Watch Out Wilber!

Twenty weeks have passed! Where does it go when you're running in circles?! OK, I must admit that I wasn't wildly excited about 20 for 2.0. Poking around the internet is a time hog, nobody can deny that. But my prior online exposure was, shall we say, somewhat limited . Somewhat is an understatement. Who could have know there is so much available. I love google earth, del.icio.us, flickr, pandora and yahoo free games and how they can all work together. Thanks for the opportunity to learn about so many new things, and yes I would be interested to learn more. Perhaps I'll get organized enough to start a wiki for my book club. It certainly has the capacity to make communication easier.

Yahoo! Games!

How have I been living without Yahoo games? Marble Lines (which I've never played) and Mahjongg are fun, although the addictive

quality is high on the scale. It's hard to stop!! Sudoku takes on a whole other sense of accomplishment what with buzzers, lights and congratulatory music. The implications for our work force? I can't imagine. Perhaps a reward at the end of a long day.

Quite Amazing

With the cost of flying what a surprise to find out that you can fly for free on Google. I absolutely loved how you zoom in from outer space. What a trip! My map-loving husband could be lost forever on Google Earth. Don't suppose it will work well, or perhaps not at all with our home dial-up. I absolutely hate to give Comcast more money, but these weekly lessons are teaching inviting search tools and OK, fun.

I could zoom over to my Mother's place in Ohio., even seeing the tree by her front door. That is just pretty amazing. You couldn't go directly to my in-laws home, they live a ways off the main road. But knowing the lay of the land, a person could arrow their way there. Google Rocks!

Resident?

Could this be my new place of work? The virtual library on Second Life. Reminds me of the Matrix. You can see the appeal, but I'd rather spend my time with flesh and blood things that breath and absorb sunlight. When I need to escape, I like to climb between the pages of a book, or put a movie in the player. Perhaps these are similar things. That's something to ponder. But no, I don't have a "Second Life" that I know of, and at this juncture I really don't want one.

Microsoft's librarian, Ms Dewy is a trip! I like the concept and the way it works, but was it really necessary to make her such a sex pistol?

Google Docs Rock

So far I do feel like we can trust Google, as far as electronic things can be "trusted". It's amazing what is available, FREE. Who would believe documents too? After taking the "quick tour", I did "try it out". OK, I succeeded in sending myself a document by email. Oddly enough it arrived in my mailbox marked; [SPAM - Blacklist]. What's up with that? But it was nice to send it without any of the making an attachment business. It's also nice to think perhaps I can get by without Microsoft Word when a new computer comes to live at our house.

BONUS: While completing this assignment, I also figured out what Google Reader was, and added a few sites.

The Invisible Web

Who could believe there are "spiders" crawling around the web consolidating information? Better there, than the usual places they show up and surprise me. So many search engines, what's a girl (url?) to do? I've loved the ease of Google and also that they fly in the face of Microsoft. Granted they aren't the little guys anymore, but they've retained some of the spirit.

Surprises with the alternates? I liked that Dogpile used "go fetch" rather than the standard "search" and also that they included a "Joke of the Day!" What really surprises me is my returning again and again to Del.icio.us and Flikr to search. I've been looking to buy a hammock for my daughter who is employed by a rafting company in Utah. It's been quite interesting to see what the various search engines have came up with. I even found directions on how to make my own, complete with step-by-step illustrations.

"You Belong Anywhere a Good Book Is"

Stephanie Meyer says a person belongs anywhere a good book is. She finds the lines between adult, teen and juvenile to be "irritating, a good book is a good book". I couldn't agree more, and it was fun to see her video image telling me so in an Amazon interview. OK, it wasn't a podcast, but it's still in the spirit of technology promoting books and the love of reading. And if there is any doubt about her teen appeal, check out the line waiting to buy her book.

Sno-isle Libraries was the site I chose for podcasts. What a surprise to find I could listen to Nancy Pearl recommendations! Of course, I had to put a title on hold. And she reviewed a couple of children's books. I didn't even know she did that. What a delight to listen to peers read a variety of picture books. Anne Jones, Marilyn LeBlond, Debbie LaGasse and Bryan Stratton, "you go". Bryan, you made me laugh out loud with your rendition of "Cowboy Baby". What a hoot!