http://jonwebsterslis2600blog.blogspot.com/2009/09/week-five-readings.html
http://lis2600sj.blogspot.com/2009/09/readings-week-5.html
Friday, September 25, 2009
Muddiest Point Lecture 4
I did not understand the difference between the four popular data models: relational, object-oriented, object-relational, and multidimensional.
5th Reading
1st reading
Wikipedia, again, provides a great explanation for a very confusing subject. My view is that data compression is a trade off like everything else in the world. You could compress everything, but then it would take forever to decompress. You could not compress anything, but then your could not save as much. It was a great preface for the next article..
2nd reading
This article expanded on the Wikipedia's article. It explained the difficulties of compressing a document without making the data larger. It has only been through human invention that computers have come so far so quickly. The information is stored through a code. However, a huge problem is the possibility of losing data. I would hate to have to rewrite a paper. It has happened before, and I never want it to happen again.
3rd reading
Metadata, again, seemed to be a huge problem. It is hard to create metadata that the entire world would use to search for photographs. It took coordinated effort from the participating libraries to create the system. Computers were essential in establishing this system. University of Pittsburgh establishes a website with thousands of photos with a computer. WE have been able to do thousands of things because of computers. Our lives are now interconnected through computers and the World Wide Web.
4th reading
I love YouTube. It provides me with endless pleasure. However, this article failed to understand the structure of a library. Every library is different. It has unique databases and an individual way to access it. A YouTube video explaining how to access the databases would be useless for the majority of viewers. It would actually hurt most viewers. They would assume that the instructions given would work for their library. This is not the case. I believe instituting this idea would actually cause more damage than good.
Wikipedia, again, provides a great explanation for a very confusing subject. My view is that data compression is a trade off like everything else in the world. You could compress everything, but then it would take forever to decompress. You could not compress anything, but then your could not save as much. It was a great preface for the next article..
2nd reading
This article expanded on the Wikipedia's article. It explained the difficulties of compressing a document without making the data larger. It has only been through human invention that computers have come so far so quickly. The information is stored through a code. However, a huge problem is the possibility of losing data. I would hate to have to rewrite a paper. It has happened before, and I never want it to happen again.
3rd reading
Metadata, again, seemed to be a huge problem. It is hard to create metadata that the entire world would use to search for photographs. It took coordinated effort from the participating libraries to create the system. Computers were essential in establishing this system. University of Pittsburgh establishes a website with thousands of photos with a computer. WE have been able to do thousands of things because of computers. Our lives are now interconnected through computers and the World Wide Web.
4th reading
I love YouTube. It provides me with endless pleasure. However, this article failed to understand the structure of a library. Every library is different. It has unique databases and an individual way to access it. A YouTube video explaining how to access the databases would be useless for the majority of viewers. It would actually hurt most viewers. They would assume that the instructions given would work for their library. This is not the case. I believe instituting this idea would actually cause more damage than good.
Friday, September 18, 2009
4th reading
1st reading
I believe this article shows the diversity of libraries. Unlike a hospital which every doctor carries a stethoscope, librarians do not hold the same equipment. A library chooses a database upon ones needs. The article illustrated the amount of databases available to a library. Libraries do not have one set way of doing things. They do things more by trial and error. The benefits of different systems are the database can uniquely fit the needs of a library. The downsides, however, is one librarian could not enter another library and know everything about the other's system.
2nd reading
Metadata is a very simple concept to understand, but hard to knowingly apply in real life. People use metadata all the time without realizing. It is harder to do something once you are thinking about it. Librarians, also, are trying to apply metadata on a world wide scale. It is easy to use metadata when only people close to you have to understand it. It is much harder when you have to consider billions of people. I believe this article is an excellent example. It defined metadata without any problems, but it had a hard time explaining how to knowingly apply it.
3rd reading
What does the American Library Association think about Dublin Core? It is an extremely interesting idea. However, it would take a lot of time and effort to implement. I have never heard of this database before. I wonder how much influence it has on American libraries.
In addition, I did not understand the computer coding in this article.
I believe this article shows the diversity of libraries. Unlike a hospital which every doctor carries a stethoscope, librarians do not hold the same equipment. A library chooses a database upon ones needs. The article illustrated the amount of databases available to a library. Libraries do not have one set way of doing things. They do things more by trial and error. The benefits of different systems are the database can uniquely fit the needs of a library. The downsides, however, is one librarian could not enter another library and know everything about the other's system.
2nd reading
Metadata is a very simple concept to understand, but hard to knowingly apply in real life. People use metadata all the time without realizing. It is harder to do something once you are thinking about it. Librarians, also, are trying to apply metadata on a world wide scale. It is easy to use metadata when only people close to you have to understand it. It is much harder when you have to consider billions of people. I believe this article is an excellent example. It defined metadata without any problems, but it had a hard time explaining how to knowingly apply it.
3rd reading
What does the American Library Association think about Dublin Core? It is an extremely interesting idea. However, it would take a lot of time and effort to implement. I have never heard of this database before. I wonder how much influence it has on American libraries.
In addition, I did not understand the computer coding in this article.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Muddiest Point Lecture 2
I did not understand the definition of the fire wire. I do not own a Mac. What is the purpose of the fire wire? Why does a Mac's computer have it but a Window's computer does not?
3rd Reading
1st reading,
I interpret this article as meaning Linux is a universal code which underlines technology allowing programs to run. Without Linux, the programs would not be adaptable to the computer. This is just another aspect of technology which has grown exponentially in the last thirty years. IT also demonstrates how every single piece of technology is being adapted for a global use. Linux can be used anywhere in anything it seemed.
2nd reading,
I found the Wikipedia site more useful than the Mac OSX Internals. The computer code in the Mac OSX Internals confused me. Wikipedia provided the brief overview I needed. Mac OSX Internal demonstrated to me that the Mac's computer is a very complicated machine. These articles made me think of a few questions. Which is more efficient a Mac's computer or a Window's computer? Is Mac or Windows friendlier for the users? Does it cost more to buy a Mac or Window? Depending on the answers to these questions, I might be willing to switch from a Window's computer to a Mac.
3rd reading,
This article reminded me of Moore's Law. Technology is improving every day. Windows continues to improve their programs. They want to be able to fulfill the demands of all users. This is an extremely hard task. People use their computers for multiple purposes. There are thousands of demands for different things on the computer. Windows is trying to keep up. One of the biggest demands I could see from this article came from gamers. They want their games to run more smoothly on the computer. Vista seems to be addressing this problem. Also, Window continues to offer support for their systems. If a person has a problem they can just call the help desk. This is extremely important for people like me. I continuously break my computer.
I interpret this article as meaning Linux is a universal code which underlines technology allowing programs to run. Without Linux, the programs would not be adaptable to the computer. This is just another aspect of technology which has grown exponentially in the last thirty years. IT also demonstrates how every single piece of technology is being adapted for a global use. Linux can be used anywhere in anything it seemed.
2nd reading,
I found the Wikipedia site more useful than the Mac OSX Internals. The computer code in the Mac OSX Internals confused me. Wikipedia provided the brief overview I needed. Mac OSX Internal demonstrated to me that the Mac's computer is a very complicated machine. These articles made me think of a few questions. Which is more efficient a Mac's computer or a Window's computer? Is Mac or Windows friendlier for the users? Does it cost more to buy a Mac or Window? Depending on the answers to these questions, I might be willing to switch from a Window's computer to a Mac.
3rd reading,
This article reminded me of Moore's Law. Technology is improving every day. Windows continues to improve their programs. They want to be able to fulfill the demands of all users. This is an extremely hard task. People use their computers for multiple purposes. There are thousands of demands for different things on the computer. Windows is trying to keep up. One of the biggest demands I could see from this article came from gamers. They want their games to run more smoothly on the computer. Vista seems to be addressing this problem. Also, Window continues to offer support for their systems. If a person has a problem they can just call the help desk. This is extremely important for people like me. I continuously break my computer.
Friday, September 4, 2009
2nd Reading
1st) Personal Computer Hardware
This reading illustrated that I do not know a lot about computers. I only recognized the very basic items like the CD-ROM Drive. I also noticed that everything had an acronym. I did find this site extremely useful because everything had another link explaining the item in more detail. It is amazing that there are so many gadgets in a computer despite the small size of the item. The part I found the most interesting was the different types of storage available on the computer. This article provided a great overview of a computer.
2nd) Moore's Law
I am shocked that Moore's law continues to be the standard for improvements in technology. I understand that not all technology like the RAM and hard drive has doubled every two years, but a significant amount of equipment has improved by that much. It is the competitive nature of human beings that allows us to continue to strive to improve. It is never good enough. Part of the reason that the number of transistor have doubled every two years is because the size and cost of the item have decreased. The improvements in the field have been amazing. In a month, the new laptop or cell phone you just bought is out of date. It is almost impossible to keep up.
I agree with Mr. Moore that this growth will eventually slow down. This does not mean humans will ever stop trying to improve technology. I believe we will continue to invest in finding ways to make things work faster and longer. Humans have nowhere near reached their potential.
3rd) Computer History Museum
This site had a lot of cool links. The link for the history of the internet explained the process of technology only being shared with a select few growing into an international phenomenon. Every single family I know owns at least one computer. In around forty years, the computer and internet has progressed from only performing basic functions to a multiple purpose piece of technology. The link for the Silicon Engine illustrated the development through pictures. I cannot wait to see the continuing changes that will happen in the near future.
This reading illustrated that I do not know a lot about computers. I only recognized the very basic items like the CD-ROM Drive. I also noticed that everything had an acronym. I did find this site extremely useful because everything had another link explaining the item in more detail. It is amazing that there are so many gadgets in a computer despite the small size of the item. The part I found the most interesting was the different types of storage available on the computer. This article provided a great overview of a computer.
2nd) Moore's Law
I am shocked that Moore's law continues to be the standard for improvements in technology. I understand that not all technology like the RAM and hard drive has doubled every two years, but a significant amount of equipment has improved by that much. It is the competitive nature of human beings that allows us to continue to strive to improve. It is never good enough. Part of the reason that the number of transistor have doubled every two years is because the size and cost of the item have decreased. The improvements in the field have been amazing. In a month, the new laptop or cell phone you just bought is out of date. It is almost impossible to keep up.
I agree with Mr. Moore that this growth will eventually slow down. This does not mean humans will ever stop trying to improve technology. I believe we will continue to invest in finding ways to make things work faster and longer. Humans have nowhere near reached their potential.
3rd) Computer History Museum
This site had a lot of cool links. The link for the history of the internet explained the process of technology only being shared with a select few growing into an international phenomenon. Every single family I know owns at least one computer. In around forty years, the computer and internet has progressed from only performing basic functions to a multiple purpose piece of technology. The link for the Silicon Engine illustrated the development through pictures. I cannot wait to see the continuing changes that will happen in the near future.
Muddiest Point Lecture 1
I am confused on where we are supposed to post our responses to my classmates' blogs. Do we post it to their blogs or our own? Do we post it in general discussion on blackboard?
1st Reading
1st) OCLC report: Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers
This reading illustrated the change in consumers' demands. Before the great technology boom, people had access to limited content at their local libraries. Now, people want the answers to their questions immediately. Businesses responded to that demand by creating online databases. This article explained businesses plans on taking the content and downsizing it. Businesses charge less for smaller pieces of contents. More people, however, are accessing those smaller pieces of information. Businesses are making more money. Everything comes down to money.
Another important point of this article was "social publishing." Everywhere people are sharing their knowledge through blogs and websites. The article mainly focuses on blogs. It is amazing to know the amount of knowledge and information people are sharing through the internet. The internet has made the world a global community. People are now connected to the world almost twenty four seven through laptops and cell phones.
I really agreed with the end point of this article. Libraries need to find a way to compete with businesses by offering content and answers immediately through items like cell phones. People can do almost anything with a computer and access to the internet. We need to show them that libraries can help them find the quick accurate answers to their questions. By insuring accurate answers, we can compete with businesses that do not guarantee correct information. Since anyone can post on the web, not all information is accurate. Libraries should be known as a reliable accurate source.
2nd) Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture
This article explains the education system on technology needs to be updated. IT is no longer sufficient to only teach students to type. Students need to understand the information available to them in databases. They need to understand how databases work. To function in society, you need more than a basic understanding of computers. I agree with this author, but he fails to explain how schools would pay for this program. It is expensive to change a class curriculum. To teach students to type, you only need computers with basic word processor. To teach students databases, the school needs access to the source. To teach students about the world wide web, you need access to the internet. These items cost money. Only college libraries already have the databases available for students. It would not cost universities much more to introduce an in-depth class on the resource. To become more comfortable with the technology, however, it is better to be introduced at a younger age to the databases rather than university. I agree that school should work to include this into their curriculum. It might not happen overnight, but it is something to work for.
3rd) Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still
This article explains the difficulties of starting and maintaining a technology library. I really liked this article because it gave specific details of dilemmas one library faced. IN addition, the author wrote on the Lied Library's solutions to divers problems with the hopes of of helping other libraries in similar situations. One of the biggest problems, the author mentioned was the lack of computers available to the students and community patrons. The library could not put in anymore PC because of limited space. They partially solved this problem by allowing people to check out laptops.
St. Francis University, my college, started a program in 2000 that issued a laptop to every undergraduate student. This insured there was never a computer shortage. This could be a possible solution for other university especially due to the continually decrease in cost for a laptop. Each library has to look at the cost of each action compared to the outcome. Giving a laptop to each students may not be cost efficient, but it never hurts to look into a possibility.
This reading illustrated the change in consumers' demands. Before the great technology boom, people had access to limited content at their local libraries. Now, people want the answers to their questions immediately. Businesses responded to that demand by creating online databases. This article explained businesses plans on taking the content and downsizing it. Businesses charge less for smaller pieces of contents. More people, however, are accessing those smaller pieces of information. Businesses are making more money. Everything comes down to money.
Another important point of this article was "social publishing." Everywhere people are sharing their knowledge through blogs and websites. The article mainly focuses on blogs. It is amazing to know the amount of knowledge and information people are sharing through the internet. The internet has made the world a global community. People are now connected to the world almost twenty four seven through laptops and cell phones.
I really agreed with the end point of this article. Libraries need to find a way to compete with businesses by offering content and answers immediately through items like cell phones. People can do almost anything with a computer and access to the internet. We need to show them that libraries can help them find the quick accurate answers to their questions. By insuring accurate answers, we can compete with businesses that do not guarantee correct information. Since anyone can post on the web, not all information is accurate. Libraries should be known as a reliable accurate source.
2nd) Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture
This article explains the education system on technology needs to be updated. IT is no longer sufficient to only teach students to type. Students need to understand the information available to them in databases. They need to understand how databases work. To function in society, you need more than a basic understanding of computers. I agree with this author, but he fails to explain how schools would pay for this program. It is expensive to change a class curriculum. To teach students to type, you only need computers with basic word processor. To teach students databases, the school needs access to the source. To teach students about the world wide web, you need access to the internet. These items cost money. Only college libraries already have the databases available for students. It would not cost universities much more to introduce an in-depth class on the resource. To become more comfortable with the technology, however, it is better to be introduced at a younger age to the databases rather than university. I agree that school should work to include this into their curriculum. It might not happen overnight, but it is something to work for.
3rd) Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still
This article explains the difficulties of starting and maintaining a technology library. I really liked this article because it gave specific details of dilemmas one library faced. IN addition, the author wrote on the Lied Library's solutions to divers problems with the hopes of of helping other libraries in similar situations. One of the biggest problems, the author mentioned was the lack of computers available to the students and community patrons. The library could not put in anymore PC because of limited space. They partially solved this problem by allowing people to check out laptops.
St. Francis University, my college, started a program in 2000 that issued a laptop to every undergraduate student. This insured there was never a computer shortage. This could be a possible solution for other university especially due to the continually decrease in cost for a laptop. Each library has to look at the cost of each action compared to the outcome. Giving a laptop to each students may not be cost efficient, but it never hurts to look into a possibility.
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