Dumpling in a Hanky

Today, I couldn't be bothered to dig into my bookmarks and find the link for the online version of the magazine of JLSS - The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland. So I asked Google to find me it, by cunningly searching for the terms "JLSS" and "magazine". I'd say that's a pretty clear search: two words, both of which are correct. But no: Google knows better. I'm not actually wanting to look at a recent article on Agency Worker Regulations. Actually, what Google knows I'm really looking for is sites about JLS, the boy band. Obviously, me putting in the actual words that I want to look for just isn't accurate enough, as after being presented with a screen of nonsense about disturbingly flexible young boys in tight t-shirts, I then have to click again to correct the search. Which actually was correct when I originally input it. Google, I am NOT thick, and I do NOT want to have to see JLS!

Righty, we're on to organising tools then, and this one is Google Calendar. Now I have to say, I'm not going to be doing this Thing, for various reasons. Mainly, I don't really have a need for it in my life. Work I have a personal work calendar, as does my boss. We can both access each others calendars when needed, and see what each person is up to - this is useful if my boss is unavailable and people want to check with me whether they could schedule a meeting with her, or when she has a gap in her day. Our calendars allow us to easily book meeting rooms in our firm, and keep track of events and plans. This is the only calendar I have any need to share the information on with anyone, and this is already possible. We also don't need to publicise anything to our users: we're here during core service hours, and sometimes beyond, and if either one of us is not at their desk (holidays etc) we put up signs on our monitors, put on out of office emails, and generall...

As mentioned in CILIP Gazette...or Update (my memory sucks!) the Open University has launched a new course for "information professionals": "The Evolving Information Professional: challenges in a digital world" is an online course,. available to begin studying at any time. The blurb says: This course is for information professionals – librarians, archivists, information and knowledge managers – looking to keep up to date with modern technologies, sources of information and today’s users. It is for those in the profession who wish to stay relevant in this fast-changing world of information, find out how other information services are facing the challenge and consider ways of proving their worth in the Google age. Among all the issues that the course covers, you will be given the opportunity to reflect on the possible consequences for your service of a new generation of ‘Homo zappien’ users, try out games developed for library users and archivists and consider t...

From Neatorama , a report from a reader of the blog about a Google StreetView car getting pulled over by the police for using the buses / cycles / taxis only lane in Bradford....with amusing photos... Wonder if the close-up views of the car park of the old police station will be turning up on StreetView? :-)

So, last week, there I was, slumped in a bus seat with a vacant look (as usual), when I spotted something odd coming out of a side street. A wee black car...with a huge pole on top, covered with cameras. Now, it's coming up for Festival season in Edinburgh, when all sorts of strangeness occurs on a regular basis, and therefore such randomness would blend right in, but this was a tad too early. Aha - it turned a corner, and I clocked the discrete little Google StreetView logo on its side. Since then, I know it's been into the cul-de-sac where I live (but not got my flat as it's on the wrong side to be seen from the street), and continues to travel through Edinburgh. Now, I know there's debate over privacy issues (which, to be honest, I think are hugely overblown by the paranoid), but I personally think it's kinda cool! The usefulness of a walk-through map of a city, with actual images of the physical, 'real' landmarks and what they look like far outwei...

So, I logged out of my internet banking service, and got a 'stop' icon on the right hand side of my toolbar, and a pop up box telling me that the site was a suspected web forgery. I was given the options of reading more, leaving the page - "Get me out of here!", "Ignore this warning", and "This isn't a web forgery". Since I'd just logged out of the secure area, I was pretty sure that it wasn't a phishing site, so decided to use the final option. This allowed me to submit a report anonymously, detailing why I didn't think it was a phishing page. So I did. And this is the report I got back: Google Safe Browsing for Firefox BETA Report Sent Thanks for sending a report to Google. Now that you've done your good deed for the day, feel free to: 1. Take a second to rejoice merrily for doing your part in making the web a safer place. 2. Call/email/write to a neighbor/frien...

Link from Library Stuff I have to confess to removing GLC from my Bloglines subscriptions late last year. Not only was it not being updated, but it went through a phase of having all its old entries appearing as new entries, repeatedly, and this went on for days. In the end, I got so irritated with it I removed it. It did seem very odd that it stopped, with a promise of a return after the Summer, and no update posts since, even if just to say that they might have decided against continuing the blog. I found it often had useful tips, even for non public / school librarians, which it seems to be mainly aimed at. Hopefully they really do like librarians, and will be back at some point...but if it's in the Spring, just in time to warm up for the American library conferences, I have to admit, I'll be giving in to my lurking cynicism!

Honestly, I'm not obsessive, really, they just seem to be pretty active just now! Google have opened up their internal blog on their public policies , to allow users to see what their views are on various important areas such as privacy, content regulation etc. Which is pretty interesting, but I've got to say, I'm not sure I entirely trust any organisation when they say 'look how honest and open we're being'...probably cos I know there are very, very few of them who will be! But it's a pretty good attempt to make more transparent the internal workings of a section of a massive corporation.

Following on from my late-night musings on Google and privacy, an article from Technology Guardian about the differences between privacy and anonymity . Just glad I don't use iTunes either!

So, I confess my dirty librarian secret: I really like Google. I know I'm meant to be an expert online, using the most appropriate search engine for whatever information I'm looking for (I keep meaning to try to use Sputtr for that too, even though the name sounds like it's an asthmatic with a cold, but never quite remember), but... Google works so WELL! And it allows you to personalise it with iGoogle , and narrow searches to UK only, and that's lovely! But, I do worry about what they do with my data. After all, to personalise to iGoogle, you must be logged in. Which means every search you do is logged against your user name / ID, and whatever other information about yourself you've given them. Even if you've not said where you live, your searches are likely to do that. Been on holiday recently? Researched that on Google when logged in? That data's been recorded too. Looked for recipes? Childcare tips? Been looking for a new job? Snap. Although it may be a...