my first wordle

I’ve been wanting to explore Wordle as a possible tool to use with my students.  I’m wondering, though, if I need to worry about what shows up on the front page and gallery.  For now, I’ve used my first posts to my 598 blog to create my first Wordle:

created at http://wordle.net

It’s actually pretty cool if you could read it here.  I like the proximity and dissonance of “disruptive” and “approval.”

Guess I’ll have to screen capture a larger image next time.  Was hoping for a bigger pic. This can’t be too complicated if I want to do it with students. Needs more research…

the morning after

Okay, last night, I posted this WordPress lovefest to my 598 blog.  I don’t want to take it back.  Not yet, at least.  But this morning I tried adding some more widgets to my sidebar.  I wanted my tweets and my del.icio.us tag cloud to show up.  WordPress doesn’t offer a plugin widget for Twitter, so I tried to add some html/javascipt to the text widget.  Similarly, I don’t like the tag list default widget for del.icio.us, so I tried to add some html/javascript there too.  No dice.  After some trial and error – for some reason I thought it had worked last night – I sought out the WordPress Help pages.  (I’m the type to read the directions after I try putting things together.)

Anyway, here’s what I found:  No javascript.  No exceptions.

Are you kidding me?  Ugh.  I mean, I get it:  security and all that.  Right?  But this reminds me of the new pbwiki which also prohibits javacript.  I feel like I just landed on that giant Chute that takes you back to like the 4th space on the board.

Ah…sweet salvation…or not

Okay, am I the only MLIS student who absolutely cannot return a library book on time?  Seriously.  The last time I visited the public library, the librarian (clerk?) at the circulation desk looked up my account and the fine total was so high ($42…really, don’t ask) that she took pity on my and wiped the whole thing clean.  My usual fine is more like $1 or $2, and my justification for this chronic problem is that by incurring fines, I’m directly contributing to the financial well-being of my public library.

Anyhoo, those days are over.  They are going to have to find another slacker to finance their ailing climate control system.  I was trying to put in a dent in the 10 gazillion items posted since I last checked my Bloglines, when I found this post by fellow online SCILS student, Tricia.  Library Elf, to the rescue!

{Edit:   …or so I thought.  Turns out my library doesn’t participate.  Guess they do rely on my ineptitude for funding, after all.  No worries, when it comes to accruing fines, I’m your gal.    }

(n.b.  – My real 598 post will appear on my “official” blog for class.  I’m just testing the waters here.  No need to comment unless you feel compelled.)