007 Web Tools

Earlier this summer I posted a short blog entry announcing a Wiki page that discusses methods of collecting RSS feeds and asked other to contribute. Only one person did. It’s now time to up the ante. This is your new challenge.

How do you organize your life online?

• What tools do you use for email, distribution lists, listservs, whatever?
• How do you find and read blogs, news articles, journals?
• Once you find them, how do you keep up with them, categorized them and get updates?
• Which tools do you use to keep in touch with your friends, colleagues, students?

Let me know by either updating the Wiki page, commenting to this blog entry, email, or personal contact.

Your responses and insights may help others who are struggling with this issues.

If you are like many of us, you may still be using an outdated browsers and searching techniques that you learn back in 1997. Over the next few posts, I would like to offer some simple tips for organizing, browsing, bookmarking and annotating web content so that it makes sense to you and you can find it when you need it.

Automatic updates:

First of all, make sure your operating system and browser are up-to-date. By spending just a few minutes each month updating your computer you will be protecting youself from viruses and malicious software and providing yourself with the most sophisticated software available. It is very easy to setup your system to automatically download updates whenever they are available.

Using multiple windows and tabs:

Some web sites and application work better for me using Firefox, others work better with Internet Explorer (or Safari on the Mac). I frequently have both open at the same time…and I always use multiple tabs within the browser. It allows me to keep several sites open at the same time and switch back and forth easily. Learn all you can about tabs and I’m sure you will find them very helpful. For instance:

• You can bookmark several tabs at once and easily return to your favorite set of sites.
• You can designate this favorite set of sites as your default setup.

I use Internet Explorer for Luminus (Pipeline), checking my 3900 calls and Google.
I use Mozilla Firefox for several blogs I am currently testing, Google Reader for RSS feeds, Meebo (web-based Instant Messaging) and the IWU Wiki.
And I may have another Firefox session (Window) open if I have a current project that requires several sites at a time.

To learn more about tabbed browsing, search the Help sections of your browser or search the internet for “tabbed browsing tips”. Let me know how it works out for you. We’ve setup a page on the campus Wiki to discuss your favorite 007 Web Tools.

As faculty members inquire about starting their own web pages, I am beginning to consider talking to them about product like this one (Wordpress) as a way of creating a web presence. The content management features of these programs do not require an understanding of HTML or FTP and allow for two way communication between faculty and their students or colleagues. In addition to the typical posting format, one can also easily create web pages and manage them through Wordpress.

I have recently upgraded my browers to IE 7 and Firefox 2 and am currently experimenting with some of the new features. Ive added to Google toolbar to Firefox and the Windows Live toolbar to IE. I’m hoping to find an optimum solutions for faculty that will allow them to check their mail, blogs, and maybe IM and text messages in one location. I’ve opened a new notebook in Google notebooks (which I have open all the time in both browsers) to collect clips and resources for my research.

I’m still searching for way to approach the faculty that will provoke them without pissing them off.

I’ve added a page to our IWU Wiki entitled “Options for Collecting RSS Feeds” as a means of collecting methods of finding, subscribing and readers news articles and blogs. Please take a few minutes to peruse the site and feel free to add your favorites tools, tips, or recommendations.

Blogging on my mobile.
In my quest to experiment with all things Mobile and Web 2.0, I’m posting this from my Pocket PC. All in all, a bit too tedius for me.

When I get a chance, it’s fun to go back to some of the tools I’ve played with in the past and see how they’ve evolved. Firefox has a nice extension that converts your bookmarks to del.icio.us automatically…nice little touch. I am currently playing with StumbleUpon and JetEye.

Like so many parents of my age raising teenagers, I find myself completely befuddled by the whole concept of blogs, mMySpace, Instant messaging and texting. I have promised myself to get up to speed, to learn how to blog, how to text message and send instant messages. If my son can do it as naturally as I read an email or make a phone call, then I need to be experience the world the way he sees it. Feel free to join me on this journey…send links…reply if you like…it should be a fun ride.

Welcome to Blogs@IWU. This is my first post. As a teenager in the 60s, I was fascinated by James Bond and anything 007. I’ve been a fan all my life. With the advent of the new millennium and the decade of the 00s, I am determined to refer to the current year as 007 (rather than twenty-0-7 or two thousand and seven). So it seemed like a interesting name for by first venture into the world of blogging.