Making research easier

I've been experimenting with a great piece of software called Zotero that allows me, when I'm doing research, to easily capture Web information in a highly usable form. It allows me to make notes, edit information, and export a ready-to-use citation in MLA format.

The software is free and works as a plugin with the Firefox browser. Here's a link to the Zotero Web page where there are two good videos that explain the software and how it works. Check it out. It may make your academic life a lot easier.

The newspaper withers

The owners of traditional newspapers, their profits flat, are frantically cost-cutting. In Jacksonville, the Florida Times-Union cut about 20 jobs from the newsroom, including the movie critic.

The most recent example is in San Angelo, Texas, where the local columnist's job was axed. The columnist, Perry Flippin, left on a despairing note:

"Today, instead of serving primarily as watchdogs, we deliver entertainment fodder interspersed with glitzy ads for consumers. The newspaper's value is measured not by how well it reflects and elevates its community, but by how much money it makes."

He's not the first to make the point, but he makes it well. For local news, especially, there's no other source equal to a newspaper. Radio news is almost non-existent; local TV news emphasizes the sound-bite mentality. And now the newspapers' corporate owners, in panic mode, look for a way to keep on making money.