Grand Finale

I joined Facebook which won the SEOmoz's web 2.0 aware for social networking.
I like Facebook, I think it is a lot of fun. It could be useful to set up a library facebook page on the ECU network in facebook, but I am still not convinced that the average student wants us (the library and university establishment) following them into the spaces they use to have fun and social interactions, be they vl (virtual life) or rl (real life).
Then again, I'm not sure I care if clients like it or not - I sort of like the idea of posting "Your loans are overdue" on their 'superwall' on Facebook and letting all their friends know they are a delinquent borrower.
One of the things I like most, and least, about Facebook is that friends from all over the world can find you. I found that on Facebook two worlds can collide - your social world and your work world. I think this can be a fine balancing act - and if I was to explore this further as a professional opportunity to communicate to clients I think I would have to open two profiles - one for professional interests and one for personal. You learn a lot about people by viewing their facebook page - I love it when I am learning about others - I'm not sure how I feel about it when others are learning things about me :)

I have really enjoyed doing these 23 things - though I have left the posting until the very last minute. To be honest I think I knew how most of the technology worked before I set out to do these exercises and that probably made me more slack about getting the posts up - which of course is just not ok, but there you go. I think the most interesting thing I have learnt is how my fellow staff members reacted to the experiences. As I am new to ECU it was a good opportunity to get a few insights into how people work.
I think i will keep up with Facebook, and really want to explore the opportunities that blogs present as ways of communicating with staff and students. I really enjoyed Youtube - but worry about how much of my life I will spend watching others' videos. I gave up tv a while ago because I thought it was a waste of time - now, instead of watching tv in the evenings, I download lots of posts from YouTube - I'm not sure if that is an improvement.
I think these web 2.0 technologies have huge potential, but I think in the end of the day, it is not about the technology you use to communicate with your clients, but rather the message itself. My experience suggests that people who want the information will appreciate it, not matter how it is delivered, and those that are not interested remain disinterested no matter how many bows and whistles you add as dressing.
I will keep using flick'r and facebook for my personal needs - and intend to use them professionally, once I find a way of stopping the worlds colliding.