Blogging
A blog is an easy-to-use web site, where you can quickly post thoughts, interact with people, and more. All for FREE.   Most include ads and limit space. Content is open to public viewing. 
Academic Use: Alternative way of doing journal writing assignments.  Also, a good way of keeping a diary while on sebbatical or studying abroad.

Blogger.com  - http://www.blogger.com
Type Pad - http://www.typepad.com
Tripod - http://www.tripod.lycos.com/  (free version includes ads) 
WordPress - http://wordpress.org/
My Space - http://www.myspace.com/ 

Blog Search

Feedster  - http://www.feedster.com 
Memigo  http://www.memigo.com 

Chat
Hold real-time online conversations using text, audio and/or video. Hardware such as a headset and/or camera is required for audio and video chat.
Academic Use: Currently, iChat and CCCConfer is being used by instructors for office hours and attending department meetings from off campus.

AIM - http://www.aim.com/  (text only) 
Google Talk  - http://www.google.com/talk/  (text & audio)
Yahoo - http://chat.yahoo.com/  (text only) 
ICQ - http://www.icq.com/  (text only) 
Skype  - http://www.skype.com/helloagain.html  (audio & video calling)
iChat  - (Macintosh) http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/ichatav.html (text, audio & video)

CCCConfer - CETC, is a state-sponsored conferencing program. You must be California Community College staff to login. Use phone and computer to participate.  http://www.cccconfer.org/indexFlash.aspx  

Course Site (web-based, no fee) 
Using your browser, create a course site with class list, quizzes, grading, and blogging.    While the free version is not as sophisticated as Moodle and Sakai, it runs beautifully and is hosted by Nuvvo.

Nuvvo
http://www.nuvvo.com 

HTML Editor (program, no fee) 
Download this shareware version and install on you computer.

Nvu
http://www.nvu.com   
(Does not support WebDAV.  Uploading can be done manually dragging newly changed pages into your WebDAV window.

Google Page Creator
http://pages.google.com/-/about.html

Graphic Editing Programs 
After installing the program, you'll find a number of tools allowing you to edit photos. (optimize, resize, alter, crop, rotate, adjust hue & saturation, brightness, fix red-eye, etc.)
Academic Use:  Online editing programs are convenient, affordable ways to edit photos if Photoshop is not affordable or available on the computer you are using.  Great if you are traveling and using an Internet café and need to make some quick adjustments before posting a photo.

Shareware
IrfanView photo editing program, free download for Windows users. www.irfanview.com

MyImager.com  - web-based optimizer & editor -   http://www.myimager.com/  (Edit: resize, crop, flip; Adjust: hue & saturation, lightness, gamma, contrast, colorize, transparent; effects: sharpen, blur, despeckle, charcoal, oil paint; Draw; Optimize)

Professional Software
Adobe PhotoShop is the "Cadillac" of editing programs - a must for professionals
www.uscollegebuy.com $270.00 (Click Adobe/Macromedia tab)

Macromedia Fireworks (Since Macromedia was bought by Adobe, this program which goes hand-in-hand with Dreamweaver has become harder to locate.)  Software Deal  $175

Aperture - (Macintosh) high-end photo editing and management program for professional photographers and journalists. $249.00 Apple Education

iPhoto (Macintosh) part of iLife -photo importing, editing, management and sharing program for Apple users.(for the rest of us!) $59.00 Apple Education

Limited Edition Programs, mini-versions, are often included with digital cameras and scanners) will allow you to do many of the functions found in the full program Adobe Photoshop Elements  approx. $61.00 www.uscollegebuy.com  (Click Adobe/Macromedia tab)

Image Viewing Programs with Metadata
Many of you who are scanning and archiving photos have asked about image viewing programs that will allow you to add comments (metadata) about each photo so that your coo-workers/ family members/ or class can view your digital photo albums and read comments about photos (ideally cross-platform).
Academic Use:  Used for creating Photo Albums with comments.

These are some software options that can display images with comments. (Windows XP has PowerToys and Macintosh OSX has iPhoto.) Only one below is cross-platform.

Adobe Photo Album $49.00 (Windows)
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopalbum/main.html

Picasa by Google freeware (Windows)
http://picasa.google.com/features/index.html

IrfanView freeware (Windows)
http://www.irfanview.com/

Album Shaper shareware (Windows& Mac) (support for it is unknown)
http://albumshaper.sourceforge.net/

FastStone Image Viewer freeware (Windows)
http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

A simple option would be to create HTML pages (as albums.)

1. Using a web editor, such as nvu.com, you can create a page with a table and just drop one photo after the other into a two-column, multiple row table and adding comments about the pictures.
2. Copy and burn the files onto a CD.
3. Then, your family members can view the slides on your CD using their browsers.
   

Video Editing (web-based) 
Sites that also offer simple tools for stringing together video clips and then adding soundtracks, titles, transitions and unusual visual effects
Academic Use:  Great for creating videos and podcasts.

JumpCut.com  http://www.jumpcut.com/

EyeSpot  http://www.eyespot.com/

Grouper  http://www.grouper.com/

VideoEgg  http://www.videoegg.com/

Photo Sharing (web-based) 
Share, edit, organize, store, and order prints online.
Academic Use:  Great for editing and posting photos while studying or teaching abroad.

Shutter Fly  http://www.shutterfly.com/learn/index.jsp
Snap Fish  http://www.snapfish.com/howitworks/t_=0
My Photo Album  http://www.myphotoalbum.com/

Sound Capture 

Academic Use:  Good for shareing soundfiles, particularly in capturing speech in foreign language classes.

Sound Capture (Windows) 
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Sound-Capture-Download-7739.html

Quicktime  (Professional $29.99)   http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mac.html

Garage Band  (requires iLife -$59 academic pricing)

Wiki Sites (web-based) 
A wiki is a website designed for collaboration. Unlike a traditional website where pages can only be read, in a wiki everyone can edit, update and append pages with new information, all without knowing HTML.
Academic Use:  Great for collaborative work online.  Committees can work on a document online.
Wiki Spaces  http://www.wikispaces.com/  

Jot Spot   http://www.jot.com/   (5 users - 20 pages - free)

Web Hosting
Free web hosting

http://www.doteasy.com/