The Final Post

Post 23, otherwise known as Session 9. Ok, we have come to the end, and I have to say I am a little relieved. It has been fun, but I am ready to take a break. OK, let’s get onto the post.

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

I would have to say del.icio.us, since it was a service I had never used before, and it seems like it could be really useful. I think MOLDI is pretty fascinating as well, and I think it could be very exciting as more titles become available.

2.How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

It was great learning about these new technologies. I am very much a gadget and technology person, but with the amount of stuff coming out, it is impossible to keep track of everything. Learn & Play gave me an opportunity to explore some technologies I wasn’t familiar with at all (del.icio.us), and some that I had heard of but had never personally used (Podcast & Twitter). Overall, this was a great usage of my time.

3. Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

I think there was a good deal more staff participation than I was expecting. It led to some good interaction with my Co-Workers. Other than that, there wasn’t any huge surprises.

4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

Overall I liked the format. It was fun, but there was still accountability. There were some assignments that didn’t suit me (Twitter), but I can see how it helped some of my Co-Workers, so it all seemed well planned out. 23 things seemed like a bit much. Honestly, if it was 10 things, I think it would be easier to keep up enthusiasm, which I saw waning a bit towards the end. 23 things is a good chunk to chew on, and I think smaller amounts might led to even greater participation and enthusiasm.

5. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again chose to participate?

Sure. I wouldn’t want to do this all the time, but I think one or two programs like this a year would be great. As I mentioned in the last answer, I think less things would be better. I may be a black sheep for saying this, but I don’t feel like the “Big Prizes” are completely necessary. Yes, Prizes get people to participate, but some of this technology is valuable for us to know, regardless of rather we win or not. I thought parts of this program were rewarding, and I would hope people would participate in future programs like this rather there were prizes or not.

OK Folks, For the few of you that have stumbled upon this, I would like to bid you all adieu. It has been fun while it lasted, but I am ready to go back into my introvert's cave. I am happy to say that I am back to writing fiction after a few dry months, and I am working on recording some new Soundscapes locally in my bedroom, and in Chicago (My wife gets the spare room for sewing). Overall, I am very excited for 2009, as it is shaping up to be a very productive year for me. This has been my Learn & Play blog, and until another CML blog based program pops up, this will be cold. Thank You, and try and be kind to each other.

-Timothy

MOLDI

I have to say I am impressed by the amount of Titles available on MOLDI. As someone who listens to books on CD fairly regularly, MOLDI definitely seems like something I could get some use out of. I can also see an increase in popularity of these types of services. It seems much more cost effective than purchasing CD and Tape sets. It seems like there is a good number of classics on there, and I am sure the number of titles they have will increase greatly over the next year. I also love the fact that they have movies, and documentaries as well. Overall I think this is a very cool service, and one that will only get better.

The Podcast

Add Podcast to the list of things that I found interesting, but I am not sure how often I will be visiting in my none learn and play life. It seems like there are some interesting Podcasts out there. Listening to the crackly compression of the sound files made me think of my younger years when I would listen to “Coast to Coast” in the wee hours of the evening. I spent some time listening to “Kryptographik” which was a Podcast that focused on Horror, SF, and Dark Fantasy. They had interviews with various writers and directors, and overall it was pretty interesting.

Youtube

Yes, the beast that is Youtube. When I discovered that I could watch music videos, interviews, Sound clips and live performances from Coil and other bands, I spent hours in front of the computer screen, soaking in the sights and sounds.

This weekend, I decided that 2009 would be the year I add a Vintage Analog Synthesizer to my collection of musical gear. I can read message boards and reviews on vintage synths, but where can I hear them? The answer is Youtube. When looking into Juno 106 & 60’s, Jupiter 6 & 8’s (4 sounds incredible, but the reliability issues scare me), MS-10 & 20’s, and Moogs, I found Youtube is a great resource for Synth demos. I have also found great Boutique Guitar pedal demo’s on there. Youtube is not something I use all of the time. I can go months without visiting the website, but once I start searching it, hours fly by. Both a good and a horrible thing.

CML's Tool Box

I spent some time looking at a few of the websites on CML’s Power Tools Page. Some of these we have already explored in Learn and Play, but two that caught my interest, and that I will be looking into in the future are “Dig” and “Creative Commons”. CC is especially of interest because I am often asked how to copy write something and I myself am a dabbler in creative things. I am looking forward to exploring CC, and seeing what insights it can give me.

Web 2.0 Awards

I looked over the Web 2.0 awards, and found one of my mainstays. The #2 music choice is “Pandora”, which I have been known to frequent. Pandora is a website that allows you to put in the name of a musician or song you like, and it will play things by that artist, and similar artists. You can create stations based on your preferences. As it plays you songs, you can give them the thumbs up or thumbs down to individual tracks, and it will base future song selections on what you like. This is great if you are looking for new music, plus the account it is not tied to a computer, so if you have access to the internet, you have access to your stations. It’s also free, which gives it an edge when compared to programs like “Rhapsody”. If you are a music lover, and looking for something new, I would recommend checking it out.

The #1 music site was Last.fm, which looks really interesting as well. I have created an account, and am looking forward to exploring it.

Goggle Docs

My New Alphasmart Neo
Originally uploaded by travellingcharl

As I mentioned in an earlier blog today, I have used, and continue to use Google Documents on a regular basis. I enjoy creative writing when I have the time, and I have found Goggle Docs to be a great way to edit what you are working on when you are away from home, but still have internet access (After all, that is why God created hour long Lunch Breaks). Currently I have about 30 documents in my Google Docs folders.

For writing, I love my AlphaSmart Neo which cuts down on distractions (no internet), and is insanely portable (at least 180 hour battery life), but to be honest, it’s not ideal for editing. I primarily use Microsoft Word for Editing, but I always dump it into Google Docs so I can edit it on the run. Google Docs is also great if you want to share something with a friend, or you are doing a collaborative piece. Overall, I really like Google Docs, and it has made my life easier. It’s also a great backup for your work.

Learn & Play Wiki

Yes, I am on a roll today. I added my blog, as well as my Favorite book “Oryx & Crake” to the Learn and Play Wiki. Overall, I do like Wiki’s, and though I do not have an immediate need to have a Timothy wiki, I can definitely see where it would come in handy in the future. Doing the Wiki exercises has made me wish I had them in school. I really think it could have come in handy, especially with some of the online courses I took.

Wiki

I have used this sort of technology a bit already. About 2 years ago, some friends and I decided to make a series of short films in our spare time. We would meet once a week in person, but we found we could accomplish more if we did things online during the week. We used Google Apps to post the initial screenplays and each member of the group could edit it at their own leisure. In our weekly meetings, we would discuss the changes, and refine from there. It worked very well.

I use Wikipedia all of the time. I know it isn’t always 100% reliable, but peer review seems to work more often than not, especially for those stranger subjects. The Library Wiki’s were pretty interesting as well. It’s a great way to keep the public informed on new events, and the reading list/reviews are definitely good resources.

Library 2.0

This all could be heading somewhere pretty fascinating for me. The first perspective I read does address the idea of training, which I think is very important. Once we can get the public more comfortable with computer technology, we could expand our media digital reliance. I will always love the physicality of books, records, and CDs, but I have to admit that once we start providing more digital alternatives within our collection, we can provide a much broader base of materials for the public to enjoy. As someone who listens, watches, and reads things that are often left of mainstream, it’s exciting to me to imagine a library where I can recommend artists and films that the system actually has access too. Beyond that, I think it would be awesome if we could provide access to website creation, music creation, and animation creation software. I would love to see a future library where creation is as valued as information.

And Now for Something Useful...

As I mentioned on the RSS blog, I have my staple websites that I like to go to, and I tend not to deviate much from them. Delicious seems like a fairly useful tool in expanding the number websites I visit on a regular basis. Out of the things I have explored so far with Learn & Play, I think delicious will be one that I end up incorporating into my normal web browsing habits. It’s neat (yes, I am using the word neat) to be able to track down website based on common interest with other users. This is something I never really thought of before, but now that it has been brought to my attention, I think I will definitely be using delicious over the classic style bookmarks. In my 5 minutes of looking around I was able to track down a horror fiction news website and an intriguing esoteric online Library that I have never seen before. I am actually kind of excited to go home, import my current bookmarks, and see where that leads me. Overall, I like this one. Here is the little bit I have added so far. Enjoy.

Twitter

I played around on Twitter for a while. I found some people I know. Overall it reminds me of the Update feature they have on Facebook, which I never used, and was never really interested in using (or reading). I don’t really see Twitter as something I would ever use. I really don’t care about the minutia in other people’s lives, nor do I feel the need to force my minutia on other people. Really, I am happy with Twitter because it allowed me to use the word Minutia twice in a sentence. I really do like the word Minutia, a fact which is in and of itself, trivial, making it minutia. I will stop now. Twitter is interesting, but not for me.

LibraryThing

I was familiar with LibraryThing before Learn & Play. I have a fairly huge library at home. I have more bookshelves than I would care to admit, and most are completely filled. That being said, the effort that it would take to Catalogue all of my books scares me. I figure this job will ultimately be left to the executor of my will, to whom I would like to take this opportunity to apologize too. No, I do not know why I felt the need to own every Lovecraft story in at least 5 different printed collections ("Call of Cthulhu" I must have in at least 10 collections). What can I say, I maybe a little sick in the head.

Online Image Generator

This is an image I made using the Warholizer on Big Huge Labs. Like the Flickr Image manipulation software, I did find the tools interesting, though I can't say I will be running away from Photoshop anytime soon. Its nice knowing that I can create that hallucinogenic Warhol poster I have always dreamed of.

Searching for RSS Feeds

Honestly, the method I found easiest was just going to the websites I read regularly, and finding their RSS icon. This cuts out the middle man, and gets me the news I want. I played around on the search engines a bit, but as someone who has used the web frequently for the last fifteen years, I have my regular sites, and I know where to go to get the info I want. I still find new sites, but usually its through one I already use frequently. It’s like meeting people. If you have good friends, you don’t feel the need to go out looking for new ones.

Bloglines

I have returned from the wilds of Canada, only to find my homeland of Clintonville without electricity.

RSS feeds are interesting, and I can see how they simplify things, but as a Library Worker, I have pretty well organized bookmarks. I did make a BlogRoll here, and I can see visiting it in a crunch, but typically I think I will use my bookmarks.

I typically browse the internet in the morning before work. I like giving myself an hour and a half to look over my normal websites, and see what is going on in the world. It's an easy way to reintroduce myself to humanity after an evening of odd dreams. Anyways, RSS is an interesting tool, and one that I may use in the future.

My Kaossilator is trying to Kill Me.

Korg KAOSSILATOR
Originally uploaded by skratchworx

I like gadgets of all sorts. The gadget you see here is known as a Korg Kaossilator, and I have a theory that this thing will kill me. Granted I don’t think it will kill me in any active way. I am not suggesting that it will sprout arms and legs, and strangle me in my sleep. It's plan is far more seductive.

You see, the Kaossilator is a little digital synthesizer, that sounds ok(it's digital, not analog), but it is horribly fun. It loops up to 8 bars of sounds which you trigger via its touch screen. This AA battery consuming Yellow Demon can make electronic music on the fly, and with very little practice, this can be accomplished using only one hand.

I love this thing, but its homicidal nature comes in the form of a headphone jack. You see, my car has an Audio-In Jack (Thank You iPod). This means I can create cute sonic tunes, or oppressive noise soundscapes with one hand, and operate a 3000 lb. box of death (known as the Scion Xb) with the other.

Is this Dangerous? Yes. Is this Stupid? Most certainly, but god help me it is fun. I hope I am a good enough driver to be able to handle this odd form of multi-tasking. If not, there is one comforting thought that helps me sleep. If I meet my maker with a Kaossilator in my hand, at least I will go to the great beyond with my own personally crafted soundtrack. It's not much, but it helps.

Flickr Apps

I looked at a few of the different apps that used Flickr, and there were some interesting things, though nothing that made me giggle like a school boy. There were some online photo-manipulation tools I looked into ( http://www.flauntr.com/ ), but nothing that would steer me away from the tried and true software options (Paint Shop Pro & Photoshop).

The most intriguing apps for me were the random generated films using static photos. Most of these utilized techniques such as zooming in, film flicker, panning, and fade in/outs to give the illusion of movement. See http://incubator.quasimondo.com/flash/flickeur.php or http://incubator.quasimondo.com/flash/islands_of_consciousness.php for examples.

None of these were things I would run out a buy on DVD, but they were interesting and creative.

I Should Learn to Knit.

Day 83: Pensive Cthulhu
Originally uploaded by Here Be Dragons

Here is the beloved Flickr post. It is a knit version of Lovecraft’s dreaded Cthulhu. I wonder how Lovecraft would feel knowing that his creation has turned into a cute, adorable handcrafted toy. Personally, I think it’s wonderful. If I ever learn to knit, everyone I know would be forced to adopt a Tim Knit Cthulhu. What a wonderful world that would be. No Violence, No Screaming, No Library Fines, only Baby Cthulhus knitted with tender love. I can dream.

7 1/2 Habits

The easiest habit for me is too Begin with the End in Mind. I am always focused on the end goal. I am a big fan of cost benefit analysis, and I think I am pretty good at looking at the goal, and seeing the most practical way of getting where I want to be. The hardest for me is having confidence in being a competent learner. I think I am a fairly competent person, but I am easily frustrated and/or discouraged. There is a part in the Documentary “Meeting People is Easy” where Thom Yorke says (Paraphrase) that he can read 100 positive reviews, and 1 negative review, and the negetive one always seems to make more sense. I can relate to this sentiment. When I am attempting to do something on a serious level (aka trying to make something good), I find I am my own harshest critic.

My First Post

I am not new to the world of blogs, but it has been awhile. I am employee of the Columbus Metropolitan Library , whose Learn & Play program has prompted this new blog. My original blog, which took place years ago in the world of myspace, had a slightly different intent. Mostly the posts were inspired by the non-fiction essays of Jonathan Ames(Think David Sedaris with more bite), but here I will attempt to keep the self depreciation to a minimum.

I work for the library because I enjoy it. I believe helping people have access to information they may not have otherwise is accomplishing something positive within society. Plus, working this close to people helps keep the dogs of anomie at bay. There are frustrating situations that arise when working with the public, but at the end of the week, it is worth it.

On my off time I find myself doing the usual things. My major interests are Reading, Writing (Preferred Genre’s being Horror & Science Fiction), Music (both listening and creating), Movies, Photo Manipulation, and the occasional Video Game. I like doing creative things. If working for the Library allows me to feel like I am part of society, my dabbling in fiction and music allows me to feel creatively fulfilled. Everyone needs their hobbies, mine tend to have a creative edge to them.

I am curious to see how CML utilizes this employee blog idea. I think it could lead to some interesting insights on the further regions of Customer Service. We’ll see how it all works out.