Muddiest Point:
This is an issue regarding compression and preservation of different file types which I have encountered when working with multimedia files in an archive. Is it possible for a computer to detect previous versions of a file that was saved as a different file type? For example, if you download an image as a .jpg file, import it into photoshop, alter it, and then save it as a .gif file or .tiff file, can a computer theoretically detect that the .gif file used to be a .jpg file? Such a trail is important for preservation, because the extension might obscure the fact that a file might have been compressed in a lossy format before, so at first sight it might look as if a file is compressed in a lossless format, even though it has been compressed in a lossy format before...
Reading Notes:
This week was the week of networks, both in LIS 2000 and in this class, and I am feeling a bit networked-out. Like many people, I have become acquainted with LAN networks at work while crawling under tables to disentangle some amorphous cable masses to figure out why a printer got stuck. As far as I understand it, LAN networks still depend on hard wires (co-axial cables as we learned). What is important here is that LAN networks do not depend on leased telecommunication networks, which gives the owners more control. As far as I understood, ethernet is a technology that enables LAN (the history of ethernet was actually fairly interesting, too -- I was not aware it was invented by R. Metcalfe at XEROX.) The article on the variety of computer networks was dizzying -- I was particularly interested in MAN networks -- who has control over MAN's -- cities or towns or private companies? I didn't know that the internet is short for internetwork. I want to know more about the physical infrastructure of the internet -- where are the hubs located? Important is the mix of private and public networks, which politicizes the whole issue -- who controls the access to these networks? And how are libraries connected to them? Does the U of Pittsburgh have a CAN, by the way?
RFID
this was a very informative article with a pragmatic perspective on RFID -- as a technology, it brings advantages, but also new pressures to increase efficiency (and potential job cuts) -- I also found her reflections on the rationale of libraries to introduce new technology very enlightening: a technology becomes introduced, is around, and libraries have to adapt and deal with these changes -- with RFID it sounds as if the development is going in this direction, if libraries like it or not....
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2 comments:
I like how you are not quite sure what week we are on for the readings. I keep forgetting myself and it takes so long to go back and look through the syllabus. We only have to have 10 weeks of notes, right? That was mentioned previously at the beginning of class - but didn't know it if still held true.
Oh - I also feel networked out! Between Essay I in 2000 and the re-reading of all the network articles in this class it sure is making more sense to be now, but I am ready to move on to something new.
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