http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=MNVRLRC3KPBAKQSNDLPCKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=207000161&_requestid=252140

 

Information Week: defining the business value of technology

 

By: Thomas Claburn

 

March 27^th, 2008

 

            Cameras are the new ‘it’ crave by people, and is only growing larger with the evolution of the camera within the past 2 decades.  It is now possible to go buy a 100 dollar camera that has all the features a normal photographer would need, and now a storable memory and a video feature.  Adobe will now be launching its beta project for online Photoshop.  This will be very convenient for non photographers who want to edit or change photos, but will not have enough MB in order to even sufficiently hold one of their film rolls.  However the best feature for people like me is the fact it is free to use with all the features I would ever need.  Adobe is not the first internet photography program, but with its well known name it will be quick to be a top their industry.

            The Photoshop is a wonderful idea to help reel in people who are currently not their consumer market.  With the ability to alter family photos or take people out you do not want in, it is possible to be viewed as a photographer.  Even though this Photoshop will be inefficient for real photographers, I feel as if soon there will be a place for them too.  Soon enough anything we need done as a physical service will transition into an electric service instead like grocery shopping, ordering pizza, or photo shopping a picture.

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Smoking_bans_boost_drink_driving_ac_04012008.html

 

Journal of Public economics

 

April 1^st, 2008

 

Smoking bans boost drink-driving accidents: study

 

            Freedom is starting to become something with a defined tangible meaning instead of the great awesome intangible feeling you get of true freedom.  Our society is beginning to act in ways that seem to be beneficial, but do not always appear as if they really were.  Smoking is now becoming outlawed in bars across America resulting in people needing to drive longer distances to find bars that will allow them to indulge into a cigarette while drinking.  It was believed that stopping cigarette smoke will create a healthier environment, but now every year the rate of drunken accidents is rising by 12%.  People at the University of Washington believe this is going to be a situation where we must weigh the pros and cons because it is good to stop smokers, but is it still ok if it causes more drunk driving accidents?

            It is in my opinion that smoking be allowed in bars, however I think maybe it should be regulated to certain sections or stronger filtration systems for the building should be used.  I do not think smoking is good, and I know it is a serious problem, but for me I think drinking and driving is far more dangerous because it could kill anyone, any where, at any time.  This is why I am glad to live in North Carolina because southerners need their cigarettes, especially with a nice brew.  Maybe instead of investing all this time in money putting limitations on where people can and cannot smoke, the government will begin finding ways to either ban cigarettes or make them healthier for the user and the people breathing in second hand smoke.

            With the ever expanding internet businesses are being forced to find newer and more creative ways of getting their “information” out to people without being overlooked by everyone else.  Napster shook the world of music resulting in a panic of a lot of similar businesses.  FOX and NBC have combined forces to create their own television website.  Hulu.com is the website engineered to support FOX and NBC desires to have any of their shows available on the website for any viewer.  If The Office came on yesterday and you missed it, you can simply just go to Hulu.com and access the show. The shows will have shorter commercial requirements but do require you to watch the commercials and not fast forward through them.  The website will even be able to access shows from other television broadcasters like ABC as long as it is obtainable legally.  The representative from Hulu.com made it clear that anything on the website will be strictly legal to have.  Hulu.com is a video website that is supported by advertising, however the advertising is cut back as compared to other websites you might visit.  Hulu.com has had great reviews ever since the initial start up of the website.  The creators of Hulu.com were half in California and half in Japan so when one crew worked, the other slept, focusing on user demands for the system.  Some businesses are on board to join with Hulu.com, however some are still resistant.

            This was a very interesting article revealing the future of the television industry.  I think this is probably the best thing I have heard in some time about the internet because I have always been able to access some shows on the internet, but now I can do it legally and faster.  Plus this gives me access to shows from years ago that I probably could never find on the internet resulting in more viewing for my pleasure.  After reading this article and writing this blog, I am going to spend a lot of time exploring Hulu.com since it was set to debut this month.

 

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2008/03/17/104326604/index.htm?postversion=2008031007

 

CNNMONEY.com Fortune

 

http://money.cnn.com/video/#/video/news/2008/03/25/valdesdapena.fordtaxi.cnnmoney

Posted March 25, 2008

The new concept car for taxi cabs by Ford is going to revolutionize the taxi cab industry.  Ford is releasing a car that is unlike the crown fords that we are use to seeing.  The vehicle will have a lot of head room with tons of storage space in the back.  You will be elevated above the drive to see where you are going.  There will be a touch screen which can be used for numerous things including calculating your tip or planning out which direction you want to take in order to arrive at your destination.  If you choose to pay in cash you will then need to place your money into a circulating “cup” holder which the driver can collect from, or you can use the new credit card system.  This system allows you to pay with a credit card from the back seat by simply sliding your card across this flat electronic device which scans your card and brings up the tip amount on the touch screen for you to fill out.  

            I like the idea Ford is taking taxi’s cabs into, by shaping them into ideas that fit into today’s society.  Technology is finally being used for the taxi industry.  So many times drivers were shorted because of lack of money or people only having a credit card.  Now with this new system any type of payment is acceptable.  Also with the convenience of mapping out the direction, you can choose your own shorter direction instead of the drivers’ longer more expensive directions.  My only desire now is to be able to get a taxi cab with a push of a button and the closes one comes, instead of the waiting to see one or calling the taxi cab workers to see when the next one is available to get to you.  Soon even more technology will be used to help the expanding service industry of taxi cab driving.

CNNMONEY.com, video

Where Every Ad Knows Your Name
New York Times: Business-Innovation-Technology-Society Bits
March 10, 2008
By: Louise Story
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/where-every-ad-knows-your-name/?hp

It is becoming an internet world where all the big named companies like AOL, Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft are transitioning over to the Ad network business. Any network you ask will tell you they do not use your registering information when advertising to you, including giving out names, numbers, etc. Google is uncertain if it could even access your information to relay to advertisers because their site is mostly a non-registered site, and could probably only access people’s names if they are registered. Microsoft has gone farther then the other three companies by installing a firewall to block access to this kind of information; however they do not believe first names or nicknames to be personal information. AOL does use name based ad’s, but they have a strict privacy policy which enforces them to only be able to use name based ad’s on their websites and no others even if it is a sponsors website. Yahoo does not use this type of advertising in their systems, or so they say. Nevertheless they do use your registration name as a way of personal greeting when you log on, and for other things that are within their website.
Websites are starting to find new extremes for advertising. Soon it will get to the point where people are tired of using these companies for their business or pleasure and someone will start internet sites without all the advertising. It has now become apparent to me that information is only safe in the privacy of your of head because any information placed into the internet is probably being monitored by multiple systems checking for information, clues to how or who they are, or any other relevant information they can use to lure you into their advertises. I hate the fact anyone can be harassed by advertisers because the internet was suppose to be a place of exploration and fun, not about what advertisement is coming next.
Brad Ingold

Libraries Shun Deals to Place Books on Web
By: Katie Hefner
Published October 22nd, 2007
New York Times: Technology
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/technology/22library.html

With the new age of computers becoming the center of technology and information, people are looking for more ways to increase the uses of the internet. A new idea that could be very beneficial to education of people is having books available in full-text online for anyone to access. The Open Content Alliance is a nonprofit group effort aimed at making their materials broadly available. The OCA makes books available for any search service, but Google and Microsoft and others place certain restrictions on access to their books in order to help them and not make it free for any one to access. The OCA uses its group members and benefactors to pay the $30 per book to scan unto the databases. Google however covers the costs of scanning the books and donate money to the libraries; however some libraries are still choosing not to join Google stating, “Many in the academic and nonprofit world are intent on pursuing a vision of the Web as a global repository of knowledge that is free of business interests or restrictions.” Meaning if the information should be available on the internet, then it should be available to anyone wanting to access it. After talking to some libraries about why they chose not to go with Google it seemed evident that they did not want restrictions on the materials access but rather the opportunity for any person who chooses to be able to access the book with no inconvenience or cost.
My personal opinion of this article is a feeling of happiness knowing that there are people that are fighting for information to be available to anyone who so chooses. Too much of our world is revolving around the monetary value of things. I am happy that Google is at least making books more available, however the OCA seems to be more concerned with anyone accessing the books then only a paying customer. With books and knowledge available worldwide, humanity will move farther into the future. Now people in the entire world can gain access to poems written by Edgar Allen Poe or books by J.K. Rowling. This can only be a step forward for our society, and if something happens to the books, and then we can still access the material. My only hope is that this stays away from a money issue and they figure out faster ways to place these books on the internet to begin a new transition into ways of accessing knowledge.
Brad Ingold

Subject Headings and the Library Catalog

 

            A library’s online catalog will list the institutions book holding and some of it non-book formats such as videos and maps.  The title of journals will be found in the library catalog; however, the individual article itself will not appear here.  Instead, the catalog will give you a reference to a database that is holding the exact journal you desire if the database contains it.  Once you begin your search it is important to use proper subject headings because many issues tend to arise by people not know the proper format to search with.  Some words may seem like easiest and most practical use to find your interest, however they can lead you in a completely different direction.  In addition, the order in which you list the words will factor into the equation as well.  The instance, the history of philosophy, and the philosophy of history are two completely different searches.  Uniform heading will help aid in searching by linking particular words with words associated with it like death penalty and capital punishment.  This is useful because you cannot always remember alternate words to search for your subject of interest.  Uniform headings help by finding variant titles for the same subject and variant classification numbers for aspects of the same subject.  One problem still occurs with uniform headings, when you search with a word that is not very good for that subject you might be given alternate areas to search that have no value to your research.  Therefore, unless you try multiple words or are sure you are using a good strong word for that subject, you could be lead anywhere.

            There are four ways to find the right subject headings, two involve using the Library of Congress Subject Heading, and the other two involve using the library’s catalog directly.  In the LCSH, follow cross-references to help know what words will help your search and which words will not help.  When looking in the LCSH you will see four abbreviations: NT: Narrower term UF: used for BT: broader term and RT: related term.  These terms are important ways for cross-referencing codes, but pay particular attention to the NT references.  The second important LCSH way of helping ease your search process is looking for narrower terms that are alphabetically adjacent to your starting-point term in the LCHS list.  When researching within the library catalog, look for subject tracings on relevant records retrieved by other means.  This is the third way of researching and is very good when you begin a search with one strong subject search because from there you will be able to see alternative subjects by the catalog that sometimes is even more useful then your original search was.  Finally the last way for finding good subject headings is within the library catalog, browse through all of the subdivisions of any relevant subject heading you find.  This is useful because when you search for something you might use a term that is too broad and opens up too much information, but by looking at the subdivisions, you can narrow your search down a ton and probably find things you would have never thought of using as search words.

            Researchers and students who need to access this type of information use these tools routinely.  Without the guidance of these tools, it would take large amounts of time to find and generalize your searches into the proper direction because it would open too many gates of information and not open enough of the proper ones.  Now that I know the four ways of researching, I know that if I have internet access I can just use the library to access the information I need, or just go to the library and use the LCSH to help find and narrow down my research.

 

Mann, Thomas. The Oxford Guide to Library Research.  Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. 18-40.  (E-Reserves)

Plagiarism

 

            What makes something plagiarism?  Plagiarism occurs when someone uses part of someone else’s information to conduct their own assessments and do not give them credit.   To avoid plagiarism people must carefully cite their information’s source in the bibliography or list of references.  Failure to do so is considered a form of theft.  When writing a scholarship paper you are entering into a scholarly conversation.  By citing others information you are showing that you honor those who have researched it before you and it strengthens your paper by demonstrating that other scholars agree with your perspective which is an act of collaboration.  Plagiarism is not always a planned action; it can be accidental as well.  It is very essential for you to know when to paraphrase, how to develop good note taking, when to use direct quotes, how to properly cite sources, and how to use footnotes and endnotes to assist in your avoidance of plagiarism. 

            When taking notes either from books or online sources it is important to always take the time to get all the information then incase you cannot find it again.  Necessary information includes author, title, date, and publishing information.  Try using different fonts, colors, bold or brackets in order to help you distinguish between what is your work and what is the work of another person to help avoid accidental plagiarism.  A summary should be a concise overview of another author’s ideas and should be used whenever possible.  A paraphrase restates the author’s words, typically about the same number of words as the original publication.  These are very important ways note taking can be used to help prevent plagiarism, but at times, it is best to use a direct quote of the author rather then summarizing or paraphrasing.  When summarizing or paraphrasing it is important to leave the author’s intent the way they intended and not alter it to better suit your paper.  Common knowledge such as when the declaration of independence was signed is so well known that citing it is not necessary and not considered plagiarism.  However, if you have doubt if it is common knowledge, then cite it anyways because there is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to plagiarism.

            There are four different types of plagiarism you want to avoid:

1. Direct:  copying the authors exact words into your paper
2. Indirect:  when the paraphrasing is too closely related to the original document
3. Accidental:  when the writer gets sloppy and forgets to write down a citation, indirect plagiarism is just as harsh as direct plagiarism
4. Purchased direct:  when you purchase someone else’s paper and use it as your own

It is essential to remember how to properly cite your sources of information because schools are taking plagiarism more serious every year.  Now schools are purchasing plagiarism software in order to help crack down on plagiarism in their school.  Therefore, the easiest way to avoid being caught for plagiarism is to always cite sources, even if it seems like common knowledge.

      I remember how easy it was to get away with plagiarism back in school when I was a kid.  It seemed almost impossible for teachers to track down where you got your information, but today’s teachers have the assistance of technology and the internet which helps stop kids from getting away with plagiarism.  I think it is very important for kids to learn what plagiarism is and how to avoid it at an early age before it becomes habit to note take a certain way and do accidental plagiarism.  I was a victim of accidental plagiarism because until the 11^th grade I always thought you only had to cite a source if you used it in paraphrasing or direct quotes.  I would always summarize stuff to make it easier on me and less thought which backfired when I got an F on a paper and could not understand as to why?  Now after a few years of practiced, and the use of this article I have a better concept of how to avoid plagiarism and a way to make citing my sources less difficult.

 

Stebbins, Leslie F. Student Guide to Research in the Digital Age. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2006. 153-159.  (E-Reserves)

The term ‘document’ is a synonymous with ‘publication’: it refers to just about any format, including monographs, magazines, reports, pamphlets, broadsides, maps, prints, photographs, posters, kits, CD-ROMs, Web sites, and so on. Catalogs, indexes, directories, dictionaries, and bibliographies are reference sources that are included in government documents. The US federal government produces films, sound recordings, audiovisuals, and microforms. The range of all this is huge, especially when concerning scientific and technical areas or social sciences concerning public policies. By using government documents as a means of answering any question you have, it is almost certain you will come up with the same answer as using one of the more typical research tools. The main publisher of government documents is the Government Printing Office, however in more recent years agencies are encouraged to put their documents online for public use, which is making the information more accessible to a larger audience in a greater abundance. Some common places to check for government documents include the FirstGov, Government Printing Office, FedStats, US Census Bureau, FedWorld, and the Congressional Research Service. There is such a wide range of government publications that it ranges from topics of Poisonous Snakes in the World to Polish Genealogy and Heraldry to ATF Arson Investigation Guide to a Barefoot Doctor’s Manual. Once you have accessed one of these subjects, you can be sure to know that this is just the beginning of a very long and extensive list of information. Unfortunately, most of these publications only stay in print for a few years and then get shipped out to libraries for their government collections, for example the one located at UNCW. The problem with government documents however is the fact that they hardly ever get used. There are three main reasons why these documents are hardly ever used. First, the government spends a lot of money to make them, but relatively none to advertise for them. Secondly, libraries are forced to store these documents separate from the general collection because they need specific filings, which in turn make it less accessible and almost impossible to locate it through their catalog. Finally, because they are not sold in bookstores and are not required in library schools, it is not always available to people. There are two types of depositories that hold these documents, Regional depositories and Selective depositories. Regional depositories are forced to shelve anything that is sent to them while Selective depositories can choose what they do and do not have.

Government documents seem to be a very useful tool in researching and discovery. I feel by reading this article that I wish it was forced more upon students these days to access these documents for research because it will be more truthful and useful then search engines such as Google. In addition, with everything becoming internet friendly instead of paper, it makes it accessible to any one at a computer rather then those lucky enough to enter the proper libraries. I saw on the list of various topics that were in the article many things that I would love to read in my spare time just as things of interest but would never think of looking into. If the school system starting to implement these things to kids at younger ages, then minds would be expanded more and use would come out of these rather then the occasional reader.

Boolean Combinations and Search Limitations

With the expansion of technology every year it is now possible to search more efficiently over multiple databases using several different techniques in order to zero in on the best available sources. Among these techniques are Boolean combinations of terms, component word searching within controlled subject strings, word truncation, proximity searches, and limitations of sets by various specifications like language, date, geographic area code, and document type. Boolean combinations consist of databases using multiple search elements within one inquiry. In other words, the first term you put in is searched completely, and then the second term is searched, followed by the computer cross-referencing the two together to better the search and lessen your options. More then two words can be used and is very common in most databases. In order to make the search more efficient, you can also add the terms AND, OR, or NOT into the search which can help exclude certain useless material, search alternate names, or search for items that must contain both words. The asterisk (*) is important to use in searches also because it can be used to search for words that have multiple ends such as auto*, which would include automobiles and automotive. Component Word Searching within Controlled Subject Strings can help find headings that could otherwise be overlooked such as looking up African Americans and television you would then come across Oprah Winfrey articles that you might not see otherwise. Limiting by Time Periods is valuable for searches within certain time frames because you might want articles dealing with 9-11 that were written immediately after the towers fell so you would look up 2001 specifically. Everything from 2002 to the present will be excluded so you will have fewer clusters to work through and you are right where you want to be already. Proximity searches are useful because it allows the use of quotations and can help narrowing searches by allowing you to search with certain word orders. For example, the “philosophy of history” and the “history of philosophy” are two very different things. By limiting the word order, you make sure the information you are reading is valuable to what you need.

This is all very useful knowledge because I have constantly found myself going through a lot of useless information because I had no idea of the limitations of the databases and ways to narrow my searches. Now I know how to search within specific time periods, how to eliminate certain words from the topic, and by using a * for words with multiple endings I can widen my search without having to try and think of every word or worry about leaving useful information out of searches. Now when researching papers or just trying to find information for my own personal pleasure I know the backdoors to the searches, what to look for that might be limiting the searches, and what is letting in excess material that is useless or unrelated.