Notes on GA COMO presentation

For those of you that have been waiting, thanks for your patience! Here are the brief notes on my presentation and thoughts on programs.

This is a bit long, but as through as I could be on my notes. If you have questions please let me know

2nd slide: if you are interested in Open Source ILS please let me know and I'll put you in touch with people that are in the know on those.

4th slide: examples of some free programs that most people are familiar with, what others one do you know?

5th slide: By a show of hands choose top 2 or three topics your interested in and we'll cover examples of those topics (note in presentation audience wanted to cover all topics. As such we were not able to get to computer protection or other)
Other includes: file conversion, online storage, and free website/hosting

6th slide: Document alternatives

1. Open Office--includes word, spreadsheet, database, PPT, draw, and math formulas (just launched updated version recently)
2. IBM Lotus--relatively new document, spreadsheet, and PPT
3. Zoho--full suite of applications, just launched e-mail. All kinds of items, check it out
4. Google Documents--showcased. Easy to share documents and collaborate with others. PPT, spreadsheet, documents, just launched forms. Very similar in layout to Microsoft office.
5. Slideshare--way to share PPT presentations, just expanded into other areas.

7th-13th slide: Screen Shots of Google Documents
14th slide: Photo Editing

1. Paint.net--powerful paint/photo/design software. Equivalent of Adobe Photoshop/Draw in many ways.
2. Gimp--similar to Paint.net. Complex tool, but lots of good features. Does take time to learn
3. Artweaver--New, haven't explored much yet.
4. Picnik--integrated with Flickr. Basic photo editing techniques. Has pay version with more features
5. FotoFlexer--Most advanced online photo editing tool. Basic tools, plus effects such as stickers, paiting, sepia, etc. Has easy integration (via API's) with social networking tools. Was software showcased. *NEW* has a feature to create posters (inspirational or other), black border.

15th-20th slide: Screen Shots of FotoFlexer
21st-22nd slide: Laugh break and stay on target!

23rd slide: Screen sharing

1. 12seconds--not screen sharing but cool feature. You have 12 seconds to share a message with others. All hosting done online. Requires a webcam
2. Screencast-O-Matic--software demonstrated. Requires Java to run. Very simple easy to use. Doesn't cover full screen so you have to move box around to capture what you're showcasing. Way to demonstrate how to navigate website, database, etc. Limited to 15 minutes, but be honest who wants to listen to something longer than 15 minutes? Can export quicktime file to host where you choose, or host on their server. No download!
3. Jing--very basic, only 5 minutes. can only be hosted on their server.
4. CamStudio--requires download. Has many of the same features of Screencast-O-Matic. Does require a download.
5. CaptureFox--new add on for FireFox. Very basic at this point. Somewhat stilted, but will likely work past it's bugs to grow.

24th-27th slide: Screen shots of Screen-Cast-O-Matic

28th slide: Online Meeting Collaboration

1. ooVoo--chat with a webcam. Very limited. Requires a download, somewhat difficult to navigate.
2. Skype--one of the most popular applications to make phone calls and chat with people while away.
3. DimDim--online meeting collaboration, whiteboard, sharing desktop. borad based.
4. WiZiQ--software demonstarted. Share desktop, whiteboard, easy to collaborate. Does have a pay version that has more features (such as storing the recording for a set amount of time.) Can take test online, share documents, has storage so that you don't have to wait to upload documents, does it automatically.
5. Doodle--shcedule a meeting or a pool. Limited, but does what its meant to.

29th-37th slide: Screen shots of WizIq

(did not get to these last slides)
38th slide: Computer Protection
(if demo was provided it would be live features running on laptop--AVG and Firewall)

• AVGfree--paid version exisits with more features, but AVGfree does the basics very well. Make sure you read the license carefully as my interpretation is that it can't be used for business use, only personal. Will update and run scans automatically depending upon the setting that you provide.
• Spybot--paid version provides more options, such as automatic scanning and updating. Free version does a good job of catching spyware, but user most remember to run it and download updates. Simple to use interface and fairly easy to navigate.
• PC Tools Firewall--provides complex coverage of system and ability to manipulate. First couple of weeks requires constant tweaking to provide maximum coverage, but afterwards is a good way monitor and block programs trying to access the internet or make changes to computer's registry without permission.

39th slide: Other

1. Zamzar.com--convert files from one type to another easily, ranging from documents to video files to other. Upload file and it will send converted file to your e-mail address.
2. Weebly.com--software to be demoed. many places to host free blog, not so many to host free website. This site allows for both and for sites to be integrated. Does have pay version, but free version allows for the basics that most users would be looking for.
3. ADrive.com--provides 50gb of online storage for free. Great way to store documents wihout worrying about losing a flash drive. Can handle multiple formats of files. Some limitations. Does have pay versions that allow for greater features.

40th slide : Screen shot of Weebly

41st slide: Sources for information
Places to check for free alternatives and new tools to use

42nd slide: reminders

1. Always, always check the license to make sure you agree with what you want to do!
2. If downloading a program that your not familiar with, check download.com or softpedia.com to make sure that programs are spyware/virus free.

Any questions please feel free to contact me.

New LISjobs.com site!

If you haven't checked out Lisjobs.com, go now. Stop reading this post and go, seriously. Lisjobs, run by Rachel Singer Gordon (who blogs at "The Liminal Librarian," writes some great books, edits, starting a review site for Technology books, and oh so much more), is a great resource for those not only looking for a job, but those that are just looking for advice once your in the job!

This is one of those sites I check out on if not every day at least a weekly basis because of the great informaiton provided. Here's the full press release on the redesign:

*LISjobs.com launches new website*

Villa Park, IL -- Visitors to LISjobs.com will notice a new look and feel
today as the newly-redesigned site launches. The redesign brings LISjobs.com
in line with current web standards and adds new content and features. Note
that old links willl be broken; please update your links and bookmarks.

Highlights of the redesign include:

- Better integration of the LISjobs.com
forum<http://www.lisjobs.com/forum/>and other interactive site
features.
- Job ads <http://www.lisjobs.com/jobseekers/job-ads.asp> that, as
always, are *free* to both job seekers and employers.
- New content on education <http://www.lisjobs.com/education/> and career
development <http://www.lisjobs.com/careers/>, including information on MLIS
scholarships <http://www.lisjobs.com/education/scholarships.asp> as well
as on funding conference
attendance<http://www.lisjobs.com/careers/conference-funding.asp>and
other CE
opportunities <http://www.lisjobs.com/careers/ce-funding.asp>.
- A more standards-compliant and accessible design.
- A new logo designed by Wendy Koff <http://www.undercoverlibrarian.com/>,
Librarian and Web Designer.
- Updated links to outside resources; all links were checked manually in
October 2008.
- Improved organization -- information for both job seekers and employers
is now easier to find.
- Opportunities for
sponsorship<http://www.lisjobs.com/about/sponsor.asp>-- relevant
organizations can easily reach an audience of librarians and
info pros.

"I'm excited to launch the new and improved LISjobs.com to better serve
librarians, library workers, and info pros at all stages of their careers,"
says webmaster Rachel Singer Gordon. "Stay tuned for more additions and
improvements soon!"

Love the new logo? Grab yourself a t-shirt at the new LISjobs.com Cafepress
store <http://www.cafepress.com/lisjobs>. Find a job on LISjobs.com? Join
the Flickr group <http://www.flickr.com/groups/lisjobs/>, upload your photo,
and you could see yourself featured on the site. (Don't have a Flickr
account? Email your photo and story to rac...@lisjobs.com.)

LISjobs.com offers:

- Free job ads <http://www.lisjobs.com/jobseekers/job-ads.asp>
- Free bimonthly professional development
newsletter<http://www.lisjobs.com/career_trends/>
- Low-cost resume
posting<http://www.lisjobs.com/jobseekers/post-your-resume.asp>
- A library career- and professional development-related online
discussion forum <http://lisjobs.com/forum/>
- Career Q&A <http://www.lisjobs.com/careerqa_blog/> from Susanne
Markgren and Tiffany Allen
- Rethinking Information Careers <http://www.lisjobs.com/rethinking/>, a
regular column by Kim Dority
- ... and more!

Come, explore, join in, and become part of the LISjobs.com community.

Go check it out now!

Notes are coming...

The notes for my presentation are coming don't worry. I took the weekend to recover from being somewhat more worn out that I thought I was. Last week I had a lot packed in a very short three day time span, so I and my humble computer are destressing a bit.

So while your waiting I thought I'd point you to a few of my friends blogs. Right now in Monterey, CA is the Internet Librarian 2008 Conference, hosted by the same folks that do Computers in Libraries. I've not been to Internet Librarian (maybe next year), but know many of the folks that are presenting there on a wide variety of interesting and creative topics. So I'm sure they'll be blogging about it as they go along. So make sure follow these guys:
Iris Jastram
Amanda Etches-Johnson
Jason Griffey
Jenica Rogers-Urbanek
Steve Lawson
David Lee King
Michael Sauers

GA COMO Presentation

For those that were at my presentation this afternoon thanks for listening and congrats you found me on the web! For other folks here is my PPT presentation:

GA COMO-Free! Alternatives to expesnive technology

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: ga como)

And here is the delicious list of software.
http://delicious.com/GAashuping
I'm still working on adding stuff in so don't worry if you don't see all the items from the presentation yet, they'll be there. I'll blog more about this later as I must finish posting/updating elsewhere :)

***Update--I've actually added the link for delicious (sorry!) I'll also be doing another blog post this weekend on my notes from the conference so if you weren't able to come you can still get the gist I've what I said.

A short animated film

One of my interests (outside of libraries and technology) is art and I follow a couple of blogs to keep up with whats going on in the art world. One of the best that I've found is Drawn: the illustration and cartooning blog. A while back he linked to this wonderful short animated film When the Day Breaks that won the Palme d’Or in the short film category at Cannes in 1999. It tells the chance encounter of two characters and what happens to them. It is a wonderfully done animation and story line at just over 9 minutes long. Here's the post from Drawn and below you'll find the video.

Me part 2

I posted earlier, the second post I did on this blog, on who I am. Since I've started this post I've gained subscribers (howdy folks!), attended Computers in Libraries 2008, and met some really, really awesome folks both in real life and virtually. And I've thought about who I am and what I want to do with this blog.

I'm still trying to figure out the last question and wish I could say I'm going to focus only on a narrow topic of librarianship, like access services or web 2.0. But at this time I just can't pin it down. I look at the library world and I'm interested in so many different aspects of it that I want to talk about it and post on it. I will say my posts will probably tend to talk more about technology and how it can be used as librarians, but I may post on other things as well. I'll keep y'all updated as I go along, but I hope you enjoy the ride as I write about libraries.

In answer to the second question, I'm currently at my first professional job. And although it's had rough patches I can't say that I would trade it because I've learned a lot and met folks that I wouldn't have otherwise. But, I think the time has come for me to look at other places and take the next step in my professional growth. So I am looking and applying for other places. I'll keep y'all up-to-date on that front as well.

Well that's all for me part 2, if you have any questions let me know! You can find me at ashuping gmail (please no spam, I get plenty of that already!) or leave comments. Oh, and I'll be putting up a link sometime soon for the webpage I'm working on.

As always please note that all thoughts are my own and not associated with Mercer University, my co-workers, or the higher powers that be at my library.