Cloud and grid

Bill St Arnaud pointed to this useful blog by Ian Foster:
http://ianfoster.typepad.com/blog/2008/01/theres-grid-in.html

Gives a good overview of some of the issues and adds to the debate of how new cloud computing actually is.

Open access: various news

European Research Council Guidelines for Open Access, Dec 07:
http://erc.europa.eu/pdf/ScC_Guidelines_Open_Access_revised_Dec07_FINAL.pdf

Science Commons announces the Protocol for Implementing Open Access Data
http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/7917

Information World Review, Dec 07: "Bush bombs open access plans in war on spending" covers Bush vetoing the bill to require research funded by NIH to be available on open access sites within 12 months of the first publication. Work is now underway to override the veto and if that doesn't work, it's thought some of the bill will still go through.

Information World Review, Jan 08: "BioMed adds DSpace internet distribution to Open Repository" covers the new open source features added to Open Repository to "make it easier for customers to browse and submit material to the hosted repository solution online".

2008 forecast

Computing (10 Jan) also features a forecast for 2008 "The technology year ahead" where they predict the key issues for the year: green computing, economic confidence, privacy, role of the CIO, transformational government, and digital convergence.

Shared services in local government

Computing (10 Jan) has an interesting news item "Local government not keen on shared services". The main objection seems to be around the time needed to put in place the change management needed for shared services to work - i.e. building partnerships, changing ways of working.

Project managers and Risk management

BCS has a couple of good articles on project management:

- qualities of a project manager
http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.16477

- 4 reasons for proper risk management
http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.16427

"webtop" vs desktop

Just came across this story http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1832 which follows on from previous posts on 4 Dec and 11 Oct.

Open science: implications for librarians

A recent (Nov 07) talk by Liz Lyon to the Assoc of Research Libraries gives a great overview of open science and how communication and collaborative tools are changing ways of working. The talk is directed at librarians, and encourages them to ask some difficult questions about how research data is being managed in their own institutions.

I like the take home messages:

• Open science is driving transformational change in research practice: now
• Curating open data requires strong Faculty links and multi-disciplinary teams: Library + IT + Faculty
• Recognise and respect disciplinary differences: get to know the data centre people, new partnerships
• Libraries have a lot to offer: build on your repository experience
• Data underpins intellectual ideas: we must curate for the future