SharePoint 2007 Coming Soon?

Today I attended a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 seminar hosted by the institution where I work. The institution is planning to deploy SharePoint 2007 sooner (or later).

While the seminar at times drifted towards the developers among the audience, I managed to pick out the 2 main objectives behind the deployment of SharePoint 2007:

1. Introduce a robust Content Management system
2. Introduce a culture of Collaboration through personal spaces, shared spaces, blogs, wikis, etc

Like I said, the seminar tended to focus on ASP.NET, .NET, DLLs, but I learned enough to realize the potential of, for example, Web Parts, small programmable widgets that pulled or pushed content via RSS that one could easily add to a SharePoint "My Site."

The web guy in me loved that part; meanwhile, the archivist, the other guy, wondered about how the system would capture metadata, and preserve, content of long-term and historical value stored in SharePoint. Records managers and archivists and information professionals were in the audience, posing a few questions about that. But today was the day to celebrate the immediate SharePoint 2007 pay-off. The other issues, I suppose, will be tackled when that proverbial you know what hits the fan.

D-Day: June 6, 1944

63 years ago today....

Non-Profit Sector Jobs

I was glad to read Ed's follow-up post this morning on what I had written yesterday about the need for LIS grads to consider employment opportunities beyond the usual, highly promoted sectors (i.e. academic, public, government, corporate).

While library schools may begin to promote alternative sectors to new grads, I think for now the onus remains with us, collectively and individually, to seek out employment that is located in other areas - and that reflect more closely our values, our goals, our objectives.

Now I do not know the demographics of my readers, but if there are in fact new LIS grads or grads who just started working in the field reading this, I would recommend that they look carefully at alternative sectors: non-profit or otherwise.

Nothing wrong with academic libraries or government libraries; there are certainly interesting opportunities to be found there. But the truth is, at least from my experience, that these sectors have far more applicants than open positions.

And we all know what that means.

UPDATE: The website nonprofitscan.ca bills itself as Canada's leading source of information on the non-profit and voluntary sector.

Apple iPhone Coming June 29

While watching (American) television this evening--I think it was "60 Minutes"--I saw what appears to be the first teaser commercial for the new Apple iPhone.

It's coming, June 29. Mark you calendars. No Canadian launch date (if at all).

Engaget has a news page, and Apple has uploaded the commericals.

UPDATE: The iPhone will use AT&T Wireless.

Values and Career Paths

Back in late May, Ed wrote a post in which he cited a website called Charity Village, an online resource that lists jobs in the Canadian non-profit sector.

His post resonated with me because, after giving it some thought, I realized that the non-profit sector is not mentioned much as an option to library school grads. It also made me realize the importance of taking stock of one's personal values as one embarks on a career path.

For me, after graduating from library school, I had been instilled with the idea that employment in the library and information studies field could only be found in distinct sectors: academic libraries, public libraries, government agencies, and, to a lesser extent, corporate environments.

For the most part, these popular sectors offer LIS grads their very first post-MLIS job, a successful and satisfying experience, and perhaps even a long-term career path. (As I write this I am, in fact, an employee of an international government organization.)

But sometimes a restlessness surfaces after, say, 2 years on the job. There is a feeling inside of wanting to put one's skills, abilities, talents and knowledge towards something than truly reflects one's values. I use the word values, which has been maligned when used in conjunction with words such as family or religious, as another way of saying one's personal code of conduct, what one holds accountable when making a decision, for example. To create a super hero analogy: How will we use our powers?

For new LIS grads and young professionals already in their second of third year of employment, I encourage all to take stock and check your values against your current job. How are you using your powers.

And, from time to time, as yourself these questions:

1. Where do I want to work? What sector?
2. Do I want to work behind-the-scenes or under a spotlight?
3. What motivates me?
4. Do I want to develop professionally, learning new skills, or remain with only the necessary skills set to perform my given tasks?
5. What am I passionate about?

There are certainly more questions, and there are no right or wrong answers to those mentioned above. However, how you answer them could very well change and improve your career path.

Interesting People, Interesting Blogs (Part 7)

Another installment to what has become a personal favorite of mine.

I came across Dan Cohen's Digital Humanities Blog while examining one of his books, Digital history: a guide to gathering, preserving, presenting the past on the web (which seems like an equally good read as well, but that's another topic).

I like this blog because it focuses on how research in the humanities can benefit from current and emerging technologies such as digitization and Web 2., including a cool Firefox add-on called Zotero, a social bookmarking and citation organizer tool that harnesses the community of researchers in the humanities field. Very cool.

Then again...

I decided against pimping my blog. It seems none of the layouts Blogger provides really interests me or at least the content of the blog. Stay tuned while I review my layout options.

Pimp my Blog

After kicking the tires on the brand new (and hopefully improved) arch.i.vi.us blog, I decided it was time to take the old template of The DIGITAL Archive and replace it with a brand-spanking new one, fitted with the latest in blog flux capacitors. (Okay, it's a little late, forgive my movie/pop culture references.)

I will talk a little more about the changes in another post. For now I just wanted to write something down to notify my legion of readers (yes, all two of you) that I am working on making this blog, well, better.

A new look

Testing a new look and some new features...

arch.i.vi.us Updated

I spent the last couple of hours revisiting my experimental website called arch.i.vi.us. My so-called Social Bookmarking Blog for Research Archivists has been dormant for some time, too long, in my opinion.

I believe the reason is I really have no time to 1) scan the headlines on or about digitization and digital preservation and 2) post them to the blog.

That said, I decided to not only revamp the page layout and design but to update the Blogger template from the old static version to the new dynamic layout, where one can click and drag page elements across the template. Each page element has some pretty powerful features such as being able to grab RSS feeds. It is so easy, it is dummy proof.

With the redesign I hope the blog becomes more useful because now, without any further intervention on behalf, the blog is pulling in content from across the web: news items, delicious tags, videos, etc. I love it, and I hope you will too!

Milblogs

Military blogs--or Milblogs, for shorts--are blogs that are written by members of the military who chronicle their experiences in conflicts, typically the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Blogs and milblogs are re-entering my radar because I still wonder if and how archivist intend on preserving these first-hand accounts of war that historians would love to read in the future.

Should we preserve blogs or milblogs? What would you consider historical value: the content of a blog or the blog page itself? How can we preserve blogs? What is going on out there in your part of the world?

Musical Exports

Speaking of music, Canadian rock band Nickelback is the big musical export around Washington, DC (and most likely the rest of the U.S.). Not a day goes by that I do not hear on local radio stations the Hanna, Alberta-born rockers roaring their vocals and heavy guitar chords. It's quite something, small-town Canadian band makes it real big in America.

Did you know?

From time to time (though lately the distance between time to time has been steadily growing, to my dismay), I come across an interesting bit of functionality that a piece of software can perform that is perhaps not widely known. In my last installment, I discovered an RSS reader inside Adobe Acrobat Professional.

Now this time around, I discovered--make that, I read about--a feature in Winamp (the free mp3 media player and good alternate to Windows Media Player) that is not widely known or used.

So all you audiophiles listen up.

Interested in listening to XM Satellite Radio but don't have the cash to shell for a radio receiver and a subscription? No problem. Download Winamp or, if you already have it installed, launch it and I will tell how to access free, legit XM Radio stations.

1. Download or launch the latest version of Winamp (I'm using version 5.35, the full free download).

2. Press Alt-L to open the Media Library. A two pane window should appear to the left of the Winamp player.

3. In the left most window pane, where there are clickable menus and sub-menu, click on Online Services.

4. In the middle window pane a list of available Winamp services will appear.

5. Scroll down until you see AOL Radio featuring XM. There is an unchecked box. Check the box. (See picture.)

6. Now back in the left most window pane, beneath Online Services, there should be a new sub-menu item: AOL Radio with XM. Click on that sub-menu item.

7. In the middle window pane browse through the available radio stations by musical genre or time period. (See picture.)

8. Select a station. Sit back and enjoy.

Microblogging

The microblogging space is expanding.

Microblogging, which is the blogging equivalent of a news flash, that is one is given 140 characters to describe current status and/or activities, has a new player on the scene.

Besides the hugely popular (and growing) Twitter service, there is Jaiku, a Finnish-based service offering the same microblogging capabilities but with a few more extra features, including importing blogs, RSS feeds, photos, videos, etc. I like Jaiku, but I find these extra features a little too much for a microblogging tool. Time will tell if this concept will catch on.

I suspect that Twitter will eventually add more functionality to Twitter. But I would recommend that they take it slow. I think most users, like myself, are still trying to figure out the real value of this tool. I am convinced there is something here, but like most Web 2.0 beta / gamma productions, the participation and creativeness of the consumer typically defines the purpose of the product.

For those who are just starting using Twitter (or Jaiku), I suggest using the tool as a personal "news flash" system. Here are a few examples that I have seen from fellow Twitters.

1. Notification: Notify users about an update to your blog or website
2. Invitation: Invite users to join you for an online event such as a virtual meeting in Second Life or a live broadcast on ustream.tv
3. Share: Sharing thoughts, activities. You never know who may read it and comment back.

Have more ideas? Please share.

For more information, the UMBC eBiquity blog provides a very comprehensive overview of microblogging.

The debate will continue over the "real" value of microblogging. In the meantime, open an account and dip your toes into the water.

FRIDAY FUN: Conan - Lucasfilm, Part 2

A little bit of fun for a Friday.

Interesting People, Interesting Blogs (Part 6)

In this installment of my long-running series, I found a blog called ArchivesNext. It is a blog that focuses on "what's next" for the archival field - how can new web technologies (Web 2.0) transform archives and access to archives collections.

I have not read the blog in its entirety, but I am very encouraged by its About this Blog page.

This blog will attempt to identify what might be “next” for archival institutions by:

1) Exploring Web 2.0 applications and discussing their applicability to archival institutions.

2) Identifying existing innovative uses of web technology in archives and related fields.

3) Discussing how applicable the existing archival business model is in the current and emerging information environment, and proposing modifications or a whole new model.

4) Hopefully engaging readers in a dialog about these issues–I am by no means an expert in any of these areas. I am learning and hopefully some of the four or five people who read this blog will share with me and the other readers what they know or raise questions. I can’t be the one interested in this.

5) Probably doing some other stuff as well.

Please do pay ArchivesNext a visit.

Off to UCSB

No, not me.

A big congratulations goes out to my good buddy Ryun, who recently accepted a Metadata Specialist position at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Good luck, Ryun!

What a beautiful campus - people actually work here?!

Weaving the Archivist Web

By now I think it is quite clear to readers of this blog that posts concerning work will not appear here in any shape or form. The projects that I am working are confidential for the moment - and perhaps for a few more months to come.

Besides confidentiality, there are legal issues. And considering that I am living and working in the United States, the last thing I would want to do is stir a sleeping lawyer. Let sleeping lions lay, as they say.

But there are some things worth mentioning: the importance of digital archives management and preservation is growing. As more collections are digitized, the more there is a real need to take on the challenge of managing digital assets and preserving their long-term or permanent value in their born-digital or converted-to-digital state.

There is also a growing need to allow for improved and increased access to collections, both paper-based and digital. The future of archivists--those individuals recording, managing and preserving the activities and memory of an institution for posterity--lies not only in controlling the material they work with on a daily basis but in giving the collections a chance to see the light of day. Not every piece of a collection is a gem (trust me, I know); but there are sufficient materials to showcase that will indeed stir interest - and hopefully stir further interest in archives, demystify the profession, and shatter of few stereotypes.

• Digitizing collections (for access and/or preservation purposes)
• Improved and increased access to digital collections (user-friendly web access)
• Digital management and preservation procedures and protocols (research and practical approach to managing and preserving digital assets).

Together they form a storyline of the future of archives, I believe.

Truth is, dear readers, The DIGITAL Archive is not a promo for archives; rather, it is call to archives and archivists, as other information-centric professionals have done, to acknowledge the potential and power that the web and web technologies can have on the field.

A new Earth?

http://tinyurl.com/2t6fyn

Lord of the Rings Online, Reality TV, Archive This

Lord of the Rings Online

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar computer game is creating a real buzz. The immersive 3-D world, inspired by J.R.R. Tolkein's admired and acclaimed series of stories, puts players in a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) where hundreds of thousands of players can become their favourite elf, dwarf, or beloved hobbit.

These "world games," such as Lord of the Rings Online and the popular Second Life, are evidence of the future direction of computer games. They demonstrate the ability for players to create alternate realities that evolve and expand just as things do in real life.

I am waiting in anticipation for Star Trek Online. I always thought that such an online game would be a smash hit.

Reality TV

My first encounter with reality television was Survivor, the very first season, where the cut-throat cabals promoted each week fueled the show to its pop culture status. Nowadays, ever since I got cable TV here in DC, I am exposed to so many more reality television shows, it's insane. Everything from American Idol and Pussycat Dolls to Run's House and some other weird music / talent oriented television shows on MTV and VH1.

As bad as some these shows get (some are real stinkers), they sort of invoke the Web 2.0 principal of user-generated content. Content is being created by those American Idol singers; content is created by teenager girls in black lingerie and red boas competing to become the next Pussycat Dolls girl. It's no longer big name actors, it seems, but rather ordinary "users" (or viewers) who are dominating the television landscape.

Archive This

Blogs. Archive this blog or any other blog for that matter. I think about millitary bloggers in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are primary source material, rich with information and insight for any future researcher or historian. But who's archiving these blogs?

Weekend, Go Pro, Mourning, Government Job, Sirens

Weekend

It's Friday evening (actually a little past midnight and a little past my bed time - my oh my), so that means the weekend is finally here. I don't think I need to elaborate on my relief and happiness.

Go Pro

I finally went Pro with my Flickr account. I suspect this move will encourage (read: force) me to take more photographs since I have no limits in photo uploads and improved functionality with managing my photos.

Mourning

Washington, DC and the surrounding area observed a moment of silence this afternoon in remembrance of those Virginia Tech students and professors who were mercilessly killed by that gunman.

When NBC presented the gunman's video--his twisted manifesto from the grave--it made me sick to stomach seeing the gunman pose in front of his digital camera, wielding a hunting knife and pointing his pistols. What made me ill was that I had seen these same poses back in September 2006 by another gunman: the Dawson College shooter, another loner, hater of society, and murderer.

Government Jobs

I received some unfortunate news this afternoon via email. But first a little background to this story. In October of last year I applied for a position in the Government of Canada. This position was seeking a pool of candidates that would be called on in the next 12 to 24 months.

In February of this year (just prior to accepting this current position in Washington, DC), I wrote and passed a written government test and had an in-person interview a few weeks later. I thought I did very well on both counts. If I passed, the plan in my mind went, I would most likely have a government contract lined up right after my 12-month contract in Washington, DC ended. Sadly, the bad news arrived in my inbox. I am out of the running. I could say so much but let's just say that landing a Government job in Ottawa is akin to landing on the moon using a hot air balloon.

Sirens

There's always the sound of a siren filling the night air, especially on Friday nights.

Wwwindy, Virginia Tech Gunman

Wwwindy

It was another windy day in Washington, DC. The weather has been very unseasonable; even to long time residents of the city, the weather is a real puzzle. The forecasters predict an eventual change in the days ahead, perhaps by the weekend. I, for one, cannot wait (for the weekend or change in weather). In the meantime, while I wait, I've become somewhat of a weather junkie.

My WeatherBug Vista Widget fires up on startup, and my bookmarks include WeatherBug's website, Accutweather, and The Weather Network.

Virginia Tech Gunman

As I walking home this evening, I noticed that U.S. Flags atop buildings, as well as other flags, were at half staff. Seeing that, the terrible, senseless events that transpired yesterday (April 16) at Virginia Tech hit home. The town of Blacksburg, Virginia, is relatively close to the Washington, DC area. Not next door, close, but close enough.

The shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, a Virginia Tech student from South Korea who immigrated to the United States and described by peers as a loner (not surprisingly) with a violent imagination (not surprisingly), created carnage on the peaceful campus with his legally purchased pistols.

According to police, the shooter left a rambling note in his dorm room blaming everyone for what had happened.

"The gunman in the Virginia Tech massacre was a sullen loner who alarmed professors and classmates with his twisted, violence-drenched creative writing and left a rambling note in his dorm room raging against women and rich kids."

There is clear and distinct trend with these loner gunmen: A gradual isolation from society and from reality, a re-creation of reality in their own minds based on being victimized by a group of "others," and then fueled by revenge fantasies and believing with almost religious fervor of their right to revenge and to judge and carry out judgement against the "others."

The story always begins and ends the same way. A plan is made, weapons are bought (legally in this case), havoc is created, death taints the hallways, and the gunmen, perhaps in that final moment of burning rage realizes what he has done decides to kill his last foe, himself.

Weather Woes, School Shooting

Weather Woes

Another week dawns here in Washington, DC, and yet another day of unseasonably wet and cold weather. Since late last night, the wind has blown with fierce strength, shuddering my windows and the tree right outside. The rain comes and goes, more so in large splatters than a drizzle.

Wet and miserable. I keep my browser bookmarked to Accuweather.

School Shooting

I was listening to the radio when a breaking news alert sounded and a reporter came on the air explaining that shots had been fired, and casualties reported, at Virginia Tech. I was shocked and saddened by the news, by the closeness of the news. Virginia is just across the Potomac River.

As the tragic story unfolded, more casualties were reported. First 2, then 13, then 22. Now as I write this post, the number stands at 33. However, the number may change if those hospitalized do not make it through the night. I send my thoughts and prayers to those families affected by tragedy.

I love universities for their tranquility--I appreciate the campus grounds, the atmosphere of learning, pursuing a cause for the greater good--but this horrible event attacks the very peaceful nature of a university.

More news is emerging about the shooter, the weapons used, and possible motives on a minute by minute basis, it seems. In the days ahead there will be talk of gun control (if weapons used were illegally acquired), immigration reform (if the deceased shooter turns out be a non-U.S. citizen), and administrative preparedness and planning (if the administration is found to have acted too slowly in the face of the incident). Not to mention, a parade of copycat shooters and false alarms.

However, one light emerged from all this: I was in awe by how the students, in the midst of the tragedy, harnessed the power of the Internet to notify friends and family--and subsequently the media--about their whereabouts and status. Facebook, blogs, IM, text messenging, etc were all focused on delivering information. Why should I be surprised by their technological know-how. These kids, after all, are children of the Internet Age, an age gifted with endless possibilities but sadly shadowed by ageless malevolence and unspeakable acts.

Like Columbine and Dawson College, Virginia Tech lost something today.

Nor'easter, Work, MP3 R.I.P.

"Rain drops keep falling on my head..."

What an appropriate song for the weekend. Since Friday the weather in Washington, DC, has steadily become more cloudy and rainy. Today, Sunday, for instance, it is raining very hard. Not much one can do outside in such wet, miserable weather.

The weather system is in fact part of a much larger storm system that is pushing north east. A Nor'easter, as the locals call it, should bring heavy downpours, possible flooding to low-lying areas, and maybe even snow to my family and friends in south eastern Quebec and the Ottawa Valley.

Lovely.

"X-Files..." at Work

When I started working at my new job in DC I was eager to blog about it. Initially, I set up a code of conduct in which I decided not to blog about specific projects but rather general, big picture items that I felt were in certain cases related to my professional and personal interests in the web, web content delivering, and web technologies. (I believe I can continue to do this, but read on below.)

But as I begin to move deeper into my projects, even after only one month on the job, the level of confidentiality and security are increasing to the point that if I blog about something even in the abstract I may jeopardize the overall goals of the work I have been contracted to perform.

I wish I did not have to impose these restrictions - after all, through blogging, I can express comments and ideas that stir more ideas in my head and enables me to connect with others with similar interests or work - but this is the nature of the work.

I will continue to report periodically about work; and once the veil of confidentiality and secrecy are lifted (that is, once the projects move into the public domain, as they ultimately will) I should be able to blog in more detail.

There is more to add. But I will leave that until I feel more able to express them.

"MP3 R.I.P."

I read with a tear in my eye the passing of Ed's mp3 player. You see I have a similar mp3 player right beside me - it's red (the only color Wal-Mart had in stock), has 512MB, and fills up faster than a ship with a cracked hull, especially since I became hooked on podcasts. Signs of age are creeping in: Battery latch is broken, resulting in me using Scotch tape to keep the AAA battery in place. Update: Ed is now the proud owner of an 30GB iPod. I'll be reading closely his experiences with his new iPod.

Twitter, SQPN, and the Social Web

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been reading blogs describing and discussing Twitter, a micro-blogging tool that allows people to post brief messages to their friends and (in Twitter parlance) followers. A sort of breaking news service for bloggers, where one is limited to 140 characters. Noted blogger, Robert Scoble, does a fair job in this video in describing Twitter.

Like many new Web 2.0 technologies, I still do not know the usefulness or potential of Twitter. So in true journalistic style, in order to fully grasp the meaning of this Twitter thing, I opened an account and started Twittering.

One person in particular convinced me to investigate Twitter; that someone is a person you would least likely expect to be interested in the Web. A Catholic priest. Father Roderick Vonhögen, a podcasting priest from The Netherlands, mixes his faith with his passion for technology across his SQPN podcasting network. His hallmark podcast is a daily show called Daily Breakfast (subscribe), and I must admit, I am hooked. In was during one of his shows that he mentioned Twitter and how he was using it to keep his colleagues updated on his work and travels.

If you are easily offended by religious talk, then maybe this website is not appropriate for you. However, if you want to listen to someone who is truly enthusiastic about podcasting, then Father Roderick and his growing list of quality podcasts is definitely for you.

The social web. Sometimes I am amazed by how fast this area of the web is growing, and how people, particularly teens and young adults, are adopting these technologies and using them in incredible ways.

I feel almost left behind.

What were my peers doing at this time?

We were busy with Nintendo's Duck Hunt Light Gun and copying music tapes using dual-cassette recorders. I guess. The good old days.

You 2.0

You 2.0
Originally uploaded by siansleep.

There is increasing talk about collaborative software where I work that I am hearing managers and senior managers and even the Chief Information Officer talk about blogs, wikis, IM, social bookmarking, podcasts, etc as major projects in need of implementation.

Welcome to the Corporate Web 2.0. This is getting good.

Belated Blog Birthday and Reminiscing

Back on March 4, 2005, I wrote my first post to The DIGITAL Archive blog, which detailed the McGill University Archives project called digitalpermanence. I cannot believe that time--blog time, shall we say--has passed so quickly.

Today as I write this post, we are April 5, 2007. That means on March 4, 2007, The DIGITAL Archive blog turned 2 years old. Unbelievable. I didn't think I would maintain such a long connection with this blog.

As I scrolled through the months and number of posts, and stopped at some which caught me, I saw where a blog such as mine--a few external links, lots of observations, work-related or otherwise--becomes a diary or online journal, a history of my life that I choose to commit to Blogger and share with the public. The blog entries reveal memories and worries and thoughts and plans all in the context of that single moment.

The time I started to chronicle the progress of a project; the time I resigned from McGill; the time I found a web design job following my resignation; the time when I accepted a contract in Washington, DC. And my on-going 'adventures' in the U.S. capital.

April Fool's On Me

I was had. I can't believe it. I was had by Google. Blame it on my new surroundings. My brain was not as sharp as it should have been.

Yesterday's so-called announcement by Google saying that it would print out emails and mail them to the recipient free of charge was a hoax. An April Fool's Joke. Gawd.

Like I said, Blame it on my new surroundings. My unfurnished apartment. My tired mind. My...

Welcome to Gmail

Welcome to Gmail: "Introducing Gmail Paper "

In my latest incarnation as digital archives archivist, I have been tasked to develop procedures and protocols for the preservation of electronic assets, including emails, enterprise data, websites, etc.

Now I read that Google's Gmail is giving its users the option to request PRINT COPIES of their emails, a free service (paid for by ads) provided by Google.

Is this a digital preservation white flag...?

I cannot forget what my former supervisor once told me: "You know, we may just end up printing everything and storing the paper. Far easier and cheaper than digital preservation."

PC World - Living With Vista: First 30 Days

PC World - Living With Vista: First 30 Days: "Living With Vista: First 30 Days"

For me, I am experiencing compatibility issues with Symantec's Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition. The program is installed, but not detected by Vista; and, of course, I cannot uninstall because that is just the way Symantec works.

How you coping with Windows Vista?

White House, Early March 2007

Testing my YouTube account.

Weekends in DC

When the weekend arrives in Washington, there are two things that occur: 1) the business side of DC shuts down and 2) the tourist side kick starts in full motion.

Today was the official beginning of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, a yearly event in DC that celebrates the cherry blossom trees which were given as a gift from Japan to the United States back in 1912. The entire history is rather fascinating.



There were crowds around the Washington Monument, many of them were flying kites, I noticed. I guess this must be a tradition. And of course there were the cherry blossom trees surrounding the tidal basin, which is located just south of the Mall. The Jefferson Memorial is also located near the basin. People from all over the world--Asia, South East Asia, Europe--were there; their din of foreign languages added to the wonderful mix of activity.

I am most grateful for the weekends. Not only does the city take a breather, but I too take a breather from a busy week of work.

Speaking of work, I have 3 projects that I am focusing on: 1) Archives Management System (AMS) replacement (I don't have much experience in this particular area, but the team seems ready to roll up their sleeves); 2) Digitization of text and photographs (I have hands-on experience here but this time around I'll be in a supervisory role); and 3) Digital Preservation and Management Program (this will probably build on my digitalpermanence experience. Remember digitalpermanence, folks?).

Tomorrow, April 1, will make it one month since I arrived in Washington, DC. Wow!

Watching Incubus' new single, Dig, on You Tube. Interesting story behind the video.

Adobe releases Creative Suite 3

I am so thrilled to see that Adobe has released its much anticipated Creative Suite 3.

The Big Move and other thoughts on life in DC

It reached a high of 17 Celsius today (I still haven't converted to Fahrenheit, I apologize, but it would be somewhere in the low 60s). A perfect day to move into my new apartment. Yes, you heard correctly: I finally moved. Well, technically, yes. Physically, I am still in the hotel (I have tonight and that's all). So I check out tomorrow before noon. Hopefully I can run a few last minutes errands before check-out time.

As I was walking around the streets of DC, I could not help but notice a large amount of cars with diplomatic license plates. Perhaps there is some big event in town. I'm not sure.

As I said before, today we reached 17 Celsius. Perfect weather in so many ways.

I notice I have not been blogging much about work. I know I mentioned from the onset that I would use a good dose of common sense before blogging about work, and I am pleased that I have stuck to that formula. It's not like I am working with super-secret information; however, the planning and implementation of new systems has several confidentiality issues. So it is best that I discuss matters in general terms.

Sunday Morning

I have several activities planned today. I'll spare you the boring details.

I'm just glad the weather gadgets I have running on my desktop are telling me good news.

I'll have more this afternoon. Stay tuned.

Spring, Apartment, Archives, FOSE 2007

It's the first day of Spring, and it sure feels like Spring in Washington, DC. The city's business district, called the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, was abuzz with city workers sweeping the streets and cobble-stone sidewalks and planting flowers around budding trees.

The only drawback to the weather is the constant flux of temperatures. I leave in the morning wearing my good old Canadian coat, and then I walk home wearing a light fleece jacket, my coat slung over my arm. I've experienced high and lows all in one day, and a solid rain shower kicked in for good measure. Consequently, I think my health has taken a hit - I feel a tickle in the back of my throat.

The apartment hunt continues, but I am coming closer to finding a place. I never knew the process would take this long! So many forms, so many fees. So few places, especially if you are on a tight budget.

The work in the Archives continues, and as it does I am starting to see patterns emerge. The Archives requires new systems, new tools, to operate more efficiently and effectively. Older technologies, adopted some years ago, are obsolete, amazingly. The speed at which technology flies is unbelievable.

There is a convention taking place in DC called FOSE, a government and military technology convention that showcases technologies, gadgets, software, hardware which serve the needs of government and military (as well as international organizations like the UN). The floor was full, to say the least. I may return tomorrow or Thursday, the final day of the convention.

More online gaming worlds

With Second Life and Home, I thought I had all the bases covered in terms of online virtual worlds and 3-D gaming communities.

Now comes word, via TechCrunch, of two other online gaming world: Kaneva and There.

Oh dear. More sleepless nights for the 3-D addicts out there.

Second Life vs. PS3's Home

We all know about Linden Lab's Second Life, the funky 3-D virtual world community, but has anyone come across Sony's Home, a Playstation 3 game that looks like Second Life but with much more realistic graphics?

TGIF - It's Friday

I noticed I haven't talked much about work. There has been so much to learn and absorb that I still cannot make heads or tails (or basically form some kind of pattern in my head) of the work plan that lies ahead of me.

It's still introductory mode, I guess. But I know my boss will be keen on hearing my ideas very soon.

In the past two weeks, I was introduced to the various systems and databases in place and the people who work with them on a daily basis.

One of my objectives here is to find a unified system (software) that will cover the range of archival activity in one box, mainly archives management, appraisal, declassification, and reference and research services. Whoa!! Trust me when I tell you: Every system requires a great degree of skill and intellectual prowess.

The weather in DC was once again wet. This afternoon there was rain mixed with ice pellets. I felt like home sweet home, though I think the Northwest of the U.S. and Southwestern Quebec and the Ottawa Valley will experience a massive snowstorm tonight.

The apartment hunt continues. I don't why this is taking me so long. The requirements are obscene, the fees even more so. Tomorrow, rain or shine, I'll hit the pavement again and this time find something that does not require blood type and fingerprints (okay, none require that much, but you kind of get the picture).

The weekend is upon us. Time for the trivial house chores. Maybe I'll take another walk on the Mall or visit a museum. The Smithsonian Museums are free, I hear.

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial
Originally uploaded by siansleep.

Just another (rainy) day in Washington

My boss told me I should have a beer. Instead I had tea. Even if I had a palette for Budweiser or Miller, I would not even be able to afford either of them. Payroll screwed up my account number and thus no money was deposited into my account. Couple that incident with the fact that my rental application package still needs more forms to fill (unending list of forms), I did not have such a wonderful day. The rain that fell hard on DC this afternoon sort of summarized the day.

Drenched, I cleaned up and dried up and made some Red Rose Tea. Nothing beats tea on a rainy day, if you ask me. That and listening to SomaFM, as I am doing right now.

(NOTE: For those lucky enough [or unlucky enough, depending on how you look at it] to have Windows Vista installed on your desktop or laptop, there are several cool gadgets [i.e. widgets] that pull in data from various sources, including SomaFM and Weather Bug.)

Let's hope for a better tomorrow.

Note to self: Why do I hear in my head James Brown's "Living in America" each time I walk up and down these DC streets?

Apartment, Commute, Weather, You Tube

According to the clock on the wall (actually, the clock on the laptop), it is 4:30 p.m. I took my administrative leave this afternoon. I went to the apartment where I hope to stay for the next 12 months and submitted my rental application. I feel as though this is some kind of test.

I am hoping that, by this time next week, I will have moved in to this place and one stress will be off my shoulders.

Earlier in the day, as I walking to work along with other Washingtonians, I noticed several large Greyhound-type coach buses zooming up and down the city streets. Judging from the side signage or digital signage above the windshield, many were from out of town. Some were from Maryland, parts of Virginia; others had destination signs with "State Department" and "Pentagon." It seems to me that a lot--a heck of a lot--of people live outside of DC and commute to and from work every morning and every evening.

The weather is amazingly warm. Almost summer. People tell me that DC is part of the South. I thought it was part of the North. Regardless, I was sweating in my fleece jacket. Tomorrow I may just wear a light windbreaker.

God Bless You Tube. I'll spare you the details of the old music videos I tracked down, but what a "Digital Archive" and "Time Capsule" and "Memory Lane" that website turned out to be.

Note to self: Emotion + Web = Good Experience

Bureaucracy and Bedtime

I really should be in bed by now.

Tomorrow (that is, Wednesday) I have a full day of business. In the morning, it's work, more introductory meetings, more new stuff to get acquainted with, and faces whose names still evade me for a two second delay right after saying hello. I still feel very out of place in this behemoth bureaucracy. And I thought McGill had a lot of red tape.

In the afternoon, I am taking what is known around here as Administrative Leave. It is time off meant to be used to settle in - i.e. find housing, take care of business mostly associated with becoming a temporary resident of a foreign country.

That's nice and welcomed.

I am currently residing in a furnished hotel until I find an apartment. I have an eye out on a particularly well-priced apartment just outside the downtown core. I hope I get passed the insane rental application procedures. The only thing left for me to disclose to these landlords is blood type or a set of fingerprints!

Ever since I bought this Acer Travelmate 3260 notebook, I have been glued to the Web more than ever. The hotel provides free Internet access so that does not help at all.

I'm going to pay for these late hours. Time for bed, folks.

Good Night National Cathedral, which I see from my window.

Into the Digital Archive

A special thank you to all those who contacted me and wished me well on my 12-month contractual appointment with the UN System's Archives.

Because of the sensitive nature of the work, I will not write in great detail about the specifics of my projects but will from time to time (and using a good dose of common sense) explain and illustrate some of the work I am doing. The UN System is an umbrella for the agency I work with; there are many agencies and organizations that comprise the UN System, so I will leave the exact one to those friends and colleagues who have contacted me.

I will also use The DIGITAL Archive to blog about my experiences in Washington, DC. What better way to cope with the stresses of relocation and unfamiliarity then by writing about them.

At the UN System's Archives I will act as Digital Archivist (how ironic that the title of my blog is the same), working closely with fellows archivists and records managers in identifying, purchasing, and implementing new systems and web-based solutions to enable greater efficiency in managing records and improving access to the archives' collections to internal staff and researchers globally.

It will be a challenge, and I am looking forward to a rewarding experience. However, with a 12 month contract, I somewhat know what can and cannot be accomplished. Still, if the proper infrastructure can be established and a web strategy written and promoted, I think much can be done.

As for Washington, DC, I am finding the city both nice and daunting at the same time. It will take me several more weeks, perhaps months, before I understand the ebb and flow of the US Capital.

New Job, New City

If you are wondering why I have not been writing any new entries in a long while (except for the last cryptic note), I am pleased to inform my long time readers (and new readers, in case you just happened to pass by) that I was offered and have accepted a 12-month position as a Digital Archivist with the UN System in Washington, DC.

The DA in DC

Coming Soon!

"...for all the things caught in my mind."

Sometimes I wish I had more to say on this blog. Sometimes I wish I had a whole lot more things to say in a clear and comprehensive manner. Sometimes I wish I had better writing skills and more discipline to commit to one blog entry per day. I believe I once had that ability and capacity—I suspect the best times were in university when I’d write up a storm for essays and research papers—but those academic days, it seems to me, are long gone.

Since The DIGITAL Archive originated in part to chronicle a work-related project back at McGill University, and since I am currently unemployed with little or no direct hands-on connection to the field of archives or libraries or the web (aside from having lunch with former colleagues or reading other blogs to get the latest scoop), much of the source material that once fuelled The DIGITAL Archive is gone. Time to look for alternative fuel sources, I guess.

So what I have done is list a set of ideas that I think will become more prominent in 2007. Talking trends is common around this time of year, so I figured it is perhaps the most appropriate material to work with at this time.

So here goes, in no particular order, kind of like in the stream of consciousness style:

• Web Design and Management


• Web Content Development


• Digitization Initiatives – histories to share, stories to tell


• Content Discovery and Dissemination – how to make information more findable, how to exploit current and emerging web technologies to deliver content


• Content Creation and Syndication in a 24/7 World – blogs, news, weather information being created around the clock, finding what I want and sharing among peers


• Content consumption on any device, anywhere – cell phone revolution, iPod generation, notebooks and laptop cafes – information where and when I want it


• Adding Context to Content – So much content, a new layer of metadata telling me what it is and if it is of value to me personally


• Increasing “findability” in an increasingly saturated Web – metadata, metadata, metadata


• Making data meaningful – Streams of data and statistics floating in the Web ether, giving users the power to harness data, to quickly build data receptacles and view results immediately


• Exploiting web 2.0 – rss feeds, podcasts, flash video go mainstream
  


• Expanding online collaborations – forming relationships, not just just about ME making content; the next step is relationships
  


• Freeing information from silos and time and space – old wisdom and knowledge must be retrievable tomorrow, as fast as we search the web today
  


• Improving web design aesthetics – must every website look like a blog?

OT: New Year, New Calendar

It's the new year, another year to start fresh and to embark on new beginnings. What better way to gain perspective on the new year ahead than with a spanking brand new calendar, of course.

Okay, I admit, that's a corny introduction.

Here's the real deal:

The very fine stock photography people at Jupiterimages, with whom I have a free account which I use to download comps to set up designs, have sent me a pocket-sized 2007 calendar filled with colourful images from their catalogue of photos. In the past year, Jupiterimages have sent me several glossy catalogues featuring their latest stock photographs, free. I found this new year's gift truly neat and ingenious. Kudos to Jupiterimages!!

Between Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I was rather tied up these past few days, not unusual for this time of the year, but more so because I was following up on some last minute job leads. It is strange, but sometimes even the day before the holidays, some activity on the job front starts stirring. As usual, I have no idea where this new round of job leads will take me - a job offer or back to the drawing board.

Since being out of action, that is, out of the archives field and work environment, I have had to decrease the number of archives-related postings to just a very, very few. I'm sure this is understandable. But on the flip side I am certainly grateful to the numerous bloggers out there posting about their experiences in archives, digitization, and the web. It really is an exciting period, and I suspect 2007 will be more so as more people come on broad and more innovation is introduced and more collaboration is born.

Whether unemployment has gotten to my brain or my creative survival instincts have kicked in, I am busy Photoshopping - yes, the act of using Adobe's fabulous image-editing program, Photoshop, to create surreal images. I am making some images available on Flickr.


Good Luck, Dear Readers. I hope 2007 will be a happy, healthy, and prosperous year!

Google + NASA = A Match Made in the Heavens?

I wonder what will be the outcome between this Google and NASA partnership?

There are some rumours.

But, officially, the world will find out on Monday, December 17, 2006.

Keep you browsers glued here.

Photoshop CS3 beta available

Adobe Labs has released a beta version of Photoshop CS3.

I know you are salivating already so go ahead and satisfy that urge:

http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/photoshopcs3/

Question...

Why has the Iraq Study Group, a ten-person panel appointed by the United States Congress to analyze and propose concrete steps to calm the current sectarian chaos in war-torn Iraq, made its final report and recommendations available on Amazon?

Why is this report being sold alongside John Grisham's latest bestseller and weight loss books? Isn't this report a matter of national security meant specifically for US President George W. Bush?

Welcome to December

With all the warmer than usual temperatures we in southwestern Quebec are experiencing at the moment, the freezing rain was inevitable. Welcome to December.

Job Search: Update of an Update

Okay, I went on a little rant yesterday, complaining about how I found some institutions were very poor in responding to or updating candidates about their status in a given job competition.

The old biblical advice came in handy: Ask and ye shall receive.

I emailed the university and, a day later, a HR representative informed that the search committee was still reviewing all candidates.

With relief (for I had figured I had been eliminated), I told the person thanks for updating me.

Warning!

Created at Warning Label Generator.

Job Search: Whatever Happened to Common Courtesy and Professionalism

A few weeks ago, I had a library job interview with a university. As I reported back then, the telephone interview was a series of questions (6 in all) asked in quick succession.

After the interview, I was told that I would receive some kind of update before the end of the week. Well, you guessed it: I haven't heard any updates in two weeks - which leads me to today's short rant:

Why don't some of these institutions of higher education practice common courtesy and conduct themselves in a professional manner? I was courteous in responding to their job postings and professional in making myself available for their telephone interview. Why not show some reciprocity by contacting me or informing me that there was a delay? At least--at the very least--let me know and do not keep me in the dark.

More RSS Goodness

I noticed this evening that Google's BlogSearch website has introduced a a feature whereby a RSS feed is generated based on a search one performs. So if someone wants to know what the blogosphere has been saying about Topic ABC and enters Topic ABC into the search field, the keywords one enters becomes a RSS feed that can be used in a feed reader.

Get a Life! A Second Life!

After reading about it, after seeing people interviewed on television about it, I decided to take the plunge. I opened up an account on Second Life, the online virtual world that has a million+ subscribers abuzz with excitement. Make that a million and one, myself included.

Second Life is a fun, engaging, social game / experience. In a nutshell, you open a free account (paid accounts are available), download the client software, create your online persona (avatar) and then begin exploring the 3-D detailed landscapes, sonically-rich environments that fellow Second Life members have created. There are plenty of opportunities to interact with others and even buy and sell goods using the game's currency called Linden dollars (which can be purchased with US dollars. Not sure if Canadian currency is accepted yet). And that's just your first five minutes in world. There is more, much more.

A broadband connection is a must, and so is a well-equipped computer (PC or Mac). The Second Life download web page offers more information on specifications.

A word of caution: The world of Second Life, like reality, has its share of mature and questionable material. Proceed carefully and use good judgement.

Another word of caution: Second Life is highly addictive. Be sure to take breaks. And be sure to make time for real life (like job searching, ahem).

Job Interview: Update

The phone interview I had this afternoon went okay. It lasted 20 minutes, during which time I was asked 6 questions. The questions came fast and so did my answers. I answered them as best as I could, though with such rapid fire questions I wonder how much more new details the search committee could extract from me.

By the end of this week, I will hear of the search committee's decision, that is, whether I continue with the process with a campus visit or, well, if it's the end of the line.

Not one to hold one's breath, I am preparing the next round of my job board scanning.

I still have an open invitation to those blog readers out there; those who read this blog on a daily basis or have found this blog through the power of syndication, I welcome any or all queries regarding employment opportunities. My resume is posted; just click the link.

Job Interview

Tomorrow afternoon, I have a job interview with a university located in the United States. I haven't had many--perhaps only one, if I recall correctly--interviews with universities south of the border, so this is sort of an extra added bonus of nerves for me. I suppose the interview process should be similar to Canadian procedures.

Anyway, the position sounds interesting enough, and seems to fit within my background and area of experience. We'll see, and I'll keep you, DA Reader, fully updated.

It's no surprise that, with the imminent conclusion of my current web project, the pressure is on to land another job. But this time around I want to feel enthusiastic and energized about any new position I apply to. Not just applying for a job, but a real step forward to securing a career, a vertical move rather than a horizontal one. I believe after all these years of casual, contract, and part-time contract work, it's time to let this MLIS degree take flight.

Speaking of librarian folk looking for work, I came across Young Librarian, a blog written by Katie, an under-30 recent MLIS grad looking for work. Good insights for those who are unemployed or employed but actively seeking a better job in this field.

Squirl: My Little (online) Archive

Do you collect stuff? I collect stuff, and I have one rather bizarre collection of items that I bet you wouldn't guess what they are in a million years. Okay, I'll give you a few minutes...Give up?

I collect old transit passes. Yes, transit passes. You know, those flimsy plastic cards that one uses to board the bus, the metro (subway for non-Montrealer readers), and commuter trains.

Since 1995 I've been collecting these things. So what should I do with them in light of the Social Web 2.0? Let them be known on a website called Squirl.

I was contacted by John McGrath, creator of Squirl, who described his website project as "a personal archiving tool." Essentially, Squirl is doing for collectors what Flickr is doing for amateur and professional photographers. It's giving people a chance to share the stuff they collect with others and thus creating a community of like-minded collectors. Sounds fun.

Perhaps there is life for my old transit passes after all.

Cablecos, Web editions, x-mas e-retail, Internet study

Cablecos

My Internet Service Provider (ISP), Montreal-based cable giant Videotron, is expressing its concern over bandwidth costs and who should pay.

From the Hamilton Spectator: "With video and music downloads gobbling up Internet bandwidth at an ever-expanding pace, cable company Videotron is pushing for content providers such as movie studios to share some of the cost to expand broadband pipelines.
Videotron boss Robert Depatie said yesterday his Quebecor-owned telecom company will invest $300 million in 2006 because the average Videotron customer uses four times more bandwidth than just a year ago. He wants the federal government to impose a transmission tariff on content providers. He called it unfair for studios and companies such as Apple and Amazon.com to use that extra service without cost -- which he compared to free shipping."

Web Editions

According to a Washington Post article, the newspaper industry frets about its future but finds revenue growth in online web editions. The consumer web is splitting: content creators and content distribution. Soon it won't really matter how--that is, which media you will use--to read your news. That will change. But content creation will remain a constant. There will always be a need to create comprehensive, in-depth, analytical content.

X-Mass e-retail

With the Christmas / holiday season upon us, retailers, particular e-retailers, are preparing their wares to respond to customer needs, some better than others, it appears. From the Montreal Gazette, there are still some bricks and mortar retailers who still don't get e-commerce. Nevermind the technology part. It's the customer experience that needs re-working. Amazon.com (as usual) was cited as an ideal model for other retailers to follows.

Internet Study

Sir Tim Berners-Lee (aka Sir Tim), inventor of the WWW, made some comments that reflect comments I made in a recent Letter to the Editor. Berners-Lee argues that the impact that the web is having on technology, communication, society should be critically studied in order to insure the safe survival of the medium he invented.

I agree. Compared to television, the Web is a relatively new form of media whose impact on society has yet to be examined. I brought up this matter in a Letter to the Editor I wrote in the aftermath of the tragic shootings at Montreal's Dawson College, where a gun-totting maniac, obsessed with his own online ranting and ravings, shot several students, killing one. We don't know how the web is changing us as society, as individuals when access to almost anything is available one or two keystrokes away.

The DIGITAL Archive, version 3.0

I have not posted anything in a long, long time, and I can explain the reasons why in one brief word: busy. Yes, busy with this and that, most of which pulled me away from the blogosphere and pinned me into the area of, well, using one's computer for business purposes only.

After I left McGill back in March of this year, I took on a web re-design project at the Montreal General Hospital, where I have been busy re-building the Medical and Nurses' libraries' websites from the ground up. It's been a challenging and exhilarating project, filled with ups and downs, triumphs and numerous "head-scratching-in-puzzlement" moments. Anyway, the web project is nearing completion, and I am pleased to bring closure to it. And I hope to bring you the URLs as soon as the websites are launched.

Another issue that has consumed much of my time is my often mentioned job search. I had a reasonably positive summer. I had three very good interviews with institutions that were not universities (kind of a change for me since I believe the university is my environment of choice). The interviews went very well--I felt I expressed my skills, knowledge and experience in a clear and confident manner. I believe I am really improving in this area.

While the interviews went well, they did not move on to the next level, which was hard at first to accept but in time I slowly became aware of the silver lining to all of them. Like I said, I believe I am getting better and better at communicating my skills, experience and knowledge and the value I can bring to a potential employer. It's really a matter of time before I land a job. Patience and persistence...and a little bit of luck and that proverbial "big break."

As I write this (Fall sunlight beaming through my windows, a cup of tea on my desk, Dreamweaver 8 humming along with final website edits in place, a portal radio I received as a gift from TIME magazine tuned to CJAD), I am becoming aware that The DIGITAL Archive, originally conceived as a blog chronicling the progress and findings of a project, is evolving all the time. Even as it lay dormant, it is evolving, changing, its focus sharpening on other areas, much in the same weird way as its author.

I, too, am changing; professionally, I don't know if "Archives / Records Management" is the most appropriate receptacle to hold the depth of interests I have in other areas, specifically the web, information, content development, content dissemination, etc. I feel as though I am in some sort of professional transition.

To this end, I believe The DIGITAL Archive will continue to evolve. It may or may not focus on digitization or digital projects (although these areas are still very close to my interests). It may tackle work (once I land a better, more stable position, of course). I would like to report on my current work, but so much of it nowadays is HTML this and that, nothing I believe worth blogging about. I will write about those web-related items that resonate with me.

So to all my readers (yes, all two of you, plus those subscribed to my feed) hang in there. I am still writing, still blogging. The content may be different, more eclectic, but I still hope you will continue to click my link whenever you get the chance.

Thanks for reading.

It's been awhile, but I'm still here!

Stay tuned!

RSS Headphones

RSS-headphone
Originally uploaded by Poldo™.

Here's reason #475 to love Flickr: Graphic artists creating their works of digital art and publishing them on Flickr.

This user's name is Poldo.

Google Toolbar 4.0: Surprise!!

I fired up the old Internet Explorer 6 this evening when I was almost startled by a Google pop-up. Google Toolbar 4.0 now installed. Pretty fancy. New functionality that takes advantage of users with Google Account: Bookmarks, search histories, search-specific button downloads (this seemingly insignificant new feature, which can search specific sites, may prove to be the most ingenious of all), and more. Still haven't checked it out completely.

If you have the Google Toolbar already installed, then the new version should be appearing on a browser near you.

YouTube: A Digital Archive of Retro Music Videos

2 words: Def Leppard.

Song title: Photograph.

Music video via YouTube: Click here.

Graphics

Microsoft prepares "Expression Web" software

So long MS FrontPage.

Hello Expression Web, er, Expression Web...?

From Steve Bryant's InterMedia comes the hard news: Microsoft's FrontPage file format bows out and makes room for Expression Web web design software, now in beta.

Bryant writes, "It's [Expression Web] much smoother and intuitive than Dreamweaver, which suffers from years of legacy code."

Should Adobe Dreamweaver be worried?

News: Google launches news archive search

Today I read that Google launched something called Google News Archive Search.

According to the BBC News website, Google News Archive Search "allows users to explore existing digitised newspaper articles spanning the last 200 years and more recent online content."

News archive, eh.

When will Web browsing get interesting again?

I asked myself this question last night after reading a BBC article that discussed a new web browser. While the web browser in question, called Browzar, which claims to provide increased anonymity to users while on the Web, has received at least one review disputing its anonymity claim, the thought of a new web browser nonetheless filled me with some excitement.

Since I was in the download and test mood, I visited the Browzar site and downloaded the free web browser. It requires no installation. I downloaded the software right onto my Iomega Mini USB drive and double-clicked the Browzar icon.

This is the home page screen shot:



As you can see, Browzar is very bare-bones: no bells, no whistles, no fancy widgets, either. Just the basics: "Back" and "Forward" navigation buttons, "Home" and "Print" buttons, as well as a URL address and search fields. I suppose this is the price one pays for anonymity.

I am not an overly technical guy, but I suspect this browser is really a sort of Internet Explorer prophylactic - it protects one's identity while still using Internet Explorer's page rendering engine.

Before making any recommendations, I would rather and wait what the larger community of users has to say about Browzar's anonymity claims.

Coming back to my original question: When will web browsing get interesting again?

Back when Firefox was released, I was ecstatic . What a breath of fresh air. This browser demonstrated what integrating new tools and extensibility could do for web browsers. Despite a lag in innovative changes in recent releases, Firefox still remains a powerful browser.

Now we wait for Microsoft Internet Explorer 7. I do not know its release date, but I do know that it will be available to Windows users "as as a high-priority update via Automatic Updates." [Source: Microsoft]. According to the IE 7 official blog, IE 7 will include many new tools and functionality (some of which I am sure we have seen in Firefox).

As we wait and see, I wonder:

1. When will we see a web browser that becomes a unique expression of the user?
2. When will we see a browser that gives users a solid and secure framework in which we can create, design, and interact with the web in ways that we define and tailor to our needs?

With several companies competing, perhaps the bigger question is who? Who will deliver the next-gen web browser?

Welcome to September

As I flipped my wall calendar from August to September, I was struck by how fast the summer months had passed. It seems like only a few weeks ago we were starting the balmy month of July. And now look: September 1st. Labour Day Weekend. Time flies, folks. Tempus fugit.

------

Yesterday, August 31, was Blog Day. I wasn't aware of this celebration, but the idea of celebrating blogging by recommending 5 new blogs to readers sounds like fun. So here goes:

1. SpellboundBlog.com - Is an archives-oriented blog by Jeanne Kramer-Smyth, an archives student at the University of Maryland. I found SpellboundBlog via Mike A. Matienzo's super-cool ArchivesBlogs aggregator blog.




2. Andy Carvin's Waste of Bandwidth - I just starting reading this blog, which talks about the Digital Divide, and I find it quite interesting. The author, Andy, has recently accepted a new job at the Public Broadcast Service [Correction: I goofed. He currently writes a blog at PBS. His new job is with National Public Radio (NPR). Thanks, Andy!], working on some Web 2.0 technologies. His writing style is what got me hooked.




3. Publish.com - "News and opinion on Web 2.0, online media and graphics tools." Not a blog per se, but a website with tons of web-related goodies, current and emerging technologies and trends. The website does offer a RSS feed.




4. Intermedia - A blog written by Publish.com associate editor Steve Bryant, who writes about multimedia and web. A lot of what Bryant discusses on his blog will in some way impact the Web. Always good to stay ahead of the curve.




5. Finally, for those interested in good web design and web technology blogs (with tips and techniques), here are a few: Adam Kalsey, Cameron Moll, and TechCrunch (mostly web news).

OT: Weekend Ottawa Trip

This past weekend I visited a friend who is studying in our nation’s capital. When I arrived in Ottawa on a bright, blue-sky sunny Saturday morning, I was immediately struck by how much the city had changed since the last time I visited the place.

Back then, perhaps 3-4 years ago, as a wet-behind the ears archivist headed to an interview at one of our nation’s finer institutions, Ottawa was typical Ottawa: Parliament Hill with its tourists and large, dull government buildings with its thousands of anonymous civil servants with their government employee ID cards hanging from their necks. There were only a few subtle hints—and I mean subtle—that there was something, some new construction, coming on the horizon.

(BTW, the cataloguing position for which I interviewed didn't work out.)

Those faint hints of new construction are now loud and clear…as clear as the number of construction cranes and the numerous new apartments and condominium complexes I spotted while walking around Byward Market, Ottawa’s trendy market and dining area. Even the University of Ottawa appears to have had a face lift: new buildings, new grounds.

This is by no means a Fodor or Lonely Planet evaluation of the city. But I can assure you Ottawa is changing.

I spent a good portion of the day visiting the National Gallery of Canada, whose outside plaza is dominated by a huge sculpture of a spider. It’s a piece called Maman, by artist Louise Bourgeois. Very alien-looking, very bizarre. Like something out of a first-person shooter computer game (think Half-Life). The Gallery has a live webcam overlooking the plaza.

Inside the Gallery, however, was a formidable collection of fine and contemporary art. I’m no art connoisseur, but I certainly enjoyed walking the quiet halls and taking pictures of a few items that caught my eye.

One digitization-related item: As I wandered from room to room, looking at the paintings and sculptures, I thought about how one would go about digitizing such a huge collection. The National Gallery created an art education and research site called CyberMuse, which includes a large collection of digitized images, with comprehensive information highlighting particular works of art. Good stuff.

Yaaay! The DIGITAL Archive is no longer a spam blog!

For several months, The DIGITAL Archive was considered by Blogger's spam sniffers a spam blog. As a result, I had to deal with a CAPTCHA security feature whenever I would post to this blog.

This week I decided to extricate myself from this predicament by requesting that Blogger review my blog and have it removed from its spam blog list.

The Blogger Team emailed me this morning, notifying me of what I had already suspected: that The DIGITAL Archive was not in fact a spam blog.

Good riddance to CAPTCHA rubbish!

Interesting People, Interesting Blogs (Part 5)

While doing the usual ego-surfing, er, I mean web browsing, I came across the following blog that cited my active archives-related blogs (the one you are reading now and another called arch.i.vi.us).

I hereby present the "interesting people, interesting blog" to ArchivesBlogs, "a collection of blogs by and for archivists." It was developed and is maintained by Mark A. Matienzo.

I like the concept and I like the blog, for it reflects an "Archives 2.0" attitude that is desperately needed in the archival field. Essentially, ArchivesBlogs syndicates content from blogs that discuss archives and archival issues of importance and relevance to archivists.

Also, kudos to Mark for tinkering around with a web application called Plagger, which powers ArchivesBlogs. Perhaps he should write and make available documentation so that non-technical archivists can start something similar.

Before & After: MGH Medical Library redesign

Before & After: MGH Medical Library redesign
Originally uploaded by siansleep.

For the benefit of those not completely in the loop, I began a web redesign project at the Montreal General Hospital in late March, early April 2006.

I was responsible for redesigning the Medical and Nurses' Libraries websites, both of which were very information-rich but in need of a architectural and page layout makeover.

Fast forward to late July 2006, the newly redesigned websites were moved to a test server, where they remain as we review and revise content.

I took a screen shot of the current and new Medical Library websites and combined the images to compare and contrast their before and after states.

No firm launch date yet.

But stay tuned to The DIGITAL Archive for any and all updates.

Sunday Thought

Sometimes a rainy day is just as good as a sunny one.

Google News, In Living Colour

It's been a while since I have seen a new Web 2.0-ish technology worthy of a posting.

Introducing Newsmap, a website that displays Google News in a treemap information space.

Rather than attempt to explain the website (especially at this late hour), I will let the concept person behind Newsmap, Marco Weskamp, explain in his own words:

"Newsmap is an application that visually reflects the constantly changing landscape of the Google News news aggregator. A treemap visualization algorithm helps display the enormous amount of information gathered by the aggregator. Treemaps are traditionally space-constrained visualizations of information. Newsmap's objective takes that goal a step further and provides a tool to divide information into quickly recognizable bands which, when presented together, reveal underlying patterns in news reporting across cultures and within news segments in constant change around the globe."

Visit Newsmap.

Lightning Strikes Back!

Lightning!

Montreal has been under high heat and high humidity levels for the past several days. Last night, those hot conditions slammed into a cold front, producing a violent thunderstorm the likes of which I have not seen (or heard) in a long time.

Like something alien in the distance, the ominous and sickly-looking black clouds moved across the sky, flashing lightning and sometimes shooting a few jagged bolts down to Earth.

Once the storm reached us, the rain and wind picked until the rain itself began to blow diagonally, sometimes horizontally, and the trees were whipped into a twisting and swaying dance.

The storm eventually past. Nature had run its course, perpetually moving ahead in its slow, detached but knowing way. There was quiet once again. More so for those who had lost power...and the hum of fans and air-conditioners.

I heard this morning that several hundred thousand people had no power. To be without power--without a fan or air-conditioner--on this hot and humid day....God help us.

Coming and Going

It appears that my Alma mater at the McGill Graduate School of Library and Information Studies are looking for a Professional Associate to teach a graduate-level course ("Web Design and Management") and to maintain the School's IT lab.

I know the person who has held on to this position for the past couple of years, and I am pleased to hear that he is moving on. On a personal note, this person also helped me land my first LIS-related job at the McGill University Archives.

In other news--good news, thankfully--I almost fell out of my computer chair when I read that Ed Bilodeau will be moving to Ottawa, Ontario, with his wife-to-be Nathalie, to work as a Web Administrator at Carleton University. Congratulations, Ed! That's great news!

I know a few faithful readers out there may be wondering: "That is great news - but what about you, O Great DIGITAL Archive blogger? How are things on the job search front?"

Nothing much new to report.

But I will tell you the honest truth: The more positive news I read from fellow bloggers, the more clearer the path ahead looks to me in terms of career direction, relocation plans, and so on. The good news makes it no less easy in solving problems, of course, but somehow it gives a new perspective to resolving them.

In the meantime, I am almost finished with the hospital libraries' website re-design project. In a few weeks time, I hope to post a URL to them once they are placed on a production server.

Did you know: Adobe Acrobat a RSS reader

If you have Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.0, follow these steps:

1. From the menu bar select Comments --> Tracker...

2. A Tracker window opens up. From the menu bar on the Tracker window select Services --> Subscribe

3. A new pop-window opens asking you to insert a RSS feed URL

4. Voila! RSS news feed in Adobe Acrobat. You can even convert a news items to PDF. Select Services --> Convert to PDF

GIS Junkies!

GIS (Geographical Information System) junkies listen up! (And all you Google Maps addicts out there lend an ear as well.)

Natural Resources Canada's Canadian Forest Service (CFS) has launched (in typical quiet low-brow Canadian fashion) an online service called Forest Fire in Canada.

It is a powerful information system that combines the power of geographical information-gathering and remote-sensing of ground activities to create a comprehensive picture of forest fires occurring across North America.

It's no longer just about fighting fires - it's about fire management. Knowing and understanding how forest fires will affect the socio-economical landscape of the country.

Check it out: Forest Fire in Canada.

Job Search: Preliminary Results

A few weeks ago (or perhaps a few months ago - I'm not so sure now), I wrote a post about my intentions of using this blog to establish a network of colleagues in order to find a job in the library / information management field. It was an experiment, of sorts, to test the power of the blog.

I gave a brief description of my background, and I also uploaded my resume to give people a chance to view my skills, knowledge and work experience.

While the experiment is still on-going, I have decided to examine some of the preliminary results:

One person, so far, has responded directly to my resume. This particular person, it should be noted, shares an interest in digitization and digital projects. I thank her for taking the time to respond and for providing me with further information.

This is worth reflecting on for a minute, for it demonstrates how a blog should be used in order to effectively network. Here are my thoughts:

1. Don't give up; keep blogging; have a topic in mind

Like our solar system, populated with its nine distinct planets, a blog can be filled with several different topics. But it is always a good idea to have one topic--one sun, if you will--around which everything else revolves.

Topic-specific or project-specific blogs (as this one, The DIGITAL Archive, used to be and still yearns to be) garner a fair share of attention because they focus on topics that are, professionally-speaking, of interest to people in the same field, in the same area of research. If one can use one's blog to contribute to the larger blogosphere discourse on a particular topic, chances are that blog networking opportunities will arise.

2. Building a blog network takes time.

Rome was not built in a day, nor will a blog's audience. It requires time and effort as well as patience.

3. Mention and cite blogosphere colleagues.

Frequently we come across a blog post that resonates with us. We consider and even savour the post's contents. Why not simply mention the post and the blogger's name the next time we make our own post? Let them know we read their post, and in turn they will know we are out there.

I think we all, from time to time, do a bit of "egosearching" (the act of searching for references to one's blog, as Gary McGath aptly put it), and in doing so we do indeed find more people with similar interests who have cited us in their blog. Our blog network grows.

4. Blogs are for sharing and communicating information.

This is worth repeating: Blogs are for sharing and communicating information. We are social creatures always seeking new ways to express ourselves. Blogs are a new and highly interconnected way of doing so.

Stick with the basics - blog about what stirs your enthusiasm - and amazing things will happen!

Slow news day?

Apologies for not posting too much new material lately.

The web re-design project that I am currently working on is in full swing and taking up most of my time.

"No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality"

The NHL Stanley Cup finals ended last night Monday, with the Carolina Hurricanes seizing Lord Stanley's famed trophy after beating the Edmonton Oilers in 7 hard-fought games.

Coming from a huge hockey town as Montreal, I want to send my congratulations to the people of Raleigh and all fans of the Hurricanes - it was definitely a series filled with skill, talent, and lots of heart.

So rather than rant and rave over the fact that a Canadian team was unable to take home the Cup, I will, as that Panic! At the Disco song goes, "face these these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality."

Job Search: Technical Snafu Solved

A special thank you goes out to Jill Hurst-Wahl (blog: Digitization 101) who pointed out to me that the link I posted directing users to my resume was in reality sending folks to an error message web page rather than to my illustrious (read: humble) resume.

Seems like the hosting company I used changed its policies.

No fear. The experiment continues, now with help from Google Pages. Yes, Google. We cannot escape them.

For those interested, my resume is (for the time being) here.

The Web: CBC.ca redesign!

Browsing along the information highway in attempts to find more news on the 17 terror suspects arrested in Toronto early Saturday morning, I came across the new and improved CBC.ca website.

After 6 years, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation along with its French counterpart, Radio-Canada, have undergone a website face lift. Looks good. Fancier than before. But a little crowded.

See for yourself: CBC.ca or Radio-Canada.