Assignment-6

Del.icio.us is interesting and would be beneficial and useful as a work related tool within our library system and for our patrons. I like the ability to add favourites and tag items of interest and group them into useful categories. I can add all my bookmark to this account and it will prompt me to add any new bookmarks to Del.icio.us when I am bookmarking. There are a number of options and uses in which explored further could be useful to our library. Sharing web links, using combined keywords and tags for learning. Building a reading list and syllabus, do research and share with others by tagging and creating your own group. I like the ability to collect all needed information in one place and sign into my account at any time or any computer with an Internet. I will use this tool for my personal use and I can see Del.icio.us incorporated into our library system for staff and/or patrons as a work related tool.

Technorati is a site once again in which you become a member and access it with a pass and login. This site is for keeping track of blog conversations and what is happening right now. It will help to direct traffic to your blog. I found it easiest to search for blogs by subject and by using keyword or topic searches brought up related tags to check out as well. Obviously the tool is useful to many. As I don't blog on a regular basis and do not search for blogs the “appeal” isn't there for me.

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Assignment-5

Library Thing looks like a great tool to use. I have not used anything like this in the past to keep track of books I have read or what I would like to read. It has many options as to what you can do and use which would determine your level of involvement. This may be a tool for our library system to promote to patrons as there might be some interest. Possibly setting up a group for library members and/or staff to share.

I have used Facebook for a course and we had a group in which we could share a discussion on different topics. I also became “friends” with my adult children who use Facebook. I have put a few pictures on and communicated very briefly. I am apprehensive about this tool, as I feel too much is revealed to whomever is friends with my children as I can see who they are friends with etc. and my network within Facebook is very small. I know you have the choice of adding a friend or not. A comfort level for me would be using this tool with a group as I have would invite the members of the group. There is too much advertising on Facebook and the “Green because you can” is just one of many non-profit organizations which is available to you along with a number of other topics to become a fan or sent it on to a friend. Facebook has too much clutter.

Assignment-4

I find it interesting as to the number of electronic tools which are available. Most of the technology I use has been directed to me in a work related environment. The RSS reader could be a good additional working tool depending on the need. Some things came to mind as pros and cons of this product. Such as: Is it just another tool to learn or will it replace something I already use? Will I use it? What would I use it for? Will it make my work easier? Would it be something beneficial for work related and/or personal? Would it work well in my job related activities along side what I already use? How would it be beneficial to me or will it just add to my workload as something else to do and manage? Just a few things to think about before considering another tool.

There are many features to this reader which give you options as to manipulating the information you add. The RSS reader has the ability to save you time by browsing the folders for the newsfeeds which are unread. This product could be very practical and helps to keep subjects organized by files. At this time I am not sure how many sites/links I use are available as feeders for this to be a useful work tool. It could be a benefit if organized by subject and folders within our system to post updates and changes.

I tried the different methods for newsfeeds and found Blogline's easiest to use. The others did not seem to have feeds which I was looking for.