Screencasting

I had actually done screencasting back closer to week 8. I couldn't, however, do any Screencast-O-Matics, as I don't have Java on my computer. So I posted Arrested Development instead, as Veronica was around to show me how to do that! But I guess that wasn't the assignment.

I can imagine many screencast opportunities: how to put a book on hold; how to search Ebsco; how to log into Telus, or make your own computer reservation. And many more. When talking with my colleagues about it, the only drawback we could come up with was that we'd need headphones at all our computer stations! Though now that I've watched the screencast that came with mapbuilder, I can see you wouldn't necessarily need headphones. I actually see this as one of the most applicable 2.0s yet.

Mashing

These Mash-ups are cool (though I haven't had a chance to look at them all). I haven't quite thought of an application yet, though the obvious would be the mapping of all the libraries in your system.

Is there a clearinghouse, rss feed, search engine for Mash-ups? Since so many are being made now, how does one find one? Would one pop up if I google census map and sex offenders in Madison? Or Thai restaurants and Chicago? Like the guy said in the YouTube: singles in my zip code? I have had a few reference questions where having a mash-up would be the answer to the question.

Oh, I tried to put my favorite Thai restaurant on our map, but I don't think I was successful. Once again, something that was probably easy for the youngsters in the group, was not in the least for me. I'll blame it on either map builder or my computer...map builder had no real instructions and though I did watch the screencast, but my screen looked a little different. I'll check tomorrow though. Maybe it will be there!

Curiosity Killed the Cat?

My cat didn't get killed by her curiosity, but she sure got messed up! Somehow she fell into a vat of old motor oil and in trying to escape, got one of her front paws stuck under her collar. When she came in the cat door, I thought she was half dead. On closer inspection, she was just a greasy, nasty mess. Many baths with dish detergent and bowls of milk later (to line her stomach) she was good as new.

I don't know what the moral of that story was, but maybe just be prepared for some surprises on Curiosity Road!

I always thought I was a curious person, but there's something about the enormous amount of choice and complexity, as well as the shortage of time, that act as obstacles to really feeling comfortable with Web 2.0. My forays into Netvibes, Widgetbox and Clippl today left me, after watching a video on the Humboldt Squid (?) [see what I mean about time?], as usual, still wondering what I would even DO with all those things. Especially in the library world. Not that I don't have fun exploring. But it's that sort of never-ending, time-consuming, really fun, but not really getting anywhere pertinent activity that prevents me from spending work time looking at ways to update my skills.

Want to write more, but I need to leave this computer.....