http://www.pitt.edu/~hmd9/index.html
It would have been very helpful to have the instructions about using a file converter to open the initial file.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Week 8 Reading Notes
CSS - Intro
- I was unaware the cascading style sheets are the reason behind the differences on webpages!
- The format of this tutorial, as with the html tutorial, makes understanding and practicing these elements simple, helpful, and understandable!
- I am really excited to play around with all of this and learn more!
Starting with HTML and CSS
- In the first CSS tutorial, I had fun filling in particular color names at random. In this tutorial I was surprised and pleased to learn more about how one can find and select the various colors.
- The explanation of how to pull the style elements out of the html language and save it as an external file was very helpful and made a lot of sense.
Chapter 2
- "CSS puts the designer in the drivers seat." As a person concerned with the aesthetics of objects, this quote made me feel more excited about the possibilities of using css and html.
- When creating the style of a particular website, do many designers begin by writing out a sketch of how they want a page to look, or do they often follow someone else's designs? I feel like I would have to start by writing out the parts of each declaration before entering the items.
- After reading about how the various properties of webpages are translated through css language, I'm so in awe of how well designed and complicated webpages are put together!!!
- I was unaware the cascading style sheets are the reason behind the differences on webpages!
- The format of this tutorial, as with the html tutorial, makes understanding and practicing these elements simple, helpful, and understandable!
- I am really excited to play around with all of this and learn more!
Starting with HTML and CSS
- In the first CSS tutorial, I had fun filling in particular color names at random. In this tutorial I was surprised and pleased to learn more about how one can find and select the various colors.
- The explanation of how to pull the style elements out of the html language and save it as an external file was very helpful and made a lot of sense.
Chapter 2
- "CSS puts the designer in the drivers seat." As a person concerned with the aesthetics of objects, this quote made me feel more excited about the possibilities of using css and html.
- When creating the style of a particular website, do many designers begin by writing out a sketch of how they want a page to look, or do they often follow someone else's designs? I feel like I would have to start by writing out the parts of each declaration before entering the items.
- After reading about how the various properties of webpages are translated through css language, I'm so in awe of how well designed and complicated webpages are put together!!!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Reading Notes - Week 7
Reading Notes
Web Monkey Cheat Sheet
- This sheet will be very helpful when we actually start writing simple things in html language.
As of right now, I don't understand it very much, but that is because I have never used html or any other kind of web language.
Introduction to HTML:
- basic idea that the tag is contained between < and >
- beginning and ending tags are formatted as <item> and </item>. Good to know that there are some simple rules to follow.
- Playing with the Try It Yourself function was really fun and interesting. It looks like writing html will be a process of figuring out and remembering what codes mean what. The cheat sheet I looked at first is going to come in very handy!!
- Did not know that use of headings on a webpage are indexed by search engines.
- I did not know that you could select "view source" on a right click and figure out how the page is formatted in htlm!!
Beyond HTML: Developing and Reimagining Content Webguides
- Reading through the introduction, it seemed that there was a fundamental problem in the way the librarians went about contstructing their website. It should be good practice for constructors of websites to plan out what they are going to do before they do it, especially as an organization's web presence lends such significance to their overall presence and 'brand.'
- I thought this article was an interesting and very thorough introduction into what and how libraries can work with their own content development in a way that is efficient and consistent. Otherwise, I found this article very dense and hard to read through.
- I thought this article was an interesting and very thorough introduction into what and how libraries can work with their own content development in a way that is efficient and consistent. Otherwise, I found this article very dense and hard to read through.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Week 6 Reading Notes
How Internet Infrastructure Works | Jeff Tyson
- Once again struck by the relative newness of the internet and how quickly it has expanded.
- The idea that internet is a set of concentric circles, nested networks connected to larger networks.
- Interoperability and cooperation between different internet companies. If only diplomacy and countries.
- Introduction of the Domain Name System revolutionized the way we all connect to different websites. So much less cumbersome than remembering the digits of an IP address.
- I love 'How Stuff Works' articles. Concise, informative, easy to read!
Dismantling Integrated Library Systems | Andrew K. Pace
- One of the most striking things from the How Stuff Works Article was the interoperability of the networks that make up the internet. It seems very frustrating that ILS systems are cumbersome and won't work with one another.
- "Innovation will have to come with integration with new technology" (Trevor Dykstra). I like this sentiment; it can be applied to many different areas of the library and technology world.
A Few Thoughts on the Google Books Project | Charles Edward Smith
" Pause to imagine the absence of Google's initiative, and it immediately becomes apparent that books and other printed material would quickly reach obsolescence if not easily accessible through digital technology. That is precisely what the Internet has changed in our everyday lives—we expect information of all kinds and from all sources to be only a few keystrokes away. Search engines are the new subject indexes to virtually infinite amounts of information on the Internet."
This was the most interesting sentiment from this article. I haven't decided how I feel about this yet, but I don't believe that books and newspapers, etc, would be obsolete without digital technology. We do have higher expectations of access and technology, but obsolescence?
TED talks: Sergey Brin and Larry Page on Google
Dr. Tomer spoke a lot about Google during LIS 2000 last fall. It's very interesting how Brin and Page have created a entity that has fingers in almost every part of the online world. I am very curious about the changes to the Google Privacy Policy. Will it be harmful or beneficial?
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Reading Notes, Week 5
Management of RFID in Libraries, by Karen Coyle
Coyle has done an excellent job at making a case for future forward librarianship. I appreciate her questions "what is the motivation for libraries to embrace new technologies?" This is an essential question being asked across libraries and by the spectrum of library staff. However, I felt that Coyle's article could have used a brief description of what an RFID device is and does. She references two great articles, but left the reader in the dark. I had a vague notion that was eventually proven correct about three quarters of the way through the article. If Coyle is truly making a case for techno-progressive librarianship, then she could at least illuminate the less tech-savvy readers.
As mentioned in the article, there are several implications to attaching an RFID tag to library materials. What Coyle seems to suggest is that library efficiency will increase as a result of adopting this tracking -slash- security device, partially because of decreased human time spent checking books in and out. She asserts that this could be a positive and beneficial side effect for human staff and judges that checking materials in and out and be "mind numbingly dull."
Now, more than ever, libraries need to be community spaces where people are connected to the information they seek by other people. If an RFID tag and barcode combination are going to be the the end user's interaction with the library, why not stay in the comfort of their home and buy the book online? People need library clerks, pages, and librarians. Human interaction is an essential part of what the library has to offer. I worry that as we adopt more and more technologies, the fundamental human element will be lost in translation.
Computer Network - Wikipedia
Sometimes I get lost in imagining the different kinds of overlapping circles that connect different points, places, and people. This article was helpful at refreshing some basic ideas related to computer networks. While I don't think I will ever become an expert at how different computers are linked and the way that the processes truly operate, I recognize it's importance, especially at a fundamental troubleshooting level. I anticipate working in a public library and it will be highly advantageous to understand how our computers are connected and protected without constantly relying on tech support.
My favourite part of this article was about IP over Avian Carriers. It's interesting that once again, our bird friends capable of performing communicative functions between humans!
Local Area Network - Wikipedia
Building upon my comments from reading the Computer Network article, I believe that understanding the functions of my organizations LAN will be essential for helping patrons and fellow staff. I'm also curious to know how the concept of local area networks are going to change, evolve, and grow with the continued proliferation of smart phone and tablet technologies, as well as other devices which rely heavily on wireless internet for their use. Will books - or other printed media - begin to be equipped with tiny chips to connect them to different networks, thus becoming interactive?
Coyle has done an excellent job at making a case for future forward librarianship. I appreciate her questions "what is the motivation for libraries to embrace new technologies?" This is an essential question being asked across libraries and by the spectrum of library staff. However, I felt that Coyle's article could have used a brief description of what an RFID device is and does. She references two great articles, but left the reader in the dark. I had a vague notion that was eventually proven correct about three quarters of the way through the article. If Coyle is truly making a case for techno-progressive librarianship, then she could at least illuminate the less tech-savvy readers.
As mentioned in the article, there are several implications to attaching an RFID tag to library materials. What Coyle seems to suggest is that library efficiency will increase as a result of adopting this tracking -slash- security device, partially because of decreased human time spent checking books in and out. She asserts that this could be a positive and beneficial side effect for human staff and judges that checking materials in and out and be "mind numbingly dull."
Now, more than ever, libraries need to be community spaces where people are connected to the information they seek by other people. If an RFID tag and barcode combination are going to be the the end user's interaction with the library, why not stay in the comfort of their home and buy the book online? People need library clerks, pages, and librarians. Human interaction is an essential part of what the library has to offer. I worry that as we adopt more and more technologies, the fundamental human element will be lost in translation.
Computer Network - Wikipedia
Sometimes I get lost in imagining the different kinds of overlapping circles that connect different points, places, and people. This article was helpful at refreshing some basic ideas related to computer networks. While I don't think I will ever become an expert at how different computers are linked and the way that the processes truly operate, I recognize it's importance, especially at a fundamental troubleshooting level. I anticipate working in a public library and it will be highly advantageous to understand how our computers are connected and protected without constantly relying on tech support.
My favourite part of this article was about IP over Avian Carriers. It's interesting that once again, our bird friends capable of performing communicative functions between humans!
Local Area Network - Wikipedia
Building upon my comments from reading the Computer Network article, I believe that understanding the functions of my organizations LAN will be essential for helping patrons and fellow staff. I'm also curious to know how the concept of local area networks are going to change, evolve, and grow with the continued proliferation of smart phone and tablet technologies, as well as other devices which rely heavily on wireless internet for their use. Will books - or other printed media - begin to be equipped with tiny chips to connect them to different networks, thus becoming interactive?
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