Test

This is a Test, only a Test, and if you view this as more than a test, your head will explode. Thank You and Good Night.

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.