Collaboration - Thing 9

Turns out, I'd already done this Thing but hadn't yet compared Zoho with Google. I don't really like either of these collaboration tools, although Zoho is slightly better than Google. About 6 months or more ago I tried using Google docs as a way around saving my documents on the library's server. I tried this at a time when we were having server problems and I was trying to get some work done. I found using Google docs so frustrating that I gave up and waited for the library's server to be repaired. With a very few exceptions, emailing attachments HAS to be preferrable to this!

Del.icio.us - Thing 11

I started out totally enthused about Del.icio.us. It sounded like a neat way not only to keep track of topics that interest me but also to find others who share those interests. I tagged a few website about community gardening then went looking for others who had also tagged those sites. This was a totally useless endeavor. Some people had over 4,000 tagged sites! Others tagged one gardening site and the rest of their tagged sites were totally off the topic of gardening! The only value I could possibly see in Del.icio.us was as a way to transfer bookmarks from home to work and vice versa. And I don't use bookmarks as a general rule, preferring instead to do a quick Google search to find sites I've already visited and need again.

Thing 27 - Twitter

Over a year ago a colleague, Donna, and I tried Twitter as a possible communication tool for the RCL reference staff. We ended up being among the group who dislikes Twitter. We found the 140 character limit annoying (no long reference question discussions). We found other aspects of it annoying or at least not valuable for reference staff. It looks like Twitter may have added some new things but the overall format remains the same.

After looking at some more articles on, especially, mashups Twitter seems like even more of an electronic time waster.

Next 23 Things - Thing 28

Turns out I've been using Thing 28 for quite some time. I've had an iGoogle account for about a year, although I rarely use it. For me, it's easier to check the parts of the web I use all the time by using either my rss feed (for news and blogs) or by simply typing in the address of the web site I wish to visit. It's too easy to waste time with iGoogle. Actually, it's easy enough to waste time with an rss feed.

Thing 7 Web 2.0 Communication Tools

RCLs use of IM really hit home this week with IM unavailable. I hated having to phone other branches, especially. Isn't it amazing how something you think has no value for you becomes invaluable? Has IM improved productivity? You bet! No more waiting to complete something while waiting for someone to email you back. No waiting because someone is not returning phone calls.

And email! Again this week, a couple of days with no email had me feeling completely out of touch, stuck in the dark ages again.

I have been contemplating adding instant messaging to my cell phone because of the convenience. But I hadn't thought about the silent communication aspect of instant messaging until I watched the YouTube clip. Maybe we need to add huge signs to all of our doors "Cell phone use for instant messaging ONLY. No talking & no ringtones!"

I do think, though, that for a public library, IM and Chat are less valuable communication tools than they are for an academic library. I expect this may change as the population ages.

I've been aware of Opal for quite awhile. It's something I wish RCL could participate in. In the past, they've offered some interesting sounding conferences. I have yet to particpate in a Webinar mostly because I hear of technology problems, mostly on our end, with accessing them.

Over a year ago, a colleague and I tried out Twitter. We both found it to be extremely annoying and not of value for the library system.

Digital Photos

I finally managed, in less than an hour, to upload photos from my camera. I changed my photo to a picture of me on my Facebook account and created a photo album. This is what I am truly interested in and I'd love to try more of this. Of course, I'm not much of a photographer; and some of the photos were taken by other people. But still, I managed to get them to Facebook! Woohoo!

More of the 23 Things

I managed to create a Facebook account tonight. I found members of my high school graduating class on Facebook, as well as a couple of people I went to college with. I'll do some more investigating, but really, I'm just not that social!

I also spent several hours investigating Google, more because I had to teach the class Google More than a Search Engine than because of the 23 Things. One really cool thing I found on Google is Google Documents. I have been having trouble with File Redirection because, if I use it when I'm "on the desk" it screws up the receipt printer. I've also had it screw up Horizon. Thus, I am more than a little leery of File Redirection. But with Google Documents, Word style documents are easily (sort of) worked on from anywhere. I say "sort of" because I don't see any way of keeping my formatting. The spread sheet portion of Google Documents is useless as far as I can see. It is not as powerful as Excel and I could not make it do what I needed it to.

What I would like is to have all my accounts in one place. And I mean more than just having one place from which I can access my various accounts. I mean, I like gmail for email better than I like yahoo! email. But the yahoo! calendar is much nicer than the gmail calendar. Why can't I choose the best parts of these things and put them all together in a customized Laura account?