I started using the internet about ten years ago, just after I had finished my M.A. thesis for the Georg-August University in Göttingen about the Museum of Welsh Life, Sain Ffagan, near Cardiff. In 1999, I did an online Welsh course offered by Lampeter University by Dr. Julie Brake and Dr. David Thorne. I met them both afterwards, Julie in Lampeter and David in Llanelli on the TV show “Heno” which is now “Wedi 7” on S4C. Still in Germany back then I listened to Welsh Radio, Radio Cymru, online. In Cardiff, I had web facility and used it to look for new job possibilities, one of which I found at the Castle Museum in York, and they also invited me for a job interview there. However, I moved to Aberystwyth where I worked on a project called the Archives Network Wales (ANW) which had its office in the National Library on Penglais Hill. Being online all day long, I loved it.
In 2006, the ANW project came to an end, we moved house in Machynlleth, and I bought myself a new laptop, an Acer TravelMate 2410. I bought it from Amazon online, bought some software in a computer shop and had Tiscali internet connection. It was that year I also had a Nikon digital camera and I started to upload the pictures I had taken. Before I always used film cameras. I enjoyed e-mailing those to friends. I also used the DVD player on the laptop more. My main e-mail account was by madasafish (freenetname) which I still have now but not as the main one. In those days I booked flights online to European destinations, many with EasyJet, Ryanair, Bmibaby but also with Lufthansa. It was nice to be able to print out the flight-tickets oneself!
I use the internet for holiday ideas, inspiration and preparation.
Online shopping – I have done a little bit but I still prefer visiting different towns and cities, browse through the shops and boutiques and buy it on the day. I bought books from Amazon, a kitchen mixer from Amazon, a watch from the UEFA football fan site, fashion jewellery from Brigitte Bijou (which arrived broken and then I had the hassle of sorting it out!), concert tickets online and a few clothes. Some were okay, some did not fit – and I still prefer buying fashion from a good shop. I have never bought food online – but I am tempted with mymuesli.com. I read certain woman’s magazines online such as the German Brigitte. I still buy the magazines also.
I opened a first Flickr account NettysCymru I think. I started writing my first blog, a blogspot blog about my time which was a bit hard in Wales at the time. I was excited when the google search engines picked up – discovered my blog and when I got my first feedback on blog posts. Fantastic!
In the summer of 2007 I discovered Qype and registered with them but I did not start with any reviews until January 2008. I loved Qype and I still like it as a good source. Through Qype I had TRULY arrived at Web 2.0.
I wanted to write a good blog about positive things in Wales – so I became a blogger for Germanblogs - Wales. I almost wrote 200 posts. Take a look at wales.germanblogs.de
I must confess, I used to be a really really dedicated letter and card writer. My friend Delwyn in Cardiff and Susanne in Munich can confirm it. Since web 2.0 I hardly send any cards or letters. I save a lot of money that way. Ha ha – this is not the reason.
I started tweeting a year and a half ago, long before it became fashionable in Wales. Twitter: Nettys
I have been using Plurk, Jaiku, Bleeper (a German Twitter) as other microblogging sites – oh, and Identica.
Please also check listorious.com/nettys1
Some of my favourite fellow tweeple (people on Twitter) are: @ajprescott (a Professor who worked for the British Library, a digital and library professional who starts working in Glasgow in January) @bexxi (a lecturer from Aberystwyth who’s been living and working in Freiburg for over ten years)@writingwoman (a writer from Berlin) @sunnysides (a fellow student and friend from Göttingen who now lives in London) @Mrs_Penguin (a German living in the Midlands) @Natallini (an American from North Carolina with a German husband, she speaks and tweets in German) @ponor (an artist, painter who loves Sweden and speaks Swedish) @volkergoebbels (an IT expert and PhD in chemistry) @Goleudy (also lives in Machynlleth, well a little bit outside in the hills) @ andreasauwaerte (a guy from Koblenz).
Been using YouTube for over two years. I love all sorts of Forums.
My web 2.0 activities were a soliliquy first now they are a means of interacting and communicating. I use Skype sometimes, to or Messi, as I call it, Windows Messenger.
Yes, blogging is freeing and exciting. It is very 21st century, isn’t it?
For photos I use Picasa (on Google), Fotocommunity, Panoramio and also Ipernity.
Twitterlunches /Twittagessen – I like those - or Qype City Nights.
I have seen real kindness online! Social media also means to get talking. Here I find it similar to the ordinary life. People who are bad socialising or never reply to your answers do not have much to say on Twitter either; not always the case but often.
It is nice to be able to communicate with people who are on the same wavelength with me.
I still buy the Sunday newspapers from the shop. The internet cannot replace those for me. It is nice to hold the paper in your hand and lounge more comfy with the paper on the sofa.
