Talking dogs

Quest 12 - Podcasts

I subscribed to a couple of podcasts soon after I learned about RSS feeds. I was in the car one day listening to Focus on the Family. The progam was especially interesting, but I didn't hear the entire program. I was excited when I found out that I could add the radio program to my bloglines feeds. I was able to listen to the entire program, and even share it with my husband a few days later.
I found an interesting library podcast by the Thomas Ford Memorial Library. The Youth Services Department provide stories read by the staff. With Click-A-Story, patrons can listen to selected stories on demand. Great idea!!

Quest 12 - YouTube

YouTube is an interesting phenomenon. Anyone can post a video for the world to see. You don't need fancy equipment - a cell phone with a camera will do. It is amazing to see the range of picture quality and creativity.
Libraries can use this technology to give the public a visual preview of programs offered. I choose the video because I love animals, especially dogs. I couldn't get the video to show in this post, but at least it is on my blog.

Test Document

 This is really cool!

Quest 11 Online Apps

Since I already had a Google account, I tried the Google docs first. I created a simple slide presentation. It is viewable at: http://docs.google.com/Present?docid=dfmxww46_1dgp8zc&invite=gcw2mg I liked that it had the option of how you share your work with others. You could limit them to view only or you could allow them the option of adding to/editing the document. When revisions were made, it kept track of how many times, who did it and when it was changed. I also tried Zoho Writer even though I had to open another account. It was easier to navigate and use and it had more options. I can see the value of this technology.

Quest 9 Wiki

I became familiar with Wikipedia when I read in a news article that someone had edited an article to say someone (I don't remember who) was dead, but the person was still alive. I immediately thought that wasn't a good thing to allow anyone to edit an enclycopedia. However, after reading some of the library wikis, I can see how this could benefit many groups of people. The ones created for specific events or groups allow viewers to not only read the information presented, but also add comments or additional facts not already stated. I enjoyed reading the book reviews by the library patrons. Since I didn't have to open yet another account, I will add to the wiki in the optional exercise.

Quest 8 Social Networking

I was familiar with social networking because of young people, including my son, that use MySpace, Xanga or Facebook. It was interesting to see the list of other social networking websites. Some are very exclusive! You join by invitation only. In searching the sites, I found out that most filter content and restrict who can view the profiles. It is amazing what people would share publicly!