Chen , Stephanie. Where 'Undo Send' and other Gmail ideas are born. CNN. March 25, 2009 http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/25/gmail.labs.email/index.html?eref=rss_tech
Gmail the email program developed by Google has a special function called Gmail labs. In Gmail labs special features such a undo send feature and a feature that prevents drunken emails from being sent are available to willing users. Google uses Gmail labs like a test market to see what features Gmail users would be most likely to use with the intent that the features that received a good response would become a part of Gmail. To encourage innovations Gmail lab engineers are allowed to devote twenty percent of their work week to their own projects. With the undo email feature once a email is sent a window will pop up and remain for 5 seconds so a users can check to make sure that the rely to all button was not pressed. To prevent drunken emails, one feature requires users to do a series of math problems before being allowed to send emails between certain hours specified by the user. Another feature prevents a user from checking their email too often. Google maps came out of Google labs so just maybe the next standard part of the program will be out of Google labs.
I find it interesting that Google has programs such as Google labs but one should expect such innovations from a company that was born on new ideas. It is a good and cost effective way to promote new ways of thinking and test would the Google using public wants. I do not use Gmail but I may start just to see the 36 features available from Gmail labs.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Foster, Andrea L.. "Information Navigation 101". Chronicle of Higher Education (3/9/2007): http://chronicle.com/free/v53/i27/27a03801.htm
In Foster article on information literacy in college students she shows the reader that today’s generation of college students may be more accustom to the use of technology but when it comes to research they are lacking. Foster says that the “explosion of information” has made it harder for many to make decisions because of the massive increase in the amount of information readily available to many. The newly availability of information has caused a need for college libraries to offer courses and short seminars to teach students how to conduct research in the information age. Over time the definition of the information literacy as expanded but has come into its own in the information age. Due to the need to be information literate some colleges have required students to meet some sort of competency requirements such as a test or a class with a set grade minimum.
Many of the readings that have been assigned for this class have stated that many complain that students take advantage of search engines such as Google too much for research. In my major most professors will not let you use a website as a source; I believe that this problem is often over stated because in many fields the most current information is available on Google. I agree that some sort of information literacy requirement should be required but it should be in the field that is selected by the student. For example some one who is majoring in guitar performance should not be tested on how to get the financial statements of Barclays bank and a business major does not need to know how to play a chord in E flat.
In Foster article on information literacy in college students she shows the reader that today’s generation of college students may be more accustom to the use of technology but when it comes to research they are lacking. Foster says that the “explosion of information” has made it harder for many to make decisions because of the massive increase in the amount of information readily available to many. The newly availability of information has caused a need for college libraries to offer courses and short seminars to teach students how to conduct research in the information age. Over time the definition of the information literacy as expanded but has come into its own in the information age. Due to the need to be information literate some colleges have required students to meet some sort of competency requirements such as a test or a class with a set grade minimum.
Many of the readings that have been assigned for this class have stated that many complain that students take advantage of search engines such as Google too much for research. In my major most professors will not let you use a website as a source; I believe that this problem is often over stated because in many fields the most current information is available on Google. I agree that some sort of information literacy requirement should be required but it should be in the field that is selected by the student. For example some one who is majoring in guitar performance should not be tested on how to get the financial statements of Barclays bank and a business major does not need to know how to play a chord in E flat.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Bell, Steven J. The Infodiet: How Libraries Can Offer an AppetizingAlternative to Google. By: Bell, Steven J., Chronicle of Higher Education, 00095982, 2/20/2004, Vol. 50, Issue 24
In the article “The Infodiet” the author Steven J. Bell states that the search engine Google has become a major competitor in the fight for what young scholars use for research. In the past the preferred source of information was academic libraries now because it is easy to use and it can be done quickly many use Google not in addition to libraries but in many cases in place of. The author compares the mentality of “super size it” that many have used for fast food restaurants, also for the search for information. Like fast food and other junk food, information from Google can be considered “not good for you” because it provides you with lots of information that may not be correct and it is hard to digest, leading to “infobesity.” It is pointed out that search engines with similar search features are available in most libraries but these databases contain higher quality data but still the quality of student research is still declining. The author calls for help from librarians to help students and professors to stop students from relying on Google.
In the research for my history classes it is next to impossible to use Google except for Google scholar but I still have to use something else to read what I used Google to find. Most of my professors will not let me use an internet sources in any shape or form. Except if it is a copy of something that exists in print as well. I can not speak for other departments but I believe that very few in students pursuing a history major are suffering from “infobesity.”
In the article “The Infodiet” the author Steven J. Bell states that the search engine Google has become a major competitor in the fight for what young scholars use for research. In the past the preferred source of information was academic libraries now because it is easy to use and it can be done quickly many use Google not in addition to libraries but in many cases in place of. The author compares the mentality of “super size it” that many have used for fast food restaurants, also for the search for information. Like fast food and other junk food, information from Google can be considered “not good for you” because it provides you with lots of information that may not be correct and it is hard to digest, leading to “infobesity.” It is pointed out that search engines with similar search features are available in most libraries but these databases contain higher quality data but still the quality of student research is still declining. The author calls for help from librarians to help students and professors to stop students from relying on Google.
In the research for my history classes it is next to impossible to use Google except for Google scholar but I still have to use something else to read what I used Google to find. Most of my professors will not let me use an internet sources in any shape or form. Except if it is a copy of something that exists in print as well. I can not speak for other departments but I believe that very few in students pursuing a history major are suffering from “infobesity.”
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thomas Frey. The Future of Libraries Beginning the Great Transformation http://davinciinstitute.com/page.php?ID=120
Frey begins the article by explaining the importance of libraries in the past. According the Frey libraries played an important role in the preservation of Da Vinci’s artwork but it makes one wonder what has been lost in the past that could have been saved by libraries. Frey identifies 10 trends in technology and says that books are a form of technology and so is writing but literacy will be dead by 2050. The ten trends are: Communication systems are continually changing the way people access information, All technology ends. All technologies commonly used today will be replaced by something new, We haven’t yet reached the ultimate small particle for storage. But soon, Search Technology will become increasingly more complicated, Time compression is changing the lifestyle of library patrons, Over time we will be transitioning to a verbal society, The demand for global information is growing exponentially, The Stage is being set for a new era of Global Systems, We are transitioning from a product-based economy to an experience based economy, Libraries will transition from a center of information to a center of culture. Frey includes recommendations for libraries to improve to fit into the future needs of people as technology changes.
I agree with Frey that libraries need to adapt to current technology but I get the impression from reading his article that he believes that libraries are not adapting on their own. Libraries have been adapting to technology for along time now and I believe that libraries are already centers of culture, although this is more true for some libraries than others. In my opinion libraries would be more of centers of culture if they had more funding. It is a question of not what libraries want to do it is a question of what libraries can do.
Frey begins the article by explaining the importance of libraries in the past. According the Frey libraries played an important role in the preservation of Da Vinci’s artwork but it makes one wonder what has been lost in the past that could have been saved by libraries. Frey identifies 10 trends in technology and says that books are a form of technology and so is writing but literacy will be dead by 2050. The ten trends are: Communication systems are continually changing the way people access information, All technology ends. All technologies commonly used today will be replaced by something new, We haven’t yet reached the ultimate small particle for storage. But soon, Search Technology will become increasingly more complicated, Time compression is changing the lifestyle of library patrons, Over time we will be transitioning to a verbal society, The demand for global information is growing exponentially, The Stage is being set for a new era of Global Systems, We are transitioning from a product-based economy to an experience based economy, Libraries will transition from a center of information to a center of culture. Frey includes recommendations for libraries to improve to fit into the future needs of people as technology changes.
I agree with Frey that libraries need to adapt to current technology but I get the impression from reading his article that he believes that libraries are not adapting on their own. Libraries have been adapting to technology for along time now and I believe that libraries are already centers of culture, although this is more true for some libraries than others. In my opinion libraries would be more of centers of culture if they had more funding. It is a question of not what libraries want to do it is a question of what libraries can do.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
New Report #3
Lara Farrar. For many Chinese, literary dreams go online 2/15/09. http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/books/02/15/china.publishing/index.html?eref=rss_tech
In 2001, Murong Xuecun was working as a sales manger at a car company in China when he started posting his first online novel. Today the Xuecun is one of the most famous authors in China. His first work, "Leave Me Alone: A novel of Chengdu," has been read by millions of Chinese and adapted for film and television and translated into German, French and English. Many others have been able to have success similar to Xuecun by publishing their own literary work online. The websites for internet novels creates revenues through online advertising and by charging readers small amounts to access popular stories. But the revolutionary movement has a greater impact besides the internet world. The online novels have in many cases been adapted to games, movies, hardcopies of books, and television. Another advantage of the online novel tract is that the censorship of the online works is less restrictive, allowing writers to be more open in what they write. Despite the fact that the Chinese publishing industry has generally become more liberal in the past few years when online novels are published in hardcopy the stories are edited by censors.
The fact that the average person who has literary dreams has more opportunities to get their work out there is often a good thing but I fear that many my self included hate reading on a computer. This is especially true for me when I’m reading for long time period, but reading for pleasure would be different because I would not have to take notes on what I’m reading. I found it interesting that the online publishers were more lenient on the censorship that the hard copy publishers.
In 2001, Murong Xuecun was working as a sales manger at a car company in China when he started posting his first online novel. Today the Xuecun is one of the most famous authors in China. His first work, "Leave Me Alone: A novel of Chengdu," has been read by millions of Chinese and adapted for film and television and translated into German, French and English. Many others have been able to have success similar to Xuecun by publishing their own literary work online. The websites for internet novels creates revenues through online advertising and by charging readers small amounts to access popular stories. But the revolutionary movement has a greater impact besides the internet world. The online novels have in many cases been adapted to games, movies, hardcopies of books, and television. Another advantage of the online novel tract is that the censorship of the online works is less restrictive, allowing writers to be more open in what they write. Despite the fact that the Chinese publishing industry has generally become more liberal in the past few years when online novels are published in hardcopy the stories are edited by censors.
The fact that the average person who has literary dreams has more opportunities to get their work out there is often a good thing but I fear that many my self included hate reading on a computer. This is especially true for me when I’m reading for long time period, but reading for pleasure would be different because I would not have to take notes on what I’m reading. I found it interesting that the online publishers were more lenient on the censorship that the hard copy publishers.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Hooper, Simon. Facebook turns 5 -- but can it survive? http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/04/facebook.anniversary/index.html?eref=rss_tech
Facebook, the social networking site recently turned five years old. Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook was 19 when he launched the site from his Harvard dorm room in 2004. The site rapidly expanded and five years later, the web site claims more than 150 million users. Facebook received a one billion dollar bid from yahoo in 2004 which was rejected and in 2007 Microsoft bought a 1.6 % share of face book for 250 million dollars. If the 1.6% share of Facebook is worth 250 million, then the entire site is worth 15 billion, but questions have arose about the staying power and real value of the site. During the November election, the presidential hopefuls used the site for campaigning.
Facebook’s popularity, especially in the younger age groups is undeniable, but is has recently expanded to include older generations even politicians. Recently, my sister in law, who is in her mid thirdies sent me a friend request. First of all I did not expect my sister in law to have Facebook but more importantly I notices how popular it was with her friends. Many of my friends spend countless hours on the site. Admittedly I do spend more time on the site than I should, but it is no where close compared to others. The popularity of the site is easy to see but the effectiveness of the site as a medium for companies to advertise is not so easy for me to comprehend. When I login to the site I never look at the ads and I do not imagine that many people do. As long as Facebook continues to make money, I fore see it being around for sometime to come.
Facebook, the social networking site recently turned five years old. Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook was 19 when he launched the site from his Harvard dorm room in 2004. The site rapidly expanded and five years later, the web site claims more than 150 million users. Facebook received a one billion dollar bid from yahoo in 2004 which was rejected and in 2007 Microsoft bought a 1.6 % share of face book for 250 million dollars. If the 1.6% share of Facebook is worth 250 million, then the entire site is worth 15 billion, but questions have arose about the staying power and real value of the site. During the November election, the presidential hopefuls used the site for campaigning.
Facebook’s popularity, especially in the younger age groups is undeniable, but is has recently expanded to include older generations even politicians. Recently, my sister in law, who is in her mid thirdies sent me a friend request. First of all I did not expect my sister in law to have Facebook but more importantly I notices how popular it was with her friends. Many of my friends spend countless hours on the site. Admittedly I do spend more time on the site than I should, but it is no where close compared to others. The popularity of the site is easy to see but the effectiveness of the site as a medium for companies to advertise is not so easy for me to comprehend. When I login to the site I never look at the ads and I do not imagine that many people do. As long as Facebook continues to make money, I fore see it being around for sometime to come.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Read, Brock. “Can Wikipedia Ever Make the Grade?”. Chronicle of Higher Education 10/27/2006, 53, Issue 10.
In Read’s article on Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, he informs the reader that Wikipedia as many good aspects as well as bad. Read points out that Wikipedia’s advantage is also its disadvantage: any one can edit the material, which can lead to incorrect information. In one incident, a professor of communications went into different articles on Wikipedia and purposely edited article to include wrong information. A number of the changes made by the professor were obvious while others were harder to fact check; despite this corrections were made quickly. Read’s informs the reader that many of the free encyclopedias science articles are often more accurate that the humanities article, this is attributed to the tech savvy type of person that is attracted to Wikipedia. The founders of Wikipedia have been making an effort to include more input from the academic community to increase the credibility of the encyclopedia. Some professor have been contributing to the site while other refrain from doing so because their work can be edited and little of their original text will remain.
Like anything, Wikipedia has its place whether that place is anywhere close to the university level is the question. In my opinion Wikipedia can be a very useful source of information if used properly. I use Wikipedia early on in my research for a paper. I especially use the site when I know little about the subject and I often end up using sources citied by the author of the Wikipedia article but never Wikipedia itself. Many of my professors share this opinion on Wikipedia. I caught one of my professors who is less than enthusiastic about the use of Wikipedia using the online encyclopedia. I was happy to hear from reading the article how quickly the mistakes were fixed but I also see where the people are coming from who dislike the concept of Wikipedia because of the lack of credibility.
In Read’s article on Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, he informs the reader that Wikipedia as many good aspects as well as bad. Read points out that Wikipedia’s advantage is also its disadvantage: any one can edit the material, which can lead to incorrect information. In one incident, a professor of communications went into different articles on Wikipedia and purposely edited article to include wrong information. A number of the changes made by the professor were obvious while others were harder to fact check; despite this corrections were made quickly. Read’s informs the reader that many of the free encyclopedias science articles are often more accurate that the humanities article, this is attributed to the tech savvy type of person that is attracted to Wikipedia. The founders of Wikipedia have been making an effort to include more input from the academic community to increase the credibility of the encyclopedia. Some professor have been contributing to the site while other refrain from doing so because their work can be edited and little of their original text will remain.
Like anything, Wikipedia has its place whether that place is anywhere close to the university level is the question. In my opinion Wikipedia can be a very useful source of information if used properly. I use Wikipedia early on in my research for a paper. I especially use the site when I know little about the subject and I often end up using sources citied by the author of the Wikipedia article but never Wikipedia itself. Many of my professors share this opinion on Wikipedia. I caught one of my professors who is less than enthusiastic about the use of Wikipedia using the online encyclopedia. I was happy to hear from reading the article how quickly the mistakes were fixed but I also see where the people are coming from who dislike the concept of Wikipedia because of the lack of credibility.
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