Down to Business

I am not the only person who uses his computer mainly for the purpose of diddling with his computer.
~Dave Barry

Creating a blog was originally part of a work assignment called Web 2.0. However, I seem to have strayed off course by blogging about OTHER important topics. So I will summarize here my impressions of all that is part of Web 2.0.

To Infinity and Beyond...Despite dragging my feet on several assignments, I must say I really enjoyed the Web 2.0 experience. I've cut my teeth on several 'new' facets of the web and had fun doing it. I would absolutely and willingly participate in future exercises like this!

Gaming...I've grown fond of wasting a bit of time now and again playing mahjong/scrabble/snood or solving a crossword puzzle. I'm happy to know that there are still more opportunities to indulge my whims when the spirit moves me. After all, everyone needs to take some time to blow the cobwebs out!

Maps and Geotagging...I think Google Earth is one of the coolest sites ever! The street shots are still a bit surrealistic to me, so I kept it simple and zoomed in on my family home in San Mateo, California. When I zoom in on our house in Seattle, I can guess by cars, house color and green or brown grass when the image was 'beamed up'. Fun stuff...

Wiki...I do like the idea of wikis for planning events and ongoing discussion, but again, email or the good old phone can work here as well, although eventually land lines may find this to be their graveyard...

Avatars and Second Life...fun to know about, but not enough time or inclination to create a fantasy world that reaches beyond my penchant for certain reality shows.

Online Application Tools...since I have Microsoft Office at work and home, I am unlikely to have a need for these, but it's nice to know they exist.

Search Engines....One of the millions stuck in a Google rut, I was happy to try out other search engines. Searching dogpile is just...well, fun. Still a Google girl, however.

Podcasting...I downloaded several podcasts last year before vacation. I was able to learn a bit of Spanish and catch up with a few of my favorite NPR shows while airport delays vanished.

Playtime with Online Generators...So much advertising seems to 'junk up' the screen. I want fewer distractions from a website.

Overdrive.....For all the time that SIL has had this product, I've been asked for help just a few times. I'm still not on this bandwagon myself, but a product that's so user friendly is a good thing!

Social Bookmarking....I now absolutely LOVE del.icio.us. It has replaced Favorites, as it is much more useful and logical to me. Seems strange coming from someone like me who avoids the visual catalog like the plague.

YouTube, Hulu...How else could I satisfy the urge to watch Chris Farley as Matt Foley on SNL. His skit about 'living in a van, down by the river' is simply too funny to believe. RIP, Chris. I call YouTube 'Hoover', because it just sucks the time out of my life as I surf around looking for ridiculous videos. It's good to know that when my Tivo croaks that I can watch my favorite silly shows on Hulu, too.

Facebook, MySpace...I'm not a social networker on these sites although I once set up an account on Facebook and promptly deleted it (I thought) when I starting getting weird emails. I really don't like putting my whole life out for the world to see...it creeps me out.

Flickr...I haven't yet made the full leap to Flickr, although I use Picasa2 for my photos. Soon I will download one to the other so I, too, can have a cool slideshow on my blog.

Technology... the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it.
~Max Frisch