Week 10 # 23 Is this really the end?

I have several comments to make.
1. 10 hours is WAY WAY too little for the actual amount of time spent on this. I suppose if you already know /or are familiar with the materials, 20 hours may be just right, but for many of us, especially us technophobes and NeoLuddites, it is not enough.

2. Starting with the blog is good, since with all the use I feel fairly comfortable with it. However there has been so much thrown at us in such a short time
with so little instruction, that most of what I have been exposed to is one
amorphous mass. I have e-mails, websites, memberships, passwords to who
knows what, and have very little idea of what password goes with which
program.

3. Given how busy we are, the items should be spread out over a year. Begin with the blog for about 2-3 weeks since it is the basis for reporting progress. Then Wiki, since that and Flickr are the two most likely to be used at the library. Give them about a month each.

4. Each topic should have a step by step detailed guide either printable or downloadable (many of us are linear thinkers and "just find someone on staff who knows to help you" doesn't cut it, especially if most of the staff aren't particularly interested in technology.) Spending 4 hours on a Friday morning (a busy catch-up day) after having spent several frustrating hours during the week trying to work the exercises isn't too helpful.

5. Take the oportunity to make more meaningful exercises other than just signing up for whatever program is this week's topic. Using the program several times over a period of time will make the information stick better.

Blogging isn't as bad as I thought, although since I have never been one to write a diary I don't see myself blogging. I will have to use Wiki and possibly Flickr although I don't use a real camera well, much less one of these electronic gizzies. The Avatar was fun. I always wanted to be a red-head. If I ever get a computer, Library Thing would be fun (and useful) I could spend my whole retirement organizing my books. The word processing deal might be useful too. As for the rest, I'll probably never use it.

As member of the Tribe of the Book, firmly planted in the 20th if not the 19th century, I am not impressed with 2.0. Perhaps 2.0 enthusiats might do well to meditate on the recent computer soap opera (death followed by amnesia) before they write off (can they write?) low tech solutions. I'll do what I must, but the book will outlast me.

I do not have Life Long Learning Goals. I learn what I must to survive. I learn what I am interested in for joy. Goals do nothing but kill the joy.

Week 9 #22 Downloadable Media

I am familiar with the library's downloadable media and explain it to patrons upon occaision. I tried out the other two sites, and didn't like them as well. They would be great for people looking for classics and older materials, but for people like me with frivolous tastes, not so useful. If I had a computer and listened to books on tape, and didn't have an actual book, I might use the library site, but frankly unless you are driving in a car or there is no actual book available, I don't think I would want to use it. (You still can't take an MP3 player or a computer into a bubble bath.)

Week 9 #21 Podcast

Checked out the various podcast directories. They were full of stuff. It isn't easy finding the nugget in all that huge slag heap. The Google effect, I expect. All kinds of junk, just not the junk you want. I found two Podcasts? but the directory wouldn't let me save it to Bloglines so I picked up Muggle net to fulfill the requirements. The other podcasts are saved, but I'm not altogether sure where. Had to get help. Hate that.

Week 9 #20 Youtube

I liked this video. It reminded me of every family picture session known to man in spirit if not in actuality.

That being said, while I have always enjoyed the videios that people occaionally send me, there was an awful lot of stuff to wade through to find something to worth watching.

It might be useful to make a video to project during crafts showing in detail how to do something a little complicated like braiding or tying a knot, so everyone can watch while you are helping individuals.

Week 8 # 19 Web Based Apps-- Zerowriter

Zerowriter seemed simple to use, and if you don't have Word, seems to do alright, but their fonts are limited and I LOVE fonts. I may have to use it or lose my recipe book if I ever got my own omputer. I thought that since cookie season is upon us, I would contribute a really yummy cookie recipe for my zohowriter exercise. The name is gross, they look gross, but they are simple to make and yummy to eat. The original is in Gross Out Cakes by Kathleen Barlow

Doggie Doo-Doo Drops

Makes 20

1/2 C. Milk 1/2 C. butter or Margarine

2 C. Sugar 1/2 C. Cocoa

1 C. chunky peanut butter 3 C. oats

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Measure milk, margarine, and sugar into medium saucepan.

2. Mix on medium heat.

3. Stir until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring

continuously.

4. Remove from heat and add cocoa, peanut butter, oats, and vanilla.

Stir well.

5. Mold handfuls of the mixture into doggie doo doo sized cookies. Place

molded cookies on waxed paper to cool. For a more decorous

appearance, drop cookies onto waxed paper to cool.

---

Week 8 # 18 Social Networking

Social networks are too much like Elaine the Lady of Shalot. Not the reality, but the shadow. For one of my hermit proclivities, I don't think I would like to social network too much. I have a feeling it would just be too aggravating. After all these years of pretty much not having to look at embarrassingly bad personal photos, I'd hate to get trapped now. Besides, if you don't have time for your friends in this dimension, how are you going to find the time to micro-manage hundreds of strangers in another dimension? Nice for shut-ins and agoraphobics,although dogster is tempting.

P.S. Great video! Loved those dogs!

Week 7 #16 Wiki

I finally got the first part of this week's assignment done. I don't think I'd use it for reference. Wikipedia is notoriously inaccurate, nor would I use it when I was writing, since I don't usually want to share my baby, but I can see it would be great for making bibliographies-- Books Boys Like, Books Children Like, Books for Toddlers etc.

Week 7 # 17 Technology

I am doing #17 before #16 because the Wiki page was busy, so I thought I'd get this out of the way first.

Technology. Sometimes our friend, but frequently not. I am a Neo Luddite. Which means accept that technology which makes your life better, but do not use it if it does not. Use the lowest level of technology adequate for your needs. Do not e-mail a message to someone across the hall if a note will do as well. Do not talk to someone on your cell phone who is sitting across the table.

I do not wish to be connected to everyone all the time. Those little ear thingies look like the first step to being a Borg. (Resistance is futile...) and being part of the collective is abhorrent. The thought of never being out of easy reach gives me the jim jams. I do not want to "interact" with everything. I don't want to be pestered by a minute-by-minute account of anything, even my best friends lives. I have my own to live.

Frankly, until you can use an e-book or computer in a bathtub full of bubbles and hot water accompanied by Diet Coke and chocolate, the book is safe. Unlike a computer, a book frees the imagination to create our own reality. The author guides us, provides a framework, but the reader gives the creation life, colour, taste, smell --a world. A computer/ video does all of that and the viewer is trapped for better or worse, in someone else's universe.

The technocrats from Library 2.0 missed the point. Yes, computers are handy for finding facts. I have to say full text magazine databases would have saved me many crazed, frustrated hours as a student. But a Library is more than fact and research. Once you have left school most of us are not doing "research". We don't need the factoids so beloved by Ed-u-cat-ors. We need the best way to build a deck, find a recipe, participate in a hot romance, capture a murderer, or invade England with the Normans. We want an old movie, a song from our youth, a friendly face, a chat with a kindred spirit face to face in "real time" about shared interests-- out of the house. Some of this can be accomplished by computer and it's kindred, but not all of it, and not always in the best way.

Added Comment to: Liberian

Week 6 #15

To a Temporary Place in Time...I liked this article best and the last part best of all. Library 2.0 seems to focus narrowly on research and information to the exclusion of the best part of the library. Library 4.0 actually implied that there is a place for books and dare I suggest this....Readers?! I'll do the part for the people who actually like to read (and there are still many and will be until I retire) and let the techies run the rest. I know many people to whom the library is more than just a collection of bits of information, and it is not information that they are necessarily seeking. As Louis IV said "Apres moi, c'est deluge" I'm sure if you spend an hour or so Googling it and wading through many pages of irrelevent websites, you can find the translation.

Week # 6 Technorati

Interesting. I have to say it was a fun way to waste an hour. I was almost tempted to use the link that can generate letters to the FBI etc to get your file. My biggest gripe today is the lack of definitions. WHAT IS A WIDGET, WHAT IS A MEME????????? I know what a widget is in real life, but what are they in faux life (computer)? and where would I find my html code assuming I wanted to tag it?

Week 6 #13 Tagging

I went to to del.icio.us. Since someday I might actually get a computer, it would be nice to set up an account with all my web sites so I won't have to keep track in a note book and enter the site into two "favourites". I am not planning to do any research extensive enough to require the amount of management del.icio.us. Besides, with a deep and ingrained distruse of electrons, I can see massive amounts of work disapearing in an electronic hiccup. They've done it before.

Week 5 # 12 Library Elf-- Preliminary

I have not been able to access Elf, the site won't come up. From what I have heard and from what I read about what it does, the program is unnecessary for Harris Co patrons. I am under the impression that Horizon does that. That being said why would any security minded person put their personal information on the internet do do something that can easily be managed on your own. I will update when I can get on the website

Week 5 # 11 Library Thing

Now this one is good! Easy, functional and useful!! I will keep this account, and should I ever get a computer, actually use it.(if I ever get all the other stuff done I need to do!)

My Catalogue: http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php

Week #5 Image Generators

Here is my avatar I made in Meez. Cute, huh. It's fun, (and being the frivoulus person that I am, that's reason enough, but really... what's it good for? I tried several others, that were listed. It reminded me of playing with paper doll without the boredom of having to cut the clothes out first. The URl is of course http://www.meez.com/

Week 4 # 9 Finding Feeds

I'm obviously not in tune with these people. Feedster, and Topix seemed limited except for
political junkies. Syndic8 made absolutely no sense to me. Technorati was the easiest to use, and while the various blogs were interesting, there wasn't anything that I wanted to read from these people again.

Week 4 #8 RSS feeds

Been there done that exercise. It's okay I suppose, but I've never been much of a news junkie that I can't wait til regular news times for it to intrude on my life. Besides, they don't post the weather/flood information I do need. They don't post when MY street is flooded, and finding out when my portion of my river is going up or down has to be figured out from coy little hints gathered from multiple sources. Any other news can wait til 10:00. Although, the joke a day, the word a day, and the quote a day are fun.

Week 3 Flickr-Pixar- Camels 2

This is totally frustrating. First I couldn't get the pictures to load on Pixar, then they wouldn't change, then I can't get them to save to this blog. I am having SO much fun...

Week 3 Flickr mashups

An interesting idea, although I don't see me doing it in real life, although I can see Chiapet can be a real fun timewaster for days when numbness strikes.

Week 3 Flicker excercise Camels

Camels
Originally uploaded by dragonarian

This was an excercise in frustration. I couldn't find useful step by step directions anywhere and had a knowledgeable staff member not walked me through this, I couldn't have done it.

Sept 19 Sharing on-line

I have never been one to share my thoughts other than orally face to face or over a telephone. I have seen and read too many novels, mysteries, plays etc. where even innocent communications are later used for blackmail or other nefarious purposes. A life long motto is never, never, never put anything personal in writing no matter how innocent because you never know where it will turn up or how it will be used. If this is true for pencil and paper which is corporeal, therefore easier to control or check for valitity, how much more is it true of electrons which are inherently untrustworthy? They never die and they never go so far away that someone won't be able to find it. Times change and opinions change. Why should I have to defend something which may have been perfectly proper and correct at the time and place it was generated, but now is not p.c.? (See the word "nigger" in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.) Too many people have stubbed their toes in all innocence to confide ANYTHING to an electronic device. Don't these people have ANY boundries???

First Post 9/19

This Blog was created to satify an assignment and will be abandoned at the end of the training.