Looking back

I've just been looking through my oldest posts, when I began this blog in 2010 as part of a library training course in the "new" technology. It's fascinating how terrified I was! Stuff that now seems so second-nature seemed impossible then, lots of Oh my God, what if...s. But its not just me getting more savvy; I think the Internet in general has become more user-friendly, those who run and design sites have learnt a lot in two years about maximising interactivity, the whole psychology of how people use web sites and read screens. Its been a two-way street. The user and the used have learned from each other. We make the Web and the web makes us.
      Some of the lessons I learned in 2010 are still very pertinent. Lesson 1 - learn to read the whole screen. One of the more insane of my customers the other day rang with a 10 minute rant about how bad our website was, because she couldn't find out whether the Botanic Gardens paddling pool was closed.
She'd "worked in public relations for fifteen years and never seen such a useless website" etc etc. She went on and on, and I just listened, saying nothing, until finally she tapered off in a sort of whimper, realising (hopefully) how very, very tiresome she was being. It gave me great satisfaction to point out that the information she so desired was in a sidebar! Har, har, har. Read the whole screen, dearie, and have a nice day.

The light dawns (partially)

I find it really valuable to have a tutor available for these sessions. It's so easy for me to get lost in cyberia. Today Alice talked me through the podcast bit of the RSS/podcasts module which I was having trouble with. The thing is to read through the screen - usually what you need is there on some tab or clicky-point. Added a podcast for Harry Potter fans (not that I am one, just used it as an example) and guess what? advertisements on the podcast. I guess it was inevitable that this would happen, it's like the aural version of those irritating flashing adverts telling you that yes! you have won a prize! So - lesson 1 - take time to read the screen.
I feel I am learning things, but worry that The Knowledge will not stay with me.
Interesting group discussion about social networking, that anyone can say what they like about you on their own website. This is a little worrying, thinking about people who hate me that could add untruths and half-truths to the story of my life. It's like the social control function of village gossip, but now the village is the whole world.