• Build in some kind of bibliographic control for tags. I’ve posted about this once before, there needs to be some kind of standard for tagging. Something like, no plurals, correcting spelling, etc…
• They need to build in support for multi-word tags. It drives me crazy that everything has to be a single mass rather than two or more terms (i.e. “web 2.0″, “graphic novel”, “science fiction”, etc…). Other web 2.0 apps can do it, how come Del.icio.us can’t?
• Design. I like the simple basic design of Del.icio.us but they need to do just a little bit more… Nothing fancy, but how about alternating shades of gray for each link so that it’s easier to differentiate between different links.

All in all Del.icio.us is a pretty useful tool. Supposedly there is going to be a redesign next year, but we’ll see about that…

My colleague sent this to me. I never saw the first version. Great food for thought.

• Only 11% of PCs are recycled; the percentage for televisions and mainframes recycled is lower.¹
• 68 percent of consumers stockpile used or unwanted computer equipment in their homes.²
• Nearly 2 in 10 consumers that disposed of a desktop computer or monitor in the past year threw them in the trash. Fourteen percent of those that disposed of a laptop computer last year threw it in the trash.³

This is A LOT of computers that are being trashed and unused. This is really unfortunate because although computers can become too slow or lack the memory to run the newest, fastest applications, they can still be functional and their processing power can be put to good use. Ask yourself what you do with your computer. Many people find that all they really do is email and get on the internet. If this is the case then why do you need that newer, faster, bigger, better computer. Why not purchase a two or three year old computer if all your doing is writing papers and checking email?

One thing we can do is recycle our old computers. I’m not specifically talking about salvaging the resources in a computer, I’m talking about refitting computers and using functional parts to build new ones. I found two organization in Chicago that do exactly that. One is Computers for Schools. Computers for schools is a non-profit organization that accepts old computer and then refurbishes them and sells them for 1/3 the cost of a new one (I couldn’t find any prices).

Another organization that has a similar mission but is also promoting free software is FreeGeek Chicago. FreeGeeks goal is to “provide functional computers, education, internet access and job skills training to those who want them.”⁴ FreeGeek Chicago not only accepts old computers, but they also accept volunteers. They also have a deal in which if you volunteer for 20 hours you can earn a FreekBox (a rebuilt computer). You can buy computers from FreeGeek for $50 (What a deal!). All computers provided by FreeGeek run on a version of the Ubuntu Linux operating system.

1. From the Women’s Learning Partnership.
2. HP Fact Sheet, Earth Day 2005. http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/environment/earthday-fs.pdf
3. From Consumer Report’s Greener Choices.
4. From FreeGeek/about.

With the explosion of Swing dancing (lindyhop, swing is to evocative of other less savory activities) came a fledgling community, and one of the focal points of that community was Windyhop. Windyhop was created as a way for the Chicago area lindyhoppers to meet and greet and communicate about places to dance and plan get-togethers. It included everything about dancing from the best shoes to wear, places to buy clothes, places to learn and even the best way keep yourself dry and smelling sweet after a night of dancing. People talked about everything on the Windyhop forum, from the best TV shows, what books they were reading and politics (I always stayed out of that one).

Windyhop was also extremely useful for traveling lindyhoppers. Every year there were events all across the country called lindy exchanges. Basically a city would host a lindy exchange and people from all across the US (and even other countries) would go to that city to dance for a weekend. It was a great time and when Chicago hosted a lindy exchange Windyhop was the place that people posted about coming into the city and looking for places stay and people to see.

The term “Virtual Community” is really kind of a misnomer. There was nothing “virtual” about windyhop. We talked on the Windyhop forums by day and danced together by night. The way we talked may have been over wires and circuitry but when we came together it was physical and intimate (one of my dance teachers used to say a dance was a “3 minute flirt”). Windyhop is still around although it’s a shadow of its former self. I still check it on occasion for places my wife and I can dance but I find myself doing that less and less.

• MP3s
• Podcasts
• Digital Books
• Movie downloads.

We then discussed how libraries would store this content. Would it be on a central server? Would it be available through an online digital service? Would the library still buy physical copies of content? Would the library check out content players to patrons with preloaded content?

We talked briefly about what equipment a library would have to purchase to provide for digital content. If the library doesn’t purchase or provide technology to patrons, then this could drive a wedge deeper into the digital divide.

We also briefly discussed the issue of DRM. Aurora public library has a service called Media Mall that allows patrons to “check out” digital content. It only resides on the computer for a limited amount of time before automatically being erased or uplayable (returned) from the computer. Unfortunately these downloads are not playable on iPods, only through the Windows Media Player (double check me on that).

“They’re Wikiracing.” “They’re what?”

“Wikiracing. They start at the same page and then have to navigate to a random page using links on their current page. No searching allowed.”

I had never heard of this before so I was really amazed by this game. The kids probably played it for 15 or 20 minutes more and they were totally into it. I want to play.

1. Wikirace logo ©2007 Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

What I basically would like to see is an implementation of a form of subject headings. Tags are definitely different from subject headings in that they are broader and encompass multiple facets of a work but the basic idea isn’t all that different. I think that web 2.0 could really benefit from some tag management.

My own approach to technology is if you really want to learn it, you have to commit to using it and learning about it. It’s nice to stick to the familiar and it’s nice when there is a standard that works across technology but that’s not the way it always works. Technologies are spread all across the spectrum. There can be 20 different applications that all do the same thing, but the usability ranges from Fischer Price to rocket science. You should use whatever fits your needs and work style the best, but don’t start knocking other pieces of technology because they don’t work for you or you’re not comfortable with them.

If you really want to learn a new piece of technology you have to let go of the familiar and be willing to commit and get over the initial hump of the learning curve. It won’t be easy and there will probably be some frustration but once you start to get your stride you’ll find that the new tech might work better than the old familiar tech. Kids will ask me sometimes whether they should get a Macbook or Windows laptop for college (I get asked that all the time). If they use Windows and they ask if they should go with a Mac I will say to them:

• What do you use now?
• What are you most comfortable with?
• Do you know how to use a Mac?
• Are you willing to really learn how to use it?
• Macs are not Windows machines, they don’t work exactly the same.
• Only go with Mac if you are really willing to commit.

This same list also works the other way, if the student uses a Mac and asks if they should go with a Windows laptop (the number of times I have been asked this I could count on one hand).

If you are going to go with a new piece of technology you should take Yoda’s advice, “Try not. Do… or do not. There is no try.”

I can feel my inner Michael Gorman beginning to stir. There is a luddite inside of me that wants to get out. It’s like… luddite vomit. I can taste it at the back of my throat. If I let it all out I’ll feel better, but then there’ll be a big mess.

Kids are using social networks and text messaging to communicate rather than email. I don’t really get it but then that’s probably because I’m old. I have a Facebook account with 1, one, uno friends (that makes them special). I also have a MySpace account with 3 or 4 friends. Facebook isn’t so bad but I honestly can’t stand MySpace. It’s bright and flashy and loud, it’s ugly. I’m not sure I completely buy into this article either. I work with kids and a lot of them don’t really use MySpace or Facebook. They do text message and I can believe that they do this more than email but using social networks over email? I can’t quite buy into that. It just doesn’t seem like a good idea. Although I don’t like using MySpace or Facebook I guess I’ll have to learn how to manipulate them. We’ve got to go where our users are and our users are on Facebook and MySpace.