The Internet is big and the amount of time you have is not. To get the most out of the few scraps of time that you do manage to salvage, stop searching for the information you need, and let it come to you. Having web tools like an RSS reader, topic alerts, and a personalized homepage is like having a personal secretary bring all of your reminders, correspondence, and handpicked news right to your desk, only it’s free and leaves no clutter in your office.
Your RSS reader (like Google Reader or FeedReader) will pull content from all of your favorite blogs and websites so you never have to visit them to check for updates. I wrote about these in a bit more detail in a past blog post.
Your alert system (like Google Alerts) will keep an unblinking eye out for any information on the web that is relevant to your or your group's interests, combing through blogs, websites, videos, groups, or whatever your specify.
And last but not least, you personalized homepage (like iGoogle and NetVibes) acts as your online hub and aggregates all of this information and more. By visiting just one page, you can see the latest updates to your reader, email, and personalized news. You can also use a widget like Jott.com to view your to do list and add new items as they come up, plus check the weather, browse your calendar, and see all your bookmarks so you don’t have to remember any new URLs. You can also create a personalized homepage specifically for your group so that everyone can add items, see updates, and have access to the same resources.
Sometimes Internet literacy means learning how to use fewer tools rather than more tools. The trick is to choose the tools that save you time, help your group members get on the same pag, and make you breath a sigh of relief.
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