Avatars

Avatars ... hmm. Hadn't seen the likes of them since cataloging a religion title back in, oh, say, 1978. Please know that this was before I went to Library School. (SEE ... I told you ... she's older than dirt!) But I felt no compelling need to add an avatar to my Yahoo! account, nor did I see myself as a social networking misfit for being without one. Truthfully, I might never have ever considered doing this, were it not one of The Things.

So, after spending much more time than I wanted to trying to fashion myself as a Simpsons character ... only to lose it because of some bug in the beta browswer on our home computer ... I "fetched" this adorable little faerie dog from Iconator.com. Hey, it works. Cute as a button and he/she/it can be my personal representative anytime. The hardest part was getting the image to correctly insert into this post. But, I confess, I'm not done with avatars yet. That "Yearbook Yourself" link bears some looking into, and I'll introduce myself to Mashable soon. And now it's time for some low-tech activity. It's Saturday, my husband's done mowing, and the driveway needs sweeping. After all the hours spent in screen time at our jobs and in our leisure, we do recognize that there's life outside the Internet.

Google This!

My old friend Google, my how you've changed. I already had a gmail account, but setting up iGoogle was fun ... not totally alien to the Firefox options or the Windows Vista sidebar on our home computer. But what a smorgasbord of choices, to be sure.

I'm pleased that 23 Things nudged me into perusing the myriad of Google products. Some I use regularly, others not, and there were also things I was familiar with only in passing. I'm not sure just when I'll need to search for a patent, but I'll try to remember it's an option ... that is, if the feature hasn't morphed into something else by then. But I did do a book search yesterday, trying to save myself a trip from my desk to the adult non-fiction shelves ... presuming, of course, that the item was in and would be found there. Unfortunately, the item's text was limited and the section I sought wasn't included. But it was nice to know I could try.

A very good outcome of this initiative is the catalyst for conversation that 23 Things presents. Our staff have been talking (alot) about their progress, and people seem to be enjoying the process. I'm excited about working through the steps as well.

On Habits & Lifelong Learning

Lifelong learning ... not a new concept. It's been a buzzword and focus in my work and professional life since way before I went to library school. (Library school ... is that turn of the century or what?) A fun part of this journey though, is in seeing how the tools and toys keep evolving.

Now, about those habits. I've enjoyed some modest successes with #3 (Viewing problems as challenges). The more obstacles you face and successfullly overcome, the less frightening (some) of the new ones are. Crises ... another story. So, while I probably will never embrace problems with a beaming smile and unshakeable resolve, I can honestly say that what hasn't killed me has only made me stronger.

What may be the toughest habit for me is #6 (Using technology to your advantage). There are days when I long for the simplicity of a tablet, telephone and typewriter. (Gosh, she is REALLY old!) No shifting paradigms. No re-booting necessary. The problem is that what I don't use regularly tends to fall by the wayside. Technologie du jour can be overwhelming and, of course, there are 99 ways to do the same thing ... pick one! Knowing my limitations, I'm necessarily selective in what I get excited about. There must be utility, or it's hardly worth the effort. Technology is supposed to make your life easier, isn't it?