Google, the good and the bad!

Pieces of "new technology" should be adopted IF they help your life! Otherwise, run for the hills!

The top of my current webpage, showing the changes I must make!

Now you are likely wondering why a blog about music has anything to say about google at all. The simple answer that I own not only a teaching practice but that teaching practice is a business as well. And google is THE business item!

I use google for many things, including this blog. Another example is youtube.com. It has also been a great boon, although a mixed blessing. Their search engine is how most people know google (google it is a current catch phrase!) Thus, google has been both a hinderance and a help for me. I suspect it is the same with most music instructors, and they, too, have things they do and use and things they don't. Avoidance is okay - so long as folks don't avoid things because they are new or "too hard" (most online things are too easy, as I tell you below.) Given that this is NOT some sort of "kneejerk reaction" I think that acceptance/avoidance of technology is okay.

By the way, regarding instructors: most of the really good ones have experience although not all the experienced ones are really good!

What I use and why -

First topic: this blog is a google product. The two main blogs right now are Wordpress and Blogger. I choose blogger, mostly cause I'm familiar with it, but also it's far easier to leave a comment on it.

Google Calendar - I don't use it. It's very convenient but hard to preserve and read anywhere. I do a lot of my business planning at remote locations and even though I have a notebook computer, the one I prefer is a tower with a huge screen. I don't like the small screen. Thus, I went back to paper cause it was "better technology" for the way my life works.

Search Engine - This is how google started. They revise it constantly. I do a lot of business online and thus it's great for sending folks to my website. But there is one problem. It's become too, too easy to use. Lazy folks don't even have to go to website anymore. They simply call, NOT having done a lick of homework. Everything important about my lessons is on my website. Lately, too many people don't even bother going there and reading the simple materials. They don't know me from Adam, because my phone number is on the header of google. I guess I'll have to remove it. Damn. Other search engines that I've used don't do this. Google didn't used to. As I said, it's just too, too easy now.

Got a pet love or hate for google? Go to my site t www.danstarr.com and from there is easy to email me. I'm hoping for education here!