Second Life training

This week I had the chance to explore a little bit of Second Life by participating in the first training session held last Tuesday (4-12-12). Setting up the account for Second Life was a straightforward process. With the help of Carole Gerts, we were taught how to move, communicate, and navigate our way in a virtual world. Although I was able to communicate with the rest of the group through chat (I can also hear the ongoing discussion from my speaker), the lack of microphone installed on my desktop was a little bit of a drawback. Also, my computer was not powerful enough to process the graphics requirement of the program. There was a time when my screen suddenly went black. It happened just after I clicked the snapshot button when Carole was teaching us how to get a snapshot of the venue where we were located. I finally got a display and returned to our virtual location only after several minutes of staring on a black screen. 

Second Life’s requirement of huge processing power and system resources is definitely its big drawback. The next time I will get into it, I will have to borrow my daughter’s powerful new laptop. Overall, the session was fun, a little bit stressful (with a blank screen), and informative.

OLJ Task 1 (Module 2: Web 2.0 Technologies and social software)

RSS in action

RSS

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) allows users to collect timely updates of news and postings from newspapers, blogs, libraries, audio, and video and read them in one place. The RSS feeds can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader", or "aggregator", which can be web-based, desktop-based, or mobile-device-based. RSS takes the hassles out of staying up to date, by showing subscribers the latest information that they are interested in.

Examples of RSS in action

The National Institute of Mental health, a government research organisation in the US, uses RSS feeds to inform interested subscribers on the latest on mental health through audio, video, director’s blog, or the NIMH main feed.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/site-info/subscribe-to-nimh-rss-updates.shtml

The Australian Taxation Office also uses RSS feeds to inform individuals, corporate, and tax professionals on the latest tax provisions. This is an excellent application of an RSS feed as every now and then, new tax legislations are passed and old legislations are superseded or amended by the lawmakers of the country. As a tax professional, my subscription with the ATO's RSS feeds http://www.ato.gov.au/rss.aspx allows me to receive the latest tax provisions without much effort.

RSS in libraries and information services

Many libraries and information services are now using RSS features to enhance their abilities to meet the information needs of their users. Some RSS feeds applications on libraries and information services include the following:

• RSS feed for new additions to the online catalogue;
• RSS feed for new programs and events posted on the library website;
• RSS feed for the library’s electronic newsletter;
• RSS feed on library website updates;
• RSS feed for press releases and other media advisories;
• RSS feed for library job openings; and
• Libraries can subscribe to professional RSS feeds for sharing with staff on the library intranet.

Because RSS main feature is about sharing and delivering the latest information in different formats, it is a perfect tool that can be used by libraries to update their users. Unlike receiving updates via e-mail, RSS feeds allow for customizable formatting; the items are automatically deleted or marked as “read”; and subscription is typically anonymous (Cassell & Hiremath, 2011). Any librarian or information services professional just have to look at the vast categories of The Library of Congress’ RSS feeds (http://www.loc.gov/rss/) to appreciate the many applications of RSS in libraries and information services in reaching out to their users.

Reference

Cassell, K. A., & Hiremath, U. (2011). Reference and information services in the 21st century: An introduction (2nd ed. revised). Neal-Schuman Publishers: New York.