The Anonymous Feedback -- How is it Going, one-month in?

Since we are back in the new year, I thought I'd go over some of the big issues that have been raised so far with the program. Some of these came up as comments, others from the anonymous surveys, some from blog posts I've seen around and so on.

1. I can't seem to find time to get any of the "Things" done.

Unfortunately, I knew that finding time to get the "23 things" done would be a challenge for many. Not only that, but the people who are apt to find off-desk time to do a "thing" are also likely to be the same sort of people who would find the "things" quite easy.

• I tried to give as much time as I could (6 months) to finish the things.
• I tried to make the things as simple to do (with room to learn more) without making them seem useless.
  
• I asked branch managers to do what they can to accommodate requests for off-desk time for the 23 things.
• I left the month of December and the first week of January "thing-less" so people could catch up.
• I provided a list of hints and, in some cases, step-by-step instructions on how to do the "thing" and linked to these hints from the side bar (look to your right) and on the timeline post.
• I will be offering an explicit opportunity to call or email specific "gurus" in the month of march to help anyone finish up their things.
• The last "thing" was help someone else. I still think this is the best way possible to learn any of the things.

In the end, if it is a chance for the laptop (or other prizes) that you want, please remember to use any loophole you can find just to finish the 23 things. I *want* you to qualify for the laptop!

If it's the learning experience, and not so much the laptop, how about just choosing one or two "things" and learning them well?

2. These things are a waste of time. . .

A few of you felt that the social networking sites I've introduced so far were a waste of time. In particular, the blog seemed to some of you a passing fad.

I think I might have started with something besides the blog to illustrate that the "web 2.0" fad (and it may still be a fad) is not just about offering a wide-ranged confessional to the huge internet public.

I think a good analogy for Web 2.0 is as a "buffet" versus the standard restaurant. A buffet may include things you do not like, but that does not mean the buffet as a whole is a wash. While blogging may not be your thing, I think something like RSS or online wordprocessors/spreadsheets might be. If someone at the desk was looking for up-to-date information on their favorite pet subject, I think it is good to know that blogs exist and that they can be accessed pretty efficiently via RSS. In short, I'm just asking you to give this all a try. In the meantime, I'm hoping that one or two people in every branch will take to this stuff and be able to provide tips to those who are experts on other things.

If you think something I chose really is stupid or a waste of time, let me know and better, let me know why. We need to know what out there in the "buffet" that is Web 2.0 will work for us. Conversely, if you really think something out there would be really valuable to use, I'd like to hear about that as well. Libraries are using these sorts of tools with a wide spectrum of success and failure.

3. Person X has really been helpful to us while we were completing the "things," I just wanted to let you know.

Hey! Thanks for letting me know. Now I can let a secret out of the bag. I am going to ask each branch manager to give me the name of someone who has been really helpful to others during this process. Those person(s) are going to get a Denis Cunningham original t-shirt (pictures to come soon)!

Tell Me What You Really Think. . .

While we are on the break, I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone about the Anonymous Feedback Form. The reason I set that form up is so you can tell me what you think without fear of reprisal. So you can be as mean as you want.

So, tell me what's on your mind. Were any of the "things" too confusing? Is there something you feel that is unfair about this training? Is it too much? Too little? Are you learning alot from this, or is it all repetition? Is there a thing you were expecting to see and haven't yet? Was there anything that doesn't quite belong?

Good, bad or ugly -- I'd really love to hear from you.

Google Trends, Facebook and Halifax?

There's a neat tool called "Google Trends" that let's you compare different search terms and see trends over time based on search data.

There's an interesting one that appears if you search "Facebook" and "MP3" together (for instance). Sure, you'll see that the popular social networking site Facebook is taking off and has been since about the summer of this year. But the other thing you may notice is that the country that does the most per capita searching for "facebook" is Canada.

Or even more importantly, the city that does the most per capita searching for facebook is "Halifax." Yes. Halifax, Nova Scotia searches for the term "Facebook" more than any other city in the world on a per capita basis.

There could be many reasons for this -- for example, perhaps there are a wide range of people that have come here from away and want to keep in touch with their friends in other towns?

Maybe the story is more about family members moving out west and parents trying to keep in touch with their children/grandchildren. It's all hard to say, but it does affirm that we should be learning about this stuff.

Noticed by Kevin Wong.

An email I received recently, redirected from the wiki.

How are you? I hope you are well. My name is Kevin Wong, and I am the author of the book Heroes of Destiny. I just saw on the front page of the hpllearning wiki that someone rated my Heroes of Destiny book as being the 10th best book of all time, which I found truly humbling and amusing all at once. Who was it that rated my book so immeasurably (and probably undeservingly) highly, and what criteria did he or she use to create the list? In any event, I wanted to thank whoever it was (and if it was you, the wiki's owner, then "thank you") who thought so highly of my book, and to say that it brought a smile (and a great, humble laugh) to my face. :-)

Sincerely,

Kevin Wong
Author of the Heroes of Destiny Trilogy of Books
www.kevinwong.ca
www.heroesofdestiny.ca

This is one thing I've discovered about the blogosphere (the world of blogs out there). Writers are very interested in hearing what people say (positive or negative) about their books and often respond to blogs about their works.

In short, our tongue-in-cheek resource has become a resource, just like that! And now it's noticed by a local resource. Lots of big projects, probably even Wikipedia, started off just like that.

Thing # 14: Help Someone Else do One of the 23 Things

Description:

Maybe you found everything easy. Maybe Wikis stumped you, but RSS was a breeze. Maybe it was all hard for you, but you learned some neat tricks about blogging that could help the geekiest tech geek you know. Studies have shown that the absolute best way to learn something is by teaching it to someone else. That's what I would like you to do.

Hints:

1. Some people do not want to finish all the 23 things, but might be willing to try one or two to help you finish yours.
2. Maybe just work with someone else on something that you both are having trouble finishing.
3. I will be posting the remainder of the 23 things over the course of December (some are already up there), you can help someone with a "thing" that will happen in the future if you would rather jump ahead.
4. The next update will not happen until January, so you have plenty of time to catch up on any of the things you missed.
5. I will be answering any email or blog queries, so feel free to send me an email if you need any help or if something is not clear.
   

What is Podcasting?

In quick terms, a podcast is like an "on demand" radio show.

A radio show (like the CBC) may choose to put out the sound files for the show onto the internet. That's great, but it's not podcasting quite yet. But, using RSS, they can have their radio show sent automatically to people who subscribe it.

The Podcast is a Blog with Sound

But let's just explain this in terms of something you already know (or ought to know): the blog. Think of the podcast as a blog, except it uses sound files (MP3s, for instance) instead of words. In fact, you can use a plain old blogger blog to do a podcast. All you need to do is provide a link to a sound file on your blog and there is, you have a podcast.

Subscribe to a Podcast using RSS

If a podcast is a blog with sound, then you subscribe to a podcast the same way as you do with a blog: using bloglines or Google Reader.

The Podcast Advantage: MP3 players and Podcasting

There is a bonus way to subscribe to a podcast as well (which is not required as part of thing #12): through an MP3 downloading service such as iTunes. I find this way easier (you just search for the podcast in iTunes and hit "subscribe" and things are taken care of for you).

This creates a larger advantage. If you are "subscribed" to a podcast via an MP3 downloading service, then your MP3 will have the podcast pre-installed whenever you charge it. That means the podcast is right there for you to listen to when you turn on your MP3 player. I have had many great walks to work with my iPod because I discovered a fun new podcast waiting for me.

Conclusion

In the end, Thing #12, is just a review of RSS but it doesn't tell the whole podcasting story. The problem with demonstrating the true power of podcasting is that I'd have to ask you all to have MP3 players to do it properly.

That said, I hear that branches are getting MP3 players to test out overdrive. . . maybe you would want to try subscribing to a podcast as well?

Thing #13: Embed a video onto your blog

Description:

Sites like YouTube and others let you embed videos onto your blog. That means, you can make the video appear on your blog. This is probably the most popular way of videocasting these days, other than using a YouTube account.

If you have never put code onto a website before, this may sound much more difficult than it really is. In the end, you are just cutting and pasting some funny words into your blog that will make the video show. Don't be intimidated by this: geeks have a habit of making easy things sound hard. Don't be afraid to ask for help, if you get stuck.

Hints:

• Go to a YouTube video page (perhaps the one you searched for for thing #11) and copy the "embed" code. It should appear on the right hand side of the screen. You may have to click "more" to find this code.
• Add the video to your blog:
  
• In blogger,
  
• you create a new post and click the "edit html" tab on the top right of the edit box.
• Paste the embed code into the box. And that should be about it.
  
• Wordpress has a different approach:
• create a new post.
• Underneath the editor is an upload section, with tabs that say "Upload", "Browse All", "Videos" and "Slideshows." Click "videos".
• Put the URL (web address) into that box -- important: this is not the same as the embed code!
• You will see a little bit of code in your editor. Publish that with a title and you should be done!