I commented on the following blogs this week:
http://cstalkerlis2600.blogspot.com/2010/10/unit-8-html-web-authoring-software.html?showComment=1288356698253#c7683379689986512270
http://elviaarroyo.blogspot.com/2010/10/unit-8-html-and-web-authoring-software.html?showComment=1288357511359#c4743342967159737383
Friday, October 29, 2010
Week 8 Readings
w3schools.com’s “HTML Basic” and the “CSS Tutorial” are great resources. HTML is a markup language that uses tags to describe web pages. Web browsers read HTML documents and display them as the web pages we see. Tags are used in pairs at the start and end of a command, and are enclosed in angle brackets. CSS takes HTML further by defining how HTML elements should be displayed, or the format of a document, including backgrounds, fonts, links, colors, etc. CSS can be saved in external .css files; this makes it easy to change the appearance and layout of a web page, because you can edit a single file.
Webmonkey’s “HTML Cheatsheet” is another winner for getting the basics of HTML. (I am a little concerned about some the comments at the end of this document, which seem to suggest that not all the information here is valid any longer [body attributes, bold and italics, color].) Still, I’m sure there is enough here about basic tags to get one started.
And getting started seems easy enough--the tags for very basic formatting don’t seem particularly complicated. It looks like it gets a little dicey when you start to add images and tables and lists and forms. But adding color is really cool--all those different combinations of rgb values give a wide range of results. The “Quick List” at the end of w3schools.com’s HTML section is very handy--indeed, I’ve printed this out to keep as a guide.
“Beyond HTML” describes one university library’s experience in developing a content management system (CMS) for its library web guides. What struck me about this article is the importance of hiring a “web development librarian.” I wish I weren’t so unsure of myself when it comes to technology; had I more confidence in my understanding of the nuts and bolts of computers and technology, I might have chosen a different track in this program. With one course left to go, at this point, I will not do that. But for those of you just starting out, it seems that a program focused on technology is the smart thing to pursue. The web development librarian of whom this article speaks made significant improvements to the library’s web infrastructure, displaying content in a consistent way, which led to a clearly defined organizational voice and thus credibility and improved usability. And he or she did this using existing technology of in-house web development projects (as opposed to commercial or open-source options)! The end result was a CMS that provided standardization and ease of use through templates. This article really made clear to me that future librarians should direct a good portion of their education toward learning “web site information architecture and writing for the web medium.” As for me, I should devote any continuing education I pursue to this area.
Webmonkey’s “HTML Cheatsheet” is another winner for getting the basics of HTML. (I am a little concerned about some the comments at the end of this document, which seem to suggest that not all the information here is valid any longer [body attributes, bold and italics, color].) Still, I’m sure there is enough here about basic tags to get one started.
And getting started seems easy enough--the tags for very basic formatting don’t seem particularly complicated. It looks like it gets a little dicey when you start to add images and tables and lists and forms. But adding color is really cool--all those different combinations of rgb values give a wide range of results. The “Quick List” at the end of w3schools.com’s HTML section is very handy--indeed, I’ve printed this out to keep as a guide.
“Beyond HTML” describes one university library’s experience in developing a content management system (CMS) for its library web guides. What struck me about this article is the importance of hiring a “web development librarian.” I wish I weren’t so unsure of myself when it comes to technology; had I more confidence in my understanding of the nuts and bolts of computers and technology, I might have chosen a different track in this program. With one course left to go, at this point, I will not do that. But for those of you just starting out, it seems that a program focused on technology is the smart thing to pursue. The web development librarian of whom this article speaks made significant improvements to the library’s web infrastructure, displaying content in a consistent way, which led to a clearly defined organizational voice and thus credibility and improved usability. And he or she did this using existing technology of in-house web development projects (as opposed to commercial or open-source options)! The end result was a CMS that provided standardization and ease of use through templates. This article really made clear to me that future librarians should direct a good portion of their education toward learning “web site information architecture and writing for the web medium.” As for me, I should devote any continuing education I pursue to this area.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Week 7 Muddiest Points
How does one ensure that an email message is encrypted? Are messages automatically encrypted, or is there a setting you have to change in your email program?
Do cookies make one's computer vulnerable to spam or viruses? Or are they just a privacy concern? (Doesn't Ad-Aware get rid of cookies? I kind of remember that. Or maybe it's Spybot?) Are cookies something to be concerned about?
Do cookies make one's computer vulnerable to spam or viruses? Or are they just a privacy concern? (Doesn't Ad-Aware get rid of cookies? I kind of remember that. Or maybe it's Spybot?) Are cookies something to be concerned about?
Friday, October 22, 2010
Assignment 4 - Google Scholar, Zotero, and CiteULike
Here is the link to my CiteULike library:
http://www.citeulike.org/user/magpie2600
The tag "ch" stands for "consumer health."
http://www.citeulike.org/user/magpie2600
The tag "ch" stands for "consumer health."
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Week 7 Blog Comments
Week 7 Readings
The “How Stuff Works” article about Internet infrastructure was very helpful in describing how a computer connects to the Internet. (Where Tyson loses me a little, however, is when he gets into Company A and Company B and NAPs, which I guess connect large ISPs to each other.) Routers enable computers to send information between one another. The explanation of IP addresses was also informative--I’ve used the term forever, it seems, and never knew that it stood for “Internet Protocol.” I wish I would’ve had this article last semester, when I was trying to explain in a presentation the “official” terms for the parts of a URL address: top-level or first-level domain name (.com, .org, .net, .edu, and .gov); second-level domains, and host. The DNS server role is amazing, in that it does its work so seamlessly and quickly. It’s pretty amazing, when you stop to think about it, that these “backbones” of our technological world are what’s behind being “able to talk to everyone else on the planet.” I think it’s safe to say that most of us never even think about all of these components that drive the engine of the Internet. But without them, there would be no Internet.
I can imagine how computers revolutionized the library world in the 80s and 90s, what with their ability to automate everything from checking in and checking out books, tracking circulation and interlibrary loans, purchasing acquisitions and subscriptions, and providing a public interface for patrons, among other things. But I guess as technology has progressed, libraries are realizing how “inflexible and nonextensible” these early systems are, and they now must choose between starting all over, at great cost, or purchasing a stand-alone product (what I think of as a “patch” that meets a particular need), also costly, or coming up with their own solution (which would require a staff person with technological know-how). Pace argues that libraries don’t pay enough for technology, and are going to have to face the music that “better costs more.” At the same time, I do think developers and vendors need to design and market products that are interoperable--they’re doing it for other systems (HR and course management), why not for library systems? Till that happens, I suppose the answer for some libraries is open source ILS, like Koha, or Evergreen (two such systems I’ve heard of).
Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed the video “Inside the Google Machine.” I guess I’ve been a bit jaded when it comes to Google, even though it’s my search engine of choice, my go-to for just about everything. I found the early minutes of discussion and lighted maps showing how many people are using Google the world over to be fascinating, even though I felt really sad about Africa being literally in the dark. I’d never even heard of Orkut or Google Answers (and I guess these never really took off). But what this video demonstrates to me is that this is a company that has a true entrepreneurial spirit--they’re not afraid to give their employees freedom to pursue what interests them--and on company time!--and it’s often worked out in their favor. And they won me over with allowing dogs to accompany their owners to work. Are they hiring??? :)
I can imagine how computers revolutionized the library world in the 80s and 90s, what with their ability to automate everything from checking in and checking out books, tracking circulation and interlibrary loans, purchasing acquisitions and subscriptions, and providing a public interface for patrons, among other things. But I guess as technology has progressed, libraries are realizing how “inflexible and nonextensible” these early systems are, and they now must choose between starting all over, at great cost, or purchasing a stand-alone product (what I think of as a “patch” that meets a particular need), also costly, or coming up with their own solution (which would require a staff person with technological know-how). Pace argues that libraries don’t pay enough for technology, and are going to have to face the music that “better costs more.” At the same time, I do think developers and vendors need to design and market products that are interoperable--they’re doing it for other systems (HR and course management), why not for library systems? Till that happens, I suppose the answer for some libraries is open source ILS, like Koha, or Evergreen (two such systems I’ve heard of).
Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed the video “Inside the Google Machine.” I guess I’ve been a bit jaded when it comes to Google, even though it’s my search engine of choice, my go-to for just about everything. I found the early minutes of discussion and lighted maps showing how many people are using Google the world over to be fascinating, even though I felt really sad about Africa being literally in the dark. I’d never even heard of Orkut or Google Answers (and I guess these never really took off). But what this video demonstrates to me is that this is a company that has a true entrepreneurial spirit--they’re not afraid to give their employees freedom to pursue what interests them--and on company time!--and it’s often worked out in their favor. And they won me over with allowing dogs to accompany their owners to work. Are they hiring??? :)
Week 6 Muddiest Points
You lost me at slides 58-62, the ones about TCP/IP and UDP. What are these, exactly, and what do I really need to know about them?
Also, I think you said in the lecture that FiOS was an example of a DSL, right?
Also, I think you said in the lecture that FiOS was an example of a DSL, right?
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