Blogging, even when you feel like it’s all been said…

Note: this is the second time I’m writing this post. The first was just erased, and even though that makes me really sad, I’m happy to be able to write this again.

There are times when one feels the weight of having to blog, that everything that needs to be noted about Web 2.0 has already been said, that there is nothing pressing or urgent to write about, that it would be easier to read a magazine article about giant sea turtles than to really contemplate libraries and social networking. 

However, there is something intrinsically useful about the routine of blogging, especially when it relates to a specific topic or focus.  It forces you to think about issues you might otherwise ignore, to stay tuned to news, media and casual conversation about the topic at hand.  It also makes you realize, as is the case with Web 2.0, how prevalent an issue it really is;  stories and discussions about uses, advantages, drawbacks, dangers, etc. of Web 2.are EVERYWHERE.  And if we weren’t obligated to blog about it, I probably would pay zero attention.  Which is not to say that I’m not interested, only to say that before this course, it fell outside the scope of my tunnel vision.

I like blogging. I think I even like it a lot.  It forces you to question and consider, and to formulate thoughtful response to the events going on around you.  I would also like to say, on a completely unrelated topic, that this holiday, while in Vegas, I visited as many Whole Foods as possible, just in case I happened to land in one of the stores where “Top Chef: Las Vegas” was filmed.  I was very suprised at the number of Whole Foods in Vegas, in the middle of almost nowhere, a red and rocky desert.  It was truly a beautiful concept.

The Ethics of Web 2.0 in Schools

We just read an article about the ethical considerations of Web 2.0 in schools and their libraries.  The article discusses the pros and cons of blocking certain social networking sites to protect students from harm (e.g. online predators).  On the one hand, the author argues that teens are vulnerable, especially if they come from dysfunctional homes; these kids are more likely than others to engage in risky behaviors online.  On the other hand, the author points out that some Web 2.0 applications possess valuable educational qualities.

  The article points out that social networking and other Web 2.0 sites are part of today’s reality, and that one way to grapple with the issues associated with the dangers of Web 2.0 is through education.   She suggests too that librarians play an important role in this type of education “as the lines between informatio nand communicatio nblur,” and “the scope of these lessons easily extends to other online behaviors, from website evaluatio nto cyberbullying.”

I agree that education about Web 2.0 and its dangers/ethical considerations is important. But I also think that there is something comforting about restricting access to various websites in the school system.  I think that they two, coupled, help to ensure that students are not wasting time during the school day engaging in recreational computer use.   I also think that with the recent onslaught of news stories about “cyber-bullying,” linked also to teen suicide,  the school system should serve as a safe envrionment for students.  There is no guarantee, of course, that this will ensure safety for students, or a safe space for them to learn, but I think that it does lean toward this goal.

Thanksgiving Tweets

Apparently, this year, many stores are advertising their Black Friday sales via Twitter, sending updates and discounts to Twitter subscribers.  This new tactic is the result, in part, of poor holiday sales last year after the crash in the economy.

I am always amazed by the creativity of retailers around the holiday time, the way that they attract customers. I think that tweeting is ingenious. It’s almost like getting a personalized invitation to go shopping, like a secret connection between the Tweet recipient and the merchant – and who could refuse?

 

Social Networking at Work

This morning in the Metro, there was an article entitled “Don’t get fired for shopping at work.”

The article discussed the time that employees spend on the Internet doing tasks unrelated to their job throughout the day. They indicated that about 58% of employees use the Internet for “nonwork activities” and about 21% spend more than 1 hour a day doing so.  The article then goes on to discuss the use of  social networking sites at work. The journalist states that three out of five full-time workers have social networking profiles, that half spend time on their site during the work day, and that 11% spend an hour or more doing so.

Somehow, I was not surprised by the article.  The Internet is an integral part of most work environments, and there seems no effective way to block employees from spending time on non-work related activities, unless employers invest in close monitoring systems.  But would this make for a pleasant and efficient work environment?  Are employees likely to focus better on the tasks at hand, knowing that somebody is watching them?  Does social networking at work produce less effective employees? Or does it provide them with a needed break during the day.

It seems to me, from my few work experiences, that part of the problem related to social networking/e-mail/etc. at work is that the work employees are doing may not be engaging, or that there is enough free time to spend playing online.  I also think that many jobs, which require sitting at a desk all day in front of a computer, with set hours that must be filled, lead to unhealthy and inefficient work style.

I wonder, if rather than prohibiting employees from going online during working hours for leisure activities, employers should experiment with task-oriented, instead of a time-oriented, work environments (so that where possible, when employees finish the tasks allotted to them, they can go home, rather than having to stay for the specified amount of time).  If it were me, I would finish my work as fast as possible so that I could leave and social network at home (although I would much rather go to the gym and watch reality tv shows, since that activity seems less shameful while running on a treadmill than while sitting on a couch at home).  I also think that workplaces should mandate regular exercise throughout the work day (I don’t think that’s ever going to happen, but it seems like a really good idea).

 

Barriers to implementing Web 2.0 in libraries

This week’s online discussion and readings raised new and interesting questions.

Thus far, we have been exploring the various social networking sites available,  ways in which and reasons why they should be implemented in libraries.  However, we have not focused on the feasability of initiating these sites, and what kinds of obstacles librarians may encounter in doing so.

During our discussion, one of the first points raised was the competence of library staff in using various Web 2.0 sites.  It is true that if staff are unable to use the software, they will not be able to teach it to patrons. 

In all areas of librariship, training and competence of staff are key.  Tehcnology, however, is perhaps one of the most important areas for training, as many patrons rely on and expect to be able to learn how to use the internet, and by extension, Web 2.0.  This means that library directors and library schools must take special efforts to educate staff, students and future librarians about Web 2.0, technology, and the necessity of staying current with technological changes.  Libraries should perhaps make technology training mandatory at least two times per year.

Another barrier that we discussed relates to the competence of users.  If libraries implement Web 2.0 appliations in their daily routine, and spend time learning about its uses and training to become competent, then they have to ensure that patrons too are getting as much use as possible from these sites.   For this reason, libraries must create classes and workshops deisgned to teach patrons how and why they should be using social networking sites.  This is especially pertinent today, when the economy is struggling, and many people are looking for jobs and networking tools.

Although the implementation of Web 2.0 is generally free, libraries have to consider the costs of training, both staff and patrons, which should factor into their decision about which sites to use in their libraries.

Still working on JING

Today has been another day working with Jing, and I think I am becoming less intimidated and more comfortable with the program.  I made a short tutorial about RSS feeds and how they can work for a person when job searching. Although I am not completely satisfied with the outcome, I think that there are some definite benefits to using the program, even if it makes the person using it very very very frustrated.

 

 

Social networking and jobs

Yesterday, the Metro and AM papers (not necessarily the most newsworthy papers) both included articles about social networking in their employment sections.  The first talked specifically about Linkedin, and the second, about various sites, including Facebook, Linkenin, Ning, etc.

Although the information was not new, it is interesting to see what we’ve been studying being communicated to the public, to associate various Web 2.o applications with some kind of context.  It was also timely in the sense that our group project is related to the use of social networking in finding jobs.  The subject is obviously relevant in today’s economy.

Media attention to web 2.0 applications, especially in widely read papers like those found at subway stations, is extremely helpful in pushing the use of social networking.  It also benefits libraries, validates them in a sense, which are pushing social networking sites in the pursuit of employment.  It lends credibility to their web sites, programs and tutorials, and will push more people to make use of libraries and librarians as research facilities and research help.

 

 

JING/Wink/etc.

For our current group project, I am working with Jing to try to create some kind of tutorial pertaining to RSS feeds.  Although the software looks easy to use, I am actually having difficulty.  The first obstacle is organizing the topic. I have been trying to visualize the way that I would be able to learn best from an online tutorial, and I keep thinking that shorter and to the point is better. However, there is lots to say about RSS feeds, and how one can make use of them most effectively.

The second obstacle is using the program.  I have tried Wink as well, and this program does not seem to be any easier.  In order to capture the appropriate frames, the content has to be well organized in advance, especially with Jing. I am also encountering difficulties using screencast.com.

I am wondering why these softwares are so complicated, or perhaps it is simply my inexperience.  I will keep working on it.  I had no idea that one small tutorial could take so much time to create.

Dilbert

The Perils of Social Networking

I was just reading a blurb in the New Yorker magazine about the airline pilots who overshot their mark last week while browsing the internet and flying a plane.  The article described the state many of us enter when checking our email, speaking on the phone, texting, etc., called  “inattentional blindness,” which renders us incapable of noticing what is going on around us.  Browsing the internet while engaging in other activities can sometimes be dangerous, and the author illustrated this by describing a criminal case in West Virginia: a man was burglarizing a house, searching for diamonds, when he decided to take a break and log into his facebook account from the victims’ home computer.  Unfortunately, he forgot to log off, so the police had no difficulty identifying the criminal.  That, to me, appears to be a true addiction.  Ah, the perils of social networking.