So here's the evaluation:
What were your favorite modules in the program?
I'll be honest with you here and say the more social modules were my favourites. Learning how to blog and Facebook were things that I had avoided looking at in the past because I thought they were a bit silly, but I found myself enjoying the creation and contributions made to these applications. who knew I would enjoy being silly? Who knew that you could throw an octopus at someone for fun! I enjoyed setting up my podcasts, searching for photos and groups and generally being creative with these applications.
What technology did you find most interesting for your personal use?
I railed against it, but Facebook certainly has its uses. It is very handy for my husband to keep track of the million and one people he has met over the course of a life time - odd isn't it that I haven't met the same number, what have I been doing? Stephen even went to a high School reunion a few weeks ago, purely because he got in touch with someone via facebook. It has been great to see the new baby arrivals, see holiday snaps and find out why someone has moved to Japan. Facebook also has a lot of commerical rubbish on it, but I too have been guilty of sending plants and accumulating so called "saved rainforest" square footage. And at the moment Stephen and I are playing scrabble online, it's neck and neck for the final result.
What technology did you think would be most useful professionally for RMIT University Library?
I think utilising the ideas of mashups and mapping would be great for library orientation and linking to the on campus bookstores and highlighting how to get around from one library to another. Certainly podcasts and RSS feeds could be thrown in as well and create an information source for students that would open up their eyes to how fab the library really is. Survey monkey is already in use as we have seen and this could be used to provide on going feedback from students rather than one library survey per year.
Were there any unexpected Web 2.0 modules that really surprised you i.e. that you really didn't know anything about or expect?
I certainly knew nothing about Mashups before starting the Lunges and for a while there it was a little confusing to understand where the technology was going. Having searched the net for Mashup competitions, it soon became clear what people were using the technology for and what they were trying to achieve.
I had not heard of 43things before and I must say it surprised me that people would want to involve themselves in such a public forum trying achieve whatever but ultimately setting themselves up to fail - it reminded me too much of New Years Resolutions and how we always fail at those. Still some people enjoy a public, cathartic therapy session and so this is their forum.
What could be done differently to improve this program’s format or concept?
I think closer attention needs to be paid to the weighting of each Lunge to make it more equal in terms of tasks set and outcomes to be achieved. Some Lunges required a considerable amount of work and others very little at all. Time is an important factor in deciding how much we can contribute to create a quality response.
In order to try and get the most out of each Lunge experience we should have had more options in terms of difficulty factors - ie novice and more experienced tasks; Just to try and challenge those who have more knowledge whilst at the same time not frightening off the newbies who don't know their RSS feed from their Wiki.
Final thoughts:
I enjoyed working through the Lunges but went at it sporadically. Completing 12 Lunges in the past week and a half has been tough going and it is almost too much knowledge to take in in such a short space of time. But it should show you how keenly I want the ipod!!!! (Very cheeky)
I think there is much more the Library needs to do more to incorporate the newer and emerging technologies into its resources to assist students with their Library experience. People want flexibility and greater access to information. Web 2.0 certainly can provide this and our student clientele has all the savvy and the technology to be able to use it.
I certainly find this a worthwhile and challenging experience as I was one of those who knew not their RSS feed from their Wiki!
(Ed note: Lunge 21 and the last!)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Part two of Webby 3.0
Thankyou for holding.
Ok. firstly, who ever wrote the question in this lunge homework really needs to be more careful - "And do you really care?"
Do you really want an honest answer to that?
Web 3.0 - possibility or pie in the sky?
In answer to this question, ask yourself, where is the money? Will anyone use the ideas of web 3.0? - The making it possible for the web to understand and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use web content. Yes, if they can get the technology to work and money can be made from the technology itself and through the use of the technology, of course it will happen. Money drives everything.
So ask yourself what are the commercial applications of web 3.0?
Booking holidays and all tourism related activities. Commerical data management. Social planning. Financial data management and interaction.
Eg:Ordering a prescription from a pharmacy, which I need to take it in 2 hours time. Web 3.0 provides me with the nearest pharmacies within a 2 km radius. It also examines Vicroads traffic info or similar, to discover the quickest route to the pharmacy. With a click of a button, it sends the driving instructions to my iphone, and purchases my prescription at my selected pharmacy using all my financial details. I just have to get there and pick it up.
Is there money to be made out of such a service? Yes, I think so.
The day-to-day mechanisms of trade, bureaucracy and our daily lives will be handled by machines talking to machines - Tim Berners Lee 1999 & "This simple idea, however, remains largely unrealized." - Tim Berners-Lee 2001
So not quite yet.
People will always have concerns, privacy being one and loss of control being another. But the long and the short of it is, someone, somewhere will find a way for it to work. Maybe not tomorrow but it will come. The next Gen-ners, whatever they are called, will find a way.
(Ed note: Lunge 20)
Ok. firstly, who ever wrote the question in this lunge homework really needs to be more careful - "And do you really care?"
Do you really want an honest answer to that?
Web 3.0 - possibility or pie in the sky?
In answer to this question, ask yourself, where is the money? Will anyone use the ideas of web 3.0? - The making it possible for the web to understand and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use web content. Yes, if they can get the technology to work and money can be made from the technology itself and through the use of the technology, of course it will happen. Money drives everything.
So ask yourself what are the commercial applications of web 3.0?
Booking holidays and all tourism related activities. Commerical data management. Social planning. Financial data management and interaction.
Eg:Ordering a prescription from a pharmacy, which I need to take it in 2 hours time. Web 3.0 provides me with the nearest pharmacies within a 2 km radius. It also examines Vicroads traffic info or similar, to discover the quickest route to the pharmacy. With a click of a button, it sends the driving instructions to my iphone, and purchases my prescription at my selected pharmacy using all my financial details. I just have to get there and pick it up.
Is there money to be made out of such a service? Yes, I think so.
The day-to-day mechanisms of trade, bureaucracy and our daily lives will be handled by machines talking to machines - Tim Berners Lee 1999 & "This simple idea, however, remains largely unrealized." - Tim Berners-Lee 2001
So not quite yet.
People will always have concerns, privacy being one and loss of control being another. But the long and the short of it is, someone, somewhere will find a way for it to work. Maybe not tomorrow but it will come. The next Gen-ners, whatever they are called, will find a way.
(Ed note: Lunge 20)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Semantics
Right, my mind is a blobby mess of jelly. Web 3.0. Um web 3.o. Yes, ok, web 3.0.
Still nothing there. I'll re-read the stuff and get back to you.
Please enjoy this while you are on hold......
Still nothing there. I'll re-read the stuff and get back to you.
Please enjoy this while you are on hold......
I do not make lists.
Ok, let's see if I have this right? 43Things is essentially a site designed to promote procrastination. I'm going to be honest with you, the time it takes to do all the 17 homework items for this Lunge, I could have actually achieved one of the things on my list of things to do.
And I will be honest, sharing that sort of information with a bunch of strangers is not my thing. Andthen to have a bunch of strangers comment and cheer me on, is not my thing either. I am very anti-social after all. On Facebook we all put status updates on what we are doing and/or feeling and people comment there. It is all very superficial. But to actually list real things I want to do and then share it with the world - so not me. To also comment in diary form for all to read on my truimphs and my failures - so not me.
However, if you are in to that sort of thing then more power to you. This tool may enable you to network with people who have had similar experiences and can therefore help you achieve your goal. You may even find it cathartic to be able to share your personal life with everyone - is this a free form of therapy, I wonder?
I wandered around the the tutorial, theFAQ's and the "about us" bit and have seen enough.
43Things takes key words from your list and then uses them to pin point advertising that would be relevant to your own list items. This is a clever marketing move. Advertisers can be sure that their product is being pushed towards those individuals who have more than a casual interest in their product. Want to learn to dance the Salsa and a number of salsa dance schools appear at your finger tips. Being funded by Amazon (hmm how many links to self-help books?) and with ads from Google (that means Ads from everyone!) means that this is a forum where everone knows everything about you and indeed so do the marketing and advertising people.
So good luck to those who want to use it....this is not for me.
Note to self: 1) Finish this Lunge. 2) Finish the next Lunge and 3)Stop Lunging, my legs hurt.
(Ed note: Lunge 19)
And I will be honest, sharing that sort of information with a bunch of strangers is not my thing. Andthen to have a bunch of strangers comment and cheer me on, is not my thing either. I am very anti-social after all. On Facebook we all put status updates on what we are doing and/or feeling and people comment there. It is all very superficial. But to actually list real things I want to do and then share it with the world - so not me. To also comment in diary form for all to read on my truimphs and my failures - so not me.
However, if you are in to that sort of thing then more power to you. This tool may enable you to network with people who have had similar experiences and can therefore help you achieve your goal. You may even find it cathartic to be able to share your personal life with everyone - is this a free form of therapy, I wonder?
I wandered around the the tutorial, theFAQ's and the "about us" bit and have seen enough.
43Things takes key words from your list and then uses them to pin point advertising that would be relevant to your own list items. This is a clever marketing move. Advertisers can be sure that their product is being pushed towards those individuals who have more than a casual interest in their product. Want to learn to dance the Salsa and a number of salsa dance schools appear at your finger tips. Being funded by Amazon (hmm how many links to self-help books?) and with ads from Google (that means Ads from everyone!) means that this is a forum where everone knows everything about you and indeed so do the marketing and advertising people.
So good luck to those who want to use it....this is not for me.
Note to self: 1) Finish this Lunge. 2) Finish the next Lunge and 3)Stop Lunging, my legs hurt.
(Ed note: Lunge 19)
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Don't call me.
Here's the thing.....I downloaded google talk and it seems to me to be the same as the chat function in Facebook. I can chat to people whom I know to be online and we can spend more wasted time telling each other things that could also be sent in email, text and even, dare I say by calling each other on the phone. Do I really want to be this contactable? At the beck and call of everyone at the drop of a hat to be told pointless and useless stuff about things 24 hours a day.
I do agree that in a student online environment it would be quite useful - especially for Distance Ed students studying the same course. These forums of online chatting would enable them to cover ideas about their course and ask questions and help each other out and the tyranny of distance would not be a problem.
But despite all of the fab web 2.0 technologies making me more available to more people, more times and in more ways than I could possibly imagine....how about some solitude. How about not being contactable? How about writing a letter or even seeing someone in person???????????
(Ed note: Lunge 18)
I do agree that in a student online environment it would be quite useful - especially for Distance Ed students studying the same course. These forums of online chatting would enable them to cover ideas about their course and ask questions and help each other out and the tyranny of distance would not be a problem.
But despite all of the fab web 2.0 technologies making me more available to more people, more times and in more ways than I could possibly imagine....how about some solitude. How about not being contactable? How about writing a letter or even seeing someone in person???????????
(Ed note: Lunge 18)
Exploring groups
So I have just gone to Yahoo groups and done a search on The West Wing and boy some interesting things popped up!
Are there really that many people interested in writing fan fiction? It reminds me of the Facebook groups; people with similar interests can come together in an online forum and share their own work, thoughts on their own and others work and share links to other sites of interest. Stories of Josh and Donna require you to login - tempted as I was, I declined.
I also found:
CanberraBuySellSwapFreebies · For all of Canberra's Suburbs.
To Sell items, Buy items, Wanting to give away items as freebies to a good home, Swap and Trade items for use at home.Our Goal is to reduce LANDFILL and RE-USE and RECYCLE unwanted goods TOO.
I think this is great! The "group" technology not only being used to bring like minded people together, but here they are actually doing something in the real world not just in the virtual and creative world. It also appears that there are like minded people in Perth and Brisbane as well.
Being a member of the group entitles you to more priveleged information and contacts than just the casual user which is fair enough.
As with Yahoo products, there was a great deal of advertising in the margins, some of which was relevant to the group search and others which seemed quite out of place.
I shall await the development of the Melbourne branch of the BuySellSwapFreebies group with eager anticipation.
(Ed note: Lunge 17)
Are there really that many people interested in writing fan fiction? It reminds me of the Facebook groups; people with similar interests can come together in an online forum and share their own work, thoughts on their own and others work and share links to other sites of interest. Stories of Josh and Donna require you to login - tempted as I was, I declined.
I also found:
CanberraBuySellSwapFreebies · For all of Canberra's Suburbs.
To Sell items, Buy items, Wanting to give away items as freebies to a good home, Swap and Trade items for use at home.Our Goal is to reduce LANDFILL and RE-USE and RECYCLE unwanted goods TOO.
I think this is great! The "group" technology not only being used to bring like minded people together, but here they are actually doing something in the real world not just in the virtual and creative world. It also appears that there are like minded people in Perth and Brisbane as well.
Being a member of the group entitles you to more priveleged information and contacts than just the casual user which is fair enough.
As with Yahoo products, there was a great deal of advertising in the margins, some of which was relevant to the group search and others which seemed quite out of place.
I shall await the development of the Melbourne branch of the BuySellSwapFreebies group with eager anticipation.
(Ed note: Lunge 17)
Mash those Pips
Ok, firstly the DIY video is very confusing and I'm not really sure what you need to do to create a pipe. On the upside, I do understand how the information from several sources can be channelled through a pipe and that information can be manipulated to suit the users needs.
I was disappointed that the pipe ELO Mash-Up was in fact nothing to do with Jeff Lynne nor the Electric Light Orchestra. However, I digress.
The mashup pipe that did interest me was: Download Newest DVD Releases http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=9odFf1Ij3BGXW5O4jUnRlg.
finding out new DVD releases and their download price on Amazon - very useful stuff to know. Good old Netflix. nuts just tried the link to Amazon and because I am not in the US, it went belly up - typical! In fact a lot of these seem to be US centric includingss: http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=KhnzJ9sZ3RGVuS9pxAnzeQ
Show E-bay items on a map - which would have been useful for comparing prices and locations if a purchase was being considered.
Perhaps a move to Lakewood, Colorado is in order.
(Ed note: Lunge 16b)
I was disappointed that the pipe ELO Mash-Up was in fact nothing to do with Jeff Lynne nor the Electric Light Orchestra. However, I digress.
The mashup pipe that did interest me was: Download Newest DVD Releases http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=9odFf1Ij3BGXW5O4jUnRlg.
finding out new DVD releases and their download price on Amazon - very useful stuff to know. Good old Netflix. nuts just tried the link to Amazon and because I am not in the US, it went belly up - typical! In fact a lot of these seem to be US centric includingss: http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=KhnzJ9sZ3RGVuS9pxAnzeQ
Show E-bay items on a map - which would have been useful for comparing prices and locations if a purchase was being considered.
Perhaps a move to Lakewood, Colorado is in order.
(Ed note: Lunge 16b)
http://sclipo.com/video/public-relations-is-entering-a-new-era
Here's a useful Sclipo video for students beginning public relations and keeping in mode with our modern students, it is only 1 minute long!
There you go!
(Ed Note: Lunge 16a)
Here's a useful Sclipo video for students beginning public relations and keeping in mode with our modern students, it is only 1 minute long!
There you go!
(Ed Note: Lunge 16a)
photos
Wow, lots of really great retro 50s photos on flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompalumbo/2278689150/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompalumbo/2332740357/in/set-72157603711224961/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompalumbo/2192942768/in/set-72157603711224961/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompalumbo/2192995398/in/set-72157603711224961/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompalumbo/2551881204/in/set-72157603711224961/
(Ed note: Lunge 15)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompalumbo/2278689150/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompalumbo/2332740357/in/set-72157603711224961/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompalumbo/2192942768/in/set-72157603711224961/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompalumbo/2192995398/in/set-72157603711224961/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompalumbo/2551881204/in/set-72157603711224961/
(Ed note: Lunge 15)
Monday, November 17, 2008
The monster mash
Uses for mash ups:How about an all encompassing mashup of the Library for orientation,showing, where it is, how to get there and where to go once you are there? How about accessing the locations listed in library catalogue records, to build maps showing where books were published, where they were written? How about taking book jackets from a source such as Amazon (within the bounds of their terms and conditions, of course) and having the catalogue filled with images - that would help those people who wanted to find a red book? How about enriching our library catalogue page with user comments, pricing and availability data from online bookstores and the RMIT bookstore?
How about a mash up map of the Business Library or any library campus, with pointers at significiant shelf call numbers and pointing out the various collections ie reference? How about a pointer at each discussion room with a link through to the bookit function? A map of all RMIT with building search funtion and library campuses higlighted? A travel component that would allow students to work out how to get from one library to another, using road, public transport or pogo stick?
Sources: Photos of library sites, photos of library resources, bookmarks of library pages ie catalogue, bookmark to Liaison librarians, google maps, amazon, rmit co-op bookstore online, even Survey Monkey could provide ongoing surveys about book usage and holds.
Here are some URLs of Library related mashups: http://syntheticlibrarian.com/map/
http://www.talis.com/tdn/node/1523 (need to ckick on some links here)
http://www.talis.com/tdn/node/1507 (another mashup competition entry from Talis.com)
(Ed not: Lunge 13)
How about a mash up map of the Business Library or any library campus, with pointers at significiant shelf call numbers and pointing out the various collections ie reference? How about a pointer at each discussion room with a link through to the bookit function? A map of all RMIT with building search funtion and library campuses higlighted? A travel component that would allow students to work out how to get from one library to another, using road, public transport or pogo stick?
Sources: Photos of library sites, photos of library resources, bookmarks of library pages ie catalogue, bookmark to Liaison librarians, google maps, amazon, rmit co-op bookstore online, even Survey Monkey could provide ongoing surveys about book usage and holds.
Here are some URLs of Library related mashups: http://syntheticlibrarian.com/map/
http://www.talis.com/tdn/node/1523 (need to ckick on some links here)
http://www.talis.com/tdn/node/1507 (another mashup competition entry from Talis.com)
(Ed not: Lunge 13)
The buzz about buzzle
Buzzle told me facts about grapes, showed me news from the Guardian, displayed ads from Google wanting me to buy the WestWing on DVD, reviewed characters from Agatha Christie novels and allowed me to send a customized e-card to Sarah - featuring a man with a large duck on his knee.
So what does this all mean?
Just an amazing amount of information all in one place. Information that is searchable, browsable and sorted into helpful categories. A perfect site for reading whilst on the desk over the summer period and filling in the time bewteen those infrequent customers.
But almost too much information if you know what I mean. The whole thing seems quite overwhelming when you first look at it and the further you look around the site, the more information you find with links to more information. Atleast with the benefit of the RSS feed, you can customise which information you access and keep up to date with.
Very interesting to keep up with the latest news and the latest views from the buzzle writers - but do I have time for this? I can barely keep up with my 21 lunge entries - I guess the amount of usage you get out of it depends on how much time you have on your hands.
(Ed note: Lunge 12)
So what does this all mean?
Just an amazing amount of information all in one place. Information that is searchable, browsable and sorted into helpful categories. A perfect site for reading whilst on the desk over the summer period and filling in the time bewteen those infrequent customers.
But almost too much information if you know what I mean. The whole thing seems quite overwhelming when you first look at it and the further you look around the site, the more information you find with links to more information. Atleast with the benefit of the RSS feed, you can customise which information you access and keep up to date with.
Very interesting to keep up with the latest news and the latest views from the buzzle writers - but do I have time for this? I can barely keep up with my 21 lunge entries - I guess the amount of usage you get out of it depends on how much time you have on your hands.
(Ed note: Lunge 12)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Searching those blogs with Google
I began with a dry search on marketing libraries and guess what? I returned dry blog entries about Marketing! Heavens, can't possibly subscribe to one of those, my blog would keel over with boredom. So next search was library and superheroes. Ta da! Really intersting stuff popped up that looked as if it might be quite fun.
Then, scrolling down the page, nice Google asked if I wanted to subscribe to superheroes libraries - Google Blog Search, which I did and it sent me off to my Reader. It is rather handy that all these things are linked and help each other out, don't you think? At least with all these facilities connected together, you can keep track of all the information in one spot!
So I did another search on Library and movies and found this Blog http://bplmovies.blogspot.com/ It allows you to give opinions on movies and that is shared by all who look at the blog - do I want to subscribe? Possibly.
Ok, last search.......
Librarians and image. And lookee here: Librarians--The Image and the Myth http://stereotype-librarian.blogspot.com/. Now that sounds like my kind of thing. I will subscribe immediately.
This is a very handy tool, allowing searching across complete blogs and single entries. and of course the usual search function limitations of date and author searching are helpful in the usual ways. However as I am doing quite superficial searching I am sure that I am not encountering the pitfalls and problems that I read about in Jonothan Bailey's article.
(Ed note: Lunge 10) See also google reader search listed under my bloglist.
Then, scrolling down the page, nice Google asked if I wanted to subscribe to superheroes libraries - Google Blog Search, which I did and it sent me off to my Reader. It is rather handy that all these things are linked and help each other out, don't you think? At least with all these facilities connected together, you can keep track of all the information in one spot!
So I did another search on Library and movies and found this Blog http://bplmovies.blogspot.com/ It allows you to give opinions on movies and that is shared by all who look at the blog - do I want to subscribe? Possibly.
Ok, last search.......
Librarians and image. And lookee here: Librarians--The Image and the Myth http://stereotype-librarian.blogspot.com/. Now that sounds like my kind of thing. I will subscribe immediately.
This is a very handy tool, allowing searching across complete blogs and single entries. and of course the usual search function limitations of date and author searching are helpful in the usual ways. However as I am doing quite superficial searching I am sure that I am not encountering the pitfalls and problems that I read about in Jonothan Bailey's article.
(Ed note: Lunge 10) See also google reader search listed under my bloglist.
Hi! Remember me?
Oh yes, enough of that...so it has been a while but life is like that.
What happening?
Well, here's a link to my Delicious bookmarks :http://delicious.com/e44820 (Ed: note Lunge 9)
And I have put some things in there that I would look at, some more frequently than others but they have a certain library/marketing/fun promotion feel to them. Ikea is fun anyway....but I wish all our furniture looked like that - Business is a bit grey...... How will people ever believe that Librarians are fun if our workspace doesn't reflect that fun image? It's not all fines and books unavailable.....
Huge potential for sharing info amoungst work peoples, student peoples and social peoples. and accessable all day, everyday and then some. Yet another tool which gets stuff out there for many people to have access to. And isn't that what all this web 2.0 technology is all about?
And the movie bookmark? Well, just a bit of fun really, but again shows that Librarians can be out there adventuring and involved in dasterdly troubles and save the world - we are not all dull, thankyou. Well, ok there are three dull Librarians in the world... we try not to talk about them much.
So now others can look at my bookmarks and say," Well, lookee that". What conclusions they draw from my bookmarks is another matter altogether..see what you think.
What happening?
Well, here's a link to my Delicious bookmarks :http://delicious.com/e44820 (Ed: note Lunge 9)
And I have put some things in there that I would look at, some more frequently than others but they have a certain library/marketing/fun promotion feel to them. Ikea is fun anyway....but I wish all our furniture looked like that - Business is a bit grey...... How will people ever believe that Librarians are fun if our workspace doesn't reflect that fun image? It's not all fines and books unavailable.....
Huge potential for sharing info amoungst work peoples, student peoples and social peoples. and accessable all day, everyday and then some. Yet another tool which gets stuff out there for many people to have access to. And isn't that what all this web 2.0 technology is all about?
And the movie bookmark? Well, just a bit of fun really, but again shows that Librarians can be out there adventuring and involved in dasterdly troubles and save the world - we are not all dull, thankyou. Well, ok there are three dull Librarians in the world... we try not to talk about them much.
So now others can look at my bookmarks and say," Well, lookee that". What conclusions they draw from my bookmarks is another matter altogether..see what you think.
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