23 Things Assignment #7

I feel that I've been dragged, kicking and screaming, into a foreign - and unfamiliar - era.



To keep abreast of issues - or to inform myself - it's always required a conscious decision, and act, to open a book/magazine/newspaper or turn on the news. Podcasting has the potential to flag items, given my selection of podcasts, in which I have considerable interest. I'm making efforts to consider the technology as a kind of personal assistant, one familiar with my tastes and inclinations, rather than a techno-monster whose workings I do not fully grasp.



I'll be curious as to whether I will find, or make, the time to tune in to the podcasts I've chosen - particularly if they are generated frequently or are as lengthy as a television program. I cannot see myself parked in front of a computer screen (or an iPod) for thirty minutes at a time.



I was impressed by the range of material available. I selected for professional SDI primarily: Managers Tools caught my interest with its recommendations for conducting negotiations on compensation. Can't wait to make use of that. And, in recognition of TPL's increasing commitment to city-building, I subscribed to Cities of the Future which explores social and technological innovation in municipalities around the globe. For purely personal and selfish interests, I was determined to find access to music other than the oh-so-ubiquitous MTV material from groups of which I've never heard and whose outpourings, try as I might, I rarely appreciate. The Naxos classical music spotlight will keep me abreast of new and vintage recordings issued by one of the leading labels in classical music.



I worked through a personal challenge - modification of my blog to link to my RSS and podcast feeds. I'm hoping that, with all my data available from a single source, I'll be more inclined to tap my 'keeping current' data than I would have had I been obliged to invoke my bloglines account. I'll be keeping track of my inclinations on this point.


Will I ever want to take the step of podcasting myself? I sense that would require a significant boost to my techno-interest (and to a sense that I had something valuable to communicate).