The digitization (is that a real word?) of the Salem Witch Trials online was pretty amazing to me. The historical importance is broad, including books and letters, documents of all types (court files, quarterly reports, etc.) maps, and the more important individuals involved.
The University of Virginia have compiled together a collection of information that reminds me of our class discussions on a digital library for universities. The objects scanned and transcribed online are free and accessible--but the actual records would have taken a great deal of time to track down in a library archive. The cohesiveness of the web collection is user friendly and you have unlimited access, rather than be subjected to a protective librarian or archivist with the fragile records. There are even links to more online archives connected to the site.
I see the Salem Witch Trials online database as a progressive step towards a digital library.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Why was the site blocked?
After clicking on the 'why was the site blocked' link, I found that the diagnostic page helped me with understanding why the site was blocked.
As I had assumed, the website had been attacked by corrupted software. If this was a blog site or chat room, or forum, its very easy for bad software to be used to destroy the site. Containing the virus, or corrupted material introduced to this site is expected, but I had wondered why the site had not been taken down completely. Google labeled the site as 'suspicious' which means that it may or may not have bad software (?).
I was slightly intimidated with playing with the site because I had a scare with a Trojan a few years ago, so assessing the corrupted site from afar was my method of approaching the subject!
As I had assumed, the website had been attacked by corrupted software. If this was a blog site or chat room, or forum, its very easy for bad software to be used to destroy the site. Containing the virus, or corrupted material introduced to this site is expected, but I had wondered why the site had not been taken down completely. Google labeled the site as 'suspicious' which means that it may or may not have bad software (?).
I was slightly intimidated with playing with the site because I had a scare with a Trojan a few years ago, so assessing the corrupted site from afar was my method of approaching the subject!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wikipedia
With my newly created account on Wikipedia, I immediately went over to several pages to check out the editing functions (Sesame Street, Unites States, and Microsoft). It was surprising to see that I could edit these pages without so much of an asking of whether my information was correct (although a disclaimer for sources was presented when I signed up); but really I could write anything I wanted. I had wondered though--the editors of the pages I went to, or of any page for that matter, had they been notified whenever edits were made to their pages? Were the moderators aware of the changes to superior, more important pages (such as public figures, government agencies, or history)? I did not save my changes but it made me wonder just how much misinformation was on Wikipedia and how much was actual truth.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Automation and Labor Issues
Automation was an on going idea that was proposed in the articles, the positives and the (probable) negatives that could come about from it's use. With the technology of our time it is not impossible to envision a university classroom being totally automated in regards to communications between teacher-student or student-student. There was concern of the process as being abused by the inevitable corporate interests that this kind of "knowledge based" would attract. I also took note that to many professors and students unfamiliar with these practices may interpret an automated classroom as intimidating or the use anything but user-friendly (meaning they would have to go the extra step to be trained for automation).
In Noble's article I found the UCLA student trial interesting because of the results it yielded. Being a student myself and knowing how much I rely on technology, I thought for sure that other students would respond well to an automation system. The UCLA students voted down the initiatives for automation and valued face-to-face instruction better.
There was also the ongoing debate about faculty and if they were expendable. With a technological system as advanced as a fully functioning automated "class" or "major" or "school" then that would also equal many job cuts. People are expensive and last time I checked, software programs worked for free. It's almost like if a school were to introduce an initiative for an automated program, then the faculty affected would be faced with a join-now-and-you'll-lose-your-job-later verses a lose-your-job-outright scenario.
In Noble's article I found the UCLA student trial interesting because of the results it yielded. Being a student myself and knowing how much I rely on technology, I thought for sure that other students would respond well to an automation system. The UCLA students voted down the initiatives for automation and valued face-to-face instruction better.
There was also the ongoing debate about faculty and if they were expendable. With a technological system as advanced as a fully functioning automated "class" or "major" or "school" then that would also equal many job cuts. People are expensive and last time I checked, software programs worked for free. It's almost like if a school were to introduce an initiative for an automated program, then the faculty affected would be faced with a join-now-and-you'll-lose-your-job-later verses a lose-your-job-outright scenario.
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