Moving On

Hi Everyone,

I will no longer be posting to this blog. It has become difficult to post items during my work day and my after work hours are devoted to my daughter.

But do not become discouraged I offer an alternative! I am now chatting. I will be on my Google Chat account, sumerian2@gmail.com during my normal work day (Mon-Fri 8:30a-4p). So please consider adding me to your buddy list and looking me up whenever you need research help. I've also posted my commitment calendar online at http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=sumerian2%40gmail.com. This way you'll know when I'm teaching, doing reference, or going to be embedded in your department.

Thanks
Cindi

Technology has Outpaced the Law

According to a recent BBC report, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6065534.stm, the U.S. Congress will begin investigating economies in the virtual world of gaming. Specifically, the legality of gamers earning virtual cash or booty that is then traded in for real world currency. Could gamers be taxed by the IRS? An interesting idea.

Americans getting Ruder-Surprise!

I was listening to the radio on the drive into work and they quoted a recent survey that said Americans are getting ruder to each other. The major factors contributing to our lack of niceness was cell phone use, road rage, parents not teaching their children manners, and television not promoting civility. I didn't catch the name of the opinion poll/survey but I did find a few online that talk about various aspects of etiquette.

If you are amicable please feel free to view the following informational resources. ; )
http://www.acnielsen.com.sg/news.asp?newsID=161 (mobile phone manners)
http://www.allbusiness.com/blog/BetterLocalMarketing/3992/003058.html (business manners)
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/04/02/rude.americans/ (general rudeness poll from 2002)
http://www.poynter.org/dg.lts/id.2/aid.1406/column.htm (a specific example of loosing a potential customer to rudeness)

When I get the specific poll/survey I'll add it to this post.

Radio Reference Website

Continuing on yesterday's topic I heard that the US government was having a difficult time broadcasting emergency procedures in New Orleans because they did not have the station frequencies. The print resource listed on yesterday's post would help them but there is a website that could also be of interest/help.

"RadioReference.com is the world's largest radio communications reference website, with complete conventional frequency assignments, trunked radio system information, frequencies, and talkgroups, FCC License assignments and maps, 10-Code Lists, agency maps, files, downloads, links, and detailed agency information for most public safety, military, and local government activities."

Katrina and the Communication Infrastructure

Cellphone towers are non-operational, land lines are completely down, no one can drop walkie talkies into the affected areas, the Gulf coast has been cut-off from the rest of the world.

Think about the impact of this on the stability of information in a digital age. If you wanted a listing of all the radio, television, and cell phone companies in New Orleans at the time of Katrina you might not be able to get it because websites that have compiled such lists, like "New Orleans Websites" at http://neworleanswebsites.com or the "New Orleans Educational Telecommunications Consortium" at http://www.noetc.org/, would be offline indefinately.

Fortunately, there are a number of print publications that UB owns that could help you answer these types of questions.

"Working Press of the Nation", Z6951 .W6, covers TV (including cable), Radio, and Newspapers in the United States. Listed by state, then city, it gives the companies address, website, established date, format (talk, religious, oldies, etc.), frequency/power, network affiliates, and management. All going back to 1999.

"Television and Cable Factbook", goes back to 1982. The "Cable Volumes (2)" cover cable companies by state and provides information on monthly fees, subscriber base, stations included in various service packages, address, and ownership. The "Station Volumes (2)" cover television stations by state then city and provides the address, email, website, power, antenna location and elevation, satellite stations, established date, and estimated households reached.

No posts for the next 2 weeks

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'll be taking a hiatus for the next 2 weeks. The American Library Association is holding their annual conference this week and next week I'm putting the finishing touches on an article about concept mapping in library instruction. So check back for new posts starting July 4th.

ICTs in Developing Countries

The Development Gateway (DG) was started by the World Bank in 2001. It's mission is act as a portal for all issues surrounding the development of third world countries. They cover a host of topics such as Economic Development, Aid (Debt Relief), Health & Nutrition, Human (Cultural & Social) Development, the Environment, & Technology.

Under the topic of Technology is the subtopic "Information & Communication Technologies". Within this subtopic are reports, data, articles, & news pieces on a host of "Key Issues" including connectivity, digital divide, e-commerce, gender, open source, radio, wireless, blogging, & broadband.

Here are some samples of what you will find in DG

Blogging growing in the Middle East
Arab countries are notorious for governmental control of media. The advent of blogging opens a new era in the battle between free _expression and censorship. In Iraq, there are hundreds of blogsites, most run by Iraqis, some by U.S. and other coalition soldiers. They are communist, monarchist, Kurdish, Assyrian, Islamist, Shiite, Sunni, nationalist and secularist. Their political positions range from full support for the U.S. invasion and occupation to rabid calls for jihad against the U.S. occupiers. by William Fisher, Inter Press Service New Agency via OneWorld.Net, March 16, 2005.

NITLE Blog Census
This National Institute for Technology & Liberal Education website seeks to remedy the lack of statistics on blogs and blogging. It provides information on the languages in which blogs are written, a global map of blogs, and other statistics.

So take a look at Development Gateway, it just might have the data or story you're looking for.