Reading & Activity #3

            The first renovation I would do to Randall Library is build three stories. The first level would have a Starbucks, Juice Shop, and Cinnabon. There would also be classrooms located on this level as well as some collection of books and movies. There would be conference rooms located on this level as well as balconies (on all levels). The second floor would consist of the main book collection, computer labs, a TV area where students can only view movies from the library, and group study rooms. These study rooms would all be enclosed as well. The third floor would be the quiet study area. There would be many desks, couches, comfy chairs, etc. This library would be open 24/7 with librarians on duty as they are now. There will be gardens and outside seating on the first level. My library would be quite modern. After 10:00 each night, there will be free coffee located on each level for students to drink, funded by the school of course.       

            As the scholarly communication crisis is increasing, libraries are starting to drop some journals from their databases due to their extensive price. When you think about it, how many students actually come to the library to look for a book? I know I have been at UNCW three years now and have yet to come check out a book. Drexel University has a great idea in building a Library Learning Center out of an old breezeway. This is prime location because it is in the center of student activity. Even though it is bookless, it is a great place to gather for studying and students still have access to digital resources. Although there will not always be a librarian on duty, professors will be able to meet with groups of students here!

            Librarians love being where the students are, even if that means places like the Library Commons because they enjoy helping students learn. Not only do they help students, they are constantly learning themselves from questions about research topics, where to find certain information, or even more efficient ways in how to maneuver through computers. I could never be a librarian because I have little to no patience. Personally I do not enjoy searching through databases and having to explain the process repeatedly to students. That is why we should honor our librarians who have been through a large amount of schooling. I am sure without librarians, some of us would not know how to search in a database or maybe even use the resources available to you in your library. 

News Report #2

Despite A Slowdown, Smartphone Advances Are Still Ahead

By: Nick Wingfield; NY Times Technology Section

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/technology/despite-a-slowdown-smartphone-advances-are-still-ahead.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ref=technology.

            Smartphones are the big thing right now and it is incredible how much we spend on these smartphones for their features. The release of the Iphone in 2007 was a great leap for smartphones and they have only improved from there. Iphone 5 was introduced last week which is showing the public how apple is slowly incrementing change into their devices. Although these are incremental, they can lead up to big advances in the future smartphone. As David Yoffie, a professor at Harvard Business School said, “Five years of incremental change can be very substantial change five years later.” For example, there is longer battery life, bigger screens, better software, etc. Apple is eventually planning on coming out with a fuel powered battery which is intended to last for weeks. Siri is only improving as the updates are improving allowing for better knowledge of everything.

            Android/Google mobile have made updates by coming out with wireless payment through your cellphone. This concept has been slow to take off because not many stores have accepted this yet. Apple has a similar product called Passbook which stores electronic versions of your store payment. Even more advanced, Google is planning on realeasing a product where there will be a screen in front of your eyes. There will be some time before this product is sold on the mass market but this “augmented reality” is a great breakthrough for technology.

            This article really grabbed my attention because I recently have an update for a new phone and have been reading up on the Iphone 5. Needless to say I am definitely going to get this phone and am quite excited to see the changes. Yes they have not made many changes, but the changes they have made are substantial. There is always competition who is going to have the best feature on their smartphone and I think Google is coming along if this augmented reality follows through. Like it said in the article, imagine seeing old ruins of a monument and then seeing it before the it was ruined through your pair of glasses connected to your smartphone. That is incredible to me, but I do think this will be very distracting to the user. 

Reading and Activity #2

When evaluating information the first thing I take into consideration is the website. If the website does not seem legit or is not well known, I do not use it. The next thing I look at is the URL. Honestly, after those two things I really do not look into much of anything like a works cited or where the author obtained his/her information. I guess this is because I think the URL and website are enough?

I think it is safe to say along with every other student, we all know Wikipedia is not a credible source. Teachers have been telling students this since high school. It is not a credible source mainly because anybody can be an editor on a topic’s webpage. It is so hard not being able to use this source when writing papers for school especially when it is listed as #1 if not top three in the search engine. Lucky for us, the Britannica encyclopedia has become viral. Instead of editions being updated by new scholars and experts every 10-15 years, the web version is updated continuously and is more expansive. This is a great source to use when writing research projects. Can these accelerations of revisions within minutes be bad for credibility? The article states that in doing so, the Britannica can become more of a current event like website. The question we need to ask is, ‘Does the web carry authority over the books?’

While many of us rely on Google and Wikipedia, it is important for students to know how to access credible databases. Every student, whether in high school or in college, has had the librarians teach them how to use and access certain databases available to them. In this article they predict that information seeking will soon become simpler and I agree 100%. The Internet is constantly upgrading itself along with every other piece of technology. Some librarians are even anticipating there will be no more tests given in school. Instead it will be mainly research papers, projects, power points, etc. Personally I would love this because I am a horrible test taker and would learn much more from writing a paper and digging up the information myself. 

Reading and Activity #1

1-    How old were you when you got your first computer?

                  -Early thirties 

2-    Before the Internet came out, how did you find information about a topic?

                  -Usually the computer lab or the library. All there was in school was a                                    typewriter. As a kid we had an encyclopedia set we used as well.

3-    How often were you in the library before the Internet compared to after it came out?

                  -Pretty much every day.  

4-    How long did it take you to connect to the Internet?

                  -A long time, what seemed like forever because of dial up.  

5-    Did your activities as a kid change once you had Internet?

                        -I was outside all the time playing with friends because I grew up without                              a computer in the house. 

6-    Did you think the Internet would come as far as it has today?

                        -No, especially not for the Internet to be on your phone.

I interviewed my mom about growing up without the Internet and it turned out to be quite shocking. She was really surprised when she realized she did not have a computer herself until she was in her early thirties. That is really surprising to me because she is the technology guru of the family. Looking back as a kid I really did not spend too much time on the internet as much as computer games but really I was always outside as well. I am sure you could ask anybody who grew up without the Internet would agree that they did not believe the Internet would come as far as it has today. Look at how it has affected people’s daily lives! The Internet on the phone is just one feature of several on a smart phone these days.

            It really is amazing how far technology has come since the Internet first came out and how much it has changed people and their daily lives. Jason Russell was the man who launched the famous “Kony 2012” video. This video received seven million views in less than one week, with that an influx of criticisms and praise. These comments started to mess with his head and he was diagnosed with “reactive psychosis” which is a temporary form of insanity. This is all from just being on the Internet or computer way too much. China, Taiwan, and Korea have all accepted the diagnosis of ‘Internet Addiction Disorder.’ In Taiwan there was a case where a high-school boy was on his iphone 24 hours a day and had to be put in an asylum. The Internet is starting to run our lives and becoming involved in everything we do. I can diagnose myself with ‘phantom-vibration syndrome’ where you think you feel your phone vibrating in your pocket but it really is not. Maybe I should think about shutting off for a day or so. 

News Report #1

News Report #1

“This App Knows More About Your Facebook Account Than You Do.

Emily Price, Mashabel.com

http://mashable.com/2012/09/03/this-app-knows-more-about-your-facebook-account-than-you-do/.

You know the saying “There’s an app for that”? Well, this article is about a Facebook app that literally breaks down your Facebook profile and gives you a detailed report of everything ever happening on your profile. For instance, it can tell you whom you have the most friends in common with. Is it your best friend or a friend from your childhood? This app can tell you who your oldest and youngest friend. It can also show you which of your photos have received the most activity with ranking them most popular to least based on likes and comments. This app even gives you a breakdown of you and where you are from.

         

This caught my attention because I have always been careful of what I put online based on the fact that I have a reputation to keep up. Until reading this article, I never really realized how much information the Internet can have on you. It’s like nobody can have privacy online anymore. Honestly, I would not want to download this app. If I deleted something months ago from my Facebook, it was for a reason, maybe a job or for myself. I think it would be interesting to see the data compiled up of my activity on Facebook, but not for others to see, especially about me and where I am from. In the article Wolfram says, “…and perhaps it will also inspire some young Facebook users to become data scientists.” With technology so intertwined with our daily life, I am sure this app will inspire somebody to become a data scientist. I think so because it is the interest and the time the person themselves will take to be looking at these statistics.