Thing #18 Open Sesame Open Sources

Some more tools for that ever-expanding toolbox.

Been using Google Docs, particularly the spreadsheet, for the last few months. For several reasons...

1. it's a Thing!

2. Spreadsheets, any spreadsheets are my nemesis, my Achilles' heel or any other negative term you can come up with. I just have so much trouble with them. I FORCE myself to use them to try and "get-over-it." I think I can finally say I can use them with text fairly well. Formulas..nope! Calculator for me!

3. Collaboration/sharing. Needed to share some information that could be manipulated or changed.

Like the fact that I have a place to park things on something other than my computer. Yes, thru the district I have some storage places, but it's limited for a variety reasons and by putting things in Google Docs, I can get to it when I need to, no matter where I am. And frankly, district storage makes me nervous...there are so many variables.

Downloaded and set-up Open Office. Took awhile. Felt like I was back in my days of dial-up waiting for my genealogy documents to open! Anyway, I know I will use it (despite the fact I have a perfectly good set of MS Office tools on both my home and office computers.) I know the district has been tossing the idea around of going with an open source resource so I want to be up on the idea if and when it comes.

It will not be easy for me. I am SUCH a creature of habit. I will use older versions of things just because I know how and don't need to change to do what I need to do. But I have come to the realization over the last few years that change or adaptation is necessary...need to keep moving to keep up. So I will tackle the various parts of Open Office "soon." I will find a project and force myself to get through it and come out on the other side. If you don't understand what I mean, go back and read my first posting about my first wiki development. Arrrggghh!!!

The Draw portion has appeal for me. I used Appleworks/ClarisWorks Draw for almost everything I did for several years "way long time ago." Never got over not having it when I made the move to MS products..UNTIL I let PowerPoint become my work surface. I use PPT for probably 90% of any product...be it graphic/photo manipulation to training materials. Hummm, maybe that's 95%. So it will be interesting to see how Open Office Draw factors into my methods...but the buttons looked so intimidating...SOOOOO many of them!

It will be good to have knowledge of something that more people could access and not have the software themselves. Again with the sharing and collaboration issues mentioned above. And I will try very hard to accept and use the presentation system, but o, my PPT...it's like that one old worn out pair of comfy shoes that are STILL in my closet...

But I will try, I really will try! I promise!

More later,
Froggy Wart

Thing #7 Google Tools: It's a Big Pile!

I honestly don't remember when I did not google (the verb.) I do remember switching from Yahoo searches to Google searches ... not because of the difference in results necessarily, but because the Google search page was so clean...and you never knew when a surprise logo would pop up!

One reason I have enjoyed my little corner of the online world is because of the sense of humor so many of the creators have had along the way. I loved the idea of a "trash can" for throwing things away...the name Yahoo always made me smile, the guys who created it always looked like they were enjoying the ride, and early commercials amused me with the long drawn out yaahoooo! Then another group comes along, thinks up a great name like Google, creates a simple clean search page and then just when you aren't expecting, adds a bit whimsy with the various logos celebrating things of choice!

Who wouldn't enjoy the often mundane chore of research when you can do it in a fun way? Ok, I enjoy research. What can I say! When I worked in high school, I always made sure the students used the materials we provided for them FIRST...number 1...because we had them there for just for that reason...and number 2...everyone was relatively new to this online stuff...and not all of us knew how to separate the wheat from the chaff. But high school students often stretch beyond the typical boundaries of research topics and we had to make forays into the uncharted territory of this vast world of online information. It was a blast!

At that time I was also on my own personal genealogy research trip and really learned what was available online. I was a confirmed googler!

So Google itself is something and then to add all the extras that have come is special icing on a pretty tasty cake! I have been a Google Maps fan since day 1...so incredible....only improved by Google Earth. I have really enjoyed getting the bird's-eye view of many places I know...and ones I don't! And Google Images...a place for graphics and images...ONLY problem there is you don't have the "rights" necessarily to use everything that comes up so copyright and fair use come into play as well.

A few months ago, I did set up an I-Google page, but truthfully, have not used it too much...I am such as a creature of habit and have a had a pretty robust Yahoo personal page for years tied to my home service. So even tho' I had great fun choosing the banner themes...the planets and beach views are quite impressive but the seasonal scape that changes as the day progresses is my theme of choice...it is such fun! Just yesterday, I discovered that you can have a different theme for each of your tabs (pages) so I played around selecting some others to enjoy. I like some of the widgets like the little notepad where you can write reminders to yourself. But I am just not sure I will really "use" my I-Google page...only time will tell.

Now one of the things I did add because of this activity is the Google Toolbar...I have a links bar on each of my primary computers that fits my needs and when IE7 came about I was quite distressed until I found how to recreate my links bar. I have a Yahoo toolbar at home that keeps coming up because of my Yahoo page/email relationship, but I don't really use it too much and can uncheck it.

But the Google Toolbar...now there are some possibilities for sure...I have a Blogger button, a Google Earth button (so will take the shortcut off my desktop, etc.), set up bookmarks with important "stuff"...because it is not computer specific... I first looked at it on the computer at work and came home, fired up my laptop and low & behold, surprise it was there! So I can have everything I need wherever I work! I think this one will be a keeper!

And I have set up a couple of Google Alerts to see how that works. I chose to see what I would get if I did one for "23 Things"...pretty impressive how many of these activity adventures are popping up all over!

The biggest surprise for me was/is the Google Notebook...it has been on the fringes of my reading for sometime, but I never took time to delve into it to see what it was exactly. I think I have discovered a solution to one of the biggest problems I have with the Internet, and particularly blog information. I birdwalk so much while reading, going deeper and farther away from my original target and then I can never remember where I saw this or that. I think the notebook may be the place for me to note these gems so I can find them again. I really haven't done much with it yet so I might share more later. So far, tho' it is a definite keeper!

Whew...this Google tour has just kept me hopping!

Later,

Froggy Wart

P.S. I wanted the Google Earth picture down by that part...nope, not today...could NOT get the picture to move (and I move them all the time)...haven't had that problem in awhile and do not know why! so enjoy it anyway!