walking feb 23

me and mary will be at the trail head at llll.

!@#$!!!!!

k, so, i don't really swear but i came close to it just now. i completely forgot about sites for students. in fact, i wasn't aware it existed. i just thought i should check the tracking log to make sure i kept track of my work before i thought i was done. good thing i did... whew.

anyway, i checked out stikkit and comindwork. (i was gonna do the writer one but it wouldn't display the page.) anyway, i think these are neat ideas, especially the stikkit one. i know i could certainly use something like that. it's neat that people innovate to make students' lives easier, because it can be difficult to keep track of all the information people are trying to cram in your head. ;D stikkit would be useful for everyday people too, because even everyday people need to keep track of stuff, and if they're anything like me, they need all the help they can get. ;D

twitter

i'm really not sure i see the point of twitter. well, that's not true; i don't see how it applies to me. it's a great idea and i think it'd be awesome to know what my friends are doing at random times, but they don't have computer access and therefore wouldn't be able to twitter.

as for the library, i think twittering would have to be an internal thing if it were used at all (and i'm not sure there's a place for it). if we want to keep our public up to date with our goings-on, twittering doesn't seem like it would be the place to do it. a blog or website would be much more appropriate. internally, twitter could be used sort of like our email is now to keep us all abreat of the latest and greatest library news (such as the large type development). i really don't see how that would be any different than the email, which leads me to believe that twitter probably doesn't hav ea place in the library for business-related stuff.

to be or not to be, that is the question

so miss farkas really gets down and dirty with her questions about where the library fits into social networking. i must say i agree with her in that libraries having a myspace or facebook because it's 'cool' isn't a very good idea. nor is it smart if they're trying to make people aware of their presence. as farkas said, myspace and facebook users are not going to be interested in library profiles unless they can offer something totally amazing. she also made the point that libraries seldom get it right when they do try to offer those valuable services. so if our library could find someone brilliant to 'market' (if you will) our services, create a profile that works, why not? the goal of KRL is to be a conduit for information, is it not? and the majority of myspace and facebook users are after information, are they not? that seems like a pretty tall order though. i can't see anyone of my acquaintance who uses myspace or facebook being interested in a library profile. in the end then, maybe libraries should just stay out of it.

speaky wiki?

so what did i think of the wiki. well, it was pretty cool, i guess, but it seems kinda redundant after the KRL website. it's basically all the same information, only now everyone at the library can add information (which they probably got off of the library site!), instead of just a select few.

i will give it points for being easy to use. everything was nice and straight forward, nothing too fancy going on. i was disappointed that the way my page looked in the edit mode isn't what it turned out to be after i saved it, but it's alright i guess. i'm just a formatting freak. i'll try to control my impulses.

as for how KRL could use a wiki... now that's a good question. at present i can't think of an answer.

you tube. do i tube?

hey kids. i'm back. it's been a while. a shamefully and painfully long time, actually. but i finally made some time to get this done.

anyway... my thoughts on youtube. as far as social networking goes, i guess it's a pretty cool thing. some of the videos are very clever (my favorite was the 'pachelbel rant'), and it's neat to see people's creativity and talents (search 'maksim' and watch him. he's amazing!).

other than that, i'm not sure i have much to say about it. since i have neither the talent nor the equipment, i can't see myself really getting into it.

i think it's cool that they have a pretty decent code about what goes in and what stays out. it seems like people are good about keeping nastiness to a minimum.

after much deliberation, i think i've finally decided that i like christmas. i hate the crowds, the stupid music (it's especially grating when you have to listen to the same ten songs on repeat for five plus hours every day five days a week), the greed and materialism, the commercialism of the holiday...

i do like the christmas carols, the christmas movies (charlie brown!), the holiday spirit that seems to permeate most people, the emphasis on family... and of course i love gifts. i love finding just the right thing for that certain person, and watching them unwrap my surprise.

before all this deliberation, i had a very cynical attitude about christmas. i was annoyed at the materialism, the commercialism, the stupid music, the crowds... i especially hated the way people tried to steer away from the real reason for christmas with their dumb 'happy holidays' instead of merry christmas.

and don't get me wrong; those things still do bother me. a lot. but i've learned to focus on the real meaning of christmas. i suppose (and this is ironic) those stupid christmas songs i've been forced to listen to for hours on end have actually made me stop and think about what it's all about.

you know all those great lines: "come and behold him, born the king of angels" and "hark, the herald angels sing! glory to the new born king..." well, they just got to me and made me think, that's what it's all about. and i could just sit back and relax in that newly acquired knowledge.

it's okay that christmas has become what it is, because it's still about Christ coming to earth for the express purpose of dying for our sins. the world can try and cover it up, but i think we all know what it's about. it's too great and wonderful a truth to be covered up so easily.

so, kids, MERRY CHRISTMAS!