The youtube post discussed empowering people to communicate across wide and new communities that never existed before, allowing people to get information from non-traditional sources. What I am finding in this election cycle is that it has an even more critical function holding political candidates' statement to verification. No longer can a candidate deny a comment at a rally, or a position (s)he has taken. Now, not only can it be uncovered in a text article on the 'net, but eith youtube et al. it comes in their own words and image.
- One single video ended the career of George Allen who was running for Senator last year in Virginia.
Check out the multitude of 'answers' sites. I did some research on them about two years ago, and they have come along way. On a personal note, I saved a service call for a problem I had with my clothes dryer, after posing a question to yahoo answers...turns out, that a software (YES software) reset in my clothes dryer control panel fixed a problem that I was having.
Open Source can play a prominent role at OCLS. Our biggest software engagement is with our circulation system. Special, local enhancments will be easy to enable in open source (III, are you listening?)
Customer computers may have OS applications running locally on them, rather than shared-license applications. It will likely be cheaper, and very likely be better.
Hard to argue with.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
One of my favorite blogs...David Pogue
David Pogue is the tech editor at NYTimes.com. He writes a weekly column in the Sunday New York Times, but has a more timely blog running at http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/
This week he talks about all the little techy tidbits of information that he has accumulated in his brain cells and how he ought to write a book called "The Basics."
Things like:
* You can use Google to do math for you. Just type the equation, like 23*7+15/3=, and hit Enter.
* You can switch from one open program to the next by pressing Alt+Tab (Windows) or Command-Tab (Mac).
* Just putting something into the Trash or the Recycle Bin doesn’t actually delete it. You then have to *empty* the Trash or Recycle Bin. (Once a year, I hear about somebody whose hard drive is full, despite having practically no files. It’s because over the years, they’ve put 79 gigabytes’ worth of stuff in the Recycle Bin and never emptied it.)
and,
* You don’t have to type “http://www” into your Web browser. Just type the remainder: “nytimes.com” or “dilbert.com,” for example. (In the Safari browser, you can even leave off the “.com” part.)
There's a whole lot more at http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/tech-tips-for-the-basic-computer-user/#more-553 AND, he is looking for your input for things he's missed.
Go there.
This week he talks about all the little techy tidbits of information that he has accumulated in his brain cells and how he ought to write a book called "The Basics."
Things like:
* You can use Google to do math for you. Just type the equation, like 23*7+15/3=, and hit Enter.
* You can switch from one open program to the next by pressing Alt+Tab (Windows) or Command-Tab (Mac).
* Just putting something into the Trash or the Recycle Bin doesn’t actually delete it. You then have to *empty* the Trash or Recycle Bin. (Once a year, I hear about somebody whose hard drive is full, despite having practically no files. It’s because over the years, they’ve put 79 gigabytes’ worth of stuff in the Recycle Bin and never emptied it.)
and,
* You don’t have to type “http://www” into your Web browser. Just type the remainder: “nytimes.com” or “dilbert.com,” for example. (In the Safari browser, you can even leave off the “.com” part.)
There's a whole lot more at http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/tech-tips-for-the-basic-computer-user/#more-553 AND, he is looking for your input for things he's missed.
Go there.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Learn 2.1
Funny thing, after Learn 2.0 we were talking and posited the likelihood of another similar offering "...in a couple years."
Now, 10 months later, there's so much change going on, that Learn 2.1 is here.
Staff is engaged and ready to go again.
And I heard that Tom ordered 350 iPhone 3G's...
Now, 10 months later, there's so much change going on, that Learn 2.1 is here.
Staff is engaged and ready to go again.
And I heard that Tom ordered 350 iPhone 3G's...
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Week 10...Podcasts and Digital Downloads
I have been working with podcasts for some time now. In fact, I negotiated with the vendors hosting OCLS' first podcasts. There are a couple that I sync to my iPod on a daily basis...mostly talk radio that airs while I am at work.
On major drawback that I have encountered with my iPod is that Recorded Books doesn't have a download agreement with Apple, hence I have to download to my computer and download manually to the Windows Media Player on my cell phone. Short of getting Apple and Recorded Books to the table, the bonus MP3 player that is on its way will take care of my downloadable audiobook dilemma.
Thanks Tom!
On major drawback that I have encountered with my iPod is that Recorded Books doesn't have a download agreement with Apple, hence I have to download to my computer and download manually to the Windows Media Player on my cell phone. Short of getting Apple and Recorded Books to the table, the bonus MP3 player that is on its way will take care of my downloadable audiobook dilemma.
Thanks Tom!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Copyright and Digital Technologies
Since the first VCR hit the shelves, the recording industry has wrestled with this issue. Technology had finally made amateur duplication of copyrighted AV materials easy in inexpensive. That was the mid-70's.
Thirty years later they are still fighting this game...and will probably lose, if they haven't already. Not because the technology is so easy--heck, it has been for years. The battle will be lost because of lack of enforcement particularly in foreign (non-US and EU) countries. The availability of major motion pictures on the streets of Hong Kong before a movie is even released attests to a big gaping hole in enforcement. On the music side, Napster is now legit, but has been replaced by Limewire and a host of other sites based outside the US. The RRIA is trying to prosecute, but with only limited success.
Job's article on DRM (and iTunes specifically) cites the ready availability of DRM-free music out there, and advances the position that music rightsholders secure royalties at sale, and unwrap online music from duplication restriction.
US and European law has actually stayed fairly up-to-date with technology advancements, though much was based on legal decisions in cases that were brought to court. It is naive to think that the rest of the world is going to react with much respect to copyright. In the past, that wasn't much of a problem because there wasn't much of a market there. That is all changing now.
It is going to be interesting.
Thirty years later they are still fighting this game...and will probably lose, if they haven't already. Not because the technology is so easy--heck, it has been for years. The battle will be lost because of lack of enforcement particularly in foreign (non-US and EU) countries. The availability of major motion pictures on the streets of Hong Kong before a movie is even released attests to a big gaping hole in enforcement. On the music side, Napster is now legit, but has been replaced by Limewire and a host of other sites based outside the US. The RRIA is trying to prosecute, but with only limited success.
Job's article on DRM (and iTunes specifically) cites the ready availability of DRM-free music out there, and advances the position that music rightsholders secure royalties at sale, and unwrap online music from duplication restriction.
US and European law has actually stayed fairly up-to-date with technology advancements, though much was based on legal decisions in cases that were brought to court. It is naive to think that the rest of the world is going to react with much respect to copyright. In the past, that wasn't much of a problem because there wasn't much of a market there. That is all changing now.
It is going to be interesting.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Week 8 musings
I really enjoyed this week's agenda. I have been interested in digital rights (particularly web image) management for a while and this gave me the opportunity to delve a bit into Creative Commons. I already had a flickr account (ajcalabrese) and uploaded some 'Creek shots and applied copyright terms. Cool.
Want to see more, you'll have to check out my account!
I also spent more time than I probably should have with protopage. I can imagine all kinds of uses for it.
Check it out...again the account name is ajcalabrese.
It's hard to believe that there are only a couple more weeks left to this program. I have been working with my learning buddy Reshard, and the tech staff has been helping the rest of the staff with some of the trickier parts. It's been a great learning experience.
More Web 2.0
Tom's suggestions were pretty cool...especially Trainco and dogster.
I have been a little lax with quantifying my workouts and am going to give Trainco a shot.
My dog Louis Vuitton now has a blog on dogster. For me, it led me to some info about his hair loss. (just like his dad.)
There's a couple web 2.0 apps out there that I really like. One is at the USA Track and Field site, called "America's Running Routes," it gives you an easy way to chart running/walking courses, and provides mile marks and total distance as well as course elevation changes.
Then, (the good part) you can post your routes for others to find via search by city, zip code etc.
This is great for people who travel. Check it out at www.usatf.org/routes/
I have been a little lax with quantifying my workouts and am going to give Trainco a shot.
My dog Louis Vuitton now has a blog on dogster. For me, it led me to some info about his hair loss. (just like his dad.)
There's a couple web 2.0 apps out there that I really like. One is at the USA Track and Field site, called "America's Running Routes," it gives you an easy way to chart running/walking courses, and provides mile marks and total distance as well as course elevation changes.Then, (the good part) you can post your routes for others to find via search by city, zip code etc.
This is great for people who travel. Check it out at www.usatf.org/routes/
Hard to believe it's week 7 already!
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