Week Six

Right! Cracking on here because I'm behind - if I can just get this posted within a day or two I'll be up to Week Seven, which I think is what everyone else is up to.

So let's look at 'Del.icio.us' and how it could be useful.

First I want to mention that I disliked this video which was recommended viewing for this week's tasks. It's an introduction to the very basics of social networking. Now, it is informative, but did anyone else find something very self-serving in the idea that the chief benefit of web social networks is to find a job, or a romantic relationship? The author of the video seemed to imply that networks of people are merely a tool to get what you want.

Perhaps it's always been that way. The French author La Rochefoucauld - another of my favourite writers - argued in his book Maxims that everything we do is based on our own self-interest, especially the friendships we enjoy. In fact, let's give Schopenhauer a break this week and instead here's a typical, cynical, and mostly true aphorism from Rochefoucauld, taken from his wonderful Maxims. Here is one of the many he writes about love:

'The charm of novelty is, to romance, what the bloom is on fruit; it gives a lustre that easily fades, and which never returns."

Anyway, on with Del.icio.us.

My first task is to join up: upon doing so, I was surprised to be taken to a 'Yahoo!' sign-in page. I guess they own Del.icio.us. Many, many, moons ago I had a Yahoo email account. It was my first ever Web mail account - my first ever email account actually - and I thought it a spectre of the past. I haven't used it for years. But to my amazement I remembered the log in and password, and it worked! There was even a little avatar of myself I'd constructed and then forgotten about.
Things never die on the Internet.

At heart Del.icio.us is a way to access one's Web bookmarks on any Internet computer. That's probably useful for some, although I only browse my bookmarks at home; employers frown upon leisurely web surfing at work, alas. Although I have to say, Auckland City Libraries are more forward thinking than most in that sense - I feel lucky to work in an organisation in which Internet use is a fundamental part of my role.

More appealing to me is the ability to see what others have bookmarked. I have a strong interest in the classics, so I searched tags for 'Greek Mythology' and straight away found a number of interesting links, several of which I added. Next (of course!) I searched for 'Schopenhauer' and noticed that this, my very own blog, had been recently added under that tag. Such is the self-referential nature of the times. I'm expecting fame and riches to follow shortly.

While saving bookmarks I also came across this amazing site. Some of America's leading academics, at a top university, offering entire free courses on fascinating topics, such as the philosophy of death, and Dante in translation. Sometimes the Internet excels itself.

Anyhoo, here's a link to my Del.icio.us account.

My next task is to become a member of 'Technorati' and 'claim' my blog. I joined Technorati easily enough.

Now, I'm no idiot. I'm not technologically challenged. I'm good with Web things. But I just cannot figure out how to claim my blog. I can't even find the claim code to put in my post. I even Googled it, but the advice given didn't work. Could it be possible that Technorati has temporarily stopped claims on blogs until they catch up? If anyone can tell me how to claim my blog go ahead - but before you do, please check the current Technorati site to make sure your method still works.

[Wait! Thanks to the credulous skeptic's Week Six post, I found XXXholic's post, who actually explains how to do this. Thanks!]

So I've now claimed and received this message:

I know the picture is a bit too small to read, but it basically says 'Don't call us, we'll call you.'

The last task this week is to consider the role of 2.0 technologies in a library context.

I've just begun my Master of Information Studies through Victoria University and there is a heavy emphasis on Internet resources, along with a lot of reading and theory about how this will impact upon library work. One could write about this stuff for hours, but as this post is already lengthy I'll keep it short. In a nutshell, Web 2.0 offers both a challenge and a boon to libraries and our users. The challenge for librarians is to ensure we stay relevant by positioning ourselves as expert guides to the vast sea of information resources now available. The average information seeker faces an intimidating array of possibilities. Librarians can be of assistance by both assessing these resources, advising on quality, and demonstrating how to use them. Further, we can sound a warning note: Wikipedia and Google do not offer the last word on topics. Caution and critical thinking is required when using Internet resources for research, and there's still no substitute for the quality of research and information a skilled librarian can provide.