I wonder how many out there reading this are using a traditional Franklin Planner (--dates back to 1984, named after Benjamin Franklin), Filofax (-- dates back to 1921: "file of facts") Rolodex (dates back to 1956: "rolling index") or something similar that doesn't necessarily dovetail with computers and miscellaneous wireless devices?
We are now doing many things that have been adapted from traditional functions, while engaging in wholly new electronically and internet-driven activities.
Paying attention to what's going on, ruminating about the new milieu and making suggestions for how to seize opportunities in it: that's some of what Clara Shih achieves in The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better Products, Reach New Audiences, and Sell More Stuff(Prentice Hall, 2009).
Shih devotes a lot of time to collaborative interaction, indicating one's "level of engagement" by flowing up a pyramid scale: from simple skimming (viewing) through intermediate activities (voting/tagging, commenting) to actively creating and producing.
Shih touches on a number of global networks, many I'd not noticed or heard of until she brought them up. Now I sometimes pick up a new trail in the news like this one, thanks to her: "AOL looking to shut down or sell Bebo this year" (Kevin Spiess - Wednesday, April 7th, 2010); the same article notes that AOL itself is tanking [as badly as, say, Blockbuster], plunging from 25 million plus subscribers in 2002 to a little more than 5 million at the beginning of 2010.)
I was also inspired by Shih to check Alexa, a site that constantly tracks internet volume (See www.alexa.com), and found its www rankings as of today:
Shih also mentions Hi5, Friendster, Tagged, Orkut, Xanga, LinkedIn, Classmates.com, Mixi, Skyrock, Xiaonei, Ning, Netlog and others. Are there any I missed?
Duke's latest triumph reminds me of the couple of years I worked among Blue Devils. A "Carolina" alum and library school graduate student, I worked in Public Documents and Maps, Perkins Library, in the late 1980s. Verdict: an excellent experience.
My pal Evan's parents were both librarians, friends and co-workers -- Donn Michael Farris, head of the Duke Divinity School Library (d. 2005) and Joyce Farris (d. 2006), original cataloging librarian at Perkins Library. My pal Ken's father also worked there and has since donated his papers to Duke. To quote from the official abstract: Dale B.J. Randall taught in the English Dept. from 1957-1999 and in the Drama Program from 1991-1999. The collection includes material related to both the English Dept. and the Drama Program as well as Randall's research. Types of material include correspondence, flyers, programs, clippings and articles. The collection ranges in date from 1940-2009.
Two of my favorite folks in the Public Documents and Maps Department were Yoko Akiba (d. 2004), who'd survived the American bombings of Japan during World War II and later worked at the Library of Congress; and Stuart Basefksy, Public Documents Reference Librarian, who now works at Cornell University.
I've written before about Wallace Fowlie (d. 1998), the author who donated his art collection to Duke's Nasher Museum of Art and various other materials to the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, and have mentioned my pal Joe McGeary, who earned his Ph.D. at Duke and now teaches English in Germantown, Philadelphia, after a stint in Detroit. A salute to all, living and departed.
Congrats to the Duke University men's basketball team and their happy fans, including Jamie, Ken, Joe, Evan and my Dad. (Strangely, I don't know any women who are long-term Duke fans, off the top of my head).
Duke is now the NCAA champion team for a year . . . following UNC's championship win last year (the Tar Heels lost the final game in the NIT this time around -- they are "rebuilding" for next year). Between Duke and UNC at Chapel Hill, there are plenty of national titles to go around. Duke has now won four: 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010. UNC has earned five titles: 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009. That's ACC basketball, the most intense college basketball rivalry I've ever experienced, by far. If you don't believe it, try a Duke-UNC game at Cameron Indoor Stadium some day . . . Congrats again, you Blue Devils.
If there's a difference, it's a small one. Propaganda wants to instill a certain attitude, advertising wants to inspire good feelings about a product or service. Do Geico ads have anything to do with insurance, other than a proclaimed low price?
