#23 - Video In The Post-Betamax World

We've come a long way since the Betamax-VHS format wars of the 1980s. It's no longer about the shape of your video cassette. No, it's about how easily you can copy your files to your computer and save them to your preferred video sharing site.

Online video has improved by leaps and bounds in the last few years - there's more of it, for sure, but the quality is much much higher (bigger screen sizes, fewer pauses when watching). This change is largely about improvements in technology - digital video cameras are much more common (including on standard digitial cameras and cell phones), highspeed internet access is much more common (important for watching videos but also for uploading them to the internet), video editing software has become far less expensive (often free online or pre-installed on newly purchased computers), and online storage (server space) has dropped dramatically in price.

That last one, the price of online storage, has been revolutionary - without it, companies like YouTube would not be able to host videos from millions of users without charging them a dime.

The (relative) ease of creating video, uploading it to the web, and storing it in an easy-to-access environment is starting to impact the way our society gets its news. Think about it - anyone with a digital camera can capture a news event on their cell phone video camera and save it to a YouTube account. Anyone remember the 2006 senate race in Virginia? The popular incumbent running for re-election started to lose steam after a YouTube video showed him insulting his oponent's campaign worker. He later lost the election. The video spread like wildfire in large part because of YouTube's video embedding function.

Video Embedding

All YouTube videos offer code that allow you to embed a video (it doesn't have to be yours - you can embed any video you find on YouTube) on your website or blog. Look below where I've embedded an outstanding video on Web 2.0 - click on the play icon to start it up, press pause to make it stop.

Content

Now, please understand that it's not just serious stuff - reporting, politics, web 2.0. There's thousands and thousands of fun, even useless, videos on YouTube for your watching pleasure. Me, I'm big on nostalgia and found some old commercials (Life Cereal, Colgate Toothpaste), local history (anyone remember the Kingdome?), and a bit of classic Seattle hip-hop before I even ate breakfast today.

But what about public libraries?

How about showcasing the opening of new facilities? Or storytimes? Author interviews? There are many opportunities to use video out there. There's even library dominoes...

Social Networking?

YouTube employs many of the social networking components we've seen in previous Learning 2.0 lessons - all videos are tagged (you can't upload a video without adding at least one) and video watchers are able to comment on what they've watched (they can type their comments or leave a video response). YouTube has also introduced an online video editor which is perfect for making simple edits to cell phone videos.

Google. Again.

YouTube is no longer the fresh-faced start-up company it was two years ago - they become part of the Google empire in 2006. Google paid $1.6 billion (yes, billion) for the company. You see, even Google slips up sometimes - they got into the video game too late and decided it was smarter business to acquire their main competitor.

Enough about Google, though. Time to search YouTube.

Discovery Exercise.

1. Look for something that interests you on YouTube - spend a few minutes (and we mean just a few - it can get addictive) exploring.
   
2. Write a blog posting about your experience - what's your take on YouTube? Do you see any other possible uses for YouTube at KCLS?
   
3. Optional Last Step: try embedding the video you found in your blog. You'll need to use Blogger's Edit HTML tab when pasting this code.

That's it for today, everyone, thanks for reading and doing.

Next up - podcasts...

#22 - Choose Your Own Adventure

We're getting closer and closer to the conclusion of our Learning 2.0 program - this is the 22nd of 27 things we'll be looking at.

But what if we were going to do 28? Or 37? Or 239?

Okay, there's no way we'd do 239. But 28 or 37? That wouldn't be a problem - there's lots out there that we simply don't have time to explore in great detail.

Today you get to choose - pick a web 2.0 service that is new to you and give it a try.

But from where?

Lists and Lists of Web 2.0

The first place to consider is the 2007 Web 2.0 Awards (this is an update as of 5/9/2007 - this lesson originally pointed to the 2006 awards). These were choosen from an extensive list of category-arranged nominees. You'll see familiar services listed (ie Flickr, Technorati) but many more we've not looked at yet - try something that is new to you.

You might also take a look at Webware. Webware documents newly released and newly updated web 2.0 services - postings focus on individual services, service categories, and/or related news of the day.

And the Discovery Exercise?

1. Pick one of the sources mentioned above - the Web 2.0 Awards or Webware
   
2. Did you choose the Web 2.0 Award nominees? Select a category that interests you (ie 'Books' or 'Personal Organization') and take a look at one of the listed nominees. If your first choice isn't interesting, head back and try another.
   
3. Did you choose Webware? Select a category that interest you (ie 'Education and Reference' or 'Productivity and Business') from the category list on the right side of the screen. Investigate one of the web 2.0 tools mentioned in this category. If your first choice isn't interesting, head back and try another.
   
4. Blog about your experiences - tell us what you looked at and what you thought. Is this something that might prove useful at KCLS? Please make sure you include the service name and URL in your blog entry.
   

That's all for today. Two more weeks to go...

Next up: video...

#21 - The labs of Google

You may have noticed that some of the web 2.0 services we've looked at are more complete than others. In the case of the later, most of the expected service features work but the overall service has yet to be perfected. Welcome to perpetual beta, a frequent occurance in the world of Web 2.0 where services are in a constant state of improvement.

Perpetual Beta

Tim O'Reilly, originator of the 'web 2.0' moniker, describes it this way:

the product is developed in the open, with new features slipstreamed in on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. It's no accident that services such as Gmail, Google Maps, Flickr, del.icio.us, and the like may be expected to bear a "Beta" logo for years at a time.

(the relevant section of this article is great, though long and technical)
Google and Beta

Today we look at the officially sanctioned world of Google beta products. Why Google? They're doing some wonderfully interesting things and most of the customization functions will work with the Google ID you set up for your Learning 2.0 blog.

Yes, I'm finally learning - we're trying to save you from password fatigue.

Google's beta world is officially labeled Google Labs.

This is where you can go to see their new ideas, some old ideas that were never-quite-completed, and a list of 'graduates' that are now in wider use.

Though some of the products you'll see in Google Labs are quite complex, today's lesson and Discovery Exercise are nice and simple.

1. Head over to Google Labs
   
2. Play around with 2 or 3 of the services listed - I highly recommend Google Trends which analyzes (instead of searching) occurances of your search terms
   
3. Blog about your experiences, what worked, what didn't work, what was potentially useful

And then give yourself some silent applause - you are halfway through the third to last week of Learning 2.0.

Next up: Web 2.0 Award Winners...

#20 - Online Software

This week we'll spend our first two lessons with at least one familiar friend - Google. Today we look at online software (specifically 'productivity software' - word processing, spreadsheets, etc.) and tomorrow the Google development lab.

But don't worry, we aren't on the Google payroll - we'll also be looking at another productivity software option today, Zoho.

Productivity software

Word processing, spreadsheets, calendars, you name it - thanks to our very local company (hello Microsoft), much of the world uses productivity software loaded on individual computers or, as is the case with KCLS thin clients, a shared server.

Online versions of productivity software offer many of the same features yet are quite different from what is installed on your computer. How so?

Price

The online software we're looking at today is quite inexpensive - it's free. And there's a reason for this - it doesn't do nearly as much as the software installed on your computer. But how many of you use the power features in Excel (say, complex graphing) or Word (say, mail merge)? The core features you see in Google Docs and Zoho Writer match up surprisingly well.

Software Installation

There is none - all you need is a web browser and an internet connection. Working on a computer that doesn't have Excel? No problem.

Collaboration

It's much easier to work on projects with others - colleagues, community group members, family, friends, whomever. Say, for example, you are working with your neighborhood community council to secure city funding for a project. You post the first draft of a letter, your neighbors make edits or add text to the document, and you bring the completed letter to your next meeting. Much like using a Wiki, the 'shared workspace' means noone is accidentally looking at out-of-date content.

Freedom From File Formats

Have you ever helped a patron who can't open the resume they created on a friend's computer? Very often it's a file format problem - a document created in the word processing software that came pre-installed on the computer, for example, may not open in Microsoft Word. Online productivity software offers another way to solve this problem - you can open a wider range of file formats.

Even Better Than The P: Drive

The documents you create with Google Docs and Zoho are saved to an online account and can be accessed from any computer with internet access - disks and/or flash drives are not required.

Discovery Excercise

Best, though, to see for yourself - try out Google Docs and Zoho and see if they work for you.

Part 1: Google Docs

1. Take their quick tour to learn more.
   
2. At the end of the tour, click on 'try it out.'
   
3. Login with the Google account you've used for previous Learning 2.0 exercises (or, if you are already logged in, skip to the next step)
   
4. You choose - create a new document (for word processing) or spreadsheet
   
5. Add some quick text and save your document (there's a big 'save' button in the top right corner of the screen).
   
6. Take a look at the collaborate options (notice the 'View RSS feed of document changes' link?) and whatever else interests you.
   
7. Take a deep breath and move on to Part 2.
   

Part 2: Zoho

1. Head over to Zoho and take note of the wider range of software they offer.
   
2. Try the same type of software you used in Google Docs - click on the 'Try Now' link.
   
3. Sign up for an account (and don't worry about the email confirmation unless you want to keep the account up - if you don't respond your account will be deleted in 7 days)
   
4. Add some quick text and save your document (there's a 'save' button similar to what you see in MS Word)
   
5. Take a look at some of the options (share, history, etc) located just above your text.
   

Part 3: What do you think?

1. Let us know in your blog

Next up: Google Labs...

#19 - Library 2.0

Today we focus on the 2.0 part of Learning 2.0. The 2.0 is, you may have guessed, what links our program to the broader entity known as Web 2.0. The 2.0 also links our program to what many in the library world are calling Library 2.0.

A popular definition of Library 2.0 is provided by Sarah Houghton:

Library 2.0 simply means making your library’s space (virtual and physical) more interactive, collaborative, and driven by community needs. Examples of where to start include blogs, gaming nights for teens, and collaborative photo sites. The basic drive is to get people back into the library by making the library relevant to what they want and need in their daily lives…to make the library a destination and not an afterthought.

Library 2.0 is also big on offering customization - new services and/or reworked existing services should meet our patrons in their spaces (aka their computers, their cell phones, their blackberries, etc.) as well as in our spaces (aka our library buildings and websites).

Some argue that Library 2.0 is nothing more than a convenient catch phrase for new technology. Others say it's a semantic waste of time - libraries have always been about collaboration and customer service.

There's been lots (and lots) written about Library 2.0 in Library Journals and the blogsphere. So much that we're going to ask you to read from just 1 source - the OCLC Next Space Newsletter. They recently published a collection of short articles under the banner "Where will the next generation Web take libraries?"

And now, more formally, today's Discovery Exercise.

1. Read the introduction
   
2. Read at least 3 of the 5 articles (or all 5) - these are:
   - Away from Icebergs
   - Into a new world of librarianship
   - To more powerful ways to cooperate
   - To better bibliographic services
   - To a temporary place in time
   
3. Let us know what you think - blog a bit about Library 2.0

That's all for this week - thanks for keeping at it.

Next up: Online applications and tools...

#18 - Search What You Like

This week's lessons are not linked very well thematically - we look at custom search engines today and at the broader themes of 2.0 tomorrow. It is with this in mind that we've decided to skip our regularly scheduled weekly podcast and head straight to the lesson-at-hand.

Today's lesson: search what you like

Do you have a group of websites that are your favorites? Or a set of online resources that are similar in scope, that you frequently use to answer homework or reference questions? If you answered yes to either question, a custom search engine may be the tool for you - they search the websites you tell them to search. Nothing more.

In today's lesson we'll be looking at two services - Rollyo and Google Custom Search Engine.

Rollyo

First off, the originator - Rollyo.

It's easy to use - you go to their website, you set up a profile, you add the websites you want to search, you get a permanent URL for your new search engine (these are called 'search rolls'). You can even invite friends or colleagues to add sites to the search engine. Or add a search box to your blog.

The drawback? Rollyo is funded by sponsored search results - you'll see these in your results.

There are hundreds of interesting Rollyo search rolls out there already. These range from the library-centric (Library Organizations, Public Domain eBooks), to the politically-charged (the left and the right), to the utterly obsessive (Everything Star Wars), to just about anything else.

Google Custom Search Engine

And then there's this little software company in California - it's called Google. Google has a relatively new service they're calling the Google Custom Search Engine. The concept is the same - you set up an account, create a custom search, add sites to it, and receive a permanent URL for easy access. Their service carries a pleasant benefit for we Learning 2.0 participants - you can use the same Google ID you've already set up for blogging.

Some existing search site examples include an Independent Film Search, a Wine Search Engine and quite a few others.

But which one should you use? That's what today's Discovery Exercise is all about - it's a custom search engine show-down...

Part 1: Compare the results

We've created a 'KCLS & Neighbors' search in Rollyo and Google - both search the KCLS website as well as those of neighboring library systems (SPL, Sno-Isle, and Tacoma Public).

1. Head over to our Rollyo Search Roll (this will open in a separate window) and try a few searches. On what? How about library card applications or branch locations or gaming programs.
   
2. Head over to our Google Custom Search Engine (this will open in a separate window) and run the same searches.
   
3. Which did you like better?
   

Part 2: Make Your Own

Choose the custom search tool you like best and create your own.

If you choose Rollyo:

1. Register
   
2. Create a search roll for any subject you like.

If you choose Google Custom Search Engine:

1. Sign in with your Google ID and set things up
   

In both cases:

Create a post in your blog about your experience and link to your search roll. Can you see a potential use for tools like this?

And that, everyone, is all for today - have fun searching.

Next up: More 2.0 than you ever imagined...

#17 - Play, then catch up or take a break

This week we slow things down a bit - we've got just one lesson, a fast and fun one at that, and then time for you to take a break and/or catch up on previous lessons.

But first an update on the state of Learning 2.0 - David and Bruce Schauer fill you in on a few of the details in this week's podcast.

Click the Play button above
to hear this week's Podcast (1:42)
Now on to this week's lesson - we'd like you to take a look at some image and text generators. These are minor feats of programming that have resulted in fun, sometimes silly, ways to spend a few minutes.

And how do these affect libraries?

Well, I'll be honest, my answer is going to be something of a stretch. Libraries and these image generators, broadly speaking, encourage you to keep an open mind...

So, with an open mind, let's get to today's Discovery Exercise.

1. Take a look at some generator-themed sites:
   
   The Generator Blog lists many. Take a look at the descriptions and see if something interests you. Me, I'm a big fan of the Nietzsche Family Circus Generator.
   
   FD Toys works with Flickr or other photos you may have saved on your computer to create faux posters, magazine covers, and (some of you may have even looked at these during our Mashups lesson).
   
   You as a South Park Character - join me, take the plunge:
   
   
   (be warned - these are a bit difficult to save)
   
   You as a Simpsons Character
   
   
   (clearly, I need to stay away from Springfield)
   
2. Create an image from any of the above and, if possible, save a copy to your blog (first save the image to your computer, then use the blogger 'add image' button) or link the image to your blog.

And that's all for the week. Enjoy your break (or catch-up) and we'll be back with a full week of Learning 2.0 next Monday.

Postscript

Many of you have braved the complex maneuver of saving your South Park and Simpsons images. If you are still having problems, here's one way to do it:

1. Open up the 'Paint' program (Start Menu > Programs > Accessories > Paint)
   
2. Go back to the webpage with your finished character
   
3. Press the PrtSc button on your keyboard
   
4. Go back to Paint
   
5. Go under the 'Edit' menu and choose 'Paste.' This will paste the entire screen
   
6. Crop the image down (to show just your character), click on the box icon in the top left corner of your screen (it looks like a square with dotted lines)
   
7. Drag a box around the part of the screen you want to KEEP
   
8. Go under the 'Edit' menu and select 'Copy to...'
   
9. From the resulting menu, save it to your computer's desktop
   
10. The image is now ready for uploading via your blogger 'Add Image' button
    

Next up: searching and more 2.0 concepts...

an Update on MySpace Friends and Email Verification

A number of you have reported problems with the MySpace friending process. You'll be asked to verify your email, you try, but it doesn't work.

The problem, I fear, lies with MySpace - you are doing nothing wrong.

If this is happening to you, please don't worry about it. Give it another try later in the week but, should you continue to get the cold shoulder from MySpace, consider lesson #11 complete. Just make sure you do two things when you submit your Week #5 progress log: leave a checkmark next to the 'friend' box (#11) and enter your MySpace URL in the appropriate slot (so that we know you really are our 'friend').

#16 - Join the Wiki collective

In today's lesson you'll get to join the collective.

Okay, not the collective (that's the last Borg joke I'll make, promise), but the Learning 2.0 collective - you'll get to add content to the Learning 2.0 Wiki.

Wikis, as we've already discussed, come in many shapes and sizes. Still another variation in the world of wikis is where your wiki lives - you can install wiki software on a server at your institution (like what we do with our website and email) or you can use a service that hosts the wiki for you. For today's exercise, we'll be doing the later - our Learning 2.0 wiki was set up with a service called PB Wiki.

Which is why you should take their quick quick PB Wiki Tour (this will open in a separate window). They'll detail the service and fill you in on a number of intersting ways to use wikis - keep clicking on the 'next' button to get to the next screen. Once you run out of 'next' buttons, you've come to the end of the tour.

We're moving quickly today - we're already up to today's Discovery Exercise where you'll become a contributer to the Learning 2.0 Wiki.

1. Head over to the Learning 2.0 Wiki (link will open in a separate window).
   
2. Read the main page and follow instructions for making your way to the 'best blogs ever' wiki page.
   
3. Add your blog to the 'best blogs ever' wiki page - instructions will be at the top of the page. Make sure you include your blogging name in the appropriate space so that we know it was you
   

And you're done - thanks for becoming a Learning 2.0 wiki contributor.

Up next: play and catch up...