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Living Online

Several years, I made the decision to put more of my digital life online. A primary reason was to be able to access material from different devices and not be dependent on one machine that might crash without warning!  This began with using a web-based e-mail program, Gmail.  As I changed over to a new iPad Air tablet this weekend, I was reminded how much of my personal and work life I have put online. 

I regularly use social media like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn both to keep in touch with friends and to share my work with Pinnacle Leadership Associates and Central Baptist Theological Seminary.  I was a late adopter on Twitter but I have found it to be a great way to share ideas and resources with others.

There are a number of online tools that have made my life easier:  Google calendar,  Google Maps, Slideshark, SlideShare, Moodle, Dropbox, Evernote, Doodle, MindMeister, YouTube, Vimeo,  and SurveyMonkey.  These sites help keep me organized, store resources such as files and video clips for easy accessibility, and provide creative ways to connect people and ideas.  I especially recommend three:  Dropbox, an online file storage and sharing site; SlideShark, a way to store PowerPoint presentations online and download to any device; and Doodle, a tool to schedule meetings with busy people.

My online communication is facilitated by Gmail, Blogspot, WordPress, Skype, FreeConferenceCall.com, and GoToMeeting.  I have tried several online videoconferencing platforms and GoToMeeting has been the most dependable so far, but I am always open to recommendations!

My entertainment sites include Amazon, Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Pandora, Audible.com, and Goodreads.com.  I have just started using Audible.comhttp://www.audible.com/ as a source for audio books and have enjoyed it.

I try to use as much as I can that is free, but I have signed up for paid levels on some sites.  Of course, there are other online sites that I access regularly, and I have probably missed some.  What are your favorite and most useful sites?  I would be interested to hear from you.

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