#17 Redo (kinda): I'm Back in the Sandbox Again

I was trying to help my co-worker, Robert B., with this one, & got totally confused. It seems that marylandlibrariessandbox has decided to play games. The Favorites home page has totally changed since I originally visited it. Logging in is still the same; however, there's no longer an HCL list to enter your registration. It's actually easier now. I just wish there had been a little note explaining the change. Some of us are easily "gaslite"(?). By the way, I added my 2 cents worth to several "favs" & added my own just for the experience--Mamma G's Favorite Discworlds (my favorite Terry Pratchett titles).

PS I'm still not too crazy about playing in sand!

Recognition

Jaye brought my certificate to GLE today, and Darnice presented it me! I am very proud to be the 13th HCL staff to complete "23 Things." Didn't I tell you that 13 is a lucky number for us Italians!?! Ciao.

PS I plan to do #24 at my leisure. I also plan to continue posting to my Mamma G blog as I do more library learning.

#22 Revisited: John J. Is My Hero!

Oh, my gods (Pratchett)!!! After fracking (Battlestar Galactica) around with trying to transfer my eAudioBook again, it's finally working. (See previous scathing post for #22.) I'm afraid to turn off the MP3 player for fear it won't ever work again. Many thanks to John J. for his relentless quest for an answer to the age old question: "Why can't I get the d... thing to work!?!" I read and reread Prospect 112's info on the Cowon America Forums. Much of the problem lies, as usual, with not fully understanding how to go about the fix once you find out there actually IS a fix. There is an underlying assumption that all of us have an innate ability to decipher what I call "technobabble." Anywho, it was well worth those hours of frustration and effort just to hear those first few words of "Because of Winn Dixie." I hope I can do this some more.
You are my hero, Mr. J Samothrace's Nike, Goddess of Victory

PS I'm not really sure if I can duplicate this success so, Mr. J, you may hear from Mamma G again. No groaning. Filial piety for your elders at all times, please.

#23: And She's Coming Into the Home Stretch

The finish line is within sight. I've just reviewed my notes on "7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners" & my "2.0 Contract for Learning" posted on August 16th, just over one month ago. The challenges of using technology to my advantage coupled with my lack of confidence in this realm still exist; however, I have fulfilled my contract successfully with many positive results. I'm no longer "scared of the black hole" that is technology, but rather graduated to being shy & cautious coupled with healthy skepticism.
Here are the highlights of my journey:
>learned to blog--kept a journal of my Web2.0 experiences & had fun trying to be creative with it.
>got my Gmail acc't. & signed up for more stuff than I could have imagined.
>love my iGoogle page, Del.icio.us, Flickr, Picasa, travel blogs @ Web 2.0 Awards, Rollyo, Topix, & YouTube.
> hugh frustration & usurper of time--learning the hard way, with much help from John J., to make my iAudio work for eAudioBooks (Here's a big "duh": Chris H. just printed the iAudio User's Guide that everyone should have before starting #22!.)
>Google Docs--learned that this handy tool will be replaced by DeskNow--great!
>most fun (I did learn to play!)--Flickr's geo tags, Montagr, Colr Pickr, etc. (I really enjoyed searching for photos to add some "pop" to my otherwise bland blog posts.) I also had too much fun with Meez.
>enjoyed the process of cooperation among co-workers with the prospect of helping to guide, of "passing it on" to others who follow me in exploring these pathways. My special thanks to DJ, John J. & the "old" Stacey F. for your patience & guidance.
>patting myself on the back as I am writing this for actually completing this often "black hole scary" yet fascinating & illuminating learning journey.

As the Virginia Slims slogan says/said (Are they still around?): "You've come a long way, baby!"
Phew! Hip, hip, hooray!! Finito!!!

#22: eGads! eAudioBooks=eNuff, aLready!!!

Okay, here goes. I believe I have matched John J. when it comes to eAudioBook induced migraines. Accessing NetLibrary, Overdrive & Project Gutenberg was a cinch. Been there; done that during LATI. Had no problem downloading Because of Winn Dixie to my home computer; HOWEVER, (notice how large this "however" is?) after 2 hours of messing about, my posse & I were defeated. Badly defeated. The process goes like this: one has to find an eAudio that was available, dump it into your bookbag, download it; THEN, transfer it. My posse included my very tech-savvy 21 yr. old son, Leo, & a very patient friend who used to build computers for a living. We finally managed to transfer the eBook to my snazzy, new MP3 player, but it wouldn't play. All we got was the theme song for iAudio. Mamma mia!!! These 2 brave men downloaded all sorts of programs in an effort to make all "things" compatible. Nada, zero, zip! Our conclusion: my cute little portable device is not compatible with NetLibrary or Overdrive. (Never attempted Gutenberg since there don't seem to be titles that interest me , & I was fried.)

Here's the sad part, I adore audiobooks. When I book talk, I speak of them with passion, honestly. I promote them unashamedly to any customer that will listen--to them & to me. I listen when I exercise, cook, clean, paint, garden, commute. (You'd be amazed how many "pages" you can do in 4 minutes.) Crazy as this might sound, but I don't mind being stuck in traffic if I have an audiobook. I really want to take advantage of this resource.

I've questioned John J. & Stacey F. re their eAudioBook experiences. John & I both used the HCL MP3 player. Stacey used her personal one that she purchased specifically for this purpose. To date John & I were unsuccessful while Stacey was successful. (John is still plugging away & will keep me posted--bless you, John.) I will bring this info to Jaye's attention. If our conclusion re this dilemma is correct, we don't want others to struggle unnecessarily. Stay tuned.

#21: Playing with Podcasts: Frustration to the Max

You must be kidding! I've just done an entire circuit amongst 4 different computers to try to listen to a podcast. Mine has NT so nothing "casts" on it; one doesn't have speakers & the headphones don't seem to work; one kept hiccuping; finally, I got one to actually work. I listened to a little of an ancient "Lone Ranger" radio show. (When I tried to listen to several different episodes of Classic Radio & Movie Network at podcast.com, I was asked to make a donation & never got to hear anything else.) I watched a segment on Indian cooking in Ameena's kitchen. Since I don't own an MP3 player yet... This is way too much effort for too little result. Isn't this often simply an "talking blog" or in some instances, just a video clip?
If a customer wants info on this subject, I'd just refer them to Yahoo for their tour, "what the heck is a podcast?"
PS I'm editing this post after reading Stacey F.'s comments. I've always regarded her as my "techo-guru" & was almost speechless to read her slightly negative remarks re #21. I love the Zits commentary re podcasts.

#20: My Man, Max, Is Back!

What fun! I played with YouTube, finding it fascinating. Out of the blue, Max Headroom came to m...m...m...mind. I loved that TV show. Even have a t-shirt & suspenders to prove it! I watched a bunch of the clips. Some were good; others I could leave. For library use: a few of these sure could add some z...z...z...zip to a bland presentation. B..b...b...bye for now.

#19: And the Winners Are...

I wish I had started this "Thing" yesterday when I was booking airline tickets to visit my son, Seamus, in Raleigh, NC later this month. I checked out the Travel category and found the top 2--Farecast & Kayak--convenient in that I only had to enter my info once. I could then move from one site to another without having to redo my itinerary. RealTravel could be a useful site with traveler's advice coupled "real" travel experiences plus there's the Free Trip Planner to map out your ideal vacation. I really like this one. I think I'll start planning my dream vacation to Italy when I finish this post!
These travel sites could prove to be a great starting point for all our customers who normally lug home those travel books that are often boring & out-of-date.
I've already explored some of the sites in completing our "23 Things"--Technorati, Bloglines, Library Thing, GoogleDocs, PBwiki, Zoho, Flickr, Rollyo, Del.icio.us. I'd already become acquainted with Google Maps & Picasa on my own. My husband is an Irishman living in Woodbine, MD writing the next great Australian novel, so I think I'll show him Lulu, "the digital marketplace" for aspiring authors. I'll keep this Web 2.0 Awards list handy for future exploration.

#18: Write On, Dude & Dudette!

Alas, here is something practical, down-to-earth (out-in-web?) that I will use. First I checked out Zoho Writer, & decided to stick with Google Docs. Both are easy to navigate with easy to follow help. (Probably created by Mac people.) I'm preparing several story time programs that I would normally use Open Office Writer or Microsoft Word--depending on which PC I'm using. Google Docs will be really handy as I move among 5 work & 1 home PC. As Martha would day, "It's a good thing."
PS I shared my joy re this "thing" with Darnice who has informed me that our up and coming Desk Now will let me do this stuff, too. (Except no one has shown me how to use it!)

#17: PB On WW Toast/Heavy on the J !

All you former waitresses out there will get my title.

PBwiki stands for "Peanut Butter Wiki:" as easy as a peanut butter sandwich!

Says who? I get cranky when directions make assumptions about how savvy participants are. As a former (sadly) Mac user, lots of these directions/exercises are the typical "intuitive as a rock" PC world. Registered with Darnice's help--as usual--for Favorite Blogs. Played in this "sandbox" for a little while. Although I've lived at the beach many years, I do hate the sand. Never liked playing in sandboxes much either. Again, not the kind of place I'd visit at this point in my life. Thanks for the intro.

#16: Goin' To the Luau, Hon!

I'm always curious about catchy new words, like "wiki." Having checked out the PLCMC Info Tech website, I get it. "Wiki" comes from the Hawaiian phrase "wiki wiki" indicating something fast; thus, it has come to mean an easily updatable website. During LATI several years ago, I became familiar with the big one, Wikipedia.

I think it can be a "useful tool for collaborative writing, pooling knowledge or exchanging ideas, especially on a subject that changes or needs updating frequently." My reservations re this tool is the often voiced concern as to the reliability of the info. Not that all the traditional reference materials are 100% correct; however, there is a "history" of vetted resources that is comforting. (SadlyI recently got rid of my Encyclopedia Britannica & lots of its Yearbooks from my college days. They "felt" so solid.)

Here's what I found out about the wikis I explored: These are yet another "impersonal" means of communicating ideas, info, opinions, etc. By that I mean there is real human contact--no eye contact, gestures (very important if you're Italian!), scents, sounds, etc. Not my first choice of communicating.

For library use, I would defer to wikis for Reader's Advisory & Book Talking info. That's about it for now. I'll keep an open mind...

Aloha.

#15 The Future Is Now : Are Computers Going to the Cats!?!

I viewed "The Machine Is Us/ing Us" & think it's pretty slick. (Does anyone remember HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey--movie &/ or book)? Sadly I understood little of "The Machine" or most of the articles I read. Here's my two cents worth on the future of libraries & all this technology:

ACCESS: It's hard for me to decide at this point in time whether this is exciting or just plain scary. When a "whole way of life" changes, especially at a rapid rate, it's certain to leave lots of people behind. On the other hand, as I delve delicately & tentatively into this world of Web 2.0, focusing on Library 2.0 & the future of libraries, I can see it's where we are destined to go--for better or worse. (Call me a flaming fatalist!) Access to information all to often has smacked of elitism. Web 2.0 can eradicate this inequity as long as the "machines" & their power sources are available to everyone at all times; however, I am skeptical on this point having lived in remote locales where access is questionable due to lack of $ & infrastructure. It's comforting to have a paper back up when the power goes out for days!
PACE OF CHANGE (not change of pace!): I'm no dummy; however, being assimilated into this rapidly, ever changing culture of accessing, sharing, & delivering info is a daunting task. I joke about being a RSS--Really Slow Senior. If I weren't working my way through these "23 Things" as a part of my job, I'd be up that proverbial creek without a paddle! I hardly even know what questions to ask anymore. Just when I get a acquainted with a new tool/technology, it's changed. A "Jane-of all-trades & master of none."
QUALITY: For my $, all this social networking will never take the place of the real thing. When I think of our library, the largest part of this place is the community. It represents many things to many people. It is a place to gather, and not just behind a computer screen!
I'm concerned, too, re the quality of the info most people (including lots of school kids) find on the Web. It's one thing to access reliable databases & resources; however, all too often it takes time & experience to get the "good stuff" as opposed to the junk--and there's tons of junk. Where do start when there are thousands of hits? When there are no sign posts pointing you in the "right" direction?
Enough already! I meandering & could go on ad nauseum. Besides no one will read this.
PS That is not my cat. My pets are only allowed to listen to Audio Books. Well, they can't read yet!

#14: Techno--who?

Okay, here is where I draw the line, folks. I do not want to dive into Technorati & the world of blogs. It reminds me of the first time I searched in Google for something like "dog." When I searched for "Learning 2.0," there were ONLY 22,239 posts. (The notion of 100 Top Stations on satellite blows my mind. By the time I've whipped through a "favorites" list of 12, I'm tuckered out--and the show I've just chosen started 13 minutes ago!)
As asked, I looked at the Top Favorites, Searches, & Blogs. They are of zero interest to me. Too much junk. That's okay, because I've got Rollyo & Del.icio.us. Am I showing my age here? Good. Onward to #15.

#13: A Lucky # for Italians! (or *This Isn't Your Ordinary "Bookmaking!")

It's been awhile since my last post. That's because I became ensnared in the del.icio.us "thing." After viewing "Several Habit of Wildly Successful Del.icio.us Users" plus messing around with it on my own--I should know better at my age--my pal & mentor, DJ, came to my rescue AGAIN. Now I understand the basics of this tool. Lo & behold, it makes sense, & I think it will be of value for me. Imagine that!?! Since I move among at least 5 computers at GLE plus mine at home, what an efficient way to get to my bookmarks. (NB: I have managed to create a delightful, del.icio.us "cloud." Please look to your right. Ta-dah!!)
As for the social networking thing, I'll pass on that aspect at this point. I'll continue to add tags when I have time. I like this "thing."
*What does this mean? Refer to our Tracking Log #13. I called Jaye to tease her re our "social bookmaking site" activity. Too much time with the Sopranos, perhaps?