Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Thing 24: Refresh Your Blog

After multiple attempts to give this blog a facelift by incorporating any one of the sweet blog templates I found on Pyzam [http://www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates] -- and losing my avatar and all of my images each time I tried -- I decided that despite my careful following of directions, I was probably doing something extraordinarily wrong. To use one of the Pyzam templates without losing everything but my posts, I would have to copy and paste all of the code back into my blog. It wasn't worth the effort.

So, my new look came from one of the blogger templates (a relative of the one I used for the first 23 things). Prettier, I think; hopefully as clear and easy to read.
Not nearly as fun as a blog with a VanGogh painting as a backdrop, but, you can't have everything. If anyone has successfully used one of these templates, I'd sure like to know how.

My avatar's new as well -- summertime seemed to demand it.

Thing 23: Evaluation

Well, well, well...I've finally finished these Things! It's been a valuable experience, albeit an extraordinarily lengthy one -- at least for me. And there are 23 More now ... a never-ending process it would appear.

What I'd really like to see (or even help develop) is a version of 23 things specifically directed at our new to the web and new to 2.0 library patrons -- the kind of tutorial they might be willing to tackle once they complete our basic Internet classes and want to keep on learning.

Is anyone out there working on this?

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Thing 22: Keeping Current

I added LibraryBytes as an RSS feed to follow, in order to keep up with changes; looking at the pile of my unread items to which I've subscribed, however, I don't know if, for me, following a feed is going to be a particularly effective way of staying current.

Working on the next 23 things will probably be just as effective, if not moreso, and I intend to start doing that as soon as the first set of Things is done. Nearly there...

Thing 21: Other Social Networks

Nearly at the end of all of these Things!

Joined the 23 Things on a Stick Ning group, sent a message to one of my colleagues; added a picture to my profile, and uploaded a bunch of photos to my page -- would have been easier if I could have done it directly from Picasa, but "sharing" a photo from a Picasa web album creates a mess with photo titles -- so I simply saved the photos to my computer and added photos from there. Nothing too exciting -- unless you want to look at some of my flower arrangements :)

Tried looking for NING friends from my AOL address book and gave up after the search went on...and on...and on...

Finally found the directions for adding a Ning badge to my blog.

Used Google to locate a florist's social networking site (on Chatter-media) and joined it -- but is sure doesn't look as if there's much activity there; British-based as well -- Think I'll look let that idea go, or look elsewhere.

Many Ning features are very similar to those on Facebook; not sure how many of these social networks I really need (or can possibly keep up with) -- I've even been neglecting my Facebook account for lack of time.