pod pod pod... word has lost all meaning

Podcasting is akin to RSS, in that you have to make the effort to look/listen to them. I often open my RSS reader to see 322 new unread items, it is a daunting task to click on the first "section" and start to peruse.

Podcasting's big benefit (to me) is that I only listen to the radio in the car (and only when not listening to Elmo). So if a show is not on during commuting hours I don't hear it. Subscribing to the podcast allows me to catch-up.

The second benefit (in general) is programs that would die under a normal revenue stream can survive.

I have been listening to CBC's Search Engine for a year and a bit, recently the CBC decided to cancel this program. Too bad?

Not quite, it was picked up by TVO (Television Ontario) and you can now get the new Search Engine podcasts on their website. So they can continue their interest in technology related news and I get to continue to benefit from their interest.

The last benefit (again a general one) is that programs I would not have access to are now available. Radio from other countries, music from small independent musicians, etc.

My favorite podcast is The Bugle, affiliated with Britain's Times it is a self-proclaimed "audio newspaper for a visual world". Hosted by Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver, they do a weekly recap of current world events with a satirical spin (think The Daily Show or The Colbert Report).

This is a podcast that operates on a small budget and (I am guessing) derives it's revenue stream from sales of shows, books, etc. of Messrs Zaltzman and Oliver. Which is ingenious as I had never heard of Mr. Zaltzman before, but am anxiously awaiting the availability of his first book.

Social networks and Libraries

I have had a Facebook account for ....man Facebook needs an easy way to figure out when you signed up.

It looks like May 2007, but I am not sure. If it was then my first status was "Jared is thinking and consuming Java".

I have seen the University of Alberta's Facebook application, and various library "Fan pages".

I don't think many will use them as an ongoing method of communication with the libraries, but I also think we should still be there. New patrons will look where they normally look, and if that is Facebook or Twitter or MySpace or whatever, then so be it.

I don't think many students writing a paper will login to Facebook to add a catalogue search app to search the catalogue.

But they will download an app for their iPhone or Android phone, especially if it makes it easier. So we should make sure they find these tools, and that means having them in Facebook and MySpace, etc.

Catching up

I didn't think it would be so hard to remember to check the Library 2.0 course once a week. But time does fly and I am behind.

For week 7, I am blogging about LibraryThing. Which is a very cool and interesting way to maintain a collection of books.

The interface is nice and easy and they make use of whatever other services allow for data integration capture.

I like the addition of covers, but as the LibraryThing site makes use of Amazon covers it sometimes appears they have more covers than they really do.

Also, I have forgotten my password twice. The first time I had to e-mail them as I had not entered an e-mail address. I confirmed my identity and had them update my account with an e-mail address.

The second is right now, I can't get in and no e-mail address of mine is associated with any account. Thanks LibraryThing.

Hello World

What a beautiful Wednesday, if only the sun would come out to greet us.

100 days for Obama and I'm still losing money in the market.