This article brought up many good points, and I think everything in it was one hundred percent true. Many students today do use search engines over library databases. He used one term that I thought was the perfect term to use for this happening, “infobesity” which is described as too much Googlizing which then creates a junk-information diet, consisting of overwhelming amounts of low-quality material that is hard to digest and leads to research papers of equally low quality. The author brings up the point that the reason why many students are shying away from using databases is because they may find them to difficult to use. He proposes that some universities design their databases into search engines like Google. One experiment that is the process right now is the “RedLightGreen” project. This project presents students with a single search box that’s similar to Google’s. The results screen includes a list of books and suggests other search terms from the database's subject vocabulary that, if selected, could lead to more-relevant material. The author also proposes one way to fix the problem and lead kids back into the library databases is to have the professors get involved. Instead of asking their students to do a research paper with so many sources, the professor should emphasize that the sources should come from a scholarly journal or something from a library database.
I feel that this article hit the nail on the head. I will be the first to admit that I use to Google information for my papers mainly because I felt it was easier to use. Go to Google and type in your search and next you have a ton of info relating to your topic. Library databases require you to take a lot more steps just to get to the searching part and once you search the databases, it seems you get articles that are unrelated to your topic. It is very time consuming to search and find things in the databases. This is one of the things the author talked about in the article is how we get lazy and don’t want to take time to search. As a student I don’t want to take time to research things I am not interested in. That is why Google is a favorite of mine. I have noticed over the last two years here, many of the professors have started requiring us to use the databases and scholarly journals in our papers. So it seems that the professors here seem to be trying to correct the problem of “infobesity.”
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Reading #3
The article titled “The Future of Libraries Beginning the Great Transformation,” was very revealing and informing. Thomas Frey suggested ten trends that are affecting the development of the next generation library. Trend number one: Communication systems are continually changing the way people access information. Communication has gradually changed over the last 100 years from telephones to ipods. Trend number two: All technology ends. All technologies commonly used today will be replaced by something new. Trend number three: We haven’t yet reached the ultimate small particle for storage. Trend four: Search Technology will become increasingly more complicated. Librarians well be greatly appreciated during this time as typical people will not be able to keep up with the technology changes and rely more on the professional librarian. Trend five: Time compression is changing the lifestyle of library patrons. Trend six: Over time we will be transitioning to a verbal society. Computers will become more human-like with personalities, traits, and other characteristics that will give us the sense of being in a room with other humans. Trend seven: The demand for global information is growing exponentially. Trend eight: The Stage is being set for a new era of Global Systems. Trend nine: We are transitioning from a product-based economy to an experience based economy. Trend ten: Libraries will transition from a center of information to a center of culture. A culture-based library is one that taps into the spirit of the community, assessing priorities and providing resources to support the things deemed most important. With the changing and evolution of libraries, Frey came up with a series of recommendations that will allow libraries to arrive at their own best solutions. Libraries must evaluate the library experience, embrace new information technologies, preserve the memories of your own communities, and experiment with creative spaces so the future role of the library can define itself.
In my opinion, I believe that the changing of libraries is a good thing and that most of the trends that Frey suggests are true. Technology is a growing process in our society and sometimes you don’t realize how much it has changed over time until you sit down and look at the advancements overtime. The one trend that I most I agree with and that I am most anxious to see how it plays out is trend number two: All technologies commonly used today will be replaced by something new. Frey gives an example, saying that the 8-track tape was replaced by the cassette tape, which in turn was replaced by the CD, which is currently in the process of disappearing altogether. Every couple of years we are amazed by some new form of technology, and then something else comes along that blows that out of the water. Right now ipods, iphones are the craze and seem unbeatable. I can’t wait to see what new technology will explode on the scene in the coming years.
In my opinion, I believe that the changing of libraries is a good thing and that most of the trends that Frey suggests are true. Technology is a growing process in our society and sometimes you don’t realize how much it has changed over time until you sit down and look at the advancements overtime. The one trend that I most I agree with and that I am most anxious to see how it plays out is trend number two: All technologies commonly used today will be replaced by something new. Frey gives an example, saying that the 8-track tape was replaced by the cassette tape, which in turn was replaced by the CD, which is currently in the process of disappearing altogether. Every couple of years we are amazed by some new form of technology, and then something else comes along that blows that out of the water. Right now ipods, iphones are the craze and seem unbeatable. I can’t wait to see what new technology will explode on the scene in the coming years.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
News Report #4
"Invention turns cell phone into mobile medical lab"
Steve Almasy, CNN
2/3/09
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/03/medical.imaging.device/index.html?eref=rss_tech
This news article is truly amazing. Aydogan Ozcan of UCLA, has turned a cell phone into a portable lab by finding a few parts off the shelf for only fifty dollars. With the addition of these small parts he can get the cell phone to produce an image of thousands of cells in a small fluid sample such as human blood. Ozcan and his group have produced a miniature laboratory that produces quick and accurate results without the use of heavy, large, bulky medical products. The device is called LUCAS, which stands for Lensless Ultra-wide-field Cell monitoring Array platform based on Shadow imaging. The phone captures the image onto a chip which can then been transmitted to a computer system if needed. The phone can analyze blood, salvia, and even if a person is HIV positive. The holograms produced by the camera are fuzzy and cannot be read by the human eye, which means that doctors might still need microscopes to examine a sample from a patient. The main goal of the phone is so that it can offer a fast, preliminary diagnosis in hard-to-reach areas such as remote areas, for example, in sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV rates are the highest in the world. The biggest problem of this device is that it requires cell phone service, and most third world countries don’t have cell phone coverage. The phone is still in the developing phases and in the coming time, it is expected to play a large role in the medical field.
This device is going to change the medical field in countries all around the world. This has to be one most inventive things I have heard of and it was done so inexpensively too. Third world countries are going to benefit greatly from the LUCAS. When doctors go to do medical analysis for tribes and villages in these countries, they want have to wait weeks for results and can get the information they need on the spot to be able to treat their patients. I can’t wait to see what more functions and applications they add to this device in the coming months/years.
Steve Almasy, CNN
2/3/09
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/03/medical.imaging.device/index.html?eref=rss_tech
This news article is truly amazing. Aydogan Ozcan of UCLA, has turned a cell phone into a portable lab by finding a few parts off the shelf for only fifty dollars. With the addition of these small parts he can get the cell phone to produce an image of thousands of cells in a small fluid sample such as human blood. Ozcan and his group have produced a miniature laboratory that produces quick and accurate results without the use of heavy, large, bulky medical products. The device is called LUCAS, which stands for Lensless Ultra-wide-field Cell monitoring Array platform based on Shadow imaging. The phone captures the image onto a chip which can then been transmitted to a computer system if needed. The phone can analyze blood, salvia, and even if a person is HIV positive. The holograms produced by the camera are fuzzy and cannot be read by the human eye, which means that doctors might still need microscopes to examine a sample from a patient. The main goal of the phone is so that it can offer a fast, preliminary diagnosis in hard-to-reach areas such as remote areas, for example, in sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV rates are the highest in the world. The biggest problem of this device is that it requires cell phone service, and most third world countries don’t have cell phone coverage. The phone is still in the developing phases and in the coming time, it is expected to play a large role in the medical field.
This device is going to change the medical field in countries all around the world. This has to be one most inventive things I have heard of and it was done so inexpensively too. Third world countries are going to benefit greatly from the LUCAS. When doctors go to do medical analysis for tribes and villages in these countries, they want have to wait weeks for results and can get the information they need on the spot to be able to treat their patients. I can’t wait to see what more functions and applications they add to this device in the coming months/years.
News Report #3
"Fingerprint study offers inspiration for robotics research"
Elizabeth Landau, CNN
2/3/09
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/03/fingerprints.study/index.html?eref=rss_tech
This news article discussed the possibilities in technology with the more information we learn about fingerprinting. As humans we can tell the difference between items like silk and paper and that is due to our fingerprints. The article says “studies have shown that humans can feel features about as small as the width of a human hair, roughly 200 micrometers.” With the advancement and knowledge about fingerprints, scientists are thinking of incorporating these findings into prosthetic hands. Professor Gerald Loeb has developed a device that mimics human skin and wants to put these imitations on prosthetic limbs. The hope is to have prosthetic limbs be as humanly as possible. Loeb wants the limbs to be able to feel an object's surface directly so that the user can consciously feel what the hand touches. A humans hand can feel when an item is slipping out of our grasp due to skin ridges signaling that the object is about to fall. Loeb also hopes that these sensors well help enhance that feeling in the prosthetic hand of the future. Loeb also has come up with an idea to have fingerprints incorporated into the robotic field as well. His idea suggests that a person would operate a robotic device remotely, but would receive or feel signals from a dangerous environment.
I think that technology advancement in this area is amazing. To be able to have something fake like a prosthetic hand actually be able to feel and recognize items like a regular person blows my mind. People that have to use prosthetic limbs or more specifically hands, should be very pleased with this advancement. If I had to use prosthetic limbs, I would jump on this item as soon as it hit the market if it could make me feel and sense things again. I can see this technology being very beneficial to our society.
Elizabeth Landau, CNN
2/3/09
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/03/fingerprints.study/index.html?eref=rss_tech
This news article discussed the possibilities in technology with the more information we learn about fingerprinting. As humans we can tell the difference between items like silk and paper and that is due to our fingerprints. The article says “studies have shown that humans can feel features about as small as the width of a human hair, roughly 200 micrometers.” With the advancement and knowledge about fingerprints, scientists are thinking of incorporating these findings into prosthetic hands. Professor Gerald Loeb has developed a device that mimics human skin and wants to put these imitations on prosthetic limbs. The hope is to have prosthetic limbs be as humanly as possible. Loeb wants the limbs to be able to feel an object's surface directly so that the user can consciously feel what the hand touches. A humans hand can feel when an item is slipping out of our grasp due to skin ridges signaling that the object is about to fall. Loeb also hopes that these sensors well help enhance that feeling in the prosthetic hand of the future. Loeb also has come up with an idea to have fingerprints incorporated into the robotic field as well. His idea suggests that a person would operate a robotic device remotely, but would receive or feel signals from a dangerous environment.
I think that technology advancement in this area is amazing. To be able to have something fake like a prosthetic hand actually be able to feel and recognize items like a regular person blows my mind. People that have to use prosthetic limbs or more specifically hands, should be very pleased with this advancement. If I had to use prosthetic limbs, I would jump on this item as soon as it hit the market if it could make me feel and sense things again. I can see this technology being very beneficial to our society.
Monday, February 2, 2009
News Report #2
"Test Center review: The 21st-century BlackBerry"
Tom Yager, InfoWorld
1/8/09
http://www.infoworld.com/article/09/01/08/01TC-blackberry-bold_2.html
This article concerned the new Blackberry Bold cell phone. The author, Tom Yager, was first unsure of the new phone since it had a fixed keyboard and apparently in the current cell phone world, the fixed key board is under debate of whether or not they are a pro or con. After toying with it, Tom goes on to say that the Blackberry is made for typing (text, emails, etc.) and that the fixed keyboard actually makes this phone better. The screen has also been enhanced, which has made it easier to read your texts or whatever may be on the screen. The Bold also offers a 3G memory, Wi-Fi, GPS navigation system, video and still camera, Bluetooth stereo headphones and Bluetooth remote, and external microSDHC storage expansion. Tom goes on to say that “it looks great from all angles and feels good in either hand, and when it's time to type, the screen stays the same size.” The major draw back in this review was the browser set up. Apparently Blackberry’s have been known to have slow browsers and few features to them. According to Tom, not much has changed. The Bold continues the tradition of being slow and it lacks a tabbed or multi-site view and the column mode fails to flow text to fill the width of the screen. The phone starts at $299.99 with a two year contract. On a scale of 1 to 10, the Bold rated a 9 on extensibility, 10 on messaging, 8 on networking, 8 on usability, 8 on multimedia, and 7 on value.
In my last review, I discussed another new cell phone about to hit the market made by Palm. After comparing that one to the Blackberry Bold, I think I rather have the Bold, since it seems to be more message friendly. I probably text more often than I talk on the phone, so if texting and messaging seems to be easier on the Bold, that would definitely be my pick. The one thing that would keep me from purchasing one is the price. I already have a current contract with AT&T so I would not be able to up grade to get a new phone at that price until my contract runs up. So if I were to get the phone, I would have to pay full price which is probably a lot more expensive than the $299.99. That is my only draw back with the Blackberry Bold.
Tom Yager, InfoWorld
1/8/09
http://www.infoworld.com/article/09/01/08/01TC-blackberry-bold_2.html
This article concerned the new Blackberry Bold cell phone. The author, Tom Yager, was first unsure of the new phone since it had a fixed keyboard and apparently in the current cell phone world, the fixed key board is under debate of whether or not they are a pro or con. After toying with it, Tom goes on to say that the Blackberry is made for typing (text, emails, etc.) and that the fixed keyboard actually makes this phone better. The screen has also been enhanced, which has made it easier to read your texts or whatever may be on the screen. The Bold also offers a 3G memory, Wi-Fi, GPS navigation system, video and still camera, Bluetooth stereo headphones and Bluetooth remote, and external microSDHC storage expansion. Tom goes on to say that “it looks great from all angles and feels good in either hand, and when it's time to type, the screen stays the same size.” The major draw back in this review was the browser set up. Apparently Blackberry’s have been known to have slow browsers and few features to them. According to Tom, not much has changed. The Bold continues the tradition of being slow and it lacks a tabbed or multi-site view and the column mode fails to flow text to fill the width of the screen. The phone starts at $299.99 with a two year contract. On a scale of 1 to 10, the Bold rated a 9 on extensibility, 10 on messaging, 8 on networking, 8 on usability, 8 on multimedia, and 7 on value.
In my last review, I discussed another new cell phone about to hit the market made by Palm. After comparing that one to the Blackberry Bold, I think I rather have the Bold, since it seems to be more message friendly. I probably text more often than I talk on the phone, so if texting and messaging seems to be easier on the Bold, that would definitely be my pick. The one thing that would keep me from purchasing one is the price. I already have a current contract with AT&T so I would not be able to up grade to get a new phone at that price until my contract runs up. So if I were to get the phone, I would have to pay full price which is probably a lot more expensive than the $299.99. That is my only draw back with the Blackberry Bold.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Reading #2
This article titled, “Can Wikipedia Ever Make the Grade?” discussed whether or not Wikipedia was a reliable source and if it will ever become a legitimate source. The article gave examples of from both sides of supporters to make sure it wasn’t bias. One example from the supporters of Wikipedia was from a professor who believed that Wikipedia was nonsense and that anyone could post faulty information and have it posted for long periods of time. As it turned out, three hours after his thirteen false posts, they were all deleted and an email was sent to him asking him to refrain from posting illegitimate information. This incident changed that professors mind and made him a believer that Wikipedia does act as a legitimate encyclopedia. From the other point of view, many examples were brought up. Mr. Seigenthaler, a longtime journalist, noticed that a Wikipedia entry claimed that he was thought to have been directly involved in the Kennedy assassinations of both John and his brother, Bobby. This post was listed for several months and Mr. Seigenthaler claimed that Wikipedia was a flawed and irresponsible research tool and that it tarnished his reputation. This article was very information presenting both sides of the issue leaving it up to you to decide your opinion on the topic.
In my opinion, I believe Wikipedia is a very useful research tool. Do I trust it enough to write a research paper using its information? No, because there is some flaws in it. But I believe for basic knowledge, it is one of the best tools around. If I am curious about measurements on a ruler or want to know about the history of television for my own personal use that I have no knowledge about, I think it is the perfect tool to introduce me into a topic. So even though there might be some flaws in it as the article presented, I do think it can be useful depending on how you use it.
In my opinion, I believe Wikipedia is a very useful research tool. Do I trust it enough to write a research paper using its information? No, because there is some flaws in it. But I believe for basic knowledge, it is one of the best tools around. If I am curious about measurements on a ruler or want to know about the history of television for my own personal use that I have no knowledge about, I think it is the perfect tool to introduce me into a topic. So even though there might be some flaws in it as the article presented, I do think it can be useful depending on how you use it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)