23 Things For MRPR

23 Of 23 - Final But Not Last

2007-08-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll make this quick.

No, this isn't the end of mrpr on Blogger.

Simply, I have a project to work on for Regional, and I can excel past "23 Things" thanks to what I did for 23 Things.

I was asked to help Jessica in Wicomico out with tying video games with teen patron needs in a library environment.

I'll track thoughts here in a separate blog, use some of the tools form 23 Things, and go from there.

I'll also start off with a thought.

I've seen ads, on TV and on the 'net, for company called Gametap.

I simply wonder if they have wide licensing for libraries...

And they seem to handle the whole pirating thing well, you just play and download as need be already so...

I don't know, something for next week.

Same Rako time, same Rako channel.

22 Of 23: Audiobooks

2007-08-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

When it comes to audio books, I like to mention a few things prior to fulfilling the requested tasks for this Thing.

I wonder how libraries are really going to deal with the hardware and software aspects of cataloged audio books for their patrons. And that's if the libraries even decide they can afford such a thing, because right now it can't be that cheap, and I'm sure vendors will sell you their take at an arm/leg/head price.

Also how will they protect the files from patron pirating? I mean, if I choose to, I could go to a video rental joint, especially one that has a wide choice like Blockbuster, and go to town on renting and burning the DVD I choose at home. Heck, I now of some DVD unites that copy on the fly as needed. Yeah, anyone can do this if they read a manual, get enough disks, and take some time to watch and burn. Some units seem to allow you to make a copy as you watch, which is smart. So, what'll stop me from doing this at a library for its audio books or DVDs?

Ah, the good ol' conscience kicks in. Well, at least for me.

For Project Gutenberg I found this:
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17401

21 Of 23: Podcasts

2007-08-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

I ended up going to Podcast Alley. It lead me to a show called Port City PD that for some reason grabbed me.

Maybe it's two tough cops as a duo that hit me. Hmm, thanks Mom and Dad for raising me on Miami Vice and Wiseguy.

No, really, thanks.

What got to me of the three directories listed is how many ads I had to put up with to get to any real content.

Matter of fact, I found Port City PD via an ad, and clicked it only because it didn't seem so intrusive to me as a simple guest/visitor of Podcast Alley.

For actual podcasts I like them, and yet I hate them at the same time.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about a "radio-like" experience, I just don't understand why people feel as if a "recording" is really any good. Shouldn't we be moving to real action videos of what the "podcasting revolution" is all about?

Maybe I'm wrong.

20 Of 23 - YouTube

2007-08-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

Whoo! I've been waiting for this:

Ok, no questions, just watch.

You Tube rocks, but if you ever use MySpace, it has a pretty wide "variety" of videos too. Go here for that.

The only thing I need to mention is the ol' who moderates what when it comes to YouTube. Just look up "how to pick a lock" in YouTube. 'nuff said.

19 Of 23: Web 2.0 Awards List - There's Three

2007-08-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to the 2007 awards list (short):
http://www.seomoz.org/web2.0/short

Damn, this is neat. I choose a few, not just one.

Ok, Camfire, Projectstat.us, and Cocktail Builder all won my choice.

Before hoping into each, think of it this way. You work with your comrades. You talk/communicate/share through Campfire, keep track on Projectstat.us, or don't since it's done automatically, and you call it a day with everyone comparing drinks on Cocktail Builder.

So what could be better?

Well, back to reality, Campfire is one of those tools I like to try and break the heck out of. I've tried so many, end up using AIM/Yahoo/IRC, or GAIM really, and say to myself that here I am again. What would really get me on Campfire would be if it can do higher level things extremely easy for those who don't how to do them, like post pics/movies/docs, and also do higher low level or inside things like allow programmers to add in special company specific things like... oh, I don't know, it depends on the company or the needs.

Projectstat.us... well I'd like it if it could be that part to Campfire and document what was said, allow moderators to add conversations to the project(s), and allow for further brainstorming until the project was complete.

And then for "CB" it's obvious. What got to me is... well, it's the coolest thing ever invented. You type in what you have in your cabinet, and it does what it can.

Veryyyyy dangerous.

Better yet, to the heck with the first two, I like the last.

18 Of 23: Google Docs And Other Online WP Tools

2007-08-31T12:08:00.000-07:00

Hmm, honestly, I use GMail as my way to quickly setup docs that need spell checking and the like.

I can save drafts there too, and it's simple. I can access my mail, keep what I send, manage email, etc.

That's until I used Google Docs for the first time.

Yes, I really like it.

It'd be great if you setup tags, or a slew of them maybe in some savable format for ditributing, so that you use their editor not only for personal/work documents, but for actual coding styles and standards for computer programs you're working on...

Yeah, that'd be dangerous. And no, it really doesn't have to do with libraries, but I think they'd like it if their IT people had access to such a tool.

Sounds like a "PhD" project.

Whoo, here I come.

And yes, this is pending everything else I'd like to start.

17 Of 23: A Sandbox Wiki Created With PB Wiki For MD Librarian 23 Thigns

2007-08-31T12:04:00.001-07:00

Ok, I did what was asked of me and added the link to my blog using the posted password and all.

I played, I tried, I mean really I did.

I just don't get it.

Maybe I should do a personal PB Wiki for myself and come back?

Most of the links seems like ideas, but mostly half baked since it was a "Sandbox", but some obvious test links were just funny.

Much were about dogs and cats.

16 Of 23: Wiki'ing And Libraries

2007-08-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

When I look at Wiki'ing, at how much I just massacred "Wiki", I see "Viking" for some reason.

Cool.

And actually, I'll use that as a way to discuss my thoughts about Wikis and libraries.

I've reviewed the links, and they're alright. A little too much detail from me.

I just can't get past something I really can't think too much on, despite the obliviousness of my intelligence, but also maybe because I'm not really a librarian.

Well, it seems that the data that Wikis contain are managed by the people who surf it themselves. They can create new content, manage it, link to it for whatever purposes, etc. I feel as if the data is Viking plunder, and you really don't knwo the original owner.

So you can't really just trust it 100%.

And it seems that libraries are probably in a constant need for information especially reference information like the data that is easily found in a Wiki.

Question is, is who really says that the data used for reference questions, or the data used for any library related reason, is right?

I mean is it now, thanks to Web 2.0 and Wikis that've spawned over the past few years, a real matter of who moderates said data?

Hmm, sound like a job for... "Specialized Librarians" across the world.

Ta-Da. Now all specialized librarians should "unite" I guess. Hmm, maybe they can get a cool "Watchtower" base of operations like the Justice League.

My thoughts end here, for now, but that'd be cool.

Maybe this is the future of librarians? They just don't have question coming in, they end up asking the questions, and they moderate what data they're responsible for.

Hmm, sounds Utopian.

15 Of 23: Perspectives On Web/Library 2.0 Concerning Libraries

2007-08-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I looked into "To a temporary place in time..." by Dr. Wendy Schultz.

I couldn't have written something better. I've been waiting for someone ot simply come out and say here's what Library 2.0 will become, and here's where it's heading to as Library 3.0, 4.0, etc.

Well according to the doc, she thinks that certain things we are dealing with now in 2.0 are really more defined in 3.0 and 4.0.

That's cool, and she mentions a little about what she sees us going in the not to a far sci-fi future, but not too much.

I was hoping more of the sci-fi stuff, especially more on the idea of a future library being a place as a "mind gym", and really I didn't get it from this.

Oh well, I guess I'll have to stick to the virtual librarian from the movie A.I.

14 Of 23: Technorati

2007-08-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, the results were different in the blogs/tags/directory, but I did find some similar results as I digged among them.

It's sort like the thing that may happen when you're in Google and you search for web pages and images, and you end up going to the same web site and probably to its different sections.

I wasn't surprised at the top items.

I mean, some things seemed misspelled like "utube" and the like. I was surprised that "britney spears" was in the top searches. Yes, that was misspelled too, so it must be from a real person and not a bot. But the more I think about it, I'm not really surprised, it's just that she's not someone I'd look for.

"Boing Boing" was listed as the top Blog. Schweet, I use them for things sometimes, end up going there, so that was expected.

I'll add this to my Bookmarks for links to use in searches.

13 of 23: Del.icio.us

2007-08-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, Del.icio.us is nice. It tastes even better.

If things had to be collected, "bagged and tagged", this site does it well.

But as before, I do get the impression that most tools I used for 23 Things do seem to scream for some sort of real integration with other tools viewed and used so far.

Also should mention that "tagging" is a big part of programming software.

I mean really, I remember using "GOTO" statements in High School that moved to other certain/needed sections of code based on how you used colon-like tags through your conditional statements. The term/style is "spaghetti coding", and yeah, it can get messy since all your code lives on one long sheet/file of a program that runs/compiles not as a running binary, but as a top/down live thing.

I also learned HTML and it's really more of the same for every "< /a >" that you use, or pic you post, if you write or generate a web page.

It's all really the same thing. I guess here it's more about data and not conditions for Del.icio.us.

12 Of 23: Rollyo

2007-08-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

My link for Rollyo is here.

11 Of 23: LibraryThing

2007-08-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

My Profile and Catalog links for LibraryThing are:
Profile
Catalog

I really like this! I wonder what I could do with Koha, Evergreen, or another open source library system instead though?

Eh, I like this and it seems to be pretty good so far. I feel kind of awkward using this for some reason.

Hmm, this combined with Scribd... wow, that's an idea. See my previous post on Scribd.

10 Of 23: Double Digits And Me As A...

2007-08-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Retard! I mean Meez!

Whoo! Finally, double digits, and on my way to 20 and to the finish at 23.

Speaking of, here's me to every little detail except the important stuff:

9 Of 23: Merlin Fights The Dragon With - Technocrati

2007-08-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Merlin is pretty interesting, and so are the blog/RSS finders such as Feedster, Topix, Syndic8, Technorati listed for Thing#9.

Merlin is an interesting communication and listing portal, of the MD libraries, for Internet and other related technologies. I've subscribed to the Merlin RSS feed, and I might be reminded by such a feed to come back to Merlin and double check for things.

I know I'll have to anyway, but I'm sure the Skillsoft classes will be accessible from here as were the Thompson NetG classes.

Cool, the link for the feed is (am I right?):
http://www.rss4lib.com/

8 Of 23: RSS Through Bloglines

2007-08-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

OK, my public Blogline URL is here:
http://www.bloglines.com/public/mrpr-esrl

I really don't have much to say about RSS. I have a little to say about Blogline... I don't like it, it's too damn complicated for something that is much simpler in other RSS feeders I've used in the past. Also it tries to be "Web 2.0" in too many regards in that it offers a, "Hey, why don't you blog here too" feature. Yuk, I'm up to my eye balls in blogs.

Just an aside, but what happened to old school diaries? Or journals?

In my reality, I think RSS is more of a requestable add on, not something that should be a seed for other "cool(?)" Web 2.0 ideas and concepts.

Strictly speaking about RSS, I like RSS in that information can be somewhat organized and collected to calm the chaos of information overload. But on the flip side I don't like the fact of having so much access to information in that it can force me to drag myself into constant/daily information digging.

I do that already when it comes to email let alone regular work and life.

Call me lazy, but maybe I should settle for, maybe, just a few online/RSS comics or something? Or maybe limit myself to just a few sites?

Heck, if I do that though, why not just visit those sites as need be? Or add them as a feature to something I know that I'll use everyday?

Hmm, I wonder if MySpace can... Nah, too easy.

7 Of 23: Technology I Liked This Week - Scribd

2007-08-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

I just like it, and it seems to be perfect for 23 things, or more precisely, for a library environment.

Take a look here.

Honestly some articles can be easily found with a quick meaningful search. Unfortunately your results can produce unlawful or inappropriate results, yet at the same time it does seem to have many other things that are appropriate and useful.

I guess what you choose to do with such a tool is up to you, and I guess Scribd is a double edged sword like many unfiltered things out on the Internet for the public. Replying to Scribd's "Yes" to a "Yes/No" question, for mature content, is in reality nothing more than a click away, and I guess that means being just a click away for what you were looking for.

I wonder who decides which posted documents are or are not mature content. Maybe the poster?

Either way, we all should be careful what we ask for, especially when it comes to technology that allows public users to post documents to the same public users it serves.

Here's a link to look at for Scribd that's recent for this post.

6 of 23: Mashups With FlickR - RetrievR

2007-08-20T12:03:00.001-07:00

070820Mr - RetrievR screenshot test, originally uploaded by mrpr.esrl.

"The file 070820Mr - RetrievR screenshot" captures the RetrievR mashup results I received for the little bit of "paint brush" work I did to the left.

*You may notice the black worm-like thing to the upper middle on the left side.

I went with something random, yet I wanted black and white even though color is an obvious option, and I came up with some cool results.

Playing with it a little seems to bring up the same results except for the last image. The last image tends to be a different each time with this matching service, and that's something I can't explain right now.

But honestly, that doesn't bother me.

One of the images that is last in the list, and couldn't come back with subsequent refreshes of the page, was:

So I kept a URL of that image and thought I should post it.

This mashup is kind of cool, and something like this would be great for anyone who does any kind of 2D work and would like inspiration for a general shape or design they would like to work with.

I wish this was more of a public widget for coders, and not just a public access only widget, but maybe that's just me.

It's also worth mentioning that I found this through a simple Google search for "Flickr mashups". It lead me to a first result of Web Monkey, and I used the first link of the second page. All of the options looked cool though.

5 Of 23: Flickr Test

2007-08-20T11:48:00.001-07:00

Space Invaders Elephant Style, originally uploaded by mrpr.esrl.

Pic of "Space Invaders Elephant Style" is actually a work in progress that I cannot control...

I choose option B of a) and b), and I looked at Picasa and smugmug.

4 Of 23: Thoughts

2007-07-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Took me some time to find it, but I did.

It was weird. I had registered because that's how I got here in the first place, but I haven't registered my blog URL yet. I seem to have found the right link on ESRL's website devoted to 23 things near the bottom.

The link that helped me out was:
http://host2.evanced.info/maryland/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID=35&rts=&disptype=&ret=eventcalendar.asp&pointer=&returnToSearch=&SignupType=&amp;amp;num=0&ad=&dt=mo&mo=6/1/2007&kw=blog&df=calendar&EventType=ALL&Lib=1&AgeGroup=&LangType=0&WindowMode=&noheader=&lad=

I also printed the log for 23 things, and it will be filled out as I complete things.

1 & 2 Of 23: Thoughts On 1 & 2 Of 23

2007-07-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

As requested, here we go.

Um, this isn't too bad and I like it so far. This is pretty cool and a little more advanced than I thought for anyone that really hasn't used technology like this on the Internet, but even beginners have to start somewhere, everyone is pretty much capable at learning something new, and in my experience librarians tend to be pretty savvy when they mean to be. Out of the three I'm pretty much the second and even then, I'm not too sure...

One thing I did completely different, when it came to 1 and 2 of 23, is that I made myself a new specific GMail account for this project before registering with Blogger. I did this for two reasons.

First off I tried to play with Blogger with another alias and email just to try things out. It wasn't going in the right direction because in playing, I noticed that Blogger tried to take my email address from a completely different email host and tried to "GMail" it all up.

I didn't like that, and figured it would be better to use what they seem to link with, so I went ahead and completed 1 and 2 of 23 with a new GMail account.

In any case, odd, but different.

Me all over.

3 Of 23: Hi Post! Playing!

2007-07-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

Uh... hi! Just finishing the first part!

3 Of 23: Second Post - Hardest of 7 1/2 Habits

2007-07-30T10:47:00.001-07:00

In the last post, I posted that the easiest habit for me is to view problems as challenges.

Well even though this may be the case for me, I also tend to have a problem with the first of the 7 and a 1/2 that's to begin with the end in mind.

And this is odd since really if I can handle some problems as real challenges why wouldn't I be able to work towards a set of goals with an end in mind?

Simply, I guess I bite off more than I can chew and I tend to try to hard as deal with too much at once.

At least for me, it seems in "how to pace myself" is a part of the experience of learning

3 Of 23: First Post - Easiest of 7 1/2 Habits

2007-07-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

The easiest of the 7 and a 1/2 habits for me is #3 which is to view problems as challenges.

I guess it's the easiest for me because of how I approach things that come off as an obstacle.

I always seem to approach them as fast as they approach me.