Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Kids
Finding amusements for the kids is something I like to do for my niece and nephew. They already know quite a bit about the net but I like to keep throwing things (not just net) to keep them interested and inspired. The two sites I sent them recently, just for amusement sake, are: http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/fortune.php Photo Fortune, a site that is a 3rd party tool on Flickr, gives a fortune and associated photos each day, and http://www.stardoll.com/en/ Stardoll the nearest I've ever come to buying a doll for her. Not that I played with it mind you, but apparently you can choose a 'star' and then choose fashion for her. Dress up dolls on the net. I figure these, while not the most interesting things on the net (hey they've been using APOD for years and that's way more interesting), simple entertainment in a different format is similar to letting kids read comics just to make sure they continue to read. Reading is good, the net is good. Encouraging the kids to get involved is always a good thing.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Running 23 Things
The best thing about getting into web 2.0 is that now that I'm in a workplace that is introducing the 23 Things program I'm in the fantastic position of being able to help others understand it. There are two of us running the program, the other fellow is mostly putting up the blog posts and keeping the blog running, I have rss feeds to each of the people who are in our pilot group and if they post that they are having a problem with something it's usually me who has the solution or suggestion. I'm delighted to find that some of the others in the group are offering help. Often it's little things such how to make a link clickable and sometimes people are just complaining about some of the usual such as ending up with too many passwords. A few never got started and at least one has freaked out and not got past the first post. I made phone calls to the 3 who didn't get started hoping to see if there was something I could say to jog them, but frankly I think we've lost them. The one who has freaked out would do it if I was sitting next to her, but we are not located close to each other.
We have limited support - I've heard someone senior to me express a lot of impatience with people who don't just jump in a learn new stuff by themselves. She's obviously one of those who do. So am I. I did the 23 things by myself as a way of filling in the gaps of what I already knew. I've found her Facebook page and I know she uses other stuff. The difference between us is that I understand that she and I are a bit unusual because we have so much curiosity and confidence. Most people don't. I also understand that of the ones who don't a big proportion of them can be encouraged to learn more and therefore gain extra confidence. There'll always be those who will never cope, but they are just as much a minority as we are.
We have limited support - I've heard someone senior to me express a lot of impatience with people who don't just jump in a learn new stuff by themselves. She's obviously one of those who do. So am I. I did the 23 things by myself as a way of filling in the gaps of what I already knew. I've found her Facebook page and I know she uses other stuff. The difference between us is that I understand that she and I are a bit unusual because we have so much curiosity and confidence. Most people don't. I also understand that of the ones who don't a big proportion of them can be encouraged to learn more and therefore gain extra confidence. There'll always be those who will never cope, but they are just as much a minority as we are.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Way more than 23
I like blogging, and I know it's been a while since I wrote on here, but I only just realised I don't need to stop just because I finished the 23 things program. There's lots of things I've done since and lots still coming out in Web 2.0.
Social Networking. I really didn't want to do this at first, seems so 'vanity', but I've finally decided it doesn't have to be. I got onto Ning and created a small social networking site for my very distant cousins, all descendents of Henry and Susannah Kable. It's rather quiet, but it is a space where people doing research and having difficulties can find info or ask questions. There will be a flurry of activity and then it'll go quiet for a while. Some find it a problem that it's so quiet, but it doesn't worry me, I think a social network will develop according to how people use it and if the people using it are not the sort who like to chat in public (forums) then it will be a quiet network. I just find it amazing that I could create a space for them and 80 cousins joined up!
I eventually got a Facebook page. Not very fussed with it. I know some people really get into it, but I don't make 'friends' with people I don't know so I think I only have 8. For me it's a place I can chat with my niece sometimes. She's generally the only one who is ever online at the same time as me.
I joined up with Friends because I found an old friend of mine on there, and eventually found another one, but that's all. The interesting thing about that experiment was that I realised my memory of high school and the 'gang' I used to hang with wasn't remembered the same as the other two I found. I remember us as a mini gang of odd ones out - me, the smallest one in the school, the allergic one, the discontented fat girl and the two Italian sisters. We use to lunch together away from the rest of the kids most days. Some of us did other things on some days. I think I'm the only one who remembers everyone. I haven't found the sisters so I'm not sure what they remember. All four of them were so important to me. They were the only ones I could hang with comfortably at a very difficult time of my life. After being very surprised I'm just philosophical about it now - memory is a strange thing, especially when involving a bunch of 12 - 13 year old girls who are all going through difficult times!
So for me, social networking has it's uses and disappointments, and quite possibly it's a generational thing.
Social Networking. I really didn't want to do this at first, seems so 'vanity', but I've finally decided it doesn't have to be. I got onto Ning and created a small social networking site for my very distant cousins, all descendents of Henry and Susannah Kable. It's rather quiet, but it is a space where people doing research and having difficulties can find info or ask questions. There will be a flurry of activity and then it'll go quiet for a while. Some find it a problem that it's so quiet, but it doesn't worry me, I think a social network will develop according to how people use it and if the people using it are not the sort who like to chat in public (forums) then it will be a quiet network. I just find it amazing that I could create a space for them and 80 cousins joined up!
I eventually got a Facebook page. Not very fussed with it. I know some people really get into it, but I don't make 'friends' with people I don't know so I think I only have 8. For me it's a place I can chat with my niece sometimes. She's generally the only one who is ever online at the same time as me.
I joined up with Friends because I found an old friend of mine on there, and eventually found another one, but that's all. The interesting thing about that experiment was that I realised my memory of high school and the 'gang' I used to hang with wasn't remembered the same as the other two I found. I remember us as a mini gang of odd ones out - me, the smallest one in the school, the allergic one, the discontented fat girl and the two Italian sisters. We use to lunch together away from the rest of the kids most days. Some of us did other things on some days. I think I'm the only one who remembers everyone. I haven't found the sisters so I'm not sure what they remember. All four of them were so important to me. They were the only ones I could hang with comfortably at a very difficult time of my life. After being very surprised I'm just philosophical about it now - memory is a strange thing, especially when involving a bunch of 12 - 13 year old girls who are all going through difficult times!
So for me, social networking has it's uses and disappointments, and quite possibly it's a generational thing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
