Web Gadget Review Possible Space Applications

In the application toolbox, it is important to have efficient tools that communicate ideas simply and effectively for a verity of environments. After spending some time in the vast waves of the social web I have some incite to how to adopt various technologies. Ideas, communication, information sharing, and creation in collaborative formats is critical for social media environments. This is an account of my week long journey.

Wikispaces

I added the TWIDDLA link under the Web Conferencing sub head in my class Wikispaces page. Check them out here. Wikispaces is a platform for social writing. It’s a kind of online classroom workspace. Free for teachers and students. Includes some features for classroom management, project based learning, safe social networking, knowledge communities, and online and remote learning.  

PiratePad

A free social editor with no sign up and no forms. Okay! I’m interested. High on collaboration, right! So, what is this thing. It looks like a relic. You can see it’s great for peer editing. Bunch of people can get in there at the same time. It’s all on one page, though. No scrolling. Has an audio tool, okay. Reminds me of an ancient google docs. Has all the standard editor tools. They have a very rudimentary identification system in where each person selects a text background color. One must be careful not to delete others content. Best to stick with one topic at a time while using. Includes the capability to exports to plain text or HTML files. The space is setup through emails address. To create a space one must invite people to the discussion.

Looking deeper I see that most of the open source, web based collaborative real-time editors come from EtherPad released in 2008. Changed to Etherpad by Google when they bought the company in December 2009. PiratePad uses the same open source platform. As well, they seem to be in beta and carry little support or community.  

So, I really liked this format. In so many ways PiratePad is so close to being good. This feeling lead me to check out Twiddla. PiradePad’s inability to incorporate graphics and emphasis on word docs and html files was not quite enough for me.

I have an app called Noteability that is similar to these web collaboration formats. The features are way more intuitive and accessible for content creation. The only difference is Notability doesn’t provide the web collaboration piece.

Twiddla

Great social features including mark up for websites, graphics, and photos, or the option to start brainstorming on a blank canvas. Create on the web with your friends or make that a conference call more productive it’s all right there. In my search to find low phi document and web conferencing space development type tool this is the ticket. Easy as using sticky notes.

Google Maps and Waze

I’m constantly using Google Maps and Waze mapping applications in my many travels. Waze includes real-time help from other drivers that is spot on. A community driven application with user that contribute to the current conditions of the road. Allowing for better maneuverability and connectivity.  I can personally recommend this product and it has been road tested. While I use Google for quick search results and source checking my go to is Waze. They have noteworthy traffic suggestions that have set up for more interesting travel situations.

           

Thinklink

Made an interactive picture! These are cool! Check it out here. Thinklink will download your graphics, photos, and 3D images so that tags, share features, and data collection can be merged with the media. Thinklink creates the ability for the observer to have an enhance interactive experience on web devices.     

Edmundo

Great teacher tool for creating an online social classroom. I created an avatar using some free Avatar generator and posted it to complete an assignment. Got me an ice-cream badge that totally made it worth my efforts. I had already made an avatar for my profile picture in the site but I thought it was fun to create another with the same objective in mind. They both miss the mark. I really like Emundo’s use if clean design. It gives the user the confidence in their abilities to use the product that the other sites are lacking. Great features like quizzes, tests, activities, poles, rewards, collaboration, assignments, and more. It’s the online classroom where what students learn is just as important as how people learn.

Facebook

Just wow! It is what it is. I don’t really like it but I check it several times a day. For the last 8 years it’s been this way.