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Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Muddiest Point
Can meta data ever be categorized under more then one type? Can it be two types, three types? For example, is metadata ever considered both technical and descriptive metadata?
Week Five Readings~ XML to the max...
I found reading about XML to be both interesting and intense. Each reading and the tutorial covered aspects of XML, with points overlapping. I don't know how many times I have to read about XML, but I think it will always be a bit of daunting task for me!
Martin Bryan. Introducing the Extensible Markup Language (XML) This reading was a introduction to XML and aspects of XML. I think this article did a very good job of giving a basic and understandable definition, "XML is a subset of SGML and allows users to check validity of every element" and "XML provides a formal syntex for describing the relationship between entities, elements and attributes that make up an XML document".
Obviously, the reading goes into much further detail including talking about XML components, attributes, and how XML is used.
I found this article to be a great introduction into the world of XML, however, as I mentioned earlier XML is just a tough subject for me to get through, no matter how clearly it is written.
A few thoughts this reading raised for me were questions about how/why don't empty elements need an end tag? For the sake of consistency, shouldn't the standard be to include an end tag even if it is empty?
Uche Ogbuji. A survey of XML standards: Part 1.
This article was in-depth with extensive detail. It explains in great detail, the standards of XML. The reading covers XML 1.0, XML 1.1, catalogs, XML namespaces, XML base, XML inclusions, XML info set and etc.
The incredible about of information this article covered was a bit overwhelming. However, I did find it useful that the author made a point to explain the "flavors of standards". Again though, reading about XML standards is up there with reading about XML and it's functions for me, hard to get through and synthesize!
XML Schema Tutorial
I happen to really enjoy and learn a lot of tutorials. I think it is a great way to learn something new as well as having something to reference back to if you get stuck. Basically this tutorial is showing the user how to "read and create XML Schemas, why XML Schemas are more powerful than DTDs, and how to use the XML Schema language in your application"
I found this tutorial to be a very practical tool in showing me how to create XML schemas, something I only have a bit of experience with. Obviously, this tutorial is a valuable resource for an information science student.
Overall, each of these readings (and the tutorial) were very useful,although, I think that it is going to take me a few more reads to process all of the information and understand XML and have a working knowledge of it.
Obviously, the reading goes into much further detail including talking about XML components, attributes, and how XML is used.
I found this article to be a great introduction into the world of XML, however, as I mentioned earlier XML is just a tough subject for me to get through, no matter how clearly it is written.
A few thoughts this reading raised for me were questions about how/why don't empty elements need an end tag? For the sake of consistency, shouldn't the standard be to include an end tag even if it is empty?
Uche Ogbuji. A survey of XML standards: Part 1.
This article was in-depth with extensive detail. It explains in great detail, the standards of XML. The reading covers XML 1.0, XML 1.1, catalogs, XML namespaces, XML base, XML inclusions, XML info set and etc.
The incredible about of information this article covered was a bit overwhelming. However, I did find it useful that the author made a point to explain the "flavors of standards". Again though, reading about XML standards is up there with reading about XML and it's functions for me, hard to get through and synthesize!
XML Schema Tutorial
I happen to really enjoy and learn a lot of tutorials. I think it is a great way to learn something new as well as having something to reference back to if you get stuck. Basically this tutorial is showing the user how to "read and create XML Schemas, why XML Schemas are more powerful than DTDs, and how to use the XML Schema language in your application"
I found this tutorial to be a very practical tool in showing me how to create XML schemas, something I only have a bit of experience with. Obviously, this tutorial is a valuable resource for an information science student.
Overall, each of these readings (and the tutorial) were very useful,although, I think that it is going to take me a few more reads to process all of the information and understand XML and have a working knowledge of it.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Muddiest Point
I am still confused as which is the best to use and when and all the differences between them, JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIFF....
The Wonderful World of Metadata!!! Week 4 Readings
Metadata, everyone is talking about it! This week I decided to comment on Anne J. Gilliland. "Introduction to Metadata, pathways to Digital Information", Stuart L. Weibel, “Border Crossings: Reflections on a Decade of Metadata Consensus Building” and Witten 2.2.
Witten 2.2: Bibliographic Organization
This was a very straightforward account of bibliographic organization. The only comments/thoughts I have was for the necessity to change the organization steps from 3 (find, collocate, choice) to 5 (locate, identify, select, acquire, navigate). I understand the need to make things more clearly defined but sometimes more steps cause more confusion and is just a matter of semantics. The only other thing i have to say about this reading is that I'm not crazy about LCSH and kinda hate that they are what most people use/think of when it comes to subject headings. Also, is it really that difficult to define subjects?
Overall, I think this reading did a nice job of clearly defining all aspects of bibliographic organization as well as pointing out the benefit of digital libraries may hold over physical libraries due to their physical constraints.
Border Crossings by Stuart L. Weibel
After reading this and the Intro to Metadata reading, my head was filled with all the metadata talk I could take. My main thoughts about this reading are
My thoughts....
Witten 2.2: Bibliographic Organization
This was a very straightforward account of bibliographic organization. The only comments/thoughts I have was for the necessity to change the organization steps from 3 (find, collocate, choice) to 5 (locate, identify, select, acquire, navigate). I understand the need to make things more clearly defined but sometimes more steps cause more confusion and is just a matter of semantics. The only other thing i have to say about this reading is that I'm not crazy about LCSH and kinda hate that they are what most people use/think of when it comes to subject headings. Also, is it really that difficult to define subjects?
Overall, I think this reading did a nice job of clearly defining all aspects of bibliographic organization as well as pointing out the benefit of digital libraries may hold over physical libraries due to their physical constraints.
Border Crossings by Stuart L. Weibel
After reading this and the Intro to Metadata reading, my head was filled with all the metadata talk I could take. My main thoughts about this reading are
- The real impact of DCMI
- Why are people so reluctant/unqualified to create their own metadata (especially as they are the creators of the original work)
- Controlled vocabulary vs. uncontrolled vocabulary
- The effect of folksonomies on metadata......is it beneficial or a catastrophe?
- The absolute needs for standards when it comes a Metadata model that is both diverse and inclusive.
- Are standards even feasible? Why aren't people working on them?
My thoughts....
- Ambiguity of metadata---it means so many things to so many people, it seems that is nearly impossible to find consistency across disicplines/professions
- Automated metadata vs. human made metadata
- Which is better, cheaper, more consistent, more accurate?
- Again, no single metadata standard for describing all matierals
- Adding even more to the mix, user created metadata----good or bad?
- how bad will it be to manage quality control with user made metadata?
- Metadata categories...types, functions...a lot to know and remember!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Readings Week 3
Computer Typesetting
Document preperation- one of the most successful aspects of computing technology
Machine readable form-widespread and easy to reuse
-the advent of document preparation technology resulted in virtually no one uses typewriters anymore
Process of computer typesetting over years
---evolved from film strips to laser printers
The evolution of printing technology tied with development of software to format documents
Two models of printing software--some is the exact appearance of text, other is describes the doc in terms
Documents and material are now available in immense amounts online due to technology
Text Formats
Numerous types of text formats-characters, symbols, etc.
Also important, how each characters are handled
3 Standards of text formats-MARC,SGML,HTML
Ways of Searching
Linear search, inverted files, hash tables
Linear Searching
algorithm that searches a file from beginning to end looking for a string
Document Conversion
Two ways to convert old docs, scanning them in or keying them in
Scanning - Optical Character Regonition
Scanning cheaper option
OCR has become more and more reliable over the years
My Thoughts
This chapter has described in great detail the evolution and development of computer typesetting, text formatting and printing. Technology that was once unimaginable has created an industry where vast amounts of documents and information can be stored, searched and retrieved. It is overwhelming to think (and read!) about the amount of technology that has developed to achieve documents available in the digital form that are able to be printed, stored, searched for or are even just viewable! It is hard to think of a time when information was just not available from a desktop and this article has given me an appreciation of all the work that has gone on to create the way documents and information are available digitally.
Document preperation- one of the most successful aspects of computing technology
Machine readable form-widespread and easy to reuse
-the advent of document preparation technology resulted in virtually no one uses typewriters anymore
Process of computer typesetting over years
---evolved from film strips to laser printers
The evolution of printing technology tied with development of software to format documents
Two models of printing software--some is the exact appearance of text, other is describes the doc in terms
Documents and material are now available in immense amounts online due to technology
Text Formats
Numerous types of text formats-characters, symbols, etc.
Also important, how each characters are handled
3 Standards of text formats-MARC,SGML,HTML
Ways of Searching
Linear search, inverted files, hash tables
Linear Searching
algorithm that searches a file from beginning to end looking for a string
Document Conversion
Two ways to convert old docs, scanning them in or keying them in
Scanning - Optical Character Regonition
Scanning cheaper option
OCR has become more and more reliable over the years
My Thoughts
This chapter has described in great detail the evolution and development of computer typesetting, text formatting and printing. Technology that was once unimaginable has created an industry where vast amounts of documents and information can be stored, searched and retrieved. It is overwhelming to think (and read!) about the amount of technology that has developed to achieve documents available in the digital form that are able to be printed, stored, searched for or are even just viewable! It is hard to think of a time when information was just not available from a desktop and this article has given me an appreciation of all the work that has gone on to create the way documents and information are available digitally.
Muddiest Point
If we are having trouble finding a third team member, how exactly should we go about finding them? And are we to tell you in class on Monday or email you about our proposed group. Also, do we need to tell you what we plan on doing for the team project before we start working on it so we know that it is feasible?
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