MLA / CE - Week 8: Mashups and API

Exercise 1: Pick a mashup

I searched MashupAwards and found Star Viewer, Mashup of the Day winner for April 7, 2008. As it states on the site, you can “pan, zoom, and search your way through Google Sky with this YouTube/Google constellation mashup”. Since I am interested in astronomy, I had fun with Star Viewer. I clicked on the Crab Nebula, for example, and a picture of the nebula appeared. Then I was given the option of watching a video and/or reading information about it. I can see why this was a mashup winner.

Exercise 2: Rollyo – Search the librarianblogs Searchroll for “privacy”.

It was interesting to read about the many aspects of privacy that librarian bloggers were discussing. Some wrote passionately about patron privacy, personal privacy, and privacy and security of RFID technology. Others discussed specific social networking sites and privacy, privacy and trust in general, and young people’s view of privacy. All provided much food for thought.