Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Reading Report #4
Can WIKIPEDIA Ever Make the Grade?
Wikipedia is a highly controversial website that contains editied information on millions of topics. It is basically a free encyclopedia with articles that have been contributed and collaborated together since 2001. Larry Sanger and Jimmy Wales are the founders of Wikipedia. It has had a bad reputation among professors and teachers who mostly refuse to let students use it as a research tool. Altough many articles and information is credible, anyone can edit the information and it might have no proof of expertise. Mr. Halavais did an experiment where he got onto Wikipedia and slipped in 13 errors into various articles. He assumed his nonsense wouldn't be checked or changed but much to his dismay, even his most believable lies had been deleted thanks to the Wikipedia editors who reguraly check the recently updated entries. Mr. Halavais was impressed witht he site and the fact that they caught his mistakes. However, most people still dismiss the notion that Wikipedia is actually a credible website. The encyclopedia continues to grow and many scholars contribute articles to the collection. However, the numbers aren't what make it a sucess, it has to be the quality. An incident that was damaging to Wikipedia's reputation dealt with Mr. Seigenthaler who noticed an entry that claimed he was responsible for something he wasn't. He called Wikipedia a "flawed and irresponsible research tool". However Wikipedia is working hard to make sure that everything stays clean and that the highest traffic areas are the most revised. Up against Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia stands it's ground. Many scholars have deemed Wikipedia as a good and relevant site but there will always be doubts when it can be edited by anyone. Wikipedia is fighting back strong and growing at an enormous rate. It isn't going anywhere, that is for sure.
I am a big fan of Wikipedia. I love the easiness and availability of the information on there. I can type something into google and up pops a link to Wikipedia which always seems organized and easy to read. I can almost always find what I am looking for on Wikipedia. I might trust it too much sometimes, but I would like to think that the information is valuable and true. If it is a topic that I am unsure about or don't know a lot about, then I probably wouldn't use Wikipedia to find more information. I would refer to a more credible site that has facts about what I am looking for. However, Wikipedia is set up in a user friendly manner and I like the bold headings that make it easy to search.
Wikipedia is a highly controversial website that contains editied information on millions of topics. It is basically a free encyclopedia with articles that have been contributed and collaborated together since 2001. Larry Sanger and Jimmy Wales are the founders of Wikipedia. It has had a bad reputation among professors and teachers who mostly refuse to let students use it as a research tool. Altough many articles and information is credible, anyone can edit the information and it might have no proof of expertise. Mr. Halavais did an experiment where he got onto Wikipedia and slipped in 13 errors into various articles. He assumed his nonsense wouldn't be checked or changed but much to his dismay, even his most believable lies had been deleted thanks to the Wikipedia editors who reguraly check the recently updated entries. Mr. Halavais was impressed witht he site and the fact that they caught his mistakes. However, most people still dismiss the notion that Wikipedia is actually a credible website. The encyclopedia continues to grow and many scholars contribute articles to the collection. However, the numbers aren't what make it a sucess, it has to be the quality. An incident that was damaging to Wikipedia's reputation dealt with Mr. Seigenthaler who noticed an entry that claimed he was responsible for something he wasn't. He called Wikipedia a "flawed and irresponsible research tool". However Wikipedia is working hard to make sure that everything stays clean and that the highest traffic areas are the most revised. Up against Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia stands it's ground. Many scholars have deemed Wikipedia as a good and relevant site but there will always be doubts when it can be edited by anyone. Wikipedia is fighting back strong and growing at an enormous rate. It isn't going anywhere, that is for sure.
I am a big fan of Wikipedia. I love the easiness and availability of the information on there. I can type something into google and up pops a link to Wikipedia which always seems organized and easy to read. I can almost always find what I am looking for on Wikipedia. I might trust it too much sometimes, but I would like to think that the information is valuable and true. If it is a topic that I am unsure about or don't know a lot about, then I probably wouldn't use Wikipedia to find more information. I would refer to a more credible site that has facts about what I am looking for. However, Wikipedia is set up in a user friendly manner and I like the bold headings that make it easy to search.
Monday, October 20, 2008
News Report #5
"Bargain buyers in for literary smorgasbord at Salt Lake City Main Library"
By Heather May The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 10/20/2008 06:48:58 AM MDT
http://www.sltrib.com/entertainment/ci_10765678
The Salt Lake City library has a bargain book for everyone. From cookbooks and sports records to novels and do it yourself books, the semiannual used-book sale is in the basement of the library which is stacked with damaged or outdated books, magazines, VHS and cassette tapes that no longer have a place within the library. Friends of the Library's are put on this books sale twice a year and it is a great way for books to find a new home at a great price. During these hard economic times, people don't feel guilty for buying a hardback book for fifty cents or a paperback for a quarter. The books sales have raised 90,000 dollars for the city's six libraries along with the sales from transactions online and at the gift shop in the library. People skip their lunch during their lunch hour and come fill up shopping carts full of books. Joyce Carleton quotes,"This is one of the most marvelous things the library can do: Share the knowledge at a reasonable price."
Many people who were interviewed found the perfect book for themselves or their friends and family. Children books, foreign language books, and traveling books are all great finds with such a cheap price. It makes people feel good to buy a lot of books and not spend a lot of money. Reading is always a great way to learn new things. Even older movies like "Dirty Dancing" were among the VHS tapes that were a big grab.Teachers from schools come to buy books for their classroom even if they are outdated. History never goes out of date and as long as they aren't falling apart, it is worth the buy.
I think that this is a great way to recycle used books. Book sales are always a big hit, especially among the avid readers and for parents that want to read their children books. Books can be very expensive and sometimes it isn't worth spending fifteen dollars on a children's book that will only be used a few times. It is also a great thing for teacher's who don't have a lot of money to spend on books for the classroom. Like the article said, history never goes out of date and it is a very important thing to learn about. I love finding a bargain and I think in hard times like this, it is a great way to save money and still spend a little to get what you want.
By Heather May The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 10/20/2008 06:48:58 AM MDT
http://www.sltrib.com/entertainment/ci_10765678
The Salt Lake City library has a bargain book for everyone. From cookbooks and sports records to novels and do it yourself books, the semiannual used-book sale is in the basement of the library which is stacked with damaged or outdated books, magazines, VHS and cassette tapes that no longer have a place within the library. Friends of the Library's are put on this books sale twice a year and it is a great way for books to find a new home at a great price. During these hard economic times, people don't feel guilty for buying a hardback book for fifty cents or a paperback for a quarter. The books sales have raised 90,000 dollars for the city's six libraries along with the sales from transactions online and at the gift shop in the library. People skip their lunch during their lunch hour and come fill up shopping carts full of books. Joyce Carleton quotes,"This is one of the most marvelous things the library can do: Share the knowledge at a reasonable price."
Many people who were interviewed found the perfect book for themselves or their friends and family. Children books, foreign language books, and traveling books are all great finds with such a cheap price. It makes people feel good to buy a lot of books and not spend a lot of money. Reading is always a great way to learn new things. Even older movies like "Dirty Dancing" were among the VHS tapes that were a big grab.Teachers from schools come to buy books for their classroom even if they are outdated. History never goes out of date and as long as they aren't falling apart, it is worth the buy.
I think that this is a great way to recycle used books. Book sales are always a big hit, especially among the avid readers and for parents that want to read their children books. Books can be very expensive and sometimes it isn't worth spending fifteen dollars on a children's book that will only be used a few times. It is also a great thing for teacher's who don't have a lot of money to spend on books for the classroom. Like the article said, history never goes out of date and it is a very important thing to learn about. I love finding a bargain and I think in hard times like this, it is a great way to save money and still spend a little to get what you want.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Reading #3
The major goal of libraries is to get students to move from infobesity to infodieting. Google is deemed as an easy and effective way to get information for most college students who are researching information. However, most of the information can be overwhelming and not significant, therefore libraries offer an "appetizing" alternative. Academic libraries are trying to work together and encourage students to use their online databases for searching for information rather than google or just the internet. Some of the information posted on the web can be misleading or even unture, whereas online journal databases offered by academic libraries are reviewed and published, therefore they are much more reliable. Information literacy is a big part of schools right now. Teachers and librarians are pushing hard to get students to realize what they need to be looking for and how to find it. Most students can be lazy and just use information that they find first. Libraries and teachers however think that finding information should be a task and it should not be as easy as just typing it into google. True research takes time and effort to find exactly what you are looking for. Libraries are doing their best to offer students services that will encourage them to use their resources rather than google.
As a college student, I know how easy it is to want to type something in google and use it. However, when I am writing papers or doing extensive research, I go straight to the online databases that the library offers. Most teachers don't even let you use online websites as a source in papers or projects. Some websites can be misleading or untrue and then you have wrong information in your papers. Most of our lives revolve around not having enough energy or time to sift through tons of information to find what we are looking for. However, that is why libraries are working hard to make their resources effective and easy to use.
As a college student, I know how easy it is to want to type something in google and use it. However, when I am writing papers or doing extensive research, I go straight to the online databases that the library offers. Most teachers don't even let you use online websites as a source in papers or projects. Some websites can be misleading or untrue and then you have wrong information in your papers. Most of our lives revolve around not having enough energy or time to sift through tons of information to find what we are looking for. However, that is why libraries are working hard to make their resources effective and easy to use.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
News Report #4
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2008/09/22/daily20.html
The approval for a planetarium on top of the Minneapolis Central Library in Minnesota has taken affect. The Hennepin County Board approved the project that would take up 38,000 square feet of space on the fifth and sixth floors of the library. About 11,000 square feet would be just for public displays and exhibits which will promote the library’s most popular and valuable items. There will also be a 200 seat domed theater which will be used for educational and recreational purposes. Not only that, but there will also be numerous attractions for the local students and general public that will occupy the library. This project will be very expensive costing over 40 million dollars. Some of the project’s funding will come from the state of Minnesota who has already committed 22 million dollars towards the fund. Other funding will come from the Planetarium Society which is estimated at 18.5 million dollars. The annual estimated cost to operate the Minneapolis Central Library is 2.6 million dollars a year. A spokesperson from the Planetarium society, Frank Parisi, has said that they are starting their fundraising efforts immediately. They anticipate for the county to raise about 250,000 dollars and are also hoping that the city will contribute as much as the county will. The Minneapolis City Council will vote on supporting the planetarium project by the end of the year. The county, city and Planetarium Society will likely ask for an extension which would give the Planetarium Society more time to raise money.
I think that this is a very cool idea. I have never heard of such an amazing library before. I would love to visit this library if I ever got a chance and think that it will attract a lot of the public that it didn’t before. It will create a more education environment which will be more inviting for students and the general public. I have to say that it seems like a very expensive addition to a library, but I also think that it will be beneficial in the end.
The approval for a planetarium on top of the Minneapolis Central Library in Minnesota has taken affect. The Hennepin County Board approved the project that would take up 38,000 square feet of space on the fifth and sixth floors of the library. About 11,000 square feet would be just for public displays and exhibits which will promote the library’s most popular and valuable items. There will also be a 200 seat domed theater which will be used for educational and recreational purposes. Not only that, but there will also be numerous attractions for the local students and general public that will occupy the library. This project will be very expensive costing over 40 million dollars. Some of the project’s funding will come from the state of Minnesota who has already committed 22 million dollars towards the fund. Other funding will come from the Planetarium Society which is estimated at 18.5 million dollars. The annual estimated cost to operate the Minneapolis Central Library is 2.6 million dollars a year. A spokesperson from the Planetarium society, Frank Parisi, has said that they are starting their fundraising efforts immediately. They anticipate for the county to raise about 250,000 dollars and are also hoping that the city will contribute as much as the county will. The Minneapolis City Council will vote on supporting the planetarium project by the end of the year. The county, city and Planetarium Society will likely ask for an extension which would give the Planetarium Society more time to raise money.
I think that this is a very cool idea. I have never heard of such an amazing library before. I would love to visit this library if I ever got a chance and think that it will attract a lot of the public that it didn’t before. It will create a more education environment which will be more inviting for students and the general public. I have to say that it seems like a very expensive addition to a library, but I also think that it will be beneficial in the end.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Reading Report #2
Information Navigation 101
My generation is known for our tech savvy ways and as the Net Generation. We spend hours on our cell phone(not just talking), listening to our MP3 players, updating our facebooks, and surfing the Internet. However, most of the older generations argue that we rely too much on the Internet for scholarly information. Granted Google and Wikipedia are easy to use, find, and read, electronic information is everywhere. In 1996 there were 10,000 scholarly databases online and now they exceed 18,000. Professors and librarians at colleges are encouraging students to use scholarly materials by teaching classes and going through step by step tutorials. A growing librarian led movement called "Information Literacy" is promoted to make students more likely to located and use electronic data, not straight from the Internet. Many universities are embracing information literacy. Campuses have created programs that encourage faculty and librarians to teach the students on how to find, sort, analyze, and communicate information. The American Library Association called it a necessary skill and urged schools to make it part of their curriculum.
Most of the problems with information on the Internet is that there is so much of it, it can be overwhelming. People need to be able to determine what is relevant and what isn't. There are also bogus websites that exist and nothing on them is true. Therefore by using a scholarly journal that is cited and approved, the information that a student uses will be accurate. More and more libraries and campuses are improving their Information Literacy programs and making the students, and even faculty, aware of what is out there. There are even tests that present a student with the same kind of problems you would see in college or work, and it measures students' information literacy skills. Some teachers still think that the Internet is a hassle and that it only contains lies. However, many powerful and useful pieces of information come from the Internet and whether we like it or not, this is the technology in the world we live in and we should take advantage of it.
When I took English 201 last semester, we came into the library for a day and went into the computer lab for a librarian to show us how to access scholarly journals. I already felt overwhelmed with information and journals that I didn't even want to use a book or the Internet. I actually didn't end up using an actual Internet page, but I did use the journals and articles that I searched for in the database. However, if I wasn't required to use 2 or more books as a source, I wouldn't have. I don't think that books are irrelevant, but with the plethora of information out there these days, there is no need or time for me to sit down and read a whole book on a subject that I am writing a 5 page paper on. Therefore, I find that searching for a few good articles or journals is much more time efficient and relevant. Information Literacy is very important to our generation, especially considering that every year there is more and more information put on the Internet. We need to keep up with the times an make sure that we don't fall behind as a generation. The newest generations will be much better at something else by the time that we get used to all of this.
My generation is known for our tech savvy ways and as the Net Generation. We spend hours on our cell phone(not just talking), listening to our MP3 players, updating our facebooks, and surfing the Internet. However, most of the older generations argue that we rely too much on the Internet for scholarly information. Granted Google and Wikipedia are easy to use, find, and read, electronic information is everywhere. In 1996 there were 10,000 scholarly databases online and now they exceed 18,000. Professors and librarians at colleges are encouraging students to use scholarly materials by teaching classes and going through step by step tutorials. A growing librarian led movement called "Information Literacy" is promoted to make students more likely to located and use electronic data, not straight from the Internet. Many universities are embracing information literacy. Campuses have created programs that encourage faculty and librarians to teach the students on how to find, sort, analyze, and communicate information. The American Library Association called it a necessary skill and urged schools to make it part of their curriculum.
Most of the problems with information on the Internet is that there is so much of it, it can be overwhelming. People need to be able to determine what is relevant and what isn't. There are also bogus websites that exist and nothing on them is true. Therefore by using a scholarly journal that is cited and approved, the information that a student uses will be accurate. More and more libraries and campuses are improving their Information Literacy programs and making the students, and even faculty, aware of what is out there. There are even tests that present a student with the same kind of problems you would see in college or work, and it measures students' information literacy skills. Some teachers still think that the Internet is a hassle and that it only contains lies. However, many powerful and useful pieces of information come from the Internet and whether we like it or not, this is the technology in the world we live in and we should take advantage of it.
When I took English 201 last semester, we came into the library for a day and went into the computer lab for a librarian to show us how to access scholarly journals. I already felt overwhelmed with information and journals that I didn't even want to use a book or the Internet. I actually didn't end up using an actual Internet page, but I did use the journals and articles that I searched for in the database. However, if I wasn't required to use 2 or more books as a source, I wouldn't have. I don't think that books are irrelevant, but with the plethora of information out there these days, there is no need or time for me to sit down and read a whole book on a subject that I am writing a 5 page paper on. Therefore, I find that searching for a few good articles or journals is much more time efficient and relevant. Information Literacy is very important to our generation, especially considering that every year there is more and more information put on the Internet. We need to keep up with the times an make sure that we don't fall behind as a generation. The newest generations will be much better at something else by the time that we get used to all of this.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
News Report #3
Copyright 2008 Reuters
August 29, 2008
http://www.internetnews.com/breakingnews/article.php/3768571/Google+Yahoo+Deal+On+Track+Despite+Scrutiny.htm
Google and Yahoo, two of the biggest Internet search markets, are apparently coming together with an agreement that will be an advertising partnership. According to a boomerang report, Goodle and Yahoo will proceed with the agreement by early October, despite government officials questioning. Google's Eric Schmidt says that they plan to move forward with the proposal and they are talking to the government about the process. Google has more than 60 percent of the Internet search market and Yahoo has almost 17 percent. In June the advertising partnership was decided which would allow Google to put search ads on Yahoo's site. Little has been disclosed about how the deal is structured and how the payment plans might operate. However in a recent Security and Exchange Commission fling, Google has been said to compensate Yahoo with an undisclosed percentage of its ads each month. Google may cancel the deal if gross revenue for four months drops below $83 million. This deal has raised concerns that it will give Google too much power in the online advertising market. The U.S. Justice Department launched a formal antitrust investigation earlier and attorney generals have also opened inquiries about the matter. Microsoft has also raised the issue of consumer privacy warning that the two Internet giants of their consumer data.
I think that Google and Yahoo are big enough on their own that there is no need for a joint advertising partnership. They should stay separate and hold their own to prevent confusion and more concerns from consumers and users. I don't know that much about the Internet revenues and advertising so it is hard for me to see the true benefits or consequences of this partnership but I think it sounds like a mess. However it could always lead to better relationships within the Internet market.
August 29, 2008
http://www.internetnews.com/breakingnews/article.php/3768571/Google+Yahoo+Deal+On+Track+Despite+Scrutiny.htm
Google and Yahoo, two of the biggest Internet search markets, are apparently coming together with an agreement that will be an advertising partnership. According to a boomerang report, Goodle and Yahoo will proceed with the agreement by early October, despite government officials questioning. Google's Eric Schmidt says that they plan to move forward with the proposal and they are talking to the government about the process. Google has more than 60 percent of the Internet search market and Yahoo has almost 17 percent. In June the advertising partnership was decided which would allow Google to put search ads on Yahoo's site. Little has been disclosed about how the deal is structured and how the payment plans might operate. However in a recent Security and Exchange Commission fling, Google has been said to compensate Yahoo with an undisclosed percentage of its ads each month. Google may cancel the deal if gross revenue for four months drops below $83 million. This deal has raised concerns that it will give Google too much power in the online advertising market. The U.S. Justice Department launched a formal antitrust investigation earlier and attorney generals have also opened inquiries about the matter. Microsoft has also raised the issue of consumer privacy warning that the two Internet giants of their consumer data.
I think that Google and Yahoo are big enough on their own that there is no need for a joint advertising partnership. They should stay separate and hold their own to prevent confusion and more concerns from consumers and users. I don't know that much about the Internet revenues and advertising so it is hard for me to see the true benefits or consequences of this partnership but I think it sounds like a mess. However it could always lead to better relationships within the Internet market.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)