Alrighty, my LIBE 477 blog is up and running. I'd like to start with a post re Google+ as one of our four main assignments is to post, "A series of Blog Posts, on your own blog, about a different Web 2.0 tool/resource that we will be exploring each week."
In the course intro, we're encouraged to use Google and wikis to research Web 2.0 items. Wiki.org is seldom my starting point for research except for technology terms; hence here is the intro paragraph for G+
Google+ (pronounced and sometimes written as Google Plus, sometimes abbreviated as G+) is a multilingual social networkingand identity service[2][3] owned and operated by Google Inc. It was launched in June 28, 2011.[4] As of September 2012, it has a total of 400 million registered users of whom 100 million are active on a monthly basis[1]. Unlike other conventional social networks which are generally accessed through a single website, Google has described Google+ as a "social layer" consisting of not just a single site, but rather an overarching "layer" which covers many of its online properties.[5]
Much more info is offered (too much to post here), but here were a couple of more tidbits that got my attention:
Google+ is available as a website and on mobile devices. Sources such as The New York Times have declared it Google's biggest attempt to rival the social network Facebook,[13] which has over 800 million users.
It was also interesting to read about the various services started up by Google, but were
then soon "retired," such as Google Buzz and Google Friend Connect. It appears that while
G+ has a large following, it isn't being used nearly as much as Facebook:
on February 28, 2012 Todd Wasserman from Mashable reported Google+ users are only spending 3.3 minutes monthly on Google+ which is a downward trend from 4.8 minutes in December and 5.1 minutes in November compared to Facebook users currently spending 7.5 hours using Facebook monthly.[18]
I'M AT ODDS WITH THE STATUS QUO!
While 400 million people seem lukewarm to Google+, I really enjoyed the experience last Tue.. The more I read about it ... the more I'm liking it.
I've been trying to get an online chat option going for our local teacher-librarian group and this one looks like it may have potential (the limit of 10 will be a factor, however). I was trying to get Skype as an option, but I got as far as getting the download sanctioned for my library computer, but then any further requests by t-ls were halted be/c it is a downloadable file (concerns w viruses). With Elluminate being purchased for public education users across BC, our district wanted us to begin using that (one doesn't have to download the file either). Nevertheless, there has not been any intro about it nor inservice, so it isn't taking off thus far.
I found I couldn't decipher how to use this software (correct terminology or is a Web 2.0 program?), so it's falling down on my Web 2.0 priority list. You've motivated me to try it again though Aaron. Will it be part of our experimentation for LIBE 477? Yes please, if possible.
BACK TO GOOGLE+
In the meantime, G+ I want to learn more about and thus I must be bold and test drive it. My daughter has been willing to enter my "family" circle and now I just have to get my husband to try too (he runs skype meetings continually for work so his perspective will be great). I'm assuming we'll continue using g+ for Tue. night class meetings - wonderful.
I searched YouTube for further
tutorials and liked this one by
Anson Alexander (nice that "we" can skip the ads!). I think I may have finally found my option other than Facebook - something I
haven't signed up for yet due to various irks, which g+ seems to have dealt w ... Ask if you want to know more, but for now, time to close.
Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul. ~Library at Thebes, inscription over the door
