Thing #32 -- Google Maps and Mashups

On the 23 Things on a Stick Ning I commented that this was one of the Things I was most looking forward to. I think there's a lot of potential for creating useful mashups using Google Maps. I said that I hadn't been very successful coding my own map from scratch using the Google Maps API. I could create markers in the right places, but couldn't get the popup windows showing information about each marker to work properly.

This Thing introduced me to Map Builder, which I was able to use to begin building a functional map mashup, complete with marker popups. One of the special collections in my library has information on a number of buildings around the country, and I am creating a map indicating where and what those buildings are, and what kinds of materials the library has for each. One thing I especially like about Map Builder is it can import data from a spreadsheet to create the map. Since most of the relevant information for each building is already in spreadsheet form, I only need to make some minor changes to the spreadsheet to upload the data and create my map.

The My Maps function of Google Maps is very intuitive to use and makes creating custom maps quick and easy. I always have a problem answering the question "Where are you from" because my family moved around so much. So here's a map I made with My Maps showing all the places I lived while I was growing up. I haven't been much more stably located as an adult, but I've left those locations off the map.


View Where I'm From in a larger map

Thing #31 -- More Twitter

Keeping up with news and finding things out quickly is what I've ended up using Twitter the most for. It was via the #cil2009 hashtag on Twitter that I discovered the Computers in Libraries day 2 keynote was being streamed live and was able to watch it. Tweets from MPR were how I found out about several developments in the Coleman-Franken recount trial shortly after they happened. And a chance viewing of trending topics is how I discovered that Skype (finally!) was releasing a native app for the iPhone/iPod Touch the following day.

I use a variety of Twitter methods. I don't use the Twitter web site very often--it's slow to load and doesn't always draw the screen formatted properly. I tried both TwitterFon and Twitterrific on my iPod Touch, and preferred TwitterFon. It's the main way I read tweets, but I don't post that way very often, preferring a full keyboard to the mini on-screen one. I also installed TwitterGadget on my iGoogle page, which I use primarily for sending my tweets. These 2 applications meet my needs, so I haven't explored a desktop Twitter client. The only one I considered was TweetDeck, primarily for it's ability to update my Facebook status with my tweets and vice versa. (I discovered this feature from a friend I follow, who mentioned it in a tweet.)

To be honest, I use Twitter more than I thought I would. I'm probably somewhere between the Dumping and Conversing stages. Since I don't have many followers, I often feel my tweets are just a one-sided conversation into the ether, but I have had a few actual conversations. And most of what I follow I do for news or entertainment--I haven't felt the need to reply to anything I've read. Perhaps more interaction will come if I stick with it.

Thing #30 -- More with Delicious

I hadn't actually created a Delicious account back in Thing 11, so I started this Thing by doing that. The built-in security checkers made that a little frustrating, however. I have been using the same password for all the accounts I create as part of the Things--makes it easier to remember. But Delicious kept telling me it shared too many letters with my username. After several username/password combinations I finally had to admit defeat and choose a completely different one. Hope I remember it!

As a new Delicious user I haven't explored it much beyond bookmarking. I tried to standardize my tags (controlled vocabulary is a familiar concept to librarians) and found the batch renaming and tagging functions useful as I developed my taxonomy. There is now a tag roll on my blog's sidebar.

One of the things I did was go through all the email messages and notes I've been collecting of web sites that I want to look at and possibly include on subject guides I maintain. Adding these sites to Delicious will make this process easier. I can produce a list of possible sites by tagging them for particular guides. It would be nice to hook the sites I've chosen on Delicious to the guide web pages so they update automatically when I add or delete one. I tried the basic link roll functionality, but it didn't quite work the way I wanted it too. Guess I'll have to tinker with it some more later.

Thing #30 -- More Ways to Use RSS

I use Google Reader for my RSS feeds and once I added the Reader gadget to my iGoogle home page (as part of Thing 28) that became the primary way I view them. I'll usually check several times a week, skimming the list, and only reading the ones that interest me. Organizing feeds into folders really helps. I have folders for general library feeds, specific library subjects, news, technology, and a few others. It helps me keep my reading focused; many times I don't check every folder each time--deciding which folders have interest for me depending on my mood or circumstances. Using folders also keeps any one list of posts from getting too long and overwhelming.

Even so, the technology folder still has a lot in it. Both Lifehacker and Engadget, for example, post several times an hour, and it's hard to weed out the few gems I care about from all the rest. I was glad to discover FeedRinse as part of this Thing, and am experimenting with it. I created "rinsed" versions of my technology related feeds, based on what tags are in a post, and set up a separate folder for those. This will allow me to compare what's getting through my filters with the full blog. Once it seems to be giving me just the posts I care about I'll remove the full feeds from my reader.

The concept behind Spreed is an interesting one. I can see its appeal for some people, those whose job requires them to keep up on all the news in a particular area. It's nice that Spreed provides options to speed read a story or see the full article, and to set the words per minute. I had a hard time with it, though. On slower speeds the story didn't flow--my mind kept treating each screen of 2-4 words as a distinct chunk rather than knitting them together to make a sentence. Increasing the speed made me tense, as my comprehension tried to keep up with my reading.

In the "file it away for later" category is Simple Tracking.com. Next time I have a package to track it will be nice to have a feed that updates when the package's status changes.

I also may try twitterfeed later on, depending on how much I end up using Twitter, and how many people follow me. Twitterfeed would be an easy way for libraries with both blogs and Twitter accounts to keep users informed about the library, by passing blog posts into their Twitter stream. A painless way to reach users where they are, in whichever social medium they prefer.

I'll save more things with delicious for my next post.