Jess Discovers

017. Ending up

2009-11-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

Well, from this experience I learned ways to make my own personal blog better by using sites such as Technorati. The Library 2.0 program assisted my life long goals by pushing me to remain knowledgeable about such programs so that when I get questions in the OLRC I will be able to give the answer to the patron quickly, and without having to say "Oh I'm sorry I've never used that." This was a fun program, and I would participate in it again. I'm even thinking of keeping this blog running to just blog about what I find at work and what happens while I'm here. Because sometimes, just sometimes the things that happen nobody else would believe :)

Some had asked me to link to the other blog I run, and I hemmed and I hawed about it but finally figured, you all work in a library, you all must like books on some degree, so I have no issues with sharing my book review blog with you. You can check it out at http://www.findthetimetoread.blogspot.com

This is Jess, signing out for now.

016. Exploring 2.0 tools.

2009-11-02T07:40:00.000-08:00

I checked out the short list at http://www.seomoz.org/web2.0/short and really was quite amazed that most of the winners or runners up I used. There were a few that were listed that I had never heard of so that is where I focused my attentions.

First one I checked out was http://www.oodle.com/ it is similar to craigslist.org, but a lot cleaner and much easier to navigate.

The next one I checked out was under the web development catagory, http://jquery.com/ , I wasn't able to really play with this program the way I wanted too and the website to me wasn't very clear on what the program was for. Although after doing some digging it looks like it turns html code into a javascript code of some sort. Although I may be wrong.

I enjoyed seeing some of the sites I do use on the winners list, such as twitter, facebook, and some of the google counterparts that I use as well.

015. What's up Google Docs?

2009-11-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

I have used Google Docs since I first signed up with google back in like 2005-ish. Google Docs is actually a really awesome program. I've written term papers in Google Docs and shared them with people and had them proof read. I've also shared Google Docs with some of my fellow workers and had no problems with them. I did not check out Zoho or Thinkfree, merely because I already use Google Docs and have no desire to use something else.

014. Good reads ... literally!

2009-10-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

I really like good reads, I need to remember to use it more of ten, but I enjoy using it to connect with other readers and bloggers like myself. Here's my link for the books I've read ... well some of them.

my read shelf:

013. Del.icio.us

2009-10-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

I'm familiar with Del.icio.us already, even though I don't have an account there, and I'm not going to lie it's something I most likely wouldn't use for research purposes. Although the comments that some people tend to leave, make me laugh. Al though it might just be because I only read the drama stuff that gets bookmarked there. :)

012. Podcasts

2009-10-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

I tried, really I did. But podcasts just aren't my thing. Yes, there are many out there. Yes, there are some on my favorite subjects but they're just not for me. I don't really enjoy listening to people talk, and I know there are pod casts of music but the ones I've found just don't seem to click with me.

So for those of you who do like podcasts, tell me why?

011. KISS your RSS

2009-10-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

RSS is a super easy to use tool. Although it gets me into trouble. Before doing the JPL excercises I already knew what RSS is. I even know how to create one for myself. [I can hear you all yelling SHOW OFF at me. hehe]

Currently in my google reader I have 690 unread blog posts, that have been posted by people that I follow or find interesting. The sad thing is that I will attempt to read most of them, but in this case I went a little over board with following people and sometimes it stresses me out to even try to wade through my reader.

A word to the wise: KISS [for those of you who don't know what KISS means: Keep It Simple Stupid] - don't follow too many people!

010. Blogging about technology.

2009-10-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

Yup. Our assignment from September 29th was to blog about technology. It took me a while to think about what I wanted to say about it. But then I realized that I couldn't blog without technology. So instead I now feel much happier because I essentially completed the task at hand, but simply writing something. Not quite what the powers that be wanted I'm sure, but hey my job is done here.

:D

009. Youtube

2009-10-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

Youtube, oh man youtube is one of those sites where I could get into so much trouble. To me, youtube is like a great huge black hole. It's one of those sites that once you visit it you could loose minutes, hours, days even while searching through it. There are SO many different videos and just random things floating around on there.

So it's time for me to put up or shut up, and here I'm going to share a video of me that was taken a little over a year ago. It's me dancing as a pirate for the midnight release for ... you guessed it World of Warcraft.

008. Flickr

2009-10-10T07:16:00.001-07:00

DSC00048
Originally uploaded by riotxjess

Okay, so I'm taking the much needed time to get caught up on JPLDiscovers. I am super stoked right now to be able to finish this all up.

Flickr is something that I use often, not really for public photo sharing though but mainly for photo storage. Anyone who knows me knows that I play World of Warcraft, I use flickr to store images called screenshots on them. Basically what a screenshot is, is an instant image of something that is happening on my screen. It's like a photograph of my computer screen.

The image I chose to share is of Dan, from Circ at the main library. It was taken almost a year ago when Dan, myself and a friend of mine from out of town went and ventured into Downtown Chicago.

007. Behind, Still Behind.

2009-10-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, my lame attempt at some humor. Anyway I'm still behind with the JPLDiscovers exercises, mainly because I forget about them until I'm laying in bed for the night. Hopefully since I am off work tomorrow I'll be able to sit still long enough to get them done. :)

006: Okay so I've been slacking.

2009-10-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

Yeah I've been slacking on the JPLDiscovers exercises. Expect me to be playing catch up over the weekend.

005: Tweet Tweet - Twitter!

2009-09-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

Twitter, one of the greatest ways to find out what someone is doing at that exact moment, without having to be with them.

Yeah, a lot of people think twitter is pointless, and to an extent I will agree. But I enjoy using it because I can see what a lot of people I'm interested in are doing. For instance, Oprah and Kathy Griffin both twitter.

I use my twitter as a way to keep in touch with people who also run blogs, but live on the other side of the world. I know I could email them, or call them but it's much easier and more convenient to use Twitter to just see what they are up too.

I do belong to works Yammer site, and I have to say while I like the no character limit, I find it much more intimidating. I mean I'm supposed to be doing work at work, not telling everyone what work I should be doing.

However, if you want to follow me on Twitter you can: http://www.twitter.com/riotxjess - WARNING: I tweet often and usually link back to another blog that I write, also some language I use may not be friendly. So follow at your own risk :)
-Jess

004: Wikis

2009-09-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

Wiki's are pretty cool. They have them for every topic, like the 2.0 prompt post stated, there are wiki's for everything. Some of the Wiki's that I visit on a daily basis are:

Wowwiki - a database for the popular MMO (Online Game in laymans terms) World of Warcraft
Encyclopedia Dramatica - a database for all of the drama that runs rampant on some fourms & journaling sites. (Some of it's content may be NSFW - Not Safe For Work - so I did not link back)
Wikipedia - one of the original wikis out there, it contains information on practically anything you can think of.

I enjoy using Wiki's for some quick information. Like it was stated on the 2.0 prompt anyone can edit or add to a wiki article, so you have to be careful using some of the information you find, and I wouldn't recommend using them in papers for school ... or work, but I do enjoy using them to find just random little facts.

There is a game that I play when I am extremely bored at home and it's how many articles can I click on to find a connection to (Insert random celebrity or something here). I start by going to the main page of Wikipedia and in the upper left hand corner there is a box that contains links, click on the Random article link and from there click on other links contained in the article that you pulled up to get to your desired subject.

For today's example, I'm going to start at the article about Berezeni and see by clicking links in that artcile how many diffrent articles I have to click on to get to Dracula

Berezeni - Start point
Romania - Next article
Bran Castle (also known as Dracula's castle) - Close but not quite Dracula, so onto the next article
Dracula - Hooray! I win in 4 clicks!

So I want to see how many clicks it takes you to get to Dracula :) Leave me a comment and tell me how many clicks it took you too get to him.

003: New Layout :D

2009-09-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

I decided to take the plunge and see if I could find a new layout that I liked. I did and I am now using it, freakin' sweet huh!?

002: Technorati

2009-09-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I just spent way to much time on the Technorati site. It was interesting and actually a lot of fun to see where my other blog ranks. Doing this Library 2.0 thing is actually a lot of fun, and is giving me a chance to see different content and tools to use for my own personal blogging.

001: Jess Discovers

2009-09-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

This is Jessica's blog for the Library 2.0 thing.

I've also read over the Lifelong learning exercise, and am looking forward to doing more.

-Jess