Notes on the #mlamobile Webcast (Questions and Comments)
So, we had just decided that we should encourage people to tweet about the Webcast using a hashtag and we jumped online to announce it…and discovered Nikki Dettmar had beaten us to it by a few minutes.
GMTA, Nikki. 
Anyway, it has been a lot of fun reading the tweets and I’m so grateful to those who participated for providing such useful, fun, fast feedback.
Some tweets I found interesting:
BerrymanD Great content today. Would recommend that, in the future, we skip the history lesson and go directly to the current content. #mlamobile
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:00:38 +0000 – tweet id 5837056058 – 552
Donna, I could not disagree more. The history provides context showing that technological change isn’t new, but is happening faster and faster. Without context, we’d just be talking about this week’s information instead of shedding a little light on longer-term trends. Also, Max rules and I learned a whole lot from his history lesson.
ericrumsey RT @joepemberton Android vs iPhone Debate Looks Like Windows vs Mac Debate #MLAmobile (Wired) http://bit.ly/11iy2G (via @jmk)
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:57:48 +0000 – tweet id 5836982620 – 540
I think of it as more analogous to “Windows vs. Linux.”
bohyunkim App development requires a web developer, says Rothman. Excellent point – mobilization requires resources + staff. #mlamobile
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:55:54 +0000 – tweet id 5836934904 – 532
App development requires, I believe, a developer. Simple iPhone-optimized Web sites seem within the reach of people who are already comfortable with XHTML and CSS …and those people aren’t necessarily programmers/developers.
jopomojo #mlamobile nice image of Google’s modus operandi: throw it against the wall and see if it sticks. Was that Rothman who said that?
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:52:21 +0000 – tweet id 5836846201 – 518
Nope. That was Bart. Bart was, I believe, the most consistently funny presenter.
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:48:18 +0000 – tweet id 5836744716 – 503
Well, I’m more accustomed to being asked to STOP talking about the stuff that interests me…so this was a nice change of pace.
dial_m #mlamobile google conversion util good to way to preview how ur current website displays on a mobile phone http://www.google.com/gwt/n
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:44:47 +0000 – tweet id 5836655564 – 490
I don’t think I agree. The Google mobile conversion tool isn’t an emulator that shows you what a page will look like on a mobile browser. Its purpose is to take pages that are NOT mobile-friendly and present them in such a way that they are easier to view in a mobile browser.
greeneyed_ives Does anyone have current patrons using PubGet? Especially practicing clinicians? Curious if it as popular as Rothman says. #mlamobile
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:04:55 +0000 – tweet id 5835687873 – 338
Did I say PubGet was popular? I don’t think it is yet…but I don’t understand why not. Besides, PubGet is only REALLY useful to patrons if their library implements it. It is free and and easy to try- why not get in touch with the folks at PubGet, set it up, and see if patrons like it? If you’d like an introduction to Ian at PubGet, let me know. He seems an awfully sharp, very nice guy who really likes libraries and librarians.
gabinator says @davidlrothman says Palm Pre’s problem is poor marketing #mlamobile
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:41:35 +0000 – tweet id 5835110236 – 214
Well, that’s one of its problems. iPhone marketing is everywhere and excellent. The marketing pushes for the T-Mobile MyTouch and the Verizon Droid have been strong. The other important problem Palm has with the Pre is that it is the only device using its operating system…so development for it is going to be pretty limited.
Other dangling queries:
Someone asked about an Android phone called the “Hero.”
HTC makes a phone called the “Hero” which runs on Android 1.5 and a user interface that HTC made themselves. It looks purty.
Another viewer emailed to ask: “What are the health risks in using these devices?”
Dependency? Max, Emily, and Bart seem a little addicted to their iPhones. Maybe accidents caused by walking and texting? [PubMed search]
Any other questions you feel haven’t been answered yet?
Leave a comment here and we’ll try to answer it.
Still to come:
More behind-the-scenes photos and video.
Like this post? Subscribe to the RSS feed!
November 19th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Still cracks me up that I beat you guys by a mere 6 minutes
November 19th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Yeah, yeah. Rub it in, Dettmar!
November 19th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Always! Great responses to Twitter questions (and in general) btw, it is appreciated.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Just to clarify, I found the google version utility was a good way to preview how BAD our current library homepage looked for a mobile user, which is why I think it’s useful.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Again, I have to disagree. The most it can do is show how how bad your library’s site looks for mobile users *who are using that google mobile utility.*
November 25th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
David -
While I appreciate your comments regarding the importance of context, I think two things should be noted: first, I think Max did a great job (I have no criticism of his presentation whatsoever); secondly, I was tweeting the consensus of the roomful of people who were watching the webcast from Rochester, NY, and not simply my own opinion. We found the current information incredibly informative and would have gladly allowed time for more. Y’all did a great job.
Donna