North Country Consulting

A New Digital Divide

2008-04-23T09:01:00.002-04:00

The much-heralded Digital Divide seems to be less a problem than it appeared a decade ago. True, there are demographic differences (particularly at the lower end of the economic spectrum), but the latest numbers (see the OCLC post earlier in this blog) suggest massive availability of the Internet in one form or another.

But we much more serious Digital Divide is looming. Rather than adversely affecting demographic groups, it is affecting geographic areas. It has to do with new Web technologies such as the collection known as Web 2.0 and AJAX , RSS, and even blogs. Here's what I'm seeing.

When it comes to non-geographic-specific sites, we find a range of old and new technologies. Plenty of people area out there writing HTML by hand (!), but there are also plenty of people driving Web sites from databases, using AJAX to improve performance and reduce bandwidth, and generally using the new--and simpler--technologies to power Web sites. These sites are truly worldwide in scope--they can be hosted anywhere and developed from anywhere.

However, when it comes to geographic-specific sites--such as a local newspaper or TV station, local businesses, libraries, and government agencies, the story is very different. If you take a community's sites together, some communities present themselves as being as sophisticated as anyone on the Web. And this is one of the great benefits of new technology for small communities: it takes imagination and keeping up with technology to be a worldclass Web site, but it doesn't take a great deal of money.

On the other hand, if you take a community's Web presence as a whole, some seem to be in a time warp from the early days of the Web. Static HTML. Home pages that remain unchanged for years. "Calendars" with current events....from 2002. The assumption is that users will be happy with old technologies and be content to click through endless links that sometimes work. Where are the RSS feeds that deliver updates without effort? Why do we still have Web sites for businesses and public organizations that demand you create account names and passwords with no disclosures about how the information will be used or stored?

It's not surprising that this happens in some communities: the group of Web designers in a community may be happy to live in the past, and users as well as clients, are happy to join them there. Taken together, it's a big flashing sign on the Internet: not keeping up with technology in this community.

WAMC Roundtable: Libraries and Technology

2008-04-06T15:39:00.002-04:00

It's that time again (Monday, April 7, 11 AM). Another Roundtable segment. This time, we'll be talking about how public libraries are using new technologies. (National Library Week runs from April 13-19.)

Joining us will be Josh Cohen, Director of the Mid-Hudson Library System (on which board I served for 12 years, 3 as president). He's also an adjunct instructor for SUNY Albany, and incoming president of the New York Library Association (NYLA).

You never can tell exactly what will happen on live radio, but among the topics we may talk about are how technology levels the playing field among different-sized libraries, gaming in libraries, Web 2.0-how libraries use blogs, etc. for communicating with their communities, extending the walls of the library with technology, and using downloadable books as part of the library's collection.

How to Do Everything: Facebook Applications

2008-02-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

Books have shipped. For more info, videos, discussion board, and updates, visit the book's Facebook Page.

Sharing, Privacy, and Trust in a Networked World

2008-02-02T13:41:00.000-05:00

Fascinating and detailed (280 pages) report from OCLC (Online Computer Library Center). It provides information about Internet use in six countries; it is an update to a report from 2005, so it is able to show trends.

Here are the usage rates in the online population from 2005 to 2007 for various technologies:

search engines: 71% to 90%
email: 73% to 97%
blogs: 16% to 46%

Unfortunately, there's another statistic. Visits to library Web sites dropped from 30% of the online population in 2005 to 20%.

Social Networking and Libraries

2008-02-02T13:40:00.000-05:00

Jane Secker (London School of Economics and Political Science) has a great paper on libraries and Facebook. It's part of LASSIE: Libraries and Social Software in Education.

Roundtable, Monday February 4, 11 AM

2008-02-02T13:38:00.000-05:00

I'm joining Joe and Julia on WAMC's Roundtable on Monday. We'll be talking about social networking and Facebook. There's lots to talk about--the changing concepts of privacy, what viral marketing is, and who's using Facebook (hint: it's not kids).

The Facebook Page for the Book

2008-02-02T13:35:00.000-05:00

There's now a Facebook Page for How to Do Everything: Facebook Applications. There are some video demonstrations of creating apps and a walk-through of the book's example app. Discussion board, a schematic diagram of a Facebook app integrated with a database and external Web site, and a few more goodies (including the links to the downloadable files).

How to Do Everything: Facebook Applications

2008-01-22T14:55:00.000-05:00

My newest book is now available for pre-order from the usual bookselling resources including Amazon.

Special Edition Using FileMaker on Facebook

2007-12-05T10:20:00.000-05:00

Just set up a Facebook Page for the book. It's pretty sparse yet, but feel free to drop by.

FileMaker 9 Book is Out

2007-11-26T13:37:00.000-05:00

First confirmed sighting of Special Edition Using FileMaker 9 (in Italy!). Files are posted on this site here.

Files and Email

2007-11-02T08:03:00.001-04:00

Two people have said they cannot download the files. Unfortunately, as mentioned in another post, if you post a comment here anonymously there is no way for anyone to contact you (that's what anonymous means).

The link to download files is Mashups Files at the right of this page.

To email Jesse, the link is Email Jesse, also at the right of this page.

Both links work for most people, so if you are having trouble, please use the EMAIL link (not comment posting) to contact us so we can help you.

Thanks.

JF

Comments vs. Conversation

2007-10-25T18:36:00.000-04:00

Comments do not always have your email address attached to them. If you're trying to send a message to Jesse, use this email link, not a comment (or both).

Blog/Facebook Link

2007-10-08T08:59:00.000-04:00

This blog is now feeding notes on my Facebook page.

Books Are Out!

2007-09-29T10:01:00.000-04:00

The Mashups book is out, and the downloadable files are online (in the Downloads & Updates section at the lower right).

Book Update

2007-09-21T10:46:00.001-04:00

How To Do Everything with Web 2.0 Mashups is now at the printer. It should be available by the beginning of October. Amazon is now taking orders (scroll down for the link at the right of this page).

And the next one is on its way. Special Edition Using FileMaker 9 is in final production and will be available in November. There's also an Amazon link at the right of this page where you can order it.

Sample code for the Mashups book will be posted here as soon as it is published. To make certain you know when it is posted, join the mailing list (also at the right).

Search Engines and Public Information

2007-09-09T10:12:00.000-04:00

Search engines such as Google and Yahoo! crawl the Web indexing the pages that they find so that you can quickly find the information you want. Webmasters help the search engines by providing information about what is duplicative information that shouldn't be indexed; they also can help the search engines by pointing them to dynamic Web pages that may not be otherwise located.

As Declan McCullagh documented on CNet last week (see following post), search engines were directed away from certain National Intelligence and White House Web pages. The pages were available through direct access, but they didn't show up on search engines.

On the Roundtable, we certainly can't figure out why this happened. But when Jesse Feiler joins Joe and the group on Monday, September 10 at 11 AM, we can certainly talk about how Webmasters help (and sometimes hinder) search engines. The lessons can be valuable to anyone with a Web site.

Declan McCullagh Peers At the Invisible

2007-09-09T10:06:00.000-04:00

In recent articles on CNet, Declan McCullagh has examined some interesting adventures with government Web sites. The Web site of National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell temporarily disappeared from search engines as described in this January 7 article. An earlier story that day documented similar adventures at the White House Web site.

Google Webmaster Help Center

2007-09-09T10:04:00.000-04:00

Search engines like Google want to provide the best results to their users. Here you'll find the main page that Google provides for Webmasters with tips and tools.

Yahoo! support for Webmasters

2007-09-09T09:57:00.000-04:00

Useful information and many links to help you optimize your site and work well with Yahoo! search. This is the main page.

Roundtable Monday July 9, 11 AM

2007-07-06T11:18:00.001-04:00

Join Jesse on WAMC's Roundtable Monday July 9 at 11 AM to talk about earmarks in the Federal Budget.

Jesse's FileMaker database of all 15,000 earmarks from FY2005 is online here . UserID = visitor, password = password.

The database is searchable--select the Info icon for more information. Remember that it's designed primarily for researchers, so there is some budget-ese involved. Also, remember that you can search on amounts of earmarks as well as ranges (such as >1000000, or 1000000...10000000).

Earmarks2005

2007-06-16T18:43:00.000-04:00

Office of Management and Budget has released 15,000 earmarks from the 2005 US Fiscal Year. You can download it as a CSV file from their site (the compressed file is 1.5 MB, with the raw file 13.5 MB.

Roundtable June 11, 10:30 AM

2007-06-10T11:59:00.000-04:00

Jesse joins the Roundtable at 10:30 on Monday, June 11 to talk about Internet resources for public health information. There are some very powerful new technology tools being used to their utmost in the collection, display, and interpretation of data.

ProMED

2007-06-10T11:58:00.000-04:00

The global electronic reporting system for outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases & toxins, open to all sources. ProMED-mail, the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases, is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.

GeoRSS

2007-06-10T11:53:00.002-04:00

Add location information to RSS feeds. Now supported by Google Maps.

International Society for Infectious Diseases

2007-06-10T11:53:00.001-04:00

The orgranization that sponsors ProMED.