#23 Summary & The End

This has been an interesting journey!

I thought I knew most things when it came to the internet and libraries but much has changed especially from the "1.0" to "2.0" where once it was really just a one-way street, now the users are collaborating as well and we are seeing just how powerful this is.

On the fun side image generators provided lots of entertainment. We managed to make up a few, bluetooth them back to your phone and then MMS them as cards for birthday's etc. Adds a real personal touch.

It's good to see there are some really innovative people out there, sharing their knowledge and using Web 2.0 tools to do it. Also special thanks for the opportunity to do this through LIS.

#22 Audiobooks

I hunted around for some good sites in the Audiobook arena and found the Project Gutenberg the best. Most of the titles I would be interested in aren't there. then again this is mostly books that are out of copyright etc. The iTunes store has more recent titles for a small fee.

I do prefer to read an actual book although I have tried a couple of audiobooks before I have had to close my eyes, avoid distractions and "imagine" but ended up falling asleep. Still some people with more patience than myself may find them enjoyable.

I downloaded "Great Expectations" to try it out since I only recently read it again, hence the reason I called the blog this.

#21 Podcasts

I only recently got an iPod after my old little MP3 player couldn't hold the amount of things I wanted anymore. Having an iPod means you can only really update it through the iTunes software.

I tried a few of the sites like PodCastAlley.com and thought I better try a library orientated podcast. So I selected Library Geeks. They even have their own blog etc.

Once selected my iTunes software automatically detected a podcast and added it so that I can be subscribed. I just listened to this on my PC but if I did get public transport into work I'm sure podcasts would be a good way to pass the time.

#20 Youtube

YouTube gets mentioned and quoted all the time now. In news reports, on the spot reporting and even the Prime Minister was getting in on the act. In the US there are channels dedicated to political parties and candidates, it's happening here as well. As well as giving these people a voice, it gives everyone else the chance to comment and vent as well.

Here's a really simple test. I took a 5 second video on my mobile phone out the window here at work then uploaded it to YouTube. The result appears below.

#19 Discovering Web 2.0 tools

Hunting around on the internet for Web 2.0 sites doesn't seem to be a very difficult task anymore. There are thousands out there claiming to be something special.

Since I'm interested in mobile internet web 2.0 applications I thought I would try out twitter. They claim the following:

Find out what other people are doing in real time. Become part of a world-wide community that keeps in touch by answering the question, “what are you doing?”

Now had to set this up and post. On the right column is now a widget that updates if I want to let everyone know something. You can even add what your doing from your mobile phone.... now would I really want to do that?

#18 Online Productivity Tools

I have had the opportunity to try out some of these online tools and applications. As time goes by it is starting to become harder and harder to distinguish between what is and is not online. Also with faster access speeds to the internet and the introduction of Ajax programming, this will be the future.

I have a Google account and have set up the Google Docs and Spreadsheets. This is the 2nd generation of this and it keeps improving all the time. To prove just how easy it is I have embedded a small piece of a spreadsheet into the blog. If I sign into my Google account I can edit it and the edited version will appear below. Pretty clever. Also anyone who I have given permission to edit this document can log in and collaborate as well.

A sample of what I created is linked below. There was even a feature since Blogger is a part of the Google stable to publish directly to my blog from the online application.

Click here to go direct to the document

#17 PBWiki

Managed to find this Wiki and add my blog to it. Seems pretty standard. Once you play with one wiki (we use MediaWiki with our LMS) you can pretty much handle another one.

You can find the PBWiki here

#16 The Wiki

Everyone likes to see their work published. Wiki's offer instant gratification. But besides that they are a great collaborative tool. These are really the first generation and at the moment can be a little clunky when editing but new versions will evolve and make it much easier.

How many times have you passed around a Word doc and not know which version was which, what's the latest or where to even find it on a shared drive. Wiki's solve most of these problems especially in work environments. In the next few years workplace intranets will take on this form and many major corporations are starting to use and move to this type of platform. It provides a good repository for passing on information instead of having it locked up in silo's on peoples drives.

Many people feel that wiki's are to open, not authoritative (what is?) and subject to abuse. On the flip side they have extensive logging and administrative tools to protect against many of these things. They are also extremely easy to manage.

I think further generations of wiki's will become a valuable knowledge tool.

#15 Web 2.0 and Library 2.0

So more than half way through the learning 23 things. Covered a few topics about emerging technologies and how these may or may not effect libraries. I was just reading an interesting article on Libraries and Facebook.com. Now I have never used Facebook (it's mostly a social networking site in the States for university students) but it highlights many of the issues libraries faced with a new way that students in this case get their information.

I think it would be VERY silly to think that we may know it all in library land or to ignore what is really happening out there. Doing something like this has brought to my attention many things I thought I knew everything about. What was true last month doesn't really hold anymore. There are always better, faster methods showing up for the delivery of information. Just wait until the mobile internet kicks off!

Read Stephen Abrams website from SirsiDynix and be surprised just how much is out there. Add it to your RSS feeds so that it checks for new posts each day. Get with it.

#14 Technorati and blog tagging

This site is interesting in that as content is added to blogs and other social networking sites, users can search for what is commonly being talked about and mentioned and further tag that data.

This seems to be a really good time waster but also a great source of ideas for conversation starters and those moments at dinner parties when everything dies.

Since it was the week of the release of the iPhone this was the biggest talked about topic.

#13 tagging and del.icio.us

Tried out some of these tagging things and signed up for del.icio.us

After setting the button for del.icio.us to appear with my other browser buttons I was able to start surfing the web and collecting links to add.

To go direct to the del.icio.us site follow this link.
del.icio.us

#12 Rollyo

Rollyo appears to be very like the Google Custom Search Engine (GoogleCSE) stuff that is available in the Google Labs area. It's also very much like the "Best of the web" feature available in the SirsiDynix Rooms/EPS software although not as fast or able to manipulate the data with categories etc.

The plugin below is an example of a simple search that I have created using rollyo.

Select...ATO L2 Test SearchSearch The Web

#11 The LibraryThing Thing

LibraryThing is a bit like a mini Amazon but also a great way just to keep a note of some of the books you are interested in. I reckon one great appliaction for this is as your own checkout system for when friends borrow books from you. I'm sure someone has already created a mashup that does just this.

You can find some of the books here that I have cataloged in the side bar of the blog.

#10 Image Generators

Nothing like killing some time. There were plenty to choose from. I chose the old compact cassette since it reminded me of my childhood in the 70's, my father's side burns, those huge collars and paisley ties.

This was from The Cassette Generator site

#9 Finding Feeds

I started using Google and their blog search to begin finding some feeds. From these blogs they usually have a "blog roll" or something like that which leads you on to further blogs, feeds and websites. I usually find that following links from other like minded people with subjects that I am interested in brings about the best results.

#8 RSS Feeds

I have been using RSS/XML readers for a while now and have found the Google Reader to be one the best of the online ones. though for this exercise I decided to create a bloglines one and see how it compares.

In bloglines you seem to be able to create a blog and in this show the feeds you subscribe to. Here is my effort: http://www.bloglines.com/blog/tmatol2

#7 Interesting technology news

What is this????

Here's something that i have been interested in for a while. QR codes and mobile technology and how the convergence with the internet is progressing. Only in the last couple of months my phone operator has been offering internet access at a fraction of the price that both Telstra and Optus can do. All of them will soon follow and in the next few years having the internet in your pocket will be standard.

One of the really interesting areas has been the many different ways you can get input into your phone. Most of us have used a mobile phone to do a text message and how frustrating that can be sometimes. what about if I could hold my phone up to an image and with its built in camera have it convert that into text in a second. Well its already here and is a bit of a hit in Korea and Japan. You'll soon see these images appearing all over the place. Here's just an example in Europe.

A great site that is following this can be found here. Most new mobile phones have this built in or you can download a small Java program that will do the same thing.

It was only a few months ago that some of the biggest names in mobile technology (Nokia, Sony, Motorola, LG etc) got together and established a few standards and also jumping in bed were some advertising and packaging companies who are eager to have these things on products. The old barcode is going to get a run for its money.... welcome to 2D barcodes!

If you have a mobile that can read this with its built in camera and you have internet access enabled on the phone then you will be taken to the ATOlearning Blog, without typing a thing.

#6 More flickr stuff

Here is just a quick mashup using the Spell with Flickr



Also tried adding the Flicker preview thumbnail thing on the righthand side colum. Works pretty well too, so as you add pictures they just show up in the preview and clicking on one takes you straight to the picture!

George disaster

George disaster
Originally uploaded by tmatol2

No need to comment on this.... speaks for itself.

#5 Flicker - Melbourne Central building from Old Melbourne Jail

Melbourne Central building from Old Melbourne Jail
Originally uploaded by tmatol2

Just a pic taken from the Old Melbourne Jail across the road from home on the camera phone.

Starting the L2 journey

OK time to begin.

Out of the 7.5 habits of successful lifelong learners the easiest of all the tasks should be using the technology to my advantage. The hardest will be finding the time to do these things and being creative.