Final Project Screencast

Here it is, the screencast for my final project! I hope that I passed the audition!

Click to Play

My final project is here: BSL Tech Talk blog.

Here's the original video on Blip.Tv: http://blip.tv/file/880027/

Here's Nevar!

Here I am, Nevar Zwilling, on Info Island at the ALA island.

I really didn't think that I'd like Second Life, but I'm having such a good time learning all the features of the software. If only there weren't any projects due at school! I might just return and spend more time here after May 9th.

The wheels are turning inside my brain, and I thinking of how I can create a number of spurious items of doubtful character that everyone will want so I, too, can become a millionaire in Second Life. Maybe I can make enough money so I don't need my library job anymore. But that's wishful thinking.

I'm just impressed be the richness of the experience. I've played a number of PC games over the years (mostly on my 386 PC a long time ago) but they were nothing compared to this. From my perspective, I like this type of virtual interaction better than anything offered on the gaming consoles. I can see how Second Life can become addicting. I know I'll be back.

If I Were You...

I'm sure that the social software/Web 2.0/Library 2.0 content will continue to change, and as such the materials cover in the course will change too. I think that as such, 598 will always be a work in progress.

But enough of writing what is sometimes called a "Love Letter" review; "I love everything about this class..." It's time for a positive suggestion to make the class better.

I'd like to see the alternate viewpoint expressed in readings for this class. If your going to read "Everything bad is good...", then it should be balanced out with something like "The cult of the amateur..."(Keen). The two books are written in the same style, just at different ends of the continuum. A few pages at the start of the class does not do the opposing view justice.

Now back to the love letter. I really found a number of Web 2.0 technologies that would work well both on the job and in my personal life. I originally thought that there was a lot of material being covered in 15 weeks, and there is! I think chapter 15 of Farkas, "Keeping up", offers good advice, and I'll be doing my best to follow it in the future.

Good for You!

If indeed popular culture is becoming more sophisticated, then libraries have to do all they can to bring culture to the masses, and masses to the library's culture.

That would mean going out to where people gather online. Libraries need to establish, and many have, an online presence in such places as MySpace, FaceBook, and wherever else might become the latest hot-spot. This presence might just be able to inform the masses what the library has to offer. Our library, for example, has a large collection of hi-brow TV shows such as "I love Lucy", and 24, to name a few.

And if you need to bring 'em into the library, we have teen night every Wednesday. Teens are encouraged to bring in their gaming consoles and hook them up to our large screen hi-def monitor. Our library also sponsors gaming nights & tournaments for both teens, and families with younger children.

To become, competitive once again libraries need to embrace the latest & greatest of popular culture in a timely fashion. Staff needs to be at least familiar, or up to speed with the most popular Web 2.0 technologies. If we're not current, we might just be perceived as being out of it.

My Foray Into Online Gaming

How difficult could it be to play "Battleship", or what Yahoo Games calls "Naval Command", online? I read the instructions for about two minutes, joined in, and got plastered! Probably by some middle school student (Thanks,Sebastiao C)!

(Note: Silent Screencast; I turned my microphone off so you wouldn't hear any cussing!)

Click to Play Video

View the original screencast on Blip.tv at: http://blip.tv/file/855520/

Screencasting Best Practices

I'm constantly revising and building on my best practices, so here's what I consider tops this week:

• Prepare by getting comfortable first. Take care of all of your physical needs to minimize distractions.
• Turn off all clocks, appliances, phones, etc. to minimize background noise.
• Set the screen capture size and be sure all of your open windows fit.
• Run through the sequence of the presentation a couple of times to see how it flows (I don't script).
• Minimize the windows you're going to use so they can be displayed quickly when you're ready to use them.
• Record your screencast, post, and wait. I sometimes have second thoughts and re-do one a day or two afterwards.
• Realize & accept the fact that good screencasts take practice.

Get Game?

First hand research is probably the best when deciding to choose a gaming platform. You could ask your teens for their input, which is good because it gives them a voice. Or you could do what I did, and find your local librarian gaming expert. My contact was one of my coworkers from the YA department. Besides working with the teens, she's also an avid gamer. Worst case you could probably read articles about libraries & gaming, but that would be so indirect.

I posed the problem to my source: what system would you choose if you were short on funds, and which would you choose if you had lots of cash? PS2 was considered the economical solution. Relatively cheap, and lots of "G" rated games. PS3 has all of the bells & whistles but was considered to have mostly "mature" titles. Wii was considered the hi-end choice because of the variety of games and type of controller. Besides cash, the game rating was considered a key criteria. Our library has a policy of only G-rated games so that would be key, besides funds, in choosing a system. Also, one might take into account what system the teens are using so they could bring in their own games but use library consoles & displays. We allow are teens to bring in their consoles and we have the necessary interface cables for our wide screen monitor.

I'd probably go for the PS2 because of the wide variety of G games available and the price. It might be possible to get multiple systems, depending on funds, and thereby get more bang for the buck$.