Reading Report #3

This is a very revolutionary article; I really made me ponder the question “What is the future of libraries?” In this article Frey talks about the evolution of the library and the continuous transitions that they have to go through to keep up with current technology. Including but not limited to; changing written catalog information to electronically based system, and adaptation to the Internet. Another interesting concept that Frey mentioned was the theory that search technology will become increasingly more complicated. His thought is that searching text will become obsolete, and that more advanced searches will include; taste, smell, texture and even speed or volume. One of the last points that Frey makes in his article is that libraries will change from places of information to places of community culture. Libraries will be transformed into a place that a community can go to learn about their culture, much like a museum.
In my opinion libraries are going to go through a major change in the way they store their information. I believe that the book is going to become a thing of the past and that most libraries will switch over to a computer data bank system. One of the major statements that people make against this is that “reading off a monitor hurts their eyes, ” but I believe that with technology that we will overcome that obstacle. I think that this will all happen within the next 30 years, but the change will be very suttle and gradual.

News Report #3

For many Chinese, literary dreams go online
by Lara Farrar
http://http//www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/books/02/15/china.publishing/index.html?eref=rss_tech


2/15/09


This report is about a man in china named Murong Xuecun, Formally a sales manager for a major car company in China. On the side Murong wrote a story on modern urban life, which made its way onto many online forums. His work has become so popular that it has even been featured on T.V. in 3 different languages. Many people view him as a pioneer of the most resent online literary renaissance. More and more Chinese writers are using the Internet to get their messages out. An example of this is Shanda Literature operates three of China's biggest online literature site that receive more than 200 million page views a day. They own the rights to more than 200,000 works.Publishers have started a new wave of looking for their new up and coming writers on the web. Bookstores now have sections devoted to Internet novels published as paperbacks Hopefully this revolution will further liberalize the Chinese publishing industry.
I think that this is a very good thing for China, and the Chinese people. The Chinese government has always been very strict on individual expression. Hopefully this online revolution will bring together writers of not only China but of the entire world to a central place called the Internet. The web has really changed how we view authors because anyone can now write something and put it on the web for anyone in the world to see. In my opinion, This might lead to a new wave of plagiarism, because it makes it easier to “copy” and “paste” stories together.

News Report #2

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/04/google.latitude/index.html




CNN.com / By Stephen Shankland

2/4/09

Google has just launched a branch of new software that can track any of your friends mobile phones to precise locations, They hope that users will take full advantage of this software to keep in touch with their friends and relatives. For “Latitude” to work, all parties must set up their cell phones with the program. Google has incorporated many features into this new software, it lets you essentially “hide” where you are at or even set any location you wish for people to see. What Google intends to get out of this software is location based advertising. Google claims that it works in over 27 countries and will work on any blackberry, (and iPhone very soon). It works by determining your position from 3 separate sources which are, GPS, cell phone towers and even wireless networks.

I personally see no reason anyone would want this kind of software, I think that it is an invasion of privacy. I for one would not like my friends to know where I am 24/7. When I get a mental image in my head of who would be using this, I think of some overzealous husband, tracking his wife’s every movement. With the features that Google has included, it not even good for that. The only possible application I see for this software is with employers and employees, possibly delivery drivers. Google has come out with a lot of neat stuff lately but I think that this just crosses the line, the line of privacy.