 Tuesday, December 17, 2002
Patent Creates IM Wrinkle
"America Online has quietly secured a patent that could shake up the competitive landscape for instant messaging software.
The patent (6449344), originally filed in 1997, and granted in September this year, gives AOL instant messaging subsidiary ICQ rights as the inventor of the popular IM Internet application. The patent covers anything resembling a network that lets multiple IM users see when other people are present and then communicate with them....
The breadth of this definition could create controversy in the industry. AOL's primary competitors, Microsoft and Yahoo, have their own instant messaging services, each with millions of subscribers. With the patent, AOL could technically sue rival instant messaging services for infringement backed by the argument spelled out in the patent.
AOL spokesman Andrew Weinstein declined to comment on the company's future plans involving the patent....
That's not to say AOL has any plans to file lawsuits anytime soon, however. Technology companies file patents regularly and use them more as a defensive measure in the event a competitor litigates for other infringement claims. Still, lawsuits involving technology patents occur over many groundbreaking advancements." [CNET News.com]
Uh-oh. I'd hate to see my happy, harmonious, integrated world of instant messaging, currently living in Trillian, jeopardized. Why didn't this story come out before now?
Last-minute Business RSS
"If you're an RSS junkie like I am, then your second most active program (after the browser) on the desktop is probably some form of RSS aggregator.
When I'm pressed for time - as seems to be most days now, a quick glance over the subscribed feeds in the morning prepares me for the day. My reading is a collection of weblogs and news feeds - much the same as I am sure your RSS aggregator feeds off.
But there is something missing....
Where is the Travelocity last minute travel feed for my New Years vacation, split into channels per location? See a vacation you like in your aggregator? Click on the link and 'buy now'. Yes it's advertising - but it's also information I happen to be interested in.
Where is the TOYS'R'US special offer channel for toys (with perhaps a separate channel per interest)?
Even O'Reilly has yet to catch on to what is possible. Why can't I get this as an RSS feed also? Or monitor new career opportunities from here using my aggregator?" [O'Reilly Network, via Scripting News]
I wouldn't want my aggregator to go wholly commercial so I'd have to be able to control this completely. But let's figure out the authentication side of this while we're at it so that I can one-click into my account with those sites.
Then, of course, I want recent additions to my home library's collection in subjects of my choosing....
The Off-Hollywood Film Guide
"Many of my favorite movies aren't found in the catalogs of any major motion picture studio. Usually, I run across a film by accident, either through word of mouth, or by having something catch my eye at the video store. Now there's a portable guide to indie and foreign films that I can tote with me everywhere - right on my Palm. Each entry offers enough info to indicate whether a DVD is worth viewing or not, without boring you with pointless details many reviewers include in an effort to sound more intellectual. A "must-see" list is also included, which does offer a nice selection of films for any newbie to indie films. If you like indie films, or want to know more about them, The Off-Hollywood Film Guide is a must have addition to your Palm Reader library." [ReadYourPalm]
I can't believe I haven't come across the ReadYourPalm blog before, but it's in my aggregator now. I'll be especially interested to follow Jake's use of the Palm Tungsten to see how he likes it. And if I have time, I'm going to check out his pointer to the Plucker Desktop, which could be an interesting way to take a few blogs to go on my Clie (in lieu of AvantGo).
Apparent Overblocking by CyberPatrol
"Today, while visiting a large company, I tried to visit some of the websites on this site's link-list. I found that three of them were blocked due to 'possibly inappropriate content.'
The three blocked sites were Eszter Hargittai's blog, Arnold Kling's 'The Bottom Line', and Donna Wentworth's 'CopyFight'. (The whole Corante site, which hosts several blogs besides Bottom Line and Copyfight, appeared to be blocked.)
My hosts told me that their company uses CyberPatrol to filter their web access. So apparently CyberPatrol erroneously blocks more than 10% of the blogs I read." [Freedom To Tinker]
This is interesting since some libraries are using filtering programs on their public internet access computers, including CyberPatrol. We know that pr0n, sex, health, Google, The Internet Archive, and political and advocacy groups are being blocked in those libraries, denying their patrons (often the younger ones) access to those sites, but it hadn't occurred to me that blogs were being screened out, too. It makes sense when you consider the all-over-the-place content in blogs, but it's still a disturbing thought.
Why on earth would the Corante sites be blocked?
You Blog, We Blog: A Guide to How Teacher-Librarians Can Use Weblogs to Build Communication and Research Skills
"A number of educators have already embraced blogging and are active bloggers. Here are some links to a few on the Internet: Blogging from the Barrio: A Tech Sensei’s Blog from Chicago’s Barrio of Pilsen, K-12blogWrite, and Schoolblogs. Some schools are using the blogs as an electronic alternate to school newsletters for parents and area residents while others are internal communication tools aimed at teachers and administrators.
But blogs could be so much more. How about incorporating blogs in a lesson plan on using search engines, on using news aggregators, or evaluating online resources? Or in a journalism class on detecting bias? Or in a computer class on how to document code? Here is an example of how one class used a blog to communicate what they learned about Tudor Exploration in their social studies class: Tudor Exploration. Schoolblogs has many other examples as well. If as a librarian you helped students find resources for a history blog like the Tudor Exploration one mentioned above, the blog could turn into an online history fair....
Let’s take an example. Say you are working with the school’s science department on an ecology project, like the study of a local river. Students could create a blog to track their daily/weekly observations of the river in question after explaining their hypothesis in their first blog post. They may also use a news aggregator, like that included in Userland’s Radio, to track local news item that are relevant to their project (possibly online newspaper stories on dumping of wastes into the river) and post those to their blog. They may also post to their blog links to other sites on the Internet that reference the river’s history, impact on the community, etc. These web links could come from the local historical society’s web site to a doctoral dissertation a graduate student in environmental science did on river ecologies. The students would not only learn about river ecologies as part of their science unit, but also develop information literacy skills for the 21st century." [Teacher Librarian]
And if you're a librarian in SLS, we'll host your blog for you using Movable Type (or possibly Manila). That offer is open to al of our libraries, including the schools.
Congratulations to Teri for getting this article published!
Library Terms that Users Understand
"The purpose of this site is to help library web developers decide how to label key resources and services in such a way that most users can understand them well enough to make productive choices. It serves as a clearinghouse of usability test data evaluating terminology used on library web sites, listing terms that tests show are effective or ineffective labels. It presents alternatives by documenting terms that are actually used by libraries. It also suggests 'best practices' for reducing cognitive barriers caused by terminology.
Basically I'm launching this site in the hope that by pooling data on what terms work best, libraries can move beyond rhetoric and do a better job of labeling resources for our users. As such, it's intended as a participatory effort. You're invited to contribute:
- data from usability studies on the effectiveness of various library terms (especially data on terms that users *do* understand!)
- details of testing techniques that work well to elicit this kind of information.
- references to useful resources that I haven't cited."
This is a valuable collection that John Kupersmith has put together. I'd love to see this grow to include testing and evaluation of more library sites. Maybe I can get a grant at some point to do some usability testing within SLS and add our results to the site.
ElcomSoft Verdict: Not Guilty
"A jury on Tuesday found a Russian software company not guilty of criminal copyright charges for producing a program that can crack antipiracy protections on electronic books.
The case against ElcomSoft is considered a crucial test of the criminal provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a controversial law designed to extend copyright protections into the digital age.
The company faced four charges related to directly designing and marketing software that could be used to crack eBook copyright protections, plus an additional charge related to conspiring to do so....
Because both the defense and prosecution agreed that ElcomSoft sold software designed to crack copyright protections, the case essentially turned on ElcomSoft's state of mind during the period it was offering the software.
After much wrangling among attorneys over the definition of the word 'willful,' the judge told jurors that in order to find the company guilty, they must agree that company representatives knew their actions were illegal and intended to violate the law. Merely offering a product that could violate copyrights was not enough to warrant a conviction, the jury instructions said." [CNET News.com]
"Hi. I am pissed off at the PATRIOT Act today and the culture of fear that is pervading this country lately, as well as the complicity and lies that librarians are expected to add to it. Screw that. I have created Five Technically Legal Signs for Your Library. Use them in good health." [ librarian.net]
Free Treos for Non-Profit Organizations
"Handspring and TechSoup are teaming up to bring an unbeatable offer to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Staff, board members, and volunteers of 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations can receive a Treo 180 for free when they sign up for a T-Mobile Internet (GPRS) service plan and mail in a $150 rebate.
TechSoup, a free nonprofit Web site created by CompuMentor empowers nonprofits to succeed in the Digital Age by providing timely and targeted technology information and resources. TechSoup provides other nonprofits with the tech know-how they need to more efficiently and effectively achieve their missions. Through its online technology store DiscounTech, TechSoup also offers access to affordable tech products and services just for nonprofits. TechSoup partners with high-level tech organizations such as CNET and with other leading nonprofits such as NPower." [PDABuzz.com]
Why, I do believe SLS is a 501(c)(3) organization! (Getting confirmation now.) I've been trying to get my password all morning but the TechSoup server is timing out. Overwhelmed, perchance?
Of course, I'd still have to pay the activation fee and I'd be switching from Sprint to T-Mobile, but that may not be such a bad thing. And sure, it's the black & white Treo, but it would be a temporary band-aid until next year when the really interesting smartphones become available and affordable. I'm definitely considering this one.
Surviving Information Overload
"The online version of an article I wrote for Law Practice Management is now available. It discusses products, services, and strategies for obtaining and dealing with mounds of current information." [TVC Alert]
This is a good article for those feeling the strain of trying to keep up, but one resource in particular caught my eye. I hadn't seen Ultrabar before, and it's the start I've what I want to create for SWAN.
Ultrabar lets you customize a browser toolbar with your own search engines and then make it available for anyone else to download. By following their instructions, I was able to create a toolbar that searches SWAN by keyword, title, ISBN, author, or subject, in addition to Google, Daypop, and Teoma. (To use the Ultrabar service, you have to keep a search for their domain lookup site, but it sits at the bottom of the list unobtrusively.) SWAN libraries can create their own toolbars that scope to their holdings by simply adding their scope codes into the URL. It was pretty easy to set up the searches, so I'm sure it will work well with other vendor catalogs, too.
The best part of this is that you can create your own toolbar for free! I was even able to add a library icon to mine. Of course, the down side is that the toolbar only works in Internet Explorer on Windows 98 and higher machines, and I can't add options such as Jon's Librarylookup Bookmarklet or Art's Bookmarklet Helper, but it's still a handy start.
If you'd like to try it out for yourself and see how it works, especially SWAN libraries (!), you can download and install it. Of course, the next question is how do I build one of these myself so I can add in the bookmarklets?
As was recently pointed out to me because I hadn't realized it myself, I'm celebrating my tenth anniversary as a degreed librarian. This is definitely a "good thing," but it does mean that I've been away from library school for just under a third of my life. When I was in library school, we had to walk uphill to get to class, both ways, and it snowed every day and we liked it.
Seriously, though, when I was in library school, we barely had email, let alone the web. Therefore, I am ill-equipped to suggest library schools that have strong technology programs. So to help future-librarian-Amanda, I'd appreciate it if you'd share any thoughts you have on the subject as a comment to this post, especially if you're a fairly recent MLS graduate.
Thanks!
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