Feed - M.T. Anderson

What do you think of Anderson's idea of the future? Possible? Desireable?

I guess I should begin by saying I really thought this was a great read :) So much so that I stayed up late one night and completed the book. I believe the book was published in 1998, which just amazes me. Although that is only ten years ago, technology has grown in leaps and bounds since then. Only a decade ago, I would have never imagined the internet as it exists today. I was still using a dial-up connection back then and Netscape was my browser of choice.

Since then connectivity has significantly increased in speed and access has become much more portable. Technologies new gadgets make it possible for individuals to use mobile devices such as phones and PDA's to access the internet. What would be more portable than an implanted chip or feed? So, do I think that Anderson's idea of the future is possible? With the rapid rate of advancement and the direction technology has taken thus far, I do believe that some of the ideas may be quite possible.

Although teenagers, and society at large for that matter, are not quite chatting via an implanted chip or feed, the usage of instant messenger statistics are continuing to rise. Whether it be using aim, yahoo, meebo, twitter, RSS feeds, texting via phone blackberry, sidekick, or iphone etc we are currently living in the age of information and technology where these new methods of technology are directly affecting the culture of society. Not to mention, the increased forms electronic advertising, the web banners, pop-ups, spam mail, etc that exist today.

The Anderson reading really made me look at today's society in a whole new light. Today's pop culture's drastic take over of the teen population whether it be music or fashion trends is just one example. Other thoughts of course involve the state of environment and the issue of global warming. Although some of the futuristic inventions depicted in the book such as the flying car, and traveling to the moon for spring break seem desirable, if those advancements accompanied by implanted chips, malfunctions, artificial suns, destruction of all forests, segregation of population as well as the loss of physical and emotional human interaction then I'd pass :)

"New to you" Social Software, Web2.0 or Library2.0

As I began searching the latest Web 2.0 social software packages, I came across a very resourceful Web 2.0 Directory. This site provides direct links to some very interesting sites as well as a brief explanation of some of the software functions and features. I have selected one very interesting service and provided some more information about a few others that also seemed useful.

OODesk
The web based service allows the user to create a virtual workspace with the ability to upload & share files, aggregate RSS feeds, and create custom widgets. I selected this free service as it is the setup was very easy (the registration process consisted of completing only one simple form). It is also very useful if you are constantly moving from various PC systems as it provides the ability to access documents on a web-based platform. Throughout the average day it is possible for me to be working on up to four systems, my work PC, work laptop, my personal workstation or my personal laptop. The there are times where I may frequent the library or computer lab and utilize a workstation at these locales. Often times I may not have accessible portable drive, may need such a web-based service. Although I do currently use Google Doc's when I'm in a bind, this service also acts as an RSS feed aggregator, and provides you with the ability to create cutsom widgets.

Other interesting sites:

• Pixlar- a free online image editor, no signup required:) or check out Sumopaint which is also very similar
  
• Qrowd - remix the web, organize your web content with custom interface
• Self Cast - create your own free live broadcast
  

Blog Lines vs Google Reader

Bloglines

• Web-based RSS reader; Aggregates posts from any site with RSS feed;free service

• Takes old frame approach with side bar on left things will show up in center RSS written in XML
• More user friendly organizational structure. A user can easily add a feed to a specified folder during the subscription process
• Tabbed side bar interface allows a user to easily navigate between feeds, blogs, clippings, and play lists.
  

Google Reader

• Web-based RSS reader; Aggregates posts from any site with RSS feed;free service
  
• No setup required with google email account
• Users need to access the "manage subscriptions" area to organize their subscriptions into folders.
• Ability to easily star/tag feeds.

Blogger vs Wordpress

Blogger (+)

• Very streamlined and user friendly. I was able to create posts with ease.
  
• Interface's tabbed design organizes the site very well and allows for easy navigation.
• Allows you to edit in html
  

Blogger (-)

• Small selection of templates
  
• Basic WYSIWYG editor
• Limited number of customizable profile settings.
• Basic classification system with tagging feature available but category labels are not.
  

Wordpress (+)

• Large number of templates.
• Allows you to edit CSS as well as html.
• WYSIWYG editor more robust.
• Better classification system with the ability to use categories.
• Ability to link categories to establish relationships between them.
• Provides ability to import from Blogger, Live Journal and other blog services.
• Large number of profile settings to adjust the properties of the blog.
• Offers a "paste from word" feature .
  
• When adding a link have more options to specify. For example, you can use the interface to specify that you want to link to open in a new window. In blogger you would have to edit the html code in order to achieve this.
• More control over site and many more editing options available.
  

Word Press (-)

• Some template designs do not support select feature. For example, initially I choose a design that doesn't support widgets which could be confusing to a novice.
• Dashboard is a bit busy and could be confusing to a new user.
  
• All of the editing and customizable features could be overwhelming to a novice user.
• Upgrades such as increased storage would need to be purchased for a small charge.
  

Brown & Duguid

• What messages can Librarians/Libraries take from the Brown & Duguid reading?

Brown & Duguid discuss the rapid growth of technology and some of the negative effects it has on people and the working environment. I felt the readings nicely highlighted the frustrations felt by many computers users while working from home with lack of access to adequate support. As upgrades in technology continue to be released, I believe some level of frustration will always exist. However, I am also optimistic in thinking that the days of complete systems crashes are in the past :)

As the number of libraries with web services continues to increase, it is very important for librarians to always be conscious of not only the system itself, but the setup and usability of the service as well. For example, when considering a virtual reference service feature for a library, a web based service such as meebo may be preferable as opposed to software package the user may have to install. Such a service would also enable a user to log on anonymously without having to even setup a profile.

It is also important to consider the availability of help support and user training. The readings suggested having a highly knowledgeable user group among the staff is always beneficial. Librarians should consider having a core group of super users that continue to be trained and updated on recent software upgrades. This group's responsibilities should include sharing that knowledge among other colleagues as well as training patrons when necessary.

Finally it is always important to carefully consider the cost implications involved with the maintenance and upgrades required with computer technology. Considering the large number of workstations that may exist, replacement of hard drives, upgrades in storage and speed, as well as complete system upgrades can be costly. These are just some of the messages conveyed in the Brown & Duguid reading that I found to be applicable to the library world. :)

Blogging in Libraries

I must begin by saying that although I do consider myself to be somewhat of a techie and a fan of social software in general, I am completely new to the "blogging" world. So I unlike many of my classmates, I have no past experience to draw on for point of comparison. I also lack experience in the field and am ashamed to say that my interaction with any library settings is limited to the Rutgers libraries . So please understand that these findings are coming from a novice :)

• Find a library that uses a blog that you think is a good model for other libraries, link to it, and explain why.

I started by searching for public libraries in New Jersey that utilize a blogging feature. I must say I was quite surprised to find a good number of the blogs I came across were using blogger. In fact despite my attempts to find variety, all of the blogs I discuss in this posting are on the blogspot domain.

For example, The West Long Branch library uses the service to advertise new books, and DVDs. I do find the streamlined format of blogger to be quite nice, however I thought there was much more that could be accomplished and continued my search.

I then came stumbled across the Newark Public library blog. Although this library is located in New York I thought it was worth mentioning as I thought it advertised a lot of the events and success stories nicely and I imagine it to be a great resource for events in the local community. And who doesn't enjoy pictures of children of having fun :)

The Berkley Heights Public Library blog contains library news and book reviews and was also very informative. However, I found that the site could have been more user friendly by grouping the posts into categories such as reviews, news, interviews etc. Although the blog had a lot of useful information and found the content to be quite interesting, the patron would be better served if the site utilized sometype of category tagging.

The blog I ultimately chose was the Old Bridge Library Weblog. Although there are still some aspects of the site that I would change, I chose this blog as it nicely advertised the library's events with graphics and organized the content by tagging the information. I must say I was also was drawn to the content itself, and am interested in attendig a few of the events.