Reflections

I thought this course was going to be a writing course. I assumed from the title that it was a writing course that taught you how to write for the Internet. Yes, there was some writing involved, although not as much as I expected. You could probably count the blogs and the facebook as writing, but I count those as online conversations and interactions, not technically writing. But what was unexpected were the assignments that took us to social bookmarking sites, online communities and gaming sites. My husband stared at me in disbelief when I told him I had to play in Second Life for homework. I still don't quite think he believes me! LOL

And probably like some of you, I spend alot of time online. I thought, well, what could they possibly teach me that I haven't already done or seen. I was wrong. (as a side note, when you're a teenager you know everything, but when you start getting to be 25 you think hmm, maybe there is something I don't know... then at 30 you think maybe I really don't know it all... and the older you get the more you realize that you have so much to learn!) I found some sites and tools that are very useful to me and that I am now using regularly. I would not have know about them without this course. There are also those that I gave a try that I probably won't return to.

I am really glad I chose this course. I would even recommend it to people who are looking for something new and maybe less traditional. It would benefit anyone studying communications, business, english, sociology and psychology.

Discoveries

The group projects from both groups really brought up some interesting discoveries for me. I have been an regular Internet user for at least a dozen years now. I began creating web pages as far back as 10 years. First free pages with places like Homestead and Geocities, and Tripod. To express myself and to share my interests and support various causes. Then I advanced to my own domain and building pages all with html coding and then with FrontPage and FTP programs to upload the files. The domain name registration had cost and the monthly server space had cost. It was also time consuming. Very time consuming. You started with a blank screen. And had to create everything from scratch.

Now there are places like Ning.com where you can create an entire social networking site, with no coding skills, no software needs, and no cost. You can create it, then let the people who join build your community with their own content. Then there is Wetpaint.com where you can create a site-- again at no cost, no software and no coding skills needed. Here you have the ability to create a site with potentially unlimited content and can allow multiple people to provide that content. So you are creating the site and everyone else is keeping the content fresh.

It makes me think that the only advantage of having your own individual unique site is that you are the only one who is creating the content and keeping it updated. If you are looking out for your integrity, then that would be your way to go. But what would happen if you forgot to update, or were unable to update for whatever reason? Your site would suffer. And when you start losing visitors, you don't get them back. It seems that using the free sites that already have templates and allow for multiple authors is the smarter way to go for the average person.

While I was working on the big assignment...

With the thought of assignment #4 looming overhead, I see that I was not the only one to have neglected my original blog posts for a while. It's much easier to reply to other people's posts that create your own! LOL

But while I was working away at my paper, I have to share with you that using my social bookmarking site (diigo.com) that I researched for the previous assignment, became a valuable tool, as well as for the group project. It helped me collect all my online bookmarks as well as organizing them and putting them in order. Any order. I rearranged them several times based on which ones I needed to read first, which ones I needed to include in the bibliography and so on. I was even able to use Diigo's highlighting tool to highlight parts of the text I wanted to focus on out of the whole webpage. So I am definitely going to be using that on a regular basis! It saved me a lot of time and alot of paper and ink costs.

Reluctant to get involved

I am still hesitant about jumping into SL or any of the other online VR worlds. I have the problem that when I involved with something, that I have a tendency to get obsessive or even addicted to it. When I first started chatting, I was up all night chatting with people from all over the country. The great thing about the Internet, there is always someone online. When I get new PC games, I play constantly. I am not a casual player, an hour here or there. I am a stay up til 3 a.m. and try to get up at 6 to go to work kind of person. I want to immerse myself in it until its over. Those free online games? I can sit and play the same one for hours once I get started. And then there are the IRL things that I'd rather not mention, LOL.

So I am afraid that if I start getting too involved in SL, that I will be down on the PC every night, all night. Since there is no ending, would I ever come up for air?

To use or not to use?

Ever watch the news and notice that one day coffee is good for you, then the next day researchers find that its bad? The same with wine, chocolate and everything else. I think computers and the Internet can be looked upon the same way. If you don't use a computer or access the Internet, you're looked upon as backward or slow or something. But if you do everything online, you can be looked at like a junkie, someone who is too engrossed in fantasy life or is escaping reality. Some people even go into withdrawl if they can't connect (and you know who you are! LOL).

But whether or not you're a sometime-user or an over-user, I think we all can use the fact that we use the computers and Internet. Even use the way we use the Net to our advantage IRL. If you're a journalist, you could use the fact that you blog everyday to help you get a job. If you're a Guild Master (if I get the term wrong let me know) in WoW, you could use that to help build your resume and point out to your employer that you have the ability to lead and manage people and get that promotion. If you're designing web pages or cool new graphics for fun, you could use that to build a portfolio and get yourself a job. And the examples could go on and on.

Hands on experience with programs, interactions with people and being able to come up with creative ideas are all valuable in today's world.

Second Life

I created my Second Life account last week for the new unit assignment. I can now see why this unit is twice as long (time wise) as the others and the accompanying assignment worth more points. I have spent a considerable amount of time in second life already, spread out over three sessions and have just gotten off Help Island and am exploring Dublin.

The reason I haven't advanced so far yet is because I have a problem when I play the 3D games either on my PC or on my TV. After 30 - 45 minutes, I start to get a headache and I feel off balance. The only way for me to get rid of it is to go lay down in my dark & quiet bedroom and try to take a nap for maybe an hour. So the first 2 sessions really gave me headaches with trying to get orientated with movement and features and stuff. Yesterday I went out and bought a box of Dramamine tablets. I took one, then did some unit reading for about an hour, them logged onto second life. I explored for about 2 hours with no headache! I would have stayed on longer, but alas, real life called and I had to go make dinner.

There are so many things to learn in Second Life! I mean WOW! And every new step leads you to new stuff, new places, new people. Its quite fascinating. I have been shy though. I talked to a few people on Help Island, but no one yet in Dublin. Just the basic, Hi, how are you. Are you new here? kind of stuff. I thought maybe that online I'd be more willing to talk to people, but maybe I just haven't been doing it long enough yet to get over the shyness.

Social Bookmarking Comparison

OMG! I have been surfing the social bookmarking sites for the upcoming assignment, and I can't believe the difference of what I found versus what I expected to find. I browsed about 11 different sites before I settled on the two I was going to seriously create and compare. I chose Delicious & Diigo. I have been hearing about delicious for over a year now. I have seen the little icons you can click on to add them to your favorites and all that. I expected a freaking awesome site once I got there. And since Diigo was fairly new, I expected something... well, I wasn't expecting much, let me put it that way.

You probably have figured out from my build-up that my expectations were totally wrong!!!

I love Diigo! I really didn't think I was going to get into a social bookmarking site, but I have. I may not use it to connect to other people, but I will use it to manage my bookmarks and find new ones that interest me. There are so many ways that you can navigate through your stuff, and you can make yourself notes & lists & things.

Delicious left me wanting. :( There were no folders, lists or any way for me to organize my bookmarks other than alphabetical and most recent. And If you don't tag them, you can't to a search. Half the time I can't remember what the name of my links are, I just know by content. So I would be out of luck and would have to go down the entire list to search for a bookmark. Not very efficient.

I have explored probably only half of what Diigo has to offer on its site, and its way more than I have found on Delicious, and I have think I have explored most of what they have already.

Its nice when you get a little surprise you weren't expecting.