Intro to Library 103

News Article 5

2009-04-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/04/11/topstory/dpt-techweek03112009.txt
Library: Video games don’t rot kid brains
Reference librarian, a video game buff himself, introduced idea of in-house tournament to foster technological skills. By Alan Blank
Updated: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Browsing the internet, I came across this article which for a second I thought was a joke but turns out it obviously was not. What was once considered a way to rot your brain, is now the biggest craze. Video games are making a come back. In Newport Beach Virginia a library is now renting out limited games for game systems. “One of the things about libraries nowadays is it’s not just about books: There are other types of literacy as well,” said Mara Cota, the library’s teen services coordinator. “Libraries are also about being a cultural space and a gathering space for the public.”
Honestly I think this is a great idea. Because the fact that this library understands that technology is the future. You attract kids to the library by doing this and once they get in there and see what the library offers they may want to explore it a little more. This library also knows that since technology is growing, somebody should show the public how to use these new products. Because if they cant use the current technology then how will the adapt to the future? Also the fact that it’s a public library now everybody can come and enjoy these games that people take advantage of everyday. In terms of this idea working any where else, most likely not. I couldn’t see this idea being done on a school or college campus because those kids play different games for different reasons compared to the children and general public in the public library

Reading 5

2009-03-24T06:11:00.001-07:00

I don’t Know how many times an individual can say the same thing over and over again when it comes to a particular topic. Since this class has begun I have been saying that universities and professors have to get use to the fact that this is the new technology and internet period. The library and books are important, don’t get me wrong but in today’s standards where we need information fast and accurate, the internet is the place to turn. The one good thing about this article is that it encourages to use it. Kind of by offering students a way to ask their Liberians and take classes on the subject like we are currently doing in library research. Another interesting part I thought was a good idea was the part about the testing. Each student must take a “real world test” and pass with an 80% score. If not you have to take a six part tutorial that explains what to do and how to do it. This may sound frustrating but in reality a good idea because unlike being forced to take a class you don’t need in college this test actually makes you learn how to do research in the real world, and not waist your time with nonsense. Hopefully libraries and professors wise up and face reality Universities should offer more classes like ours and in Cal. After all people go to college to prepare for the real world and it is the universities job to get us ready for it.

Article 4 contin

2009-03-15T12:24:00.001-07:00

for got to post the link

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/afp/20090314/tc_afp/lifestyleitinternetsecondlifelindenlab

News Article 4

2009-03-15T12:23:00.001-07:00

Second Life finding new life (AFP)

* Posted on Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:05PM EDT

Browsing the internet I cam across this interesting article about second life. As we know, second life is a program in which you create any type of character to represent you and you mingle with people all over the United States and the world. It turns out that second life is not only a hit with individual customers, but big corporations as well. Numerous companies are now creating accounts on second life to help their company. Whether it be for profit or personal gain. Employees are using it to “eat lunch” mingle, meet customers and have business meetings. Personally I understand the concept of trying to meet future customers on there. Millions of people long on and sign up everyday, so of coarse as a business ceo you would be stupid not to target those people, especially if you are selling technology for your computer or video game system. The idea of business meetings on the other hand I think is pushing it just a tad. I don’t understand how you can have a business meeting over the internet. It is one thing to use webcams for your meetings, but using a virtual avatar is a whole new ball game. I would have to imaging that there are better solutions then that. In the end only time will tell where second life is going to go. Business or pleasure second life has one goal in common, and that is to connect people no matter where you are. It is now just a matter of how to use the second life program and asses if the reward of using it is worth the effort to begin with

Reading 4

2009-03-01T16:00:00.001-08:00

After reading this article, I came to the conclusion that libraries and universities want the world of college to be one way, but in reality wont even come close. From what I understood the main argument in the article was that libraries should be the information source of college kids but websites like Google and Yahoo are taking over when it comes to obtaining research material. My take on it, is that in today’s world we want information that we obtain to be accurate and delivered fast. Yahoo and Google do exactly that. I am not saying I disagree with the use of the database but honestly if you don’t know what database to use, or even know how to use it, it is a lost cause. Compared typing a phrase in Google and getting your information. Today’s Universities and Libraries have a responsibility to teach their students new technologies and ways to obtain information. A good example why they should teach how to cope with the new concept of research is because when you are in the real world, and your boss asks you to retrieve information by the end of the day, you don’t have the time to go to a library and do the reading and searching. You need to be able to go on a database or website and retrieve the information. Online technology and data searching is the future, and if you want any chance of surviving in the real world, then you need to get in gear and learn this new technique before you are left in the dust.

Reading 3

2009-02-19T07:59:00.001-08:00

After reading the readings, I thought it was pretty interesting and I really had no idea on how libraries came about. Looking at the steps of communicaion, technology and ect, we can see the transition from one area to another. As years pass odviously times change and with the changing times, comes the transition of new ideas and new ways to present them. The most interresting part of the article I thought was section four where it talks about how technology will become more compicated. When you think about it, it has already happen. The technology we have now is just amazing compared to what we had, and it will only get hi tech in the future. As libraries become less used books will become more accessable through the internet and wireless books.

News Report 3

2009-02-15T08:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.wickedlocal.com/cohasset/news/x114016641/Library-use-up-in-a-down-economy

Library use up in a down economy
By Nancy White
Sun Feb 15, 2009, 08:57 AM EST
Browsing the internet I stumbled upon this article about how libraries are changing the world now that the economy is down. Some libraries have even noted that since the crises that their “customer” intake has almost doubled. Library Director Jackie Rafferty quoted “There is no doubt that public libraries in Massachusetts and all across the nation are extremely busy right now as more and more people rely on library resources to use job seeking resources, use the internet and technology, and save money by checking out books and DVDs”. To be honest I know that our economy is going down and slowly rising, but I really had no idea how much the library is depended on. Especially in job hunting. The one aspect of the article that I found a little un easy was the part at the end where they clearly show and talk about how the library is needed and will be needed further in the future, and yet due to budget cuts they are disappearing. This goes back to the problem we talked about in class. Honestly I think the problem has a lot to do with greed. Granted you need money to write the books and do the research, but at the same time couldn’t you make the argument that you become an author to share your experience with the world? I understand you need to make a living but couldn’t you charge like 5 dollars cheaper for the book? I mean you would still make your profit, the library saves money and everybody wins. But in the world we live in, it does not work that way. Some times it does not make any sense to me

News Article 2

2009-02-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

Teens who `sext' racy photos charged with porn

By MARTHA IRVINE
AP National Writer

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TEC_TEEN_SEXTING?SITE=MAFIT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Let me start off by saying, I cant believe the world we live in. After browsing the internet I cam across a story from the Associated Press that talked about teenagers and “sexting” Sexting is defined as according to Associated Press as ( Teenagers' habit of distributing nude self-portraits electronically - often called "sexting" if it's done by cell phone ). What the article said was that parents, schools and the law are cracking down on teens who do sexting and will be prosecuted under state law for crimes ranging from sexual harassment to child pornography. Prosecutors say the objective is not to put them in jail, but “make them think”. First of all, I can’t believe law enforcement would waste their times with things like this. How can you charge a 15 year old for looking at another 15 year old on a cell phone and say its underage porn? Besides for that being ridicules you now plug up the court systems for minor cases and it there for puts a hold on the more important ones. My other comment is, what do parents and teachers think a 15 year old boy/girl think about? Their hormones are raging and even if you stop the “sexting” they will find other ways to get their message across. Weather parents like it or not, teens will experiment. Another thing is why do they even have phones that young to begin with? Nobody ever blames the parent. I think it is about time they take responsibility for their kids and stop blaming the system. It is time for parents and teachers to get a reality check and get in touch with the real world. Yes what they are doing is wrong, but how can you stop it? Instead of prosecuting these kids we need to educate or actually have a no phone policy in place, but even then that will not guarantee fix the problem

wikipedia can make the grade

2009-02-02T11:05:00.001-08:00

Wikipedia is an internet phenomenon. It is a place where you can go on the website, type in almost anything and within seconds have the information you want right in front of you. Some would say that this website will change the way we get our information. Others are not to keen of the idea. The concept of being able to publish what you want when ever you want is great because any body at anytime can have access to all types of information. The problem is that the people posting the readings are most of the times not experts in that topic and often times post misguided information. The article does a great job in presenting both sides of the arguments in a non biased way. The author explains the pro’s and con’s in way that any reader of I would say almost any age can understand. The main problem I think is that people who judge Wikipedia are looking at it in the wrong way. I would say that the main purpose of the site is to give brief information to an individual on the fly. Not to be experts or be biased. Often times people list their sources and say who they are so you can check out their background if you doubt what they have top say. Honestly I don’t see Wikipedia disappearing any time soon. In so many words Wikipedia is the “common mans” source of information. Not everybody knows how to read an academic journal so you look for something easier to read to understand it better. Wikipedia is not trying to replace the academic world, just make it easier in the sense to understand material. In the future we can expect to see a lot more sites like it

Web Hoaxes Post

2009-01-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

Information is all around us. Everyday people use some form of communication to gather information whether it be for educational or personal reasons. With the internet growing in popularity it is becoming the number one way to gather data. The problem is how can you tell if the information is correct from the site you are looking at? Honestly I think the article has opened my eyes to a “new world” in the sense of how corrupt information can be. In every aspect of the web information can be wrong. Including the news, entertainment, and historic information. Websites that you would think people use everyday and it is scary. I had no idea the information that hackers and other people could get by posting fake 911 adds and charity posts. It was obvious though that they target the young school kids and the elderly. Fact being that they do not know the computer well enough to understand the risks. The problem is, how do we stop this epidemic? Can a population actually stop it to begin with? It is hard to say, we could either A) shut the internet down all together, B) have the government monitor websites they deem worthy or option C) Have parents and teachers help monitor what we go on. Either way we need to figure out a way to stop it because eventually more and more people will not only loose their money but their lives in the sense of fraud. I have had my credit card number stolen before and it was one of the worst experiences I ever went through. Hopefully in the future what happen to me, never happens to anybody else.

Assignment 1 Re Post!

2009-01-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/14/am.army.experience/index.html

By Adam Reiss
American Morning Senior Producer
CNN

Army using video games to tempt recruits

Pretty much this news article was self explanatory. Inside the Franklin Mills Mall there is a new Army recruitment center with not only information about the military but video games. The video games in the center are all virtual reality designed to give the “recruit” a life like experience of what the Army is about. The people who support this new trend say that you not only get your questions answered but now you can also experience your questions to some form of scale.

To be honest, I am not a fan of this idea. I support the war and military in all aspects, but I feel that this gives recruits a false hope. In the articles it mentions that the recruitment center has had 13-15 year old kinds in there signing up. Don’t you think they are a little young to even think bout joining the military? The problem is that when these potential recruits go in there they are looking at this style of living as being fun. They look in movies and video games and don’t realize the seriousness of what they may be signing up for. If you really want to join I would expect the recruitment office to do their job the old fashion way. I think the final point to make is, that these kids need to realize that when they go into that center and play those games, they need to understand what they are doing is playing a videogame. Nothing more.

Assignment 1 News

2009-01-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/14/am.army.experience/index.html

By Adam Reiss
American Morning Senior Producer
CNN

Army using video games to tempt recruits

Pretty much this News article was self explan

my First Post

2009-01-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

This is your first post on a Blog EVER!!