Tagging is not a crime (Thing 13)

Well, at least not in this application! To be honest, I've never really paid much attention to tags. I looked at the tags on delicious and flickr and I can see how they would be helpful for those websites. I'm really not sure about incorporating that into a library catalogue. I really think that since there are so many words for all subjects, people's associations are very different and some people are just malicious jerks, it would just cause a lot of unnecessary problems. This next statement is probably going to anger some people but I'm going to write it anyway. In my opinion, there's a reason the people that work in libraries have to go to school. They are there to make sure that things are put in order, whether by number or subject or whatever. Just letting the general public have at the catalogue is just not acceptable to me. Call me old fashioned or call me whatever, I just think there are some things that should be left to professionals. The catalogue should be one of those things. Outside of that, rock on with the tagging.

Twitter (Thing 12)

I'm just going to say that I don't like using Twitter. I do like reading some people's tweets (?) because they are generally witty people and are good under 140 characters. I am not one of those people. Plus, I think my life is interesting but I doubt anyone else would. Also, what I find interesting and what others find interesting is VERY different! I can see why celebrities, comedians and tabloids love Twitter. It puts their stuff out there and gives the public what they want, namely knowing what is going on every minute of the day in other people's lives. I give kudos to people that have made Twitter entertaining and interesting. I know mine won't last long.

Here's my Twitter address: https://twitter.com/librarybombshel

One of the suggestions was to write about the last time we heard about Twitter. Well, on the radio this morning, I heard a story that was called Twitter Kills! Apparently, a girl was tweeting (?) in the bathtub (???) and decided to plug in her laptop while in still in the bathtub. I'm sure you can guess what happened next. In case you want to read about it, here's the link to the story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/22/twitter-death-romanian-te_n_219032.html

Oh dear!

IM! OMG! (Thing 11)

First of all, let me say that the "text language" that kids use today is not new. This "language" started a long time ago and started on IM. I know because I have a notebook full of it that is written in my high school handwriting. (Yes, my handwriting has evolved over the years.) Ok, now that I'm done with that, I have to say that I still really like IM programs. Although I no longer sign on to talk to complete strangers like I did in my teens (Fun, yes; Smart, no way!), it is a great way to keep in touch with people that no longer live near me. I can always send them a text message but I'm just a much faster typist with a computer. Plus, sometimes when one person sends me multiple text messages, it can feel overwhelming. The "live action" feel of a chat is so much easier, although I will say that sarcasm doesn't always translate well and this can lead to possible misunderstandings. I also like that I can chat with multiple people, unlike with a phone (well I guess there is a way to do that but that's just WAY too advanced for me!)

The library here uses meebo on a limited basis, mainly to help employees navigate our intranet system. What I didn't know about meebo, until I read the blog about this thing, is that it can let you chat on almost all a person's programs! YAY!!! Personal use aside, I really think it would benefit the library system if we were to have a meebo interface for employees to talk to each other. I can understand why they would be hesitant since it could always be abused but then again, so can anything. Again, that's just my opinion.

Ning.com (Thing 10)

I did set up a Ning account but I doubt that I will keep it once this is completed. This social networking site seems to be for those that have some sort of agenda. The website is perfect for those in an organization or a group of people that share a common passion. Without an agenda of some sort, the site is not useful to just an average person. If I ever become head of some sort of organization or want to create a group for people to join, I now know a place to do it!

Enabling the Facebook Addiction (Thing 9)

You call it more Facebook, I call it enabling an addiction, so all I can say is THANK YOU!!! *stops twitching*

Finding groups on Facebook was not something that I intended to do although, shortly after joining, a friend invited me to be part of his group. The group is called When In Rome and they trade recipes, take pictures of food and recommend favorite restaurants. It's really fun because now I know some good restaurants to go to when I travel to a couple of cities. I also joined the group Coronado High School Alumni and also a couple of silly groups like one called A Glass of Wine Solves Everything. The groups are pretty fun to follow and allow for random silliness with people from all over the country.

I really enjoy the Facebook interface so much more than other sites. Communication is easier plus there is the voyeurism factor. Much like tabloids, we get to see little pieces of people's lives and keep up with what they are doing. Even though they are friends, some may be in another state or just not someone you see all the time. Overall, an excellent way to keep in touch with people.

Facebook...it's an addiction (Thing 8)

I already had a Facebook account before I did this thing, although I haven't had it for very long. Thanks to that, I do remember the set up. It was simple and not time consuming. Although it has changed a little since I first signed up, it's still an enjoyable way to keep up with friends. It just seems to be more interactive and fun. Also, a most excellent feature is that a profile is not visible to anyone that is not a friend. I really like that.

My only complaint about Facebook is that it is highly addictive and will probably require rehab soon. At least there is no bodily harm involved.

Facebook gets the seal of awesomeness.

RSS Feeds (Thing 7)

Learning about RSS feeds was so great to me since I had no idea what they did. I have repeatedly seen that little orange box on websites and wondered why it was there. After watching that video and experimenting with adding those feeds to my reader, I feel I have a better understanding of what they are. I give them two thumbs up since they are a big part of what allows the reader to work. I'm going to keep experimenting with them so that I won't forget about them.

Blog, Blog, Blog (Thing 6)

This has probably been my favorite thing to do (Yes, even more than Facebook!). I decided to go with the Google Reader since, thanks to this blog, I already had a Gmail account. I had no idea that these things were available. There are several blogs that had a place in the Favorites menu on my web browser because I enjoyed reading them every day. Although not a tedious or hard process, it was just something that became part of the day, going to each one individually and selecting it. I do have to admit that I love having them all in one place now, especially since not all of them are updated daily and the blog reader highlights the name of the blog when it's been updated. It's so nice now to just open one page and have everything there. It's so simple to use and an excellent way to keep updated on the blogs. High-five to Google!

Image Generators are great for team building (Thing 5)

Well at least that's the story I'm sticking to. I happened to be around a few co-workers when I read about this thing and decided to give it a try. Getting started was probably the hardest part since these should be either funny or mushy. Since I'm not a fan of mushy, I went with funny. The first image I worked with was this one.


After this one was done, I got on a roll and did a few more. I was giggling to myself when one of my co-workers asked what I was doing. I showed her the various images I messed with and she decided to see if she could make them. I ended up showing her the various things that could be done on the website and she generated her own funnies. The best part is that I was able to pass along what I'd learned shortly after I finished learning it. I know it sounds rather hokey but I really enjoy passing along any kind of knowledge to others. I suppose that's why I like working in a library. Anyway, I showed a couple more co-workers this site (and also bighugelabs.com) and they all started to work with the site. It was an afternoon spent laughing with my co-workers that I will label team building because A) we made each other laugh and B) we all learned something new.