Add-ons

So I tried a couple. Just to try it. It’s kind of addictive even though I didn’t actually find anything very practical for me – I just might have to try a few more – hmmm.

Headlines was cool (actually someone else installed that one) Sampler required too many downloads of various programs to run the web pages that were coming up, and the Del.icio.us buttons were just as easy to install from Del.icio.us.  Still – there are lots of other things to try and I think that I will have to look at at least a few more.

How to get rid of coal burning power plants

Could we (as a society and a government) stop giving subsidies to the “big” power producers and use those funds to provide low cost solar panels to everyone. With the use of the smart meters and a guaranteed buy back price (see California or Colorado) we might be able to provide the extra energy that we would need to be able to close or cut back some of the big plants. I know that there would be economic disruption, but this would be balanced by the increase in the solar panel (etc.) industry.

Back to Facebook

OK last time I really didn’t have much use for Facebook, and I have to say that I am getting some ribbing from my daughters and their friends for using it, but – after looking at what the kids (16-25) are doing with these sites, it is not too bad. I have updated my profile and have made some “friends”. It still seems that it takes a lot of time. However, it makes me wish that there was a way to send a private message or seperate a public wall board and a private board. I think that there might be, but haven’t found it. This age group seems to be using these spaces even more than email, and I can see that it works for them.  We heard a lot about people being contacted through this medium after the shootings at Virginia Tech. Therefore this might be the place to send notices instead of sending to email. One thing to look at/evaluate would be that this age group tends to think that Facebook/MySpace is THEIR area and they might find the use of it for commercial/academic notices an intrusion or offensive.