October 2009
16 posts
Oct 11th
Thing 22 - Gain and Maintain
Admittedly, 23Things has introduced me to some new Web 2.0 technologies. I had not used Flickr before this exercise, and I had never uploaded anything to YouTube. (I actually started my YouTube uploading after the Flickr Thing… Ahead of Thing 18, but still inspired by the 23Things.) I also found renewed use in RSS, and finally tried out Del.icio.us. I was also excited in what I found with...
Oct 11th
Oct 11th
Thing 21 - Ning: Most Impressive!
On the heals of Facebook and Myspace, Thing 21 takes a look at alternative forms of social networking. 23Things points out that not all social networking needs are covered by the big two. As such, it is important to note that they are not the only two. The first part of this Thing pointed to an alternate general-purpose social network called Gather. This site is intended for the older adult...
Oct 11th
Thing 20 - MySpace is still around... who knew?
Being a former user of MySpace and current user of Facebook (see link at the bottom of this blog), I didn’t walk through any of the actions prompted by Thing 20. Instead, I will dive right into my thoughts. Similar to remarks I made with Thing 19, this Thing has one greatly-dated quality about it… No, not the inclusion of MySpace (which you may have guessed from the title of my post)....
Oct 11th
Thing 19 - A written reflection on Podcasts
NOTE: If I had the time, I would totally do this response in Podcast form… just like I should have done with Thing 18 and YouTube. Nevertheless, here I am typing. Just before this, I posted a link to the Podcast of APHC’s News from Lake Wobegon segment, which is taken from Garrison Keillor’s  live APHC show each week. If you missed it, here it is again… News from Lake...
Oct 10th
Thing 19 - Podcast selection (News from Lake... →
Oct 10th
Oct 10th
Thing 17 - Please enter your Minnesota public...
I have titled my Thing 17 blog entry on ELM with the error message that made this somewhat difficult to navigate. Some of the exercises I was able to do with OU Libraries databases… but not all. Of particular frustration was Academic Search Premier. After some moving around on the OU Libraries, I was able to get registered and to my Websites where I could perform the setup. Even then I...
Oct 10th
Oct 10th
Thing 16 - Get yourself organized!
In this latest of the 23Things, Thing 16 explores the use of Research Project Calculator and how it may be useful to library patrons and staff. SIDENOTE before I begin - 23Things abbreviated this tool’s name to “RPC.”  Although I’m sure this was fine for most, I found it hard as an IT professional to NOT think of this as Remote Procedure Call (a method in which one host will contact another in...
Oct 10th
Thing 15 - ARRRR... seriously?
I did not like this Thing, I did not like it at all!!! I am not much of a gamer, and I am not one for being overly social online with strangers for no reason at all. I also find Second Life an outdated concept. The idea of creating a virtual world to walk around in for the sake of doing it is dumb. The popularity of the Sims is over, and living/experiencing a bland replica of our own world is not...
Oct 4th
Thing 14 - For My Personal Library
Thing 14 of the 23ThingsonaStick asks that I blog mainly how I see my library using LibraryThing. Hmm… Well, since I don’t work in a library, nor am I a librarian, I am simply going to blog on what I personally liked about LibraryThing. Early on I blogged about how I dreamed of a catalog experience similar to that of iTunes. What I found in LibraryThing is a step in that direction....
Oct 4th
Thing 14 - My LibraryThing Virtual Shelf →
Oct 4th
Oct 3rd
Thing 13 - Productive... on the Internet?
In this latest Thing, I explored a number of productivity tools… specifically, services that could keep me on task and organized. Starting off, I actually already use a start page via iGoogle. In the past, I have used certain productivity gadgets, such as post-its and to-dos. However, my long-term adoption of these did not take, and they were eventually placed by local weather and a college...
Oct 3rd
September 2009
22 posts
Thing 12 - Haven't dugg in
Before I get into this… Here are the current top five from MIXX: Kim Kardashian: Sister’s Wedding Best Night of … 9 Amazing Facts About Bill Gates Prozac Approved in Europe for Children as Young… New Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test Facebook Marketing Case Study - Mad Men Now from DIGG: xkcd - A Webcomic - Creepy thumb Awww, So Cute: 5 Smallest Countries in...
Sep 29th
Thing 11 - A del.icio.us thing!
Before this thing, I must admit that I have only done minor tagging in my life, and I had never used del.icio.us before. I’ll start with del.icio.us… As mentioned, I’d never used the del.icio.us service and really knew very little about it other than it was a “social network for bookmarking” (and that its name is hard to type). But I now know that description is...
Sep 28th
Sep 28th
Sep 28th
Thing 10 - Lots of Wiki in my life
Thing 10 is an exploration of wikis and what it can do for you and your organization… and since I use wikis constantly at my job, I am just going to say “yeah, wikis!” and move onto the source question… Is Wikipedia a credible source and should it be prohibited from research? No, it is not credible and yes, it should be. Why so assertive? A Wiki lacks clear author and it...
Sep 28th
Thing 9 - Google vs. someone else
In review of collaborative tools Google Docs and Zoho Writer, both tools had their advantages over the other. As such, I think selection should be based on the specific needs you have. Zoho is a much more sophisticated Writer that integrates with its business services offerings, while Google Docs is intended for more broad use. What I liked most about Zoho Writer was the interface. I liked the...
Sep 28th
Thing 8 - got the idea, moving on
Well, nothing on Thing 8 really worked as expected this evening. I can appreciate what these services could do for my blog, much less a collection. However, I am not going to spend too much time with the mechanics of making them work. I need to move on! Thoughts on these services… I am excited about the prospect of an embedded slideshow, which can provide a quick look into a larger body of...
Sep 23rd
404, 500 errors abound with Lazybase
Just tried using Lazybase in Thing 8 of the 23ThingsonaStick. Much like the slideshows, nothing working tonight. I received a 500 (internal problem on the server) error when doing a creation. This happened on two different browsers and it didn’t matter which type of DB I selected selected. *Ugh*
Sep 23rd
How about a Flickr Badge?...
www.flickr.com UPDATE: Nope, no dice. I have seen others who are attempting to update the style sheet accordingly to work in Tumblr (and other places). I will work on this more later, but I’m moving on in the 23Things for now.
Sep 23rd
PictureTrail... bad HTML code >:-(
I was excited to share some photos via PictureTrail, but the code it gave me was crap! The object did not play well with the posting box. After some trouble, I looked on the 23Things blog and noticed their Flick was bleeding out the side of their post box as well. Although mine was more screwed up than this, I’m going to blame bad code on PictureTrail’s part, since I can see problems...
Sep 23rd
Modern tools of Communication
For Thing 7, 23ThingsonaStick has asked participants to answer the following questions: Describe how your library uses email. Has it improved productivity? Share your thoughts on online reference using some of the other Web 2.0 communication tools. Are you an active user of text messaging, IM, or other communication tools? Which OPAL or MINITEX Web conference (Webinar) did you attend? How...
Sep 22nd
More fun with ImageChef
I just can’t stop the self-deprecation!
Sep 18th
Says it all...
This was done as a joke, but I’m starting to think this might be a possibility at my next registration renewal
Sep 18th
Mashup 1 - Spell w/ Flickr
(Of interest, I recognize that second “d” from the Boulevard beer label, a fine brewery located in Kansas City and my home state of Missouri. *tear* )
Sep 18th
1 tag
Sep 17th
RSS -- Renewed value!
Thing 3 - I must admit when I saw RSS as a Thing, I was annoyed. RSS has been around a while and it never really caught on with me. I know others who have used RSS readers for news, blog updates, and other articles of information, but for me the idea never really caught on. When RSS emerged as the next big thing, I was reading news websites much like one would browse a newspaper, and blogs had...
Sep 12th
5 tags
Sep 12th
Library 2.0... and please hurry!
Thing 2 - DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A LIBRARIAN. Reflecting on this reading selection for Web 2.0/Library 2.0, I felt the materials did a nice job of establishing just what the idea of Library 2.0 is all about. Albeit a very pro-Library 2.0 selection, I understand and agree with the need to bring newer technologies, innovations, and information seeking conventions into the library. (And making time to...
Sep 12th
Sep 12th
“Before we had the Google and the Goggle and the Twittle, that’s how we...”
– Joe Paterno, referring to the TV Quarterbacks show that aired in the late ’70s, early ’80s
Sep 10th
Setup complete!
My Tumblr site as you see it now is the final release. After way-to-long of a night messing with available templates and editing HTML, this is what I had hoped for… A look and feel that I can live with and not think about every time I log in. DONE. Now, as I previously stated on Blogspot, this blog is being setup initially for my own exploration of 23 Things on a Stick, the Library 2.0...
Sep 9th
Change in line-up
Forget Blogspot… I’m on Tumblr!!! I’d stumbled on a great blog post several months back via a tweet by a friend living in Minnesota (Bud Freaking Kraehling). Since then I’ve ran into others using Tumbler and I can see why… It seems more geared for integrating with other social networking services, such as Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube. (AKA, more robust APIs!!!) On...
Sep 9th