The last website project, however this is not the last website of my life. I have to finish the LIBRAS site as well as Jake’s Music Service.
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A few weeks ago I posted Blog #2 about the remix culture and had mentioned Memes. Still not sure about what a Meme is? Fear not fellow internet lovers, this group of YouTube videos will answer all of your questions. I have recently become the webmaster of the music shop that i work at web’s site. I used justhost.com and I don’t really like it. The interface is way to busy and gives one too may options. I do like the choice to have an email account, it makes everything so official. But anyway, check out www.jakesmusicservice.com and tell me how I’m doing!! PS
This fall I have an internship with Dominican and LIBRAS reorganizing and redesigning the libras.org website. Obviously it is in desperate need of organization and a new color scheme. I have been reading a lot on web accessibility and usability. I think one of the most important issues today is disability and web usability. Even though we’ve been in this global digital village there are still those who are unable to participate in the current Web 2.0 world due to visual impairment, colorblindness and other disabilities. There have been non-profit organizations, international groups and even the federal government who have attempted to set standards for accessibility. W3C is a consortium that has attempted to standardize web design in order to help sites achieve a greater audience. However, many web designers are unaware of W3Cs importance and do not use the service. http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/ is another site that is useful in creating websites that are effective for the disabled. Ability Net is a United Kingdom organization that promotes web accessibility. I really enjoyed this site because it offers ways to create websites to cater to those with physical, cognitive, and visual disabilities. Many accessibility issues can be addressed with tools, such as screen readers, large type keyboards and touchscreens. One of the more amazing tools has been used by Elim Christian School for those with Special Needs to help one of their students communication with her family and the world. This school is down the street from my home and every year has a giant fundraiser called Dutch Fest. This year, I went on a grand tour of the school where I heard about Melissa. Melissa has cerebral palsy, but with the aid of a tool she is able to communicate and therefore access information via a computer. Despite the Christian undertones, the video about Melissa is very interesting. In conclusion, web accessiblity has taken back seat to the designers of Web 2.0 tools, but hopefully, people with disabilities can participate in user driven content to a greater extent. Web 2.0 has received so much fuss in regards to librarianship and like I mentioned in another post/blog rather than focusing on the past (web 2.0) we should look at the future of librarianship. For example, what’s the deal with this Aquabrowser. A bunch of fancy libraries are using this expensive user driven interface for their OPACs. I’ve also noticed some libraries are uploading user content from librarything.com to aid their library patrons in searching for books they may like using tag clouds. These are all pretty niffty things that should be examined and used with digression. And going along with what Stacy said, where does privacy fit into the equation? Is the library responsible for a user’s slander and safety? All of these user driven content is voluntary and comes with its fair share of terms and conditions but when one has a great team of prosecuting lawyers, where will the library stand when it comes to serious situations? I do not believe that OPACs will become irrelevant, rather they will evolve into a future creature not recognizable as current OPACs. Usability testing is really important here. A library needs to engage users who will be accessing the end product to make the proper decisions in creating new OPACs. I found this article on Fark.com The lengths people will go to impose their morals on others. Crossed out words in library books This article is accessbile from Dominican computer or once one is signed into the library. It discusses the role of Facebook in a professional (especially librarians and teachers) atmosphere. It offers advice how to make one’s profile “student” and “employer” friendly. I know one of the counselors from my highschool I am friends with on Facebook should read this article….maybe then he wouldn’t be calling his friends which were past students ”gay”. O Rly? The only thing I “fancy” from this list are cardigans. Pink. Cardigans. I think it’s a good thing to embrace the “emerging” technology (even though Web 2.0 [or at least the term] has been pronounced dead for about four years now [http://blogs.zdnet.com/ip-telephony/?p=805]) however, we can not be bogged down by these fading technologies. In 701, only 10 months ago for me, we discussed industry trends. This awareness of trends needs to be addressed and utilized by those attempting to get jobs in the library industry. I always try to read job posting to see what libraries are looking for, in essence I am keeping up with the hiring trends in the field. In response to Michael’s entry, On the 2.0 Job Description, SJSU has an interesting setup. I was looking at their MLIS program because I was planning on moving to California in December 2008 and was kind-of freaked out with the lack of human interaction in the program. Where are people supposed to get their recommendations, and important one on one time that makes the graduate experience an experience? I have a friend who is getting her masters in Lib Sci at SJSU, and she seems pretty apathetic with the whole experience. But this program, and University of Phoenix are examples of the changing demographics, and marketing strategies that educational institutions are using to make a fast and hefty buck. In response to the “They Didn’t Have Jobs Like This When *I* Graduated…” I applaud Rachel for her eagerness in making her staff-mates aware of the changing technology. I wonder if her attempt at education has been met with utter resistance by the older library staff member immune to change.
Recently a family friend posted a video on Youtube of herself and a few friends slandering a dorm resident advisor based on her race. The video soon became viral and the girls lost their privilege to live in the dorms. There have been “memes” of Facebook users ignorant of their wall’s use, resulting in divorce, disgust and employment extermination. To some, privacy is a fleeting if not nonexistent subject in the world wide web and according to a report from the PEW Project, only 66% of online teens have profiles that are not visible to all online users, which leaves 44% of online teens susceptible to identity and other terrible things (http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/Teens-Privacy-and-Online-Social-Networks.aspx). Believe it or not, we are living in a McLuhan-global-techno-village. Twitter allows one to post their GPS coordinates along with any random thought that is created. Facebook keep people across the country connected via quizzes, surveys and photo albums. But despite the seemingly benign nature of internet social tools and Web 2.0, there is a sinister facade behind the floating whale of Twitter and blue interface of Facebook. In June 2009, an Arizona man notified his “followers” on Twitter that he was in Kansas City on vacation. When the man and his family returned from their Midwestern romp, they noticed their house had been robbed. The man’s lack of awareness of privacy issues relating to Twitter cost his family thousands of dollars worth of material goods (http://www.wpxi.com/news/19648421/detail.html). Privacy has and will always be a major concern for those actively participating online or digital citizens. From online banking to telling hundreds of people who you saw on the subway, privacy and security are essential ingredients in creating a safe atmosphere for creative development and financial safeguarding. Consumer advocates, the Federal Government and nonprofit organizations have been attempting to end online data collection and behavioral targeting which undermine user integrity and privacy. Behavioral targeting involves marketers who anonymously observe internet users behavior, what sites they visit, what they searched for, what types of articles they read, and emails written and received. However depressing and oppressing this may seem, according to recent research by TrustE (a nonprofit privacy advocate), most online users have a general understanding that their browsing information may be collected for advertising purposes. However, they do not fully understand behavioral targeting and do not appreciate their browsing history is used to deliver specific advertising to them (http://www.truste.com/blog/?p=316). What can be done to protect one’s self against marketers, online predators and identity thieves? The first thing to do is safeguard one’s private information, and be aware of “phishing” or when a potential criminal sends an email, text or pop-up message that appear to come from a legitimate source (http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/computer-security.aspx). Try to avoid “shady” file share servers. Do not download anything suspicious or what may seen as dangerous. The site, onguardonline.gov gives a better and more in depth overview on internet safety. In order to protect children, teens and adults these issues should be explained to library patrons using computers. Perhaps a sign stating “surf at your own risk” may suffice.
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