joanvinallcox’s posterous

joanvinallcox’s posterous

Joan Vinall-Cox  //  I'm fascinated by the possibilities offered by web 2.0! I lecture part-time, consult on writing and web 2.0, and read detective novels.

Aug 29 / 6:01am

Wikispaces Resources

Some morning I get up and when I check my email, I groan. I keep signing up for newsletters from sites that interest me. I can ignore my Bloglines and Google Reader with their collections of "stuff I should keep up with", but newsletters are more "in my face". So I sign up and groan when they show up in my inbox. Sometimes I am very cursory, and leave some unopened or even (gasp!) delete some on the basis of that initial phrase that gmail reveals in the inbox.

Almost did that this morning, but ...

Wikispaces is one of my two favorite wiki platforms and I have some sites I manage there, so I opened it.

And went to their blog -

And, knowing the generous compulsion teachers have to share goodies, I checked out the two links. They are AMAZING!

Web 2.0: Cool Tools for Schools - http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/ - is beautifully organized and lists hundreds of webapps - most, if not all, free - with brief descriptions. They have all the ones I know and respect, plus many others. It's a wonderful resource!

Then there's Getting Tricky with Wikis - http://gettingtrickywithwikis.wikispaces.com/

I'm always finding my reach exceeding my grasp on the web - I have enough imagination to know what I'd like to do, and not enough technical know-how to do it. That's why I got into wikis in the first place. Well, if you want to expand your wiki abilities - this is the place to find explicit, detailed, copy&paste-able instructions. Lots to play with!

So, despite my morning grumpiness, I'm glad I opened my Wikispaces newsletter this morning, and glad I signed up for it originally.


JNthWEB Consulting - http://jnthweb.ca/
Social Media & Learning
http://joanvinallcox.wordpress.com/my-e-portfolio/
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Aug 27 / 8:22pm

I love my iPhone Apps

I can't figure out if I have too many or too few!

  
(download)

           
Click here to download:
I_love_my_iPhone_Apps.zip (719 KB)

Joan Vinall-Cox, PhD,
Social Media Consultant
905-845-4620

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Filed under  //  iPhone_app  

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Aug 26 / 2:17pm

Late Summer Images

  
(download)

         
Click here to download:
Late_Summer_Images.zip (4802 KB)

Social Media Consultant
Jnthweb.ca

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Filed under  //  flowers   iPhone_camera  

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Aug 23 / 6:01pm

iPhone - Voice Memo

  
(download)

Joan Vinall-Cox, PhD,
Social Media Consultant

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Filed under  //  audio   iPhone_app  

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Aug 23 / 5:52pm

Audio Quality

http://audioboo.fm/boos/57728-checking-the-sound-quality-of-the-iPhone-audioboo
 
Joan Vinall-Cox, PhD,
Social Media Consultant

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Filed under  //  audio   iPhone_app  

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Aug 23 / 7:50am

Bees on Flowers

     
Click here to download:
bees-on-flowers-IngysjmwvczCgGgayipc.zip (1959 KB)

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Filed under  //  flowers  

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Aug 22 / 6:49am

Playing with Posterous - Embedding (I hope) Two Jing Screencasts

Here's some information about Jing - a handy, free screencasting tool -


View on screencast.com »

Last summer I made a screencast describing my PLE, my Personal Learning Environment -


View on screencast.com »

http://jnthweb.ca/
http://joanvinallcox.wordpress.com/my-e-portfolio/

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Filed under  //  screencasts  

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Aug 21 / 8:19am

Jim's Garden

         
Click here to download:
jim-s-garden-JvqpupfHvsxeFieAymen.zip (3565 KB)

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Filed under  //  flowers  

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Aug 19 / 7:15pm

Purple, pink with bee, pink, and purple

       
Click here to download:
Purple_pink_with_bee_pink_and_.zip (839 KB)

Joan Vinall-Cox, PhD,
Social Media Consultant
905-845-4620

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Filed under  //  flowers  

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Aug 19 / 3:17pm

My therapist - Twitter

When I started on Twitter, in January 2008, I added many 'friends' I was already following in other social media, and some of my fellow freelancers from the Halton-Peel Communicators Association. My social media friends I had discovered from blogging on Elgg (now Eduspaces), a network aimed at academics studying education and learning. I browsed blogs in Elgg and found people to follow. I loved the social quality and having 'friends' online. Anyone who followed me, I followed back, 'cause that was the custom and the polite thing to do. And I tried to read all their blogs (and felt inadequate when I got behind). Despite knowing how to scan and skip when reading other blogs, I felt these people were my friends and I had a social responsibility.

When I joined Twitter in January 2008, I initially followed the same practice. It was actually a relief because I allowed myself to follow fewer blogs, and just keep up in micro-blogging. In the morning, I would go to Twitter and search back to the last post I'd read before going to bed the night before, then I dutifully read up to the current posts, if I had time. Every time I had a break, I went to Twitter (less fattening than a blueberry muffin) and tried to catch up.



It was onerous, especially as I kept following back the people who followed me. I began to compromise. I only read posts that had links. I chose favorites among those I was following and set them up in their own group, so I could follow the condensed version. I noticed that some of the people I chose to follow, didn't follow me back. I commented in presentations on the asymmetrical structure of Twitter, as opposed to the reciprocal structure of Facebook. Yet every time I got the email announcing someone was following me, I clicked on the Twitter link but I began getting hesitant about following back.

I looked at their most recent tweets, and if they didn't really interest me, or looked like pushy sales stuff, I began not to follow back. Some just looked like they were exploring, and I didn't want to hurt their feelings, but I couldn't see the benefit from following them. So I didn't. The ones I regarded as sales broadcasters I began to enjoy not following. I felt assertive. I felt like I had boundaries. (Yes, I read a lot of those self-help books ;-> ) I felt strong refusing them.

One day I clicked on the link of someone new following me and looked at the posts, and then looked closely at the avatar. Both were obscene. I'd noticed that there was a link labelled "Block"; I used it. I didn't want to appear on "her" list of followers. (I'm not sure it was a female; these things can be faked.)

If this is obvious behavior to you, it wasn't natural for me, an older, Canadian female. But Twitter led me step-by-step into deciding who I want to follow and who I want to totally block. It was gradual, and great. Outside of Twitter, I have begun to openly say "no" when I want to. I'm polite if they are and the context allows it. When someone recently asked to do a guest post on my blog, I looked at her work and was impressed, but realized I didn't really know her, and I didn't want to share. So I emailed my unwillingness. I did the same thing when a company asked to place something on my blog. I was complimented, but I didn't want to include. it. Both people thanked me for my response. (I think many people just ignore them, but their approaches were polite, so I responded in kind.)



In this way, weird as it seems, Twitter has been like a therapist for me; I have learned I don't have to follow back and I can block rude and pushy followers. And I like that!


http://jnthweb.ca/
http://joanvinallcox.wordpress.com/my-e-portfolio/
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Filed under  //  Twitter  

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