My LIB 103 Bloggs

Reading #5

2009-04-15T10:28:00.001-07:00

New York Public Library books new midtown job center
4/15/09
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/04/15/2009-04-15_library_books_new_midtown_job_center.html

Libraries are opening their doors to all in search of jobs. The New York Public Library opened a job-hunters’ have Tuesday with free access to pricey databases that firms use and career counseling. Another Library in New York, job search central at the Science, Industry, and Business has 11 computers just for job seekers and roving librarians to help them. These New York Libraries are making sure that there is no lack of access to the tools of modern job hunters. All 87 branches in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island are now set up to help New Yorkers find work. The libraries budgeted $1.2 million a year to fund these job search programs. This includes special training for at least one staffer at each branch to help job seekers and 1,000 new career-related classes. They stocked one room full of 8,000 books on job-hunting and the computers are set with templates on resume writing.

I feel this is a great thing these libraries are doing in this time of need. People are being laid off work and are having difficulty finding jobs. Many people are not so up to date with the new technology so this type of help from librarians may be very useful to many of these New Yorkers. The people that have been working for the same company for so long haven’t had to re-build their resumes or look for new job on the internet or other sources. With the computers set up with resume writing tools and librarians ready to help, New Yorkers should feel confident in reaching out for a new job.

News Report #4 Again

2009-04-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

"Facebook Makes You Fail, Twitter Makes You Callous"
4/15/09
http://www.von.com/news/facebook-makes-you-fail.html

According to a study done by the education department at Ohio State University, the use of Facebook leads to lower grades. The study polled 200 students with the results of students that use Facebook averaging GPAs of 3.0 to 3.5 ranges, while non-users averages are 3.5 to 4.0. Hours spent studying by non-Facebook users ranged 11 to 15 hours per week while users range from 1 to 5 hours per week. Obviously there is some kind of relationship there but there may be other factors involved in the study. Personality may become a major factor in the study as well. So people are more social and worried about what others are doing while other people worry more about their selves and school.

Is Facebook really the cause of lower grades? I feel it can be a factor in many cases. People who are looking for a distraction from school might find Facebook a good distraction. As soon as one longs on they can find out what all their friends are up to just by looking at their home page. As soon as you click on one friend it just leads to more friends and then more. This is a great time consumer or distraction from school work. Though others who are more consitrated in school work may avoid the use of Facebook or might not care what others are doing. I feel a lot has to do with a person’s personality when it comes to making a statement about Facebook causing bad grades. The studies going on at Ohio State University are trying to add a neuroscience group in the mix to see if social personalities play a part in the type of people using and not using Facebook. I feel this extra step may show more to the grade dilemma of Facebook.

News Report #4

2009-04-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

“Study finds 6,000 rare dolphins off Bangladesh”
April 1, 2009
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jst1VP0rUCEneThnW94brxKRhMsAD979N3G00

Thousands of rare Irrawaddy dolphins where found off the coast of Bangladesh by a wildlife advocacy group. These dolphins are related to orcas (killer whales). They were discovered in freshwater regions of Bangladesh's Sundarbans mangrove forest and the adjacent waters of the Bay of Bengal. These dolphins grow up to 8 feet in length and were seen in large rivers, estuaries, and freshwater lagoons in south and southeast Asia. Prior studies showed the dolphins in group in the low hundreds. The new discovery was around 6,000. Studies believe that the dolphins were getting tangled in fishing nets and drowning. With the climate changes, studies have shown the rising water levels are also dangerous to these animals as well. These areas are plentiful in fish and other food to support so many of these dolphins.

Wildlife Conservation Society has asked Bangladesh to set up a sanctuary for dolphins in the Sundarbans mangrove forest. I feel this would help to species grown even more in numbers. Fishermen are always pulling up dolphins (of all breads) up in their net. These animals well swim into these nets and get caught and drown. By giving a space for the dolphins and giving another space for fishermen we will be insuring less of these tragedies. I know it won’t eliminate all deaths but could help in protecting these dolphins to grow in numbers. After the numbers increase, it might be possible to transfer some of the dolphins to other areas to keep the numbers growing. A lot of animals are at put in dangers way do to pollution of the water and water traffic. Numerous animals a year die do to these two elements and that doesn’t include what fishermen do to populations of animals that they are not fishing as well. We all need to be a little more cautions when it comes to protecting the animals around us!

Reading #5

2009-03-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Article: "Information Navigation 101"
Author: Andrea L. Foster

The 20th century is more advanced in technology than 20, 10 even 5 years ago. People, especially students, are relying way too much on the internet and search engines, such as Google. Anyone can post anything on the internet and these search engines will pick up anything anyone has posted. Many believe that anything on the internet is true and a reliable source for information. Many professors are noticing the information students are turning in is not always true. Cal State was among one of the first to start teaching information technology. Many other colleges are starting to tech students how to use other sources to find information, like going back to searching libraries and journals. In 1989, the American Library Association said it was necessary to skill and urge schools and colleges to teach information technology to students. That same year Patricia Breivik and E. Gordan came out with Information Literacy: Revolution in the Library motivating many to take these teachings seriously. This encouraged librarians to take action and teach students the importance of information outside of the internet. Now schools across the States are getting evolved in teaching theses methods.

Students, especially, take on wide loads and think a quick search on Google will give them the information they may need to write a paper or study for tests. Librarians are taking action by helping students understand how to use databases and other ways to find information other than Google. I think many rely way too much on computers to do all the work for them now. Not too long ago it wasn’t an option to have a quick search of the internet people had to go into the library and search through books, journals, news papers and more to get the information they were looking for. My experience in LIB 103 has taught me so much about accessing information I didn’t know how to get to before. I think it should be a required that every student should take an information technology course and learn more than we think we already knew.

Reading #4

2009-03-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

Article: “The Infodiet: How Libraries Can Offer an Appetizing Alternative to Google”
Author: Bell, Steven J.

Are students becoming too attached to search engines like Google? Google might be a great source for a brought quick response to what you are searching for, but isn’t as accurate as a database may be or as reliable. The term Infobesit is used to describe the way many people use Google to Goole-ize information. Instead of really learning material people are Google-izing into much shorter and quicker material so they can just get the gist of the full information. Now, people are trying to get students to go from infobestity to infodieting. Infodieting, is a good way for people to cut back from the junk-information diet, this information is hard to digest and can be very overwhelming. This is the process of teaching students to use more databases and how to recognize correct information. Many student and even faculty do not understand to usefulness of databases. I feel people now are in such a rush to find the information and get the work do and they don’t even care if the information is truly correct or not. Many only know how to use Google and get so over whelmed when asked to use a database search or even read a book. Professors really need to help their students out in understanding there is more out there beyond Google and everyday search engines. If the teaching staffs would all get together they could all work together and learn how to teach students the importance of the web. Google does not even scratch the surface of what is really out there in the web. Students as well, need to broaden their knowledge of the Internet by wanting to explore the Internet. It may be a little overwhelming at first but once you get the hang out it, it’s just like any other web application we use everyday.

News Report #3

2009-02-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

“Software in Focus at Mobile Fair”
Feb 16, 2009
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE51F2F220090216

Apple has made a huge impact on the way people talk on the phone or listen to music. The AppStore, which lets iPhone users download thousands of small software programs to personalize the way they play games, listen to music or find directions has inspired admiration and envy in many rivals. Other cell phone companies are determined to match their technology. Telecom industry leaders including Nokia, China Mobile and Microsoft raced to announce online software stores on Monday in a drive to find new sources of revenue and please consumers. Nokia said it would open an online store for software and media under its "Ovi" brand in nine countries in May, with partners including social networking sites Facebook and MySpace and Microsoft also announced a revamped online store.
It is crazy to think that phones have come so far in the past years. Apple has now made an impact on other companies and forcing them to come out with new technology to compete with their products. A cell phone is not only used for talking anymore, people are now using it to browse the internet, check mail, watch TV, and much more. It is incredible the stuff that the AppStore offers now. I have the Itouch and I get to add applications to my device to make it more my own and fit my needs. It is just incredible how technology has made great advances in the past years. What will they come up with next? I am interested to see what kind of impact these Nokia, China Mobile and Microsoft will have on the cell phone industry. And I am also curious to see how there new technology will impact Apples sales in the long run.

Reading #3

2009-02-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

Article: "The Future of Libraries: Beginning the Great Transformation"
Author: Thomas Frey

What does the future hold for libraries? The past several years’ technology has made huge impact on the library world. A lot of information that was once only found in the library is now making it’s way to the web. More people now, then in years past, will use the Internet rather than make the trip to the library to look up information. Libraries had a big role in the past and won’t ever fully fade away. If it wasn’t for libraries we probable wouldn’t have ever known of Leonardo da Vinci. Thanks to the remarkable preservation of his work, the world now knows how great a artist he was. There is no telling how many other artists there were out there in the past whose painting and work never found the right hands. In past years, libraries have gone through many trends talked about in the article. It seems that the world is trying to move away from libraries but at the same time still have a huge need for them. Nothing will ever replace the need for a library.

I feel libraries will always be around. They may change in look and also may even change the way people use them but will never go away. Libraries do more than just carry books, they preserve ancient works that can never be replaced, keep numerous painting and art work around, and even are starting to put books and art on-line for more people to view. The world is moving more towards technology and less towards taking the time to visit a library. The trends stated in this article go through the stages of how libraries have moved through the years. People are predicting that technology will soon be so advanced that we won’t even need to be able to see it to interact with it. This is stating that by making a size of storage so small that no one will even be able to see it. What does this mean for old ways? It might help the libraries in being able to get more information out to the people with less effort. This could be a new look for them. I feel libraries are keeping up with times and will always have a place on this Earth.

News Report #2

2009-02-04T15:33:00.001-08:00

“Wii 'Fit' links user data to health care experts”
Feb. 3, 2009
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090203f1.html

Nintendo Game Co. is stepping up their technology in today’s world. How would it be to work out at home and on your own schedule and get professional advice sent to you by e-mail? Well, this is a new idea that Nintendo has come up with. Wii Fit is a game that helps you work out in the comfort of your own home and reads you weight and other data every time you step on the board. This data is saved on your device so you are able to track your progress. Nintendo came up with the idea of taking this stored information and sending it to health care professionals to review. Since the Wii can be hooked up to the internet, this makes it all the more easier to send the data off. The doctors will receive your information and if they have any suggestions or concerns they will e-mail you with their thoughts.

So is this a good idea? I feel this might help out many people who are trying to loss weight and are feeling stuck. For many, losing weight is a huge task and sometimes may feel defeated and just want to give up. By someone talking to you and reinsuring you that you are making progress may be the key to helping many lose the needed weight. Some will probably love the idea of getting the extra help with out having to go to the doctors all the time. I feel, others may think of this as a privacy issue and not want their weight and other information passed around. I do believe that this is a great idea for a video game to be doing.

It’s crazy to think that people need a game to help them work out, but it seems it may be the only thing for many people. Technology has come a long way for a just a video game to also become a work out machine. What will they come up with next?

Reading #2

2009-02-01T11:48:00.001-08:00

Article: Can Wikipedia Make the Grade?

Wikipedia is an on-line encyclopedia that is open to everyone and anyone. A wiki webpage is one that anyone can contribute to and change at any time. This posse’s the question, just how reliable is Wikipedia? Many have their own opinions including Alexander M.C. Halavais, an assistant professor of communications at Quinnipiac University. He has spent hours searching through Wikipedia. To his surprise, he changed a few little details that could have easily been over looked but also could change major facts that were very important to the information. Impressively the very next day the information was changed back to the normal correct form. Wikipedia has numerous people checking on everyday updates to make sure that the information is true and not a hoax. This makes the web site more reliable. Mr. Halavais was now recorded as a troll and was asked not to post on Wikipedia any more.
Wikipedia has been making a big statement on the world. Could this online encyclopedia be the new source of information? In 2005, the journal Nature compared the accuracy of scientific articles in Wikipedia and the Encyclopaedia Britannica. The staff chose many different articles and compared on misleading information, mistakes and other incorrect problems. Too many peoples surprise the two where not far off. In the Britannica, they found an average of three errors on every article, while on a same article on Wikipedia showed an average of four mistakes.
I feel that Wikipedia is becoming more reliable than in the past. Wikipedia is an advantage to have; it is constantly posting new updates all the time. A regular encyclopedia doesn’t have the advantage of making updates everyday or fixing mistakes as easily. There is still a great chance of false information being posted on Wikipedia all the time but it’s much easier now to check the reliability of this information by looking a little more into depth. Wikipedia is tying to get scholars to post on the site more, by doing this the site will have much more reliable information. Some things are still not as reliable as an actual encyclopedia. In one example in the article states that some information was false so they tried deleting and fixing it but the very next day it was back to normal. The staff of Wikipedia believes their information is correct because it was written in a book. This information that they have posted my have sources saying it is correct, but this information may just be someone’s opinion or biases. I feel that Wikipedia, in some aspects, is just as reliable as any other source. It is important not to always believe what you read first, but to double check to make sure the information is the same else where as well.

Reading #1

2009-01-26T17:25:00.000-08:00

Article: "Web Hoaxes, Counterfeit Sites, and Other Spurious Information on the Internet"
Author: Paul S. Piper

People can be so gullible most the time. How reliable is the internet and even the news sometimes? If one is not careful they can end up with a load of wrong information and never even know it. Even now .com’s and .org’s and becoming not so reliable. There are many sites out there with all intentions of misleading people. Sites can be counterfeit, malicious, product, fictitious, parodies/spoofs/entertainment, hacks and disinformation. This article goes into depth about everyone of these different types of false web pages. Even sometimes good reliable sites can make an honest mistake. It’s hard to grasp why anyone wants to mislead people in some of the ways stated in this reading. Most people can pick up the difference between the truth and a lie. It is hard for some people, like seniors who are learning to use the internet, to pick up on these false accusations. When a senior looks up health problems they might just believe that what ever site they go to first is truthful and they can trust it. Even students can overlook some false information. Students now-a-days are rushed with many projects do at once, so one might run a quick search and click on the first few sites that pop up. Little might they realize, the site is a fictitious site or a disinformation site. Many people are becoming too reliable on the internet always having what they need. One of my favorites in the reading is, on an anti-hunting web page, reported that the group had outfitted more than 400 deer with orange hunting vests. This caused quite a controversy when a man (who didn’t exist) offered a reward for every deer brought in with an orange vest on. This story hit ESPN, Fox News, Wall Street Journal and more local news papers. Just to show how gullible people really are, this story was not at all true or possible for that matter, but was taken as a serious manner.
I feel more people need to read this article. It’s a good source of realizing that not everything is true. From the picture of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center to just everyday information, people just aren’t taking the time really think about what they hear or read anymore. I just don’t understand why many of these malicious and misleading web sites even exist. I feel it’s just a big deal to double check the date, author, and location of a site before really taking it to heart.
Why would someone want to take the time just to mislead the public? Many of these false sites are hurtful and no were near the truth. There is an article about the Indian tribe killing whales, but the article didn’t state that it was for native rituals. The site was created by a group of animal rights people (who always seem to be trying to create a stir when it comes to any animals) who were just hurtful and demeaning to the tribe. The Indian tribe had been given the right to kill the whales and did the kills in moderation not to endanger the species. However, the tripe was hated on for their traditions do to the false information given by the article. If people would have just taken the time to look at the web site and realize that it was not based even in the US (where the tribe was) they would have realized the whole thing was a hoax. So keep in mind, not everything you read is true, some is misleading, some is a hoax, and some may just be an honest mistake.

News Report #1

2009-01-19T12:29:00.000-08:00

“Obama has high hopes for keeping BlackBerry”
Leslie Katz, CNET News
1/17/2009
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10145097-1.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

Barack Obama is facing the possibility of having to give up his beloved BlackBerry phone when he is in office of presidency. This seems to be a really big deal in Washington about Obama’s phone and the potential for leaks in security. The phone might be a threat to government security, some believe. There is a great possibility that Obama’s calls may, some how, get tapped into and expose very important information that is top secrete. As an everyday thing, Obama is constantly checking his emails and on web browser which may be unsecured. Obama’s response to this was “Now, my working assumption, and this is not new, is that everything I write on e-mail could end up being on CNN. So I make sure that--to think before I press 'send.’” Everyone realizes he is very dead set on keeping his BlackBerry! By him keeping his phone, he will really have to rethink everything he says and types on his phone. The reason he is so set on keeping his phone is that he believes it is important to keep in touch with the world outside of presidency.

I am really shocked that a phone is causing this much stir in D.C. Phones and technology have come a long way in the past 8 years since our last president was elected. Now, people are constantly on the phone, but they aren’t always just talking! You can now text, check emails, and get on a web browser. This has become a way of life in many people’s cases and are just lost with out there phone. I applaud Obama for his drive to keep his phone; I feel this is a big step in America adjusting to time changes. The technology has come a long way but I feel his phone is not protected like a computer might be for hackers. As long as he keeps everything he does on his BlackBerry to personal conversations and not business matters I think it will be just fine.