Commentary: Sotir: The Problem with Widgets...

The problem I have with Web 2.0 apps like widgets is that I can't stop using them. Widgetbox.com (see next post) has over 1200 education widgets alone. There just isn't enough room for them all on this Blog (or the other dozen or so Blogs that I manage...). If you are asking 'what's a widget?' let me explain. Widgets are cute little html coded mini-websites that you can add to things like Blogs and Wikis, Facebook, My Space...and even your iPhone. They do things like check your English prowess, help you learn English (or Spanish or German or...), keep up on news, sports scores and politics, count calories, get green (or stay green), or learn to be a better parent. You can add a graphing or scientific calculator to your math or science Blog, or check out the solar system in 3D. You can while away the hours with games or access musings on intersections of literature and life. Are you interested in history, or perhaps want to immerse yourself in Jane Austen's world? There are widgets for that. The real problem with widgets is that there are too many that I just can't wait to add to my sites. I could always create more Blogs so that I would have plenty of places to widget my time away, but that only compounds the problem. Be warned...they are quite addictive. And word to the wise: check out the widget for a little while before you add them to your student Blogs. Some content may not be appropriate, and you have no control over the content that appears. Widget on!