Fin?

I still maintain my participation in SPL 2.0 was strictly ironic. :P

In staying true to my hip and cynical personality, the 23 things didn't really help my lifelong learning goals. I know I will never visit those websites ever again. I can't just use technology just for the sake of doing so. Librarything and the image generators were very enjoyable, but the other assignments are now merely afterthoughts.

Overall, it wasn't a bad experience at all. Who knows, I might participate in another discovery program again. I had so much fun in spite of the 23 thingys. It was tons of fun engaging in some witty banter with you all. Thanks everybody!

See ya when I see ya.

Yours Truly,

P2P

A belated Life Long Learning assignment

Better late than never I always say! I don't know how to read directions properly. :(

After watching the tutorial created by the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, I decided the hardest habit for me is to accept responsibility for my own learning. I mean, cmon! This assignment is a prime example of my downfall. Lately I have been on a horrendous streak of procrastination. I still am a powerhouse, but I do have my limitations.

The easiest habit for me is to Play! A main reason I started this blog was to Play! and to amuse myself. :D

I live for LibriVox (No picture this time) :(

I can appreciate what the volunteers at Librivox are doing. Compiling a collection of over one thousand public domain titles is very impressive. Even though I never listen to audiobooks, this is a worthy site for those who are fans of this medium.

This website appears to be non-profit, and I hope it stays that way. When I saw the notice that said the files were not always available to download, I became concerned. To keep the site up and running at a higher level, more money needs to be pumped in. I just hope they don't completely sell out, and completely compromise their identity.

I don't know anything about copyright law, but I hope Libribox can upload newer material, stuff that isn't in the public domain. It would be nice to have a variety of selection, in addition to the archaic titles they already have.

Can't podcasters learn how to edit?

Browsing through podcastalley.com led me to subscribe to three podcasts: MuggleCast, Nobody Likes Onions, and Library Geeks. The first podcast Muggle Cast was basically a news show about anything related to Harry Potter. The hosts didn't have much charisma to keep me engaged and listening. One could simply visit a fansite to keep up on Harry Potter news.

Nobody Likes Onions was a little better. It was a podcast disguised as an excuse for some immature guys to try out their offensive, crude jokes. I'd like to share some quotes, but it's NSFW. If you're a fan of Howard Stern, this podcast is for you.

To cap things off, Library Geeks provided an outlet for librarians to interivew various professionals of all different fields. They asked them library related questions like, "What was your first childhood memory of a libary," and "what is the importance of LibraryThing." It's a very dry listen.

The problem with podcasters is their tendency to waste time. It seems that half of the podcast is advertising, bumper music, or dead air. Just get on with it, say what you want to say in a more organized fashion. My short attention span needs this. *What's that? Oooh shiny!*

Dowloading music at the SPL. Is this legal?

I decided to listen to some tracks featuring the synthesizer. The songs had funky, inane titles that included: Disco Propulsion, Disco Satellite, Electronic Brain, Robot Party and Machines For Ever. I'm really glad I choose this instrument because it gave me a few LOL's. I imagine this is the sort of music that could act as a soundtrack to a 70's porn movie. Wow wow chicka wow wow!

I was also browsing through the Global Sound section, and noticed that the Smithsonian had an Yves Montand album of songs of Paris. I became a fan of him after watching Jean de Florette and Le Cercle Rouge. He is a crooner extraordinaire. I think he also had an affair with Marilyn Monroe. That's cool!

I don't see why I would ever use the site for a school assignment. It feels more like a place to browse and causually listen to a few songs, nothing more.

Skip to my Lulu

It was intriguing to see Lulu.com as first place in the book category for the Web 2.0 awards. I first heard about the website when a very popular comedian on Youtube, TJ, told everybody he was shilling his memoirs there. The book is entitled: Scumbag, Musings of a Subhuman. I may just have to purchase it just because of the title. Rumor has it that TJ made quite the profit, as his charisma translated well from video to book form.

Lulu is a self-publishing company that allows authors to upload their files to Lulu's web site, select binding and other options, and set the amount of profit they wish to earn on each copy. If the document is not already in PDF format, Lulu converts it to PDF. This site is a great opportunity for up-and-coming writers to have their books distributed to the unsuspecting masses. Most newbies wouldn't be able to secure a major distribution deal, leaving them in the cold.

I don't see Lulu working well in a library setting. Most of the materials we purchase comes from well established publishing companies. I don't think we would catalog any random book from any Joe Schmo author.

Worst Zoho Ever!

Here I go again. It's time, once again to bring my negative spin to another library thing. I feel like I'm turning into the comic book guy on the Simpsons.

In theory, Zoho Writer feels like a great idea. There could be a heavy burden lifted when you can access all of your documents from any computer, anytime, anywhere. Back in my day, I had to worry about losing computer disks that stored my papers. I did lose some disks, which only adds to the stress of completing a research paper.

My only caveat with Zoho Writer is the concern with security. As a horrendously protective neurotic of my writings, I would worry about my Zoho account being hacked and exposed. I rarely shared my work to be proofread and I didn't really pay for it. I made it through school just fine without receiving much constructive criticism.