Week 5 - comments

http://jordanmoorelis2600.blogspot.com/2009/09/week-5-readings.html

http://brandonlocke.blogspot.com/2009/09/readings-week-five.html

Week 5 - notes

Data Compression:

I never realized how much there was to data compression. I knew a little about it - for example, with audio files, I've noticed that I don't have to copy them to my computer at the highest quality for them to sound good. I didn't know about the different methods, or the difference between "lossless" and "lossy" compression (or that they even existed, really).


DVD-HQ: Data Compression Basics:

This was pretty interesting, actually. It seemed to basically be expanding on what the Wiki article said, but I enjoyed seeing some of the things illustrated - it helped me really understand how the different compression methods are done.


Edward A. Galloway, “Imaging Pittsburgh: Creating a shared gateway to digital image collections of the Pittsburgh region” First Monday 9:5 2004

This article seems to show why data compression could be important to libraries. Basically, if data is compressed, and thus stored more efficiently, then there is room for more content, meaning projects such as this are easier to accomplish.


Paula L. Webb, YouTube and libraries: It could be a beautiful relationship C&RL News, June 2007 Vol. 68, No. 6 0

This was pretty basic - it just suggested a few ways libraries could use YouTube to reach the public.

Week 4 - The Muddiest Point

I have no muddiest point for this week.

Week 4 - comments

Here are the places where I've commented:

http://cac160.blogspot.com/2009/09/week-4-reading-notes.html

http://brandonlocke.blogspot.com/2009/09/readings-week-four.html

Week 4 - Notes

Database

It's interesting how much a DBMS does (development/interrogation/maintenance/development). I don't usually think of a database doing anything, aside from sitting there and holding the information. There are also a lot more types of databases and models than I realized. There are also a lot of safeguards in place, both for security purposes and to prevent computer troubles. One doesn't tend to realize that databases have the potential to cause these things - again, I typically thought of a database just being there. Judging from this, though, there are a lot of little things that they do that never occured to me.

Metadata

This is a term I'd heard before, but I never really gave it thought. I think what made it click is the mention of dates on websites, to know when the information is from - in a computer class I took, one of our assignments was to judge how reliable some websites were, and it being up-to-date was a criteria. I can see how it applies to libraries, though, as adding metadata to something makes it easier to categorize, and thus easier to access.

Dublin Core Data Model

The main thing I got out of this, basically, is that it combines the other two articles for the week. That is, they're trying to make a database of metadata.

Week 3 - The Muddiest Point

I'm mainly wondering what exactly the FAT file system was? Why was it bad, or at least, what makes NTFS a better system? I see from the Powerpoint that it's more efficient and secure, but what makes it so?

Assignment 2 - flickr

Here's the link to my digitization/flickr stuff:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42525296@N08/

I have several pictures that show the different stages of a costume I'm making, plus a few of things around the house.

Week 3 - comments

Here are the comments I've made for week 3:

http://brandonlocke.blogspot.com/2009/09/readings-week-three.html

http://jordanmoorelis2600.blogspot.com/2009/09/week-2-readings.html

Week 2 - The Muddiest Point

I don't know if this really counts as a "muddy" point, but I am curious about how the manufacturers know how long their media will last, as listed in the slide about "Media Life Expectancies" (slide 56). I especially wonder this about Microfilm, with its potential life span of 500 years - the media is not yet that old, so I wonder what sort of tests they've done that let them know it could last that long.

Week 3 - notes

Introduction to Linux, Mac OS X, and An Update on the Windows Roadmap

I really have nothing to say about any reading in particular. They all seemed pretty straightforward, simply talking about what each system does.

Unlike last week, where the "hardware" page was a refresher for me, this is all totally new - I had a vague idea about how the operating systems differ from each other, but I didn't know anything specific about any of them.

week 2 - notes

Computer Hardware

Most of this information is things I already know the basics of, but it's good to get a refresher. Especially for the components of the motherboard - for a lot of those, I knew they were present in the system, but didn't know exactly what they did.

Personally, I found it interesting that video game graphics are evolving faster than the video capabilities of computers. I always felt like I was one of only a few who couldn't play new games because of having an outdated computer, but reading this, it seems that I would have that problem, even if I always updated my computer. Also, I think it's interesting that the graphics cards must be made more advanced to catch up to the video games, rather than the makers of video games working within the limits of current graphic capabilities.

It was also interesting to me to see a mention of a Zip drive on here, because I used to have one. At the time, it seemed great because a zip disk could hold so much information. However, it rarely worked well. I hadn't thought about it for a long time until I saw the mention of it on this page. It really is fascinating how, while some technologies end up altering the way we do things (such as iPods or cell phones), some generate a lot of buzz for a while and then just sort of fade away.


Moore's Law (video)

Basically, this "law" says that the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit doubles about every two years. What I find really interesting is how many other areas of technology this idea also applies to. It's also interesting how something that was first observed as a general trend has now become a goal.

The video that went with this gave an interesting perspective. By telling what an exponential increase would be in gas mileage or paper folds, it really shows how astounding it is that technology is able to maintain the steady exponential increase.


Computer History Museum

I wasn't quite sure what part of this site we were supposed to read through, so I looked through the section "The Silicon Engine." One thing often overlooked (by me, at least) is just how many people and companies contributed to computer technology over the years. You often hear about the big breakthroughs along the way, but don't think much about all the little steps that made those breakthroughs possible. Looking through the list of people here, I haven't heard of a majority of them, and yet they all contributed in some way.

Week 1 - the muddiest point

Being that this was just an introductory class, nothing has come up yet that seems unclear to me. Everything seems pretty straightforward thus far.

Assignment 1 - Week 1 - notes

OCLC report: Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers (2004).

"Containers" are things like books, journals, and CDs - the 'unbundling' of these containers has changed how information is looked at (for example, a person can preview a book on Amazon rather than physically look through it before buying it). This, then, affects how libraries and sellers present the information.

Because things are now more readily accessible, the "container" is no longer the important thing - what is important is getting the content quickly and easily. This means not just computers in general, but also things like cell phones and iPods. Because of this, "microcontent," things like single songs or a cell phone wallpaper, is now commonplace and readily paid for.

People are also progressing towards "on-demand" content. Libraries must adapt to this trend - for example, more are choosing magazines that can be viewed online. Another example, in my experience, is the library offering audiobooks for the patron to download.

Last, because information is so readily available by way of search engines such as Google, it is no longer in context, as it would be if it were compiled in a book. Some search engines are trying to remedy this by bringing up search results by category.


Clifford Lynch, “Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture”

Gaining a basic knowledge of technology is good, but it is not enough. Skills must be taught that let the student adapt in the face of rapidly-changing technologies - for example, learning basic trouble-shooting skills, so they will know what to do if they encounter a problem down the line.

It is also important for the student to learn a broad view of technology, so that they can see how many things in society are connected.


Vaughan, J. (2005). Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still. Library Hi Tech, 23(1), 34-49.

In a span of four years, the Lied Library system added more new technologies than they had initially installed. This paper shows what that requires. For example, time to swap the technology (such as when they upgraded the computers), and money for maintenance and licensing. There is also the matter of how to distribute their resources, such as how to allow students to do research when all computers are in use. The paper also addresses how they dealt with issues such as theft, space constraints, and software glitches.

Hello!

This is going to be my blog for my LIS2600 class, in Fall of 2009.