Author Archives: Kenien Spann

As a non writer this is continually a difficult process, there is so much to read and digest, that must then be turned into something informative but not being “regurgitated”. I have made slow progress, this is a a very heavy writing term for me. Conveniently, searching for information and using libraries is nothing new for me, im quite sure its the only reason why i’m still surviving this class. Knocking out this paper and a passing grade in the class will allow me to de-stress , that is, until next semester starts. I like to think that a topic as dynamic as mines is helps because theres always something new going on. An example is a recent email facebook uses have been sent regarding policy.

Using the downtime acquired due to the arrival of Super-storm Sandy, I tried my best to make up some old work and ensure that I’d make progress on my four research papers due very soon at the end of the year. I feel that progress is being made, I’m fighting off distractions, but this will still be a very tough time for me. Regarding the project for this class, I have found more sources, and did most of my annotated bibliography and will have that handed in for Thursday’s class. Restructuring my question has helped to find new sources, but not to much; I’ll still be looking for more.

The most difficult task i’ve come across with this project has really just been starting it. I’ve never really had an easy time getting ideas from my brain out to others, and more specifically, on to paper. I’m looking more and more to just brainstorm and get ideas out of my head and written down. This strategy hasnt brought any new success specifically, but its better than not having anything written out at all. What makes things like this difficult for me are that its an execution problem, not an understanding problem. I’ve a clear idea of the goals for the project, I just hope i can attain them.

Im not sure how long ive been using digital information retrieval systems, but I do remember using computers eventually to look up books when the NYPL’s LEO system started up. The  Liddy article gave amazing insight as to how entered text is taken in, split apart, filtered and sent out, only to return with results in varying fashion. I didn’t take much away from the Berkley article on evaluating websites, because it only makes logical sense to take those things into consideration. 

I wonder if the next generation will change this to “tagsonomy”. With the popularity (and almost, necessity of) social networking and social media, the tag is the most popular and easiest means of classifying and organizing ideas and information. As this technological age moves forward its interesting to see the difference in uses of tags, and how people will use this ability to organize and categorize information which will stay for the rest of digital history. As with all things, sadly, the improper or unfocused use of tags will highly dilute sensible and usable information. A fear i personally have regarding tags is the over saturation that will occur as sites merge together and aggravate results.