Productivity Tools -- Week 8!

Don't forget the Milk!

I created an account on Remember the Milk -- I don't know how much I will use it, but it's pretty cool! I think if I had data on my phone, I would totally download the App so that I could take my to-do lists (and shopping lists, etc) with me everywhere I go! For today, I just added the list of stuff that I've got to do in the next 24 hours! Here is a picture of my page:

I've had some fun with this course, and discovered quite a few websites that I know I myself will use in the future, even if we don't use them regularly at the Library!

Social Cataloguing

I love using the Internet to keep track of books that are on my bookshelf! I've never kept a list of books I've read (there are waaay too many) but I have tried over the years to maintain a list of the books that I own. I used WeReads on Facebook a few years ago to track what I was reading, but I lost track of it, and now it only seems to load a blank page)
So, I'm working on adding my book collection to LibraryThing! It's super easy to use, and I like that it links directly to my Facebook so I don't have to remember another username/password.  I just wish it shared the list with my Facebook, for sharing with my friends... I may have to check out GoodReads for that!

Here is my Library Thing link!
http://www.librarything.com/home/stacey.hol#_=_

Wikis

Wikis! "a website which allows its users to add, modify, or delete its content via a web browser usually using a simplified markup language or a rich-text editor.^[1][2][3] Wikis are powered by wiki software. Most are created collaboratively." -- wikipedia.org

Wikipedia is one of my most visited websites! I know that you have to re-check a lot of facts, but I like to use it as a starting point, directing me where to look next in a research project...

Wikis can be really useful when a large group of people are collaborating on a project, or sharing information with each other without having to send constant memos and files back and forth.

I've also really liked the "fandom" wikis, where groups of people who are fans of books, movies, etc can group together to share information about them (If you are a Harry Potter fan, check out http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page!)

Photo and Video Sharing, Podcasts

Before starting this weeks assignment, I had never even looked into sharing photos or videos somewhere other than my Facebook account. While I did create a Flickr account for this assignment, I don't see myself using it after the end of this course. The same with Instagram -- unless I upgrade to a phone plan with data, I just transfer pictures from my phone to my computer with the USB cable. If I were to ever make videos (aside from short recordings with my digital camera) I would probably use YouTube to post them.
Here is my Flickr account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94197084@N08/

Podcasts could be used to make written newsletters and blogs accessible to all library users. They aren't something I would want for personal use at this time. Podcasts are also something that could potentially be used by new authors as a way to share their work, by producing audio presentations of their work (either whole or in part) to promote it with new audiences.

Week 4 -- tagging and social bookmarking

With my sinus headache at least temporarily under control (Thank you Benadryl), and my Internet up and running at home again (thanks mom!) I am finally getting  back to work on this course! Week 4 was quick and painless -- I have been using Pinterest for a couple of months already myself, and love the option of pinning things onto a cloud instead of trying to save all the links/photos/etc on my personal computer! I checked out Delicious, but decided that for now at least, I prefer my Pinterest.
For this assignment, I started a new board called videos and pinned a video link from week 2 of the course. I described it as "Frank's Cloud! for Sols 2.0" so if somebody searches for any of those terms it will come up!
Well, all for now, back soon with week 5!

RSS/Twitter!

Ok, so I learned a good lesson today, if at first you don't succeed in Chrome, try Internet Explorer!

My first attempt to follow a SOLS RSS feed kind of went kerplooey -- when I tried to follow any RSS link in Chrome, all I got was a strange page of Internet code... back to the old standby, IE ~ I knew there was a reason I kept it on my computer!

Once I switched browsers, I subscribed to the SOLS main RSS feed through the IE addon. Then, deciding there had to be a way to subscribe in Chrome, using my Google account, I searched manually for Southern Ontario Library Service, and found it! Yay, ready to go!

Next, I headed to twitter.... I've never had the slightest interest in Twitter, so I wasn't really sure what to expect... It was super simple to sign up, and thanks to Erin who posted in the comments on the assignment page how to skip the add 5 friends! my new (probably temporary, since I don't see myself using it...) Twitter account is @boekmeisje

But alas, the assignment is done, and now I really need to get out of Tim Hortons... Somebody burned the donuts (or biscuits, bread, muffins, not really sure what) and the smell of scorched bread is starting to get nauseating. 

Until next time, goedenacht!

Learning 2.0!

Learning 2.0 Blog is underway!