Whiteboard2.0 - Instant Messaging Facility

You may have read in a previous post that

• "Whiteboard 2.0 contains a space for IM or Instant Messaging. It works this way. You write with a marker pen (hopefully Zylene free) your message. Along comes the recipient who responds in kind. If you want a permanent message you use a permanent marker. Warning: You may be routed to another operator at any time, in which case you may ask the wrong person out for lunch."

An example will illustrate IM using Whiteboard2.0.

[1:59:20 PM] *** The Slug Avatar is Online
[1:59:20 PM] *** AG the happy calm place Avatar is Online
[2:01:02 PM] <Slug> Hi
[2:02:03 PM] <AG> Hello
[2:03:07 PM] <Slug> Are you busy?
[2:04:07 PM] <AG> No
[2:05:21 PM] <Slug> Can we talk?
[2:06:03 PM] <AG> Sure
[2:07:07 PM] <Slug> Where are you?
[2:08:12 PM] <AG> I'm standing next to you at Whiteboard2.0
[2:09:07 PM] <Slug> You're not!!!!
[2:010:23 PM] <AG> I am right here in the office next to you at the WHITEBOARD!!!!!
[2:011:12 PM] <Slug> You don't have to shout I'm not deaf!
[2:012:07 PM] <AG> Can't you see me?
[2:013:07 PM] <Slug> No I'm concentrating on this instant message
[2:014:03 PM] <AG> Good grief
[2:015:07 PM] <Slug> No need to get snippy!!!
[2:016:03 PM] <AG> I'm going back to my desk now!
[2:17:12 PM] <Slug> Oh... I'll put this pen down then...
[2:18:12 PM] <Slug> You forgot to log off.... you have to write log off OR I am logging off now other wise people will think you are still on line on Whiteboard2.0
[2:27:12 PM] <Slug> Don't worry I will do it for you.....
[2:37:12 PM] <Slug> I shouldn't have to hang around here all day with a whiteboard eraser in my hand logging people off....

Whiteboard2.0

The very innovative Whiteboard2.0 continues to have an impact on the staff of the BITL Librarian's office and others. AG has recently uploaded an Avatar reflecting her emotional mood state, from the Avatar barn. The slug avatar waits patiently for someone to add their Avatar to the Join With Friends Gazebo. Dancing not allowed.

Remember Whiteboard2.0 is a wonderful, inviting learning space, and we want you to feel especially welcome here, so our aim is to introduce you to the layout of Whiteboard2.0, and the facilities, applications, widgets and gadgets and widgetgadgets and many supportive supports that are available to you via Whiteboard2.0.

Of course, it is widgets and gadgets that make a place special and Whiteboard2.0 is no exception – Whiteboard2.0 gadgetwidgets are extremely friendly and approachable and user friendly ready to help you do things that you didn't think you wanted to, or needed to do, and had a hard time realizing you ever will want or need to do. But you can do them now, with Whiteboard2.0

The Simpsons Go to the Law Library

Yes I know I am cheating a bit with this post - but the hard Copy of Carpe Diem (Official Journal of the Murdoch Student Law Society) got delivered this morning and after all it is a digital world. Now who owns the copyright? Me as author or they as publisher. We can let the courts decide.

From the makers of Sex, Librarians and Video Tape, If I said you had a beautiful barcode would you hold it against my scanner, Da Library Code, A Few Inconvenient Truths About the Law Library, and Cultural Learning’s of Students for Make Benefit Glorious Law Library of Murdoch University

We present

The Simpsons Go to the Law Library

The Murdoch University Law Library welcomes all of you. Discovers are welcome. Every, Marg, Homer, Lisa, Maggie and Bart. We don’t actually welcome Bart not since he got his skateboard stuck in my Compactus. Be like Bart and write a hundred times “I must not write on the case law”

You will notice the rest of the Library’s recent renovation. The resulting effect is to make the Law Library look very dowdy and drab. A bit like Moe’s Bar minus the Love Tester. But funky furniture and bright colours do not a Library make. We have a great collection in both print and electronic and you will learn to access it quicker than you can say “Cop eating Donut.” All of it on South Wing Level 3.

Don’t be a Flanders. Prayer will not help you when you are late with your legal research. You really will be in a Dilly of a Pickle if you procrastinate. So get into the Library be-fo yo duz be-cum a fool.

Now you like a drink as much as the next alcoholic, but water is the preferred hydrating agent. Vodka, Scotch, Gin and Turpentine are prohibited in the Library. With Turpentine don’t breath on your assignments – it removes the print[1].

Pigs are not allowed in the Library. Not for the obvious reasons[2]. The primary reason is that the pigs eat the legislation. They love the Queensland Statutes but hate the Tasmanian Acts. If they are desperate they will eat NSW reprints. A fully grow pig can eat its weight in Legislation in a week[3].

Hey we have HeinOnline – no it is not Barny Gumbles favourite beer. If you were to eat potato chips continuously while just reading the titles of all of the article in HeinOnline you would be as fat as Homer[4].

The Law Library is not cut off from the rest of the world by a giant glass dome[5]. You can receive phone calls in the foyer areas but please use a quiet voice and try not to laugh like Crusty the Clown.

We have lots of law journals. You could read about Dr Nick in the Journal of Medical Malpractice. Where Dr Nick amputated the wrong kidney of a little orphan boy, who was only in for grommets and glue ear. Or read articles about Grounds Keeper Willie in the Journal of Why Scottish People are more Antisocial than Everyone.

Computers are our friends. They are here to help us. They never go wrong and always find exactly what you want. Best of all if you press the wrong button you will not cause a meltdown at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Login is not required so even if you do cause a melt down we won’t know it is you.

Senior Law Student Helpers are available during extra busy parts of semester. They are there to show you the way. Don’t’ be afraid to ask them what you might think is a stupid question. You will find yourself saying Doh! a lot during your Law Degree. This is a good way to get used to it.

Anne Greenshields plays Marg but without the blue hair. She’s solid and reliable like the Simpsons matriarch, pulling a somewhat dysfunctional family together. She is firm when students need prompting with their Law Quizzes and fair when marks are to be allocated. Crystal plays Lisa Simpson but does a poor job on the saxophone. Bart Simpson is played by Ian who wished he had Bart’s hair but not his fingers.

The Law Library is Not a Squishy Mart. Although the Learning Common is starting to look and smell a lot like it.

Speaking of the law, it is an offence to do Monty Python, Borat or Jessica Simpson impressions in the Law Library. You are free to sing If I could turn back time if you are dressed like Cher and sitting on a big big canon[6].

Remember Go the extra mile or 1.6 kilometres. But please don’t smoke[7].

---

[1] The Library has a team of Librarian Sniffer Dogs to hunt out users if you think you can get away with vodka.

[2] These include droppings, muddy trotter prints and students getting gored.

[3]The Pigs do not eat Federal Acts. Even pigs have some standards.

[4] But not as stupid

[5] Sometimes we wish it was.

[6] You will be surprised that you will actually want to do this after you fail your Torts exam

[7] Please don’t smoke. It’s a fire hazard. It will kill you in about 40 years. What’s more the LD really really doesn’t like it.

Goal for Today

My goal for today is to blog 12 times. Ambitious, perhaps fool hardy some would say crazy. But back in Psychology 101 we were told about massed practice versus distributed practice. See footnote.

Anyway here is what I will try to talk about in no particular order

1. Whiteboard2.0
   
2. Virtual reference and why some of it still sucks
3. Whiteboard2.0
4. Twitter
5. Whiteboard2.0
6. Blogging
7. Whiteboard2.0
8. The Librarians (TV series - not the noun)
9. Whiteboard2.0

That is it for now

massed practice n. Learning that takes place in a single block rather than being divided into sessions separated by rest intervals or gaps, generally leading to inferior recall, after a delay, relative to distributed practice . See also reminiscence (2) .

"massed practice n." A Dictionary of Psychology. Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press, 2006. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Murdoch University. 9 November 2007

Whiteboard 2.0

Staff in the BITL Librarians Office have recently embraced the 2.0 concept. Not content with their normal old Whiteboard 1.0 they have recently downloaded, uploaded, upgraded and rolled out Whiteboard 2.0.

Instead of boring old names for staff we now have Avatars. Currently there is (in no particular order) An Angry Lettuce, A Gemological Super Hero Icon, A Slug, A Wise Not So Old Owl, A Happy Fluffy Bunny Rabbit, and a TV. Icons represent what staff are doing at all times. An image of a mouse indicates we are on the computer attending to email and other useless tasks, possibly ordering books.

Whiteboard 2.0 contains a space for IM or Instant Messaging. It works this way. You write with a marker pen (hopefully Zylene free) your message. Along comes the recipient who responds in kind. If you want a permanent message you use a permanent marker. Warning: You may be routed to another operator at any time, in which case you may ask the wrong person out for lunch.

Recently AG2.0 suggested we upload the Emotional Avatar Response Widget Indicator Gadget or EARWIG. This allows participants to use emotion specific Avatars that reflect their current mood state. This negates the very 1.0 methods of asking people how they are and listening and looking for emotional facial voice cues. Its all there on the Whiteboard 2.0. I like it! With Whiteboard 2.0 I feel connect 24/7 or at least for about 8 hours a day. When I'm not sleeping.

Wait there's more. Whiteboard 2.0 is always on. Look up from your keyboard and you can see it. Well if you're in the office. If you're somewhere else it's a bit useless really. It is social networking. Whiteboard 2.0 is people.

In Whiteboard2.0 you can nominate who you want to be your friends. So far no one has chosen me but this must be a technical glitch. Simply write on Whiteboard 2.0 "I like you - will you be my friend? Nice!"

Whiteboard 2.0 is carbon neutral, does not increase salinity or increase greenhouse gas emissions. Disconnect from the grid. Whiteboard2.0 uses no electricity.

Uppdownload the new and improved BluTac WidgetApp and you can upload photos to WhiteBoard2.0. Simply stick on the BluTac and upload the nondigital photo (paper) to Whiteboard2.0.

Examine the Tag Clown available with Whiteboard 2.0. See how the words Gosh, Golly and Gee are bigger brighter and more authorative than pheromone, dastardly and poonap.

Wait there is even more. Create Funksomonies with Whitebored2.0. Write on Whiteboard2.0 a tag such as Goodgrief, OhMGod or Chunky clunky. Authority files are excluded. Remember we all hate cataloguers (but only because they have secrets we do not share)

Come see Whiteboard 2.0 its really real and playing in SW Level 3 today. Really.

TheFlyBrarIan 2.0

Flybrarian Button

Ever wanted to push
TheFlybrarian's
button?
Now you can!












This one done with HTML (I think)
Whilst this was fun it would be a great way of generating interesting content for the Giant Screens in the Library. Apart from maybe the advertising bit. If the software can handle it.

TagCrowds2

And here's what I got when I TagCrowded my post about using Podcasting to facilitate Library Evacuations

TagCrowds

I recently discovered this application thingo and thought it might have use generating alternative search terms. This is what I got when the complete Library Podscript was loaded into TagCrowd
Nice hey?
TheFlybrarian

Emergency Evacuation Proceedure - Use of 2.0 Technologies

Now in the event of a fire or other emergency (such as toxic curry spill on NW2, exploding can of Coke on SW2, student burns self with hot latte in Reference Collection) we need to evacuate the library quickly. Why not employ Library 2.0 for this purpose? Instead of a boring old Library 1.0 Public Address System Announcement we can turn the evacuation procedure into a downloadable Podcaste!

Here's how it might read.

Welcome to Murdoch University Library. My name is Ember and my name is Amber, and we are looking forward to taking you on your emergency evacuation from our Library (and Learning Common).

The Library is a wonderful, inviting and combustible, learning space, and we want you to feel especially warmly welcome here. Not so warmly that you would be uncomfortable or overwarmed or even hot. So it is our aim to introduce you to how to get out of the library, in as safe and as comfortable a way as possible, without breaking a sweat.

In the event of evacuation please download this Podcast to your Ipod or portable MP3 Player. If you do not have access to one of these devices you can borrow one from the Enquiries and Loans Desk if you still need guidance making your way out the last few feet to the main Exit.

Of course, it is people who make a place special and the Library is no exception – Murdoch University Library staff are extremely friendly and extremely fast runners, so try to keep up.

This evacuation tour will take approximately 1-2 minute and begins wherever you happen to be in the Library (OR Learning Common).

Music will play during the evacuation to help you with your exit. Particular tracks will include Burning Down the House by Talking Heads and/OR Disco Inferno (Burn Baby Burn) by the The Trammps . You will hear sirens wailing on your safe exit from the Library.

If you are in South Wing Level 4 G, the Government Publications Collection perhaps pick up a copy of Fire safety at work : a guide to fire prevention and control to read while you wait for the Library to reopen.

If you are in South Wing Level 2 you have a long way to go, so you had better get started. If you would prefer a novel to read while you wait why not grab hold of Journey to the flame by Richard Monaco. But please remember time is of the essence and all books are combustible. Except eBooks which are only flammable if they are printed out.

Remember this is not the real Podcast for the Library. If you wanted to read or listen to that you wouldn't come here.

Fly 1 - Student 0

Recent events in the Reference Collection attest to conflict between the Common House Fly and an unnamed student.


Now, I will be the first to admit that Flys can be annoying. But a Karate Kick is not the most effective way to dispose of them. Especially when there is a window in the way.


The Flybrarian is most disturbed by these events. Perhaps not so much that a window was broken. But that such force was unleased against a fellow wingedone.


Here are some formats that may have helped avoid such heinous events.


Conflict resolution


The handbook of conflict resolution : theory and practice


Negotiation as a social process


Negotiation in social conflict


The Fly

What's In a Name?

Why TheFlybrarian?

Well it's a short story from long ago. Each year the Murdoch University Library Social Club hosts a MidWinter Lunch. The year of 2002/3 someone told me there was a prize for fancy dress . Curiously not many others had been told this. On that day the Flybrarian was born. Here he is. If you need speak to him I can contact with him by shining a light into the clouds with a Fly icon on it.

The Poster was done by Ross Harper. Thanks Ross.