http://akulp2600.blogspot.com/2010/12/muddiest-point-12-6.html?showComment=1292124298684#c3887180493226117377
http://amybeeslisblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/muddiest-point-for-126.html?showComment=1292124920718#c7273115172124365274
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Muddiest Point 12/06/10
How popular is the Shibboleth AA process and how long does it take for authentication to occur? A few seconds? Or longer?
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Readings for 12/6/10
Epic article- This was an interesting article to read. I feel that in terms of the public's personal rights versus helping protect the public from terrorist attacks we must have a balance between the two. Because as is shown by numerous examples on the Epic terrorism awareness website, people abuse the powers they have. Those voted into positions of power can more easily be bought out by companies willing to invest in the new security technology because these companies fund their campaigns. But, we must all be mindful that striving towards a balance will protect peoples rights as well as their safety.
No place to hide site- I read the interviews and the one with John Ashcroft was fascinating. I appreciated his quote about September 11, 2001 that "many Americans had thought we were insulated by the great oceans." Many people felt this as true and did not believe that anyone could organize and plan out such a terrible crime. And that's why right after it, there was so much fear and a push to keep the public "safe" and expand the rights of other organizations.
Youtube- could not access it
No place to hide site- I read the interviews and the one with John Ashcroft was fascinating. I appreciated his quote about September 11, 2001 that "many Americans had thought we were insulated by the great oceans." Many people felt this as true and did not believe that anyone could organize and plan out such a terrible crime. And that's why right after it, there was so much fear and a push to keep the public "safe" and expand the rights of other organizations.
Youtube- could not access it
Readings 11/29/10
For the weblogs article it really interesting to consider the fact that major search engines have started to include blogs in their searches. That from when blogs first started to now they have grown in such immense popularity. And that they are starting to take the place of a lot of news organizations as being a primary means for obtaining information. Its the same as with the concept of Wikipedia, the power of the individual to spread information over the power of the traditional large organizations is really growing.
The wiki article states that for wiki's "collaboration streamlines workflow and allows quick updates of outdated information." I think this is definitely true. I went to visit Chatham Universities library and spoke to one of their librarians. And she told me that they have a wiki for the staff because, they have certain librarians who just work the night shifts from 5-12 and they work either just on Friday,Tuesday, or Weekends so there is no way for them to communicate and sometimes it is difficult for the day and evening staff to communicate, therefore they started a wiki. This way they can synthesize, disseminate, and update large volumes of information without sending out multiple emails.
Social tagging in Libraries- It was interesting to read about this being introduced into libraries and I think they would really be useful for students and professors to learn and collaborate with. I especially liked how the author described the internet as "frustratingly uncatalogable." Which is a fascinating way to look it. Mostly, because this is true when you think about the deep web, but also even the surface web can be difficult to navigate.
The Jimmy Wales video was really great! I feel that I've learned a lot about the organization and what makes it so great. It's fascinating that they technically have one employee and they don't have advertisements to fund them. That Wikipedia is "a social concept of cooperation" and where individuals try to report on the views of "reputable" parties. I have a lot of respect for Jimmy Wales and his ingenuity.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Muddiest Point 11/22/10
In class we discussed the z39.50 search. I also remember seeing this in our Koha project assignment. In the slides it stated that in general these types of searches are not used due to the fact that they are difficult to implement, can have semantic problems, and network server problems. So then who really uses it? And why would they use it over another type of search, especially since it does not retrieve full documents or other objects?
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Reading Notes for 11/22/10
1.) I really liked the David Hawking articles about the basics of the web crawlers, how they function, the problems they have, and why they are such great tools. How they must leave out "low-value automated content" since that is not necessary and makes the search harder. How they must be able to search in multiple different languages, misspellings, and also made up words (ie: google, yahoo). How they must work with such a vast amount of information, how they must avoid tricky spamming sites, and all within a few milliseconds. Its quite amazing when you think about it like that!
2.) The Shreeves, S. L et al. article had an example of its customers that I thought was intriguing. The Sheet Music Consortium is trying to digitize sheet music and they initially had some trouble with figuring out how to digitize the various components of their information such as the "cover art, the sheet music itself, the lyrics, etc." and also I assume all the other small additions written onto the music such as playing in piano, forte, or staccato. In class, sometimes we discuss the concept of using other languages for digitizing data, but music was not something I had though of before. Essentially music is like another language.
3.) The Bergman article was great because it explained the true depth of the deep web and the difficulty for crawlers to find this information. Even though the crawlers do a great job with all that they are responsible for, there is still a massive amount of information which is left out of the equation. The article discusses how "Internet searchers are therefore searching only 0.03% — or one in 3,000 — of the pages available to them today." That is such a tiny fraction of the information that we could be accessing! I find that number almost unbelievable. The article also discusses, that crawlers aren't even looking in fire-walled or "Intranet" sites within institutions as they can't. So there's more information there that we cannot access..
2.) The Shreeves, S. L et al. article had an example of its customers that I thought was intriguing. The Sheet Music Consortium is trying to digitize sheet music and they initially had some trouble with figuring out how to digitize the various components of their information such as the "cover art, the sheet music itself, the lyrics, etc." and also I assume all the other small additions written onto the music such as playing in piano, forte, or staccato. In class, sometimes we discuss the concept of using other languages for digitizing data, but music was not something I had though of before. Essentially music is like another language.
3.) The Bergman article was great because it explained the true depth of the deep web and the difficulty for crawlers to find this information. Even though the crawlers do a great job with all that they are responsible for, there is still a massive amount of information which is left out of the equation. The article discusses how "Internet searchers are therefore searching only 0.03% — or one in 3,000 — of the pages available to them today." That is such a tiny fraction of the information that we could be accessing! I find that number almost unbelievable. The article also discusses, that crawlers aren't even looking in fire-walled or "Intranet" sites within institutions as they can't. So there's more information there that we cannot access..
Friday, November 19, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Reading Notes for 11/15
In the Mischo article it was interesting to read about the university projects that were funded by the DL-1 for networking and computing technologies. It was good to see Carnegie Mellon listed there as I'm sure these grants were only for the most qualified and capable groups. It said that CMU had a grant for the "study of integrated speech, image, video, and language understanding software under its Informedia system." I wonder if that is for speech recognition technology? Or if it was something that was specific for individuals who are either deaf, hearing impaired, or blind?
The Paepcke, A. et al. article is interesting because he talks about "the binary union between academic librarians and computer scientists." And I feel in many ways thats what Information Science is about, a fusion of computer science and library science. I didn't think I really understood till I started my MLIS, the interconnected weave that technology and information have with each other. I already feel very knowledgeable about many computer based concepts. Granted, I have a long long ways to go till I can really feel proficient. But, I still feel an understanding of the concept of this union.
The article by Lynch, Clifford was a very heavy read. But, as I was reading I started wondering about the University of Pittsburgh's Institutional repository. I wondered if we had one, what it is called and who uses it. At first I thought it may be something like Blackboard. But, then it described it more as a place that individuals can access anything by a professor or a graduate student. And on Blackboard you can only access the classes that you have or teach. Therefore, I don't think it fits the description. So I guess I would like to know more about the University of Pittsburgh and institutional repositories.
The Paepcke, A. et al. article is interesting because he talks about "the binary union between academic librarians and computer scientists." And I feel in many ways thats what Information Science is about, a fusion of computer science and library science. I didn't think I really understood till I started my MLIS, the interconnected weave that technology and information have with each other. I already feel very knowledgeable about many computer based concepts. Granted, I have a long long ways to go till I can really feel proficient. But, I still feel an understanding of the concept of this union.
The article by Lynch, Clifford was a very heavy read. But, as I was reading I started wondering about the University of Pittsburgh's Institutional repository. I wondered if we had one, what it is called and who uses it. At first I thought it may be something like Blackboard. But, then it described it more as a place that individuals can access anything by a professor or a graduate student. And on Blackboard you can only access the classes that you have or teach. Therefore, I don't think it fits the description. So I guess I would like to know more about the University of Pittsburgh and institutional repositories.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Reading Notes for 11/8/10
The Martin Bryan article was a good introductory article. I had trouble with accessing it, but I read on some of my classmates blogs where to get a good link for the article. The article gave a good background to the XML framework and organization. I think this was one of the best articles for this week.
The Uche Ogbuji article I think was very complex and went a bit over my head. I did notice they had some great links to other XML tutorials. Many of these tutuorials were basic tutorials. I followed a few and found them to be very good references.
I liked the first few pages of the Andre Bergholz article. I liked the examples he used on the side of the page. In figure 1a and 1b for HTML and XML hes states "The HTML description is layout oriented, while the XML description is structure oriented." From the readings this seems to be one of the major difference between the two and also why people may prefer XML. Because, XML can offer more due to its structured nature.
The XML Schema Tutorial was also a very good read. I like the format of the w3schools.com content. We also read from this site last week and I find it rather clear and concise. Reading about the Schema and how much better that it is to DTD's reminded me of last weeks reading about how HTML has CSS sheets to help expand its abilities. It also brings to mind the fact that technology is constantly changing and that in a few years something may have superseded XML Schema.
The Uche Ogbuji article I think was very complex and went a bit over my head. I did notice they had some great links to other XML tutorials. Many of these tutuorials were basic tutorials. I followed a few and found them to be very good references.
I liked the first few pages of the Andre Bergholz article. I liked the examples he used on the side of the page. In figure 1a and 1b for HTML and XML hes states "The HTML description is layout oriented, while the XML description is structure oriented." From the readings this seems to be one of the major difference between the two and also why people may prefer XML. Because, XML can offer more due to its structured nature.
The XML Schema Tutorial was also a very good read. I like the format of the w3schools.com content. We also read from this site last week and I find it rather clear and concise. Reading about the Schema and how much better that it is to DTD's reminded me of last weeks reading about how HTML has CSS sheets to help expand its abilities. It also brings to mind the fact that technology is constantly changing and that in a few years something may have superseded XML Schema.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Assignment 5- Koha Bookshelf
http://upitt01-staff.kwc.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/virtualshelves/shelves.pl?viewshelf=96
The title is: Priya's Harry Potter List
(It is on PAGE FOUR, for some reason it does not show up in the catalog when I type the name. Only when I look on page four. And it is a public account. Thanks)
My username: PRS38
The title is: Priya's Harry Potter List
(It is on PAGE FOUR, for some reason it does not show up in the catalog when I type the name. Only when I look on page four. And it is a public account. Thanks)
My username: PRS38
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Muddiest Point for 10/25/10
I actually have a question about last weeks readings. For the Google video that we watched, Larry page mentioned that Google does not accept money from company's to have their website put first on a search result's list. He mentioned unlike some of our "competitors". So my question is which search engines accept money to have certain people's websites put first? I assume none of the large and legitimate engines like Yahoo or bing. But do other medium sized engines do so, ie: msn.com? I was just wondering because if they do then I don't think I would want to use them. Thanks.
Reading Notes for 11/1/10
HTML tutorial: This tutorial was really great. It was succinct and informative with plenty of examples. I feel like I have learned much more about webdesign just from reading it. I was surprised to hear that HTML is not like coding, which probably just shows my ignorance. They seem rather similar in structure to me. In both you are writing something we can understand into something the computer will understand. And what you are writing affects the layout and conceptualization of your project.
HTML cheat sheet: I think I will definitely be referring back to this whenever I get a chance to use HTML. Maybe for Assignment 6?
CSS Tutorial: This was a great tutorial as well. Just reading about the way websites used to be structured before all our advances in technology made me smile. I remember using the dial-up modem to call AOL and finally after 2 minutes getting access to the internet, watching videos that took a very long time to download, and having very bland/ non-interactive (compared to today) screens where the photos would take sometimes just as long as the video itself to download. Even all the colors that they showed of the 216 out of 256 approved colors reminded me how basic all of those early webpages were. I'm glad we've progressed so fast!
The Beyond HTML article was another good article. It was a bit complex, but in general quite readable. Towards the end of the article they mentioned that some libraries used CMS products " Macromedia Contribute, one used Zope, and the remaining library used DBMAN." (under survey of CMS activities in libraries, last page). I was wondering if "LibGuide" was a CMS product? I assume it is. I have used "Libguides" before and I know a lot of librarians/libraries find them very organized and helpful. (Although I do not know how expensive it is).
HTML cheat sheet: I think I will definitely be referring back to this whenever I get a chance to use HTML. Maybe for Assignment 6?
CSS Tutorial: This was a great tutorial as well. Just reading about the way websites used to be structured before all our advances in technology made me smile. I remember using the dial-up modem to call AOL and finally after 2 minutes getting access to the internet, watching videos that took a very long time to download, and having very bland/ non-interactive (compared to today) screens where the photos would take sometimes just as long as the video itself to download. Even all the colors that they showed of the 216 out of 256 approved colors reminded me how basic all of those early webpages were. I'm glad we've progressed so fast!
The Beyond HTML article was another good article. It was a bit complex, but in general quite readable. Towards the end of the article they mentioned that some libraries used CMS products " Macromedia Contribute, one used Zope, and the remaining library used DBMAN." (under survey of CMS activities in libraries, last page). I was wondering if "LibGuide" was a CMS product? I assume it is. I have used "Libguides" before and I know a lot of librarians/libraries find them very organized and helpful. (Although I do not know how expensive it is).
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Reading Notes for 10/25
The article by Jeff Tyson was really interesting. It was a simplified explanation of how to understand the web. It described the internet as a large, expansive, and ever-growing network of networks. It was also interesting to hear that no one person really owns the internet. Which makes it all the more fascinating that the largest moneymaker is not owned by a single entity, but held by all of us.
The article by Andre K Pace was a little hard for me to understand. That was until I looked up the definition for ILS on Wikipedia and realized that it was the everyday system used for circulation and organization of materials in libraries. I have used both Millennium and Voyager in previous library jobs. And like most people find both to not be user friendly. I can see why the concept of the homegrown or the opensource alternative is so tantalizing. The ability to modify and change the lack of user-friendly capabilities is important. I think if libraries paid more money for the products, as the author mentions, we could see some real changes for the better. Or as the article stipulates (toward the end) we should dismantle and rebuild our ILS systems.
The Sergey Brin and Larry Page video was funny and nice to watch. It was also interesting to hear from Larry Page about their advertising structure. How Google does not gain profit from having people pay to have their search result put first, but that they specifically denote pertinent advertising to what you searched. This is how they make their money. I think that concept makes for a better business model as people can trust you. When people search on Google they know that the options they are receiving are based on mathematically based algorithms not who has deeper pockets.
The article by Andre K Pace was a little hard for me to understand. That was until I looked up the definition for ILS on Wikipedia and realized that it was the everyday system used for circulation and organization of materials in libraries. I have used both Millennium and Voyager in previous library jobs. And like most people find both to not be user friendly. I can see why the concept of the homegrown or the opensource alternative is so tantalizing. The ability to modify and change the lack of user-friendly capabilities is important. I think if libraries paid more money for the products, as the author mentions, we could see some real changes for the better. Or as the article stipulates (toward the end) we should dismantle and rebuild our ILS systems.
The Sergey Brin and Larry Page video was funny and nice to watch. It was also interesting to hear from Larry Page about their advertising structure. How Google does not gain profit from having people pay to have their search result put first, but that they specifically denote pertinent advertising to what you searched. This is how they make their money. I think that concept makes for a better business model as people can trust you. When people search on Google they know that the options they are receiving are based on mathematically based algorithms not who has deeper pockets.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Muddiest Point for 10/15-10/16
I have a question about LAN and WAN. Is it possible to be connected to a LAN and a WAN at the same time? I was talking over skype with a friend in England when she lost her internet connection and we couldn't talk to one another. However, she later told me that she still had local access according to her computer. So I was wondering if you could have both LAN and WAN at the same time, and lose your WAN connection. I thought you could only have one type of access or the other, not both.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Assignment 3- JING
Video:
http://www.screencast.com/users/pshenoy/folders/Jing/media/b8f1abab-aeae-4588-9b3b-79e5e5b5f2a0
Annotated Picture 1:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshenoy/5049714395/
Annotated Picture 2:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshenoy/5067658957/
Annotated Picture 3:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshenoy/5068393026/
Annotated Picture 4:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshenoy/5068460698/
Annotated Picture 5:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshenoy/5068417426/
http://www.screencast.com/users/pshenoy/folders/Jing/media/b8f1abab-aeae-4588-9b3b-79e5e5b5f2a0
Annotated Picture 1:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshenoy/5049714395/
Annotated Picture 2:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshenoy/5067658957/
Annotated Picture 3:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshenoy/5068393026/
Annotated Picture 4:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshenoy/5068460698/
Annotated Picture 5:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshenoy/5068417426/
Friday, October 8, 2010
Muddiest point for 10/4/2010
I have a question about unstructured data. An example of unstructured data is pure text which includes implicit structures. But isn't the whole point of unstructured data that it is not defined? In terms of implicit structure for the pure text, does that mean how writing in English has structure in terms of letters making words, words making ideas, and spaces to signify a pause? Or is it something else that implicitly structures pure text? Does pure text have to be written in formal English or rather in a way that ideas are conveyed?
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Reading Notes for 10/04/2010
Wikipedia Article: This article gave a good overview of the concept of a database. I was interested to see how they divided the databases into different types such as End-User, Analytical, and Distributed databases under Data Warehouses. I asked a software engineer friend of mine about these organized subdivisions and he said that they were not well know terms. I assume then that they classified them this way in order for lay men, like myself, to be able to have a better grasp on the different types out there.
Gilliand Article: Metadata is something that is part of many different types of librarian-ship and our current life in general. I liked how this article described the typology of the different data standards into structure, content, value, and format. It gave me a clearer picture into how information about information is organized. I was interested to read about MeSH headings as data value, thesauri, or controlled vocabulary. I have heard that term in reference to Mesh before as I work in a medical library. The article states "these are the terms, names, and other values that are used to populate data structure standards or metadata element sets." Which I think describes it well.
Miller Article: The Dublin Core Data Model article was I think a difficult read and maybe for individuals who understand it on a higher level. There was also a lot of coding written into the article. My understanding is that the DCDM is used for classification and identification of works across multiple disciplines, thereby implementing a standard for use. It is also very specific for an electronic environment. The Model tries to address many different characteristics and requirements.
Gilliand Article: Metadata is something that is part of many different types of librarian-ship and our current life in general. I liked how this article described the typology of the different data standards into structure, content, value, and format. It gave me a clearer picture into how information about information is organized. I was interested to read about MeSH headings as data value, thesauri, or controlled vocabulary. I have heard that term in reference to Mesh before as I work in a medical library. The article states "these are the terms, names, and other values that are used to populate data structure standards or metadata element sets." Which I think describes it well.
Miller Article: The Dublin Core Data Model article was I think a difficult read and maybe for individuals who understand it on a higher level. There was also a lot of coding written into the article. My understanding is that the DCDM is used for classification and identification of works across multiple disciplines, thereby implementing a standard for use. It is also very specific for an electronic environment. The Model tries to address many different characteristics and requirements.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Muddiest point for 9/27/10
I have a question regarding Red Hat and Linux. I know that one of the stipulations of using Linux is that if you create a beneficial change to the program you need to make it available to others. With Red Hat are they allowed to take Linux and change it for their clients and then charge them for the services. I understand that they provide tech support and are allowing others to access their product, but does it go against the Linux creation principles to charge for the product?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Reading notes for 9/27
Data compression websites (1 and 2)- It was really interesting to read about the Lossy and Lossless data compression types. It seems very logical to understand when one is used over the other. One would have to use lossless for spreadsheets where you wouldn't want anything changed, (even if it took up more space). And then use lossy for audio-visual where the eye cannot differentiate too much between the two uses(and you save space). These practical examples from the readings really helped me understand the reasoning behind using one over another. It also makes sense that the writer and the reader of the information must both understand each others "language" in order for there to be no errors with the data interpretation.
Imaging Pittsburgh (3)- Of all the articles we had to read this week I thought this was the most fascinating. It really gave you the background logistics behind digitizing old photographs from multiple institutions. The metadata data differences, the copyright troubles, the organization,and the indexing language. This whole coordination seemed like it was a difficult yet rewarding project. I was also glad to hear that these material were being brought together and placed online so that others could get a fuller picture into Pittsburgh's history. It would be really sad to see this piece of Pittsburgh's cultural heritage begin to start to decay before it was digitized.
Youtube and libraries it could be a beautiful relationship. (4)- I think this article is stating what most large libraries know or do, use Youtube/video. With the exception of video directions, I think many of these libraries use video to discuss how to perform basic searches/ use library websites. However, they may not be Youtube videos, but videos nonetheless. And I think for a large contingent of people this is the best way to learn. Visual aids and verbal cues really help some peoples brains to conceptualize, versus written material. I also think that these libraries should include video directions for new first time users to help them out initially.
Imaging Pittsburgh (3)- Of all the articles we had to read this week I thought this was the most fascinating. It really gave you the background logistics behind digitizing old photographs from multiple institutions. The metadata data differences, the copyright troubles, the organization,and the indexing language. This whole coordination seemed like it was a difficult yet rewarding project. I was also glad to hear that these material were being brought together and placed online so that others could get a fuller picture into Pittsburgh's history. It would be really sad to see this piece of Pittsburgh's cultural heritage begin to start to decay before it was digitized.
Youtube and libraries it could be a beautiful relationship. (4)- I think this article is stating what most large libraries know or do, use Youtube/video. With the exception of video directions, I think many of these libraries use video to discuss how to perform basic searches/ use library websites. However, they may not be Youtube videos, but videos nonetheless. And I think for a large contingent of people this is the best way to learn. Visual aids and verbal cues really help some peoples brains to conceptualize, versus written material. I also think that these libraries should include video directions for new first time users to help them out initially.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Reading Notes for 9/20/10
Introduction to Linux a hands on guide - I find it quite fascinating that Linux's concepts of free and open access were so revolutionary at the time of their creation. These concepts are continually influencing the way we create and produce information today . There is still a belief in freedom, collaborative expression, and experimentation, for growth . Take for example Wikipedia. Wikipedia has grown to achieve all that it has from these these principles of freedom, collaboration and experimentation that Linus Torvald used when implementing Linux.
Mac OS- The Kernel Thread article was a very complex and intricate article that was mostly about the programming languages and softwares. I think it was a good way to start seeing and absorbing the names associated with the MacOS. I also liked how they discussed the multiple stages and years it took for Apple to produce the Mac OS. Being a layperson (in terms of technology), I didn't know about all the multiple and different failed attempts to produce this product. I think now I understand better the complexities, trials, and difficulties company's face in creating a usable product.
The Kernel Thread article while very interesting was difficult for me to understand. Most of the article was about software and programming. However, the Wikipedia article I think was more along the lines of my understanding. It clarified and simplified the basic background regarding the creation of the Mac OS.
An update on the Windows road map- I was intrigued by the websites mention of "downgrade rights." This was not a concept I had imagined before. Generally, people want to upgrade, not downgrade. But, I understand in certain situations as with business, this can be more a hassle than a help. If for example a small company bought 4 new computers, it could be confusing if the rest of their computers ran on Windows XP and the four new computers ran on Vista. To improve efficiency a company may wish to downgrade until they were ready to upgrade all their computers.
Mac OS- The Kernel Thread article was a very complex and intricate article that was mostly about the programming languages and softwares. I think it was a good way to start seeing and absorbing the names associated with the MacOS. I also liked how they discussed the multiple stages and years it took for Apple to produce the Mac OS. Being a layperson (in terms of technology), I didn't know about all the multiple and different failed attempts to produce this product. I think now I understand better the complexities, trials, and difficulties company's face in creating a usable product.
The Kernel Thread article while very interesting was difficult for me to understand. Most of the article was about software and programming. However, the Wikipedia article I think was more along the lines of my understanding. It clarified and simplified the basic background regarding the creation of the Mac OS.
An update on the Windows road map- I was intrigued by the websites mention of "downgrade rights." This was not a concept I had imagined before. Generally, people want to upgrade, not downgrade. But, I understand in certain situations as with business, this can be more a hassle than a help. If for example a small company bought 4 new computers, it could be confusing if the rest of their computers ran on Windows XP and the four new computers ran on Vista. To improve efficiency a company may wish to downgrade until they were ready to upgrade all their computers.
Muddiest Point for 9/13
I wanted to clarify some concepts from the readings regarding Unix and Linux.
Unix was unique in that it connected computers together into a similar system, however was only available for a select few. Linux was created by Linus based upon the Unix frame even though he never had real access to its code. Therefore, he did not infringe on their copyright? What Linus did was then to create Linux and make it accessible to the "masses" or at least those who were interested in computers. And at this time, this was a revolutionary concept because it was free, available to all, and more user friendly. My question is if these statements are correct. I wish to better understand the Unix/Linux relationship.
Unix was unique in that it connected computers together into a similar system, however was only available for a select few. Linux was created by Linus based upon the Unix frame even though he never had real access to its code. Therefore, he did not infringe on their copyright? What Linus did was then to create Linux and make it accessible to the "masses" or at least those who were interested in computers. And at this time, this was a revolutionary concept because it was free, available to all, and more user friendly. My question is if these statements are correct. I wish to better understand the Unix/Linux relationship.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
WK 2 Readings
Personal computer hardware (Wikipedia) : It is interesting to me that I know about these words and in conversation I do tend to use a certain percentage of them. However, the basic components like the CPU, the RAM, the Motherboard are really things I don't know about. I found it very useful to read this site and see the visual aid on the right to classify all the different parts of the computer. I feel as though I have a broader picture about computers.
Moore's Law: I liked the video for this presentation. Though I did have to stop it once or twice to try to understand and think about what the presenter was saying (as she spoke quickly). I thought on the whole it was an engaging, funny, and well presented video about Moore's law. I spoke with a friend after about this video and he told me that in general computers only need 5-6 volts of energy to sustain themselves. I find this fact to be quite fascinating. The actuality that one of the most important technological devices we own, only needs a small percentage of the energy that we use for everyday things.
Computer History Museum: It was great to see this website. And I also understand why its in Mountain view California! I don't think it could be anywhere else but close to Silicon Valley. The one aspect I really liked about the website was the timeline page. It was interesting to see the steady progression of technology through the years. And also to see the interaction and influence of computers for gaming and special effects in movies towards the later part of the timeline.
Moore's Law: I liked the video for this presentation. Though I did have to stop it once or twice to try to understand and think about what the presenter was saying (as she spoke quickly). I thought on the whole it was an engaging, funny, and well presented video about Moore's law. I spoke with a friend after about this video and he told me that in general computers only need 5-6 volts of energy to sustain themselves. I find this fact to be quite fascinating. The actuality that one of the most important technological devices we own, only needs a small percentage of the energy that we use for everyday things.
Computer History Museum: It was great to see this website. And I also understand why its in Mountain view California! I don't think it could be anywhere else but close to Silicon Valley. The one aspect I really liked about the website was the timeline page. It was interesting to see the steady progression of technology through the years. And also to see the interaction and influence of computers for gaming and special effects in movies towards the later part of the timeline.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
WK 1 muddiest point
This class has many components to it. So in order to not forget or misunderstand what is due, I think it would be helpful if we had a slide for the next class which said:
Due Sat 17th:
muddiest point
Due Sat 17th:
muddiest point
Due Sat 18th :
Read required readings (for third week ) + assignment two + 2 comments on others blogs
I think just to clarify the confusion. Thanks!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
LIS 2600 WK 1
Readings:
1.) One aspect of the first article on the OCLC report that I found interesting was the discussion of the huge boom of cheap mobile devices in third world countries, especially India. The article discusses the significance of people being connected and being able to pass information. In a TED talk by Shashi Tharoor, he discusses the vital importance of being in these connected relationships. He also discusses how this "affordable mobile" boom has helped improve the lives of many of the poorer people. He talks about a change of personal and business infrastructure. Where fisherman who have caught their fish can call all the market towns along the coastline to see who is in need of fish instead of going to each town. For the workers who iron clothes for a living they use their cell phones as a main means of communication. This is because incoming calls are free and also they have a means to find where they need to take their cart for a job. Tharoor states, that this boom is helping people, especially the poorer classes, to link, empower, and connect in ways never before imagined.
2.) I agree with the second articles author, Clifford Lynch, regarding the importance of elementary education as a means to introduce children to an holistic information technology base and thereby move them forward in life. Because if we cannot do it there, then where else can we engage our future generation? I agree also that information literacy is important for the future and that it should be accompanied with a greater understanding of the the infrastructure, history and, construction of the IT world. The more an individual can understand and work with different types of online products, software and, hardware the more set he or she will be in this increasingly technology oriented world. With new products and and newer versions of current products, the next generation must be able to handle the complications or problems and mold technology to fit their purpose.
3.) One concept the author of the third article, mentioned was the significance of the utilization of space. Where his staff would do a "walk through" to assess other places to place computers, rearrange furniture, check for lighting, and sockets. I think it is very important to keep in mind the use of space. Students need to have an appropriate quiet place to study and have access to information. And in a library that can be hindered by aspects like bad lighting, no outlets, slow computers, uncomfortable furniture, and study rooms in noisy areas. Utilization of the space should not only be economically savvy and user friendly but, a welcoming and inviting environment in which individuals can cultivate their mind. In summary, the arrangement of space can inhibit learning and intellectual growth or it can foster it. If done correctly, it can make a library fulfill it's definition as a place to access information and to learn.
1.) One aspect of the first article on the OCLC report that I found interesting was the discussion of the huge boom of cheap mobile devices in third world countries, especially India. The article discusses the significance of people being connected and being able to pass information. In a TED talk by Shashi Tharoor, he discusses the vital importance of being in these connected relationships. He also discusses how this "affordable mobile" boom has helped improve the lives of many of the poorer people. He talks about a change of personal and business infrastructure. Where fisherman who have caught their fish can call all the market towns along the coastline to see who is in need of fish instead of going to each town. For the workers who iron clothes for a living they use their cell phones as a main means of communication. This is because incoming calls are free and also they have a means to find where they need to take their cart for a job. Tharoor states, that this boom is helping people, especially the poorer classes, to link, empower, and connect in ways never before imagined.
2.) I agree with the second articles author, Clifford Lynch, regarding the importance of elementary education as a means to introduce children to an holistic information technology base and thereby move them forward in life. Because if we cannot do it there, then where else can we engage our future generation? I agree also that information literacy is important for the future and that it should be accompanied with a greater understanding of the the infrastructure, history and, construction of the IT world. The more an individual can understand and work with different types of online products, software and, hardware the more set he or she will be in this increasingly technology oriented world. With new products and and newer versions of current products, the next generation must be able to handle the complications or problems and mold technology to fit their purpose.
3.) One concept the author of the third article, mentioned was the significance of the utilization of space. Where his staff would do a "walk through" to assess other places to place computers, rearrange furniture, check for lighting, and sockets. I think it is very important to keep in mind the use of space. Students need to have an appropriate quiet place to study and have access to information. And in a library that can be hindered by aspects like bad lighting, no outlets, slow computers, uncomfortable furniture, and study rooms in noisy areas. Utilization of the space should not only be economically savvy and user friendly but, a welcoming and inviting environment in which individuals can cultivate their mind. In summary, the arrangement of space can inhibit learning and intellectual growth or it can foster it. If done correctly, it can make a library fulfill it's definition as a place to access information and to learn.
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