The dark side of the web

I have been lucky and have not had too many problems with malware or phishing attempts. It probably helps that I'm very cautious about opening e-mails from unrecognised addresses. We also have good security on our home computer and are very careful about downloading anything.

It is necessary to stay alert when using the internet and being careful about how much personal information you provide.

Mashups revisited

I loved this week's topic and it was great to see all the amazing mashups that people have created. I have already registered to use Libworm and can't wait to spend more time looking at mashupaustralia.org, which is great.

I haven't created my own mashup yet, but will attempt to do it over the next week. Wish me luck!

Instant Communication

I have used all of the different instant messaging tools, but must admit not very frequently.

I have used Skype to talk to my parents in the UK, which is great, but have found that it drops out fairly regularly (may be my internet connection), which is quite frustrating.

I have also used Twitter and IM, but not on a regular basis. I think they are all great technologies that can be exploited at libraries. They provide clients with another way in which to get in touch with the library allowing them to choose the most effective means of communication. Some people may find this the most convenient and accessible option, rather than telephoning, sending an e-mail or physically visiting the library.

More with Google docs

I haven't used Google docs much at all, but imagine that it would be a useful tool, particularly for collaborative work.

I wasn't aware that you could use Google docs offline, which I think is a very useful feature, as an internet connection is not always guaranteed. I will have to play around with this software more and learn more about it.

Getting organised

I have had a google account for a while now, but have never done much with it. I enjoyed this week's blog as I was able to play around with my settings and layout to make it more useful for me.

I also thought ping, 43 marks and the various other tools were also very useful for those who did access and regularly use the different social networking sites.

Event Manager

I loved these tools - particularly Doodle. It would be a great way to efficiently organise meetings for a group of people, without endless e-mails. I also liked the Google calendar, which I have set up for myself.

Productivity: more ways with RSS

I really enjoyed this section and found it very useful. I have a google reader that I don't check as much as I'd like and when I do there are sometimes just too many articles to read through. The filters are great in making the information sent to your reader much more specific and personal.

I also set up a couple of alerts for "nowra libraries" and "shoalhaven libraries" and it was interesting, and heartening, to see where we've been mentioned.