Week 1 : Box.net - online file storage

And here we are at round two! Feeling rather rubbish, because I just realised that I had first created a box account when I started on the web 2.0 path after returning to work, and that was back in February.....taken a wee while to get here, ahem!
Had a play with the account - and I can see it would be a really useful way to back up information - for example - if I was heading off to present something to an outreach group, a powerpoint presentation maybe, I could save it on box AS well as my USB stick to ensure that I can access it come rain or shine (or USB stick misplacement, lol). Also would be a really useful tool for sharing documents etc with others in my personal life - for example, this year I had to do a roster for our coffee group get togethers (don't ask, lol), and this would have been useful to use for it....because then the others could have more easily tweaked it and made changes from one central location rather than bouncing it around by email. I found it super simple to use, and would happily share it with customers, especially those with large sized files, or those without a USB.
I played with uploading some documents, and saved a blog appropriate pic to a folder for sharing - you can check it out here:
http://www.box.net/shared/fa29egcy7kvnd1muxc0s

Web 2.0 - Round one sum up

Another round of very interesting exercises, websites and technologies! My personal favourites were of course facebook and twitter - but my husband will verify I am a social networking nut (he just shakes his head over it, lol), and I really love how the libraries have a presence there now, its fantastic!
Zamzar has come in handy several times already, most of the time its been perfect for mine or the patrons use, once or twice it wasn't quite right, but gets easier to use with practise.
The wide range of music sites were fantastic! still haven't had a chance to play with these at home, but i'll get there :)
Lastly, haven't used blogger since the very first time we 2.0'd - and it is as easy to use as I remember (if not a little more user friendly now, looks like some minor tweaks have simplified it a little.

Looking forward to round two!
Comicbookgal :)

Week 6 : Facebook - playing nicely with others

I'm pretty sure most of my family and friends will tell you I am a facebook addict, lol. Didn't have to worry about starting an account (mine is well used), or even 'liking' the Manukau or Auckland library pages - already done and dusted (and commented on regularly:)
Facebook is a fantastic tool for staying in touch with family and friends - I have siblings all around the country, and friends overseas, and its the best way to keep in touch, share news, photos and the latest hilarious youtube vid we have found. It's also a great way to feel connected (which when you are at home with a toddler can be THE BEST THING EVER!)
As a library tool - facebook is a great way to reach our customers and let them know about what we are up too, what new things are happening, etc etc - I love seeing the new top 5 lists being advertised amongst other things. I think that how easy Facebook is to use depends on how much you use it - I think its the easiest thing ever, but people new to it often struggle. (of course, they also like to keep changing it, which can be a pain in the butt!) I would definitely promote our library page(s) to customers - I think we don't overwhelm with content, its a great mix of informative and fun. Facebook can be a real one-stop-shop for social networking, so its great that we can tap into it and get libraries out there with a great positive online presence.

Week 5 : Music files and mp3s

I had a nice play with a few of the sites listed for the activity, quite a few were blocked for access at work (most likely because I am doing this so far after the fact :)
I found lots of sites that I am going to have a further play with at home, I loved http://www.itsfreedownloads.com/ and will be bookmarking this at home to check weekly (yay for free downloads!) The Amazon site is brilliant and very comprehensive, and I loved the cheap 69c (US) singles downloads - but this needs testing at home, because a few months ago I tried to use Amazon to download a CD for my grandmother, and I was blocked from doing it as I was from overseas, and the download was only for the US....frustrating! Otherwise it is very easy to search, explore and get a taste of tracks.
The site I usually use for downloading my music at home is http://www.digirama.co.nz/ and while it is not free, its a fantastic site for NZ, and has weekly album specials with whole albums for just $9, usually quite recent ones too :) I also love that you can search this by the NZ music charts, and download those too.
I think that most of these sites would be fine for customers with a bit of know how, but for anyone less than confident with the web, music downloading can be a struggle, as the different formats/and download processes can vary so much.
Thanks for the big list of sites to check out at home!!!