“Can WIKIPEDIA Ever Make the Grade?”
As Wikipedia’s popularity has grown so has the criticism towards the online encyclopedia where anyone can add information. Many professors and experts are skeptical of the information that is available through Wikipedia, so one professional sought ought and purposely added false information to the sight. Mr.Halavais used a pseudonym to add thirteen false errors, some plausible and some odd facts to see if the Wikipedia community would catch the errors. In less than three hours all of his false claims had been deleted from the website and he was asked not to add anymore false information. If Wikipedia continues to do a good job of editing the information that is added to the site then why do scholars still have sour feelings towards the site? Wikipedia can give scholars the chance to spread their knowledge to others, but I feel that scholars do not want credible information available for free. Scholars still want to publish their articles in academic journals and charge high prices for the articles through subscription to the journals or the databases that provide the articles digitally. Scholars should be honored for their work, but they should also want to share their knowledge with the world and not consider themselves better than a website that is just trying to provide a wide variety of truthful and useful information. Scholars become distained when a “common” person can alter or edit their post which they provide Wikipedia. However, Wikipedia continues to grow and be successful and if scholars chose not to participate in the growth of Wikipedia the site will still continue to provide credible information for free to the public. Providing such information for free is incredible with the digital divide and other limitations plaguing access to credible information.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
News Article 5
“Chrome Eliminates Google’s Middleman Problems”
Wried.com
Sept. 2, 2008
By: Meghan Keane
http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/09/chrome-eliminat.html
Google launched its new browser Chrome in hope to gain more revenue through their main revenue generator – advertising. The browser is asking users to give up some privacy in hope that the consumer will outweigh the benefits Chrome offers. Chrome will retrieve the most relevant data from its consumers which is what makes it different from Google. An upgrade includes that no cookies are created when the application is opened and deleted cookies created when the window is closed. This keeps the others users on the computer to not know what you have been viewing or doing on the computer. However Chrome does not mask your IP address, so it is not internally incognito. This allows only privacy at your own computer which is still an upgrade. Most browsers are full-throttle privacy which could pose security backlash similar to the one after the launch of Gmail. However Gmail is still extremely successful and Google hopes for the same about Chrome. Google is still working out details with Chrome and is people prove that they will want more security then Google can still modify Chrome to make consumers happy. I think that Google ahs a great idea with Chrome and is utilizing specific consumer information to target advertisements towards. The advertising revenue allows for Google to continue to innovate and expand. Technology is ever changing and Google is looking for ways to keep up with the ever changing internet and still maintain profitable. At a business stand point Google is being very wise in launching this new browser Chrome.
Wried.com
Sept. 2, 2008
By: Meghan Keane
http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/09/chrome-eliminat.html
Google launched its new browser Chrome in hope to gain more revenue through their main revenue generator – advertising. The browser is asking users to give up some privacy in hope that the consumer will outweigh the benefits Chrome offers. Chrome will retrieve the most relevant data from its consumers which is what makes it different from Google. An upgrade includes that no cookies are created when the application is opened and deleted cookies created when the window is closed. This keeps the others users on the computer to not know what you have been viewing or doing on the computer. However Chrome does not mask your IP address, so it is not internally incognito. This allows only privacy at your own computer which is still an upgrade. Most browsers are full-throttle privacy which could pose security backlash similar to the one after the launch of Gmail. However Gmail is still extremely successful and Google hopes for the same about Chrome. Google is still working out details with Chrome and is people prove that they will want more security then Google can still modify Chrome to make consumers happy. I think that Google ahs a great idea with Chrome and is utilizing specific consumer information to target advertisements towards. The advertising revenue allows for Google to continue to innovate and expand. Technology is ever changing and Google is looking for ways to keep up with the ever changing internet and still maintain profitable. At a business stand point Google is being very wise in launching this new browser Chrome.
Reading 3
“The Infodiet: How Libraries Can Offer An Appetizing Alternative to Google.”
Information literacy seems to be a hot topic for support for libraries. However, students prefer the satisfaction of instant results and the use of online search engines. The library once was the only way student were capable of retrieving information, but has long passed that title. The internet posses the main threat to the library with more convenient and self-satisfying search engines. However, James Morris the dean at Carnegie Mellon University believes that this quick self-satisfying search for information is “infobesity” and is low quality information. In fact Morris goes as far as to compare this information gathered through Google as a “junk diet” of information. The potential cure for retrieving low quality research paper is to create a library search database that is more similar to Google. This may attract students to once again use scholarly work for their research papers. Some librarians still feel that research should be pain taking and a process, but let’s be honest here- students are multitasking more than ever and need a quick way to retrieve information rich resources. It a library database could be developed that did a very quick search and had online articles which could be saved or printed, the libraries resources could be utilized more than they currently are. The belief is that professors are going to have to force students to use these resources for their research papers. However, I do not believe that the professors should force students to use these resources; that is the worst way to encourage students to be information literate. The upgrade of catalogue search engine alone should encourage students to use more information rich resources.
Information literacy seems to be a hot topic for support for libraries. However, students prefer the satisfaction of instant results and the use of online search engines. The library once was the only way student were capable of retrieving information, but has long passed that title. The internet posses the main threat to the library with more convenient and self-satisfying search engines. However, James Morris the dean at Carnegie Mellon University believes that this quick self-satisfying search for information is “infobesity” and is low quality information. In fact Morris goes as far as to compare this information gathered through Google as a “junk diet” of information. The potential cure for retrieving low quality research paper is to create a library search database that is more similar to Google. This may attract students to once again use scholarly work for their research papers. Some librarians still feel that research should be pain taking and a process, but let’s be honest here- students are multitasking more than ever and need a quick way to retrieve information rich resources. It a library database could be developed that did a very quick search and had online articles which could be saved or printed, the libraries resources could be utilized more than they currently are. The belief is that professors are going to have to force students to use these resources for their research papers. However, I do not believe that the professors should force students to use these resources; that is the worst way to encourage students to be information literate. The upgrade of catalogue search engine alone should encourage students to use more information rich resources.
News Article 4
“Twittering From the Cradle”
New York Times.com
By: Camille Sweeney
Sept. 10, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/fashion/11Tots.html
Social network Totspot similar to Facebook allows for babies to blog about their life. Well actually the parents are doing it but it has become very popular. Some parents get onto the network and update their babies’ profile every day. Just like adult social network groups the ‘babies’ are able to make friends online and connect to them. The babies are able to express their favorites including their favorite books, nicknames and even food. Parents are able to decide how much or little information about their child is public, which allows for some protection and safety. On the safety note Totspot has a tracker which allows to see who has visited the babies website and when. There are 15,000 babies on Totspot which shows that parents are looking for a venue to put their children online. Totspot is even making it capable for mothers to find other babies for play dates, or to organize a meeting about baby health among other parents. Parents are also using these social networks in hope to keep far away relatives close with updating photos and stories. These parents also view their babies’ page as a one stop place where all of their babies’ memories and pictures are stored. I think it is an innovative way for parents to keep loved ones connected. However, I think that babies may be a little young to have a web profile and online communication between babies. Also with the parents creating the websites, it may tend to be bias of what the parents how they want their baby to appear.
New York Times.com
By: Camille Sweeney
Sept. 10, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/fashion/11Tots.html
Social network Totspot similar to Facebook allows for babies to blog about their life. Well actually the parents are doing it but it has become very popular. Some parents get onto the network and update their babies’ profile every day. Just like adult social network groups the ‘babies’ are able to make friends online and connect to them. The babies are able to express their favorites including their favorite books, nicknames and even food. Parents are able to decide how much or little information about their child is public, which allows for some protection and safety. On the safety note Totspot has a tracker which allows to see who has visited the babies website and when. There are 15,000 babies on Totspot which shows that parents are looking for a venue to put their children online. Totspot is even making it capable for mothers to find other babies for play dates, or to organize a meeting about baby health among other parents. Parents are also using these social networks in hope to keep far away relatives close with updating photos and stories. These parents also view their babies’ page as a one stop place where all of their babies’ memories and pictures are stored. I think it is an innovative way for parents to keep loved ones connected. However, I think that babies may be a little young to have a web profile and online communication between babies. Also with the parents creating the websites, it may tend to be bias of what the parents how they want their baby to appear.
News Article 3
“Porn Passed Over As Web users Become Social”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080916/wr_nm/internet_book_life_dc;_ylt=Agr2rgpkB785dfTSvPoXC4H6VbIF
Internet trackers illustrate all kinds of facts about why people go online. The information they search proves many interesting characteristics about or society. For example, near Thanksgiving anti-depression searches reach an all time high for the year. It is believed that our society is what we click to search online. This information can depicts random trivia like what people fear to how the society emotionally feels as a whole. There are patterns in the searches depending on the time of year, and one thing that has fallen off the scheme of things is the search for online porn. Porn used to be about twenty percent of all searches and has dropped to only ten percent. A giant increase in searches is for social networking parties. It is hoped that young users are more attracted to social networking sites than looking at adult sites containing porn. Social networking groups can prove to be a beneficial part of the internet. This has been the most dramatic shift in searches in five years. Searches are also based on what is currently going on in our society- like the elections. However, instead of searching political issues people are searching for images and meaningless information like how tall the candidates are. Catastrophic events like Katrina now also increases searches on tropical storms. I think that online porn searches decreasing are great even if it means young users are spending their time online at social networking sites. There is some danger with young users on social networking sites, but the benefits outweigh the risks that they are exposed to.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080916/wr_nm/internet_book_life_dc;_ylt=Agr2rgpkB785dfTSvPoXC4H6VbIF
Internet trackers illustrate all kinds of facts about why people go online. The information they search proves many interesting characteristics about or society. For example, near Thanksgiving anti-depression searches reach an all time high for the year. It is believed that our society is what we click to search online. This information can depicts random trivia like what people fear to how the society emotionally feels as a whole. There are patterns in the searches depending on the time of year, and one thing that has fallen off the scheme of things is the search for online porn. Porn used to be about twenty percent of all searches and has dropped to only ten percent. A giant increase in searches is for social networking parties. It is hoped that young users are more attracted to social networking sites than looking at adult sites containing porn. Social networking groups can prove to be a beneficial part of the internet. This has been the most dramatic shift in searches in five years. Searches are also based on what is currently going on in our society- like the elections. However, instead of searching political issues people are searching for images and meaningless information like how tall the candidates are. Catastrophic events like Katrina now also increases searches on tropical storms. I think that online porn searches decreasing are great even if it means young users are spending their time online at social networking sites. There is some danger with young users on social networking sites, but the benefits outweigh the risks that they are exposed to.
News Article 2
“Pentagon Researcher Unveils Warcraft Terror Plot”
By: Noah Shachtman
Http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/09/world-of-warcra.html
The internet allows people from all over the world to have a line of communication. This could pose a problem for homeland security which is worried that could be terrorist could gather and discuss techniques and ideas. Pentagon specialists have laid out a scenario in the online game World of Warcraft where people from all over gather and play together. The plotters could gather online and practice and rehearse attacks. It worries the government that it allows plotters to gather and practice way to easy, and without anyone knowing the severity of their online practice. The plotters would use lingo that looks familiar to the World of Warcraft lingo, or lingo used from previous games. This would make the lingo familiar and hard to decifer from all the other players. To combat this belief that it is possible for plotters to gather in an online virtual scenario it is possible for spies in the near future to be accessing and using the same virtual war games. It is a scary idea to think that terrorist plotters could gather online and practice attacks. These attacks could be aimed at U.S. government buildings or a aim a Antrax or other attack against the U.S. or the citizens. I think it will be beneficial to have these cites monitored and possibly only offer these games to U.S. citizens in an effort to keep our country safe. This may seem extreme but if it could potentially aid terrorist plotters it could be a very dangerous communication line.
By: Noah Shachtman
Http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/09/world-of-warcra.html
The internet allows people from all over the world to have a line of communication. This could pose a problem for homeland security which is worried that could be terrorist could gather and discuss techniques and ideas. Pentagon specialists have laid out a scenario in the online game World of Warcraft where people from all over gather and play together. The plotters could gather online and practice and rehearse attacks. It worries the government that it allows plotters to gather and practice way to easy, and without anyone knowing the severity of their online practice. The plotters would use lingo that looks familiar to the World of Warcraft lingo, or lingo used from previous games. This would make the lingo familiar and hard to decifer from all the other players. To combat this belief that it is possible for plotters to gather in an online virtual scenario it is possible for spies in the near future to be accessing and using the same virtual war games. It is a scary idea to think that terrorist plotters could gather online and practice attacks. These attacks could be aimed at U.S. government buildings or a aim a Antrax or other attack against the U.S. or the citizens. I think it will be beneficial to have these cites monitored and possibly only offer these games to U.S. citizens in an effort to keep our country safe. This may seem extreme but if it could potentially aid terrorist plotters it could be a very dangerous communication line.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Reading Assignment 2
“Information Navigation 101”
Since information has become so easily accessible and main website like Wikipedia.com and encylcodepia.com offer information free online it is believed that college students turn to these sources more than the original scholarly works that the libraries offer. The scholarly and peer reviewed works are often in databases now, libraries believe that it is essential to teach students how to navigate through the different databases to find relevant information quickly. Information literacy has become a highly discussed issue. It is hoped that students will begin to evaluate the information they find (mainly while researching) and to evaluate if the information is relevant and true. Information literacy also hopes to increase the knowledge about plagiarism. Information literacy hopes to emphasize the databases that are offered to students at the library and to be skeptical of the information they find over the internet. Some universities have developed tests to measure information literacy among their students. It is even believed that students should not be able to graduate without being information literate but not yet enforced. Personally I believe that professors often force us to use databases for research projects. They do this by only allowing one or two websites as references and requiring a certain number of articles from the databases. This may be because they do not believe students are capable of shifting through information obtained on the internet as being legitimate or not. I personally feel that this technique used by professors is not necessary. Students are capable of finding the appropriate material needed to conduct research. If the material can be accessed from a website versus a database I do not understand the harm in conducting research using the internet.
Since information has become so easily accessible and main website like Wikipedia.com and encylcodepia.com offer information free online it is believed that college students turn to these sources more than the original scholarly works that the libraries offer. The scholarly and peer reviewed works are often in databases now, libraries believe that it is essential to teach students how to navigate through the different databases to find relevant information quickly. Information literacy has become a highly discussed issue. It is hoped that students will begin to evaluate the information they find (mainly while researching) and to evaluate if the information is relevant and true. Information literacy also hopes to increase the knowledge about plagiarism. Information literacy hopes to emphasize the databases that are offered to students at the library and to be skeptical of the information they find over the internet. Some universities have developed tests to measure information literacy among their students. It is even believed that students should not be able to graduate without being information literate but not yet enforced. Personally I believe that professors often force us to use databases for research projects. They do this by only allowing one or two websites as references and requiring a certain number of articles from the databases. This may be because they do not believe students are capable of shifting through information obtained on the internet as being legitimate or not. I personally feel that this technique used by professors is not necessary. Students are capable of finding the appropriate material needed to conduct research. If the material can be accessed from a website versus a database I do not understand the harm in conducting research using the internet.
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