kylies blogspot

2009-04-02T10:39:00.001-07:00

News Report 5
Ohio Principal Judges Magazine by its Cover
http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2009/march2009/nintendopowerpulled.cfm?persistent=&expy_dt=
American Libraries- March 27,2009

A Nintendo magazine cover has stirred up some issues with a Cleveland Ohio middle school library. The principal of Cleveland Heights-University Heights told the librarians to pull the November issue of Nintendo Power Magazine off the shelves. The principal stated that the cover showed a “violent figure” of a woman holding a handgun. He was very objective to this image. This issue has caused the principal some unwanted attention from the teachers union and the American Civil Liberties Union. Apparently, the principal failed to follow the request for reconsideration procedure that the school board had set. The board is upset with his actions because they feel administration thinks they can simply remove materials that they have dubbed as inappropriate or doubtful literary quality. They are calling the principals action a “dangerous precedent” for the district. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio even went as far as to call the removal of the magazine a violation of the First Amendment. The district attorney of the American Civil Liberties Union is now seeing to it that the school board clarifies their policies. He agreed that the removal of the magazine was a violation of the First Amendment, and also added that it was a violation of the student’s educational freedom. He made a point to state that the school administrators such as the principal’s involvement in the librarian’s selection process undermine their role as professionals. Through all the controversy, the school boards is supporting the principal’s decision and are not anticipating further action on the incident.

I think that this whole issue was totally blown out of proportion. A photo of a woman holding a gun in the library of a middle school is inappropriate, and removing it should not be causing such problems. The librarians probably receive a monthly subscription to the magazine, and cannot help what the magazine chooses to put on its cover. Being regular receivers of the issue that they are, they probably saw no harm in the one time slightly violent cover. I agree that middle school kids should not be exposed to images with violence; they get enough of that outside of school. To avoid all of this fuss, the principal should have simply had a meeting with the other administration and librarians to discuss what they should do about the magazine. He shouldn’t have just taken matters into his own hands like he did. Taking it to these councils and attorneys’, to me, is blowing things way out of proportion. This matter could have been dealt with in 15 minutes in the convenience of there own school, but because someone thought it was breaking an amendment, it got way out of control. I agree with the fact that the administrators simply doing as they please in the library undermines the librarian’s roles. That is for them to determine, and if they found it appropriate, then that was there choice to leave the magazine up on the shelves. Next time, if there is one, hopefully they will think the situation through before time.

2009-03-19T12:59:00.001-07:00

Reading Response #5

Most college students are defiantly oblivious to things like online library catalogs, and search databases, and peer reviewed scholarships. Most students, I believe, are thinking “why would I go through the trouble, and confusion of a catalog search, when I could just Wikipedia it in 5 seconds?” I think this way all of the time. It’s pretty amazing that the scholarly databases are now up to 18,000 from 10,000 in 12 years. I agree with the fact that students are drowning in information. Its great that we have so many search engines, but then again is it too many? With all the different information we are fed, who’s to know what is true and what is just made up junk? The computer lab idea is pretty clever. Having a librarian show students how to navigate the universities online catalog of journals and databases would be very helpful to students, especially those seeking credible information. The information literacy program sounds like a smart idea for colleges to start applying. Perhaps if more universities used this program, we wouldn’t have such problems. I believe that a library research class should become one of the required basic studies classes for students. This way, they can learn the basic skills of research technique, and will be able to apply that to their future studies. I am a senior this year, about to graduate, and am just now learning all the ways to access useful research information. If I had learned this early on in my college career, it would have been much smoother sailing.

2009-03-19T12:44:00.001-07:00

News Report #4
Nebraska Auditor Cries Foul on Gaming in Libraries
American Library Association
3/19/09
http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2009/february2009/nebrgamingaudit.cfm?persistent=&expy_dt=

A Nebraska library recently purchased the video games Rock band and Dance Dance Revolution with their sales tax from a nonprofit agency. A YouTube video was soon released announcing the commissions purchase, and now an audit is being issued on the situation. The auditor is saying that the purchase of the game equipment was a questionable use of their funds. When a taxpayer saw the video, they soon contacted auditors and found that the library had spent over 500$ on video games. The library representative stated that the games were purchased because the technologies are becoming more common, and they represent new ways to communicate and to educate. The NLC also stated at a conference that the games were bought to educate the librarians on new evolving technologies, not just for the kids. The audit also states that “State equipment and time should only be used for official Commission business. Employees playing games or accessing virtual websites on State time appears to be inappropriate.” They claimed to have put the video on YouTube to show librarian viewers a simple economical way to distribute media. An attendee at the convention stated that she had no clue how to use video games. She said she had no children at home to show her or give her advice on which games to purchase. Scottsbluff public library director, Bev Russell received a grant, and is planning on purchasing a Wii for the summer of Scottsbluff Public Library. They are calling it the “Be Creative @ Your Library” program. She also says “to know how to communicate, you gotta be cool”.

I do not agree with games like Dance Dance Revolution, and Play station being purchased for library use. I can understand why taxpayers were getting upset to see that their money was being used on non educational video games. Spending money for an account with Second Life, or Flickr is appropriate, since they are ways of sharing education, and communicating; having virtual dance contests on the other hand is defiantly inappropriate for libraries. Just because the game technologies are becoming more and more popular, that does not give them an excuse for buying the games within educational budgets. They claimed that the reason for buying the games was to teach the librarians how to integrate game programming into their skills. If a librarian wants to learn how to play Play station, she or he should purchase the game with their own money, not come up with some excuse to try and take the taxpayers money. The woman who claimed not to have kids at home to teach her how to play the games should go to a best buy, target or maybe even an arcade if she needs to learn. They have the games set up for free and anyone can play. Putting games in libraries would certainly be fun for people, it would surely bring more young people in, but doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of the library? When people think of libraries they immediately think of “Shhhhhh”, “QUIET”, and concentrated study time. They don’t think to go to the library to play Wii with their buddies, and that’s how they need to keep it.

2009-02-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment # 4
The Infodiet

I mostly agree with this article, I believe our generation of students has become lazy when it comes to researching. I am a Google searcher myself, but that’s only when I am not given the challenge by my professors. When my art history teacher gave us our syllabus last semester, I saw that our final project was a research paper/ presentation. What put me into panic mode was that we had to get our sources strictly from the library, no internet citing. This seemed like the most awful thing to me at first, but when the time came to start researching, I found myself not only reading up on my subject, but so many others, and fully enjoying it. Now when I’m assigned any research paper, I try to find actual books to get my information from. There’s no doubt its not credible, and I always end up actually learning and enjoying the assignments. I liked in this particular article how librarians were the original search engines. That is so true. I couldn’t believe to hear that students actually responded to a question with “our campus has a library?” and “can you Google-ize that for me?” This is embarrassing for our generation. I have never really used the library database, only because like he says in the article, it is quite confusing. I use it to look up a book I need, but never have messed around with search databases, or catalogs. So I do agree that that could be made a lot simpler, then more students would rely on databases instead of always counting on google.

2009-02-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

News Report 3

"Facebook turns 5- but can it survive?"
Simon Hooper, CNN
2/4/2009
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/04/facebook.anniversary/index.html?eref=rss_tech

The extremely popular website, “Facebook.com” celebrates its 5th year of success. This billion dollar global phenomenon was created by a nineteen year old Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg. When he launched the website from his dorm room in 2004, it was just simply for the purpose of keeping in touch with classmates; within 24 hours, over 1,000 of his classmates had signed up for the site. It quickly gained popularity, and half the campus had logged on to the site in a month worth of time. Now, five years later, the website has more than 150 million users worldwide. Zuckerberg was named youngest billionaire alive by Forbes magazine, with an estimated fortune of 1.5 billion dollars. Though Facebook has some competitors such as MySpace and Bebo, it holds its own with its revenue of social networking for the mainstream. Everyone, including politicians, companies, and celebrities have jumped on the Facebook bandwagon. Facebook is credited to helping Barack Obama get elected this past November; It allowed him to connect with younger, previously disengaged voters. Zuckerberg claims that Facebook is a safe way for people to share their information and interact more online. He also states that the site gives people a chance to express their ideas, and initiate a change. A Fortune magazine employee says that he is still not sold on the whole success of Facebook. He doesn’t believe it is bringing in profitable revenue through its advertisements. Zuckerberg is committed to making sure Facebook remains just as relevant in the future.

I was first introduced to facebook by my cousin who is one year older than me. She was in her freshman year of college, attending NC State, and wanted to show me a picture of a guy she liked. When she opened the website and started browsing through all of her “friends” I was shocked to see how many she had. Later on during my sophomore year at college is when I realized that you could add just about anybody to your “friends” list. But to say the least, my first impression with facebook was a good one. To think that the creator behind the phenomenon was just a young freshman away at college is incredible. For something so simple to grow into what it has become is amazing. Just about everyone and their brother knows about facebook, and they get recognition all over the world; commercials debuting new technology even refers to the website. It seems to me that facebook has been around a lot longer than just 5 years, but in those 5 years it has evolved so much. I think it is a wonderful way to keep in touch with family and friends, and share pictures and messages. I think that the media and press that are dissing the website and its creator need to realize that it was us, the users who made it what it is today. Mark Zuckerberg is just one lucky guy who wanted to keep in touch with his friends. It’s because of us that it has turned into a gold mine.

2009-02-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

Reading Response 3 - "The Future of Libraries"

It frightens me to think that these predictions of our technological future are more than likely true. I would be perfectly fine with the technologies having stopped upgrading in 1995. Not only libraries, but personal communications are going to be non-existent. I am a strong fan of libraries, and without them, people will become just downright lazy. The article says that technologies have a limited lifespan, and that books and writing are a technology. I hope I never have to see the day where books actually disappear for good. I don’t understand how the keyboard is going to be done away with. What are we going to do, talk at the screen as it types? Some things should just be left manual. The idea of computers having personalities and traits is the most frightening thing of all to me. That will literally be the day when the world will soon end, and computers take over. I hope this never happens, but with the way the technology keeps evolving, it’s not impossible. It’s crazy to think that paintings and documents that were made in the 1500’s are still around today, due to good conservation and libraries. You can’t store original copies of items in a computer; the whole experience of searching for a hard copy of what you need will be overthrown by the click of a button. Libraries are the original storehouses of important documents, and with the web having all the counterfeit websites and unreliable information, it’s a shame this is what we have to look forward to.

2009-02-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

Second Life - Extra Credit

When I signed up for second life I was pretty excited about exploring this new program. I love the Sims games so I figured any computer game that is similar is worth giving a try. I logged in with my name, which I got to choose from a list of last names, but could create my own first name. I decided on Sol December, not sure how but I just thought that sounded different. So I picked my Avatar, the basic girl with the polka dot dress, figuring I could spruce her up later as I played. When the game started, Sol landed on the sidewalk of a little community with a few other people around. Immediately I tried to learn to walk around, and jump, and any other thing I could think of. I didn't really know where to start, and this box kept popping up telling me I had notes from people. I went to the community area where there were more people, much cooler looking people, so I began trying to fix up Sol's appearance. There were hardly any options, and I assumed it was because I just started, and hadn't done anything special yet. I went up to an Avatar with a huge Mohawk and asked them what I need to do to get more clothing, and they told me to go to this large board with a bunch of simulated posters all over it. I started to click on the posters and pick out items such as clothes and houses. I was very confused and getting discouraged. I tried to see where my inventory was, and desperately wanted to change the look of my person. I didn't know how to use all the icons on the menu, and on top of that, the program was being slow on my computer. I got frustrated with it all, and just closed and un installed second life from my computer. Maybe I’ll give it another try in the future, but for now I think I'm sticking to the Sims.

2009-01-27T13:03:00.001-08:00

News Report # 2
“Apocalypse in 2012? Date spawns theories, film”
A Pawlowski, CNN.com
1/27/2009
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/01/27/2012.maya.calendar.theories/index.html?eref=rss_tech

Everyone remembers the approaching of year 2000, and the whole Y2K drama, well now that that is a think of the past, we have year 2012 to worry about. According to the Maya calendar, the world is doomed on Dec, 21 of 2012. The Mayans are an ancient civilization known for their advanced understanding of astronomy. Many scholars believe that this is just a trendy thing that is completely being blown out of proportion. The date does coincide with the winter solstice that is to occur on that date. When the earth lines up with the center of the Milky Way, this causes people to really believe that the doomsday will occur. There are websites online advising people on what to wear on doomsday, there are survival guides and special schools to prepare people for this day to come. Some people are saying that the solar system will trigger volcanic eruptions, while others suggest that the earth will begin to rotate the opposite direction. It all sounds like a big sci-fi thriller; in fact they are creating one out of all the assumptions. Most scholarly people are saying that the basis of this evidence is coming from popular Mayan books. A professor of astronomy is in the works of writing a book to explain all the fabrications and misunderstandings of this so called calendar. He believes that year 2012 will indeed be a transformative year, but assures us that there will be no apocalypse. He also says that it upsets him that people are mixing up this very interesting culture and solely focusing on 2012.

When I first heard about this whole idea of the world ending in 2012, I was very upset. Just the thought of the ancient Mayans having already predicted the tsunami, and other world tragedies put me on edge. After all the negative reports, movies, and followers of the Mayan calendar, I was very relieved to read this article. I have been waiting to see something like this for some time now. My biggest fear is the ending of the world, so seeing that an astronomy scholar and other credible sources say it’s completely fabricated and elaborated puts me at ease. After 2000 when there was no Y2K, people should start to reconsider this whole ancient Mayan calendar dilemma. That didn’t happen whatsoever, as well as many other supposed tragedies. I think the whole “survival guides” and websites on what to wear and where to go on doomsday is just ridiculous. People are getting way too carried away with the idea of this apocalypse. Perhaps there will be a volcanic eruption, or a forest fire, or maybe even a random tornado that no one saw coming, but I highly doubt the earth will start to spin the opposite direction. If astronomy experts are saying that this is false information, and we shouldn’t believe it, then I think it’s best if everyone just stop being so concerned with it. I won’t be going to the movies themed on the ending of the world that are due out these upcoming years, nor will I read articles or stories that are promoting the idea of a possible apocalypse.

2009-01-27T12:33:00.001-08:00

Reading Response # 2 “Can Wikipedia Ever Make the Grade?”

When I first started using Wikipedia, I had no idea that it could be edited by anyone. I believed that all of the information was entirely credible and was shocked to see the little edit icon under the information. In the beginning of this article, when it talks about Mr. Halavais and the total fabrications he was posting to various pages, I was very interested in seeing how the situation turned out. I was relieved to learn that his lies were found within mere hours by Wikipedia fact checkers, and removed. I’m happy to know that there are indeed people checking recent entries, and promptly correcting them. I understand completely that Wikipedia still is receiving mixed feelings and grades; I only refer to it with insignificant queries, and rarely for academics. I like that many professors and scholars are beginning to contribute more to the site. Wikipedia should give scholarly, and professionals a password for the site, and weed out the whole “anyone can edit” policy that they have now. Other websites also, should not be using Wikipedia for their source of information. Looking at the case of John Seigenthaler Sr. it makes you wonder what exactly we can trust on the internet. I believe that there should be more professional editing going on with the site, and even then I’m not sure if people will give the criticism a break. Ill continue to use Wikipedia most likely no matter what… but like I said before, I wouldn’t trust it 100%.

2009-01-20T15:18:00.000-08:00

News Report #1

More Chinese Teenagers Lost in Cyberspace
Kitty Bu, MSNBC.com
01-20-2009
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28754678
The youth of Beijing is slowly but surely becoming addicted to the internet. Many teenagers in China are only children, and use the popular internet cafes as an escape from the heavy expectations of their parents. This addiction is no joking matter; many teens are suffering with the same symptoms of anyone dealing with addiction, such as depression, anxiety, and lack of sleep. Treatment centers in Beijing are becoming very popular. The treatment for internet addiction consists of medical and psychological therapy and costs about 1,500 dollars a month. The typical length of treatment is about two to three months. Many internet addicts are also referred to psychiatric hospitals and treated with OCD. A doctor at the treatment facility said that new patients are becoming less and less sociable, making it harder and harder to help them. Many patients appear to have lost social skills outside of the internet world. The conditions of the addicts have continued to worsen and become more serious in the recent years. There are 200 organizations offering treatment for the addiction to this date. In some therapy sessions, patients are told to set up toy figurines in a scene of their choice. Many patients create violent battle scenes when they are first admitted, but they often have a more peaceful outcome by the time of dismissal. One girl said that when she played the video games, she believed that she was the character in the game. She made friends playing video games that she couldnt make in real life.

I cant believe that there is actually a serious condition where people are addicted to the internet. It doesnt surprise me that it is happening in China, that seems to be the place where technology is most advance. I have never personally heard of someone being "addicted" to the internet, and dont see how one could spend up to 15 hours on a computer per day. The treatment centers seem to be working for them, its like rehab for computer geeks. It makes sense to me that most of the internet addicts are treated with OCD. Maybe they cant stop playing a game until they have won, and then get obsessed with the game. The part of the article where it talked about them setting up scenes of choice with figurines was a bit disturbing. I dont like to think that violent thoughts are running through peoples minds after playing so many battle games. If they are willing to pay 1,500 dollars a month for treatments then it really must be a serious problem. It seems like the over use of games and internet activities can be dangerous for not only people playing, but anyone else as well. With such disturbing thoughts running through their minds, who knows what danger they can imagine, much less create. Hopefully this growing problem/addiction will never sweep the United States.