Flickr, anyone?

Sticking with the technical troubleshooting scenario, a Fickr would come in handy as a slideshow presentation to technicians and engineers as they go about troubleshooting or constructing new equipment onsite.

New schematics, layouts or blueprints with last minute changes from the corporate office, or the client - accompanied with photographs based on artists' renditions - can be uploaded and guide the engineers as they go about constructing the equipment.

Conjugate ToTube: ITube, YouTube, TheyTube...

Much like a podcast, the video can be about any topic, and can complement subjects taught in a regular classroom setting. Maybe a student might describe what he did during his summer vacation, how he learned to fly radio-controlled airplanes. Perhaps throughout the summer his dad videotaped his progress. The video would show how easy (or hard) it is to control the transmitter, to showing footage of the airplane performing aerobatics.

This could generate discussion amongst classmates after the presentation or viewing. How might one go about learning to fly radio-controlled airplanes, where does one go to buy, assemble, and ultimately fly them - is it expensive, what experience is needed, and so forth. The exposure might even influence youngsters to pursue an interest in aviation, or engineering and scientific pursuits.

Here are a couple of links from YouTube that relate to R/C scale modeling. I'm sure there are thousands more out there, but these are ones that caught my eye, and so far, my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=topydKCULBQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gulv_bvZS94&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c974u8j4Xw

Obviously, the cons of YouTube are that there are so many subjects out there - from the banal and ridiculous, to downright perverse and obscene - that screening or filtering them from students is close to impossible, short of banning access to those sites altogether.

One-thousand-and-one uses for podcasting

I work in the technical field and there's nothing more frustrating than having to take an equipment apart and rely on a manual (online or in print) and having to go back and forth double-checking your steps. As a podcast, a "manual" can be created specific to a topic or troubleshooting scenario.

1. How to upgrade a computer, with step-by-step instructions, in moving/visual form.

2. New hardware and software releases. Pitfalls to watch out for, and if these particular upgrades apply to a particular computer model.

3. A live or taped podcast from a convention center, of new releases and gadgets. For instance, a representative of your company is in a convention in Las Vegas and would podcast daily updates to the home office.

4. Podcasts from the home office to the traveler in the convention in Las Vegas, updating the traveler of news from the home office with questions and concerns about new releases.

5. An update or reminder about how to troubleshoot a specific issue with a computer or piece of equipment. Perhaps the issue can only be duplicated from a certain location or with differing circumstances. A podcast is made of the issue as it happens and the software/hardware manufacturer, or a group of engineers can help determine the cause of the problem or issue based on the visual presentation. This would yield a better set of results than a written record.

What's a Wiki?

I felt a little frustrated at starting my wiki - I didn't know where to start or what to talk about. I'm not that creative when it comes to design and layout. But after playing around with the settings it all became rather easy afterwards. The hard part is maintaining it, adding to it. If you're not a teacher, or not tasked with updating the site, things tend to bog down somewhat.

Still drawing on the writer's analogy, a wiki can be a powerful tool especially when collaborating on a topic - an autobiography/biography, novel, historical, scientific analysis or treatise, a collection of short stories from different authors. Each is free to write, edit and upload their stories and perhaps a "centralized" author could take care of the editing and proofing. Once the materials are gathered it's off to the publisher for millions of readers to enjoy the book.

Why use a blog?

For those of us that are frustrated writers, a blog is a tremendous tool to get your ideas across - rants, pet peeves, nuances and simple observations of human nature.

As far as job situations, I work in the technical field, and I've been tasked with several projects my superiors would like me to work on and deploy to streamline our operation. The blog could be used as a daily update of how the project is developing, or perhaps, so as not to seem repetitive, stretch it out every few days or so. Comments and feedbacks would be welcome so we can work out inherent bugs that's bound to present themselves.

Once a project has been completed, the blog can be used as a reference point for technical specifications - a manual of sorts, so to speak.