I’m almost half-way there!!

Well, here I am at Things 8 and 9, the Protopage. I’ve created a NetVibes page previously, part of a Web 2.0 day course presented by Phil Bradley at CILIP. I shall dredge up all the links, emails etc and try to revive it, or at least understand it. Despite all the whining I do, I actually find I’m quite comfortable with Sharepoint now, which is another system that works on the principle of adding components (including widgets) to a page to display data in various formats. Not sure if it’s exactly ‘object oriented’ but that chimes for me.

Two postings in one day (in one hour!). There will be a pause before the next one.

Thing 7 – the pretty one

Missed catch-up week 1 so here I am trying to make up for lost time. This is Thing 7, Creative Commons Images. I can see that I’ll have to work on my search technique if I’m going to use this as it’s taken several goes to find something I can use, despite going via the Google image search function. I picked the ‘reuse, share’ level and still found photos for which I would have to pay. Not sure how that filtering worked.

Anyway, I’ve found a nice photo of my current obsession.  Our house is beginning to look like a commercial fruit growing enterprise, despite having only 2 Bramley apple trees and one Golden Delicious still in production.  The Grenadier and (?) Discovery/Worcester Pearmain have long since reached the end of this year’s crop.  Everyone is getting just a little tired of apple crumble, apple pie, apple muffins, apple cake – I’ve even got slices drying in the boiler cupboard.  PFB can’t eat apples due to fixed orthodontic appliances, so there are plenty to go round :).   And yes, we’ve given loads away.  I just hope the trees produce something, if not quite as much, next year.
Crate of apples from Tillington fruit farm

© Copyright andy dolman and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Of course, now that I read on and click on the Wikipedia Commons link, I find it’s much more straightforward.  What was that about patience?.

Browsers – Thing6

Who’d have thought it would take so long to get to the next Thing?!

Found a few minutes to read the piece and Azadeh’s reflection.  I have always used IE, mostly because it’s there.  I installed some of the others when we got a new PC and the option was offered.  I’ve used Firefox, partly because it works better with Lotus (something I use in another job) and I got fed up with not seeing all the bits that should be on screen.  It also works better with on-line banking.  And this is IE8!  The kids are into Chrome (I think).  It’s finding the time to experiment…

I had a look at the on-line help for tabs.  I like the idea of the tab gallery tab thing (thumbnails of all the tabs you have open) but I don’t tend to have that many at home.  At work – that’s a different story.  I think I had 6 tabs in one session and 2 in another today.  Would love to have the better functionality to work with but we’re still on IE7.  It’s the NHS don’t you know.  I manage with the tools I’ve got (violins, please).

Off on another taxi run, will try to carry on later. 🙂

At last! (and probably the last one)

TV&W Librarians’ 19things is now up to Thing 12 and here I am on no. 4.  (I have to confess, I skipped 2, so that’s even worse!).  I hope it’s worth the wait.

The Wordle (Thing 1) was something I’d seen but not used before.  It was easy to do and I’ve now got two rather jazzy images showing the most used search terms on our intranet.  We’ll have to work out how to use that information but as a visual representation, it’s very striking.  I like Wordles.

I skipped the QR code as we are a family of Luddites, with not a smart-phone between us (much to the annoyance of the children).  I have seen them in lots of places, particularly good examples in places like  discovery centres and country parks.  Visitors can get information about exhibits, local wildlife, etc.  Good use of technology.

Will post again after taking child2 to Brownies and child1 to music lesson.  Now you can see why it’s taken me so long to get to Thing 4!