Comment 1
Comment 2
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Muddiest Point 11/11/2008
I was wondering about Google's Page Rank Algorithm. Has anyone else tried to come up with a similar 'page ranking'? It seems like if it worked so well for Google, that others would try to put together one as well.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Week 11 Readings
Mischo, W. (July/August 2005). Digital Libraries: challenges and influential work. D-Lib Magazine. 11(7/8).
http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july05/mischo/07mischo.html
One point I really liked: there is a huge difference between providing access to discrete sets of digital collections and providing digital library services. This article addresses such issues.
The six University-led projects are great:
*The University of Michigan for research on agent technology and mechanisms for improving secondary education;
*Stanford University for the investigation of interoperability among heterogeneous digital libraries and the exploration of distributed object technology;
*The University of California-Berkeley for imaging technologies, government environmental information resources, and database technologies;
*The University of California-Santa Barbara for the Alexandria Project to develop GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and earth modeling distributed libraries;
*Carnegie Mellon University for the study of integrated speech, image, video, and language understanding software under its Informedia system; and
*The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for the development of document representation, processing, indexing, search and discovery, and delivery and rendering protocols for full-text physics, computer science, and engineering journals.
Paepcke, A. et al. (July/August 2005). Dewey meets Turing: librarians, computer scientists and the digital libraries initiative. D-Lib Magazine. 11(7/8). http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july05/paepcke/07paepcke.html
Since the Digital Libraries Initiative was launched, many issues have arisen. This article discusses concerns from viewpoints of librarians, computer scientists, and publishers. It was interesting to read discussions of how these three groups are affected, how they are connected, and how the initiative can fulfill their expectations.
One interesting term I had never heard of before, in this context anyway: The notion of collections is spontaneously re-emerging in the form of what computer scientists have named information 'hubs.' These new incarnations of collections are Web sites whose primary goal is to direct visitors to other Web sites that all specialize on the hub's topic focus. (The hubs' topic-specific target sites are called 'authorities' in the literature). Quality hubs require curation. This type of curation differs from its traditional cousin in that it must cope with sometimes ephemeral material, and in that it requires a different underlying skill set. The spirit of this function, however, remains.
Lynch, Clifford A. "Institutional Repositories: Essential Infrastructure for Scholarship in the Digital Age" ARL, no. 226 (February 2003): 1-7. http://www.arl.org/newsltr/226/ir.html or, rather:
http://www.arl.org/resources/pubs/br/br226/
We've had many changes in recent years: online storage costs dropped (so repositories are affordable), new standards are in place (such as the open archives metadata harvesting protocols), the need for digital preservation is now recognized and clear, and an increase in free and publicly accessible journal articles in research areas (among others). These have all helped lead to having university-based institutional repositories, which in turn offers the community (and institution) access to their digital materials. These could house the intellectual works of students and scholars within their institution. This is a great thing to accomplish--not only would these works be preserved, but access to them would be greatly increased.
http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july05/mischo/07mischo.html
One point I really liked: there is a huge difference between providing access to discrete sets of digital collections and providing digital library services. This article addresses such issues.
The six University-led projects are great:
*The University of Michigan for research on agent technology and mechanisms for improving secondary education;
*Stanford University for the investigation of interoperability among heterogeneous digital libraries and the exploration of distributed object technology;
*The University of California-Berkeley for imaging technologies, government environmental information resources, and database technologies;
*The University of California-Santa Barbara for the Alexandria Project to develop GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and earth modeling distributed libraries;
*Carnegie Mellon University for the study of integrated speech, image, video, and language understanding software under its Informedia system; and
*The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for the development of document representation, processing, indexing, search and discovery, and delivery and rendering protocols for full-text physics, computer science, and engineering journals.
Paepcke, A. et al. (July/August 2005). Dewey meets Turing: librarians, computer scientists and the digital libraries initiative. D-Lib Magazine. 11(7/8). http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july05/paepcke/07paepcke.html
Since the Digital Libraries Initiative was launched, many issues have arisen. This article discusses concerns from viewpoints of librarians, computer scientists, and publishers. It was interesting to read discussions of how these three groups are affected, how they are connected, and how the initiative can fulfill their expectations.
One interesting term I had never heard of before, in this context anyway: The notion of collections is spontaneously re-emerging in the form of what computer scientists have named information 'hubs.' These new incarnations of collections are Web sites whose primary goal is to direct visitors to other Web sites that all specialize on the hub's topic focus. (The hubs' topic-specific target sites are called 'authorities' in the literature). Quality hubs require curation. This type of curation differs from its traditional cousin in that it must cope with sometimes ephemeral material, and in that it requires a different underlying skill set. The spirit of this function, however, remains.
Lynch, Clifford A. "Institutional Repositories: Essential Infrastructure for Scholarship in the Digital Age" ARL, no. 226 (February 2003): 1-7. http://www.arl.org/newsltr/226/ir.html or, rather:
http://www.arl.org/resources/pubs/br/br226/
We've had many changes in recent years: online storage costs dropped (so repositories are affordable), new standards are in place (such as the open archives metadata harvesting protocols), the need for digital preservation is now recognized and clear, and an increase in free and publicly accessible journal articles in research areas (among others). These have all helped lead to having university-based institutional repositories, which in turn offers the community (and institution) access to their digital materials. These could house the intellectual works of students and scholars within their institution. This is a great thing to accomplish--not only would these works be preserved, but access to them would be greatly increased.
Week 10 Readings
David Hawking , Web Search Engines: Part 1 and Part 2 IEEE Computer, June 2006. http://www.computer.org/portal/site/computer/menuitem.5d61c1d591162e4b0ef1bd108bcd45f3/index.jsp?&pName=computer_level1_article&TheCat=1055&path=computer/homepage/0606&file=thingswork.xml&xsl=article.xsl&;jsessionid=G3nJ1tNBGT7hHN4hLhySlzJ4JnrH42kkmWrNhdrllpkGnMp2nC8N!-1182277384 and http://www.computer.org/portal/site/computer/menuitem.5d61c1d591162e4b0ef1bd108bcd45f3/index.jsp?&pName=computer_level1_article&TheCat=1055&path=computer/homepage/0806&file=howthings.xml&xsl=article.xsl&
I liked this reading. It is interesting how much more data search engines are indexing now than when they first started (1000 times as much). Many issues I had never given a great deal of thought to before, such as regarding crawlers: speed, "politeness," excluded content, duplicate content, continuous crawling, and spam rejection.
Among their 'Final Crawling Thoughts': Crawlers are highly complex parallel systems, communicating with millions of different Web servers, among which can be found every conceivable failure mode, all manner of deliberate and accidental crawler traps, and every variety of noncompliance with published standards... It is not uncommon to find that a crawler has locked up, ground to a halt, crashed, burned up an entire network traffic budget, or unintentionally inflicted a denial-of-service attack on a Web server whose operator is now very irate.
Part II. This section reviewed the algorithms and data structures needed for indexing huge amounts of web page text and delivering high-quality results millions of times a day. Although interesting, this part was more difficult for me to follow (definitely couldn't read it as quickly). I particularly liked their 'term lookup' capabilities. For speeding things up: skipping, early termination, clever assignment of document numbers, and caching.
Shreeves, S. L., Habing, T. O., Hagedorn, K., & Young, J. A. (2005). Current developments and future trends for the OAI protocol for metadata harvesting. Library Trends, 53(4), 576-589.
I think that the Open Archives Initiative is great. I agree with what they are doing and what their intentions are. Increasing the access to information is always a good thing.
MICHAEL K. BERGMAN, “The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value” http://www.press.umich.edu/jep/07-01/bergman.html
Wow, this article is quite content-rich (not a quick read). I like his analogy to the ocean at the beginning: Searching on the Internet today can be compared to dragging a net across the surface of the ocean. While a great deal may be caught in the net, there is still a wealth of information that is deep, and therefore, missed. The reason is simple: Most of the Web's information is buried far down on dynamically generated sites, and standard search engines never find it. A lot of interesting facts are brought up and discussed. (One example: Deep Web documents (13.7 KB mean size; 19.7 KB median size) are on average 27% smaller than surface Web documents.) Overall, this is a great article.
I liked this reading. It is interesting how much more data search engines are indexing now than when they first started (1000 times as much). Many issues I had never given a great deal of thought to before, such as regarding crawlers: speed, "politeness," excluded content, duplicate content, continuous crawling, and spam rejection.
Among their 'Final Crawling Thoughts': Crawlers are highly complex parallel systems, communicating with millions of different Web servers, among which can be found every conceivable failure mode, all manner of deliberate and accidental crawler traps, and every variety of noncompliance with published standards... It is not uncommon to find that a crawler has locked up, ground to a halt, crashed, burned up an entire network traffic budget, or unintentionally inflicted a denial-of-service attack on a Web server whose operator is now very irate.
Part II. This section reviewed the algorithms and data structures needed for indexing huge amounts of web page text and delivering high-quality results millions of times a day. Although interesting, this part was more difficult for me to follow (definitely couldn't read it as quickly). I particularly liked their 'term lookup' capabilities. For speeding things up: skipping, early termination, clever assignment of document numbers, and caching.
Shreeves, S. L., Habing, T. O., Hagedorn, K., & Young, J. A. (2005). Current developments and future trends for the OAI protocol for metadata harvesting. Library Trends, 53(4), 576-589.
I think that the Open Archives Initiative is great. I agree with what they are doing and what their intentions are. Increasing the access to information is always a good thing.
MICHAEL K. BERGMAN, “The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value” http://www.press.umich.edu/jep/07-01/bergman.html
Wow, this article is quite content-rich (not a quick read). I like his analogy to the ocean at the beginning: Searching on the Internet today can be compared to dragging a net across the surface of the ocean. While a great deal may be caught in the net, there is still a wealth of information that is deep, and therefore, missed. The reason is simple: Most of the Web's information is buried far down on dynamically generated sites, and standard search engines never find it. A lot of interesting facts are brought up and discussed. (One example: Deep Web documents (13.7 KB mean size; 19.7 KB median size) are on average 27% smaller than surface Web documents.) Overall, this is a great article.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Muddiest Point 11/04/2008
My muddiest point this week is regarding webpages. When I work with my webpage in Nvu, the heading is centered (using the 'center' button), but when I view my webpages, some of them don't appear centered above the other items on the page, and I can't figure out why. Also, on my Links page, one of the addresses also appears down below (a second time, but not as a link); this has me perplexed, because in Nvu that address is not there a second time! Any thoughts?
Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Muddiest Point 10/21/2008
It was difficult for me to come up with a muddiest point this week. However, I guess I will pose a question: We talked about website editors in class (frontpage, dreamweaver, nvu, kompozer); which would you recommend? Is one easier to use than others? Is one more for someone with extensive experience, and another better for a beginner?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Week 9 Readings
Martin Bryan. Introducing the Extensible Markup Language (XML) http://burks.bton.ac.uk/burks/internet/web/xmlintro.htm
This was similar to the cheatsheets we read before, except it is about XML. It also explains more deeply than a cheatcheet. Overall, it gave a good introduction to XML, and wasn't difficult to follow.
Uche Ogbuji. A survey of XML standards: Part 1. January 2004.
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-stand1.html
This was a good article about XML, discussing the core XML technologies. One thing I particularly liked about this article was all their links: links to various tutorials, references, and other resources as well. You would need to devote much time, though, if every link were to be followed, as each paragraph had several hyperlinks.
Extending your Markup: a XML tutorial by Andre Bergholz http://www.computer.org/internet/xml/xml.tutorial.pdf
(It says I would have to buy the article for $19; it is from IEEE Internet Computing, July 2000, pp.74-79... I will try to read this another way....) About this article, it says: XML introduces a family of languages to provide a more semantic management of information than HTML. (Later...) I finally accessed this article through: http://xml.coverpages.org/BergholzTutorial.pdf (am I the only one who had difficulty with this?). I must say, I liked the other things we've read better (links to tutorials or cheatsheets).
XML Schema Tutorial http://www.w3schools.com/Schema/default.asp
This tutorial teaches how to read and create XML Schemas and how to use the language. It offers many links and is very easy to find certain topics. Overall, I thought this was a great website.
This was similar to the cheatsheets we read before, except it is about XML. It also explains more deeply than a cheatcheet. Overall, it gave a good introduction to XML, and wasn't difficult to follow.
Uche Ogbuji. A survey of XML standards: Part 1. January 2004.
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-stand1.html
This was a good article about XML, discussing the core XML technologies. One thing I particularly liked about this article was all their links: links to various tutorials, references, and other resources as well. You would need to devote much time, though, if every link were to be followed, as each paragraph had several hyperlinks.
Extending your Markup: a XML tutorial by Andre Bergholz http://www.computer.org/internet/xml/xml.tutorial.pdf
(It says I would have to buy the article for $19; it is from IEEE Internet Computing, July 2000, pp.74-79... I will try to read this another way....) About this article, it says: XML introduces a family of languages to provide a more semantic management of information than HTML. (Later...) I finally accessed this article through: http://xml.coverpages.org/BergholzTutorial.pdf (am I the only one who had difficulty with this?). I must say, I liked the other things we've read better (links to tutorials or cheatsheets).
XML Schema Tutorial http://www.w3schools.com/Schema/default.asp
This tutorial teaches how to read and create XML Schemas and how to use the language. It offers many links and is very easy to find certain topics. Overall, I thought this was a great website.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Muddiest Point 10/07/2008
I understand Wi-Fi, what is it, what it does, etc. I was wondering, though, where the "Fi" part of the name comes from? Is it just because it rhymes, or does it stand for something?
Week 8 Readings
***W3schools HTML Tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/HTML/
Okay, I am VERY excited about this site! I had just been wishing over the past few weeks that I could have this taught to me...and here I am learning it! This site did a great job of explaining how to write HTML, so that any beginner should be able to follow it. I have added this to my 'favorites!'
HTML Cheatsheet http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/reference/html_cheatsheet/
(or rather: http://www.webmonkey.com/reference/HTML_Cheatsheet/)
I thought this would be just the same as the first site, but was pleasantly surprised. This site laid it all out so the basics were all on one page--very nice! It does just what it says: gives you a cheatsheet for HTML. Again, just what I wanted! This is definitely for a beginner. It also has links to other related articles.
W3 School Cascading Style Sheet Tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/css/
One thing I liked about this site is that they offer a 'diploma' for developers who want to document their knowledge of HTML, XHTML, and CSS. (Not for me, yet, but could be great for someone who is ready for that!) They also have many links for web hosting or web building, which is very helpful if that is what you need. I will definitely be spending more time with all three of these sites!
Goans, D., Leach, G., & Vogel, T. M. (2006). Beyond HTML: Developing and re-imagining library web guides in a content management system. Library Hi Tech, 24(1), 29-53.
This article got me thinking about some of the issues I may face when I begin working in an Academic Library. As GSU experienced, before they had a web developer everyone did their handouts whichever way they knew how--i.e.: no consistency, and problems such as some being detailed and some being vague. Once they had a web developer, they became more organized, using such things as templates to offer better service and more consistency. With the technological advancements we are seeing, any large library nowadays really needs to have someone filling a 'web development librarian' position. Even with this position filled, technological issues may arise, requiring additional procedures or policies to be put in place.
Okay, I am VERY excited about this site! I had just been wishing over the past few weeks that I could have this taught to me...and here I am learning it! This site did a great job of explaining how to write HTML, so that any beginner should be able to follow it. I have added this to my 'favorites!'
HTML Cheatsheet http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/reference/html_cheatsheet/
(or rather: http://www.webmonkey.com/reference/HTML_Cheatsheet/)
I thought this would be just the same as the first site, but was pleasantly surprised. This site laid it all out so the basics were all on one page--very nice! It does just what it says: gives you a cheatsheet for HTML. Again, just what I wanted! This is definitely for a beginner. It also has links to other related articles.
W3 School Cascading Style Sheet Tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/css/
One thing I liked about this site is that they offer a 'diploma' for developers who want to document their knowledge of HTML, XHTML, and CSS. (Not for me, yet, but could be great for someone who is ready for that!) They also have many links for web hosting or web building, which is very helpful if that is what you need. I will definitely be spending more time with all three of these sites!
Goans, D., Leach, G., & Vogel, T. M. (2006). Beyond HTML: Developing and re-imagining library web guides in a content management system. Library Hi Tech, 24(1), 29-53.
This article got me thinking about some of the issues I may face when I begin working in an Academic Library. As GSU experienced, before they had a web developer everyone did their handouts whichever way they knew how--i.e.: no consistency, and problems such as some being detailed and some being vague. Once they had a web developer, they became more organized, using such things as templates to offer better service and more consistency. With the technological advancements we are seeing, any large library nowadays really needs to have someone filling a 'web development librarian' position. Even with this position filled, technological issues may arise, requiring additional procedures or policies to be put in place.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Assignment 4 - Working with Jing
My video in screencast.com:
http://www.screencast.com/users/jes140/folders/Jing/media/75b1a465-6bd8-4640-8743-6a32d2d76c5f
My images in flickr.com:
#1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30276059@N03/2905357807/in/set-72157607651971161/
#2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30276059@N03/2905396411/
#3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30276059@N03/2906261790/
#4: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30276059@N03/2906277514/
#5: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30276059@N03/2906292886/
http://www.screencast.com/users/jes140/folders/Jing/media/75b1a465-6bd8-4640-8743-6a32d2d76c5f
My images in flickr.com:
#1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30276059@N03/2905357807/in/set-72157607651971161/
#2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30276059@N03/2905396411/
#3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30276059@N03/2906261790/
#4: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30276059@N03/2906277514/
#5: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30276059@N03/2906292886/
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Week 7 Readings
Tyson, Jeff. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet-infrastructure.htm/printable
I didn't realize that there is a group (The Internet Society) that oversees how the internet is used.--- Another thought, isn't it amazing how a message can travel from one computer half-way across the world to another computer (through a network) in just a fraction of a second? --- I also was impressed with the step-by-step details of how your browser searches for URL or IP addresses when you type them in. What a great website!
Andrew K. Pace. „Dismantling Integrated Library Systems“ Library Journal, vol 129 Issue 2, p34-36. 2/1/2004 http://rt4rf9qn2y.scholar.serialssolutions.com/?sid=google&auinit=AK&aulast=Pace&atitle=Dismantling+integrated+library+system.(Infotech+Feature)(Industry+Overview).&title=Library+journal+(1976)&volume=129&issue=2&date=2004&spage=3&issn=0363-0277
This article was eye-opening for me; I didn't realize that libraries are starting to have frustrations with ILSs. I didn't know that inter-operability meant a more difficult world for librarians... I would have thought it to be the other way around. It was interesting to read about how librarians are trying to find solutions by creating web-based programs or functions, and seeing how these work with their current systems.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page: Inside the Google machine. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/sergey_brin_and_larry_page_on_google.html
It was interesting to learn more about google and how (and why) it works. Besides being impressed over-all with everything that went into Google, I am also always impressed with companies that are dedicated to implementing procedures that keep their employees happy. If more companies would put a little bit of time and effort into that, perhaps they wouldn't suffer from high employee turn-over. What an amazing 'project' google was... it's incredible how much we each rely on google, and they always seem to have the answer we are looking for.
I didn't realize that there is a group (The Internet Society) that oversees how the internet is used.--- Another thought, isn't it amazing how a message can travel from one computer half-way across the world to another computer (through a network) in just a fraction of a second? --- I also was impressed with the step-by-step details of how your browser searches for URL or IP addresses when you type them in. What a great website!
Andrew K. Pace. „Dismantling Integrated Library Systems“ Library Journal, vol 129 Issue 2, p34-36. 2/1/2004 http://rt4rf9qn2y.scholar.serialssolutions.com/?sid=google&auinit=AK&aulast=Pace&atitle=Dismantling+integrated+library+system.(Infotech+Feature)(Industry+Overview).&title=Library+journal+(1976)&volume=129&issue=2&date=2004&spage=3&issn=0363-0277
This article was eye-opening for me; I didn't realize that libraries are starting to have frustrations with ILSs. I didn't know that inter-operability meant a more difficult world for librarians... I would have thought it to be the other way around. It was interesting to read about how librarians are trying to find solutions by creating web-based programs or functions, and seeing how these work with their current systems.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page: Inside the Google machine. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/sergey_brin_and_larry_page_on_google.html
It was interesting to learn more about google and how (and why) it works. Besides being impressed over-all with everything that went into Google, I am also always impressed with companies that are dedicated to implementing procedures that keep their employees happy. If more companies would put a little bit of time and effort into that, perhaps they wouldn't suffer from high employee turn-over. What an amazing 'project' google was... it's incredible how much we each rely on google, and they always seem to have the answer we are looking for.
Muddiest Point 9/30/2008
My question is regarding the phone system, "circuit-switched" network. We were told it assumes that less than 10% of lines are in use at once. That seems like a very low percentage. Why does it have to be that low? And do we have to reach 100% usage before getting the "circuits busy" message? Or do we hear that message when we get to a certain percentage?
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Week 6 Readings
Local Area Network: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Area_Network
One thing I love about these readings is that I always learn something. It had never occurred to me before that Wi-Fi is a LAN, but of course that makes so much sense now!
Computer network: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network
I have a PAN! (Personal Area Network)... but what I wish I had was a WPAN! I must say, though, there are many more types of networks than I ever realized. This article gave a nice overview of the various terms and their definitions and relations to each other.
Common types of computer networks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dpgqDdfUjQ
One thing he said is that we often use acronyms without knowing their meaning--so true! Besides that, though, he basically gave a brief overview of what we read in wikipedia. However, it is really neat that people can post these video clips where anyone can watch them. Anything that improves upon the ways we can gain knowledge is great, and posting such videos is definitely a beneficial thing to those who would like to learn.
Coyle, K. (2005). Management of RFID in libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 31(5), 486-489.
When I first began reading this article, I wasn't sure what they were saying... but when I re-read it, I realized how cool these radio frequency tags are:
"The RFID tag does not have to be visible to be read; instead, it can be read even when it is embedded in an item, such as in the cardboard cover of a book or the packaging of a product."
Imagine the changes this brings into the library field! It seems that it could be very time-saving and helpful for librarians to utilize, and perhaps save money as well. Although it still has some concerns, it seems that they could be worked out and this would be a step up from libraries' current barcodes, etc. One thing I felt the article lacked is that it referred to the ALA's statement on RFID in libraries, but didn't say what their statement was, so the reader would have to research that themselves.
One thing I love about these readings is that I always learn something. It had never occurred to me before that Wi-Fi is a LAN, but of course that makes so much sense now!
Computer network: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network
I have a PAN! (Personal Area Network)... but what I wish I had was a WPAN! I must say, though, there are many more types of networks than I ever realized. This article gave a nice overview of the various terms and their definitions and relations to each other.
Common types of computer networks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dpgqDdfUjQ
One thing he said is that we often use acronyms without knowing their meaning--so true! Besides that, though, he basically gave a brief overview of what we read in wikipedia. However, it is really neat that people can post these video clips where anyone can watch them. Anything that improves upon the ways we can gain knowledge is great, and posting such videos is definitely a beneficial thing to those who would like to learn.
Coyle, K. (2005). Management of RFID in libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 31(5), 486-489.
When I first began reading this article, I wasn't sure what they were saying... but when I re-read it, I realized how cool these radio frequency tags are:
"The RFID tag does not have to be visible to be read; instead, it can be read even when it is embedded in an item, such as in the cardboard cover of a book or the packaging of a product."
Imagine the changes this brings into the library field! It seems that it could be very time-saving and helpful for librarians to utilize, and perhaps save money as well. Although it still has some concerns, it seems that they could be worked out and this would be a step up from libraries' current barcodes, etc. One thing I felt the article lacked is that it referred to the ALA's statement on RFID in libraries, but didn't say what their statement was, so the reader would have to research that themselves.
Muddiest Point 9/23/2008
When we discussed Basic Audio Coding during the lecture, I was wondering about speech. We were told that the standard telephone channel has 8-bit samples; is that the same regardless of whether it is a land line or a cell phone? If there is a difference, what causes it?
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Week 5 Readings
Data Compression. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_compression
As usual, I thought this was a good explanation for anyone who doesn't fully understand 'data compression.' Although I had a pretty good understanding of the term before, it was helpful to read and gain a more thorough comprehension. If there was one part I did not fully follow, it was the part regarding information theory and rate distortion-theory...although they are probably not essential for an understanding of data compression.
Data compression basics (long document, but covers all basics and beyond):
http://dvd-hq.info/data_compression_1.php
The worst thing about this document was how extremely long it seemed; on the other hand, one of the great things about it was that it was written to be easily understood, with language that most average people can easily follow. An interesting vocab word I gained is "lossy"--which describes when the recovered information is not guaranteed to be exactly identical to the original. I definitely learned more from this document than from wikipedia (such as things like run-length encoding, which I had never heard of before). After reading this, I felt I had an even better understanding of how exactly data compression works.
Edward A. Galloway, “Imaging Pittsburgh: Creating a shared gateway to digital image collections of the Pittsburgh region” First Monday 9:5 2004 http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue9_5/galloway/index.html
What a great site! I think every town/city/community should compile similar sites with their own historical photos, information, and documents. I noticed how all of the contributers had to be consistent and use Dublin Core for their metadata... which we just learned about! I was also thinking that many people would be interested in purchasing copies of such compilations in book form. When older photographs and related documents are stored somewhere to preserve them, it is just a start. When they are put on the internet for anyone in the world to see, then we are truly preserving them in the best way for the most good--a historical preservation that even our posterity can benefit from.
Paula L. Webb, YouTube and libraries: It could be a beautiful relationship C&RL News, June 2007 Vol. 68, No. 6 http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2007/jun07/youtube.cfm
This article seemed to have some great ideas:
"Why couldn’t a library film its various services, load them to YouTube, and then make the link available on its Web site for its patrons? It is not hard to imagine how beneficial this could be to a variety of patrons: students who need help when the library is unavailable, an instruction method for distance education students, and another method of directing possible patrons back to the library catalog."
Their suggestions could be used to improve the services of any library, whether school, public, academic, or other. Personally, I prefer to be taught in person... but for those who don't have that option, these are ways that they could be reached and taught as well.
As usual, I thought this was a good explanation for anyone who doesn't fully understand 'data compression.' Although I had a pretty good understanding of the term before, it was helpful to read and gain a more thorough comprehension. If there was one part I did not fully follow, it was the part regarding information theory and rate distortion-theory...although they are probably not essential for an understanding of data compression.
Data compression basics (long document, but covers all basics and beyond):
http://dvd-hq.info/data_compression_1.php
The worst thing about this document was how extremely long it seemed; on the other hand, one of the great things about it was that it was written to be easily understood, with language that most average people can easily follow. An interesting vocab word I gained is "lossy"--which describes when the recovered information is not guaranteed to be exactly identical to the original. I definitely learned more from this document than from wikipedia (such as things like run-length encoding, which I had never heard of before). After reading this, I felt I had an even better understanding of how exactly data compression works.
Edward A. Galloway, “Imaging Pittsburgh: Creating a shared gateway to digital image collections of the Pittsburgh region” First Monday 9:5 2004 http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue9_5/galloway/index.html
What a great site! I think every town/city/community should compile similar sites with their own historical photos, information, and documents. I noticed how all of the contributers had to be consistent and use Dublin Core for their metadata... which we just learned about! I was also thinking that many people would be interested in purchasing copies of such compilations in book form. When older photographs and related documents are stored somewhere to preserve them, it is just a start. When they are put on the internet for anyone in the world to see, then we are truly preserving them in the best way for the most good--a historical preservation that even our posterity can benefit from.
Paula L. Webb, YouTube and libraries: It could be a beautiful relationship C&RL News, June 2007 Vol. 68, No. 6 http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2007/jun07/youtube.cfm
This article seemed to have some great ideas:
"Why couldn’t a library film its various services, load them to YouTube, and then make the link available on its Web site for its patrons? It is not hard to imagine how beneficial this could be to a variety of patrons: students who need help when the library is unavailable, an instruction method for distance education students, and another method of directing possible patrons back to the library catalog."
Their suggestions could be used to improve the services of any library, whether school, public, academic, or other. Personally, I prefer to be taught in person... but for those who don't have that option, these are ways that they could be reached and taught as well.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Muddiest Point 9/16/2008
I didn't realize that there were options other than MARC for cataloging formats. It was interesting to see the MODS format and the Dublin Core format, and finally realize that MARC isn't the only option--for some reason, that just never clicked with me before. My question is: Are libraries starting to lean towards one of the other formats, rather than MARC? If so, would we have several different formats being used by various institutions? What affect would this have on librarians' work--would they still be able to import others' records? What other programs would be needed so that this would still be a smooth operation? Is it worth it to switch to a different format, when MARC already works well and everyone knows how to use it?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Week 4 Readings
Database: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database
The information presented about Databases in wikipedia covers the topic quite well and is a good review for what we learned in class. Rather than give a quick overview because most people probably understand the term 'database' already, the definition was quite comprehensive, yet simple enough for anyone to understand. It was especially interesting to see the links for 'realtime database' and 'glass databases.' I don't recall ever having been exposed to these terms before, so these links proved to be informative and educational.
Anne J. Gilliland. Introduction to Metadata, pathways to Digital Information: 1: Setting the Stage http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/intrometadata/setting.html
If you have ever wondered just exactly what 'metadata' is, here is your answer! In the library professional setting, I have heard this term used more and more commonly over the past few years... yet, I could not have given a good explanation or definition of it until reading this article. As explained, metadata is "the sum total of what one can say about any information object at any level of aggregation." I can't help but wondering, though, why this new buzz-word? Librarians and other professionals have been working with 'metadata' for decades now... yet this term is rather new.
Eric J. Miller: An Overview of the Dublin Core Data Model
http://dublincore.org/1999/06/06-overview/
Although quite descriptive, this was definitely not a reader-friendly overview. The authors did attempt to include as much information as possible, and to explain in their terms why they believe the way they did, but too often, I found myself re-reading paragraphs to figure out what point they were trying to get across. The end result, though, is that they are correct, and having a 'formalized data model' would enhance DCMI's functions and efforts.
The information presented about Databases in wikipedia covers the topic quite well and is a good review for what we learned in class. Rather than give a quick overview because most people probably understand the term 'database' already, the definition was quite comprehensive, yet simple enough for anyone to understand. It was especially interesting to see the links for 'realtime database' and 'glass databases.' I don't recall ever having been exposed to these terms before, so these links proved to be informative and educational.
Anne J. Gilliland. Introduction to Metadata, pathways to Digital Information: 1: Setting the Stage http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/intrometadata/setting.html
If you have ever wondered just exactly what 'metadata' is, here is your answer! In the library professional setting, I have heard this term used more and more commonly over the past few years... yet, I could not have given a good explanation or definition of it until reading this article. As explained, metadata is "the sum total of what one can say about any information object at any level of aggregation." I can't help but wondering, though, why this new buzz-word? Librarians and other professionals have been working with 'metadata' for decades now... yet this term is rather new.
Eric J. Miller: An Overview of the Dublin Core Data Model
http://dublincore.org/1999/06/06-overview/
Although quite descriptive, this was definitely not a reader-friendly overview. The authors did attempt to include as much information as possible, and to explain in their terms why they believe the way they did, but too often, I found myself re-reading paragraphs to figure out what point they were trying to get across. The end result, though, is that they are correct, and having a 'formalized data model' would enhance DCMI's functions and efforts.
Muddiest Point 9/09/2008
I was just wondering about Integrated Library Systems, which were addressed very briefly in class. So many different systems are available... which are viewed to be the best and why? And which are viewed to be less efficient?
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Week 3 Readings
Machtelt Garrels "Introduction to Linux: A hands on Guide"
I really didn't know anything about Linux until taking this course; I had heard the name, but couldn't have told you anything about it. One thing that has impressed me, though, is the premise of this operating system being free to everyone--what a great idea! To be able to have input from any or all users, as well, without cost for their input, is a huge advantage. It makes me wonder how I could have gone this long without exposure to it? It was also interesting to learn that clusters of Linux machines were used for the creation of well-known movies that we all have seen. I had never thought before about what systems were used to make those movies. It made me realize that even if a person doesn't know anything about Linux, their life is touched and/or influenced by it anyway!
Kernelthread.com Mac OS X
This gave a good background on Mac OS X... perhaps too much information?... for those of us who are unfamiliar with it. It is starting to help me see how everything "fits" together--different operating systems, computers, software, etc. So many terms I have always heard but not used myself or completely understood, and now I am starting to grasp what they mean! I've seen the word "kernel" mentioned in several readings now, but I don't feel I could explain what the term means (in this usage). Am I making it more difficult than it is? I mean, is there another word that could be substituted, and still convey what the writers are saying? Is this a new term, because I have never heard it related to I.T. before.
Wikipedia: Mac OS X
This article gave a completely thorough history and description of Mac OS X. I definitely think it is beneficial for all to read this who are interested in having an overview and a better understanding. Most of the writings could be easily understood by someone with only a basic computer background; however, some terms under "Prominent Features" were not explained as clearly within this article. For example, the term "Aqua GUI" was not clearly explained on these pages, and I was wondering exactly what it meant, but to find out you have to click on its link and go to another article (which is indeed good that it is there), but then you have another full description to read... which could lead to further words that you need clarified, hence additional links to investigate... that could be a never-ending scenario! (I guess, both good and bad.)
An Update on the Windows Roadmap
Regarding Windows Vista, I know it supposedly has significant advances over previous systems, but it doesn't seem as easy to just know how to do everything in it. It always takes me too long to figure out how to do something new! I was impressed, though, by their efforts at identifying third-party software that causes performance issues. It is incredible that they were able to reduce system boot time and system resume time, but especially that they were able to extend battery life by 10%! That is a significant improvement that can affect a vast majority of us! Everyone is benefited by saved time. I also was impressed by their show of caring what we, as users, want, and what they can do to deliver. I was wondering while reading about this, how woulod our day-to-day lives differ without Windows? I really can't imagine! Another thought I had, though, was that back in the Linux article they showed how they were trying to make the sofware look like Windows so people would feel 'at home.' I wonder why, then, Windows Vista changes the look so extremely, rather than simply building upon how things were in previous versions?
I really didn't know anything about Linux until taking this course; I had heard the name, but couldn't have told you anything about it. One thing that has impressed me, though, is the premise of this operating system being free to everyone--what a great idea! To be able to have input from any or all users, as well, without cost for their input, is a huge advantage. It makes me wonder how I could have gone this long without exposure to it? It was also interesting to learn that clusters of Linux machines were used for the creation of well-known movies that we all have seen. I had never thought before about what systems were used to make those movies. It made me realize that even if a person doesn't know anything about Linux, their life is touched and/or influenced by it anyway!
Kernelthread.com Mac OS X
This gave a good background on Mac OS X... perhaps too much information?... for those of us who are unfamiliar with it. It is starting to help me see how everything "fits" together--different operating systems, computers, software, etc. So many terms I have always heard but not used myself or completely understood, and now I am starting to grasp what they mean! I've seen the word "kernel" mentioned in several readings now, but I don't feel I could explain what the term means (in this usage). Am I making it more difficult than it is? I mean, is there another word that could be substituted, and still convey what the writers are saying? Is this a new term, because I have never heard it related to I.T. before.
Wikipedia: Mac OS X
This article gave a completely thorough history and description of Mac OS X. I definitely think it is beneficial for all to read this who are interested in having an overview and a better understanding. Most of the writings could be easily understood by someone with only a basic computer background; however, some terms under "Prominent Features" were not explained as clearly within this article. For example, the term "Aqua GUI" was not clearly explained on these pages, and I was wondering exactly what it meant, but to find out you have to click on its link and go to another article (which is indeed good that it is there), but then you have another full description to read... which could lead to further words that you need clarified, hence additional links to investigate... that could be a never-ending scenario! (I guess, both good and bad.)
An Update on the Windows Roadmap
Regarding Windows Vista, I know it supposedly has significant advances over previous systems, but it doesn't seem as easy to just know how to do everything in it. It always takes me too long to figure out how to do something new! I was impressed, though, by their efforts at identifying third-party software that causes performance issues. It is incredible that they were able to reduce system boot time and system resume time, but especially that they were able to extend battery life by 10%! That is a significant improvement that can affect a vast majority of us! Everyone is benefited by saved time. I also was impressed by their show of caring what we, as users, want, and what they can do to deliver. I was wondering while reading about this, how woulod our day-to-day lives differ without Windows? I really can't imagine! Another thought I had, though, was that back in the Linux article they showed how they were trying to make the sofware look like Windows so people would feel 'at home.' I wonder why, then, Windows Vista changes the look so extremely, rather than simply building upon how things were in previous versions?
Muddiest Point 9/02/2008
Today's lecture had SO very much in it! I feel I followed fairly well, for the most part. However, one thing that I didn't understand and would have liked to hear more about was the other keyboard that was actually more efficient because it had the most-used letters placed better. When was this keyboard developed, in comparison to QWERTY? On the one hand, it would be a monumental task to switch to a different keyboard at this point; but if it was developed when most people just had typewriters, then wouldn't it have made sense to switch at that point? Then all of us would have grown up with it, and would be able to type that much more quickly and efficiently, right?
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Week 1 Readings
OCLC Report:
I found this article to be quite interesting and learned several things from it. I hadn't considered this before, but I thought it was a great idea that research articles can be self-published on a personal web site or blog, and then through Google many people will be able to read them. This is definitely a newer way to reach more people, especially while struggling to get your article published in a journal, etc, could take a very long time (if you are even able to eventually do it).
Another change happening is that through newer technology being used (email and handheld devices), many people receive content in this manner rather than through interlibrary loan or postal services. What affect will this have on ILL and USPS (if any)? Will ILL perhaps become a thing of the past, as patrons find easier and quicker ways to obtain materials? I agree with the statement in the article, "Librarians need to find ways to deliver quality content to mobile devices." This seems to be the direction we are going, so we must therefor pursue the possibilities. The suggestion for librarians and libraries to reach out to their patrons through having a blog is one possibility to support this direction.
My favorite quote from this journal is, "We are drowning in information but are starving for knowledge. Information is only useful when it can be located and synthesized into knowledge." As we strive to follow the developing technology and offer newer, more convenient options to patrons, we will succeed in helping them utilize the information and turn it into knowledge.
Clifford Lynch:
This article on information literacy and information technology literacy makes some important and valid points. As a society that values information, information literacy, and information technology literacy, we need to put forth the effort to ensure that as many ideas and suggestions as possible are implemented and supported, thus ensuring the proper education of these topics. This needs to be taught to all students, and to be done more in depth, so that each student has a thorough grasp on these things. Without such understanding, a person's chance to succeed significantly decreases.
Lied Library:
This article explained in detail the steps taken for this library to develop into a first-class research library. I found most of this article to be quite interesting, as I plan to work in this type of library. Unlike some professions, you can't just get your degree and then be done; being a librarian is a life-long commitment to stay up-to-date with technology and the ever-changing needs of a major academic research library.
I loved the suggestion for university libraries to have a laptop checkout program for students. This would greatly benefit some Pitt students--a few in our class have mentioned not having their own laptop. Every college student needs this opportunity (it is not just a luxury or convenience!), and if implemented, this would greatly benefit the students, and in turn, the university.
Reading about all of the problems they faced was quite eye-opening. What a major project they completed! Their list of challenges seemed quite comprehensive and would be a great starting list for any other institution who is faced with a similar situation, although I felt that perhaps some issues were not addressed (staff training, etc).
I did feel that, although they did a great job with opening this library and attempting to serve the students' needs, they should have done a much better job planning to accommodate for the future growth needs, both in spaces for student computers and space for additional staff.
One opportunity that I am greatly appreciating is, as they pointed out, having "so much information available...online 7/24/365"--basically meaning the library is virtually never closed. This is so true! With our remote-access to journals, we can access these items during any hours, from the comfort of our homes. Amazing and convenient! That is something that should be one of the top priorities of libraries, facilitating the ability to access these items off-site.
I found this article to be quite interesting and learned several things from it. I hadn't considered this before, but I thought it was a great idea that research articles can be self-published on a personal web site or blog, and then through Google many people will be able to read them. This is definitely a newer way to reach more people, especially while struggling to get your article published in a journal, etc, could take a very long time (if you are even able to eventually do it).
Another change happening is that through newer technology being used (email and handheld devices), many people receive content in this manner rather than through interlibrary loan or postal services. What affect will this have on ILL and USPS (if any)? Will ILL perhaps become a thing of the past, as patrons find easier and quicker ways to obtain materials? I agree with the statement in the article, "Librarians need to find ways to deliver quality content to mobile devices." This seems to be the direction we are going, so we must therefor pursue the possibilities. The suggestion for librarians and libraries to reach out to their patrons through having a blog is one possibility to support this direction.
My favorite quote from this journal is, "We are drowning in information but are starving for knowledge. Information is only useful when it can be located and synthesized into knowledge." As we strive to follow the developing technology and offer newer, more convenient options to patrons, we will succeed in helping them utilize the information and turn it into knowledge.
Clifford Lynch:
This article on information literacy and information technology literacy makes some important and valid points. As a society that values information, information literacy, and information technology literacy, we need to put forth the effort to ensure that as many ideas and suggestions as possible are implemented and supported, thus ensuring the proper education of these topics. This needs to be taught to all students, and to be done more in depth, so that each student has a thorough grasp on these things. Without such understanding, a person's chance to succeed significantly decreases.
Lied Library:
This article explained in detail the steps taken for this library to develop into a first-class research library. I found most of this article to be quite interesting, as I plan to work in this type of library. Unlike some professions, you can't just get your degree and then be done; being a librarian is a life-long commitment to stay up-to-date with technology and the ever-changing needs of a major academic research library.
I loved the suggestion for university libraries to have a laptop checkout program for students. This would greatly benefit some Pitt students--a few in our class have mentioned not having their own laptop. Every college student needs this opportunity (it is not just a luxury or convenience!), and if implemented, this would greatly benefit the students, and in turn, the university.
Reading about all of the problems they faced was quite eye-opening. What a major project they completed! Their list of challenges seemed quite comprehensive and would be a great starting list for any other institution who is faced with a similar situation, although I felt that perhaps some issues were not addressed (staff training, etc).
I did feel that, although they did a great job with opening this library and attempting to serve the students' needs, they should have done a much better job planning to accommodate for the future growth needs, both in spaces for student computers and space for additional staff.
One opportunity that I am greatly appreciating is, as they pointed out, having "so much information available...online 7/24/365"--basically meaning the library is virtually never closed. This is so true! With our remote-access to journals, we can access these items during any hours, from the comfort of our homes. Amazing and convenient! That is something that should be one of the top priorities of libraries, facilitating the ability to access these items off-site.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Week 2 Readings
Computer Hardware: This Wikipedia definition was much longer than I expected... but it is good to be thorough! One quote that really surprised me was: "Personal computers...form only a small minority of computers (about 0.2% of all new computers produced in 2003)." I would have guessed that percentage to be much, much larger! It did get me to thinking, though.
Typical PC hardware: motherboard, power supply, storage controllers, video display controller, removable media devices, internal storage, sound card, networking, and other peripherals.
Moore's law: This discussion is intriguing. In the history section it is explained that Alan Turing predicted in 1950 that by 2000 we would have "computers on our desk with a billion words of memory." I'm sure that at that time, this prediction must have sounded quite far-fetched... It makes me wonder what amazing changes we will see in the next 50 years! What will be sitting on my desk, and what will I be carrying around in my hand?!
One thought that I completely agree with is how things can be a 'self-fulfilling prophecy.' When a claim is made that something will happen by a certain time, it may well drive other companies to meet that goal, so that they do not fall behind what they are expecting another company to do. What if Moore had predicted doubling but in twice the amount of time? Would we still have increased as quickly as we did, or would it have been a slower increase?
Under 'Future Trends,' several examples and thoughts are explained. These advances are so amazing--it is almost difficult to comprehend! As far as 'limits of the law' go, it is incredible that we are creating things nearly as tiny as the size of an atom. This makes sense that eventually we will hit a barrier, and not be able to get smaller. Here it is claimed that "in less than 10 years computers will be created where each molecule will have its own place, i.e. we will have completely entered the era of molecular scale production." I have tried to think about this, and tried to imagine how this will affect our lives. How different will our cars look? Or the insides of our homes? Or what other drastic changes will we see?
My favorite quote in this reading is, "Moore's law is a violation of Murphy's law. Everything gets better and better."
One thing I did not quite understand is at the end when they talked about "during the Pentium era when popular manufacturers played with public perceptions of speed, focusing on advertising the clock rate of new products." I am not sure what they mean here, and what 'clock rate' refers to. Would anyone care to enlighten me? Is this something I would have heard, and just not known the phrase?
Computer History Museum: This is really a great site! My favorite part was the exhibits:
*The Silicon Engine
*Internet History (Did you know that the timeline of the Internet began in 1962, before the word 'internet' was invented, and only 10,000 computers existed in the world? Fast forward to 1992... the internet had 1 million hosts!)
*The Computer Revolution
*Visible Storage (I loved the photos of the early calculation tools. Also, the Odyssey videogame system sure brought back memories--my siblings and I thought it was the neatest thing, but if kids today saw it, they probably wouldn't give it a chance!)
*Timeline of Computer History (I LOVED this exhibit! Click on a year, any year '39 - '94, and see what was the newest, latest, and best of the time! I never knew that the first email was sent the year I was born! Also, the 8 inch floppy diskette was invented the same year! I HIGHLY recommend this section when you have several hours to spare--you won't be bored!)
**This site has so much information to offer!
Typical PC hardware: motherboard, power supply, storage controllers, video display controller, removable media devices, internal storage, sound card, networking, and other peripherals.
Moore's law: This discussion is intriguing. In the history section it is explained that Alan Turing predicted in 1950 that by 2000 we would have "computers on our desk with a billion words of memory." I'm sure that at that time, this prediction must have sounded quite far-fetched... It makes me wonder what amazing changes we will see in the next 50 years! What will be sitting on my desk, and what will I be carrying around in my hand?!
One thought that I completely agree with is how things can be a 'self-fulfilling prophecy.' When a claim is made that something will happen by a certain time, it may well drive other companies to meet that goal, so that they do not fall behind what they are expecting another company to do. What if Moore had predicted doubling but in twice the amount of time? Would we still have increased as quickly as we did, or would it have been a slower increase?
Under 'Future Trends,' several examples and thoughts are explained. These advances are so amazing--it is almost difficult to comprehend! As far as 'limits of the law' go, it is incredible that we are creating things nearly as tiny as the size of an atom. This makes sense that eventually we will hit a barrier, and not be able to get smaller. Here it is claimed that "in less than 10 years computers will be created where each molecule will have its own place, i.e. we will have completely entered the era of molecular scale production." I have tried to think about this, and tried to imagine how this will affect our lives. How different will our cars look? Or the insides of our homes? Or what other drastic changes will we see?
My favorite quote in this reading is, "Moore's law is a violation of Murphy's law. Everything gets better and better."
One thing I did not quite understand is at the end when they talked about "during the Pentium era when popular manufacturers played with public perceptions of speed, focusing on advertising the clock rate of new products." I am not sure what they mean here, and what 'clock rate' refers to. Would anyone care to enlighten me? Is this something I would have heard, and just not known the phrase?
Computer History Museum: This is really a great site! My favorite part was the exhibits:
*The Silicon Engine
*Internet History (Did you know that the timeline of the Internet began in 1962, before the word 'internet' was invented, and only 10,000 computers existed in the world? Fast forward to 1992... the internet had 1 million hosts!)
*The Computer Revolution
*Visible Storage (I loved the photos of the early calculation tools. Also, the Odyssey videogame system sure brought back memories--my siblings and I thought it was the neatest thing, but if kids today saw it, they probably wouldn't give it a chance!)
*Timeline of Computer History (I LOVED this exhibit! Click on a year, any year '39 - '94, and see what was the newest, latest, and best of the time! I never knew that the first email was sent the year I was born! Also, the 8 inch floppy diskette was invented the same year! I HIGHLY recommend this section when you have several hours to spare--you won't be bored!)
**This site has so much information to offer!
Muddiest Point 8/26/2008
Well, I don't know about everyone else, but the thing I didn't understand was why the due-date for our second required readings would be before the due-date for our first required readings. Wouldn't it make more sense to say #1 by Friday and #2 by next class, instead of the other way around?
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