PPLD Thing #23: Summarize your thoughts about this program on your blog.

blogging, RSS newsfeeds, tagging, wikis, podcasting, online applications, video and image hosting sites, blogs, Blogger, wikis, quikies, Wikipedia, subject guide wikis, book review wikis, ALA conference wikis, library best practices wikis, Flickr, tags, mashups, Mappr, Flickr Color Pickr, Montagr, web apps, FD Toys’ Trading Card Maker, Librarian Trading Card, RSS, “Really Simple Syndication”, Bloglines, Google Reader, LinkedIn.com , social networking sites,LibraryThing, widget, Rollyo, MySpace, Facebook, Ning, Library 2.0, Learning 2.1, Del.icio.us, Technorati, Web 2.0, Google Labs, online productivity, Zoho Writer, Google Docs, Web 2.0 Awards, YouTube, Yahoo Videos, Google videos, podcast, iTunes, NPR Podcast Directory, Podcastalley.com, and Odeo’s Studio.

 

Whew! What a ride!

This has been a really good experience and I have learned a lot. Some good. Some bad. Below are the questions I'm supposed to answer to summarize this project:

 

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

I enjoyed the Web 2.0 award site the best.

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

I'm a one day at a time type of person but this has exposed me to some new ideas and tools that I will probably continue to use. 

3. Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

There were a couple of items that I flat out did not like when I first saw them but after revisiting some of them I will most likely incorporate them in my blog and website. I originally didn't think I would use Flickr but I plan on adding a group for sharing of family pictures and another for some of my own photos.

4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

The first thing I would do is not assume that everyone is computer literate. I know of some co-workers who didn't participate simply because they were unfamiliar with the computers and the Internet.

5. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again chose to participate?

Absolutely! I enjoyed the challenge of learning new things.

Ok, here's the my real summary....enough with the social networking already.

I understand the future of civilization is basically looking like communication without contact and libraries need to follow this path to survive but aren't we really just creating a society of hermits and recluses. Will future generations lose their ability to speak and only  communicate through text? Will we become pod people never leaving our homes to interact with the outside world? Will we hide behind a virtual avatar as protection from someone else's opinions? Wait........

I'm more comfortable communicating with the outside world through this blog than I am face to face. Have I already went over to the dark side or slipped into the future? 

.......never mind.

 

 

While I was writing this, I was listening to "Ain't No Sunshine" by The Neville Brothers. Check it out at Amazon.com.