ASSOCIATES (2004, July, v. 11, no. 1) - associates.ucr.edu

[Editor: Brad Eden wrote his first "Internet Guru" column in Associates (1994, July, v. 1, no. 1) and continued his column until July 2002. Good to hear from you, Brad!]

*The Internet Guru (10 years later)*

Wow, 10 years! Many changes have occurred in the world of the Internet since 1994, not least the appearance of web browsers such as Mosaic that eventually paved the way for Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. Who would have thought that the world of telnet, ftp, and gopher, that I mentioned in my first Internet Guru column (see http://bubl.ac.uk/archive/journals/associates/v01n0194/column6.htm), would change so drastically and so quickly into the phenomenon that the Internet is today. While telnet, ftp, and gopher applications are still available and these protocols are still used, the world now exchanges information through mpeg, pdf, and html files. In fact, an interesting story related to the continued use of gopher applications is available at http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,62988,00.html.

Much has happened, not only with the Internet and related technologies, but in my own life. Realizing that, for myself personally, I needed to move forward in a different direction with my life, I decided to obtain my MLS degree and make librarianship my vocation. Immediately after attaining my degree in 1994, I moved through a number of cataloging and administrative positions, into my current position as Head of Web and Digitization Services at UNLV. It has been a fascinating 10 years. Not only has the Internet changed the way people communicate and work, but it has become an essential component of our society, one that will drive many future developments. Who would have guessed that email and exchanging files over computers would eventually lead to digitization, digital libraries, XML, metadata, and remote services? Not me. It just goes to show that, no matter how much you plan or organize for change, you can never be totally prepared for what is going to happen next.

Associates has been a staple for library support staff for a long time, and I wish it well for the next 10 years of its existence. Thanks for the opportunity that it provided me early in my career, and for its insightful and challenging articles and columns geared towards library support staff. Good luck, and happy surfing!!