"Armed with a bit of knowledge about what Twitter is all about, share your thoughts on this fast growing online phenomenon."
Maybe I missed something in the translation, because after reading the "About" stuff, I'm still not actually sure I do have any type of knowledge about what Twitter is all about. Actually, there was no translation. When I got the the home page, there were "tweets" scrolling up through the center of my screen. It was a foreign language and I had no idea who any of them were, or what any of them were talking about.
I searched something. I typed in "quilting". I randomly picked a person to further read what they were saying. I couldn't follow any thread of consistent conversation at all - and there was nothing to do with quilting beyond the sentence that my search found - "got two new piercings and am doing some quilting".
So my question back is "why?". And my next question is "what's the point?" I know what the "About" blurb says but honestly, that doesn't really answer those questions in a satisfactory manner either. If I thought that Facebook was narcissistic, this is even more so. And I am way too busy to be following anyone tweeting. I can't see that Twitter has any kind of life-enhancing quality about it whatsoever, and am at a loss to explain why it is so popular. It must be related to the mentality that makes people slow down and rubberneck whilst driving past a car crash.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
CPL 2.0 Library Thing
I had tried out the Google Bookshelves some weeks ago when the homework topic was Google Universe. Library Thing makes the Google Bookshelves look a bit like that box in the corner of the doctor's office - it is much more sophisticated.
After setting up my account I searched for the print book I am currently reading. It is called "The Grasshoper" by an Albertan man Joseph Lothian. It wasn't found on the initial search, even using the ISBN so I expanded the locations that were being searched. This book (or author) didn't appear at all, which I found odd considering I borrowed it from the library and I had to wait some time due to the holds prior to mine. So I manually added the book; filling in as many of the spaces I could. Later when I did a "site" search on "The Grasshopper", it still didn't show up, maybe it needs 24 hours?
Interestingly enough that search generated a list of 158 titles, mostly to do with the fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper". And within that list the title that stuck out was "The Grasshopper and the Ant and other La Fontaine Fables". Now maybe my memory is getting a little shaky in my old age, but I believe that particular moral tale is credited to Aesop, not La Fontaine. Which makes me wonder - how much of the information that is input to Library Thing, is double-checked? Is it credible? Or is it a case of reader beware.
The site was user friendly and easy to navigate. I appreciated that to set up an account I didn't have to give an astonishing amount of vague information - "as a security question in case you forget your password, tell us the name of the book your best man was sneakily reading under his coat after the church service and before the photos."
The amount of information on the site was truely overwhelming, (and what is "zeitgeist" anyway?) At what point does all this information stop being helpful or informative and just become a mass of words to wade through?
I did like the comparisons and other suggested reading. Sometimes I can't think what to read next (more, I don't know what I feel like reading next) and these lists will ensure I am never without a story by my side.
After setting up my account I searched for the print book I am currently reading. It is called "The Grasshoper" by an Albertan man Joseph Lothian. It wasn't found on the initial search, even using the ISBN so I expanded the locations that were being searched. This book (or author) didn't appear at all, which I found odd considering I borrowed it from the library and I had to wait some time due to the holds prior to mine. So I manually added the book; filling in as many of the spaces I could. Later when I did a "site" search on "The Grasshopper", it still didn't show up, maybe it needs 24 hours?
Interestingly enough that search generated a list of 158 titles, mostly to do with the fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper". And within that list the title that stuck out was "The Grasshopper and the Ant and other La Fontaine Fables". Now maybe my memory is getting a little shaky in my old age, but I believe that particular moral tale is credited to Aesop, not La Fontaine. Which makes me wonder - how much of the information that is input to Library Thing, is double-checked? Is it credible? Or is it a case of reader beware.
The site was user friendly and easy to navigate. I appreciated that to set up an account I didn't have to give an astonishing amount of vague information - "as a security question in case you forget your password, tell us the name of the book your best man was sneakily reading under his coat after the church service and before the photos."
The amount of information on the site was truely overwhelming, (and what is "zeitgeist" anyway?) At what point does all this information stop being helpful or informative and just become a mass of words to wade through?
I did like the comparisons and other suggested reading. Sometimes I can't think what to read next (more, I don't know what I feel like reading next) and these lists will ensure I am never without a story by my side.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
CPL 2.0 Online Productivity Tools
Calendars are very important to me! The idea of a calendar system that "makes my life easier" is very appealing - we have 7 hockey schedules in our house. Yes, you read that correctly SEVEN!
We currently use an Outlook calendar, that we sync between 2 computers and 2 Palm Pilots. Our Palms are getting towards the end of their lives now, so we are in the process of "interviewing" other systems as well as the updated Palm. We need a product that will talk to our Outlook calendar, as well as some type of portable device - and I don't really want to go the Blackberry route. I am quite happy to not be available to the world 24/7!
I found the Google calendar site was cluttered for a first time user. The "Overview" was informative, the "Take a Tour" just pointed to the "Overview" page. So in order to set a calendar up, I had to click back and forth through various links. This is obviously a diminishing problem, as the more familiar a user becomes with the product, the easier it is to use.
In order to sync the calendar with Outlook, I would have to download - yipee :-( a seperate product. While I was investgating that, I read the user comments - not good. Many people seemed to have experienced difficulty with the synchronization, some stated that it made a huge mess of their Outlook calendar. With our family's busy schedule, I can't afford to take that risk as we rely so heavily on the calendar.
From what I could see, the only portable device that I could use the Google calendar with, was a mobile phone, which would mean I would need to upgrade my phone and/or plan. Being a mostly-stay-at-home-Mum with a part time job means I have no need to be married to my phone. It isn't on all the time, and I have a pay-as-you-go 10 cents/min plan which currently suits me fine (I spend way less than $20/month) but isn't the most cost-effective way to check my calendar.
I'll answer both the questions this week.
1. No, I can't see online productivity tools replacing purchased products such as Microsoft Office. Computers are becoming more and more portable. A person can carry their own stuff around, I believe there is a diminishing need to access your document from multiple computers.
2. For a calendar product, I need a hybrid! A cross between the traditional and modern. I like to be able to paperclip my drycleaning receipt or my library date due slip to the appropriate page in a daytimer. I like the way a paper calendar allows for quick changes - no logging on or signing in required. I also like being able to turn around with flour or onion all over my hands and see the giant "week at a glance" calendar on the fridge. I like the amount of information I can store in my Outlook calendar - directions to a location, paragraphs "cut and pasted" from emails. And most importantly my husband and I can both make plans and arrangements and not worry about "double-booking" our family.
For any calendar system to work, the whole family has to buy in to it. For example, my husband refuses to write on a paper calendar, so the one posted on the fridge has turned into the "helper of the day" schedule - whose job is it to empty the dishwasher today?
I think the best productivity tool I could wish for, would be a personal secretary!
We currently use an Outlook calendar, that we sync between 2 computers and 2 Palm Pilots. Our Palms are getting towards the end of their lives now, so we are in the process of "interviewing" other systems as well as the updated Palm. We need a product that will talk to our Outlook calendar, as well as some type of portable device - and I don't really want to go the Blackberry route. I am quite happy to not be available to the world 24/7!
I found the Google calendar site was cluttered for a first time user. The "Overview" was informative, the "Take a Tour" just pointed to the "Overview" page. So in order to set a calendar up, I had to click back and forth through various links. This is obviously a diminishing problem, as the more familiar a user becomes with the product, the easier it is to use.
In order to sync the calendar with Outlook, I would have to download - yipee :-( a seperate product. While I was investgating that, I read the user comments - not good. Many people seemed to have experienced difficulty with the synchronization, some stated that it made a huge mess of their Outlook calendar. With our family's busy schedule, I can't afford to take that risk as we rely so heavily on the calendar.
From what I could see, the only portable device that I could use the Google calendar with, was a mobile phone, which would mean I would need to upgrade my phone and/or plan. Being a mostly-stay-at-home-Mum with a part time job means I have no need to be married to my phone. It isn't on all the time, and I have a pay-as-you-go 10 cents/min plan which currently suits me fine (I spend way less than $20/month) but isn't the most cost-effective way to check my calendar.
I'll answer both the questions this week.
1. No, I can't see online productivity tools replacing purchased products such as Microsoft Office. Computers are becoming more and more portable. A person can carry their own stuff around, I believe there is a diminishing need to access your document from multiple computers.
2. For a calendar product, I need a hybrid! A cross between the traditional and modern. I like to be able to paperclip my drycleaning receipt or my library date due slip to the appropriate page in a daytimer. I like the way a paper calendar allows for quick changes - no logging on or signing in required. I also like being able to turn around with flour or onion all over my hands and see the giant "week at a glance" calendar on the fridge. I like the amount of information I can store in my Outlook calendar - directions to a location, paragraphs "cut and pasted" from emails. And most importantly my husband and I can both make plans and arrangements and not worry about "double-booking" our family.
For any calendar system to work, the whole family has to buy in to it. For example, my husband refuses to write on a paper calendar, so the one posted on the fridge has turned into the "helper of the day" schedule - whose job is it to empty the dishwasher today?
I think the best productivity tool I could wish for, would be a personal secretary!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)