I can haz sertifi-cat?

To my total amazement, I have just accidentally completed another Thing – while I wasn’t looking, so to speak. Having reconciled myself to being the #epicfail member of the 23 Things panel – reaching the not-so-dizzy heights of Thing 5, then being diverted into new blogging directions – the Mongoose is, if not exactly back on course, having a small rapprochement with the programme.

” … it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place”

It’s all thanks to the Cambridge Librarian TeachMeet, which I found my way to via the #camlibtm hashtag on Twitter (and chiefly through the praiseworthy promotional efforts of @Girlinthe and @ilk21). Intending only to find out more, I visited the wiki page and was totally unable to resist the invitation to sign up.

As with the first blog account you create, it’s the speed of access that’s blinding: within seconds I had not only created an account for myself on PBwiki, but had signed up for the event, offered to pour wine, and blatantly plugged my favourite places to eat afterwards. It’s only now that the whole foundation of trust and altruism is slowly unfolding for me. Someone has gone to the trouble of creating a page and composing information, and they’re inviting me to jump in and edit it – add content stamped with my particular tone of voice, perhaps even change some of the original. That’s an amazing invitation, when you think about it.

OK, I don’t suppose Andy’s going to give me a Cam23 certificate for leaping from Thing 5 to Thing 22 … but I reckon I deserve a lolcat at any rate. And a tip of the hat and warm thanks to the #camlibtm team for steering my wavering steps Cam23wards briefly!

Advertisement

Oodles of Doodles

Doodle and I have a rather odd relationship. I share Libreaction‘s aversion to both its name and its description: telling people “I’ll send you a Doodle” makes me feel silly and vaguely unprofessional. Ah, for the days of Meet-O-Matic … which although sounding as though I was arranging a get-together in a laundry, also had a pleasingly automated and efficient ring about it. So why don’t I use it any more?

Er, that’s why. It’s ugly, clunky, and badly laid out. Neither nomenclature nor laundromat nostalgia could hold me. I cordially loathe Doodle’s colourways for available/unavailable/maybe available if I’m not washing my hair, but it’s free, it’s simple, and it works.

Out of a desperate urge to find an alternative to saying “Let’s Doodle!” one more time, I had a look at Tungle.me. I looked, I saw that you have to create an account, I left. And minutes later was arranging a meeting using … I just can’t say it any more. Meet me for coffee, anyone?

Image from icanhazcheezburger.com