Evaluation, Conclusion, Looking back, What have I learned?

The experience of this online tutorial was very new and exhilarating, and I am very grateful for it because the timing was perfect. I had felt "left out" from a lot of these Web 2.0 developments, even though I knew theoretically what they were about and had a vague idea of what was do-able.
But reading about these developments in CILIP journals and newspapers is different from actually using the applications themselves.

The tutorial has covered a large amount of subjects, which I have sorted below alphabetically, by description. Specific applications in round brackets.

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Blogging (Blogger/Blogspot, LiveJournal)
Cloud = web-based application, to be accessed online
Cloud = random display of tags, size of each tag defined by frequency of tag-use
Feed reader (Google Reader)
Feed reader for audio & video (Podcasts)
Feed readers for Podcasts (Podcatcher)
Gadget = see Widget
Photo editing (Picnik)
Podcatcher (iTunes)
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) = web feed format that provides the full text of web content together with links to the original source
Sharing bookmarks / Social bookmarking (Delicious)
Sharing documents / Office 2.0 (Google Docs, Think Free)
Sharing photos (Picasa Web Album, Flickr)
Sharing videos (YouTube)
Social networking (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)
Start page / Customisable homepage / Virtual desktop (iGoogle, Pageflake)

Tags / Tagging = use of one-word subject headings
Widget (Blogger uses the term "gadget")
Wiki (Wetpaint, Wikipedia)
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Good stuff

Applications involving design and picture uploading/editing were good fun because they allow for creativity (Flickr, Picnik, Picasa Web Album).

Social networking with LinkedIn was a useful exercise because I realized how many good connections I actually had in my email address book, and how useful this can be for job searching. By asking people to join me on LinkedIn I newly got in touch with a number of old friends and colleagues.

I liked the idea of using a "virtual desktop" (iGoogle, sharing documents "in the cloud" (Google Docs, Think Free) and sharing bookmarks (Delicious). I will probably go on to use these tools for my own work.

I enjoyed the exercise of changing content in a Wiki (Wikipedia), something that I had always wanted to do, in order to see how it is done. One starts to think about the whole debate about what is "authoritative" information. Is it better if ideological discussions are fought out online, or is a "properly" selected editorial board of "specialists" preferable. Very thought-provoking.

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Distraction

Interlinking a lot of Web 2.0 tools with each other seemed confusing, sometimes redundant, and even pointless to me. That probably shows my seel-by-date. Certain expressions, photos, or snippets of informations will ultimately get displayed in other contexts and this may create wrong impressions.
One can't spend one's entire working day jumping from one link or feed or widget to another.
Feed reading, Embedding, you name it, it's too much gimickry.

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Like Television ?

Looking up stuff on YouTube was good fun, and I understand that one can find weard and wonderful things.
Podcasts seem to be a very good thing, particularly those that allow you to catch up with television and radio programs. But it is all a bit to passive. I don't like to watch things on small screens for too long.

As someone who doesn't watch television, doesn't listen to podcasts on-the-go (with a MP3 player or suchlike), but who does like going to the cinema, I expect that I will be using more podcasts. It's a bit like video rental, one makes an active, considered choice what to watch, rather than zapping around on YouTube. Some of my friends constantly download movies and watch these on their computers. Somehow I don't see myself going that route.