Assignment 3- Jing- Due Oct 12, 2010

Hi all! Here is my video that I made using Jing. It is a tutorial on how to use cool features on Google Maps. Enjoy!

http://www.screencast.com/users/cmf68/folders/Jing/media/bf6b1d91-bf2e-477a-9042-c1b340e1797e

And here are the 5 annotated photos that I took with Jing.

Courseweb

http://www.screencast.com/users/cmf68/folders/Jing/media/88328908-1566-4ddf-b141-5f3a55666927

Worldcat

http://www.screencast.com/users/cmf68/folders/Jing/media/0f16ebfd-bac5-426e-8a1e-25105a00fd79

weather.com

http://www.screencast.com/users/cmf68/folders/Jing/media/af6365a3-72da-41c6-93ec-1a249a338117

Google Maps photos

http://www.screencast.com/users/cmf68/folders/Jing/media/c6903a2a-0ba1-4b2d-9490-945dc72abcb9

Port Authority Trip Planner

http://www.screencast.com/users/cmf68/folders/Jing/media/0187450b-33cb-42ad-a00d-e84307dcc34c

Week 5 Comments

Here are my comments for this week.

Archivist Amy in Training

http://archivist-amy-in-training.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-5-databases-and-metadata.html?showComment=1285789382025#c5186372381802320037

Caitlin Stalker's blog

http://cstalkerlis2600.blogspot.com/2010/09/unit-5-information-organization-by.html?showComment=1285789744342#c5846553565079273929

Reading Notes- Week 5, Oct 4, 2010

Database-- Wikipedia

This might just be me, but I never knew there were so many different classifications of databases before-- operational database, warehouse database, analytical database, end-user database, hypermedia database... I will never be able to keep them all straight. Databases index data just like paper indexes, but probably more effectively for the user because they can just type in a keyword and something will pop up. Will we learn how to make databases, at least in a program like Microsoft Access?

Introduction to Metadata

Metadata is data about data. Information objects, like articles for example, all have content, context and structure. The metadata reflects this so that the object in question will be easier to find. Each branch of information professionals from archivists to museum registrars has its own way of encoding metadata. But metadata isn't just for information professionals anymore. Now with sites like Flickr anyone can create their own metadata. The general public is becoming more aware of how information can be organized because they are doing it themselves. But something that worries me on the professional side of things is that there are so many programs you can use to deal with metadata....MARC, EAD, and others. Will we get to learn how to use any of these? Because I feel like we keep reading about them in our classes, at least references to them, but I am confused about what they look like and how they actually work. And I feel like that would be a good skill to have for the job market.

An Overview of the Dublin Core Data Model

All I took away from this article is that this model supports "richer" description in metadata. But I wasn't sure if the author was saying this means there should be greater specificity within individual fields for describing things, or if there should be more general vocabulary used. Any thoughts?

Muddiest Point for Sept 27 class

We talked a lot about digital photo files this week, so my question is about that. When you take a picture on your digital camera, is it automatically a jpg file? Or is this just how it reads the file when you put it on your computer?

Week 4 Comments

Here are the links to my comments for this week.

Katie's blog

http://jonas4444.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-4-reading-notes.html?showComment=1285192244377#c2715550487681656778

Michele F's blog

http://mfarina.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-4-notes-multimedia-representation.html?showComment=1285192482367#c6554035949790074262

Reading Notes- Week 4, Sept 27, 2010

Data Compression (Wikipedia and Data Compression Basics)

These articles were both lengthy, so I will just try to summarize. If I understand correctly, compression works by breaking data down into fewer bits and then you have to unencode it to open it up again. It is particularly useful for large files such as photo files. There are two types of compression the articles discussed- lossless compression and lossy compression. With lossless compression, it just gets rid of repeats in the data, but you don't actually lose any data, whereas with lossy compression, you have to sacrifice the quality of your information for the sake of compression. I think that this is unfortunate and it almost makes me wonder why would you compress it into that form if it won't be as good anymore. If the data was important enough to be there to begin with, shouldn't it stay there? But, I guess depending on what you're compressing perhaps the loss of data wouldn't be significant enough to impact your experience.

Imagining Pittsburgh: Creating a Shared Gateway to Digital Image Collections of the Pittsburgh Region

I thought this article was very cool. It was very balanced and expressed the challenges and benefits of working with several diverse organizations on a joint, yet customizable, project. I didn't visit the website with the photos on it, but it was neat how the author described they set up the database interface so that it would have one general appearance for the whole, but each institution could alter the interface on their specific part of the website to best suit their collections since each collection was different. I also liked how they opened up sort of a preview version of the website for the public to view so that they could submit feedback. I think this is important because after all, if your users are confused by the website and can't find what they're looking for, no matter how many photos you upload, it won't do them much good! But I could also see this as opening some sort of Pandora's box where users submit so many ideas for changes the project team just becomes inundated with ideas they really don't want to put into action, thus possibly disappointing users who assumed they were having an impact on the website design.

YouTube and Libraries

I never thought of starting a YouTtube account for a library before, but the article really opened my eyes to all of the possibilities this forum would provide. Many people spend a lot of time on YouTube anyway, so clearly it is a format they are comfortable with. From all of the readings and class discussions we've had in our different courses this semester, I am noticing a trend of libraries reaching out to users in their familiar territory. I could imagine some users being intimidated by a library website, catalog, or database options. A lot of library sites have so much information on them, sometimes it is hard to know where to start. By posting library information on YouTube, it would narrow the amount of information available, and maybe present it in a format users are comfortable with. This could lead to more use of the libraries resources and services.

Muddiest Point for Sept 20 class

This probably doesn't matter because no one uses DOS anymore, but I was just wondering....DOS was an operating system just like Windows or Mac OS X is an operating system? I remember using it when I was very young, but...it's been awhile, and I don't remember much about it. Was DOS just a line-command operating system as opposed to Windows which is a GUI operating system?

Assignment 2- Flickr- Due Sept 27, 2010

This is the URL for my flickr photostream. If you notice it's not working, please let me know!

cmf68 flickr photostream 

My username on flickr is cmf68 if you want to find me that way. Enjoy the photos!

Week 3 Comments

This week I commented on the following blog entries:

Emily Davis LIS blog

http://emilydavislisblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-3-computer-software.html?showComment=1284647167977#c1280249139236152656

John Seberger's LIS 2600 Weekly Blog

http://jsslis2600.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-3-reading-notes.html?showComment=1284647595872#c599928759411935491

Muddiest Point for Sept 13 class

In class, when we were talking about storage on a computer, the cache was mentioned. Is the cache in the CPU related to the cache that you can clear from your internet browser? Or was that one named after the cache in the CPU because it is the memory of what sites you visited on the internet like the cache in the CPU is the memory of what's on your computer?

Reading Notes- Week 3, Sept 20, 2010

Introduction to Linux

So this entire post will probably make it relatively apparent that I'm no computer wiz, but I can explain (or at least give an excuse). My dad was always very into software and he worked for Bell Labs and Lucent Technologies, so I just always let him handle my computer needs. I know nothing about Linux, but section one of the guide by Machtelt Garrels did make it sound very interesting. I can see why programmers and people who want a very customized computer experience would choose Linux. It is very versatile, and it's free. I like the part about it being free because no other operating system is! Linux gives users the option to alter their system as to their whims and I think this would make it easier to keep up with the quick pace of computer technology. My laptop is going on 5 years old now and man do I feel behind the times. But with Linux, there would be no need for that because you could just add on some new features to your liking and it'd be fresh. I have never been attracted to using Linux because it's been talked up to be such an imposing system. Although maybe I will be inclined to poke around with it in the future, since Garrels did say there are efforts underway to make the system more user friendly for beginners.

Mac OS X

The Wikipedia article and "What is Mac OS X?" both gave a great overview of this operating system. I can't say that I was that interested in it mostly because I don't care for Macs. I don't even have an iPod. I'm sure some people will *gasp* at that one. But again, I blame my dad. I asked for an mp3 player for Christmas, and despite the market being glutted with iPods, he comes back with a Creative Zen. It works fine, but I feel like the kid left of the kickball game. I know this is a source of heated debate- which is better Macs or PCs- and I don't intend to get into it. I'm just used to PCs so that's what I like, but to each his own. In the article "What is Mac OS X?" the writer stated that the article was intended for users who weren't familiar with the system, yet I felt so bogged down in all the Mac related names and terms he was using that I couldn't really get into the article. Some interesting points from the Wikipedia article that I took away were that all the releases of Mac OS X are named after large cats. I wonder why they decided to do that. Mostly the article discussed how Mac OS X was an improvement upon previous Mac operating systems and versions of itself. Not being a big Mac user, I wouldn't know the difference, but I have had friends who were super excited when Leopard came out a few years ago, so Wikipedia is probably onto something.

An Update on the Windows Roadmap

This article was a few years out of date, but it showed how much faith the company had in Vista. I've never used Vista except on a couple of my friends' computers. My laptop that I got before going to college has XP and I never upgraded. So, yes, if you're wondering, I still have XP! I never felt like I was at a loss because everyone always told me how much they disliked Vista, but I feel so behind the times now with the new release of Windows 7. Anyway, back to the article- many people complained about Vista a lot. The article stated that "Vista was a very ambitious release" and maybe this was part of its problem. However, Vista did address some of the initial issues by supporting more components over time.And Windows 7 is supposed to really have revamped things in response to user feedback.

After reading about these three operating systems, I have reached the conclusion that I am not motivated enough to change operating systems. Every time I use a Mac, I am confused by the fact that you can't "right click," among other differences I can't remember now, but that bug me at the time. I guess it all just depends on what you're used to. I must admit that I am not completely satisfied with Windows. Has anyone else experienced the "blue screen of death" where one day you wake up and turn on your computer only to see this horrible blue screen that tells you Windows has crashed? Senior year, fall semester, finals week. That was painful. I have heard that Linux and Macs are less susceptible to crashing and other unfortunate business, so in that respect, I can definitely see the advantages. I think that there are benefits and disadvantages to all these systems, and like with all things in life, it just depends on which quirks you are willing to put up with!

Reading Notes- Week 2, Sept 13, 2010

"Computer Hardware"- Wikipedia

This article offered a good basic overview of the parts of a computer. I don't know all of the different names of the different parts of my computer, but if I ever needed to, this article would be a good place to look. On the other hand, it's very basic and straightforward, probably too basic for most people actually.

"Moore's Law"- Wikipedia and Video
According to the Wikipedia article, Moore's Law is basically: "The number of transistors that can be placed on an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years." This allows for faster computers with more storage space. I found it interesting how Moore's Law has changed from serving as a prediction to serving as the industry standard; companies are now striving to achieve this rate of progress. I really enjoyed watching the video "What is Moore's Law" with Christie Nicholson from Scientific American because her explanation was simple and concise. Her comparison of transistor technology with that of automobile technology was really helpful because, although I don't know much about cars, I do know that we don't have cars that can get 100,000 miles to the gallon. Her description of Moore's Law was clear and accessible.

Computer History Museum- Website

Despite the museum's ongoing physical construction, the museum's website has many online exhibits which are a great way to reach out to those who are unable to make the trip out to Silicon Valley. Online exhibits really extend the reach of educational institutions such as museums and it is clear that they are becoming very popular for museums as well as libraries and archives. I think that the museum would be of interest to people of all levels of computer proficiency and technological literacy. Computers have revolutionized our world; the ways we communicate, learn, conduct business, shop, and more are forever altered. Thus, visitors with diverse interests would surely find something applicable to their use of computers in this museum.

Reading Notes- Week 1, Aug 30, 2010

"2004 Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers"

One of the most interesting points in this article was that most users no longer care how information is transmitted to them; they just want the information. People want their information to come to them quickly and cheaply. This made me think of fast food chains like McDonald's- you expect your food to be cheap and come out of the kitchen quickly. But fast food is not the highest quality food, and sometimes when you're pressed for time and cash, you don't care about quality as much. Will this happen with information? Will people become so concerned with getting whatever information they can as fast as they can that they will stop to care about the quality of that information?

The author writes, "Social publishing is essentially open content unfettered by licenses or firewalls...It needs no other distribution channel other than the internet. The individual is at the center of social publishing, not institutions" (6). Everyone now has the opportunity to be an author. No longer is there a need to go through a publishing house, maybe with the help of an agent, to get your opinion out to the world. This transformation of distribution is breaking down barriers of class, levels of education, and social status. There's the saying "It's who you know," but with formats such as wikis and blogs, you don't need to know anyone important in the field of publishing to be a successful author.

"Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy..."

Lynch believes that in order to succeed in life, it is crucial for people to learn both different technological skills as well as how different technologies work. He writes that students today do not often get the opportunity to be exposed to the latter and they suffer for it. While I agree with Lynch that it would be helpful if we could all learn how the various technologies available to us today are interrelated and exactly how they function, I think that logistically this would be hard to accomplish. In most high schools there aren't enough computers for every student. And with the many requirements in states' curricula, most students can't fit in a technology class. Maybe at a college level there could be a chance to require students to take a technology class as a requirement for their Associate's or Bachelor's degree, but each institution has their own way they want to work things, so that might not be effective either.

"Lied Library @ four years..."
This article showed just how much changes in four years. The replacing of computers, redesigning of offices, installing of new software. Sometimes I find it hard to notice how much has changed because if you're living through it, it's more gradual. The main takeaway point from this for me was that no matter how up-to-date an institution is upon its opening, it will have to continually work at remaining up-to-date. Lied Library didn't slack off. They were consistent in their attempts to upgrade their systems to optimize their users' experiences. This article successfully summarized many factors necessary in keeping a library running at its full potential.

Muddiest Point- Week 1, Aug 30, 2010

I have two muddiest points from this week's class.

We didn't discuss FastTrack Weekend in this class but we have to attend sessions during that weekend for some of our other classes. Do we have a session for this class during FastTrack Weekend. If so, when and where are we meeting?

Also, on CourseWeb, under the tab "Assignment Grades," the due dates are listed for the year 2008. Was the year a typo and those are the due dates, or are the due dates different than the ones listed?