Summary

The Betty Blogger course has enabled me to go from a definite Web 2.Huh to personal high of about Web 2. "I'm starting to get it!". Not yet at Guru status, but feeling comfortable in this social networking domain now.  The course more than met my expectations by familiarizing me with applications I would otherwise not have been adventurous enough to explore on my own.  The most challenging part?  I would say was simpy just venturing into this "unknown territory".  I really appreciated the self-directed learning style, as I could work on the assignments when it suited my schedule - which is especially handy during the summer months.  I would definitely recommend this course to my family and friends of all ages. Thanks so much! 

Library Thing

Here is the link to my Library Thing profile:  http://www.librarything.com/profile/emmapri

I loved the Library Thing - I think it's a great way to search new titles and explore books that you may not have heard of before.  It is a great way to keep track of books you have read and share those lists with others who have the same taste in genres.  I would like to use this tool in the future, but the BPL's new website has a similar feature - My Shelves- and I will definitely be using this resource as my go-to.

RSS Feeds

I really enjoyed this week's task because it taught me how easy it is to subscribe to RSS feeds.  I subscribed to CBC Canada, Life and Style and Front Page News-HCDSB.  Google Reader was very simple to navigate and I will definitely continue to use this aggregator. Thank you Library Lady for guiding me to this wonderful resource!

Wiki Pot Luck

I will be bring generous helpings of my homemade banana bread to the pot luck. 
I enjoyed joining in on the Wiki page and found that it was easy to use. I like that it can be edited and commented on.  I have used the Wiki forum in my workplace before and I am sure that I will have this opportunity again, it is a very useful tool.

Embed code for Google Docs

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Picassa

I really enjoyed the Picassa Web album forum. It is a great way to share and compile photos.  In the search box, I entered "Ireland" and of course lots of landscape pictures came up, but there was one of an unusual flower that I chose to use for this assignment.  The tags associated with the Flower are: flower, Ireland, nature, Dublin, Webalbum, D300, botanic_gardens and gardens.  I like that the tags are varied and could be of interest to travellers, gardeners and just about anyone looking for pictures of beautiful flowers.  I am a little bit familiar with Picassa, as this is how I get pictures of my nephew sent to me.  I will defintely continue to use this tool in the future.

Twitter?

As far as Twitter goes, I'm going to have to take a pass.  I really do feel that it is a valuable tool for immediate communication in a time of crisis, or any other instance where every minute counts.  This is especially true when getting the news out to a global audience.  However, as far as using Twitter for personal updates and tweets, I am just not on board.  I view it as sort of self-indulgent. I am completely aware that my age has a lot to do with this, but I can't really imagine that my regular routine is exciting enough to warrant capturing moments of it on Twitter.  I am still a huge fan of real-time socializing in person.  Having said that, I am glad that I am learning about this popular social networking tool, so that I can help patrons navigate through it, or answer any of their questions while I am at work.  

Tagging

Well, I must say that this week's assignment didn't come easy to me. I guess I just don't get this whole "tagging" phenomenon!  Anyway, after reading and re-reading the instructions, I was finally able to login and create a Diigo account and add some Bookmarks.  If I'm being honest, I would have to say that I will probably not use this tool beyond the BettyBlogger course.  However, I have been proved wrong in the past, so you never do know. 

Streaming!!!

Hello again,

After perusing YouTube for a while, I decided to add: http://youtu.be/xNZjfz8rgT8 because it is inspiring, entertaining and is a rendition of my favourite U2 song (and my Wedding Song too!).  This is a prime example of the types of videos I like to look at on YouTube.  I know there are many ridiculous and funny videos too, but my schedule doesn't afford me a lot of time look for these, so I usually find out about the really popular ones from my kids.  I can see that this could become somewhat addicting and I think this is probably why it is so popular - It's fun, very relevant and timely. I will continue to use it in a limited way, and who knows, maybe I'll see myself on there one day!

My knowledge of Web 2.0 is defintely minimal, so much so, that I would not hesistate to label it Web 2.Huh. Obviously, I have a lot to learn.  I have to catch up to my twelve year old on the social media front!  Thankfully, I have this course to help me acquire the much needed skills required to navigate this unknown territory!