Week 9--Thing 23--Wow!

I am so amazed, delighted, and grateful! I have learned so much more than just 23 things! There's so much technology out there, and I understand it's just the tip of the tip of things to come. But I have a glimpse--I've made a start!

Favorite parts?--writing in a blog, using photos from a digital camera (!), reading other people's blogs :), discovering the possibility of online work processing, finding music and books and podcasts--even videos--on line!

Least favorite parts?--the frustration of trying to understand procedures for simple (?)technical procedures--e.g. manipulating pictures in Flickr or even just setting up my blog!; wading through wordy, opinionated wiki entries, feeling stupid for not seeing any use for Del.icio.us or Rollyo in what I do.

The unexpected wonderful part?--camaraderie with and help from co-workers. What a great bonding tool and a chance to learn together! Imagine--work sanctioned time to learn something great together. Not just sanctioned, but encouraged! :)

Things I wish you could do differently next time?--really consider what you'd like us to learn, run through the process ahead of time and look for pitfalls for us newbies. Explain simple procedures that really are NOT intuitive, like "uploading" pictures, why our entire BCPL email address really IS our Google name, or how to navigate in some of the websites. (The helpful hint handouts Joyce and Ellen gave us at the North Point catch-up sessions were WONDERFUL--wish I'd had them weeks before.) Believe me, techniques that tech-savvy people take for granted were horribly frustrating stumbling blocks for me. I spent hours trying to work in Flickr--when by chance I actually got two photos into the mosaic I was creating, I couldn't figure out what lucky button I had pushed so that I could repeat it for the last two photos.

BUT, if you do another discovery program in the future, YES, YES, please count me in. I am so blessed and excited about what I'm learning! I don't want to stop.