Arriverderci, Techtrek

This experience has been frustrating more often than not, and there was a lot to learn that escaped me, but I think I learned quite a bit.

I learned that you can teach an old dog new tricks, but it takes a real long time to get her to stand up, turn around a few times, and sit back down in front of the computer, and then start to hit the keys.

I think some of the things we looked at could be used for good as well as evil.

I learned how to use my wonderful new Nikon, and actually copy pictures into the computer, and onto my flash drive and into Flickr, and then how to do a slide show, and post it on my blog. And if I had another 84 hours, I'll bet I could do it again.

I fooled around with Tags and such just long enough to recognize them when I see them out and around the internet, and to believe that many times they are overused and kind of silly and meaningless, for example, I could tag this blog "Arriverderci" "Techtrek" "dog" "tricks" etc., but I'll bet you still couldn't find me (and maybe if you found me I wouldn't be what you were looking for).

I know I will not ever be tempted to use Facebook, and my days at Flickr are seriously numbered. I like to make friends one at a time, and show my pics to people I like, and don't really need to have strangers seeing my pets and children online.

On the other hand, I think maybe we at James Island might want to continue our blog, just so folks can see what we're up to here.

I want to thank Amanda

for always being available when I hit the wall

and yelled for help.

I want to thank all my friends/

co-workers/partners-in-crime at the

James Island Branch Library

for putting up with the many hours I spent fighting with this project

and their encouragement, even when I was losing the battle

and their enthusiastically tolerating me

following them around with my camera and

treating me like I had been really clever and creative

and especially for being an incredible group of people to work with.

I want to thank Buffy Librarian

for finding and posting

the Betty Glover Library Workout Tape

which seems like the perfect way to end this project...

...except I still can't figure out how to embed a video

but I can do links, so...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k8BKX2eQ0Q

...AND ARRIVERDERCI!

You Tube -- Or Maybe Not

Here's another attempt to copy a video. I'm trying on a newer computer, in the a.m. slow time. If this fails, c'est la vie.

Well, no luck. I'm going to try another video.

Nope, can't do it.

I went to Edit Html, cut and pasted (the whole entry) in the embed space, and the whole title in the title space, and checked where I agree to anything they want just so it will work, hit Upload Video and... nothing.

So if you want to see a cool video that is relevant to libraries, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3mGlp4GT6k

I think.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

FROM

JAMES ISLAND!!!

On Podcasts

In an attempt to stay with the theme, I found a podcast of the original Library Lady, Nancy Pearl, who does a weekly review of a couple of books. She truly is my hero, and I have her deluxe action figure on my desk. So I'm listening to her talk about what appears to be a really dramatic biography, and find that I'm getting hypnotized by the screen patterns on Windows Media Player. Then I realized that I didn't really want to sit and listen to what was about 5 minutes of this review. So I went back a page and started reading the review. Ah, that's better.

You see, I'm a book person. I've started listening to audio books in the car just in self-defense, because there aren't enough hours in the day to read all the books I want to read. But I'd rather have the control of the page.

I love book reviews. I started reading the Washington Post review of books on Sundays in 1977, and switched to the New York Times Book Review when I moved to New York in 1980, and when I stopped having time to read the whole Sunday Times, I began subscribing to the NYT Book Review, which I read religiously, even though I tend to be a month behind.

But I don't read a whole review most of the time. I read the first paragraph, then scan, then read the last paragraph. Unless I do it differently. But I get to focus where I want to focus.

There are lots of podcasts that I plan on looking into, as so many news shows have podcasts. I like this idea.

Happy Birthday to You...

Happy B-Day Paul and Elaine
Originally uploaded by AnuBlackButtaFly

...and another chance to party at James Island Library. Lots of good eats, but we're having a harder time thinking up ways to surprise folk around here.

discouraged

I Give Up

 

Here I am on Zoho, and I am very discouraged.  I have seen all the beautiful and creative entries done by other tekkies over the past weeks.  I know I'll never reach that level of expertise.  But I can't even crop a photo and move it today.  And believe me I have tried.

 

For example, Zoho won't even let me choose font and background color today.  Okay laugh at me.

 

I know I can do applications online; I've done them.  I did them years ago before I had a clue, so I think I can do applications if I need to.

 

I think I may be hoping to have this "Aha" experience if I keep hammering away.

 

Y'all may have misunderestimated how long it takes

to teach

an old dog new tricks.

What Will They Think of Next?

I am not that easily impressed, but I have to say, these online word processor programs are amazing. I can add this:

...well, I'm still working on it, it was very easy to transfer the picture to the page, but the picture was huge, so, back to the drawing board.

(I don't know where this picture went; it was here before.)

That's what I wanted to do. I don't know if I'm actually learning to do some of this stuff, or if this program is just so much easier than blogspot. I'm hoping it's a little of both. (I was wrong; it's neither.)

It was way easy to transfer this, except for the following:

--The picture disappeared;

--Part of what I wrote is gone. It was about how easy it was to change colors and fonts.

This was through Google Docs, and now I'm going to try Zoho writer. This could take awhile.