Week 12 Reading Notes

Like the old adage “Crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run”

The two articles by David Hawking, “Web Search Engines” reminded me of the old adage that you need to learn how to crawl before you can walk and ultimately run.  Both articles explained the importance of crawlers and the type and process by which they gather information.  “Successful” crawling will lead to enhanced query results.  On an unrelated note, I was surprised to learn that the average query length is 2.3 words.  I would think that it would be difficult to find the most relevant results with that short and un-detailed of a query.

A lesson from childhood-“sharing is caring”

The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting speaks to the power of sharing.  With a mission that seeks to “develop and promote interoperability standards that aim to facilitate the efficient dissemination of content,” the OAI ultimately enriches the work of researchers as well as those seeking to learn.  Constructing an environment that encourages sharing of information should help to accelerate discovery and yield better results in many disciplines and cross-disciplines.   Sharing important information could be seen as truly caring about the advancement and progress towards solutions within a collaborative and scholarly community.  Of course, there are many “rules” or guidelines that need to be agreed upon in order to make the searching process streamlined and minimize frustration.  As more researchers see the value in contributing to a repository, then better and richer the research becomes.

Future’s so Bright…

“The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value” by Michael Bergman was an incredibly interesting article to read.  Given the relatively explosive growth of the internet and content on the web, I am no terribly surprised at the sheer volume of information that is available.  What is surprising is noting the disparity between the information of the surface web versus the deep web.  I was particularly struck by the section about the rate of search failure being close to 85%.  I am encouraged that BrightPlanet is working to diligently make the information of the deep web more accessible through the use of direct query technology.  I cannot wait for the day when that technology is fused with the information available on the entire web-surface and deep-and searches move towards a 85% success rate.

Lab 11-Google Scholar and Web of Knowledge

Query for Google Scholar and Web of Knowledge "digital library" (because requires exact phrase)
Query for Google Scholar and Web of Knowledge ~virtual reference (because requires synonyms)
I then selected the last four years or (2008-2012).  I didn't like Web of Knowledge as much as Google Scholar.

Week 11 Reading Notes

TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More)

This week's readings contained a lot of information on the current state as well as the future of libraries and how they will work together within the digital environment.  I am encouraged that synergistic relationships are developing between librarians and computer scientists.  It is this type of collaborative approach that will continue to yield productive results such as DSpace.  As cross-discipline partnerships continue to populate the landscape as opposed to siloed endeavors, the progress will be fast and furious in terms of scholarly communication.

Week 10 Reading Notes:

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Those of you who have followed my blog entries from the beginning of the semester, will remember that I am far from being a computer guru.  However, I have learned a ton over the past couple of weeks.  Perhaps it is my stubborn nature that had me determined to learn HTML and CSS code.  So, I spent two painstaking weeks working on Assignment 4-writing the code directly for each of the four pages.  Despite the frequent frustrations and ridiculously steep learning curve, I completed the assignment and submitted it a couple of days ago.  My sense of accomplishment was quickly dashed when I tried to read about XML in the readings this week.  I am sure that this will come to make sense as we work on our lab this week and I watch the lecture from class.  All I can say is that technology is something that will continue to evolve and evolve quickly.  People will always look for a better way to do things.  For example, in an effort to bridge the gap between how humans think and how computers “see” information, XML is a great solution.  I was particularly struck by the title, title and title possibilities and realize that XML provides the tool to minimize confusion and increase efficiency.  I suppose I am looking forward, albeit with some mild trepidation to learning XML and all of the extra extra extra tags/attributes/elements necessary. 

Lab 9: Embedded Video and Google Map

http://www.pitt.edu/~jlj74/Lab9/JLJLab9.html

Week 9 Reading Notes

Making Sense

The development of HTML5 makes sense to allow for improved functionality in this increasingly connected and therefore shrinking world.  The trend of multimedia has forced the creation of a language that is universal and enables pieces and parts to run with all systems and browsers. 

Gone in a Flash

Steve Jobs offered insight into the alternative to using Flash has incented developers to design a language that competes within the market.  Because of the tremendous number of smartphones and tablets, Jobs is in effect looking to insure that content is still able to be consumed.  It is not just about the content but the medium in which users consume that content.

Lab 8 CSS

http://www.pitt.edu/~jlj74/index.html