So this is the final module. I've been revisiting Online Tools to find a Web 2.0 application that could be useful in my work or private life and have decided to go for Todoist - www.todoist.com - which advertises itself as "the leading personal task manager that's useful, fast and easy to use".
It is easy to create an account and Todoist is a great online tool for managing your projects and tasks. You can choose deadlines for your tasks by typing in a date or choosing one from the calendar, or you can schedule a task to be done daily, weekly or monthly. Todoist organises and prioritises tasks brilliantly. You can review the week's tasks at an easy glance and can also colour code your projects so you can easily see which tasks go together.
The great thing about Todoist is that you can use it wherever you can access the Internet or it can even be used as as app on your mobile phone.
If I was given complete freedom to do whatever I wanted with what I have learned during 23 Things, and if my library service didn't already have a Facebook page, I would set one up and make it fun like the Orkney Libraries' page. I would hope to promote all aspects of stock as well as provide up to date news and info on any events taking place, and to make the page such fun that it would attract new users and keep the current ones interested!
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
What's Coming Next?
For the penultimate module in my 23 Things course I've been reading about how things have grown since Web 1.0 in 1990 and where things are going next.
Readers may be interested to know that my friend Dr John Carlow was a scientist working alongside Tim Berners-Lee on the Internet project in the late 1980s at CERN, the physics laboratory in Geneva, but due to family circumstances he had to move back to England. He always says that if he didn't have to leave Geneva it could have been HIM and not Tim Berners-Lee who created the World Wide Web! But I digress.....
We currently use Web 2.0 but many important organisations are putting lots of money and research into making Web 3.0 (The 'Semantic Web') happen and it is predicted that by 2030 we will have progressed to Web 4.0.
The 'Semantic Web', mentioned above, tries to understand exactly what we are looking for when we use search engines in order to get the most accurate results and group similar things together. For instance, I could be searching for Dove - the brand name - and could get results on the type of bird instead. The Semantic Web tries to understand the nature of one's search, but this reality is still a long way off. Something else relating to the concept of the Semantic Web is linked data. This is when information can be linked together by certain coding and could greatly benefit library catalogues in the future.
More about the Semantic Web can be found here:
http://webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/semantic-web.htm
On another subject, I've enjoyed reading about Mashups. These are websites or web pages which bring related information together from a variety of sites and present them in a new way. One of these really great websites is called Panoramio:
http://www.panoramio.com/
This site shows photos from all over the world and on the same page a map marker shows exactly where in the world the photo was taken. I've just uploaded a photo I took in Las Vegas two weeks ago. Take a look:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/72104165
For the last part of this module I've been reading about Mobile Technology and its current and future impact on libraries. There are so many more portable devices in use now than ever before and less and less people are using desktop PCs, so libraries really do need to keep abreast of this technology to avoid being left behind! Mobile Apps are available for everything nowadays, from checking to see if your scheduled train is on time to using your mobile phone as your boarding pass at the airport! There are library-related apps too of course, such as one which allows you to scan a book's barcode and read other people's reviews of it. Other ideas for library apps - some may already exist - include apps to renew your loans, to check which books are the most popular, or to book a public PC.
Location based services - or LBS - use GPS mapping to identify the mobile phone user's nearest cafe, library, bank, etc. If library users were to use this technology to 'check in' on social networking sites, it would create publicity for these places and heighten awareness of their existence - all very good in the case of libraries when we want to remind people that we do still exist!
QR codes ("QR" stands for quick response) are also on the increase. These are graphics which act like a barcode when scanned with a mobile phone and can take you straight to a website, a photo, or even to hear a piece of music. These are easy to create and could be most useful with regard to libraries.
I do not think that all of the above technologies solely represent our libraries' future but I do think we need to take them all on board and move with the times to ensure we don't get left behind and so that libraries aren't seen as outdated.
As for inventing an app which a member of the public could find useful in regard to libraries, I am not fully aware of what is already 'out there' so I will probably suggest something which already exists, but how about library members having a barcode or QR code on their mobile device which they merely scan in order to get their books issued, doing away with the need to have a physical library card? Or an app where the borrower can pay fines on overdue loans using something like PayPal?
I am now going on to the final module!
The 'Semantic Web', mentioned above, tries to understand exactly what we are looking for when we use search engines in order to get the most accurate results and group similar things together. For instance, I could be searching for Dove - the brand name - and could get results on the type of bird instead. The Semantic Web tries to understand the nature of one's search, but this reality is still a long way off. Something else relating to the concept of the Semantic Web is linked data. This is when information can be linked together by certain coding and could greatly benefit library catalogues in the future.
More about the Semantic Web can be found here:
http://webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/semantic-web.htm
On another subject, I've enjoyed reading about Mashups. These are websites or web pages which bring related information together from a variety of sites and present them in a new way. One of these really great websites is called Panoramio:
http://www.panoramio.com/
This site shows photos from all over the world and on the same page a map marker shows exactly where in the world the photo was taken. I've just uploaded a photo I took in Las Vegas two weeks ago. Take a look:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/72104165
For the last part of this module I've been reading about Mobile Technology and its current and future impact on libraries. There are so many more portable devices in use now than ever before and less and less people are using desktop PCs, so libraries really do need to keep abreast of this technology to avoid being left behind! Mobile Apps are available for everything nowadays, from checking to see if your scheduled train is on time to using your mobile phone as your boarding pass at the airport! There are library-related apps too of course, such as one which allows you to scan a book's barcode and read other people's reviews of it. Other ideas for library apps - some may already exist - include apps to renew your loans, to check which books are the most popular, or to book a public PC.
Location based services - or LBS - use GPS mapping to identify the mobile phone user's nearest cafe, library, bank, etc. If library users were to use this technology to 'check in' on social networking sites, it would create publicity for these places and heighten awareness of their existence - all very good in the case of libraries when we want to remind people that we do still exist!
QR codes ("QR" stands for quick response) are also on the increase. These are graphics which act like a barcode when scanned with a mobile phone and can take you straight to a website, a photo, or even to hear a piece of music. These are easy to create and could be most useful with regard to libraries.
I do not think that all of the above technologies solely represent our libraries' future but I do think we need to take them all on board and move with the times to ensure we don't get left behind and so that libraries aren't seen as outdated.
As for inventing an app which a member of the public could find useful in regard to libraries, I am not fully aware of what is already 'out there' so I will probably suggest something which already exists, but how about library members having a barcode or QR code on their mobile device which they merely scan in order to get their books issued, doing away with the need to have a physical library card? Or an app where the borrower can pay fines on overdue loans using something like PayPal?
I am now going on to the final module!
Monday, 16 April 2012
Maps!
I LOVE maps, so was really pleased when I saw that this was to be my next 23 Things module.
I use Google Maps all the time but was happy to spend some time going over them again. I Google Mapped my current library location and viewed the satellite image. It was difficult to tell exactly when the image was taken, but I'd say it's at least a couple of years old. I can't tell which day of the week it was taken!
I switched to Google Street View for a closer look and could tell that the trees were green, therefore the image was probably taken in summer.
Google Street View is fascinating but has been very controversial and when it was first introduced it was accused of invasion of privacy. Google claim, however, that is it very easy to remove images and there are tools available for users to remove pictures they are unhappy with.
I've just had a look at my own local authority's interactive mapping service. It seems very basic and takes longer to load than Google Maps. I feel that my local council should be commended for providing their own mapping service, however I will definitely be sticking to the tried and trusted Google Maps in future.
I use Google Maps all the time but was happy to spend some time going over them again. I Google Mapped my current library location and viewed the satellite image. It was difficult to tell exactly when the image was taken, but I'd say it's at least a couple of years old. I can't tell which day of the week it was taken!
I switched to Google Street View for a closer look and could tell that the trees were green, therefore the image was probably taken in summer.
Google Street View is fascinating but has been very controversial and when it was first introduced it was accused of invasion of privacy. Google claim, however, that is it very easy to remove images and there are tools available for users to remove pictures they are unhappy with.
I've just had a look at my own local authority's interactive mapping service. It seems very basic and takes longer to load than Google Maps. I feel that my local council should be commended for providing their own mapping service, however I will definitely be sticking to the tried and trusted Google Maps in future.
The DIY Library
In the future people could be carrying around their very own digital library which they have built up themselves on something like a digital notebook. This DIY Library could include items on the same subject such as ebooks, music and photos. Take for example Agatha Christie. If I were to have my own DIY Library on this legendary crime writer it would consist of all her novels, short stories and plays, of music featured in films and tv series based on her books and photos of locations in which these stories were set.
I have hard copies of all Agatha Christie's books. If I wanted to, I could catalogue them all online on the website LibraryThing - http://www.librarything.com/
You might wonder why I would bother, but you would be surprised how many people do this kind of thing. Not only can it be used for cataloguing, but also to 'chat' to people with the same reading interests or to find collections covering particular topics.
This site would be very useful for a library reading group because readers can write about and review what they've read. They can also read other users' reviews and give books a rating. This gets everyone involved and connects readers based on the type of books they like to read.
As to whether libraries should keep these sites up or leave it to the groups and enthusiasts themselves, this is a tricky one. If the local authority is putting their name to a group then I believe that staff should have the facility to edit and moderate posts.
I have hard copies of all Agatha Christie's books. If I wanted to, I could catalogue them all online on the website LibraryThing - http://www.librarything.com/
You might wonder why I would bother, but you would be surprised how many people do this kind of thing. Not only can it be used for cataloguing, but also to 'chat' to people with the same reading interests or to find collections covering particular topics.
This site would be very useful for a library reading group because readers can write about and review what they've read. They can also read other users' reviews and give books a rating. This gets everyone involved and connects readers based on the type of books they like to read.
As to whether libraries should keep these sites up or leave it to the groups and enthusiasts themselves, this is a tricky one. If the local authority is putting their name to a group then I believe that staff should have the facility to edit and moderate posts.
Audio
I have enjoyed reading about 'Audio' as part of my 23 Things course.
I've just downloaded and listened to a podcast from BBC Radio Wales. I have listened to podcasts in the past when I have missed something I wanted to hear on the radio, or if a programme has been on a local radio station elsewhere in the UK that I didn't have access to.
The term 'podcast' refers to audio files made available over the Internet for people to download and listen to.
I've also just enjoyed browsing the available audio books on the Project Gutenberg site:
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_Audio_Books_Project
I chose to download 'The Riot Act by British Parliament'! This took a good bit longer than the podcast to download, despite the file only being 5MB larger.
Digital audio books are becoming more popular and there has been an increase in Library Services subscribing to online audio book resources in order for their users to download them. Usually this means that the users log in online using their library card number, download an audio book to listen to and after a certain length of time has elapsed the audio book is automatically erased from the user's device.
I wonder if music and film will eventually be made available to my Library Service's borrowers to download in the same way?
I've just downloaded and listened to a podcast from BBC Radio Wales. I have listened to podcasts in the past when I have missed something I wanted to hear on the radio, or if a programme has been on a local radio station elsewhere in the UK that I didn't have access to.
The term 'podcast' refers to audio files made available over the Internet for people to download and listen to.
I've also just enjoyed browsing the available audio books on the Project Gutenberg site:
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_Audio_Books_Project
I chose to download 'The Riot Act by British Parliament'! This took a good bit longer than the podcast to download, despite the file only being 5MB larger.
Digital audio books are becoming more popular and there has been an increase in Library Services subscribing to online audio book resources in order for their users to download them. Usually this means that the users log in online using their library card number, download an audio book to listen to and after a certain length of time has elapsed the audio book is automatically erased from the user's device.
I wonder if music and film will eventually be made available to my Library Service's borrowers to download in the same way?
Youtube and video
I love Youtube! I've been using it for several years now, both to watch videos and to upload my own. I recorded Susan Boyle singing live at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre when she was on the Britain's Got Talent Live Tour in 2009. That particular video has been viewed 49,401 times worldwide so far. I even received a request from a Japanese TV channel asking my permission to use it on their show!! I've had some great comments added from people who love the footage, thanking me for sharing. Here is a positive comment:
You have no idea how much this video means to us to people who could never hope to get to any of these performances. We salute you for your dedication in giving this precious gift...
.....and a negative one:
Poor Quality....Echo....doesn't do justice to Susan's abilities....hard to hear....!
I also subscribe to other users and create playlists on Youtube - this is useful for keeping certain videos together by subject.
Youtube can be relevant to libraries in a number of ways, for instance using video clips to promote authors or events, or creating promotional videos to publicise their services. Newcastle Library Services even recorded the memories of local people. Their Youtube channel can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/newcastlecitylibrary
You have no idea how much this video means to us to people who could never hope to get to any of these performances. We salute you for your dedication in giving this precious gift...
.....and a negative one:
Poor Quality....Echo....doesn't do justice to Susan's abilities....hard to hear....!
I also subscribe to other users and create playlists on Youtube - this is useful for keeping certain videos together by subject.
Youtube can be relevant to libraries in a number of ways, for instance using video clips to promote authors or events, or creating promotional videos to publicise their services. Newcastle Library Services even recorded the memories of local people. Their Youtube channel can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/newcastlecitylibrary
Online Tools
I don't think I had heard of 'Online Tools' before today, however when I started to read about them I realised that I have in fact used them. My email provider is Gmail and I have used Google Documents to open Word and Excel documents from home because I don't have Microsoft Office on my own PC. I have also been able to work on these documents and save them, meaning I can then open them anywhere in the world that has Internet access. If necessary, I can also allow others to work on the same documents. How amazing is that?
Google Contacts is also very good. I have all my friends' addresses and telephone numbers stored in my Google Contacts. No need to worry any more about losing my address book as long as I have Internet access!
I have also used Google Calendar to schedule my social calendar, appointments and friends' birthdays etc - no need to worry any more about forgetting something, as Google sends a reminder!
Doodle is another handy Online Tool for scheduling an event. I have used this at work to respond to an event invitation - in fact, the meeting for the distribution of 23 Things certificates! - but I have just signed up for my own account and had a practise at scheduling an event. Completely non work related, but this is going to be handy for inviting people to a meal for my cousin's 50th birthday and finding out who can manage and what time would suit them best!
Online tools can also be used to store photos, documents and music on sites such as http://www.scrapblog.com/ and http://www.spotify.com - this is useful in case of hard drive failure!
Google Contacts is also very good. I have all my friends' addresses and telephone numbers stored in my Google Contacts. No need to worry any more about losing my address book as long as I have Internet access!
I have also used Google Calendar to schedule my social calendar, appointments and friends' birthdays etc - no need to worry any more about forgetting something, as Google sends a reminder!
Doodle is another handy Online Tool for scheduling an event. I have used this at work to respond to an event invitation - in fact, the meeting for the distribution of 23 Things certificates! - but I have just signed up for my own account and had a practise at scheduling an event. Completely non work related, but this is going to be handy for inviting people to a meal for my cousin's 50th birthday and finding out who can manage and what time would suit them best!
Online tools can also be used to store photos, documents and music on sites such as http://www.scrapblog.com/ and http://www.spotify.com - this is useful in case of hard drive failure!
Cloud computing
Today I have been learning about cloud computing. Cloud computing seems to be taking the technology world by storm and is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. Essentially it provides a convenient way of accessing computing services irrespective of your location and also lessens the need to store software on your own device.
Here are a couple of links I found interesting:
http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/blog/what-is-cloud-computing-and-how-will-it-affect-libraries
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cloud-computing/processing-for-all
I've also just read Google's 'Official Blog' and something that really interested me is the fact that cloud computing can also save energy. A recent report by the Carbon Disclosure Project and Verdantix estimates that cloud computing has the potential to reduce global carbon emissions by millions of metric tons. This can only be a good thing!
Here are a couple of links I found interesting:
http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/blog/what-is-cloud-computing-and-how-will-it-affect-libraries
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cloud-computing/processing-for-all
I've also just read Google's 'Official Blog' and something that really interested me is the fact that cloud computing can also save energy. A recent report by the Carbon Disclosure Project and Verdantix estimates that cloud computing has the potential to reduce global carbon emissions by millions of metric tons. This can only be a good thing!
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Start Pages
Today I have been learning about start pages. A "start page" is the first thing that boots up when one uses the Internet and it can bring together a whole range of things in one place, such as search engines, emails, the latest news, social networks and apps.
Start pages can also be called home pages or front pages. They are free to set up and there is no special software required.
Examples of these are iGoogle, Netvibes and Pageflakes.
http://www.google.com/ig
http://www.netvibes.com/privatepage/1#General
http://www.pageflakes.com/
It saves a lot of time when you combine all the stuff you've created into one page. Some libraries are already partnering with Anywhere.me, which puts a start page onto the front screen of every People's Network terminal.
I have been looking at some library start pages set up by several local authorities, such as Doncaster, Edinburgh, Devon and Manchester.
http://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/welcome
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libraries/
http://www.devon.gov.uk/community/libraries.htm
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/libraries
I actually have an iGoogle start up page on my home computer which shows things such as the weather forecast, my horoscope and the latest news.
Here is the Netvibes start page for the Corvus Watch Company:
http://www.netvibes.com/corvuswatchcompany#General
As a big James Bond fan I was interested to read on their start page that they are recreating the watchstrap that Sean Connery wears in the classic James Bond films Goldfinger and Thunderball.
Start pages can also be called home pages or front pages. They are free to set up and there is no special software required.
Examples of these are iGoogle, Netvibes and Pageflakes.
http://www.google.com/ig
http://www.netvibes.com/privatepage/1#General
http://www.pageflakes.com/
It saves a lot of time when you combine all the stuff you've created into one page. Some libraries are already partnering with Anywhere.me, which puts a start page onto the front screen of every People's Network terminal.
I have been looking at some library start pages set up by several local authorities, such as Doncaster, Edinburgh, Devon and Manchester.
http://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/welcome
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libraries/
http://www.devon.gov.uk/community/libraries.htm
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/libraries
I actually have an iGoogle start up page on my home computer which shows things such as the weather forecast, my horoscope and the latest news.
Here is the Netvibes start page for the Corvus Watch Company:
http://www.netvibes.com/corvuswatchcompany#General
As a big James Bond fan I was interested to read on their start page that they are recreating the watchstrap that Sean Connery wears in the classic James Bond films Goldfinger and Thunderball.
Monday, 20 February 2012
Wikis
I have, like the majority of online users, sourced a lot of information via Wikipedia but have never delved any further into the world of Wikis. 23 Things has changed all that. I didn't even know that 'wiki' is Hawaiian for 'quick'!
A wiki is a quick way of making a website which allows many people to edit, add to and update the content. Because of this is it very useful for collaboration purposes. Wikipedia is of course the largest and most well-known, however there are thousands of wikis out there.
For this course I have looked at a variety of wikis and found them all absolutely fascinating. I really enjoyed browsing through the wikiHow website - http://www.wikihow.com/Main-Page - it gives advice on how to do countless weird and wonderful things, such as 'How to make a Zen Garden for your desk' or 'How to ungoogle yourself'!
Whilst browsing through the multitude of wikis out there I found one on World Cruising which is of interest to me and I will definitely revisit it at a later date.
Wikis can be very useful for the individual but also for groups and organisations. One example of this is the Travel Group wiki set up by Stirling's Bridge of Allan Library for members of the public to use. Group members can use this wiki to share their travel experiences and give advice to other travellers.
The Libary Service I work for could possibly benefit from having a wiki for those branches which have regular Book Group meetings.
A wiki is a quick way of making a website which allows many people to edit, add to and update the content. Because of this is it very useful for collaboration purposes. Wikipedia is of course the largest and most well-known, however there are thousands of wikis out there.
For this course I have looked at a variety of wikis and found them all absolutely fascinating. I really enjoyed browsing through the wikiHow website - http://www.wikihow.com/Main-Page - it gives advice on how to do countless weird and wonderful things, such as 'How to make a Zen Garden for your desk' or 'How to ungoogle yourself'!
Whilst browsing through the multitude of wikis out there I found one on World Cruising which is of interest to me and I will definitely revisit it at a later date.
Wikis can be very useful for the individual but also for groups and organisations. One example of this is the Travel Group wiki set up by Stirling's Bridge of Allan Library for members of the public to use. Group members can use this wiki to share their travel experiences and give advice to other travellers.
The Libary Service I work for could possibly benefit from having a wiki for those branches which have regular Book Group meetings.
Monday, 13 February 2012
RSS Feeds
A friend recommended a while back that I use Google Reader, so I did set it up and add some subscriptions to it but as with everything else I didn't really have time to keep up to date with it. I have revisited it now for the 23 Things course and found that one of my subscriptions has had almost 900 updates since I last looked at it and several others have had a few hundred updates. I have too many interests!
RSS apparently stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’, which I didn't know. You learn something new every day. Really Simple Syndication means that something like Google Reader can collect all the updates from your favourite sites and let you look at them in one place, ie the 'reader'. This can save you lots of time as it saves checking all of the websites individually.
Even if you publish your own website you can use RSS files to create a feed for your readers, if they subscribe to you. This is useful for libraries because they can do things like creating a new feed for additions to the online catalogue or for new events taking place.
I have added some new subscriptions to my Google Reader and I have made a resolution to use it more often!
RSS apparently stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’, which I didn't know. You learn something new every day. Really Simple Syndication means that something like Google Reader can collect all the updates from your favourite sites and let you look at them in one place, ie the 'reader'. This can save you lots of time as it saves checking all of the websites individually.
Even if you publish your own website you can use RSS files to create a feed for your readers, if they subscribe to you. This is useful for libraries because they can do things like creating a new feed for additions to the online catalogue or for new events taking place.
I have added some new subscriptions to my Google Reader and I have made a resolution to use it more often!
Monday, 6 February 2012
Searching and Q&A Forums
I am continuing with further modules on the 23 Things course and the next section is on 'Searching and Q&A Forums'. It starts off with the following:
"Why do I need to know about searching on the internet?" you may ask. "I just Google it."
The above most definitely applies to me. Whenever I want to look for anything online, I simply Google it. I am hoping that what I am learning via 23 Things will change this for the better.
I have had a look at Phil Bradley's list of Search Engines - http://www.philb.com/webse.htm
Within the Phil Bradley website there is a link to 170+ web search engines. One of these is www.answers.com - I used this to type in the question "How many passengers does the Queen Mary 2 hold?" - and compared the results to a Google search. I have to say that the 'Answers' website took me around the houses whereas I found the answer immediately on Google.
For the next part of this module I created my own search engine by using Google custom search. I chose to select sites on the ocean liner Queen Mary 2 as I am making the transatlantic crossing to New York on her this October.
Here is the search engine I created:
Next, I watched a short video on how to use Yahoo Answers - available here:
http://www.5min.com/Video/Essential-Yahoo---6---How-to-use-Yahoo-Answers-210064834
Perhaps unfortunately, I chose to ask the question "What do you call someone from Edinburgh?" because this was a question which genuinely came up at home over the Festive Season. Some of the answers were just plain annoying/funny, such as "Unlucky", "A Scot", "McSnob" and "An alcoholic". The answer given which seemed nearest the truth was "An Edinburgher" - but as I was unsure whether this was 100% correct or not I went into Google to find a website to verify it.
Due to the stupidity of some of the answers I found using Yahoo Answers I probably wouldn't use this site in future.
"Why do I need to know about searching on the internet?" you may ask. "I just Google it."
The above most definitely applies to me. Whenever I want to look for anything online, I simply Google it. I am hoping that what I am learning via 23 Things will change this for the better.
I have had a look at Phil Bradley's list of Search Engines - http://www.philb.com/webse.htm
Within the Phil Bradley website there is a link to 170+ web search engines. One of these is www.answers.com - I used this to type in the question "How many passengers does the Queen Mary 2 hold?" - and compared the results to a Google search. I have to say that the 'Answers' website took me around the houses whereas I found the answer immediately on Google.
For the next part of this module I created my own search engine by using Google custom search. I chose to select sites on the ocean liner Queen Mary 2 as I am making the transatlantic crossing to New York on her this October.
Here is the search engine I created:
Loading
Next, I watched a short video on how to use Yahoo Answers - available here:
http://www.5min.com/Video/Essential-Yahoo---6---How-to-use-Yahoo-Answers-210064834
Perhaps unfortunately, I chose to ask the question "What do you call someone from Edinburgh?" because this was a question which genuinely came up at home over the Festive Season. Some of the answers were just plain annoying/funny, such as "Unlucky", "A Scot", "McSnob" and "An alcoholic". The answer given which seemed nearest the truth was "An Edinburgher" - but as I was unsure whether this was 100% correct or not I went into Google to find a website to verify it.
Due to the stupidity of some of the answers I found using Yahoo Answers I probably wouldn't use this site in future.
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
The Legal Bit
As part of the last module of '23 Things' I've been viewing some videos with regard to Internet security and privacy; things such as child protection, data protection, copyright, libel and data security.
My employers' ICT use policy offers the following:
Data protection - Users must only attempt to access resources they have rights to access, not let unauthorized persons access material, give out private/ unauthorized information.
Copyright and Creative Commons - Users must not breach copyright laws, must adhere to licensing rules of use of software, observe terms of use when copying/adapting material.
Libel, defamation, harassment and loss of reputation - precludes any use of material which could be considered or interpreted as offensive. Anything that might be considered illegal, indecent or promoting anti-social attitudes (eg racism, discrimination) is prohibited.
Data Security - Users must never impersonate others or use another person’s login.
In my job I must not give out private information, for example one customer might ask me for another customer's address. Giving out this information would breach the Data Protection Act. I also have to be aware of copyright law, for instance when a customer would like to photocopy pages from a book or if they are attempting to illegally copy a CD.
I might be carrying on with further '23 Things' modules - watch this space.
My employers' ICT use policy offers the following:
Data protection - Users must only attempt to access resources they have rights to access, not let unauthorized persons access material, give out private/ unauthorized information.
Copyright and Creative Commons - Users must not breach copyright laws, must adhere to licensing rules of use of software, observe terms of use when copying/adapting material.
Libel, defamation, harassment and loss of reputation - precludes any use of material which could be considered or interpreted as offensive. Anything that might be considered illegal, indecent or promoting anti-social attitudes (eg racism, discrimination) is prohibited.
Data Security - Users must never impersonate others or use another person’s login.
In my job I must not give out private information, for example one customer might ask me for another customer's address. Giving out this information would breach the Data Protection Act. I also have to be aware of copyright law, for instance when a customer would like to photocopy pages from a book or if they are attempting to illegally copy a CD.
I might be carrying on with further '23 Things' modules - watch this space.
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Delicious and Wordle!
I have now explored the Delicious website! I had never used this before so it was all new to me but I have now saved a new bookmark and performed searches. The searches threw up some interesting results. I would not have considered using this site as a 'search engine' before but I will now bear it in mind for future use. After exploring Delicious I had a look at www.wordle.net and created a tag cloud. OMG!! It was amazing!! I wondered why some of the words had appeared in the cloud; words such as Arsenal and York, but then I realised that it had picked words I had used in my 23 Things Blog. How very clever! I think that in addition to Delicious, Wordle could also be a very interesting and useful website for me to use in future. Both these sites have fascinating benefits to users searching for specific words and I enjoyed learning about them.
Here is the Tag Cloud I created on Wordle:
Here is the Tag Cloud I created on Wordle:
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