Monday, November 10, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Unit 10 Reading Notes
Web Search Engines: Part 1 & 2 reminded me just how interesting it is that search engines can get us fast, accurate results, with minimal spam. Spam filters are getting so much better, and the search engine algorithms are improving all the time. It's a complicated system, and there are so many things to be aware of-- the politeness aspect was one I hadn't thought of much, but it's important. I know a bit about SEO, so not all of this information was new to me, but these readings were clear and pretty easy to understand.
Current developments and future trends for the OAI protocol for metadata harvesting - Not really familiar with OAI, but has to do with metadata, searching databases, and so on, to create better access to information.
The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value - Good comments on searching, the limitations of searching, the problems we face trying to both narrow results and provide access to as much information as possible, and the difference between surface content and the deep web. 750 terabytes is a massive amount of information! I'm not surprised that some of the biggest deep web sites are government sites, either. Interesting comment on how "higher quality" really means "did I get what I wanted?"
Current developments and future trends for the OAI protocol for metadata harvesting - Not really familiar with OAI, but has to do with metadata, searching databases, and so on, to create better access to information.
The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value - Good comments on searching, the limitations of searching, the problems we face trying to both narrow results and provide access to as much information as possible, and the difference between surface content and the deep web. 750 terabytes is a massive amount of information! I'm not surprised that some of the biggest deep web sites are government sites, either. Interesting comment on how "higher quality" really means "did I get what I wanted?"
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Muddiest Point Week 8
I have a question about searching within a site. Why is it that the search feature of so many sites just doesn't work well? I nearly always end up using Google to search within a site. Is it inexperienced programmers? The massive resources of Google? Something else?
Unit 9 Reading Notes
Introducing the Extensible Markup Language (XML)
-XML helps the user combine documents, identify formats, add comments to files.
- XML tags are stuctured and logical, moreso than similar features used by word processors.
- It's clear where the tags begin and end.
- You can create your own tag sets using DTD.
- XML files are easily stored in databases and are easily changed to fit any database.
-XML files are easily transferred to many different kinds of hardware and software. The files will not get outdated quickly, and will only need to be updated.
A survey of XML standards
- XML has different sets of standards, which can make it difficult for new users to determine which standards to use. Standards can be complex. He adds that XML has a lot of components and can intimidate new users.
- This article focused on what the author thought of as the "core XML technologies."
- Some updates to XML are controversial. Some believe changes are not worth it if the benefit is too small.
- The article briefly summarizes several types of XML systems. XInclude is a way to combine XML documents and break them into smaller chunks. XLink is a way to use links that are more complex than basic HTML links.
- I found this one a little harder to follow because I'm not familiar with the many systems he discusses.
Extending your Markup: a XML tutorial by Andre Bergholz
- Starts off by commenting that XML is said to be simple and also does everything you need. He says that this is partially hype, but that XML is useful once you get past the hype.
- Provides several examples of XML and compares these examples to HTML.
- You can learn most of what you need to know about XML online.
- Explains in more detail the difference between using links in HTML and XML, for example, XML links can lead to a specific section of a document, whereas HTML URLs only direct the user to a specific document.
- Goal of XML Schema is to replace DTDs, but only time will tell whether it can.
- I found this reading more beginner-friendly than the previous one because it contained more explanations right in the text rather than primarily linking to other resources.
XML Schema Tutorial
- Tutorial about how to read and create XML Schemas. Like the previous reading, it shows how XML Schema can now be used instead of DTD, and this tutorial aims to show the ways XML Schema is superior.
- Showed differences between XML Schema and DTD. (Supports data types and namespaces.)
- The tutorial went pretty in-depth, I'm not sure how much of the information I absorbed-- and this is only one aspect of what I'd need to know.
- Like the previous tutorials, I found them useful, but can't help being distracted by the ads and the sidebar crowding the page on the right.
-XML helps the user combine documents, identify formats, add comments to files.
- XML tags are stuctured and logical, moreso than similar features used by word processors.
- It's clear where the tags begin and end.
- You can create your own tag sets using DTD.
- XML files are easily stored in databases and are easily changed to fit any database.
-XML files are easily transferred to many different kinds of hardware and software. The files will not get outdated quickly, and will only need to be updated.
A survey of XML standards
- XML has different sets of standards, which can make it difficult for new users to determine which standards to use. Standards can be complex. He adds that XML has a lot of components and can intimidate new users.
- This article focused on what the author thought of as the "core XML technologies."
- Some updates to XML are controversial. Some believe changes are not worth it if the benefit is too small.
- The article briefly summarizes several types of XML systems. XInclude is a way to combine XML documents and break them into smaller chunks. XLink is a way to use links that are more complex than basic HTML links.
- I found this one a little harder to follow because I'm not familiar with the many systems he discusses.
Extending your Markup: a XML tutorial by Andre Bergholz
- Starts off by commenting that XML is said to be simple and also does everything you need. He says that this is partially hype, but that XML is useful once you get past the hype.
- Provides several examples of XML and compares these examples to HTML.
- You can learn most of what you need to know about XML online.
- Explains in more detail the difference between using links in HTML and XML, for example, XML links can lead to a specific section of a document, whereas HTML URLs only direct the user to a specific document.
- Goal of XML Schema is to replace DTDs, but only time will tell whether it can.
- I found this reading more beginner-friendly than the previous one because it contained more explanations right in the text rather than primarily linking to other resources.
XML Schema Tutorial
- Tutorial about how to read and create XML Schemas. Like the previous reading, it shows how XML Schema can now be used instead of DTD, and this tutorial aims to show the ways XML Schema is superior.
- Showed differences between XML Schema and DTD. (Supports data types and namespaces.)
- The tutorial went pretty in-depth, I'm not sure how much of the information I absorbed-- and this is only one aspect of what I'd need to know.
- Like the previous tutorials, I found them useful, but can't help being distracted by the ads and the sidebar crowding the page on the right.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Unit 8 Reading Notes
The HTML tutorial explained the basics of using HTML to create a web page. I have to say that the page itself was cluttered and a little hard to read, with the main text being surrounded by so many boxes and ads. Their editor was a useful way for a user to make sure they understand the concepts and a quick and easy way to test out some HTML. I really liked that aspect of the site.
The HTML cheatsheet was just a listing and brief explanation of many basic HTML tags. Though I will say, I remember trying to learn HTML years ago and not being able to find a simple, organized cheatsheet like this one.
The CSS tutorial was on the same site as the HTML tutorial, and so it was also cluttered and a little hard to read. It was more distracting because I'm not as familiar with CSS. I've seen it used and I've had it explained to me, but I've never actually used it myself, so jumping right into reading a tutorial that didn't give any actual background for CSS was a little confusing at first. However, the tutorial seems pretty straightforward. CSS is more complicated than HTML, though. Of course, it also allows you to do more...
I should have read the Library Hi Tech article first, actually. I think it might have helped clear things up a little, since it discussed HTML and CSS use in libraries, with a major focus on CMS. Good CMS is so important, and I feel should be easy for pretty much anyone to use. This article discusses the use of CMS in libraries to develop a "collaborative publishing process" which connects librarians and web developers.
The HTML cheatsheet was just a listing and brief explanation of many basic HTML tags. Though I will say, I remember trying to learn HTML years ago and not being able to find a simple, organized cheatsheet like this one.
The CSS tutorial was on the same site as the HTML tutorial, and so it was also cluttered and a little hard to read. It was more distracting because I'm not as familiar with CSS. I've seen it used and I've had it explained to me, but I've never actually used it myself, so jumping right into reading a tutorial that didn't give any actual background for CSS was a little confusing at first. However, the tutorial seems pretty straightforward. CSS is more complicated than HTML, though. Of course, it also allows you to do more...
I should have read the Library Hi Tech article first, actually. I think it might have helped clear things up a little, since it discussed HTML and CSS use in libraries, with a major focus on CMS. Good CMS is so important, and I feel should be easy for pretty much anyone to use. This article discusses the use of CMS in libraries to develop a "collaborative publishing process" which connects librarians and web developers.
Muddiest Point
Do people still use HTML (frequently) to build web pages, or is it mostly CSS now? And how much HTML do you really need to know to use CSS-- is a basic familiarity enough?
Monday, October 6, 2008
Assignment #4: Jing video
http://www.screencast.com/users/rrosspitt/folders/Default/media/909c240d-eafb-4594-8f13-992d30bb1775
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/2920135504/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/2920135632/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/2919290021/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/2920135822/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/2919290193/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/2920135504/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/2920135632/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/2919290021/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/2920135822/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/2919290193/sizes/o/
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Muddiest Point from 9/30 lecture
In class, the range of RFID was discussed, and it was said that the distance at which you can read it is maybe 10-20 feet. Is that on purpose, or could we create some which have a longer range?
Unit 7 Reading Notes
How Internet Infrastructure Works
This was a pretty good summary of how the internet works, and covered a lot of basic topics. (The parts where it discussed dial-up made me remember when that was all I had. I don't know how I managed without my high-speed access!) And I agree with this "One of the greatest things about the Internet is that nobody really owns it." Though I know some people are trying to. The site also gives a little bit of history, and I think it's interesting to read about people creating the frameworks for what we have today. I don't really have much else to say about this one, though.
Dismantling Integrated Library Systems
Discusses what is needed for an effective ILS. New technology and developments cost, but libraries can't or don't pay enough to keep updates and innovation moving well enough. New services may not integrate well with existing systems. It basically sounds like no one really knows where to go with ILS systems. Systems are changing, and it is getting more complex to integrate everything.
Inside the Google Machine
Cool visual representation of people using Google, by language.
Search patterns - you can see by country who is searching for things and can also compare interest levels on various topics this way.
Little activity in Africa so far
1 second representation of queries and traffic
Google Foundation and Google Grants - gives ad credit to charities
Googlette - small experimental/innovative project at Google (Google News) is used to keep innovations going. 20% of time can be used for anything.
I think Google is a fascinating company. The talk was pretty interesting.
This was a pretty good summary of how the internet works, and covered a lot of basic topics. (The parts where it discussed dial-up made me remember when that was all I had. I don't know how I managed without my high-speed access!) And I agree with this "One of the greatest things about the Internet is that nobody really owns it." Though I know some people are trying to. The site also gives a little bit of history, and I think it's interesting to read about people creating the frameworks for what we have today. I don't really have much else to say about this one, though.
Dismantling Integrated Library Systems
Discusses what is needed for an effective ILS. New technology and developments cost, but libraries can't or don't pay enough to keep updates and innovation moving well enough. New services may not integrate well with existing systems. It basically sounds like no one really knows where to go with ILS systems. Systems are changing, and it is getting more complex to integrate everything.
Inside the Google Machine
Cool visual representation of people using Google, by language.
Search patterns - you can see by country who is searching for things and can also compare interest levels on various topics this way.
Little activity in Africa so far
1 second representation of queries and traffic
Google Foundation and Google Grants - gives ad credit to charities
Googlette - small experimental/innovative project at Google (Google News) is used to keep innovations going. 20% of time can be used for anything.
I think Google is a fascinating company. The talk was pretty interesting.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Week 6 Muddiest Point
I wondered about PNG format-- some programs can't seem to handle PNG images. Is this due to it being a newer format and we just need to update to account for it, or is the format more complex than, say, a GIF? I'm still not sure I understand why it's the "best of all worlds."
Unit 6 Reading Notes
The LAN Wikipedia entry was pretty brief and only dedicated a paragraph or
so to any one topic, so I don't have a whole lot to say about it. I didn't
know Ethernet was created in the 70s. Really, the main thing discussed
here is the history of the LAN as it relates to the PC, and the many
competing types of cables and network cards. It sounds confusing and it
probably meant that it was hard to choose what to use when there are 40
types of cables.
Computer network entry: I actually thought the small section about LAN
here was better than the separate entry for LAN. It's short, but clearer
and more straightforward, in my opinion. It goes on to summarize various
types of computer networks and related devices. I was familiar with most
of the basic hardware components, though not so much with bridges.
YouTube video on computer networks: This video was very short and it was also pretty vague. He basically just went over the most common types of networks. I didn't find this very useful at all, to be honest. It barely even gave a description of the networks.
RFID Journal Article: I do wish they had covered more of the privacy issues, but this was more about the functions of it in general. I don't know what I think about self check-out yet. On one hand, I like it, but on the other-- well, I've used self check-out in grocery stores and I have annoying problems popping up maybe 1/4 of the time. An item gets stuck or won't scan or something. So obviously a library would have to have someone monitoring the stations. I agree with Karen Coyle's point that patrons may feel the "burden" is being shifted onto them.
I think I'd like to see both options available. I know that many patrons come to the library and end up chatting with the circ staff. It makes the library a friendlier place. Then again, there are some libraries that are so busy no one would have time to talk, the staff is overworked (and it may lead to repetitive stress injuries as mentioned in the journal article), and people become impatient. Anyway, I think having both options as much as possible is the way to go, at least for now.
so to any one topic, so I don't have a whole lot to say about it. I didn't
know Ethernet was created in the 70s. Really, the main thing discussed
here is the history of the LAN as it relates to the PC, and the many
competing types of cables and network cards. It sounds confusing and it
probably meant that it was hard to choose what to use when there are 40
types of cables.
Computer network entry: I actually thought the small section about LAN
here was better than the separate entry for LAN. It's short, but clearer
and more straightforward, in my opinion. It goes on to summarize various
types of computer networks and related devices. I was familiar with most
of the basic hardware components, though not so much with bridges.
YouTube video on computer networks: This video was very short and it was also pretty vague. He basically just went over the most common types of networks. I didn't find this very useful at all, to be honest. It barely even gave a description of the networks.
RFID Journal Article: I do wish they had covered more of the privacy issues, but this was more about the functions of it in general. I don't know what I think about self check-out yet. On one hand, I like it, but on the other-- well, I've used self check-out in grocery stores and I have annoying problems popping up maybe 1/4 of the time. An item gets stuck or won't scan or something. So obviously a library would have to have someone monitoring the stations. I agree with Karen Coyle's point that patrons may feel the "burden" is being shifted onto them.
I think I'd like to see both options available. I know that many patrons come to the library and end up chatting with the circ staff. It makes the library a friendlier place. Then again, there are some libraries that are so busy no one would have time to talk, the staff is overworked (and it may lead to repetitive stress injuries as mentioned in the journal article), and people become impatient. Anyway, I think having both options as much as possible is the way to go, at least for now.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Week 4 Muddiest Point
My question is if all databases ultimately do the same thing, what differentiates databases using the same model from each other except the language used to interact with them?
Unit 5 Reading Notes
The data compression article on Wikipedia discussed the different methods of data compression as well as the different types. I didn't know the difference between lossless vs. lossy, or even that both types existed. It gave a pretty decent overview of the theory behind data compression, though I was not familiar with several of the terms used in that section (like Lempel-Ziv). It definitely illustrated the difficulties we run into when trying to store or transport massive amounts of data. Zip files can only do so much.
The second article on data compression was thorough and used very clear examples that were easy to follow. They showed that not every method of data compression will be efficient for every kind of file and may in fact make the size larger in some cases. I know that audio compression depends on the type of audio file-- for example, I know my audio books can be
compressed more than a music file because the loss of quality is not as noticable when the file is just a person's voice speaking. The side by side photos at different levels of compression were a very clear example of the differences in image quality at different levels.
Imaging Pittsburgh is a very neat project, and I'm glad there are people taking the time to archive so many images. The site described the problems that came up, and that was interesting to follow. Everyone involved seems to have slightly different expectations based on their own specific background (an academic archivist vs. a museum or historical society).
Where one person saw a work of art, another saw an academic resource, and their methods of selection also differed due to their backgrounds. They also discuss the difficulty in creating metadata for thousands of images. They chose to use eight of the fifteen Dublin Core elements.
The YouTube article discusses the possible uses of YouTube in a library setting. They suggest using it to host/store instructional videos, a tour of the library, or tutorials (like how to use a database), among other things. YouTube is easy to use, both for the person uploading the video
and the person watching it. Thinking about how many patrons request basic internet and computer classes, I thought how useful it could be to have a few simple tutorials embedded in a section of the library's website. I think YouTube is a great, free resource for libraries that should
definitely be taken advantage of.
The second article on data compression was thorough and used very clear examples that were easy to follow. They showed that not every method of data compression will be efficient for every kind of file and may in fact make the size larger in some cases. I know that audio compression depends on the type of audio file-- for example, I know my audio books can be
compressed more than a music file because the loss of quality is not as noticable when the file is just a person's voice speaking. The side by side photos at different levels of compression were a very clear example of the differences in image quality at different levels.
Imaging Pittsburgh is a very neat project, and I'm glad there are people taking the time to archive so many images. The site described the problems that came up, and that was interesting to follow. Everyone involved seems to have slightly different expectations based on their own specific background (an academic archivist vs. a museum or historical society).
Where one person saw a work of art, another saw an academic resource, and their methods of selection also differed due to their backgrounds. They also discuss the difficulty in creating metadata for thousands of images. They chose to use eight of the fifteen Dublin Core elements.
The YouTube article discusses the possible uses of YouTube in a library setting. They suggest using it to host/store instructional videos, a tour of the library, or tutorials (like how to use a database), among other things. YouTube is easy to use, both for the person uploading the video
and the person watching it. Thinking about how many patrons request basic internet and computer classes, I thought how useful it could be to have a few simple tutorials embedded in a section of the library's website. I think YouTube is a great, free resource for libraries that should
definitely be taken advantage of.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Assignment #2: Flickr
Here is the link to my Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/
Direct link to the 10 screen display photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/sets/72157607312557893/
Direct link to the 10 thumbnails: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/sets/72157607312794049/
Direct link to the 10 screen display photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/sets/72157607312557893/
Direct link to the 10 thumbnails: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30525270@N03/sets/72157607312794049/
Friday, September 12, 2008
Week 3 Muddiest Point
My muddiest point has to do with ILS/Integrated Library System. I have been hearing the term a lot, but I am still unclear as to what exactly it means. Also, what is the scale? Meaning, does integrated mean it must be many libraries, or could it involve just one or two?
Blog Comments - Week 3
Links to my comments:
Dustin's blog
My second comment was answering a question in the courseweb technical discussion board. My answer is in the thread "dublincore article problem" and is the second comment posted by me. I hope the direct link works: link to my answer
Dustin's blog
My second comment was answering a question in the courseweb technical discussion board. My answer is in the thread "dublincore article problem" and is the second comment posted by me. I hope the direct link works: link to my answer
Unit 4 Reading Notes
I get that metadata is data about data, but the different types of it get mixed up, as do the attributes. I felt the chart describing the different types and attributes was hard to follow and unclear. Metadata management does seem fairly complex. I was surprised to see that a metadata little-known fact is "metadata does not have to be digital." I would have thought that was a given, as data doesn't have to be digital either. Though I suspect that many people don't know what metadata is in the first place, so would therefore not be aware of these little-known facts.
(Mainly, I think most people don't think about metadata much, whatever they call or don't call it-- myself included.) But regardless, metadata is definitely necessary. If we didn't have some way to describe and discuss data, we'd have some trouble managing the enormous amount of information we are faced with. Finding what you need quickly and conveniently is so important.
Databases... The history of databases was somewhat interesting. The article summarizes the different models of databases. I was interested in the information on the security of databases, but I admit I don't understand encryption as well as I'd like to. The article did give me a better understanding of locking. I didn't know there was a difference between shared locks and exclusive locks. There are more database management systems that I knew about before this, though. I wonder what the major differences are, since there are so many.
I had trouble accessing the Dublin Core article, but eventually thought to see if I could access a Google cache of the page, which was successful. It's still annoying that the site has been down all day, but anyway! (For anyone reading this who still can't get it to work, click here) The basic concept here is that there are resources that need to be described-- and there are ways to uniquely identify them. Clarity and meaning are important, and it is crucial that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the meaning of important terms-- the article gives the example of the word "copyright." I agree that with information being passed around on a global scale, precision is definitely important, and we cannot assume that a word means the same thing to everyone.
(Mainly, I think most people don't think about metadata much, whatever they call or don't call it-- myself included.) But regardless, metadata is definitely necessary. If we didn't have some way to describe and discuss data, we'd have some trouble managing the enormous amount of information we are faced with. Finding what you need quickly and conveniently is so important.
Databases... The history of databases was somewhat interesting. The article summarizes the different models of databases. I was interested in the information on the security of databases, but I admit I don't understand encryption as well as I'd like to. The article did give me a better understanding of locking. I didn't know there was a difference between shared locks and exclusive locks. There are more database management systems that I knew about before this, though. I wonder what the major differences are, since there are so many.
I had trouble accessing the Dublin Core article, but eventually thought to see if I could access a Google cache of the page, which was successful. It's still annoying that the site has been down all day, but anyway! (For anyone reading this who still can't get it to work, click here) The basic concept here is that there are resources that need to be described-- and there are ways to uniquely identify them. Clarity and meaning are important, and it is crucial that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the meaning of important terms-- the article gives the example of the word "copyright." I agree that with information being passed around on a global scale, precision is definitely important, and we cannot assume that a word means the same thing to everyone.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Muddiest Point from 9/2 Lecture
I guess my muddiest point deals with parallel processing. What's the difference in performance between a single core processor of 3ghz and a dual core processor of 1.5ghz? Obviously they're different in how they're made, but what is the specific practical difference when running applications?
Answering someone's Muddiest Point: link
Answering someone's Muddiest Point: link
Week 3 Readings
Random thoughts... I'm glad that there are continuing efforts to make Linux more user-friendly. Having experienced it first hand, I was amused that the history section touched on the superiority complex that some of the more vocal Linux users suffer from (though obviously that attitude is not at all limited to just UNIX people)-- though the site did censor the definition of RTFM, so I hope no one reading that tries to use it in "polite" conversation! Anyway, it was interesting to learn more since I've never used it, though I considered Ubuntu recently.
The history of Mac OS X was also interesting. I've used Macs, but have never owned one so far, so I don't really know a lot about the actual OS. I don't really have much to say about the more technical parts of the reading, as they (largely) went over my head. The prevailing attitude is that Mac OS X, among other things, makes the extra cost of the hardware worth it. I leaned that way too when shopping for a laptop earlier this year. But I ended up not getting a Mac-- instead, I was able to afford a decent laptop and upgrade my husband's desktop for less than I would have spent on a Macbook. I'm interested in eventually owning a Mac for many of the reasons described in the kernelthread reading, but the cost is a big factor for me right now.
The reading about Windows was the most familiar to me simply because it's what I've used. I was disappointed that XP stopped being readily available-- I've had some pretty irritating issues with Vista, and I haven't been very impressed. (I liked XP just fine, though.) I will admit that hearing people rave about their Macs can make me a little jealous. I bet they never have to use programs to turn off horrid "features"-- like Vista anti-lag, for example, which I need to force Vista to stop looking for new wireless access points every minute. It's not noticable when browsing sites, but made online gaming impossible. It caused a five to ten second lag every single minute. So frustrating!
I am skeptical about Windows 7, though-- but maybe I shouldn't be. It seems like every other Windows release is ridiculously buggy. Well, mainly I'm thinking of Vista and Me. So maybe Windows 7 will be the more stable release.
All 3 operating systems have their pros and cons-- and all 3 have reasons people gravitate toward or away from them. UNIX is still considered a "tech person" thing and, even with more user-friendly versions out, I'm not sure it will become popular on a wider scale for a while. Mac OS X is generally easy to use and stable, but the cost of the hardware does limit who can use it. Vista has its problems, but is widely available and on inexpensive hardware, which makes it the default for many people.
The history of Mac OS X was also interesting. I've used Macs, but have never owned one so far, so I don't really know a lot about the actual OS. I don't really have much to say about the more technical parts of the reading, as they (largely) went over my head. The prevailing attitude is that Mac OS X, among other things, makes the extra cost of the hardware worth it. I leaned that way too when shopping for a laptop earlier this year. But I ended up not getting a Mac-- instead, I was able to afford a decent laptop and upgrade my husband's desktop for less than I would have spent on a Macbook. I'm interested in eventually owning a Mac for many of the reasons described in the kernelthread reading, but the cost is a big factor for me right now.
The reading about Windows was the most familiar to me simply because it's what I've used. I was disappointed that XP stopped being readily available-- I've had some pretty irritating issues with Vista, and I haven't been very impressed. (I liked XP just fine, though.) I will admit that hearing people rave about their Macs can make me a little jealous. I bet they never have to use programs to turn off horrid "features"-- like Vista anti-lag, for example, which I need to force Vista to stop looking for new wireless access points every minute. It's not noticable when browsing sites, but made online gaming impossible. It caused a five to ten second lag every single minute. So frustrating!
I am skeptical about Windows 7, though-- but maybe I shouldn't be. It seems like every other Windows release is ridiculously buggy. Well, mainly I'm thinking of Vista and Me. So maybe Windows 7 will be the more stable release.
All 3 operating systems have their pros and cons-- and all 3 have reasons people gravitate toward or away from them. UNIX is still considered a "tech person" thing and, even with more user-friendly versions out, I'm not sure it will become popular on a wider scale for a while. Mac OS X is generally easy to use and stable, but the cost of the hardware does limit who can use it. Vista has its problems, but is widely available and on inexpensive hardware, which makes it the default for many people.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Week 1 Muddiest Point
I found most of what was said easy to understand. I was a little confused about due dates and deadlines. Are the readings listed for each week the ones to read for the next class, or the ones that should be read before the class they're listed under? (So for example, do we have two sets of readings this week? The ones under Aug 26 and the ones under Sept 2? I'm not sure!)
Week 1 Readings
I thought the term "format agnostic" was cute, but also very representative of the way many people have changed the way they access their information. While I don't think physical books are going anywhere for a while, there are so many other format options, all with their own benefits and drawbacks. I think it is short-sighted when people insist that traditional books are the best way to access content, but I also think it is nostalgia talking in some cases-- book lovers will often remark on the feel and smell of the physical book. But our new formats can solve so many problems when used simultaneously, at least! Think of the Kindle or the Sony reader. Both of them have limited ability to enlarge text. I can't wait for this to become more available and popular-- have you ever seen how limited the large print sections are, whether bookstores or libraries? This would be great for people who can only read large print, and that's just one example.
Ebooks still aren't growing as quickly as some hoped or expected, but part of that is ease of use and availability. As I understand it, cheaper ereaders have had issues, and the Sony Reader and Kindle have some as well, and are out of most people's price range. We're still in the early adoption phase. Publishers aren't making a wide selection of ebooks available yet, and it's still largely limited to small presses who can't afford the expense of print publishing.
Regarding blogs and libraries, I have noticed that more and more libraries are using blogger, whether for their children and teens pages, or just for general information. So far, though, I have not seen much in the way of comments, even when it's obvious the blog is being read. Still largely a one-way distribution of information.
The Lied Library article related some things that were very familiar, particularly the problem of community users monopolizing the computers intended for students for hours and hours. And the value of the equipment poses its own problems as noted in the article. As libraries acquire more and more expensive pieces of technology, the risk of losing them grows. DVD theft can be limited by keeping the discs locked up, but how do you stop someone from walking off with headphones, a mouse, or even larger items? Security measures can be taken, but at what expense? I definitely agree that libraries will need to continue to evolve and keep up with technology, and also be open to adjusting methods as needed and as the needs of the libraries and the patrons continue to change.
Ebooks still aren't growing as quickly as some hoped or expected, but part of that is ease of use and availability. As I understand it, cheaper ereaders have had issues, and the Sony Reader and Kindle have some as well, and are out of most people's price range. We're still in the early adoption phase. Publishers aren't making a wide selection of ebooks available yet, and it's still largely limited to small presses who can't afford the expense of print publishing.
Regarding blogs and libraries, I have noticed that more and more libraries are using blogger, whether for their children and teens pages, or just for general information. So far, though, I have not seen much in the way of comments, even when it's obvious the blog is being read. Still largely a one-way distribution of information.
The Lied Library article related some things that were very familiar, particularly the problem of community users monopolizing the computers intended for students for hours and hours. And the value of the equipment poses its own problems as noted in the article. As libraries acquire more and more expensive pieces of technology, the risk of losing them grows. DVD theft can be limited by keeping the discs locked up, but how do you stop someone from walking off with headphones, a mouse, or even larger items? Security measures can be taken, but at what expense? I definitely agree that libraries will need to continue to evolve and keep up with technology, and also be open to adjusting methods as needed and as the needs of the libraries and the patrons continue to change.
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