Last of Learn 2.5

Better Late than Never! Last of Learn 2.5

• I like the reviews of Kid friendly site for fun and learning. Kerpoof sounds better than Scratch (We have a class on this.) and easier to use.
• Yack Pack is an Internet-based voice communication tool that works a lot like voicemail for the Web.
• Live Music Archive is a part of Internet Archive which is a fantastic site for exploring or research. http://www.archive.org/ Wayback Machine is also part of this site. [BTW -Wayback Machine was part of an old cartoon where the "Professor" was always taking the boy back in time to explain history etc.]
• Budget Travel http://www.budgetravel.com/ looks good for travel research ie: where to go, what to see. Good site for me, LOVE to travel.
• People Maps http://www.mypeoplemaps.com/ is an interesting business networking device. It has potential.

All in all it has been and interesting trip through Learn 2.5 and being introduced to sites I don't normally go looking for. It has broadened my scope and opened search windows.

Google Docs or ZoHo

To online Doc or not to online Doc? Both of these sites look great to me! Best yet, once again, they are FREE! Road Warrior Alert! -They are especially great if you travel. Also an easy way to save to PDF if you don't have Adobe Acrobat Writer.

For my exploring friends these are online document sharing/storing sites. You can upload, create, share, print, save to PDF, and access them from anywhere you can get to the internet including your media capable phone. Try them out. If you have a Google account you can also logon to Zoho.

docs.google.com
http://www.zoho.com/

Search vs Navigation

A direct hit, a direct hit, my kingdom for a direct hit!
What do you REALLY want a search engine for? To find information the quickest way possible. I have used many. Some are far and away better than others. Also, be aware that some are topic specific, www.dictionary.com and www.quote.com for instance. The first is just what it sounds like, an online dictionary offering several dictionary versions of the word or phrase searched. The second is for stock quotes and futures. There are others of course.

My results for these sites from the lesson. I searched for "paralegal certification form florida" knowing it is usually a hard to find item.:

• taptu.com -for mobile devices
• www.lexxe.com - Not very helpful. Frustrating, missed the mark widely.
• www.hakia.com - Great! 2nd link down was it.
• www.quintura.com -Also great! 1st link was it.
• www.bing.com - 1st link after 4 "Sponsered" links.

Others:

• www.dogpile.com 9th link down after school links. (Searches several engines at once.)
• www.webcrawler.com -Still out there. 10 links down for the item.
• www.metacrawler.com - 9th link down. (Searches Google, Yahoo, Windows Live, Ask)
• www.lycos.com - 1st link after 3 "sponsored" links.
• www.ask.com -Item not even on the 1st page. I don't care for this one, never get what I want.

Mobile Web / Apps

Aaah the rush of iPhone and use of the internet on phones. Many phones offer this capability now not just iPhone and PDAs have been around for some time. My last 2 bosses twice removed were road warriors. As such, they had every mobile device known to man at the time (mid-90s to 2004). The PDA was very nice with mini apps for Word, Excel and Outlook and docs could be emailed or downloaded to the desktop or laptop. The new versions are basically a PDA/ mobile phone cross with more screen real estate. It is obviously the continued future wave constantly going more mobile and more internet access.

The "GOTCHA" here is the cost for connectivity. One has to have media added or "bundled" into their package of phone options or pay per use by the kilobyte downloaded. This can get pricey $$. Mine happens to be extra/ per use. Needless to say, I don't use it much. When I have used it, it is convenient, but the screen is small requiring me to put my glasses back on to peer at my screen. (Dating myself here.)

If you are curious as to how it looks before diving in, go to this Emulator posted on our learn lessons and try it out. Put in a web site to see how it would look on mobile device (phone etc.)
http://instantmobilizer.com/test-your-site.htm The on screen mobile can be clicked on just like the real thing.

Social Networking...?

MySpace, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, all means of "Social Networking".
Pros -

• Can expand your realm, your knowledge base, and your contacts (business or otherwise). Talk about information central -news rockets through these communities - regardless of the type of news, world shaking, celebs, or couch snoozing.
• Meet, greet and date! Carefull!
• Promo events, business, or talents - FREE - and free is a BIG deal. I know many people who have MySpace/Twitter etc. accounts just to advertise their insert project/event/ business/talent/band/video here. The numbers of people reached is exponential, (read gargantuan huge). Touch vastly more people, FREE, that's better than any other medium around, bar none.

Cons -

• ADDICTIVE - That's what keeps the sites going. I have seen people in a withdrawl frenzy if they think they can't get to a computer to check their MySpace etc. Devotees are die hard faithful.
• Do I really want to know that you just ate a doughnut or sneezed all over your cat?? Do I care? It is full of life's minutia, a mass of useless trivia.

Once again one must sift and sort to suit yourself.

Week #1 Get a Life! Virtual or Real?

2nd Life is an interesting concept. I've seen it. It can be fun flying around from place to place participating in a virtual world, being whoever you want to be in an imaginary land. Wait a minute, wasn't that done in Peter Pan? It is, undeniably, a new market to tap to reach those addicted to this virtual world and another segment of the population. It is also an opportunity to create a virtual store front to disseminate information. Just look at the last election, with the large Obama presence in Second Life. Only time will tell if it is a flash in the pan or something that will last and develop.

The thing is, there is so much in the REAL world to see, do, and feel. Why limit myself to 2D (pseudo 3D). I can take a virtual vacation with Google Earth and 2nd life etc, but that does not compare to the experience of really going places and the people you meet, things that happen, sights, sounds, language, smells, tastes, feelings. There are many senses left unexperienced in a virtual world. Seeing pictures (even 3D) of the Eiffel Tower is much different than actually touching it, riding up to the top, eating dinner there, and taking in the view. (Which I've done.) After a long day at the computer - There's just something to be said for taking a hike, parking yourself by a cool pond, leaning against a tree, and enjoying the outdoors.

Techno - Learn 2.5

Starting the new round of techno-info. I'll be posting my observations as we go through the lessons.

Week #10 The Dark Side

Come on over to the Dark Side...It'll be a Hoot!
Actually being hit by maleware is no fun. A friend of mine (who shall remain nameless and is banned from EVER touching my computer again) went to a bogus site. A blizzard of popups hit the screen and malware attacked my computer.

IF this should ever happen to you, IMMEDIATELY yank the ethernet plug from your modem if you are hardwired. If you are running wireless, disconnect the connection - FAST! This will stop more damaging software from downloading and you can then start the lengthy clean up process.

Unfortunately, I was not home at the time. When I did get home my screen still had popups running rampant and so was the malware. Really loooong story short. I have new spyware. After many days of clean up and repair, damage has been so extensive to windows that I'm going to have to rescue my files, reformat my hard drive, and start over. Nuf said!

Week #9 Lifelong Learning

If you are not learning and growing you are stagnating and die-ing.
I am a firm believer in learning throughout your life either formally or just for your own pleasure and knowledge. Learning is enriching. It keeps your mind functioning and making new paths. Keep old-timers at bay - learn something new every day, no matter how small.

Many useful links here. eCollege may be the way to my MLS! I'm all over the Wikiversity too. The others are below - again STRICTLY my opinion.

• LifeHacker is right up my alley.
• Positivity Blog - ehh ok.
• Business Balls - might have some use for this.
• Berklee Music Lessons - YES! just what I've needed.
• Nikon Photo School - not for me.
• Cnet Digital Home DIY -might have some use to me.
• Instructables - definitely a keeper. Lots of interesting how to's here.
• eHow - similar to How Stuff Works
• Expert Village - might have some use to me. Video is good.
• Extropia - Definitely usful to a techy like me!
• How Stuff Works - been using it for years! Great site!
• 5 Minute Lifopedia - Not sure, kind of amaturish, but might have some useful posts.

Week #8 Library 2.0

I am surprised you did not mention the library's Texting programs, alerts and questions like Qline. This is very 2.o! Interactive information - that's what it's all about right?

• Downloadable ebooks
• Online Tumblebooks
• Downloadable TV shows
• Online account access
• Online database access
• Online searchable catalogue
• Virtual classes
• Opinion Surveys
• But WAIT - There's More!!

OCLS has done a great job in keeping up with the technology curve. As a Techy I'm impressed, and that's saying something.

BTW - Can't wait to create and order a book from Flickr or Shutterfly for that impossible person on my Xmas list. Flickr has a downloadable software (Blurb Booksmart) that you can have full editing capabilities, Fantastic!

Week #7 Web 2.0 continues...

OK, taking the sites from the top down:
(Strictly my opinion.)

• Farecast, Love it-Love to travel. Searches other travel sites (orbitz, expedia, etc.) and compares them. Much like Dogpile searches 12 other search engines for info.
• Kayak, used it before. They have improved it. It's much better now. Equivalent to Farecast.
• Rentometer, no value for me. Good if you want to find cheaper rent or see if you're over Paying.
• Zillow, Great real estate site and easier than most of the actual realty sites.
• The 61, will be hiiting this more at home for music.
• Pan Images, no real value. Basicly searching google and flickr. I can do that myself.
• Upcoming, events from the grand to the minor.
• OCLS texting, it costs me extra to text. won't be using this.
• Im Cooked, Interesting, but I'd rather have the recipe. Good if you need the technique or have no clue on how to's.
• Big Brother - Utube, ok

Week #6 R&R

:) me, taking a break

Week #5 Change = Adapt or Die

(I love Darwin!)
I think the USB bracelet is awesome and a great marketing tool, not to mention ideally convenient portability! Movie magnates are finally getting wise offering downloadable movies. Look at huge Net Flix among others. It won't stop pirating, but it will help. As the technology develops it will also be the wise organization that stays on top of that cutting edge and offers inovative ways of using it/IT.

Darwin aside, the old business addage says - the company that is not growing or is stagnate is, or will begin soon, to die.

Week #4 Open Source is IT! (Pun intended)

I have been watching the Open Source Code/ Freeware/ Shareware wave for more than 10 years!

Here is acouple sites about CopyLeft rules, implementation, and use. CopyLeft seeks to KEEP open sourceware - open - and prevent anyone from locking it in.
http://www.copyleft.com/
http://www.copyleft.no/
http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/ GNU = Lesser General Public License

Open source code and "copyleft" vs. copyright is the natural solution for software. Freeware and Shareware have been around for a loooong time. I expect it to expand exponentially from here on, especially with successes such as Linux OS, "OpenOffice" by Sun Microsystems, and many other large and small programs.

With the increase in masses of information, music, movies, pictures, art work, ad infinte item, it is going to be more and more difficult to "lock down" all those forms of creativity. It is natural for all these areas to follow the the freeware/shareware/pay-per-use concept including books, and music. Witness http://www.pagebypage.com/ and http://www.gutenberg.com/ and sites that let you buy a song for 99 cents. Watch it grow!

Week #3 Health, Workout, & Weightloss - Oh My!

Well, this is depressing. Back to the ol' workout video. It worked for me before, can't afford the Wii or a gym. At least I have better information now and goals. My max heart rate is 171. According to the BMI I am at the upper limit of "Overweight" and need to loose 31 pounds to be at the upper limit of "Normal".
Ouch!
Need to loose 50 pounds to get to an average weight for my height and frame.
Double Ouch!!
I like the 10,000 step plan, that is do-able. I don't like music for outdoor workouts (walking, gardening, etc.), but do for indoors. The boring factor is definitely my problem for sticking with it. Got plenty of ideas from the lesson tho. Wish me luck!

Week #1-2 Learn 2.1 - Once more around the block

Week 1 & 2- Learn 2.1 OCLS Lessons
Here we go, once more around the block and don't spare the horses!
Review, review.

Week 10:

Podecasting - up to the minute technology. Download is the way to go!
Going to use my MP3 player for audio books and some music.
Love the ebook/audiobook feature.

BTW - One of my absolute all time favorites -Prairie Home Companion has it's own site for all the news from lake woebegone. Access it at http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/ It also gives you the radio stations that carry the show and the time slots to listen to it.

Week 9:

Liveplasma -cool. Like the integrated tree design spinning out to like or similar music and then to near genre.
Copyright info - essential.
Digital Music copyright info -also essential, especially since I'm a musician/singer and work with musicians on original works, performances, independent movie soundtrack/sound fx, music, etc.
Copyright for Libraries and Educational use - very valuable info for our daily business.

Bookmarked the sites for reference.

Digital copyright stance - It's a good ideal, but it's hard to regulate cyberspace. Sites have to be willing to self regulate and there is still no guarantee their users will follow suit.

Week 8:

Interesting to see the different methods for protecting intellectual and artistic items such as the common protections here. Check out "Copy Left" (vs copyrigtht) for open source code programming. It's along the same lines only the other direction. Rules for keeping software open source code.

Week 7:

Trainco -Interesting and good information. May help people stay focused.
Catster - Ahhhh, cute kittys.
Dogster - Puppies!!
Blufr - Fun! Right up my alley as a history major, didn't fool me on most of them.
Chugged - Ok.
Bottletalk - Ok also.
Puzzleplayer - Right up there with bored.com.

Just reinforces -there's something for everybody out there in cyberspace. If not create it!