Overall, this class has been a totally excellent experience. It has opened my eyes to some services that I hadn't ever heard of, and let me know of some alternate uses or communities that are involved in technologies that I was already familiar. In particular, the realization that there really are uses for social media tools in the context of business and libraries has been a great boon to my education. I feel that now I will be able to effectively argue on behalf of emerging technology, as well as recognize when (and when it isn't) appropriate.
One suggestion I thought of was to have perhaps a unit on the forefront of social tools. This would, of course, change each time the class was taught, but there are services out there that come and go and push the boundaries. We have talked mostly in this course about established services that have demonstrable positive effects for the context in which we examine them. Including some questionable or unproven technologies would provide a chance to apply some critical thought as to the merits or frivolity of something new, as well as provide a perspective on the sheer amount of these things that are out there.
Overall, the main wiki delivery worked for me, as did communication over Twitter, since it is easier to "check in" on Twitter than on IM, which requires a little more synchronicity. Thank you for not including much discussion on the eCollege message boards. I can't stand those things, how they reload every time you try and look at a thread or message.
One way to potentially increase communication would be to put the Social Networking unit a little earlier in the course. Or first, even. That way we all could have established a profile, gotten to "know" each other and begun sharing resources and conversation. Besides what better introduction to Web 2.0 is there at this point than facebook?
Thanks for the great class.
Continue reading...
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The (mis)adventures of Dewey Lefevre
I was excited about Second Life. Hadn't ever used it, saw some potential in the way that folks in the library speak about its use and positive presence. I also think it helps people who maybe are shy, or nervous, around others to interact in a way that they feel more comfortable. But what a trying experience it is just to do anything in Second Life! My user experience was so negative, that I am having an honest moment of confusion trying to decide how anyone uses it.
I can't figure out the hang up. Essentially, Second Life just wouldn't run in an enjoyable way for me at all. Frame rates around 10fps or less, graphics taking 30 seconds to load, bugs in clicking buttons, it crashed twice for no reason...
Allow me to elaborate. My computer is new. MacBook, 2.4GHz dual core, 4GB ram and a fairly decent graphics card (according to their promotional materials, a very very good graphics card). There is just no reason for me to be getting that kind of performance from a piece of software. And I just keep thinking, if my computer won't take it, what does everyone do? Deal with horrid polygonal graphics and slow frame rates? For me, it just reminded me of trying to play new computer games on the old 486 we had when I was growing up. Frustrating.
That aside, I did take the time to craft a rather dumb "look" for myself and battled with how to actually remove some clothing that I had inexplicably worn from my inventory. For a while there I had two hairstyles and two shirts on because I couldn't find any sort of "reset" button. Then I transported to Info Island, but there was no one around to talk to so I just sort of wandered around, reading info cards and waiting for billboards proclaiming an Edgar Allan Poe reading to come into focus.
Perhaps it is better when there is something to interact with. But the idea of spending hours in a world that can't even replicate a decent brick texture on the side of a buliding in under a few seconds didn't excite me very much. I think I'll stick to instant messaging.
Continue reading...
I can't figure out the hang up. Essentially, Second Life just wouldn't run in an enjoyable way for me at all. Frame rates around 10fps or less, graphics taking 30 seconds to load, bugs in clicking buttons, it crashed twice for no reason...
Allow me to elaborate. My computer is new. MacBook, 2.4GHz dual core, 4GB ram and a fairly decent graphics card (according to their promotional materials, a very very good graphics card). There is just no reason for me to be getting that kind of performance from a piece of software. And I just keep thinking, if my computer won't take it, what does everyone do? Deal with horrid polygonal graphics and slow frame rates? For me, it just reminded me of trying to play new computer games on the old 486 we had when I was growing up. Frustrating.
That aside, I did take the time to craft a rather dumb "look" for myself and battled with how to actually remove some clothing that I had inexplicably worn from my inventory. For a while there I had two hairstyles and two shirts on because I couldn't find any sort of "reset" button. Then I transported to Info Island, but there was no one around to talk to so I just sort of wandered around, reading info cards and waiting for billboards proclaiming an Edgar Allan Poe reading to come into focus.Perhaps it is better when there is something to interact with. But the idea of spending hours in a world that can't even replicate a decent brick texture on the side of a buliding in under a few seconds didn't excite me very much. I think I'll stick to instant messaging.
Continue reading...Wednesday, April 29, 2009
More on Johnson
If everything "bad" is indeed good for you, what does this mean for the world of Libraries and/or Educational organizations?
I think the answer to this question is that libraries and information organizations of all kinds need to begin the agonizing process of embracing and encouraging what may be considered non-traditional behavior in their institutions. Google has long kept their employees happy by providing free food and unlimited ping pong (among other things). Even though that is not exactly the same idea, the point remains that sometimes encouraging playful and otherwise "unorthodox" behavior can be a boon to an organization instead of corrupting it as may be feared.
An obvious example of this in the library is the use of video games to drum up an audience for some programs. Recently, of course, there were some issues with librarians playing games at work, and the jury is still out on the acceptability of that situation, but the point remains that designing programs around video games for patrons does provide a certain incentive for an audience that may not normally be motivated to visit. Or, provides a new outlet for participation for active library users that are looking for something new to try.
Of course there are right ways and wrong ways to handle a situation that deals with issues like whether or not to play pool at the office, or spend a day filming a YouTube video about your library's new Rock Band setup. Perhaps their hearts and thumbs were in the right place, or maybe that was indeed a waste of resources. Either way, I think the potential within the library to transform some bad things into good ones, and maybe sign up a few new library cards in the process. Continue reading...
I think the answer to this question is that libraries and information organizations of all kinds need to begin the agonizing process of embracing and encouraging what may be considered non-traditional behavior in their institutions. Google has long kept their employees happy by providing free food and unlimited ping pong (among other things). Even though that is not exactly the same idea, the point remains that sometimes encouraging playful and otherwise "unorthodox" behavior can be a boon to an organization instead of corrupting it as may be feared.
An obvious example of this in the library is the use of video games to drum up an audience for some programs. Recently, of course, there were some issues with librarians playing games at work, and the jury is still out on the acceptability of that situation, but the point remains that designing programs around video games for patrons does provide a certain incentive for an audience that may not normally be motivated to visit. Or, provides a new outlet for participation for active library users that are looking for something new to try.
Of course there are right ways and wrong ways to handle a situation that deals with issues like whether or not to play pool at the office, or spend a day filming a YouTube video about your library's new Rock Band setup. Perhaps their hearts and thumbs were in the right place, or maybe that was indeed a waste of resources. Either way, I think the potential within the library to transform some bad things into good ones, and maybe sign up a few new library cards in the process. Continue reading...
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sophisticated Stupidity
From what you've read, is Popular culture (games, tv, film) just a method to "sophisticatedly deliver stupidity"?
The ideas that Johnson presents in his book "Everything Bad is Good for You" are indeed interesting, and help to relieve some of the guilt that I expereince every time I get lost in yet another episode of A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila (yes, I did watch most of that show's first season, and, yes, it was entertaining to watch 15 idiots run around screaming. Made me feel like a good person, in comparison). Arguing that contemporary audiences not only tolerate but crave complicated and "textured" narratives in their popular culture consumption is a warming, if somewhat problematic, thought.
Sometimes, and this is particularly noticeable with the never ending list of "reality" television programs, it does seem like a true glut of ridiculous stupidity, and moreover their delivery hardly ever even seems to be "sophisticated." And so it is comforting to find a savior in Johnson, who argues that there is in fact a silver lining behind the reality show cloud. Or at the very least, can offer us support to spend the extra money on HBO just to get that Sunday night drama.
However, one issue that Johnson brings up is multiple threading. He argues that many threads in the story lines of television series like the Sopranos, are complicated and are a unique way of presenting content that enhances viewer engagement with the storyline and characters. I am tempted to argue, or at least mention, however, that this may also be a product of internet age's effect on how much attention focus we as a culture can muster.
There was an article last summer in the Atlantic Monthly entitled "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", the premise of which is that the quick bite- (byte-) sized information content that we are accustomed to on the internet is actually changing our brains, and affecting our ability to process long and in-depth information. We seem to be shrinking away from the lengthy newspaper article, and instead digesting many articles in quick snippets (take, for example, CNN.com's bulleted "Story Highlights" present at the top of their already brief articles).
Perhaps the multiple threading that we encounter in more complex TV shows these days is not a boon to our grey matter, but rather the only way that television producers can handle presenting complex content to a nation of bite-size information eaters and so-called "horizontal" Google searchers. They can't keep us focused any other way.
I should clarify that this is just speculation, and I do agree with Johnson that modern media is providing an intellectual stimulus in many ways, and that shows like the Sopranos are head and shoulders above some trite TV of the past. But it is worth being a little more critical of the nature of that information, and how we as a culture process it. After all, somebody once thought (or still does) that those things were bad for us for a reason, and it is worth it to keep that in mind, at least until you click on the tube. Continue reading...
The ideas that Johnson presents in his book "Everything Bad is Good for You" are indeed interesting, and help to relieve some of the guilt that I expereince every time I get lost in yet another episode of A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila (yes, I did watch most of that show's first season, and, yes, it was entertaining to watch 15 idiots run around screaming. Made me feel like a good person, in comparison). Arguing that contemporary audiences not only tolerate but crave complicated and "textured" narratives in their popular culture consumption is a warming, if somewhat problematic, thought.
Sometimes, and this is particularly noticeable with the never ending list of "reality" television programs, it does seem like a true glut of ridiculous stupidity, and moreover their delivery hardly ever even seems to be "sophisticated." And so it is comforting to find a savior in Johnson, who argues that there is in fact a silver lining behind the reality show cloud. Or at the very least, can offer us support to spend the extra money on HBO just to get that Sunday night drama.
However, one issue that Johnson brings up is multiple threading. He argues that many threads in the story lines of television series like the Sopranos, are complicated and are a unique way of presenting content that enhances viewer engagement with the storyline and characters. I am tempted to argue, or at least mention, however, that this may also be a product of internet age's effect on how much attention focus we as a culture can muster.
There was an article last summer in the Atlantic Monthly entitled "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", the premise of which is that the quick bite- (byte-) sized information content that we are accustomed to on the internet is actually changing our brains, and affecting our ability to process long and in-depth information. We seem to be shrinking away from the lengthy newspaper article, and instead digesting many articles in quick snippets (take, for example, CNN.com's bulleted "Story Highlights" present at the top of their already brief articles).
Perhaps the multiple threading that we encounter in more complex TV shows these days is not a boon to our grey matter, but rather the only way that television producers can handle presenting complex content to a nation of bite-size information eaters and so-called "horizontal" Google searchers. They can't keep us focused any other way.
I should clarify that this is just speculation, and I do agree with Johnson that modern media is providing an intellectual stimulus in many ways, and that shows like the Sopranos are head and shoulders above some trite TV of the past. But it is worth being a little more critical of the nature of that information, and how we as a culture process it. After all, somebody once thought (or still does) that those things were bad for us for a reason, and it is worth it to keep that in mind, at least until you click on the tube. Continue reading...
Which console for my library?
I think, hands down, I'd have to go with the Nintendo Wii on this one. No contest. PS3's are ridiculously expensive and have hardly any good games (except for Grand Theft Auto, which, of course, you can't exactly promote within your library) and the Xbox just sort of seems to me to be the type of gaming machine that encourages long-term single player experience. Of course, you can go online and frag your pals in Call of Duty (ahem, CoD, excuse me) but it isn't very conducive to in-person team play.
Enter Nintendo Wii. The machine is worth buying for several reasons in the library. Not only is it comparatively inexpensive, but so many of its games are designed for in-person collaborative or competitive play. Where in Xbox live you scream at people through a headset, with the Wii you interact in a way that is unusual for a video game experience. It also has an image, because of its uniqueness, that is parent friendly. When mom and dad want to go play tennis with the neighbors, how can they say no to sending the kids off to the library (of all places) to do the same?
I guess I was supposed to talk about the research aspect, and considering the pros and cons of each system a little more in this post. But it just seems to me to be a no brainer here. The cross-demographic appeal and collaborative play elements of the Wii just seem to me to trump anything else a Playstation might have to offer. And if you're looking for that more traditional, video game-y, single player experience, there's still just no match for Mario. Continue reading...
Enter Nintendo Wii. The machine is worth buying for several reasons in the library. Not only is it comparatively inexpensive, but so many of its games are designed for in-person collaborative or competitive play. Where in Xbox live you scream at people through a headset, with the Wii you interact in a way that is unusual for a video game experience. It also has an image, because of its uniqueness, that is parent friendly. When mom and dad want to go play tennis with the neighbors, how can they say no to sending the kids off to the library (of all places) to do the same?
I guess I was supposed to talk about the research aspect, and considering the pros and cons of each system a little more in this post. But it just seems to me to be a no brainer here. The cross-demographic appeal and collaborative play elements of the Wii just seem to me to trump anything else a Playstation might have to offer. And if you're looking for that more traditional, video game-y, single player experience, there's still just no match for Mario. Continue reading...
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Screencast best practices
Now that we have completed a couple screencasts, I have noticed several things that I do as a computer user that don't bother me because normally, I am the only one looking at my screen. Audio in screencasts is another challenge, especially in Jing where there is no redo.
Like I said, I noticed in the last screencast I made on MySpace, that I scroll the page up and down sort of aimlessly a couple of times. This I just do I guess, when I am trying to get a sense of something, or perhaps it is just a nervous tic. Another common thing I do while reading online is highlighting text, sort of at random. The situation where I noticed these things happening in my screencast, I was explaining a point, and there was nothing specific to do visually with the screen at that moment. In this situation, it is much better to resist the urge to move the cursor aimlessly or scroll the screen. Viewers are listening, make your visual screen movements have a purpose.
Another thing I just noticed while making my screencast for Hapland, is that you have to be careful about the audio. I ran into this problem when recording a series of instructional screencasts at my last job. Because you are speaking into a microphone while doing something else, it is easy to get lost or just not describe what you are doing to the fullest effect. This leads to unnecessary "um"s and even, God forbid, me sniffling because of this cold I seem to have developed. If Jing would let me edit that audio, boy would I.
The point is, practice your lines, or write a script to follow. If you can edit audio, take out your swallows, awkward missteps, and any other oddities. Writing in mouse cues as well can help with my first point. You have to remember that you're not the only watching anymore. Continue reading...
Like I said, I noticed in the last screencast I made on MySpace, that I scroll the page up and down sort of aimlessly a couple of times. This I just do I guess, when I am trying to get a sense of something, or perhaps it is just a nervous tic. Another common thing I do while reading online is highlighting text, sort of at random. The situation where I noticed these things happening in my screencast, I was explaining a point, and there was nothing specific to do visually with the screen at that moment. In this situation, it is much better to resist the urge to move the cursor aimlessly or scroll the screen. Viewers are listening, make your visual screen movements have a purpose.
Another thing I just noticed while making my screencast for Hapland, is that you have to be careful about the audio. I ran into this problem when recording a series of instructional screencasts at my last job. Because you are speaking into a microphone while doing something else, it is easy to get lost or just not describe what you are doing to the fullest effect. This leads to unnecessary "um"s and even, God forbid, me sniffling because of this cold I seem to have developed. If Jing would let me edit that audio, boy would I.
The point is, practice your lines, or write a script to follow. If you can edit audio, take out your swallows, awkward missteps, and any other oddities. Writing in mouse cues as well can help with my first point. You have to remember that you're not the only watching anymore. Continue reading...
Hapland
Hapland is a great and really hard puzzle game, where you interact with a strange cartoon world by finding and clicking on different objects. As you make certain things happen throughout the world, the things that become possible or impossible shift and change. There is a correct path, but it takes good timing and some pretty serious perseverance. It is fun, or at the very least, absorbing. I found it last term at www.onemorelevel.com. Screencast after the jump.
Hapland screencast. Continue reading...
Hapland screencast. Continue reading...
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