Digging my way into a hole- (Thing 12)

Hmmmm... I would never call myself a 'news' person. Do I watch it if it's on? Well, until they give the weather forecast. Or if they're making something delicious or talking about spring fashions I'll tune in. To be honest, news tends to be a bit repetitive and dull to me. You can only watch them report on the same things OVER and OVER again for so long.

However, what I really like about Digg and other social media sites is that they have a HUGE variety of articles, and a lot of them are ones that aren't seen on other sites. They're the most popular, the oddest, the ones that more reputable sites may simply 'pass' over. When looking at them, I was struck by the massive variety of subjects that were covered. Everything from the humorous to the serious was a click away. Because of the variety, I could see myself glancing at it from time to time for a look at what is going on in the world. Not only that, but because a person can recommend/share/etc an article, the reader has an idea of how many other people have read it and found it helpful. I also LOVE the idea that if I read an article and love it, I can post it to Facebook for my friends to see.

I'm not sure how helpful a site like this would be for a library. While they are entertaining, I for one ran across a few articles that seemed a bit 'R' rated. While for me, I simply blushed and clicked back (Miss Sticky, what are you looking at!), the adult nature makes it less than friendly for a library environment. We cannot police what goes onto these sorts of sites, and if we endorse them openly, there is a chance that children could run across inappropriate articles. So, while I personally think these sites are a fun and fascinating look at internet/news/pop culture, I am less than eager to recommend its use in a professional environment.

Tagalicious- Thing 11

Tag, YOUR IT!!! Naw, I'm just joking. I wont be discussing the most awesome game that many of us indulged in while still children. (And some of us even later...cause honestly, who can resist?) Instead, I'll be delving into the deep dark world of Tagging and Del.icio.us.

Tagging. It's something that you (or in this case, I) see everywhere. Miss Sticky reads a blog, and there are many small highlighted words at the bottom. Some make sense, some do not. If she clicks on one, it'll take her to a new and exciting world...or something. Before this I never really understood tagging to be quite honest. It was something that was done and I'd be all like, "Well, that's cool....what's the point?" So, I can say now that I feel much more 'aware' of the benefits that can be had through tagging. In fact, I have started to tag on my own blog. If anything, it will help me be more aware of what is going on.

Del.icio.us is like a way to 'super awesome book mark.' I can see a lot of positives from using the service. I have (multiple times) been up late at night found an amazing website! I'll bookmark it on my computer, but who knows- the next time I want to look at it ...I may be somewhere else! This would give me the opportunity to really track down and organize my favorite internet sites. But for research, I can honestly say that I can see how this would be extremely helpful for students who are doing TONS of research. Through this site they can organize and do more research. Not only that, but when I was still a student, I sometimes had to print out an article or try and jot down tons of info because I wasn't certain if I could find the site again. Through Del.icio.us, a student can save paper and still have their research materials close at hand!

Bravo!

Bloggy Bloggy Blog (Thing One)

I, like many, have decided to embark on the wonderful adventure that is "23 Things on a Stick." I'm sure there will be laughter, tears, and keyboard mashing, but with my fellow librarians, I'm sure we can pull through. (Well, at least 75% of us....some stragglers I'm sure will be devoured by wolves or sink with the ship or etc, etc, etc...) Step 1- create an awesome blog that everyone will be totally jealous of. I'm sort of familar with the internet and all its trappings, so this wasn't as hard as I feared it might be. Although, to be fair, I had a wee bit of trouble exporting my avatar. That could be because at first I only sort of read the directions. Bad Miss Sticky! After going back and reading them thoroughly, it was much much easier. Now I can stop and gather my bearings before continuing on. Does anyone else sort of feel like they're on a magical quest? Just me? Give it time.