Thing 10 ~ Twitter

What is the value of Twitter?

Do you mean other than my friends thinking I am one step closer to creating a Facebook account?

I see the concept of Tweeter being valuable in my Language Arts and Social Studies classes. For example, perhaps students would not see summarization as so mundane and/or difficult if they had only 140 characters in which to do it.

The Best of the Web 2008

My 1st experience for this part of Thing 10 was an article called "Secret Vault of Words Rejected by the Oxford English Dictionary Uncovered." Here are some of the notables.

• Wurfing, polkadodge, and nonversation
• Optotoxical – a look that could kill, normally from a parent or spouse
• Pregreening – to creep forwards while waiting for a red light to change
• Quackmire – the muddy edges of a duck pond
• Whinese – a term for the language spoken by children on lengthy trips
• Wibble – the trembling of the lower lip just shy of actually crying

Because del.icio.us appeared a few times on the 2008 list, I checked it out. I explored others, but they did not interest or impress me as much as del.icio.us.

Times 50 Best Websites of 2009

I liked and appreciated the Times 2009 list. I recognized or used many of sites, which shaved off a few minutes from completing Thing 10. I also deepened my understanding of sites that were newer to me. For example, I learned about Skype and Academic Earth. I discovered Popurls and will definitely be telling my husband about that one.

Although I started looking at winners with cool names, I eventually went through the entire list. Here were some of my thoughts as I went along.

• Open Table…This is such a cool concept! Most of the participating restaurants seem to be high end and expensive, but I liked how they had search options such as "kid friendly."
• Craiglook…This bells and whistles type Craigslist is a neat idea, but it is clear that it is not as popular. When I compared the two, I found more and current information on Craigslist. I will stick with the old school Craigslist until Craiglook is more plentiful and up-to-date.
• Shop Goodwill...This option is a wonderful alternative to sites such as Ebay. The items, however, are more expensive than the same that can be found in the actual stores.
• Etsy…I had already heard of this website. I was disappointed when, for me, it did not live up to the hype. There were too many choices, it took too much time, and their merchandise was too expensive.
• Kiva…This organization seems worthy of a more in-depth look. I like the idea of helping others be independent and successful.
• Consumer Search…For myself, I just wish I'd known about this awesome site sooner...For my students, I think there may be ways to tie the artciles into the lessons on "Reading for Life."
• Facebook...I was surprised that the description called it a "glorified address book." Hmm...I doubt that.
• Pandora and Last.fm...These stream for free AND identify music I like? Sweet! I will be adding those to my Netvibes page.
• Spotify…I want this when it reaches the US.
• Supercook…Considering I create recipes based on the ingredients in the house, this website will spice up my dinners when my brain is too fried to think.
• Visuwords...Hmm...I will be thinking about how to incorporate this into my Language Arts classes.
• Couch Surfing…What a fabulous and cost effective idea! I wonder, however, if it is safe? It makes me think of too many drama shows on TV.
• Baby Name Wizard...I am already a HUGE fan!!! I started with the book and expanded to the website. The map feature is the best.
• Mint…Although I like the idea of al of my finances in one spot, I do not think I trust this service.
• TripIt…This service is definitely something to try when I am a seasoned traveler. (I really hope that time comes BEFORE I retire!)
• Drop.io…Is this better than Google Docs? It IS better than transporting my work files in Outlook email drafts.
• OMGPOP…I refuse to get addicted to this site and the games unless they have a rip-off of Dr. Mario.
• Fonolo…Whoa! Not wasting time on hold? Not wasting cell minutes while on hold? Not dealing with layers of automated messages and choices? Wahoo!
• Musicovery and Photosynth are two sites I will need to explore another day. Meme fits in that category as well. The latter seems like a mix of E's The Soup and Comedy Central's Tosh.O. Let's all say it together...BLACK HOLE!

I was grateful when there were sites I knew well enough that I did not feel obliged to share my reactions. What a spectacular list! I was relieved when I hit 50 because, had there been more, I am sure I would have extended my explorations another couple of hours.