Thing 11--Finding feeds

For my use, I will more likely add feeds as offshoots to something else I've read, watched or heard(back to that tangential thinking thing) rather than go out searching for a feed on a specific topic. I can see though, that if I had a specialized passion such as firetrucks, or miniatures these tools might be helpful. The geographical function of topix.net is useful to keep a finger on the local pulse.

I searched for graphic novels in both the IPL and Libdex sites, with success in the former. The latter's strength seems to be its geographical index, which, I guess, makes sense in practical terms, but isn't very 2.0, since one benefit of 2.0 technology is its ability to break down barriers of geography and facilitate global connections.

In looking at the more general feed finders, I did a comparison search (the ever organized Herring Choker would be proud of me). I searched both "sledge hockey" and "al shabaab" both of which I had heard about on, of course, CBC radio this morning. Sledge hockey only turned up in topix.net. Al-Shabba was in Topix and Technoratti. The topix results were more along the lines of traditional news sources, with a respectable amount of CanCon. Technoratti results, were more commentary in nature.

However the niggling question, "why these?" (over what I'm doing now) still niggled. This is probably the same thought that goes through patrons' minds when we preach the salvation of the databases, which also have RSS capabilities. Hallelujeah, sister! To relieve the niggling I also typed both terms in Google and our 360 search to compare. Google results picked up the government news release that the others didn't. Topix results were more international that the Google news results. 360 results were 2 days old, Topix were 2 hours. Hmmn.

Thing #10 RSS and Newsreaders

Since I have already have a gmail account, I went the google reader route--one less password to remember in my 40 plus brain. It was so easy! I actually said to myself--that's it? I think the hardest part will be exercising restraint, so that the list doesn't become unmanageable. As well as following the insights of 2 wise colleagues, I signed up for feeds from CBC books, to keep an eye on who's in the books news, the Empire Club, to see who's making newsworthy speeches, and Librarian in Black, because, well, with a name like that--combination Johnny Cash and Lady Heather--why wouldn't you want to see what she has to say?

Wouldn't it be cool, if RSS could be connected to the catalogue searching fields, such that a baking aficianado could be notified whenever we added a cookbook to the system, or a Jance fan, whenever a new title appeared?