Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Online Productivity Tools: Zoho Writer
Pretty nice to use. Fairly intuitive, although someone who is not already familiar with word processing software might have a difficult time because there is no "Help" offered. There is a FAQ section, but it doesn't go into details about all the features, and there is a "Forums" where people have asked for assistance.
As it is free, you can do some basic word processing, but there seem to be some bugs. Sometimes the cursor marker will disappear, so you have no idea where you are in the document. Also, the "Undo" button is a bit flaky--I used it on a template and it totally screwed it up. If I was to recommend this to someone, I would highly recommend constantly saving your work because you will most likely have to revert to a saved version.
All in all, an okay bit of software. You get what you pay for, so there are some problems with it. If you just need to type up a brief paper, it is just fine, but if you are writing something like a dissertation, save yourself from ulcers and go with a more stable product--even Open Office.
I couldn't believe all the great templates available--50 when I checked. Everything from resume cover letters to invoices and bill of sale for a car. Very nice, but again, they behave a bit flaky when you edit them.
As it is free, you can do some basic word processing, but there seem to be some bugs. Sometimes the cursor marker will disappear, so you have no idea where you are in the document. Also, the "Undo" button is a bit flaky--I used it on a template and it totally screwed it up. If I was to recommend this to someone, I would highly recommend constantly saving your work because you will most likely have to revert to a saved version.
All in all, an okay bit of software. You get what you pay for, so there are some problems with it. If you just need to type up a brief paper, it is just fine, but if you are writing something like a dissertation, save yourself from ulcers and go with a more stable product--even Open Office.
I couldn't believe all the great templates available--50 when I checked. Everything from resume cover letters to invoices and bill of sale for a car. Very nice, but again, they behave a bit flaky when you edit them.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Technology
Just a couple neat sites:
Turning the Page
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/ttpbooks.html
This a neato, peachy site from the British Library which has digitized some books, allowing you to "turn the page". Check it out because it is sooo cool! Not many titles are available, but it sure is fun. My fave is the atlas and Carroll's Alice--with the original drawings. If developed further, it would revolutionize how historians work. Imagine working with original texts, but without the worry of destroying them!
Map Builder
http://www.mapbuilder.net/
Another cool mashup site--create your own maps and include photos! Mashups are fabulous because you don't have to know the coding (or very little of it) to be creative. Why struggle to create your own code, when someone else has already done it? Kinda like the addons for Firefox...
Turning the Page
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/ttpbooks.html
This a neato, peachy site from the British Library which has digitized some books, allowing you to "turn the page". Check it out because it is sooo cool! Not many titles are available, but it sure is fun. My fave is the atlas and Carroll's Alice--with the original drawings. If developed further, it would revolutionize how historians work. Imagine working with original texts, but without the worry of destroying them!
Map Builder
http://www.mapbuilder.net/
Another cool mashup site--create your own maps and include photos! Mashups are fabulous because you don't have to know the coding (or very little of it) to be creative. Why struggle to create your own code, when someone else has already done it? Kinda like the addons for Firefox...
Rollyo
Actually, I've used this site before. I first heard about it at a Computers in Libraries conference in D.C. It's really handy for school assignments because you can load in the sites that answer the questions (WW II, Ancient Greece, Fairy Tales, etc.) and it will search them simultaneously. Now if the teachers would only give us a heads up on what the assignments are...
One tip--the more sites you load in, the loooonger it takes to generate results. I did one for law and legal forms which has four sites I use often.
http://rollyo.com/marksk/legal_forms_info/
One tip--the more sites you load in, the loooonger it takes to generate results. I did one for law and legal forms which has four sites I use often.
http://rollyo.com/marksk/legal_forms_info/
Avatar
Okay, there's my (lame) avatar! It's really easy and there are a lot of options. If you want to try it, go to http://www.meez.com/
Wikis
I posted my opinion on the sandbox, and basically said that wikis are a good place to start when you have absolutely no idea where to start when researching a subject. I never, ever use it as a source in and of itself. To see why, go to
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_Edgar_Allan_Poe_die
and after reading the "answer" you'll understand. Woe to the person who looks on a wiki for medical advice!
I read some of the library wikis, and I do like the idea of book reviews and opinions. However, if it's open to the public, a librarian needs to monitor the site to correct grammar and deal with inappropriate entries. Yes, one more task for the librarian. Since I've started this post, I've been interrupted four times. You get the picture.
I would really like to see a librarian access only community wiki. It would be nice for people to think of the library wiki as a place to start when they need info about local government, election information, post offices, history, etc. That is a valuable service!
If you want to search for a wiki on a subject, but don't want wikipedia, in google, just use the inurl:wiki command, and it will pull up some wikis--if the site has the sense to include "wiki" in it's url.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_Edgar_Allan_Poe_die
and after reading the "answer" you'll understand. Woe to the person who looks on a wiki for medical advice!
I read some of the library wikis, and I do like the idea of book reviews and opinions. However, if it's open to the public, a librarian needs to monitor the site to correct grammar and deal with inappropriate entries. Yes, one more task for the librarian. Since I've started this post, I've been interrupted four times. You get the picture.
I would really like to see a librarian access only community wiki. It would be nice for people to think of the library wiki as a place to start when they need info about local government, election information, post offices, history, etc. That is a valuable service!
If you want to search for a wiki on a subject, but don't want wikipedia, in google, just use the inurl:wiki command, and it will pull up some wikis--if the site has the sense to include "wiki" in it's url.
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