#11 Librarything

I really like this Librarything. I created an account, then stared at my screen wondering what books to add to the list. Somehting to make me appear intellectual: in go 1984 and Gulliver's Travels. I look at my desk and see a Jasper Fforde book. I like the Thursday Next series, so in they go. Then I see other author's works: Ben Elton, J. K. Rowling, Haruki Murakami... I decided to hold back when I got to Terry Pratchett, because that could take all day.

Librarything is a great way t catalogue all the books you've ever read and loved, in one simple package. I haven't quite worked out how to post a search option on this blog, but give me time and we'll see.

EDIT: Here it is, though with some problems.

#10 Online image generator

Santa is such a nice man he decided it was time he sent me a letter for Christmas, albeit slghtly delayed. Hee it is, reproduced in minute quality:

#9 RSS explored further

Topix is an interesting news website with all manner of information for savvy readers. The three major headlines on the front page:
-Pakistan's Bhutto Assassinated in Attack (capitalised for effect, in case people don't realise it's Big News)
-Escaped tiger kills SF Zoo patron, injures two (I'm guessing it's referring to San Fransisco, not Sci-Fi)
-I did not support Hitler, says Will Smith (glad THAT dispute's been settled)

Both Topix and Technorati are fairly good news websites, although I would prefer to read The Age or BBC websites over them both. Technorati has feeds from several different news websites, allowing the reader to acquire a more succinct idea of what's actually going on through cross-examination.

Syndicate looks like t could be useful, although to be honest I don't see how it is really any better than a basic Google search or a Favourites list. This might just be an artifact of my own searches, but I found that many feeds were 'Awaiting Approval' and very few actually 'Syndicated'. With a bit more work this site should prove useful and gain popularity, but for my needs it's sadly inept.

#8 RSS feeds

I found these easy enough to understand. I've seen MtG sites which ist recently updated sites, so you know which ones to go to for new set spoilers, draft information and so forth. They're not so dissimilar, although RSS feeds are more informative as they show frequency of updates. They're intriguing little things as you can tell with a glance whether multiple blogs (I still hate that word) are worth reading for new entries. Very time-saving.

My only problem is that I don't have many blogs which I check regularly, since most people have either completed Learning 2.0 or left it unfinished. Woe is me, I guess.

#7 Technology rant

Libraries are incorporating more and more electronic- No wait that's been done already.

My favourite thing about the computer-baed materials at the library- Nope, something else.

The other day I- Nah, I'll take a different aproach, that of complaining.

Advances in modern technology have gotten out of hand. Tere is so much that is simply superfluous, but which people have incorporated into their daily lives and now can't do without. I mean, yes it's nice to be able to listen to your music whenever you like, but do you really have to have your iPod blaring in public places such as trains, streets and, dare I say, libraries? You're annoying everyone with your incessant rap (I missed the letter 'c' but it's still good), and there's a good chance it'll lead to tinnitus.

There is a fine line between practical use and needless accesorising when it comes to technology. The new version of Word is a prime example. The old version had few errors and was relatively simple to use, whereas the ewer version requires a great deal of mental retraining. It boasts hundreds of little applications here and there, all of which have their uses, but ultimately it obscures the basic programs you actually needs to use and is a pain to learn, let alone teach to someone. Sometimes simpler is better.

#6 More Flickr

I loved the Flickr Colr Pickr, especially on the Graffiti setting. It's a fun tool, handy for making collage design boards, though I fail to see any other practical applications for it. The Montager falls into the same category. My first-year psychology textbook used this method on the front cover to create a girl's face from hundreds of tiny pictures.

What I liked most of all was, unsurprisingly, the trading card maker. Here's the one I made, taking the picture and (Oracle updated) card type of "Blind Seer" and his three quotes from "Chromatic Sphere", "Mana Maze" and "Reckless Assault", all from the Invasion expansion. I like how you can add the little icons onto the card.

#5 Flickr

**A quick aside: I am obsessed with a card game called Magic: the Gathering. I have been for years. I'm a huge fantasy geek, and I love the game style, artwork, and flavour of Magic (the one with a capital M).**

Here is an enlargened rendition of Ittoku's "Scour" from Champions of Kamigawa. The card is a spell which erases an enchantment not only from the physical world, but alos from the caster's memory. "Scour" depicts that by the acryllic tornado annihilating the false picturesque landscape and leaving the real scene - a desolate and blighted land - i its stead. The mood: don't try and hide the grim reality under a pretty illusion.

I'll admit, I wasn't too thrilled when I discovered Learning 2.0 was using Blogger as its online journal system. I much prefer LiveJournal, which I used for many years without any hiccups. I have dabbled with Blogger in the past and been overall, underwhelmed. For one, hiding text under cuts to shorten message length is so much easier on LJ - to tny pieces of HTML and ta-da. But Blogger requires massive amounts of tinkering with no less than three different sections and huge slabs of HTML jus to hide a little bit of text. Unimpressive.

However, Flickr is basically the same as LJ, simpler, even. Things are looking up.