Seriously...

It's been GRRRREEEAAATT!!!! I always figured there was ton of stuff on the internet that I would never be aware of, let alone use and understand. But after going through this Learning 2.0 Program I've gained confidence in my internet savvy, at least compared to my level when we first started.

Now I check my feeds, catch up with friends and acquaintances on Myspace, can find those buzzed about clips and videos on YouTube, and I make my very own blog! There's podcasts I watch, online software to create files in, wikis to read and edit, mashups to play with and much much more.

Intimidated at first, now I'm comfortable getting online to do more than just check my email and look up directions. When I hear other people talking about certain sites I can distinguish social networking ones from those that aren't. Now I'm more familiar and not so lost in the dark. And posting, uploading, and copying html has been so much easier than I thought it would be.

Staying up to date on the internet never was much of a concern or goal to me because I could always manage without it, but by participating in it more I'm convinced to drop dial up (yes I know I'm prehistoric) and I should get my own laptop to take advantage of the free wifi. Too bad we weren't promised laptops, I know more people would have sat down and taken the time to complete the exercises, alas, it probably would be a little too expensive... but definitely worth it.

Specifically, learning about rss feeds and online software will probably be my two favorite discoveries. Checking my feeds has become almost a daily ritual, I just have to be careful not to sign up for too many because it can become overwhelming. Also, not that I use online software much, but knowing it's there will be very handy when I need it. And if I ever do have questions or am lacking a how to knowledge to new sites, there's usually an explanation and instructions a few clicks away, or if it's a social networking site there's always random people who could offer advice so that's a plus.

I'd absolutely join in for another round of internet learning courses if they were offered again. I know there's a lot I've learned and it's only just the tip of that internet iceberg so bring on some more. Since there are soooo many new sites coming up I could do my own trial and error testing of what works well for me and what doesn't, but it's good to just get some names and sites listed just as a starting point. So either I'll check the webware or 2.0 awards or just wait and see what my new online buddies have found.

Overall, the time it took sucked, I spent a lot of my own off hours doing these discovery exercises but it the results have been well worth all the effort. With my awareness and understanding of what the internet has to offer, I add to my customer service skills since I can talk the talk with patrons who need help or just want to chat about certain sites. And I don't approach the internet with as much resesrvation anymore, a bonus.

I wouldn't have done this on my own so making them a work related program really pushed me to start and complete everything and I am grateful for that. Thank you David and Laurel and everybody you'd thank too!! And thanks to the people who've helped me out with navigating some of the pages, if I had an album you'd be in the thank you credits in the back.