YouTube

OK, if there is a Thing as part of the programme so far with which I feel very confortable as a user is YouTube and, judging by the number of YouTube members, I believe I'm not the only one who has been using the leader of online video-sharing on a regular basis since its foundation in 2005.

Having said that and although I had investigated the wide range of Channels available, I was not aware of the existence of YouTube EDU. This is very significant as it reveals the fact that I tend to use YouTube for entertainment purposes only... So I felt it would be most beneficial for me to explore that channel for the accomplishment of this Thing.

I remember the headlines back in 2006 when Google could face the copyright nightmare charges after having bought YouTube and that piece of news highlighted the fact to me that Law is typically one step behing Technology. Althought some may argue that more effective measures could have been applied to pirated material such as discreet video watermarking for example, YouTube and Google have instigated partnership deals with major content providers such as BBC and Sony Music Group, and have also claimed that they act fully within the law, based on general "fair use" standards and the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to ensure that copyright protection works in the digital age. The heated debate continues...

Podcasts

My experience with podcasts had been somewhat limited until I accomplished Thing 11 this week. I had subscribed to some "Lost" podcasts a few years ago using iTunes and I remember I was particularly impressed with the advantages of the new-then technology; however, I was not as enthusiastic with the content I received and cancelled my subscription soon afterwards. I also know that one of the WISER sessions I co-presented was made into a podcast but don't know how that turned out...

I explored all the sites recommended and subscribed to receive RSS feeds from them; not only because I was particularly interested in all the subjects, but mainly because I was committed to experiencing all the different ways of subscribing on offer. Some podcasts created by Oxford University Computer Services are useful and, when I ventured out of the realms of the recommended sites, I found that the podcast "How do I use the Library?" by Oxford Brookes University is also a valuable resource.

Podcasts are basically broadcasts on demand and they are easily available to receive as well as to produce. I have learned the extent to which this form of broadcasting information opens up new opportunities for the dissemination of knowledge, the promotion of organisational services and, last but by no means least, the satisfaction of the public's entertainment needs.

Delicious (Part II)

After having added other Delicious users to my network, I was able to explore their bookmarks and although I was glad to be made aware of some of their recommendations, I felt rather overwhelmed by the sheer number of resources available on their pages. I fully appreciate the importance of adding tags and a few descriptive notes in order to better organise websites and quickly retrive them when necessary.

I also subscribed to RSS feeds from another user and briefly tested the Delicious network explorer. I felt that the service was rather entertaining but I don't think I will use it often if ever again. I can see how the "six degrees of separation" theory can be applied and theoretically you would be able to find new people with similar interestes by following the lines but you are also likely to find people who are there just because they happen to have some kind of connection by no means related to the areas in which you are investigating.

Having said that, the possibility of adding people to your network and of keeping track of their latest bookmarks is a very useful feature indeed. Delicious can easily be used as a marketing tool to promote existing library services (as well as to advertise new ones) simply by recommending webpages that highlight current aspects of library provision, by linking to review pages of the latest book acquisitions or simply by maintaining a proactive web presence. And the latter in particular should never be underestimated.

Delicious (Part I)

This is my Delicious page where some of my bookmarks are displayed. As instructed, I started by creating five websites which I felt to be relevant in the fields of Library and Information Science and Web2.0, and I made sure that the shared tag "ox23" was added to all of them.

There is no doubt that the tagging system is highly beneficial as it allowed me to find some interesting websites bookmarked by other fellow 23 Things participants.

The only inconvenience I encountered was that once you click on a link to a website, it won't open in a new window and you may find yourself being drifted away from your Delicious page. Perhaps there is a way to alter this but I have opened the Settings menu, have read the brief explanations given to each topic and still haven't managed to find a solution.

After having followed the suggestions given to explore Delicious further by adding a couple of websites from members of the public and by sending one of my bookmarks to another user, I was then able to reflect on the benefits of using Social Bookmarking Services in a library environment. Being able to access all your favourite websites from anywhere (as long as you are online, that is!) is a massive advantage but perhaps the biggest one of all is the possibility of sharing them with like-minded people and of discovering the numerous useful websites available out there.

Picnik

After uploading one of my photos from Flickr to Picnik, I simply let my imagination coupled with my creative skills run wild! I tried almost all of the options available under the Edit tab and was not at all concerned with the end product because I felt that, whatever that would be, the end would justify the means. I also tried some of the different effects provided that can be found under the Create tab because they are so much fun. I have to admit that I declined the offer to print my masterpieces at the end as I believe that some things are best left in the electronic format after all.

I had a look at FotoFlexer which claims to be the world’s most advanced online image editor and was particularly impressed with the wrinkle cream that can be found under the Beautify menu as it might come handy in a few years!

Flickr

Yesterday I created a Flickr account and uploaded five photos of New College Library. I was then able to join the Oxford 23 Things group and to add all the photos from my photostream to the Group Pool. Not many photos had been shared within the group at the time but I enjoyed exploring the ones already provided and look forward to the new additions throughout the week.

My two photos of the exterior of the library were grouped in a set and I also added three of them to the map (although I don’t understand why Flickr insists that they were taken in Headington Hill when I actually made sure the map was zoomed in on Holywell Street!).

The Librarian in me was glad to be given the opportunity to learn more about copyright issues as a result of one of the additional tasks proposed. The Creative Commons website provides a snapshot of their aims and objectives, and helped me to select the licence “Attribution-NonCommercial Creative Commons” for one of my photos. I also expected to find more useful information on the Flickr Blog but was rather disappointed...

Finally, I searched for photos from a particular place, added a couple to my “favs” and complimented some members on their fantastic photographic skills. OK, I did have a look at Picasa Web Albums as well but it was such a quick look that I'm not really sure if it counts!

Google Reader

Once I created an account with Google reader, I was able to subscribed to RSS feeds from a mixture of blogs and websites. I found the step-by-step instructions provided on the 23 Things Oxford blog very clear and easy to follow, and had no problems to start receiving updates both from sites where subscriptions to feeds were apparent and from those whose the copying and pasting of the feed's URL was necessary. I have to admit that the biggest challenge I encountered was actually finding the rather inconspicuous RSS links "Posts (Atom)" on the other 23 Things participants' blogs!

Some of the blogs I discoverd using the UK Library Blogs Wiki were very interesting, particularly those under the Chartership Blogs category as I am currently working to become a Chartered Member of CILIP.

Finally I followed the suggestions given to explore additional features; I grouped my subscriptions into two folders, added stars to some feeds and, after having changed the "sharing settings" accordingly, I decided to share an item with friends (I just need to add some friends on here now!).

I recognise the relevance and effectiveness of some of the Google Reader's features when applied to the context of the library and the services they deliver. On a more personal level, however, I will now be able to access information provided by a few LIS (and music) blogs and websites easily with the added advantage of being certain that no new posts nor pieces of news will ever be missed.