SearchBots (Part 2)

Good old Cedric - I have keyed in information for a holiday project and he has certainly come up trumps. It's going to take me a while to trawl through the information, but there is a lot available. I like this little chap ...

Search Bots

Well, I have plodded through Discovery and stumbled through Stumble Upon and finally came upon Search Bots. Having decided that I do not possess a creative bone in my body and feeling somewhat deflated by this news, I was heartened to hear about Search Bots. It has a degree of creativity about it - much talk in the tutorial was made of Moods and Emotions, but the idea of turning my little robot a reddish hue and getting back information about Communism or Tomatoes indicated to me that a great deal of specific information would need to be added if I required useful information for a particular scenario that I had in mind. It's a mind-blowing concept (to me) that all this information can be extrapolated from numerous search engines that I hadn't even heard of before. I will try and have some fun creating my little robot and then attempt to find it a specific scenario to work on. I also liked the idea that your little robot needed 'nurturing'... previous attempts at tender ministrations to plants have proved to me that they flourish best when I leave them well alone. I wonder if I might be more successful in a more artificial environment?

My first stab at creativity is to christen my little robot - I'm going to call him Cedric.

Ning

As a place to gain experience in the use of social networking tools, Ning has been helpful, but really and truly I am completely 'over' social networking!! I don't like expressing my thoughts in public ... it makes me very uncomfortable. Expressing my thoughts with a group of friends that physically exist and are in the same location as me over a glass of wine is much more convivial. So far, I have to admit that learning about Wikis is probably the most useful tool I've come across so far, mainly because I can visualise its potential for certain projects that I have been thinking about ...

Photos & Images - Mashups

I really thought that Photos and Images was going to be a 'Revelation' to me. Instead I felt confused and yes, even a little cheated!! Rather than panic, I have decided to spend a little more time on the subject just to see if 'illumination' dawns. I think the crux of the matter lies in the fact that I cannot think of a reason why I would need to use any of them ... and until that 'epiphany' occurs and I rush to create that 'magic & original' effect, I am stuck looking glumly at the various possibilities with no viable end creation in sight.

Week 2

Well - here I am again about to create yet another post in my blog discussing my thoughts on RSS and newsreaders. Firstly, like Irmgaard I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time staring at my screen trying to find out where I am; where I am supposed to be and cursing to all and sundry that I cannot use the 'Back' button when I need it the most and it is non-existent. Just hit the 'preview' button for this post and then couldn't find how to get back into my post again to continue writing. Eeeek!! Anyway, finally found it - just have to remember how I did it in case it happens again.

Having spent some time choosing which RSS feeds I would like to add to my Blogline and decided first on 13, then 9, then 6 and now I can't remember how many, I realised (too late) that it is still a time-consuming affair to read all this information - should have stuck at one feed as had been suggested. Anyway, it is useful (if you like to be kept abreast of news as it happens) to have all the feeds in one place. Personally, I found that it is simply another ploy to keep me at my computer living life vicariously through others instead of getting down to my list of 'things to do' at home. On the other hand, once all the hard work (ie decisions on which RSS feeds to subscribe to) have been completed, and I am structured enough to check it once/twice a day and have countless facts and figures at my fingertips, it will be fantastic!!

I have been reading the Christchurch Library RSS feeds on new titles etc for a few months now and do find it extremely useful and easy to use. The use of RSS and newsreaders certainly allows for greater accumulation of information.

OK - Milo had to be removed - too distracting and aside from finding out how to put images on my blog, she really served no purpose for this exercise ... I have now learned how to remove images. Yeah!!! Have also learned that Sargia seems to know what she's doing 'blog-wise' and Irmgaard has already started Week 2 (better get cracking ...). On a personal note, I'm hoping that the subject of Photos & Images will be both interesting and allow me to be more creative in my blog than I currently am.

CCLlearn first post

I have only just started this but already I discover that to think of pertinent things to say is very difficult. Personal learning also means being brave enough to weather mistakes in public. Am very reticent about pressing the 'publish post' button.