http://elisaho.blogspot.com/2010/12/unit-14.html?showComment=1292377924142#c1591495884927098209
http://jrm170.blogspot.com/2010/12/126-reading-responses_11.html?showComment=1292378257342#c4319059066104277133
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
12/ 13 Reading Notes
What Cloud Computing Means
This strikes me as the webinization of the web, if I may make so little sense....
I was actually discussing this the other day in my super-interesting professional life: computing power is bound to one day be considered a utility, where we all pay for our required metered amounts of storage and computational oomph. That's part of this whole idea, right?
Explaining Cloud Computing
This guy is like a parody of himself; If you speed up the video, it looks like he's dancing or trying to peck the screen. Worth it.
At work, we sometimes farm out our 3D rendering to Amazon, because they can do it or 1/3 the cost and time. This is a very interesting development, and more than anything else so far this semester I feel like we're looking into what normal life will be like in 30 years when I'll be complaining about the good old days but am still really attractive.
Thomas Frey. The Future of Libraries: Beginning the Great Transformation
Wait: there's a National Intelligence Council? There is? Has anything non-eugenics-related ever sounded quite so pretentious?
I truly appreciated this reading, and for the first time wish we were in a physical classroom so that I could listen to better students discuss Mr Fry's outrageous proposals (most of which make sense). His thoughts on libraries shifting from centers of information (which is bound to be generically accessible) to cultural centers hopefully prescient, because it would be great to work in one. I do wonder, though, if he has given us all too much credit in his predictions. We are, after all, still fascinated by the daily lives of Kate Goslin and the president's kids.
Perhaps most importantly: how do you get to be a futurist? Is it too late to change majors, or do you earn it on a badge system, like my 'falconer' and 'parent' badges?
This strikes me as the webinization of the web, if I may make so little sense....
I was actually discussing this the other day in my super-interesting professional life: computing power is bound to one day be considered a utility, where we all pay for our required metered amounts of storage and computational oomph. That's part of this whole idea, right?
Explaining Cloud Computing
This guy is like a parody of himself; If you speed up the video, it looks like he's dancing or trying to peck the screen. Worth it.
At work, we sometimes farm out our 3D rendering to Amazon, because they can do it or 1/3 the cost and time. This is a very interesting development, and more than anything else so far this semester I feel like we're looking into what normal life will be like in 30 years when I'll be complaining about the good old days but am still really attractive.
Thomas Frey. The Future of Libraries: Beginning the Great Transformation
Wait: there's a National Intelligence Council? There is? Has anything non-eugenics-related ever sounded quite so pretentious?
I truly appreciated this reading, and for the first time wish we were in a physical classroom so that I could listen to better students discuss Mr Fry's outrageous proposals (most of which make sense). His thoughts on libraries shifting from centers of information (which is bound to be generically accessible) to cultural centers hopefully prescient, because it would be great to work in one. I do wonder, though, if he has given us all too much credit in his predictions. We are, after all, still fascinated by the daily lives of Kate Goslin and the president's kids.
Perhaps most importantly: how do you get to be a futurist? Is it too late to change majors, or do you earn it on a badge system, like my 'falconer' and 'parent' badges?
Last Muddy Point
My only thought is to wonder how connected to the universal digital community I should feel if my interaction is based on a "cloud" of material we all have access to?
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Muddiest Point 12-6
Do we need to submit one this week?
If so: Would it be that difficult for future MLIS students, or lowly interns to organize an accessory, alternative catalog of social tags for libraries, thereby taking the onus off professional librarians?
If so: Would it be that difficult for future MLIS students, or lowly interns to organize an accessory, alternative catalog of social tags for libraries, thereby taking the onus off professional librarians?
Saturday, December 4, 2010
12/06 Comments
http://kaitmlyons.blogspot.com/2010/12/reading-notes-126.html?showComment=1291472242903#c4204534045163550330
http://archivist-amy-in-training.blogspot.com/2010/11/week-13-it-issues-security-and-privacy.html?showComment=1291472650588#c726464282673994680
http://mszewczak.blogspot.com/2010/12/assignment-6-website.html?showComment=1291473035253#c6780121023146981940
http://archivist-amy-in-training.blogspot.com/2010/11/week-13-it-issues-security-and-privacy.html?showComment=1291472650588#c726464282673994680
http://mszewczak.blogspot.com/2010/12/assignment-6-website.html?showComment=1291473035253#c6780121023146981940
12/ 06 Reading Notes
No Place to Hide: Can You Believe Obama is Allowing This?
This sounds like the title to the best Steven Seagal film I never saw.
I can't get too worked up about this. There's not a lot going on at the point where national security intersects with my personal information. So much about the government bothers me that this doesn't stick out all that much. It is interesting, though, that librarians collectively soil themselves (which is almost never a dignified response) at the mention of releasing a patron's borrowing or browsing activity to the government, when clearly the government is only asking as a courtesy. It could easily find out anything it wants to by itself.
EPIC
This happens to be my Street/Rap alias.
Like Kaitlyn said, the goals and procedure outlined here are vague. I guess it would need to be so they can play loosely in court, if it comes to that. I can't bring myself to be too worried about this: the laws that define terrorism haven't been altered to include me...yet.
I do think that we as a society feel the right to know everything about anyone we want to, and that particularly private people are viewed with suspicion, yet we are outraged that the government is tracking our phones and the tiny transmitters in our dental work.
They're-Watching-You-tube
The lame-duck Congress had this public video removed, so I cannot speak directly to it, but I feel like my privacy rights have been violated because said video was "disappeared" before it could explain to me that my privacy rights are being violated.
This sounds like the title to the best Steven Seagal film I never saw.
I can't get too worked up about this. There's not a lot going on at the point where national security intersects with my personal information. So much about the government bothers me that this doesn't stick out all that much. It is interesting, though, that librarians collectively soil themselves (which is almost never a dignified response) at the mention of releasing a patron's borrowing or browsing activity to the government, when clearly the government is only asking as a courtesy. It could easily find out anything it wants to by itself.
EPIC
This happens to be my Street/Rap alias.
Like Kaitlyn said, the goals and procedure outlined here are vague. I guess it would need to be so they can play loosely in court, if it comes to that. I can't bring myself to be too worried about this: the laws that define terrorism haven't been altered to include me...yet.
I do think that we as a society feel the right to know everything about anyone we want to, and that particularly private people are viewed with suspicion, yet we are outraged that the government is tracking our phones and the tiny transmitters in our dental work.
They're-Watching-You-tube
The lame-duck Congress had this public video removed, so I cannot speak directly to it, but I feel like my privacy rights have been violated because said video was "disappeared" before it could explain to me that my privacy rights are being violated.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Muddiest Point from 11/29
It seems like Library 2.0 just the application of a meta-wiki with an administrator to the library. Is this really a game-changer for libraries?
Saturday, November 27, 2010
11/29 Comments
http://lis2600racheln.blogspot.com/2010/11/unit-12-social-software.html?showComment=1290871298273#c374523545775986662
http://pratt2600.blogspot.com/2010/11/112211-muddiest-points.html?showComment=1290871864263#c8128795891640739008
http://pratt2600.blogspot.com/2010/11/112211-muddiest-points.html?showComment=1290871864263#c8128795891640739008
11/ 29 Reading Notes
Weblogs: Their Use and Application in Science and Technology Libraries
I think the success of blogs in this environment is entirely dependent on the communities comfort level with them. Many people doubt the credentials of such an open format, and based on the ease of entry into the blogosphere (I hate that I used that as though it were a word) it’s tough to blame them. I so think that blogs allow for quick dissemination and access to new and current information, and as such could be ideal for administrative, public announcements, and general administration in libraries.
Using a wiki to manage a library instruction program: Sharing knowledge to better serve patrons
Wikis are by their nature collaborative, and as such are great for a workplace where so many people with diverse specialties are under a big umbrella. There is also a high level of accountability, usually. As with most of the tech-in-libraries we have discussed in this course, it will be interesting to see how and where wikis are being used in libraries in twenty years—if we haven’t moved on by then.
Creating the academic library folksonomy: Put social tagging to work at your institution
I think this is a great idea that could really help expand the usefulness of a search process. If I have a class that 5000 other students have taken in the past five years, there is a good chance that they will have already identified some useful materials for me. With some kind of administrative or editorial oversight, social tagging could make life much better for students—especially the dumb ones.
Jimmy Wales: “How a ragtag band created Wikipedia”
I didn’t realize that Wikipedia was such an active community, or so well-policed by volunteers. They seem to really care about their roles and the greater purpose of the site. It makes sense that the people who take time to post on their area of expertise will respect the work and try to keep it respectable.
Like others, I have to respect the folks at Wikipedia more than I used to. I guess it’s not a joke.
I think the success of blogs in this environment is entirely dependent on the communities comfort level with them. Many people doubt the credentials of such an open format, and based on the ease of entry into the blogosphere (I hate that I used that as though it were a word) it’s tough to blame them. I so think that blogs allow for quick dissemination and access to new and current information, and as such could be ideal for administrative, public announcements, and general administration in libraries.
Using a wiki to manage a library instruction program: Sharing knowledge to better serve patrons
Wikis are by their nature collaborative, and as such are great for a workplace where so many people with diverse specialties are under a big umbrella. There is also a high level of accountability, usually. As with most of the tech-in-libraries we have discussed in this course, it will be interesting to see how and where wikis are being used in libraries in twenty years—if we haven’t moved on by then.
Creating the academic library folksonomy: Put social tagging to work at your institution
I think this is a great idea that could really help expand the usefulness of a search process. If I have a class that 5000 other students have taken in the past five years, there is a good chance that they will have already identified some useful materials for me. With some kind of administrative or editorial oversight, social tagging could make life much better for students—especially the dumb ones.
Jimmy Wales: “How a ragtag band created Wikipedia”
I didn’t realize that Wikipedia was such an active community, or so well-policed by volunteers. They seem to really care about their roles and the greater purpose of the site. It makes sense that the people who take time to post on their area of expertise will respect the work and try to keep it respectable.
Like others, I have to respect the folks at Wikipedia more than I used to. I guess it’s not a joke.
Muddiest Point from 11/22
Muddiest Point
It is interesting to me that with so many millions of pages out there, so few are ever viewed. What percentage of users click past the first page of search engine results? I guess my real question is: Does it matter that the internet is so big and diverse if we can only search paid or “perfect” organic sites?
It is interesting to me that with so many millions of pages out there, so few are ever viewed. What percentage of users click past the first page of search engine results? I guess my real question is: Does it matter that the internet is so big and diverse if we can only search paid or “perfect” organic sites?
Saturday, November 20, 2010
11/22 Comments
http://kaitmlyons.blogspot.com/2010/11/muddiest-points-1115.html?showComment=1290282121810#c6594218598627478652
http://gemma2600.blogspot.com/2010/11/week-11-readings.html?showComment=1290282327615#c4765841129475771637
http://gemma2600.blogspot.com/2010/11/week-11-readings.html?showComment=1290282327615#c4765841129475771637
11/ 22 Reading Notes
Web Search Engines
Like usual, what is most striking to me about the internet in general is the scope of it, and the speed with which it can be navigated. Searched not take less than a second to complete, yet so much is accomplished in so little time, and with such good (usually) results.
Current Developments...OAI....
It seems like this group has OAI pretty well covered. Their future plans, which seem ambitious, will no doubt rely on the cooperation of other parties, and (like Dublin) on the general acceptance of their work. This all looks wildly complicated to me.
The Deep Web
I love the language employed in this discussion: deep, "animalcules," spidering, crawlers; it's all terribly romantic.... I want to bring Indiana Jones or Steve Zissou with me to explore it.
I'm a bit murky on the content of the Deep Web. I know that it is way bigger than the surface internet. I know that because the author mentioned it about seventy times. Maybe I missed this information in the text, but other than vague databases, what exactly are these enormous sited hidden menacingly beneath the surface?
Like usual, what is most striking to me about the internet in general is the scope of it, and the speed with which it can be navigated. Searched not take less than a second to complete, yet so much is accomplished in so little time, and with such good (usually) results.
Current Developments...OAI....
It seems like this group has OAI pretty well covered. Their future plans, which seem ambitious, will no doubt rely on the cooperation of other parties, and (like Dublin) on the general acceptance of their work. This all looks wildly complicated to me.
The Deep Web
I love the language employed in this discussion: deep, "animalcules," spidering, crawlers; it's all terribly romantic.... I want to bring Indiana Jones or Steve Zissou with me to explore it.
I'm a bit murky on the content of the Deep Web. I know that it is way bigger than the surface internet. I know that because the author mentioned it about seventy times. Maybe I missed this information in the text, but other than vague databases, what exactly are these enormous sited hidden menacingly beneath the surface?
Friday, November 12, 2010
11/15 Comments
http://kaitmlyons.blogspot.com/2010/11/koha-assignment.html?showComment=1289592061102#c3829716563633810560
http://saralis2600.blogspot.com/2010/11/reading-notes-for-1115.html?showComment=1289592329522#c1864724202358557755
http://saralis2600.blogspot.com/2010/11/reading-notes-for-1115.html?showComment=1289592329522#c1864724202358557755
11/ 15 Reading Notes
Digital Libraries
It seems like every time I learn about the origins of complex or innovative internet-based or -focused technologies, the US government is buried somewhere in its murky past.... It would be nice to think that this whole global community formed organically around freedom and opportunity, but I guess that's not the case.
You're welcome, all of you, for my tax dollars (and my parents') which made this all possible.
Dewey Meets Turing
So it was the Web that brought sex appeal to Library Science.... At least for computer scientists. I wondered why it was so irresistible.
I usually dislike tragedies where no one learns a lesson. This is no exception. I'm not surprised that the nerds and the...other nerds (I guess) couldn't agree over the prioritization of grant allocations. If I had to fight for a free pass to work on whatever I wanted to for the foreseeable future, I would be snippy, too. In the end, the computer scientist won (in my humble opinion), because their field is young and hip, and librarianismshipdom is seen as old and stodgy.
And have you notices that they don't make clothes for us anymore? Everything in stores is targeted toward them!
Institutional Repositories
I'm interested to hear more about this in class. I'm not clear on the normal scope of an IR. Also, do some institutions pool their resources to limit the costs, or should each institution have their own repository? Does anyone else feel feel awkward typing "repository?"
It seems like every time I learn about the origins of complex or innovative internet-based or -focused technologies, the US government is buried somewhere in its murky past.... It would be nice to think that this whole global community formed organically around freedom and opportunity, but I guess that's not the case.
You're welcome, all of you, for my tax dollars (and my parents') which made this all possible.
Dewey Meets Turing
So it was the Web that brought sex appeal to Library Science.... At least for computer scientists. I wondered why it was so irresistible.
I usually dislike tragedies where no one learns a lesson. This is no exception. I'm not surprised that the nerds and the...other nerds (I guess) couldn't agree over the prioritization of grant allocations. If I had to fight for a free pass to work on whatever I wanted to for the foreseeable future, I would be snippy, too. In the end, the computer scientist won (in my humble opinion), because their field is young and hip, and librarianismshipdom is seen as old and stodgy.
And have you notices that they don't make clothes for us anymore? Everything in stores is targeted toward them!
Institutional Repositories
I'm interested to hear more about this in class. I'm not clear on the normal scope of an IR. Also, do some institutions pool their resources to limit the costs, or should each institution have their own repository? Does anyone else feel feel awkward typing "repository?"
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Muddiest Point from 11/8
Looking at this website assignment now, it seems impossible..... I think it will be a bad couple of days leading up to the due-date.
Friday, November 5, 2010
11/8 Comments
http://tabialibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/11/copyright-entertainment.html?showComment=1288969281817#c8975517122224060841
http://annebetz-lis2600.blogspot.com/2010/11/week-nine-readings.html?showComment=1288969731447#c847180264422060470
http://annebetz-lis2600.blogspot.com/2010/11/week-nine-readings.html?showComment=1288969731447#c847180264422060470
11/ 8 Readings
Burks (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bult.104/full)
Thanks, Megan and Katie, for the link to this.
I think that if I more fully understood HTML, XML would be easier to understand. I understand that it is a near-universally accepted language that allows most systems and computers to interpret HTML formatting. If I’ve missed the ball on this, please correct me.
XML http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-stand1.html
This site provided so much technical information that I, like many others, reverted to a Wikipedia article to make sense of it. The lasting value I’ll take from this link is an understanding of the vastness and complexity of the XML world. I should not be surprised, because XML makes internet authoring easier, and that is a huge industry.
I haven’t thought before about the hundreds of thousands of people who get paid to design products that make it easier for millions of others to post things online. It must be the same as the people who make pallets and boxes and shrink-wrap and forklifts and trucks and uniforms and coffee and insurance policies and razors and sunglasses and cigarettes and boots and fast food to ensure that my grocery store is stocked with food every day.
Andre Bergholz PDF
SGML “defines structure for documents…”
HTML dictates the layout of documents, but doesn’t address their content.
XML allows a user to “meaningfully annotate text” so that people and computers can more easily read and interpret it. In other words: XML lets you make your text look the way you want it to, no matter which system or machine is decoding it. I think.
I bookmarked this site, because I appreciated that it was written by people for other people to read.
http://www.w3schools.com/Schema/default.asp
Because XML allows more direction than HTML, it was more difficult to play around with in the tutorial.
“Start learning XML Schema Now!” This page makes me want to jump right in and learn XML this afternoon! Once again, I feel like some hyperbole (or at least a negligent or imprecise usage of implied meaning) was employed here.
What it really means is: Start the arduous chore of mastering a vast, logically-foreign language of Gordian complexity that may require three hours of study a day for several weeks, and a few trips to your IT-trained brother-in-law’s house, three bottles of ibuprofen, and could result in deep feelings of inadequacy.
I liked it.
Thanks, Megan and Katie, for the link to this.
I think that if I more fully understood HTML, XML would be easier to understand. I understand that it is a near-universally accepted language that allows most systems and computers to interpret HTML formatting. If I’ve missed the ball on this, please correct me.
XML http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-stand1.html
This site provided so much technical information that I, like many others, reverted to a Wikipedia article to make sense of it. The lasting value I’ll take from this link is an understanding of the vastness and complexity of the XML world. I should not be surprised, because XML makes internet authoring easier, and that is a huge industry.
I haven’t thought before about the hundreds of thousands of people who get paid to design products that make it easier for millions of others to post things online. It must be the same as the people who make pallets and boxes and shrink-wrap and forklifts and trucks and uniforms and coffee and insurance policies and razors and sunglasses and cigarettes and boots and fast food to ensure that my grocery store is stocked with food every day.
Andre Bergholz PDF
SGML “defines structure for documents…”
HTML dictates the layout of documents, but doesn’t address their content.
XML allows a user to “meaningfully annotate text” so that people and computers can more easily read and interpret it. In other words: XML lets you make your text look the way you want it to, no matter which system or machine is decoding it. I think.
I bookmarked this site, because I appreciated that it was written by people for other people to read.
http://www.w3schools.com/Schema/default.asp
Because XML allows more direction than HTML, it was more difficult to play around with in the tutorial.
“Start learning XML Schema Now!” This page makes me want to jump right in and learn XML this afternoon! Once again, I feel like some hyperbole (or at least a negligent or imprecise usage of implied meaning) was employed here.
What it really means is: Start the arduous chore of mastering a vast, logically-foreign language of Gordian complexity that may require three hours of study a day for several weeks, and a few trips to your IT-trained brother-in-law’s house, three bottles of ibuprofen, and could result in deep feelings of inadequacy.
I liked it.
Muddiest Point 11/Something
Is it necessary to learn HTML anymore? I'm not complaining about the coursework or assignments, I'm just curious. I know that some of my friends who design websites (even for profit) do not know HTML. On the other hand, I have been told by employers that I would be more valuable if I already knew it....
Monday, November 1, 2010
Koha Assignment: For Raising Children of Quality
User Name: apk33
List Name: For Raising Children of Quality
http://upitt01-staff.kwc.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/virtualshelves/shelves.pl?display=publicshelves&shelfoff=3
List Name: For Raising Children of Quality
http://upitt01-staff.kwc.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/virtualshelves/shelves.pl?display=publicshelves&shelfoff=3
Saturday, October 30, 2010
11/1 Comments
http://edenorelove.blogspot.com/2010/10/unit-8-reading-responses-html-and-web.html?showComment=1288467163856#c481012455642565318
http://saralis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/reading-notes-for-111.html?showComment=1288467547030#c8758793178380912447
http://kaitmlyons.blogspot.com/2010/10/muddiest-points-1025.html?showComment=1288466422060#c8171142354364793393
http://saralis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/reading-notes-for-111.html?showComment=1288467547030#c8758793178380912447
http://kaitmlyons.blogspot.com/2010/10/muddiest-points-1025.html?showComment=1288466422060#c8171142354364793393
11/1 Reading Notes
W3 HTML Tutorial
Like others, I have bookmarked this for future use, because it is plausible that I will need to know the fundamentals of HTML as some dark point in my career. My web-cool friends have informed me that most programs I will be using to build and host sites with will take care of the HTML for me, but one never knows. I like the specificity of the site, and the concrete nature of the language. So much of what I’ve studied before has had large fields of gray; this is all black and white.
I must admit, though, that the claim: “HTML is easy to learn - You will enjoy it,” terrifies me. Right off the bat, I know the trajectory of the task. I’m dealing with people who openly overestimate my tech-savvy. This is either casual blindness or shameful marketing.
Learn tight-rope-walking for fun and profit in one easy step!
Webmonkey
This is more a reference tool than an article to comment on, but as such I suppose it could end up being more helpful in the learning process. I can see how, until you’ve mastered the process, this guide would be invaluable. This whole HTML process is reminding me quite a lot of a Japer Fforde novel. It takes some mental redirection (like backing up a trailer) to accept that web pages are born from such chicken-scratch.
W3 CSS
Let me see if I’ve got this:
Cascading Style Sheets are essentially a designer-created matrix for HTML documents. So if I have to input or update information into twenty different pages of a site, I do not have to start from scratch on each page. I design my CSS once, and it will determine the style (translated for Philistines like myself: “look”) of all twenty pages. I can then simply focus on the content of each page, and be home for dinner on time.
Goans, D., Leach, G., & Vogel, T. M. (2006). Beyond HTML: Developing and re-imagining library web guides in a content management system. Library Hi Tech, 24(1), 29-53.
I think I would need to know more about a few things to fully understand the study referenced here. I understand that the FrontPage-published websites that GSU’s Libraries had been using were poorly-designed, inefficient, and unsecured. The CMS, by comparison, gave its users more flexibility and greater security, while saving every page in a database, and allowing librarians (and maybe patrons) to customize their own links…. I’m still honestly fuzzy on some of this.
Like others, I have bookmarked this for future use, because it is plausible that I will need to know the fundamentals of HTML as some dark point in my career. My web-cool friends have informed me that most programs I will be using to build and host sites with will take care of the HTML for me, but one never knows. I like the specificity of the site, and the concrete nature of the language. So much of what I’ve studied before has had large fields of gray; this is all black and white.
I must admit, though, that the claim: “HTML is easy to learn - You will enjoy it,” terrifies me. Right off the bat, I know the trajectory of the task. I’m dealing with people who openly overestimate my tech-savvy. This is either casual blindness or shameful marketing.
Learn tight-rope-walking for fun and profit in one easy step!
Webmonkey
This is more a reference tool than an article to comment on, but as such I suppose it could end up being more helpful in the learning process. I can see how, until you’ve mastered the process, this guide would be invaluable. This whole HTML process is reminding me quite a lot of a Japer Fforde novel. It takes some mental redirection (like backing up a trailer) to accept that web pages are born from such chicken-scratch.
W3 CSS
Let me see if I’ve got this:
Cascading Style Sheets are essentially a designer-created matrix for HTML documents. So if I have to input or update information into twenty different pages of a site, I do not have to start from scratch on each page. I design my CSS once, and it will determine the style (translated for Philistines like myself: “look”) of all twenty pages. I can then simply focus on the content of each page, and be home for dinner on time.
Goans, D., Leach, G., & Vogel, T. M. (2006). Beyond HTML: Developing and re-imagining library web guides in a content management system. Library Hi Tech, 24(1), 29-53.
I think I would need to know more about a few things to fully understand the study referenced here. I understand that the FrontPage-published websites that GSU’s Libraries had been using were poorly-designed, inefficient, and unsecured. The CMS, by comparison, gave its users more flexibility and greater security, while saving every page in a database, and allowing librarians (and maybe patrons) to customize their own links…. I’m still honestly fuzzy on some of this.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Muddiest Point 10/25
A bit off-topic, but here it is:
Would search-engine-marketing or pay-per-click experience be valuable to academic libraries? I know that there is a push toward heavy marketing in public libraries, but is the same true of academic institutions?
Would search-engine-marketing or pay-per-click experience be valuable to academic libraries? I know that there is a push toward heavy marketing in public libraries, but is the same true of academic institutions?
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Comments, 10/23/2010
http://kaitmlyons.blogspot.com/2010/10/reading-notes-1025.html?showComment=1287847182843#c8520820253260098701
http://marclis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/readings_21.html?showComment=1287847867238#c7172393115263972308
http://cstalkerlis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/unit-7-internet-and-www-technologies.html?showComment=1287848322255#c240249638888962712
http://marclis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/readings_21.html?showComment=1287847867238#c7172393115263972308
http://cstalkerlis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/unit-7-internet-and-www-technologies.html?showComment=1287848322255#c240249638888962712
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Muddiest Point Fast-Track-Style
I would just like to say thank you to all the on-campus types who welcomed us Fast-Track stepchildren with open arms.
And: I had planned on making connections with actual people so that I could connect faces and hasty first-impressions with their blogs, but I failed, and I apologize.
And: I had planned on making connections with actual people so that I could connect faces and hasty first-impressions with their blogs, but I failed, and I apologize.
10/25 Reading Notes
Jeff Tyson: Internet Infrastructure
This was wildly informative. I’ve heard simple descriptions of how the internet functions, and I’m sure that Tyson has only scratched the surface here, but I think I got the basics now. It is fantastic to me to think that the magical, futuristic connectivity that spans the globe (and allows most of humanity to communicate almost instantly) can be reduces to cables underground or up in the air. All that data still hums through something similar to the telegraph wires that crossed our nation in the 1860s.
I also appreciate that it is the agreement between huge companies that allows this to function at all. I didn’t realize that the West had underhandedly exported the free market around the world. I guess the Google-in-China debate has layers I hadn’t thought of….
Dismantling Integrated Library Systems
Libraries have earned such a reputation for thrift (or stinginess, depending on your bent and motives) that vendors know they won’t be buying their best technology. Tech-developers have begun to hawk basic service platforms, so librarians won’t need to hack or jury-rig them. Librarians are the Cuban mechanics of software, apparently (Cuba is filled with old US or Soviet-bloc autos which keep running for decades longer than intended).
Sergey and Larry
If my employer (if it hadn’t just laid me off) would have given me 20% of my time to pursue my own projects, I would probably not have created anything worthwhile. But I would be roughly 20% happier at work….
I don’t know what to think about these two Smashing Young Men who have made my own goals and accomplishments look…unambitious. Okay: pathetic. Sergey and Larry basically just spent 20 minutes explaining how much cooler their company is than the company I would own if I could have been bothered to start one instead of teaching my kids how to ride their bike without training-wheels or developing a taste for pho.
Thanks, Google. Thanks a ton.
This was wildly informative. I’ve heard simple descriptions of how the internet functions, and I’m sure that Tyson has only scratched the surface here, but I think I got the basics now. It is fantastic to me to think that the magical, futuristic connectivity that spans the globe (and allows most of humanity to communicate almost instantly) can be reduces to cables underground or up in the air. All that data still hums through something similar to the telegraph wires that crossed our nation in the 1860s.
I also appreciate that it is the agreement between huge companies that allows this to function at all. I didn’t realize that the West had underhandedly exported the free market around the world. I guess the Google-in-China debate has layers I hadn’t thought of….
Dismantling Integrated Library Systems
Libraries have earned such a reputation for thrift (or stinginess, depending on your bent and motives) that vendors know they won’t be buying their best technology. Tech-developers have begun to hawk basic service platforms, so librarians won’t need to hack or jury-rig them. Librarians are the Cuban mechanics of software, apparently (Cuba is filled with old US or Soviet-bloc autos which keep running for decades longer than intended).
Sergey and Larry
If my employer (if it hadn’t just laid me off) would have given me 20% of my time to pursue my own projects, I would probably not have created anything worthwhile. But I would be roughly 20% happier at work….
I don’t know what to think about these two Smashing Young Men who have made my own goals and accomplishments look…unambitious. Okay: pathetic. Sergey and Larry basically just spent 20 minutes explaining how much cooler their company is than the company I would own if I could have been bothered to start one instead of teaching my kids how to ride their bike without training-wheels or developing a taste for pho.
Thanks, Google. Thanks a ton.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Jing Assignment! Jing Assignment!
Jing video about how to feed my blog-fish:
http://www.screencast.com/users/andrewkulp/folders/Default/media/1cdc564c-998e-498f-8b63-e65aa0a157e8
Jing-Flickr image captures
RFID
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54021778@N04/5068729663/
Koi Thing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54021778@N04/5068708143/
Blog Capture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54021778@N04/5068700559/in/photostream/
Odin's T-rex
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54021778@N04/5068690339/in/photostream/
Penny
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54021778@N04/5068658511/in/photostream/
http://www.screencast.com/users/andrewkulp/folders/Default/media/1cdc564c-998e-498f-8b63-e65aa0a157e8
Jing-Flickr image captures
RFID
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54021778@N04/5068729663/
Koi Thing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54021778@N04/5068708143/
Blog Capture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54021778@N04/5068700559/in/photostream/
Odin's T-rex
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54021778@N04/5068690339/in/photostream/
Penny
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54021778@N04/5068658511/in/photostream/
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Week 6 Comments
http://annebetz-lis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/week-six-muddiest-points.html?showComment=1286637201081#c1404734980205733931
http://annebetz-lis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/week-6-readings.html?showComment=1286638188315#c7383922289432177224
http://deyslis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/week-six-readings-post.html?showComment=1286638528022#c8259712143109129754
http://annebetz-lis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/week-6-readings.html?showComment=1286638188315#c7383922289432177224
http://deyslis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/week-six-readings-post.html?showComment=1286638528022#c8259712143109129754
Week 6 Reading Notes
Wiki LAN
The other day I used the LAN at my local McDonalds to research for an essay. Next week I may try to use the internet at my local grocery store, or possibly the nearest Home Depot. I guess the necessity to connect to the internet everywhere we go has made it possible to do so…. At some point, after everyone has a LAN, and we have all learned to violate each others’ password protections, we will have blanket coverage wherever we go. I saw a commercial for a cell phone that creates a portable LAN for other devices to use wherever it goes. This whole thing is getting out of control.
Wiki Networks
I appreciated the diagrams on this page; networks make more sense to me when they can be mapped, Lombardi-style.
In my current terrible position I use a VPN network to access the home office’s network while in “the field.” It seems to be a secure enough way to share sensitive information over distance while maintaining access to the databases in the office. It also fails to work properly fairly often.
My previous employer used a local network with a twisted-pair connection that was far more reliable, but limited my ability to run through the halls with my machine, which is never truly necessary, but nevertheless often daydreamed-about.
It makes sense that the internet was initially (and still is in places) an overlay network for the phone system. I guess that matrix will continue to be used as overlay networks layer one another in the future. Elmo on Sesame Street told me the other day that high speed internet is a basic right of all children in the US (akin to life liberty, etc.). I assume that at some point we will all have access to free connectivity wherever we go, and that separate overlaid networks will ensure the security of private firms and institutions.
YouTube Networks
I should have watched this before I read the wiki article. Basically the same information abridged for the ADHD crowd, and with almost no technical jargon or instruction: I approve wholeheartedly!
I would also like to speculate that if Mr. Klein were to lower his sweater zipper by even a couple of teeth, his head might fall off. For the record I hope that I am wrong, or that at least this does not happen.
RFID in Libraries
I think that RFID applications are a natural fit for libraries. RFID tags could handle some of the tasks which needy and overly-hip undergrads typically perform in libraries, making good economical sense. Additional savings in lost and damaged materials and collection movement analysis makes RFID tough to challenge.
Privacy issues are justified, but I'm not sure they are prohibitive. Apparently current library RFID tags are too weak to usefully track materials that accompany me to my seediest haunts. I've always assumed that the bar-code on my library card enabled librarians (and, hypothetically, Big Brother) to research my borrowing history. In an age when our web footprint is traceable and when every citizen could be packing a (GPS enabled) video recorder, worrying about which library materials I check out seems...quaint.
I think RFID improvements for library usage may be more policy- than technology-driven: Educating the public about the uses and limitations of the tags, and encouraging transparency amongst institutions, the public, and the courts.
Note: This last bit was taken from my previous Blackboard Discussion Board post.
The other day I used the LAN at my local McDonalds to research for an essay. Next week I may try to use the internet at my local grocery store, or possibly the nearest Home Depot. I guess the necessity to connect to the internet everywhere we go has made it possible to do so…. At some point, after everyone has a LAN, and we have all learned to violate each others’ password protections, we will have blanket coverage wherever we go. I saw a commercial for a cell phone that creates a portable LAN for other devices to use wherever it goes. This whole thing is getting out of control.
Wiki Networks
I appreciated the diagrams on this page; networks make more sense to me when they can be mapped, Lombardi-style.
In my current terrible position I use a VPN network to access the home office’s network while in “the field.” It seems to be a secure enough way to share sensitive information over distance while maintaining access to the databases in the office. It also fails to work properly fairly often.
My previous employer used a local network with a twisted-pair connection that was far more reliable, but limited my ability to run through the halls with my machine, which is never truly necessary, but nevertheless often daydreamed-about.
It makes sense that the internet was initially (and still is in places) an overlay network for the phone system. I guess that matrix will continue to be used as overlay networks layer one another in the future. Elmo on Sesame Street told me the other day that high speed internet is a basic right of all children in the US (akin to life liberty, etc.). I assume that at some point we will all have access to free connectivity wherever we go, and that separate overlaid networks will ensure the security of private firms and institutions.
YouTube Networks
I should have watched this before I read the wiki article. Basically the same information abridged for the ADHD crowd, and with almost no technical jargon or instruction: I approve wholeheartedly!
I would also like to speculate that if Mr. Klein were to lower his sweater zipper by even a couple of teeth, his head might fall off. For the record I hope that I am wrong, or that at least this does not happen.
RFID in Libraries
I think that RFID applications are a natural fit for libraries. RFID tags could handle some of the tasks which needy and overly-hip undergrads typically perform in libraries, making good economical sense. Additional savings in lost and damaged materials and collection movement analysis makes RFID tough to challenge.
Privacy issues are justified, but I'm not sure they are prohibitive. Apparently current library RFID tags are too weak to usefully track materials that accompany me to my seediest haunts. I've always assumed that the bar-code on my library card enabled librarians (and, hypothetically, Big Brother) to research my borrowing history. In an age when our web footprint is traceable and when every citizen could be packing a (GPS enabled) video recorder, worrying about which library materials I check out seems...quaint.
I think RFID improvements for library usage may be more policy- than technology-driven: Educating the public about the uses and limitations of the tags, and encouraging transparency amongst institutions, the public, and the courts.
Note: This last bit was taken from my previous Blackboard Discussion Board post.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Muddiest Point 10/4
Since a good library is something like a big, semi-organic database in which we all have a role or function, does anyone else feel like those cleaner-fish who swim around the bigger, sloppier fish making everything run more smoothly?
Maybe an ant farm is a better metaphor.
Nevermind.
Maybe an ant farm is a better metaphor.
Nevermind.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Week 5 Comments
http://sarahwithtechnologyblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-5-comments.html?showComment=1285871883573#c8024663277691824988
http://nrampsblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/unit-5-reading-notes.html?showComment=1285874936608#c5262867092224111660
http://maj66.blogspot.com/2010/09/muddiest-point-week-four.html?showComment=1285875766828#c5070807601837688784
http://nrampsblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/unit-5-reading-notes.html?showComment=1285874936608#c5262867092224111660
http://maj66.blogspot.com/2010/09/muddiest-point-week-four.html?showComment=1285875766828#c5070807601837688784
10/4 Reading Notes
Wiki Databases
We always uses to tell our students not to use Wikipedia for research assignments, because it was notoriously untrustworthy. The more I use it for this class, however, I'm being won over to its simplicity. I still don't believe that people are basically good, though.
It had not occurred to me that the World Wide Web is itself a database; it is perhaps the mother of all databases: pan- or meta of the family. You can see this clearly in the diverse applications which firms like Google have created to harness different aspects of the web. Interestingly, this means that anybody can insert themselves and their interests into a global database (in fact, we have been included without our consent, in most cases).
Getty Metadata
When I first thought about metadata I wondered if it wasn't just a semantic ploy--a newly created field to get published in. I've changed my mind since then.
In the library profession metadata must be the primary way we interact with information. It enables us to evaluate an object without necessarily consuming it. I like the notion that metadata continues to accumulate throughout the lifetime of an object.
I wonder if there is any danger in object becoming (at least to information professionals) nothing more than the sum of their metadata? At some point, can the forest obscure the trees?
Dublin Core
This discussion was more technical than I generally like in my light reading....
I think I understand the overarching concept: a need exists for universal metadata descriptors by which an object can be searched-for across disciplines.
Is that correct?
Apparently there is even funding for such an effort, which seems charitable of someone.
Is there a governing, authoritative body which will enforce this, after it is implemented? Otherwise I don't see how it will succeed. If so, will it be similar to Dewey? Discuss. (How pompous is it to conclude with "discuss?")
We always uses to tell our students not to use Wikipedia for research assignments, because it was notoriously untrustworthy. The more I use it for this class, however, I'm being won over to its simplicity. I still don't believe that people are basically good, though.
It had not occurred to me that the World Wide Web is itself a database; it is perhaps the mother of all databases: pan- or meta of the family. You can see this clearly in the diverse applications which firms like Google have created to harness different aspects of the web. Interestingly, this means that anybody can insert themselves and their interests into a global database (in fact, we have been included without our consent, in most cases).
Getty Metadata
When I first thought about metadata I wondered if it wasn't just a semantic ploy--a newly created field to get published in. I've changed my mind since then.
In the library profession metadata must be the primary way we interact with information. It enables us to evaluate an object without necessarily consuming it. I like the notion that metadata continues to accumulate throughout the lifetime of an object.
I wonder if there is any danger in object becoming (at least to information professionals) nothing more than the sum of their metadata? At some point, can the forest obscure the trees?
Dublin Core
This discussion was more technical than I generally like in my light reading....
I think I understand the overarching concept: a need exists for universal metadata descriptors by which an object can be searched-for across disciplines.
Is that correct?
Apparently there is even funding for such an effort, which seems charitable of someone.
Is there a governing, authoritative body which will enforce this, after it is implemented? Otherwise I don't see how it will succeed. If so, will it be similar to Dewey? Discuss. (How pompous is it to conclude with "discuss?")
Muddiest Point 9/28
I'm confused by the Jing assignment, but I'll keep working on it....
If we continue to primarily listen to audio through compressed internet media, will our lowest common denominator for sound quality plummet? Or will technology advance to the point that we can no longer tell the difference?
If we continue to primarily listen to audio through compressed internet media, will our lowest common denominator for sound quality plummet? Or will technology advance to the point that we can no longer tell the difference?
Saturday, September 25, 2010
9/27 Comment
http://sek80.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-4-reading-notes.html?showComment=1285445406535#c4042747661202527015
9/27 Reading Notes
Data Compression (Wiki)
Essentially,
Data compression is a trade-off on some level. A user must sacrifice some information in order to transmit the whole in a smaller, simpler bundle. Lossy compression shaves off the edges to make the information fit better, while lossless compression changes the information to describe it in fewer bits.
From what I understand, another trade-off is financial: a user can opt to pay for specialized equipment or software that does the heavy lifting of compression without losing any information in the process.
Is the “buffering” process a side-effect of data compression?
DVD HQ
This was difficult to get through. I’ll be honest: it’s tough to care about the details of data compression. I would like to be able to compress and decompress information, so I suppose the back-story will be helpful at some point.
I’m impressed that so much goes into breaking down every bit of information that we transmit, and that it works so smoothly most of the time.
What I did take away from this is the complexity and intricacy of this applied technology. I fully appreciate the investment in programming that allows this to work. The idea of adding a difference image between video frames (and individual blocks within each frame) is a bit fascinating. It supplies a good example of problems and solutions that build upon one another as our understanding of the potentials and limitations of programming reveal themselves.
Imaging Pittsburgh
This is a great database. Every city should have something comparable, though there is a limited audience for such things. Whenever I browse collections like this I grow nostalgic for people and places I have partnership with.
I agree that one of the big challenges of the program will continue to be finding avenues for users to explore the collection. I think that a clickable city map would really be helpful. Interestingly enough (depending on your whatever), access to a social history—for any type of community—is one of the best ways to unify it and to mobilize it. This database could be valuable to promote community organization.
You Tube in the Library
I agree with the author, that You Tube could make library education easier for librarians. Hosting a library education or orientation channel would also put the onus on students, rather than libraries, to demonstrate the services of a library. Video hosting sites also promote community; as video hosting becomes easier, library users could be encouraged to post their own relevant videos.
Essentially,
Data compression is a trade-off on some level. A user must sacrifice some information in order to transmit the whole in a smaller, simpler bundle. Lossy compression shaves off the edges to make the information fit better, while lossless compression changes the information to describe it in fewer bits.
From what I understand, another trade-off is financial: a user can opt to pay for specialized equipment or software that does the heavy lifting of compression without losing any information in the process.
Is the “buffering” process a side-effect of data compression?
DVD HQ
This was difficult to get through. I’ll be honest: it’s tough to care about the details of data compression. I would like to be able to compress and decompress information, so I suppose the back-story will be helpful at some point.
I’m impressed that so much goes into breaking down every bit of information that we transmit, and that it works so smoothly most of the time.
What I did take away from this is the complexity and intricacy of this applied technology. I fully appreciate the investment in programming that allows this to work. The idea of adding a difference image between video frames (and individual blocks within each frame) is a bit fascinating. It supplies a good example of problems and solutions that build upon one another as our understanding of the potentials and limitations of programming reveal themselves.
Imaging Pittsburgh
This is a great database. Every city should have something comparable, though there is a limited audience for such things. Whenever I browse collections like this I grow nostalgic for people and places I have partnership with.
I agree that one of the big challenges of the program will continue to be finding avenues for users to explore the collection. I think that a clickable city map would really be helpful. Interestingly enough (depending on your whatever), access to a social history—for any type of community—is one of the best ways to unify it and to mobilize it. This database could be valuable to promote community organization.
You Tube in the Library
I agree with the author, that You Tube could make library education easier for librarians. Hosting a library education or orientation channel would also put the onus on students, rather than libraries, to demonstrate the services of a library. Video hosting sites also promote community; as video hosting becomes easier, library users could be encouraged to post their own relevant videos.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Muddiest Point 9/20
I don't have much to say here, other than to observe that software is updated with such rapidity that by the time I learn half the tricks of Word (or other simple, pedestrian applications) I am forced to relearn everything.
I think the theme of the digital era is a collective agreement that we cannot know everything.
The death of the polymath....
I think the theme of the digital era is a collective agreement that we cannot know everything.
The death of the polymath....
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
9/20 Comment
http://maj66.blogspot.com/2010/09/computer-history-museum.html?showComment=1284840783467#c5634232965411378842
Thursday, September 16, 2010
9/20 Reading Notes
Linux
My brother-in-law wanted to build me a Linux-run computer, but never got around to it. Great story, right?
I think part of the appeal of Linux is the community that has developed around it. Only Mac users are more fiercely devoted to their machines, though I suspect that has more to do with popular image than anything. Linux devotees seem to be loyal not only to their operating format, but to the idea of self-made or almost subversive computing. Linux makes the uncool kids feel cool; like they're getting away with something that we squares don't understand, because we still buy our software.
I like that there is an operating system that is mostly free of the politics of the market, and that hobbyists have made every bit as good as the commercial industry leaders.
Mac OS X
I'm amazed that mac has managed to stay so exclusive in their software for so long. They don't seem to easily play well with other developers' products, yet they maintain a high price-point. This article did not sell me on OS X, but it is interesting to see an unbiased report comparing operating systems.
Windows
I always assumed that new versions of Windows came out so regularly to dupe us into buying the updated software. It seemed almost cruel to force businesses, hospitals and schools to invest in and adopt new pc infrastructure every two years....
I don't expect the newest version of Windows to behave (for a novice) any differently than its predecessor, but maybe (aside from shrewd marketing) Microsoft had some good excuses for rolling out updated operating systems so often: 1. technology really had significantly advanced, 2. its competitors were right there with them, 3. they had a vested interest in keeping their clientele trained in their most recent versions, and 4. people were willing to pay for it.
The strength of Windows may be that so many firms compete to build software for it, keeping the field competitive. Mac,by comparison, is mostly closed to other firms, and I feel like I would need a computer science degree to get the most out of Linux (or a less social high school experience).
My brother-in-law wanted to build me a Linux-run computer, but never got around to it. Great story, right?
I think part of the appeal of Linux is the community that has developed around it. Only Mac users are more fiercely devoted to their machines, though I suspect that has more to do with popular image than anything. Linux devotees seem to be loyal not only to their operating format, but to the idea of self-made or almost subversive computing. Linux makes the uncool kids feel cool; like they're getting away with something that we squares don't understand, because we still buy our software.
I like that there is an operating system that is mostly free of the politics of the market, and that hobbyists have made every bit as good as the commercial industry leaders.
Mac OS X
I'm amazed that mac has managed to stay so exclusive in their software for so long. They don't seem to easily play well with other developers' products, yet they maintain a high price-point. This article did not sell me on OS X, but it is interesting to see an unbiased report comparing operating systems.
Windows
I always assumed that new versions of Windows came out so regularly to dupe us into buying the updated software. It seemed almost cruel to force businesses, hospitals and schools to invest in and adopt new pc infrastructure every two years....
I don't expect the newest version of Windows to behave (for a novice) any differently than its predecessor, but maybe (aside from shrewd marketing) Microsoft had some good excuses for rolling out updated operating systems so often: 1. technology really had significantly advanced, 2. its competitors were right there with them, 3. they had a vested interest in keeping their clientele trained in their most recent versions, and 4. people were willing to pay for it.
The strength of Windows may be that so many firms compete to build software for it, keeping the field competitive. Mac,by comparison, is mostly closed to other firms, and I feel like I would need a computer science degree to get the most out of Linux (or a less social high school experience).
Muddiest Point 9/13
More of an observation, really:
Now that we have basically made computers as small as we would like them to be, is the obsession with smaller-is-better computing over? Is most of the computer hardware we saw this past week on its way out? Will our kids ever even use a desktop computer?
Now that we have basically made computers as small as we would like them to be, is the obsession with smaller-is-better computing over? Is most of the computer hardware we saw this past week on its way out? Will our kids ever even use a desktop computer?
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Notes, 9/13
Computer Hardware
I don't claim to understand how my computers work. I know more now that I ever have, though, and the subject is more approachable. I've always thought of computers as similar to motor vehicles in their complexity of parts. The difference to me is that I grasp the basic mechanics of cars, and have even attempted minor repairs for fun and profit. PCs, on the other hand, always occupied a place of mystery nested somewhere between unified field theory and Area 51. Perhaps the basic problem is that everything is so small, and all those tiny soldered circuits seem to be quite busily doing nothing at all.
I think the layered wiki-explanation is a good approach. I appreciated the breakdowns and links, and actually feel more confident about dissecting my technology the next time it acts out at me.
Moore's Law
Moore's law (the exponential growth of computer circuitry every two years) does much to explain the rate of change that has marked the tech field for the past eighty years. It is remarkable that so many firms have stayed competitive in such a rapidly-changing industry. The R&D costs of keeping up with the market leaders must be enormous. Someone told me once that the chip in my phone was about ten times more powerful than the technology that landed man on the moon. I cannot think of another industry that could support production change at this rate.
Practical obsolescence is the most striking part of Moore's law. When you spend millions of dollars developing materials that will be obsolete in two years, it affects everything from supply chain management (you can't allow for much inventory), marketing, and cost forecasting.
Computer Museum Fun
This was a great virtual field trip. The time-line was dry, but engaging and could easily stand alone as a primer in computing history. I particularly enjoyed the dis-invention of the computer: no one can prove that they invented it, so the rage at being denied such a fantastic patent can be spread out to multiple claimants.
I did not know about the earliest advances in the field: the Navy requested a computerized flight simulator during WWII. Even though those MIT slackers couldn't build one until the 50's, it is interesting that the potential of the "adding machine" was recognized so early (GM wanted to design cars with computers in the 50's).
I don't claim to understand how my computers work. I know more now that I ever have, though, and the subject is more approachable. I've always thought of computers as similar to motor vehicles in their complexity of parts. The difference to me is that I grasp the basic mechanics of cars, and have even attempted minor repairs for fun and profit. PCs, on the other hand, always occupied a place of mystery nested somewhere between unified field theory and Area 51. Perhaps the basic problem is that everything is so small, and all those tiny soldered circuits seem to be quite busily doing nothing at all.
I think the layered wiki-explanation is a good approach. I appreciated the breakdowns and links, and actually feel more confident about dissecting my technology the next time it acts out at me.
Moore's Law
Moore's law (the exponential growth of computer circuitry every two years) does much to explain the rate of change that has marked the tech field for the past eighty years. It is remarkable that so many firms have stayed competitive in such a rapidly-changing industry. The R&D costs of keeping up with the market leaders must be enormous. Someone told me once that the chip in my phone was about ten times more powerful than the technology that landed man on the moon. I cannot think of another industry that could support production change at this rate.
Practical obsolescence is the most striking part of Moore's law. When you spend millions of dollars developing materials that will be obsolete in two years, it affects everything from supply chain management (you can't allow for much inventory), marketing, and cost forecasting.
Computer Museum Fun
This was a great virtual field trip. The time-line was dry, but engaging and could easily stand alone as a primer in computing history. I particularly enjoyed the dis-invention of the computer: no one can prove that they invented it, so the rage at being denied such a fantastic patent can be spread out to multiple claimants.
I did not know about the earliest advances in the field: the Navy requested a computerized flight simulator during WWII. Even though those MIT slackers couldn't build one until the 50's, it is interesting that the potential of the "adding machine" was recognized so early (GM wanted to design cars with computers in the 50's).
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Week One Reading Notes
On Clifford Lynch
Mr. Lynch has taken a broad view of IT Literacy education. I must agree with him, up to a point.
I agree with Mr. Lynch that most people learn how to survive with their technology, but not how to thrive with it. We learn word processing, but are not really taught how to craft those words into a publishable document. Our creative efforts would be rewarded tenfold if we took the time to learn all the bells and whistles of the simplest software we already own and use.
The author has advocating a comprehensive scope to IT education. For example: he seems to think it practical to teach students how their search engines work, not just how to make them work. In an ideal world, with perfect teachers, learners, and fewer constraints this would be fantastic! I hope this course doubles (at least) my understanding of IT as it relates to library science, but I don't feel cheated or guilty that I don't know more than I do going into it.
On Content, Not Containers
I enjoyed this, against all odds. Here is what I appreciated:
I hadn't thought before that text had been exclusively married to paper, but is now promiscuously tarting about all over the Internet. What had previously only appeared in books and physical formats is buzzing through airways and wires, popping up on my phone and laptop.
The idea that new technologies hinder our access to information hadn't occurred to me. It is practically free to transmit information in almost limitless amounts, so providers charge for the access itself. It makes sense that I am willing to pay for access to an online journal if I cannot read it for free in the library. The format has cost me money for the convenience of access. The irony is that I probably would never had known the journal existed had I not found it using an online search.
As we become bombarded with more and more formats, it will take discipline and insight to choose the best information over the flashiest container. YouTube may be offering the same content as those mid-nineties 'zines we all printed out of our garages, but bright colors and easy accessibility do not make the actual information any better, just easier to use.
On J. Vaughan
This was a refreshingly practical look into the IT processes and offering of a major academic library. After reading about all the accommodations UN has made for its students (laptops, multimedia and such), I wonder if those students will graduate with a new understanding of what libraries are all about? Duke is giving everyone iPods, but will students appreciate that they are more than multimedia delivery systems?
Mr Vaughan has challenged my understanding of academic library budgets. As information becomes easier to access, and mostly free to consume, we can shift our library money away from text acquisitions and toward giant computerized cranes that retrieve old books, and toward laptops for everyone!
Muddiest Point
I wonder if all the technology we pump into our libraries will make the librarian obsolete in ten years? Will society outsource my profession to the lowest bidder with a Skype account? Will physical libraries be necessary after we digitize all of our materials? Will we someday be able to research as loudly as we please?
Mr. Lynch has taken a broad view of IT Literacy education. I must agree with him, up to a point.
I agree with Mr. Lynch that most people learn how to survive with their technology, but not how to thrive with it. We learn word processing, but are not really taught how to craft those words into a publishable document. Our creative efforts would be rewarded tenfold if we took the time to learn all the bells and whistles of the simplest software we already own and use.
The author has advocating a comprehensive scope to IT education. For example: he seems to think it practical to teach students how their search engines work, not just how to make them work. In an ideal world, with perfect teachers, learners, and fewer constraints this would be fantastic! I hope this course doubles (at least) my understanding of IT as it relates to library science, but I don't feel cheated or guilty that I don't know more than I do going into it.
On Content, Not Containers
I enjoyed this, against all odds. Here is what I appreciated:
I hadn't thought before that text had been exclusively married to paper, but is now promiscuously tarting about all over the Internet. What had previously only appeared in books and physical formats is buzzing through airways and wires, popping up on my phone and laptop.
The idea that new technologies hinder our access to information hadn't occurred to me. It is practically free to transmit information in almost limitless amounts, so providers charge for the access itself. It makes sense that I am willing to pay for access to an online journal if I cannot read it for free in the library. The format has cost me money for the convenience of access. The irony is that I probably would never had known the journal existed had I not found it using an online search.
As we become bombarded with more and more formats, it will take discipline and insight to choose the best information over the flashiest container. YouTube may be offering the same content as those mid-nineties 'zines we all printed out of our garages, but bright colors and easy accessibility do not make the actual information any better, just easier to use.
On J. Vaughan
This was a refreshingly practical look into the IT processes and offering of a major academic library. After reading about all the accommodations UN has made for its students (laptops, multimedia and such), I wonder if those students will graduate with a new understanding of what libraries are all about? Duke is giving everyone iPods, but will students appreciate that they are more than multimedia delivery systems?
Mr Vaughan has challenged my understanding of academic library budgets. As information becomes easier to access, and mostly free to consume, we can shift our library money away from text acquisitions and toward giant computerized cranes that retrieve old books, and toward laptops for everyone!
Muddiest Point
I wonder if all the technology we pump into our libraries will make the librarian obsolete in ten years? Will society outsource my profession to the lowest bidder with a Skype account? Will physical libraries be necessary after we digitize all of our materials? Will we someday be able to research as loudly as we please?
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