Comments for Week 13
http://archivist-amy-in-training.blogspot.com/2010/11/week-13-it-issues-security-and-privacy.html?showComment=1291342805650#c8434638102082767958
http://cstalkerlis2600.blogspot.com/2010/11/assignment-6-website.html?showComment=1291343313768#c4973851674290719168
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Muddiest Point 10
Muddiest Point for 11/29
When talking about Library 2.0, Dr. He discussed using a wiki or blog as a library home page as a means to create a more user-centric experience. What are the risks in opening access to your users, and how do you encourage them to participate without losing what I would see as a necessary amount of control over the content to make sure no one posts something completely offensive or inappropriate?
When talking about Library 2.0, Dr. He discussed using a wiki or blog as a library home page as a means to create a more user-centric experience. What are the risks in opening access to your users, and how do you encourage them to participate without losing what I would see as a necessary amount of control over the content to make sure no one posts something completely offensive or inappropriate?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Reading Notes 9
Reading Notes for 11/29
Weblogs
I don't often give it much consideration because I'm used to it being there, but the automatic archiving of blogs and the way they allow you to have your own personal archive is pretty great. In terms of blogging software, I was really pleased at the beginning of the semester with how easy it was to use Blogger, and I'm sure those tools make blogging a more mainstream enterprise. The practical applications of blogs can extend beyond the social information sphere I'm used to utilizing them in into the professional arena as a means of communication between co-workers. Being familiar with different blogging software and available to provide assistance seems like a good way for today's librarians to increase their relevance to patrons.
Using a Wiki
We currently use a system-wide wiki for co-worker communications at my job at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, so I'm familiar with their organizational benefits. Our wiki isn't much to look at, but it's usually really easy to find the specific information you need, and it's handy when you're working in a system with 19 different locations, which obviously eliminates the option of relying on face-to-face interactions. I wonder ow using a blog for the same function would compare.
Folksonomy
That first paragraph describes my life. I have so many things in my "Favorites" list that it's practically un-usable. I need to get on del.icio.us. Including tagging under the auspices of library services as described sounds like a fantastic idea, and offers a way to continue participating in our old gatekeeping role in the new digital era. The development of an agreed-upon ontology, while outside the normal folksonomy definition, would probably be an asset for institutional use.
Wikipedia
Unrelated to Wikipedia, I wish Jimmy Wales would stand still. It's amazing that Wikipedia's content is volunteer-created, but even crazier that the administrative and behind-the-scenes workings are all done one a volunteer basis as well (except for their single employee). I think as a resource Wikipedia is becoming increasingly reliable, and a large part of that is based in their commitment to neutrality, neutrality, neutrality.
Weblogs
I don't often give it much consideration because I'm used to it being there, but the automatic archiving of blogs and the way they allow you to have your own personal archive is pretty great. In terms of blogging software, I was really pleased at the beginning of the semester with how easy it was to use Blogger, and I'm sure those tools make blogging a more mainstream enterprise. The practical applications of blogs can extend beyond the social information sphere I'm used to utilizing them in into the professional arena as a means of communication between co-workers. Being familiar with different blogging software and available to provide assistance seems like a good way for today's librarians to increase their relevance to patrons.
Using a Wiki
We currently use a system-wide wiki for co-worker communications at my job at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, so I'm familiar with their organizational benefits. Our wiki isn't much to look at, but it's usually really easy to find the specific information you need, and it's handy when you're working in a system with 19 different locations, which obviously eliminates the option of relying on face-to-face interactions. I wonder ow using a blog for the same function would compare.
Folksonomy
That first paragraph describes my life. I have so many things in my "Favorites" list that it's practically un-usable. I need to get on del.icio.us. Including tagging under the auspices of library services as described sounds like a fantastic idea, and offers a way to continue participating in our old gatekeeping role in the new digital era. The development of an agreed-upon ontology, while outside the normal folksonomy definition, would probably be an asset for institutional use.
Wikipedia
Unrelated to Wikipedia, I wish Jimmy Wales would stand still. It's amazing that Wikipedia's content is volunteer-created, but even crazier that the administrative and behind-the-scenes workings are all done one a volunteer basis as well (except for their single employee). I think as a resource Wikipedia is becoming increasingly reliable, and a large part of that is based in their commitment to neutrality, neutrality, neutrality.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Reading Notes 8
Reading Notes for 11/15
Digital Libraries
The number and variety of entities with administration over some portion of the scholarly information landscape immediately illustrates why navigation of this landscape is so complicated. I cringe to imagine the ad hoc standards some of those groups have come up with in a pinch. Aggregate, collocate, and federate. I didn't even know what collocate meant (: to set or arrange in a place or position; especially : to set side by side). It's interesting that while the Internet is a completely global infrastructure now, so much of it's innovations still come from the US.
Dewey meets Turing
"[Information] technologies were indeed important to ensure libraries' continued impact on scholarly work." That's an understatement. Again we have the publishers cast as villains inhibiting distributed innovations. We poor librarians have such difficulty letting go of our commitment to well-ordered and defined collections, which it seems the rest of the world (computer scientists included) doesn't really give a crap about as long as they can find whatever they individually need.
Institutional Repositories
The Pitt IR (d-scholarship.pitt.edu) is a DSpace IR, right? As the proportion of scholarship that exists in a born-digital format increases, it seems almost irresponsible for a university to not have an IR. More evidence of how faculty is outpacing institutions at embracing the opportunities technological innovation provides for the construction and dissemination of their scholarship. Build IRs and change your promotion and tenure processes already, will ya?
Digital Libraries
The number and variety of entities with administration over some portion of the scholarly information landscape immediately illustrates why navigation of this landscape is so complicated. I cringe to imagine the ad hoc standards some of those groups have come up with in a pinch. Aggregate, collocate, and federate. I didn't even know what collocate meant (: to set or arrange in a place or position; especially : to set side by side). It's interesting that while the Internet is a completely global infrastructure now, so much of it's innovations still come from the US.
Dewey meets Turing
"[Information] technologies were indeed important to ensure libraries' continued impact on scholarly work." That's an understatement. Again we have the publishers cast as villains inhibiting distributed innovations. We poor librarians have such difficulty letting go of our commitment to well-ordered and defined collections, which it seems the rest of the world (computer scientists included) doesn't really give a crap about as long as they can find whatever they individually need.
Institutional Repositories
The Pitt IR (d-scholarship.pitt.edu) is a DSpace IR, right? As the proportion of scholarship that exists in a born-digital format increases, it seems almost irresponsible for a university to not have an IR. More evidence of how faculty is outpacing institutions at embracing the opportunities technological innovation provides for the construction and dissemination of their scholarship. Build IRs and change your promotion and tenure processes already, will ya?
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Muddiest Point 9
Muddiest Point for 11/09
I don't have a muddiest point regarding the lecture this week, but I did wonder when we could expect grades for Assignments #3 and 4?
I don't have a muddiest point regarding the lecture this week, but I did wonder when we could expect grades for Assignments #3 and 4?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Assignment 5
My Koha Shelf
My Koha virtual bookshelf is entitled "The Art of Knitting" and was produced under the username AMP162.
http://upitt01-staff.kwc.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/virtualshelves/shelves.pl?viewshelf=126
My Koha virtual bookshelf is entitled "The Art of Knitting" and was produced under the username AMP162.
http://upitt01-staff.kwc.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/virtualshelves/shelves.pl?viewshelf=126
Friday, November 5, 2010
Muddiest Point 8
Muddiest Point for 11/01
Jiepu recommended we use tags like paragraph rather than break line because of a greater semantic accuracy, and in the readings on XML it seems that semantic accuracy is something developers strive for when refining markup language systems. However, I noticed that in many examples comparing XML to HTML, that accuracy came with a much greater level of complication. How do the benefits of semantic accuracy outweigh the increases in complexity, and at what point would a higher level of simplicity rather than semantics be preferred?
Jiepu recommended we use tags like paragraph rather than break line because of a greater semantic accuracy, and in the readings on XML it seems that semantic accuracy is something developers strive for when refining markup language systems. However, I noticed that in many examples comparing XML to HTML, that accuracy came with a much greater level of complication. How do the benefits of semantic accuracy outweigh the increases in complexity, and at what point would a higher level of simplicity rather than semantics be preferred?
Reading Notes 7
Reading Notes for 11/08
Intoducing the Extensible Markup Language
It seems that the benefit of XML versus HTML is that it builds a more defined structure within documents to ensure that they're always processed and displayed as intended. It's interesting how everything is built around entities and attributes, much like a database, which is also used to provide information with a specific, human-readable structure. I guess the system is partly designed to make XML tagged info documents easily sorted by a given database without eliminating the ability to view it in its original structure.
A Survey of XML Standards
By adding XML Namespaces with vocabulary markers it seems the language makes it possible for you to embed segments in other markup languages within an XML document. Does this increase the flexibility of the types of documents XML could be applied to? Still not sure that I understand the difference between URIs and URLs or what a parsed or unparsed character is. I also didn't know XML can make it possible to build links with multiple destination points, or two-way hypertext links, but that would be a very desirable utility.
Extending Your Markup
The interoperability between Document Type Definitions and XML Namespaces seems like it would make the use of Namespaces a lot more complicated. This is what they're trying to alleviate with a standard XML Schema, but with all that is being accomplished with further refinement of the XML language, it seems like getting everyone to agree on and adopt the same standards is an issue that is hindering the language from reaching its full potential.
XML Schema Tutorial
The adoption of a specific XML Schema over the use of DTDs will enhance the utility of XML, but will it make XML more adaptable to new technology and document-type developments? It seems that like markup languages before it, it operates on a fairly stringent set of definition limitations, and if it isn't more adaptable then gradually everyone will move on again to the whatever is more currently suited to their needs. What happens when content is created that is outside of the definition of allowable document content?
Intoducing the Extensible Markup Language
It seems that the benefit of XML versus HTML is that it builds a more defined structure within documents to ensure that they're always processed and displayed as intended. It's interesting how everything is built around entities and attributes, much like a database, which is also used to provide information with a specific, human-readable structure. I guess the system is partly designed to make XML tagged info documents easily sorted by a given database without eliminating the ability to view it in its original structure.
A Survey of XML Standards
By adding XML Namespaces with vocabulary markers it seems the language makes it possible for you to embed segments in other markup languages within an XML document. Does this increase the flexibility of the types of documents XML could be applied to? Still not sure that I understand the difference between URIs and URLs or what a parsed or unparsed character is. I also didn't know XML can make it possible to build links with multiple destination points, or two-way hypertext links, but that would be a very desirable utility.
Extending Your Markup
The interoperability between Document Type Definitions and XML Namespaces seems like it would make the use of Namespaces a lot more complicated. This is what they're trying to alleviate with a standard XML Schema, but with all that is being accomplished with further refinement of the XML language, it seems like getting everyone to agree on and adopt the same standards is an issue that is hindering the language from reaching its full potential.
XML Schema Tutorial
The adoption of a specific XML Schema over the use of DTDs will enhance the utility of XML, but will it make XML more adaptable to new technology and document-type developments? It seems that like markup languages before it, it operates on a fairly stringent set of definition limitations, and if it isn't more adaptable then gradually everyone will move on again to the whatever is more currently suited to their needs. What happens when content is created that is outside of the definition of allowable document content?
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Muddiest Point 7
Muddiest Point for 10/25
Dr. He recommends connecting via https protocol over http for security and encryption. Can a user opt for that protocol when he is surfing the web, or is that controlled solely by the administrator of a given website?
Dr. He recommends connecting via https protocol over http for security and encryption. Can a user opt for that protocol when he is surfing the web, or is that controlled solely by the administrator of a given website?
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Assignment 4
Personal Bibliographic Management Systems
My CiteULike Library - http://www.citeulike.org/user/PopeLIS
My CiteULike Library - http://www.citeulike.org/user/PopeLIS
Friday, October 22, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Muddiest Point 6
Muddiest Point for 10/15
We talked about IP addresses for computers, and I wondered if all the new wireless mobile devices that connect to the Web also have unique IP addresses (smartphones, e-readers, etc.). I could see this as a factor that really increased the demand and pushed us closer to running out of unique IPs.
We talked about IP addresses for computers, and I wondered if all the new wireless mobile devices that connect to the Web also have unique IP addresses (smartphones, e-readers, etc.). I could see this as a factor that really increased the demand and pushed us closer to running out of unique IPs.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Reading Notes 6
Reading Notes for 10/16
Local Area Network
Sometimes it's hard to imagine a time when computers couldn't talk to each other. Is fiber optic cabling preferred over a wireless connection for commercial applications because it's faster, or because of differences in security?
Computer Network
At a time when hardware costs where much higher than they are now, enabling the sharing of items like printers over multiple machines must have been a strong incentive. I had only ever thought about networking from the communication and file-sharing perspective. What are the speeds possible for wireless transmission? Not sure I totally understand how overlay networks operate, hopefully we'll address those in class.
Common Types of Network
I noticed there was no mention of a Home Area Network (HAN) in the video. Are they seen as synonymous with Personal Area Networks (PAN)?
Management of RFID in Libraries
RFID tags would combine a lot of basic library inventory tasks into one system, certainly saving time (especially the capability to check out a stack of multiple items at once) and possibly money (although the article talks about the "cost" of RFID without ever defining a ballpark figure for said cost in dollars). If RFID's in the retail sector are generally used as a "throw-away" device, is there a real idea for what their lifespans would be when being used repeatedly? That would seem to have a large bearing on cost and adoption factors.
Local Area Network
Sometimes it's hard to imagine a time when computers couldn't talk to each other. Is fiber optic cabling preferred over a wireless connection for commercial applications because it's faster, or because of differences in security?
Computer Network
At a time when hardware costs where much higher than they are now, enabling the sharing of items like printers over multiple machines must have been a strong incentive. I had only ever thought about networking from the communication and file-sharing perspective. What are the speeds possible for wireless transmission? Not sure I totally understand how overlay networks operate, hopefully we'll address those in class.
Common Types of Network
I noticed there was no mention of a Home Area Network (HAN) in the video. Are they seen as synonymous with Personal Area Networks (PAN)?
Management of RFID in Libraries
RFID tags would combine a lot of basic library inventory tasks into one system, certainly saving time (especially the capability to check out a stack of multiple items at once) and possibly money (although the article talks about the "cost" of RFID without ever defining a ballpark figure for said cost in dollars). If RFID's in the retail sector are generally used as a "throw-away" device, is there a real idea for what their lifespans would be when being used repeatedly? That would seem to have a large bearing on cost and adoption factors.
Assignment #3
Jing Assignment
video: http://www.screencast.com/t/N2GCoWExV
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54324654@N07/5063244434/in/set-72157625122126960/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54324654@N07/5062643083/in/set-72157625122126960/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54324654@N07/5062648985/in/set-72157625122126960/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54324654@N07/5063266218/in/set-72157625122126960/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54324654@N07/5063270842/in/set-72157625122126960/
video: http://www.screencast.com/t/N2GCoWExV
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54324654@N07/5063244434/in/set-72157625122126960/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54324654@N07/5062643083/in/set-72157625122126960/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54324654@N07/5062648985/in/set-72157625122126960/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54324654@N07/5063266218/in/set-72157625122126960/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54324654@N07/5063270842/in/set-72157625122126960/
Friday, October 1, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Reading Notes 5
Reading Notes for 10/04
Database Wikipedia
The whole concept of database infrastructure and management operates to create categorizational partitions to break data down into manageable chunks for search and retrieval, particularly the use of indexing, and the initial structure has to have flexibility built in for growth or the speeds of data maintenance and/or retrieval will decline exponentially. The locks are an easy and ingenious way to make sure you don't have different versions of the same object floating around, creating confusion about what data is the most current and accurate. It seems that the external levels of databases are similar to the GUIs of operating systems.
Intro to Metadata
It would seem advantageous for the different information and preservation communities to put a greater effort into adopting and enhancing a system like the MOAC for greater cross-disciplinary access. The development of different methods of description and searching in hierarchical metadata is a positive development to create a balance between expert and amateur researchers rather than adopting a dumbed-down system to increase accessibility for all to the detriment of the expert user.
While the amount of user-created metadata and folksonomies has become very popular, it seems unlikely that standards can be applied to those descriptions unless they arise organically in a social community. And does a full-text digital surrogate qualify as metadata? I'm not very clear on that.
Overview of the Dublin Core Data Model
The DCMES, built upon the RDF, is creating a semantic description system utilizable across disciplines. Using this schema will hopefully increase the ease of cross-disciplinary research and the interoperability of existing discipline-specific databases. The ability for semantic refinement is a large part of what makes the DCMI relevant, by linking its generic terms in relation to more specific terms used by a discipline's standard metadata system.
Database Wikipedia
The whole concept of database infrastructure and management operates to create categorizational partitions to break data down into manageable chunks for search and retrieval, particularly the use of indexing, and the initial structure has to have flexibility built in for growth or the speeds of data maintenance and/or retrieval will decline exponentially. The locks are an easy and ingenious way to make sure you don't have different versions of the same object floating around, creating confusion about what data is the most current and accurate. It seems that the external levels of databases are similar to the GUIs of operating systems.
Intro to Metadata
It would seem advantageous for the different information and preservation communities to put a greater effort into adopting and enhancing a system like the MOAC for greater cross-disciplinary access. The development of different methods of description and searching in hierarchical metadata is a positive development to create a balance between expert and amateur researchers rather than adopting a dumbed-down system to increase accessibility for all to the detriment of the expert user.
While the amount of user-created metadata and folksonomies has become very popular, it seems unlikely that standards can be applied to those descriptions unless they arise organically in a social community. And does a full-text digital surrogate qualify as metadata? I'm not very clear on that.
Overview of the Dublin Core Data Model
The DCMES, built upon the RDF, is creating a semantic description system utilizable across disciplines. Using this schema will hopefully increase the ease of cross-disciplinary research and the interoperability of existing discipline-specific databases. The ability for semantic refinement is a large part of what makes the DCMI relevant, by linking its generic terms in relation to more specific terms used by a discipline's standard metadata system.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Muddiest Post 4
Muddiest Point for 9/27
In relation to our discussion of digital image compression, I have recently seen commercials for a new HDTV from Sharp called the Quattron that claims to use a "quadpixel" display utilizing conventional RGB subpixels and adding a Y(yellow) subpixel. It also claims this will enable them to display "trillions" of colors. Given the limitations of the human eye, how much of that difference will we even be able to visually comprehend, and if the files being broadcast to that tv are compressed with a method that uses RGB, can they even add a Y enhancement on the decompression end? I'm confused about how that would work.
In relation to our discussion of digital image compression, I have recently seen commercials for a new HDTV from Sharp called the Quattron that claims to use a "quadpixel" display utilizing conventional RGB subpixels and adding a Y(yellow) subpixel. It also claims this will enable them to display "trillions" of colors. Given the limitations of the human eye, how much of that difference will we even be able to visually comprehend, and if the files being broadcast to that tv are compressed with a method that uses RGB, can they even add a Y enhancement on the decompression end? I'm confused about how that would work.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Reading Notes 4
Reading Notes for 9/27
Data Compression
I have used various ZIP files and programs before, so have been familiar with the benefits of data compression without giving much consideration to the process. It is interesting that we can use "lossy" methods to compress audio files because of the limits of human hearing. Couldn't we eliminate those frequencies when creating the original files and keep them smaller to begin with? It seems obvious that the more advanced our visual capture equipment (i.e. digital cameras, HD video recorders, 3D video recorders, etc.) the more difficult it will be for any of these compression styles to shrink file size by a significant percentage.
Imagining Pittsburgh
This is a great specific example of the multitude of challenges that arise in multidisciplinary collaborations. Interdisciplinary and interinstitutional projects are the ideal of open science proponents, and the photographic database created by the project is a great resource that would not have been put together otherwise, but it is probably a recurring difficulty with projects of this nature to get everyone on the same page for issues even as intrinsic as subject language. Imagine the difficulties that must arise when collaborators do not even have the same geographic region in common.
YouTube and Libraries
Libraries need to be less conservative and more innovative in their tactics to gain patrons, and the popularity of YouTube combined with its cost ($0) make it a great tool. I know the Volunteer Services department and the Development department at CLP use it occasionally, but could get much more benefit by using some of the ideas in this article, like online tours, services descriptions, and database tutorials.
Data Compression
I have used various ZIP files and programs before, so have been familiar with the benefits of data compression without giving much consideration to the process. It is interesting that we can use "lossy" methods to compress audio files because of the limits of human hearing. Couldn't we eliminate those frequencies when creating the original files and keep them smaller to begin with? It seems obvious that the more advanced our visual capture equipment (i.e. digital cameras, HD video recorders, 3D video recorders, etc.) the more difficult it will be for any of these compression styles to shrink file size by a significant percentage.
Imagining Pittsburgh
This is a great specific example of the multitude of challenges that arise in multidisciplinary collaborations. Interdisciplinary and interinstitutional projects are the ideal of open science proponents, and the photographic database created by the project is a great resource that would not have been put together otherwise, but it is probably a recurring difficulty with projects of this nature to get everyone on the same page for issues even as intrinsic as subject language. Imagine the difficulties that must arise when collaborators do not even have the same geographic region in common.
YouTube and Libraries
Libraries need to be less conservative and more innovative in their tactics to gain patrons, and the popularity of YouTube combined with its cost ($0) make it a great tool. I know the Volunteer Services department and the Development department at CLP use it occasionally, but could get much more benefit by using some of the ideas in this article, like online tours, services descriptions, and database tutorials.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Muddiest Post 3
Muddiest Point for 9/20
If Unix is superior in so many ways, why doesn't Microsoft build their OS on Unix, making the transition much the same way Mac did in '99-'00? Presumably, they could do this in a manner that would leave their traditional GUI largely unchanged but enhance their system's security, speed, and stability.
If Unix is superior in so many ways, why doesn't Microsoft build their OS on Unix, making the transition much the same way Mac did in '99-'00? Presumably, they could do this in a manner that would leave their traditional GUI largely unchanged but enhance their system's security, speed, and stability.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Reading Notes 3
Reading Notes for 9/20
Introduction to Linux: A Hands on Guide
Linux seems like a great OS for those experienced with computer code, giving them the capability to tweak code and develop specific changes to fit their computing needs. However, the number of available distributions combined with the common users fear of the unknown (the unknown being for the majority everything but Windows) makes the idea of transitioning intimidating. While Linux is free, most Windows users likely overlook the cost of the OS because it's a hidden component of the total cost they pay when purchasing their desktop or laptop system. While Linux has made attempts to improve its user-friendliness to appeal to more mainstream users, it still seems best designed for experts looking to optimize some component of that system beyond the capabilities provided by a more mainstream OS.
Mac OS X ( http://www.kernelthread.com/mac/osx/ and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X)
Am I the only person who had to look up Apache? After it came up in both of the first two readings I thought it'd be good to have some idea what they were talking about. Now I'm trying to fully understand what a web server is. It is also interesting to read in this 2003 article that the perception at that time was that there was far less software available on Mac OS X, particaularly games. This has clearly changed in the current culture, where as everyone knows, there's an app for that. Doesn't the fact that OS X can only run on Apple hardware limit its selling ability? Has Apple ever considered selling a PC-compatible OS? Maybe then they could possibly grab a market share of more than 4.5%
An Update on the Windows Roadmap
So is Windows a Unix-based system? No, and it's clear that they dominate the market regardless, and it is probably because of this economic position that unlike the Linux and Mac OS X readings there are no mentions of open source collaborations for software development. As a Windows user, I was unimpressed by the changes from XP to Vista, but have been very happy with Windows 7, referred to in this article in the future sense. And while they discuss their awareness of the security issues associated with Windows and the improvements in security with Vista, Windows is still the most vulnerable of the OSs covered in our readings, possibly because of the huge market share they control.
Introduction to Linux: A Hands on Guide
Linux seems like a great OS for those experienced with computer code, giving them the capability to tweak code and develop specific changes to fit their computing needs. However, the number of available distributions combined with the common users fear of the unknown (the unknown being for the majority everything but Windows) makes the idea of transitioning intimidating. While Linux is free, most Windows users likely overlook the cost of the OS because it's a hidden component of the total cost they pay when purchasing their desktop or laptop system. While Linux has made attempts to improve its user-friendliness to appeal to more mainstream users, it still seems best designed for experts looking to optimize some component of that system beyond the capabilities provided by a more mainstream OS.
Mac OS X ( http://www.kernelthread.com/mac/osx/ and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X)
Am I the only person who had to look up Apache? After it came up in both of the first two readings I thought it'd be good to have some idea what they were talking about. Now I'm trying to fully understand what a web server is. It is also interesting to read in this 2003 article that the perception at that time was that there was far less software available on Mac OS X, particaularly games. This has clearly changed in the current culture, where as everyone knows, there's an app for that. Doesn't the fact that OS X can only run on Apple hardware limit its selling ability? Has Apple ever considered selling a PC-compatible OS? Maybe then they could possibly grab a market share of more than 4.5%
An Update on the Windows Roadmap
So is Windows a Unix-based system? No, and it's clear that they dominate the market regardless, and it is probably because of this economic position that unlike the Linux and Mac OS X readings there are no mentions of open source collaborations for software development. As a Windows user, I was unimpressed by the changes from XP to Vista, but have been very happy with Windows 7, referred to in this article in the future sense. And while they discuss their awareness of the security issues associated with Windows and the improvements in security with Vista, Windows is still the most vulnerable of the OSs covered in our readings, possibly because of the huge market share they control.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Muddiest Point 2
Muddiest Point for 9/13
When Dr. He discussed the life expectancy of different media formats, he advised users to "refresh" the information on, say, their hard drive every 3-5 years. How does one "refresh" this information, and does doing so help slow the overall degradationof the drive, or just the information?
When Dr. He discussed the life expectancy of different media formats, he advised users to "refresh" the information on, say, their hard drive every 3-5 years. How does one "refresh" this information, and does doing so help slow the overall degradationof the drive, or just the information?
Friday, September 10, 2010
Reading Notes 2
Reading Notes for 9/13
Computer Hardware
A recurring thought during the first few LIS 2600 readings is a curiosity regarding how many people using a computer on a daily basis actually have a working understanding of what the individual hardware components are and how they function together. I have seen a computer being built and thus feel slightly more educated on what the different components are, but rarely think about what processes they are performing while I utilize them. Firmware is also absolutely critical to a computer's function, but is so easy to ignore or know nothing about. It's easy to see how something small can go wrong (a faulty transistor, firmware or software that hasn't been updated) and the system will become unusable.
Moore's Law and Video
The cost component of Moore's law is a major factor in the rapid exponential development in digital and technical capacity. When integrated circuits with twice the capacity are made available with little increase in cost over their predecessors there is little downside to the computing community for routine adoption of the newest chip. However, the ability to continue doubling is finite, and will likely cap in the next 5-10 years, and while much of what Moore's Law has enabled us to accomplish is positive and revolutionary, the corresponding increases in power consumption and bloat as well as the increase in cost for the producer/developer are not ideal.
Computer History Museum
The speed at which computing has grown and evolved really resonates in the fact that one of the largest international collections of computing artifacts has been built in all of 11 years by an organization put together in 1999. It seems natural, though, that Computer Science should be scrutinized and celebrated in the same way we are used to our more mature sciences being treated. Fitting that it resides in the Silicon Valley, like the Louvre in Paris. The Silicon Engine Timeline was a good tool to help visualize the birth of the transistor and the technological development that led to it. Their collection could help libraries identify what are the documents of greatest value relating to the Computer Science field.
Computer Hardware
A recurring thought during the first few LIS 2600 readings is a curiosity regarding how many people using a computer on a daily basis actually have a working understanding of what the individual hardware components are and how they function together. I have seen a computer being built and thus feel slightly more educated on what the different components are, but rarely think about what processes they are performing while I utilize them. Firmware is also absolutely critical to a computer's function, but is so easy to ignore or know nothing about. It's easy to see how something small can go wrong (a faulty transistor, firmware or software that hasn't been updated) and the system will become unusable.
Moore's Law and Video
The cost component of Moore's law is a major factor in the rapid exponential development in digital and technical capacity. When integrated circuits with twice the capacity are made available with little increase in cost over their predecessors there is little downside to the computing community for routine adoption of the newest chip. However, the ability to continue doubling is finite, and will likely cap in the next 5-10 years, and while much of what Moore's Law has enabled us to accomplish is positive and revolutionary, the corresponding increases in power consumption and bloat as well as the increase in cost for the producer/developer are not ideal.
Computer History Museum
The speed at which computing has grown and evolved really resonates in the fact that one of the largest international collections of computing artifacts has been built in all of 11 years by an organization put together in 1999. It seems natural, though, that Computer Science should be scrutinized and celebrated in the same way we are used to our more mature sciences being treated. Fitting that it resides in the Silicon Valley, like the Louvre in Paris. The Silicon Engine Timeline was a good tool to help visualize the birth of the transistor and the technological development that led to it. Their collection could help libraries identify what are the documents of greatest value relating to the Computer Science field.
Reading Notes 1
Reading Notes for 8/30
OCLC report: Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers
One of the statistics that stood out in the OCLC report was the sheer number of project emails sent on a yearly basis. Dr He made a reference to Information Retrieval as the act of finding a needle in a haystack, and we just keep creating bigger and bigger stacks. It is also interesting to note how quickly mobile devices have led us to expect constant access to the Internet from anywhere at anytime (even when it's not possible, like say from my sister's campground in Tionesta) and how that mobile access is in some parts of the world superseding the more traditional computer-based access because a cellphone is typically a lot less expensive than a pc. I think this change in access combined with our desire for instantaneous fulfillment is a major driving force between the development of micro-payment for micro-content. Basically so much content is being created so quickly and across many different formats, with much of it also becoming obsolete at almost the same speed, that it's easy to see how difficult the task of meaningful information retrieval can become.
“Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture”
While Information Technology is the necessary infrastructure of Information Literacy, the lay user of most popular technologies right now (Twitter, Facebook, SMS, Google) have a very limited knowledge, if any, of how the infrastructure is designed and functions. I am not sure I really buy into the argument that future basic users of Information Technology will need to understand the technology infrastructure of a given program to use it successfully. As technology moves forward so rapidly, the companies behind its development are going to actively design with the user in mind, and the more complex their understanding needs to be the narrower that pool of users/consumers. Having a higher level of IT understanding will remain critical for those involved in Information Science, Storage, and Retrieval, but likely not for the general public because it doesn't make sense from an economic perspective.
Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still
Lied Library is a great illustration of the ways in which flexibility, connectivity (my first encounter of Internet 2), investment, good software and support, and creativity all have to come together to keep a technologically advanced library on the cutting edge. The costs are large and likely the first deterrent for many academic and public library systems, but the complications go far beyond the costs. Lied's success at bringing people in the door is them meeting their goal, but meeting that goal only increases the issues that crop up from such high use, from the need to limit computer use to the public in order to ensure computer use for the students to the way heavy use on printers helps pay for their operation but conversely leads to their increased deterioration. Lied Library illustrates through hard- and software issues why it's important for those in the Information Sciences to have a solid IT understanding of the specific tech they work with at the very least.
On a side note, their efforts to create greater connectivity between members of their staff is a small-scale example of why global connectivity is so desirable. They were looking for an increase in communication as a way to foster problem identification and collaboration for creative problem-solving. It's all full circle.
OCLC report: Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers
One of the statistics that stood out in the OCLC report was the sheer number of project emails sent on a yearly basis. Dr He made a reference to Information Retrieval as the act of finding a needle in a haystack, and we just keep creating bigger and bigger stacks. It is also interesting to note how quickly mobile devices have led us to expect constant access to the Internet from anywhere at anytime (even when it's not possible, like say from my sister's campground in Tionesta) and how that mobile access is in some parts of the world superseding the more traditional computer-based access because a cellphone is typically a lot less expensive than a pc. I think this change in access combined with our desire for instantaneous fulfillment is a major driving force between the development of micro-payment for micro-content. Basically so much content is being created so quickly and across many different formats, with much of it also becoming obsolete at almost the same speed, that it's easy to see how difficult the task of meaningful information retrieval can become.
“Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture”
While Information Technology is the necessary infrastructure of Information Literacy, the lay user of most popular technologies right now (Twitter, Facebook, SMS, Google) have a very limited knowledge, if any, of how the infrastructure is designed and functions. I am not sure I really buy into the argument that future basic users of Information Technology will need to understand the technology infrastructure of a given program to use it successfully. As technology moves forward so rapidly, the companies behind its development are going to actively design with the user in mind, and the more complex their understanding needs to be the narrower that pool of users/consumers. Having a higher level of IT understanding will remain critical for those involved in Information Science, Storage, and Retrieval, but likely not for the general public because it doesn't make sense from an economic perspective.
Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still
Lied Library is a great illustration of the ways in which flexibility, connectivity (my first encounter of Internet 2), investment, good software and support, and creativity all have to come together to keep a technologically advanced library on the cutting edge. The costs are large and likely the first deterrent for many academic and public library systems, but the complications go far beyond the costs. Lied's success at bringing people in the door is them meeting their goal, but meeting that goal only increases the issues that crop up from such high use, from the need to limit computer use to the public in order to ensure computer use for the students to the way heavy use on printers helps pay for their operation but conversely leads to their increased deterioration. Lied Library illustrates through hard- and software issues why it's important for those in the Information Sciences to have a solid IT understanding of the specific tech they work with at the very least.
On a side note, their efforts to create greater connectivity between members of their staff is a small-scale example of why global connectivity is so desirable. They were looking for an increase in communication as a way to foster problem identification and collaboration for creative problem-solving. It's all full circle.
Muddiest Point 1
Muddiest Point for 8/30-First Post
First blog post ever! Here goes. While I think I have a good grasp of what's required in terms of participation and coursework for LIS 2600, I'm a little muddy on the comments we're required to make on other people's posts and questions. I know we're to make two a week, but where do we put them, on that student's blog, on our own, or on a courseweb discussion board? Hopefully as I use blogger that answer may become obvious, but right now I'm not sure.
First blog post ever! Here goes. While I think I have a good grasp of what's required in terms of participation and coursework for LIS 2600, I'm a little muddy on the comments we're required to make on other people's posts and questions. I know we're to make two a week, but where do we put them, on that student's blog, on our own, or on a courseweb discussion board? Hopefully as I use blogger that answer may become obvious, but right now I'm not sure.
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