Social software class

This class has been an excellent overview of the application of the Web 2.0 technologies in the libraries and a hands-on experience using some of these tools. I think this course should become a mandatory one for anybody enrolled in the MLIS program.

Due to Steve G.'s popularity, the enrollment in this class has been huge. I think ideally this class should be divided into two groups 10-15 students in each.

The curriculum was very condensed, covering a lot of stuff in six weeks. It was manageable after all, but it was difficult to digest all the information that we had to swallow.

There is so much more to learn about Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 that it would be wonderful to have another, sort of advanced class about
Libraries of the Future

My MMO experience

I was eager to plunge into the SL experience but unfortunately was unable to register from my computer. So I have chosen the first one that accepted my registration. It was "Dark Swords", an MMO with vaguely ancient themes.

I spent quite some time going through the manual, learning about the different avatars and the rules of the game that are pretty complex. I have never played this kind of games before so the whole experience felt strange. Little by little I became involved in the battles against the monsters, meeting friendly fighters and wizards, exchanging messages with exotic avatars. I played this game a few times during this week and although I didn't become a big fan, I now better understand why these games are so addictive.

Johnson, videos games and libraries

I was not convinced by Johnson's arguments that popular culture, e.g. TV shows, blockbusters and video games make us smarter. Having said that I have no doubt libraries should include video games in their repertoire as the libraries and the users can greatly benefit from it. However the libraries should play the role of filters by carefully evaluating which games are best suited for their community. I believe they should choose mostly strategy and simulation games that have some educational merit in addition to the recreational and entertaining value.

Each library should decide what kind of games it can and should offer. MMOs are more impressive and involve more players, but they are expensive and time-consuming. Sometimes smaller is better. I think libraries should find ways of offering games for circulation not only "in-house" play time to better promote library services through gaming.

Making gaming part of library life is a great way of reinforcing community bonding and marketing library services. However, paraphrasing Johnson, librarians should keep in mind that anything good (in excess) can turn out to be bad.

Simple games are still fun

I played a very popular and simple game, bejeweled 2. That was the only game my husband agreed to play and I had no time to find another gamer. I played the game for the first time, but he had played it multiple times before that experiment. We played timed version on two computers simultaneously trying to score the most points.

My husband bit me consistently although I have quicker reactions. My guess is he scored better because he practiced to play this game as his relaxation routine during long hours at the computer. We could see and hear each other and that was funny. We both were so much in the competition as if it was an Olympic experience.

Gaming in the libray

The goal of the games in the library is to attract new patrons, especially teens, and to reinforce community bonding. Having this in mind I would take the following steps in deciding which games would better serve the community needs.

As I am not a gamer myself I would first play different types of games, from simple ones and to complex MMOs. Then I would explore the demographical and other census data relating to the library community. I would conduct a formal or informal survey of the users, perhaps differentiated by age, to determine what games they would prefer to play. What kind of space the library can provide for gaming activities would be another consideration to take into account. Budget limitations would also greatly influence my decision.

All this assessed, I will evaluate the games themselves: their complexity, attractiveness to the users (based of the preliminary survey), price tag including cost of implementation and maintenance.

I would start small gradually increasing the complexity of the gaming experience. Dance Dance Revolution would be my first choice as it is simple and appealing to teens and adults alike.

What is bad, and what is good?

I don't agree with Will's elitist view on popular culture but I also have reservations toward Johnson's position.

I don't think we should expect popular culture to be extremely sophisticated or thought-provoking. Its primary goal is to entertain not to educate. Hence unlike George Will I don't believe popular culture is stupid nor do I think it is sophisticated.

On the other hand I think that we try to hypnotize ourselves by repeating that games and TV shows make us smarter. How do we measure smartness? Hand-eye coordination, multitasking, reaction speed? What do we do so much better than generations before us? When I look at the list of discoveries made in the twentieth century, when I read biographies of scientists, writers and artists of the nineteenth century, I can't help but marvel at how broad-minded they were, at their work ethics, and their strong will.

Ironically, the question I asked myself after reading "Everything Bad is Good for You" was not about what makes us smarter, but rather whether we are really smarter than our mothers, fathers, and grand-grand-parents? And if the answer is "yes", how do we prove it?

Ning in a work environment

Ning is a site hosting social networks that are deliberately formed around common interests. Consequently members of a definite community are better versed in the matter which leads to a more in-depth discussions and exchange of opinions than on MySpace or Facebook. The main group can be further fragmented by narrower activities while still being part of the same community. In addition, each member can create his/her own blog and link it to the group page.

Ning is an excellent tool for an informal sharing of ideas and opinions. While wikis are used to make the project development more orderly, Ning is well suited to an exploratory exchange of ideas, evaluation, and critique. Therefore, the combination of both tools can lead to a better coordinated and more fluid group work.

As in many other cases, the free version of Ning comes with ads, but they are not nearly as intrusive as those on MySpace.

SNS and libraries: a lot of unknowns

The main lesson from Boyd's paper is the fact that SNS are part of the environment in which libraries are working now and will be working in the future. Consequently, if libraries, physical and digital, want to stay relevant they need to go where the users are. So one of the places where libraries have to establish their presence is SNS. But that's not enough. Boyd's comparison of site demographics and network structures indicates that libraries should be well informed about the SNS audience and be selective when deciding at what sites they should be present.

Enchanting SNS world

Most people like to socialize. Social networking on the internet is different in form but it is simply another opportunity to meeting new people and staying connected with old friends. Before the internet era some of us spent hours speaking to friends and loved ones over the phone no matter how high the bills were.

SNS added yet another dimension that was not possible before, that of impersonation. A whole lot of people would like to reinvent oneself: to look differently, to follow their vocation, to befriend new people. The reasons people spend time on SNS depend on the user group. Business oriented guys use them to build their professional networks. Teens' motives are quite different.

For teens interaction on SNS is yet another avenue to explore other life possibilities. They plunge into the world that looks like the real one but seems more responsive to their desires. It is a way of adjusting to the adult world that they are on the verge of entering and that they dread. It is especially important for kids who are different, rebellious, queer, and outcast. They want to be part of the crowd but they want to keep their personality intact. Danah Boyd has an interesting and revelatory biographical sketch on her blog page that exemplifies the aspirations and internal struggles of teens fascinated by social network sites.

http://www.danah.org/aboutme.html

My SCILS experience

My SCILS experience is amazing and demanding. I am pursuing my degree online, and at times I feel overwhelmed by piling up assignments and ominous deadlines. I mainly study late at night when the whole world is asleep (except some of my classmates).
I pushed myself out of my comfort zone into the digital library area and happened to like the challenge. Now I try to define my niche in the library domain where I could apply the skills I am learning at SCILS.

My experience in pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27746865@N02

My classmates' experience:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/scils598x08-edexperience

A more sensual blogging

Podcast and text based blogging can be a happy combination. Almost any blog can benefit from including images and podcast. Text makes for a more thoughtful and analytical experience, but podcasting adds a personal touch. Text, image and sound together make the whole experience multidimensional hence more engaging.

Podcasting is so much fun however that it is easy to substitute text by podcast. Depending on the audience it can be beneficial or distracting. So the blogger needs to know his/her audience to strike the right balance between written text and podcasting.

Long Tail: giving more for free

Libraries can do a lot to benefit from the tendency to smaller niche markets, and they shouldn't be afraid of competing in the new technology-oriented environment. This could require reviewing the way libraries do business and publicize their services. I see two major points the libraries can make.

The first one was mentioned by my classmate Jennifer Walsh in her earlier post: everything in libraries is free for patrons. That's an enormous advantage over any bookstore, even Amazon. Even if most information is online, it will not be free. There will always be some fee for downloads and for services.

To reinforce this unbeatable argument, libraries should better organize their services by making ILL delivery more effective and formulating more thoughtful database licensing policies. More detailed or more focused pathfinders could also be helpful in serving smaller niches. Better interfaces and OPACs reinforced by social tagging could be yet another way of reaching small niches.

My own experience this semester shows library's potential. I needed four books for the "Social Software" class. And I found all of them in libraries, in four different libraries to be exact. One was in YA stacks in the library where I work, one at a local library, and two came through ILL. I know I was lucky this time, but if small miracles like that become norm, the libraries will benefit from market segmentation.

Anderson, C. (2006). The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. New York: Hyperion.

Flea market artist

This is my podcast story about a painting I couldn't forget.
You can also download the MP3 file at: http://www.switchpod.com/users/ivscils598x08/jazz2.mp3

My Google statistics

Firefox is by far more popular than IE. My statistics show that almost 90% (89.36%) of viewers use Firefox compared to 10.64% who are still loyal to IE. Windows are the preferred operating system that accounts for almost 98% of viewers with only 2% using Mac. Cable leads with 89% compared to 5% DSL and 5% unknown.

Traffic source data look intriguying. I can see that most of visitors are my classmates but I'd like to know who comes from mysterious 'google/organic' and '(direct) / (none) .'

Long Tail, a lot of noise

In the first chapters of his book Anderson makes an argument that markets are changing, shifting from a few "blockbusters" and "bestseller lists" to smaller niches. Although Anderson concentrates his analysis on the entertainment industry, it sounds like a great opportunity for businesses in general, especially for small ones.
In this environment however the noise is becoming so loud that it will be extremely difficult to be heard. As I continue to read the book I would like to find out how Anderson suggests making the small niche markets "visible" to its consumers.

Even though libraries are not for profit organizations, this changing environment will force them to redefine their raison d'être, the way they do business and to find their unique niche. Another challenge for the libraries in this new era is to learn how to advertise their services in their niche market to be heard and appreciated.

Anderson, C. (2006). The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. New York: Hyperion.

Wetpaint has more skins, PBwiki is ad free

I'm new to both wikis – PBwiki and Wetpaint – and from the novice point of view I find Wetpaint being easier to set up. PBwiki provides videos to help users creating wikis while Wetpaint guides you through the wizard. For me following wizard instructions was a simpler and quicker way to start a wiki. Wetpaint gives more skin choices than PBwiki which is a nice option to customize a wiki. The only downside is that in Webpaint you have to accept ads on your pages while PBwiki is ad free. I'm talking here of free services in both wikis. Paid services provide additional features, and can be free of ads in both wikis.

Tags tell a lot about people, and that's de.licio.us

I have looked through the scils508x08 tags and I think del.icio.us is an interesting way of introducing people to one another in a group. It shouldn't substitute the routine manner we introduce ourselves to the class but it could complement it.

LibraryThing: one and a half thumbs up

LibraryThing is an online service that makes it easy to catalog books for your personal use or to share your list with others. As most social software LibraryThing can be accessed from any computer or PDA, not only from your personal PC. The service allows you cataloging up to 200 titles for free. After that you'll have to pay a modest annual fee.

The site is visually modest, but has a lot of useful features and is well-organized. You can input title, author, ISBN, or LC card number, and the system will add all other information, with cover images and links to Google Books and Amazon reviews. You can tag each book and share these tags with others and see their recommendations. This makes it easy to find users with similar interests. You can also organize your collection using LC or Dewey system.

The site could be used by librarians as one of the sources of Reader's advisory. I'm not so sure about its usefulness as addition to libraries' sites. I need to look at similar services before I can make my mind.

Blogs are not as informative as you can expect. On the bright side, the advertising and promotion are subdued and gentle.

What's in a name?

All talks about modern libraries come to digitization and its impact on traditional brick-and-mortar libraries. The question on everybody's mind is "Can they survive?" And what should they do to stay relevant in the changing environment.

Brown & Duguid give us a hint when they point out that "knowledge usually entails a knower" (Brown & Duguid, p.119), in other words that the most valuable assets of the organization are intangible, more precisely talent and expertise of the people who work there. It's nice to build a new library building conceived by a famous architect, it's fine to follow in the footsteps of Barnes&Noble and incorporate a comfy coffee shop, and it's OK to greet patrons even though they are not always comfortable with such aggressive sales tactics. These palliative measures will not solve the problems libraries face.

Staff professionalism and knowledge of the community is at the core of libraries' well-being. Consequently, I think library management should carefully plan retraining staff in two areas: technology and community relations. As librarians we should feel comfortable when dealing with technological innovation, but at the same time we should be queenly aware of the intellectual needs of the community we work with.

Brown, J., & Duguid, P. (2002). The Social Life of Information. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press

StumbleUpon is worth stumbling upon

I found this site surfing del.ici.ous. The site allows people discovering and rating web pages, photos and videos. Pages are rated by site users applying one of three criteria: thumbs up, thumbs down and neutral. Based on the cumulative ratings the system chooses how prominently the page is displayed. The goal is to form communities of web surfers with shared interests. The site is easy to browse as it includes social tagging as well as well-defined main categories. StumbleUpon subscribers can participate in moderated forums that are full of information on a given topic.

Unfortunately, as in many cases, the site uses its knowledge of user preferences to post targeted ads. In addition, some prominently positioned pages are sponsored ones that are not explicitly described as such (they have a gentle green mark, but one can only guess what this means).

RSS: yes, no, maybe...

Yes, RSS can potentially mitigate information overload, but only if the user has the discipline to organize feeds and is stanch enough to limit the number of RSS. Otherwise RSS doesn't serve its purpose and doesn't make any difference.

I believe RSS is especially helpful for professionals who know exactly what journals, databases or publications they want to monitor. They are well served by RSS not only because it saves time but also because this way they don't risk to overlook an important publication.

Google Reader is my favorite

I found Bloglines cumbersome compared to Google Reader. I like Google minimalist approach to design and the emphasis it puts on functionality. It always amazes me how well Google's pages are organized. Even ads at home page are not distracting.

• In Google Reader the home page gives a clear overview of content and functions.
• Adding subscriptions was a breeze.
• Google Reader allows starring favorite posts.
• Trends option gives interesting statistics about your reading and subscription trends by months, day of the week, and time of the day. So you can monitor your own HIB behavior.
• Google Reader allows adding notes and sharing them.
• Posts and notes can be shared through blog as well as through emails.
• Posts can be viewed in three different modes: feed settings, expanded
  and list view.

Are computers as good as we think they are?

Hope and Hype

Technology is transforming our lives but at a slower pace than we think. It needs a lot of improvements and adjustments before it becomes as easy as "one click away."

Home alone or together in cubicles

Computers and internet made working from home easier. Right? Wrong, say B&D. At your home office you are like your computer - all-in-one: a boss, an IT professional, an advertising manager, etc. No annoying but technologically savvy co-workers two cubicles away and no incidental learning mixed with gossip at the water-cooler either.

Technology is only as good as its users.

Even the best technology needs users' feedback to improve so this interaction is social by nature. What that means for libraries? Add technology to library services but don't fall for any new gadget and don't forget to teach the patrons how to use all these "goodies."

Brown, J., & Duguid, P. (2002). The Social Life of Information. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press, pp. 63-89.

Feed or no feed?

Anderson's book did not strike me as a revelation because he didn't say anything new about society, technology or human beings. Over generations humans moved from one technology to another gaining something and inevitably loosing some other stuff in the process. And in any society at any century there were people who were leaving with the "feed" in their brain and people who were independent thinkers. This phenomenon has much to do with psychology and not that much with technological innovation. Our future can be much brighter than we can dream if or much darker than Anderson's picture.

Blogger vs. LiveJournal vs. WordPress

LiveJournal and WordPress seem to be more market oriented than Blogger.

Blogger's design feels sort of old fashion compared to LJ and WP, and Blogger offers a limited choice of layouts.

All sites allow their users to have public or private blogs although some comments suggest that privacy can't be guaranteed.

LJ and WP make an effort to categorize their blogging communities and provide additional browsing capabilities through social tagging.

LJ has the most ads which is annoying. WP uses ads sparodically but promises to include an option to turn them off in its future upgrades.

While LJ and WP look more "sassy" Blogger should be more appealing to people who are content oriented.

Hello everybody! Nice to see some familiar faces and a lot of new ones.