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Current Cities Volume 12 Number 11
Current Cites
Volume 12, no. 11, November 2001
Edited by [2]Roy Tennant
The Library, University of California, Berkeley, 94720
ISSN: 1060-2356 -
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/CurrentCites/2001/cc01.12.11.html
Contributors: [3]Charles W. Bailey, Jr., [4]Margaret Gross, [5]Shirl
Kennedy, [6]Leo Robert Klein, Jim Ronningen, [7]Roy Tennant
Ciccone, Karen, editor. [8]"Virtual Reference: Today and Tomorrow
[9]Information Technology & Libraries 20(3) (September 2001)
(http://www.lita.org/ital/ital2003.html). - In this theme issue of
ITAL, the emerging field of network-based library reference service is
covered. Most of the articles are descriptions of specific projects
and their experiences forging new paths in providing real-time patron
assistance remotely. In addition to case studies, one piece describes
the different roles in digital reference transactions, and another
identifies desired enhancements to software that supports virtual
reference encounters. Given the very early stage in developing
network-based reference services, this theme issue is a welcome
addition to the growing literature on this topic. - [10]RT
Ditlea, Steve [11]"The Electronic Paper Chase" [12]Scientific American
285(5) (November 2001)
(http://www.sciam.com/2001/1101issue/1101ditlea.html). - We are
witness to a persistent dichotomy -- the vision and the reality -- in
the diffusion of information. There is the proliferation of computing
devices, huge propagation of digitized data, and the promise of a
paperless society. Ironically the reality has been a veritable
explosion of published paper, primarily because it is accessible,
convenient and easy to use. Based on future e-paper, this is about to
change. In presenting an overview of two competing technologies, Steve
Diltea recounts the story of two visionaries, who for three decades,
albeit sporadically, have been developing technologies that aim to
replace conventional ink-on-paper with paper-like electronic displays.
The main advantage touted, is that these devices can be erased and
reused. The two scientists are Nicholas K. Sheridon, working at XEROX
Palo Alto Research Park (PARC), and Joseph Jacobson of the MIT Media
Lab. Each of these organizations has spun off startup companies,
Gyricon Media in Palo Alto CA, and E Ink Corporation in Cambridge, MA,
respectively. Gyrocon's process employs microscopic two-tone plastic
beads, rotated by an electrical charge to produce either white or
black dots onto the viewing plane, thus producing lettering.
Jacobson's process uses transparent polymer microcapsules containing a
blue liquid dye along with white particles. Depending on the
electrical charge images can be produced on a white background, or
reversed onto a dark background. Both technologies have been test
implemented in retail establishments. The article concludes with
several related links: Information about Electronic Reusable Paper is
available on the Xerox PARC Web site at
[13]www.parc.xerox.com/dhl/projects/gyricon/ - Information about
SmartPaper is available on the Gyricon Media Web site at
[14]www.gyriconmedia.com/smartpaper/index.asp - What Is Electronic
Ink? Available on the E Ink Web site at [15]www.eink.com/technology/ -
"The Last Book", Joseph Jacobson in IBM Systems Journal 36(3) (1997),
available at [16]www.research.ibm.com/journal/sj/363/jacobson.html -
[17]MG
Gordon, Rachel Singer. "A Course in Accidental Systems Librarianship"
[18]Computers in Libraries 21(10) (Nov/Dec 2001): 24-28. - The first
generation is always such an ad hoc situation. Ford got his automotive
smarts, at least initially, while still down on the farm. The Wright
Brothers had their bicycle shop. Afterwards, the specialization and
degrees come but until then, trailblazers are pretty much on their
own. There is no course of study for becoming a Systems Librarian or
if there is, the author of this piece, a self-taught systems librarian
from a suburban library system didn't take it. What she then imagines
is a series of courses which highlight those characteristics of the
job which she has found to be important. Included are plentiful
examples, many of them delightful, from her own experience. - [19]LRK
Guthrie, Kevin M. [20]"Archiving the Digital Age: There's a Will, But
is There a Way?" [21]EDUCAUSE Review (November/December 2001): 56-65
(http://www.cause.org/ir/library/pdf/erm0164.pdf). - In this article,
the President of [22]JSTOR, the initiative to archive e-journals,
takes on questions of persistence. As he rightly identifies,
"archiving is not, and never has been, an issue fundamentally about
technology; rather, it is about organizations and resources." He first
frames the issue, then uses JSTOR's experience to illustrate some of
the economic issues of long-term archiving. He concludes by pointing
out that "local motivations that have been the foundation of the
current paper archive do not naturally generate the scale of resources
that will be required to establish the more centralized model
necessary for the preservation of electronic documents." Nonetheless,
he points out that since the Internet makes centralized repositories
easily available to a wide range of institutions, such costs can be
spread out to such a degree that they can be less expensive and more
effective than the costs of preserving print material. - [23]RT
Heins, Marjorie and Christina Cho. [24]Internet Filters: A Public
Policy Report National Coalition Against Censorship (Fall 2001)
(http://www.ncac.org/issues/internetfilters.html) - In the spring and
summer of this year, the Free Expression Policy Project of the
National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) rounded up all the
studies and tests it could find that described and evaluated 19
products or services commonly used to filter out "objectionable" Web
content. This report, intended as a resource for both policymakers and
the general public, summarizes and expands on what the investigators
found -- mainly, that nearly every test "revealed massive overblocking
by filtering software." The main problem, of course, is that the size
and the ever-changing nature of the Web mandate heavy reliance on
"mindless mechanical blocking" that checks for certain words and
phrases while ignoring context. Even worse -- "Where human judgment
does come into play, filtering decisions are based on different
companies' broad and varying concepts of offensiveness,
'inappropriateness' or disagreement with the political viewpoint of
the manufacturer." The report offers some sad, scary, and downright
humorous examples of erroneously blocked sites, e.g., "Net Nanny,
SurfWatch, Cybersitter, and BESS, among other products, blocked House
Majority Leader Richard 'Dick' Armey's official Website upon detecting
the word 'dick.'" A bibliography of online and print sources is
included, as are two appendices: (A) Blocked Sites by Subject:
Artistic and Literary; Sexuality Education; Gay and Lesbian
Information; Political Topics/Human Rights; Censorship; and (B)
Blocking Categories for Different Filters Defined. - [25]SK
Hilton, James. [26]"Copyright Assumptions and Challenges" [27]EDUCAUSE
Review (November/December 2001): 48-55
(http://www.cause.org/ir/library/pdf/erm0163.pdf). - In this direct,
clearly stated piece Hilton slays some common but dead wrong
assumptions about copyright. Perhaps the biggest of these is the myth
that "Copyright was created primarily to protect an author's
intellectual property." As Hilton ponits out, the United States
Constitution clearly states that the purpose of affording a limited
set of rights to creators is to "promote the Progress of Science and
the useful Arts". The primary right afforded creators is a monopoly on
their work for a limited time that began at fourteen years in early
legislation, and has steadily increased ever since until we are now
faced with a monopoly that extends far beyond the life of the author.
Hilton urges academicians to use and fight for the principle of Fair
Use as an essential component of copyright law, a cherished liberty,
and that which underpins the academic enterprise. Without Fair Use, he
asserts, a number of common academic practices become impossible.
Hilton makes specific recommendations about what academic institutions
should do to protect their rights to "promote the Progress of Science
and the useful Arts". His call to arms comes none too soon, as in this
"copyright war" we've already lost most of the battles. - [28]RT
Litman, Jessica. Digital Copyright. Amherst, NY: [29]Prometheus Books,
2001. ISBN: 1-57392-889-5. - The prospect of reading a new book on
copyright rarely makes the pulse pound with excitement. Rather, in
spite of the best intentions of authors, the average treatise quickly
induces a strong desire for a nap. That's too bad. There are few
topics of more vital importance to information professionals, and, as
electronic information becomes the headliner in libraries rather than
the opening act, it will be essential that we become more ardent about
copyright. If not, the halcyon days of ownership and fair use
(whatever they were) will fade in the twilight, and, in their place,
will be the bright new days of negotiated access rights and content in
encrypted digital "lockboxes" (where have I heard that before?). We'll
ask questions (Can I view it? Can I store it? Can I print it? Can I
quote it? How much of it? How long can I do it?) and get answers that
depend on how fat our wallets are. We'll be amazed at how many
licensing permutations there can be when publishers can truly control
access to every byte. Reading Litman's book could help stave off
information dystopia. With chapters such as "Copyright Lawyers Set Out
to Colonize Cyberspace" and "Just Say Yes to Licensing!," it's clear
that this book is more lively and readable than the typical tome.
Rather than just reciting facts, Litman tries to give the reader a
feel for the dynamics of copyright politics and the motivations behind
the whole crazy mess. And, as you might infer from the chapter titles,
she definitely has a point of view. Quick, read it while it's still in
print format. - [30]CB
[31]"The New Rules of Engagement" themed issue, [32]Wired 9(12)
(December 2001) (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/). - Before
we get to the meat of this review, a lesson from art history class: in
tracking cultural changes, watch for the transition from a classical
to a mannerist style. The former is characterized by a need for
expression of new ideas finding an effective medium for doing so,
resulting in works which capture the zeitgeist, while the latter is
characterized by imitation (executing "in the manner of") which adds
nothing to, even dilutes, the classical period's accomplishments. This
kind of change has been happening to Wired, which is turning from a
unique window on a new world into a kind of style guide: buy this
stuff and repeat these buzzwords and you can live the Wired life. (I
propose that the transformation be completed by selling the mag to
that absolute dictator for lifestyle, Martha Stewart. She recently
announced that she's going to come out with her own single issue on
the subject of high tech in the home, so if the response is good this
could be a branding match made in heaven. Martha Stewart Wired
Living!) That off my chest, I recommend looking at the December Wired
if you have a morbid fascination with how info tech publications are
exploiting our post-Sept. 11 paranoia. Let's face it -- geeks and
wannabe geeks get a technothrill from topics like surveillance, netwar
and swarming theory, and can nod knowingly as easy targets like
cumbersome military apparatus are shot down in print. This issue is
such a mix of yellow journalism, unworkable schemes and recycled
notions which long-time Wired readers will recognize, that I'm loathe
to admit that there are also some intriguing ideas. That, and the fact
that the mag still has a relatively large readership to influence,
makes it worth watching, warily. - JR
Olsen, Florence. [33]"Colleges Experiment With Routing On-Campus Phone
Calls Over the Internet" [34]The Chronicle of Higher Education
(October 23, 2001)
(http://www.chronicle.com/free/2001/10/2001102301t.htm) - Using the
Internet to make phone calls, aka IP telephony, has long been one of
those "sounds great, works lousy" ideas. It may, however, be finally
coming into its own. One example discussed in this article is what
happened after students at Columbia University tried to call friends
and family in the wake of the September terrorist attacks, but were
unable to get through because Manhattan's telephone system was
"overwhelmed." Within hours of the attack, network specialists in the
university's School of Engineering and Applied Science, managed to set
up a conference room where students could make calls -- both
nationally and internationally -- over the Internet. "Specialized
telephones had been hastily configured to route outbound calls through
several Internet gateways to the public telephone network." Other
academic institutions are sticking their toes into the waters of IP
telephony; some, in fact, are diving in headfirst. The article goes on
to describe the ins and outs of campuswide IP phone networks,
advantages and disadvantages, and potential cost savings. - [35]SK
SANS Institute. [36]The Twenty Most Critical Internet Security
Vulnerabilities (Updated): The Experts' Consensus (November 15, 2001)
Version 2.501 (http://www.sans.org/top20.htm) - If you had even the
slightest doubt that the Internet is becoming more, not less, like the
Wild West, consider that last year's version of this document was
called "The Ten Most Critical Internet Security Vulnerabilities." At
the top of this year's list? "Default installs of operating systems
and applications." Why? Because hackers/crackers are well aware of all
the unpatched services, open ports, etc. Also included are foibles
such as bad passwords, incomplete or non-existent backups, logging and
address filtering failures, vulnerable code (e.g., CGI), buffer
overflows, and unpatched Swiss Cheese Microsoft products. The
document, compiled in conjunction with the FBI's National
Infrastructure Protection Center, is valuable because "the majority of
successful attacks on computer systems via the Internet can be traced
to exploitation of security flaws on this list." Note that this is a
"living document" that "includes step-by-step instructions and
pointers to additional information useful for correcting the flaws."
The document is updated and expanded as new information becomes
available. - [37]SK
Schnapp, Marilyn. [38]"Are Tech Book Sales a Leading Economic
Indicator?" [39]O' Reilly Network (November 16, 2001)
(http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/webservices/2001/11/16/indicator.html
) - The short answer is yes, according to this author, who ran
O'Reilly's research department in 2000-2001. She compared "sales
trends of some of O'Reilly & Associates' technical books with other
economic indicators, including the NASDAQ index." The article includes
some intriguing charts and graphs which illustrate, for example, that
sales of O'Reilly tech books at Amazon.com closely track the level of
the NASDAQ, and that sales of O'Reilly Linux titles at Barnes & Noble
rise and fall almost in tandum with the price of Red Hat stock. As Hal
Varian -- Dean of the School of Information Management and Systems,
University of California, Berkeley -- explains, "(T)he belief that IT
was going to be a very profitable investment...drove investor behavior
in the stock market and knowledge workers' investment in technical
books." The findings discussed in this article, says the author,
"suggests that segmenting book sales data along economic sectors might
be useful in gauging future economic downturns of other sectors of the
economy." - [40]SK
Simons, Barbara. "Viewpoint: The ACM Declaration in Felten v. RIAA".
[41]Communications of the ACM 44(10) (Oct. 2001): 23-26. - This is the
FAQ explaining ACM's decision to submit a declaration in support of
the litigants in the Felten case. Questions are asked and answered in
a sober manner and range from background information to what ACM hopes
to achieve through its action. At the very least, one suspects, ACM is
out to avoid the nightmare scenario where, in the words of this
article, it will need to "hire attorneys to review conference and
journal submissions that could possibly be in violation of the
anticircumvention provisions of the DMCA." [42]Text of the declaration
itself can found at the ACM site at
http://www.acm.org/usacm/copyright/felten_declaration.html. [Addendum:
CNET reports that the judge has dismissed the case. The judge's ruling
is not yet available.
(http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-8010671.html)] - [43]LRK
_________________________________________________________________
Current Cites 12(11) (November 2001) ISSN: 1060-2356
Copyright © 2001 by the Regents of the University of California All
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References
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