Week 7 Readings

Contrary to popular believe, I did NOT forget about my blog, and I did survive the trip to and from Pittsburgh for the FastTrack Weekend. That being said, I think it's time I get to why you are here in the first place: the assignments. So, without further ado. . .

How Internet Infrastructure Works
This website has always been at least an interesting, if not educational, stop for me. Seeing this on our weekly reading list set me at ease a bit; at least I know this topic should be interesting, and the opening line reminds me of that: "One of the greatest things about the Internet is that nobody really owns it."

Personally, what I've always loved about this site, and this article included, is the language used to explain everything. While I may be somewhat tech savvy, I do get lost with the abundance of abbreviations and acronyms in the field, and having them presented before me makes this a much easier read.

I think the article does a great job with giving the basic information without going over the heads of the readers nor by making the information so simple as to be boring.
As a final note: I wish I had read this article sooner, as it would have helped relate the lecture on networks from Friday night with something that I work with daily.

Dismantling Integrated Library Systems
This article explains the changes in library systems, the potential ways they can change, and the approaches taken. The article further explains the problems of doing so: costs, interoperability, and even the overall changes in technology, materials, and ways of accessing those materials.

When you look at it, this article does tie in with some previous discussions of Open Access, RFID, automated library services, and the proliferation of personal computers (including supermobile computing devices) and the impact on libraries and research. Anyone have any thoughts on this?


Sergey Brin and Larry Page: Inside the Google machine

I sadly can't view this video while I am at work on campus. I'll try to get this viewed and commented on sooner rather than later.

Edit: So I finally found the time to sit down and watch this video. It gives a nice, behind-the-scenes view on what Google is, what they were trying to do (and seems to be successful at it, at that), and just an early view of the company. While I do often joke that Google is evil and has more raw information at their fingertips than is healthy, I can't really deny the good they do, from the search engine to the charity work.