The 23rd Thing -- What does "Last to Know" Know Now?

So I'm on the 23rd thing. This has been an interesting experience and I really appreciate that PPLD and the Tech folks took the time to share these Things with the rest of us. It represents what I love about working for the library -- the philosophy of lifelong learning. I know these Things will change and shift, with new Things showing up all the time and other Things disappearing. But these concepts and ideas are changing our society in ways that will continue to affect us even as the individual Things come and go. So it is vital that we learn about what is happening and understand how technology is filtering into our daily lives. Thank you for giving us this gift of information!

When my kids play a certain car racing game on the wii, they have something that occasionally gives their car a "booster" and they can temporarily go racing ahead of their opponents. When the booster burns out their cars return to their normal pace and it is up to them to hold onto any lead they may have gained during their "super power" moments. That is how I feel about 23 Things -- it was a booster that pushed me temporarily into the know. Now it will be up to me to try to stay there!

So I loved learning more about the blogging world, and even though I knew about RSS feeds, I really didn't understand their practical application. I really didn't even know what the 2.0 concept was and I am so glad that has been made clear to me. I loved Library Thing and Del.icio.us and Google Labs. But maybe the Best Thing Of Them All is the Web 2.0 Awards, because it is a single website that holds the best of all the sites we were learning about and more! And to think I wouldn't have understood what I was looking at if you had introduced it any earlier! That is the most obvious demonstration of how far we've come -- that we can look at that website and know what we're seeing! Have I said "thank you" yet?

So what should have been done differently? Hmmm..... My experience was one of high enthusiasm which wained in the face of so many Things. For some people, getting started was the hard part and then they flew. For me, each time I added a Thing to my brain I got a little more saturated, until I felt I couldn't possibly absorb another Thing (at least until some time went by and a few Things fell out of my brain and made room). So it got progressively harder for me to keep going with the same level of enthusiasm and interest. It started to feel like a lot of Things and I didn't want to lose the ones I already did and yet when you only scratch the surface of each one and move on it is easy to lose them just as quickly and then what would have been the point?

So I say HURRAH for the Things! Would I do it next time? YOU BET! I fervently hope there WILL be a next time. Just maybe not 23?

podcasting

Ok, I'm so near the end I can taste it, and I have to say I couldn't bring myself to download whatever it was I needed to download onto the library laptop (which I've been using) in order to listen to the podcast. But I understand the concept and have, at times, listened to interviews at home over the computer. So I get it. And maybe I'll spend a little more time on the search sites on another day. Gotta go do the router now, tho!

You Tube, an old friend

So I'm in my last week at last! And me and youtube go way back, so I'm flying though this one. I was the one who had to sit my teenagers down (this was awhile ago) and say, "You need to know about this site." Of course, I've lived to regret that, since my 14 year old LIVES on youtube for her evening entertainment. She prefers it to TV, and I'm sure she's seen a lot of trash. But I will say that I've tried to search for kinky videos (NO, just testing as a MOM, not for my own cheap thrills!!!) and it won't let you watch them without registering. But man, it's great for those of us who always miss the "great" moments and need to be able to catch them later. And good for Virginia for making sure that PPLD has a presence there, too.

WEB 2.0 AWARDS - VERY COOL!

Ok I really, really liked this website! This is a keeper! This is the secret (!) place where all the best stuff we've been learning about is kept altogether! So I don't have clutter my brain with all this stuff! At first I looked at the first page of the website and my heart sank because I thought, "oh no... more stuff to wade through and figure out..." I think I was thinking it was a technorati-type site. But having all these cutting edge and BEST websites grouped together was awesome. I looked at bunches and it gave me a new travel website to use and all kinds of other fun stuff. I'll be back!!!

Experimenting

Experimenting with Zoho Writer...

 

Ok, so this is kinda fun.  You write a document and then invite your teammates to help you edit it?  Hmmmmmm....  This has potential for the never ending word smithing that happens on the Diversity Team.  It seems pretty user-friendly, although let's see if I can figure out how to share it. 

 

Hey, guess what?  I posted free old barbed wire fencing on Craigslist to whoever wanted to come to Monument to pick it up and within five minutes I had a response.  Beats going to the dump with it!  People justlive online, don't they?  Ok is this long enough??

 

 

Zoho Writer: for people who play well together....

Potential I guess, if you need to collaborate across distances...which PPLD does.... I played around with it, wrote a little ditty, even imported it to my blog (see above). It's not very pretty, in fact all my little smiley faces didn't transfer. I guess I would need to see how the "share" part works to really appreciate it. Sorry, this gets only a "C" in my grade book, but it is probably due to user-stupidity.

Google Labs, glad to know you!

So now we can actually see into the future and play with tools that Google-people think is cool! I checked out "Google Trends" and found it to have awesome potential. When you put in a search term it brings up a graph that shows how many people have searched that term over time (and/or the news articles that have been written?). It was a little hard to tell what the increments of the axis were, but when I searched "adoption" it gave me a graph that looked like a heart monitor which covered the last several years. You could narrow it to various countries or even states, but it wasn't always clear what the data was that I was looking at. Still, it has definite nifty potential. Glad to make it's acquaintance!

Interacting with our Library: the 2.0 Concept

Until we started this 23 Things I didn't even know what the 2.0 concept meant. Now we're trying to get our heads around whether the library should be more interactive in an electronic sense (the website and catalog, I'm thinking). Rick Anderson says in "Away from Icebergs" that his library circ stats are down,presumably because the information is available elsewhere and people don't need the "just in case" collection. We have not seen that here, and he overlooks the satisfaction many people get from browsing the collection and finding that unexpected item. But his next point is well taken: people should not need to be taught how to use our system to find information. We are at a point with technology that we should be able to provide a system that is easy and intuitive. Our catalog can't find what Amazon does in its sleep. And I think it would be cool to let patrons write, rate, and comment on the books they find in our catalog, as well as keep lists of what they've read and want to read. So I definitely think that our catalog has a long way to go to reach, even 1.1 status, let alone 2.0. But that's a Sirsi issue I think -- THEY are the ones holding us back, and I'm not sure there is any better software out there for libraries or we'd be first in line for it.

Technorati - BlogWorld Headquarters

Well, now I know where the Bloggers live! I always wondered where they hung out and what they did there. You can be assured that I will NOT live there, although I might visit there once in awhile. It really is another world, another planet, another universe even. I want to go back and spend a little more time there (when I'll manage it is anyone's guess). But all these blogs! All these people with opinions and why do we care? ....as I'm blogging... of course I don't know why anyone cares about what I think of Technorati either.

Airing our Favorites: Del.icio.us

You know, it's funny. I went to the del.icio.us site a couple of years ago because I heard it was a great thing, but at the time I didn't get it. (I tried to figure out RSS feeds at the same time and also failed.) I looked at it and thought, "Why do I want everyone else to know what I've bookmarked? Isn't that kinda personal?" What is it with our obsession to make public our every thought (blogs, myspace, and now bookmarks)? Who cares what I bookmark and why would I care what others do?

However, after reading more about it I can see some advantages. Like being able to access your bookmarks from any location or computer. Or using it to find great websites that someone else has already gone to the trouble to find. And the "flat" organizational piece with tags is a good thing. But I still wonder. For instance, can I bookmark the PPLD intranet on del.icio.us? Is the intranet protected somehow? Or do I have to mark it as private and what if I don't? I experimented and bookmarked it and when I clicked on it in del.icio.us it came up without a problem. Is that because I'm logged in right now or would it work from anywhere? I do not know.

Still, I'm very glad to make my acquaintance with del.icio.us, and I believe I will try to begin using it. I'll add it to my list of Things-I-Learned that I want to really use and remember. And thank you, 23 Things, for re-introducing us. I have the feeling it is one of those things that the more you use it the better you'll like it. So I'm open to this relationship. We'll see where it goes!

A Thing called Ning

Ok it's been busy around my house. In addition to mere working, we've had dance and volleyball practices, track meets, history projects, university visits, dog parks and PROM! And yes, I finally got to host the infamous "primping party" for Devon and her friends: 4 hours of nails and hair and giggling prior to the big date. It was a hoot.


Soooooo.... I got kinda saturated with Things. I've lost my momentum. I don't think the "catch up week" was good for me, because I haven't really gotten going again. I was already sort of familiar with Facebook and MySpace, and then there is Ning. How is Ning different from Facebook, exactly? They are both social networking sites, are they not? Ning lets you have groups... Is Ning a "myspace" for grownups? I can see it might make a good team collaboration site, but isn't that what we said we could do with the wiki? So then I started feeling all full of Things, and muddled about what we've already learned and all the Things we've signed up for and which was which and what was what???? So I went back and reviewed the Things we've done so far, which is backwards progress instead of forward. But what good is it to do all these Things if we never look at them again and forget about them as fast as we learned them? I picked out the ones that are most meaningful to me: wiki's, blogs, rss feeds, librarything, and maybe, ning. I'm not sure about it yet. You'd have to make a commitment to Ning, just as folks do for Facebook that you are going to visit the site often and keep it updated and chat with people. I don't honestly think I'm ready for that commitment. It's like a flippin' relationship with a website! It's too much too fast. I'm sorry but I'm not ready to get that serious. Yet. I'm still surfing the field! And speaking of that, I'd better move forward!

MySpace and Facebook...and Bebo

OMG! It's been 18 days since my last blog entry! Now I'm getting RSS feeds from my co-workers' blogs and I don't even know what they're talking about! I gotta hop to it! I spent some time poking around on MySpace.... I've done this before. I'm always interested to know which of my daughter's friends protect their sites and which don't. And from the ones that don't you can read their messages and see who they are in communication with... which often gives you info on your own kids and their friends even when you can't get to their restricted sites directly.... That's how I find out who's going to the concert with whom, for instance! Or Prom. Or AfterProm. Also, you can listen to our own Deborah Worthey's Nathan's music, which is awesome. A talented guy.

I wasn't so impressed with the PPLD teen site. It didn't seem like any teens I know would spend any time there. Mostly publishers are using it for an advertising venue for their new books it seems. Then I registered with Facebook and went all the way. I was inspired to see my co-workers on the PPLD site so I went ahead and did a "quickie" profile and just by listing my high schools and college I have 153 "friends" I could look up! Whoa.

Oh, and BEBO is another social networking site that my younger daughter and her friends use. Just so you know. There are tons of them out there. It's a big world and the kids are hanging out there all over the place. Not great in my opinion, but you can't fight a tsunami.

Thumbs down to Rollyo

I guess I don't really get this one. I'm a google-girl. I didn't even bother to make an account, sorry to say. Why would you want a limited search engine?

I (heart) Library Thing!

Ooooh! I'm liking Library Thing! I have this old, decrepit word document that I created when our book group started a dozen years ago that lists all the books we've read. It's really sad, but it is better than nothing so I've used it all these years to keep the list. WELL! Don't you know my list is going to get a lot snazzier very soon! I'm making a bookgroup shelf that is going to be amazing! Of course, I'll need to do this on my on time so don't hold your breath.... But I think everyone in my group will be pleased. This is a good Thing!

p.s. This is the book we're reading this month....

Linked In -- at last

So that's kinda fun. We'll see if anyone emails me back that they know me. I found the PPLD area (and the University of Illinois area -- GO ILLINI!) and marked the people that I thought wouldn't mind admitting they know me. So they say (theoretically) ok. Then what? Ok, so we've established we know each other. Actually, I already knew that. What happens then??? (Can you tell I'm playing with font colors??)

HEY! Did you see that CHRIS PETRIZZO is on the list? Now that would be cool to hear from him. But how does that happen, exactly? We miss you, Chris! Howzitgoin?

Subscribing to Co-worker's Blogs -- my need for feeds is larger than what I can read!

So, how does one pick which co-workers to feed off of? I wanted to add everybody! Even stopping at eight was probably a few too many for the time I have to read 'em. We shall see! Hey, I liked those cool people who know how to post pictures on their blogs! I'm gonna figure that out -- stay tuned.

RSS Feeds

Ok, I've been long-winded. This time I'll be shorter. RSS Feeds makes me think of getting forced fed more information than I can possibly absorb. Still, it will be very nice to know when something new hits the PPLD Blog, since I submit the Monument stuff for that. Now I won't have to remember to check it periodically, right?

23 Opportunities for Mashing up my Mind

Resentment of 23 Things is building within some folks around me. I listen to some of my peers as they race through their Things. Their goal is to get through their Things as quickly as possible. They are busy people. They have a lot of things to do besides Things. They grumble, they resent the time. I am sad. I think, they are missing an opportunity here. They have a choice. They can resist having to do Things, or they can welcome this chance to learn someThing new. So if you are one of those people, before you continue on your quick, efficient path think about this. Just as you can look at an optical illusion and see it one way one moment, and then other way the next, I would like you to try to think differently about 23 Things.

The Pikes Peak Library District is offering to pay you to learn about what is going on on the cutting edge of technology. Are you going to look this gift horse in the mouth? Do you think it doesn’t apply to you? Ok, so most of us know nothing about the concept of Web 2.0 or mash-ups. But do you really think that this stuff is going to become less part of the world we live in? All this stuff that the Things are made of is only going to become more embedded in our society, not less. We are learning about the stuff on the tip of the technology iceberg. This shouldn’t be stuff that we learn about and forget, moving on to the next item on our list. This is stuff that is part of our daily lives and will continue to build around us. Are you ready to throw in your technology towel and draw the line in the sand right here? This is all you want to know? Well, not me. This is an opportunity to try to understand how our world is changing and the direction it is going. Reach out and take the opportunity. They’re paying you to do it, for Pete’s sake.

Case in point, what I learned in Thing 6. What exactly does the concept of Web 2.0 mean? I had never heard of it before. So I looked it up on Wikipedia and what I think I learned is this. The web used to be an “information silo”, a place where information was kept and available for access. It still is, but now it is so much more. Introducing the concept of “Web 2.0”. Although the web technology hasn’t really changed, the way people are using it has. Now people look to the web for more than just information. They expect the web to be interactive. They want to be able to take the information and “mash it up” with other information on the web and make a whole new tool that everyone on the web can use. They want to collaborate. They want to add what they know to someone else’s knowledge (thus, wiki’s and blogs). Face it, folks. The way people are using the web is changing, and we’re not going back to the information silo days. We’re moving forward. Wanna come along? Or do you want to stop right here, knowing that as the years go by you will understand less and less about what people around you are talking about. Wow! What an opportunity for lifelong learners! You get out of this what you put into it! Don’t blow it.

Praise for 23 Things (while looking at Flickr)

I hear a lot of grumbling around me in the branch, but it is mostly good natured. “Have you done your Thing for this week yet?” “I’m stuck on Thing 3.” “When do we have time to learn all these Things?” But underneath the growls is a grin and the corners of their mouths twitch as they grumble. Why? Because “23 Things” is the best Thing to hit PPLD since 7 Habits. Yes, it’s hard to find the time to do the lessons, and yes they are confusing at times for those of us who aren’t techies by nature. But I’ve been watching what’s happening in our branch and this is what I see: I see employees reaching out to help and be helped by each other. I hear lots of “ah-ha!” moments when someone says, “Oh! I get it!” I see people growing and expanding their knowledge bases, living the PPLD philosophy of life-long learning. And maybe the most fun of all, I see people with a new shared vocabulary, including the ability to grumble about a Thing. Everyone is working on the Things, and it provides a common base and a discussion point, whether the person thinks the Thing is fascinating or stupid. Thank you for giving us Things to talk about! It’s a good Thing.

Randomness on Wiki's

Ok, so wiki's can be a place for collaboration, or just a web site open to editing and comments. I guess I can see the collaboration piece -- it would be a good place to put projects that a ppld team is working on. But much of the ppld intranet hardly seems open to editing, though I guess the team's project would be living there. So I get it -- it's a place where a group can access shared information and add to it and work together on it. Am I right? It was kinda weird looking at other libraries' wiki's. Is ours available to the world like that? I didn't think so. How come theirs is and ours isn't? Or is it?

More Questions than Answers on Blogs

So, now I'm blogging? Who would have thought? But why am I blogging? I'm not sure. Does everyone have an opinion that they think is so great they want everyone else to read it? And do we care to read all these people's opinions? With what free time? I can see reading an expert's blog on a subject I was interested in, but random thoughts on millions of random blogs? I'm not so sure. Still, this librarian loves lifelong learning, so I'll lip-lock with the leagues of leakers who like to liberate loudmouths. For now.