Monday, August 6, 2007
#21: Podcasts
After looking around a bit, I decided to try a feed into my bloglines account from three sites: "Radio Derb" which features droll commentary by my one and only conservative buddy, John Derbyshire; NPR Books; and another NPR feed featuring profiles of jazz musicians. Politics, books, and music: that about covers my range of interests. If I find that I actually access these feeds (about which I'm sceptical), I'll think about adding some more in the future.
#21: Here's Some Audio Worth a Listen
Dylan Thomas has long been one of my favorite poets, and this is one of my favorite poems.
#20: YouTube
I've already been visting YouTube for several months. People have also been sending me YouTube clips via e-mail for quite some time. And I've been visiting other blogs where clips are regularly posted. I created an account on YouTube, using my google sign-in, and found the Bob Dylan video posted below, which was something that was useful as an adjunct to a series of posts I'd put up on my other blog.
YouTube is great. It's amazing how easy it is to post a clip. I'm glad that Learning 2.0 finally prompted me to find out how to do it.
The most obvious use of clips in the library setting, it would seem to me, would be for short instructional tools to show individuals how to find, or use, things like on-line catalogs and research materials--clips similar to the ones included in this lesson.
YouTube is great. It's amazing how easy it is to post a clip. I'm glad that Learning 2.0 finally prompted me to find out how to do it.
The most obvious use of clips in the library setting, it would seem to me, would be for short instructional tools to show individuals how to find, or use, things like on-line catalogs and research materials--clips similar to the ones included in this lesson.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
#19 (cont.)
I have already described my enthusiasm for one of the Web 2.0 winners, Library Thing. And I am using zoho writer, which I think is another medalist (?). I have also previously bookmarked Biblio.com after browsing through the list of winners in the "books" category.
Today I thought I'd take another quick look at some of the other winners.
I had noticed that a blogger whose site I sometimes visit offers a link to reddit.com, so I took a look at that one. In checking out the "what's hot" category on that site, I was directed to a security camera video clip of the awful bridge collapse in Minneapolis. (I am still waiting to hear from a friend who lives there and could well be a daily user of that bridge.) I hadn't seen that clip on TV, although it was apparently aired on CNN, which I often flip through in my nightly viewing. Finding this kind of thing is of interest, so I registered at, and bookmarked, the site. I don't really care too much about most of the "fun" features it offers, such as being able to vote on items viewed, in order, I guess, to create a ranking. But I will look into it further as time goes on to see how it might be used to better advantage.
I also bookmarked Facebook. Everybody seems to have one. Certainly my daughters have one. I just want to check it out for that reason. For my personal purposes, the blog seems like the most satisfying way to go.
I can see a person getting totally lost in feeds of interesting "stuff" from all these different sites. This is not good for OCD types; not at all. The world is already moving too fast; and we are already bombarded with an excessive amount of information, much of which is merely titillating. As I've said before, I need my recliner and a good book in my limited free time.
To the extent that uses can be found on the job for some of these tools--and I can see how they would be very helpful to people with certain kinds of jobs (and to students, as well)--I welcome their development. But as a form of entertaining time-killer, I see dangers in them.
Today I thought I'd take another quick look at some of the other winners.
I had noticed that a blogger whose site I sometimes visit offers a link to reddit.com, so I took a look at that one. In checking out the "what's hot" category on that site, I was directed to a security camera video clip of the awful bridge collapse in Minneapolis. (I am still waiting to hear from a friend who lives there and could well be a daily user of that bridge.) I hadn't seen that clip on TV, although it was apparently aired on CNN, which I often flip through in my nightly viewing. Finding this kind of thing is of interest, so I registered at, and bookmarked, the site. I don't really care too much about most of the "fun" features it offers, such as being able to vote on items viewed, in order, I guess, to create a ranking. But I will look into it further as time goes on to see how it might be used to better advantage.
I also bookmarked Facebook. Everybody seems to have one. Certainly my daughters have one. I just want to check it out for that reason. For my personal purposes, the blog seems like the most satisfying way to go.
I can see a person getting totally lost in feeds of interesting "stuff" from all these different sites. This is not good for OCD types; not at all. The world is already moving too fast; and we are already bombarded with an excessive amount of information, much of which is merely titillating. As I've said before, I need my recliner and a good book in my limited free time.
To the extent that uses can be found on the job for some of these tools--and I can see how they would be very helpful to people with certain kinds of jobs (and to students, as well)--I welcome their development. But as a form of entertaining time-killer, I see dangers in them.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
#18: A New Feature
On the sidebar, a new feature of my blog can be observed: "Writings". I investigated zohowriter and the similar google feature, and decided to use zoho to publish a (very) short and (hopefully) humorous story that I've had laying around for awhile.
I haven't had occasion to use this tool for composition yet, but I can see how it could come in handy, from time-to-time.
I also signed up for the google tool, since I already had an account any way. If, over time, one proves to be more useful--or user-friendly--than the other, I can always switch.
I haven't had occasion to use this tool for composition yet, but I can see how it could come in handy, from time-to-time.
I also signed up for the google tool, since I already had an account any way. If, over time, one proves to be more useful--or user-friendly--than the other, I can always switch.
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