Showing posts with label Week Seven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week Seven. Show all posts
Saturday, March 20, 2010
A failure of application to work and an introduction to Facebook Apps
Friday 19th - Estimates are out of the way and having negoitated a good deal with the Busar or he with me; I have also sorted out with Conference Manager whether the Library could offer support to a group of teachers planning an awayday, which sadly it can not, I am feeling relaxed. Fortunately, a colleague from another library passes by and, despite spending rather more gossiping (chattering - see my previous posts re: Twiiter) than I should, we finally get around to discussing 23 Things! Thanks to this informal networking (chatter) I have discovered how to add some apps to my potential library Facebook page and also how to create the page but necesary have it go instantly live. What a nice way to spend a rainy Friday afternoon!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Linked Into LinkedIn
I am flattered to discover that I already had a LinkedIn Account having brought invited by former students. A few more invitations were also awaiting my attention too. I updated my profile a little, added a few apps and joined the CILIP group.
There was an article in the "Jobs" section of the Guardian last weekend on the use of social networking sites and their use in in the world of work. I really meant to save to it, read it and use it to supplement the blog on Twitter and LinkedIn. However, it has gone for recycling and despite browsing the web for it I have not retrieved it.
I should perhaps browse the web for for some interesting articles however, I'm pushed for time; needing to return my books to the EFL, attend an openday on Community Led Planning (CLP), finish a chapter of the PhD (long term project but chapter is taking longer than it should. I blame 23 Things!), mow lawn, spoil cat and pamper husband!
There was an article in the "Jobs" section of the Guardian last weekend on the use of social networking sites and their use in in the world of work. I really meant to save to it, read it and use it to supplement the blog on Twitter and LinkedIn. However, it has gone for recycling and despite browsing the web for it I have not retrieved it.
I should perhaps browse the web for for some interesting articles however, I'm pushed for time; needing to return my books to the EFL, attend an openday on Community Led Planning (CLP), finish a chapter of the PhD (long term project but chapter is taking longer than it should. I blame 23 Things!), mow lawn, spoil cat and pamper husband!
Feeling unsocial about social networking!
This exercise immediately posed questions for further thought if not blogging! To be honest I had not really considered the variety of social networking sites and their different functionality. Thank you 23 things for making me aware of this. This exercise also made me challenge some of my prejudices and, pejorative ones at that, about Facebook. I had not even bothered to look at MySpace, or Bebo and I hadn't heard of Orkut. I have joined by invitation the LinkedIn pages of others so this exercise (13) and the following one (14) is both a challenge and a useful exploration of social networking.
From the Web 2.0 directory I linked to a number of libraries using Facebook pages. There are a variety of them, large institutional libraries and smaller faculty libraries and colleges too. This gave a good opportunity to see which libraries had used which functionality to what degree. Like everything in Oxford everybody does virtually (and literally virtually in this case!) much the same thing but in subtly different ways.
The best example of the useful of Facebook for this exercise I found to be the Education Library.
As well as providing genuine social network there was the appropriate amount of useful information clearly displayed. "The Wall provides for a genuine communication between readers with short sensible posting, comments and prompt and helpful replies. I felt that the wall used in this way promoted a sustained dialogue between reader and library, that probably does reflect, to a certain extent, the face to face conversation at the door. "The Info" tab was short and sweet providing the bare minimum but with links to more detailed information. I confess I think I would have liked to have seen more here. The "Info tab appears to be a good space for posting of genuine information: not gossip, not pictures and not ephemeral news. I find the "Boxes" tab a bit of misnomer but it seems to be used effectively by many libraries to provide links to external services with attractive logos and search boxes. I good way of collecting to together and promoting resources. The "Events" tab is useful for promoting events hosted by the library such as booksales and user-education sessions. It might also be useful for promoting other related events with caution. It clearly marks an event out as distinct piece of information about an individual one off event rather than mixing it up with general news where it might got lost. The "discussion" tab I thought would offer to engage people and promote a longer dialogue and space to talk about interesting things. Sadly, in the sites I looked at despite a thread being started there was little or no further engagement. I wonder how this might be used effectively to create a convivial conversation if not heated debate! The "links" tabs was useful for providing links. I wonder how this might relate to the use of "Delicious".
There is potentially for Facebook but there is a confusion between whether it genuinely "social" or "informational" or something inbetween; a good chimera or bad depending on content. It is difficult to see who takes "ownership" whether is reader or library or both to create a community and conversation. I found a certain circularity of information provision between Facebook, Blog, Twitter and Webpage. I suspect that as information sources we need to consider audience, content and functionality more coherently.
From the Web 2.0 directory I linked to a number of libraries using Facebook pages. There are a variety of them, large institutional libraries and smaller faculty libraries and colleges too. This gave a good opportunity to see which libraries had used which functionality to what degree. Like everything in Oxford everybody does virtually (and literally virtually in this case!) much the same thing but in subtly different ways.
The best example of the useful of Facebook for this exercise I found to be the Education Library.
As well as providing genuine social network there was the appropriate amount of useful information clearly displayed. "The Wall provides for a genuine communication between readers with short sensible posting, comments and prompt and helpful replies. I felt that the wall used in this way promoted a sustained dialogue between reader and library, that probably does reflect, to a certain extent, the face to face conversation at the door. "The Info" tab was short and sweet providing the bare minimum but with links to more detailed information. I confess I think I would have liked to have seen more here. The "Info tab appears to be a good space for posting of genuine information: not gossip, not pictures and not ephemeral news. I find the "Boxes" tab a bit of misnomer but it seems to be used effectively by many libraries to provide links to external services with attractive logos and search boxes. I good way of collecting to together and promoting resources. The "Events" tab is useful for promoting events hosted by the library such as booksales and user-education sessions. It might also be useful for promoting other related events with caution. It clearly marks an event out as distinct piece of information about an individual one off event rather than mixing it up with general news where it might got lost. The "discussion" tab I thought would offer to engage people and promote a longer dialogue and space to talk about interesting things. Sadly, in the sites I looked at despite a thread being started there was little or no further engagement. I wonder how this might be used effectively to create a convivial conversation if not heated debate! The "links" tabs was useful for providing links. I wonder how this might relate to the use of "Delicious".
There is potentially for Facebook but there is a confusion between whether it genuinely "social" or "informational" or something inbetween; a good chimera or bad depending on content. It is difficult to see who takes "ownership" whether is reader or library or both to create a community and conversation. I found a certain circularity of information provision between Facebook, Blog, Twitter and Webpage. I suspect that as information sources we need to consider audience, content and functionality more coherently.
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