Well, actually, I do - I just thought that was a catchy title. Most of us who use the internet use cloud computing, whether we know it or not. I haven't used online "OS" and probably won't in the near future, but it is useful for those who need it. I use flickr, google docs occasionally, library thing occasionally, I've saved pictures on facebook, I listen to music and various programs online, email, delicious, etc. etc.
I save important things like pictures to flashdrives, as a backup to online storage and the card in the camera. I hate it when I lose pictures, so I stash them in more than one place. But it's so convenient to be able to log onto one of my accounts to show someone pictures., or to use a document when I'm not at "my" computer. One of our fellow "thingers" commented that some schools are encouraging the use of Google docs so the "my printer stopped working" excuse will be obsolete. The student could just log onto google docs and print the document - but of course, the "printer broke" excuse usually meant the student hadn't done the work. :-)
There can be problems - security can be an issue, and there are always trolls. Even when something is set to private, there are ways around it. I wouldn't be comfortable having private data stored in the cloud - it's too easy to get to if someone is determined. I'm also a bit concerned about ownership issues - (in fact, facebook just started using creative commons.) Some sites claim any content stored becomes their property rather than yours, so user beware. :-) What if the "cloud" you're using starts charging - will you be able to retrieve your data?
But for some things, the convenience of using cloud computing is unbeatable.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
44 It's the Economy....
I've been doing online banking for a long time for many of our bills. I tend to go in as soon as I get the bill and set the time for it to be paid, so I can just forget about it. The trick is, of course, to have the money in the account at that time. :-) Fortunately I manage to time that correctly.
I did check fuel economy when I bought my last car, but the predictions aren't necessarily all that accurate. One site I like to use to check gas prices is http://www.twincitiesgasprices.com/. It's pretty surprising that there would be that much difference in price in the same metro area. I usually put gas in near my work - it can be as much as 15 cents a gallon cheaper than the stations by my house.
Along with Craigslist and Freecycle, another source that's available is http://www.twincitiesfreemarket.org/. It's an open list that one can read/post to without having to subscribe. That's something I didn't like aboutFreecycle -I had subscribed some time ago, but there wasn't much activity so I stopped following it. I love Craigslist, and have gotten several things this way. Plus I reunited someone with their dog the a while ago because I noticed a Lost ad, and a found ad a few days apart, and wrote to one of them. It was their dog! Woof!
I follow a few Deals/freebie sites on Twitter, but haven't done much with those. I did like looking through Wise Bread. Frugal Dad was ok, but nothing really new. I'll probably browse through some of the other frugal bloggers on occasion. I do shop at thrift stores sometimes- it's fun to just browse because you'll never know what you'll find. I even found some of our Noritake stoneware at Valu Village and it was certainly much cheaper than we got married!
The lifehacker article was good - I'm going to check some of these out. One site I've used for years is http://www.pricegrabber.com/ . It's pretty interesting to see how much prices can vary for the same item.
I did check fuel economy when I bought my last car, but the predictions aren't necessarily all that accurate. One site I like to use to check gas prices is http://www.twincitiesgasprices.com/. It's pretty surprising that there would be that much difference in price in the same metro area. I usually put gas in near my work - it can be as much as 15 cents a gallon cheaper than the stations by my house.
Along with Craigslist and Freecycle, another source that's available is http://www.twincitiesfreemarket.org/. It's an open list that one can read/post to without having to subscribe. That's something I didn't like aboutFreecycle -I had subscribed some time ago, but there wasn't much activity so I stopped following it. I love Craigslist, and have gotten several things this way. Plus I reunited someone with their dog the a while ago because I noticed a Lost ad, and a found ad a few days apart, and wrote to one of them. It was their dog! Woof!
I follow a few Deals/freebie sites on Twitter, but haven't done much with those. I did like looking through Wise Bread. Frugal Dad was ok, but nothing really new. I'll probably browse through some of the other frugal bloggers on occasion. I do shop at thrift stores sometimes- it's fun to just browse because you'll never know what you'll find. I even found some of our Noritake stoneware at Valu Village and it was certainly much cheaper than we got married!
The lifehacker article was good - I'm going to check some of these out. One site I've used for years is http://www.pricegrabber.com/ . It's pretty interesting to see how much prices can vary for the same item.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
43 TV and beyond
I've used Hulu before and like it. Joost seems pretty similar. I've also used surfthechannel.com and like that as well; I've been able to find things there that weren't available elsewhere. Many of the things I searched for weren't available, or just were promo clips. My husband travels a lot for work and will miss episodes of shows he likes, so we've been known to just go to the network website and watch catch up on the episodes that way. I watched a short clip of Henry Cho (a comedian I like) on the Craig Ferguson show via Hulu (searching Joost brought up no results). It took forever at work - everything seems to be running slow today.
While I like these services, I don't know that they'll replace network/cable tv in the near future, but it's a convenient alternative for those who have the equipment to utilize this. Some problems at this time include being tech savvy enough to use/troubleshoot this services. One also needs a computer and connection that is capable of streaming these types of casts - higher bandwidth, RAM, etc. You'd want a larger monitor, too- many people are bothered by the smaller screen. I didn't mind that so much. There's also the issue of hosting that type of website - could get pretty spendy.
I mainly tend to use this to catch up on something I miss, and I don't even do that too often - I don't watch much tv, I guess. And usually if I miss something, I catch the rerun. :-) For me, it isn't going to affect broadcast tv/cable, and it's still hit or miss finding something to watch. Netflix is considering not using DVDs anymore, just streaming. (I still prefer DVDs, myself). I don't know that it will be soon, but eventually I would think more entities will follow suit, or at least make it an attractive option.
While I like these services, I don't know that they'll replace network/cable tv in the near future, but it's a convenient alternative for those who have the equipment to utilize this. Some problems at this time include being tech savvy enough to use/troubleshoot this services. One also needs a computer and connection that is capable of streaming these types of casts - higher bandwidth, RAM, etc. You'd want a larger monitor, too- many people are bothered by the smaller screen. I didn't mind that so much. There's also the issue of hosting that type of website - could get pretty spendy.
I mainly tend to use this to catch up on something I miss, and I don't even do that too often - I don't watch much tv, I guess. And usually if I miss something, I catch the rerun. :-) For me, it isn't going to affect broadcast tv/cable, and it's still hit or miss finding something to watch. Netflix is considering not using DVDs anymore, just streaming. (I still prefer DVDs, myself). I don't know that it will be soon, but eventually I would think more entities will follow suit, or at least make it an attractive option.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Pundits
I find it very interesting that some of the so-called library theorists have no room for differing opinions. Their idea of "discussion" involves them snapping out orders and expecting you to comply. I'm so not interested. I work in a real library, not in a theoretical one. Going after someone in a blog and elsewhere when you didn't "win" the discussion is petty and childish. These are the people who think they have something to say about the future of libraries? One of these guys in particular hasn't worked an in-person reference desk in over 15 years, and he thinks he knows what's going on? Why are we listening to these people? Do other professions listen to theorists who have no real world experience? No, they don't, and we shouldn't listen to these self-promoting windbags either.
The sky is not falling; we're seeing more traffic than ever. While libraries continue to evolve and change, many things stay the same. These pundits are always saying libraries need to be like bookstores. Sure, Barnes and Noble may have WiFi, but will a bookseller help someone format a resume? Import images to a powerpoint presentation? Upload or save pictures?? Let them walk out of the store with a book, Cd, DVD in hand that they didn't have to pay for? With the trust that they'll bring it back? Can they find archived magazine articles at Borders? Libraries always have had places for people to look at books, magazines, listen to cds, etc. The bookstores learned that from US, not the other way around.
Sure, web 2.0 is great, and I and my colleagues use many of the tools all the time. But not all of it translates well to direct patron service, which is what we do. I'm tired of being told I'm "resistant to change" when I'm advocating for people I work with. I'm resistant to change that's being done "because everyone else is doing it" but adds nothing, or worse yet, detracts from what our patrons really want. I love the technology stuff, and I work with it, and share my knowledge with my colleagues and patrons on a daily basis. Don't tell me I'm resistant to change because I disagree with you - you make yourself look even more foolish.
We're expected to do more with less, we're expected to babysit, and evidently if people are rude and obnoxious it's somehow our fault. But we have people every single day who genuinely need our help, and the services we provide, and we are happy to help them. It makes my day when I see the light in someone's eyes tell me they're getting the hang of this computer stuff - that they can do an attachment! Or when someone tells me they loved the book I recommended, and wonders if there are more?? Or need help finding an article, and are happy to find out they can do it from home. It's wonderful when someone I've been helping with email, attachments, and job websites comes in to tell me they've gotten a job and they want to thank me for my help. These pundits have no idea what that's like - they're so busy trying to tell us our imaginary shortcomings that they couldn't care less about the multitude of things we're doing right. I feel rather sorry for them.
When you're a pundit, if someone in an email/or reference chat is rude, they can just delete it. When someone is rude or threatening here, we have to deal with it. I wonder how many of these pundits have been threatened with bodily harm because all the computers were in use? Or because someone isn't allowed to look at porn with a child sitting beside them? How many of these guys have taken a frightened toddler by the hand and walked with them through the library to find Mommy or Daddy? How many have had their cars trashed? I would bet none.
Yet they sit in their cushy offices, with a secretary to do most of the real work. They answer an occasional online reference question, maybe, maybe not, and pat themselves on the back and tell themselves how smart they are. They travel around pretending they have something valuable to share, and the more gullible in our profession lap it up. Meanwhile, the rest of us are working with real people, with real needs, in real life. Oooh - someone somewhere may have said a patron was rude. How "terrible" we are.
Get real. Get a clue. Or go away.
The sky is not falling; we're seeing more traffic than ever. While libraries continue to evolve and change, many things stay the same. These pundits are always saying libraries need to be like bookstores. Sure, Barnes and Noble may have WiFi, but will a bookseller help someone format a resume? Import images to a powerpoint presentation? Upload or save pictures?? Let them walk out of the store with a book, Cd, DVD in hand that they didn't have to pay for? With the trust that they'll bring it back? Can they find archived magazine articles at Borders? Libraries always have had places for people to look at books, magazines, listen to cds, etc. The bookstores learned that from US, not the other way around.
Sure, web 2.0 is great, and I and my colleagues use many of the tools all the time. But not all of it translates well to direct patron service, which is what we do. I'm tired of being told I'm "resistant to change" when I'm advocating for people I work with. I'm resistant to change that's being done "because everyone else is doing it" but adds nothing, or worse yet, detracts from what our patrons really want. I love the technology stuff, and I work with it, and share my knowledge with my colleagues and patrons on a daily basis. Don't tell me I'm resistant to change because I disagree with you - you make yourself look even more foolish.
We're expected to do more with less, we're expected to babysit, and evidently if people are rude and obnoxious it's somehow our fault. But we have people every single day who genuinely need our help, and the services we provide, and we are happy to help them. It makes my day when I see the light in someone's eyes tell me they're getting the hang of this computer stuff - that they can do an attachment! Or when someone tells me they loved the book I recommended, and wonders if there are more?? Or need help finding an article, and are happy to find out they can do it from home. It's wonderful when someone I've been helping with email, attachments, and job websites comes in to tell me they've gotten a job and they want to thank me for my help. These pundits have no idea what that's like - they're so busy trying to tell us our imaginary shortcomings that they couldn't care less about the multitude of things we're doing right. I feel rather sorry for them.
When you're a pundit, if someone in an email/or reference chat is rude, they can just delete it. When someone is rude or threatening here, we have to deal with it. I wonder how many of these pundits have been threatened with bodily harm because all the computers were in use? Or because someone isn't allowed to look at porn with a child sitting beside them? How many of these guys have taken a frightened toddler by the hand and walked with them through the library to find Mommy or Daddy? How many have had their cars trashed? I would bet none.
Yet they sit in their cushy offices, with a secretary to do most of the real work. They answer an occasional online reference question, maybe, maybe not, and pat themselves on the back and tell themselves how smart they are. They travel around pretending they have something valuable to share, and the more gullible in our profession lap it up. Meanwhile, the rest of us are working with real people, with real needs, in real life. Oooh - someone somewhere may have said a patron was rude. How "terrible" we are.
Get real. Get a clue. Or go away.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
42 Music
I've been listening to music online for years. I listen to music all day long - at home, in the car, at work....I log on when I'm at my desk, and listen while I'm working on other things. I used to listen to specific radio stations, such as KFOG from San Francisco (the station I listened to most when we lived there.) I have XM in the house, and a player in my car, and our pickup has XM as well.
Comparing Pandora to Last, Last.fm seems to play more variety, Pandora plays more of the artists you specify. For example, if I ask for Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Pandora plays a lot of his songs, (which is good, because that's what I said!) but repeats a lot of the same artists, too...lots of Jeff Healey, Stevie Ray Vaughan...which is fine, since I like them too, but part of the reason I like online radio is that I want to hear things I don't know, or a wider variety than on commercial radio. Last.fm played a lot of different artists, even a few tracks I didn't know. They both played Natalie Merchant for Aimee Mann - yuck. I don't dare ask for Tricia Yearwood or Mary Chapin Carpenter, since they would probably play Reba McEntire, which would ruin my entire day. I may use the player option as a quick way to add things to my Zen.
I've used Hype-Machine off and on for a few years - I hadn't looked at it lately, and the interface is much different. I like HM for new music, especially. I listen to XM online, as well, as long as I still don't have to pay for it. And i've listened to MPR/NPR online for years, especially for classical. My husband and I play "ID that composer" sometimes. :-) I listen to the Current as well - depends on who the DJ is though. :-)
I added the "Recently Played" widget from Last.fm - it will be interesting to see what changes as I create stations.
Comparing Pandora to Last, Last.fm seems to play more variety, Pandora plays more of the artists you specify. For example, if I ask for Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Pandora plays a lot of his songs, (which is good, because that's what I said!) but repeats a lot of the same artists, too...lots of Jeff Healey, Stevie Ray Vaughan...which is fine, since I like them too, but part of the reason I like online radio is that I want to hear things I don't know, or a wider variety than on commercial radio. Last.fm played a lot of different artists, even a few tracks I didn't know. They both played Natalie Merchant for Aimee Mann - yuck. I don't dare ask for Tricia Yearwood or Mary Chapin Carpenter, since they would probably play Reba McEntire, which would ruin my entire day. I may use the player option as a quick way to add things to my Zen.
I've used Hype-Machine off and on for a few years - I hadn't looked at it lately, and the interface is much different. I like HM for new music, especially. I listen to XM online, as well, as long as I still don't have to pay for it. And i've listened to MPR/NPR online for years, especially for classical. My husband and I play "ID that composer" sometimes. :-) I listen to the Current as well - depends on who the DJ is though. :-)
I added the "Recently Played" widget from Last.fm - it will be interesting to see what changes as I create stations.
41 LIfe Mash
I looked through the mashups, but haven't much interest in them. I don't use so many social networking sites that I need another site to keep track of them . I don't want to spend all my life on my computer, so no thanks. Besides, I'm more interested in the Music stuff, which is next.
Friday, May 8, 2009
40 Web Mashup
I played around with the two music mashups, but I don't see much use for me. I prefer to just listen - not repeating songs, saving them, etc. I create a station and listen - I'll skip or "dislike" a song, but tend not to save them since I'm interested in hearing new things.
I might use Lazy Library occasionally - we get people all the time who have to do a lst minute book report, or who just might want a quick read. I would like more results, but it can at least be a "mind jogger" when you draw a blank. BookTour might be handy if it didn't call for a download...:-)
Libworm was interesting. I liked just clicking on a tag and seeing what comes up. I didn't set up rss feeds, but that is a convenient option if there was a topic I wanted to track in more depth.
I like the idea of Lunchbox, but it's got a long way to go. :-) It didn't find much around the zip codes I entered, even though I know of other places in those areas. Wheel of Food is a fun idea, but has the same basic problem. Functionality was a but limited, too - tried "spin again" and that doesn't work.
According to WalkScore, we're a 38/100; car dependent. It would be somewhat useful if I were househunting, perhaps. It is handy to see exactly how far away Walgreen's is, since I tend to walk there. :- ) Crime reports was pretty limiting for me, since my city isn't listed. It's a good idea, although you can usually get crime reports from the police if you're interested, or google it.
I might use Lazy Library occasionally - we get people all the time who have to do a lst minute book report, or who just might want a quick read. I would like more results, but it can at least be a "mind jogger" when you draw a blank. BookTour might be handy if it didn't call for a download...:-)
Libworm was interesting. I liked just clicking on a tag and seeing what comes up. I didn't set up rss feeds, but that is a convenient option if there was a topic I wanted to track in more depth.
I like the idea of Lunchbox, but it's got a long way to go. :-) It didn't find much around the zip codes I entered, even though I know of other places in those areas. Wheel of Food is a fun idea, but has the same basic problem. Functionality was a but limited, too - tried "spin again" and that doesn't work.
According to WalkScore, we're a 38/100; car dependent. It would be somewhat useful if I were househunting, perhaps. It is handy to see exactly how far away Walgreen's is, since I tend to walk there. :- ) Crime reports was pretty limiting for me, since my city isn't listed. It's a good idea, although you can usually get crime reports from the police if you're interested, or google it.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
39 Scrapbook
I used Scrapblog to whip up a couple pages - it was easy and kind of fun, and simple to upload the pictures from flickr. It was a bit limiting, but since it's free I'm not going to complain very much. For the one of the cats, there was a neat music background I wanted to use but the stickers colors didn't work. (They are named Fermata and Fantasia, after all.) It was quite user friendly, and fairly intuitive. The second page is a few shots we took in Scotland.
These could be fun to use for programming - take snaps of an event at the library and scrap it online. It would be fun for staff events, too. Home use could be even more fun. I'm sure everyone has embarrassing pictures of family members they're dying to use!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
37 Photo Tales
I've been using flickr for quite awhile, and after we went to Scotland/Ireland I went ahead and got a pro account. I didn't want to put music to the slides, because it would mean I'd have to use a of slides to make it synchronize. We did a slideshow on Powerpoint for my Dad's funeral, using George Strait's "Love without End, Amen" and it was an awesome way to pay him tribute. But I wanted to keep this one simple. I have used Animoto before and like it. I like some of the other slide ideas, and will play around with them another time.
I decided to use Pictobrowser, and, so that it wouldn't be so large, used the pictures I'd tagged Comayo, for County Mayo, Ireland. It's added to the bottom of my blog. Kathleen in the pictures is my third cousin once removed. We didn't know about each other until probably a month before we went over. Who knew genealogy would be so much fun?
Pictobrowser was very easy to use - it only took me a few minutes. It would be easy to make various shows using different tags or sets; it would probably take more time to do the tagging or making the sets than it takes to use Pictobrowser itself. It's easy to add to the blog, too - just use Edit Html and add the code.
I posted an lolcat in the last thing, but one can never have too many lolcats. I used roflbot, but also have used the uploader at Icanhascheezburger.com. (This is Fantasia, by the way.)
I've played around with Piknik but didn't like anything well enough to upload it. Generally, by the time you enlarge your picture enough to see it, it's so blurry that there's not too much to be done. :-/ I wasn't able to try splashup due to computer restrictions at work, but it looked like it could be interesting.
I decided to use Pictobrowser, and, so that it wouldn't be so large, used the pictures I'd tagged Comayo, for County Mayo, Ireland. It's added to the bottom of my blog. Kathleen in the pictures is my third cousin once removed. We didn't know about each other until probably a month before we went over. Who knew genealogy would be so much fun?
Pictobrowser was very easy to use - it only took me a few minutes. It would be easy to make various shows using different tags or sets; it would probably take more time to do the tagging or making the sets than it takes to use Pictobrowser itself. It's easy to add to the blog, too - just use Edit Html and add the code.
I posted an lolcat in the last thing, but one can never have too many lolcats. I used roflbot, but also have used the uploader at Icanhascheezburger.com. (This is Fantasia, by the way.)
I've played around with Piknik but didn't like anything well enough to upload it. Generally, by the time you enlarge your picture enough to see it, it's so blurry that there's not too much to be done. :-/ I wasn't able to try splashup due to computer restrictions at work, but it looked like it could be interesting.I guess if I'm stretching it I could call my pictobrowser a story - no?
Saturday, May 2, 2009
36 Comic Relief
I probably spent too much time on this one - I enjoy playing around with these. I made a few of the various signs/posters etc. I'll go back when I have more time and create another slideshow - I did a zoho slideshow in the first things, so I have an idea how they work. (plus I've done a million powerpoints...)A few of the sites that looked interesting were down. It looks like they may be back in the future, so I'll check occasionally. I've used both of the citation sites, and have recommended them to friends and others who may need them. I really enjoyed the Label maker, and will use that again. I've also played around a lot with the LOL cats:
I didn't do this one, but it's one of my favorites. Possibly because it's so true!!
This is one of my nieces, Kathryn and Shorty the cat. Anyway, these are a lot of fun and could be used for kids programs, etc. Children especially like these kinds of things, with their faces and their friends on them.
What's especially nice about many of these generators is their ease of use. Just plug in your details, and off you go. This is a quick and easy way to whip up some last minute publicity, or even make up a little souvenir for kids at a program. It would be easy to make up magnets, stickers, buttons or the like with these generators, especially since you can save them and reuse them if you like.
I didn't make a comic, although I did explore the sites and read quite a few. Some are definitely beter than others. One I usually read is Shelf Check by Poesy Galore: http://shelfcheck.blogspot.com/
Comics could be used for programming, library tours (just whip up a quick strip or two featuring whoever is coming for the tour) and the like. I have some Boy Scouts coming next week - maybe I'll make a few strips about how to search for the city's history. :-)
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