Boyd readings

Social networking sites probably aren't going anywhere anytime fast. As the Boyd readings show, social networking has been around for a while now - and while it has evolved - it has not completely disappeared. Libraries may be served well to pay attention to what their patrons want - what all of their diverse patrons want - even though budget and other limitations may prevent every type of social software from coming to fruition in every library.

Like any software program or new way of doing things, sometimes people change slowly. The library may want to keep careful note of the demographics of their patron, and take note of what they like, as well as attempt to gauge whether or not their patrons are willing to accept and/or utilize the new technology. Social networking in libraries can only be as successful as its users and patrons make it. I question whether teens/tweens (who may think the library is invading their cool friend-space) and seniors (who may be too far removed from new tech) especially would embrace the convergence of library and social networking.

Ning I hardly know you

Ning sure is an easy site to navigate…I had almost no trouble setting up an account. If they’re trying to go for user-friendly I think they’ve succeeded. On the surface, Ning is a great concept which piggybacks on the success of Myspace/Facebook but is just different enough. In Ning, a user can create/join his or her own social network based on variety of preferences or interests.

Because of the way it’s designed, I think Ning is a little more “close-knit” than Myspace. I think it would work best for a small group of people who already have a relationship and want to stay connected, or for a group of people who share a very specific interest/hobby. I think the problem with Ning, or any social networking site, is that the group/site is only as good as the people using it – and how pro-active they are about accessing/updating it on a regular basis.

I don’t know how well Ning would work in an office setting. I wonder if it would be fun in the beginning but gradually become ineffective as employees feel the novelty of it has worn off. Another concern is the fee a company would have to pay…unless they wanted to use the free version with ads, but I doubt it. I also worry about privacy issues and how the company would safeguard sensitive information. What would happen if employees posted information/comments/pictures about confidential company products?

I think a company’s acceptance of Ning might be based on how open the company is overall to new technology. I think employers still feel this type of software lends itself to socializing – and not about things that are work-related. I can’t decide if Ning being a less well-known social networking site would help or hurt its chances of being implemented in the office. On the one hand, it’s not Myspace/Facebook which some managers might feel has a negative connotation. On the other hand, the fact that Ning is sort of unknown may make employers less likely to want their office to be the guinea pig.

Social Networking Sites are the Masters of “Sticky”

Before I personally experienced MySpace, I never quite understood why most of my friends were spending so much time either on that site, talking about it or trying to get me to join. Then I signed up for myself. A year or so later and I am one of the addicted.

I think social networking sites are “sticky” because there’s always something going on. I’d be ashamed to tell you of the nights I’ve logged on just to check my inbox and before I knew it I’d clicked away for an hour. It seems someone is always posting something new – photos, updates, messages, groups, music, videos, comments, etc. Sometimes I find even I get sucked into the surveys that get circulated (does anyone really care what color shirt I’m wearing or what my first car was??) And if there are no messages or comments when I sign on, it’s still no problem. I can always change up my page, update info, surf around some other profiles or search for a new song to add.

Social Networking sites are also sticky for me because if I don’t sign on for a few days I begin to wonder what I’ve missed (Did my friend from high school get her car fixed? Did so-and-so post pictures of the kids from Halloween?). I also find myself saying more frequently to new people “I’m on myspace, look me up.” There’s a sort of curiosity and mystery in not knowing who will go ahead and look you up…and who from your past may find you.

How to Add a Friend in MySpace

My screencast shows how to search for a person on MySpace and add that person as a friend. The brief screencast can be viewed here.

Screencast

This is my screencast on how to search public records via the county clerk's online record search. Here I show Ocean and Somerset counties where searching and viewing records is free. The only limitation on these sites is that information is only available on the web from the mid-90s to the present.

View the screencast here.

Our Videos

What a wide range of cool video subjects! I was impressed with all the class videos. I especially enjoyed the instructional videos that made ordinary tasks (chopping an onion, etc) seem funny. Heather’s video on Strong Female Characters for Girls rocks!

Having been at the mall one too many times in October (due to the mass amount of people with November birthdays in my family) I echo Amy’s sentiment that stores decorate TOO early for the Christmas holiday. Seriously, folks, Christmas decorations in October?? I don’t even know what we’re doing for Thanksgiving yet!

If you haven’t checked it out yet, watch it here.

Also, Tom’s video of his harmonica talents is very good. He gets major kudos from me for actually being brave enough to film himself with more than his hands showing!

Watch Tom’s musical talents here.

Around the house

This is a brief educational video about chores around the house.

Click To Play

Or visit this link.

You can view this video on YouTube here.