Hey, it turns out I was a Ning member of Library 2.0 anyway, so I didn't have to worry about setting up stuff. It turns out I'd registered for this Ning so I could be a part of an online conference last year called Library 2.011.
I find Ning a bit like one of those free website hosting tools that were around in the late 90s. Sure it's good to use, and provides stuff that isn't easily available on other website, but the lifespan is limited.
What it does provide easily is a forum for likeminded individuals, but you can use a free CMS to do that such as bbPress which you can easily add to your WordPress blog, or even use a fully functioning CMS like Joomla, Drupal or even something like XOOPS or CmsMadeSimple.
Actually, after reading through the site, I'd recommend using Joomla. It's free, you can probably find free webhosts for Joomla sites if you want, and it's designed around having a database of people that connect, which is what Ning is advertising itself as doing.
Meh @ Ning.
/rant.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Some delicious twitter evaluation
Twitter:
Well, I liked the Commoncraft video, but I mostly find twitter useless. I don't really have a lot to say about myself on a regular basis, and putting things like "eating porridge" online seems a tad silly to me. That being said, I use a program called GetGlue allows me to easily say what tv shows I'm watching or what books I'm reading, and because that hooks in to twitter, I sometimes get comments about the stuff I watch. Rarely about the books I read though. It can make for some interesting discussions, but mostly I find twitter useless.
What I have found it useful for is, when I'm at a conference, seeing what others are saying about the speakers on there. I've seen some very interesting discussions about topics related to the speaker. And sometimes just some horrible comments about how boring the speaker is.
If you want to have a look at my stream, my name on there is @tas_666 . Note the _ in the middle. That happened because I wasn't nerdy enough to get in first.
Delicious:
I used this a lot at Brimbank Libraries. We found it an easy way to do our website's list of resources. It meant that we could syndicate web links throughout webpages using tags, and if a link changed/died/needed updating, we didn't have to go through 4-5 pages to change it on all of them, just change it in the one spot. http://www.brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au/index.php?option=com_deliciouslinks&Itemid=77 has a link to it. There were previously accounts in English, Vietnamese, Arabic, Chinese and Dinka, but they've moved away from using them and I cannot find the accounts.
Evaluation:
I use Google Analytics for most of my evaluation type things. But it is definitely restricted to only evaluating who is using your resources, not who is talking about them. I set up a Google Alert (which basically seems to be a Google Search that runs on a regular basis) and found out that someone is using my nickname on Instagram...and they're not even posting!!! What's the use of stealing my nickname and then not using it? So far I've found tas666 is a Thai male around my age, a Texan male in his late 50s, and now some blonde woman with poodle hair. Long ago someone took tas666 as their twitter name, and after searching for that, I just have to say that I look particularly good in this photo. http://in2utattoolondon.tumblr.com/post/25569887071/woody-tattooing-king-diamond-on-tas-tas666
Well, I liked the Commoncraft video, but I mostly find twitter useless. I don't really have a lot to say about myself on a regular basis, and putting things like "eating porridge" online seems a tad silly to me. That being said, I use a program called GetGlue allows me to easily say what tv shows I'm watching or what books I'm reading, and because that hooks in to twitter, I sometimes get comments about the stuff I watch. Rarely about the books I read though. It can make for some interesting discussions, but mostly I find twitter useless.
What I have found it useful for is, when I'm at a conference, seeing what others are saying about the speakers on there. I've seen some very interesting discussions about topics related to the speaker. And sometimes just some horrible comments about how boring the speaker is.
If you want to have a look at my stream, my name on there is @tas_666 . Note the _ in the middle. That happened because I wasn't nerdy enough to get in first.
Delicious:
I used this a lot at Brimbank Libraries. We found it an easy way to do our website's list of resources. It meant that we could syndicate web links throughout webpages using tags, and if a link changed/died/needed updating, we didn't have to go through 4-5 pages to change it on all of them, just change it in the one spot. http://www.brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au/index.php?option=com_deliciouslinks&Itemid=77 has a link to it. There were previously accounts in English, Vietnamese, Arabic, Chinese and Dinka, but they've moved away from using them and I cannot find the accounts.
Evaluation:
I use Google Analytics for most of my evaluation type things. But it is definitely restricted to only evaluating who is using your resources, not who is talking about them. I set up a Google Alert (which basically seems to be a Google Search that runs on a regular basis) and found out that someone is using my nickname on Instagram...and they're not even posting!!! What's the use of stealing my nickname and then not using it? So far I've found tas666 is a Thai male around my age, a Texan male in his late 50s, and now some blonde woman with poodle hair. Long ago someone took tas666 as their twitter name, and after searching for that, I just have to say that I look particularly good in this photo. http://in2utattoolondon.tumblr.com/post/25569887071/woody-tattooing-king-diamond-on-tas-tas666
Friday, July 20, 2012
Week 13: Back to the web program
We are doing the Web 2.1 program at work (this time through the State Library of NSW - http://newsouthwalespubliclibrarylearning21.blogspot.com.au/)
The first week of the program involves us logging in to our blog and giving it a refresh. I changed the style and added a Google Analytics code. I also found out that my computer doesn't support Blogspot's new style, and it keeps giving me errors all over the place when it auto-saves this post. Fingers crossed I can actually post it.
That's it for this week, hopefully next week will be a tad more exciting.
The first week of the program involves us logging in to our blog and giving it a refresh. I changed the style and added a Google Analytics code. I also found out that my computer doesn't support Blogspot's new style, and it keeps giving me errors all over the place when it auto-saves this post. Fingers crossed I can actually post it.
That's it for this week, hopefully next week will be a tad more exciting.
Friday, June 3, 2011
e-Book Reader trial at ADFA
My notes on a webinar I was at by Cathy Burgon on 07/04/2011.Background
A project was undertaken to review several e-book readers and decide which one to purchase and loan to students. The material on the e-book reader would be determined by the capabilities of the device and the student need at the time.
The e-book reader would need to be able to access:
Devices
3 devices were analysed, plus a later analysis of the iPad.
The devices were analysed based on:
DreamBook 8 or 10
Operating System: Android
PDF with no DRM: Transferred to device with a USB. Can be read with Adobe Reader (Android version) or other PDF apps.
PDF with DRM: EBL Platform
View online with software/applet: Ebrary.
DreamBook ePad A10
Operating System: Windows. This device runs exactly the same as a PC.
PDF with no DRM: Transferred to device with a USB or downloaded. Read with Adobe Reader.
PDF with DRM: EBL Platform. Need Adobe Digital Editions on reader to download the DRM PDF.
View online: Can read on website through a browser
View online with software/applet: Ebrary. Latest java update needed to view.
BeBook Neo
Operating System: BeBook system.
PDF with no DRM: Transfer to device with a USB
PDF with DRM: EBL Platform
View online with software/applet: Cannot be done (cannot connect to ADFA Wi-Fi)
iPad
Operating System: iOS
PDF with no DRM: Cannot be read. Unable to just copy files to iPad, connect to a computer and it does not appear as a USB disk. Some time researching did not yield a solution. An IT worker suggested Google Docs but was placed in the too hard basket.
PDF with DRM: EBL Platform
End Result
The DreamBook A10 was chosen for purchasing. As it was the same as a Windows computer, it was a familiar interface for people and they could begin using it straight away.
ADFA were still working out issues with preventing users from editing the system. As the computer is a Windows-based system, it is easy to make changes. Unfortunately it doesn’t sync with ActiveDirectory, which would help prevent changes.
A project was undertaken to review several e-book readers and decide which one to purchase and loan to students. The material on the e-book reader would be determined by the capabilities of the device and the student need at the time.
The e-book reader would need to be able to access:
- Course reading lists online
- E-books from the catalogue in various formats
- The UNSW catalogue through Primo
- Databases via Sirius (UNSW database gateway and authentication system)
Devices
3 devices were analysed, plus a later analysis of the iPad.
The devices were analysed based on:
- Could they access the following file types?
- PDF with no Digital Rights Management (DRM) and no text (such as digitised chapters from Course Reserve material)
- PDF with DRM (such as material from EBL)
- Online e-books with no software reader required (such as websites, or e-books from Hein Online)
- Online e-books requiring a software reader or applet (such as material from Ebrary)
- EPUB format without DRM (such as those from Project Gutenberg)
- EPUB format with DRM (such as those from ebooks.com)
- Usability?
- Could they connect to ADFA’s wifi to allow access to online materials?
DreamBook 8 or 10 | Dreambook A10 | BeBook Neo | iPad | |
| PDF no DRM | Y | Y | Y | N |
| PDF DRM | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| View online | Y | Y | N | Y |
| View online, with applet | N | Y | N | N |
| EPUB no DRM | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| EPUB DRM | Y | Y | Y | Y |
DreamBook 8 or 10
Operating System: Android
PDF with no DRM: Transferred to device with a USB. Can be read with Adobe Reader (Android version) or other PDF apps.
PDF with DRM: EBL Platform
- Need Adobe Digital Editions on a PC to download the DRM PDF
- Need TXTR installed on the PC to upload the PDF to the DreamBook
- Need TXTR Android Reader installed on the DreamBook
- DreamBook TXTR needs Adobe credentials in its settings
- TXTR Reader can read uploaded DRM PDFs.
- Once set up, this is a very easy process.
View online with software/applet: Ebrary.
- User can only access the quick view on the webpage
DreamBook ePad A10
Operating System: Windows. This device runs exactly the same as a PC.
PDF with no DRM: Transferred to device with a USB or downloaded. Read with Adobe Reader.
PDF with DRM: EBL Platform. Need Adobe Digital Editions on reader to download the DRM PDF.
View online: Can read on website through a browser
View online with software/applet: Ebrary. Latest java update needed to view.
BeBook Neo
Operating System: BeBook system.
PDF with no DRM: Transfer to device with a USB
PDF with DRM: EBL Platform
- Need Adobe Digital Editions on a PC to download the DRM PDF
- Need to authorise the BeBook Neo with ADE
- Transfer to device with a USB
View online with software/applet: Cannot be done (cannot connect to ADFA Wi-Fi)
iPad
Operating System: iOS
PDF with no DRM: Cannot be read. Unable to just copy files to iPad, connect to a computer and it does not appear as a USB disk. Some time researching did not yield a solution. An IT worker suggested Google Docs but was placed in the too hard basket.
PDF with DRM: EBL Platform
- Need the Bluefire reader
- Purchased from iTunes
- Adobe ID required in settings to read DRM PDFs
- View online: Can read on website through a browser
- View online with software/applet: Ebrary. Items downloaded for Macintosh come in .DMG which will not run on an iPad. User can only access the quick view on the webpage
End Result
The DreamBook A10 was chosen for purchasing. As it was the same as a Windows computer, it was a familiar interface for people and they could begin using it straight away.
ADFA were still working out issues with preventing users from editing the system. As the computer is a Windows-based system, it is easy to make changes. Unfortunately it doesn’t sync with ActiveDirectory, which would help prevent changes.
