Hi Wayne,

As has already been said, the best you can do is find a problem that
you will see real value in solving, and that might be a problem that
seems quite small.
The next step is to find a technology that fits the problem. i.e. is
it web based, do you need to process textual information, records in
particular formats, etc
Then you have to work out how to make that solution deployable abd supportable.
Once you have done that, you will be well on the way to knowing an
awful lot about some very specific areas of how a technology works.

That's my definition of playing :)

Tim

===================
informationtakesover.co.uk


2009/7/22 Wayne Lam <[log in to unmask]>:
> Thank you so much for all the reply.
> Maybe i should say something about my background first.
> I was a business (information system) (a half computer, half business
> degree) student but i work in IT industry for more than 5 years (mainly web
> development),
> I learnt some basic language by that time (outdated already) and i did pick
> up some new technology thanks to google.
> I know some of the programming/scripting language mostly web-based (PHP,
> ASP, Java, javascript ,etc) but not in a very "high level". (Like i can read
> and write some code from opensource project to fit my needs, create some
> little programme using OO approach).
>
> The reason of my question is i feel that coding in library is very
> complicated and advanced. For example, there are both traditional technology
> like MARC and Z39.5 and developing technology like Semantic web, RDF. And
> there are traditional properitary ILS, opensource ILS and some very nice
> discovery tools like VuFind and also some Institute Repository software. All
> these very board and wide variety of software, technology in it make me
> don't know where to start and learn which one first over the other one.
>
> So i start browsing on the internet about what OAI, Solr and all related
> thing without a direction, reading books on what Semantic web is and
> subscribe some mailing list of interesting projects. But for a newbie like
> me, it was a bit like information overflow for me. There are so many
> technology that are new to me and i am afraid that by the time i manage to
> "know" it, that became an old-fashion already. I am wondering if there are
> some way that i can learn it in a structural way.
>
> Thanks all
>
> Wayne
>
> 2009/7/22 Joe Atzberger <[log in to unmask]>
>
>> It's about time to make this thread a wiki post.
>> --Joe
>>
>