Thing 23: Final Thoughts

So, here it is... the last Thing. As I reflect on the past three months and everything that I've learned through the 23 Things program, I feel that it was an excellent training experience. I've really enjoyed working on each Thing at my own pace, and I know that I'll retain so much more through this self discovery program than I ever would have if it were in a classroom setting for an hour here and there. Honestly, as the time went by, I found myself looking forward to checking the blog to find out what the next Thing was and glancing at the charts as I walk by them to see if I'd received my sticker yet. I got a sense of accomplishment with each and every task that I completed, especially those that I sorta stumbled through. I've enjoyed the many discussions I've had with my co-workers and reading the team blogs to get other staff perspectives along the way. Actually, in a sense, the training brought us together to meet a common goal and I think that it was good for all of us. Lastly, and probably most important of all, I've learned a great deal and for that, I'm grateful. Even though we've heard some complaints throughout the weeks, I'm sure that everyone (if they stop and think about it), has enjoyed a Thing or two whether they choose to admit it or not. I appreciate the opportunity that we've been given to explore and learn about the current trends on the web, and will definitely use some of this knowledge in the future, thanks to 23 Things.  

Thing 21 & 22: Show what you know & Survey

1) If I were to give advice to a patron looking to use the Internet for the very first time, I would begin by showing them Google.com. It is the number one search engine and has a tool for just about anything you need or want to do on the Internet, including shopping, watching videos, viewing news articles, digital pictures, email and much more. Also, Google.com is simple to follow for beginners, which can help to build their confidence. 2) The next site I might refer them to is 50 Best Websites of 2010. This list could help guide someone that doesn't have a clue where to begin, by starting with a category of a topic that might interest them and following the links to some of the best sites to visit. 3) Assuming that our patron enjoys reading, I would suggest Shelfari.com where they can create a virtual library, discover new books, connect with friends and learn more about their favorite books and authors for free. 4) Next, I might lead them to Seriouseats.com to find the best place to dine out, search for recipes, watch videos about food and join the serious eats community to blog about it all. They can get tips, advice, recommendations and news all about food and share with others if they so choose. 5) If our patron showed an interest in digital photography, I would suggest Flickr.com. Here they can upload their photos to store them safely, organize them using tags, share them with friends and family and even make stuff with them like calendars, postcards and holiday greeting cards. I'd also make sure that they explored The App Garden to get an idea of how many options are available. 6) I would show them Pandora.com for streaming live music because I love listening to music and thought that this was one of the best websites to use. They might want to create a station of their own or link to the itunes store to purchase new music for their mp3 player or any other device. 
There are many websites that could be helpful, but I think that this list would start a newbie with a nice variety of things to do on the Internet. And, as we all know... they would have to devote a lot of time to fully explore even six websites completely. I've completed the online survey.

Thing 20: More Fun with Google

The first Google tool that I chose to explore for this exercise was Talk. I've heard of Skype before and thought that it sounded cool, but I don't know anyone who is actually using it. So, when I saw Talk on the list, I was excited to learn more about it. Talk is a free computer to computer voice and video chat through your Gmail account, which is also free and easy to set up. There's a video and voice plug-in for PC's and Mac that you need to install and after that you can talk with your friends and family face to face with just a few clicks! Obviously, everyone has to have a web camera in order to take advantage of the video, but even if your friend doesn't have one, you can still have a voice chat or one-way video chat. I am already pricing the web cam's to send as gifts to my family in Pheonix, and I can't wait to get started!
The other tool that I investigated was Google Images. I've been using Google Images for awhile now and I love it. For the library, I use it mostly to create new music CD and DVD jacket covers when items in our collection need to be re-boxed. But, it's also great for creating signs and posters as well.
I already have my igoogle homepage set up and customized, but I did add a couple more gadgets and changed my theme. I've learned that if you choose an animated theme, it can slow the system down significantly, therefore I try to stay away from those. I like changing the theme to match the season and I check the weather daily using the weather gadget that I have installed. I also use the date & time gadget as well as the Google news to view the headlines and stay current.
I saved all of my changes to my igoogle homepage because I'm pleased with the gadgets that I've chosen and I think it's nice to have your homepage look and feel the way you want it to. It just makes it a little more personal and comfortable to use.  

Thing 19: Best of the Web

I found a site on the 50 Best Websites of 2010 that was really interesting to me, seriouseats.com. This site is for everyone who enjoys good food. Whether it's dining out, cooking or just talking about great foods (on their blog) that you enjoy, this is the place to go. The site is very colorful and appetizing with lots of photos and a great lay-out. You can search for recipes, read news articles, watch video's or even shop at the Serious Eats Store for the latest cookbook, cutlery or cookware. They have video clips which include advice, tips, recommendations and news. If you click on "eating out" you can type in the city you're in and find the best places to go for a great meal, which would be great to use when you're traveling.
The site that I explored on the 50 Best Websites of 2004 list, was Fresh Direct. In staying with the food theme, this site is an online alternative to grocery shopping. They specialize in perishables, but offer everything from shampoo to fresh cuts of meat to catering and they deliver! Once you've placed your order online, their team begins to put it together, cutting meats to order, portioning your deli items and hand picking your fresh vegetables. Next, your items are packaged, weighed, priced and packed in boxes to be delivered by refrigerated truck right to your door! Amazingly, their prices are reasonable and the delivery fee is only around $6. They are able to keep their prices low by purchasing directly from the source, bypassing the usual layers of distributors and middlemen, which also means that the consumer gets the products four to seven days fresher than they would from the grocery store. Can you imagine how useful this service would be if you were unable to drive, or maybe for caretakers that can't leave someone home alone, or maybe you just didn't feel like getting out to go to the store yourself? The problem is, they only serve the New York Metropolitan area.
Anyway, I believe that both of these sites are useful in many ways, as well as being extremely user friendly. I'm surely going to visit the Serious Eats site again, and may even register to join. And, if I lived in New York, I bet there would be times when I'd order from Fresh Direct too!  

T16

I signed up with Grooveshark simply because it was free and I had to pick something. For those individuals who love music and have the time this could be fun. I myself have heard of some of these sites but I have a v-e-r-y large collection of music which includes rock, classical, jazz, r & b, country, blues and gospel. And as of right now I don't have the time or the desire to use any of these sites so when I want to listen to a song I just pop in a cd or plug in my ipod, mp3 player or my cell phone.

T13

I checked out Addictomatic, Social Mention and Google Alerts and found that there wasn't that much information on any of these sites about the Library. I think the library should just stick with Facebook, the blog or Twitter. I think I will enjoy my once a week Google Alerts from the Cake Boss and the News.

Thing 13

This is a very interesting concept. I think I'd benefit more by entering alerts that correspond to news releases of current events. Certainly if someone has entered "Largo Pubic Library," it's a timely way to pick up on a public attitude about our services etc. In so doing, the staff has the opportunity to be proactive in resolving an issue rather than being blindsided with a "gotcha" down the road.