THE END

At last the end - and I don't even have time to be really detailed! What a pity!!
Most of what I learnt has been blurred by the painful computer stuff that there's no way I learnt and just repeated or wrote down and copied and will probably not use again in the near future - and by the time I do - I won't have a clue. ALl the Http cut and paste stuff to blogs or bloglines etc.
Overwhelmingly I think it is a pity that Australian/Victorian Libraires have to use an American training programme - one that is just SO american that our Blog records that we are doing this in the middle of thenight because we are on American time.
I'm sure there are plenty of people out there whose priority is to sit on the computer and chat in virtual space -it's not my idea of fun - adn I can't see what I can teach my chidlren about learning and living life skills through blogging. Ditto to my clients at the Library on a Saturday morning.
A couple of the exercises were good - like Library Thing - and others would be if you were specifically into it - and had time.

Had a quick flick through the audio Library. I have seen this is action in the prehistoric days (10 years ago) in a Library I worked in where illiterate people came in booking the computer to listen to books

Managed to find a podcast quite easily - wow! Only problem was it then took me 20 mintues to connect the RSS feed to my Bloglines - still not sure it''s even on my blog even though it's in the Bloglines.

Video

Had a look at Youtube - tried to find anything on the Environment - nothing as usual. Tried to find something on Australian parenting - some very weird videos - but a rather cute one about an Australian magpie feeding it's chick. Unfortunetly by the time I'd served a dew customers and got back to it I couldn't find that one again - so had to seetle for the ordinary magpie video.
I guess that experience in itself details just how practical using YouTube as a staff member on a busy Saturday at the Library a couple of weeks out from Christmas really is.

We 2.0 awards

I had a look at the first winner in Music - but Pandora was very very sorry they were down and not accessible to people outside of the US. Not a good start - and more highlighting of my concerns about the whole Americanism of Learning 2.0
I am familiar with Google maps and also Library Thing. Also had a look at Lulu and Biblio under Books - bit concerned about the whole commercial aspect of the whol marketing thing - but Biblio offered a "find an out of print book" search which could be useful.
Pretty unimpressed that the only environmental award that I could see at a glace was third in Philanthopy - seemed to have been awarded because they received that many donations....hopefully I got the wrong impression.....?

Zoho Spreadsheet

Using spreadsheets and other word processing functions (sorry - applications!) that can be accessed by people working from a variety of locations could be very useful.

Had a look and added my blog to the list - not sure what else to say - as it seems all very similar to the Wiki part of this weeks work - so cf. with my comment for that.

I can see the use of Wikis in narrowing down search options in the huge clogged juggernaut that is the whole Internet. Reading other reviews of books etc. is interestingif you have time - but I guess it needs to be remembered that presumably the bulk of the information put on an Wiki is subjective and not any recognised authority. Read in that context - fine.

Remember Farenheit 451!!

In terms of reference resources for any Library it makes sense to be aware and forward thinking in terms of the next big thing in the whole Internet concept - ie Web 2.0 and it's off shoot Library 2.0.
However, considering that I work on a Saturday for 3 hours and the majority of people I have in the Library are replenishing their weeks stock of Romances, Best sellers or Westerns, or Dads bringing kids down to the Library to give Mum a break - all this computer referencing is not relevant. People still want their books to sit down and read with a cup of coffee.
Even all the blogging will be done by people at home if they so desire - it's not something that a Library Staff member like myself will need to direct clints in.
Concerned at the whole Americanisation of it all too - but it seems I'm writing that comment with each Exercise!

I can't believe people are sitting around all over the world just spending so much time blogging and using this Technorati function to searchthe blogs. Where do people get the time and where are peoples priorities??
Talking of priorities checking out the Top Favourite Technorati sites only highlighted the American dominance of this whole concept.
Worse than that is the fact that a scroll through Top Searches under environment had nothing greener than the prices for oil, gold and other minerals. What an indictment upon users. Only interested in making money (again another of the top favourite sites), business and computers - and probably only in America
There's another life out there!

The main difference that I can see between Tagging and the usual Bookmarks is the keyword function which would be quite useful if you were constantly searching the Web and were able to enter keywords for further research later.

I can see the use of this if you were studying and using favourite web sites regularly. The idea is nice - however as a full time mum - I don't have the time - so it's only wishful thinking.

At least Library Thing is an easy and comprehansive tool. I can see the practical use for it at home and at work. Pity the book connections are overwhelmingly American.

Had a look at Alphabet Soup which could be fun if you could add more than three words.
Pirate speak - a translation service from common language into Pirate Languages pved limiting unfortunately - that would have been really fun.
I have acquired a new Pirate Name through the Pirate Name allocation system - at least I got something out of this exercise!!

Really Simple Search??

RSS feeds must be at the absolute cutting edge of technology - it's so new in fact that the majority of sites I looked at didn't even have an RSS feed - and if they did - it was really well hidden!! Searching Feedster and Googleblog seemed a bit pointless as information was irrelevant for the most part. Not really sure that it would be of great use in general life - and having spent the best part of 3 hours on the exercise (bearing in mind I only work for 3 1/4 hours a week) - I now don't have time to even see what information the RSS feeds contain!!
Really Simple Searches!!

I don't use computer technology much at all. I use the computers at work for the 3 1/4 hours a week. I spent 10 minutes most days checking my email on an snail-slow computer connection at home. Beyond that the most complicated technology I use would be watching the very occasional DVD on a computer screen. We don't have TV and the car or the phone would be the next highest Technological tool I use. I don't have a mobile because the receptions isn't any good where I live. I don't have a favourite technology because it's not hugely in my life.

I like the Flickr colour pickr colour wheel. It brings up pretty coloured pictures.

Full rain storm

Full rain storm
Originally uploaded by blmurch

This is what we want for Victoria. And then again next week and then again 10 days after that and so on!

Beginners Blog

Seeing as how this is my first blog and it's amazing that I've got this far considering how computer dumb I am - I think the lady in the Tutorial should give me a pat on the back!