The Last (only kidding) Post - the Future

After 32 posts in 31 days this will (NOT) be the final one.

The Taste of Web 2.0 course has helped distil my thoughts on the Internet, communication and human interaction into the future.

My guess is that in the near future (say 5 years time) the only important hardware and software we'll need is whatever gets us onto the Internet quickly and comfortably from wherever we are.
This course is a prime example of what I mean - every activity was done entirely on the internet.
It didn't matter where you were, whether you used a PC or Mac, what time of day you applied yourself, what software apart from a browser was installed on your computer, or what speed your connection was.
What mattered was that you could get to the course material online, complete the online tasks online, and access your material online.

This wasn't without its' problems though, and provided the first LN2BF (Lesson Never To Be Forgotten) :

LN2BF #1 - Be Organised Online.
With the multitude of links, and especially the number of sites we had to register for, it is crucial to have ALL your Bookmarks, User names and Passwords securely but readily accessible online.
My solution was to create a private Google Document with the various Usernames and Passwords recorded in an elementary code, and my Bookmarks on my private Netvibes page.
This meant I only had to remember one name and one password.

LN2BF#2 - Google is Good but not the Be-all and End-all
I didn't know that all the widgets and gadgets encountered existed, or that I could learn to play the piano accordian I'd bought on eBay by watching 10 YouTube video lessons, or that so many different programs and services existed on the Web.
I had used many useful Google services because they were offered to me by Google.
But Flickr is probably going to be more beneficial for me in future than Picasa Web Albums.
Netvibes will be more practical than iGoogle.
Even Blogger used in the course is not necessarily the most suitable program for my future blogging needs. A new Wordpress blog will start soon. (It looks and feels more "comfortable" with some added benefits.)

LN2BF#3 - Pulling and Pushing the Web for Your Benefit- Build Your Own Network
(Refer to the video mentioned previously)
I can decide what I want to Pull from the Web (or have pushed at me); what I want to Push or Put on the Web; and who knows what about me.
For example, the benefits to be gained from Flickr are quadrupled if I share some of my material and knowledge, and seek specific useful material from kindred spirits.
For 10 years I have been happy to be an invisible receiver of generally useful material.
I have now experienced the benefits of sharing my thoughts and material that, amazingly, others seem happy to receive.
And, by being more specific and selective, I can have less but better information Pushed to me.

Memo to self:
The future is about storing and organising your material in cyberspace, sharing but controlling what is shared with others, and keeping up with the best ways to access it.
Time and money should be spent on the storing, organising and accessing, NOT on computer hardware!

And a final note of gratitude to YPRL for setting up the course (and sending the email alerting me to it) : It is excellent and should almost be compulsory before allowing any library member to borrow any Internet related book!

Thank You.

Myspace, Facebook, Ning and Netvibes

There are definite benefits to be had with either a Myspace or Facebook page and joining their groups or communities.
The benefits are that you can have a personal public presence but the drawback is that it is only public to other Myspace or Facebook members who you accept as "friends".
I joined both Myspace and  Facebook, looked around both, but chose not to pursue either because of the requirement for anyone I wish to refer to my content having to become a member themselves.
There is also seems to be an element of the "mob madness", in that pages are created simply because it is "cool" to do so. 

I also signed up as a member of Ning as I had found a specific group that I was interested in, but again the membership requirement was off-putting.

In the post about iGoogle I referred to Netvibes and I have been developing BOTH my PRIVATE pages for the information I  "Pull" from the Web and PUBLIC pages for my new authentic personal web presence.
It is just less complicated having a single web portal.

Instead of, for example, joining a Photography group on Ning I can join a (better) Beginners Photography group on Flickr, and refer anyone wanting to check me out to my public Netvibes page via my Flickr profile.
(As I have now done on the profile on this Blog.)