IM game

Try some of the instant messaging tools.

I Google chat from either iGoogle or Googlemail as well as the instant messaging service attached to Facebook fairly often depending on who I find online.

What did you like about them?

You can see who from your 'friends' or chat list is online instantly and can chat while online doing other things.  I have chatted to a friend while email her or writing her a letter....maybe all three at the same time.

How would they be useful in a library?

I've already seen libraries use something like this as a way of conducting a reference enquiry online.  On Facebook or from a library blog I can see it useful if a 'friend' or reader what's to clarify information they've read on your site.  An example of this would be enquirying about an event happening at the library or even making a booking.

Ner... wot up Google docs?

Another favourite of mine.  I've used Googledocs for: story ideas with access wherever there is a computer, writing letters to friends that can be shared or just send as an attachment straight from Googledocs, a handy place for storing large files when I want to share them with others and just a handy dandy notebook that is there in front of me whenever I open to my homepage.

I know the Google people making constant improvements to the programs but some of these tips and tricks were new on me. Here are one ones

What google doc tips did you find the most useful?

I think I like the below tip from techradar.  I say 'think' as I can't download the program required at work and I'm not sure if the program will work on my mac at home.  Without going through the process of downloading I can't seem to find out from the website.  I do find I want access to Googledoc files offline, but have the hassle of cutting and pasting once I'm back online again.  This would be a great way of syncing both the copy in my laptop with the copy stored online.

Synchronise documents
The free personal edition of back-up tool Syncplicity enables you to connect your Google Docs account with a designated folder, which in turn can be synchronised with a folders on your computer. So, to add new files to Google Docs, you just drag them to the synchronised folder. Sign up and select "Apps" in "My Syncplicity", then "Google Docs" to configure the tool.


What google doc tips would you like to share?

I do like the sorting option where you create 'folders' but your documents aren't so much in a folder as attached to it.  This way the document can be attached to several different folders, and search for items through the 'folders' like subject headings.  For example I have several folders:  quotes, letters and stories.  If I write to my friend about a story I'm planning to write and also add a few cool quotes that I'd picked up, that document, My friends letter can be linked to all three folders and will come up if I click on any one of those folders.

Adding a Googledocs widget to your iGoogle page is probably mynumber one favourite thing about Googledocs.  You can leave the Googledocs widget open so you can gain direct access to document from your iGoogle page, or you can minimise Googledocs so none of the titles are visible

Google a-long, Google a-long at the bottom of the World Wide Web.

Am I familiar with iGoogle?  Ask any of the staff here that go to do a good search on one of my logins.  It is the first page I  go to everyday and is my homepage at home.  I'd love to show you a screen shot but don't seem to have the option, sorry fellas.


Was i-Google easy to customise?

iGoogle is very easy to customise, much more than many sites.  Each widget came be moved by dragging the mouse around the page, expanded out to full screen, mini screen or minimised so just it's title is showing.  For example, my google reader takes up a big chunk of space at the bottom of the page expanded to see the first few entries.  In contrast my email minimised at the top right my screen so my emails are not out for all the world to see.  I have very few widgets as I found if I can't see them I don't tend to use them but one I have kept are Googledocs, Translator and Dictionary....and my hamster pet...every library should have a pet.


Do you find it helpful?

I like that everything I want to check throughout the day is in out place.  I've just added a Twitter link as well so I have no excuse for not Twittering.  I wonder how long that will last.  I've also added Facebook, but as I can view that at work I've just minised it to a title to remind to check it.

Did you try any of the other tools as well? How did you find them?

I must admit I looked at them but just found them too messy, fussy and too much trouble.  My igoogle has it all: one of the most popular search engines out there, calendar, googledocs, googlereader, access to googlemaps and images search and if I choose to not to use gmail I can always add a widget for Hotmail or Yahoo mail.  I'm not sure why I'd go somewhere else.