Crafts & Hobbies #61: Craftspiration!

I found a craft idea that is good as a gift, making felt bags for wine bottles. Making the pattern looks fairly easy. I like to learn by reading instructions and by watching videos. I think I am more likely to do a craft if I can see someone doing it. That way, I can see the steps needed before I try it. Watching a craft being done often allows me to see if the steps are going to get complicated. Reading instructions does not always allow me to know how complicated something is going to be.

Pot Luck #55: Getting the Most Out of Facebook

I have had a Facebook account for a while now. I enjoy using the various apps to have fun with. The app I played with for this exercise is the movie app. I enjoy being able to see what new movies are coming out. I also like this app because I can see what my friends have seen and how they rated it. I add new friends every once in a while. I don't feel the need to friend every single person I have ever met. I have not used Facebook regularly until the past few months. It is turning into an efficient way to get in touch with people who I cannot call for various reasons. It is a good tool to use when planning group outings. Everyone can communicate at the same place even if they are not all friends with each other. Overall, I enjoy using Facebook.

The Future of Media #81: Get Out Your Crystal Ball

I think streaming movies directly to your television will have the most influence. I do not think hard copies (DVDs, Blu-rays, etc.) will be thrown by the wayside yet. Personally, I enjoy owning a physical copy of what I have, that way it won't accidentally get erased. Streaming content is an excellent way to gain access to things you otherwise would not be able to see. I do enjoy all the extras that come on DVDs, like the commentaries and making of's. I have used some varieties of streaming videos and the quality is usually good.

I am not an early adapter of technology. I like to wait and see how new things will react with everyday life. It took me 5 years after the iPod was introduced to actually break down and buy one. Now I don't know what I would do without it. I do appreciate new technology, but I like for things to have the bugs worked out before I invest my hard earned money.

#80 The Future of Media: Movies

1. I have used many of the sites listed to watch movies already. I prefer watching movies on a TV but I am willing to watch things on my computer screen if that is the only way to obtain the movie.

2. I use these sites, especially IMDB to keep up with current releases. I enjoy seeing new trailers to preview what is coming out soon. I also use it if I find an older movie I have never heard of. I can find out what the movie is about and who stars in it.

3. At this time, I would not use any of the fee-based services. Too many bills pile up. If I were to one day get rid of cable, I would probably subscribe to Netflix. Overall, I enjoyed this exercise since it fed off of many things I already use.

The Future of Media #79: Television

1. I use Hulu all the time. A lot of my favorite shows are listed there. I find it is a nice substitute for a television (sometimes). I mainly use it when I am somewhere without a TV or if my DVR cuts off the end of a show. I used Hulu all the time before I got a DVR. Many of my favorite shows no longer have full seasons listed. Now they have a rotational schedule (every Monday a new old episode takes the place of the oldest).

2. I have not watched a TV show on my cell phone. I use my phone as a phone and that is that. If rates were cheaper, I may one day get regular Internet access on my phone, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

3. I have never posted videos online. I do not regularly watch any streaming channels.

#30 Spring Cleaing: Take a Load off Our Drives

I did not have very much on any of the drives to clean up. I deleted duplicate files and made sure all the web reporter lists I have were current. I looked around to see what was on all the drives and found things I did not know were there. My z drive is pretty clean and organized. I do not have many things that need to be saved for extended periods. I have used the S drive before. It is very easy to access and save a file on the s drive. I have always tried to keep files on the computer organized. I found this very helpful when I was in school with many different classes all going on at the same time.

#29 Spring Cleaing: E-mail

I have cleaned up my e-mail account. I have created folders and filed everything that needed to be kept. I have deleted everything that I no longer needed and purged the trash bin. I am usually very good about keeping up with my e-mails. If I receive something, I usually handle it within a few minutes or at the very least, some time later that day. I will now have a place to put things to keep my inbox clear for new items only.

#28 Spring Cleaning

I do not really have an organizational system at this time. I like the GTD method because you can start with little things and work your way up towards total organization. I like the idea of figuring out what needs to be done in what order and doing it quickly. I am a horrible procrastinator. I like the idea of using a "bucket" and emptying it weekly. This would ensure that everything that needs to be done will get done promptly. All the ideas GTD present are good ones and I hope I will be able to start implementing some of them in both my professional and personal life.

I tried the Google Calendar application. I think this could be useful because I can look at it no matter where I am (as long as there is Internet) and see what my future schedule will bring.

Sound #25

I still use CDs in my car. Burning a disc is a very simple process once you get started. I have used many different programs over the years and the directions are typically straight forward.

I think musicians would benefit more from a more open sharing policy. Looser restrictions allow more people to experience an artists music. If the artist is good, they will sell more because people get to sample their work through downloads. I have downloaded a song or 2 from an artist in the past and bought the complete album from the store later. Fans will support an artist by buying their music if they enjoy it. Fans know that if no one buys the music, that artist will not make any more.

Sound #24

I have previously downloaded music from iTunes and from the HCPL website. I use iTunes because I have an iPod. I find being able to dowload a single song vs. a whole album can often be a good thing. Usually, the music I am interested in is around $.99 a song. I have noticed that cards are now being sold in more and more stores that allow you to purchase music in the store and then download the songs directly to your computer. These options are usually slightly cheaper than buying the phisical album and they do take up less space. This is a good option for people who want to download but do not like to use their credit cards online.

Listening to the radio on the computer is a nice option for those people who do not carry a portable radio around (like myself). It also allows you to use earphones to reduce the disturbance to those around you who may prefer silence.

week 10 post 23

I actually found a lot of iHCPL activities to be educational. My favorite thing was learning Zoho. Knowing of the existence of this program will save me a lot of money with future computer purchases. Zoho has been the only resource that I recently learned about to contribute to my lifelong learning goal. It will assist me greatly in the future. Nothing I learned about was all that surprising to me. The way I see utilizing these lessons for HCPL is to better our communication between branches and possibly customers with pictures and wikis. I can't think of anything else that I would like to see in iHCPL at this time.

week 9 post 22

I had previously downloaded both written and audio books through the HCPL website. I had also used free sites. The HCPL site seems to be easier for me to use, but that could be because I am more familiar with it.

week 9 post 21

I looked around and I subscribed to the Newsweek podcast. I do see how podcasts may be benifical to dispurse information. I do not see myself listening to many podcasts anytime in the near future. I do not have the time to sit an listen to these.

week 9 post 20

I found a Mythbusters clip that I enjoy. I do like youtube for the ability to share funny and entertaining things. Youtube is also good for creating and distributing educational material. Here is the clip that I am attempting to post:

week 8 post 19

I am creating a simple word document on Zoho to appease this portion of iHCPL.

So far, Zoho looks like an application I might frequently use in the future since it will save me from spending on Microsoft Office.  I am really enjoying seeing all the options Zoho gives me for projects to do!

week 8 post 18

I have mixed feelings about social networking sites. I think they are a good way to keep in touch with people who live far away or who share similar interests. I also feel that some people may become too dependent on these sites for their daily contact with the outside world. I have a facebook account and I have had it for a while. I use it to keep in touch with all of my old friends from high school and college that I would have otherwise lost touch with.

week 7 post 17

I really like iTunes and my iPod. I have had my iPod nano for about a month. I enjoy being able to carry all my music with me wherever I go. It is so much simpler to carry than a portable CD player, CDs and spare batteries. I have also recently discovered a feature on iTunes where I can set the sound levels on different songs myself. I really enjoy my iPod.

week 7 post 16

I have added my blog to the 'favorite blog' part of the wiki. I personally do not like using wikis as a reliable source of information. I do like to use wikis as a starting point for finding information on something. The only way I can see wikis being useful in a library setting is as a voluntary means of communication between patrons.

week 6 post 15

I think "To more powerful ways to cooperate" said some nice things about the expansion of communication the technological era. I like the idea that more people will be able to access more information without restriction. I also see a valid point in "To a temporary place in time" where the Library of the future will need to help patrons navigate through the mess of the internet. I still have trouble finding my way to valid, pertinent internet sources when researching various topics.

week 6 post 14

The search results in the various aspects of Technorati are different. While exploring I did not see anything surprising or particularly interesting when I looked around the website. I generally don't poke around websites and search engines in my spare time.