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.

More with Google Docs

Looking through the links for Google Doc Tips I really liked the 100 Great Google Doc Tips
The page was well structured with a very brief description of the purpose of each tip and then a link to more information. The neat structure made browsing easy and did not overload the user.

I also liked the Google Docs Guide: How to do stuff with Google Docs.
This page was more cluttered with Q & A sections with all the information on one screen, the user cannot select the question they have to view the answer. The information given appeared to be aimed at a more experienced user rather than a novice user.

The doc tips I would recommend are all the Time Saver in 100 Great Google Doc Tips and the Integration tips. These were particularly interesting and I can see myself visiting these two pages regularly.

Event Managment

Looking through the uses of Doodle it appears that it may be a very useful tool, particularly when trying to organise people that are in seperate locations. It was very easy to use and has a nice, clean interface.

Google calendar was easy to access and was very easy to use. If the user does not have access to a calendar in their email program e.g. Microsoft Outlook then Google Calendar would be a very useful tool to keep track of tasks. However when the user does have access to a calendar as part of their email it is an incovenience to login to Google Calendar and have that open as well as an email program. Something to think on though.

Looking through Eventbrite, Eventful and Anyvite was very interesting, although these tools has many similarities they appeared to have some unique differences which makes it difficult to determine which tool I preferred. Eventbrite allowed ordering and payment options which may be very useful, Eventful offered widgets and facebook connection, Anyvite appeared to allow a great deal of customisation. I think it would depend on what event you were wanting to promote and if that event was a personal event or professional event as to which tool would be the best option.

More use of the tools may also assist in deciding a preference and I will continue to test these event management tools.

More ways with RSS

I still have my Bloglines account from Learning 2.0,but I must admit that I haven't really looked at it in the last six months. I blame lack of time, but looking at some of the feeds today I realise that I should make time to use the tool as it contained very useful information.

Looking through the Filter tools I preferred the Feed rinse tool, it was relatively easy to use and suited my needs. Filter my RSS was a dead link and Feed Sifter wasn't as useful for me.

The RSS forwarding tools also have the potential to be very useful, I would most likely use the Feed my Inbox tool. If the feeds are appearing in my email I would be more likely to read them, however I would only use a few select feeds to prevent my email being overwhelmed.

Reminder Feed looked like it may have potential, but this would only work for me if I actually remember to visit my feed reader on a regular basis. The link for Spreed was also a dead link.

At the moment I have only subscribed to a few select feeds so lack of organisation hasn't really been a problem, however I can see that with a larger number of feeds it would be necessary to arrange them in a more organised way.

Slideshows, Digital Storytelling & Screencasting

The potential for using online screencasting to educate library users is enormous, prodcing the screencasting would require staff to think carefully about the message they are wanting to communicate and break the task down into logical steps that can be easily followed by a new user.

The digital storytelling site is a great concept that appears to allow children to create their own story relatively easy. Digital storytelling could be run as an event in the library, allowing the children to create their story and have it uploaded with library staff assistance. This interactive participation in the library would give children a sense of ownership.

Slideshare also looks like a good tool that has potential for use by libraries, but its use would need to be promoted with library patrons to ensure that it was viewed by the intended audience.