mzscils598s08

Final Project Screencast

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:38:00 +0000

Here it is, the screencast for my final project! I hope that I passed the audition!

Click to Play

My final project is here: BSL Tech Talk blog.

Here's the original video on Blip.Tv: http://blip.tv/file/880027/

Here's Nevar!

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:05:00 +0000

Here I am, Nevar Zwilling, on Info Island at the ALA island.

I really didn't think that I'd like Second Life, but I'm having such a good time learning all the features of the software. If only there weren't any projects due at school! I might just return and spend more time here after May 9th.

The wheels are turning inside my brain, and I thinking of how I can create a number of spurious items of doubtful character that everyone will want so I, too, can become a millionaire in Second Life. Maybe I can make enough money so I don't need my library job anymore. But that's wishful thinking.

I'm just impressed be the richness of the experience. I've played a number of PC games over the years (mostly on my 386 PC a long time ago) but they were nothing compared to this. From my perspective, I like this type of virtual interaction better than anything offered on the gaming consoles. I can see how Second Life can become addicting. I know I'll be back.

If I Were You...

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:04:00 +0000

I'm sure that the social software/Web 2.0/Library 2.0 content will continue to change, and as such the materials cover in the course will change too. I think that as such, 598 will always be a work in progress.

But enough of writing what is sometimes called a "Love Letter" review; "I love everything about this class..." It's time for a positive suggestion to make the class better.

I'd like to see the alternate viewpoint expressed in readings for this class. If your going to read "Everything bad is good...", then it should be balanced out with something like "The cult of the amateur..."(Keen). The two books are written in the same style, just at different ends of the continuum. A few pages at the start of the class does not do the opposing view justice.

Now back to the love letter. I really found a number of Web 2.0 technologies that would work well both on the job and in my personal life. I originally thought that there was a lot of material being covered in 15 weeks, and there is! I think chapter 15 of Farkas, "Keeping up", offers good advice, and I'll be doing my best to follow it in the future.

Good for You!

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:46:00 +0000

If indeed popular culture is becoming more sophisticated, then libraries have to do all they can to bring culture to the masses, and masses to the library's culture.

That would mean going out to where people gather online. Libraries need to establish, and many have, an online presence in such places as MySpace, FaceBook, and wherever else might become the latest hot-spot. This presence might just be able to inform the masses what the library has to offer. Our library, for example, has a large collection of hi-brow TV shows such as "I love Lucy", and 24, to name a few.

And if you need to bring 'em into the library, we have teen night every Wednesday. Teens are encouraged to bring in their gaming consoles and hook them up to our large screen hi-def monitor. Our library also sponsors gaming nights & tournaments for both teens, and families with younger children.

To become, competitive once again libraries need to embrace the latest & greatest of popular culture in a timely fashion. Staff needs to be at least familiar, or up to speed with the most popular Web 2.0 technologies. If we're not current, we might just be perceived as being out of it.

My Foray Into Online Gaming

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:05:00 +0000

How difficult could it be to play "Battleship", or what Yahoo Games calls "Naval Command", online? I read the instructions for about two minutes, joined in, and got plastered! Probably by some middle school student (Thanks,Sebastiao C)!

(Note: Silent Screencast; I turned my microphone off so you wouldn't hear any cussing!)

Click to Play Video

View the original screencast on Blip.tv at: http://blip.tv/file/855520/

Screencasting Best Practices

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:53:00 +0000

I'm constantly revising and building on my best practices, so here's what I consider tops this week:

Prepare by getting comfortable first. Take care of all of your physical needs to minimize distractions.
Turn off all clocks, appliances, phones, etc. to minimize background noise.
Set the screen capture size and be sure all of your open windows fit.
Run through the sequence of the presentation a couple of times to see how it flows (I don't script).
Minimize the windows you're going to use so they can be displayed quickly when you're ready to use them.
Record your screencast, post, and wait. I sometimes have second thoughts and re-do one a day or two afterwards.
Realize & accept the fact that good screencasts take practice.

Get Game?

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:38:00 +0000

First hand research is probably the best when deciding to choose a gaming platform. You could ask your teens for their input, which is good because it gives them a voice. Or you could do what I did, and find your local librarian gaming expert. My contact was one of my coworkers from the YA department. Besides working with the teens, she's also an avid gamer. Worst case you could probably read articles about libraries & gaming, but that would be so indirect.

I posed the problem to my source: what system would you choose if you were short on funds, and which would you choose if you had lots of cash? PS2 was considered the economical solution. Relatively cheap, and lots of "G" rated games. PS3 has all of the bells & whistles but was considered to have mostly "mature" titles. Wii was considered the hi-end choice because of the variety of games and type of controller. Besides cash, the game rating was considered a key criteria. Our library has a policy of only G-rated games so that would be key, besides funds, in choosing a system. Also, one might take into account what system the teens are using so they could bring in their own games but use library consoles & displays. We allow are teens to bring in their consoles and we have the necessary interface cables for our wide screen monitor.

I'd probably go for the PS2 because of the wide variety of G games available and the price. It might be possible to get multiple systems, depending on funds, and thereby get more bang for the buck$.

Pick Your Poison

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:46:00 +0000

I don't think that the goal of pop culture is to deliver stupidity, but I also don't think that its motives are all that noble either. Some of its geared to entertain, and some of it is geared to sell. Probably the most effective is a combination of both.

Johnson stretches the facts when he talks about all the skills one can acquire from reality TV: the ability to read emotions or predict the outcome of a situation. I had my wife in stitches the other night as I interpreted the range of emotions on "The Flavor of Love", "The Rock of Love", and the "Girls Next Door." As for the multi-threaded story lines, I think it's a great hook when you have to research a show online to find out what the story is about or join a discussion group. It keeps the show and its products in the front of your mind. Look at the placement of all of the Coca Cola products on American Idol. Wonder what I should drink tonight?

As for gaming, a lot of the references to its benefits come from gamer/librarians who have written a book or an article on it. I'm not saying that there's no tangible benefits to be had, but that I'd like to see a real scholarly treatment of the subject akin to some of the papers that I had to read for human info behavior complete with citations.

I would have liked to have seen "The Cult of the Amateur" by Keen included as a counterpoint to Johnson's book. Each is biased towards the opposite viewpoint, and each makes its case complete with the same style "notes" at the end. If you believe that pop culture is good then you'll be quoting Johnson, if you think it's bad then Keen is your man. Sort of like debating which religion is better, Islam or Judaism, etc. Each has its followers who believe they have the truth.

I don't think that the producers of "I Love Lucy" were out to better mankind, but neither are the producers of the "Sopranos." They were done to entertain and sell something at the same time. They're just capitalizing on what the current scene is at the time. Hop on or invent the right cultural phenomenon at the right time, and there's a bundle to be made. The ultimate goal is to sell something whether it's a game, or a TV show and its associated products. Everybody has a motive for doing something.

Adding Your FaceBook URL to Your Blog

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:47:00 +0000

This week we had to add a MySpace URL to our blog sidebar; no big deal. So I figured that to increase my "five friends" chances of finding me on FaceBook, I'd put a FaceBook URL on the sidebar too.

Maybe it was because it was late (for me), and I'm a social networking newbie, but it took a bit of time to locate my FaceBook URL. But let me, at least, show you what I learned:

Click to Play
Here's the link to the video on Blip.tv: http://blip.tv/file/839417/

Even Ming Could Have a Ning!

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:37:00 +0000

Even Ming the Merciless could have a Ning for his organization on Mongo!

That's one of the advantages of having a Ning. You can customize the content to fit the needs of your particular organization or community. Ning offers all of the features that one might find on other social network sites, but you're allowed to pick and choose which of them you'd like to use. And, you can choose to make your network public or private. I liked that Ning allows each individual user the ability to set permissions for photos, videos, and every blog that they post. You even own the code that you use to modify your look & content, and are even able to migrate/backup your network and member profile data off the Ning site to another location. Good to do if Flash is coming!

It appears that the biggest disadvantage to something like Ning is that it is not open to everyone. But that is a matter of opinion. If the goal is to provide a dedicated space to a particular group of users, your library or department, Ning fits the bill. In a work environment, it provides a virtual community or workspace where info can be shared in a space that you have control over.

Social is good, but social customized to your organization, department, or group is better when you have control over content and access. Not everything was meant to be shared with the world. Control; Ming would like that!

Who's There?

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:58:00 +0000

Even though Boyd did not do a scholarly report on the subject, the anecdotal info on MySpace & FaceBook is a real eye-opener. Not because it shows class distinctions on social networks, but because the key to outreach is knowing who you users are and where to find them.

I don't think that any library in its right mind can focus on only one segment of its customers. It's plain old discrimination. Instead libraries must be flexible to use whatever services, or at least the ones that will reach the most people, when establishing a social network services.

A library has to serve its entire community whether they are college-bound or high school graduates. And, it does a great disservice to the community if one were just to focus on the educated, or the working class. In fact, I should not even be using these terms because they are an unfair labeling of people.

If both social networking services reach you customers, then both should be utilized. While it might seem prudent to tailor one's content to the particular service, it's not a good practice. Let each be equal in what it offers its users. Customers can then crossover to the system that they prefer for whatever reason.

Sticky MySpace / FaceBook

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:43:00 +0000

People spend a lot of time on these services because it gives one the chance to show & tell who you are. Sort of like checking your appearance before you go out on a big date.

Not only can you customize the look of the site to express yourself, but you can also tell the world who you are: marital status, sexual orientation, political views, hometown, height, build, etc. The list goes on and on. It all depends on how comfortable you are with sharing your personal info with the world, and how much you trust these services to never-ever to compromise your privacy.

But, you can also spend a lot of time developing a persona that you're not. By carefully manipulating the same info that was describe in the previous paragraph, you can become anyone you want to be. It's just like crafting the character for a book. The more time you spend developing a fictional character, the more real it can become.

It just takes some time, so stick to it!

Favorite Class Videos

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:17:00 +0000

I'm glad that we were able to pick more than one, 'cause there were several that I really liked.

I thought that Lorri's video about alopecia was very well done. It tells both a personal story, and provides a public service function by explaining the disease and where to get help.

Eddie's FSU history video was also very good, and I'm not saying that just because of his affiliation with the Party Girls. I always enjoy the historic photos that he uses in his web designs and presentations. I wonder, though, how much of his extensive music collection is marching band music :)

Finally, I also liked Kelli's story of how radio stars reclaimed fame through videos. The pictures were great, and so was the background music. I thought that this video was well produced.

Camtasia Educational Video

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:26:00 +0000

The screencast was produced, again, to add content to my final project. It's about how to use two different photo editing tools to resize digital pictures to a more managable size, 640x480, for use in emails, or to share on Flickr, etc.

Click to Play

Here's the link to the file on Blip.tv: http://blip.tv/file/823306

Jing Educational Video

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:09:00 +0000

I decided to do a short video that I could use in my final project demo, BSL Tech Talk (BSL stands for Big Suburban Library; can't use library's real name...it's a long story).

Nobody was watching when I recorded it, but it had to be one of the more nerve-wracking exercises that I've done. I wanted it to be perfect, but that will have to come with practice.

Anyway, the first lesson I did in Tech Talk was to identify the buttons on top of your typical scanner. This video, Scanning Basics, is on how to use the scanning software once you press the scan button.

The video can be found here: http://screencast.com/t/YXFfRdDqp

(PS- I don't know about you, but the link took a bit to load on my PC.)

Saving Files to a Flash Drive

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:28:00 +0000

Here's a short educational video showing how to use a Flash drive.

Click to Play

The original movie can be found on Blip.tv at: http://mzscils598s08.blip.tv/file/808818/

Dinner Napkin / Disappearing Dog Trick

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:53:00 +0000

Here's a video of my late dog, Penny, cleaning up after dining. Anything will do when you can't find a napkin! (Note: you're not deaf! Silent movie.)

The original video is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS-emchKZW8

Education vs. Entertainment

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:14:00 +0000

Even before I read the PEW report, I felt that educational videos had a place, and would be watched in addition to those with entertainment value only. It seems in the PEW report that only comedy & news shows were watched more than video with educational content, and that educational videos were tied with music videos. Also, the percentage of educational viewers was pretty constant across all age groups. Not too shabby!

I think that educational videos augment and support different learning styles. Some people can learn just by reading, others through a demonstration, and others need hands-on learning. Educational videos cover two of the three styles, and have the added advantage that they can be played over and over again while you follow along at home. I know that a lot of the time I play the vodcasts for this class while working on the assignments, and it helps.

I don't think that educational videos will ever surpass entertainment videos, but they won't disappear either. As long as there are people looking to learn, educational videos will offer an alternative to static delivery of how-to resources such as some websites and books.

Same Differences

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:50:00 +0000

Looking at the educational group on Flickr, I see that a lot of us like to show off our workspaces, all of which have computing equipment because this is an online class. Duh! Some work spaces are neater than others, and in the course of study, food has its place for a couple of people.

In the general scils group, again I see food & drink playing a major part in what's important to the group. But what was interesting is the large number of pet & architecture pictures. I guess that having an animal companion is a basic need, and is someone you can safely vent to without getting advice, or judgement, in return.

Podcasts vs. Text Blogging

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:23:00 +0000

Podcasts can be really valuable when you don't have the time to sit down and read. You can listen to them through the speakers of your computer, or better still, download them to your mp3 player and listen wherever you are. For people with visual impairments, they're an alternate form of getting your information.

On the negative side, you need to have some device to be able to listen to a podcast; same ones as mentioned in the previous paragraph. For people with hearing impairments, it might not be the best way to subscribe to an alternate form of blog-type content. And, there is no reliable way to skim, index, or search content in a podcast. Text has the advantage that it too can be portable, as a printed page, but also it can be indexed and searched more easily than an audio file.

I think, in the end, that it all depends on the reason why content is being produced. If one feels that the best way to communicate is through recorded speech, then a podcast might be the way to go. But as was mentioned in our readings, it better sound good and be interesting, or your listeners might just tune it out.

Podcasting is a great tool if there's a legitimate reason for using it, and it is not just being used because it's a cool technology tool. It reminds me of some busy websites that I've seen. Sometimes all the bells and whistles detract from the message, and turn off the viewer (or listener), to what one has to say and that is really important.

Just for Fun! A Bonus Track!

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:31:00 +0000

Here's a rare recording of when JFK spoke a Rutgers football game. I discovered it while I was taking Digital Libraries Technology last semester:

http://www.switchpod.com/users/mzscils598s08/kennedyatrutgers.mp3

An Albert Einstein Story

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:10:00 +0000

Here's a true story that I heard about Albert Einstein. It's not long, but I think that you'll enjoy it.

http://www.switchpod.com/users/mzscils598s08/marksstory.mp3

Libraries & Long Tails

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:57:00 +0000

Time & space are the two things that traditional libraries have going against them to effectively use the "long tail" of their collections.

Storage space is at a premium in most public libraries. As new items are acquired, shelf space has to be found to store them. Short of building a warehouse or expanding the number of shelves, weeding takes over. And, this is where time steps in.

Older materials, that have a history of not circulating, are discarded from the shelves to make room for the new. What effectively is happening is that libraries are throwing away the "long tail" part of their collections. This is the part that I find amusing in that customers want "new", but at the same time, many become upset when they see perfectly good books and videos being discarded. Sure, some go on to lead another life as part of some school library collection, but most are just plain discarded.

Having a digital copy of older materials would make effective use of libraries' long tail collections since the storage space is nothing more than hard drive space. But as I've learned from my digital libraries courses, digitizing is not the problem, copyright is.

Until the issue of copyright can be resolved, libraries will be prohibited from digitizing the materials in their collections or acquiring digital copies, and space & time will dictate what goes into the trash.

Libraries as Producers, Markets, and Tastemakers

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:37:00 +0000

When libraries use Web 2.0 technologies for reference, readers' advisory, as part of teen services, and to have users rate books they have read, the libraries become one of the new producers in the long tail. In the illustration for "The architecture of participation" (Anderson, p.84), libraries are well situated as remixers of original content. They can take books, and multimedia, and remix/re-package it in a form that not only would please regular customers, but combine it into new forms that might just attract new users to its services. Even the remixing itself can change the role of the library from remixer to that of original creator. Nothing is static or fixed in this new architecture.

But I think that there may be a problem that libraries have to face before they can become a new market. Right now in my public library, everything is still a tangible product: a book, a CD, or a video. They all still take up space. Sure there are online databases, ILL access to materials, and eBooks, but the majority of what the library stocks are physical items that take up shelf & floor space. A totally digital library would solve this problem, but it doesn't look like it will be happening soon. Technology allows for efficient digitization and storage, but Dr. Lesk is right when he says that the biggest challenge to digital libraries is copyright law.

In the role of tastemakers, libraries also have a ways to go. They still rely on publishers & book reviewers to provide them with the latest best selling items. Patrons do have an impact, but it seems that it is after the fact. Library selectors pick & choose materials for their collections but customer input does not seem to have much of an effect until afterwards. It is at this point that customers fill out a Request for Materials form in our system, and then we consider whether to buy that unknown book or do an ILL request for it.

I think that libraries could really benefit from the use of social software tools by creating an online community of users. This community could become vocal enough through the use of these tools to become a driving force behind what the library acquires, and the shape it evolves into in the future. All we have to do is give people a voice and listen to what they are saying.

Two (Plus) Years Before the Mast: MLIS Online

mzscils598s08@gmail.com — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:30:00 +0000

From: Online Learning
Part of: the RU SCILS Educational Experience

If it were not for the RU online MLIS program, I doubt if I would have gone for the degree. The commute from the Jersey shore would be at least an hour and a half on a good day, and traffic-wise, there's not many of them in NJ.

Being a mid-life learner, it's probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. My BA degree is 33 years old, and my Associates is close to 20. It was quite a shock to go back to school after such a long hiatus.

I work part-time in a library, three days a week, and spend at least another three-plus days online. But I've learned a lot, and working in a library adds to the reality of the experience.

However, enough is enough, and I can hardly wait to finish. Maybe this summer, if all goes well, I'll be done in July. Then it's on to the big $$$!