Define:
A Wiki is a quick-to-build, easy-to-edit website on which all information can be edited, changed, or rewritten by the users or members of the site. It is an incredibly useful tool for collaborative writing, pooling knowledge or exchanging ideas, especially on a subject that changes or needs updating frequently.
Here's another one of those great videos from commoncraft to help us understand wikis "in plain English:"
The word "Wiki" comes from the Hawaiian phrase "wiki wiki", which is commonly used to indicate something fast. The first Wiki ever made was WikiWikiWeb, an attempt to make an easily updatable website about certain trends in software development. It was started in 1995 and has been added to and continually updated since then.
Some of the benefits that make wikis so attractive are:
- Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
- Tracking tools within wikis allow you to easily keep up on what been changed and by whom.
- Earlier versions of a page can be viewed and reinstated when needed.
- And users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content. In most cases simple syntax structure is used.
As the use of wikis has grown over the last few years, libraries all over the country have begun to use them to collaborate and share knowledge. Among their applications are pathfinder or subject guide wikis, book review wikis, ALA conference wikis and even library best practices wikis.
Discover:
Wikipedia is probably the most well-know wiki. It is essentially a free encyclopedia on the web that anyone can edit. Take a look at the entry for Roselle, Illinois.
Let's also take a look at some library and library-related wikis:
SJCPL Subject Guides – a pathfinder wiki developed by the St. Joseph County Public Library system (South Bend, IN)
Library Success: A best practices wiki for libraries
2009 ALA Midwinter Meeting.Denver, CO – an example of a wiki created to support a specific event
Twelve Weeks to 2.0 - Schaumburg Library's Learning 2.0 project was done as a wiki rather than a blog as was Park Ridge Public Library's All Wired Up
Libraries and organizations are using wikis for Community and Information Guides, Conference Sites, Intranets, and many other things. See examples of these and other ways wikis are being used.
Now, let's write your "Thing #7: Wikis" blog post
Browse to the "Playtime" blog you created in Thing #1 (it should be listed in the Participants' Blogs on the right) and create a new post.
Use "Thing #7: Wikis" as the title of your blog post.
In the post, write about:
- what did you find interesting about the wikis you looked at and about the concept of wikis, in gerneral
- did you find the Wikipedia entry for Roselle, Illinois
- What did you think of Schaumburg Library and Park Ridge Library's Learning 2.0 wikis? Does a wiki make more sense for a project like this? Why or why not?
- how could we use the wiki format at Roselle
You're all finished with Thing #7.
You've learned a little bit about Wikis and taken the time to look at a few. You've seen examples of some library-related wikis.
Optional BONUS CHALLENGE:
About that Wikipedia article about Roselle, Illinois. Is there anything you would want to edit add or delete? If you feel brave, go ahead and create a Wikipedia account and update the information. If you're not that brave, but you'd still like a little more hands-on experience with wikis, Register for an account,and play in the Wikipedia sandbox. Edits to the sandbox page are deleted every 12 hours (if not overwritten by other users before that).
Have you heard about cloud computing? It's all the rage in Web 2.0. Find out what it is and the advantages and disadvantages in Thing #8: Online Apps (Coming Soon)
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Thing #6: Instant Messaging
Define:
Instant messaging (IM) allows users to chat with each other in real time. It is more immediate than e-mail and many programs also allow file, picture, and even video sharing. IM services are used by millions of people around the world, and are especially popular among teenagers and college students.
IM has been around for more than 10 years, but it’s only in the last five years or so that it’s gained massive popularity. We’ve all heard about how teens prefer IM to e-mail, but it’s not just the teens who are using IM. In a study published in September 2007, a whopping 84% of undergraduate students surveyed indicated that they IM on a daily basis. Going back to 2004, a Pew Internet study found that over 40% of adult internet users use IM to varying degrees. With statistics like that, you may have already used IM. If you haven’t, don’t fear! This Thing is designed to get you chatting in no time.
Web-based IM services do not require any special downloads, only a web browser and internet access. Popular IM services include AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Google Talk. The caveat with each of these major IM services is that you and your friends must all be using the same program. For example, if you use AIM and wish to chat with your friends, they must also be on AIM.
In the last few years, "multiprotocol instant messengers" such as Trillian and Meebo have made life easier for IM fans by allowing users to log in to multiple IM networks at one time. With these tools, an AIM user can chat with a friend on the MSN network.
Web-based IM services such as Meebo are websites that allow instant messaging from absolutely anywhere. Whether you’re at home, at work, or traveling foreign lands, hop over to Meebo.com on any computer to access all of your buddies (on AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ and Jabber) and chat with them via the Internet, no downloads or installs required, for free! Trillian also allows you to talk to buddies on different IM services, but you need to download the program to your computer.
Discover:
Libraries all over the country, including Roselle, have been using IM to provide a way for patrons to get in touch and ask questions. This Library Journal article describes IM reference service in public libraries.
Take a look at this list of Illinois libraries providing IM reference service. Select a few local libraries and explore how each presents IM reference to its patrons.
IM can have a language of its own. Do you recognize "lol, btw, bff? Acronyms keep typing to a minimum but can be hard to decipher if you've never seen them before. This Acronym Dictionary from AOL will help you sort things out.
Do:
Use your Playtime 2.0 email account to set up an IM account.
If your email account is Hotmail, use MSN Messenger (Click on Start MSN Messenger)
If your email account is Gmail, use Google Talk (Click on Launch Google Talk Gadget - not Download...)
If your email is Yahoo, use Yahoo! Messenger (Click on Sign In)
As with any "real life" IM experience, you'll have to find out which of your friends you can connect with by asking their screenname and which service they use.
Can you find someone who is using the same service as you? You'll need a partner for this one.
For the sake of this activity, it will be helpful if you and your partner are logged in to your IM service at the same time.
Ask your partner for her/his screenname. Add her/him to your Contacts list by entering their screenname into the "Search, add, or invite" box. You should see your new contact in the list if you are both logged in at the same time.
If you can't find a partner, add the Reference Desk to your contacts. See the Reference Desk's screennames here. The Reference Desk uses Trillian for chat. Trillian works with AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger, but not with Google Talk.
Start a chat session with your partner. Open a chat window by clicking on your partner's name from the Contacts list. You'll see an open whitespace with a field for typing at the bottom. Start typing and see what happens!
So where does Meebo fit in? Meebo works with AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger, and Google Talk. It even works if you do not have an IM service!
The Playtime 2.0 chat window in the right sidebar is powered by Meebo. If you haven't tried it yet, say hello!
Now, let's write your "Thing #6: IM" blog post
Browse to the "Playtime" blog you created in Thing #1 (it should be listed in the Participants' Blogs on the right) and create a new post.
Use "Thing #6: IM" as the title of your blog post.
In the post, write about:
- your experience using an IM service
- any other IM programs you've used.
- How do you feel about IM as a mode of communication?
- Do you think IM Reference is a valuable service?
You're all finished with Thing #6.
You've learned a little bit about Instant Messaging and created an IM account. You browsed the list of Illinois libraries offering IM Reference and perhaps chatted with one or two. As a bonus, you may have learned a few IM acronyms you didn't know before.
Optional BONUS CHALLENGE:
If you're already using an IM program other than the one you set up for this Thing, why not set up a Meebo account so that you can monitor all of your Buddy Lists?
1. Go to Meebo to sign up for an account. You'll want to configure your accounts so that Meebo signs in to all of them at once. HINT: When logged in, look for the "Accounts" link on the left.
Now, anytime you want to chat with someone, you can go to http://www.meebo.com, login and chat.
2. Share your experience using Meebo by blogging about it. Is Meebo something that you might find useful?
How much do you know about wikis? You're about to learn all about them in Thing #7! Move on whenever you're ready.
Instant messaging (IM) allows users to chat with each other in real time. It is more immediate than e-mail and many programs also allow file, picture, and even video sharing. IM services are used by millions of people around the world, and are especially popular among teenagers and college students.
IM has been around for more than 10 years, but it’s only in the last five years or so that it’s gained massive popularity. We’ve all heard about how teens prefer IM to e-mail, but it’s not just the teens who are using IM. In a study published in September 2007, a whopping 84% of undergraduate students surveyed indicated that they IM on a daily basis. Going back to 2004, a Pew Internet study found that over 40% of adult internet users use IM to varying degrees. With statistics like that, you may have already used IM. If you haven’t, don’t fear! This Thing is designed to get you chatting in no time.
Web-based IM services do not require any special downloads, only a web browser and internet access. Popular IM services include AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Google Talk. The caveat with each of these major IM services is that you and your friends must all be using the same program. For example, if you use AIM and wish to chat with your friends, they must also be on AIM.
In the last few years, "multiprotocol instant messengers" such as Trillian and Meebo have made life easier for IM fans by allowing users to log in to multiple IM networks at one time. With these tools, an AIM user can chat with a friend on the MSN network.
Web-based IM services such as Meebo are websites that allow instant messaging from absolutely anywhere. Whether you’re at home, at work, or traveling foreign lands, hop over to Meebo.com on any computer to access all of your buddies (on AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ and Jabber) and chat with them via the Internet, no downloads or installs required, for free! Trillian also allows you to talk to buddies on different IM services, but you need to download the program to your computer.
Discover:
Libraries all over the country, including Roselle, have been using IM to provide a way for patrons to get in touch and ask questions. This Library Journal article describes IM reference service in public libraries.
Take a look at this list of Illinois libraries providing IM reference service. Select a few local libraries and explore how each presents IM reference to its patrons.
IM can have a language of its own. Do you recognize "lol, btw, bff? Acronyms keep typing to a minimum but can be hard to decipher if you've never seen them before. This Acronym Dictionary from AOL will help you sort things out.
Do:
Use your Playtime 2.0 email account to set up an IM account.
If your email account is Hotmail, use MSN Messenger (Click on Start MSN Messenger)
If your email account is Gmail, use Google Talk (Click on Launch Google Talk Gadget - not Download...)
If your email is Yahoo, use Yahoo! Messenger (Click on Sign In)
As with any "real life" IM experience, you'll have to find out which of your friends you can connect with by asking their screenname and which service they use.
Can you find someone who is using the same service as you? You'll need a partner for this one.
For the sake of this activity, it will be helpful if you and your partner are logged in to your IM service at the same time.
Ask your partner for her/his screenname. Add her/him to your Contacts list by entering their screenname into the "Search, add, or invite" box. You should see your new contact in the list if you are both logged in at the same time.
If you can't find a partner, add the Reference Desk to your contacts. See the Reference Desk's screennames here. The Reference Desk uses Trillian for chat. Trillian works with AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger, but not with Google Talk.
Start a chat session with your partner. Open a chat window by clicking on your partner's name from the Contacts list. You'll see an open whitespace with a field for typing at the bottom. Start typing and see what happens!
So where does Meebo fit in? Meebo works with AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger, and Google Talk. It even works if you do not have an IM service!
The Playtime 2.0 chat window in the right sidebar is powered by Meebo. If you haven't tried it yet, say hello!
Now, let's write your "Thing #6: IM" blog post
Browse to the "Playtime" blog you created in Thing #1 (it should be listed in the Participants' Blogs on the right) and create a new post.
Use "Thing #6: IM" as the title of your blog post.
In the post, write about:
- your experience using an IM service
- any other IM programs you've used.
- How do you feel about IM as a mode of communication?
- Do you think IM Reference is a valuable service?
You're all finished with Thing #6.
You've learned a little bit about Instant Messaging and created an IM account. You browsed the list of Illinois libraries offering IM Reference and perhaps chatted with one or two. As a bonus, you may have learned a few IM acronyms you didn't know before.
Optional BONUS CHALLENGE:
If you're already using an IM program other than the one you set up for this Thing, why not set up a Meebo account so that you can monitor all of your Buddy Lists?
1. Go to Meebo to sign up for an account. You'll want to configure your accounts so that Meebo signs in to all of them at once. HINT: When logged in, look for the "Accounts" link on the left.
Now, anytime you want to chat with someone, you can go to http://www.meebo.com, login and chat.
2. Share your experience using Meebo by blogging about it. Is Meebo something that you might find useful?
How much do you know about wikis? You're about to learn all about them in Thing #7! Move on whenever you're ready.
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