End of the Line ?

I have really enjoyed completing the 23Things program.  I introduced me to some new Web applications (even some that my kids didn't know about!) and I look forward to even using some of them in my work life or home life.  I appreciate all of the work that it took to organize the program, so a big THANK YOU to the LDC. 

I would recommend the program to anyone who is feeling lost in the technological revolution.  Even just knowing more about the Internet and what tools are available makes such a difference in a person's tech comfort level!  More than ever, it is important to keep current.

Fun! Fun! Fun!

Okay, this week was a great way to end off the 23 Things program.  I created my Wordle from my blog and then put it up for display at my desk -- my teenage kids would be so proud!  Then, I took a look at LibraryThing and got totally hooked.  I very quickly added the books I have enjoyed in the recent past to my "library", and I will definitely use this as a source for disovering new titles to consider. 

Gee It's Swell !!

I created two maps with Community Walk and found it to be a very easy tool to use, except ... when I wanted to change or edit a point on the map using the path function.  Then I found the mapping tool to be very frustrating and difficult to figure out.  I still haven't edited the points, and my second map is the poorer because of it!

I don't have any experience using GIS in a more formal capacity, and I wonder how user-friendly the mapping tools for research or professional use are.  Probably, like everything else, it takes practice and time to become proficient with these tools, and with understanding their applications.

I have used Google Maps for planning driving holidays for the past 3 years, and have found it to be extremely helpful in deciding where to stop and when!  The distance between points, and the average time it takes to drive there, have been remarkably accurate in my experience.  I am using Google Maps once again to plan my holiday in July!

Thost Wacky Widgets!!!

Yep, these are cool.  My countdown is for my holiday to Arizona in June (yes, I know it will be +40 or more; I plan to sit by or in the pool).  I particularly like my quotations widget and have read some rather profound words from the most unlikely people!  I can't really think of any other gadgets that I might want to use that don't already exist -- there seems to be a widget for everything already.

Digging Diigo

I like this week's "Thing!!"  I have always been annoyed at how long my list of favourites is on the browser of my home computer.  I had no idea that there might be a better way of keeping track of websites that I visit frequently, or for that matter, of pages from websites that may or may not be accessible in the future.  What a great tool for doing research on the Web, but also for accessing those sites that I tend to go back to time and again (for example, Hugh's Mortgage Calculator -- he's got a great one that we use over and over again when preparing a yearly budget for our household).  I will certainly sign up for an account and will add the toolbar to my home IE browser.  I hope to get more familiar with Diigo in the days to come!

Tweet Tweet

Okay, it's a cute bird.  But (see my Facebook post) I still don't quite get the appeal.  Why would I want to be interrupted (via my smart phone, if I had one!) to find out the latest tweet about Jimmy Falon?  Or even be up-to-the-minute with the news about the latest natural disaster?  Or to be given the riveting  update that my best friend has found a great deal on pork chops out at Costco?

Like the RSS feeds, this is toooooooo much "I-just-don't-care" information.  Sure, we are living in the communication age; but I think with the explosion in the WAYS in which we communicate that we have lost the ability to discern the WHAT of which we communicate.  We lump all this information together and can no longer distinguish between the rose and the stinkweed.

So, I am not likely to tweet anything.  Alas!

If it's Friday it must be Facebook

I am already a member of Facebook; but, I have to confess, I only use it to play Lexulous (a Scrabble rip-off) with my relatives.  I very rarely post anything.  Although I do like to see some of what my "Friends" are up to, I confess also with getting annoyed with how often some of them post stuff!  Really, do you need to update the world with this kind of minutae 4 or 5 times a day?  It  makes me wonder about how much time they spend on their computers, creeping on Facebook. 

The whole social network phenomenon is a bit beyond my comprehension -- not that I don't understand how it works, but that I don't understand WHY people are so addicted to it.  I relish my privacy and am a firm believer in my personal life being just that, personal.

But, like all recent innovations, if you can get people to actually sign up to follow your communications on Facebook, then it is an excellent, and most important, FREE, method of promotion for the Library.

But I still don't get the appeal ....