Google docs never sleeps. [Project Play: Semester 2: Week 2]

This week we got to play with Google docs. It's quite a powerful tool. I was impressed by the ability to share documents and look at all the revisions. I can see why groups of people use it. However, when I was do the editing it seemed to take a while to load. Another potential problem is that it relies on the Internet to work. Without a stable, high speed Internet connection one could be up the proverbial creek without a paddle, so to speak.

IM, the smart choice [Project Play, Semester 2]

It's second semester of Project Play and we are learning how to use IM. Although I didn't have an IM account (I do now), I was familiar with IM. I do virtual reference (AskAway) via Question Point which has an IM capability. However, I don't use it very often. But when I do need to communicate with my fellow online librarians or have a technical problem it is nice to be able to communicate instantaneously.

The first part of the assignment was pretty easy. I found someone who was online, typed a message, press enter, and waited for a response. And what do you know someone replied back. Yee haw!

I already had a yahoo account so I thought that I would start by using yahoo messenger, but I wasn't sure how to find people to talk with. So I signed up for a meebo account and put a link in my blog. It was pretty easy. My office mates gave me their IM names to add to my buddy list. I did chat with my office mate using meebo. I even figured out how to get a picture of my cats on my meebo page.


Finally I tried out the sloganizer to come up with my title for this post.

Project Play Week 9: Wikis

Week 9 is wikis.

I think that wikis can be a good way to share information. The Common Craft video did a good job of explaining that. However, like any information source one has to examine who is putting out the information and if it is a reliable source.
The first assignment is to check the external links in the wiki article for my community to see if there is a link for the library. Madison, WI, does have an external link for the library. So I couldn't add a link. I then went to my home town, Watertown, WI, to check for an external link to the library. There wasn't one. I tried to add one without creating an account (I have too many accounts already), but I'm not sure if I was successful.
In addition, I did go the Project Play Sandbox wiki and added some titles to
Favorite authors, titles, or series
Favorite movies
Favorite quotes
It was pretty easy to edit the pages (easier than wikipedia was) and add my two cents. Also it's a pretty cool way to share favorites. I saw a number of my favorites already on the various lists.

Week 8 of Project Play


I can't believe 8 weeks have already gone by. It's seems like yesterday that I was just starting this blog.

This week I'm learning about tagging and social bookmarking. Coming from a world of controlled vocabulary, it's a bit unsettling. However, it's kind of cool to see what hundreds of other people use to describe a bookmark. The tags a person chooses can tell me something about he/she and how that person views the world. Maybe it will give me the incentive to "organize" my work and at-home bookmarks so I have access to them from any computer?

For libraries it has the potential to tap into whole new worlds and connect with new library users who might not be aware of what the library can do for them.

I did get a del.icio.us account. Here's a link to it. I started to bookmark a few sites. It's kind of fun and easy, especially with the del.icio.us button.

Project Play Week 7: LibraryThing

Wow! It's already week 7 of Project Play. Blogging is still a chore for me. I'm impressed with all those bloggers who do it day in and day out and have something to contribute.


This week is LibraryThing. I have seen it before, but now I have an account. I even figured out how to put a link to my library on LibraryThing.

I can see the potential. It's great that lots of people can share what they are reading with others for free. It's a great way to keep track of what you've read and what you like about it. However, I wonder about the tags that people give books. For example, I looked at the tags for one of the books in my library, The Tenderness of Wolves. Most tags I agreed with, such as Canada, murder mystery. But some I wonder about, such as 2000s, 2006, 2007.



I'm suppose to use the suggester and unsuggester on LibraryThing. So here it goes:

Book that I like: Lonesome Dove

Book from the LibrarySuggester using Lonesome Dove : there are a number of choices that I've already read and enjoyed. The Streets of Laredo, The Prince of Tides, The Winds of War

Book from the LibraryUnsuggester using Lonesome Dove: a list of 74 titles came up. With all those unchoices, I'll choose the last one on the list Critique of Judgment.

Hopefully, all the links I did will work. I am trying to play more, learn more, and fear less.

Have a Great Day!

learning to use flickr

zak & albert
Originally uploaded by kasey j

this has been an interesting adventure. i think i know a bit more about flickr and can visualize the many possible uses both for work and for home.
i hope blogging this photo works.