Monday, November 2, 2009

Week 8 Muddiest Point

I didn't have a muddiest point this week. It was just a lot to take in, but it made sense.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Week 8 Reading Notes

1.) HTML Tutorial
I really had no knowledge or experience of HTMLs when I read this tutorial. It had some very helpful information, but it was a bit much to take in. I really had a lot of fun doing the "try it yourself" parts. Since it was so much to take in, it was hard to remember a lot, but It would be easy enough to refer back to this if I needed it.

2.) HTML Cheatsheet
I was unable to access this reading.

3.)CSS Tutorial
I didn't really know about CSS before this. It was created to solve the problem of using HTML in increasingly complicated websites. My comments and feelings on this tutorial are similar to the HTML tutorial. It was a lot of information for an inexperienced person like myself, but it would be very useful to refer back to.

4.)Beyond HTML
The collaboration between librarians and web developers have helped ensure the success of CMS. I know that as a future librarian where digitization is becoming more and more important the collaboration of various technology experts and librarians becomes critical for libraries to meet the changing demands of their users.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Week 7 Reading

1.) How Internet Infrastructure Works
The internet is a collection of networks, and every computer connected to the Internet is a part of a network. Most large communication companies have a Point of Presence (POP) where users connect to the company's network. High level networks connect to each other through Network Access Points. Routers are specialized computers that send information where it needs to go. Every machine on the Internet has a unique IP Address. Initially one needed to know the IP Address of the computer they wished to connect with, however in 1983 the University of Wisconsin developed the Domain Name System. For example to connect with How Stuff Works one only needs to remember www.howstuffworks.com instead of remembering their IP Address. Machines that provide services to other machines are known as servers, and machines used to connect to those services are clients. I found this article pretty confusing overall.

2.)Dismantling Integrated Library Systems
This article was very confusing to me. I am in the archives track and am unfamiliar with the issues in ILS with changing technologies. I feel that the reader had to have an understanding of the present systems and challenges being faced in order to really comprehend this article.

3.)Inside the Google Machine
I love learning about Google and found this video very interesting. It's always nice to see a company that is so successful really value every employee's ideas. It's great how they let employees work on their own ideas and projects for the company and foster such a creative community. I had never seen the visual of the Earth showing Google traffic. Visuals of Internet activities can help people grasp a concept that is so difficult to wrap their head around. After watching this video I want to download the Google desk bar to try. Google has been so successful in bringing information on the Internet to their users, and this is a challengethat librarians and archivists are facing as well.