Blogging dead, long live microblogging?

Interesting article in November issue of Wired:

Kill Your Blog - Still posting like it's 2004?

This argues that most of the top blogs are essentially online magazines and that blogs are just too time consuming to write.  Microblogging is where it's at these days.

Obviously there's room for both but as I've not posted an article for a while I can see that blogging does take a little while and effort to do.

Mind you, I've not put out much on Twitter either - wondering what to say that others might find interesting about my day to day work & activities.  Though, even with very little activity on Twitter, I still seem to have picked up a few followers that I don't know.

As one of the tens of thousands that follow Stephen Fry, I did like the way that one of his assistants automatically returns the favour.  Can anyone beat Stephen for the number of people being followed?

Ariadne & information overload

I was reminded recently of the existence of Ariadne, a Web magazine for information professionals in archives, libraries and museums published by UKOLN. Issue 56 was released recently.

In fact, I wrote an article for Ariadne 10 years ago (http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue16/law/). It also looks like I promised a follow-up article which I have yet to deliver!

One article in the latest issue which caught my eye was Being Wired or Being Tired: 10 Ways to Cope with Information Overload by Sarah Houghton-Jan who is Digital Futures Manager at San José Public Library.

This is a subject close to many of our hearts.

Houghton-Jan quotes a 2005 survey which found that 2.1 hrs of each knowledge workers day is lost to interruptions. This is not all lost time though surely? Some of these are really part of my job. Granted, some aren't.

In fact, Houghton-Jan cites a psychiatrist, Hallowell, who has identified negative effects of information overload (which he calls Attention Deficit Trait [ADT]) and Hallowell recommends regular face-to-face interactions to combat it.

Houghton-Jan details many sound organisational and time management techniques for dealing with information overload.

One thing I found interesting, especially given the stress given to avoiding interruptions, was the recommendation to use instant messaging for urgent queries. I don't regularly use IM. Surely this is as invasive as the phone? Anyone using IM in a big way in the workplace who would care to comment on its effectiveness?

Wi-fi at conferences - good or bad?

Having recently helped organise a UCISA conference at the University of Reading we made some use of the wi-fi network available - encouraging delegates to make use of the conference Wetpaint wiki and also to blog and tweet during the event.

I should register here a big thank you to Andy Gatward at Reading for installing an additional WAP at very short notice because the local organiser (i.e. me) hadn't checked the signal strength in the main lecture theatre!

Not as many delegates brought laptops or PDAs as we were expecting, although we'd advertised the existence of the wireless network and the conference wiki in advance.

Is this (even with limited use) a distraction to other delegates or the speakers (who may feel that delegates are checking their email rather than listening to the presentation)?

Brian Kelly's has posted an article on this, How Rude! Use Of WiFi Networks At Conferences.

Brian raises some of the issues and suggests that conference organisers need to consider how to make best use of the technologies for most of the audience.

Brian also asks why institutions are installing wi-fi access points in teaching spaces if it's a distraction if people make use of it. I am aware of some academics that do not want wi-fi to be available in lecture theatres as students may well check mail, use Facebook etc instead of listening to the lecture.  However, they may also be using the network to enhance their learning.  Also, we don't block mobile phone networks to prevent students from texting during lectures.

One of those commenting on Brian Kelly's article makes a very good point: using laptops is easier for some students/delegates than hand writing notes.

Going back to Brian's point about making effective use of the technologies, conference organisers do need to think about what would enhance the presentations without completely alienating those without them.

Brian, of course, has shown us some (see his posts on the Institutional Web Management Workshop [IWMW] 2008 detailing the use of streaming, ScribbleItLive and Twitter).

David Harrison, in his blog on the Eduserv Symposium 2008, praised the use of CoverItLive at that event.

I was also impressed by Brian Kelly's description of the use of Twitter at IWMW events.

So for the next conference I am involved in, we will have a few decisions to make on which system to use for the event.  Though, there may be a few new ones by then!

But will those tapping away on their keyboards be distracting for other delegates and will some speakers be upset that many delegates appear not to be listening?

Facebook - for work, pleasure or both?

As stated in an earlier blog, I originally started using Facebook for work purposes - a shared space with UCISA colleagues for planning an event.

Since then, I have gained a number of family and friends as Facebook friends.

I'm not sure I like mixing work and social life like this.

At the recent UCISA TLIG-SDG Conference, we used WetPaint instead of Facebook for discussion during the event.  Of course, that meant that I had to sign up for it, put some details into my profile, upload the same awful photo etc.  But, it is an obviously separate area from my Facebook profile.

So, what's the way forward?  Should I have separate Facebook accounts for personal and work contacts?  Add in the LinkedIn, WetPaint, Twitter etc accounts and it's all getting a bit much!

JISC podcasts

Another thing I've come late to (they're now up to episode 49) is the JISC podcasts. These started in July 2007 and are available from:

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/podcasts.aspx

They are also available via iTunes (I had problems subscribing to the series but could easily add individual episodes to my iPod).

I listened to two on the train:

• podcast 48: Mainstreaming accessibility – getting it right the first time
• podcast 47: Creating 21st century learning spaces

Both were short, professionally done and prompted a few thoughts about how we do things in my institution.

Mind you, I wouldn't mind getting involved in a £100m new building (as described in the 21st century learning spaces podcast).

The accessibility podcast was very down to earth: covering web, VLE and accessibility tools (e.g. Jaws screen reader).

I shall certainly download some more - there's a lot to choose from!

Blogs & RSS readers

OK, so I'm new to blogging but I've been reading some, fairly regularly, for a while.

So, how do you keep up and find out when something new has been posted?

Easiest way is to subscribe to the RSS feed of the blog and use an RSS reader.

I use Google Reader.  Google reader is web-based and, because I use iGoogle as my home page, I see the titles of new posts whenever I start IE.

Two blogs I subscribe to are:

• Brian Kelly's UK Web Focus blog
• Steve Lamb's Security Matters blog

Both Brian and Steve have given excellent presentations at UCISA IT Support Staff Symposiums (Brian in 2007 and Steve in 2005).

Both of these blogs are well worth a look and both have been nominated (in different categories) in the ComputerWeekly.com IT Blog Awards 08.  Voting ends 31/7/08 so, if you want to vote, get your skates on.

Web 2.0 distractions?

Interesting article in this month's E&T (magazine of the Institution of Engineering and Technology) on web tools that are major distractions. The article, turn on, tune out caught my eye as it cites "Facebook, Twitter & blogs" as the one of the top 5 time wasters. Being new to blogging and Twitter, I'm not sure of the pros & cons but thought that trying them out is one way to find out!

I started using Facebook as a way of communicating with others in UCISA when we were planning a symposium. I got fed up with trying to do it via email. I wanted a single place where the latest information could be found. We also used a Facebook group for discussion during the event - reasonably successfully.

For the recent UCISA TLIG-SDG Conference we used WetPaint for discussion before & during the event. I'd like to see discussion continue on the WetPaint wiki after the event. I get a weekly digest emailed to me, so I get an email prompt of new posts. This is better than the Facebook messages about each & every friend request etc.

So, I can certainly see advantages but the problem I have is that each tool is another thing I need an account for and (unless I'm relying on the email prods) something else to check.

David Harrison, Chair of UCISA, recently discovered Twemes which brings together tweets, flickr and del.icio.us and he's added it to the conference WetPaint wiki. This looks good and certainly helps as it aggregates these different tools.

David also told me about Windows Live Writer which allows you to write blog posts offline and upload later. I'm using this now. Thanks David.

Back to the E&T article: I've never heard of two of the top 5 time wasters (Fark & Lolcats). So they're certainly not time wasters for me!

UCISA TLIG-SDG Conf 2008

Thoroughly enjoyed the UCISA TLIG-SDG User Support Conf in Reading, 1-3 July 2008. Well, I would say that wouldn't I, being conference chair!

Programme, including the presentations, is available from:
http://www.ucisa.ac.uk/groups/tlig/Events/2008/usersupport/programme.aspx

A big thank you to all who presented plenaries or workshops, facilitated discussion groups, chaired sessions, helped identify great speakers, organised the event etc. A lot of work goes into the these events and you only really know how once you've been on the organising committee.

Whilst it's not easy to relax when you're conference chair, I did try! It was great to talk to people over tea/coffee/wine/beer/G&T. I do hope that delegates were able to identify some things to try out back in their own institutions.

Now that that conference is over, I (& colleagues in the UCISA DITSS Sub-group) can start to properly think about the joint UCISA Advisory Services & IT Support Staff Symposium which will be held at Aston Business School, 7-8 July 2009. Aston Business School is a great venue (the accommodation is excellent) and we all think that having a joint event will allow us to create a fantastic programme and also to bring together advisory staff with those providing IT support in departments. For details on the separate events held last year, look at:

http://www.ucisa.ac.uk/groups/sdg/ditss/Events/2007/ITSS%20Symposium.aspx
http://www.ucisa.ac.uk/groups/tlig/aswg/Events/2007/ASWG2007.aspx

At the ITSS Symposium last year we used a Facebook group for discussion and feedback during the event. The DITSS Sub-group plan to go back to discussions started during the last symposium to see how delegates have fared since the event and to get ideas for the next symposium.

First post

Well, signing up was very easy. Also, as I had an account for Google Apps, I didn't need a new account (that's one less password to remember).

Have also just signed up to twitter. Not sure of pros & cons.