Assignment #6 - Almost there...

Well, I've been looking at Delicious and Technorati for what seems like a very long time. I am going in circles still ... or is that just my chair spinning? All my bookmarks are in Delicious. Fine and good. But isn't it easier to grab a bookmark from that nice little star on the toolbar?

The fun part about Delicious is that I can see exactly who else is bookmarking the websites that I have bookmarked. This information would be especially handy for marketers, pollsters and web page owners. If I was researching something, I am sure I would also find this information useful. But, for now, I'm not yet hooked.

As for Technorati, I am looking forward to getting deeper and deeper and ... well, I think I'm hooked here. This is great for anyone who doesn't really know where to start reading on the web. For me, Technorati will be a place to keep in touch with all sorts of tidbits of information. It will likely be a daily glance through - much like I do with the newspaper headlines most days. I'm sure certain links will take more of my attention. However, on a professional level, it will be hard to separate what I need to know from what is FUN to know!

I searched Web 2.0 on both sites and definitely received different results. This leaves me with the impression that I would want to use both sources if I was researching a topic.

I do prefer Delicious when I click on the link since I get redirected to the actual site. Wheras with Technorati, I am redirected to an internal Technorati view of the site. Seems that I have to then click on the thumbnail of the desired website to actually open it up. Just one more step ... but on a slower internet connection this does make a difference. Ergh. One of these days I'm going to get high speed!

Since I don't have any images in this post, enjoy the following odd pictures of "birthday dog."
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Assignment #6: Due Oct. 19/08.
View the Del.icio.us tutorial. (8 min.) and learn what this tool has to offer.
Create a Del.icio.us account and add 5 bookmarks.
Add 1 bookmark that has been added by many other people. Can you see what comments and tags they have added?
Explore the Technorati website and try searching for Web 2.0 related blog posts using the Blog tab and the search engine. Do you get different results? Which way do you prefer?
Watch this Technorati tour to learn about some of Technorati’s newest features. (5:39 min)
Create a blog post about your experience using Del.icio.us. Would this tool be useful for your organization, why or why not? Would you use this tool for personal or work purposes, why or why not? Briefly discuss your experience using Technorati. Did you like this tool?

Assignment #5

Library Thing ... when I first created my account, I was feeling like it was a bit over the top. I mean, who has time for this stuff? Don't these people want to read their books and work at their jobs and ... what the heck are they doing on the computer cataloguing books?!? However, on second visit, I think I'm intrigued. There are a couple of member recommendations that look fantastic. I'm going to visit my local library - http://search.cambridgelibraries.ca/search - and reserve some books! My Library Thing account can be viewed here: http://www.librarything.com/profile.php?view=wendyhoo.

As for Green: because you can ... well, it's very odd. It seems to be not so much a forum for information; rather, it's a platform for advertising OTHER facebook groups. The "fan photos" are a combination of advertisements and scenic vacation shots - very pretty but what's the point? Many of these photos have been updated recently but there has been no activity from the creator since January 2008?? Hello? Anybody home? When visiting the link for the new website, obviously other's have been equally confused. There is nothing there; just a logo. What a waste because they obviously have a strong following.

Irregular and inconsistent communication must be the worst mistake a non-profit can commit. I clicked through to the web-site which seems to redirect me to a page called Squared World Enterprises. What's with this? From the comments left behind, obviously there are some other raised eyebrows here. Oddly, the site doesn't lead me anywhere which I find unsettling.


At any rate, I don't really enjoy Facebook: I find it's too slow and clunky; I don't like my clients sometimes finding me there; and it's a real time waster with very little benefit. It would be okay if I could pull feeds from it, but after checking, I don't think I can. It doesn't recognize Bloglines so I would have to create a different account in Twitter or Blogmarks. Not ready for that level of net connectivity quite yet!


I was hoping to attach a song that my husband recorded and has enjoyed some on-line success through a contest called RPM Challenge. However, I quickly realized that uploading 49 M using my out-of-date computer was going to take WAY too long. Instead, for a little musical interlude, I will redirect you to his MySpace page. May I introduce you to The King of Fisher Mills? My favourite song is "Sold My Soul". Hope you enjoy.

Assignment #4

Well, I've now spent a great deal of time pouring through SO MANY feeds. What a blast! I never knew what RSS was, and now I do! Thanks Web 2.0. I've linked RSS feed from the Job Board for specific job categories from which my clients will benefit: an actual reason for me to spend work time on Web 2.0. (Though, admittedly, I'm typing this from home at the moment.)

There were some challenging moments, but mostly, "ah ha!", and, "Oh, that's how you do that". My most challenging moment was not reading the instructions carefully enough and going in circles when I subscribed to my first blog with multiple feeds. Didn't notice I was supposed to check off the feed I wanted. Did that about 3 times before figuring it out!

As for preferred method, so far, it's really just surfing and finding links that I like. Also, I've been going through my bookmarks and finding the RSS feeds. This will be great for keeping on top of informational sites such as job postings.

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, but I was bit underwhelmed by the amount of Can Con in Topix. I finally figured out that I had to go to the international selection to get away from the U.S. feeds. Feedster and Syndic8 were both not coming up. I will try them again another time. Perhaps my home computer is too slow and old fashioned! As for the Bloglines search tool, it's fine but I didn't find it overly useful. Perhaps I need to play with it some more.

This was a fantastic lesson. Now I finally get what all those kids are going on about! :p

Almost caught up. Two more to go....







Create a blog post about your experiences creating a Bloglines account AND using some of these tools to locate newfeeds. Eg. Did you enjoy this exercise or finding it challenging and why? Are there instances in which you think RSS feeds could be useful for your organization? Which methods of finding newsfeeds did you like best and why? Which were hardest to use? Etc.

Assignment #3 Photos & Imaging

Asignment #3
Sept. 22/08 – Photos & Imaging

I read through the websites dedicated to mashups and image generators. I must say, my head is spinning. However, there are some very interesting concepts out there and I'm trying to imagine how these could apply to my work. In researching other image generators, I found a wiki site that links us to many, many different image generators. This site seems to be a a great resource: http://copyrightfriendly.wikispaces.com/Image+generators+and+clipart. I checked out http://www.glassgiant.com/. Lots of fun stuff here!

Working in Employment Development, we work continuously with employers and potential employees. What might be useful is a blog that would speak to employers about their rights and obligations while keeping it local and allowing them to provide feedback for their concerns. The employee candidates would be more likely to visit a blog if it had discussions around job openings, job fairs and tips regarding interviews, resumes and the like. Obviously, keeping the blog visually appealing with images will make it much more effective.


Assignment #3: Due Sept. 27/08.
1) Explore the Flickr website and learn about this popular image hosting site. Find an image you like and upload it to your blog using either the Flickr or Blogger upload tool.
2) Read Wikipedia’s definition of mashups and check out 3 Flickr mashups: Mappr; Flickr Color Pickr; Montager.
a. Note: Mashups can be a difficult concept to completely understand. For the purposes of this assignment just try to grasp the general concept of what a mashup is. You are NOT expected to know all the technicalities; remember, this is supposed to be fun!
3) Explore these 3 online image generators and see if you can find some others; Dummies Book Generator; Add Letters: Custom Image and Sign Generator; Make Believe Comix.
4) Create a blog post about how the tools you’ve learned about today could be used for your organization.

Additional Help:
1) If you are struggling with navigating the Flickr website try following Flickr Learn More Tour.
Published in:
Uncategorizedon September 21, 2008 at 9:45 am Comments (0)Tags: assignment 3, Flickr, image generators, mashups, photos & imaging

Oct 15, 2008

Okay, okay. So, I'm starting off late. Better late than never, I say. As a life-long learner, I try to learn new skills on a regular basis. For instance, I've only learned how to knit in the last two years. I now find myself knitting sweaters and tea cozies and all sorts of goodies. We recently went on vacation (part of the reason I'm late starting Web 2.0) and decided to start a blog in order to show off some photos. This, oddly enough, is before I learned that I was to start a blog for this course. To view my rather amateurish blog, please visit http://hoodmorris.blogspot.com/. Be prepared for family photos. :)

What do I hope to learn from participating in this course?

• I hope to learn how to better integrate technology with my daily home and work life.
• I would like to learn more about blogging. I'm finding the layout more tricky than I had imagined. For example, why can't I get the text to sit where I put it next to a photo that I've inserted?
• I would like to learn if there is a way to better connect with clients and employers using technology.

Thanks for the opportunity to learn more about the web.

Cheers, Wendy


Assignment #2: Due Sept. 21/ 08.
1) Set up your own blog using Blogger.com
a. Follow along with the simple 3 step process outlined on the site.
2) Write a blog post about what you hope to learn from participating in this course and any hesitations you have. What are you most excited about? Nervous about? Have you used any of these products before?
3) E-mail your blog address (e.g. http://(xxxx).blogspot.com)/ to jenniferria@gmail.com so I can view your blog and future posts.
4) It would be neat for everyone to be able to check out other people’s blogs. I encourage you to be confident with your work and your creativity. When you e-mail your assignment please indicate whether or not you are ok with my putting a link to your blog on the course website.