about the celebrity Facebook scandals). But you do have a certain amount of control over what you post on Facebook, and who sees it. I haven't put a photo up yet...I think Facebook is a great way to connect with friends and family who are interstate, overseas or even not so far away.
The only catch is that your friends and family have to be on Facebook too, and to log in and update their page regularly.

Week 3 - YouTube, Podcasting and Overdrive

I am a bit of a YouTube novice. Well, let's face it, the site gets a lot of bad press when it comes to schoolyard bullying and copyright issues. But like everything else on the internet, it's not what it is, it's what it's used for that makes the difference. This is a video I found through a Doctor Who discussion forum. Many early Doctor Who episodes were destroyed but the soundtrack survives. This is how one fan recreated a trailer for an episode called The Web of Fear. I think it is amazing how realistic the animation is!


I checked out Podcast Alley and found some more amateur Doctor Who efforts!
Overdrive is one of the databases that members of Logan Libraries can access. It is really a mini-library of ebooks and emedia. First you need to download the software, then you can view or listen to the media on your computer or on your iPod or MP3 player. Like any other library, there are loan limits and set lending periods. I will have to install this on my computer, because I like listening to stories when I am doing other things like housework.

Week 2- Flickr, del.icio.us and tagging

This is a fabulous picture that just caught my eye straight away on Flickr. It's called 'It will be soon...' http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajpscs/3222811712/
I love birds, and there is a very nice contrast of colours in this photograph. The number of comments indicate that it has been appreciated by many! It has a lot of tags, some in Japanese as it is a Japanese photograph. The tags include japan, pink, white eye, bird, spring, and my favourite, 'ephemeral nature of life'! It is part of a set called Spring Blossom. It is also part of the Nature's Finest pool, which contains invited images only - a testament to the photographer's skill. It was great to learn about Flickr and del.icio.us today. I think I will find del.icio.us useful, as it is a different way of organising bookmarks. There is also a great deal to explore on flickr, so see you later...

Week 1: Blogging

Wow! Now I have a blog. I hope that this will be an interesting record of my learning journeys through cyberspace. Watch this space!