Monday, October 15, 2007

#10 More Play


The Generator Blog has a plethora of generators to try, like this one http://www.glassgiant.com/rocket/.

#10 Playing


My creation
Originally uploaded by hey nonny

Yet again there are endless possibilities. I did my mag on bighugelabs.com .

#9 Finding feeds

Having a play with feed searching was an interesting exercise.

On Feedster when doing a search on Libraries I found blogs on everything from Dracula to Queen Victoria. I found it a little hard to narrow down the searches in Feedster and found the results were often very general. I also found it difficult to ascertain the source of the postings.

Technorati was listed as a good tool for Topic Blog searching and I found this to be true for me. The results are displayed clearly and I was able to refine my search easily.

I used Topix for topical news feed searching and again found it to be useful. The results are displayed clearly and I was able to refine the searches.

I tried the Google Blog search and found it easy to use, I do not know if this has more to do with my familiarity with Google rather than the search itself.

I added a couple of publication feeds to my Bloglines account fairly straight forward. I did find some of the screens are very busy for example the Ebsco Reference Centre but the more sites I visit the more I am able to visual sort the information for myself.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Everest and Clouds


Everest and Clouds
Originally uploaded by Not so fast
This photo is amazing and I got it through my Blogline account on a Flickr feed.

#8 Bloglines

http://www.bloglines.com/

RSS and Newsreaders are a great way to specify the information you want to receive and avoid the deadly world of SPAM. Leading the busy lives we do I want to keep up with current events in all my interests from news to music. I love the idea of being able to do so when I have the time and the inclination..

I began with five simple feeds and have now expanded into Podcasts, Library sites and Flickr.

With our own Library Blog I can see a great application to allow us to link into current events and topical issues as they happen. The scope is global.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

#7 Technology


I ask myself how I use technology. When was the last time I used an a phone book, looked up an Encyclopedia or even wrote a letter ? The questions interest me for where we are headed and how it will affect all of us.


When I was at secondary school we had a computer room and classes were allocated time per week. Now Primary School children have multiple PCs in their rooms. I have been given instructions on using Microsoft Publisher by a someone who still has their baby teeth. A whole new language exists that you have to use when sending an SMS and emails are replacing the written letter. All of this has been written about in newspapers, magazines and debated in a public forum but I wonder about the reality of technology and what it means to me.


Being part of the X Generation we are in the middle of what has become a technology explosion. Daily I use the internet to search for everything from clothing, shoes to the latest supermarket specials to looking up information to make me better informed about daily issues. I hear something has happened out in the big wide world I am on the Age or ABC website for the immediate lowdown! And there it is immediate. It is all about the I want it now. No waiting for the paper or the evening news..... no way!


The more I am learning about what is available the less capable and informed I feel....but hey that's okay there's a website somewhere with lessons on what I don't know!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

# 6 My creation

Mashups


My creation
Originally uploaded by hey nonny
The possibilities that are out there blow my mind. It is the ole cliche, the more that I am learning the more I realise I didn't know. Trading cards are a hoot. Blog On!