Part I.
Stixy.com is a very easy to learn and user friendly application. You are allowed to create as many stixyboards as you want for free and it is very easy to navigate between them. I'm not a big fan of using sticky notes, but this allows you to also add photos, to do lists, as well as documents. I'm also try out their new calendar feature. I'm not sure that the calendar will be that useful in this application for me anyway since I use Google Calendar. There doesn't seem to be a way to import multiple events. It will allow you to have an email sent to you (you can pick when) to remind you of the event. This feature worked very well. I got an email reminding me of the event. That could be very useful.
I was frustrated when I first tried to look at the two guest samples. My Internet Browser (Firefox v 3.6.15 on a Mac OS 10.6.7) kept quitting on me. I upgraded to 3.6.16 and still continued to have problems. Upgrading to Firefox 4.0 seemed to fix the problem. I like the fact that there are several quick colors options for the sticky notes (only 4 plus the note can also blend into the background), but you have several more options as backgrounds if you want more, as well as several font styles and colors. I did try to put a frame around an image, but it didn't show up.
What I don't like about this site and has an effect on if I would use it, is that anyone with edit permission can change or delete text. I especially don't like that additions, changes, and deletions aren’t tracked. This could have the potential of someone whether by accident or on purpose deleting information. I'm really having problems figuring out how to use this as a collabroative site without having a way to track at least with students. I do like to use Wallwisher.com for that reason, but this site has many more options in the way the material is presented.
One thing I will need to test is if I can get to this site at our school. Several websites are blocked. I checked this morning and it is available in our school district. Yea!
Part II.
In part two, speculate about who in your community might have an interest in or use for Stixy? I could see where this application would be very useful to several different groups. Sixty has the advantage of being very easy to use and of course free, always a big plus.
Would parents be interested in learning about it? Not sure, possibly. Depends on their needs. Poyssibly a PTA group, or scouting. Way to organize a meeting, activity.
Genealogists? definitely if information was kept private and with a password.
Church groups? Yes, just another way to get information out to the parish.
Are there ways you could use Stixy in the library, either internally or with your community? It would be a great way to keep patrons informed. I think I would have it as view only, of course, that would depend on what your goal for the Stixy was.
Could you use it as a staff bulletin board? I think you would need to use what was established by the library/school//District, etc. This might be a quick easy way to share items for sale, recipes that would not be allowed on an official site.
With your teen advisory group? Yes, and it could be kept anonymous if teens didn't want to share their name.
With book club groups? Definitely! Great way to write their own opinion/review of a book and share.
I can see being able to link several stixyboards together to create a "scrapbook" of a tour, or a way for students to have their own page and create a biograpy, a brochure, etc.
I'm going to concentrate on using it to get information out about activities/events/contests to students and parents in the form of a quick newsletter type.
Go to http://www.stixy.com/guest/113052 to see my stixyboard.
