RSS

I wasn't using RSS at all, but I will start using it in the future. It is very handy. However, I noticed that not all sites I was interested in have this feature. If the ikon is greyed out, tough luck, you are better off just adding it to Favorites! It was easy to add and edit feeds in Bloglines. I like the idea of orginazed approach to Internet. One of the biggest problems for me is not being able to remember where exactly was it that I saw great Humanities sites for example. The other great advantage of RSS is that it keeps you very current.

GOOGLE UNIVERSE

Yeap, there is a whole universe behind simple, uncluttered home page. I like
Maps, Gmail and Docs in particular. Google Universe can be very useful for storing documents on line, organizing your pictures or looking up houses you had lived in and landmarks you had visited in the past. There is a lot to play with in Google Universe. It is fairly intuitive. I don't remember how we ever lived without Google Universe.

FACEBOOK

Facebook is a total waste of time. I only wish I had time to put pictures, jokes and videos on it. Talking about pictures on FB, have you noticed that certain people are so glamorous, wearing evening gowns and drinking champagne in their profile pictures? I wonder if this is how people really see themselves or is it more a message they want to send - "Look at me, I have it good"?

FB can be handy to find out what your high school friends are doing now. It can be thrilling to find somebody after 20 odd years, cause the world is a global village now, but the initial thrill wears out fast, cause it is hard to keep up the long distance communication, even with people who used to be good friends.

Wikipedia

I love using Wikipedia for popular culture questions. It is easy to use and saves a lot of time! For example, I always look up directors' biografical info and filmography after going to movies or borrowing a dvd from the Public Library. Other things I used it for include cooking techniques and various bands. I love its democratic approach to sharing and editing information. I think access to information is one of fundamental human rights in 21 century. Public Library is also very democratic institution. I like that both Wikipedia and Public Library are free. That is another important modern concept in access to the information - you shouldn't have to pay for it. Of course, this open concept can lead to problems of quality control. Wikipedia acknowledges this potential weakness in "About Us" section. Public Library gets a number of reference questions that can be answered using Wikipedia. Wikepedia is very current. Wikipedia is easy to use and edit.