23 more challenges to explore and complete.
2 more months of discovery, inquiry, and procrastination.
Keep an eye out here for Tech Challenge 2: Electric Boogaloo.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The End (Or is it?)
Well, that's it folks. Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to everyone who completed the challenge. I hope you enjoy your prizes as much as you thought you would. :)
For those who have asked, the entire program will remain here at this blog, so that anyone who didn't get to participate can do so at a later date, or so anybody who wants to finish the challenge just for the heck of it can access all the challenges.
As for your blogs, you're welcome to keep using those for your own personal use. I will still be using mine, and will continue to keep all of yours subscribed in my bloglines so I can keep up with the very entertaining blog posts of my coworkers. Who needs TV?
So again, thanks everyone, and I'm looking forward to whatever we do next.
For those who have asked, the entire program will remain here at this blog, so that anyone who didn't get to participate can do so at a later date, or so anybody who wants to finish the challenge just for the heck of it can access all the challenges.
As for your blogs, you're welcome to keep using those for your own personal use. I will still be using mine, and will continue to keep all of yours subscribed in my bloglines so I can keep up with the very entertaining blog posts of my coworkers. Who needs TV?
So again, thanks everyone, and I'm looking forward to whatever we do next.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Game Night Pictures!
Pictures that I took at the Staff Game Night Saturday are uploaded onto my Flickr site. Enjoy!
Also available: Video!
Watch the Video
The rest can be found on this page. I really really would love to put these up on YouTube. Any objections?
Also available: Video!
Watch the Video
The rest can be found on this page. I really really would love to put these up on YouTube. Any objections?
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Task 23 - Play!
Welcome to the end of the Technology 2.0 Challenge. You're almost there! If you've made it this far, congratulations!
Gaming is an ever-growing part of life in today's society. But video games and gamers have changed dramatically since the very first Ataris and Apple IIs. The Electronic Software Association publishes "Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry" every year, detailing who gamers are and what they play. Did you know the average age of gamers is 33? And in a world where everyone worries about the effects of games such as Halo and Grand Theft Auto, nearly half of all video games bought in 2005 were in fact, rated "E". Check out their statistics on parents and gaming too, you might be surprised.
This final task is the fun one (or evil, I suppose), where you all get to come down to the library basement and experience Game Night for yourselves. On Saturday, January 20th from 5:00-7:00 PM, there will be a Staff Game Night, featuring games like Dance, Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero! (There are also alternate times I can hold another game night if everyone can't make the Saturday night, either Friday the 19th or Monday the 22nd.) Pizza will be provided, so come prepared to play!
Gaming is an ever-growing part of life in today's society. But video games and gamers have changed dramatically since the very first Ataris and Apple IIs. The Electronic Software Association publishes "Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry" every year, detailing who gamers are and what they play. Did you know the average age of gamers is 33? And in a world where everyone worries about the effects of games such as Halo and Grand Theft Auto, nearly half of all video games bought in 2005 were in fact, rated "E". Check out their statistics on parents and gaming too, you might be surprised.
This final task is the fun one (or evil, I suppose), where you all get to come down to the library basement and experience Game Night for yourselves. On Saturday, January 20th from 5:00-7:00 PM, there will be a Staff Game Night, featuring games like Dance, Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero! (There are also alternate times I can hold another game night if everyone can't make the Saturday night, either Friday the 19th or Monday the 22nd.) Pizza will be provided, so come prepared to play!
Task 21 and 22
Task 21 - Library 2.0 Reading List
I know that faced with a new technology, it's easier to see how you can use it yourself than it is to see how you can use it at work. With many of these designed for personal use, the possible benefits for libraries are not always the first thing to come to mind. Fortunately, Web 2.0 is all about sharing ideas, and libraries and librarians all over the world are coming up with new and interesting ways to use technology in libraries and sharing these ideas with the rest of us.
The ALA offered an online bootcamp on "Library 2.0" (while many people aren't fond of the name, it's what is being used to describe libraries who are using these new online services to their fullest advantage, providing more of a link between the library and their patrons), and provided a Squidoo page with links to what people were saying about it. There are links to blog posts, flickr pictures, del.icio.us links, as well as podcasts and webcasts on the subject.
Your task: Skim through the reading list. You don't need to read everything, but click on something that sounds interesting and see what people are saying. I saw many of these people speak at Internet Librarian 2006. They're all worth listening to. Some suggestions are this post by Michael Casey, this one by John Blyberg, or any of these by the ALA TechSource Crew.
Task 22 - Online Seminars with SirsiDynix
Now, we obviously can't afford to send everyone in the library to California next year for Internet Librarian. However, you don't need to spend a lot of money and travel time just to hear what the movers and shakers of the library world have to say. The SirsiDynix Institute provides free online seminars on library topics, many of them pertaining to Web and Library 2.0. From Podcasting, to Gaming in Libraries, to Blogging, all of these topics have been discussed in SirsiDynix Seminars, and are available free during the original broadcast as well as in the seminar archive which provides access to seminars you might have missed.
Your Task: Explore the SirsiDynix Institute page. See what's coming up, as well as take a look at the archive and see what they've already covered. I know that not everyone has a fast enough internet connection to view these at home, but consider taking a minute or two the next time you're at the library to check one of these out.
I know that faced with a new technology, it's easier to see how you can use it yourself than it is to see how you can use it at work. With many of these designed for personal use, the possible benefits for libraries are not always the first thing to come to mind. Fortunately, Web 2.0 is all about sharing ideas, and libraries and librarians all over the world are coming up with new and interesting ways to use technology in libraries and sharing these ideas with the rest of us.
The ALA offered an online bootcamp on "Library 2.0" (while many people aren't fond of the name, it's what is being used to describe libraries who are using these new online services to their fullest advantage, providing more of a link between the library and their patrons), and provided a Squidoo page with links to what people were saying about it. There are links to blog posts, flickr pictures, del.icio.us links, as well as podcasts and webcasts on the subject.
Your task: Skim through the reading list. You don't need to read everything, but click on something that sounds interesting and see what people are saying. I saw many of these people speak at Internet Librarian 2006. They're all worth listening to. Some suggestions are this post by Michael Casey, this one by John Blyberg, or any of these by the ALA TechSource Crew.
Task 22 - Online Seminars with SirsiDynix
Now, we obviously can't afford to send everyone in the library to California next year for Internet Librarian. However, you don't need to spend a lot of money and travel time just to hear what the movers and shakers of the library world have to say. The SirsiDynix Institute provides free online seminars on library topics, many of them pertaining to Web and Library 2.0. From Podcasting, to Gaming in Libraries, to Blogging, all of these topics have been discussed in SirsiDynix Seminars, and are available free during the original broadcast as well as in the seminar archive which provides access to seminars you might have missed.
Your Task: Explore the SirsiDynix Institute page. See what's coming up, as well as take a look at the archive and see what they've already covered. I know that not everyone has a fast enough internet connection to view these at home, but consider taking a minute or two the next time you're at the library to check one of these out.
Monday, January 8, 2007
Task 20: Online Databases
This might be a review to some people, but I think a lot of times we forget to refer people to our wonderful online databases when they come in trying to do research.
Have you ever had someone come in trying to write a paper (especially for a college class) on a topic we didn't have much information for? What if they need several sources and we only have one book? Do you suggest our EBSCO database or any of the other databases we get through the Kentucky Virtual Library? When people come in looking for genealogy information, do we remember to mention that we have access to Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest? Do you refer patrons to Novelist when they want to know what other books are in a series?
Many of these sources can be invaluable in helping our patrons do research. As an example, suppose a patron came in looking for information for a paper they were writing on "dangerous" dogs breeds and the ordinances many cities are passing in order to protect citizens. (Louisville just passed one of their own.) In our non-fiction section, we have general books about dogs, and more specific books about some of the breeds that are considered "dangerous", but probably not enough information to write a paper on this topic. However, a quick search of the KYVL database brings up articles on dangerous dog ordinances: several from a veterinary magazine, and one from USA Today. These articles give information on at least three different locations with laws designed to control certain breeds that are considered "dangerous", and information on people who are fighting against designating certain dog breeds as "dangerous". A search of EBSCOhost (don't be intimidated by their choose a database page. when in doubt, check it) brought up several more articles in full text. These results could be all a patron needs to complete their paper. (Search hint: Once you find an article, try clicking on the subject links to see similar articles.)
Your task: Make it a point to explore the databases we have access to. What did you find that you had never seen before? What can you see being the most useful in helping patrons find information? If you need help navigating through the KYVL databases, ask someone who has taken the "Intro to Reference" class through KYVU. They should be able to help.
Have you ever had someone come in trying to write a paper (especially for a college class) on a topic we didn't have much information for? What if they need several sources and we only have one book? Do you suggest our EBSCO database or any of the other databases we get through the Kentucky Virtual Library? When people come in looking for genealogy information, do we remember to mention that we have access to Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest? Do you refer patrons to Novelist when they want to know what other books are in a series?
Many of these sources can be invaluable in helping our patrons do research. As an example, suppose a patron came in looking for information for a paper they were writing on "dangerous" dogs breeds and the ordinances many cities are passing in order to protect citizens. (Louisville just passed one of their own.) In our non-fiction section, we have general books about dogs, and more specific books about some of the breeds that are considered "dangerous", but probably not enough information to write a paper on this topic. However, a quick search of the KYVL database brings up articles on dangerous dog ordinances: several from a veterinary magazine, and one from USA Today. These articles give information on at least three different locations with laws designed to control certain breeds that are considered "dangerous", and information on people who are fighting against designating certain dog breeds as "dangerous". A search of EBSCOhost (don't be intimidated by their choose a database page. when in doubt, check it) brought up several more articles in full text. These results could be all a patron needs to complete their paper. (Search hint: Once you find an article, try clicking on the subject links to see similar articles.)
Your task: Make it a point to explore the databases we have access to. What did you find that you had never seen before? What can you see being the most useful in helping patrons find information? If you need help navigating through the KYVL databases, ask someone who has taken the "Intro to Reference" class through KYVU. They should be able to help.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Task 19 - Downloadable audiobooks
We all know that some of those big libraries offer downloadable audiobooks for their patrons, and even though we don't offer those yet our patrons can still choose to buy downloadable audiobooks from most online stores. But what happens when they want something new? Can you find free downloadable audiobooks online without being a patron of one of the libraries that offers those as part of their collection? Sure you can.
Podiobooks is a site that offers free audiobook downloads of unpublished books (and one or two in the public domain) in all genres. Fantasy, Mystery, Humour, Drama, and even books for children and young adults!
Another site available is Librivox, which offers free audiobook downloads of books in the public domain. Many of these books are classics, read by volunteers and posted for your enjoyment. Non-fiction, as well as books in languages other than English are also available.
Like Podcasts (in fact, many of these books are available by podcast) you are not required to have an iPod or any other MP3 player to listen to them. All you need is a computer program that will play music.
Your task: Explore the two websites above. I'm not going to require you to download anything, or to write a report on an audiobook you listened to, but just go and see what each site has to offer. You never know when you might need to recommend either of these sites to someone.
Podiobooks is a site that offers free audiobook downloads of unpublished books (and one or two in the public domain) in all genres. Fantasy, Mystery, Humour, Drama, and even books for children and young adults!
Another site available is Librivox, which offers free audiobook downloads of books in the public domain. Many of these books are classics, read by volunteers and posted for your enjoyment. Non-fiction, as well as books in languages other than English are also available.
Like Podcasts (in fact, many of these books are available by podcast) you are not required to have an iPod or any other MP3 player to listen to them. All you need is a computer program that will play music.
Your task: Explore the two websites above. I'm not going to require you to download anything, or to write a report on an audiobook you listened to, but just go and see what each site has to offer. You never know when you might need to recommend either of these sites to someone.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
The end is near! (Or: So you want one of those prize things...)
So you've heard about the three potential prizes for the challenge, but have you seen them? We have:
If you complete all 23 tasks, you get your choice of one of these.
Once you've decided which one you want, vote here so I can order enough of each.
If you complete all 23 tasks, you get your choice of one of these.
Once you've decided which one you want, vote here so I can order enough of each.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Task 18 - Blog about technology
With the beginning of the new year, the end of the NCPL Tech 2.0 challenge draws closer. Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel? (Yeah, me either. I'd better get my butt in gear if I'm going to have all this stuff posted on time...)
So now, the task.
This one is really easy.
Blog about Technology.
No, really. That's it. You've spent all this time listening to me talk about technology, and now it's your turn. Write a blog post about your computer, the copier, or even the labelmaker. Explain why you love it, how to use it, or why you should be allowed to throw the stupid thing out the window. Tell us what's so cool about some techie thing you got for Christmas, or something new we've gotten (or will be getting) in the library. Tell us why you really want that MP3 Player/Digital Camera/PDA. It’s your blog, be creative!
So now, the task.
This one is really easy.
Blog about Technology.
No, really. That's it. You've spent all this time listening to me talk about technology, and now it's your turn. Write a blog post about your computer, the copier, or even the labelmaker. Explain why you love it, how to use it, or why you should be allowed to throw the stupid thing out the window. Tell us what's so cool about some techie thing you got for Christmas, or something new we've gotten (or will be getting) in the library. Tell us why you really want that MP3 Player/Digital Camera/PDA. It’s your blog, be creative!
PBS TeacherSource article on the end of DOPA
At the beginning of the challenge, we looked at "The 30 Positive Uses of Social Networking Sites", which was YALSA's response to the Deletion of Online Predators Act (DOPA). DOPA was quickly passed in the House, only to sort of fade away once it reached the Senate, and finally died with the beginning of a new congressional session. Andy Carvin gives a good overview of DOPA's rise and fall on the PBS TeacherSource blog, here.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Task 17 - Wikis
Wiki, the hawaiian word for "quick", is the name given to a certain kind of website, which is designed to make information easier to collect and display through collaboration. What really makes wikis different from blogs, or collaborative web applications like google docs, is the wiki has the perfect setup for cross-referencing everything. Notice how the Wikipedia links important keywords in each entry to their own individual entries within the wiki. The Wikipedia is probably the most well known wiki. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. Users have the ability to create new entries, add on to existing ones, and discuss the entries themselves on a special "Talk" page that exists for every page in wikipedia.
Although well-known, Wikipedia isn't the only wiki out there. The WikiIndex tries to be the definitive list of Wikis available on the web. For example, there is a LyricWiki, which provides (suprise!) song lyrics. If you know the lyrics to a song that isn't listed, all you would have to do is create a free account (it helps keep spammers from adding junk to the wiki) and add a page with the song lyrics. It's that simple.
Your job: Try looking through the WikiIndex for wikis that look interesting to you, and explore one to get a handle on how wikis work. Think you've got it? Now go here to our own personal sandbox wiki, and add a wiki to the favorite wikis page. (The wiki password is "ncpltech".) If you're feeling brave, add a page and start something new! :)
(This will be the last task for a week. Enjoy your holidays!)
Although well-known, Wikipedia isn't the only wiki out there. The WikiIndex tries to be the definitive list of Wikis available on the web. For example, there is a LyricWiki, which provides (suprise!) song lyrics. If you know the lyrics to a song that isn't listed, all you would have to do is create a free account (it helps keep spammers from adding junk to the wiki) and add a page with the song lyrics. It's that simple.
Your job: Try looking through the WikiIndex for wikis that look interesting to you, and explore one to get a handle on how wikis work. Think you've got it? Now go here to our own personal sandbox wiki, and add a wiki to the favorite wikis page. (The wiki password is "ncpltech".) If you're feeling brave, add a page and start something new! :)
(This will be the last task for a week. Enjoy your holidays!)
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Task 16 - The Web 2.0 Awards
Many of the tools we've been learning to use are a part of "Web 2.0", the internet movement towards social tools and collaboration. Back in March, the best of the best in Web 2.0 were announced, as part of the Web 2.0 awards. Similar to the Webby's, the Web 2.0 Awards were chosen from among the multitude of sites that cropped up as Web 2.0 gained popularity.
The top three sites in each category are profiled, and a list of the honorable mentions is also available for your viewing pleasure.
Your task: Explore the Web 2.0 Awards Website. Tell us about the most interesting service you find there in your blog.
The top three sites in each category are profiled, and a list of the honorable mentions is also available for your viewing pleasure.
Your task: Explore the Web 2.0 Awards Website. Tell us about the most interesting service you find there in your blog.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Task 15 - Search Engines!
So we've all seen the Ten Reasons Librarians Should Use Ask.com instead of Google over on the Librarian in Black blog. Now, while I actually have more luck with my Google searches, it's up to you to pick a search engine that you feel does the best job and you're the most comfortable with. But how do you keep up with everything? Where's a good place to get the latest scoop on search engines?
Both of these sites have RSS feeds available, so jump in!
Your Task: Explore one or both of the above search engine sites. Which Search Engine do you use? Did either of these sites prompt you to change the search engine you use most often? Respond in a post on your blog.
- The Search Engine Showdown. Has news, reviews, and stats for all the main search engines, as well as some you probably haven't heard of.
- Search Engine Land is a brand new site that provides the latest in search engine news. Also, check out their extensive blogroll for more search engine links!
Both of these sites have RSS feeds available, so jump in!
Your Task: Explore one or both of the above search engine sites. Which Search Engine do you use? Did either of these sites prompt you to change the search engine you use most often? Respond in a post on your blog.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Friday, December 15, 2006
Task 14 - Web-based Applications
There was a time when pricey word-processing programs were a necessity. You needed to buy a copy for your home computer, and every other computer you might need to open the file on, and you were pretty much out of luck if you had a different version of the program on any of the computers you used. And forget sharing your documents with friends or coworkers. You ran into the same problems if you both didn't have the same version of a program, or even the same program (Word vs. Works vs. Wordperfect for example).
Web-based applications try to alleviate some of these problems. By making the application available online, not only is the program available to any computer with internet access, but the file is also available from any computer with internet access.
Some examples of web-based apps:
You can also find more web-based applications here.
Your task: Send me an email (emthelibrarian@gmail.com). I have created a list of movies to buy for the new library on Google Docs, and I will put you on the list of people to edit it. There, you can add your movie suggestions, and explore the service at the same time!
Web-based applications try to alleviate some of these problems. By making the application available online, not only is the program available to any computer with internet access, but the file is also available from any computer with internet access.
Some examples of web-based apps:
- Google Docs & Spreadsheets. Google bought out the online word processor Writely in the spring of 2006. Most of what I do for this challenge has been created here, so I don't loose the disk my files are saved on. Files can be uploaded here and edited, or exported onto a disk (in several file types) for editing offline.
- Phixr is an online photo editing program. While it doesn't offer as much as Photoshop, it's still a handy program. Also similar is My Pictr, which only crops photos.
You can also find more web-based applications here.
Your task: Send me an email (emthelibrarian@gmail.com). I have created a list of movies to buy for the new library on Google Docs, and I will put you on the list of people to edit it. There, you can add your movie suggestions, and explore the service at the same time!
Task 13: Instant Messaging (IM)
Did you know that some teenagers think that email is for talking to old people? For an entire generation, Instant Messaging is the way to communicate with friends, family, and in some cases, even the library!
At Stephen Abram's blog, he discusses the results of an AOL Instant Messenger poll about Instant Messenger usage statistics. While most of the results are in reference to teens, we can see that Instant Messaging is not just a purely teenage thing (in fact, I would probably guess that text messaging on cell phones is this generation's IM). Instant messaging allows for easy communication between two people, less formal than e-mail, and tends to look more like a conversation and less like a letter. Most instant messaging clients are free, and now there are even alternatives to downloading an IM client. Meebo, for example, allows the users of some of the most popular IM clients (AIM, YAHOO, MSN, ICQ) to connect to all of their accounts simultaneously, without downloading anything at all.
Now you get a choice. Either sign up for one of the free Instant Messenger accounts and explore the world of IM. If you need someone to IM, I have an account for all of the major ones (though, it might take me a while to remember my ICQ password), and will be happy to let you use me as a guinea pig. If you would rather just try this IM thing out first, use the Meebo chat box in the right sidebar of this page. It doesn't require an account or any downloads. Just type something in the box and send! It will tell you if I'm online or away, so you don't have to worry about wondering if I'm actually there. Happy IMing!
At Stephen Abram's blog, he discusses the results of an AOL Instant Messenger poll about Instant Messenger usage statistics. While most of the results are in reference to teens, we can see that Instant Messaging is not just a purely teenage thing (in fact, I would probably guess that text messaging on cell phones is this generation's IM). Instant messaging allows for easy communication between two people, less formal than e-mail, and tends to look more like a conversation and less like a letter. Most instant messaging clients are free, and now there are even alternatives to downloading an IM client. Meebo, for example, allows the users of some of the most popular IM clients (AIM, YAHOO, MSN, ICQ) to connect to all of their accounts simultaneously, without downloading anything at all.
Now you get a choice. Either sign up for one of the free Instant Messenger accounts and explore the world of IM. If you need someone to IM, I have an account for all of the major ones (though, it might take me a while to remember my ICQ password), and will be happy to let you use me as a guinea pig. If you would rather just try this IM thing out first, use the Meebo chat box in the right sidebar of this page. It doesn't require an account or any downloads. Just type something in the box and send! It will tell you if I'm online or away, so you don't have to worry about wondering if I'm actually there. Happy IMing!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Task 12 - Del.icio.us
(Don't worry if it takes you forever to remember how exactly to type this website in. We've all been there. I'm still there, in fact. I've mistyped that address 20 times in the last half-hour.)
Del.icio.us is a site that allows you to upload your bookmarks, making them accessible from any computer with a web connection. This also allows you share these bookmarks with others. Del.icio.us also supports tagging, offering the same easy search and browsing that tagging gives sites like Flickr and LibraryThing.
As an example, I have started a del.icio.us site here, to keep track of all the websites I have linked to during the challenge. Just need to know where the cool avatar sites were again? Click on the "task7" tag, and see all the links I referenced in Task 7.
Something else del.icio.us shares with Flickr and LibraryThing is the ability to subscribe to a certain search, receiving notifications whenever someone posts something you might be interested in. You can opt to receive notifications whenever someone posts a public link with a tag that matches your search query.
Your task: Explore del.icio.us, and create an account. What websites could you not live without? Share them with us, by posting a link to your del.icio.us account in your blog!
Del.icio.us is a site that allows you to upload your bookmarks, making them accessible from any computer with a web connection. This also allows you share these bookmarks with others. Del.icio.us also supports tagging, offering the same easy search and browsing that tagging gives sites like Flickr and LibraryThing.
As an example, I have started a del.icio.us site here, to keep track of all the websites I have linked to during the challenge. Just need to know where the cool avatar sites were again? Click on the "task7" tag, and see all the links I referenced in Task 7.
Something else del.icio.us shares with Flickr and LibraryThing is the ability to subscribe to a certain search, receiving notifications whenever someone posts something you might be interested in. You can opt to receive notifications whenever someone posts a public link with a tag that matches your search query.
Your task: Explore del.icio.us, and create an account. What websites could you not live without? Share them with us, by posting a link to your del.icio.us account in your blog!
Friday, December 8, 2006
Task 11 - LibraryThing
So far we've seen communities based on words, videos, and pictures. Next we'll be looking at a community that is based on books. LibraryThing is a site that allows you to make a list of books you own (or even just books you've read) and rate them, review them, tag them, discuss them, or just about anything else you can think of doing. LibraryThing will even tell you who has similar reading tastes to you, and you can check out their list to find something else you might enjoy reading. (Someone who had read 39 of the same books as I have will probably have the same taste in books, so any book that they enjoy will probably be something I will enjoy.)
LibraryThing is similar to NoveList in that it is very helpful for reader's advisory, but LibraryThing is more community oriented. Instead of giving reader's advisory by genre lists, these recommendations take into consideration everything that you have on your list. You like mysteries, but you also like a good weepy romance now and again? LibraryThing will try to match you up with people who do too (there's even an easy way to see exactly what books you and the other person have in common, so you don't have to wonder if you're just being recommended because they have read all the same mysteries that you have).
When you have an account, adding books is easy. When you are logged in, at the top of the page there will be a tab that says "add books". Click there, type in the name or the author, or even the ISBN number, and LibraryThing will search whichever database you choose to find the book's record. That's it! Choose the correct book from the list of results by clicking on it, and the book record will be added to your list.
(Fun hint: Notice the RSS buttons on the bottom right corner of my profile page? If you find someone on LibraryThing that has the same taste as you, you can subscribe to an RSS feed that will notify you when they've added a new book to their list. There is also one that will notify you when they post a new book review. Book recommendations delivered directly to you!)
Your task: Sign up for LibraryThing. Add a few books, and explore what the site offers. Add a link to your profile page to your blog so we can see what you've read.
LibraryThing is similar to NoveList in that it is very helpful for reader's advisory, but LibraryThing is more community oriented. Instead of giving reader's advisory by genre lists, these recommendations take into consideration everything that you have on your list. You like mysteries, but you also like a good weepy romance now and again? LibraryThing will try to match you up with people who do too (there's even an easy way to see exactly what books you and the other person have in common, so you don't have to wonder if you're just being recommended because they have read all the same mysteries that you have).
When you have an account, adding books is easy. When you are logged in, at the top of the page there will be a tab that says "add books". Click there, type in the name or the author, or even the ISBN number, and LibraryThing will search whichever database you choose to find the book's record. That's it! Choose the correct book from the list of results by clicking on it, and the book record will be added to your list.
(Fun hint: Notice the RSS buttons on the bottom right corner of my profile page? If you find someone on LibraryThing that has the same taste as you, you can subscribe to an RSS feed that will notify you when they've added a new book to their list. There is also one that will notify you when they post a new book review. Book recommendations delivered directly to you!)
Your task: Sign up for LibraryThing. Add a few books, and explore what the site offers. Add a link to your profile page to your blog so we can see what you've read.
Task 10: Tagging
Did you notice the tagging feature on Technorati? Or Flickr? What about the labels feature on blogger?
Tagging is a feature that many web applications now support, allowing you to assign keywords for easy retrieval later. For example, this picture on my flickr site is tagged with "library", "pirate night", and "ya program". This way, if anyone came to flickr looking for pictures of YA programs, this picture from pirate night would show up as a search result. The default search on flickr searches the tags, photo descriptions, and photo titles.
On the Popular tags page, (which can be found by clicking on the triangle on the "explore" tab and then going to "popular tags") you can see the most popular tags used on flickr in the past 24 hours, the past week, or of all time. The most popular tags of all time are listed by alphabetical order, but the bigger a word appears, the more often it has been used to tag photos.
While my example has been from Flickr, several of the sites we have used recently have had a tagging feature. I use the tagging feature on this blog, to make it easy to find each challenge. On the right hand side of the blog, under the heading "labels", you can click on any of the tags there to see the posts that pertain to that particular tag. Clicking on "task1" for example, will take you to the entry that contains the challenge for task 1, which will be helpful when you're trying to find one particular task out of the 23 that have been posted.
Your challenge? Tag something. Tag your photos, your blog posts, anything that allows tagging. (There will be more places that allow this later on.) Along with your own tags, tag something you've done for this program as "ncpltech20". Then go here, and see what everyone else has tagged for the program on flickr.
Tagging is a feature that many web applications now support, allowing you to assign keywords for easy retrieval later. For example, this picture on my flickr site is tagged with "library", "pirate night", and "ya program". This way, if anyone came to flickr looking for pictures of YA programs, this picture from pirate night would show up as a search result. The default search on flickr searches the tags, photo descriptions, and photo titles.
On the Popular tags page, (which can be found by clicking on the triangle on the "explore" tab and then going to "popular tags") you can see the most popular tags used on flickr in the past 24 hours, the past week, or of all time. The most popular tags of all time are listed by alphabetical order, but the bigger a word appears, the more often it has been used to tag photos.
While my example has been from Flickr, several of the sites we have used recently have had a tagging feature. I use the tagging feature on this blog, to make it easy to find each challenge. On the right hand side of the blog, under the heading "labels", you can click on any of the tags there to see the posts that pertain to that particular tag. Clicking on "task1" for example, will take you to the entry that contains the challenge for task 1, which will be helpful when you're trying to find one particular task out of the 23 that have been posted.
Your challenge? Tag something. Tag your photos, your blog posts, anything that allows tagging. (There will be more places that allow this later on.) Along with your own tags, tag something you've done for this program as "ncpltech20". Then go here, and see what everyone else has tagged for the program on flickr.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Task 9: Flickr toys
The internet used to be a pretty one-sided place. Websites allowed you to put information out on the web, but there wasn't a lot of collaboration. You just took the information as it was, and that was that. Now, the web is all about collaboration. Most web applications can be easily co-opted and modified to add functionality. Flickr is an excellent example of a site that has become the base for all sorts of other applications.
Examples:
So for this task: Explore some of the flickr tools listed above, and post about it in your blog. If you edit a picture, try to post it in your blog. Or if the tool you use helps you find pictures on flickr, try and post one of those.
Examples:
- Flickrbits.com. This site claims to be the definitive list of flickr tools available on the web.
- FD's Flickr toys. This site provides little tools that add frames to your photos, or make them into trading cards or magazine covers. This would be a great place to use that self-portrait picture I mentioned in the last task assignment!
- Retrievr. This tool allows you to search for flickr pictures by sketching them out on your screen. Fun to play around with and see what you come up with.
- Colr Pickr. This is one of my favorites. Want to find a bunch of green pictures? Feeling like today is a pink day? Pick a color, and this tool will show you pictures on Flickr that match that color.
- Spell with Flickr. Want a really easy way to write a ransom note? This site lets you type in a message and spells it with images found on flickr.
- Clockr. See the current time written out in pictures of numbers found on flickr. This can even be downloaded as a screensaver.
- Also cool is Moo, a site that will print you little business cards with your own flickr pictures printed on the back of them. This is for a fee, of course, but still neat all the same.
So for this task: Explore some of the flickr tools listed above, and post about it in your blog. If you edit a picture, try to post it in your blog. Or if the tool you use helps you find pictures on flickr, try and post one of those.
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