Technorati...

Browsing through the Technorati site proved to be an interesting experience. Prior to actually browsing through the Top 100 blogs, it helped to know that they weren't given a spot due to actual popularity. Blogs of all sizes and shapes, themes and topics, were on the list. If the ranking was based on actual interest and popularity on the part of web users, I think that the blogs would be of a different vein perhaps (i.e. more focused on current events, entertainment, travel, or back-to-basics living, perhaps). I then took a peek at the leading "authority" blogs on a variety of more specific subjects, including travel. Ranking of authority is related to the linking behavior and desirability of information on the blog, among other things. I found myself becoming lost in the written word of a woman camped out on a Caribbean Beach, allegedly "monkey-watching". I also found it interesting to actually see how and why tagging is used by many blog authors. One blog in particular that I follow quite regularly (Rosy Revolver's "Newfangled Rhetoric") will often have a handful of tags at the end of the post; now I realize that these are included to--hopefully--increase the traffic to her sight, as it is a vehicle to advertise her one-woman jewelry business, among other things. All in all, technorati was enjoyable to explore, though I don't think I'd use it much on a regular basis.

Del.icio.us.com

On the first afternoon of LIS 518, otherwise known as Reference, we were given a pop quiz of sorts. The questions were virtually all unanswerable for me, at least with my pre-LIS knowledge. One of the questions that sticks out in my head was "What is Delicious?". I think I made an attmempt at humor, guessing that it was an X-rated site of some kind. In reality, Delicious (or Del.icio.us, if you prefer) is a pretty incredible site, though in a different way than I had thought. Essentially, it is a bookmarking tool that allows users to take their "favorites" with them; the favorite sites are no longer attached to a single computer. Tags are a huge part of using this service; though not a defined vocabulary, users are encouraged to use similar tags so that they are able to connect interests and topics across accounts, ultimately sharing across a large network of individuals interested in like things. Browsing through new, popular, or specific tags is also an option once signed in. While I was exploring Del.icio.us I ended up browsing for quite awhile...much longer than I intended in fact. I discovered a fantastic site dedicated to wacky cupcake recipes, as well as a site created for roller-coaster devotees. This service could be incredibly helpful for research purposes, or within a library setting, as users could virtually search topics through other users. Del.icio.us brought to mind an article I read recently, related to homeless library patrons' desire to obtain information from actual people, versus institutions or databases. Del.icio.us is almost a sort of face-to-face/online network capable of great research feats.