Infrastructure = interconnected networks
The Internet Society oversees policies and protocols
- Home computer connected to internet service provider (ISP)
- Work computer connected to local area network (LAN)
Internet = network of networks
- Point of Presence Pop = company has as place for local users to access network (phone number, line)
- Network Access Points (NAPs) = network connected through them
ISPs agree to interconnect so all users can communicate with all others
- Routers determine where to send info, make sure it gets to destination
- Routers insure info doesn't go where unnecessary (more efficient)
NSFNET (National Science Foundation) = first high-speed backbone (fiber optic trunk line), 1987
Internet Protocol (IP) =
- computer language (dotted decimal for humans, binary for computer)
- IP Address = four numbers (octets)
- 2^32 possibilities
- separated into classes
- two sections (Net and Host/Node)
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) = contains domain name, used by humans and translated by computer, each must be unique
DNS Server = looks for IP address, caches to be more efficient
Server = provides services to other machines (Web, email, FTP, etc.), static IP address, unlike home computer
Client = used to connect to services
Ports = where services are available
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) = protocol for Web
I liked that this article had very accessible language and was easy to understand for a non-techie person. I also liked that it included examples to illustrate the machines and systems it was explaining.
"Dismantling Integrated Library Systems"
Integrated Library System (ILS) = once a useful tool for everyday library management, now out-of-date and unable to be extended
"Interoperability": sought after, but may be mostly a myth
- Need to be able to distinguish between different integrated system products
- Need to appeal to Internet-savvy users
- Need federated searching capabilities, portals, metasearch tools, reference linking software, RFIDs, and digital asset management systems
Ex. of integrated systems: Voyager system and Oracle relational database management system (RDBMS), Millennium system and INNOPAC, Taos, Unicorn
- Vendors sell new products and new technologies, but libraries want a system that can adapt
- Better systems = higher costs and libraries don't spend much on ILS updates (even open source takes money for development and training)
- Libraries turn to web-based or home-grown solutions? not integrated
Future = integration, either maintain large systems and trust vendors OR dismantle and reintegrate
I can definitely see the desire and need to integrate all aspects of library management into one system. I can also see, however, that vendors might not be willing to work towards this goal if they can make more money in other ways. It seems that libraries will just have to make integration a priority, embrace new technologies, and perhaps spend more money to make it happen.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page on Google - TED
There were a few major points that I took away from this video. First, I thought that the model of the earth that showed Google searches being performed at a certain time, as well as the visual of one second of those search queries, really gave me a better idea of the scope of the internet around the world. Google is obviously one of the highest-trafficked sites online, and seeing how it is used and how everything is connected through using Google was kind of mind-boggling. Second, I'd heard before about Google's policy that 20% of the time their employees work on their own projects, and it seems like it's been really successful for them. I really like that policy and think more places should implement it. Finally, I was intrigued by the idea that Google is attempting to create a "smarter search" run by artificial intelligence. I don't know a lot about AI, but I do know that's it's very complicated, so this project could take a long time. I can't help but wonder, though, what an AI search will eventually be like.
A Few Thoughts on the Google Books Library Project
"Google's initiative will not make books obsolete; it will make the information in them more widely available."
- Internet has created new expectation - we want to click and find info
- Search engines are not perfect but we used them constantly
- Need to be a professional to research at a library
- If not online, doesn't exist
- If only physical, then obsolete
- Ideas are essential, not paper books
If books not online = don't exist, we need old books online so human knowledge doesn't include only from after digital revolution
This article is a very positive look at the goal of the Google Books Project. I agree with the author that, eventually, information that is only available in hardcopy is basically nonexistent for the majority of information seekers. Although this article does briefly mention the challenges that face this project, I do think it comes across as somewhat idealistic. I do think that this project needs to be done, but I don't know if, practically speaking, it is feasible in the near future.
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