What I think

This exercise has been an adventure. Traveling the web has been one of those want to do it but don't have the resources. Being able to use the fast connections of KCLS put me on the road. And boy have I seen some sites, experimented with things and broadened my horizons.

I do think there were too many places without a real payoff. I did like delicious and the Zoho/Googledocs. I really see the potential for personal and work use.

I was surprised by how hard it seems to "connect" with people on the personal sites. I either need to get more creative with my tags or maybe just willing to put more of my personal information out on those sites.

I am very grateful for this training experience. It really is a great opportunity to explore and expand my Internet knowledge. I would never have spent the time or had the guidance to do this on my own.

The one thing I found hard as this training progressed is "what to search for" I really got sick of entertainment or library sites. My personal interests did not have a lot of hits out there( I guess my current culture factor is too low). I really did find myself not able to do a simple search of a site, I just didn't care or the information was to sparse. 27 Things did have suggestions to try but I hate to do the same thing over and over. I might suggest providing a broader subject list for us narrow focused people.

My big comment on this training is to let us know up front some of the things we need to prepare for. Here at Valley View the most common complaint was "another account". So here is my solution:

First is an e-mail account. Let people know up front that they will need to use their KCLS e-mail or if they are uncomfortable with work mail have them open a free yahoo account. Make sure that everyone knows that there will be lots of new accounts and it is best to have only one mail account to use for all the exploring.

Second go directly to an online use site or account manager and teach everyone how to make links to all the new accounts they will be opening. It becomes overwhelming to try to remember up to 15 or so accounts you have opened. Not everyone has a dedicated computer to save favorites and of course this fits right in with Web 2.0

It was a good trip, and I would boldly go where I have not gone before.

mp3 players

Finally, we are at the point I have been waiting for. Soon I will be able to take my audio books and music on the road with me. My wonderful children gave me a top of the line ipod nano and I cannot use it at library. What kind of lame situation is that. Bring on the mp3 player. I am eagerly awaiting the audio books. My Bugeye has no radio and I could not hear it anyway, Oh, to be on the open road with the wind in my hair and a good book in my ear.

Ok, here is the embedded version. I think I have had too may web visits lately.

youtube bugeye

Ok, I now get to have some fun viewing bugeyes. I wish I could turn my car like the one on YouTube. Maybe I will get out one of these days and give it a try. I need to get these 27things done so I can get out and actually do things not just wander around the web.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz2OB0mwWBw

web 2.0

These travels around the web world are exciting, different, and at this point exhausting. Too many sites, too fast and too similar. Tourist overload. The 2.0 award sites really put me into site paralysis. I just have too much baggage and to add more just put me over my weight limit.

The award links seem to be too hard to navigate for the information you get. I know that they are a work in progress but the subject matter is too narrow and incomplete. I tried to make a map for wayfarer http://www.wayfaring.com/ and just could not do it.

All this is good to know and to have experience with, where we need it here at KCLS, at this moment, I have no clue.

collaboration

Wow, again I am expanding my internet horizons. With all the possible contributions I should never get lost. Then again too many navigators can ruin the rally. We will have to see.

Library 2.0

Wow, I guess that it is on it's way. Virtual collections, specific search engines, and a book free environment. I can see the advantages to these specific and virtual collections: a road map to where ever you want to go. I have taken a lot of this exercise lightly, but the serious aspect of this is starting to sink in.

To more open road adventures

More excursions into the Google World

Wow, creating your own search engine, cool. I do not have a lot of favorites at the moment but I am willing to try the side streets and alleys of the web. Who knows what you will find.

I do have to say that I do not care for the 'link" gadget. It is too big and not very attractive, it ruins the lines of the page.

Well, I have been around and tried some of the image generators and I guess they are an amusing detour on the 27 things. Now down the road for more adventures.

Here's to Lord Right Eye Rita

I have been navigating through and around the Wiki sites. I need to do some more traveling around here to really appreciate this internet landscape

Ok, I feel like I am back on the road again. All the necessities for a road trip accessible anywhere any time. Yes, ready to move forward on this quest. This social networking sure means fewer bumps on the highway.

LibraryThing Search Widget Builder

LibraryThing Search Widget Builder

Delicious shortcuts

Well, this week has me mapping all my shortcuts. I can see how this can be a good thing, I can always get to my destination without all the wrong turns and detours. This is really helpful for those places you want to visit again and again.

If I am out and about I may "ask" about other ways and routes. It does keep you on the road.

Much more useful than MySpace and easier to use

Another new account to manage. I will never get out on the road with all the stops, U turns and reroutes. I will admit that I am older than my car but I do not want that to be the first thing people see on my account. I know that I can lie about my age in my profile but I do not want to.

I sometimes wonder about all "the government is spying on me" when we so easily put so much personal information out there for anyone to see and use. Sorry that was my own detour.

It is good to stop and read about what you about to merge into. I thought most of the articles were of some interest. I do have to agree with Meg'n and her comment about libraries using "people" accounts. We should be honest about what we are. Also, trying too hard just makes us look like an institution. My red sports car is not a Ferrari and I do not make it out to be.

This week is a lot of stopping, starting and turning around. The RSS feeds work well if you already know about the site but finding other feeds of interest can be a real maze. I did just copy a URL of a site and I have had updates but in a strange format. So far I have not found the need to feed.

Well, this week has been a stop and go at road side attractions. The Flickr tools are amusing, silly, set up for people who have no life. Really, how many times can one paint on Chia Pet hair and still have a laugh. Bah Humbug!

One observation from a 2.0 user, let us know how to find these and other tools without having to be on kcls27things. I found you can "google" flickr tools and come up with even more possibilities.

bugeye in progress

bugeye in progress
Originally uploaded by bugeyerita.

Despite the condition of my car I am moving out of the slow lane and picking up speed.

I have been in the slow lane since the last post. I am not yet up to speed on finding other bloggers, making comments and figuring out when and where you can make posts, comments and searches. I want to have more highways from a single spot than having to change my starting point. Maybe that will become more apparent as I move along this adventure.

Well, as the branch "go to" person I guess I had better be ahead of the curve, (Yes the bugeye is a little sports car so I should be comfortable on the curves). Here is my first post but I did make a comment on the 27 things post on a couple of days ago so I guess I have learned something.