Poor Willy, even after he passes on he won't excape.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Interlude 8
Willy in the throws of DTs . . . delirium tremens--"the horrors", "the shakes", " the rum fits." He can't believe that Library 2.0 is over.
23 Summarize your thoughts. . .
Day 1188
Willy could accurately summarize his thoughts by leaving this space blank. However, something tells him that more is expected.
At first Willy was skeptical but he soon got on board. When you hook people on narcotics, they soon come around.
1. Willy's favorite discovery, from an addiction point of view, is the video sites. Patrons have learned not to go near Willy until he has had his daily fix.
2. It seriously affected Willy's educational goals. He has so many more goals now that it will be difficult to reach any one. From a goal orientation this might not be a good thing. But for Willy, who is counting the days until he can wallow er retire, he just ate this stuff up.
3. One unexpected outcome is that this introduced new ways of organization. Del.icio.us is a great concept. Stupid name but great concept. The concept can be used elsewhere. On computers, people think in terms of files and folders but keywords can also be assigned to files and they can be searched the same way. Wikis are another great way to organize and retrieve information. Willy sees them as a collection of highly accessible living documents that he can share with others or use purely alone. He is creating an ebooks wiki and is finding that it is far easier and faster to write wiki pages than Word document pages--he does not have to pay attention to the limitations of the 8.5"x 11" format. If he needs handouts he just prints out wiki pages. Since the Internet is becoming ubiquitous the wiki pages are available almost anywhere and are easy to keep up to date.
4. Willy is shocked, just shocked to admit that this was a great exercise. He suggests making it a permanent fixture in the library. Of course that is what a junkie would say. But it would continually expose people to new ways of doing things--something that is necessary to keep up in today's world. Not everybody will participate but that is ok. The ones who do will start using the new tools. The ones who don't will see how the new tools are being used and will eventually follow along.
Willy could accurately summarize his thoughts by leaving this space blank. However, something tells him that more is expected.
At first Willy was skeptical but he soon got on board. When you hook people on narcotics, they soon come around.
1. Willy's favorite discovery, from an addiction point of view, is the video sites. Patrons have learned not to go near Willy until he has had his daily fix.
2. It seriously affected Willy's educational goals. He has so many more goals now that it will be difficult to reach any one. From a goal orientation this might not be a good thing. But for Willy, who is counting the days until he can wallow er retire, he just ate this stuff up.
3. One unexpected outcome is that this introduced new ways of organization. Del.icio.us is a great concept. Stupid name but great concept. The concept can be used elsewhere. On computers, people think in terms of files and folders but keywords can also be assigned to files and they can be searched the same way. Wikis are another great way to organize and retrieve information. Willy sees them as a collection of highly accessible living documents that he can share with others or use purely alone. He is creating an ebooks wiki and is finding that it is far easier and faster to write wiki pages than Word document pages--he does not have to pay attention to the limitations of the 8.5"x 11" format. If he needs handouts he just prints out wiki pages. Since the Internet is becoming ubiquitous the wiki pages are available almost anywhere and are easy to keep up to date.
4. Willy is shocked, just shocked to admit that this was a great exercise. He suggests making it a permanent fixture in the library. Of course that is what a junkie would say. But it would continually expose people to new ways of doing things--something that is necessary to keep up in today's world. Not everybody will participate but that is ok. The ones who do will start using the new tools. The ones who don't will see how the new tools are being used and will eventually follow along.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
#22 (Week 9) Ebooks and Audio Ebooks
Day 1190
Willy is a a pusher of eContent so he knows a little about this. Unfortunately, because he is, people think that he knows everything. There is too much for any one person to know and what can be known is growing. More and more formats, different providers using different methods. It seems the more Willy learns, the less he knows.
Then there is Digital Rights Management--a form of extreme electronic bureaucracy designed to protect copyright entitlement far past the original intent of the copyright law--damn the mouse! It may explain the reoccurring nightmare Willy has where he always wakes up in a cold, sweaty terror. People are chasing him at night with flaming torches and when they finally catch him, they pin him down, shake their iPods and scream at him--why can't they download to their iPods?
But despite this, Willy is not just a pusher, he is also a client. His latest addiction is in trying to learn a language. He uses Pimsleur language ebooks that he transfers to a digital audio player. He listens to it while commuting to work on foot. People find him stumbling along, oblivious to the world and muttering to himself in strange languages. For some reason they keep offering to give him their spare change.
Willy is a a pusher of eContent so he knows a little about this. Unfortunately, because he is, people think that he knows everything. There is too much for any one person to know and what can be known is growing. More and more formats, different providers using different methods. It seems the more Willy learns, the less he knows.
Then there is Digital Rights Management--a form of extreme electronic bureaucracy designed to protect copyright entitlement far past the original intent of the copyright law--damn the mouse! It may explain the reoccurring nightmare Willy has where he always wakes up in a cold, sweaty terror. People are chasing him at night with flaming torches and when they finally catch him, they pin him down, shake their iPods and scream at him--why can't they download to their iPods?
But despite this, Willy is not just a pusher, he is also a client. His latest addiction is in trying to learn a language. He uses Pimsleur language ebooks that he transfers to a digital audio player. He listens to it while commuting to work on foot. People find him stumbling along, oblivious to the world and muttering to himself in strange languages. For some reason they keep offering to give him their spare change.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
#21 (Week 9) Podcasts. . .
Not a lot of whoopee... just straight talk
Day 1202
The Lone Willy The legend begins . . . .
Willy already has many NPR podcasts listed in his Blogline account. One of his favorites: Science Friday
Investingating Podcast.net he came across an old favorite.
The word podcast is used to refer to a non-musical audio or video broadcast that is distributed over the Internet.--Learning 2.0
Although this video comes from YouTube it fits the definition of a podcast. Dr Gene was not musical--colorful yes, musical no--except when he got out his sax. He could really wail on his sax.
Dr. Gene Scott. . .
He got Willy through many a sleepless night.
The Lone Willy The legend begins . . . .
Willy already has many NPR podcasts listed in his Blogline account. One of his favorites: Science Friday
Investingating Podcast.net he came across an old favorite.
The word podcast is used to refer to a non-musical audio or video broadcast that is distributed over the Internet.--Learning 2.0
Although this video comes from YouTube it fits the definition of a podcast. Dr Gene was not musical--colorful yes, musical no--except when he got out his sax. He could really wail on his sax.
Dr. Gene Scott. . .
He got Willy through many a sleepless night.
#20 (Week 9). Discover YouTube, etc., etc.
Day 1202
Finally, something Willy already knows about!
Now, all those hours of studying at work has paid off.
You can see Willy's Youtube favorites under Willy Toys and Distractions on the left.
Weird Al Yankovic - My Bologna
Finally, something Willy already knows about!
Now, all those hours of studying at work has paid off.
You can see Willy's Youtube favorites under Willy Toys and Distractions on the left.
Weird Al Yankovic - My Bologna
Thursday, March 15, 2007
#19 (Week 8) Take a Look at LibraryThing
Day 1203
Willy made his library at LibraryThing:
librarything.com/catalog.php?view=1265days
All of his titles are 0 star, . . . of course.
The limit to the service is 200 titles before you have to pay. Ha! Years ago Willy created a database of his books (in Paradox later imported into Access). He had so many he lost track of what he had bought and would end up buying the same title over again. He used the database to make a printout he could look at when in the store so he did not waste money buying duplicates. He also had so many books squirreled all over the house that he had a hard time finding what he was looking for. He created location codes for each room and shelf so he could find the book he was looking for!
This is definately a tool for collaboration. For personal use, a spreadsheet works fine and is cheaper if you have more than 200 titles.
Willy made his library at LibraryThing:
librarything.com/catalog.php?view=1265days
All of his titles are 0 star, . . . of course.
The limit to the service is 200 titles before you have to pay. Ha! Years ago Willy created a database of his books (in Paradox later imported into Access). He had so many he lost track of what he had bought and would end up buying the same title over again. He used the database to make a printout he could look at when in the store so he did not waste money buying duplicates. He also had so many books squirreled all over the house that he had a hard time finding what he was looking for. He created location codes for each room and shelf so he could find the book he was looking for!
This is definately a tool for collaboration. For personal use, a spreadsheet works fine and is cheaper if you have more than 200 titles.
#18 (Week 8). Look at some online productivity candy
Day 1203
Willy is already familiar with Google Docs and Spreadsheets. The Google applications work great and he has them on his Google Personalized Home. But the Zoho tools look even more sweet.
With all of these applications to choose from, Willy feels like a kid in a candy factory.
Willy Wonka, Willy weally needs you!
This Bloated Willy posting was published from Zoho Writer and edited at Blogger.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
#17 (Week 7) Go Play in the Wiki SandBox
Day 1211
Willy got carried away and made his own wiki: 1265days: A Willy Makit Wiki. Check it out and see the Willy behind the Willy.
Willy got carried away and made his own wiki: 1265days: A Willy Makit Wiki. Check it out and see the Willy behind the Willy.
Monday, March 5, 2007
#16 (Week 7) Learn about wikis and discover innovative ways that libraries are using them
Day 1212
Today Willy wants to dive into controversy. Many teachers and librarians do not feel students should use wikis because they are "not authoritative" and that the information may not be accurate. Willy happens to think the accuracy is near-par with authoritative sources. What a wiki lacks in authority it makes up for in number of eyeballs of knowledgeable people who take ownership of the articles. But more importantly, accuracy does not matter!
Willy is a dinosaur--a pre-Internet librarian. Before the Internet, when a client approached him with an information need and neither of them knew much about the topic, the first stop was to the encyclopedia. Students would say that their teacher did not want them to use encyclopedias. Ever willing to corrupt young minds, Willy would tell the students to just not tell their teachers and don't cite from the encyclopedia. The reason for using the encyclopedia was not to get content for a paper but to learn enough about the subject to focus their research to locate the authoritative stuff that can be used for the paper. A twenty-minute investment with an encyclopedia could cut down hours of unfocused searching.
Wikis are just forms of encyclopedias. Most wiki articles are well written with overviews, vocabulary, names, dates and bibliographies. But if a wiki article is not completely accurate, it does not matter--the article will almost always help to find good authoritative sources. As the authoritative sources are found any mis-information in the wiki article will be corrected by the authoritative sources.
I once heard research described as an iterative process. You start with what you know, and do the best you can. As you find information, you learn and use that information to help focus further searching. Wikis are a great place to start the research process, not to end the process, but to start it.
On the list of wikis Willy was suppose to look at, the Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki looked interesting. Willy thinks he may want to become a contributor.
Today Willy wants to dive into controversy. Many teachers and librarians do not feel students should use wikis because they are "not authoritative" and that the information may not be accurate. Willy happens to think the accuracy is near-par with authoritative sources. What a wiki lacks in authority it makes up for in number of eyeballs of knowledgeable people who take ownership of the articles. But more importantly, accuracy does not matter!
Willy is a dinosaur--a pre-Internet librarian. Before the Internet, when a client approached him with an information need and neither of them knew much about the topic, the first stop was to the encyclopedia. Students would say that their teacher did not want them to use encyclopedias. Ever willing to corrupt young minds, Willy would tell the students to just not tell their teachers and don't cite from the encyclopedia. The reason for using the encyclopedia was not to get content for a paper but to learn enough about the subject to focus their research to locate the authoritative stuff that can be used for the paper. A twenty-minute investment with an encyclopedia could cut down hours of unfocused searching.
Wikis are just forms of encyclopedias. Most wiki articles are well written with overviews, vocabulary, names, dates and bibliographies. But if a wiki article is not completely accurate, it does not matter--the article will almost always help to find good authoritative sources. As the authoritative sources are found any mis-information in the wiki article will be corrected by the authoritative sources.
I once heard research described as an iterative process. You start with what you know, and do the best you can. As you find information, you learn and use that information to help focus further searching. Wikis are a great place to start the research process, not to end the process, but to start it.
On the list of wikis Willy was suppose to look at, the Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki looked interesting. Willy thinks he may want to become a contributor.
Friday, March 2, 2007
#15 (Week 6) Read Perspectives on Web 2.0. Future of Libraries
Day 1215
Willy says . . .
Go with the flow, but remain centered.
Willy says . . .
Go with the flow, but remain centered.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
#14 (Week 6). Explore Technorati and learn about tags
Day 1216
Willy visited Technorati and "claimed" (registered) his blog. He was so excited, he was already ranked at: 2,710,648. Don't tell Willy but that puts him at dead last.
His tags are: 1265days, sjlibrary2.0, willy makit. He tried a search on the tag 1265days and found out that there is nothing in the known universe tagged 1265days. How deflating--from hope to dispair in one easy click. Oh, well, it probably takes awhile for the tags to be indexed. . . he says hopefully. If you want to help Willy out, click on the "Add this Blog to my Technorati Favorites" link located somewhere on the left edge.
What Willy learned about tags . . .
Spelling is everyting
Willy visited Technorati and "claimed" (registered) his blog. He was so excited, he was already ranked at: 2,710,648. Don't tell Willy but that puts him at dead last.
His tags are: 1265days, sjlibrary2.0, willy makit. He tried a search on the tag 1265days and found out that there is nothing in the known universe tagged 1265days. How deflating--from hope to dispair in one easy click. Oh, well, it probably takes awhile for the tags to be indexed. . . he says hopefully. If you want to help Willy out, click on the "Add this Blog to my Technorati Favorites" link located somewhere on the left edge.
What Willy learned about tags . . .
Spelling is everyting
Interlude 6
Day 1216
Blogging about the social bookmaking sites reminded Willy that he was suppose to report back on using the Google Personalized Homepage. It works well although he did have an interesting moment. More precisely, about one hundred and eighty interesting moments . . . .
There is this link on the side called "Add stuff »". He added stuff--250 stuffs. He did not realize, until he went to his home page that each link opens up a channel to another web site. So going to his home page now opened up 250 channels. It took about 45 minutes for his "personalized" homepage to load. He tried to delete all of the channels but as soon as he refreshed the page, all 250 channels came back. It took about three hours to fix. Willy has seen many things on the web, but this was the first time he ever saw a web page revel in the throes of constipation.
What Willy learned . . .
Moderation in all things
Blogging about the social bookmaking sites reminded Willy that he was suppose to report back on using the Google Personalized Homepage. It works well although he did have an interesting moment. More precisely, about one hundred and eighty interesting moments . . . .
There is this link on the side called "Add stuff »". He added stuff--250 stuffs. He did not realize, until he went to his home page that each link opens up a channel to another web site. So going to his home page now opened up 250 channels. It took about 45 minutes for his "personalized" homepage to load. He tried to delete all of the channels but as soon as he refreshed the page, all 250 channels came back. It took about three hours to fix. Willy has seen many things on the web, but this was the first time he ever saw a web page revel in the throes of constipation.
What Willy learned . . .
Moderation in all things
#13 (Week 6). Tagging, Del.icio.us and social bookmaking sites
Day 1216
...and social bookmaking sites? Spellchecker strikes again. Willy's experience. . . when email replying apologies to patrons he always misspell the word "inconvenience." The ever helpful spellchecker always turns his words into "sorry for the incontinence. . ."
When Willy started his foray into Del.icio.us., he found out that FireFox has an extension that allows for uploading existing bookmarks into Del.icio.us. Great he thought, he doesn't have to do any work--he'll just import his bookmarks and have a fully developed Del.icio.us site.
Forty-five minutes and three thousand bookmarks later, he realized there were things in there that perhaps should not be exposed to the world. He knows that they were set as private but he did not want to take a chance. Smart boy, this is not a website designed for private bookmarks. And, no--there was nothing salacious--you dirty old (wo)man. It turns out the only practical way to delete all of the bookmarks from Del.icio.us is to delete the account and start over--drastic but it works.
Willy also realized that most of his FireFox bookmarks are really detritus from years past. So he is starting over. He'll keep his FireFox bookmarks as backup but will form new ones in Del.icio.us as needed. He also realized that he is not that dependent on bookmarks anyway. He finds it faster to Google the name of the needed website. So his bookmarks will probably be much fewer and for more arcane things leaving Google as the primary way to get to a site.
...and social bookmaking sites? Spellchecker strikes again. Willy's experience. . . when email replying apologies to patrons he always misspell the word "inconvenience." The ever helpful spellchecker always turns his words into "sorry for the incontinence. . ."
When Willy started his foray into Del.icio.us., he found out that FireFox has an extension that allows for uploading existing bookmarks into Del.icio.us. Great he thought, he doesn't have to do any work--he'll just import his bookmarks and have a fully developed Del.icio.us site.
Forty-five minutes and three thousand bookmarks later, he realized there were things in there that perhaps should not be exposed to the world. He knows that they were set as private but he did not want to take a chance. Smart boy, this is not a website designed for private bookmarks. And, no--there was nothing salacious--you dirty old (wo)man. It turns out the only practical way to delete all of the bookmarks from Del.icio.us is to delete the account and start over--drastic but it works.
Willy also realized that most of his FireFox bookmarks are really detritus from years past. So he is starting over. He'll keep his FireFox bookmarks as backup but will form new ones in Del.icio.us as needed. He also realized that he is not that dependent on bookmarks anyway. He finds it faster to Google the name of the needed website. So his bookmarks will probably be much fewer and for more arcane things leaving Google as the primary way to get to a site.
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