To Google or Not to Google, that is the question

I thought this might be more of an adventure than it ended up being. I couldn't remember the results of the first search after I started the second, so comparing them was difficult. This forced a more scientific approach to the whole process; write down my exact search terms, then try it, then print out the first page of results and compare the hard copies. What I found was that the same three sites came up in each search engine within the top five results, usually within two or three spaces of each other. Not much difference there. Do I need to do more trial to see if I think one is better than the other? I'm not sure but it doesn't fit within my time limit for the assignment.

I hoped for more exciting results, an outcome that said WOW! look at this search engine, but it didn't happen. So which one should I use? I think it's nice to have options and feel like Google doesn't control my internet life. The reality is that I am comfortable using Google and the refinements I can make on it. It's good to know about the others and the differences they might provide, but for me they don't offer much that I can't get from Google. So I will probably stick with that one for now.

Podcasting not peas in the pod

Being summer, when I hear the word pod I go first to peas and then to Orcas. But that's not what they mean is it? Each podcast I listened to seemed different, so there is lots of variety out there. It would be fun to try out more of these, but I have put myself on an extreme time constraint with the rest of these assignments. I am trying to limit myself to the hour we were told it would take. So far, I'm not doing very well. It is so much easier to do this when I can be uninterrupted, which isn't very often. And having your own machine so you didn't have to log on and off would be a great benefit too. But in the meantime, instead of exploring to my hearts content, I am trying to do the minimum to get the assignment finished. It's like being in school all over again, and it's the end of the semester.

I listened to several but for now settled on NPR and oops a library site focused on marketing whose name I have already forgotten. There is lots to be learned, I just have to pay attention. It is good to see and hear different perspectives. Once people learn how to use pod casts, I think there might be a wide variety of interests for library users. Yes, I have both listened to and created pod casts; it's lots of fun. The creating can be a real challenge since we have very few sound proof or even sound resistant rooms at our disposal. But it's still very hands on.

Generators (but not power generators)

This is the perfect activity to pursue when the power has gone out and you just don't know what to do with yourself. In my experience, as soon as the power goes out you want to do all manner of things, dishes (no water, wells need power for the pumps) laundry, vacuuming, catching up on your email. So I can add to the list sit and play with "Online Image Generators". Now I will have one more thing to obsess about on those windy days.

It looks like this can be lots of fun. All it takes is a little bit, or a lot, of time. Maybe I'll pursue them further in the dead of winter when the sun isn't shining. At least I know about them now.

this may be a reason for dsl

Well, I finally got around to this one and now I have a real reason for dsl. OverDrive looks like it could have lots of uses, but in order to use it at home, we would definitely require dsl or some other high speed access. Since we are on the outskirts of a service area, we still don't have this advantage.

This is definitely a tool that is available to the haves and is one more way to differentiate between those who do and those don't have. The have nots can't take advantage of this service from their local library since we don't yet provide the ability to download on public computers. So once again, the question of social equity pops up to the surface. So as to the things I don't like, well I don't like the fact that the library system offers this to some of its users but it is not available to those whose only computer it the one at their local library. I understand that this may be changing but for now it comes up on the negative balance sheet.

So...I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other; the selection was okay, I was surprised by the selection of authors.

Still, would I really use it if I spent the money for dsl and could? Probably not. I still like to hold a book in my hands and look at the pictures. I don't have my own computer at work so I couldn't be listening to a book while I slaved away on an excel spread sheet, and it isn't really useful for my home application. It is nice to know about it though. However, I learned more from a coworker while I was trying to figure things out than I got from the FAQs or any of the instructions. Guess I'm just a little dense.

As to the adventure of this segment, after looking at the first 100 or so titles, then switching to the music then the video, I would need several hours to plow through all that is available. I found the search option less than effective or helpful, so for me it meant looking at each entry and that was an adventure, but I finally had to quit before I found anything that really interested me.