Move from protopage to pageflakes? or Netvibes?

I've been using protopage as a startpage (though you won't see all the sticky notes I use most often which are on a private page 1) and I love the way the sticky notes can be any size at all plus can overlap and can be minimised to expand when a mouse pointer hovers over it.



However one major limitation which I'll go into in a sec puts finding an alternative on my todo list. It is one of the less important tasks but I'm working on the search now thanks to Bloglines, Dave's [old] blog, Brett Kelly, and my boys being away. If I hadn't started a Bloglines account I wouldn't have been scrolling through back posts of Dave's old blog, and wouldn't have read his comments on Netvibes, so I wouldn't have been reminded of my dissatisfaction with protopage.

Which is... although it is wonderful that one can create different pages for different topical areas or different tools, those different pages are numbered. I had to create an index sticky - and copy it to each page, and if I change the pages around - change index sticky. Of course I could just remember which page is which - but another wonderful thing about protopage is that one can make one or all of the pages public. I've looked at others' protopages, seen others have gone to the bother of creating index stickies too and wonder at our tenacity.

This objection is heightened since I picked up google notebook - when notebook is open it covers the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 page links in the bottom right hand corner.

Netvibes looked like it offered a lot, but on first glance not much that protopage doesn't, and a lot of things I just don't use even at protopage - in particular I noticed all the modules are in columns so they don't appear to have the flexibility in page layout offered by protopage (I still love being able to move the sticky notes around and resize them at will). Being a novice user of protopage anyway (I don't even have pictures up yet), I thought I'd look for expert comparisons.

While I didn't find any - I did discover Brett Kelly's review of Netvibes and Pageflakes.

I was impressed that he believed Pageflakes to be a superior product, "hands-down", even though he'd be staying with netvibes until Pageflakes offer a manual refresh and get the Ma.gnolia module working right. Now I don't intend to use a startpage for feeds or reading email so refreshing doesn't bother me and I don't even know yet what Ma.gnolia *is* (... ah looks like a social bookmarking tool like del.icio.us?), so could Pageflakes be worth a look?

Another quick search revealed a possibly not impartial perspective: Web-Based Desktop Startpage Pageflakes - rev2.org which I might have dismissed but for:

"Pages
The thing that differentiates Pageflakes with some other startpages is that instead of having just one 'desktop' or page, you can create as many as you like. For example, I can create a page called 'News' and have kinds of news 'flakes' like BBC, Reuters, AP, and so on. Upon that, I can have another page called 'RSS' with just my RSS feeds on it. Then I can have 'Tools' with calculators and dictionaries and converters, and so on".

Named pages with the names as top-tabs - that's what I'd like, although I'll miss the huge flexibility of positioning, sizing and overlapping with stickies.

So, now to give it a go?...

UPDATE: 29 November 2006: I didn't have to... I went to comment to protopage about my need and discovered that a v.3 was in the works so I've been waiting and .... hooray!

Star Wars Saga Weekend

I believe my local public library may have had a Star Wars saga event, but they didn't promote it this well.

Low-tech library patron service ... or ... finally defining Library 2.0 for myself

I'm still studying Michelle Boule's links in 'What a long strange trip'.

-> The third thing she learned from the ALA TechSource Blog in the last year (... "that the unused technology potential in school libraries was huge") sent me to Michael Stephens' interview of Christopher Harris,
-> from which I chose to find out just what Christopher (at Infomancy) had to say about School Library 2.0.
-> While there I thought I'll take a quick look at Meredith Farkas' Label 2.0 post,
-> from which I took Meredith's advice to check out Laura’s very simple, but very brilliant, idea for reaching teens at her library.

• Laura wanted to interact with YA patrons and obstacles were:
• no dedicated YA space - 'just some bookshelves and a bulletin board'
• she works out of sign from YA shelves
  
• library doesn't allow IM
• many patrons don't have home internet access anyway
• So, Laura placed a suggestion envelop on an empty slot near the YA magazines
• "it's where the patrons are"
• and received suggestions
• it's as anonymous or open as patrons wish
• to which she posted responses.
• "it's interactive"
• it connects with YA patrons and hopefully helps them feel "connection with the library and with 'their' librarian."
  

And that's when I wanted to make notes I would share (thinking of fellow students)...

As definition of 'Library 2.0' as a label appears to be subjective, I've avoided exploring its origins or discussions surrounding definition or defining it out-loud for myself.

Yet, for my own purposes (limited, as a library student) I guess I have chosen my own definition ... when I del.icio.us tag "Library2.0" I'm specifically referencing discussions/examples about library use of Web2.0 social networking software for better practice. It seems to me that principles of quality, or best practice for libraries (having been around since the dawn of libraries) span too many issues for such a nifty label to remain relevant. Now that I've shown that to myself, I know why I was nodding in agreement sometime in the last 36 hours when I skimmed

Maness, J. (2006). "Library 2.0 Theory: Web 2.0 and Its Implications for Libraries". Webology, 3 (2), Article 25. Available at: http://www.webology.ir/2006/v3n2/a25.html

So, Laura's strategy to solicit suggestions from YA patrons, act on those suggestions and communicate that action provides quality library service to her YA patrons. It is sound practice: an affordable, effective strategy. To my mind it isn't a Library 2.0 strategy, but quality library practice doesn't have to be Library 2.0.

My school (TAFE) library recently displayed at the inner door of the library responses to suggestions received (ie what was being done to fix problems). This was quality library patron service (ie not just acting, but communicating about the action). The complaints and responses also appeared on the Library's Feedback page ... Library 1.5?

In all my adoration of Library 2.0, I am conscious that one of the major values (to me) of libraries, particularly public libraries, is equitable access to human knowledge for all who might wish to educate themselves. That is, for me, Library = access to knowledge for all.

I believe that provision of adequate public access computers (PACs) is as vital to the goal of equitable access to knowledge as is a sound budget for ongoing collection development. (and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one).

However, even if PAC quality and quantity were adequate, quality library practice will not occur solely with Library 2.0 (ie web-based) strategies, because not all patrons choose to live 2.0.

Lego on YouTube... These boots are made for walking

Okay, remember how I love the journey as much or more than the destination? Let me try to track back how I found this...

Helene Blowers Library 2.0 bootcamp blog

'cause hers was first on the Library2.0 bootcamp participant blog list and she's commented on my blog.

From Michelle Boule's ALA TechSource Blog post 'What a long strange trip'

Which I'm now reading at Bloglines ... an experiment, as I was very happy with my Feedblitz emails.

Flickr Photographer

anticipation

anticipation
Originally uploaded by YvetteDownunder.

Wow, I found a photo of my sister, while perusing one of my idol's photos.

23Things #5.a.1 Tulip

Tulip
Originally uploaded by swarme.

Good heavens there is a lot to flickr.
I'm looking forward to trying out fd's Flickr Toys, and I'd like to have a go at the other optional activities in 23Things #5.

However, for the sake of going to bed before I have to be up, I don't have a lot to say about swarme's tulip. Clearly I'm contemplating that my own first photo was also a tulip from above, but I like swarme's black background - how does one get so much blackness?