Task Force on Social Networking Software » Current Awareness http://sns.mlanet.org/blog Medical Library Association Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:42:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 en Privacy alert: your updates on Facebook are now public by default http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/06/30/privacy-alert-your-updates-on-facebook-are-now-public-by-default/ http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/06/30/privacy-alert-your-updates-on-facebook-are-now-public-by-default/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:04:13 +0000 Molly Knapp http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/?p=152 Facebook announced this week that that it has begun making status messages, photos and videos visible to the public at large by default instead of being visible only to a user’s approved friends. An article in the Technology section of the NYT examines the implications.

It will be interesting to see whether Facebook uses your public updates for good (free message search API for developers) or evil (selling your updates to marketers). As my coworker observes, “I don’t think it will matter. Someone will hack into it and steal all our identities first.”

PC World has a recent article with some tips on how to make your Facebook profile more private. What privacy tips do you have?

(Mine: get work to block Facebook so you don’t have to worry about it.)

]]> http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/06/30/privacy-alert-your-updates-on-facebook-are-now-public-by-default/feed/ Computers of the World Unite! http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/06/18/computers-of-the-world-unite/ http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/06/18/computers-of-the-world-unite/#comments Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:42:37 +0000 Bart Ragon http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/?p=150 Ever feel contrained by the need to be connected to some server or service on the Web?  In this hi-tech hi-speed digital world Mark Funk asked us to Only Connect.  Do i really need a middle man to negotiate the process.

The Opera browser is challenging the notion that servers and the owners of servers need to mitigate the process.  Check out this short video.

Read more at http://unite.opera.com/

]]> http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/06/18/computers-of-the-world-unite/feed/ Flickr’s Collective Intelligence in Action http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/03/25/flickrs-collective-intelligence-in-action/ http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/03/25/flickrs-collective-intelligence-in-action/#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:32:48 +0000 Bart Ragon http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/?p=143 Every wonder where the collective intelligence of Flickr might lead?  Check out this TED Talk “Blaise Aguera y Arcas: Jaw-dropping Photosynth“.  The first part is visually very cool, but make sure you watch the video around the 4 minute mark.  You’ll see how the collective memory of Flickr can be drawn upon to create 3D links between all images and allow one to dive in and out of the Notre Dame Cathedral all based on user tags.

]]> http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/03/25/flickrs-collective-intelligence-in-action/feed/ Webcast Alert: Technology on a Shoestring http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/03/11/webcast-alert-technology-on-a-shoestring/ http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/03/11/webcast-alert-technology-on-a-shoestring/#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:31:10 +0000 Molly Knapp http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/?p=141 Cross posted from the HLIB-NW list - it’s aimed towards public libraries but who isn’t on a shoestring budget these days?

Technology on a Shoestring: Big Tools for Small Budgets

Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 | Time: 2-3 PM EDT
Register for this FREE webcast today at www.LibraryJournal.com/bigtoolspolaris

More than ever, communities across the country are relying their local libraries for support in these tough economic times. From helping patrons convert old resume files to enabling military families to connect overseas, libraries are challenged with offering more services on smaller budgets.

This one hour webcast will walk through over a half dozen free solutions that can help with some of the library’s toughest patron services challenges, including:

  • Zamzar - file conversion service
  • Drop.io/Senduit - file sharing services
  • Skype - free VOIP service
  • Delicious - social bookmarking application
  • Ning - online platform for user-created social websites and social networks
  • VoiceThread - collaborative multimedia application
  • Google Suite/Zoho - documents, reader, calendar, and more
  • ChunkIt! - web browsing tool

PANELISTS:

Christopher Bell is the library media specialist at Castle View High School (CO), as well as its head of technology and director of e-media and business. He also runs his own Website, writes for SLJTeen, and consults on technology purchases for educational organizations.

Phil Goerner is a teacher librarian at Longmont’s Silver Creek High School in the St. Vrain Valley School District (CO). Phil teaches graduate classes for the School Library Program at CU Denver and also is an adjunct instructor with Lesley University.

MODERATOR: Bob Riley is the MIS Director for Polaris Library Systems For expert information and advice, register today!
Can’t make it on March 24? No problem!
LJ webcasts are archived for 12 months after the live event. With your webcast registration, enjoy the ability to access this event on-demand as often as you’d like.

LJ Webcast archive: http://www.libraryjournal.com/webcasts/48747/Webcasts.html

]]> http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/03/11/webcast-alert-technology-on-a-shoestring/feed/ Registration Now Open for Web Collaboration Tools CE http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/02/03/registration-now-open-for-web-collaboration-tools-ce/ http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/02/03/registration-now-open-for-web-collaboration-tools-ce/#comments Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:12:31 +0000 Bart Ragon http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/?p=138 Dig Deeper with Social Media Free CE Course
Web Collaboration Tools
Course Dates February 16th – 22nd

Web collaboration tools allow people to create, edit and share documents over the Internet.  This course will focus on editing and sharing that can by done synchronously, or asynchronously. The main advantage of using web office tools is that these documents are accessible anywhere that there is an Internet connection.  Course content will demonstrate how helpful these collaboration tools are when working with others to create and modify documents.

Registration for this course is required by February 9th.

Sign up today

Course Website http://sns.mlanet.org/snsce_advanced/

]]> http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/02/03/registration-now-open-for-web-collaboration-tools-ce/feed/ Inauguration 2.0 http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/20/inauguration-20/ http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/20/inauguration-20/#comments Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:14:36 +0000 Bart Ragon http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/?p=128 No matter what your politics, you have to be impressed with the integration of social networking around the inauguration.  CNN is displaying Facebook posts beside the live video feed.  There are Flickr feeds to gather photos and Twitter feeds to grab tweets.  I’m sure there is a lot more out there that I haven’t mentioned (I’ve been scurrying setting up digital displays and projectors all morning).  If you know of more you can share them here in the comments.

It is certainly makes the occasion more participatory.

Bart

]]> http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/20/inauguration-20/feed/ Internet Cool Tools for Physicians http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/12/internet-cool-tools-for-physicians/ http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/12/internet-cool-tools-for-physicians/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:28:49 +0000 Molly Knapp http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/?p=126 Publication alert!

SNSTF member Melissa Rethlefsen, along with co-authors David Rothman and Daniel Mojon have published Internet Cool Tools for Physicians, which is getting alot of press in the blogosphere. Where’s the Facebook fan page?

Congratulations to Melissa, David & Daniel, for an accessible, illustrated and contemporary guide to online tools in medicine.

]]> http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/12/internet-cool-tools-for-physicians/feed/ Dig Deep with the Social Networking Software Task Force http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/08/dig-deep-with-the-social-networking-software-task-force/ http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/08/dig-deep-with-the-social-networking-software-task-force/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:43:23 +0000 Bart Ragon http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/?p=124 Last year many MLA members learned the basics of social networking software by participating in the course “Web 2.0 101: Introduction to Second Generation Web Tools”.  Now it’s time to take a closer look.  The Social Networking Software Task force invites MLA members to participate in the free course, Dig Deeper with Social Media: short courses on emerging online tools.  In this course members can pick and choose the topics of interest to them, as each short course will be offered a la carte.

MLA member feedback told us what topics were of greatest interest to the membership. Each short course is designed to take a more advanced look into a topic and may require a greater comfort level with Web 2.0 technology.  Graduates from last years course and intermediate computer users will feel right at home with the new material.

The schedule will be as follows:

January 19th - 25th
Media Sharing
2 CE Credits

February 16th - 22nd
Web Collaboration Tools ( Registration required by Feb 9th)
2 CE Credits

March 9th - 15th
Wikis
2 CE Credits

April 20th -26th
Blogs
2 CE Credits

No registration is required except for the Web Collaboration Tools course, which involves group work. To participate in a short course and earn CE credit, simply complete the course work and submit your progress. All course work, important dates, and links to support can be found at the course Website http://sns.mlanet.org/snsce_advanced/. On the course site you can also join the course mailing list and we will send you email reminders for upcoming short courses, deadlines, and other helpful information. CE credits will be awarded to 2009 MLA members only. Institutional members may only have one person complete each short course for CE credit.

Disclaimer
Access to a computer with Internet on an unrestricted network is required to fully participate in the course. If you work within a restricted network, check with your workplace network administrator concerning access issues to the Web 2.0 tools utilized in the course.  Participants who work on restricted networks will need to access websites from computers outside of these networks to participate fully in the course.

If you have an questions please contact Bart Ragon at bart@virginia.edu.

]]> http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/08/dig-deep-with-the-social-networking-software-task-force/feed/ Jing Goes Pro http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/08/jing-goes-pro/ http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/08/jing-goes-pro/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:34:58 +0000 Bart Ragon http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/?p=122 Well, it had to happen.  With a product as good as Jing, TechSmith is ready to try and make some money off of it.  The good news is that the free version is still free.  If you don’t know the product, Jing is a screencapturing tool that allows you to grab images or even video of any action you perform on your computer.  It even gives you some server space to easily upload your captures. I’ve found a lot of uses for it in my job.

The for fee version, called Jing Pro, promises to provide better video quality,  smaller files sizes, direct uploads to YouTube, and no Jing logos.  It costs $14.95 per year so it’s not cost prohibitive.  It looks like the storage capacity at screencast.com is still the same 2 GB and I would have like to see that increase.   I also did not like that Jing (which loads when I start my computer) took possession of my desktop to tell me about the new version. Bad TechSmith Bad!

You can check out either version at http://www.jingproject.com/.

If you want to learn more about Jing and how it might help you in your job, just wait for my next post or check out the next MLA-Focus. There is going to be a free learning opportunity for MLA members concerning Media Sharing very soon.  Hint Hint – Jing just might be involved.

Bart

]]> http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2009/01/08/jing-goes-pro/feed/ “Google Flu Trends” takes on the CDC http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2008/11/13/google-flu-trends-takes-on-the-cdc/ http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2008/11/13/google-flu-trends-takes-on-the-cdc/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:52:16 +0000 Molly Knapp http://sns.mlanet.org/blog/2008/11/13/google-flu-trends-takes-on-the-cdc/ An article in PC Magazine looks at Google Flu Trends, which uses patterns in Google search queries to explore flu trends across the US.

Explore flu trends across the US using Google Flu Trends

According to Google.org (the “hybrid philanthropy” arm of the search giant): “Flu Trends uses aggregated Google search data to estimate flu activity in your state up to two weeks faster than traditional flu surveillance systems.” Tradition flu surveillance systems meaning the CDC. Interestingly enough, an early version of Google Flu Trends was used to share results each week with the Epidemiology and Prevention Branch of the Influenza Division at CDC. “Across each of the nine surveillance regions of the United States, we were able to accurately estimate current flu levels one to two weeks faster than published CDC reports.” So it’s not competition so much as information sharing. And to their credit, there’s a link to the CDC website and a ‘flu shot locator’ on the Google Flu Trends homepage.

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