Week 10

MUDDIEST POINT: I didn't quite understand how to use the minOccurs and maxOccures attributes in element type declaration.

1) David Hawking: I use Google almost everyday so I found this article to be extremely interesting. It was neat to find out how the web search engines work since I rely on them daily. I thought it was funny that one of the sections was entitled 'politeness.' It was something I never would have related to web search engines. I didn't quite understand everything about the algorithms but that its pretty normal for me.

2)Current developments and future trends for the OAI protocol for metadata harvesting: This was my least favorite article. I found it to be incredibly dense and long. I did like the part about the future trends. I think it will be neat to see what the future holds.

3)MICHAEL K. BERGMAN: I thought this article presented the idea of searching the deep web in a very interesting way. I had never heard of BrightPlanet Technology before. The many diagrams helped me to understand the complexities of deep web searching because I didn't quite comprehend all of the text.

Week 9

An Introduction to the Extensible Markup Language (XML): I found this website to be extremely helpful. I knew nothing about XML before reading this and now I feel confident in my knowledge about XML. I really like the last part about using XML coded text. I think I could do it.

A survey of XML standards: From this reading, I really liked the collection of links it provided. I thought this group of links really helped me better understand just exactly what is XML. I saved this page so I could reuse its resources in the future.

Extending your markup: I thought this reading was just like the other two that I read. It was helpful in explaining why XML was better than HTML. I really learned a lot from the examples in this article.

XML Schema Tutorial: Once again, I thought this website was just like the previous writings. It presented good basic information about XML. I preferred the first two readings. However, I did like the way everything was broken down.

Muddiest Point: What exactly is a meta tag?

Week 5

Muddiest Point: I'm still not completely understanding the different high level languages.

Articles 1 & 2: I did not know much about data compressing so they articles gave me a lot of new material to learn and digest. I found the theory behind data compressing to be very interesting. I am beginning to better understand how my computer and other devices work now. 

Article 3: I think this is a great idea. It allows resources to be combined and more people can gain access to the online collections. Also, the collections will be better preserved and around for future generations to see. The project allows for easier research which is always a positive. I like the freedom granted to the users. It was interesting to see how they resolved the problems with the site.

Article 4: I like YouTube. It is a great website with many different uses. It can be used for personal reasons like sharing with relatives who live far away or for professional tasks. During my undergrad, I had a professor assign a presentation in which we were encouraged to use YouTube. I was able to find some great WWII era training videos to share with my class. 

Flickr Assignment

Here is the link to my Flickr Assignment:

http://flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=sets

Week 4

Database: Its amazing to think since the 1960s how databases have changed and developed. They've gone from punch cards and magnetic tape to computers. They are extremely helpful for any career field. It makes sense that the database needs to do only one action at a time. This helps keep the information as current as possible. In relation to the replication of databases, I found it interesting that the terms master/slave were used. 

Introduction to Metadata, pathways to Digital Information: 1: Setting the Stage: 

I really like this article. It was one of the first IT articles that I felt applied to Library and Information Science. The developments with Metadata have helped advance and change the archives profession. It has helped place more importance on the records about the objects and not just the physical objects themselves. 

3) Eric J. Miller. An Overview of the Dublin Core Data Model:

(I could not get this article to open. I will update later once I'm able to access the article.)

Muddiest Point: I didn't quite grasp the different Graphical User Interface (GUI)?

Comments on Week 3

I commented on:

http://krismgll2600.blogspot.com/2008/09/readings-for-week-3.html

and

http://susangeiss.blogspot.com/2008/09/week-3-readings.html

Week 3

Linux:

I've only heard of Linux but never used it. The pros and cons list was a nice summary to an article to an interesting article. I thought it was good point that if Linux wasn't safe than why was it still being used by so many.

Mac OS X:

I found this article to be extremely pertinent. I recently just switch to a Mac from a PC and this allowed to better understand my computer. So far it has been easy to adapt to the Mac and I like all the new features I've been exposed to. It has run much more smoothy than Windows and I don't find the computer freezing as much.

Vista:

I find it telling that Microsoft has extended the support for XP. It shows that they are willing to listen to their customers and respond accordingly. However, it seems troubling for Vista that so many people are unwilling to switch over. Maybe Microsoft released Vista too early to counter Mac OS X growing popularity. It may have been better to work out all the bugs and problems before they released it to the public.

Week 2

Moore's Law:

I really enjoyed the video explaining Moore's Law. I thought it made it easier for me to relate to the law. It was an entertaining way to inform people about the ever changing technology. Though after 1o years, how will the technology continue to evolve? How small will our gadgets get? I have enough trouble trying to find my cell phone in my purse as it is now. 

Computer Hardware: 

I found this article to be a good general overview of computers and how they work. After taking a few computer classes in high school and undergrad, I did not learn anything new. But it did get me thinking about hardware in other devices besides my personal computer. 

Computer History Museum:

Through this website, I was able to connect the silicon engine with Moore's Law from our earlier reading. It was interesting to see the pictures of the transistor as it evolved throughout the year. Also, I enjoyed the timeline especially the entries pre-1940. This allowed me to get a better understanding of how the computer came to be. 

Week 1

OCLC Report:

-The new vocabulary was helpful. I learned a lot about the world of blogs and the influence they are having on our culture. 

-I never would have thought to relate the booming business of selling ringtones and wallpapers to the changes in libraries. It brought up an interesting point.

Clifford Lynch:

-Before this article, I had never thought about the differences between Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy. 

-With the way technology keeps progressing at a fast pace, it is hard to keep up to date with all the new advancements. It also makes it even harder to help those who are just now being introduced to computers and trying to bridge that gap.

Jason Vaughn:

-The Lied Library seems amazing. It seems to have everything a college student would need to make studying and writing papers easier. Its obvious that a lot of time and effort went into creating a helpful environment. The upkeep of the library must be draining though. The constant need to make sure everything is up to date and functional seems pretty daunting. 

I commented on:

http://alb206.blogspot.com/2008/09/week-one-readings.html

Muddiest Point #1

I am a bit confused about what is due today. I know we need our Muddiest point. But are the readings for Week 1 and Week 2 also due? The Assignment tab on CourseWeb only has Week 1 readings and it says that they are due on Tuesday.