Reading #3
“The Future of Libraries- Beginning the Great Transformation”
Thomas Frey
I think this is a very informative article on how libraries originated and the possible future of them. The history of DaVinci and the journeys of his work are one of my favorite parts of the article. I figured art dating back hundreds of years ago had a rough journey to make it to the present, but why would someone try to alter/organize another artist’s work?! I definitely believe the printing press is in the top three inventions of all-time. Without the printing press, I believe over 75% of the world would be illiterate.
I agree with all of the trends that are described in the article except for: trend #2 because technology does not just end, it evolves/advances. The reason I say this is because the cassette tape is essentially a mini 8-track(yes, they are visually different), but they work on the same principle. The only reason I can think of for a piece of technology to end is either it’s broken or new advancements have came along and they stopped producing that piece of “technology.” Even then, it really has not ended because someone that still has the equipment to run it can still do so, but may not be able to purchase additional items for it.
I believe Randall Library does a pretty good job at the recommendations the author makes for libraries to move into the future. I have taken a few surveys about the library and I know Ms. Pemberton asks the class their opinions on the library periodically. I think they do a great job in embracing information technology because they have numerous computers, numerous database subscriptions, Second Life, etc. Overall this was an excellent article to read; not only for the history, but also to get experts viewpoint on how technology is going to affect the future of the libraries.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
"Status update: Facebook Users Are Irate"
Sarah Schmidt, Canwest News Service
2/17/09
http://www.vancouversun.com/Technology/Status+update+Facebook+users+irate/1295796/story.html
In news report 2, I talked about MySpace and their sexual predators. Today, I am continuing with the social networking theme. Facebook is probably the more widely used social networking tool for college students because it began strictly as a “college site.” Over the past few years of use, I have seen my share of questionable photos posted on the site. Before students decide exploit themselves or friends they should look at the new terms of service that Facebook has recently amended.
The change came February 4th, according to Sarah Schmidt, the author of “Status update: Facebook Users are Irate.” In this article Schmidt describes the old terms of service as “Facebook's worldwide license to any uploaded material automatically expired if a user removed it and closed the account, according to the old terms of service (TOS).” Now, users are subject to Facebook being able to keep your information and things that were uploaded to the site even long after you have deleted your account.
I first saw news of this when I was browsing Facebook and saw a friend had joined a group calling for a Facebook boycott because of the new terms of service. At the time the article was published, the author had found three anti-Facebook groups regarding Facebook’s new policy. At 8:53 on February 17, 2009, I found at least ten groups and I know there are more! According to Facebook, the materials are not deleted by Facebook after your cancellation of your account, but can be deleted by your friends (i.e. wall posts, etc). I do not agree with Facebook’s stance on this because it is not that difficult to add a few lines of code that will clear the deleted user’s “belongings.”
With that in mind Facebook is now facing scrutiny from Canada, yes the Canucks are crying out about privacy issues! Most of the issues deal with the same that many young Americans are facing.
I am kind of undecided on the issue because I agree that Facebook should delete information once an account is gone. On the other hand, Facebook makes money on advertising. So, if you want to continue a free Facebook then this is the way to go. After all, you do not have to put any specific information such as a phone number. Facebook pretty much leaves it up to the user to determine what they want to put on their page.
Sarah Schmidt, Canwest News Service
2/17/09
http://www.vancouversun.com/Technology/Status+update+Facebook+users+irate/1295796/story.html
In news report 2, I talked about MySpace and their sexual predators. Today, I am continuing with the social networking theme. Facebook is probably the more widely used social networking tool for college students because it began strictly as a “college site.” Over the past few years of use, I have seen my share of questionable photos posted on the site. Before students decide exploit themselves or friends they should look at the new terms of service that Facebook has recently amended.
The change came February 4th, according to Sarah Schmidt, the author of “Status update: Facebook Users are Irate.” In this article Schmidt describes the old terms of service as “Facebook's worldwide license to any uploaded material automatically expired if a user removed it and closed the account, according to the old terms of service (TOS).” Now, users are subject to Facebook being able to keep your information and things that were uploaded to the site even long after you have deleted your account.
I first saw news of this when I was browsing Facebook and saw a friend had joined a group calling for a Facebook boycott because of the new terms of service. At the time the article was published, the author had found three anti-Facebook groups regarding Facebook’s new policy. At 8:53 on February 17, 2009, I found at least ten groups and I know there are more! According to Facebook, the materials are not deleted by Facebook after your cancellation of your account, but can be deleted by your friends (i.e. wall posts, etc). I do not agree with Facebook’s stance on this because it is not that difficult to add a few lines of code that will clear the deleted user’s “belongings.”
With that in mind Facebook is now facing scrutiny from Canada, yes the Canucks are crying out about privacy issues! Most of the issues deal with the same that many young Americans are facing.
I am kind of undecided on the issue because I agree that Facebook should delete information once an account is gone. On the other hand, Facebook makes money on advertising. So, if you want to continue a free Facebook then this is the way to go. After all, you do not have to put any specific information such as a phone number. Facebook pretty much leaves it up to the user to determine what they want to put on their page.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
"MySpace Harbored Nearly 100,000 Sex Offenders"
K.C. Jones InformationWeek
2/05/09
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213001685&subSection=All+Stories
Social networking sites have drawn slue of mixed reactions since becoming popular. I, along with many others, enjoy using these sites as a way to stay in touch with friends who live far away. As with many things on the Internet, you are not safe! People who use these sites are always warned to protect their privacy from unwanted visitors.
A recent article by K.C. Jones is about Myspace recently turning up approximately 90,000 registered sex offenders! It’s a great thing these idiots are not smart enough to use a false name and information. On the other hand, according to a Myspace representative, their site is the “first and only social networking site to use state of the art technology to ID and remove registered sex offenders from its site.”
As social networking sites continue to expand in popularity and younger and younger children start creating accounts, it is no wonder why these sites are a playground for sexual predators. Personally, I think these sites should enact an age restriction because if a sex offender wants too, they will succeed at registering for Myspace, Facebook, etc. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is co-chair on a social networking safety and risks task force, has said that he plans to ID all Connecticut offenders with Myspace profiles and investigate if they can be pursued with charges. This is a great idea, but what if these predators actually have a few brain cells and use alternative information? There is software out there called Sentinel Safe that is used to search and match the criminals. The software sounds like it is a start, but I think the biggest step will be when software can match photos on social networking sites with those in a criminal database!
K.C. Jones InformationWeek
2/05/09
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213001685&subSection=All+Stories
Social networking sites have drawn slue of mixed reactions since becoming popular. I, along with many others, enjoy using these sites as a way to stay in touch with friends who live far away. As with many things on the Internet, you are not safe! People who use these sites are always warned to protect their privacy from unwanted visitors.
A recent article by K.C. Jones is about Myspace recently turning up approximately 90,000 registered sex offenders! It’s a great thing these idiots are not smart enough to use a false name and information. On the other hand, according to a Myspace representative, their site is the “first and only social networking site to use state of the art technology to ID and remove registered sex offenders from its site.”
As social networking sites continue to expand in popularity and younger and younger children start creating accounts, it is no wonder why these sites are a playground for sexual predators. Personally, I think these sites should enact an age restriction because if a sex offender wants too, they will succeed at registering for Myspace, Facebook, etc. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is co-chair on a social networking safety and risks task force, has said that he plans to ID all Connecticut offenders with Myspace profiles and investigate if they can be pursued with charges. This is a great idea, but what if these predators actually have a few brain cells and use alternative information? There is software out there called Sentinel Safe that is used to search and match the criminals. The software sounds like it is a start, but I think the biggest step will be when software can match photos on social networking sites with those in a criminal database!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Reading #2
“Can Wikipedia ever make the Grade?”
By: Brock Read
Chronicle of Higher Education
I have used Wikipedia numerously throughout its lifetime. The site has picked up steam over the past couple of years.
Like most open-source systems, it is bound to have mistakes because of the freedom to insert/delete whatever the user would like. I think a lot of people understand that everything on Wikipedia is not factual or on point. However, I think Wikipedia is a great step into a new direction of obtaining information and I agree with the article saying Wikipedia is a good place to start looking for information on certain topics. I have taken numerous programming courses over the past few years and looked to Wikipedia for a little more precise explanation of syntax.
The only skeptics in the article are people from art and history backgrounds. This makes a lot of since because they usually don’t deal with computers as much when accessing information. The technology field is always changing so; we use Wikipedia among other sources, for information. One argument that arose in the article is that you do not know if it was a credible source who wrote the article, I agree with him. Luckily a man who originally tried to sabotage some articles, Mr. Halavais (an assistant professor at Quinnipiac University) is on the move to form an “expert review board.” This is one step to increasing the accurate information on Wikipedia. Opponents say that Halavais will ruin Wikipedia, but I believe it is a positive step for Wikipedia to gain acceptance within the higher education realm.
“Can Wikipedia ever make the Grade?”
By: Brock Read
Chronicle of Higher Education
I have used Wikipedia numerously throughout its lifetime. The site has picked up steam over the past couple of years.
Like most open-source systems, it is bound to have mistakes because of the freedom to insert/delete whatever the user would like. I think a lot of people understand that everything on Wikipedia is not factual or on point. However, I think Wikipedia is a great step into a new direction of obtaining information and I agree with the article saying Wikipedia is a good place to start looking for information on certain topics. I have taken numerous programming courses over the past few years and looked to Wikipedia for a little more precise explanation of syntax.
The only skeptics in the article are people from art and history backgrounds. This makes a lot of since because they usually don’t deal with computers as much when accessing information. The technology field is always changing so; we use Wikipedia among other sources, for information. One argument that arose in the article is that you do not know if it was a credible source who wrote the article, I agree with him. Luckily a man who originally tried to sabotage some articles, Mr. Halavais (an assistant professor at Quinnipiac University) is on the move to form an “expert review board.” This is one step to increasing the accurate information on Wikipedia. Opponents say that Halavais will ruin Wikipedia, but I believe it is a positive step for Wikipedia to gain acceptance within the higher education realm.
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