iGoogle often

Love iGoogle. Have had it set as my home page on the home computer for sometime. I get my news, my weather and other fun stuff right in my face when the machine boots up. When I have time to kill I love exploring the weird and wonderful gadgets that people invent.........

Was there life before Google?

Can anyone under 30 imagine life before Google? My kids are great Google users, and try out all sorts of things (including googling 'poo' on google images...they're young). We've trialled a Google spreadsheet at work to allow collaboration in purchase suggestions for replacement works across a statewide network. It seems to be going well. At the present, I can't see a need to use Google docs in my personal sphere.

I searched on Google books for Anne of Green Gables however it was only available in limited preview. The hit-and-miss of this type of thing I guess. We've recently incorporated Google books to the library catalogue http://www.statelibrary.tas.gov.au and it will be interesting to see what the reaction from clients is.

Google maps - love it and use it often.

Facebook could be fun

Facebook really grabbed me. It was easy to get going and quick to find links to 'friends' that were a real blast to the past. Something to play with when I have a bit more time (and courage).

not 'my' space

In exploring MySpace I managed to get significantly side-tracked looking for people who went to the same high school. I thought the fact that the profiles my search returned were for people between 18-25 was pretty telling. Libraries who are operating in this space are obviously trying to engage with youth. Sure, we probably have a need to create a presence in this space...but it just one of the many ways we can consider interacting with our clients. I found the idea of interacting at a personal level in this space far from appealing....I must be getting old.

I'm just not that into RSS

I'm not a great RSS fan. There's already way to much information trying to get into my head. I have an iGoogle page on the pc at home, and that is enough for me - I have the gadgets for the Sydney Morning Herald and some personalised weather info for locations where family live. Every so often I fiddle with adding new ones..but usually take them off again.

IronChef

I created an account with LibraryThing back in March 2007 after chatting with a colleague over dinner in China Town, Sydney (we were in town for a web architecture workshop). She was telling me about this virtual 'library' concept. I thought I'd better check it out! I love collecting (and cooking from) cook books. LibraryThing is a great way to see other people's collections - although I still haven't been able to find any more great Hungarian cookbooks! So, I've taken this opportunity to add a few more acquisitions to my account...and add a feed to my blog. Pretty groovy.

How many lattes is too many?

I'd never heard of image generators...lots of fun to be had here! In the end, I played on http://www.imagechef.com/ I like to make sure my day includes at least one skinny latte. Lately, I seem to enter the building via the coffee shop - it helps to be on frequent-buyer status and I love that cafe owner just serves up my morning hit....if it's a bad day, I only have to mutter 'the usual'.

Public vs private

Sunrise from Tolmans Hill, Hobart
Originally uploaded by Nice Girl in the Corner Office

This week I'm playing with flickr as part of the Learning 2.0 program. Interesting, as I've never bothered with flickr before.

I love playing in the 2.0 environment and wish I had more time. However, the major challenge for me as with many of the web 2.0 tools is the whole public vs private thing. I love the interactivity of the web...the ability to share information and images...and have people leave their comments on my 'stuff'.

What bothers me is who I may be sharing this 'stuff' with. I'd blog obsessively and post photos and vids as a great way of sharing events with distant friends and family. But how much does the world really need to know?

Sharing a photo of a sunrise is easy. Putting up a photo of the kids is entirely different. What do you think?

Why?

At a moment in time when office space was being allocated.....a colleague mentioned a book she had recently read called 'Nice Girls Don't get the Corner Office' that inspired her to push aside the natural 'niceness' to gain the space she wanted (she did!). I'll leave you to read the blurb on Amazon to find out what it is all about http://www.amazon.com/Nice-Girls-Dont-Corner-Office/dp/0446531324. I haven't read it (yet) but the idea is an catchy one.

In a spooky sort of way, the other week IPAA in Hobart hosted a debate at Parliament House on the very issue. No question about it, the night was clearly won by those who argued that you can be nice and occupy a prime piece of real estate.

What intrigues me is the LibraryThing list of similar books (see TALISPlus): what does it mean when Don't go to the cosmetics counter without me : a unique guide to over 35,000 products, plus the latest skin-care research by Begoun, Paula rates a mention?

Did I mention...it's gift time at Clinique? Maybe that's the connection.