Reflections

When Roxie and I started this Web project we didn't know that we would learn as much as we did. Roxie's favorite was posting her pictures to the web so that all her family and friends could see how she was getting along. My favorite was playing with google maps and seeing the earth fro a bird's view. I have developed a new confidence with helping others learn about the computer and the web.

Gaming

I didn't realize that computer gaming was so involved or that you could learn so much. Roxie thinks that she will be spending more time gaming on the computer with so many games to choose from. I think that I will just continue to do my sudoku puzzles.

Google Earth

In the Google Earth version of the world you can fly anywhere in seconds. Roxie likes the idea that you can visit international sites with only a click of the mouse. We visited San Diego and Orange in California, Salt Lake City, Utah, Trenton, Michigan, Dublin and Paris in a matter of minutes. When we looked for our home in Marysville, there was only a hole where our house should have been. Google Earth is not completely current.

Avatars

Roxie and I had lots of laughs designing our avatar. Roxie was disappointed that they did not have any dog avatars. We still haven't figured out how to post our avatar to our blog.

Online Applications and Tools

I believe that online applications are a wave of the future. The real issues are not the apps and what can be offered, but security, privacy and confidentiality of the documents on the Internet. How hacker proof is the information that a company or individual puts out there?

Search Engines

Of course you can probably guess Roxie's favorite search engine--Dogpile. She wonders why anyone would use anything else because dogs are so smart. Roxie says 4 paws up for Dogpile.
We experimented by putting the same search in Rollyo, Mamma, and Dogpile. Mamma and Dogpile came back with similar search results and were mostly on point. Rollyo was very different and most of the time missed the point. I think I will use Mamma and Dogpile when a Google search is overwhelming.

Podcasting

Roxie's first choice for selecting a podcast was about the Dog Whisper. We listened to a five minute podcast about becoming the pack leader and remaining in the moment for improving your dogs behavior. After that podcast, Roxie settled down and took a nap.
I selected the areas of art history and philosophy, listened to presentations on the Mona Lisa and the Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine and conversations with Nathaniel Brandon about Ayn Rand. I think library customers would be interested in a wide range of topics, just like they are interested in a wide range of books, DVDs and CDs.

Image Generators

Roxie says Wow! What fun! She wanted to send cards to all of her family and friends. Unfortunately her family and friends are not connected to the internet. So we sent a couple of cards to Missy and Lonagan via my brother. Roxie and I are going to continue to play around with the image generators.

OverDrive

Roxie and I liked the OverDrive exercise. I have been wanting to download OverDrive on my home computer for some time. Now that we have done it and downloaded some music videos, we are really enjoying this new resource. Roxie especially likes listening to the music, watching the computer screen is hard for her to view. Roxie's only comment was about the time it took to download some of the longer books. Next time we will go for a walk while we are downloading.

Deeelicious!

Deeelicious! Roxie says the best invention since dog kibble. Roxie spent a lot of time at this site looking for information on dog psychology and training methods. She's hoping that I might learn something from her efforts. Delicious helps to mange the information explosion that the internet has brought. I'm looking forward to see how our account will grow over the next 6 months.

Wiki! WIki! Wiki!

The Wiki - another way to improve communication. Roxie and I are amazed at the many ways that a wiki can help with family gatherings. Roxie is exhausted by the numerous telephone calls, messages and misunderstandings when trying to coordinate these events for our large extended family. Just look at her before our last party. She can barely raise her head off the pillow. Now with the Family Wiki she says its going to be a snap!

Libraries could also make use of the wiki to have on-line book clubs. Discussion points could be posted and members could respond at their convenience creating a limitless conversation.

Streaming Videos

Roxie and I thought the streaming video sites were fun. We logged on to YouTube and found videos of USC (my Alma Mater) libraries. Roxie especially liked the marching bands performance outside the library during exam week. Roxie is too young to remember studying for exams but liked the music.
Our trips to Hulu and Fancast were equally as entertaining. We are able to catch our favorite TV shows and some of our favorite movies. Roxie was disappointed that neither site carried broadcasts from the National Geographic Channel. How is she going to see missed episodes from the Dog Whisperer and Cesar Milan? (Roxie is really into the study of dog psychology.) Roxie was pleased that she could watch LA Confidential from Fancast. Russell Crowe is a favorite of Roxie's.
We think that all three sites could be useful for libraries for entertainment and education. Community libraries could record programs, upload to YouTube and link to Sno-Isle website.

Eons and Eons of Friends

Roxie and I visited Eons in hopes of finding new friends who are interested in quilting and love dogs. We met Suzy from Charleston, West Virginia. She has been quilting for many years in the company of her chocolate lab, Amy.

Roxie and her photo album

Roxie spent most of the day trying to decide which of pictures she wanted post on Flickr. She was so excited that she could share these photos with friends and family. Maybe she will be discovered and become rich and famous.

Streaming Music

Wow!! We went to pandora.com and found all of our favorites. My first choice was Bread (a group from the early 1970's). They had captured all my memories. Roxie has more eclectic tastes but finally settle on Patsy Cline's Crazy as her favorite. Roxie is quite graceful when she dances to the music. I wish I had her moves.

RSS

Roxie loves seeing the most up-to-date news and information. She especially likes National Geographic and Scientific American. She keeps in touch with all of the new advances in canine care.

IM

Roxie, Matt and I started instant messaging. It was very easy. We spent almost an hour just sending messages learning the lingo and sending happy faces.

Fun with blogging

Here I sit at the keyboard trying to think up something creative. Roxie is snoozing in the corner self assured that she is the most creative one between the two of us. She leaves the more mundane tasks to me.

Creating the blog wasn't hard. It is the posting that is a challenge.