Twitter

What kind of information is being posted by the library accounts above? What kind of information should libraries post?

Most of the information being posted on the library accounts is to advertise for upcoming programs or to highlight library services and aspects of the collection. I think this is an appropriate use of Twitter for Calgary Public Library.

LibraryThing

Was the site user-friendly? Did you find it difficult to navigate?

It's easy to sign up for a LibraryThing account. Searching for books to add to your library is also easy. Today I had 28 unexpected recommendations on books based upon the list of books in my library. Now this is a site I will use on a regular basis!

Online Productivity Tools

Do you see free online tools like these eventually replacing expensive software like MS Office?

As I understand it, Microsoft Office does not necessarily come free of charge with the purchase of a new computer so to be able to access documents using the web may be very appealing to many people. I think anything that is free and is easily accessed through the web has the potential to render MS Office obsolete in the future.

RSS

Were you able to successfully set up your RSS feed? If not, where did you run into problems? If you were successful, does this make information-gathering more convenient for you?

Oops! I did set up a bloglines account using the second suggested method but forgot to post a blog about it. It was not difficult, however the only thing that I would do on a regular basis is to browse through the feeds which I had subscribed to.

Now This is Much More Fun!!

Comment on the quality, entertainment value, or usefulness of the content on these sites.

I had never used Flickr before but I am quite familiar (and somewhat addicted) to YouTube. The entertainment value of Youtube is great and it's really easy just to do a keyword search to find the video that you want. I tried signing up for Flickr and found it very quick to upload a photo and create an account. I may experiment a little more with Flickr when I upload more photos.

Googly Eyed

What do you like about the Google product? What do you dislike? Would you recommend the product to friends and colleagues?

After clicking on Google videos, only random videos appeared and there didn't appear to be a search option to specify the type of video that I was looking for. Then I clicked on "Bing" and was able to do a keyword search which accessed videos from Metacafe, Youtube, and MSN video. Personally, I think most people who are trying to access particular videos would already be familiar with Youtube and go straight to their website instead of using Google video.

Finding out about Facebook

Why do you think social networking sites are so popular? What are the main appeal factors?

I think the appeal of Facebook is being able to connect and stay in touch with others even though you may not see them on a day-to-day basis. You can share as much or as little as you like. When first setting up a Facebook page, I think it's important to talk to people who are already on it for tips on how to protect info that you may not want others to know.

It's kind of fun but I know that I will not use it on a daily basis.