Thing 21

1. Introduce Library 2.0 - This is where a new person learns the basics of how the "hardware"
works. Patron must feel comfortable with concept and visualize how various venues can
benefit him/her.
2. I would recommend RSS and Newsreader to adult patron looking for a quick review of
preselected news/events. To get started, I'd recommend GoogleReader and establish an
account.
3. Photo archive (Thing 5). A great place to store all the valuable photographs that may be
scattered about the house. I have Picasa and I like it very much. It is probably the most
versatile application I've encountered.
4. Thing 8 - For the patron who has an appetite to "look over the shoulder" of others as to what
their interests are and providing your own comments.
5. Thing 12 (Library/Thing). For the reader who reads books by a certain author(s) and can't
remember what's been read. Patron can not only list his/her completed books, but can also see
what others are finding interesting and explore.
6. Online video. This is for entertainment essentially. UTube is being used more all the time. It
can be informative as well as entertaining. iGoogle is a good source for this.

Thing 20

I found a couple of very interesting features in my Google search. I viewed Maps, Google Earth and Picasa. I signed up with Picasa and have posted perhaps a hundred photographs.

Now, these features all have a practical application for me. The Maps feature obviously is a valuable tool when trying to reach an unfamiliar destination both locally or in a distant place. Google Earth adds the ground level visual aspect which could be quite valuable. Picasa is a great archive for valuable photographs that otherwise would be in jeopardy from wear or damage over time. I would not hesitate to recommend these features to patrons. We must always keep in mind however that not everyone has a computer nor do they desire to have one.

I considered iGoogle but decided not to be involved. Why? I use my computer in a very narrow range and I am not inclined to broaden its scope.

Thing 19

Thing 19 was fairly interesting. If anyone has read my blogs, they are aware that my PC holds very little entertainment value for me. For the most part, it is a tool to accomplish something. In my case it's a means to collect and store a number of manuscripts I've written, to do research on a subject of interest, and to use it to communicate with acquaintances. In short, I devote very little time reviewing features that someone, in this case TIME, is trying to highlight.

That said, I researched the travel selections, particularly the entry on London since it happens to be one of the few cities on the list that I have visited. None of the descriptions however provided enough in-depth coverage. I found the ads and the pop-ups to be disconcerting.

The 2004 list caught my attention with the parade of the most popular toys. The list of 1960s examples was good since my two boys received perhaps half of those listed in the "boy" category. It brought back great memories of Christmases past.

Thing 18

I have reviewed the five sites and read their descriptions.

I'm reluctant to give a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval to any of them. It's a different age, I know, but I fear for the little people. Yes, parents are able to monitor what the content of these sites is, but can they be there all the time? There is a pleasant but dangerous belief in the minds of youngsters who believe they're going to live forever. The news brings us stories of young lives lost or forever drastically altered because of a predator, a computer hacker who knows how to "beat the system", who may travel a thousand miles to meet up with a youngster he met on the internet. It used to be our mothers turned gray knowing that we ventured to the forbidden river, or we played around box cars on the railroad, or climbed the stacks of lumber at the mill. But you know what? I never met a predator.

I thought Linkedin was pretty good, but Webjunction was better. Easy to navigate. I liked the coverage of library administration.

Thing 17

Yes, I explored both GATHER and NING.

No, I don't belong to any social network.

No, I'm not a member of any online community.

Whatever blows their skirts. If a woman likes to discuss her sauteed beans that her boyfriend doesn't care for, so be it. If I were on that network, I'd agree with him. I'm serious - I can't believe anyone is interested in such subjects. As for creating a dialog with like-thinking people, wouldn't that be a bit dull? I also question the wisdom of baring you soul to strangers. To me that's dangerous anytime, especially now.

Thing 16

I found MAESTRO to be the most user friendly of all the offerings I reviewed. I also joined that music streaming site. Honestly, I'm not big on going around listening to music or anything else with things sticking out of my ears. Since seeing that I had to align myself with one of the sites, I chose MAESTRO.

As for my playlist, included would be music from stage and screen productions that were produced in the dark ages of the 50s and 60s. My solo performers are Vic Damone, Nat Cole, Ray Charles, "Big Mama" Cass, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. More current performers included are Nora Jones and Susan Greenbaum. Never heard of Susan Greenbaum? She sounds a lot like Nora Jones.

I'm sure these sites meet the needs of those who are really into this technique. For me, I doubt if I'll ever get o involved. Call me whatever.

Thing 16