tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33306439529778406532024-02-20T18:08:11.372+00:00Webometric ThoughtsThe thoughts of a web 2.0 research fellow on all things in the technological sphere that capture his interest.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10334427366659410673noreply@blogger.comBlogger471125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330643952977840653.post-87087653280627249372010-04-04T19:16:00.003+01:002010-04-04T20:27:40.756+01:00The 4am ProjectSocial media is great for bringing a diverse set of people with similar interests together for a particular project. An excellent example of which has been <a href="http://www.karenstrunks.com/">Karen Strunks</a> extremely successful <a href="http://4amproject.org/">4am Project</a>:<br /><blockquote>The aim of the 4amproject is to gather a collection of photos from around the world at the magical time of 4am. Everyone can take part and join in! All you need is a camera. We want to see what you see at that moment in time on that one day. What’s your view at 4am?</blockquote>Obviously, as a man who needs at least eight hours sleep a night, my view is that I should have been fast asleep dreaming of unicorns or some such tosh. However, my girlfriend had other ideas. Although I contemplated sending her out into the night with hundreds of pounds worth of photographic equipment to confront the last drunken stragglers staggering home from the pubs and clubs of Wolverhampton, I knew everyone would blame me if she ended up mugged or dead in a ditch (however misplaced such blame would be).<br /><br />It's been about 15 years since I was serious about photography: with multiple lenses, filters, films, and access to a dark-room. 4am didn't strike me as the best time to start again, so I went along purely in the role of observer - with the exception of 'twitpicing' a single photo from the worst camera-phone in the world at 4am:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.webometrics.org.uk/uploaded_images/4amproject-712602.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://blog.webometrics.org.uk/uploaded_images/4amproject-712600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The world is very different at 4am, and all in all it was a pleasant stroll around Wolverhampton's West-End:<br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=104908319430713093902.0004836d139028f8df179&ll=52.588154,-2.141566&spn=0.004675,0.015185&output=embed" width="425" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=104908319430713093902.0004836d139028f8df179&ll=52.588154,-2.141566&spn=0.004675,0.015185&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">4am Project</a> in a larger map</small><br />Without a doubt, the most interesting - and least tiring - part of the day has been watching some of the other pictures, posts, and films that have been put online throughout the day.<br /><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/10671718">-Lee Allen's video of other 4am participants in Wolves</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/992728@N21/">-4am Project Flickr Group</a><br />..and of course...<br /><a href="http://blog.imageresearch.org.uk/?p=74">-My girlfriend's view of the world at 4am</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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At a minimum I would expect to read 50 books in a year, unfortunately (thanks to that ever encrouching web) 2009 saw me read a mere 47, or rather, finish 47 books; my shelves are littered with half-read books which if I return to I will feel it necessary to start again from the start. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The work related books: 16</span><br />'Work' can be stretched to cover a multitude of subjects that I am interested in, from sociology, through the narrative, to Second Life.<br /><OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_69ad549b-7ab5-48a2-b130-11d2bfcd1840" WIDTH="400px" HEIGHT="150px"> <PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F69ad549b-7ab5-48a2-b130-11d2bfcd1840&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><PARAM NAME="quality" VALUE="high"><PARAM NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF"><PARAM NAME="allowscriptaccess" VALUE="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F69ad549b-7ab5-48a2-b130-11d2bfcd1840&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_69ad549b-7ab5-48a2-b130-11d2bfcd1840" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_69ad549b-7ab5-48a2-b130-11d2bfcd1840" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="150px" width="400px"></embed></OBJECT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F69ad549b-7ab5-48a2-b130-11d2bfcd1840&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.co.uk Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT><br />Unfortunately some of the work related books are far less enjoyable. Often (although not always) these were the ones that I had offered to review for a journal and therefore have to struggle through to the end.<br /><OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_a5d6a6f1-1df3-4aab-9cb8-da20dff06e53" WIDTH="400px" HEIGHT="150px"> <PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2Fa5d6a6f1-1df3-4aab-9cb8-da20dff06e53&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><PARAM NAME="quality" VALUE="high"><PARAM NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF"><PARAM NAME="allowscriptaccess" VALUE="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2Fa5d6a6f1-1df3-4aab-9cb8-da20dff06e53&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_a5d6a6f1-1df3-4aab-9cb8-da20dff06e53" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_a5d6a6f1-1df3-4aab-9cb8-da20dff06e53" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="150px" width="400px"></embed></OBJECT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2Fa5d6a6f1-1df3-4aab-9cb8-da20dff06e53&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.co.uk Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT><br />Whilst some books are always worse than others, without a doubt <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1599049767?ie=UTF8&tag=webomethough-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1599049767">Knowledge Networks: The Social Software Perspective (Premier Reference Source)</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=webomethough-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1599049767" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> was not only the worst book I read this year, but one of the worst publishing efforts I have ever seen.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Other non-fiction: 19</span><br />There isn't much of a theme to the rest of my non-fiction, although I possible got a bit carried away with books about Samuel Johnson.<br /><OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_8d641906-5328-49cb-b9d7-2ce46fd61bec" WIDTH="400px" HEIGHT="150px"> <PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F8d641906-5328-49cb-b9d7-2ce46fd61bec&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><PARAM NAME="quality" VALUE="high"><PARAM NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF"><PARAM NAME="allowscriptaccess" VALUE="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F8d641906-5328-49cb-b9d7-2ce46fd61bec&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_8d641906-5328-49cb-b9d7-2ce46fd61bec" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_8d641906-5328-49cb-b9d7-2ce46fd61bec" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="150px" width="400px"></embed></OBJECT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F8d641906-5328-49cb-b9d7-2ce46fd61bec&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.co.uk Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT><br /><OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_0dd8bbb4-6258-4517-9f09-097b2d41d734" WIDTH="400px" HEIGHT="150px"> <PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F0dd8bbb4-6258-4517-9f09-097b2d41d734&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><PARAM NAME="quality" VALUE="high"><PARAM NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF"><PARAM NAME="allowscriptaccess" VALUE="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F0dd8bbb4-6258-4517-9f09-097b2d41d734&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_0dd8bbb4-6258-4517-9f09-097b2d41d734" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_0dd8bbb4-6258-4517-9f09-097b2d41d734" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="150px" width="400px"></embed></OBJECT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F0dd8bbb4-6258-4517-9f09-097b2d41d734&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.co.uk Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT><br />The one with least merit is <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1847374220?ie=UTF8&tag=webomethough-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1847374220">The Impulse Factor: Why Some of Us Play it Safe and Others Risk it All</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=webomethough-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1847374220" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />; don't even think about buying this book. The keen-eyed wondering what happened to book number 19, it was <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0007K7T0M?ie=UTF8&tag=webomethough-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B0007K7T0M">HOW TO USE BOOKS</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=webomethough-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B0007K7T0M" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, I can only presume that it was the lack of picture that mean't Amazon would let me add it to a widget.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Fiction Books: 12</span><br />Curiously my fictional reads of 2009 both started and ended with an Adrian Mole, and there are the usual inclusion of personal favourites such as Grisham and Irving. But beyond that it is a curious selection of odds and ends. <br /><OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_46bc9d3d-fd64-4f5d-8cf4-133403c803c9" WIDTH="400px" HEIGHT="150px"> <PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F46bc9d3d-fd64-4f5d-8cf4-133403c803c9&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><PARAM NAME="quality" VALUE="high"><PARAM NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF"><PARAM NAME="allowscriptaccess" VALUE="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F46bc9d3d-fd64-4f5d-8cf4-133403c803c9&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_46bc9d3d-fd64-4f5d-8cf4-133403c803c9" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_46bc9d3d-fd64-4f5d-8cf4-133403c803c9" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="150px" width="400px"></embed></OBJECT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F46bc9d3d-fd64-4f5d-8cf4-133403c803c9&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.co.uk Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT><br /><OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_3d0ca60f-8a6e-4c65-b649-c7bd52924adb" WIDTH="400px" HEIGHT="150px"> <PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F3d0ca60f-8a6e-4c65-b649-c7bd52924adb&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><PARAM NAME="quality" VALUE="high"><PARAM NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF"><PARAM NAME="allowscriptaccess" VALUE="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F3d0ca60f-8a6e-4c65-b649-c7bd52924adb&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_3d0ca60f-8a6e-4c65-b649-c7bd52924adb" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_3d0ca60f-8a6e-4c65-b649-c7bd52924adb" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="150px" width="400px"></embed></OBJECT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fwebomethough-21%2F8010%2F3d0ca60f-8a6e-4c65-b649-c7bd52924adb&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.co.uk Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Conclusions</span><br />Clumped together it looks a slightly bizarre collection, especially the fiction shelves (I believe Mr Majeika was free in a cereal box a previous year), but there again I suppose a lot of people's do. As with every other year I shall resolve to read far more in 2010; maybe I should also resolve to read better books in 2010.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10334427366659410673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330643952977840653.post-3099362531749239372009-09-08T07:27:00.006+01:002009-09-08T08:30:31.248+01:00Twitter is dead, long live RSSCloudRSS has had a bit of a hard time lately. "RSS is dead, all worship at the alter of Twitter and the real-time web" seems to have been the general sentiment. Over the last couple of months however, people have been working away on <a href="http://rsscloud.org/walkthrough.html">RSSCloud</a>: real-time RSS. Yesterday Wordpress gave it its <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/wordpress_just_made_millions_of_blogs_real-time_wi.php">substantial backing</a>.<br /><br />The difference between having blog posts brought to your attention as soon as they are published, rather than 15-60 minutes after they are published is insubstantial for the majority of blog readers. It will, however, encourage the sort of conversations that take place through microblogging. Whilst microblogging can be a distraction, and 140 characters is rarely enough, it has encouraged conversations, the essence of social media. <br /><br />With RSSCloud the lines between blogging and microblogging will become increasingly blurred, allowing for more substance with your conversations, and the once great Twitter will merely be a site for those who don't want to host their own real-time data stream. But who would want to give Twitter control of their data when they can keep it for themselves?<br /><br />Now we just have to wait for the host of exciting applications that will be built on the back of RSSCloud to emerge.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10334427366659410673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330643952977840653.post-51434945781287203922009-08-27T20:49:00.005+01:002009-08-27T21:50:52.430+01:00Ulrichsweb: Why is there no free equivalent?For those who don't know, <a href="http://www.ulrichsweb.com/ulrichsweb/">Ulrichsweb</a> is a rather large, very useful, but unfortunately expensive database of periodicals: journals, magazines, newspapers, and newsletters. The sort of information that is very useful to librarians, publishers, and writers. What I find bizarre is that there isn't a free alternative, especially with such a highly skilled user base. <br /><br />When I wanted access to this database a couple of days ago I had to travel all the way down to the British Library to access it! The University of Wolverhampton doesn't have a subscription, and my Open University access is only useful on-site in Milton Keynes. Whilst I'm always happy to have a trip to London, it would obviously be more useful if it was freely available from home.<br /><br />Delving into Ulrichsweb I'm always amazed at how many small and specialist magazines there are, journals that you are unlikely to come across unless you already know that they are there. My favourite find from this trip was the very interesting looking <a href="http://www.stampington.com/html/artful_blogging.html">Artful Blogging</a>. Too often we overlook usefully structured information in favour of the all powerful Google. <br /><br />A web 2.0 approach to periodical directory/database seems like the obvious alternative to Ulrichsweb, especially as it would of particular use to librarians who already have access to so much of the useful information. Not only could such a database be made freely available, but it could be far more up-to-date; I found that many of the Ulrichsweb links no-longer worked, but rather than being able to change the records, they remained inaccurate.<br /><br />Maybe I should put my librarian's hat on and start a <a href="http://dabbledb.com/explore/commons/">creative commons Dabble</a>...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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