Week 3 Semester 2 - Jott and Remember the Milk

Well, I just don't know about these. They seem too "cute" to be very useful. I do use lists, but tend to do them on paper for very immediate, what do I have to accomplish this afternoon sorts of things. I can see how these tools can be integrated into other things, and wonder if Google may become the manager of my life some day, but for right now it is easier for me to use the well integrated workgroup software we have with Outlook for most things.

That may be the key to some of this: if you are on a well organized network, and most of your collaborations are done among people also on that network, then the tools there will be of more value to you. But if you work with people who are otherwise unconnected, and need to communicate and share tasks, etc. with people in many different places and on different networks, then these web based tools are great.

And I use my cell phone so little that I don't know if I would find Jott very useful at all. Again, maybe in the future...

Another pet peeve (or unfullfilled need) is that I'm getting tired of remembering all of the usernames and passwords that I have for these services. Some can be re-used of course, but it always seems that each service has its own requirements and/or already taken names. Trying to remember which variation I used on this or that service makes the use much less convenient than it should be. I would welcome the advice of others on how you manage all this stuff.

Google Docs

Yes, Google Docs is pretty neat. And useful in a library context too. We want to let our patrons do work on our catalog machines, but they are secured using the Public Web Browser shell. We can't really put any software on them, because that would require letting patrons out to Windows. And, in addition, it would be expensive - We have 17 catalog workstations. So, we will just add Google Docs to the list of allowed websites. That will let patrons do research in our databases, the resources we share with OWLSnet, InfoSoup, etc. and then use the results in a term paper, report, etc.

IMing, Meebo, and all that Jazz

I'm not sure that I really get IM. It seems that the demands of being right there all the time and responding immediately make IM more like the "old fashioned" telephone than the newer, more convenient, email environment. With email, you don't have to interrupt or be interrupted, but you can send off a message when it is fresh in your mind and the person you are sending to can reply at their convenience.

That being said, I can see how a Meebo gadget could very well be a useful service point for the library to offer its patrons during hours that we are staffed. Patrons who need an immediate answer may well appreciate this method - a little less personal than phone or in-person contact, but still right there.

I've embedded a meebo gadget into the Administration home page on our library Intranet. I'll be interested to see how long it is til someone finds it. Now all I have to do is remember to log in to Meebo every morning (and log out again when I leave...) The next tool I need is some sort of universal tool that logs me in to my network, my email, the supervisor's in/out board, Meebo, etc. all in one swoop. And then grabs me as I walk out of the door and makes sure that I log out of all of them. Ideas anyone?