Thing #31 Twitter

I've added Twitter to my iGoogle page. I have a 3G phone but have not opted in to any of the texting services (do so little of that) that Twitter wouldn't be useful on my phone at this time...but I could see it maybe being that sometime.

I use my Twitter account as a professional tool - I've found some nifty links that others have shared: http://www.mcm.org/educators-groups-parents/parenting-in-public/history-of-wakanheza/ Wakanheza program was started in Ramsey county but offers some good info that can easily be applied in a library environment. If not for Twitter I'd never would have found this.

I'm now listed in the TweeterDirectory. At first I missed librarians under the education heading...almost put myself under "Knowledge Management." LOL.

I've found that Twitter is.....what you make of it. You might find that you never use it or why would you even want to? It is more likely to be that if you don't experiment with it. Even now, I find that I try to check mine daily (although sometimes I forget) and maybe every other time I'm on. Some people I've subscribed to only post personal stuff (Shouldn't have partied last night.) - things that I'd never send out to cyber land. And others, you never get a sense of who they are. I hope I'm in the middle. Otherwise, what's the point?

I use it more for microblogging and then some conversing. That's where I'm at on that scale. It's a super tool that I wish existed for me when I was in college.

Thing #26 - Ning

I joined the Ning in round 1, but sadly didn't do much with it. When I revisited it this time around I was glad to see some people I had met at a workshop - so I was able to have some Friends. (Yay!)

I started a discussion topic for Teen Tech Week. Someone has responded - hopefully that will see some more action. I didn't see any groups to belong to...so maybe I'll start one. :o)

I can see using a Ning in my personal life, specifically, some of my friends from high school and I are in charge of our next high school reunion - this might come in handy for getting organized and reconnecting classmates.

22). What did I learn today?

I resolve to keep blogging.

I do find useful tools and I have useful information and I promise to share it. Hopefully someone else will find it interesting or helpful - isn't that what started the 23 Things in the first place? (Besides the fact that the creator was organized enough to put it all together?) I can try to be organized. Really.

What you'll likely find here in upcoming months will some of my own findings on library podcasting. Updates on favorite new authors and books....Maybe some of my own musings on writing.

Some things that I find useful in trying to stay current...blogs. I have several blogs in my iGoogle Reader - I catch up with them when I can and I almost ALWAYS run across an idea or resource that is useful or inspiring.

I also pick up PC magazine or Smart Computing now and again on my lunchbreak. I've come across new and interesting things now that I do searches with the words "social networking" as the main goal. Never know what you'll find!

One thing I have really come to realize is that there is a tool out there for every need...almost. So, if you find yourself getting frustrated about something see if you can find something that will help you out! The internet is limitless and full of possibilities.