Quest #12: Podcasts

I've listened to a few podcasts before, mostly tutorials. I looked at Podcast.net and PodcastAlley.com and listened to a few there. I found one at Podcast Alley that I've subscribed to through Bloglines. It's the Mighty Mommy Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting. There are some book review podcasts I may subscribe to as well after previewing them. I seem to always be listening during high Internet traffic times because the podcasts often pause for a minute or two in the middle. That's pretty frustrating.

Quest #12: YouTube

I enjoy YouTube sometimes, but it's so easy to spend a lot of time there. It just sneaks up on you. I decided to look up a series of commercials that always cracked me up and I miss seeing them on TV. They're the Trunk Monkey commercials from Suburban Auto Group. Hilarious!

Quest #11: Online Apps

Okay, I'm really excited about online apps because I have a Mac at home and have never gotten the software to be able to view and use MS Office stuff on it. Now I won't have to! I signed up for a Zoho account and really liked Zoho writer. It's VERY user-friendly. I will explore the other Zoho stuff too especially the spreadsheets, planner and calendar. I did have a problem trying to post what I'd written on Zoho writer as a blog post though. I'm still working on it - I think I was doing it correctly but was getting a message about enabling cookies from blogger.

Quest #10: Playhouse

These are fun! I'm going to explore them more when I have more time. I've used evite before and have received evite invitations. It's easy and nice to see who's responded and send reminders. I've added the Generator Blog to my Bloglines account so I can check it out more. :)

Quest #9: Wikis

I think Wikis are a lot of fun as long as you remember that they may not always have the most reliable information. I really liked the Book Lovers Wiki - what a great idea to get the community involved. This could add a great new dimension to our Adult Summer Reading program or our book clubs. A wiki is a fantastic tool for coordinating projects among several people without having to have meetings constantly too. I can also see it as a great way to exchange ideas for programs and things like that. I've used Wikipedia before when there was something I didn't know anything about and wanted just a quick overview.

Quest #8: Social Networking

I already have a MySpace account that I was using to communicate with a cousin I don't see often and that was the only way I knew to get in touch with her. I'll admit I haven't really done anything to make my page more interesting like adding more info about me or pictures mostly because I haven't had time. Also I feel like I'm a little old for most of the social networking sites. Most everyone I've seen on there are teens or twenties. I think it's an amazing way to keep up with people and age really shouldn't make any difference, but it does to some extent. People I want to keep in touch with are not using these sites right now. Maybe that will change, but most of my friends and family don't want to post their personal information for everyone to see even if it's only their likes and dislikes, favorite music, movies, etc.

I looked at bebo, Facebook and Friendster as well and they all seemed pretty much the same to me. LinkedIn looked like it might have some great potential for professional use, but you can't really see much without joining.

Overall I think social networking is a great way to meet people and keep in touch if you're interested in doing that. I also think it's a great way for groups such as libraries to reach a phenomenal number of teens.

Quest # 7 Photosharing

I've used Flickr to upload photos for the CCPL Public Relations account. It's very easy to use - and I recommend downloading Flickr Uploadr if you have lots of photos to upload to make it even easier. I decided to look for pictures of Saluda, NC since I was there this past weekend and am missing the cool, crisp air up there. I didn't think to take pictures myself while I was there, but fortunately there are several already on Flickr that bring back fond memories. It's too bad the picture of the Saluda library is pointing up, though. It was so quaint at ground level. :)