Another change to my iGoogle page

I've changed my iGoogle backgound/theme to a misty green forest, and this screen shot also shows the My Delicious gadget in all its glory.

PS to Thing 22

I noticed when I opened my iGoogle page today that the My Delicious gadget defaults to displaying the "hotlist" bookmarks even though I last selected my own "bookmarks". This is slightly irritating, but I guess I can live with it.

Thing 22: Adding the MyDelicious gadget to iGoogle

I had already added a gadget for Delicious bookmarks to my iGoogle page, but I think I made a bad choice because it did not seem to have an option to display my bookmarks, only those added by others. This is mildly interesting at first, but when you realise that a lot of people using Delicious are programmers and their bookmarks are for various techie sites the interest fades fast.
The My Delicious gadget, on the other hand, does what it says on the box and displays my latest bookmarks (or those from my network). Much better!
I've noticed that it does not display my private bookmarks, so I'll still have to use the full-fat version of Delicious if I need to find one of these.
I'm quite happy with my iGoogle page now, and think I will try using it at work as well as at home.

Thing 21: Flickr Photostream

Just added the Flickr Photostream gadget/widget to this blog. It was almost too easy - hope I haven't missed something.
Static photos are nice (especially when they feature my cats), but what I really covet for my blog is a gadget that shows a single photo at a time, but cycles through a selection of photos. I think I saw this on Jane's blog and I'm hoping she'll read this and let me into her secret...

PS to Thing 20: No Note for Leda

I knew things were going too well. I tried to create a note in ThinkFree, but hit this compatibility snag.

More evidence that Microsoft is trying to keep ahead of its competitors?

Thing 20: ThinkFree Office - it works!

Before I wrote this post about ThinkFree Office I read a few other posts on Thing 20 from 23 Things Oxford participants - which did not fill me with confidence!

Undaunted, I went ahead and followed the instructions and was able to use ThinkFree Write without any major problems. I did find it rather slow, but I guess that's just my network connection (thanks, BT). Perhaps the offline mode would be quicker.

What struck me most was its similarity in appearance to MS Word 2003. Is there no copyright on the design of the Microsoft sofware? Or does Microsoft not care now that Office 2007 has updated the look of Word quite radically?

I uploaded a Word file to ThinkFree Write with no problems, and I would definitely consider using this software if I had not spent a few bob at the OUCS Shop a couple of months ago on MS Office 2007 (which I am growing rather fond of).

Thing 19: Google Docs

I have to admit Google Docs is pretty good. The only problem I came across was with a template that was not found when I tried to use it. I tried the new Upload feature and was easily able to upload a PDF file from my laptop's hard drive.

I created a form (see above) and publicised it via Twitter and four people filled it in (thanks to all). What I have not been able to do is incorporate the form into this blog. I'm hoping someone will read this post and tell me how it's done (Penny? Laura?).

And finally ... the new version of Firefox just downloaded comes with a choice of backgrounds (I think they call them profiles). I have chosen "Two Birds" and you can just see them in the top right corner of the screen shot above. I think my choice must have been influence by all the tweeting ... even the real-life birds in Moreton are giving it their all these spring mornings.

Thing 18: Wikipedia

Wikipedia is often my first port of call for finding or checking facts on the Internet. I have now read the Wikipedia article on Wikipedia and feel if anything more comfortable about continuing to use it for fact-checking and information discovery in general.
I checked the Wikipedia page for Moreton-in-Marsh soon after moving here last September, chiefly to find out the population (3,198 in the 2001 census, if you're interested). I often use Wikipedia to check a fact in connection with a bet (aka a difference of opinion) with my beloved, but I very rarely check Wikipedia for work-related issues. I looked up the entry for "Resource Description and Access" (the successor cataloguing rules to AACR2), and found a rather brief entry. This may well be expanded after June 2010 when RDA is officially published. I looked at the History tab and discovered that user "Omassey" created the page on 17 May 2008. That user name sounded strangely familiar and when I clicked on it I was taken to the user page for our very own Addedentry Owen, take a bow.

Thing 17: Wikis

I have some experience of working with a wiki, as I have contributed to the Collections and Resource Description wiki, artfully named "C&RD Board". This wiki got off to a flying start in 2008 and provided a useful forum for discussion about a number of significant changes in technical services operations and activities in C&RD and other Bodleian Libraries, including the restructuring of the Collections and Resource Description (C&RD) department. However, since the departure of Alice Keller and Rosemary Pyke in September 2009, the wiki has not been updated as much as it used to be and is now chiefly used for booking the C&RD meeting room. I think a lesson to learn here is that you only get out of some wikis what you put in. Of course, I have logged in and made a few updates to the C&RD Board wiki this week, chiefly to earn my Thing 17 brownie points. I have also revisited the Web 2.0 wiki (one Wetpaint account works for both) and have done some "OULS spotting" as suggested by Jane. One thing I noticed about the Web 2.0 wiki was the presence of annoying advertisements. I understand we paid a modest sum to Wetpaint to get rid of the adverts from the C&RD Board wiki, and I think this was money well spent.

Things 15 & 16: Is Twitter for bird-brains?

To answer the half-serious question posed in the title of this post, no.
I have spent a couple of hours on Twitter today, finding librarians and others to follow, installing TweetDeck and testing its capabilities, tweeting and re-tweeting, etc. I have come to the conclusion that it can serve a useful purpose for front-line librarians wishing to connect with their readers, and for back-office librarians like myself wanting to feel connected with others in the same noble profession.
I was going to try installing Twibble on my mobile this evening, but I lost my nerve. Perhaps it was the mention (in the "disclaimer" section of the Twibble website) about it being expensive if you don't have "a reasonable data plan". I don't think I have any data plan - I just pay-as-you-go. I probably haven't got a smart enough 'phone, anyway. I do seem to be able to tweet via text message, so looks like I will have to make do with that at the Oxford Libraries Conference next Thursday. (If anyone out there has any ideas about how to fully engage with Twitter using a Nokia 6300, let me know.)
I have also added the TwitterGadget to my iGoogle page - nice!

The Silent Spring continues

Still trying to get my old Twitter account sorted out with my new email address, but this evening I got the message
"Twitter is over capacity.
Too many tweets! Please wait a moment and try again."
Am I doomed never to tweet again?

Thing 15 - Twitter aggravation

Have just spent a frustrating 45 minutes trying to (a) get into my old Twitter account and (b) change the password. The latest message from Twitter is "We've temporarily locked your ability to reset passwords. Please chillax for a few, then try again." Chillax?!
Will try again this evening, if I can muster the mental energy.

Likin' gettin' LinkedIn

I had been vaguely aware of LinkedIn as a sort of Facebook-for-grown-ups. I guess it took this week's Thing 14 to make me realise that I am a grown-up and should perhaps spend more time developing my career and less time milking cows in Farmville. (Actually, I don't participate in Farmville, Mafia Wars and most of the other games and silliness in Facebook. Those aspects of social networking don't appeal to me at all - although I do admit to taking the odd quiz and I like the lists.)
After creating my LinkedIn account I initially attempted to link up with the Oxford people suggested and with other Oxford people, by inputting their email addresses. The next day, it occurred to me that I should cast my net wider (doh!), and I started searching for uni friends - and found some easily. Today I had another thought, and will start looking for some of the friends and contacts in the States and Canada that I've got to know via work over the years.
Whether I will ever need to use LinkedIn for business purposes remains to be seen. Watch this space ...

iGoogle redux

I keep tinkering with my iGoogle page, chiefly to add gadgets for the lastest 23 Things app. Here is the current incarnation of the page. Note the LinkedIn gadget, and the Google Reader one also. Saves me having to open these pages individually. Having said that, the Google Reader gadget does have a tendency to misbehave and display a blank window...

Thing 13: Facebook and libraries

Facebook: whatever did I do with my spare time before I joined up? Or rather, why don't I have any spare time any more?

I have been using Facebook to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances for what feels like forever but is probably no more than 18 months. I like the passive way that you can keep up with people that you don't see very often (e.g. friends overseas), although this may simply indicate that I am lazy and too mean to pick up the 'phone.

I have never created a Facebook page for a library, although I am a fan of several library pages on Facebook. I have observed libraries using the status or wall features to convey short pieces of information to their fans, and this seems to me to be a good use of Facebook. Status updates can be easily checked on Web-enabled mobile 'phones, and it's likely that information posted in this way will be easily picked up.

I have looked at the wealth of pages for Oxford libraries, including college libraries and Bodleian Libraries libraries. They are all inspiring and I'm full of admiration for their creators and updaters. The Queen's College page has nearly 2,000 fans, but that seems to be an exceptional number. Other pages have far fewer.


I think I've run out of steam for this week - better go and get some quality sleep before the cat wakes me up at dawn.