week 8 #18--Social networking

HMMM.....Mixed feelings about this. Patrons are using social networking sites, my friends and colleagues are using social networking sites. I like to look at social networking sites to see what other people are doing, but really I have very little interest in actively using them. I have created a myspace page because a friend from college told me to. So I looked up other friends from college and i guess I am on their guest list or friends pages, but then they all started talking and emailing and then a mystery dude "brad' started bugging me. I think it was nice to get everybody's contact information, but I would rather email them separately or create a yahoo group for us than expose myself to all the creeps. I like to have friends in real life too. I like to go places or have them come over. Not necessarily to just chat on the computer. I can see how this would be cool for people who do not have super active lives with constant activity already. Maybe I am old fashioned but it is not for me. However, I will keep up with it so that I can assist others.

week 7 #17 My thoughts on technology

I love technology and I hate technology. The internet has been down at my house for two weeks thanks to the phone company!!! I realize how much I depend on the internet when it is gone and I love the services, but I have become dependant on them so when it doesn't work I am helpless. I have no idea how much money I have in the bank, which bills have been paid or who won the cowboys game last night. I cannot track my UPS packages, I cannot see next weeks lunch menu from home, but most importantly I am not connected to my office email 24-7. But the cool part is that I have survived this 2 week internet famine. I have visited the library after my shift and on weekends, I have gone to friends houses I have had to go out of my way to get plugged in, but I have done it. So I feel confident about using most aspects of technology, computers, cameras, you know...useful tools. However, I cannot figure out the remote at my house. I cannot change the tv channel. I cannot change the volume and I have trouble with the dvd player. At some point I want to conquer these too.

Week 7 #16

I love wikis. Especially wikipedia. I have never edited anything, but I use it a lot. Of course not for any research or important stuff that I should be reading journals or academic books for. What I like to look up is about people in the gossip papers. There are all sorts of cool links to photos and places to scoop up even better gossip. I also like to look up movies to find out what the actors names are. I am terrible with names.

Week 6 #15--I LIKE IT!

I read several of the articles about web2.0 and Libraries 2.0. I am liking what I hear. It seems that most of the Librarians are in agreement that the library of the past is no longer useful and we must keep up to keep from facing our own demise. The web has changed the course of how information is created, stored, gathered and evaluated and we must come to terms with this a create new ways for information users (EVERYBODY) to be able to hunt effectively. We have to see what our users want and what ways they are looking for it. We must stay on top of technology as our users are so that we can make sure that we dont become archives instead of Libraries. We must make our users comfortable with our systems and methods of communication so they are not discouraged form using our resources and become googlites. However, we really need to look at what the patrons want, not what the library staff wants or we will make ourselves obsolete. I think that this program (ihcpl) will help with that realization across the board.

Technorati Week 6 #14--Feeling too plugged in

Technorati is cool, but a little freaky to me. Fist off, I looked up my own bloc which had like a four millionth something rating and that made me sad. I wanted to be at least in the first one million. Then I was nobodies favorite site, so I called my husband and my sister and told them to make me a favorit so I can feel more loved and special. Then I saw that there was a full copy if my whole blog up there. Maybe I am being a little possessive, but its my blog and I really dont want it displayed this way on technorati. Not that it is private or holds great screcrest. I just found this to be irritating. Then I looked at the popular blogs where I found several about paris hilton. OMG!!!!! so many people with so much time and nothing better to do. Then I looked at the WTF (which I know to stand for something else than 'wheres the fire')...Users should not send messages to thier mothers that include WTF...apparently this has several meaning. Anyway. There were insane blogs about things I dont care anything about, such as a blog about people with extra breasts. I mean really..... So if you are trying to look up somthing or find someone it is cool, but its not for me.

Week 6 #13---Del.icio.us

This is the coolest thing ever. I am going to use this and spread the word. My bookmarks are always so disorganized, but this way I can keep them organized and with me at every computer I use. I love it. Also I can see what other people are tagging and how they are used. This is really a supercool tool! I am soo excited!!!

Week 5 #12 in week 6 or is it 7

I am sorry that I am getting behind. It is the busy season at the refdesk here at cy-fair. I tried out the library elf. I think it is really cool, but not for me personally. However, I will recommend it to patrons who are not as familiar with the library system. Of course I work in the library. I know how to check my accounts and chances are all of my overdues are in my office or my car and I can run out to get them when I need to. I can see how a busy mom with several kids and several library accounts could benefit from this service. I will start to tell them about it.