Thing 2 - What is Web 2.0 and Why Should I Care

I was in the last class in my high school who was not taught basic computer skills. It was not even an option (I was also not allowed to take Shop...girls took ome Ec.) I am younger than you think. I will celebrate my 27th class reunion this summer. The computer, the internet, email, Google and Yahoo, IM, blogs, social networking...it began kind of slowly and now seems to be snowballing. I felt good about picking up skills in college and beyond, but now find myself, as a library worker, in a position were I had better know what's available and how to use it. I don't want to be left behind, nor do I want my community to be left out.

Stephen Abram said 15 minutes...this particular Thing took forever because there were so many interesting things to link to! I am probably the last person on earth to see The Machine is Us/ing Us (Final Version) on Youtube, but if you haven't yet, take a peek.

One of the links gave statistics about who uses the internet and - no surprise - the younger you are the more likely you are and the easier it is for you to participate online. I feel troubled by the decreasing options available for those who do not use the internet - so many forms, and accounts must be accomplished online. I want to be able to efectively ease the non-user into the it-must-be-done-online age. I want to be able to speak intelligently with savvy users of blogs, Flickr, Secondlife and the like and to be able to give basic assistance to those wishing to enter those realms. I want to understand what my teenagers are encountering and to celebrate with them when they make connections with teenagers in China and Australia and other wonderful places. I want to talk with other librarians from around the nation and around the world and share stories, problems and solutions. I don't want to be left behind.

I hope to complete the 23 things and share what I learn with the rest of the staff at my small library. I am hoping to pass on my excitement and feeling that this is really improtant stuff. I'm hoping that I will become fluent enough to pass on the hows and whys. I think the Things will make our jobs easier and richer in ther services we are able to provide. Sometimes change is hard. Things are changing fast. I don't want to be left beind.