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September 27, 2006
Happy Birthday Google
Google turns 8 today.
Wanna bicycle? Maybe a two-wheeler?
Want the corner piece of your cake?
How's grade two going?
Maybe in 8 years I can make a billion or so.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 4:15 PM | Comments (0)
September 24, 2006
Seth Godin on your site's traffic
Do you have a website? Seth Godin offers a good posting on how to drive more traffic to it for free:
"Rule #1: If you have a site, you want more traffic.
Rule #2: You don't have enough money to buy as much traffic as you need.
Rule #3: You've already made your site as compelling as you know how to."
He recommends 8 free things you can do to increase traffic. The 8 in summary list are:
1. Register with Technorati
2. Become a Digger
3. Build a Squidoo lens (Godin is involved in this one)
4. Get your team to spread the word - Reddit,
5. Issue a press release but only if you have something to say
6. Get a sister site for testing
7. Google Analytics
8. Don't be boring. You have no right to traffic. If you're lucky, you earn some.
The full posting is short and worth a read. Read his Book "Purple Cow" too.
I'd add register your physical addresses with Google Maps. Learn how to optimize for search engine crawlers.
Hurry.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:57 PM | Comments (0)
The Future of the Internet, by Pew
I haven't blogged a Pew report in a while. The latest is a doozy. I love the concept of Tech “refuseniks” emerging as a cultural group. Here's the press summary:
The Future of the Internet Sept. 24, 2006
A survey of internet leaders, activists, and analysts shows that a majority agree with predictions that by 2020:
- A low-cost global network will be thriving and creating new opportunities in a “flattening” world.
- Humans will remain in charge of technology, even as more activity is automated and “smart agents” proliferate. However, a significant 42% of survey respondents were pessimistic about humans’ ability to control the technology in the future. This significant majority agreed that dangers and dependencies will grow beyond our ability to stay in charge of technology. This was one of the major surprises in the survey.
- Virtual reality will be compelling enough to enhance worker productivity and also spawn new addiction problems.
- Tech “refuseniks” will emerge as a cultural group characterized by their choice to live off the network. Some will do this as a benign way to limit information overload, while others will commit acts of violence and terror against technology-inspired change.
P- eople will wittingly and unwittingly disclose more about themselves, gaining some benefits in the process even as they lose some privacy.
- English will be a universal language of global communications, but other languages will not be displaced. Indeed, many felt other languages such as Mandarin, would grow in prominence.
At the same time, there was strong dispute about those futuristic scenarios among notable numbers of 742 respondents to survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project and Elon University. Those who raised challenges believe that governments and corporations will not necessarily embrace policies that will allow the network to spread to under-served populations; that serious social inequalities will persist; and that “addiction” is an inappropriate notion to attach to people’s interest in virtual environments.
The experts and analysts also split evenly on a central question of whether the world will be a better place in 2020 due to the greater transparency of people and institutions afforded by the internet: 46% agreed that the benefits of greater transparency of organizations and individuals would outweigh the privacy costs and 49% disagreed.
“Key builders of the next generation of internet often agree on the direction technology will change, but there is much less agreement about the social and political impact those changes will have,” said Janna Quitney Anderson, lead author of the report “The Future of the Internet II,” and communications professor at Elon. “One of their big concerns is: Who controls the internet architecture they have created?”
The report is built around respondents’ responses to scenarios stretching to the year 2020 and hundreds of their written elaborations that address such things as the kinds of new social interactions that will occur when more “meetings” take place on screens; the changes that will occur in nation-states; the evolution of autonomous technology; and the proper ways to police the internet.
The Pew Internet/Elon survey was conducted online by invitation to experts identified in an extensive literature and periodical review and active members of several key technology groups: The Internet Society, The World Wide Web Consortium, the Working Group on Internet Governance, ICANN, Internet2 and the Association of Internet Researchers.
Many respondents are at the pinnacle of internet leadership. Some of the survey respondents are “working in the trenches” of building the Web. Most of the people in this latter category came to the survey by invitation to those on the email list of the Pew Internet Project. The survey was an “opt in,” self-selecting effort. That process does not yield a random, representative sample.
Respondents were given the following scenarios to assess:
A global, low-cost network thrives: By 2020, worldwide network interoperability will be perfected, allowing smooth data flow, authentication and billing; mobile wireless communications will be available to anyone anywhere on the globe at an extremely low cost.
56% agreed... 43% disagreed... 1% didn't answer
English displaces other languages: In 2020, networked communications have leveled the world into one big political, social and economic space in which people everywhere can meet and have verbal and visual exchanges regularly, face-to-face, over the internet. English will be so indispensable in communicating that it displaces some languages.
42% agreed... 57% disagreed... 1% didn't answer
Autonomous technology is a problem: By 2020, intelligent agents and distributed control will cut direct human input so completely out of some key activities such as surveillance, security and tracking systems that technology beyond our control will generate dangers and dependencies that will not be recognized until it is impossible to reverse them. We will be on a “J-curve” of continued acceleration of change.
42% agreed ... 54% disagreed... 4% didn't answer
Transparency builds a better world, even at the expense of privacy: As sensing, storage and communication technologies get cheaper and better, individuals' public and private lives will become increasingly “transparent” globally. Everything will be more visible to everyone, with good and bad results. Looking at the big picture - at all of the lives affected on the planet in every way possible - this will make the world a better place by the year 2020. The benefits will outweigh the costs.
46% agreed... 49% disagreed... 5% didn't answer
Virtual reality is a drain for some: By the year 2020, virtual reality on the internet will come to allow more productivity from most people in technologically-savvy communities than working in the “real world.” But the attractive nature of virtual-reality worlds will also lead to serious addiction problems for many, as we lose people to alternate realities.
56% agreed... 39% disagreed... 5% didn't answer
The internet opens worldwide access to success: In the current best-seller “The World is Flat,” Thomas Friedman writes that the latest world revolution is found in the fact that the power of the internet makes it possible for individuals to collaborate and compete globally. By 2020, this free flow of information will completely blur current national boundaries as they are replaced by city-states, corporation-based cultural groupings and/or other geographically diverse and reconfigured human organizations tied together by global networks.
52% agreed... 44% disagreed... 5% didn't answer
Some Luddites/Refuseniks will commit terror acts: By 2020, the people left behind (many by their own choice) by accelerating information and communications technologies will form a new cultural group of technology refuseniks who self-segregate from “modern” society. Some will live mostly “off the grid” simply to seek peace and a cure for information overload while others will commit acts of terror or violence in protest against technology.
58% agreed... 35% disagreed... 7% didn't answer
“Many of these respondents knew from history and personal experience that technologies can have good and bad effects,” said Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project. “You could see them toting up the pluses and minuses in their answers. I come away with a sense that the future is still up for grabs, even as everyone agrees that it will be very different from today.”
Full results of the survey, including engaging quotes from hundreds of respondents and brief biographies on many of these people, can be found on the Web at http://www.imaginingtheinternet.org by using the "Predictions Surveys" link.
Visitors to the site are invited to share their own visions for the future of the internet in the section of the site labeled "Voices of the People."
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:50 PM | Comments (1)
Choosing a Browser
People's browser preferences are more religion than logical choice. Most tend to stay with the one they grew up with, unless they fell under the spell of another IT guru.
Check out this article if you're struggling with choosing which browser to start following. "Which New Browser Is Best: Firefox 2, Internet Explorer 7, or Opera 9?"
"Right at this moment, big changes have or are about to occur in three well-known browsers: Internet Explorer is finally being updated, with version 7 in its third beta and almost ready to roll out the door; Firefox is also ripening an upgrade beta for its Version 2.0—it's in beta 1; and finally Opera, which has a devoted but smaller following, has recently come out with Version 9.0.
So, three new browsers in the same year, after no action for a half decade. How do they stack up? We do a comparison of features, usability, memory, and disk usage to help you decide which you should spend your hard earned…oh wait a minute, they're all free, so you can pick the one you want without worrying about out of pocket. Keep in mind: We're just looking at what's there right now, and not considering what the browser developers may have planned for later additions. Also, these are such feature-rich apps that it would be impossible to compare every little detail—which has support for Atom feeds or importing OPML, and advanced Java settings, for example—we'll stick to the stuff that's most apparent to regular users. Let's take the browsers out for a spin, then, shall we? Continued..."
There's a summary of each of the browser's features.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:40 PM | Comments (1)
The Evolution of Office Applications
How would we live without our office suites? Word processing, spreadsheets, calendars, databases, browsers, and more, Oh My!
Michael Casey at LibraryCrunch has a good posting on the predicted changes and a timeline:
"Office 1.0 (1980s): a set of discrete and often incompatible applications for word processing, spreadsheets, presentation creation, and simple database management. Archetype: Lotus 1-2-3.
Office 2.0 (1990 - present): integrated suites of PPAs, with expanded, if still limited, collaboration capabilities. Archetype: Microsoft Office.
Office 3.0 (present - early 2010s): hybrid desktop/web suites incorporating internet-based tools and interfaces to facilitate collaboration and web publishing.
Office 4.0 (c. early 2010s): fully web-based suites."
Google's partnership with Sun Microsystems and its acquisition or internal development of Google Writely, Google at Base, Google Spreadsheets and Google Calendar, to name a few, show evidence of the trend to this happening very quickly. Call it convergence or integration or whatever. It's not about the individual applications but the overall platform and ecology of work. Is it going to look like a revolution or evolution? I suspect it will just be roller coaster, uneven, jerky change.
Remember how we saw predictions of the browser being the main entry point? Now we see that its probably not and the Internet/Web is a much more complex beast.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
Information Industry Outlook: FutureFacts 2007
Each year, Outsell publishes its outlook for the information industry and makes it available to the industry as our way of saying thank you for the continued support throughout the year. This year’s report, “Information Industry Outlook: FutureFacts 2007,” summarizes metrics and trends for the overall information industry and the 11 vertical information industry segments and key customer groups that fuel this $358 billion industry.
Outsell offers it for free download (after regi9stration) at: http://www.outsellinc.com/subscribe/FutureFactsIndustryOutlook2007.htm
This forward-looking piece predicts a great 2007 for companies that innovate while focusing on execution. It includes the following for every key information industry segment:
- Outsell estimates for 2005 revenues and 2006-2009 forecasted compound annual growth rates
- Market share leaders
- Insights about disruptive new entrants and rising stars
- Major market drivers and trends
- Outsell’s top 10 predictions and list of essential actions for 2007, such as preparing for global economy shifts and harnessing social publishing to drive business
Our annual Information Industry Outlook brings together the best of Outsell’s unique industry metrics and the insightful analysis of our team of analysts.
Outsell's analyses and insights are always worth reading.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:20 PM | Comments (0)
Engaging Youth On Their Own Terms: IM and Gaming in Libraries
Engaging Youth On Their Own Terms: IM and Gaming in Libraries
SirsiDynix Web Seminar
Tuesday, October 10, 8am Pacific Time
"Attempting to mold young library users into miniature librarians is an unfair and often futile goal. To meet their needs and ensure our institutions are supported in the future, we must listen to them! Join Aaron Schmidt and Sarah Houghton as they discuss ways to serve teens on their own turf, by creating a teen-friendly environment in your physical library and in your library's eBranch, and by providing the resources and services teens want, when and where they want them. Other topics discussed will be MySpace, iPods, and weblogs."
Cost: Free, like usual
Sarah and Aaron are unbelievable innovators and great speakers - don't miss this one. If you can't then check out the archived version on the SirsiDynix Institute's web site.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:04 PM | Comments (0)
North Carolina Public Library Directors Assn.
I had a wonderful time at an event in Asheville, NC for the state's public library leaders.
You can link to this PPT here.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:43 AM | Comments (1)
Suburban Library Cooperative
I presented at a two day staff day (half the staff on Thursday and half on Friday) for the staff of the Suburban Library Coop near Detroit. I did the whole morning and they also did sessions on understanding personal preferences (Colors) in the afternoon.
Here's a link to my PPT.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:40 AM | Comments (0)
South Carolina State Library Technology Day
What an event! Jenny Levine, Michael Stephens and I presented for a whole day on the future of libtaries. These folks define Southern hospitality!
Here's the link to my PPT.
The local PBS affiliate (ETV) even filmed the whole day for a future webcast.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:37 AM | Comments (0)
Miami-Dade Public Library
I had a wonderful time on Sept. 11th with the Miami-Dade PL management team. A great tour of some of their branches too.
The PPT of my presentation is here.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:35 AM | Comments (0)
September 23, 2006
Expectations of Libraries
Check out Lorcan Dempsey's posting on a Danish study of user expectations of libraries. It's here.
"Developing Denmark's Next Generation Digital Library: Work Underway at Statsbiblioteket and DEFF [ppt]. One of the most interesting things she talked about was a study being carried out under the auspices of a DEFF project, User expectations and requirements in relation to the hybrid library. (Deff, Denmark's Electronic Research Library is a national Danish initiative which builds shared infrastructure and other services.)"
The report is here.
I am definitely looking forward to meeting some of the Danish innovators in Denmark in 2007.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:37 AM | Comments (0)
Neat DVD Mashup
Do you collect DVD's of movies made in your area, city or town? My hometown is a place where lots of movies are made. My street is closed today to film John Travolta in drag in the upcoming major motion picture Hairspray. It's been fun to watch my neighbourhood turned back to the sixities and everyone walking along the street in sixties fashions and beehives.
Find out what major motion pictures are filmed near you. Results are displayed in a Google map. Click on movie names to get movie details or buy it on Amazon.com or borrow it from your library.
Check out this mashup here.
Anyway, it might be fun to make a virtual collection of locally meaningful DVD's (made near you, featuring actors or screenwriters from your town, or featuring your town. I'll even let Wyoming claim Brokeback Mountain, even though the beautiful scenery was Canada.)
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:28 AM | Comments (0)
Fun Library Staff Video
Check this video out. It's just under 8 minutes.
"Ray of Light" St. Joseph County Public Library Version
This is fun, motivational, ands shows a day in the life of a library and its staff. Cool.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:25 AM | Comments (0)
Next Shift . . .
Some interesting gossip this week from esteemed sources:
1. Facebook is rumoured to be in talks with Yahoo! to sell itself for something over $1 billion US. link
2. YouTube is also rumoured to be pondering $1.5 billion + offers. with more than 25,000 new videos a day it's becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Anyone willing to predict what the big three web mergers will be before Christmas?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:08 AM | Comments (0)
Astronauts and Libraries
The Canadian Library Association "Reading Launches Future Generations" contests with astronaut Steve MacLean and the Canadian Space Agency was featured on Ottawa's A Channel news on Thursday, September 21.
As you prbabaly know, Steve returned safely to earth last week and moves on to supporting libraries and reading.
The almost three-minute clip is temporarily available on the station's website:
http://www.achannel.ca/ottawa/news_34543.aspx
Given the delays in launching the space shuttle, the contest deadline has been extended to October 15. The contest poster has details and is posted at:
http://www.cla.ca/top/releases/spacecontest.html
Now this is a creative way to promote libraries and reading and get some attention too. Watch the short video or check out the CLA website for more.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:04 AM | Comments (0)
September 19, 2006
e-Paper as Imagined by Ancient Romans
Check it out here.
Is this electronic paper as imagined by ancient Rome. Are we to be treated to library staircases with ads or promotions. Will wax tablets with e-prints e next? Shall we imagine illuminated scrolls of e-papyrus? I'll bet this will be interesting. Thanks Aaron.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:44 PM | Comments (0)
Libraries and Ontario Student Achievement Study
I should have blogged this ages ago and neglected to. Sorry.
First Canadian study of its kind shows link between school libraries and student achievement
In a unique study, commissioned by the Ontario Library Association, researchers from Queen’s University’s Faculty of Education collaborated with People for Education to examine data from EQAO, Ontario’s provincial assessment body, and data from People for Education’s ongoing inventory of resources in Ontario elementary schools.
Download study (.pdf 256KB) here.
Basically, school libraries rock.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:29 PM | Comments (0)
School Technology Plans
The Dangerously Irrelevant blog (ruminations on technology, leadership and the future nof our schools) has a good posting of what they've collected so far on school and district technology plans. They highlight the ones they think are best.
Cool.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:23 PM | Comments (0)
Web 2.0 Meets Information Fluency
If you have any impact on the next generation of citizens, run over to Joyce Valenza's NeverEnding Search blog posting.
NEW: Part two is here.
NEW again: Here's part 3 here.
NEW: Part 4: Here.
She publishes a section of her "upcoming chapter for Terry Freedman’s Coming of Age 2.0. This section examines how we might weave traditional and emerging strategies into instruction as we approach information access in a Web 2.0 landscape."
I'll bet the whole book is just as good.
Excellent read.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:17 PM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2006
Streaming on Your Website
This posting from Mark Spivey at OnlineAmazing is very interesting. It's called: "11 practical reasons why streaming video should be considered as a vital marketing tool to add to your website."
1. Limited Screen Space.
2. Computer Screen Readability
3. Scanning habits of visitors.
4.Retention.
5. Consistency of Message Delivery.
6.The Phenomenon of Multitasking.
7. Branding - Creating a Personality.
8. Cost Effectiveness and ease of use.
9 Trust and association.
10. It's a well known medium that is still unique enough to attract attention.
11 And finally... You can effectively demonstrate your product.
So, read the post.
Waiting, waiting...
OK, so, does this apply to libraries?
Have you put a YouTube or producer driven trailer for any of your DVD collection on your website?
Are you using any streaming on your library MySpace page?
How about the enhanced Syndetics feed from SirsiDynix, and using streaming author video interviews to enhance your book clubs? Ohhhhh, imagine One City, One Book promotion now.
How about streaming video of happy kids at teddy bear night, or pajama night, or sleepover night, or Moms and tots, or story hour... Saying the kids had a great time and showinng the kids having a great time . . . no competition.
Gaming nights, rock the shelves nights... everyone can see the fun, and insert the video of smailing, rockin' kids holding up their library cards, books, and DVD's.
Why, even seeing happy users (cUStomERS) borrowing books can be engaging. Lordy, you can capture this on a phone!
We otten wish we have loads of public service announcements (PSA's) on TV to promote our libraries. Why not just make our own and put them on YouTube, MySpace et al and our own sites. That's where our sweet spot of users are anyway.
Anyone thinking how a local oral history project capturing seniors stories would play here. Wow, posterity.
Be creative. Be ironic. Be cool, sick, whatever...Have fun with it!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 4:32 PM | Comments (2)
The Great Autumn Speaking Tour Adventure
Here's my Fall schedule. If I am near you maybe we can meet for a chat or see eachother at these events.
Stephen
Sept. 7-8 Suburban Library Cooperative, Detroit, MI
Sept. 11 Miami-Dade Public Library, Miami, FL
Sept. 13 South Carolina State Library Workshop, Columbia, SC
Sept. 19 Virginia Assn. of Independent Schools, Dulles, VA
Sept. 20 Virginia Clients Day, Dulles, VA
Sept. 21-22 University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Sept. 25 Hanna Alberta School Board, Hanna, AB
Sept. 26 Manitoba Library Consortium, Winnipeg, MB
Sept. 28 SLA European Chapter
Sept. 29 Imperial College, London, UK
Oct. 4 Missouri Library Assn., Keynote Columbus, MO
Oct. 5 Idaho Library Assn., Keynote, Moscow, ID
Oct. 9-11 3 sessions and keynote for LIANZA, Wellington, NZ
Oct. 11 SLA Australia Dinner, Sydney, Australia
Oct. 12 SirsiDynix client event, Sydney, Australia
Oct. 13 SirsiDynix client event, Melbourne, Australia
Oct. 14 SirsiDynix client event, Sydney, Australia
Oct. 16 SLA Hawaii Chapter, Honolulu, HI
Oct. 16 Western Council of State Librarians, Honolulu, HI
Oct. 18 Buffalo-Erie County PL, Staff Day, Buffalo, NY
Oct. 18 Pioneer Library System, Rochester, NY
Oct. 19 Western NY Library Resources Council, Buffalo, NY
Oct. 20 Rochester Library Leadership Institute, Rochester, NY
Oct. 21 Rochester Library Leadership Institute, Rochester, NY
Oct. 22-3 SLA Board Meeting, Monterey, CA
Oct. 23-25 Internet librarian, Monterey, CA
Oct. 26 Nebraska Library Assn. Keynote, Omaha, NE
Oct. 29 ALA LITA Keynote, Nashville, TN
Oct. 31 UW iSchool/SLA Student Chapter, Seattle, WA
Nov. 1-2 Seattle Public Library, Keynote plus, Seattle, WA
Nov. 3 San Jose SU Library School, Lazerow Lecture (by me), San Jose, CA
Nov. 7-9 WebCom, Toronto, ON
Nov. 13, California State Library, Keynote Sacramento, CA
Nov. 15 SLA Ohio Chapter, Columbus OH
Nov. 16-17, SirsiDynix Client Event, Chicago, IL
Nov. 21 Public Library of Cincinnati Staff Day, Cincinnati, OH
Nov. 23-24 University of Toronto and Ottawa, ON
Nov. 30-Dec. 1 University of Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama
Dec. 4 Halinet and Oakville PL, Oakville, ON
Dec. 7 Army Librarians, San Antonio, TX
I am sure more will happen. Maybd I need to try to say no a little more!
SA
Posted by stephen at 2:52 PM | Comments (5)
User-centric Innovation
I've used most of these techniques over time but I've rarely seen them in such a good, simple list. Patricia Seybold summarizes the list she learned from Professor Eric von Hippel at the MIT Innovation Lab:
"(1) Foment organizational transformation from the outside in -- invite lead users to create derivative works out of your intellectual property, to share their creative ideas with one another, and to build their own “solutions” (gadgets, mash ups, applications, etc.) leveraging your company’s branded IP;
(2) Host co-design sessions with lead users;
(3) Encourage customers to contribute ideas and content, to pose and solve problems, and to interact with one another in public online community spaces;
(4) Encourage your own employees to leverage customer-contributed content, ideas, and deliverables;
(5) Provide tools -- like high-level programming languages and toolkits to promote lead user innovation -- and offer training on those tools;
(6) Get all your stakeholders aligned around customers’ desired outcomes;
(7) Create expert networks and link customers to networks of experts;
(8) Empower local community-based problem solving;
(9) Provide tools to end users/customers to manage their own complex situations rather than trying to do things for them;
(10) Provide electronic design tools to interested end users/customers to design their own products and to design your company’s products in open design communities;
(11) Encourage customer designers to critique and vote on each others’ work;
(12) Harvest user-generated ideas from across the Internet."
Check out the full list here.
As with anything to do with innovation, it's easier to make a list than to keep focused.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:25 AM | Comments (0)
September 17, 2006
Google and ALA
Nice little alliance between Google and ALA. Celebrate our freedom to read by exploring banned books during ALA's banned books week.
Check it out here.
It's a nice use of the find libraries link.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:52 PM | Comments (0)
Cool Tiny Projector
OK, here's how phones will make viewing easier. This is amazing.
It's a tiny projector the size of a sugar cube. It could be placed in a cel phone and project anything you've downloaded to watch - TV, movies, music concerts, and more. And at a decent size! Read more here.
Just another step towards smartphones becoming the dominant personal and internet device. Another reason to march towards XML, liquid web sites and decent portlets that respect the environment.
Or we could ignore it and march towards invisibility.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:31 PM | Comments (0)
The 25 Worst Websites
Hmmm, PC Magazine's take on the worst sites. Some I agree with and suffered through. Some are just there to provoke thinking.
You can find the article here.
Here's the list:
"Complete List of the 25 Worst Web Sites
25. Rentmychest.com.
24. IKissYou.org
23. InmatesForYou.com
22. Digital entertainment network (den.com)
21. Golden Palace Casino
20. Hotmail.com
19. WebVan
18. Beenz.com and Flooz.com (tie)
17. Boo.com
16. Microsoft Windows Update
15. Neuticles.com
14. BidForSurgery.com
13. Whitehouse.com
12. The Dancing Baby
11. Rabies for Kids
10. MyLackey.com.
9. HamsterDance.com
8. BonziBuddy
7. Pets.com
6. Pixelon.com
5. AllAdvantage
4. CD Universe
3. Cartoonnetwok.com
2. CyberRebate
1. MySpace.com "
Ahh, the memories... it's a virtual archeology of old business models and a graveyard of internet stunts.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:21 PM | Comments (1)
September 16, 2006
Book Recommendation Engines
OK, I am trying to make a list of book recommendation engines. You know, the one's that are sort of 2.0 or socially driven...
Here's a few I know about:
BN BookBrowser
Inside a Dog (teens)
OCLC's FictionFinder
AllReaders.com
If I've missed a good one or an obvious one, let me know in the comments. Thanks.
And the next step is Film, Game, Music CD and DVD recommenders which include some of the same ones.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:57 PM | Comments (9)
Web 2.0 Playground
Here's a fun site that links to hundreds of Web 2.0 ideas and companies. It's a great place to steal an idea (or borrow, or acquire, or license) and apply it to your users and portals.
It's called Go2Web20.net. It's a Flash page with logos and basic information for most web 2.0 companies and loads slowly so be patient. Click on a logo and you see a short description of the company. You can sort by date or type of site.
I've already discovered some new stuff. You could get lost in this site! The best part of the 2.0 conversation is looking for new ideas that match users' needs before they even know they need them. Expeditionary invention.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:36 PM | Comments (0)
Steal These Ideas
Check out Phil Bradley's weblog.
His posting titled "I want to - a page of utilities that help you do stuff you want to Web 2.0 applications By philipbradley" is great.
He maintains a secgtion of his site for Web 2.0 applications that, though it's not designed to be a comprehensive list, lists over 440 different web 2.0 resources arranged in sections such as:
1. Sharing things with other people - photographs, webpages, bookmarks etc.
2. Collaborating with documents via the web
3. Managing your time more effectively
4 Doing things with webpages - annotating them, shortening URLs etc
5. Discovering music, films, books and games you might like
6. Creating online calendars
7. Creating networks with others
8. Doing things with multimedia
9. Doing things with email - disposable accounts, sending out newsletters, icons etc
10. Doing things with RSS
11. Having a bit of a laugh and wasting time
Also, check out his "I Want To" section here. Things like blog, make a catalogue card, etc.
Check it out. Loads of links to great 2.0 resources. Seemingly hundreds of useful things that might inspire your imagination.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:12 PM | Comments (0)
Who are Today's Teens?
Ever wish you had the kind of research that teen sites like MySpace have? Well you can have this one - Teen Market Profile.
Link to it from the ALA blog here or to the PDF here.
One table that's interesting is the 2003 top 10 magazine titles for teen boys and the top 10 for teen girls. I've looked at quite a few teen sections and the mags there. I remember seeing many of the girl titles and few of the boy titles. Is that the case in your public or school library? Does your rack reflect what actually sells on the local newsstands to teens? Should it? Should we have titles that teens would choose to read? I don't know if things have changed radically since 2003 although I suspect that gaming titles might rank higher today.
Either way it wouldn't hurt to check out the list, your local newsstand and compare it to your offerings. Then just think about it. Would you make any changes?
There are other insights in the report too.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:11 PM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2006
eLearning for Library Staff
Here's a newly released report on the learning readiness of library staff and the e-learning modality from OCLC's WebJunction.
Trends in E-Learning for Library Staff
Description: A summary of research WebJunction commissioned in 2005 on how library organizations are pursuing e-learning for staff training.
You can download the PDF here.
It covers (along with a useful glossary):
• The current e-learning environment
• Characteristics of e-learning developers and purchasers
• When e-learning is an effective training method and topics of interest
• Perceived benefits and barriers to e-learning
• Delivery formats pursued by e-learning developers
• The outlook for potential e-learning adopters
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
ChaCha
Hmmm.
This is very interesting to try.
You can ChaCha Search or Search with a Guide.
Yes, that is a real person when you search with a guide. I had some modest results but basically they get a "D" mark from me.
Then again, it's marked Alpha (that's before Beta) and "experimental". The idea is really interesting though and could libraries implement a version of this in the context of every search?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:14 PM | Comments (5)
Facebook - more faces!
OK, the news is that Facebook is going to open up to all. Interesting.
I predict that the usual wailing will ensue about the loss of what was. Amazing how quickly nostalgia sets in. Remember when the Internet wasn't commercial? I still remember those who were arguing to keep it 'pure'. Some of them hug their originals e-mail address domains like a teddy bear. (Well users stand up and be counted - grin) Could it have grown into what it is today without commerce? I doubt it. Then again it might have grown into something else. Perhaps more miltary... Perhaps more educational... Maybe a little isolated from the mainstream of humanity.
Anyway, what will an open Facebook mean for associations and other membership organizations? I wonder what it will do for local politics. The U.S. Democratic party has already built and beta launched their social networking site for registered organization and fundraising. The others can't be far behind. Just in time for the primaries and the next presidential election two years from now.
Social networks are really hitting mainstream. We'll need to watch the international, niche, and regional competitors too.
Libraries will be there too. Are there different models here than some of our MySpace experiments? The audience starts out quite different (just like the Internet did). Is this the niche to attract and start developing for? Will it be a broader demographic in the long run? I wonder. How quickly.
Anyway, ready set go. Leave your library's new open Facebook URL in the comments.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:57 PM | Comments (1)
Streaming Video or Downloads?
Dion Hinchcliff's Web 2.0 blog offers a nice summary on what the current state of the art is in video on the web in the 2.0 world. He makes a helpful distinction between video streaming and video downloads.
He discusses the media battle brewing now between:
YouTube
EyeSpot
Blip.tv
veoh
videojug
Flurl
Yahoo! Video
Google Video
MovieTally
Read "Media 2.0 and The World of Online Video - Never Mind the Quality see the Marketshare" by Web 2.0 Blog Contributing Editor Mark Scrimshire here.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:44 PM | Comments (1)
Gaining Attention
Creating Passionate Users' Kathy Sierra has another fabulous post. Don't you just love her graphics? How do libraries break through the user fog? Look at this user attention snapshot:
Wow. How do we interpersonally, on our websites and resources, portals and programs, bricks and clicks, break through?
She suggests the following:
Be Visual
Be Different–Break Patterns and Expectations
Be Daring
Change Things Regularly
Inspire Curiosity
Pose a Challenge
Be Controversial and Committed
Be Fun
Be Stimulating. Be Exciting. Be Seductive
Help them have Hi-Res Experiences
Hmmm. Are we different enough to get more attention? Are we different from the competition? Are we different from their expectations? Are we different from their usual epxeriences? Are we different from their grandmother's library?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:28 PM | Comments (0)
MySpace Reported with less hype
The US News and World Report article on MySpace called Decoding MySpace is worth a read. It's online here. It goes beyond the usual hype and offer good advice and stories. Maybe we're turning a corner on the stranger danger theme.
The Shifted Librarian offers a good comment too.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:21 PM | Comments (0)
September 14, 2006
Top 10 web sites
UBS issued a report this week analyzing Comscore data on the top ten web destinations. You can download the 12 page report here (pdf).
The top sites by page views are:
1) Yahoo!
2) Fox Interactive Media (includes MySpace)
3) MSN-Microsoft
4) Time Warner Network
5) eBay
6) Google
7) FACEBOOK.COM
8) Craigslist
9) Viacom
10) Comcast
Ranked by unique visitors the list mutates like this:
1) Yahoo!
2) Time Warner Network
3) MSN-Microsoft
4) Google
5) eBay
6) Fox Interactive Media
7) Ask (IAC)
8) Amazon
9) New York Times
10) Verizon
What's interesting to me is that Google is getting an awful lot of attention. Yet, the story seems to be in social networking sites and Yahoo! and other persistent search properties.
Hmmm.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:05 PM | Comments (2)
September 13, 2006
Brewing new ideas creatively
101 ways to brew up a great idea.
I know some of these work. Sometimes you just have to force your brain to relax a bit to be creative. It just shouldn't be so hard. Play works.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:35 PM | Comments (1)
September 10, 2006
Personas articles part 2
Part 2 of 3 of Mary Lee Kennedy's articles on personas was published today in SirsiDynix OneSource.
Defining Service Level Standards - SirsiDynix Personas Part Two
by Mary Lee Kennedy, TKG Consulting LLC
As many of you know, I find the personas process we have undertaken one of the most educational and enlightening about 'real' user behaviours than anything else I have studied.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:33 PM | Comments (0)
Waiting for your cat to bark
My latest three part series of articles has begun in the SirsiDynix OneSource newsletter. This series is called:
Waiting for Your Cat to Bark - Competing with Google and its Ilk .
In this three part series, I will identify and explore the strengths and weaknesses of the Googles of the world (this issue, part 1); the real strengths and weaknesses of our world of libraries (October, part 2); and some of the key strategies that will militate towards our success in the changing world of our communities (November, part 3).
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:31 PM | Comments (0)
Confidential do not distribute
OK - here's a fun place to surf for a few minutes. Google the phrase "Confidential do not distribute". For the special librarians and business or competitive intelligence folks, it's a nice cautionary list. You'll find a few dead links (although the cache is often there) as companies and associations discover their pants are down.
It's always fun to find sustainable examples of bad web publishing practices.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:23 PM | Comments (2)
The Primary Web Device
I've been pointing out for a few years now that we are on the precipice of a major change in the foundation consumer technology for the internet. We already know that laptops passed desktops as the primary access device a few years back.
The Register has a Sept. 8th article here. It points out that cel phones passed the 2.5 billion mark on Sept. 7th according to estimates.
"The cellular industry took 20 years to reach one billion connections, three years to reach two billion connections and is on target to reach its third billion in a period of just over two years," Wireless Intelligence director Martin Garner said. "Worldwide growth is currently running at over 40m new connections per month - the highest volume of growth the market has ever seen," he added. According to Garner, most of the current growth is coming from emerging markets with low levels of penetration, rather than from mature regions such as Europe."
Some countries now have more cel phones than people! Most countries infrastructure is more advanced and modern than North America's but we're catching up quickly. This means we can see parts of the future already in process around the world. Deeper penetration of smartphones, more TV on phones, text messaging at very high levels, and more.
What does this mean for libraries?
1. Are our websites ready for being viewed on the small screen of a smartphone?
2. Are we ready for text messaging and SMS? (Just like we adapted to phones, e-mail and IM.)
3. Are we ready for serving information needs at the exact point of need?
4. Are we ready for GPS oriented needs?
5. Are we following and learning from the experiences internationally?
6. Are we preparing our staff for new software and deveice modalities like when we converted to Windows based environments?
7. When it hits the youth more quickly, will our educational institutions be ready for K-12 and undergrads, the largest generation in history. Will we be prepared?
I wonder. Have our staff and colleagues acquired the foundation skills to adapt quickly. When we needed to make the dumb terminal or DOS to Windows we discovered that there were whole sets of foundation skills that needed to be taught (keyboard, PC, screen, equipment, etc.) in addition to the applications. Will we have the same issues again? It's not our choice whether to evolve or not (although some of my colleagues seem to believe it is). We have to move with our clients.
Hmmmm.
Stephen
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:00 PM | Comments (0)
September 6, 2006
Learning and Libraries
The esteemed Joan Lippincott of CNI has posted a preprint of her chapter in a forthcoming book: Engagement and Information Literacy, edited by Craig Gibson (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2006.) It is a useful overview of the many opportunities for libraries to exploit in the changing learning landscape.
You can link to it here.
Here's a snippet of the conclusion:
"Libraries can use technology, in development of services, information literacy programs, and facilities to foster learning communities. New opportunities exist to enhance the library’s participation in campus learning communities through the use of gaming in the curriculum and the provision of newly configured social spaces. Librarians can seek opportunities to become involved in existing campus learning communities, and use them as venues to incorporate information literacy instruction, while learning from students themselves about their use of technologies and information. With new configurations, librarians can provide learning spaces that encourage active, collaborative learning and give students access to the wide range of technologies they need to work in today’s learning environments. Libraries and librarians can continue to play a vital role in students’ learning if they evolve their services and facilities to incorporate features that engage twenty-first century learners."
Order it here.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:02 AM | Comments (1)
Peripherals
OK - are some of these new gadgets frills and fads or are some really necessary and we gotta have 'em? Here's a link to my Information Outlook column on peripherals. I want them all!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:56 AM | Comments (0)
Sanctuary
Am I stressed? Probably a little. Lots of travel and loads of deadlines. So I wrote a column for Information Outlook on my summer reading and how to take some time for sanctuary from our techno-centered world. I am a failure at that but I try, sometimes.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:52 AM | Comments (1)
Streaming
Here's a link to my Information Outlook column on streaming media and how to get up-to-speed on that technology. I was channeling Dolly and Kenny when I called it Islands in the Stream.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
IFLA Unicode Panel
Also, while at IFLA I was a participant on a panel about Unicode (the ability to search and display all language's character sets - and not just old ASCII). Here's a link to my PPT slides for the presenation called "Unicode and Portals and OPACs."
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)
IFLA Government and Parliamentary Libraries
Twas a great trip to Seoul. While at IFLA I was part of a panel on trends and forecasts for government and parliamentary libraries. here's a link to the PPT.
The topic title was "Content Creation and Management What's Next for Government Libraries and Information"
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)
Florida State Library and NEFLIN Presentation
I had a nice trip to Orlando in August for the Technology Training to Go event put on by the Florida State Library and NEFLIN. It was an introduction to the Library 2.0 opportunity.
The PPT is here.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:32 AM | Comments (0)
September 2, 2006
Doing the Dreaded V-Mail Thing Better
Well in the last posting I was tickled to see number 12 "How to leave a voicemail."
I get tons of v-mail and, sorry, but it could be better. These come from information pros and they often fail to give all the information needed to act on the v-mail! Shheesssh. And I'll admit it, I am bad at leaving v-mail too. Something to learn to be better at this year.
Here's a list of hints to review. The list is here. The post has a complete explanation that's very interesting, but the short list is:
1. Practice clear talk always.
2. Expect to be answered by the Voice Mail System.
3. Strive for perfection, you get only one chance.
4. Who and When before What!
5. Speaking slowly is not the same as speaking clearly.
6. Smile while you leaving the voice mail.
7. Write down the important parts of your message and read it out.
8. Use Voice Inflection.
Personally, I cannot believe the number of messages I get where they don't leave the return number or e-mail while requeting a response. Folks have been able to pick up their messages on the road for many years and it is often not easy to look up that number or address from afar easily. The extra seconds it takes to remind isn't a lot.
And the point that the annoyance in your voice comes across when you hit v-mail and leave a message is true. In reference work, library help desks, circulation calls, etc., it doesn't meet our objective to sound annoyed. Expect v-mail and be delighted when you get a real person!
Need more - Search "voicemail tips" on Google. In 15 minutes (as long as the learning sticks and you commit to practice) you'll be better. I'm going to try too.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 1:13 AM | Comments (4)
12 Really Necessary Things to Learn
The brilliant Guy Kawasaki has a list of the twelve things to learn this year. Here's the list:
1. How to talk to your boss.
2. How to survive a meeting that’s poorly run.
3. How to run a meeting.
4. How to figure out anything on your own.
5. How to negotiate.
6. How to have a conversation.
7. How to explain something in thirty seconds.
8. How to write a one-page report.
9. How to write a five-sentence email.
10. How to get along with co-workers.
11. How to use PowerPoint.
12. How to leave a voicemail.
Read the whole detailed post here.
Obviously these are tacit skills and competencies that grow with practice and life long learning. Knowing how important they are focuses the effort. Learning how to do any of these things better makes your work life infinitely easier and better.
Stephen Downes has a good extension of Guy's post here.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 1:02 AM | Comments (0)
Readiness for Change
I've always loved little pychological tips for recognizing the process our fellow humans go through when change happens.
I sometimes find the classic stages of grief useful in watching (or living) through change. You remember them:
1. DENIAL
2. ANGER
3. BARGAINING
4. DEPRESSION
5. ACCEPTANCE
I was reminded of these today when I read a posting by Sharyn at Libraries and Librarians Rock blog. She quotes:
"The Four Levels of People’s Readiness for Successful Behavior Change
(James Prochaska,University of Rhode Island)
1. Oblivious—can’t see the problem; deny that they need to change, resist change efforts.
2. Contemplation—see the need for improvement and think about how to do it. They will talk about it but are not yet ready to do it. A person can get stuck in this phase for a long time just thinking about change.
3. Preparation—focus on solution—action plan; aware of problem, see ways to solve it and anticipate doing it. May be propelled to this stage of readiness by talk with supervisor, disaster, personal crisis. This is the time for a detailed action plan.
4. Action–visible change begins. The plan is embraced, practiced, and actions begin to change."
This is a little more positive and that's better. However, I still think we need to recoginze that change is grieving over the loss of some old ways and building allegiance to a few new ways - and everyone reacts differently to newness. I'll never know the right way, but I know the solution to 'managing' change is focusing on people.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:52 AM | Comments (2)
LJ's Library 2.0 Article
Library 2.0 by Michael E. Casey and Laura C. Savastinuk in Library Journal issue dated September 1, 2006 is here.
Don't miss it.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:45 AM | Comments (0)
Second Life
Anyone who has seen my speeches lately know that I greatly admire the Second Life Library 2.0 expeditionary developments. And that has perked my ears up to how this is playing in other environments. Here's two more:
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 30 August 2006 (sub. req'd) (via Edupage)that Harvard Law School professor Charles Nesson and his daughter Rebecca Nesson, will jointly teach a course on the basic 2.0 suite of technologies (like blogs, wikis, podcasts) and how they can be used in debate and argumentation. Students and professors will appear as avatars and interact with eachother in the Second Life virtual world. They will hold the whole course online in a virtual courtroom. Interesting adventure from Harvard Extension. It's a public course so tell me how it goes if you take it.
And, funny or not, politicians are showing up in Second Life too:
Cory Doctorow reported on Boing Boing that a former governor of Virginia and an undeclared presidential condidate named Mark Warner made a live appearance in the multiplayer online world Second Life on Sept. 1st! His avator can be seen here and as you can see, it's quite presidential as avatars go.
Interesting. I hear that politicians are racing to get their Facebook and MySpace presences set up - to go along with their e-mails, blogs and websites.
And to think when I was a kid all it took was for Nixon to show up on Laugh In and say "Sock it to me!" or for Clinton to play the Sax on Carson. Even faking being cool is changing.
The world is getting more complicated. I gotta get better at understanding the Internet as a series of tubes.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:17 AM | Comments (0)
Suggestica
Steven Cohen pointed to this interesting beta site.
It's another take on recommendation engines. This one covers books, experts and blogs - for now.
Anyway, interestingly, they share a little of their insights from book buyer market research:
"Our market research revealed the following prominent ways people use to buy a book:
Browsers:
These people go to a bookstore and start browsing the sections of their interest. They buy one or more books based on several factors - including but not limited to author, endorsements, information on the jacket, first impressions based on what they pick up.
Trackers:
These people follow the bestseller lists (available in many outlets) and assume that whatever comes up there ought to be of great quality. Their choice is simple.
Analyzers:
These people first borrow the books either from the library or friends and sample it.
Seekers:
These people go to recognized experts (Trusted Authorities) and ask for their suggestions on what books to read to take care of their concerns.
We found that the Seekers had the highest chance of success in their quest to find a good book to read. At Suggestica, we extended this logic to include recommendations from a number of well-known trusted authorities."
Seems like libraries support most if not all of these modes. I also think many librarians are experts in recommendations - fiction and non-fiction. Underused and underpromoted, but experts.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:01 AM | Comments (0)