Web Services and Accounts Matthew Mobbs mjm33@le.ac.uk

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Web Services and Accounts There are several web services and accounts that can be used in the PDP process, we will now look

at a selection that can be embedded into an ePortfolio.

del.ico.us del.ico.us (http://del.icio.us/) is a social booking tool that enables users to

bookmark websites, using their own tagging methods, and share them with

a network of fellow users. For PDP purposes within education, this can be used to share resources

with fellow course-mates and individuals can use them as part of the collection and reflection

process.

Creating a del.ico.us account

From the del.ico.us homepage select the ‘get started’ link. This will link to the ‘register’ screen,

shown below. Enter the appropriate details.

Once the details have been entered, select the ‘register’

button, this will lead to an ‘Install Buttons’ screen.

Installing these buttons will enable instant bookmarking

to del.ico.us by placing two buttons on the toolbar of your

web browser.

On completion of the installation del.ico.us will

automatically go to a tutorial screen on how to use the

buttons. When ready select the ‘View your saved pages

now’ to go to your account.

Web Services and Accounts Matthew Mobbs mjm33@le.ac.uk

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Using del.ico.us

Here are some of the key features of del.ico.us

Saved

bookmarks

Tag Cloud

This is a collection of all

the tags assigned to

previously saved

bookmarks.

The tag highlighted in

red is the tag currently

being viewed.

Related tags

The content on this list

has also been tagged

with these words

Your Network

See the links of the other

users you a have formed a

network with. Add new users

to your network

Links for you

Links that people in your

network have suggested.

Post

If the browser navigation

buttons are not available to

you, links can be posted

directly to del.ico.us

Bookmarks highlighted in red show they

have been posted on del.ico.us previously

by other users. This presents an

opportunity to extend you network.

Web Services and Accounts Matthew Mobbs mjm33@le.ac.uk

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Posting a bookmark to del.ico.us

A bookmark can be posted to del.ico.us when viewing a webpage by selecting the TAG icon that now

appears on your browser toolbar. This opens the

window seen here.

When the window opens the URL and description

appear automatically, but can be edited if required.

The notes and tags need to be entered manually.

Multiple tags can be added to one posting.

The bookmark can be shared with other users in

your network by selecting their username, listed in

the ‘Your network’ section.

This process can also be done by following the ‘post’ link instructions given in the ‘Using del.ico.us’

section.

Extending your del.ico.us network

In del.ico.us users can construct a network of fellow users between whom

links are shared. This enables users to share their findings amongst one-

another. To view ‘your network’ select the ‘your network’ link from your

del.ico.us home page, as seen in the ‘Using del.ico.us’ section of this

document. On this screen you will see all the links posted by users within

‘your network’.

To extend your network enter the username of a user in the search box,

seen here. This displayed on the right of the del.ico.us page. Select the ‘add’

button. If entered correctly the user name will automatically appear in the

‘your network’ list.

In an educational context this enables course-mates to follow one another and share resources.

Web Services and Accounts Matthew Mobbs mjm33@le.ac.uk

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Twitter Twitter (www.twitter.com) is a presence or micro-blogging tool that enables users to enter 140

character messages, the same as an SMS text message, and share

them with a network of users. Twitter can be used in an educational

context to discuss their subject at a distance or just share thoughts

on what they are currently doing with one another. From personal experience, having constructed a

community of academics within Twitter, by observing and contributing to conversations has enabled

me to find many valuable resources and solve problems.

Creating a Twitter

To create an account from the Twitter homepage

select the ‘Get Started – Join’ link. This will lead to an

account details screen, seen here where the usual

details are required, create a username, password

and email address. For security issues you will be

asked to enter two words that are displayed. Once

you have read the terms and conditions select the ‘I

accept. Create my account’ button.

This will lead to a page that presents an

opportunity for you to extend your network

by searching the contacts any email

accounts you have, including hotmail, Gmail

and yahoo. If you do not wish to search

your accounts this step can be skipped.

Once the registration steps have been completed

you will be invited to write your first ‘tweet’. A

‘tweet’ is the term Twitter use for a posted

message. At this stage Twitter prompts you to

answer the question ‘What are you doing?’. As you

start typing your answer the 140 character prompter will countdown, to show the number of

characters remaining.

This is your account now set-up, you can return to the site at any time to post a new ‘tweet’,

however in the PLEs and Portals section of this document you will discover this is unnecessary.

Extending your Twitter network

It is possible to extend your Twitter network by searching for users already in Twitter. To do this type

a search term, preferably a

username, into the search box

Web Services and Accounts Matthew Mobbs mjm33@le.ac.uk

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found in the main page navigation

located at the top of your Twitter

account page. Once the term is

entered select ‘search.’

The results of your search will be

displayed on a new screen, it will list

any users the match the term you

entered. To add any of these users to your network select the ‘follow’ button displayed next to their

name.

This will send an email to the user you have selecting. Their addition to your network needs to be

excepted by them.

Other services There are many other web services that could be used in an ePortfolio including:

Flickr – a web album

Wordpress.com – blog

Google Docs – online office suit

To find out more about these visit http://pleuol.wetpaint.com