Week 3, Thing #6

Trading Card, originally uploaded by ksqvideo.

Librarians are in the business of finding information and answering questions is a major part of my working life. Asking questions is a great way to learn. Luckily most Library patrons don’t ask the really BIG questions though, or I’d never be able to answer anybody!

This was quite frustrating to do, because my photo wouldn’t upload. It turned out jpg files are fine, but bmp files don’t work. There could be possibilities for a more practical, work related card….

Week 3, Thing#5 Discovery Exercise A, (Image 1)

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }
.flickr-yourcomment { }
.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }
.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }

Dusk last night, 3rd feb 07, originally uploaded by fastbird61.

This is so beautiful and peaceful. Wish I was there…..

This photographer (“fastbird61″) has so many wonderful images on flickr and very generously allows others to view them by making them public.

I’m thoroughly enjoying looking through images on flickr. I like browsing in the Explore section under ”last 7 days” and “interestingness” links – a visual feast!

I just wish I could get rid of all the messy code from flickr (top of page). I thought I could do this, but when I deleted it the image disappeared! So, I had to use the blog this tool on flickr to post the image again. Strange, because when I uploaded and posted my own photograph from flickr yesterday I deleted the messy code and the image remained. Why????

Week 3, Thing#5, Discovery Exercise A (Image 2)

Sundown, originally uploaded by fastbird61.

Another beautiful image from fastbird61. This time, I was able to delete the code from above the image, and it didn’t disappear! I don’t know what went wrong yesterday….

Week 3, Thing #5, Discovery Exercise B

Stage 1 Horticulture – Student Displays at Kurri Kurri Campus Library, originally uploaded by ksqvideo.

This is my attempt at Discovery Exercise b. I’ve never used Flickr’s “blog this” tool before, although I have uploaded photos to Flickr (a long, long time ago…).  Amazingly it worked and it was not even that hard!! I did have to edit the post to delete all the messy code from flickr though.

Instructions (so I don’t forget)

1.  Set up a flickr account
2. Upload photos using flickr’s upload tool. I had some existing photos on the PC, so I just had to browse for files and add the selected photos)
3. Configure a blog in flickr to post photos to. The only difficult bit was entering the correct password. (At first, I didn’t realise that flickr was asking for my blog username &  password, not my flickr username & password).
4. Select the photo to post from flickr to the blog (double click on photo).
5. Click on “blog this”, above photo.
6. Fill in template for blog post.
7. Send post containing image from flickr to blog.
8. Edit post within blog.

I think this was everything – hopefully I haven’t left any steps out.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Week 2, Thing#3 Create an avatar and export it to your blog

This took a while to figure out, but eventually worked. I’ve put my avatar on my profile(small version) and also on the About page(full size image).

When adding my avatar to the About page, I had no success copying the HTML code,( as given in the weekly tips). Copying the URL into the insert/edit image tool worked though. Copying the Avatar code did not work for adding my avatar to my profile, as it was set up differently. I had to save the avatar image as a jpg file onto my computer, then upload it as an image. The end result is disappointingly blurry, as the image comes out clear when uploaded to pages and posts, but I can see no other way to add my avatar to my profile…

Choosing an avatar was fun!

Week 2, Thing#2 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

Oops! I’ve done Thing #3 before Thing#2 (and I can’t find Thing#1 at all!) Never mind, I get bored very quickly with straight lines and direct, logical paths. Also, I have no sense of direction…

Enough rambling! The habit I find easiest depends on what mood I’m in. When I’m being serious and responsible, I would say I find it easy to accept responsibility for my own learning. At other times though, I find it a lot easier to play!

The habits I find hardest are using technology to my advantage and viewing problems as challenges. If it is a technological problem, my usual solution is to curse the technology and then avoid using it if possible (which means that I am often ignoring potentially beneficial technology because I have given in to frustration). As part of my job as a librarian is to assist students and staff to use the available technology to their advantage, I need to become comfortable using new technologies myself.

Week 2,Thing #3 First Post

Hello!

Well, I’ve made it to blogland after a few frustrating detours. WordPress sign up timed out after I had entered half my details and then wouldn’t accept my TAFE email address on my next attempt. I assume this is because it is already linked to another blog set up by the Library Blog team last year. This blog was set up by another team member, but does have my name & email in it as an administrator, so I guess this means you can’t have more than one blog on WordPress that is linked to the same email address. I will have to investigate this further…. Lucky I have a few email accounts!

I’m looking forward to learning about the 23 things. Hopefully they will be useful (and fun!!!).