Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Method 12

I enjoyed the experience of the "Two-Step" Program. Catchy name if I do say so myself. I felt relaxed and at ease about all this technological material. It didn't feel overwhelming with the fun presentation and enjoyable reading materials and especially those handmade videos from the "Made Easy" series. I LOL'd at a those. I really don't have too much advice to give to help improve the experience. I saw many more counterarguments that I thought I would actually see. You guys really give a 360 view of this thing. You believe in the Web 2.0 Experience enough to not just cram it down my throat and force me to swallow the pill. It felt more like a Matrix experience. You guys were Morpheus and I was Neo receiving the opportunity you were giving which was which pill did I want to swallow. I chose the pill that sent me down this rabbit hole and boy oh boy what a journey it was. Well, I've got meetings to attend and absolutely positively no time left. (LOL! Inside Joke 4 All U READERS of great fiction out there:))

Method 11

First thing's first: "OUTside radio hours on" podcastalley.com rocks!!!
Now on to business, podcasting is entirely unnecessary for the further survival of the venue we know as the public library. Could it be used creatively, yes. Creating an online radio station featuring local talent picked by the library staff as well as the staff hosting online radio dramas and old school fireside chats and debates with local politians like mayors and such, yup, I see potential. Is there potential, I say yes. Will it be lived up to, I say no. The human mind (excluding mine) is to feeble. I see most libraries just throwing on some good music while typing up something for work...(sounds like me). Anyway, I like it but don't find podcasting practial for productive purposes within a professional environment.

Method 10

Wiki, Wiki, Wiki...Hmmm...I like the idea for the same reason that vided "Wikis in Plain English" intrigued me, it's a useful and faster way to plan something. I see it for librarian purposes but not for myself. I would rather look and research other people's wikis than make my own unless it was for my job of course. I would just message people about events and parties and such on Facebook involving my own life. A wiki page seems like its fallible to interruption by the wrong person in the group who doesn't really know too much and is only apart of the group because the group got too large. I'm not the biggest fan of its open invitation to all to change who can to change it (yes I do recognize the ability to restrict) though I do like its innovations and the example about using wikis versus emails was a great way to show its use. I like it a lot but I can do without ever using it.

Method 9

Instant Messaging, I find the term alone annoying. I hate the little blip sound that comes up and the people who expect me (just because I'm online) to respond as if I'm in front of them as they are yelling (virtually that is) through a keyboard. Some things should just be reserved for physical conversation, like immediacy. I have a problem with the idea that IM suggests we as librarians (really human beings) have to immediately responds to other human beings as if they are urgent when we could very well be doing something of far greater importance. I'm not a fan, but I will still use this service to conduct a semi-normal conversation with those who can't speak at the moment. Almost like a text message, I just don't know about the fact that people can see if your online and then bug you. That irritates me a little, but most services allow a person to hide this fact. So I guess the concept is okay.

Method 8

I have used both Myspace and Facebook and I like Facebook more for its ability to allow me to breeze through individuals at a "news only" value. Like if I need yes or no answers from Sally, a confirmation from Bob, and some info from Peter, I'll use Facebook whereas I like Myspace for those breezy days that come around every once in a blue moon and allow me to spend countless minutes flipping through photos and everybody's favorite song, blogs, and elaborately decorated (Fully viewed) Myspace page. My myspace & Facebook pages are:
www.myspace.com/justindavidtate
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1460583265
I even uploaded a video of one of my performances at my local public library on Myspace and here it is on my first Myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/poeticman7
Or it can be viewed from the first (and currently only) page of my web site:
http://www.justindavidtate.com

I feel that libraries ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE FACEBOOK & MYSPACE.
Myspace may be a little flashy but Facebook is very plausible and professional enough to conduct meetings and inform people of certain events. Hundreds and millions are on these sites, soon a billion people will be there. Its like free advertising. Who doesn't want or need that. The library can post all its programs and special events on news feeds and blogs and really interact to see who participate and SO MUCH MORE.

Method 7

Delicious is kind of a "glorified" book marking source but because of its lack of true hindering power to my webstyle (or lifestyle on the web) I guess I could flow with it but not on my own. I would much rather prefer not having one. If the Library started using it, I guess they could see what other libraries are doing with Delicious and find great resources and online research databases. Basically libraries could virtually share their secrets and advice to one another. Now that's a cool concept.

Method 6

I like Youtube.com so I upload to there and have had some content deleted on a previous account because of my love of Youtube. I tried to upload an animated movie by the great Ralph Bakshi that was banned from theaters thanks to Al Sharpton (BOO! Sit down old man). I saw the film, downloaded it from another source and provided it to the people. It took a few months but the original copyright holders (who aren't Ralph Bakshi and who have decided not to officially release this 1970's animated film on DVD) pulled rank and had my stuff deleted. Yes, a very sad day it was. But I have recovered and unleashed a little video of my own that I think you fans out there will love. For all those lovers of poetry, witness one of my own poems recited at the It's A Grind Cafe in Downtown Dallas. Look at this here: