WLKY, Charity Turns to Technology to Increase Donations. WLKY, 23 Nov. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2009 .

As information technology continues to advance, we are beginning to see everybody jumping on the bandwagon as a way to increase revenue. This article posted by WLKY.com talks about the use of information technology and certain charities such as the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army raises most of its donations during the holidays by using bell ringers at strategic locations such as the mall. In the past, cash has always been the sole means of donating money. This year the rules have changed. In Louisville Kentucky, a division of the Salvation Army has decided to use IT to enable their organization to accept credit cards. This will take away the excuse. “I don’t have cash; all I have is a credit card.” Now consumers will be able to swipe their credit cards and donate directly to the organization. Some of the members of the charity group are projecting revenues to double or even triple with these new machines and terminals.

I think that this is a great idea for the organization and it also displays their motivation to stay with the times and create additional value for their charity. I agree with the organization representatives that project large increase in donations because with credit card terminals, there are very few excuses why you can’t donate a dollar or two; especially when you are walking in and out of a mall and spending hundreds of dollars. Unfortunately it puts the consumer in a little bit of a tight spot, but during the holidays, what’s an extra dollar to you? To someone else it may be a meal or a blanket during the winter.

Reading #5

Information Navigation 101. By: Foster, Andrea L., Chronicle of Higher Education, 00095982, 3/9/2007, Vol. 53, Issue 27

This article outlines the current perceived problems in information literacy among students at the college level. The author talks about how students rely mostlry on search engines such as Google or Yahoo to find information on certain topics or while performing specific research. They are numerous databases filled with relevant, peer-reviewed valuable articles but instead students are simply using whatever pops up first. Cal State is now in its 12^th year of providing a program specifically designed to help students and faculty increase their information literacy by being able to find, sort and analyze information on the web. Other critics such as Stanley Wilder argue that it is no longer as important for kids to understand the process of located articles when it is becoming easier and easier to find them without “Knowing how to use Boolean qualifiers to narrow search requests”

I tend to agree with Wilder but recognizes other scholars concerns. I think a lot has to do with what your major is and what you plan on doing in the future. For myself a business major, I don’t feel I need to understand how to find articles in databases because I haven’t for 4 years and will be graduating in December. Other students however who are seeking a job in education or journalism should be expected to know their way around the web after four years at college. One way to increase the use of specific databases would be to have professors require the use of or teach how to use them. If not Google is just simply more convenient.

Reading response #3

It is amazing to think that today we are able to view the original works of some of the worlds most famous artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci . What has made this possible is the creation of the Library as a storage place for these works. Over the years, these pieces have been transferred from one library to another, sometimes even lost or forgotten for a certain period of time. In the end the pieces usually always turn up proving the library to be a safe place for important documents and works.

The article also discusses the transformation of the library from the time it started to now. In addition, there are expectations for the library to change once again as technology increasingly improves at faster and faster rates.

I agree with what this article states and how the library has become a monumental part of our society and the different cultures around the world. I also believe as the article states, we will see dramatic changes in the way we obtain, view and evaluate information, books and pieces of art. Also we will continue to see change in the way we communicate. Where as many years ago, communication with someone a great distance away meant sending a letter by horseback, today we can send a text message for instant delivery. The article also talks about the increasing need for speed when obtaining information. Trends show humans sleeping less, eating quicker and multitasking to meet our daily goals. I think it will become important for libraries especially to keep up with the growing demand for fast service and faster technology.

News repot # 2 9-22

Folks Are Flocking to the Library, a Cozy Place to Look for a Job

Books, Computers and Wi-Fi Are Free, But Staffs Are Stressed by Crowds, Cutbacks

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123197709459483585.html

By JIM CARLTON

It seems to be a running debate, as technology progresses in leaps and bounds, what is the outlook for the Public Library. Is their still a need or demand or supply of people that use the resources that are offered on a daily basis. One argument in the past has shown that information is so freely available on the internet that perhaps it is no longer necessary to wait for a book at the library or search through hard copy encyclopedias. This theory can be easily understood, but according the Jim Carlton, with the slight recession, people are doing just the opposite. People are flocking the to the library to take advantage of resources such as free computers and free wifi. Some libraries offer new release DVD and video games as well. People who are unemployed can search for jobs online and giving them an opportunity that they might not have been able to find.

I would have to agree with Jim in his article because it seems like at a time when libraries are getting costs cut, people need them the most. During tough times Libraries are great places to fulfill the needs of many citizens rich and poor. It is unfortunate that Libraries have a tough time keeping up with the increasing demand for their use. Reports from this article indicate up to 65% increase in attendance in the last year alone. One Library in Asheboro NC stated that they see a daily average of 230 people waiting to use their current stock of 27 computers. The Libraries are forced to cut corners wherever they can but it is at least nice to see they aren’t empty.

Wiki

Due to the openness and ease in which any person can have the ability to edit definitions and information on Wikipedia.com, many scholars look down on the site and treat it with little respect. However, although the sites content can be edited fairly easily, the opposite argument states that the majority of the information is in fact true and mostly relevant. This is especially true in some of the areas in science definitions.

When compared to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia received excellent results, comparing its accuracy very closely to the world renowned encyclopedia. Both sources averaged approximately 3 errors per page.

I think it is interesting to have a wide range of information available and it is up to the reader or researcher to follow up and cross reference information to determine its legitimacy. By having an almost open forum with several different definitions and viewpoints, people are able to more closely examine the information and have a stronger conviction in what they are learning. Often with only one source of info, we tend to read through it quickly and just assume it is correct, but with two or more contradicting statements or definitions, we are forced to research a little deeper and decide which definition is most accurate.

I don’t think it is fair to judge the site one way or another. It is the same as any other information out on the web and if anything it is more reliable then most business websites that slant their information to increase marketability of their products.

Reading respons 9/8

Today, as people look to the internet for just about any type of information from news and research articles to phone numbers in the yellow pages, it is extremely important to first understand that not all information on the internet is true. The internet is a public network that can be manipulated and changed by any of the users that created it. For as little as 4.99 a month anyone can purchase a domain name and start releasing information, data, ideas and pictures in whatever manner they would like.

Unfortunately there are some people who believe everything they see on the internet and there are plenty of websites that strive by creating false hope with products and resources that they distribute. I can personally relate to misinformation as I used a fake Bell Labs website during a Science research paper. I gathered all my facts and made hypothesis and conclusions based on completely false data. In the end, it was a harmless mistake, but what if I were working for an organization that deals with security of financial data or statistics. Wrong information can lead to numerous problems and strategies.

Another dangerous problem exists when people read false information about real organizations or people. We saw this example in the reading with the Makah Whaling issues. Many people grew angry towards the tribe based on information provided on a similar looking spoof website. That website has since been removed, but its presence created controversy and pressure on a rather harmless tribe.

It is a shame that the internet can not be made up of only verified information but to protect yourself it is important to double check everything and assume that information may be false.

Assignment 1 (Internet news)

“How the Web Has Changed Job Searching”

Jordan Golson, Business Week

August 18^th,2009

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2009/tc20090818_861625.htm

Someone can claim that the internet has changed some part of everything we do today. One of the largest areas for change with the internet is the way people search for jobs. It used to be a process that included searching the newspaper or attending a job fair. Today from your home computer you have access to hundreds of thousands of job postings. Even social networks such as Face book and Twitter have become a source for job hunting. It is estimated that craigslist will bring in some 100 million on job posting revenue alone and they stand as one of the cheapest ways to post jobs. Other companies such as career builders and Monster.com also are projected to see increases in revenue from various employers.

I can personally relate to this change in process as I had spent several hours throughout my four years in college searching the internet for jobs/ extra work. I have found many one day or one week jobs that paid well off of craigslist. I have a pick up truck so I would respond to moving and hauling posts. It is very funny though because both the employer and the worker put incredible amounts of trust in each other. I was hired for jobs with little experience and paid well for them due to the fact that I was the only one to reply. Other times I was told they already had someone and received about 100 calls. I think it is any interesting yet crazy concept and way to hire new employees.