#46 Update

Going back to look at the Learning 2.0 program is a great idea. Some of the tools I haven't visited since the first program - Rollyo, Bloglines (I prefer Google Reader) and some of the image sites for example. But what I liked most about the Learning 2.0 program is that it got me interested enough to find out more - I still use Blogger, but I've been playing with the WordPress site. I don't use Flickr for my own photos, but I've been impressed with the way that libraries are making use of the site (the Sydney Powerhouse Museum uploading images to Flickr's The Commons project).

I'm also really impressed by how many web 2.0 applications we are now using in eLibrary. The LibraryThing for Libraries tags, Google Books, wiki, blog, RSS and now podcasting. It's easier to keep up to date with developments when the tools are ones that you use for work and play!!

For anyone else who is looking back and reviewing the Learning 2.0 sites, I'd recommend checking out the Web 2.0 Award site again. The 2008 awards were updated in May.

#45 Go with the flow

Okay so I'll admit it - I love flowcharts and mind maps! What can take two pages of text or ten minutes of description with a lot hand gestures can be described with one simple image. I agree that sometimes they can help the creator more than the reader, but still I think they are valuable tools.

I really liked the sites that were recommended this week. Bubbl.us is easy to use and you end up with a professional looking diagram. Flowchart.com is another good site, but by far my favourite is Gliffy.

• The flowcharts were easy to create
• You can share your diagram for collaboration
• You can create flowcharts, floorplans, network diagrams and user interface diagrams

I can see many applications for these tools at work, but I also enjoyed playing with the floorplan diagram you can see below. [while setting up the floorplan was fun, I doubt this room would look very nice or be functional. At least I got to sample most of the images!]

#44 Nag Yourself/Jott.com

Jott.com could be useful in those instances where you need to send a reminder and have no other means - but I'm just not sure often that happens these days. With mobile phones and wirelesss access to email and the internet, is there room for another service?

I can't seem to live without post-it notes so I can't see myself using a service like this.

On to a different topic - Retroland. I can't help but keep going back to this site. I love it!! Even a search for library found some fun memories (the scene from Ghostbusters, the Breakfast Club) and a list of pages where people comment on their favourite childhood books. Some of the RetroTalk topics were a fun browse too - which book can you never finish and which book would you recommend were entertaining.

Thing #42: Google Groups / Usenet

Google Groups is not a site that I have found useful. When I searched for some of my interests I didn't find anything useful - and with a hobby of pottery it can't be the subject that is the problem.


Yahoo! Groups is a site that I find is much more organised and interesting. I'm a member of a number of Yahoo! groups for authors I like and reading discussion groups as well as some for travelling, pottery, movies and other interests. What I really like about the groups is that they are easy to browse and I can subscribe to the discussions in a number of ways - those groups that have a lot of posts and I can choose to only receive messages from the owner, if a group is moderately busy I get a daily email of all the posts for that day, and for the quiet discussion groups I received all the individual posts.

I like discussion groups to be like my RSS reader account - I don't always to participate and comment, but I like to have good content to browse through and keep up to date. Even though I didn't find the librarians group to be that great, I'll give Google Groups a second try for other areas of interest.

Animoto

Twitter

#35 Mini or micro blogging

Twitter is great! I found a thread for Sydney weather that I can follow and of course there are some great library threads as well. Micro blogging could have a lot of use in libraries.