Thing 3: RSS

RSS is one of those things that I always swear I am going to take advantage of, but end up not really using it as much as I would like. I have played with them before, but I find I end up getting too many feeds and not enough time to sort through. However, I am going to try again and this time I won't add as many feeds. I think RSS is a great and efficient way to keep up with the news, friends, events, and other updates.

Like many of my colleagues, I will be using Google Reader because... well, it's Google. I think the search option in Google Reader makes it really easy to find what I am looking for. I had no trouble finding interesting feeds to add.

I like the idea of patrons being sent feeds when new titles are placed in the library's catalog or when programs or events are taking place. I also think it is a great way for librarians to communicate new information to each other, either within or outside of their library system.

Thing 2: The machine is us

I really enjoyed the post by John Blyberg. I definitely agree that libraries cannot and should not ignore Library 2.0. I know plenty of individuals who are reluctant to embrace Web 2.0, but the truth is… if you want to exist, you have to respond to demand. And for many of our patrons, the Web is a huge part of their lives. I think we need to find as many ways as possible to communicate with our patrons and respond to their needs. We cannot ignore Web 2.0 unless we want to cease to be important to our patrons.

I thought Blyberg's definition of Library 2.0 was especially nice:
“Library 2.0 simply means making your library’s space (virtual and physical) more interactive, collaborative, and driven by community needs. Examples of where to start include blogs, gaming nights for teens, and collaborative photo sites. The basic drive is to get people back into the library by making the library relevant to what they want and need in their daily lives…to make the library a destination and not an afterthought.”

I have seen Michael Wesch’s video before and always enjoy it. I think it does a great job explaining the basic concept of Web 2.0 and also raises important questions regarding copyright, authorship, ethics, and my favorites… identity and privacy.

Identity: Are you your online profile? Does it accurately portray you as an individual? Maybe we have multiple identities? Who am I? It is interesting that people can essentially be someone else online or assume an alternate identity. I was surprised to find some people (one of my co-workers... you know who you are) has a fake facebook account. Well, it is real in that it exists, but fake as in it is not her real name or identity as we know it.

Identity Theft: There was an interesting piece on NPR a couple of months ago about a guy who successfully hacked into bank accounts of individuals simply by reading about them on facebook, blogs, myspace, etc. He was able to find out enough information to correctly guess their passwords or their mothers' maiden names in order to request their passwords.

Privacy: It seems like it would be very easy to stalk people using myspace, facebook, and blogs (maybe Thing no. 24 should be stalking a co-worker using Web 2.0 resources). And with twitter and facebook, you can know what anyone is doing at anytime. My advice, play around with the privacy options when it comes to your accounts/profiles and choose your friends wisely... OR ELSE.

Time Management: Thinking about how much time we spend interacting through a web interface is important. Social networking sites can seriously suck you in for hours or even days. I know plenty of people who are always connected to the Web in some way. Lately, I am obsessed with facebook. My stepfather blogs multiple posts a day, either from his computer or his phone. Is this bad? Is it good? The good thing is we are still interacting with people, or people as represented in cyberspace. The bad thing is sometimes if you sit in front of your computer too long you develop physical problems, you may be ignoring other aspects of your life, and your dishes will pile up (this is my problem). Tip #2: I find that while watching movies is the best time to also play around online. Two birds with one stone my friends. But after about five musicals, I start to feel a bit like a zombie.

There are times when I feel Web 2.0 has gone too far. Like when young teens post provocative pictures of themselves and when it is possible to stalk someone and find out intimate details of their lives. However, technology is just technology. We still have the power and apparently posting our lives on the web is what we do now. I am not against this phenomenon.

I suppose if someone's goal is to have the world see them naked, they could just post their pictures on bulletin boards around towns. But why waste your time with bulletin boards when you have a much more efficient way to get your pics out there, the Internet (this is just using common sense and being resourceful when it comes to achieving your goals). Social networking tools are just that, tools (tools help us accomplish a goal). They are not innately good or bad, and we have the power to do what we want with them. I do think we need to be prepared to address potential problems as they arise. Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 have wonderful things (23 in fact) to offer us and it seems that overall, the good outweighs the bad. The first step is educating ourselves, which is why I am participated in 23 Things.

endthought