Semantic web

I first did a search in Google using “semantics web” and the string “discussion and debate and blog” I skimmed the articles below.

http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/187_03_060807/mcl10181_fm.html

http://bookbook.com.au/2007/08/

http://net11.web-ready.com.au/?cat=13

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Future-Web-talk-caught-up-in-semantics/0,130061733,339286737,00.htm?feed=pt_data

I then skimmed the articles that were linked in the +5 blog. It is a fascinating case of swings and round abouts. The success of the web in terms of the volume of material published and the beauty that anyone can publish anything has brought people back to the situation that cataloguers are familiar with, it you want people to retrieve accurately then utilising controlled vocabulary helps enormously. The circle is complete!

 

VuFind @ National Library of Australia

I visited the NLA Catalogue site. Keeping with my skateboards topic I did a search. The initial results were 111 hits. I liked the way I could instantly narrow my search to the 10 images of skateboards using the picture link on the RHS of the page.

My favorite image was ” Gas and Fuel building viewed end-on from Flinders Street station looking east. Princes Plaza, with skateboard riders, sits above Princes Bridge railway station with arcade shops… by Hill, Ian H. (Ian Harrison), 1962-”

http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/images/picture-icon.png You will need to paste this link into your browser. (Sorry this is not a live link, insert link function not working.)

 

Voyage RSS feed reader

I use bloglines as my feedreader and I am happy with it. I usually check it once over the weekend. My first impression of the Voyage RSS feed was it was too cluttered for my taste. I prefer things ordered in columns rather than the cloud presentation. It is not for me.

 

KartOO – meta search engine

A meta search engine is a search engine that searches other search engines. (How many times can you have search engine in the one sentence!). I regularly use the KartOO meta search engine in information literacy classes. I first came across it on the Swinburne University of Technology Library, Search the Internet page http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lib/internet.html

If the content of the class is the Internet, I show students how to search more efficiently using Google, challenge them on how they know a site is good and has integrity and I show them KartOO.

KartOO’s visual display appeals to some students. I usually say something like, keep your eyes on the screen and hit enter. KartOO appeals to people who like to have spatial relationships and think in mind maps. Placing the cursor over a hit displays that sites relationship with others on the screen. The Topics menu on teh left hadn side of the screen allow you to mine deeper. I highly recommend it.

For my image search I choose the keywords “skateboards images” this came up with some cool sites including: (The wordpress, insert link is not working today so these are not “live” links)

http://www.planbskateboarding.com/products/

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=333262958

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mods/multimedia/2008/01/gallery_skateboards

 

LinkedIn

I had constructed a rudimentary profile on LinkedIn in November 2006. I had attended a preconference workshop at EDUCause and the presenter invited us all to be contacts in LinkedIn. I did not flesh out my profile until I applied for a job in June 2008. My research showed that my potential manager was in LinkedIn. I did not want her to find a scrappy entry so I upgraded mine. I have not found it a useful networking tool so far, but can see its potential, in the future in terms of finding a new role, for me with its emphasis on formal qualifications.

 

New blog started 4 July 2008

This blog is to record the +5 tasks of the Swinburne 23 things project.

My chosen banner reminds me of the “Melba” and “Mullum Mullum” tunnels in the new section of the Eastern Link that I have been using for the last 5 days, on my journey to work. The advertising is true, instead of taking me about 55 minutes from the City Baths to the Wantirna Campus it is now taking me about 33 minutes. Not only has the traveling time been reduced BUT the stress is reduced. My old route took me through 13 sets of traffic light once I was on the M3, now I go through 3.

The M3 is free to use for the first month. Once the toll comes in it will cost me $11.60 per day or $58.00 per week. I will need to do some sums about petrol consumption so I can make a sensible decision.