Twitter Thoughts

I have mixed emotions about Twitter. I have explored Twitter from a business perspective and feel that Twitter has the potential to be quite useful for businesses. As the sidebar tip states, "One of Twitter’s key benefits is that it gives you the chance to communicate casually with customers on their terms, creating friendly relationships along the way—..."

I have also viewed some of the top tweets of the day and I have mixed things to say about Twitter. Some of the things people tweet are completely ridiculous. It is like they are making noise just to hear themselves. On the other hand, someone posted a message about her missing daughter and to keep an eye out for her. Heartbreaking.

Aside from the ridiculous things some people tweet, I can see why Twitter is popular. The real time nature of Twitter allows for information to be spread quickly to those that want to keep in the know and stay connected. Although I do like to be aware of what is going on around me, I am completely uninterested in Tweeting or following tweets. The only time I will likely be a part of this phenomenon is if it becomes work related.

LibraryThing

When I first looked at the LibraryThing website I thought I might be bombarded with information. Upon investigation I found it easy to navigate and user-friendly. The tour was well organized and easy to follow. Searching for books resulted in a good number of other suggestions. However, after reading a few book reviews I noticed that some reviewers reveal too much information and spoil the ending. too bad they didn't warn "spoiler alert." I'll have to be more cautious next time I look for a review on something I want to read.

All in all, I think I will sign up and start using LibraryThing in the very near future.

Online Productivity Tools

I was very excited to try Google Docs. I have Google Calendar and I quite like it. It was very easy to figure out and enter data. However, my impression of the Google version of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel has left me disappointed.

The few times I have tried to use it, I haven't had much luck. I have had Web errors and had to close down my work. Another time I couldn't access it as there were network problems. I have been getting a lot of Server errors so I have been unable to access my documents to retrieve or delete them. I would be very frustrated if these products were the only option for me.

In theory Google Docs seems like a good idea. It is portable and accessible everywhere you have the Internet. That is, if the Internet is working. Also, upon quick investigation, the Docs don't appear to have as many options as the Microsoft products.

I will continue to use Google Calendar and I will attempt Documents again, but I won't give up using the Microsoft versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Flickr and YouTube Impressions

Flickr is great for sharing photos, and the quality of the photos is very impressive. I will continue to visit Flickr over and over.

YouTube can fun. It can be ridiculous. It ranges from poor quality video with even poorer sound, to really entertaining video clips. Where else can you find the Flintstones Cigarette Commercial? Hilarious!

Not only is YouTube entertaining, it can be used for practical things too. I have used YouTube to get step-by-step video instructions for tying a sliding slip knot for a necklace. The instructions were easy to follow and my necklace looks great.

RSS

SUCCESS! I was easily able to set up an RSS feed using . This will keep me up-to-date with the latest information on some of my favourite topics. That is, if I remember to visit bloglines.

Google Universe

Google really has an incredibly vast array of products. I've dabbled with several of them at home, but this was the first time I have looked at Google Books. Since I have a passion for cookbooks, I was quite pleased to see a number of choices to browse through. I could very easily waste hours and hours away previewing a variety of cookbooks...again taking time away from walking and fresh air.

So to sum up my impression of Google books:

Postive-a variety of topics, many books to preview, and some are even full text.

Negative-a real time-consumer. There is so much information, it is easy to lose track of time. Also, what impact will this have on libraries? I guess we will have to wait and see.

Recommendation: I would recommend it. It won't be the first place I go for books, not even the second, but it's worth being aware of.

Facebook: Useful or a Time-Waster?

Yes, Facebook is a time-waster, but it can also be useful.It's a great way to keep in touch with extended family, view their photos, if they post any, and get notifications about their birthdays (something I am always forgetting).

Because of Facebook, I have connected with a distant cousin. She is working on her family tree and found me through Facebook. We're now communicating and sharing genealogical information.

However, also because of Facebook, I have spent more time than I like online when I could have just as easily been going for a walk and getting some fresh air.

Wikipedia

When I first came upon Wikipedia I was horrified that it even existed. How can an encyclopedia edited by anyone possibly be credible? The first time my daughter used it while researching a school project I nearly choked. She promptly received a lengthy lecture on credible sources and where to find them. She still refers to Wikipedia, probably because it is easy to use and understand, but also because it is the first to appear when you do an Internet search.

Yes, Wikipedia can be useful and interesting, especially for finding obscure or popular information, but it still isn't my first choice when doing research. I easily found an article with very outdated factual information. Although it was easy to fix, I didn't feel very comfortable doing so. However, if I didn't edit it, someone could have used the incorrect information for a project. Sadly, not everyone takes their researching as seriously as I do.

Wikipedia is here to stay, but that won't stop me from encouraging my children to always find a better source.

Delicious? Hmm, I think I need another taste

Delicious, I think you might be an acquired taste. Yes, you are a useful tool; easy to use, accessible by anyone and can accommodate an unlimited collection of favourite websites. I appreciate the brief description of the bookmark to aid in my selection. I love the idea of grouping like items together, but sometimes what I'm looking for just isn't in the spot I think it should be, and I'm left with a bitter taste in my mouth. (It's presumably there, but there are many choices in some categories and I've probably just overlooked the site.)

At times I feel that it's just as easy to Google what I need to find. What draws me back to you, Delicious, is that CPL has done a great job organizing their favourites. I am happy to say that I feel confident showing customers our collection of reputable websites knowing that the sites are evaluated before they are posted.

Delicious, I think I may need to establish my own account before final judgment is made about you.

CPL 2.0

I never would have attempted a blog had it not been for CPL 2.0. I don't think I ever would have considered posting my thoughts for the world to see. Yet, I'm hoping this will be a great experience. If nothing else, at least I may be able to help my customers setup a blog of their own.

I'm looking forward to doing more with CPL 2.0. It compliments my belief in lifelong learning.