#8 Learn about RSS feeds and creat your own Bloglines Newsreader account

Finally I see how RSS feeds could be useful in my professional and personal life. I actually created a Bloglines account a few months ago at the urging of a colleague. I rediscovered it, and added more feeds and tags. Now will get feeds when local breaking news is added, and when cool photos are posted on Flickr of the beautiful coastline at my hometown. See at left the convict built Bogey hole on a rather wild day. (I don't recommend a swim when it's like this!)

#6 Discover Flickr mashups and third party sites

Mashups and third parties....well I'm not sure where I fit into all this but I'veread up on them, and encountered lots of jargon, which I'm sure will all fall into place as I progress. I've registed with Amazon Web services, but am not sure what I need to do with it! (I think it's an age thing..)

Due to sick leave and holidays I've fallen further behind, unable to zoom through like hi tech super beings that have finished. Nevertherless I am soldiering on....

#7 How businesses are using Web 2.0

"The rising popularity of user-driven online services, including MySpace, Wikipedia and YouTube has drawn attention to a group of technological developments known as Web 2.0." Respondents to a recent McKinsey survey show widespread but careful interest in this trend that promotes automation and networking online. Executives say they are using Web 2.0 technologies to communicate with customers and business partners and to encourage collaboration inside the company. Seventy percent say they are using some combination of these technologies for communicating with their customers. Some locations such as India stand out for their enthusiasm in embracing these technologies.
Read more at http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1913&l2=13&l3=11&srid=9&gp=1

#5 Learning about Flickr

It wasn't so hard after all, adding an image to my blog. Images of the Pasha Bulker abound on the web, and Flickr was no exception. On the left, see the latest tourist attraction in Newcastle attractively silhouetted at sunrise, and as we speak it remains held fast on the rocks, although facing in a different direction, as from last night.