Here is another good article to check out that was posted in The New York Times regarding the FCC's role in regulating broadband service: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/business/18fcc.html?ref=technology
The FCC claims that it will not be regulating Internet content, but regulating "the transmission component of broadband Internet service." This is making some opponents of the move nervous that the FCC will continue to have a heavier hand in both rates of broadband service and eventually content that moves over the Internet.
Most of the readings in LIS 2600 (and Dr. Tomer as well) suggest that the fast success and flexibility of the Internet and Web are due to the fact that it is unregulated. I agree with this sentiment. Especially after reading Weinberger's Everything is Miscellaneous and Bollier's Viral Spiral, you get a broad sense of what a significant impact the open access of Web 2.0 has had on culture and social learning.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Twitter as social commentary?
There is a great article in the June 14 edition of Time magazine by James Poniewozik called "The Soul of Twit." The article looks at Twitter as a new literary art form. Here's a link to the article: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1993863,00.html
I don't currently subscribe to any Twitter feeds because I thought it was just silly. How much can you say in 140 characters? However, this article takes a look at Twitter as almost a form of poetry or haiku. The author in particular looks at how Twitter can serve as a form of social commentary. He points out the recent creation of the fake BP "Global PR" Twitter site and its hysterical Tweets that cut right to the heart of the tragedy of the oil spill and the hypocrisy of the BP media machine. Here's a great zinger from the fake BP account: "Due to public outcry, our 'Spill or Be Spilled' flash game will be taken off our BP Kidz Klub website." So funny.
This relates to what we are discussing in LIS 2600 in that as documents become digitized and more publishing moves entirely online, we're seeing how the Web is creating entire new forms of literature. Anyone is a legitimate writer now and blogs and Twitter accounts are becoming more and more of a legitimate voice for millions of people. Why did I waste my time getting a Journalism degree?
How will libraries deal with this? Will we need to catalog blogs and Tweets in the future? How on earth would that be done?
I just hope that traditional, long-form books and novels do not disappear entirely in the future. Will future generations be able to think critically and express themselves in anything longer than a text message?
I don't currently subscribe to any Twitter feeds because I thought it was just silly. How much can you say in 140 characters? However, this article takes a look at Twitter as almost a form of poetry or haiku. The author in particular looks at how Twitter can serve as a form of social commentary. He points out the recent creation of the fake BP "Global PR" Twitter site and its hysterical Tweets that cut right to the heart of the tragedy of the oil spill and the hypocrisy of the BP media machine. Here's a great zinger from the fake BP account: "Due to public outcry, our 'Spill or Be Spilled' flash game will be taken off our BP Kidz Klub website." So funny.
This relates to what we are discussing in LIS 2600 in that as documents become digitized and more publishing moves entirely online, we're seeing how the Web is creating entire new forms of literature. Anyone is a legitimate writer now and blogs and Twitter accounts are becoming more and more of a legitimate voice for millions of people. Why did I waste my time getting a Journalism degree?
How will libraries deal with this? Will we need to catalog blogs and Tweets in the future? How on earth would that be done?
I just hope that traditional, long-form books and novels do not disappear entirely in the future. Will future generations be able to think critically and express themselves in anything longer than a text message?
Friday, June 11, 2010
Questions to ponder
Very good lectures this week for LIS 2000 and 2600. I always really enjoy them! I end up taking many informal polls among my friends and family based on much of what has been discussed...such as what news source do you trust? What do you think about the iPad/Kindle? What are the things you first think of when you think of library/librarian? Do you prefer eBooks to traditional print books?
After writing the essay for LIS 2000, I honestly will be recommending "Everything is Miscellaneous" to some friends. I thought that book was great, really thought provoking. I think much of what David Weinberger says in that book holds true.
While going through many of our readings, I keep coming across many other, related books and articles that look so interesting, but I just do not have the time now to read it all! I'm thinking after this semester ends and before the fall semester begins, I'll have to try to squeeze in these readings as well.
After writing the essay for LIS 2000, I honestly will be recommending "Everything is Miscellaneous" to some friends. I thought that book was great, really thought provoking. I think much of what David Weinberger says in that book holds true.
While going through many of our readings, I keep coming across many other, related books and articles that look so interesting, but I just do not have the time now to read it all! I'm thinking after this semester ends and before the fall semester begins, I'll have to try to squeeze in these readings as well.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Vacation? Not really.
So I'm here in the Outer Banks, NC with my family, trying ever diligently, to stay on task with my coursework! It is amazing though, that I am a few feet from the Atlantic Ocean and still able to find a wireless network to tap into. After a while, you can begin to take this technology for granted, but it's truly amazing when you stop and think about it. I'm here on the beach in North Carolina, looking through the virtual stacks in Pitt's library. Wow.
Technology can always been seen from both sides of the coin, however. Being able to access the Internet, your email, your voice messages means that you really have no excuse for not getting things done, even when on vacation. As a society, we are always wired, always connected. There is some virtue in disconnecting once in a while and actually having a conversation with the person who is in front of you.
Technology can always been seen from both sides of the coin, however. Being able to access the Internet, your email, your voice messages means that you really have no excuse for not getting things done, even when on vacation. As a society, we are always wired, always connected. There is some virtue in disconnecting once in a while and actually having a conversation with the person who is in front of you.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Getting to know different sites
Re: Using Jing: So in my attempts to capture a screen image that would fit on my blog site, part of the screen is cut off to the right. It was a bit tricky to get the aspect ratio quite right to fit this format.
Overall, many of the websites we've been working with in LIS 2600 have been great...most are really easy to work with, very intuitive. I'm sure the developers of these websites make them as easy as possible for users...it's mostly just point and click. I think it's really just a matter of getting to know these sites and where things are...once you know that, they can do some pretty amazing things!
Overall, many of the websites we've been working with in LIS 2600 have been great...most are really easy to work with, very intuitive. I'm sure the developers of these websites make them as easy as possible for users...it's mostly just point and click. I think it's really just a matter of getting to know these sites and where things are...once you know that, they can do some pretty amazing things!
Zotero installation using Jing
Ok, this is my video presentation demonstrating how to install the Firefox extension Zotero. It took a few tries, but hopefully this is working the way it should.
Jing is actually very easy to use...it just took a few tries to get the aspect ratio correct.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Set knowledge free
I really enjoyed reading David Weinberger's "Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder." I thought it was very insightful and timely considering the state of the Web today. This book honestly may have changed my mind about Wikipedia. It was easy to dismiss Wikipedia as a very, very unreliable source of information, but now that I've heard Weinberger's take on it, I think I'm sold on the idea.
The fact that Wikipedia encourages its authors to 'talk' and negotiate the finer points of an entry until it achieves a "neutral point of view" is really groundbreaking, in my view. I may start to look up certain controversial subjects to see how they are handled on the site and if this is really the case.
Other various web sites that Weinberger mentions in the article are worth checking out, particularly flickr.com and delicious.com...both sites proving that the more people contribute to the Web, the more rich, useful and truly groundbreaking it becomes.
The fact that Wikipedia encourages its authors to 'talk' and negotiate the finer points of an entry until it achieves a "neutral point of view" is really groundbreaking, in my view. I may start to look up certain controversial subjects to see how they are handled on the site and if this is really the case.
Other various web sites that Weinberger mentions in the article are worth checking out, particularly flickr.com and delicious.com...both sites proving that the more people contribute to the Web, the more rich, useful and truly groundbreaking it becomes.
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