Reflections

I often have difficulties with new computer applications. They frequently don't work the way I expect, or require software to be downloaded.
Learning2.0 was good in that it made me get out and try the new Web2 applications.
Also my employer allowed us time to try to finish the program.
But I've got alot more exploring to do.
I thought about printing out the pages - bad regressive me. Just bookmarking the internet links will not provide enough information. Probably I'll go home and save the pages so I can look at them again, explore more of the links, revisit to remind myself.
I can see myself using Library thing and Del.icio.us. Bloglines would be more helpful if it didn't delete all the feeds until you have opened/clicked on them rather than selecting the ones you want to keep.
Thanks to Lynette Lewis and Leslie Sharples at Yarra Plenty Library for all their hard work.

e-books

Well this might be a useful site if you have the time to wait around. Save the file don't try to play it as it downloads - and that was from a mirror site in Australia. Speed. speed, speed - I don't have it.
Because it is a subscription service, I thought it might have some of my favorite modern authors so I searched. It found multiple items but nothing easily visible as by the people I was searching for. Obviously copywrite hasn't expired. Advanced search seems to just be a search tips page.

Podcasts

I had problems with the software. Podcast.net had very little about libraries and when I clicked on Play a window opened headed Podcast player Microsoft Inter... but nothing happens. So I created a feed from Workout on the web to my bloglines account. (Of course I had forgotten how to add a feed to bloglines so had to return to the earlier session.) The list of podcasts does not match the website - I wanted to hear "Lower back Cat-Camel and bird dog." Clicking on enclusure in another feed it takes 5 minutes to download this particular podcast and then asks which program I want to use to open it (m4v).
Podcast alley required a program to be downloaded before any of the files could be played
Yahoo podcasts listed a lot of hits after searching on libraries. However, they were a variety of formats and Windows Media Player didn't play some of them(.ram)
.

Youtube

My favorite video was "Mask clearing drills". It was funny and it was short. The picture quality wasn't great.
Its a problem viewing videos with a slow connection (even though it is broadband. Thats two criteria to consider when adding to library websites. Most people don't have really high speeds yet. What they see needs to be clear to maintain our professional image.
Youtube is like so much of the internet - information overload - too much and not enough time.

Zoho writer

Could be very useful when collaborating over the internet - students doing assignments together.
Missing a few features of Word - but then its free.
i.e. can't merge cells in a table to create a heading at the top that I can find yet, fewer styles. And of course there's a whole new set of icons to learn.

Wikis

Like selecting hard copy books, its important to know what is the source of the information so we can assess its accuracy. Unfortunately there is the lunatic fringe, so those wikis which are controlled - must be registered to edit - will become helpful sources, as well as providing a different way of organising the knowledge within a specific library service. Now how do we find them.

Library 2

So much is happening with the web. How do we pick the stayers rather than the trendy here now - gone tomorrow. So many of our libraries users are not aware of what options are available. How does the library community decide where to spend its limited resources?

Technorati

Technorati shows again how important it is to check spelling, typing, etc. Is it Learning 2.0 or Learning2.0- space or no space makes a difference.
Not convinced yet that blogging is the way I want to spend my time. Do I really want to know what someone who I have no knowledge of their knowledge/credentials/abilities whatever has to say about anything? If I do than this tool could be helpful.

Delicious

I think this could be very useful, being able to search for a website by more than one keyword. But I'll have to think carefully about what terms I will be likely to use. Not sure about the social networking aspect. I'll have to explore further to see what other cataloguers are tagging to see if this can be useful to me.

Rollyo

Made a search engine using Rollyo. Seems to work exactly like the instructions. Now adding html
Will the icon appear? NO
Didn't select all the html code. Try again.

I thought it would take me to the rollyo I created. But it didn't. Try again.

Select Search Engine...Across the top (Aus)Search The Web

Powered by Rollyo

I Love technology! Why doesn't the 1 search roll I created and selected appear?

Generators

Checked out the generators. The one I liked best with the picture framer on FD Toys url:http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/frame.php
This will be useful. It actually allowed me to send pictues via email (only a small size0 and to save them to my computer as jpeg images. However, there is not much manipulation for positioning the photo within the frame.
You can even search the national library for catalogue records using Library Thing.

RSS

Its amazing - I've never noticed before the RSS button on the websites I visit regularly. I've now subscribed to Library of Congress Subject Heading weekly list, OCLC's Dewey Journal - DDC updates, and Incite

There was quite a difference in the ease of subscribing on some sites to others- I never managed to get the link from into PLCMC Learning 2.0 website RSS link into Bloglines. I tried pasting the first URL and then the second URL then the entire thing with HTML (without quotes or brackets) but no luck.

The easiest way to link was by selecting from the Bloglines feeds list itself - if you could find anything relevant. The OCLC site was also very good, select the RSS you wanted then select the icon for your RSS newsreader.

Like many things in Learn2.0, if I just keep trying with varitations I'll eventually get there or give up and try something altogether different.

The most interesting thing I read was about Open identity - that's what I really want - only 1 log-in and password. Of course, you'd want to be very sure of security - you wouldn't want your identity stolen!

No rants this week
Maisy

Me Me Me

Mousy Maisy or Malevolent Morgana, which am I now?

Although flickr was interesting, I really can't see any application for it for my work. We shall see

Week 2

This first posting is late because our cataloguing software upgrade was finally install 2 months after our training. Mousie Maisy's description of how Information Technology had changed cataloguing since the 1970s was suddenly changed into Malevolent Morgana's tirade below.

Why are computer programmers so mouse-oriented? Yes the new software includes some keyboard shortcuts; but half don't work CTRL+ Z- undo, F1 - Help; and others are different to what is listed in the manual Alt+E+P - insert punctuation is now F4.

To change data in a catalogue record I have to double click the program icon on my desktop, log in, select Cataloguing, click on the Search button, (if I want to use anything other than keyword search, I must select from a drop down menu to select the type of search), type in my search terms, select Option, then Edit which finally opens the record so that it can be edited. To change the data, I have to make sure I am in Edit View, click on the tag line I want to amend which transfers the data to a window on the top left of screen. Then I have to move the cursor to the text I want to change and type the correction, then click on the Upload button. That sequence is mouse, keyboard, mouse, mouse, keyboard, mouse, mouse, mouse, keyboard, mouse. Just for 1 typo!

But at least I don't have to file catalogue cards anymore! - Maisy