Background Briefing, on ABC Radio National on 14 September 2008, looked at cloud computing - the good, the not so good, and the ugly.
Stan Correy describes cloud computing as "taking the information off your laptop, off your desktop computer, out of your office, out of your home or apartment and putting it into giant data centres owned by Google and others."
So what's good about it? Well, it means that using the internet will be much simpler, as the applications and other programmes that you use do do whatever you do will be hosted somewhere out there and you won't have to worry about set up - just click and go. Furthermore, in theory big companies can get rid of their IT departments as all the work is done somewhere out there.
The ugly side is loss of privacy.
The bad is that the end user has no control over whether or not an application that's vital to what they do will continue to be available (see Kerry Webb's item about the disappearing Google Page Creator in the October 2008 issue of InCite.
The issue of cloud computing has come to the fore recently with the launch of Google's browser, Chrome, designed to make online life simpler and faster.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
eBooks – The End User Perspective
This report discusses the findings of a survey by Springer of end users at five institutions to ascertain how they use ebooks and what they think of them.
The majority of users were aware of them (52-84%) and had used them at least once (58-80%). Users didn't always get to these ebooks via their library catalogue - many found them somewhere on the Internet, eg by using Google Book Search. They accessed these ebooks with 50-100% of the frequency with which they accessed online journals.
Most users accessed ebooks on a weekly or monthly basis, primarily for research or study rather than for leisure or teaching.
Age of an ebook's content appears to have little impact on usage levels.
Users liked the ease of finding and accessing an ebook (compared to print). They also liked being able to do keyword searches of ebooks for relevant content. The portability of ebooks was also an advantage.
Having to read on the screen was seen as a disadvantage, especially if reading cover to cover. However, when searching for specific information ebooks did have the edge.
Ebooks complement print books - both have a place, depending on needs, and print won't disappear soon.
The majority of users were aware of them (52-84%) and had used them at least once (58-80%). Users didn't always get to these ebooks via their library catalogue - many found them somewhere on the Internet, eg by using Google Book Search. They accessed these ebooks with 50-100% of the frequency with which they accessed online journals.
Most users accessed ebooks on a weekly or monthly basis, primarily for research or study rather than for leisure or teaching.
Age of an ebook's content appears to have little impact on usage levels.
Users liked the ease of finding and accessing an ebook (compared to print). They also liked being able to do keyword searches of ebooks for relevant content. The portability of ebooks was also an advantage.
Having to read on the screen was seen as a disadvantage, especially if reading cover to cover. However, when searching for specific information ebooks did have the edge.
Ebooks complement print books - both have a place, depending on needs, and print won't disappear soon.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Blogging - opening up non-Western cultures?
An article by Antony Loewenstein in the Weekend Australian Review sectoin (23-24 August, pages 6-7) suggests that bloggers in non-Western societies are providing a more balanced view of their cultures than we in the West are used to hearing.
He found that, 'blogs offered a window into mainly middle-class segments of societies rarely examined by the West.' They helped to elucidate such issues as what does a Saudi Arabian male thinks about his country's adherence to Wahhabism, how the average China user copes with multi-national-assisted filtering, and what is Cuba's likely future after Fidel Castro.
He also found that most people in these countries didn't want revolution, they wanted gradual change (reform), and they were actually quite happy with the way their countries were heading.
Loewenstein has written a book, 'The Blogging Revolution', about to be published by Melbourne University Press.
He found that, 'blogs offered a window into mainly middle-class segments of societies rarely examined by the West.' They helped to elucidate such issues as what does a Saudi Arabian male thinks about his country's adherence to Wahhabism, how the average China user copes with multi-national-assisted filtering, and what is Cuba's likely future after Fidel Castro.
He also found that most people in these countries didn't want revolution, they wanted gradual change (reform), and they were actually quite happy with the way their countries were heading.
Loewenstein has written a book, 'The Blogging Revolution', about to be published by Melbourne University Press.
Blogs - taking their place in the mainstream?
A recent article in the Australian Financial Review (Review section, pages 9-10, 29 August 08, 'Attention grabber with legal byte', by Andrew Keen) suggests that blogs are definitely taking their place in the mainstream world of journalism.
Keen discusses Ariana Huffington, a Greek-born American who in May 2005 launched the Huffington Post (HuffPost), a 'progressive news blog'. Contributors include Huffington's 'hand-picked network of celebrities and experts'. Most 'content is produced by unpaid contributors', many of them celebrities who gain by the exposure, so costs are low - there is a small number of paid staff, but nothing like the number employed by traditional news media. And these contributors' work is rarely edited - which saves on costs as well. Visits to the site are increasing, in comparison to traditional news media that aren't doing so well in the online world. But is it quality journalism?
Keen discusses Ariana Huffington, a Greek-born American who in May 2005 launched the Huffington Post (HuffPost), a 'progressive news blog'. Contributors include Huffington's 'hand-picked network of celebrities and experts'. Most 'content is produced by unpaid contributors', many of them celebrities who gain by the exposure, so costs are low - there is a small number of paid staff, but nothing like the number employed by traditional news media. And these contributors' work is rarely edited - which saves on costs as well. Visits to the site are increasing, in comparison to traditional news media that aren't doing so well in the online world. But is it quality journalism?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Learning Online
Fast learners, an article by Beverley Head in the June/July 2008 issue of Information Age (pp26-29) describes how companies and tertiary institutions are moving their teaching and learning environments online.
Wikis are being used as information radiators - academics in universities use them to radiate information out to students. Cochlear has been using wikis for project management.
e-learning can be done informally 'on the go', eg by participating in email listserv communities. TSA Telco Group uses e-learning systems to keep its staff up to date on OHS and EEO issues.
Online universities are starting to compete with physical uni campuses. MIT's Open Courseware (OCW) initiative makes online courses provided by traditional universities freely available. The courses are published under a Creative Commons licence agreement so the content may be reused and mixed (with approriate attribution) to construct education mashups. Wikipedia is establishing an online campus, Wikiversity.
Virtual worlds, of which Second Life is probably the best known, are being used more and more frequently for training by organisations, particularly where the cost of bringing trainers and employees together in the one physical location is expensive and environmentally unfriendly.
Wikis are being used as information radiators - academics in universities use them to radiate information out to students. Cochlear has been using wikis for project management.
e-learning can be done informally 'on the go', eg by participating in email listserv communities. TSA Telco Group uses e-learning systems to keep its staff up to date on OHS and EEO issues.
Online universities are starting to compete with physical uni campuses. MIT's Open Courseware (OCW) initiative makes online courses provided by traditional universities freely available. The courses are published under a Creative Commons licence agreement so the content may be reused and mixed (with approriate attribution) to construct education mashups. Wikipedia is establishing an online campus, Wikiversity.
Virtual worlds, of which Second Life is probably the best known, are being used more and more frequently for training by organisations, particularly where the cost of bringing trainers and employees together in the one physical location is expensive and environmentally unfriendly.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Travelling with Web 3.0?
Virtual journey, by Kendall Hill, outlines how 'intuitive and intelligent search engines' will enhance the would-be traveller's ability to plan the perfect trip online.
The article, published in June 2008's Financial Review Boss magazine, tells us that 'travel is the world's largest industry, accounting for 8% of global employment, 9% of capital investment, and 10% of GDP.' Moreover, 2007 was the first year in which more than half of all travel was booked online, in the US at least.
Web travel began with companies such as Flight Centre setting up shop online. Then user-generated sites such as Lonely Planet's forum Thorn Tree, with travellers' reviews, photos and recommendations, allowed prospective travellers to make their own decisions rather than having to rely on travel agents.
The next big thing, Hill says, will be Web 3.0's intelligent search engines that understand what you want and only deliver sites that fit your criteria. For example, a search for somewhere to ski in March would suggest only resorts that actually have snow in March and have space available. To put it another way, the websites will understand the context of a user's query, rather than just matching on keywords.
Also emerging are sites that try to tailor suggestions to your interests. Triporati, a website that asks you to indicate your interests and preferred activities, will make recommendations based on what you've said about yourself.
Also becoming more common are mobile travel appliances. The mobile phone is such an appliance - you can now have weather and flight time updates sent to your phone by SMS, and GPS software can help you find the nearest hotel.
The article, published in June 2008's Financial Review Boss magazine, tells us that 'travel is the world's largest industry, accounting for 8% of global employment, 9% of capital investment, and 10% of GDP.' Moreover, 2007 was the first year in which more than half of all travel was booked online, in the US at least.
Web travel began with companies such as Flight Centre setting up shop online. Then user-generated sites such as Lonely Planet's forum Thorn Tree, with travellers' reviews, photos and recommendations, allowed prospective travellers to make their own decisions rather than having to rely on travel agents.
The next big thing, Hill says, will be Web 3.0's intelligent search engines that understand what you want and only deliver sites that fit your criteria. For example, a search for somewhere to ski in March would suggest only resorts that actually have snow in March and have space available. To put it another way, the websites will understand the context of a user's query, rather than just matching on keywords.
Also emerging are sites that try to tailor suggestions to your interests. Triporati, a website that asks you to indicate your interests and preferred activities, will make recommendations based on what you've said about yourself.
Also becoming more common are mobile travel appliances. The mobile phone is such an appliance - you can now have weather and flight time updates sent to your phone by SMS, and GPS software can help you find the nearest hotel.
Wikepedia in the schools
An article in the Sydney Morning Herald by Stephen Hutcheon on 26 May tells us that NSW HSC students will be able to take a course in studying Wikipedia.
HSC students to get Wikipedia course says that Wikipedia has been listed by the NSW Board of Studies as a prescribed text for an elective course in the English syllabus for 2009-12. Wikipedia will be one of the texts that students choose to study to examine how the world's communities interact and communicate. The elective is called The Global Village. The course is intended to teach students the analytical skillls to be more discerning about web content.
HSC students to get Wikipedia course says that Wikipedia has been listed by the NSW Board of Studies as a prescribed text for an elective course in the English syllabus for 2009-12. Wikipedia will be one of the texts that students choose to study to examine how the world's communities interact and communicate. The elective is called The Global Village. The course is intended to teach students the analytical skillls to be more discerning about web content.
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