My name is
Ralph E. Emig Jr. and what follows is the result of my “Aggregating Pages
Adventure” assignment for my ETEC 527 Web 2.0 Tech for Instruction class
conducted the week of 2/6/2017.
Aggregate. According to definitions.net, an aggregate is a
material such as sand or gravel used with cement and water to make concrete,
mortar, or plaster…. “That sounds about right” I thought to
myself when I first opened up the Protopage website, I had never seen anything
like it before except once when my computer had contracted a virus and I was
mercilessly attacked by pop-up windows but this was much, much worse. I felt like I was wading through “concrete” while being “plastered” in the face by “mortar-rounds” of information. In response, I shut down my computer and went
to bed. It had been a long day at work
and that much material crammed into such a small space made my head hurt. Much to my disappointment, the following day
when I logged back into the site, nothing had changed. The whirlwind of data was still there mocking
me, taunting me, whispering “Abandon all
hope, ye who enter here” (Dante’s Inferno) and that “Strength is irrelevant. Resistance is Futile” (Locutus, previously
known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation). My dread was palpable. I had absolutely no idea how I was going to
accomplish this week’s task of creating my own aggregating page using
Protopage.com so I switched gears, and websites, and next visited
Netvibes.com. This Web 2.0 Tool looked
much more promising. Netvibes appears to be much more user
friendly, easier to navigate, and nowhere near as overwhelming and cluttered
looking as Protopage.
I almost chose Netvibes but something in the back of my
head, probably that rotten little, self-destructive homunculus of mine, kept
calling me back to Protopage. For once I’m glad I listened to him, unlike
the time when he suggested that I could fly if a simply ran fast enough and
jumped high enough off my parent’s roof… thank goodness
it was only a one-story home and much like “Bumbles”
(Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer) I too bounced!
Where am I? Oh yes, Protopages. I’ve always tried to steer-clear of anything
too new and difficult looking, “Mediocre,
that’s my Motto!” but, as I have walked down that road, although it’s safe
it’s also boring as Hell. I figured “What
have I got to lose?” and well, I can say with all assuredness that it hasn’t been
boring. The Web 2.0 Tool Protopage is pretty amazing. On a scale of 1 to 10, its versatility scores
a solid 11. I know what you’re thinking,
“Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make
that a little louder?” Why you ask, well
the answer is right there in front of you isn’t it, “These go to eleven.” (This
is Spinal Tap) I was able to completely customize
this page to my particular needs/wants and so can you. I cannot say with a clear conscience that it
was easy, anything but. It took me about
2-3 hours before things really started to get interesting and by the third day;
it’s hard to believe that I had a hand in its creation. My site is easy to read, has a wealth of
information, and looks very professional.
I feel confident that I’ll be able to modify this one or create another Protopage to better suit the needs of my
future teaching position, wherever and whatever that may be. If you’d like to visit my Protopage and see
what a novice like myself is capable of then please follow the link below.
Thank you for this
opportunity, I would have NEVER tried
this Web 2.0 Tool had it not been a requirement of this class. It’s remarkable what can be accomplished when
we leave our comfort zone behind and embrace something new. Simply Amazing.
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