Is SDI...
Super Double-scoop of Ice Cream?
Stupid Dumb Idiots?
Strategic Defense Initiative?
Small Duck Issues?
If you said 'yes' to all the above, you would be wrong. SDI stands for Selective Dissemination of Information. I am here to tell you how SDI can work for you for the low, low price of free, zip, zilch, nada, and nothing.
Imagine all the world's information is contained in just one book. Every day new chapters of new content are added. If I wanted a specific page or type of information, how would I go about this? What is great about Web 2.0 is how the user does not have to scour the web for the information for days on end. Now, we can have the information come to us. There are several options to consider:
- RSS - This stands for Real Simple Syndication. Think in the terms of subscribing to your favorite magazine and when something new is created or updated, the RSS function will grab the information for you and post in your Internet browser or RSS reader.
- Email - If your browser does not have the RSS function or don't want to bother with a RSS reader, you can still create an alert which the information is sent to your email inbox.
- Text Messaging - Depending on the service, you can have an alert to be sent to you on your mobile phone.
When I hit the highlighted words, I am prompted with this screen.
I can then type my email information and change the name to what ever I want the alert to be. I can request to have the alert send me updates on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.You see, having a SDI is easy as pie.
5 comments:
Montgomery,
Great post - If I get SDI now, I'll know how to "cure it."
I don't have a lot of experience with this application, but I do know about the Sage feeds through Firefox and Google alerts, I use both of these a lot. Sage searches RSS feeds and delivers them to you - you then click a button on your web browser and there it is.
Google Alerts is similar to SDI and delivers results to you through email, at intervals that you decide. I have one set up for my name, but since I'm not very famous, I don't get many alerts - bummer. :)
Great post!
Traci
Thanks Traci for the kind words. The problem I see, at least my own library system, trying to get people to use these SDI has been a challenge.
I love RSS and alerts- I don't generally use text alerts because just annoys me to get them! I'm not a plugged in constantly person, although I like technology.
This is interesting. I like the idea of favorite information topics sent automatically. I am going to have to explore SDI a little more.
Very funny! I would have gone with "super double-scoop of ice cream."
Thanks for the great posts!
And I agree with Maggie--I'm all for technology, but I do not want it bothering me on my phone. No texts! But I know that many many people do not feel that way, and so it is something to keep in mind as a disseminator (is that a word? or spelled wrong? grr) of information.
Post a Comment