Mashups

I neglected to comment about Mashups in my earlier blog entry. I can see how great a tool Mashups can be. Combining different applications to allow the user to search for information is an excellent way to give more comprehensive search results. I tried the Flickr picker color search interface and found some great images with particular color shades. I am not certain how that specific tool would be of use by the VHS but then I am not a web designer. I can imagine how you could somehow combine our membership database with a google map application to fond out all sorts of accurate demographic information (all done in-house of course). I can definitely see how combining applications by Mashups provides users with a much-improved search capabilities.

Week 4 -- For fun

I enjoyed this weeks exercise because it offered a nice variety of Web 2.0 applications.

I checked out the society's page on Library Thing and saw how great a resource that could be for others in the library world. All of our recent and future library accessions available for the searching public in one easy-to-use site. Nothing like improving access to the VHS's collections.

Rollyo is a great idea! Being able to search my own custom-made list of sites from one simple search engine is a wonderful idea. The convenience of one-stop shopping for information rather than going to each and every site individually is very attractive.

For the person who had trouble remembering what errand they need to run on their way home or what they need to pick up at the grocery store, Jott.com is a great tool. I even added it to my iPhone for free. For me it is trying to remember the author of a book that I need to find at the bookstore. Now that won't be a problem anymore.

I also ventured into FD's Flickr Toys and created a jigsaw puzzle out of a photograph I took while on vacation in England. Again, I found the application easy to use and am sure there are alot more things I could do with images.

Livemocha.com looks like a great way to learn a foreign language. I should try out my Spanish to see how much I have forgotten since college.

RSS feeds part two

I forgot to mention that using Topix.net was an easy way to see what is out there in the world of RSS feeds. I know I will be using that some more to find interesting feeds to add to my Google Reader page.

RSS feeds

I just successfully registered with Google Reader so that I can now follow several RSS feeds. The nice thing about Google Reader, aside from its easy-to-use interface, is that because of my preexisting Google account it automatically brought over the two blogs I am following on Blogger.com (k8wilkins and Gardener's Rant). From there it was a snap for me to add 23 Things at the VHS and, for fun, the sports section of the New York Times (go Giants!). I can see how easy it would be for institutions to get the word out about their news and events by setting up RSS feeds and letting a ton of people know what they are up to. No such thing as reaching too many people with your news and upcoming events information.

Flickr

Well I have created my very first Flickr page and it was very simple to do. I uploaded two photographs from my digital collection with ease and even noted which cat is which. I can see how easy it would be for individuals and institutions to share images of anything and everything. I searched "Library of Virginia" and saw that someone had posted Civil War photographs and on one placed notes on the image identifying everything in the scene. That was really interesting. I will continue to play with Flickr to see what else it can do.

Twitter

I have just set up a Twitter account and need to play with it some more before I can truly understand what it is all about. Like setting up my blog, it was very easy to get up and running. I imagine it would be a quick way to communicate with a single person or a large group. I will have to see how things progress from here.

Opening Act part two

Now that I have joined the blogging world, which was very easy to do by the way, I have nothing profound to say at the moment. Hopefully, as I progress through future assignments from The 23 Things @ the VHS, I will learn more about Web 2.0 and its many uses. Until then . . .

Opening Act

Well, here I am.