This may be the end of this incredible library course but this is just the beginning of the blog posts, status updates, and tweets in my Library 2.0 life. Hope to see you all again in various aspects of the digital world!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Second Life
by Howard Rheingold
I really enjoyed this video, Rheingold was very interesting to watch and quite funny. I really loved his virtual office and the graphics were pretty good. His office actually made me think of that video game Sim City. I like how as he moves around the second life office and clicks on the walls how it links to videos, pictures, blogs, learning communities and wiki's. The part that made me laugh out loud is when was making his avatar move and he said, "Standing up puts me on top of the chair but its digital so I don't mind." Overall, this was a cool video and I'm going to watch the other in the series to see how he made his second life office.
Video Games in Libraries
The Case for Video Games in Libraries by Suellen Adams. I like how in this article it does talk about some libraries hesitance to allow game play but then it says on page 199,
"A search for gaming on the American Library Association Web site (www.ala.org) leads to a plethora of resources about using games in libraries. The primary focus of the materials is in using game tournaments or video game clubs to bring young adults into the library. These programs are valuable in a variety of ways, but they are really only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the ways games could be used in the library."
I find peoples hesitance funny especially when the ALA promotes game use and acknowledges it importance in gaining younger patrons. But like Adams says, the way in which the ALA promotes game use is the beginning of how video games could be utilized within the library setting. Games are fun but they can be educational as well so why not use them for patron outreach.
"A search for gaming on the American Library Association Web site (www.ala.org) leads to a plethora of resources about using games in libraries. The primary focus of the materials is in using game tournaments or video game clubs to bring young adults into the library. These programs are valuable in a variety of ways, but they are really only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the ways games could be used in the library."
I find peoples hesitance funny especially when the ALA promotes game use and acknowledges it importance in gaining younger patrons. But like Adams says, the way in which the ALA promotes game use is the beginning of how video games could be utilized within the library setting. Games are fun but they can be educational as well so why not use them for patron outreach.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Privacy and Technology
Online social networking sites and privacy: Revisiting ethical considerations for a new generation of technology by Peter Fernandez. I actually referenced this article a lot in my literture review. In this article Fernandez says, "By creating a profile on these sites, libraries also risk further legitimizing them, and encouraging users to be passive regarding their own privacy. If libraries take a comprehensive view of privacy as a core value, encouraging their users to use products that do not have the same regard for privacy should give librarians pause. Furthermore, it raises the issue of the role that libraries should play in actively promoting awareness about the privacy issues inherent to these systems." This is a situation in which Libraries are seen as an authority within the information field and if we are seen using social media then it is assumed by our patrons and others among the public that the Library Institution thinks that it is safe. This once again makes the need of Information Literacy Instruction important. When implementing a new outreach program there are going to be difficulties but it is finding a professional way in which to navigate these difficulties that matter. This use of social media not only allows libraries outreach into the community but a way to create other programs that correlate with their use.
Privacy and Generation Y
Privacy and Generation Y: Applying Library Values to Social Networking Sites by Peter Fernandez. This is also an article that I used for my literature review. In it Fernandez says, "In the digital age, potential threats to privacy have expanded, and questions of privacy must be considered in situations where confidentiality is no longer such a clear concern. Traditional statements about privacy make it clear that it would be a problem if, for instance, a patron’s confidential conversations with a librarian were being monitored without the patron’s consent within a SNS." Privacy is not something that we really think about until it is invaded. But as librarians it has always been a part of are code to make sure that people's privacy is protected. But Fernandez is right in our day and age it has become more and more difficult to protect peoples privacy. Partially due to thie persons ignorance when it comes to social networking safety but from others out with the intent to invade their privacy. It is our job to keep the information that our patrons provide us with safe and this task has become increasingly difficult with social media outreach.
Balancing Outreach and Privacy in Facebook
Balancing Outreach and Privacy in Facebook: Five Guiding Decisions Point by Peter Fernandez. This is actually an article that I used in my literature review. In no way does Fernandez say that it is easy to balance outreach and privacy but in all reality embarking on something new is never easy. He talks about how there are many people utilizing Facebook. In the article he says, "Facebook interactions raises a host of questions for libraries such as how to handle potentially hateful speech, to relatively simple things, like what to do if patrons post false, or otherwise problematic information to the site. When a library allows or encourages its patrons to contribute to any part of its site within Facebook, that information will also be tied to the patrons Facebook profile. As a result, the library has an ethical obligation to be aware of potential abuses, and determine how it want to regulate interaction that occur on its site." This quote makes me think about how in school libraries have to protect our students identities from others and that by having our patrons Facebook pages linked to ares can lead to others looking at their page. This would make the need for us to educate our patrons on privacy settings all the more important. Overall, I like this article and felt that this author had a lot of relevent things to say on the subject.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Power of Play
Percolating the Power of Play by Sarah Faye Cohen, Timothy Miner, and Laurent Nishikawa. I really enjoyed this article especially the collaboration aspect. Libraries are about outreach and by uniting with the Computer Gaming Design Program and it's students the library is now able to interact with it's patrons in a more relatable way. I highly recommend using games as a way of teaching and reinforcing a skill. Like the article says it is not an easy process to create a game that incorporates all of the Information Literacy (IL) aspects. Ultimately, one must determine which facets of IL need to be emphasized and then integrate them into the game. In the end, I believe that games are a great way of learning and I actually use them in my classroom as well.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
LibraryLaw Blog
This blog was really great I especially enjoyed reading the post from June 29, 2011 entitled "What libraries can do when they buy an ebook". My school district does not have the money currently to implement a program in which ebooks can be taken out so it was interesting to read what the legalities are of utilizing an electronic book. It makes sense that if you buy one regular copy of a book then only one patron can use it at a time. Therefore if you buy one copy of an ebook then once again only one patron should be able use that copy at a time as well. It is not worth infringing on the ebooks copy right at $750 - $30,000 per title or up to $150,000 if you did it even when you knew the rules. It is important as a librarian to keep up with the various laws that pertain to us and fair use. I think that this Blog could be very useful to me now and in the future.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Facebook in Academic Libraries
Academic Libraries, Facebook and Myspace, and Student Outreach: A Survey of Student Opinion by Ruth Sara Connell. After reading this article a few thoughts came to mind the first being the relevance of the old adage that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. Library's students are the horse and the Library's Facebook page is the water. Even though the horse has had water before doesn't mean it is going to drink it and just because the students have used Facebook before does not mean that they will use your page. But that does not mean that you should not show them the water at all. I think that asking students to like the library's page is an important advertisement tool and they may or may not do so but at least you have given the opportunity. Also this will put that nugget of knowledge that the Library has a Facebook page in their mind which they could choose to pull out that nugget at a later date. The study performed by the author did show that 57.7% of the students survey said that if the library friended them that they would accept the friend request. I thought that it was great that 42.6% of the students would be receptive to information being send through Facebook. This shows that student may be willing to utilize the Library's Facebook page if one is offered to them. Overall, a survey should be conducted of your libraries students in order to determine if this form of social media would be right for them or if they are even interested in using it.
Flickr
Flickr
I used to have a Flickr account about 5 years ago but for the life of me I could not remember my username and password. So I used the sign in through Facebook feature which was really helpful to me. I didn't realize that there are groups on Flickr that you can join and upload pictures and video to in order to collaborate with others in your career field or who have similar interests. When I used Flickr before it was for a short time during my Myspace days in college and even then I wasn't sure if it was the right site for me. I think that it boils down to the fact that Flickr is a great site to share photos and videos on in order to share them with friends and loved ones who may not be on social networking sites. This way they can still share in the experience of your adventures in life without having to become a member of a social media society that they may not have wanted any part of.
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is really an interesting site and some of the videos could actually be useful. I like how different users are like the different channels on the TV. With so many videos on the site I can see how tagging the videos and enabling them to be searchable is a key component. I also liked how people could comment on the videos and some people gave hints about interesting or funny things at a certain time stamp within the clip. The phrase, "Did you see that video on (insert video title/topic here) on YouTube?" is something that I hear all of the time. But I guess that I do not use the site as much as other people do. Every once in a while I watch an interesting video while looking at a news feed. But generally I don't have the time to look at much of the content on YouTube. Due to this the feature on YouTube that would be the most useful to me would be the browse tab which shows some of the most popular or new videos within a particular genre.
Twitpic
Twitpic
I really like the media site Twitpic and currently use it when uploading pictures and videos to Twitter. It enables you to link your Twitpic account to your Twitter account for easy upload. The site is also has a similar layout to Twitter and tells you how many photos you have uploaded as well as if you have been tagged in any. You can also view the public timeline of pictures for those that do not have any privacy settings. The privacy settings make it so that others cannot tag your photos and that they do not appear in the public timeline. Overall, I really like this program and hope to use it more in the future.
Class Divisions
Viewing American Class Divisions through Facebook and MySpace by Danah Boyd. Sometimes writing style can make or break a piece of written work and in this case the conversation feel of Danah's writing made it that much more enjoyable. This article was written about 4 years ago and I understand that their was a shift and that the "subaltern" stayed with Myspace and the "hegemonic" went to Facebook therefore creating a cultural/societal divide. But I work in a "subaltern" school district and tutor students at URI from "subaltern" homes and yet none of them know what Myspace is. My First graders have Facebook accounts because their family members do. So in my experience the status divided created between Facebook and Myspace users is becoming less and less. And if people want to exclude others on Facebook then they can do that just as easily through privacy setting, not accepting friend requests, and unfriending someone. Facebook can now be like any other societal click we don't need Myspace to be the bad guy anymore because Facebook can serve the role of good, bad and indifferent for everyone.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Use of Facebook in Academic Medical Libraries
Use of Facebook in Academic Health Sciences Libraries by Dean Henfrix, Deborah Chiarella, Linda Hasman, Sharon Murphy, and Michelle Zafron. I was surprised that only 9 out of the 72 medical libraries surveyed maintained Facebook pages. I think that sometimes I forget that not everyone is dialed into the Social Media Society. But I felt unnerved by the fact that those 9 libraries were not very confidant in their pages ability to succeed or continue. I understand that implementing a new component to the Library can be dificult but it should also only be implemented if there is a need for it. I agree with the articles conclusion that there is not really enough data with this small of a response to determine the most used aspects of Facebook within Medical Academic Libraries. As a librarian I can see how it might be difficult to use various aspects of social media with such a specialized library field.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
New-Gen Catalog
New Generation of Catalogues of the new generation of users: A Comparison of Six Library Catalogues by Tanja Mercun and Maja Zumer.
The authors talk about the New Generation of Catalogs creation by incorporating the movements that are a part of Web 2.0. I think that within many Library Catalogs there is room for improvement and that some Web 2.0 aspects could be successfully integrated but some aspects might be more difficult to implement. I actually like the idea of including comments for materials because it will make the experience more interactive. It also gives the patron another factor in determining if this is the right book or journal for them and their needs. I'm not really sure if I like the idea of the audio version of the review because it might seem to difficult to some patrons causing them not to do it. One of the major things about implementing Web 2.0 aspects is whether or not patrons are going to participate in them. If patrons are not utilizing these aspects then it makes its addition to the catalog moot. That is why it is important to do research to determine what your patrons will actually contribute to and use. Then add those aspects to the Catalog while also improving other aspects of the catalog that may need it as well.
The authors talk about the New Generation of Catalogs creation by incorporating the movements that are a part of Web 2.0. I think that within many Library Catalogs there is room for improvement and that some Web 2.0 aspects could be successfully integrated but some aspects might be more difficult to implement. I actually like the idea of including comments for materials because it will make the experience more interactive. It also gives the patron another factor in determining if this is the right book or journal for them and their needs. I'm not really sure if I like the idea of the audio version of the review because it might seem to difficult to some patrons causing them not to do it. One of the major things about implementing Web 2.0 aspects is whether or not patrons are going to participate in them. If patrons are not utilizing these aspects then it makes its addition to the catalog moot. That is why it is important to do research to determine what your patrons will actually contribute to and use. Then add those aspects to the Catalog while also improving other aspects of the catalog that may need it as well.
21st Century
I really liked reading, Toward a Twenty-first Century Library Catalog by Kristin Antelman, Emily Lynema, and Andrew K. Pace. I enjoyed the brief history of Library Catalogs that they included at the beginning of the article this helped me to further understand the progression that NCSU Libraries took in implementing the Endeca Catalog. This article made me see that their are a whole lot more aspects to creating a Twenty-first century Library Catalog than I thought. I guess that is why teams are created in order to think off all of the various aspects that must go into this. Especially, the searching portion and the multitude of ways in which someone can search and have their results connected together. Adding the browse aspect was especially smart because I personally like to browse within a section when at the library or book store. So being able to do that while searching within the libraries collection is a great asset. Personally, any library catalog that makes it easier for our patrons to access our materials is important. But the need for improvement is always there to create more user friendly material retrieval. In the world of tagging is might make this harder because people will come up with their own terminology that may not jive within the catalog system. It is important for us as Catalog creators to link the user to related terms and similar searches within their parameters. I think that the Endeca Catalog use at the NCSU Libraries is a great step towards better accessibility and 21st Century Library Catalogs.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Social Tagging
Upon reading Social Tagging as a Knowledge Organization and Resource Discovery Tool by Hesham Allam I thought why didn't I read this article first. It made so much more sense than Wichowski's Folksonomies article and now in retrospect has helped me to understand that Wichowski's article a little bit better although still not completely. I like how Hesham Allam broke down the different aspects of social tagging. I understood the concept of Tag Clouds but TagMaps was new to me and without looking a the picture, which for visual learners is important, I understood what it was and how it worked. In the article he talks about how people tag for two reasons either for themselves or for others. When you tag for yourself its so that you can find what you want easier or for others so that other peoples information will be easier for everyone to find. The motivations behind tagging are that the tags are better and more consistent when the tagger thinks that other people are viewing them than when they do them for themselves. But once again like the other articles said there are pros and cons to social tagging. Tagging applications may broaden horizons but then the uncontrolled use of tag vocabulary can also make some information more difficult to find. Social Tagging gives its users the ability to control their world and offers the user organizational freedoms that traditional tools have not done previously. Personally, I like social tagging because it gives me the opportunity to place things within categories that make sense to me. My mind connects colors to topics as well as words but I try to avoid color coding when tagging because then I wouldn't be tagging for others.
CiteULike
Delicious
Tag Gardening
Tag Gardening for Folksonomy Enrichment and Maintenance by Isabella Peters and Katrin Weller. This article really helped to clarify what Folksonomies are and I really loved the gardening analogy used through out. The weeding process within Tag Gardening is really important because when tags are misspelled or inappropriate it becomes difficult to link the content to similar content within the community. The need for specific tags is the equivalent to a Boolean search on google so that we get more specific search results instead of a large list of search results. By linking synonyms and pulling homonyms apart into their own categories it helps to create trails within the tagging world to follow. It may be difficult to control the tags that people use but with any new gain their can also be a few losses. But I feel that the gardening techniques used in this article give use the opportunity to improve our tags. Power Tags are like the main subject heading that encompasses the use of the other tags within a persons tagging personomy. So if I have a tag about dogs then others about certain types of dogs then dogs would be the power tag and the types of dogs would be the subfield. Newer programs are giving our personomy a chance to be used across various platforms. TagCare imports all of our own tags so that they can be used elsewhere it will also let us know if we are using certain tags to often meaning that those tags have become to broad and should be changed. So in a way the TagCare program is helping with part of the Tag Gardening process. But it is up to us as users to keep the "flowers" healthy and organized through the gardening process.
LibraryThing
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Folksonomies
Survival of the Fittest Tag: Folksonomies, Findability, and the Evolution of Information Organization by Alexis Wichowski. After reading this article I actually feel a bit confused about Folksonomies and what it entails. Maybe it was the authors writing style or choice of wording but I am kind of a little lost. Which I think is the key point of Folksonomies to tag information or give it a category in order for it to be found later. It reminds me of the Dewey Decimal System in that books with similar topics are grouped together so that they are easier to find. The article refers to our old way of organization as a tree and that Folksonomies rakes all of the fallen leaves together. I like the idea of giving forgotten or lost information a chance to be rediscovered. Folksonomies then is like the Indiana Jones of the Digital World. Except without the temple of doom or crystal skulls.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Free Culture: The Future of Creativity, Collaboration, and Knowledge Video
Elizabeth Stark of Yale University gave this lecture in March of 2010. Intellectual Property is talked about first and how the idea of property is usually a tangible thing but in the digital age it has changed. Copyright is how people make sure that the things that are their Intellectual Property cannot be taken and used by others. But once the copyright expires then it becomes a part of the Public Domain for all to use and access. Yet as our foray into the Digital World continues our ideas behind copyright are reforming because information sharing has become easier. The sharing of thoughts and ideas has become a public consumption process through the use of collaborative technologies like Blogs, Wikis, Google Docs, and Peer to Peer (P2P) file sharing. Digital Media has given us the chance to be a part of something and work with others no matter where they are in the world. This gives us the power to spread our message throughout the various media strands therefore reaching everyone on a larger scale than we have been able to do before. But those that use other peoples copyrighted digital work are still considered by some to be stealing. So they began Digital Rights Management (DRM) to prevent others from sharing someones work without permission. Fair use enable us to take parts of a piece of copyright work and use them for education, parody, criticism, research and commentary without having to ask permission. But in today's day and age people are creating open source materials for everyone to use, share, and modify as they see fit. It has become harder to put restrictions on the Digital World and our ability to collaborate and share what we have created with others.
Designing and Developing Mobile Web Sites
Tips on Designing and Developing Mobile Web Sites by Kim Griggs, Laurie M. Bridges, and Hannah Gascho Rempel is a interesting article on how to make sites accessible on mobile devices. Writing code for a mobile site is not an easy task but the authors give some great suggestions and include examples of usable coding. I like how they were creative in their testing by going to a T-Mobile store and using their phones to make sure that the mobile site could be accessed on a multitude of phones. But since this is not a feasible plan for everyone who creates a mobile site to do they included some testers that could be used such as MobileOK or MobiReady. Testing is an important part of the mobile development process and the authors feel that these testers are good but they do not compare to actually testing the site on various phones. This is where the need for feedback from those using the site can become vitally important. Not only should we want to know what other features they would like to see added to the site but also about any loading problems and conflicts that they may encounter. The list of design tips for the small screen were quite useful. From the list I determined this analogy, Traditional Sites are to Mobile Sites as Facebook Posts are to Twitter Tweets. One has to determine the content that is the most important and then they need to cut out or alter aspects in order to get their point across. In the case of the Mobile Site the creator must make the information accessible on a variety of phone platforms while also making it easy to navigate.
Personally, I like the idea of and using mobile sites. Most of the time they are just a condensed version of the traditional site containing the information I usually would like to obtain at that time. I'm not really sure that I would want to be able to access a reference database from a libraries mobile site. This is because most mobile devices such as smart phones have small screens in which to read the article. But overall this has become a fast paced world and having the power to gain information from the palm of your hand has become the new norm.
Personally, I like the idea of and using mobile sites. Most of the time they are just a condensed version of the traditional site containing the information I usually would like to obtain at that time. I'm not really sure that I would want to be able to access a reference database from a libraries mobile site. This is because most mobile devices such as smart phones have small screens in which to read the article. But overall this has become a fast paced world and having the power to gain information from the palm of your hand has become the new norm.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
Tips for Writing Facebook and Twitter Updates by Kivi Eroux Miller was really interesting but a little short. I liked how she broke down using Facebook and Twitter into 3 categories Do, Think, and Feel something. These are the 3 things that we want or viewers to to do. Personally, I use these 2 forms of social media mostly to inform people which would be considered Think and sometimes to make them Feel. I do not usually try to get them to Do something. The 3 G's which are be Genuine, Generous, and Grateful I feel are important no matter which form of social media one is using. Showing people who you are and what you believe in is an integral part of social media. It's important to give credit where it is do and to those that have helped you along the way. I thought that her special notes on both Facebook and Twitter were really important aspects to consider. In the case of Twitter it can be difficult to get all that you want to say into 140 characters or less. It takes practice to do so and shortening URL's and using hashtags can help achieve all that you want to say. As for Facebook you are allowed to write as much as you want but who really wants to read a post the length of a book. The saying of keeping it short but sweet is around for a reason. Social Media especially Facebook and Twitter are a new way of communicating and in some ways has it own language. Yet with any new language it has a bit of a learning curve but through emersion it will be easier to learn.
Twitter: 5 I Follow and Why
1. Joyce Valenza: @joycevalenza
I chose to follow Joyce after seeing her lecture at the 2011 REIMA Conference. I really liked her views on technology integration into the library. She also was the one that inspired me to join Twitter in the first place.
2. Mashable / Peter Cashmore: @mashable
Following these tweets have kept me up to date on all of the new social media and technology information out there. I have learned about new Twitter features as well as how to embed almost anything into my blog. Here is the link so that you can learn how to embed things as well. Embedding!
3. ALA Tech Source: @ala_tech source
Choosing the American Library Associations twitter on technology sources was a no brainer. I thought it would be a good idea to keep up with what they thought were innovations within the library media fields use of technology.
4. Digital Media and Learning Research Hub: @dmlcentral
I chose this one by looking at the things that other Library Media Specialists were following. Once I started following DML I realized it had some great insights and data on things that I was interested in.
5. Women's Health Magazine: @womenshealthmag
I don't just follow things related to my career but my other interests as well. I think that health and fitness are really important so I follow Women's Health because is gives great fitness tips and healthy but delicious food recipes.
I chose to follow Joyce after seeing her lecture at the 2011 REIMA Conference. I really liked her views on technology integration into the library. She also was the one that inspired me to join Twitter in the first place.
2. Mashable / Peter Cashmore: @mashable
Following these tweets have kept me up to date on all of the new social media and technology information out there. I have learned about new Twitter features as well as how to embed almost anything into my blog. Here is the link so that you can learn how to embed things as well. Embedding!
3. ALA Tech Source: @ala_tech source
Choosing the American Library Associations twitter on technology sources was a no brainer. I thought it would be a good idea to keep up with what they thought were innovations within the library media fields use of technology.
4. Digital Media and Learning Research Hub: @dmlcentral
I chose this one by looking at the things that other Library Media Specialists were following. Once I started following DML I realized it had some great insights and data on things that I was interested in.
5. Women's Health Magazine: @womenshealthmag
I don't just follow things related to my career but my other interests as well. I think that health and fitness are really important so I follow Women's Health because is gives great fitness tips and healthy but delicious food recipes.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
10 Privacy Setting Every Facebook User Should Know
I found this article on Facebook Privacy Settings really helpful because I thought that I had my Facebook privacy settings as tight as they could possibly go. But I realized through this article that there are still a few places in which I could still sinch them in. Once of the privacy settings I would definitely recommend is removing yourself from search results both within Facebook and on Google. This is a setting that I previously enacted myself because my students were searching for me on Facebook then sending me friend requests. So I used this privacy feature in order to prevent any further student requests and subsequent denials. One of the settings that I didn't know about was that you could block photos tagged of you from others viewing. I think that is a great privacy element considering that everyone has their bad photo moments. Personally, I have a few pictures that I'm taggged in where I look drunk which is funny considering that I do not drink anymore. I guess that I just have the wonderful ability to blink mid picture a lot. But overall I think that the biggest privacy setting is ones own ability to filter the content that you put out their for public Consumption. If you only want a select few people to read or view something then maybe it shouldn't be posted at all.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Debbie Weil's Blog
Debbie Weil's Blog thoughts in her post entitled Why Repetition is In and Blogging is Back really rang true for me. Her reference to Blogs being longform writing is true. Blogs are a continuous stream of thoughts and ideas that can be edited, modified, and search by others. Whereas statuses and tweets on Facebook and Twitter are an ephemeral things to be forgotten. I personally worry more about what I write in my Blog than what I post on Facebook or Twitter. This is because in a few seconds the blurb I wrote will be at the bottom of the list of all the other tweets and statuses someone receives. But my Blog is there to inform and I want what I write to be appealing to my readers as well as the Blog itself to be aesthetically pleasing. Blogging is like writting another page to a never ending book every time you post.
New Social Media Revolution 2011 Video
I follow Erik Qualman on Twitter and he tweeted a link to a newly created Social Media Revolution 2011 video. I posted it here in case any of you are interested in viewing it.
Blogs, Mashups, and Wikis: Tim O'Reilly's Blog O'Reilly Radar
I really liked this post by Tim even though it is almost a year old. Points of Control: The Web 2.0 Summit Map talks about and shows a wonderful interactive map highlighting all of the Internet bigwigs and their strategic moves. The map makes me think of my 8th grade Social Studies teacher and how he made us draw and redraw the European countries boundaries every time one invaded another during World War I and II. But business is a very strategic game like chess it is especially important to think this way with something as ever changing as the Internet. One needs to think two moves ahead of your competitors at all times. As one begins a foray into a new or less frequently explored aspect another company must either keep up or try to move past them. He even talks about Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Google adding features in order to keep up with on another. I recently read how Twitter is adding its own photo-sharing as well as video and pictures to searching. Now previously used photo-sharing like Twitpics will have to adapt and add new features or be left by the wayside. The names used for the places that these companies are trying to rule on the map are quite clever and funny. For instance; Land of Search, Union of Social Networks, Tropical of Bit Torrents, The Platform Plateau, and my favorite Land of Identity. This post with its interactive map really helped me to better understand the Web 2.0 landscape. It's a WAR out there!
Blogs, Mashups and Wikis: Robert Scoble's Blog Scobleizer
On Robert Scoble's Blog he had many interesting posts but the one that caught my eye was about the new Sony Bloggie 3D which is a pocket camera/camcorder. Many people use cameras like these in educational settings and for video blogging. The reason why this got my attention is that so far in my educational circles the pocket camera of choice has been the Flip by Cisco but unfortunately they will be discontinuing them. So being able to recommend another option to my fellow teachers is an important aspect of what I do as an LMS. The Robert's post basically reiterated what I had previously thought about 3D in that is is great to watch but is it worth spending the extra money. Also how many people actually have 3D glasses and TVs at home already to watch their newly created 3D videos. Personally, 3D makes me feel a little queasy and if I did use this on my blog how many of my views would be able to see it in 3D. After reading this I had the same conclusion as the author that the Sony Bloggie 3D is a little ahead of its time. Then I began some more research on pocket cameras. I found out that Sony makes a Bloggie Touch (no 3D aspect) which seems to be the front runner within its genre. It had the clearest picture in both video and still format while being compatible with both Mac and PC. Videos and Pictures could be uploaded to various social media sites as well to your computer through a built in USB port. But the draw back to almost every pocket camera I read about is that they don't have a flash so their abilities in low light situations are not very good. If I buy a $200 camera I want it to work in any situation especially if all they need to do is add a flash. Overall, the pocket camera is not really a replacement for a traditional camera or a camcorder. But if your students are doing well lit presentations and you need to toggle between still and video then a pocket camera might be the right fit for a classroom setting.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Embracing a Culture of Connectivity by Danah Boyd
This video of Danah Boyd's lecture talks about how young people use social media. I thought that it was interesting how their social media world serves as a microcosm or macrocosm depending on social media importance to them for their real social life. Young people felt that you were expected to be a part of a social network and that if you weren't then you were not a part of the social scene. The way that they present their social site is a way of showing people who they are and what they care about. This is conveyed through the images that they post, their conversations, and the friends that they have. But in some instances the pubic face that they put on is a show in order to fit it. But this can happen in any young persons life whether or not they are on a social network. Social networks have also changed the way in which young adults view the idea of privacy. They seem to think that by posting something in public on a social networking site that it somehow will still remain private. This is where their need to have the ability to choose what they want public and what should remain private needs to come into play.
She also talks about using Social Networks in the education system. She says that we shouldn't expect students to be capable of doing something on Social Media that we are not willing or able to do ourselves. As teachers we need to determine where the lines between personal and professional relationships with our students are within social networks and where they are blurred.
I found the information within this video to be very useful because it will help me to tailor my libraries social media aspects to my students by better understanding where they are coming from as social media users.
The Networked Librarian by Lee Rainie
In viewing this lecture by Lee Rainie I learned a lot of new terms and statistics about social media. The term I enjoyed the most was Tweckle which the definition is to abuse a speaker to twitter followers in the audience while he/she is speaking. In other words to tweckle is to heckle through Twitter. I had to replay that part a few times and it made me laugh because I always ask my students at the end of a lesson if they have any question, comments, concerns, or heckling. The term social posse was also new to me in which people are assemble like a flash mob but through social networking in order to perform a job. I can see how this can be useful in the case of find people that are lost or have been kidnapped. But the potential for personal information to be compromised is highly probable and could lead to legal issues. The terms 4th estate and 5th estate made me think of new and old media. The 4th estate is the old media created by professionals in which facts are checked before becoming viable for public consumption. Whereas the 5th estate is the new media in that any persons stream of consciousness or word vomit as I like to call it can be published for all to read at any given moment.
The statistics that I enjoyed they most were these:
- 48% of Adults say that relevance and digital literacy are their reasons for not going online
- 48% of Americans are on Social Networks
- 57% of Adults connect to the internet wirelessly
- 1 in 4 Adults use Apps
- 35% of Americans have Apps on there phone
- 24% of Americans actually use Apps
- 61% of those ages 14-24 use Social Networking added by Libraries for School
- 63% of Americans used Library Connections to help others
Library 2.0: Revolution or Evolution? by Tom Kwanya
I really enjoyed reading this article because the author did a fantastic job laying out the arguments for Library 2.0 being a evolution, revolution, or neither. The argument for it being an evolution makes sense in that utilizing the technologies available to us is something that Libraries have been doing though out time. So in short it is the idea that the use of these technologies was just a part of the natural progression the the Library. Whereas the argument for Library 2.0 being a Revolution is that we are moving past the Librarian and patron interaction to a Librarian to patron or patron to patron interaction in which we build a library community through social media. This expands Libraries past our traditional uses for technology into a whole new avenue which is a Revolutionary act. I think that the neither section of the article should have been a both section. Library 2.0 can be deemed both evolutionary and revolutionary depending on how the Library is using the technologies available to them. If they are used to continue the traditional aspects of communication but in a web based format then it is a evolution though all be it now behind the times. But when the technology is being used to create a whole new aspect of the library system that is interactive with its users in which they can become creators is a revolutionary act. Personally, I think that the use of social media in Library 2.0 is a Revolutionary act because we are not just creating a webpage but an interactive library community.
Experts Weigh Pros and Cons of Social Media by Sandra Ordonez
As with anything their are Pros and Cons and the case of Social Media is no exception. The Pros are that it is enabling us as a society to interact with others in a new way. It has given people the chance to expand their horizons and view aspects of the world that they may not have been able to before. Information is reported as soon as it happens which keeps everyone in the know. But Matt Hickley, assistant dean for journalism and student media at Richland College, makes a great point in the article. He says, "Too much information bouncing around at the speed of thought leads to too much information erroneously being 'reported' or accepted as 'fact.' This has only accelerated the pressure to be 'first,' often at the expense of being 'right.'" Its this need to get their first that creates a lack of confirmation of information and sources which can lead to misinformation. This is where it becomes important for people to be able to determine if their sources of information are reliable. With the saturation of social Media sites it can be hard to determine where fact and opinion begin and end. Even though their are many more pros and cons that I have not mentioned I feel that they even each other out and make Social Media a worthwhile endeavor.
New Media, Old Media
The article on How Blogs and Social Media Agendas Relate and Differ from the Tradtional Press is a great compare and contrast between our newer forms of Social Media to our older print or Traditional Press incarnations. After reading this article it became clear to me that Social Media is in no way replacing the traditional press in content. It is just supplementing the Traditional Press by focusing on what the various users of that particular type of Social Media are interested in. Social Media platforms take on the collective personality of it's users. Twitter is instantaneous and tends to focus on technological news and information. Blogs may tend to overlap with the Traditional Press more often than other forms of Social Media but still not enough to forgo the Traditional Press avenue all together. But if we have specific interests then choosing the news outlet that is tailored to your needs whether it is through Social Media or Tradional Press is of your own choosing. In closing, I think that both new and old medias have a place because they will provide an all encompassing view of the world and the news relating to it.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Library 2.0, Information and Digital Literacies in the Light of the Contradictory Nature of Web 2.0 by Tibor Koltay
After reading this article I have come to this determination. That as Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 expands it becomes even more important for Information and Digital Literacies programs for our patrons. The Web 2.0 movement has enable people to create for fun their own personal piece of social media in which they do not have to be concerned with the who, what, why, when, and where of it all. They are able to post whatever they want with little to know filtering and verification. This is where Library 2.0 initiatives become more important in aiding the understanding of what is reliable and what is not. When we as Librarians create a Library 2.0 program it is more professional because their are many questions that need to be asked and answered before it is implemented.
For Example:
- What type of Library?
- Who are our patrons?
- What are their needs?
- What is the purpose of creating this Library 2.0 aspect?
- What for of media will be used?
- How will this be connected to the Library and its patrons?
- Do the patrons have the knowledge / ability to utilize this?
The Terrible Twos: Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and More by Greg R. Notess
Reading this article has helped to solidify my growing suspicions about Web 2.0 and the various incarnations thereof. I have always felt that the terminology of anything 2.0 was based solely on the person using it and in the article the author talks about how the term means many things and doesn't seem to have a nailed down definition. This lack of concrete designation makes the picture of anything 2.0 a little fuzzy but that is what enables it to flow and grow without the boundaries of something finite. Personally, I feel that when something falls under the moniker of 2.0 that someone is using the technologies available to them to further their outreach specifically through an interactive digital footprint. In the case of libraries it is about expanding past the confines of a building, collection, and hour of operation into our patrons social space in order to keep us relevant and connected. This will let our patrons know that libraries will always be expanding, changing, and interacting with them through a multitude of technological avenues. In short, I think that this article helped me to determine what Web and Library 2.0 mean to me and how I am going to continue to strive towards it.
Social Media Revolution 2 Video
I really enjoyed viewing this video. After seeing it I visited the Socialnomics website and I'm even considering buying the book to read. At the beginning it asks us if social media is just a fad or is it a revolution. Through out the video the statistics about social media use become so staggering that I CHALLENGE you to deny that social media is truly a revolution for the digital age. Considering that most social media have more users than some countries populations I think that they would line up behind me to knock some sense into you.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Suggestions on Twitter Followings
I love technology and have found that Twitter is one of the best places to keep up to date on what is going in our ever changing technological society. So here are a few of the people, companies, and sites that I follow in order to be an LMS in the know.
Technology:
TechCrunch
Googletech
googledocs
dmlcentral
edtechtalk
TechCrunch
Googletech
googledocs
dmlcentral
edtechtalk
Library Media:
ALA_Booklist
ALA_Techsource
gwynethjones
buffyjhamilton
joycevalenza
ALA_Booklist
ALA_Techsource
gwynethjones
buffyjhamilton
joycevalenza
Education:
edublogs
Discoveryed
Educationweek
edutopia
Collaborize
Currently Reading
Non-Fiction:
Tribes by Seth Godin
Fiction:
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
* Click on the book cover to go the Author's Website
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