il fin

Stick a fork in me, I'm done!

And what an adventure this has been. A fairly new HCPL employee, this was an exciting way to start. It shows a willingness to explore the great unknown, to improve the way of things, and boldly go where no one has gone before.

Er, I meant to say and boldly step into the cyber future. Or something.

Before I say so long (farewell, aufwiedersehn, adieu), a few things:

1. I think I've clearly established in this blog that I'm just the tiniest bit addicted to the 'net. I blog, I youtube, I download, I shop, I surf, I read... I have my technology favorites and they make me happy. I am more than happy to see many of the tools available on the Internet utilized in Library 2.0, if that's what is best for the patrons (and the librarians).

2. However, it also quite clear from this blog that I'm not gung-ho about everything on the 'net. I think I panned a few things. (Podcasts, come to mind, as does Library Elf.) It's not that I think these tools are useless, I just don't see the need for them in my 'net life.

3. BUT, I can see how these tools could be incredibly useful for people. Zoho for the patron who has forgotten everything from a disc to a flash drive. Library Elf for the mom managing several library cards for each kid from different systems. Podcasts for the person who wants to stay informed but doesn't have time to read. Overdrive for the patron on the go.

Library 2.0 is an exciting idea and many of the tools we've learned have a place there. It's been fun, and it's going to get better.

It is going to be an adventure, kids! Prepare yourself, because we are goin' in!

Ciao!

overdrive

Re: Technology Babble post, I have a Mac and an iPod. This, of course, means that I can't even use OverDrive. So I don't have a lot of experience when it comes to OverDrive for this very reason.

Browsing through OverDrive and the two free sites mentioned in the exercise post, OverDrive is certainly the best. The free books available from the non-library related sites were dated, of poor quality and generally uninteresting. If I were interested in reading a book online or listening to an audio book, OverDrive would be my first choice. (If I could use OverDrive, which I can't, and if I wanted to read a book online, which I don't, or listen to an audio book, which I don't.)

What does this mean? It means that OverDrive is a pretty exciting site, just not for me.

podcasts

So. What's the skinny on podcasts? (In this instance, we're going to pretend "skinny" translates into "my opinion.")

Podcasts are silly, plain and simple. They're basically a blog, only more time intensive for both the creator and the listener. Why worry about microphones and audio editing programs and hosting sites and if you happen to have a sore throat on the day you mean to produce a podcast session when you could simply sit down, open up your chosen blog site and type away? Why listen to someone (who, it is entirely possible is terrible public speaker or has a nasally voice or an annoying laugh) say their piece when you could read it at your own pace (in my case, speedy speedy)?

And here's another thing: As I am an incredibly visual person, my attention wanders during audio-only sessions and I come back to find that the topic has changed or the podcast has ended and I have no idea what was discussed. I just don't find podcasts practical.

What does this all mean? It means that podcasts are not for me. Oh, I can sort of (vaguely) understand why a host of people love them, but outside of this assignment, I will probably never actively search out a podcast to listen to.

(But did I mention how much I love youtube?)

youtube

Psst! Come here.

Closer...

Closer...

*whispers* I'm addicted to youtube.

I really adore youtube. Of course, my love was deeper before Google (the monopoly trying to take over the world, one computer at a time) came along, but that is utterly beside the point.

When there is a bathtub to be scrubbed, dinner to cook, a bed to make, youtube is the perfect procrastination tool. I'll pull up the site to look at one video. But then something in the video will make me laugh so hard that I'll have to watch again. Then, because this is networking and advertising at its best, I'll spot a video in the "related videos" section that I simply must watch. So I will, because that bathtub doesn't really need to be scrubbed, right? Then I'll spot a video that clocks in at a wee minute and half and think, just one more. That just one more becomes 20 just one mores and, before you can say "youtube rules my not-so-spare time" an hour has flown by.

Yeah, I really love that site.

So, here's one of the last videos I watched. David Hewlett's My Favorite Line, where he re-enacts his favorite line as Dr Rodney McKay on Stargate Atlantis. Season 4, Episode 1.



Adorable.

zoho? eh...

See, the thing is, I already have Microsoft Office (for Mac, because, re: Techno-babble post, Apple owns my soul). I also own a laptop, a jump drive, an external hard drive, and have access to gmail (even though I hate Google with a passion) from any computer that would also provide access to Zoho. I have no reason to use Zoho. I have no reason at all to familiarize myself with a new word processing platform that is wholly dependent on my Internet connection.

But, for people without the lot I described in that near run-on sentence above, Zoho is a brilliant tool.

I'm just not one of those people.

social networking

My thoughts on social networking on the world wide web are as follows:

I'm not really a fan.

I know, I know. I'm barely older than the generation obsessed with MySpace and the like. (Speaking of MySpace, I have very strong negative feelings about that particular social networking tool. It makes stalking a frighteningly easy thing, as storylines on Criminal Minds and Numb3rs have taught.) Facebook came on the scene my last undergraduate semester and I essentially set up an account simply because I was procrastinating and my friend told me to. (Bowing to peer pressure. Tsk, tsk. Must work on that.) But I only check my Facebook account when I get an email notification telling me someone wants to be my friend. The site I use for my personal blog is essentially a social networking arena, but in the fandom sense and people tend to be very guarded about personal information. I've bought several shirts from Threadless, but as I'm not artistic, I've never participated in the social networking side of the site.

I admit that dogstar and catstar are amusing sites I'd sort of like to participate in.

So social networking. It's great for some people, and it does allow for easy communication and keeping up with people you'd rather not actually speak to on the phone. It's just not my favorite thing. I suppose that makes me a disappointment to my generation. Alas...

Techno-babble

And now I will wax eloquent about the various and sundry technologies that rule my life.

1. MacBook Pro I was a devoted PC user until a year and half ago, when I realized how stupid my PC (named Stanley) was and decided a change was in order. Now I am the proud owner of a beautiful, shiny MacBook Pro laptop and I will never go back. Apple owns my soul. It bought my soul on credit, paid off all the payments and transferred the Title. And now I love Rodney (the MacBook Pro) more than any other technological item I own. So thanks, Apple, for treating my soul so nicely.

2. The Cell Phone How is it that I managed to survive life without a cell phone and now feel paranoid if, halfway through running errands, I realize I inadvertently left it sitting on my coffee table? I should be able to leave my dwelling without my cell phone, but it makes me nervous. I just know that the one time I don't have the phone with me will be the one time I have car trouble or see an accident or get kidnapped. So thank you, cell phone manufacturers, for making me dependent on communication no matter where I am.

3. iPod I may have one of the oldest iPods possible and it may be backwards in its sizing (small in storage, ginormous in physical size), but I couldn't love Charlie (the iPod) more. All of my music conveniently in one place for easy listening (but not necessarily for easy listening music). People may say the Zen or the Zune or some other appropriately Z-named device trumps the iPod, but I say those people are nuts. Like I said in item 1, Apple owns my soul. So thank you, Apple, for creating the mp3 player and getting that iPod hookup as standard in all cars.

4. Chi The Chi is the most amazing tool to hit hair care since shampoo and conditioner. Hot enough to be scary and expensive enough to seriously dent the average librarian's checking account, it packs a styling punch that is not be laughed at. My hair has never looked better since my cheap, old hair straightener bit the dust and I invested in a Chi. So thank you, Chi manufacturers, for helping me destroy my hair with extreme heat, one sweep of the flat iron at a time.

I could go on, but I'll stop.

My love for technology is so great that it cannot be textually rendered.

Wiki Wiki Wiki

I have no idea how it happened but I somehow managed to get behind in this iHCPL business. One minute I was coasting along, poking about the 'net, and posting my findings (because this is serious scientific research we are doing here). The next thing I know, BAM! I'm two weeks and something like four posts behind.

Let me tell you, I was crushed, crushed, when no library bling appeared in my mailbox this past week.

The situation must be remedied! So here are my thoughts on wikis.

Wikis are, as a crazy (but in a good way) friend of mine says, wacky bejacky (but in a good way).

My gosh, I had so much fun with the iHCPL Sandbox. I climbed in, picked up my bucket and shovel and immediately started adding another wing (East, I think) to the pretty sandcastle. I love, love, love talking about myself and the Sandbox was the perfect platform for that. I added my own little sand creations to a good number of the Sandbox pages and had a blast doing it.

Do I think this could work in a library setting? Sure it could. It might be fun for the teens, as a sort of "graffiti" board but would need to be monitored closely for language and such. I also like the idea of using a wiki as a place for patron submitted book reviews, but HCPL already has a platform for that.

What are my conclusions on wikis? They are fantastic good fun and I might create one at some point in the future.

For now, I'll just play in the HCPL Sandbox. Just don't throw sand in my hair, please!

Library 2.0

In the college town where I lived for four years while slaving away at that undergraduate degree o' mine, there was this tutoring place (well, business, really) called 4.0 & Go. The idea behind it was, of course, that if you shelled out the cash, the tutors at this place could whip you into mental shape right before that big midterm and you'd pass with flying colors.

Every time I think of Library 2.0, I think of that place. It's sort of like a slogan forms in my head.

Library 2.0 & GO!

or

Library 2.0: To Infinity & Beyond!

(Okay, so that second was courtesy of Buzz Lightyear, but you know what I mean.

After all that rambling, I don't actually have a lot to say about Library 2.0 and Web 2.0. I am an Internet addict, so I've embraced a number of the new interactive tools that I can bend to my will. I also love how librarians and libraries are trying to educate themselves on these new practices and bring them into the library. It's the best way to connect with the users, to reach them no matter where they are. We have to be flexible and Library 2.0 is the way to accomplish that.

Technorati

Technically speaking, Technorati is technologically simple. (It's also an awesome word to say out loud. Very Italian, which translates to very cool.)

However, it's not really my cup of tea. (Which is a silly expression for me to use, seeing as I don't drink tea at all. Nothing is my cup of tea.) I believe I mentioned this in my post about safety on the Interweb, but I like my anonymity. I have a personal blog and even though nothing overly personal is discussed there, I don't much care for the idea that some random stranger can access it through Technorati. I know it can be accessed via a search engine, but people are far more likely to find it using Technorati than they are using google, yahoo and the like.

Out of curiosity, I did a search for my personal blog on Technorati and discovered that an entry I had written discussing a show had been quoted, verbatim, by that show's blog. I had no idea! The entry I had written wasn't very complimentary and I was thoroughly annoyed to find it copied and pasted like that. It felt a bit like an invasion of privacy.

Okay, okay. I know what you're all thinking. I should know that anything I write can make its way onto another site. It's fair game once it's posted on the 'net. But still.

Technorati makes it too easy to find entries like that, to scope out the blogs of people you've never met, will never meet and have no connection to. It's a cool toy, but not for me.

(Incidentally, each time I write the word Technorati, I misspell it Technorait. Every single time! Oy vey!)

del.icio.us

The bookmark networking tool del.icio.us is, quite simply put, delicious.

A few weeks ago I finally did some investigating, discovered the awesome that is del.icio.us, and created my own bookmarking account. I even have the nifty "bookmark this" button in my Firefox browser. That, let me tell you, makes a world of difference. I can find a site, click the button and immediately create titles, notes and tags for the bookmark. It's amazing!

There are several reasons why I love the whole idea of del.icio.us. I'll share those reasons in numbered list format (because I have a deep love of listing).

1. With del.icio.us, bookmarks can be accessed from any computer in any location with internet access. This is brilliant! Now, if, while surfing the web at home, I stumble across a site that would be perfect for work related ideas, I can bookmark it immediately, confident that it will be accessible from work. It's wonderful! No sticky notes (which I confess I still adore) to keep track of, no long urls to write down, no emails to send myself. It's all in one place.

2. Sometimes bookmarks disappear. My mom has this problem a lot. She'll log off one day and the next day all of her carefully hoarded bookmarks are gone. Poof! Vanished! Lost in cyperspace! With something like del.icio.us, the chances of this happening are very slim. And, if they do, she could at least take comfort in knowing that thousands of people are in the same boat.

3. Tagging, bundling, and notes make me a happy, happy camper. I had a few folders set up in my original bookmarks file, but they were a hassle. Tagging is so much easier. I can give one link several tags and create chains that are fun to follow and ridiculously handy.

So, del.icio.us. It is an amazing tool. It is made of everything that is awesome and good and brilliant and wonderful.

I think it is safe to say that del.icio.us is yummy!

Library Elf

My honest opinion about Library Elf? You asked for it.

I'm not that impressed. In fact, I think I might have to go back in and stop the emails because I really don't want to be receiving emails from two different places about the same exact thing. What a waste of my time that is, checking messages only to see the same information.

Now, Elf would have been great a few months ago, when I lived in the vicinty of libraries from two different systems and regularly had books checked out on two cards. But now I only live near one system and I am deluged with emails as it is. Library Elf can tell me nothing I wouldn't already know from emails from the system or checking my account online.

For some people, Elf could be an invaluable resource. For me, it's not all that useful.

But I am still completely enthralled by Library Thing and have begun work on my personal library collection. It's addictive! I want to sit in front of my bookcase and go shelf to shelf, book to book, adding each title. You, yes you, iHCPL, have created a monster!

It's a Library Thing

I'd heard of Library Thing before this exercise came up, even been slightly curious about it. But I'd never actually sat in front of the computer and created my own Library Thing account. There was always something more exciting to do.

Now I'm caught. Hook, line and sinker. I've created an account to match this blog, but I foresee the creation of a personal account sometime in the near future. (I'm trying to sever any connections between my personal and professional online persona, remember?)

What an awesome site. My personal library can be reached via the handy dandy, super cool widget on the sidebar.

Avatar Fun with the SGA crew.

SGA Mosiac, originally uploaded by downrightproblematic.

Wow! Who knew FD Toys could be so addictively fun? I've found several different tools on that site that I'd really love to experiment with, including the Warholizer, the Palette Generator and the Bead Art.

This avatar was created using the Mosiac Maker. It was easy to use (partly because I had all of these pictures already located in a personal photo storage account) and ridiculously fun. My only frustration with it is that you have to upload the pictures in the order you want them to appear in the mosiac because once the mosiac is made, it's a done deal. Needless to say, I was not aware of that fact.

So, enjoy my lovely mosiac of gorgeous Sheppard and adorably squishy Rodney from the television show Stargate Atlantis. Aren't they pretty?

RSS Feeds: part II

In my opinion, whatever that's worth (probably not even two cents), I think the easiest way to find feeds to subscribe to is simply by looking for them at the sites I visit on a regular basis. Let's face it, there is only so much time in the day that can be spent surfing the net. We all have responsibilities, commitments, jobs, chores, errands, beds, kitchens, tv shows to watch. So we have to limit the amount of time we spend reading blogs and newsfeeds. Even using something like bloglines is only going to do so much in helping ease the amount of time spent online.

So why should I go searching specifically for more feeds to subscribe to? I've already got a bit too much to keep track of. I think I'll just stick with what I've got, keep an eye out for RSS feeds on my favorite sites and leave Technorati and other such resources well enough alone for now.

And now I'm all caught up with iHCPL! Amazing!

RSS Feeds: part I

So I've been looking forward to RSS feeds all week long, right?

Now I've set up a bloglines account and got down to the tedious business of subscribing to feeds.

I have come to the realization that I don't much care for bloglines. I dislike the format of the site, the way you add feeds, how only the newest posts in a feed show up unless you go through an extra step to make them all appear, and how the posts look on the site.

Frankly, I'd rather be one of the folks who goes to each blog they avidly follow to see if they've updated. I like reading entries as they're meant to be formatted, with specific backgrounds, pictures, etc. I like moving from blog to blog to website to news site to blog to twitter to...you get the picture.

And, when all's said and done, bloglines does not feed my procrastination monster. I am definitely one of those people who would rather see if perhaps that person who hasn't updated in days has finally got with the program and posted than do dishes. Or clean the bathroom. Or go to the post office. Or balance the checkbook.

See? Bloglines, it just ruins my whole routine.

The only useful thing that came out of setting up this bloglines account was discovering that Meg Cabot has a blog. I adore her books, for teens and adults. And now I'll read her blog! Hurrah!

I'm just not impressed at the moment. But I'll keep adding feeds and checking out the other gadgets and see where it all leads. Maybe I'll fall in love.

Or maybe not.

More Beautiful Beaches

More Beautiful Beaches, originally uploaded by downrightproblematic.

And the last of the Flickr fun! Now I'm sort of caught up in the sense that I only have to do this week's RSS feed fun. (I've been looking forward to this week because RSS feeds go right over my head.)

Anyway, here is the picture I edited using Snipshot. It's a pretty handy little tool, particularly for resizing. I like to post screencaps and such to my personal blog and always get irritated with my Mac's lack of resizing program. Now I know where to go and how to solve that problem. Hurrah!

flickr mashups

So now I'm experimenting with flickr mashups. I guess I didn't get far since this is the first mashup discussed, but hey. It's a pretty awesome one.

Spell with flickr. I've taken the liberty of spelling out my blog name. It might turn out funky, but I'm posting it anyway!

*Okay, so apparently blogger hates the html script provided for posting my spelled out words. That's frustrating. So you can all just imagine this blog name spelled out with pictures of funky letters found on flickr. BAH!*

In other mashup news, I adore the Colr Pickr. I tried using several of the different set parameters and then went to town picking colors all over the color wheel. My favorite was one of the shades of blue under Doors and Windows. Pretty awesome. It makes me want to go out and take pictures of completely random things. Doors, signage, etc.

Trees, Leaves & Flowery Things

Trees, Leaves & Flowery Things, originally uploaded by downrightproblematic.

A random picture I took while standing below this tree. The tree itself wasn't impressive, but its foliage certainly was.

Even though I had a flickr account prior to setting up this one specifically for iHCPL, I've never actually posted a picture to a blog. Hopefully this turns out right. Otherwise, back to the drawing board!

newsy notes

Today I received my first "library bling" and it is awesome! My squishy yellow star and its matching dangly thing for blog week. Hurrah!

I have also set up my flickr account. However, I have yet to upload a picture (no pictures here for me to upload!) so I suppose I haven't really finished that step.

Soon, guys!

Internet Safety and Other Such Things

This is my attempt to finish week two now that we've begun week four. Sigh...

When it comes to Internet safety, I think I probably fall somewhere in the middle. I'm obsessive about not sharing too much personal information online, but I am more than willing to post anecdotes and my opinions (which are many). I never directly discuss work, my feelings about my job, where I work, people I work with, etc. but people reading my blog on a regular basis would certainly be able to figure out what I do for a living. I don't come right out and say where I live but from event reviews I write, someone who really wanted to know could easily find out.

The thing is that someone who really wanted to hunt me down could do it. The tech savvy individual could find me. A regular reader, or even someone scanning through the back entries, could glean quite a bit about me from context clues. There's no real way to get around it. If it's on the Internet, chances are it gives more information than we think it does. I simply do my best to leave personal information, job information, and identity information out of my blog.

And then I cross my fingers. (And toes.)

Learning? Hmm...

In my last post (er, my first post) I was to have discussed my preferred styles of learning. Here is my vain attempt to categorize.

I would generally say that I'm a confused learner.

Sometimes I have to actually do the task at hand to remember the process. But that doesn't always work. Science labs, for example, are very much hands on learning and I never learned a single thing in them. (This could be because I have no interest in the hard (or soft) sciences, but that is beside the point.) At work, however, I am most definitely a hands-on learner. Someone can explain a process to me everyday for a week and it won't stick in my brain as naturally as if they had actually walked me through it.

In school, particularly in undergraduate classes, I was fine as an auditory learner, listening to a lecture and taking notes. There was more structure, someone with (we hope) significant knowledge of a subject was lecturing and I knew what was expected of me. I could take copious notes and go from there. It worked for me because it was all planned out. Then I hit grad school and the world of online learning and realized that I needed that structure. Because I am the world's biggest procrastinator. (Okay, okay. So I already knew that, but it was firmly cemented at grad school.)

So what does all of that blabber mean for me and my learning style. Not much, actually. It means I'm a procrastinator (who always, always gets things done on time) who likes to take notes (but not share them) and see a process (but not do labs). It means I generally just go with the flow.

And so, go with the flow I shall!

And another one...

I can't believe I'm doing homework. The beginning of a new school year started and I was ecstatic because finally, finally, I didn't have to start with it. And now here I am, barely begun a new job and already doing homework!

Ah, well. At least it's fun homework, eh? And there will be library bling!

I suppose it would be polite to stem the curiosity before it has a chance to build into a frenzy and explain the blog name. The title of the blog comes partly from frustration and partly from an episode of Stargate: Atlantis. In a moment of (panic) and frustration, Sheppard exclaims, "This is downright problematic, Rodney!" And, after every blog url I tried was rejected by sweet, lovely blogger, I had a Sheppard moment of my own (with no Rodney to save the day). It was fated to be, I suppose, and Downright Problematic was launched!

I believe I'm supposed to discuss my learning style in this post but my net, it hates me. So that will wait until later on.

(Even my net is downright problematic! Sheesh!)