http://www.citeulike.org/user/mecmec
I tried to keep it semi-topical to the course.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Week 6 Readings
Wikipedia/ Local Area Networks
Funny, I have never heard or seen the term WAN (wide area networks) used. Perhaps they are not very useful. But...wouldn't the internet itself be a WAN?
"... from about 1983 onward, computer industry pundits would regularly declare the coming year to be 'the year of the LAN.'" Har. Sort of like how the Paperless Office is always just around the corner.
MAN (metropolitan area network) is also a thing I have never heard of. In Philadelphia, the city government was forever trying to set up a huge wireless network so that everyone would have internet access, but something kept going wrong with it, they kept switching providers, etc. If it ever works, though, I suppose it will be a MAN.
So, when we access PittCat databases through SSLVPN, we are "tunneling" across the internet to join our LAN to Pitt's LAN.
Wikipedia/ Computer Network
I probably should have read this first as a LAN is a type of computer network. Oh well.
"In this regard the visual and operational characteristics of a network are distinct; the logical network topology is not necessarily the same as the physical layout." This reminds me of our discussion of databases; just because the database looks like a table to us does not mean the underlying structure is a table. Similarly, although our computers may actually be connected in a straight line and look to us like a bus network, the underlying structure may be one of the other network configurations.
Another acronym: PAN. This would be my computer and the things it is hooked up to with a USB cable, like a printer (if I had one) and sometimes my digital camera.
Would the PittNet wireless network be a LAN or a campus area network (CAN)?
I am a bit confused on the difference between a bridge and a router. They both connect multiple networks...the former at the data layer and the latter at the network layer. I guess I need to understand the OSI model better. Hopefully we will go over this in class.
YouTube/ Common Types of Computer Networks
A recap of the wikipedia articles. Always nice to have a person explaining things to you out loud (and he nicely says we can email him if we have questions).
This answers my question about Wireless PittNet, I guess it is indeed a CAN.
Coyle, K. (2005). Management of RFID in libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 31(5), 486-489.
If any authority figures are reading, this was kind of hard to access, maybe you could provide a link for future classes.
So: a radio frequency identifier is a sort of high-tech barcode. Similar to getting a chip implanted in your dog's ear or an EZ-Pass for toll roads.
It seems less useful for security than for locating items that get lost within the library, which in my experience happens a lot, especially in a big multi-library system like the ULS.
I would support a change from barcode to RFID -- this article makes it sound fairly inevitable anyway -- but I would like to read more on the privacy issues that come with this technology.
Funny, I have never heard or seen the term WAN (wide area networks) used. Perhaps they are not very useful. But...wouldn't the internet itself be a WAN?
"... from about 1983 onward, computer industry pundits would regularly declare the coming year to be 'the year of the LAN.'" Har. Sort of like how the Paperless Office is always just around the corner.
MAN (metropolitan area network) is also a thing I have never heard of. In Philadelphia, the city government was forever trying to set up a huge wireless network so that everyone would have internet access, but something kept going wrong with it, they kept switching providers, etc. If it ever works, though, I suppose it will be a MAN.
So, when we access PittCat databases through SSLVPN, we are "tunneling" across the internet to join our LAN to Pitt's LAN.
Wikipedia/ Computer Network
I probably should have read this first as a LAN is a type of computer network. Oh well.
"In this regard the visual and operational characteristics of a network are distinct; the logical network topology is not necessarily the same as the physical layout." This reminds me of our discussion of databases; just because the database looks like a table to us does not mean the underlying structure is a table. Similarly, although our computers may actually be connected in a straight line and look to us like a bus network, the underlying structure may be one of the other network configurations.
Another acronym: PAN. This would be my computer and the things it is hooked up to with a USB cable, like a printer (if I had one) and sometimes my digital camera.
Would the PittNet wireless network be a LAN or a campus area network (CAN)?
I am a bit confused on the difference between a bridge and a router. They both connect multiple networks...the former at the data layer and the latter at the network layer. I guess I need to understand the OSI model better. Hopefully we will go over this in class.
YouTube/ Common Types of Computer Networks
A recap of the wikipedia articles. Always nice to have a person explaining things to you out loud (and he nicely says we can email him if we have questions).
This answers my question about Wireless PittNet, I guess it is indeed a CAN.
Coyle, K. (2005). Management of RFID in libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 31(5), 486-489.
If any authority figures are reading, this was kind of hard to access, maybe you could provide a link for future classes.
So: a radio frequency identifier is a sort of high-tech barcode. Similar to getting a chip implanted in your dog's ear or an EZ-Pass for toll roads.
It seems less useful for security than for locating items that get lost within the library, which in my experience happens a lot, especially in a big multi-library system like the ULS.
I would support a change from barcode to RFID -- this article makes it sound fairly inevitable anyway -- but I would like to read more on the privacy issues that come with this technology.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Muddiest Point #4
If metadata can't be standardized for the various reasons we discussed in class, is the development of crosswalks that can translate between different schema developing quickly enough to be useful? How much of a problem is the lack of standarization for most librarians and archivists, or are these communities insular enough that their own professional standards are adequate?
Week 5 Readings
Wikipedia: Data Compression
Hey, something I know a little about! JPEGS! In college I did a lot of layout work for a student magazine, so we were always trying to figure out how little we could compress image files so that they'd look as good as possible, while not making the entire document too big to fit on a disk for the printer.
The thing that gives me pause about this article is that it gives the impression that lossless and lossy systems are these two black-and-white polar opposite choices. With most image-editing programs (and some digital cameras), the degree of lossiness is on a sliding bar. So there are actually many different ways of striking the balance between fidelity to original and file size.
The example of run-length encoding is nice and straightforward (storing 25.888888888 as 25.[9]8). The "Theory" section is a little confusing to me, though. What are the 4 stages of the 4-stage model of lossless compression? Perhaps it depends on the content of the document?
Data Compression Basics
Very well-written for the layperson. Analogies are so helpful (such as thinking of acronyms as a sort of mental data compression).
Predictive compression works best with "natural" images. Based on the examples given it seems that these are also the hardest to reduce in lossless compression.
I think the description of lossy compression as preserving meaning rather than data is a big improvement on the wikipedia article's definition. I have to revise my earlier statement about photo compression -- we weren't trying to compress the photo as little as possible, but to lose as little meaning as possible.
Imaging Pittsburgh
As a big proponent of online archival photo databases, it's interesting to see the challenges in putting together such a collection. One of them being metadata of course.
"The team has spent tremendous energy cataloging the images; what better way to tell some of Pittsburgh’s stories than by leveraging the controlled metadata? This will allow us to provide curatorial context and guidance to the images in the collections. Our avenues for exploring the collections will encompass time, place and theme. Some of our theme ideas include 'Pittsburgh at Work,' 'Pittsburgh at Play,' 'Pittsburgh at Home,' and 'Pittsburgh Personalities.'"
Metadata = better access/searchability for users. I wonder if they have thought about letting users themselves help tag photos? Maybe someone looking at the photos will recognize a person or street previously unidentified.
Youtube and Libraries
youtube is a great teaching tool! Especially for kinetic things that are hard to understand through verbal description or still pictures.
like sign language:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cayMkVidpc&feature=related
or cooking roti:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg0p5TXi_Cc
I don't know if instructional videos should be a top priority for libraries at the moment-- it doesn't seem worth taking time/staff away from other duties. But if the resources are available it could be a nice idea, especially for online students, or those working from off-campus (Lord knows I could have used help the first time I was trying to access the online journals from home). Sometimes I feel like college librarians in particular spend a little too much mental energy trying to seem hip and with-it for the benefit of the undergrad population.
Hey, something I know a little about! JPEGS! In college I did a lot of layout work for a student magazine, so we were always trying to figure out how little we could compress image files so that they'd look as good as possible, while not making the entire document too big to fit on a disk for the printer.
The thing that gives me pause about this article is that it gives the impression that lossless and lossy systems are these two black-and-white polar opposite choices. With most image-editing programs (and some digital cameras), the degree of lossiness is on a sliding bar. So there are actually many different ways of striking the balance between fidelity to original and file size.
The example of run-length encoding is nice and straightforward (storing 25.888888888 as 25.[9]8). The "Theory" section is a little confusing to me, though. What are the 4 stages of the 4-stage model of lossless compression? Perhaps it depends on the content of the document?
Data Compression Basics
Very well-written for the layperson. Analogies are so helpful (such as thinking of acronyms as a sort of mental data compression).
Predictive compression works best with "natural" images. Based on the examples given it seems that these are also the hardest to reduce in lossless compression.
I think the description of lossy compression as preserving meaning rather than data is a big improvement on the wikipedia article's definition. I have to revise my earlier statement about photo compression -- we weren't trying to compress the photo as little as possible, but to lose as little meaning as possible.
Imaging Pittsburgh
As a big proponent of online archival photo databases, it's interesting to see the challenges in putting together such a collection. One of them being metadata of course.
"The team has spent tremendous energy cataloging the images; what better way to tell some of Pittsburgh’s stories than by leveraging the controlled metadata? This will allow us to provide curatorial context and guidance to the images in the collections. Our avenues for exploring the collections will encompass time, place and theme. Some of our theme ideas include 'Pittsburgh at Work,' 'Pittsburgh at Play,' 'Pittsburgh at Home,' and 'Pittsburgh Personalities.'"
Metadata = better access/searchability for users. I wonder if they have thought about letting users themselves help tag photos? Maybe someone looking at the photos will recognize a person or street previously unidentified.
Youtube and Libraries
youtube is a great teaching tool! Especially for kinetic things that are hard to understand through verbal description or still pictures.
like sign language:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cayMkVidpc&feature=related
or cooking roti:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg0p5TXi_Cc
I don't know if instructional videos should be a top priority for libraries at the moment-- it doesn't seem worth taking time/staff away from other duties. But if the resources are available it could be a nice idea, especially for online students, or those working from off-campus (Lord knows I could have used help the first time I was trying to access the online journals from home). Sometimes I feel like college librarians in particular spend a little too much mental energy trying to seem hip and with-it for the benefit of the undergrad population.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Flickr Update
I have put the 20 pics for the assignment in a set located here. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/michellinor/sets/72157607316574091/detail/ if that link is weird.)
Friday, September 12, 2008
Muddiest Point #3
Why do the computers in the SIS lab run Unix instead of Linux? My impression was that Linux was more user-friendly. What are the advantages of Unix for academic institutions?
Week 4 Readings
Wikipedia : Database
While reading this, I tried to think which sorts of models and operations were used by the database I worked with at my old job. I'm not sure, though -- it seems like the interface made everything obscure to the user. I would think it was a network database, but I'm not sure. I definitely remember issues with locking. With the database I used, it seemed to work in the manner than an OS makes a computer usable -- the software's interface made the data easily retrievable without much IT knowledge. Of course, when there were problems, I had to go to a supervisor or IT person.
Interesting that wikipedia notes a bibliographic database (ie library catalogue) as its own type of database. How does it function differently than other kinds?
Gilliland: Metadata
I'm glad this article is giving such specific examples of metadata (library metadata could be Library of Congress subject headings; archival metadata could be a finding aid). Although the term may have been borrowed from geodata specialists, it can be used for information in lots of forms, digital or not.
The issue of standardization is interesting. In the archival preservation course, we've been learning about international standards for microfilming & other materials. Although the guidlelines here aren't as physical; they seem to be organizational/content standards.
So metadata records our interactions with data as well as the information object's content. So it will increase over time as we process/preserve/modify data -- is this part of the information boom or a sort of shadow-boom?
Dublin Core
This deals with the previous question of standardization of metadata. Have these semantic guidelines been widely adopted? By whom? Have they been revised since this was originally published?
While reading this, I tried to think which sorts of models and operations were used by the database I worked with at my old job. I'm not sure, though -- it seems like the interface made everything obscure to the user. I would think it was a network database, but I'm not sure. I definitely remember issues with locking. With the database I used, it seemed to work in the manner than an OS makes a computer usable -- the software's interface made the data easily retrievable without much IT knowledge. Of course, when there were problems, I had to go to a supervisor or IT person.
Interesting that wikipedia notes a bibliographic database (ie library catalogue) as its own type of database. How does it function differently than other kinds?
Gilliland: Metadata
I'm glad this article is giving such specific examples of metadata (library metadata could be Library of Congress subject headings; archival metadata could be a finding aid). Although the term may have been borrowed from geodata specialists, it can be used for information in lots of forms, digital or not.
The issue of standardization is interesting. In the archival preservation course, we've been learning about international standards for microfilming & other materials. Although the guidlelines here aren't as physical; they seem to be organizational/content standards.
So metadata records our interactions with data as well as the information object's content. So it will increase over time as we process/preserve/modify data -- is this part of the information boom or a sort of shadow-boom?
Dublin Core
This deals with the previous question of standardization of metadata. Have these semantic guidelines been widely adopted? By whom? Have they been revised since this was originally published?
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Muddiest Point #2
So I think I understand the difference between random access and serial access pretty well. However, when we were discussing the RAM component of the computer, I was a little confused about which part of memory retrieval it actually does. I wrote in my notes that it assigns "addresses" to different pieces of information. Does it also do the work of retrieval? Or does it just tell some other component which address to go to? Does it store the info or just do the work of labeling?
Week 3 Readings
Garrels
Last week, one of the readings on Moore's Law stated that software developed at a much slower rate than hardware. This article makes it easy to see why -- rather than fitting more transistors on a chip, a whole computing language has to be written and it has to actually be usable. The average user doesn't have to understand how the CPU and RAM and etc work, but they have to be able to navigate the software.
"When programmers can read, distribute and change code, the code will mature... This software will be more flexible and of a better quality than software that has been developed using the conventional channels, because more people have tested it in more different conditions than the closed software developer ever can."
This reminds me of some ideas we talked about in the Understanding Information class. Like how large numbers of people anonymously "tagging" things on the internet can actually create a better organizational structure than one person/company trying to do the work. More testers = more data.
Maybe I will download OpenOffice.
Mac OS X
Wow, I really cannot get through this first one. Lot of jargon I don't understand. I am trusting that if this technical stuff is important,we will discuss it in class, so I am skipping to the "Why" section to read the discussion of different operating systems. I've always used Windows, myself, so I am curious to see how this guy thinks it compares. His attitude seems to be "it's fine for people who don't care." Right on. Maybe I should care? Will I need to care for this profession?
The wikipedia article notes that Mac has switched from PowerPC to Intel processors. I wonder what factors were at play in that decision?
Thurott
We can see here how the process for Microsoft software is very different from Linux. Instead of constant testing and fluid development there's a much more structured system of consumer feedback and corporate response.
Interesting, too, that they say the next version of Windows is scheduled for three years from the release of Vista. Again, very structured. There seem to be cycles both in Mac and Microsoft software where they will release an operating system that's very different from the previous one, then the next few releases are subtle improvements on the it, and then another dramatic change followed by more less-dramatic upgrades. As one commenter notes, it may be best to change systems right when there is a more dramatic change (like from xp to vista) because you will learn how to be comfortable with it early: "Put in the time now to at least learn the technology and be prepared to roll out Windows 7 or else you're still going to be running an 8 year old operating system in 2010."
Last week, one of the readings on Moore's Law stated that software developed at a much slower rate than hardware. This article makes it easy to see why -- rather than fitting more transistors on a chip, a whole computing language has to be written and it has to actually be usable. The average user doesn't have to understand how the CPU and RAM and etc work, but they have to be able to navigate the software.
"When programmers can read, distribute and change code, the code will mature... This software will be more flexible and of a better quality than software that has been developed using the conventional channels, because more people have tested it in more different conditions than the closed software developer ever can."
This reminds me of some ideas we talked about in the Understanding Information class. Like how large numbers of people anonymously "tagging" things on the internet can actually create a better organizational structure than one person/company trying to do the work. More testers = more data.
Maybe I will download OpenOffice.
Mac OS X
Wow, I really cannot get through this first one. Lot of jargon I don't understand. I am trusting that if this technical stuff is important,we will discuss it in class, so I am skipping to the "Why" section to read the discussion of different operating systems. I've always used Windows, myself, so I am curious to see how this guy thinks it compares. His attitude seems to be "it's fine for people who don't care." Right on. Maybe I should care? Will I need to care for this profession?
The wikipedia article notes that Mac has switched from PowerPC to Intel processors. I wonder what factors were at play in that decision?
Thurott
We can see here how the process for Microsoft software is very different from Linux. Instead of constant testing and fluid development there's a much more structured system of consumer feedback and corporate response.
Interesting, too, that they say the next version of Windows is scheduled for three years from the release of Vista. Again, very structured. There seem to be cycles both in Mac and Microsoft software where they will release an operating system that's very different from the previous one, then the next few releases are subtle improvements on the it, and then another dramatic change followed by more less-dramatic upgrades. As one commenter notes, it may be best to change systems right when there is a more dramatic change (like from xp to vista) because you will learn how to be comfortable with it early: "Put in the time now to at least learn the technology and be prepared to roll out Windows 7 or else you're still going to be running an 8 year old operating system in 2010."
Monday, September 1, 2008
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