Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Week 5 Muddiest Point
I'm a little confused about the definition of "Lossless" compression. Why is a GIF considered a lossless image format if not all of the colors are reproduced?
Week 6 Notes
One thing that I found interesting about the readings and videos on computer networks was the matrushka doll-like nature of their organization. A PAN is part of a LAN, which is part of a WAN, and so on. As network communication becomes faster, will we really need the LAN? I guess it will still be important as an organizational and security level, but It seems that soon we will be just as connected to other computers in a WAN as we are in a LAN.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Week 4 Muddiest Point
I'm confused about the MARC records. What is the relationship between tags and indicators?
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Week 5 Notes
Data Compression
These articles made it clear to me why zipping zipped files doesn't work. Finally.
Imaging Pittsburgh
This was really interesting. Particularly interesting was the discussion of selecting a Metadata Schema, and a common vocabulary for cataloging the images. I noticed that they elected to use a combination of Dublin Core metadata scheme and Library of Congress Subject headings for the cataloging of the images. I realize that DRL had their reasons for going going with LCSH, but I wonder whether Dublin Core has a set vocabulary. MODS will have the benefit of having a built in vocabulary, I assume.
YouTube in Education
I have to wonder why we are using Panopto. I realize that YouTube videos are limited to ten minutes in length, but using some form of Flash video hosting would solve a lot of the compatibility issues, right?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Week 4 Notes
Databases:
In my last job I had to deal with databases that related to energy use. I had to quickly absorb SQL in order to filter and create tables, so I have a functional knowledge, but am nowhere near fluent. These were relational databases, and as far as I knew these were the only types of databases that existed. It was interesting to learn about Hierarchical and Network models, though I am having trouble visualizing them.
Metadata:
Up until now metadata was only the tags on mp3s, as far as I knew. It seems like almost everything has metadata. Inconsistency in the labeling of my mp3s has always been a pet peeve of mine, so I can understand the need for a standardization system like the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. DCMI's capacity to expand to meet the needs of specific metadata needs of different communities.
(About the DCMI article, did anyone else have trouble accessing this? I ended up using Google's cache version.)
In my last job I had to deal with databases that related to energy use. I had to quickly absorb SQL in order to filter and create tables, so I have a functional knowledge, but am nowhere near fluent. These were relational databases, and as far as I knew these were the only types of databases that existed. It was interesting to learn about Hierarchical and Network models, though I am having trouble visualizing them.
Metadata:
Up until now metadata was only the tags on mp3s, as far as I knew. It seems like almost everything has metadata. Inconsistency in the labeling of my mp3s has always been a pet peeve of mine, so I can understand the need for a standardization system like the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. DCMI's capacity to expand to meet the needs of specific metadata needs of different communities.
(About the DCMI article, did anyone else have trouble accessing this? I ended up using Google's cache version.)
Week 3 Muddiest Point
In class I asked about whether or not Google.com uses Google Desktop to search my desktop bookmarks, etc. From what I understand Google displays the results, but they are not archives by google. Here is what google said:
It is somewhat convenient to see these results in the search results, but can I trust Google?
Google.com Integration is a feature of Google Desktop that inserts a line of Desktop results above your Google Web Search results. Although your personal and web search results are shown together on your computer, your personal information is not sent to Google.
If you don't want to see Google Desktop results on your web search results pages, you can turn this feature off. Just go to the Apple menu > "System Preferences." Click "Google Desktop," then click "Search Results" and deselect the "Enable Google.com integration" box.
It is somewhat convenient to see these results in the search results, but can I trust Google?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Comments on Week 3 Postings
Posted comments on leblancsatpittsburgh and Anthony Micchelli Information Technology Blog.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Week 2 Muddiest Point
I understand that outline for computer hardware we received in class pretty much covers all current computers, but when did that model come to be?
'Back then, those people were called "nerds" or "freaks"': Week 3 Readings
I really enjoyed the article about Linux. I already had a basic understanding about what Linux is, but I didn't really know the history of the development of Linux. The whole "Open Source" thing really jibes with my worldview. I've been meaning to give Linux a shot, but for whatever reason, I just can't seem to bring myself to partition my hard drive. I don't know why, but I stared at my Ubuntu disk for months and just couldn't install it!
I've been a Mac user my entire life, but I could not understand the 'What is Mac OS X?' article for the life of me. I guess maybe it is a good thing that I haven't installed that Ubuntu disk. I could do some real damage to this poor, crippled MacBook. I'll leave it to the '"nerds" or "freaks."' The story of OS X was pretty neat to read, though, because I remember reading about Copland and Rhapsody back in the day.
I've been a Mac user my entire life, but I could not understand the 'What is Mac OS X?' article for the life of me. I guess maybe it is a good thing that I haven't installed that Ubuntu disk. I could do some real damage to this poor, crippled MacBook. I'll leave it to the '"nerds" or "freaks."' The story of OS X was pretty neat to read, though, because I remember reading about Copland and Rhapsody back in the day.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Week 1 Reading
Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers
An interesting thing about this article was the observation that, "[t]raditional information formats (e.g. printed books and serials) are not going away." While this is probably true, and books and printed materials will always retain some cultural value, I highly doubt that they will retain their cultural role as a key information source. For example, I fully expect newspapers, as we know them, to be all but completely transformed away from a printed media in my lifetime. On the other hand, I am not very familiar with POD, so it is possible that in the future, printed materials will continue to be significant, even if they are distributed differently.
Another trend worth watching as gas prices make travel more expensive, is the tendency of people to use online materials rather than going to the library. As it becomes more expensive to travel, this trend could accelerate.
Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture
The article touches on a significant failure on the part of our education system. The author, in discussing the need for formal instruction on information literacy, points out that what is really needed is an educational program that "encompass a rather broad view of the technology infrastructures that support our society, including computing, telecommunications, broadcasting, publishing, electrical power distribution, transportation and financial infrastructure and related areas." It's sad, but our education system does not put many resources toward teaching students how the world around them actually works.
Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still.
Moving back to the containers versus content issue, it seems that Lied Library is specializing in neither acquiring content nor acquiring containers. Instead, the library is focusing on acquiring
the technology for accessing content. This seems like a very good solution to the issue of libraries' role in the internet age. As the Information Format Trends article points out, there is a growing trend of users choosing to do online searches rather than using the library. Libraries like Lied could serve as a gateway to better searches that yield more useful content to users.
An interesting thing about this article was the observation that, "[t]raditional information formats (e.g. printed books and serials) are not going away." While this is probably true, and books and printed materials will always retain some cultural value, I highly doubt that they will retain their cultural role as a key information source. For example, I fully expect newspapers, as we know them, to be all but completely transformed away from a printed media in my lifetime. On the other hand, I am not very familiar with POD, so it is possible that in the future, printed materials will continue to be significant, even if they are distributed differently.
Another trend worth watching as gas prices make travel more expensive, is the tendency of people to use online materials rather than going to the library. As it becomes more expensive to travel, this trend could accelerate.
Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture
The article touches on a significant failure on the part of our education system. The author, in discussing the need for formal instruction on information literacy, points out that what is really needed is an educational program that "encompass a rather broad view of the technology infrastructures that support our society, including computing, telecommunications, broadcasting, publishing, electrical power distribution, transportation and financial infrastructure and related areas." It's sad, but our education system does not put many resources toward teaching students how the world around them actually works.
Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still.
Moving back to the containers versus content issue, it seems that Lied Library is specializing in neither acquiring content nor acquiring containers. Instead, the library is focusing on acquiring
the technology for accessing content. This seems like a very good solution to the issue of libraries' role in the internet age. As the Information Format Trends article points out, there is a growing trend of users choosing to do online searches rather than using the library. Libraries like Lied could serve as a gateway to better searches that yield more useful content to users.
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