Learning 2.0: learn about tagging and discover del.icio.us

I had previously participated in Rebecca Brown's "Social Bookmarking" webinar a few month ago, so I was already a little familiar with del.icio.us from that session. However, before that time, the only social bookmarking site I had used was Backflip (and that site doesn't appear to be as functional as it once was). I had heard of other people using del.icio.us, but for quite some time I didn't have the spare time to really investigate it. Now, I'm very glad I've made that time.

I have both a "personal" and "professional" account on del.icio.us, basically so I don't get my work links and my non-work links confused. If any of you are interested in looking at my "professional" links, my username is hughest. I've definitely found value in using del.icio.us personally and professionally. One of the eventual goals for me at work is to develop a LibGuide for our dental library, and I'm strongly considering using links and tags created through my professional username to help populate that LibGuide. On the personal side, I've been discovering lots of interesting blogs and web pages related to some of the issues that move me the most. In either case, here are a few things that I like:

• I LOVE the portability of the sites you bookmark. As long as you have access to a computer, you have access to the sites you save.
• The "recommended" and "popular" tag options are great for helping me discover new keywords that I can use for tagging the sites...especially helpful when I get stumped on finding the right word.
• The cloud and Top 10 tag options are quick ways to see which keywords are the most popular for me individually, or for any other user.