Dark side of the Web

Have you ever been the target of a phishing scam? Did you recognize it as a scam right away? What tipped you off? Blog about your experiences with malware or phishing attempts - do not provide any information which may lead to a phishing attempt.

Which web 2.0 tools would you like to find more about?

In the past we have regularly received emails from Banks asking for account details or the emails that offer lots of money if you let them use your bank account.
The bank emails appear very genuine, and it is only that I know my bank does not email for information that I was able to quickly spot them. Unfortunately not all users know this and can easily be caught out.

Malware is also one of those nasties that once on the computer can be almost impossible to remove, regardless of the removal instructions provided on some websites. Again, many malware or phishing attempts appear as genuine items, or popups that users think they are closing correctly. It is not until later that the nasties are discovered and the problem idenfitified.

After working through some new Web 2.0 tools I know I need to look into Skype more and start using it at home. I also need to try and make more of an effort to engage with twitter as it seems so popular. I also want to keep an eye on Nings and see what happens with them in the future.
It has been great working through the 12 weeks of Learning 2.1

Mashups revisited

Browsing through the links displayed some very interesting mashups, although the BookTour link and the the Visual Headlinks link was broken which was a bit disappointing.
I really liked bkkeepr and could see some application within individual library services. Although it doesn't have a particular use it would engage borrowers and create interest among regular readers.


Some potentially useful mashups I found are NSW Crime which could be used to answer information requests. Another useful mashup was Map My Fun, the huge range of sporting locations listed would be very useful for assisting patrons in locating venues in the local area.

Had a bit of fun making a very simple mashup using an old holiday pic.

Instant Communication

Played around with Instant Messaging in Skype, Facebook and MSN Messenger. All of them were fairly simple to use and did not require technical knowledge to setup and access.
They are great for instantly talking with another individual, although your friends/colleagues must be online at the right time.

I can see that they have a use in the library, we have used Skype to run an author talk but that was done using webcam rather than text. I don't think it would work with instant chat only, but the instant chat could be used to ask questions.

Instant Messaging is a great tool for librarians to communicate with patrons, like the Ask Now example shown by the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. It would be important to ensure that once the service was introduced it was always staffed during advertised hours so that patrons would not be disappointed by lack of response.

There may be more uses in the future e.g. notification of events, but this might be starting to cross over with SMS notifications which is not the same technology.