PS Previous comment somehow got linked to my ALA info unintentionally. Comments on this thread are totally my own.

….more people come by and ask about the class now….

…my own myopicity was probably to blame for failing to connect with the users in terms that they themselves use.

@sharon: I agrtee it’s a good idea to not alienate people who don’t know the right words, but I also wonder if we’re not doing people a disservice by not giving them the language they’ll need to talk to other people. This is particularly true when I talk to librarians who, in my opinion, really SHOULD know this stuff. I think there’s a way to get the right words across without being a pill about it and that’s what I aim for.

@jenny: I usually try to get a screenshot of the feed at a time when no one is doing anything particularly sensitive. My Mom just joined facebook and her feed is pretty tame and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me sharing so I sometimes show that. Anyone who has a public profile already has their photo available, and I look for that. I also show a facebook group and the many people from all over who can participate sort of like a mailing list but online, not filling up your mailbox I usually show off Amewsome Resources because it’s fun and started by a librarian. And yes, I use Word. Just because I think open source is a good idea doesn’t mean I’m a zealot about it.

The presentation, “10 ways to make your library great in 2008, using Web 2.0″, is at http://webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=19345

The blog associated with it is at
http://blog.webjunctionworks.org/index.php/category/10-ways/

The more we share, the more we grow. Keep up the good work!

When you do live demos or use screenshots of sites like Facebook, do you ever show the feed page? For me, that’s the attraction of Facebook and it’s what I want to show others so that they’ll understand the socialness of it.

But I’ve been struggling with the question of privacy around doing this. Should I ask all of my friends who are showing on that page right now? Should I post a notification? So far, I’ve just been blanking out names and profile pictures on screenshots, but that means I don’t show anything live, which as you noted, is half the fun. So, just curious how you handle this.

Is that a Word document link?? :-p

Same here when staff tell me about a computer problem they’re having. I get caught up in the words and forget that the person I’m talking with doesn’t use the same vocabulary I do. I’ve tried to do some educating, but I’m finally resigned to the fact that it’s easier for me to change the way I listen than it is for them to change the way they talk. I think of it as good practice for reference desk customer interviews.

YES! I often find myself having to delineate between ISP and actual Internet access, between library services and proprietary software, and on and on. The subtle differences are what make understanding and being comfortable with technology possible, I think.

… You wouldn’t happen to have a presentation on that topic, would you? Or know of one?

Love your blog, thanks for being awesome!

~Jenn Nolte