LEARNING PODCAST

On Sat, I started the 2nd last lesson of Web 2.0 on podcast.  Managed to listen to the first pilot podcast put up by Cockburn Library's team on Mike Murray's talk on how to begin researching your family history - a hot topic for nowadays for  enthusiasts  interestered in finding their roots in the area of genealogy.  Wanted to also access British Library's exhibition podcasts, I was given the  "access denial" message when I clicked  the BBC's  podcasts on Exhibition in the first attempt, went on to another one.  I  congratulate the Cockburn Library energetic podcast team who has successfully and tirelessly mounted the  first pilot podcast programme for the library. A job well done for in upholding the image of Cockburn Library! May the team gain from strength to strength to continue with their good work. I also thank them for widening my horizon to come to know at least a little bit of podcast.,

Do I like podcasts?  A mix of "Yes" and "No". The "Yes" feeling   is IF, a big IF,  I have the time and easy Internet access facility, I may start to use podcasts to listen to podcasts of world news...My "No" feeling is stronger than the "Yes" because basically I don't have Internet at home to surf any time I like. All these years,  I have relied on the daily maximum 2-hour free Internet service offered by Cockburn Library, and out of the 2-hour time limit, I set top priorities to use the Internet to  my get connected  with folks faraway to let them know that I am still alive away from home and to be comforted to know that they are also coping well at the other end of the globe. There is unavoidable stress and strains on me at times whenever  I lost precious  time in searching in the fast forward lanes of  doing the "Discover" and "Explore" exercises, sometimes they caused  me sleepless nights when I could not get things right straight away.   I am leaving podcast with a very strong sentiment that it is "Not my cup of tea"  as I discover that it is again "the sky is the limit" arena. I don't think I would become a follower "fan" of podcasts because I'll be "drown" with such overwhelming numerous podcasts mushrooming daily on the congested Internet "hideaway". Already I hardly have the time to read from page-to-page the daily print newspapers, no time to listen to all the radio programmes, I can only selectively tune to the BBC world news and the ABC or SBC channels to listen to or watch the world news to know what is going on beyond the shore, so little time for me to finish reading a book I borrow from the libraries and embarrassingly got overdue notice to jolt me to quicken my speed  of reading, I have so little time to do my passion needlework as the Web 2.0 online course has eaten much into my leisure time that I have not even started to address my once-a-year Xmas cards as I want to put a more personal touch in my annual greetings, making my own cards and write a few lines to prove to friends that I am still kicking away, striving to stay afloat in this push-button fast forward tricky Web world. Indeed admittedly podcasts offer "fun" and I must be gracious to thank the people who work behind the scene to put up so many interesting podcasts. But I am reminded by my former English and Literature teacher, who  taught the class how to appreciate a particular poem on the wonders of Automation, ended up by giving us her parting advice: "One can use wisely the machine, but never let one become slave to the machine". This guiding principle has taught me not to allow myself to become so obsessed with the new technologies, but to use technologies wisely ie. what I can use the technologies to enrich my life and I now exercise with self discipline not to go overboard in using podcasts unnecessarily as the sky is the limit in the way podcasts are mushrooming everywhere in the web world.

With respect to whether libraries ought to have podcasts, again in my personal opinion, the sky is the limit, to know realistically that today podcasts may become the past very fast with the advancement of technologies when one looks at the changing scenes in the ever changing computer world. I feel rather  "breathless" in trying to run faster in order to keep up with the changing tides  even during the course of trying as best and I could doing this 10-lesson Web 2.0  course because I have found in growing old that I seem to keep on having to chase after TIME, that has mercilessly marched on day by day. Christmas is around the corner and soon the singing of " Auld Lang Syne to bid farewell to 2010 and I truly look forward to coming  Christmas public holidays to catch up with my breathe,  to recharge my battery to run the 2011 time-chasing race in my life. 

From my collection of  cross-stitch pattern books, I came across the following words of two designs:

"Monday's job is hard to face,

Tuesday's job is like a race

Wednesday's job is hard and long

Thursday's job is done and wrong

Friday's job is just a waste

Saturday's job is all home-based

And he who lives to see Sunday

will rest and wish his job away"

"I am here to work and so I do

God grant me strength to see it through

To face each task with a smiling face

To end the day with little waste

To say with truth a job well done

To love this day at setting sun"