SECTION 3: Social Software

 

delicious Social Bookmarking

 

SECTION 3: Social Software delicious Social Bookmarking del.icio.us extensions tag cloud Library Thing Drafts

 

[version 2009.1.14.a]

 

Let's try an easy and fun exercise.  You bookmark sites already, right?

 

delicious.com  (formerly del.icio.us) is a popular "social Bookmarking" site which allows you to post bookmarks where you can reach them from anywhere.  It also allows others to see what you've posted, which makes it a great way to recommend useful sites to faculty, staff and students.

Of course, only our staff can post bookmarks -- it's password-protected.  But anybody can read them.

 

The instructions are pretty clear, and you should be able to figure out how to do everything here.  Oh, yeah -- you gotta read instructions again.

 

After that, each step where you have to take action is marked with an asterisk *.

 

* The library's bookmarks are linked on our RSS Feeds page, and at the bottom of that section of Feeds, you can go to our delicious bookmarks page .  Or just bookmark http://delicious.com/boreham_library_ua_fort_smith

 

Take a look around, check some of the links that look interesting.  So far, I've tried to stick with the sort of useful, interesting places that might be of help to our campus (none of my usual personal weird preferences, which I keep in a totally separate place, for which you should be thankful...).  I try to use Delicious for sites that don't really seem appropriate for cataloging, but which might be of use or just interest.

 

For example, I have an article on a really obvious example of plagiarism in the real world.  I have a link to some green (ecologically responsible) sites.  I have a link to stuff for faculty, and just useful advice for students and others.  I have a link to some "fun" stuff such as games, or the virtual Lego building set.

 

* Now, read Thirteen Tips for Effective Tagging on how to select keywords for "tagging" websites.

 

* Now it's your turn.  Display your own browser's Bookmarks list and see what might be useful to others on campus, that you think the Library should recommend.  (Okay, then, if you don't have any like that, go find some!)

 

del.icio.us extensions

 

* You can use your choice of browser on this one.  I'll give you a hint to make it easier -- use an extension!

Firefox has a handy Firefox addon to help there.

IE has an IE extension for those users.

 

* For instructions, click here.  Then use the same main page to log in (the link is above).  Same password as the wiki.

You can set it to keep you logged in for 2 weeks to save having to do it every time.

 

Yes, the name is kinda long-- that's why it helps to have an extension to connect for you. It is intended to "brand" our site for us, and make sure everyone knows they're getting useful information from us. 

 

* Important: as one of the tags for each bookmark, use your initials.  Then you can collect all the ones you've added under general subject headings.  (if there are no initials on it, assume it's Dennis's.  And yes, I didn't think of this soon enough to do my own initials.)

 

* In the right column on the regular page, slide down to the bottom and find the bundle tags option.  Click there, and create a new tag bundle using your initials.  Then click on your initials in the shaded patch with all the terms (the "tag cloud") to add them to your new bundle.  This will show what you are doing, and from now on, anything you add that tag to will also be listed with your bundle, in the right column on the main bookmarks page.

 

* Notice all the unbundled tags?  Now is your chance to show your organizational skills.  Pick a general term that would include several of the unbundled tags at once, and create a bundle for it.  Just do one or two bundles and leave the rest for others.

 

Optional: you can set up your own del.icio.us login and do your own bookmarks, which you can reach from work or home or wherever.

 

tag cloud

 

* Go to the bottom of the right column, and see the cloud option.  Click that.

 

Okay, this is a new term: tag cloud.  Remember that for future reference.  It's a new way of presenting keywords by making them bigger and bolder when they are used more/appear more in the data.  Click on one of the tags and get the data that connects to it.

Yeah, well, I personally consider it kind of a fad myself, but it's an attempt to do something different and interesting with data connections.

 

Library Thing

 

This is another variation on social bookmarking, specifically related to books.

 

* Look at LibraryThing and consider the possibilities.  How might you use this?  How might the library use it? 

See the page for Librarians Who LibraryThing .  

 

* Use Comments to respond.

 

Note: LibraryThing has a limit on how many items you can have, and you have to pay after that.  So, that's a limit to consider.

 

 

Drafts

 

 

Draft 1

Draft 2