boyd readings

Based on the readings by danah boyd (does anyone know why she does not capitalize her name?), libraries need to understand that if they want to connect with young users they need to have a presence on multiple SNS networks. There is an apparent socio-economic divergence between MySpace and Facebook users, so each system needs to include accounts in order to reach all of the target audience. There are other smaller niche markets which can be assessed, but primarily teens and young adults are using one or the other of these SNS in order to keep in touch with people. Understanding the different audiences and building a profile to enhance that knowledge would be very important research that a librarian or staffer would need to conduct prior to launching their "presence."

Ning seems interesting!

I can see Ning as a more compelling use of SNS...building a social network of specific people for a specific purpose makes some sense to me.I could see using it to prepare and promote a conference that would showcase events and the people involved or to gather feedback on an idea from a specific user group, etc. In the library world I could see creating a Ning based on shared interests...bookclubs, online gaming clubs, etc. Having the ability to appeal to the social networking principles but with a more selected and purposeful group...yeah I see that.

I am sure that the limitations of "upkeep" are more difficult than with MySpace or Facebook exposure - you would have to explain more and justify why you weren't just using a mainstream SNS. But I think the overriding usefulness would be compelling enough if the ning was well thought out and designed.

Sticky = voyeurism

So I have decided that voyeurism is a huge part of why MySpace and FaceBook are "sticky" sites! As a brand new SNS user I found that I could have spent quite a bit of time strolling down memory lane to see what old classmates (that I havent communicated with in over 25 years) are doing. But really do I need to? Or is it some crazy desire to peek into their windows without just knocking on the door? Same goes for old co-workers...I worked in the Silicon Valley during the crazy internet years - there were alot of shared experiences that are not easily repeated and you develop oddly intense relationships at work at 3 AM. But I left that world and the people behind, until I started peeking at them too! So I guess I am just a voyeur at heart - didnt want to actually communicate but had a great time poking around! I think that is a large part of what makes these sites "sticky" - you can see what many people are doing with little personal committment.

Then there are the other users, who use the sites to truly live their life in a digital world. I think I am too old to get on that bandwagon!

Deleting friends in MySpace

Screencast of how to delete a friend on MySpace. Since my account is getting deleted every night I have now mastered the deletion of "Tom" the random MySpace friend - so thought I would share it with any other new to MySpace users.

http://screencast.com/t/nIC1eAwn

Copying Gabrielle!

So I saw this on Gabrielle's blog and thought it was pretty clever.... here is my Dewey Section:

Tamara's Dewey Decimal Section:

194 Philosophy of France

Tamara = 013181 = 013+181 = 194


Class:
100 Philosophy & Psychology


Contains:
Books on metaphysics, logic, ethics and philosophy.



What it says about you:
You're a careful thinker, but your life can be complicated and hard for others to understand at times. You try to explain things and strive to express yourself.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

My favorite videos

While I was very impressed with all the videos... I was especially impressed with (in no particular order) Gabrielle's, Roel's and Renee's.

Gabrielle's was just plain hilarious besides being technically great. --> link

Roel's pictures were stunning, so even though making it caused great grief the final result was worth it! --> link

Renee's was very clever with a nice music/picture combo (plus a great idea that I will use next time I am expected to bake cookies). --> link

Great job everyone!

How To use WordArt

This screencast will give you simple instructions on how to use MicroSoft Word to make bookmarks for storytime at the library.

WordArtDemo

Learning how to perform the Cruyff turn

In this short video a soccer player can learn how to perform a Cruyff turn, named for the famous player Johan Cruyff. It is used in order to change the direction of play if an attacking player is approaching.




Click to play

link:

http://blip.tv/file/1423187

My Monsters

Here is a real quick video of my kids in various Halloween's past - figured it was "that time of the year"... (there are some classroom shots - they aren't ALL my kids!).





Original video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp9O_SRoSfQ

educational vs. entertainment

In the Pew report on Online Video usage, the general statistics certainly point to much higher viewing numbers for entertainment videos versus educational videos. This statistic is not surprising nor is the data that points out the significantly higher viewing stats for younger vs. older viewers. What was interesting to note in the report was the consistency of viewing for educational videos across all demographics. While the numbers are not as high, they are much more balanced - old, young, male, female - roughly 20% of the population turns to the Internet to learn something via online videos. So while educational videos may not ever see the sheer number of hits that an entertainment video might, there is a significant market "out there" for online educational videos!

As the digital generation ages, I would imagine that online use of educational videos will keep pace. It is a format that they are used to and turn to quickly when looking for information. Producers of online educational videos should feel comfortable and secure in the market place (as long as they don't expect anyone to pay for the use!).

We Are SCILS598f08 (sung to the tune of "we are family")

It was a very interesting study of our school and personal lives to review the Flickr groups. What I discovered was...

We are a very mixed bag of grad students when it comes to how we are completing this program. Some on-campus day students, some on-campus night students, one that this is their first "only online" class, a few strictly online students... really no clear "winner" in this category. I think that speaks to the outstanding nature of this program that 20 people seeking the exact same degree are able to complete it in such a variety of ways. I feel like Rutgers is on the leading edge of education with this model, and am quite happy to be a part of it. After viewing the pictures of the "chairs of death" I am especially happy for my comfy, ergonomically correct, rolling wonder in my basement! I also learned we all have the same books at home :)

Personally, we all seem to be focused on many of the same things; our families, pets, outdoor enjoyment, books, and travels. We have a couple of oddball hobbies (not that the hobbies are odd, but that each one is not universally represented...) and more than a few caffeine addicts - but I think that goes hand in hand with grad school! I think we are a pretty interesting bunch, I would like to meet us!

PS - There are definitely a few very good photographers here as well (not me though - I am happy if people all have heads in my photos...).