Pterodaktulos

Project update

2007-09-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

Armed with a hacksaw, x-acto knife, sheet plywood, and a glue gun, I have achieved a box-shaped object on my desk which might (if you squint) bear a slight resemblance to the branch in which I work. See for yourself.

The small piece of wood is a temporary prop. I hope that my supporting walls will appear more polished than that. I need to cut out the workrooms, offices and partitions. The ramps are being cut and sanded as we speak. Okay, not literally, because I'm actually typing this at the desk, and we're not strictly speaking anyway, but work with me here.

Ignore the mess please -- I'm doing too many projects at once. The second floor WILL be flush with the outside wall also once I perform surgery

I'll post pictures of the tables I'm gluing together later. Now, where's my Sculpey? I need to model the computers...

Still here

2007-08-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Beyond 23 Things, I'm going to use this as a staging area for LATI project(s) and whatever else I have the urge to post.

I'm slightly behind in LATI assignments at the moment because of general business and the assignments on the list this month are the type I like to devote a solid block of quiet time to complete -- and that just hasn't happened in the past couple weeks.

Luckily, the due dates for LATI are semi-fluid -- "milestones" is the description if I remember correctly -- and so I'm not panicking yet. However, it is irksome to look at the calendar and realize that in an ideal world you would be done with the Basic Reference Sources module.

I just had a Pirate of the Caribbean flashback while writing the above paragraph. "And thirdly, the Code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules. Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner."

Heheheh.

Because although I'm done with 23 Things...

2007-08-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

I am not done with the blog. Specifically I would like to post this pretty little bit of code that I received, which seems appropriate in light of a certain event of last month.

be sorted @ nimbo.net

# 23: Summing it all up

2007-07-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

23 hops, skips, and jumps later, here I am with a lot more usernames and passwords (well ok, really just one of the former, but a lot of replicas in any case) and spaces to play (and work) in online.

I have to say, the most memorable 'thing' I learned about had to be RSS feeds. It goes a long way towards solving my tendency to happen across something nifty and frequently updated on the InterWeb, bookmark it with every intention of going back to it later, and promptly forgetting either that I had bookmarked something or where it was exactly in that jumbled pile of miscellaneous saved links. Now there's one spot to go to to look for updates. Ok, two, because I have Google Reader account also. And I still have to remember to log in. But still -- simplification! ::happy dance::

I'm a lot more internet savvy now and have new knowledge on Web 2.0. Really, it was kind of pleasant and instructive to have some structure and deliberateness imposed on my internet addiction. I tried a few things I wouldn't have on my own and found or rediscovered a few useful tools.

I have nefarious podcast plans for the future and Bloglines and its kin will stay with me for a while yet.

One quibble I did have with the 23 Things was that so many of the tutorials were audiovisual based. I do realize that these may have been better for others who prefer that learning style, but I personally find the written word much easier to grok. Also, it would made it more possible to work on 23 Things when in a situation where speakers and/or appropriate software were not readily available. A minor thing really , but I felt it worth mentioning at least.

I would definitely like to participate in another such program in the future though, so clearly it did not bother me too much.

Overall, it was an enjoyable, illuminating, and unexpectedly playful experience and I'm glad I signed up. And hey, new blog space to tinker with.

TTFN!

# 22: Downloadable audiobooks

2007-07-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

Conveniently, the PGCMLS website allows people with an account to check out OverDrive audiobooks through the site here.

I poked around and did find a few titles I would like to hear in audio format. If I spent more time near a convenient place to listen to them I would definitely try it.

# 21: Podcasting

2007-07-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Podcast.net has a wide variety of podcasts. I liked how they included podcasts recorded in different languages.

I subscribed to a science fiction and fantasy podcast called Escape Pod.

I also subscribed to Librivox, which is a collection of audiobooks in the public domain. That could be very useful/fun.

# 20: YouTube

2007-07-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Only with YouTube could I show you a 'Wild Parrot Pizza Party!' D'awwwww...

I chose this video
because I happen to own a parrot of this type in the clip above. She is
not wild -- she's lived a caged existence with me since she was 9 weeks
out of the egg and we've been housemates for 9 years. However, she is
every bit as cute as those rogue Quakers flying about the park
pilfering pizza. Not that I'm, y'know, biased or anything.

As for the use of YouTube in a library setting...

Well, it's certainly handy, but the audio part of the audio-visual might
present a problem in certain situations. I see it more as fun than
useful really. Not that those are mutually exclusive but it's hard to
imagine a specific use in the library of today at least.

EDIT 8/18/07:

Why, oh WHY does the text formatting go to hoolies (apologies to Jennifer Roberson) in a handbasket whenever I post a fancy bit of code or embedded thingamajig? Grrr...

# 19: Web 2.0 Awards List

2007-07-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

I have a little list...

Actually, no I don't, but this site did. Piles of them.

Listdump promised to be very exiting at first until you realized that most of the lists were centered around topics as mundane as batteries and diet pills. Great concept, boring execution. Also, the list of A to Z tags was misleading. You would try a promising sounding tag and find that little or nothing lay beneath it.

An improved version could certainly find a place in a library setting when an internet related question appears.

# 18: Online Productivity Tools

2007-07-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

I began using Google Docs back when it was Writely. Writely was a cuter name but Google has kept the usefulness aspect of the tool and it is convenient to sign it to your email and also have your documents one click away, not to mention your calendar, photos, blog reader, and way too many other things...

So I thought I'd try Zoho Writer which really gets major cuteness points for for the colorful building block logo. You can see how easily impressed I am by minutiae.

I liked the interface, which reminds me of MS Word, except friendlier and less convoluted. My only quibble is that when I tried to post to this blog with the publish button it didn't work. Either I did something wrong or they are having a temporary glitch.

#17: Sandbox Wiki

2007-07-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

The glitch was fixed (hurrah!) and I was able to make the title of this place here into a link on the Maryland Libraries Sandbox.

I created this entry and edited this one.

# 16: Wikis

2007-07-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

For reasons that don't bear exploring at this juncture, I have decided to start numbering the 23 Things. Consistency is NOT one of my hobbies.

More than Wikipedia then. A good way to pool information.

I liked how the St. Joseph County Public Library system created a subject browsable wiki with such nice touches such as staff picks and a random page link.

Oh and the links to external webpages were also extra convenient.

I was very impressed with the BookLoversWiki done by the Princeton Public Library. Three words: Pooled book reviews!

A reference wiki would be made of AWESOME.

TTFN.

Library 2.0

2007-07-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

After reading through the Library 2.0 debates on the OCLC website, I'm still processing. However, there are a lot of good points and valid opinions there, many of which I agree with, although not all.

I'm slightly conflicted in how I wish to take a stance on this topic. I very much enjoy and take advantage of the way the Information/Computer Age has revolutionized many lives. Websites, emails, social networking, online games, blogs, and other tools whose names currently escape me are a significant part of my daily existence. I have no objection to these types of things becoming more prominent in libraries.

However, I can also seen the value in maintaining the old tried and true infrastructure as well. As long as it continues to be updated as much as necessary to keep it streamlined and fresh, it would be folly to discard anything to hastily. The library serves many different needs and can certainly adopt new methods without abandoning the old ones. Let's try for a synthesis, shall we?

Technorati

2007-07-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Technorati seems slightly more amorphous this time around. I toyed with the search engine for a bit with the term 'Learning 2.0' and came up with slightly different results for each.

The favorites consisted mostly of gadgets, blogger and business tops, and random silly/weird sites such as Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things.

Delicious is tasty

2007-07-16T13:01:00.001-07:00

Del.icio.us is a really handy way of keeping bookmarks organized with tags and also available from any internet-enabled computer. I've actually been using it already, but went ahead and made another account for this particular name. You can take a look at it here if you're interested. I don't have too much it yet but I'll be adding more.

I do especially like the way in which bookmarks can be shared (or not) with others. You can search on a tag and see what lies underneath. And you can also see who else has bookmarked your saved link and see what tag(s) were chosen for it. All in all, really nifty.

I dug around a little in the PLCMCL2 account and discovered that some libraries offer IM reference.

Hmmm, I say, and again, hmmm.

Rollyo

2007-07-14T12:23:00.001-07:00

Man, that was a headache to create. You'd think it would be simple enough but they make you jump through some weird hoops to make anything happen over there. But here it is (I hope):

Meez & Yahoo

2007-07-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

Color me bemused...

LibraryThing

2007-07-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

Apparently I did do #9, but not #11. I can count, really, just not in order.

Ok. I'm torn about LibraryThing. Its a great concept and the database of book is vast and easy to search, but when it comes to actually adding the blasted things, each time you add a book it takes you to a whole new screen with several steps involved in getting back to the search and (possibly) a list of already found titles you had wanted to add also. There must be an easier way to do this. Perhaps there is and I simply haven't found it yet but there you go.

(News) Feeds Search

2007-07-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

I jumped ahead and did things #10 and #11 before doing #9. So here it is. Yeah, I'm a little behind.

After combing through Blogline's search tool, Feedster, Topix, Syndic6, and Technorati, I'm rather overwhelmed with information and potential blog reads. I've hit the 'Subscribe' button a fair number of times and have yet to experience just how this will change my daily, weekly, -reading routine.

However, I can see now how people can become addicted to this blogfeed thing. I've done this myself with Livejournal in a very specific sense, but not delved too deeply before into the 'blogosphere'

A quick breakdown of the search tools:

Bloglines:

Doesn't turn up a ton, but what it does is usually pretty cool.

Friendster:

It's like wading through MySpace.com or Fanfiction.net. A few good finds, but a lot of junk and irrelevance floats on the top.

Topix:

Neat idea. I'm waiting to see just how much I will enjoy reading local news. The internet is usually not the place I go to feel connected to where I live.

Syndic8:

Wider results than Bloglines, narrower than Friendster.

Technorati:

I have a good feeling about this one, not only due to the wry subtitle: "Zillions of photos, videos, blogs and more (Some of them have to be good).

The tags on the sides are a nice touch.

The MERLIN site is pretty comprehensive. I'm going to have to dig deeper there.

How the mouse REALLY works

2007-07-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

This was sent to me by a friend and was too good not to share.

Shiny pictures

2007-07-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Images made with the I WANT TO BELIEVE GENERATOR.

Images, widgets, and memes oh my!

2007-07-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Any actual content of this post has been carefully removed and replaced with silly pictures and little bits of code. The first picture was made with the LOLCat Generator. The other two are live links to the links.

My bacterium classification is Thermodesulforhabdus Thermodesulforhabdus.
Take The Bacterial Name Generator today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

Library blogs

2007-06-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

Library Stuff. Love the name!

Library Juice. Ditto.

Okay, so it's not strictly speaking a library blog, but it's related and just a neat site. Go visit Arts & Letters Daily.

RSS Feeds & Bloglines

2007-06-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

So that's what that funny little button with wavy red lines means. I'd seen them often and even subscribed to other types of feeds before (webcomics, newsfeeds, Livejournal friends list), but had not quite understood or tried RSS feeds.

I've had the problem before, as I'm sure many others have also, of finding a site/blog/journal/news source that I wanted to keep up on, bookmarking it, and then forgeting about it and all those other discrete locations hiding in my bookmarks. Bloglines and the concept behind it may be a way to combat that problem. Now I just have to remember to check Bloglines...

In conclusion: nifty!

Technopost

2007-06-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

I felt compelled to post a link to this article both in light of the previous posts and also because it is interesting to me.

I just downloaded the Windows version of Safari to my laptop and have been pretty pleased with it so far. The fact that the colors will be more vivid is an extra bonus. At least I think so -- I don't know just yet how much of a difference it will make, but I'm generally in favor of the idea. Guess we'll see.

Flickr Mash-up

2007-06-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

It seems only fitting that in light of my last post (the one in which I abused the 'text color' function) that I choose this Flickr mash-up to post about.
Pretty...

Flickr

2007-06-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

My overwhelming impression of Flickr is one of brilliant COLOR and dazzling clarity. My god, I seem to have stumbled onto an island of digital camera-wielding, Photoshop-editing, color-wheel spinning, scenic hike taking beings!

Just kidding, I've seen Flickr before, at, of all people, my mother's urging and even created an account, which I had nearly forgotten about until now. There are some amazing photographs out there.

I searched on 'bee' and then 'bumblebee. Lot of fuzzy pictures under those tags. Fuzzy in a bee way, not in an out of focus way. Aww.

7 1/2 Habits

2007-06-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

So I watched the 7 1/2 Habits Tutorial finally. I do like the 1/2 part, mostly due to the inclusion of a fraction in a list (don't ask me why that makes me happy because I can't explain it even to myself) and think they sounds like reasonable guidelines for mental organization.

Here we go

2007-06-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

Obligatory first post on this one. I have to say that I have never done a blog of this particular type before. Excuse me as I go off and ponder the question of audience and tone. This should be fun.