by I’ve been suspicous of the supposed link between games and violence. Here’s a news piece suggesting that although teens play violent games, they are not becoming violent. It also notes that games are not all solitary and that many play in groups.
Passion Rekindled
You may notice that from time to time I include news from the ancient world. Perhaps you’re wondering why (or perhaps not). I did an MA in Classics before I did my MLIS and still have a passion for it. If you’re wondering why there’s been a resurgence in my interest (which never really left), it’s partly on account of our move to liaisons. Part of my portfolio now includes liaisoning with the Classics department (yay! Bonus – it’s actually the department I did my MA in, so it’s kind of like coming home). So, library stuff will continue to be the main focus of my blog, but you’ll also be entertained by some ancient world news too.
It’s a Queen!
More from the world of Classics. According to Zahi Hawass, Queen Hatshepsut has been found! She acted as pharoah, the most powerful female pharoah they claim, in 15th century Egypt. This is an absolutely amazing find! There’s lots of media coverage on, but here’s one news piece on it.
Weee!
I got a Wii!!!! More to come once I finish playing…
Virtually Yours
A 3d simulation of ancient Rome has been constructed after 10 years of work. The neat thing is that the simulation can show the different time spans of Rome – from late Bronze Age to its fall in the 6th century. Apparently students and tourists will be able to use the simulation, although its primary function is for scientific and architectural study. I’ve seen the ruins and I’d love to see how they’ve constructed the simulation. I wish I could take a look at it!
It’s Official!
Canada now has it’s first professional gaming league. The gamers continue to grow (and I’m still waiting for my wii) and the recent increase in scholarly research into gaming continues to illustrate that gaming is something we need to be not only watching but doing something about.
The Meaning of a Friend
Thanks to the plethora of social networks out there (MySpace, Facebook, Ning and countless others), the meaning of a ‘friend’ is changing. Just because you are on someone’s friend list does not mean that you are a friend in the traditional sense (hang out, talk on the phone, gossip, etc). In fact, many people try to amass great lists of friends, many they have never met and some have resorted to purchasing friends (yes, you read that right).
LibrarianInBlack posts on her friending predicament and I’ve had similar feelings. This is particularly true when it comes to more professional networks, like Ning. I often don’t know the people who friend me and I may only know others I friend because I read their blog or have chatted once in Second Life. I’ve often wondered if I should accept a friend I don’t know or reach out to someone I barely know. I’ve decided that when it comes to more professional networks (if they can be called such), I will friend them. You never know when an opportunity will arise because of this loose connection. I’ve had it happen and hopefully any future such interactions will be positive.
The definition of friend is morphing into something larger than it ever was – it could be aquaintance or colleague- but I think most people realize this change is happening. Real friends still exist and just because you’re on a friend list does not mean you’re a true friend. Most people are not offended by this thought. So let the friending continue!
Immersive Worlds Conference
I was quite excited when I heard this conference was being held at Brock and it turned out I had reason to be – it was a great conference and I’m still digesting it. One of the exciting things for me was that the conference was diverse – there were gamers, non-gamers, game designers, professors, teachers and librarians, all thinking about the same types of things in slightly different ways. The conference was a great start at collaboration from different spheres and I loved hearing from so many different points of view. As with most conferences, there were too many sessions to choose from for an one time slot. The keynote speakers (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Chris Csikszentmihalyi, James Paul Gee, Denis Dyack) were thought provoking (I’ve left my notes at work and will post details of sessions later). As usual, conversation was great – this is where I find I often get the most from the conference. I was lucky enough to sit with Sarah Robbins (aka Intellagirl), Mark Bell, James Paul Gee and a number of other interesting, well-thought attendees for supper. Needless to say, I went to bed with lots to think about. I hope to attend this conference again.
CLA in St.John’s
This was my first visit to Newfoundland, a visit that was far overdue. The city itself was great. I didn’t attend much of the conference but I did present, run a couple of meetings and attend others. As you may remember from my shameless plug, I presented at CLA on Second Life. I was part of a talented panel (Donna Bourne-Tyson, Denyse Rodrigues, and Nancy Collins) and my portion was on virtual reference. I spoke on my experiences in the Info Island virtual reference project and touched lightly on our recently launched McMaster virtual reference pilot project from our building on Cybrary City. I will likely post some more complete thoughts on the project when it’s done. The session went well (kudos to all presenters) and we had a much bigger crowd than expected (always a pleasant surprise). I’m hoping our powerpoint and handout will be online soon.
I’m Back
Yes, I have been bad with my postings lately, but I’ve been conferencing and vacationing, both which are rejuvenating in their own ways. I thought I would use the next couple of posts to share my conference experiences, although I’m still processing some, so there may be follow up posts.