Celebrating 2800!

I just submitted my final paper for LIS 2800! Blackboard kept giving me errors, but I finally was able to click submit! Wahoo! The course was an unbelievable experience, but it has been a bit stressful these past few weeks - finishing that up, while beginning two new classes. I am thankful that I chose to take it, though.

I am pretty close to finishing up the first assignment for this class. I actually began using RefWorks during my first semester, as Tomer told us about it during orientation. It has made an INCREDIBLE difference for me - it saves so much time. During my undergrad, we use MLA. I do not have any experience with Chicago or APA, so I need all of the help I can get! It was really helpful during the literature review for archives, and I am expecting to get a lot out of it for my Humanities project, too.

Last night, I visited the 2600 miscellaneous folder, and found the video on RSS feeds. It was really helpful - I only wish I had found it earlier! For some reason, I really get a kick out of those silly videos - they're great fun! I was not able to get the one on Wiki's to play (I think Blackboard hates me right now). I'll try again soon. I also started to listen to the Weinberger lecture - he cracks me up! I really enjoyed his book during Understanding Info - I may have to revisit it!

Internet Crunch

I saw this article earlier today, and thought it was rather relevant to some of our class discussions:
Are you ready for the big Internet crunch?
I am rather disappointed in the technical descriptions (IPV4 vs IPV6 ) - I feel like I am going to have to do some research before I can really comment on this, but it seems quite relevant.

Is it really about me?

Last night, I spent about an hour trying to figure out how to transfer the supplemental lectures to my iPod ... FINALLY after numerous Google searches and ill-suited hits, I was able to pack up and head to the gym for a much-procrastinated workout. I think that is one of the only times I have ever had difficulty finding what I needed from Google. I know that it was not a ridiculous request ... things were just not fitting together (who knew that my iPod would not support that kind of Mp4?).


Anyway, after the lecture by Dr. David Clark, I started thinking about privacy. Clark made a comment about how as users, we are afraid (generally speaking) of our online contacts and interactions. People choose to use screen names instead of legal names, personal information is highly guarded, and physical location is rarely specified. I don't think that this is a bad thing. In fact, some individuals that are hesitant about physically stepping out and speaking up are allowed a forum where they have the choice to acknowledge responses, or even to reveal their true identity. For many, this freedom can be empowering and inspiring.


This lecture reminded me that in one of the earlier chapters of our text, there was an Ethics & Issues box that discussed how our personal information is seen as currency (Box 1-4). I had never quite thought of it in these terms, but it really makes sense! My Dillon's card gives me coupons for exactly what I purchase, and Expedia sends me travel deals for Pittsburgh. If some random person on the street asked me what I like to buy at the grocery store, I would probably look the other way - I mean, that's personal, right? But then I scan my card each time I shop, and a random person can keep track of what kind of cereal I buy. It's just that I get something out of it ($1 off two boxes!). Expedia knows which airlines I fly, which hotels I frequent, and even which months I tend to travel. Am I more "at risk" by volunteering this information? Sometimes, that may be the case - but are they really going to look through all of their records to find my specific detailed information? Probably not! In the vast pool of information, I am a needle in the haystack. It's not about me (however much I may want to believe)-- it's about the statistics.

Avoiding a Culture Perfect

This is my first blog! I must admit, this course is very intimidating to me, but at the same time, it's so exciting! The video by Meredith Farkas gave me a bit of courage - she said something along the lines of avoiding a "culture of perfect" (I cannot remember her exact wording). We shouldn't expect everything we do to be flawless and exceedingly clever - it's just not reality. So I'm jumping in!

This is my third semester as an online FastTrack student, and between work and school, I feel like I barely have time to breathe! But I love the coursework - I only wish I had more time to devote to it! For me, the beginning of the semester is always the most overwhelming ... so much to plan on ... so much to absorb ... I'm really looking forward to getting into the swing of things. I feel that this class is going to provide essential skills to become successful in a library job (well first, maybe to help me find one!). I like to think that I'm open to technology - it's a lot of fun learning about the latest and greatest. From the past two semesters alone, I feel so much better equipped.

As I just mentioned, I really enjoyed Meredith Farkas' presentation. Her descriptions of Web 2.0 and its prelude really clicked. The lecture by Sir Tim Berners-Lee was super informative, as well. All in all, a great first week! Off to watch lecture 2!