Hi everyone — I was remiss about posting last week when we began our 2 weeks of “discovery” so I thought I’d pop in and say hello! And remind you that this week (week 14) is our final week and is also devoted to discovery, exploration, and catch up. If you’ve got a few weeks of activities to catch up on, now is your time to do it! If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with me anytime.

Also, in the spirit of getting everyone caught up on their activities, I’ve scheduled a “drop-in” session this Friday, from 10 am to 12 pm in the e-Classroom at the Health Sciences Library (here’s a map). There is no formal schedule for this session, just come by and work on any exercises you have yet to complete. And meet your Learning 2.0 colleagues while you’re at it! Let me know if you can make it (etchesa AT mcmaster DOT ca).

This week, we’re exploring browser tools. This post will give you a brief overview of browser tools, explain the activities for the week, and provide links to some additional readings for those who would like to know more!

The 411 on Browsers
At it’s simplest, a browser is a piece of software that allows you to view web pages. But, browsers today can be so much more! Firefox is an open source browser that provides additional functionality that allows you to customize your browsing experience and interact with online content in new & exciting ways! And Internet Explorer 7 (the latest version of IE) also provides added functionality through the use of add-ons.

Firefox Add-ons
Add-ons are small programs that add functionality to a Web browser improving the user’s experience. There are many types of browser tools available including some that offer security, help with navigation, supply web development tools and provide entertainment. Keep in mind that too many add-ons will slow down your browser’s performance and therefore you should limit the amount of add-ons you install. Also, for security reasons, you should download add-ons from reputable sources (e.g. installing an add-on from the Firefox website is safe).

Check out this page for a list of Firefox add-ons (extensions), or from the Firefox Tools menu select Add-ons and then click the “Get More Extensions” link. Some examples of extensions include Auto Copy, URLFixer and one of my favorites, Web Developer. Advanced users should check out Greasemonkey which allows you to customize the way a web page looks and behaves. Greasemonkey requires userscripts (written in javascript) to control web pages. You can write your own userscript or install existing userscripts from sites such as GreaseMonkey UserScripts or UserScripts.org.

To uninstall a Firefox extension, go into the Tools menu, select “Add-ons” and select the extension you want to uninstall. Click the “Uninstall” button.

Internet Explorer Add-ons
For a list of Internet Explorer add-ons, click thr “Tools menu in Internet Explorer, select “Manage Add-ons” and then select “Find More Add-ons”. Internet Explorer add-ons include Microsoft Windows Defender, GoogleToolbar and ieSpell.

Bookmarklets
Bookmarklets are bits of javascript code that are embedded into the URL of a bookmark/favorite which perform an action (such as searching a specific database from another web page or retrieving information about a web page) when you click on the bookmarklet. You can create your own bookmarklets or install existing bookmarklets. You may have already used bookmarklets in week 5, if you installed the del.icio.us browser buttons. To install a bookmarklet that has been provided by a Web site, just right-click the link and either select “Add to favorites” (IE) or “Bookmark This link” (Firefox). Some sites may also provide an executable file to easily install their bookmarklets.

Activities for this week

• If you don’t already have Firefox on your system, download it from this site. You don’t need to have administrator rights to download and install Firefox.
• Check out some Firefox add-ons and install at least one. Most add-ons can be installed simply by clicking the “Install Now” button you see on any Firefox add-on page (if you need technical assistance, let me know).
• Add a post to your blog outlining which browser tools you found useful.
• Have fun!

Further Readings (optional!)

• Firefox Extension Tutorial – Business Logs
• Dive Into Greasemonkey
• Top 10 Firefox Extensions to Avoid

If you’ve strolled through a library or computer lab recently, you’ve probably noticed Facebook on a lot of active computer screens. Well, if you’ve found yourself wondering why tools like Facebook (or MySpace, Bebo, LinkedIn, or whichever social networking space is “hot” this week!) are so popular, you’ll be happy to know that this week is devoted to exploring these tools — what they are, how they work, and why campus services should care!

Defining Online Social Networks
This video is a great place to start and provides an overview of social networking in the 2.0 world:

As with a lot of 2.0 tools, pinning down a definition of a “social network” is difficult — it’s one of those “you’ll know it when you see it” tools! But how do you know what to look for? Here are a few characteristics of social networks:

• profile pages: when you sign up for an account on a social networking site, your “profile page” becomes your home base. Most social networks allow you to add as much or as little information about yourself as you’d like. Common fields include your name, contact information, interests, and a photograph of yourself. Some social networks allow you to customize your profile page by changing the design, colour, or look of the page (MySpace is an example), whereas other social networking sites use the same look & feel for all profile pages (Facebook is an example).
• “friending”: this is probably the most important characteristic of a social network because finding friends (existing or new) on a social networking site is pretty much the point of being there in the first place! So, most social networks allow you to add another person/profile as a “friend” or a “contact” and your collection of friends becomes your own personal social network (not dissimilar to the way social networks form offline too!). The “friending” aspect of an online social network often accounts for why some social networking sites are popular with specific groups. For example, Facebook began as a social network for college and university students; it has since opened up to allow anyone to join the network, but it still remains most popular with students. Why? Because people go where their friends are!
• groups: with real life social networks, groups tend to form around common interests, therefore most online social networks allow users to start a group or join a group based on their interests or common goals. Depending on the social networking site, you will probably find a group that represents your interests, regardless of what that interest might be!

While many 2.0 tools use some of these elements (e.g. “contacts” on Flickr, “friends” on Digg, profile pages on YouTube), most sites that are considered to be online “social networks” have all these elements in common.

Popular Online Social Networks

• Facebook – most popular with college and university students, Facebook defines itself as “a social utility that connects you with the people around you.”
• MySpace – what began as a place for independent bands to promote their concerts and music has turned into the most popular online social network in the English-speaking world!
• LinkedIn – if Facebook caters to the student crowd, LinkedIn is where you go when you graduate! LinkedIn is “an online network of more than 9 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 130 industries.”
• Bebo – Bebo describes itself as “the next generation social networking site where members can stay in touch with their College friends, connect with friends, share photos, discover new interests and just hang out.”

Facebook @ Mac

This is a screenshot of the McMaster Network page on Facebook. Click the image to see a larger version.

Facebook is very popular at McMaster – this is not news! As of today, there are 24,063 members of the McMaster “network”. Anyone can choose to join the McMaster network, but it’s probably safe to assume that it’s mostly current students, alumni, staff and faculty that make up that number. While the size of the network might seem large, it’s important to remember that McMaster is not in a particularly unique position regarding the popularity of Facebook on campus. Campus services in universities across North America have already embraced the site and have begun using it to reach out to students. Here are some examples (note: you need to login to Facebook to view these links):

• Champlain College Career Services (Facebook “page”)
• Undergraduate Library @ the University of Illinois (Facebook “group”)
• Student Affairs Professionals (Facebook “group” for student affairs professionals in all universities)
• FVSU Campus Life & First Year Experience (Facebook “page”)
• The Campus Bookstore at Queen’s University (Facebook “page”)
• Hendriz College Admission & Financial Aid
• SUNY Student/Alumni Center for Professional Development

Activities

Just two activities this week!

1. Sign up for an account on Facebook and explore some of the profiles, groups and pages in the “McMaster Network”. Do you see a place for Career Services on Facebook? what sorts of information/services would you build into a Career Services presence on Facebook? Once you’ve spent some time exploring the site and thinking about these questions, write a blog post about your thoughts and impressions.
2. Check out some of the other online social spaces, like MySpace and LinkedIn. Set up a profile (or simply explore other profiles), check out the features and blog your thoughts!

See you on Facebook!

Happy 2008 everyone, and welcome back to Learning 2.0 for Career Partners! We’ve had a few weeks off to catch up, explore, and enjoy some holiday merriment, so we’ll start slow this week with a fun topic and an easy exercise!

–

One of the most interesting “2.0″ developments is the proliferation of web-based applications. These applications allow you to do many of the things you used to need software to do — things like creating or editing a Word document, spreadsheet or presentation, creating or editing an image file, chatting online via instant messaging, and even keeping track of your book collection! The best part? None of these applications require a download! Most simply require you to register with the site and login in order to use the tools.

For this week, I have just one activity for you: take a look at one (or more!) of these online applications and write a blog post about your impressions of the application(s) you explored. Here’s the list of applications:

• Google Docs & Spreadsheets: a neat online alternative to MS Office and other productivity software applications. Google Docs and Spreadsheets includes a word processor and a lightweight spreadsheet application that allows you to create and edit Word and Excel files online!
• Zoho: a full-featured suite of applications for creating word files, spreadsheets, presentations, wikis, calendars, databases, and more!
• ThinkFree: another online productivity suite, ThinkFree has tools to create word files, spreadsheets and presentations.
• Basecamp: a web-based project management application that allows you to manage everything from to-do lists to workflows to project milestones.
• Rollyo: OK, this one doesn’t really have a “1.0″ equivalent, but it’s so cool that we just had to throw it in! Rollyo allows you to “roll your own search engine”! Simply register for an account, login, and create a “searchroll” made up of all your favourite search engines.
• meebo: an online instant messaging tool that works with your existing IM accounts on MSN, Yahoo!, AIM and Google Talk. Message your friends & colleagues right from your browser!
• Snipshot: a really simple online image editor that allows you to resize, enhance, crop and rotate images online.
• fd’s Flickr Toys: if you have a Flickr account, the image tools here provide opportunities for endless enjoyment & creativity!
• RedKid.net: this one is just for fun! Create a billboard, highway sign, banner, or avatar of your own (and put it your blog for the rest of us to see!).
• LibraryThing: got books? Need to organize them? Want to see what other people (who have the same books as you) are reading? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you definitely want to check out LibraryThing!
• LastFM: build your own, personalized radio station and listen to your favourite music online!

Have fun exploring these applications (remember: you don’t have to look at them all!) and don’t forget to blog about your impressions of the application(s) you explored. Think about which apps would be most useful to you in your daily work and, perhaps, to the work you do with students. Happy exploring!

If you’ve ever used a subject heading in a library catalogue, written names or places on the back of a photograph, or organized the contents of your desktop (real or virtual!) into folders, you’re already familiar with tagging! Before we jump into more details about tagging and social bookmarking, why not start with this little video (thank you, once again, Common Craft!)

A tag is just a keyword or term, and tagging is the process of assigning or associating them to something. We usually talk about tagging with online content like websites, digital photos, or blog posts, but the concept is the same as your handwritten notes on the family snapshots.

Tags are completely unstructured and freeform. You choose terms that are meaningful for you, so if “cooking” makes more sense to you than “cookery”, you’re free to use it! Tagging also lets you combine terms any way you want, so your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe might be tagged:

• cooking chocolate or
• baking chocolate_chips or
• chocolatechip cookies or
• yummy_recipes

You get to decide. Just bear in mind that tags are often separated by spaces, so chocolate_chip_cookies and ChocolateChipCookies are both one tag, while chocolate chip cookies is three tags. Makes for creative spelling, spacing, and capitalization.

This week, we’re exploring a couple of popular websites that use tagging: del.icio.us and Flickr. del.icio.us is a site that lets you save and organize links to web content. It’s sort of like the “Bookmarks” or “Favorites” folders in Firefox or Internet Explorer. Only better. With del.icio.us, you never have to remember which computer you saved that link on. So if you’re going from work to home, or to different computers around the library, all of your bookmarks are always available.

Flickr is specifically for digital photographs and images. Like del.icio.us, once you’ve saved an image in Flickr it’s accessible from where ever you happen to be. It’s easy to share your photos, too.

For this week’s activities, try out some tagging and social bookmarking:

Activity #1
Search del.icio.us for something you’re interested in. Check out some of the tags people have used for that topic. Try the same search in Google or another Internet search engine. In your blog, tell us what you thought! How do the results compare? Were there any that you didn’t expect? Did you find any tags that were confusing or especially useful?

Activity #2
Set up an account on del.icio.us. Add a few websites and add your own tags to each of your links. If you like del.icio.us and want to easily add bookmarks to your account, you can put buttons on your browser toolbar. Instructions are available for Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Activity #3
Visit Flickr and browse the “Popular” tags (the link is at the bottom of the page) or try a search. Explore some of the related tags. Put a link in your blog to your favorite photo.

Further Readings (optional!)

• The Brave New World of Social Bookmarking: Everything You Always Wanted to Know But Were Too Afraid to Ask (PDF), Amanda Etches-Johnson.
• The Hive Mind: Folksonomies & User-Based Tagging, Ellyssa Kroski.
• Get Flickr-tastic!, Andrea Mercado.

So far we have explored Blogging as a way of quickly and easily publishing content to the web and we have also explored RSS feeds as means of syndicating such content. While Blogs can be undertaken as collaborative enterprises, the 2.0 technology we will be looking at this week is particularly suited to online collaborative authoring — Wikis. This week we will take a look at what wikis are, how they are used, and what features are common to most.

Start here!
If you enjoyed last week’s video on RSS, you’ll love this week’s called “Wikis in Plain English”. The folks at Common Craft are at it again, explaining 2.0 tools in easy-to-get ways, and this short video about wikis is a great way to jump into this week’s content!

So, what’s a Wiki?
A wiki is a type of website that allows users to easily add, remove, and otherwise collaboratively edit and change content that can be quickly published to the web. This ease of interaction and use makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborative authoring. You do not need to know HTML to edit a wiki (although many allow for the use of HTML editing in addition to Wikitext or Wiki Markup) and all you need to edit a wiki is an internet connection and a web browser. Wikitext, a form of markup which is simpler than HTML, may also vary to a degree from one wiki to another, here’s a sample of Wikitext used in MediaWiki. There are numerous kinds of “wiki software” or “wiki engines”, these can vary widely in look and functionality. Features common to most wiki software include: Recent activity display, discussion or comment features, and varying degrees of access / edit permissions for users, WYSIWYG editing and edit history.

Wiki software can be downloaded and installed on a private network; you can even get your own personal desktop wiki! (Such as MoinMoin Desktop), but most wiki users go to a Wiki farm. A Wiki Farm is a server or a collection of servers that provides wiki hosting. Wiki farms allow users to quickly sign-up and establish their own wiki with no software downloads either for free or for a nominal change (free wikis are supported by revenue from advertising).

Examples of Wikis in Career Services & other campus services:

• Oregon State University Wiki
• McMaster University Library’s Wiki: The Mac Library Experience
• Rochester College Current Students’ Wiki
• Northeastern College of Computer and Information Science Wiki
• Colorado State University Libraries Public Wiki

What’s the difference? Choosing the right wiki
TWiki, WetPaint, Stikipad, PHPWiki, SeedWiki, PBWiki, Wikispaces, MoinMoin, Netcipia… with all these different wikis to choose from you might have a difficult time deciding which wiki is most suited to your project. A tool you might find useful for comparing the features of various wikis is Wikimatrix. The Wikimatrix website has several useful features for comparing any number of more than 80 wiki engines listed. So what are some of the features common to Wikis & what are some differences?

• Wikis allow you to assign different access permissions to different users. The site creator (Administrator) can assign other Administrators or Moderators to the Wiki. Wikis typically have several levels of contributors with varying degrees of access, such as Admin, Mod, Writer, Registered User, and Guest.
• Many wikis allow users to subscribe to them either via email or RSS feeds. Some allow users to subscribe to specific pages and keep apprised of recent edits.
• Personalization of user accounts can be quite different from wiki to wiki; some allow for the creation of detail user profiles, private messaging, and commenting upon individual profiles.
• Many wikis are tiered with both free accounts and ‘premium memberships’ that often have added features such as a higher page limits or greater storage capacity.
• Pages edit history & Revert. Wikis allow users to view the history of specific pages, and mark up recent changes. Many have more advanced edit comparison features that may allow users to compare the changes to an entry over the course of months! Wikis also typically have a revert feature that allows those with sufficient access permissions to rollback a page to an earlier edit.
• WYSIWYG. Not only do most wikis allow users to use Wikitext instead of Html, but wikis also have “What You See Is What You Get” editors that make it even easier for anyone to contribute!

Activity #1
The first activity for this week is to try some basic editing in a wiki. I’ve set up a wiki called “my favourite books” (password to edit=Mills): try adding pages, links, comments, and look at the page history feature. Once you’ve had a chance to play around in the wiki, post your thoughts and comments to your blog. If you’ve already used PBWiki in the past, feel free to examine and compare the features of wikis you haven’t used before, you can always set up a free account with any of the wikis below or use Wikimatrix to find others to explore.

• Netcipia
• SeedWiki
• StikiPad
• Wikispaces
• Moinmoin

Need help getting started? Check out the link on the main page of “My favourite books” for the link “Here is a list of a few features you may want to test on PBWiki” for the basics of editing.

Further readings (optional)

• Chawner, B., & Lewis, P.H. (2006). Wiki Wiki Webs?: new ways to communicate in a web environment. Information Technology and Libraries, 25(1), 33-43.
• Farkas, M. G. (2005). Using Wikis to Create Online Communities. Web Junction.
• Singel, R. (2006). Veni, Vidi, Wiki. Wired News.

Last week we looked at blogs, and since most of you have already set up your own blogs, you might have encountered the term “RSS”. Or perhaps you’ve seen one of these icons during your web travels –

Well, this week is all about demystifying RSS! Read on for an introduction to the technology, some ideas on how you can use it, a few links to RSS search engines and directories, an explanation of this week’s activities, and finally some optional readings for those who’d like to explore a little further!

What is RSS?
This video, put together by the brilliant folks at Common Craft, is a great place to start:

RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and is an XML file format for delivering content on the web. You will also find RSS referred to as “web feeds” or just “feeds”. A good way to understand RSS feeds is to think about them as magazine subscriptions: rather than having to frequently visit the newsstand to check for a new issue of your favourite magazine, you can just subscribe to it and sit back & wait for the new issues to come to you. Well, RSS works the same way. If your favourite website publishes an RSS feed, you don’t have to keep visiting it to find fresh content; you can just subscribe to the RSS feed and wait for that fresh content to come to you! And, unlike magazine subscriptions, RSS is free!

If you’re feeling brave and would like to have a look at what an RSS file looks like, click here. Yes, that looks like a bunch of scary code, but the good news is, you shouldn’t ever have to look at that code (unless you want to!), because that’s what RSS aggregators do.

What are RSS aggregators?
RSS aggregators are applications that read RSS feeds. An aggregator will take an RSS feed (like the one linked above) and convert all that coding into something that is readable, with a defined title, formatting, and hypertext links that you can click on. The other important feature of an aggregator is the built-in update function that checks the feeds you’ve subscribed to for fresh, new content. If new content is found, your aggregator delivers that to you.

Aggregators come in a few different flavours:

• Desktop: these are software applications that required downloading and installation on a computer.
• Web-based: online aggregators live on the web and require users to set up a username and password to access them. To access a web-based aggregator, you go to the site, login, and read your feeds online. The advantage of web-based aggregators is that you can access them from multiple computers (home, work, service desks, etc.). Two popular web-based aggregators are Bloglines and Google Reader.
• Browser- and email client-based: the latest versions of many browsers (like Firefox and Internet Explorer 7) include the ability to subscribe to and read RSS feeds right in the browser. Also, a couple of popular email clients (like Outlook 2007 and Thunderbird) include a feed reader.

So, how does it work, exactly?
If a website publishes a feed, it is usually indicated on the site in at least one of the following ways:

• a hyperlinked orange icon (three examples are included at the beginning of this post);
• a link called “RSS” or “XML” or “Subscribe” (or some variation thereof);

Most often, when you want to subscribe to a feed, you have to right-click the link to the feed (which, again, can be indicated by either an orange icon or a text link), select “Copy Link Location” or “Copy Shortcut”, and add the link to your aggregator. Specific instructions for subscribing to feeds in Bloglines and Google Reader are included below under Activity #2.

Finding Feeds

• Directories & Search Engines: yes, there are search engines and subject directories devoted JUST to RSS feeds! Check out Feedster and Search4RSS, for example. Both allow you to do a keyword search and bring up results with easy-to-grab links to RSS feeds that you can subscribe to. Also, most web-based aggregators include an RSS search engine, so when you set up an account in Bloglines/Google Reader (this week’s Activity #1), you can use either of their search engines to find feeds.
• Serendipity: chances are, you probably won’t remember how you found most of the feeds that end up in your aggregator because most of your subscriptions will probably result from your general web meanderings! When you’re on a web site and you’re wondering if they publish an RSS feed, remember to look for the orange RSS icons or for a link labeled “RSS”, “XML” or “Subscribe”.

Examples of RSS feeds in Career Services & other campus services:

• Career Center at UC Berkeley Calendar RSS Feeds
• UC Irvine Career Center Feeds
• RSS Feeds & Podcasts at UCLA
• University of Arizona Career Services RSS Feeds
• NC State University Division of Student Affairs
• Westminster College RSS Feeds

Activity #1
The first activity for the week is to set up an account on either Bloglines or Google Reader. Both aggregators offer similar features and functionality and the choice between the two usually comes down to personal preference. If you need some help deciding between the two, take a look at this article for guidance. Or, if you feel like exploring, set up accounts on both sites, play around in them (once you’ve added some feeds, which is Activity #2 for this week), get a feel for the interfaces, and decide for yourself!

Activity #2
Once you’ve set yourself up with an aggregator (Activity #1), you’re going to need some feeds to subscribe to!

• Start by subscribing to the feed for this blog. The feed for this blog is located at http://csatmac.wordpress.com/feed. To subscribe to it, right-click the feed URL, select “Copy Link Location” or “Copy Shortcut”, open up your aggregator, and subscribe to the feed using one of these methods:
  • If you’re using Bloglines: login to your account, click “Add” at the top-left of the screen, paste the feed URL into the “Blog or Feed URL” box, and click “Subscribe”. The next screen will give you some options on where you’d like to save the feed (you can organize your feeds in folders), once you’ve made your choices, click “Subscribe” at the bottom of the page.
  • If you’re using Google Reader: login to your account, click “Add subscription” at the top-left of the page, paste the feed URL into the input box that appears, and click “Add”.
• Once you’ve subscribed to the feed for this blog, check out some of your colleagues blogs (listed on the right under “participant blogs”) and subscribe to their feeds! To find their feed addresses, you will have to visit the blog and look for one of those RSS icons or an RSS/Subscribe link.
• Still looking for more feeds to subscribe to? Check out one or two of the RSS search engines or directories described above to find feeds of interest to you & subscribe to a few of those feeds.

Make sure to visit your aggregator at least a couple of times this week to check for new content in the feeds you’ve subscribed to (you’ll be surprised at how addictive RSS feed-reading can become!). And don’t forget to blog about your experiences using these tools!

Further Readings (optional)

• Feed Me: A gentle introduction to Internet feeds
• RSS for Non-Techie Librarians, Steven M. Cohen (this article is librarian/library-focused, but the explanations are approachable and the ideas are easily adaptable to any context)
• Blogging and RSS: The “What’s It” and “How To” of Powerful New Web Tools for Educators, Will Richardson
• Keeping Up by Using RSS, Roy Tennant

As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment here or send me an email. And enjoy the world of RSS!

Now that you’ve explored the Learning 2.0 @ Mac blog and found out all about the programme, it’s time to jump in and start playing with the tools & technologies! This week, we’re focusing on blogs. This post will give you a brief overview of the technology, explain the activities for the week, and provide links to some additional readings for those who would like to know more!

Blogs: An Overview

A weblog (or “blog” is a format for publishing content on the web. As the name suggests, blogs are, quite simply, web-based logs of information that have the following features in common:

• content that is organized in reverse chronological order, with the most recent entry appearing at the top of the Web page;
• a date and timestamp to indicate when the content was published to the blog;
• archives that are automatically generated by the blog software;

Most early practitioners and blog commentators agree that the blog format began with the simple “What’s New” pages that littered the Web in the early days of web publishing. The blog format was formalized when web/tech savvy individuals began writing their own programs and pieces of software to make it easier and quicker to publish these sorts of pages, where it was important that current content appeared at the top of the page. And once these programmers made this software freely available online, the now widely-used blog format was born.

While the media still tends to treat blogs as the domain of teenage girls (who have nothing better to do with their time than talk about the minutiae of their lives in agonizing detail), you can now find blogs being written by everyone from politicians, to CEOs, published authors, educators, and librarians! Here are a few examples of blogs used in a number of universities for a variety of campus services:

• School of Information Career Services Blog (University of Michigan)
• Appalachian Alumni Association Blog (Appalachian State University)
• McMaster University Libraries Research Help Blog (used for internal communication amongst Reference desk staff)
• Blackstone Hall Project Blog (Clark University) (used to accompany a building project)
• Library Suggestion Blog (Virginia Commonwealth University) (used as an online “suggestion box”)

Blogging Software

We don’t want to get too hung up on software talk, but it’s probably a good idea to understand the basics:

• There are 2 types of blogging software tools out there: hosted and installed.
• Hosted blogs allow users to sign up for an account and a free blog. The company providing the software usually takes care of everything for you, and all you have to do is choose a name for your blog and write! We will be using hosted blogs for this programme.
• Some of the most popular hosted blogging services are Blogger, LiveJournal, WordPress.com, and Vox.
• Installed blogging services provide you with the software that you can download to your Web server. Installed software tends to be more powerful and gives you more control over the functionality and look & feel of your blog.
• Some examples of installed software are Movable Type, Textpattern, and WordPress.org.

Activity #1
Ready to start blogging? Good, because Activity #1 is to set up your own blog and add your first post!

• Use either Blogger or WordPress.com to set up your own blog. Both are free, hosted blogging tools where you can set up an account and start a blog. On Blogger, click the “create your own blog now” link; on wordpress.com, click “start your wordpress blog”. You’re free to choose either tool, if you need some help comparing the two, check out this page.
• If you set up your blog on Blogger, your blog address will be http://nameyouchoose.blogpost.com; on wordpress.com, your blog address will be http://nameyouchoose.wordpress.com.
• If you already have a blog and would like to use it to track your progress during this programme, feel free to do so!
• How you choose to identify yourself on your blog is your choice. You can blog under a screen name, anonymously, or as yourself. However, in order to track your progress, you will have to let me know your blog URL & real name. More info on this when we get to Activity #2.
• Once you’ve set up your blog, go ahead and write & publish your first post! The content of your first post can be anything you’d like — one idea would be to simply introduce yourself. I’ll be posting some blogging guidelines for this programme later this week, so stay tuned for that!

Activity #2
Activity # 2 is simple: once you’ve set up your blog, send me a message with the following info: :

• your name
• your blog URL

I’ll compile a list of participant blogs and post it right here (in the sidebar) so you can follow your colleagues’ progress!

Further Readings (optional)

• Anatomy of a Blog (skip section 2.8; we’ll get to feeds next week)
• Blog, Wikipedia article
• Weblogs: A History and Perspective, Rebecca Blood
• The Ethical Blogger, Karen Schneider
• Why and How to Use Blogs to Promote Your Library’s Services, Darlene Fichter

If you have any questions, leave a comment here or get in touch with me. Happy blogging!

Welcome to week 1 of Learning 2.0 @ Mac for McMaster Career Partners!

There’s only one activity for the week: read this blog and find out more about the programme! Here are the important posts & pages to check out:

• about the programme
• the list of weekly activities
• the list of participants

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. And, tune in next Monday (Nov. 12) when we move on to our first topic/activity: blogs!

Welcome to the blog for Learning 2.0 @ Mac for Campus Partners! My name is Amanda Etches-Johnson and I am the User Experience Librarian at Mac. I also chair the Emerging Technologies Group, which is the group that offered the “original” Learning 2.0 @ Mac programme for Library staff earlier this year.

I’ll be your guide during our learning adventure over the next 14 weeks! The programme launches on Monday, November 5th, so stay tuned