Task #5: Photo Sharing

The tag assigned to the picture I selected from Picasa Web Albums and sent to the Library Lady is backyard birds.  I enjoyed viewing the many photos on Picasa.   I will probably continue to use this application from time to time to explore  topics of interest to me but  I don't think that I will use it to publish my own photos for other people to see.   I usually just send a couple of photos to relatives or friends at Christmas or show photos to friends during visits and then put them in photo albums.  I can see how this application would be very useful to someone who wants to share their photos with a large group of people or family members who live far away and who can then view the photos at their leisure.

Task #4: Social Networks

Initially upon starting this assignment I did sign up for a Facebook account under a pseudonym however I have since deactivated my account and applied to delete it (it takes 14 days).  I do not feel comfortable with a Facebook account because even though I can use a pseudonym I still have to use my e-mail address which contains my name.  I feel that this may compromise my privacy.  Also with my e-mail available to Facebook who may sell it to third parties, I may receive more junk mail which I then have to delete.

My concerns about social networking are:
1)Lack of privacy.  Even though there are numerous privacy settings it is more difficult to control the information you put on Facebook than if you don't sign up in the first place. 
2)Online social networking where a record is left of everything can create more problems than offline social interactions where nothing is recorded. Too often one hears that Facebook users regret their Facebook interactions  later when applying for a job since employers have access to their information.
3)Social networking can promote the indiscrete use of information as opposed to traditional face-to-face social interactions that use intuition, physical cues and good old-fashioned judgement in a more open atmosphere.
4)Too much time spent on the computer instead of being an active member of your community.

Task #3: Tagging

I bookmarked the following websites and tags in Diigo:

Website                         Tag
1) alliance-francaise.ca -   French language schools - Toronto

2) miniatureschnauzer.ca - miniature schnauzers

3) mayoclinic.com -           medical information

4) cbc.ca/marketplace -     consumershows - canada

I am not sure if I will use Diigo much since I only use my own computer at home.  When I go away for a visit or go on vacation I typically don't use a computer.   But I certainly appreciate learning about it and its possible benefits.

Skateboarding Dog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQzUsTFqtW0



I really enjoyed exploring YouTube for the first time.  I think streaming has become so popular because the videos are very entertaining to watch, they are free, and they are useful visual learning tools in many instances (such as cooking demos).  I will definitely continue to explore YouTube.

My First Post

Hi Fellow Betty Bloggers and Library Lady:

I am very excited to be participating in this course over the summer. My knowledge of Web 2.0 on a scale of 1-10 is a 2.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's weekly posts.

Barbara