Week 13 Notes

Total "Terrorism" Information Awareness (TIA):
-very interesting, scary, and informative site
-2002, Total Informtaion Awarness: intended to detect terrorists through analyzing troves of information.
- TIA purported to capture the "information signature" of people so that the government could track potential terrorists and criminals
- called for the development of "revolutionary technology for ultra-large all-source information repositories,"
- develop data-mining or knowledge discovery tools that would sort through the massive amounts of information to find patterns and associations.
- development of biometric technology to enable the identification and tracking of individuals
- September 2003, Congress eliminated funding for the controversial project and closed the Pentagon's Information Awareness Office
-site includes news items, documents, and resources

No Place to Hide site:
-“ When you go to work, stop at the store, fly in a plane, or surf the web, you are being watched. They know where you live, the value of your home, the names of your friends and family, in some cases even what you read. Where the data revolution meets the needs of national security, there is no place to hide.”
- No Place To Hide: multimedia investigation by news organizations working together across print and broadcast platforms, to make a greater impact than any one organization could alone
-Interactive site with interviews, reviews, extended learning projects, links
-seems very validated by the sources which have reviewed them

Youtube Video:
-“this video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Viacom International Inc.”

Week 10 Muddiest Point

It seems to me that the regular Google search engine, and especially google scholar have more direct resluts than google image, is there a difference in how they sort and retrieve or is it mainly due to how people label images

Week 10 Comments

This week I commented on the blogs of April: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8747228788318880740&postID=1144674564107026535&page=1, and Rebecca: http://rap70.blogspot.com/2008/11/reading-notes-week-10.html

Assignment 6

http://www.pitt.edu/~jmt99/

Week 10 notes

David Hawking , Web Search Engines

Part 1:
-modern search engines do more than was ever believed possible
-article focus= go behind the scenes and explain how this data processing "miracle" is possible
- search engines must reject as much low-value automated content as possible, its cost effective
- Currently, the amount of Web data that search engines crawl and index is on the order of 400 terabytes
- simple crawling algorithm must be extended to address the issues of speed, politeness, excluded/duplicate/continuous content, and spam rejection
- Engineering a Web-scale crawler is not for the unskilled or fainthearted (tag, im out)

Part 2:
-focus= “reviews the algorithms and data structures required to index 400 terabytes of Web page text and deliver high-quality results in response to hundreds of millions of queries each day.”
- Search engines use an inverted file to rapidly identify indexing terms
-goes over concepts of scaling up, term lookup, compression, phrases, anchor text(kinda interesting), link popularity scores, and query-independent scores
- major problem with the simple-query processor is that it returns poor results
-technology to speed things up= skipping, early termination, assignment of document numbers, caching(something I knew of before this article, yay)
-now interested in suggestions of generating advertisements targeted to the search query and generating spelling suggestions from query logs


Current developments and future trends for the OAI protocol for metadata harvesting:

-article looks at developing trend of Open Archives Initiative protocol for metadata harvesting, initiated originally for e-print archives community, mention of Mellon Foundation, the article and development is interesting. Though I am more into paper based documents, it seems more likely every day that I will have to know and work with these types of documents and databases, as the archival community continues to shift and develop

The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value:

-This article was very enjoyable, I found it easy to read, enjoyed the metaphors, graphs and charts (yay pictures). The internet is way to vast for the common person to conceptualize and this article aided in my understanding of a complex tool/resource I typically take for granted

Week 9 muddiest point

With the continual changes in the internet and types of access, have there been any new developments past XML, like will iphones and other devices soon advance to greater needs, adn if so are there any current development to prepare for this

Week 9 comments

This week i commented on the blogs of Andrea, https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=854093220520038877&postID=2126501190425548356&page=1. and Eric, https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6036476990105941684&postID=5103781994586888299

Week 9 notes

Martin Bryan. Introducing the Extensible Markup Language

-XML= not a large clothing size, but subset of the Standard Generalized Markup Language designed to make it easy to interchange structured documents over the Internet
-always clearly making beginnings and ends, ensures fall back options are available when access to certain components of the document is not currently possible over the Internet
-allows users to: bring multiple files together to form compound documents; identify where illustrations are to be incorporated into text files, and the format used to encode each illustration; provide processing control information to supporting programs, such as document validators and browsers; add editorial comments to a file
-is NOT: a predefined set of tags, of the type defined for HTML, that can be used to markup documents; a standardized template for producing particular types of documents.
-based on concept of documents
-set up to use markup tags (<…..>)
-can incorporate standard and nonstandard text elements, illustrations, tables
-contain three types of markup: processing instruction, document type declaration, and document instance

Uche Ogbuji. A survey of XML standards: Part 1. January 2004

-XML growing and difficult for beginners to navigate (probably why we have two readings and a tutorial on the subject.
-article is a summary of what the author sees “as the most important XML technologies, and discuss how they each fit into the greater scope of things in the XML world.” The author also recommends tutorials and other useful resources for evaluating and learning to use each technology which a fully clickable
-author=”a consultant and co-founder of Fourthought Inc., a software vendor and consultancy specializing in XML solutions for enterprise knowledge management. Fourthought develops 4Suite, an open source platform for XML, RDF, and knowledge-management applications. Mr. Ogbuji is a computer engineer and writer born in Nigeria, living and working in Boulder, Colorado, USA.” Seems well versed and knowledgeable on the subject

Extending your Markup: a XML tutorial by Andre Bergholz

-I found this article very easy to read and liked the addition of examples to aid in the overall presentation
-an important aspect of the article was the Nonterminal element Boom example, as we are going to library school
-Article pretty much covers same material as other in this week’s readings, but in a much more concise and plan fashion.

XML Schema Tutorial

-another w3schools tutorial, long but full of clear definitions, examples, and a test to assure you paid attention

Muddiest Point Week 8

How many sites actually have Meta tag, is it beocming more common?

Assignment 5

http://pitt4.kohawc.liblime.com/cgi-bin/koha/bookshelves/shelves.pl?viewshelf=24

Week 8 Comments

This week i commented on the notes of Susan; http://susangeiss.blogspot.com/, and Maggie; http://mhsyoung.blogspot.com/

Week 7 Muddiest Point

If one has an unsecured line and others use their internet, is they are way for you to find our if other people are connected to your server?

Week 8 notes

W3schools HTML Tutorial:
-Professor Computer will teach us about HTML
-HTML=Hyper Text Markup Language
-markup tags=tell the Web browser how to display the page
-use notepad example, program finally has a purpose
-scroll too far down and end up in Product Spotlight ad
-uses tags in brackets, lowercase cause it’s easier-not case sensitive
-provides useful examples of headings, paragraphs, Text Formatting Tags, (ie, indicates bold, pretty straight forward)
-character entities use numbers (ie, &=&#38)
-“An anchor can point to any resource on the Web: an HTML page, an image, a sound file, a movie, etc.”
-target attribute defines where link will open
-“With frames, you can display more than one HTML document in the same browser window.”
- tags provide the ways to input information on a page ( name, address, ect)
-“The bgcolor attribute specifies a background-color for an HTML page. The value of this attribute can be a hexadecimal number, an RGB value, or a color name”
-Colors, represented by 0s and Fs, sometimes other numbers in the wide variance, red=FF0000, lots of patters
-joke="How do you spell HTML?"
-HTML 4.0
-Meta, url schemes, encoding
-steps on how to publish your work
-very useful tutorial, numerous examples and samples, and even a TEST to see if you paid attention



HTML Cheatsheet:
-site is exactly what the title says, a HTML cheat sheet. Provides examples of tags, links, attributes, formats, frames, and forms that are probably the most common. Ex; Creates the largest headline

W3 School Cascading Style Sheet Tutorial:
-should read HTML tutorial before this one
-CSS=Cascading Style Sheets
-created for HTML 4.0 to resolve design problems of continually advancing web browsers
-“CSS is a breakthrough in Web design because it allows developers to control the style and layout of multiple Web pages all at once.”
-CSS syntax is made up of three parts: a selector, a property and a value
-can be external or internal, depends on size/pages of documents which is preferable
-CSS has properties for background, text, font, border, outline, margins, padding, lists, tables, dimension, classification, and positioning. These various properties aid in the coloring, formatting, spacing, and general appearance of a page
-links can be displayed in different ways using CSS
-Pseudo-elements
-images and galleries
-CSS2

Week 7 Comments

This Week I posted on the blogs of Elaina; https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5162573700267662965&postID=6323862938197647362&page=1
and Theresa: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5586031599791302355&postID=1548878469221727474&page=1

Assignment 4

Past 1:
gmail.video

Part 2:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30425155@N03/2906682432/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30425155@N03/2905839469/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30425155@N03/2905841017/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30425155@N03/2906687016/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30425155@N03/2905843685/

Week 7 Notes

How Internet Infrastructure Works:

-NOBODY owns the internet
-mainly connection of networks, (fun, simple, colourful image)
-beginnings=1969, "grown from four host computer systems to tens of millions"
-not owned but nonprofit group formed in 1992 defines how we use and interact with the Internet.
-Every computer connected to the internet is setup to a network; in each region, a company has a Point of Presence (POP)- place for local users to access the company's network, there is no overall controlling network but several high-level networks connecting to each other through Network Access Points (NAPs).
-Provides example of network and its connections; "The routers determine where to send information from one computer to another. Routers are specialized computers that send your messages and those of every other Internet user speeding to their destinations along thousands of pathways." (fun image of router, switches, and internet)
-Internet Backbone- first one created 1987 by National Science Foundation, basically fiber optic truck lines for transmission of information
- IP Address= unique id number, really in binary but set up decimal number for humans
-1983, the University of Wisconsin created the Domain Name System (DNS), which maps text names to IP addresses automatically
-Top-level domain names, also called first-level domain names, include .COM, .ORG, .NET, .EDU and .GOV
-Networks, routers, NAPs, ISPs, DNS and powerful servers all make the Internet possible
-simple to use, thankfully, the internet can provide information around the world in a matter of milliseconds
-contains links to related articles, naturally from howstuffworks

Dismantling Integrated Library Systems:

Article is about the transition from traditional ILS system to that of a digital form. While the internet may create a better form in time, the transition is proving to be difficult and messy, causing some to be concerned with the loss of information. There are issues of what to choose, vendors, formats, competition, costs. "Some of the best ideas in online library services have come not from vendors but from librarians themselves." This is not surprising since it is the librarian that most work with the system and the patron. Mentions the concept of chicken vs. egg in that no one knows who caused the proliferation of new library automation modules. While these advancements are beneficial to the library and patron seeking information and networked communication and the technology is of a much better quality now than when this article was written, I still have a problem with some resources, such as BlackBoard (courseweb) and their overuse.

Sergey Brin and Larry Page: Inside the Google machine:

-“ Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin offer a peek inside the Google machine”
-filmed 4/2004, twenty minutes long
-the answer is boxers, haha…- assume joke perhaps based on Clinton campaign interview on MTV where the question was boxers or briefs, haha
-revolving glowing globe display, show data connections
-Las Ketchup in 2002 popularity example
-the Google foundation
-Orkut
-Googlette
-according to comment, Google answer no longer exists
-cult picture funny, I want to work for Google for the sky trip!
-its crazy to think of all the services Google provides, including the phone product that will soon be released

Muddies Point Week 6

Who is in charge of the registration and organization of IP addresses and domain names, once one site goes down or "disappears" can another site take that name?

Week Six Comments

This week I have made comments on the blogs of Rachel, https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4331968769876525173&postID=12663501897547687&page=1, and Lindsay, https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7943070653086840690&postID=6784704202412259513&page=1

Week 6 Notes

Local Area Network:

-very short account
-Local Area Network (LAN)- " computer network covering a small geographic area, like a home, office, or group of buildings e.g. a school."
-began in late 60s, early 70s by Universities as need for large networks and high-speed interconnections increased
-early systems include: Cambridge University's Cambridge Rings, Ethernet developed at Xeros PARC, and ARCNET was developed by Datapoint Corporation
-transition to personal computers, LAN business
- Smaller LANs- "consist of a one or more switches linked to each other , often with one connected to a router, cable/DSL modem"
Larger LANs- "characterized by their use of redundant links with switches using the spanning tree protocol to prevent loops, their ability to manage differing traffic types via quality of service, and to segregate traffic. Larger LANS also contain a wide variety of network devices such as switches, firewalls, routers, load balancers, sensors and so on"

Computer network:

-Computer network- "group of interconnected computers. Networks may be classified according to a wide variety of characteristics. This article provides a general overview of some types and categories and presents the basic components of a network."
- classified as Local Area Network, Wide Area Network, Metropolitan Area Network based on scale
-can also be classified by connection method
-can be further classified according to the functional relationships which exist among the elements of the network, i.e Active Networking, Client-server, Peer-to-Peer
- may be classified according to the network topology upon which the network is based, such as Bus, Star, Ring, Mesh, Star-Bus, tree or Hierarchical network,
-types: Personal Network Area (PAN), Local Area Network (LAN), Campus Area Network (CAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Global Area Network (GAN), intranet, extranet, internet
-hardware components: network interface cords, repeaters, hubs, bridges Switches, routers.


Common Types of Computer Networks-Youtube

-Frank Klein, common types of networks
-most common, PAN
-next, LAN, technology advancing quickly
-then WAN, “the how of that is the design of the network”
-MANs usually very big……duh
-I do not have any questions, very general info video

Assignment 3

http://www.citeulike.org/user/jmt99/library

Muddiest Point Week 5

With the variety of image formats, which could be seen as a reflection of the uniqueness of photographs (images), is it really desirable to have a single format (as may be possible with PNG)? Is universality worth the possible/inevitable loss of detail?

Week Five Comments

This week my comments have graced the blogs of Alberta, https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6709282551702346326&postID=798583187426516014&page=1, andAdrienhttps://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5116479294225641407&postID=7598417268404380876&page=1

Week Five Notes

Data Compression:


-the process of encoding information using fewer bits than unencoded representation would use through use of specific encoding schemes, example=zip file
-only works when all parties involved understand the encoding scheme
-helps reduce the consumption of expensive resources
-Lossless Compression- usually exploit statistical redundancy in such a way as to represent the sender's data more concisely without error
-lossy data compression- guided by research on how people perceive the data in question
-used to optimize disk space on office computers, or better use the connection bandwidth in a computer network
- For visual and audio data, some loss of quality can be tolerated without losing the essential nature of the data
-Many lossless data compression systems can be viewed in terms of a four-stage model. Lossy data compression systems typically include even more stages, including, for example, prediction, frequency transformation, and quantization
-The very best compressors use probabilistic models whose predictions are coupled to an algorithm called Arithmetic coding, invented by Jorma Rissanen

Data Compression Basics:


-I like this article because the writing is straight forward and seems to flow pretty well. The author also provides many examples, which are helpful and not complicated to understand
-Advantages of using data compression: lets you store more stuff in the same space, and it lets you transfer that stuff in less time, less bandwidth
-“The fundamental idea behind digital data compression is to take a given representation of information (a chunk of binary data) and replace it with a different representation (another chunk of binary data) that takes up less space (space here being measured in binary digits, better known as bits), and from which the original information can later be recovered.”
-Provides numerous examples on run-length encoding (“Run-length encoding replaces ‘runs’ (that is, sequences of identical characters) with a single character, followed by the ‘length of the run’ (the number of characters in that sequence), or vice-versa (first the length and then the character, the order isn't important as long as it's always the same”).
-RLE used in the compression of images
-Pixel color information is generally stored as a sequence of three values, representing the amounts of red, green and blue that define it.
-RLE by itself will never achieve high levels of compression on photographic images, or any other kind of image where there are no adjacent pixels with the same color
-Examples of algorithms and their uses; “Instead of writing "Red, Green and Blue", we often write just "RGB". The same goes for things like HTML ("Hyper-Text Markup Language"), PC ("Personal Computer"), and so on. Acronyms are a form of data compression. However, acronyms can't be "uncompressed" by themselves; the reader needs to know (or find out) their meaning by matching them to the "uncompressed" version.”
-Use of flying spaghetti monster reminds me of the Wii episode of South Park (side note)
-sliding window algorithm- technique of looking back and copying sequences using a length-distance pair
-Lempel Zip (LZ) algorithms are the basis of most modern lossless data compressors and compress data by locating and eliminating redundancy
-Entropy coding- technique that assigns codes to blocks of data (sometimes called "symbols") in such a way that the length of the code is inversely proportional to the statistical probability of that symbol
-Identifying such "typical patterns" or tendencies in specific kinds of data is the key to efficient compression, example: in photograph it is rare to have a red pixel followed by a blue pixel, followed by a white one
-Prediction and error coding is a very successful technique for compressing "natural media" (images, sounds and other data sets with an analog origin).

Imaging Pittsburgh:


-Question: is this part of the current website, Historic Pittsburgh?
-Based on a 2 year grant to the University of Pittsburgh’s Digital Research Library from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to provide online access to multiple photographic collections held by the University’s Archives Service Center, Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.
-“When the project ends (or ended), the project team will have mounted over 7,000 visual images depicting the people, places and events of the greater Pittsburgh region during the mid–nineteenth and mid–twentieth centuries.”
-“main focus of our project is to create a single Web gateway for the public to access thousands of visual images from photographic collections held by the Archives Service Center of the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania”
-Benefits include the increased access to these collections and the digital preservation of the images
-Summary includes examples of photos
-through the website, patrons will be able to; Conduct a keyword search across all the image collections;
· “Browse images within any given collection;
· Read about the collections and their contents, including provenance, date span, and coverage;
· Explore the image collections by time, place and theme; and,
· Order image reproductions.”
-The are challenges within the project as to communication, selection, workflow, metadata (like use of dates), and website development
-Website launch prediction was February 2004

YouTube and Libraries: it could be a beautiful relationship:


-ALA article written by Paula L. Webb
-idea that YouTube, deemed one of the most popular and frequented sites on the web, could provide libraries with opportunity to spread its messages and reach out to distant learning students
-article goes on to explain how to set up an account and the advantages of YouTube
-Possibilities of this resource include: digital storage of instructional videos, video tours, tutorials,
-Wide range of advantages if librarians choose to incorporate the website into their services.

Week 4 Muddiest Point

One of the slides mentioned the various database programs, with Microsoft and IBM both having two, I was wondering if Apple has ever made, or it currently working on a program itself?

Week Four Comments

This week I posted on the blogs of Laura: http://lar-lar-lu.blogspot.com/, and Jenelle http://jenellelis2009.blogspot.com/

Week 4 Notes

Database
Wikipedia Article:

-Computer Database-“ structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system”
-relational model most common today
- Database management system (DBMS) used to organize storage of data
-November 1963 first known use of term data base, became a single word “database” in Europe in the 1970s ( and obviously the trend was adopted)
-Charles Bachman was a pioneer in the field; his aim was to make more effective use of the new direct access storage devices becoming available.
-CODASYL created a network database based upon Bachman’s idea. (hierarchical model)
- The relational model proposed by E.F. Codd in 1970. “He criticized existing models for confusing the abstract description of information structure with descriptions of physical access mechanisms.”
- The first successful database product for microcomputers was dBASE for the CP/M and PC-DOS/MS-DOS operating systems.
-1980s focus on distributed database systems and machines
-1990s shifted toward object-oriented database, currently XML database, which “aim to remove the traditional divide between documents and data, allowing all of an organization's information resources to be held in one place, whether they are highly structured or not.”
-hierarchical model- data is organized into an inverted tree-like structure, implying a multiple downward link in each node to describe the nesting, and a sort field to keep the records in a particular order in each same-level list
-network model- records can participate in any number of named relationships. Each relationship associates a record of one type (called the owner) with multiple records of another type (called the member)
-relational model- structured as a table where information about a particular entity is represented in columns and rows. The columns enumerate the various attributes of an entity while Rows (also called records) represent instances of an entity
- Security is usually enforced through access control, auditing, and encryption.
-Locking: how the database handles multiple concurrent operations
- number of database architectures in use

Introduction to Metadata:

-data about data
-important to understand role of metadata “types of metadata can play in the development of effective, authoritative, interoperable, scaleable, and preservable cultural heritage information and recordkeeping systems”
-The common features in all information objects:
1. Content- relates to what the object contains or is about, and is intrinsic to an information object.
2. Context -indicates the who, what, why, where, how aspects associated with the object's creation and is extrinsic to an information object.
3. Structure- relates to the formal set of associations within or among individual information objects and can be intrinsic or extrinsic.
-“museum registrars, library catalogers, and archival processors are increasingly applying the term metadata to the value-added information that they create to arrange, describe, track and otherwise enhance access to information objects.”
-Library metadata- includes indexes, abstracts, and catalog records created according to cataloging rules and structural and content standards such as MARC
-Archival and manuscript metadata includes accession records, finding aids, and catalog records.
-Structure has always played a vital role in information, even before the computer age
-applied outside the repository, the term metadata acquires an even broader scope, i.e on the internet
-Types of metadata include: administrative, descriptive, preservation, technical, use
-little known facts: Metadata does not have to be digital. Metadata relates to more than the description of an object. Metadata can come from a variety of sources. Metadata continue to accrue during the life of an information object or system. One information object's metadata can simultaneously be another information object's data.

An Overview of the Dublin Core Data Model

-DCMI-international effort designed to foster consensus across disciplines for the discovery-oriented description of diverse resources in an electronic environment
-created to enhance searching of document-like objects on the web
-first workshop in Dublin Ohio, hence the name Dublin core(sadly nothing to do with Ireland)
-issues: "Author/Creator" element does not distinguish between corporate authors and personal authors; does not prescribe a syntax for element values
-Simple Dublin Core comprises fifteen elements; Qualified Dublin Core includes three additional elements (Audience, Provenance and RightsHolder
-abstract model provides a reference model against which particular DC encoding guidelines can be compared, independent of any particular encoding syntax.

Assignment 3

Here is the link to my flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30425155@N03/

Week 3 Muddiest Point

Muddiest Point---I know when Microsoft Word came out with 2007, it claimed the changes were all based on consumer surveys and desire to make the program easier and more efficient, which after some getting use to I completely agree. My question is, hat kinds of input does Microsoft or Mac use when changing their WIMP interfaces, do they runs surveys or internet discussion before creating or testing a product?

Week Three Comments

This week I have commented on the notes of Nicole: http://nicplana.blogspot.com/, and Dustin: http://dmb97.blogspot.com/

Week Three Notes

Muddiest Point--> It was said in class that within time, in accordance with concepts like Moore’s Law, computer CPUs could be the size of flash drives, making it possible to have computers become even smaller. My question is, why is there such a great desire to make every new technological advance smaller than its predecessor? I understand wanting to make things faster and more reliable, but do we really need computers small enough to fit in the palm of our hands? It makes me think of the SNL sketch in which Will Farrell, working at some high end retail store, pulls out a phone so small that it was barely larger than a tic-tac. Maybe it is because the computer started off being so large, but I really do not understand the desire to make everything as small as possible. (I apologize if this seems more like a rant than a question, haha)


Machtelt Garrels. “Introduction to Linux: A Hands on Guide”

-Bell Labs laboratories created a system in 1969 to deal with the problem enormous computers had due to the fact they all ran on different systems. The New system was called UNIX, which Written in the C programming language instead of in assembly code and able to recycle code.
-UNIX was originally only available in large venues, like university, for the government or for large financial
-Linus Torvalds, of the University of Helsinki, set out to create a form of UNIX for home computers in the early 1990s, called LINUX
-Today, Linux is available for the desktop and workplace market, it also runs on " ‘gadgets’ like PDA's, mobiles, shipload of embedded applications and even on experimental wristwatches”
-Depending on the user, those that were familiar with UNIX find Linux to be a great program due to its similarities to Unix, coming standard with compilers, libraries, development and debugging tools
-For those not familiar with the original UNIX, companies like RedHat, SuSE and Mandriva have worked to add graphics and make the program similar to those of MS Windows or an Apple workstation (thought the screenshot seems to look more bulky, awkward and somewhat primitive compared to the other two in my personal opinion, but of course I am very use to Windows)
-Open Source, type of Linux software, is already accepted by academic and technical people, but to expand into the workplace, must adapt to include options like the internet and continue to be as user friendly as possible
- other projects include SAMBA and Apache HTTP
-The pros of this system include, that it is free, secure and versatile, scalable, and short debugging time
-The cons include, that Linux is not very user friendly and confusing for beginners and has questions of trustworthiness

What is Mac OS X?

-writer believes there are many misconceptions when comparing Linux and Mac OS X
-site is meant as an introduction to users unfamiliar with the program( I noticed a trade make after “not that there’s anything wrong with it,” which reminds me of the Seinfeld episode)
-Writer is relatively new to Apple, as his main operating systems are Linux, Solaris, *BSD, and the Microsoft Windows
-Writer seems to come off somewhat pretentious in introduction
- Steve Jobs, along with five other former Apple employees, created NeXT Computer, Inc, in a desire to make the “perfect” research computer, the first being unveiled on October 12, 1988
-In the Fall of 1990 the first web browser was created for NeXT Computer
- Apple acquired NeXT in February, 1997, for $427 million and called the upcoming NeXT-based system Rhapsody
-Apple came out with Mac OS X in 1999
- The pieces of software that constitute Mac OS X can be grouped into logical layers
- “Open Firmware (IEEE-1275 Standard for Boot Firmware: Core Requirements and Practices) is a non-proprietary, platform (CPU and system) independent boot firmware”
-The writer provides numerous examples while explaining the booting process, including interaction and operation
- The Mac OS X kernel is called XNU, “XNU contains code based on Mach, the legendary architecture that originated as a research project at Carnegie Mellon University in the mid 1980s”
-A lot of commercial software is available for Mac OS X
-Writer has positive feelings towards Mac OS X, as he finds many things lean heavily towards Windows, shows a fondness of Linux, but ultimately one must remember there are a variety of choices to caters to the various ideals people desire for their computer and software

Mac OS X- Wikipedia
-defined as: “a line of computer operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc, the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently shipping Macintosh computers”
-successor to Mac OS (1984-1999)
- specialized versions of Mac OS X for use on three of its consumer devices, the Apple TV, the iPhone, and the Ipod touch
- Mac OS X's core is a Unix operating system built on top of the XNU kernel, mentioned in other reading as being created at CMU
-Prominent features (that I find interesting) include: Aqua GUI, “a fluid graphical user interface with water-like elements,” Time Machine, “automatic backup technology that allows users to view and restore previous versions of files and application data,” and Dashboard, “a full-screen group of small applications that can be called up and dismissed in one keystroke.”
-There are numerous versions of the software, each upgrade named after a sleek, fast animal, i.e. Puma, Cheetah, ect.
-Mac OS X is available in 22 different languages


An Update on the Windows Roadmap

-Bill Veghte, Senior Vice President: Online Services & Windows Business Group, email to Microsoft customers regarding the extension of Windows XP support
-Impressively, 1 billion personal computers around the world run Windows
- Continued support for Windows XP will be available, and the product will still be available to purchase to satisfy costume demand (this is an obvious blow to the company that desires to move on to their new product, Windows Vista, which will be championed throughout the rest of this email)
-Security issues are being addressed in terms of Windows Vista
-a focus has been placed on compatibility, and “98 of the top 100 applications for Windows sold at retail in US in the last year in the categories of Finance, Business, System Utilities, Imaging/Graphics, Personal Productivity, and Education, are compatible with Windows Vista”
-Windows Vista is a “very significant step forward” and Microsoft will continue to improve upon the design to ensure the greatest benefits to users
-Future work, Windows 7, working title that I feel has not spunk to it, 3 years after the January 2007 general availability launch date of Windows Vista, ensuring there will be a smooth transition between the two (learning for the issues that arose between XP and Vista)
- Bill Veghte, again, thanks us for our business and “partnership”

Week Two Comments

I have commented on Alison's Blog: http://ab2600.blogspot.com/, Computer History Museum
and Rebecca's Blog: http://rap70.blogspot.com/

Week Two Notes

Muddies Point Slide # 18 states that 5,609,121 terabytes of information was produced in 2002, is this is the statistic for the United States alone, and if so I was wondering what the global total would be?


Computer Hardware:

-physical parts, not software
-infrequently changed
-embedded system not normally seen by users (unless you are one of those people that build their own computers, which I respect but probably would not ever have the patience to do)
-motherboard- body, mainframe, CPU
-RAM=random access memory
-one has internal and external devices
-Input includes; text, mouse, video, and audio
-Output includes; images, video, audio

Moore’s Law:

-Moore’s Law- the trend in the development and history of computer hardware
-there is a direct correlation between the increase in transistors and time, showing a continual progression in the progress of computer hardware, term coined in 1970 by professor Carver Mead
-“ Moore's law describes this driving force of technological and social change in the late 20th and early 21st centuries”
-Moore’s second law, capital cost of a semiconductor fab also increase exponentially over time

Video:

-should continue for a few “chip” generations and may continue in new directions
-challenges of this continual increase could be parameter variation and leakage currents
-not law of nature, technological trend
-in only four decades, very impressive compared to things like cars (“sofa change”….haha)
-constant doubling
-2015, paper clip size cell phones




Computer History Museum:

-has current exhibits on the silicon engine, internet history, selling the computer revolution, visible storage, and a timeline of computer history
-mission statement- “to preserve and present for posterity the artifacts and stories of the information age.
-located in Mountain View California

Week One Notes

OCLC report: Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers

-there are new patterns in content distribution and use
-“format agnostic”- to not care what sort of container, ie book, journal, blog or a Web page,
content comes from.
-Since content is no longer format dependant, libraries and content sellers must change accommodate the expectations of our communities through the processes of acquisition, organization and delivery
-As foreshadowed in the 2003 report, print publishing is slowing down and e-books are in an “adoptive” phase
-Due to this increase, libraries must now also manage content that is unbound from any sort of identifiable container
- librarians need to pay attention to how content is created, found, and used by the self-sufficient information consumer/producer.(example smartphone or iphone)
- 2002, the research group IDC estimated that 31 billion e-mails traveled the
Internet daily. By 2006, IDC predicts 60 billion e-mails will be sent daily
- “payload” – email message is part of a high level knowledge exchange, often carrying
attachments or URLs to content. (estimated 75% of U.S. enterprise email)
- 2000, the U.S. Dept of Education reported that U.S. ILL traffic for both books and
journal articles loaned in public and academic libraries, per day, was about 51,000
items(considerably less that that of emails, or payload)
-Statistics on camera phones and texts seem humorous and dated since its seems so prolific in my daily life, even though these statistics are only about five years old(proving the fast and incalculable development of technology)
- “Micropayment for microcontent is increasingly common” examples being ringtones, libraries must learn to cater to this trend
-Blogs and Wikis are a part of “social publishing,” allowing any person to publish and disseminate their writing and opinions on a mass scale. (since 1992, over 4 million blogs have been created)
- a decrease in the published wordà”In the U.S., 23 million fewer new print books were sold in 2003 than in 2002; Magazine sales dropped from about 2.2 billion copies in 1992 to 1.5 billion in 2002” (p9)
-Funding is a major issue facing libraries when trying to conform to modern trends
-increase in elearning, as can be testified through current personal experience in a ischool where classes are recorded for online students


Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New
Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture

-Information technology literacy deals with technology infrastructures whereas information literacy handles content and communication in its various forms
-two perspectives of information technology literacy; skills in the use of tools and understanding how technologies work
-to be fully competent, one should not only have the skills to use technology, but have a knowledge and understanding of those skills and the technology they encompass
-scholaràSherry Turkle, handles the construction, analysis and use of
simulations and quantitative information
-one should have a knowledge of the technological world, ie “computing, telecommunications, broadcasting, publishing, electrical power distribution, transportation and financial
infrastructure and related areas,” with an appreciation of their history, uses and users
-as technology increases and becomes more mundane, these skills will be of use to even those whose primary job may not require such knowledge
-in terms of information literacy, people need a “conceptual map of information space”
-there is a wide range of areas into which information literacy, policy, and practice are involved

Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still

-Lied Library opened in January 2001, remains on the cutting edge of technology
-since its beginning, the library has been developing, advancing, and adding to their systems with the progress of technology
-another major change in the library was the replacement of every desktop, over 600 units, in 2003.
-as always funding is an issue, purchasing and maintenance, costs, as can be seem form the original budget of the library, though luckily support fund can be gained from vendors
- computer issue of student verse general use, as the academic work is more generally done by students than the general public, who tend to use the computers for personal and entertainment reasons, “the library’s primary user group and main focus rests with UNLV students, the library has introduced new restrictions for community users”
-issue of space managementà space planning worked out well, though challenges include growth of staff, larger central server room, and issues of air conditioning circulation in certain areas
-issue of security, like thefts of computers equipment, as well as security to the computers itself, guarding them from harmful software
-What they future holds-àcontinual issues of funding, maintaining, and expanding, enhancement of infrastructure, question of future leadership