Firstly, let me just say thankyou to Jewinda of Library Shenanigans for her idea to add StatCounter to my blog. S/he doesn't know about me at all but I liked the idea after reading her blog (I'll be able to see where in the world people are coming from!). Her blog is very amusing, I LOVE the review of The Post-Birthday World (The characters were self-indulgent, boring twats...bland, bland, bland).
On to today's activity...Rollyo. Rollyo allows you to create a customised search engine. I had a search using the Public Domain E-Books search engine for Alice in Wonderland...the results weren't anything special and the paid ads that are popped in the middle of my results are hard to distinguish from the actual results.
I registered and, when I went to create my search roll, I found no way to use a generic *.xxx type thing (ie a search roll that would search all Victorian government sites would be *.vic.gov.au). I looked for the non-existant help files for a while...naughty naughty naughty! Help is always good. Finding the search-roll after I'd created it wasn't too easy either.
AHA! If I type in .li as the website, it finds anything in Liechtenstein. Although I just found out that it ONLY searches top level domains, so if you find a subdirectory you want to allow your search engine to search through...tough (ie a wikipedia article or the cia's Factbook).
Rollyo is a good idea but I'm not too keen on the limitations.
PS I do love how I can make the widget search my blog though!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
#11 All about LibraryThing
I've used LibraryThing before so it was a quite easy activity for me to use it again. I had 25 of my own books on there already and added a few more so I could write about it on here. I think it's quite a good idea but honestly can't see the practical use of it for most people (maybe apart from the Suggester). I do like how it can link into the opac of a library catalogue and 'recommend' books, and I suppose that really wouldn't work without all of us people out there making catalogues on there.
I did like it how it told me that I had a duplicate in my library already. But, when I searched for new books, there was no way of clicking on the book to see if it was the right one (especially as my covers were different to the ones I found).
Anyways, it's available at http://www.librarything.com/catalog/tas666
I did like it how it told me that I had a duplicate in my library already. But, when I searched for new books, there was no way of clicking on the book to see if it was the right one (especially as my covers were different to the ones I found).
Anyways, it's available at http://www.librarything.com/catalog/tas666
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
#10 Play around with Image Generators
Haha I really enjoyed this. I concentrated on 3D Stereogram which allows you to draw a picture, press the generate button and then it does one of those 3D eye puzzle things. I found it really easy to get it to work on my laptop monitor (much better than on paper when I tried doing the in that book thing). It turns out I suck at drawing with a mouse but the below picture should say 'tas666'. Click on it to get the full picture (it doesn't work so easily small). You have to look through the picture...ie look at it unfocused and then slowly bring your eyes back into focus.
PS Bah, just realised that that's as big as the picture gets. Sorry!
PS Bah, just realised that that's as big as the picture gets. Sorry!
#9 Finding Feeds
Hmm, this didn't go so well either (probably because it is to do with rss which stands for either Really Stupid Stuff or Randomly Stuffed Scribble...I can't remember which).
I started by picking websites I sometimes go to. None of them had rss things on them...not that I could find them even if I wanted to as the symbols are always tiny!
I then tried searching Google Blogs thing. It searched the contents of blogs (great for if I wanted to find a post) but not the general topic...all I wanted was a blog on Liechtenstein (maybe just a news blog...I couldn't find an rss feed on the Liechtensteiner Vaterland which just goes to prove that I am destined to be rss-less).
Next step...Feedster. Same problem as Google Blog Search.
Topix on the other hand...I searched for Liechtenstein. Not only did it do the above but it also recommended that I look at the Liechtenstein News page which was just what I wanted. Down the bottom in tiny little letters was the rss area. Did you know that Prince Hans-Adam II von and zu Liechtenstein is worth US$4.5 billion and is the 6th richest royal in the world? Lucky bugger.
With Technorati I did like the tabs that let me filter my search from blogs/videos/etc (even if all the photos were holiday snaps of people I didn't know).
With the database search, I found an orange button and clicked it (which turned out to be an rss button luckily). What I am sent daily is a list of articles relating to my search term. I can click on a button to access the full text (which hopefully means I won't need to log in...I will have to try from home).
I started by picking websites I sometimes go to. None of them had rss things on them...not that I could find them even if I wanted to as the symbols are always tiny!
I then tried searching Google Blogs thing. It searched the contents of blogs (great for if I wanted to find a post) but not the general topic...all I wanted was a blog on Liechtenstein (maybe just a news blog...I couldn't find an rss feed on the Liechtensteiner Vaterland which just goes to prove that I am destined to be rss-less).
Next step...Feedster. Same problem as Google Blog Search.
Topix on the other hand...I searched for Liechtenstein. Not only did it do the above but it also recommended that I look at the Liechtenstein News page which was just what I wanted. Down the bottom in tiny little letters was the rss area. Did you know that Prince Hans-Adam II von and zu Liechtenstein is worth US$4.5 billion and is the 6th richest royal in the world? Lucky bugger.
With Technorati I did like the tabs that let me filter my search from blogs/videos/etc (even if all the photos were holiday snaps of people I didn't know).
With the database search, I found an orange button and clicked it (which turned out to be an rss button luckily). What I am sent daily is a list of articles relating to my search term. I can click on a button to access the full text (which hopefully means I won't need to log in...I will have to try from home).
Monday, September 24, 2007
Daily book installments via rss
Okay, I just got excited. Whilst looking at rss stuff, I stumbled across DailyLit, a site that sends installments of books to you via rss or email. It's really cool! I am now getting Alice's Adventures in Wonderland sent to my rss feed reader daily. I can read a chapter a day! Hmm, 9 books of the bible there and no Qu'ran. Ah well.
Also, I found a free online audiobook service where volunteers read out-of-copyright text into a microphone and then it is made available. LibriVox is the name of the site. I'm considering volunteering...not because my voice is anything special, just because I am quite keen for mass digitising of audiobooks to take place. Although I'm having trouble listening to any of them...it may be due to our firewall at work though...I'll have to try from home.
Lucky last link, Fokus Deutsches - an online video instruction series for learning German. Exciting! There's a few languages there actually, all European though (I guess learning to speak tonal languages wouldn't be so easy online!)
Also, I found a free online audiobook service where volunteers read out-of-copyright text into a microphone and then it is made available. LibriVox is the name of the site. I'm considering volunteering...not because my voice is anything special, just because I am quite keen for mass digitising of audiobooks to take place. Although I'm having trouble listening to any of them...it may be due to our firewall at work though...I'll have to try from home.
Lucky last link, Fokus Deutsches - an online video instruction series for learning German. Exciting! There's a few languages there actually, all European though (I guess learning to speak tonal languages wouldn't be so easy online!)
#8 Make life "really simple" with RSS & a newsreader
It's amazing how you get really excited about something, hit one stumbling block and then all of your excitement vanishes in a puff of smoke. I have that with RSS, I do not know why but even the term makes me want to fall asleep.
Anyway...I set up my account on bloglines and have subscribed to a few feeds: 025.431: The Dewey blog and Librarians' Internet Index being the two top ones. The Dewey blog seems really interesting, they talk about crap and then DDC it. One of the latest entries was about the drought in Australia, the USA and Bulgaria and how you'd assign items to do with it. i.e. I'd assign a work on monitoring and predicting drought around the world at 363.3492963 - Droughts + Surveilance (not that we'd ever use such a longwinded number). Although they do get a lot more longwinded - 796.510979589 which is backpacking in Deschutes County, Oregon, USA.
The Librarians' Index is a tad different, they seem to post an interesting webpage/topic each day. Seems like way too much to read to me but I can flick and ignore at will!
My subscriptions are available at http://www.bloglines.com/public/tas666
Oh, and I found it very difficult to figure out how to create the above, I had to fiddle with my account to make it public, then choose yet ANOTHER username (even though I have one) and then find a way to the bloglines homepage and click on Blogrolls (which I guessed was what I needed). Ah well, all done now!
Anyway...I set up my account on bloglines and have subscribed to a few feeds: 025.431: The Dewey blog and Librarians' Internet Index being the two top ones. The Dewey blog seems really interesting, they talk about crap and then DDC it. One of the latest entries was about the drought in Australia, the USA and Bulgaria and how you'd assign items to do with it. i.e. I'd assign a work on monitoring and predicting drought around the world at 363.3492963 - Droughts + Surveilance (not that we'd ever use such a longwinded number). Although they do get a lot more longwinded - 796.510979589 which is backpacking in Deschutes County, Oregon, USA.
The Librarians' Index is a tad different, they seem to post an interesting webpage/topic each day. Seems like way too much to read to me but I can flick and ignore at will!
My subscriptions are available at http://www.bloglines.com/public/tas666
Oh, and I found it very difficult to figure out how to create the above, I had to fiddle with my account to make it public, then choose yet ANOTHER username (even though I have one) and then find a way to the bloglines homepage and click on Blogrolls (which I guessed was what I needed). Ah well, all done now!
#7 Blog about technology
Hmm, a technology blog? What to pick? What to talk about?
I think I might talk about IMDB. Personally, I LOVE the Internet Movie Database. I get lost in it. All I want to do is find out who Joe Bloggs was and, after 3 hours of clicking on different names and going 'oh, he was in THAT', I realise it's possibly time to go back to what I was originally looking for. It's also helpful for verifying things, whoever is entering these entries normally enters tonnes of information. Unfortunately they rarely enter the caterer (the poor forgotten caterer).
Not only does IMDB have information about the movie, there are also reviews from people who have seen the movie...not paid reviewers but everyday people.
If I'd been smart enough to look at the IMDB entry for Lady Chatterley, I would not have wasted an hour of my time seeing it (and yes I know the movie goes for three hours, after nodding off during one of the 'love' scenes, I left). At least one person mentioned that I would have fallen asleep if I didn't like DH Lawrence (which I don't...but some of the movie adaptions of his novels have been good).
Hmm, as I'm typing this I just realised that technology could be outside the internet realm. In that case then I want robotic vacuum cleaner...one of those ones that sense furniture and vacuum around it. Sure it wouldn't do the corners well but it would do the rest of the carpet. (Although, if the Choice Magazine tests are anything to go by, it doesn't do that so well either). Ah well.
I think I might talk about IMDB. Personally, I LOVE the Internet Movie Database. I get lost in it. All I want to do is find out who Joe Bloggs was and, after 3 hours of clicking on different names and going 'oh, he was in THAT', I realise it's possibly time to go back to what I was originally looking for. It's also helpful for verifying things, whoever is entering these entries normally enters tonnes of information. Unfortunately they rarely enter the caterer (the poor forgotten caterer).
Not only does IMDB have information about the movie, there are also reviews from people who have seen the movie...not paid reviewers but everyday people.
If I'd been smart enough to look at the IMDB entry for Lady Chatterley, I would not have wasted an hour of my time seeing it (and yes I know the movie goes for three hours, after nodding off during one of the 'love' scenes, I left). At least one person mentioned that I would have fallen asleep if I didn't like DH Lawrence (which I don't...but some of the movie adaptions of his novels have been good).
Hmm, as I'm typing this I just realised that technology could be outside the internet realm. In that case then I want robotic vacuum cleaner...one of those ones that sense furniture and vacuum around it. Sure it wouldn't do the corners well but it would do the rest of the carpet. (Although, if the Choice Magazine tests are anything to go by, it doesn't do that so well either). Ah well.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Putting internet images in your blog
I have also created a document on linking to flickr images in your blog. You can use this process to link to almost any online image available. Remember to mention where you got the image from though and don't claim it as your own!
The document is available here in pdf format.
The document is available here in pdf format.
Logging in to blogger
Just to let everyone know that webgurl from Eastern Regional Libraries has put together some instructions on getting a blog started on her 23squared blog.
Click on this link to view them.
Click on this link to view them.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
#6 More Flickr Fun
More Flickr Fun was a bit of a lie this week I think.
Link number 1 was to MappR. This might have been nice to use, I don't know though because the page doesn't work (I've been trying for 24 hours now).
Link number 2 was to Flickr Colr Pickr which loaded the page but not the Flash movie (possibly to do with our firewall).
Link number 3 was to Montagr. This loaded a single image in the top left hand corner of the screen and then did nothing else. My 'dog' mosaic was more a dog image (although there were 1032 pages of single images).
This is not fun.
ALTHOUGH...that being said, after about 40 minutes on the phone to the lovely Anthony in IT, he enabled Flash movies temporarily on my computer and I had access to Flickr Colr Pickr. It's COOL!!! (a bit odd in the colours it picks sometimes...but COOL nonetheless). I've seen colour search engines before but this is the prettiest by far (which may have something to do with me not looking at any of them since I was at uni).
And whilst I was on the phone I did this (I couldn't leave the phone and I'd finished all of my spine labelling and I didn't have anything else close...I was working... honest!)
Link number 1 was to MappR. This might have been nice to use, I don't know though because the page doesn't work (I've been trying for 24 hours now).
Link number 2 was to Flickr Colr Pickr which loaded the page but not the Flash movie (possibly to do with our firewall).
Link number 3 was to Montagr. This loaded a single image in the top left hand corner of the screen and then did nothing else. My 'dog' mosaic was more a dog image (although there were 1032 pages of single images).
This is not fun.
ALTHOUGH...that being said, after about 40 minutes on the phone to the lovely Anthony in IT, he enabled Flash movies temporarily on my computer and I had access to Flickr Colr Pickr. It's COOL!!! (a bit odd in the colours it picks sometimes...but COOL nonetheless). I've seen colour search engines before but this is the prettiest by far (which may have something to do with me not looking at any of them since I was at uni).
And whilst I was on the phone I did this (I couldn't leave the phone and I'd finished all of my spine labelling and I didn't have anything else close...I was working... honest!)
Monday, September 17, 2007
#5 flickr
This is my first post uploaded from my new flickr account. I am possibly going to have to edit it when it gets over to blogger.com. It took me AGES to do this because the stupid work firewall kept asking me to authenticate my details in the middle of uploading the picture and, after I'd authenticate, it would crash the browser.
Ah well, it's up now. I hope to never do this again from work, I think I'll just do it from home if I need to upload to here again.
What did I learn? That flickr is tied into Yahoo! so that Yahoo! can have more members who all have useless email accounts that mean nothing (or, if Yahoo! was my major email account provider then all of my services would be linked together with the one username...but I know that is not going to happen because blogger.com belongs to Google).
Oh, and the PictureAustralia site was interesting. I especially loved the picture of Sunshine Library's librarian in 1965. <-- this used to be a link but it died. Bah. Go to Picture Australia and type in 'Sunshine library 1965' as a search term.
Ah well, it's up now. I hope to never do this again from work, I think I'll just do it from home if I need to upload to here again.
What did I learn? That flickr is tied into Yahoo! so that Yahoo! can have more members who all have useless email accounts that mean nothing (or, if Yahoo! was my major email account provider then all of my services would be linked together with the one username...but I know that is not going to happen because blogger.com belongs to Google).
Oh, and the PictureAustralia site was interesting. I especially loved the picture of Sunshine Library's librarian in 1965. <-- this used to be a link but it died. Bah. Go to Picture Australia and type in 'Sunshine library 1965' as a search term.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
My ideal place
http://www.landesbibliothek.li/ *drool* A library...in Liechtenstein. I want to work there.
Friday, September 14, 2007
#4 Register your Blog
I am sorry but my posts are going to have bland titles from now on. Part of the program says that my titles MUST have the name of the activites on them. Pfft (it's probably so they can use a program to only pull out the blogs they want to read in an effort to allow me to win 'Fabulous Prizes'...maybe a trip to Liechtenstein!!! but I doubt it).
This post is about registering my blog.
I came. I made. I registered (and someone left me a lovely comment).
Oh, and an exciting link for you all... BOOK VENDING MACHINES! Woo! Wouldn't they look good at Ginifer Station (pronounced gin like the start of gimp, not gin like the drink).
My first Friday post
Seeing as someone (who will be known as The Lady Scarlett) told everyone about my super-secret blog, I've decided to post another entry. I really have nothing to say but that doesn't matter.
Someone sent me a cool link yesterday (possibly an ALIA list because that's the only place I get library stuff) :
http://www.curiousexpeditions.org/2007/09/a_librophiliacs_love_letter_1.html
It features pretty libraries from around the world. What is it about wood paneling that makes people think something is beautiful? Honestly, the Stahov Theological Hall library has a stunning roof but would you really want to work under that all day? My favourite was either the Handelingenkamer Tweede Kamer Der Staten-Generaal Den Haag (although spiral staircases are bad Feng Shui) or the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (which was mentioned in a post - http://www.bibalex.org/English/gallery/index.htm)
Oh, I also changed the name to Carp diem : Fish of the day. It's a Buffy thing for all you Buffy lovers out there.
Someone sent me a cool link yesterday (possibly an ALIA list because that's the only place I get library stuff) :
http://www.curiousexpeditions.org/2007/09/a_librophiliacs_love_letter_1.html
It features pretty libraries from around the world. What is it about wood paneling that makes people think something is beautiful? Honestly, the Stahov Theological Hall library has a stunning roof but would you really want to work under that all day? My favourite was either the Handelingenkamer Tweede Kamer Der Staten-Generaal Den Haag (although spiral staircases are bad Feng Shui) or the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (which was mentioned in a post - http://www.bibalex.org/English/gallery/index.htm)
Oh, I also changed the name to Carp diem : Fish of the day. It's a Buffy thing for all you Buffy lovers out there.
Monday, September 10, 2007
#2 Lifelong Learning
Introduction
Well, I've just started the '8 and a half' week course Victorian Public Libraries Learning 2.0 Program arranged by the State Library of Victoria in order to teach 1000 library staff across the state about emerging technologies that may be of benefit to libraries and their staff.
Some of the stuff seems interesting (photos & images and podcasting), some rather boring (RSS) and some I have already had a play around with (online word processing/spreadsheet tools...I love you Google docs!) Although it sounds the most boring, I'm hoping to learn a bit about RSS because I have not the faintest what any of it means...here's hoping I learn!
Hopefully I won't embarass myself too much by sounding like a bit of a dumbarse (or a lot of a dumbarse)...I know a little bit of most of the Web 2.0 stuff but nothing in depth.
Week One Work
My first task was to listen to the 7 & 1/2 Habits Online Tutorial which was all about how I could do things to encourage myself to learn.
The thing I think I'll find easiest is the play part (habit 1/2). I'm quite happy to play around with online tools with little or no instruction in what they can do or how to use them. Look at me, haven't read any of the blogger stuff and already I'm typing away (hopefully it'll look good...I'm shallow enough to want it all pretty, even if there's no content).
The hardest part for me will be keeping myself motivated (well, actually it is habit 2 which is 'Accept responsibility for your own learning' which actually means 'Do the work and stop whinging about how boring it is'). I did my Masters degree by distance education and I found that motivation was by far my biggest obstacle. Even when I enjoyed the material, I'd usually find an aspect that I didn't enjoy so much and that was the end of that. Assignment time = clean house. Exam time = mowing/spring cleaning/autumn cleaning/learning how to cook Moroccan food/etc. Hopefully I'll feel a bit more motivated to do this because I'm scheduling some time each morning to do a little bit instead of attempting to write an assignment the day before it's due.
Well, I've just started the '8 and a half' week course Victorian Public Libraries Learning 2.0 Program arranged by the State Library of Victoria in order to teach 1000 library staff across the state about emerging technologies that may be of benefit to libraries and their staff.
Some of the stuff seems interesting (photos & images and podcasting), some rather boring (RSS) and some I have already had a play around with (online word processing/spreadsheet tools...I love you Google docs!) Although it sounds the most boring, I'm hoping to learn a bit about RSS because I have not the faintest what any of it means...here's hoping I learn!
Hopefully I won't embarass myself too much by sounding like a bit of a dumbarse (or a lot of a dumbarse)...I know a little bit of most of the Web 2.0 stuff but nothing in depth.
Week One Work
My first task was to listen to the 7 & 1/2 Habits Online Tutorial which was all about how I could do things to encourage myself to learn.
The thing I think I'll find easiest is the play part (habit 1/2). I'm quite happy to play around with online tools with little or no instruction in what they can do or how to use them. Look at me, haven't read any of the blogger stuff and already I'm typing away (hopefully it'll look good...I'm shallow enough to want it all pretty, even if there's no content).
The hardest part for me will be keeping myself motivated (well, actually it is habit 2 which is 'Accept responsibility for your own learning' which actually means 'Do the work and stop whinging about how boring it is'). I did my Masters degree by distance education and I found that motivation was by far my biggest obstacle. Even when I enjoyed the material, I'd usually find an aspect that I didn't enjoy so much and that was the end of that. Assignment time = clean house. Exam time = mowing/spring cleaning/autumn cleaning/learning how to cook Moroccan food/etc. Hopefully I'll feel a bit more motivated to do this because I'm scheduling some time each morning to do a little bit instead of attempting to write an assignment the day before it's due.
