27 Things : Google Labs

Google really seems to be attempting to expand their services. I really like all the potentially useful programs, and love again that they are free. I hope that google will not let success get to thier heads like so many other corporations that faced similar circumstances (TV, Cable, etc). I sincerely hope the nature of the web may just force things to remain public domain for a long time to come.

27 THINGS : ONLINE SOFTWARE

I really like the idea of online word processing and publication utilites. Not only is it more web freindly and colaboration friendly, but the microsoft word utilities are extremely expensive and most people are unable to afford them. Even with a student discount (which gives one a stripped down version of the software anyway), it is a costly purchase, and this often leads folks to pirating software. I really feel that public domain software like this is the best side of web 2.0.

27Things : Library 2.0

The most interesting aspect I find about Library 2.0 is the idea of going where people are. Creating a virtual library reference for people within online communities. I think I mentioned before but I really like the idea of virtual libraries in online games like Second Life. However I do think that the written word still has its place. Most everyone I know (26 and under) would rather read a book in hand than read text on a screen. Reading text on screen is so impersonal, and stressful for the eyes. It might be one thing to read a book on a device that could fit in your hand, but I don't know If I could ever read a book in *.PDF. I could see a future for animated books that would fit on a personal handheld device.

27 Things Custom Search Engines

Out of the two custom search engines, Rollyo, and Google Custom search engine, I found google to be the superior of the two. It was more user friendly and did not have the annoying advertising results tacked on in the front. Whats the point of a custom serch if you get ad results up at the top? Anyway, I made my own google custom search which looks through some of my favorite sites:


http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000865933078350005589%3Aqfblz13tqpa&hl=en

27 Things : Playing Around With Image Makers

I used the Portriat Illustrator Maker http://illustmaker.abi-station.com/index_en.shtml to make this cute little portrait. Its a fairly accurate depiction of myself. :)

Some Pop Culture Ramblings

All artists are or should be students of pop culture. The reason being is that art does not happen in vaccum, and our creations mirror the experiences and teachings that we have absorbed and our reaction to those teaching and experiences. The reason why pop culture is so important is because it is the now of the now, and represents, sometimes at a stretch, the most current influences that exist over the broadest part of a culture. It is the fuel of any artist or at least the product of one artist's contemporaries that are viewed by the widest possible audience.

You may hear folks say that art does not need to mean anything, that it can just exist. I say that's utter bunk; artists do not spend huge amounts of time on things that lack meaning (at least to the artist). Some artists claim that they create work for no-one but themsevles, but as soon as they show their work, it has an audience. Artists need to take responsibility to understand their audiences and should carefully meditate upon this as they mold thier works. That being said, most artists are able to do that unconciously as they create. After all, art is also a process that taps heavily into one's subconciuos, so when an artist is not actively trying to create a specific message, then that actually increases the chances that messages and meanings buried in the artist's psyche by thier specific culture will show up in the work they create.

27 Things: Wiki's

I was not aware of how easy it is to set up your own wiki, and I think its interesting that folks are using wikis for things as simple as grocery lists. I think that Libraries could easily benefit from making thier own wiki with information about library programs or use them to form book lists of read alikes. With a little effort one could make a good read alike list with interconnecting webs to similar genres or authors for each book (obviously one would have to start with popular books and work down to the less known ones). I really like the user freindlyness of wikis, and I read wikipedia every day myself.