The Web According to Google 86: Calendar and Documents

 

The Web According to Google #86: Calendar and Documents

1.  Create a calendar in Google Calendar and try adding some events or tasks to it. How do you think you would use Google Calendar in the workplace or at home? Do you think you would find it helpful to share calendars with coworkers, friends, or family?

        I have created a Google Calendar before.  I haven't really used it with a friend or family, but it would be helpful. 

2.  Try creating a file Google Docs and uploading one from your computer. Can you see yourself using Google Docs in addition to or instead of a desktop office application? Why or why not?

    No.  It is next to impossible to use.  I was unable to upload a document and had to copy and paste and then edit the document I wound up saving.  I prefer using Zoho for materials that I am going to post on my blog.  (In fact, that is what I am using right now.)  The typing was also slow to respond and there was something weird about the tab and lines.  I think Google needs to tweak this app a little bit more.

The Web According to Google 85: Resistance is Futile

 

1. What Google products do you use on a regular basis? Why do you use them and what 
        makes them better than a competing product?
        I regularly use News, Mail, Maps, Images.  I actually use yahoo news as well.  I had problems early on with yahoo's mail and hotmail, so I harbor a small prejudice over that.  I don't necessarily think that Google is better than any other service.  Mainly I use it becasue it is all there on one page and my fingers are used to typing google.  I have used other search engines as I have needed to.  

2. Check out Google Labs. Did you see any new products that you want to try?

    I am testing Aardvark, where you get to ask a question and it finds someone who might be able to answer that question. (It worked pretty fast.) City Tours.  I am going a short jaunt to Windsor, Ontario, Canada and this might be an interesting tool to give us some places to go.  Uhmmm, no.  That doesn't work.  Bummer.

3. Search or browse Google Books. Do they have the book or magazine you looked for? Did 
    you find any gems? How can this be used in the library?

    I looked at one or two of the books that it had on preview.  Magazine-wise though I did find several that I liked looking through.  I think that this might be helpful in a reader's advisory sort of way.  A small sample of a book so that the patron could get an idea of whether they liked the style, etc.

Publishing Evolution 84: Writer Communities & Author Websites

 

1. I have gone to several of my favorite author's websites.  I like keeping an eye on what 
    books will be coming out soon and having the "inside scoop" on what is going to be 
    available.  I love knowing more about them because I can get a sense of where they are 
    coming from as a writer.  Several of the writers that I enjoy most do have their own page 
    and do have some way of getting in touch with them, either through that site or through 
    MySpace (where I have several author friends such as Chris Crutcher.) 

2. More. Here's why: At least on Authonomy, it seems like there are several readers and 
    "scouts" who are reading the story and vetting it and making sure that it makes sense and 
    has the editing that  I believe that a story needs to be fleshed and matured.

    And....

    Less.  And here's why:  I think that a writer has to have something to say, a message, a
    meaning of life that they are compelled to impart.  Otherwise, why bother?  I don't want to 
    see that message fading away because it isn't getting the "votes."  Not everything that a 
    writer has to say is going to be pleasant.  In fact, you should often find yourself challenged 
    by ideas presented by a writer and have to look inside yourself to figure where you stand 
    and how you would react in the same situation.  I fear that something akin to jealousy 
    would wind up playing out in the voting process.

Publishing Evolution 83: Paper to Pixels (or e-ink)

 

1. I have to admit that I still prefer paper to pixels, when it comes to reading.  When I write I almost exclusively use my computer simply because my hand gets tired and I hate erasures.  I like holding the book in my hand when I am reading.  I really don't mind waiting for the next book in the series to come out.  It builds the excitement that I feel when I finally get the book in my hand.

2. Uhmm, yes, price does influence the format.  If it is an author that I really, really like and a book in a series that I really, really want to read then I might pay a hardback's price, but I might decide to wait on the paperback.  I would really prefer not to pay the same hardback price for a digital copy.  It really doesn't make sense to me to pay that much money for something that I can't hold and that potentially could be taken away from me. (I cite Amazon.com as an example.)

 

3. Do you like the idea of preview and then pay? Yes, however, I am not sure I like the materials that this site offers.

Publishing Evolution 82 Print on Demand

1. I have not read any of the titles that I purused both through the website bookstores or through Horizon.  Yes, the price is higher than it normally would be, but I am confident that it is due to the limited printing runs.  Might I read some, sure.  I have read vanity press (aka self-publilshed) releases before, so I do not think that I am a publisher-snob, but

 

2.  There is something missing from a self-published book: The Editor.  Writing a novel is often a long, tedious process.  (Even writing a blog can be a chore.)  Having the right editor onboard can turn a book from a dull piece of glass at least into a shiny clear gem (if not a diamond).  Without that extra body reading the work and injecting constructive criticism into the process, a writer's work can get lost in itself.  I have seen passages that made absolutely no sense no matter how many times I read it and simple errors that could have been caught by a professional reader. (But I have also seen errors in traditionally published books as well.)  Other than that, I really do not care how a book got published, only that it is well written and does not make me cringe as I am reading it. (Unless 

The Future of Media 81 Get Out Your Crystal Ball

 

 

       1. Which of the developments listed above do you think will have the most influence?     

          Is there a new technology you have been following that you think will have

          more effect?

 

           I don't think that any one gadget is going to overtake the world.  VoD is nice, but you still have to buy a box to be able to get it and honestly, how long is it going to take for hackers and other creative genius types to figure out how to get the same service on a device they already own? Once that happens, the box is done.  Cell phones have changed how people talk on the phone, ie. the number of people who text vs the numbers who still write mail.  While you can watch your favorite episode of Lost on your cell phone, who wants to strain their eyes on long movies on tiny screens?  There will be other devices that make better use of that.  I do believe that movie studios are going to have to change how they operate to accommodate the changing needs of their customers, and movie theaters will have to do the same.  Who wants to pay $10 dollars for a small popcorn when you can watch the same movie from home at a fraction of the cost?

 

        2. Are you an early adopter of every gadget or do you have fond memories of

            technologies from the past? What is your favorite media gadget or which outdated

            format do you miss the most?

 

       I am not an early adapter of every gadget.  It often takes me a while to submit to changes.  I just bought a Nook, e-reader and barely use it.  (I like turning pages, so sue me.)  I waited to get vhs and dvd player combo until I found one where I could burn dvds. I do have fond memories of technology past.  I remember writing rudimentary code on my Tandy computer from Radio Shack.  I played Oregon Trail on Apple computers with true floppy disks.  I played old e-tracks on the stereo (though I was only a little kid.) I remember LPs before they became vintage "Vinyls."  I played Beta videos instead of VHS.  Which do I miss the most? 

The Future of Media 81 Get Out Your Crystal Ball

 

 

       1. Which of the developments listed above do you think will have the most influence?     

          Is there a new technology you have been following that you think will have

          more effect?

 

           I don't think that any one gadget is going to overtake the world.  VoD is nice, but you still have to buy a box to be able to get it and honestly, how long is it going to take for hackers and other creative genius types to figure out how to get the same service on a device they already own? Once that happens, the box is done.  Cell phones have changed how people talk on the phone, ie. the number of people who text vs the numbers who still write mail.  While you can watch your favorite episode of Lost on your cell phone, who wants to strain their eyes on long movies on tiny screens?  There will be other devices that make better use of that.  I do believe that movie studios are going to have to change how they operate to accommodate the changing needs of their customers, and movie theaters will have to do the same.  Who wants to pay $10 dollars for a small popcorn when you can watch the same movie from home at a fraction of the cost?

 

        2. Are you an early adopter of every gadget or do you have fond memories of

            technologies from the past? What is your favorite media gadget or which outdated

            format do you miss the most?

 

       I am not an early adapter of every gadget.  It often takes me a while to submit to changes.  I just bought a Nook, e-reader and barely use it.  (I like turning pages, so sue me.)  I waited to get vhs and dvd player combo until I found one where I could burn dvds. I do have fond memories of technology past.  I remember writing rudimentary code on my Tandy computer from Radio Shack.  I played Oregon Trail on Apple computers with true floppy disks.  I played old e-tracks on the stereo (though I was only a little kid.) I remember LPs before they became vintage "Vinyls."  I played Beta videos instead of VHS.  Which do I miss the most?