Are we all done!

Just had to wrap up Net 11 with a final blurb.

At times I thought I would never get all the tasks done, the assigment done or by blog completed.  But its all done now and I can head off to the next unit.  I really enjoyed the subjects and for the most part the tasks.  My biggeset hurdle or challenge for me was most definitely the discussion board.  This is something that I need to work on myself…..its just a confidence thing with me….or should I say lack of…..

I have definitely learnt heaps and realise in saying that, that I have only just began to scratch the surface of the intriging world of the internet.  So off I go to explore some more!

Amanda

 

Just finished my assignment!

Wow, I have just finished my assignment.  Some reflections!!  That was really difficult for me…definitely a challenge of great proportions.  I have not written anything like that since secondary school.  I have done my best.  I worked hard and hope its enough to pass.  I have a great sense of achievement at having completed my first uni subject, and I still managed to work and provide my family with clean clothes and a cooked dinner every night.  They may never want to eat ‘spag bol’ ever again but hey they didn’t starve.  I thank my family for their support.  Love you guys!! 

 

Conceptual Research & Reflection Project

Concept 7: Netiquette

“Good communication practice on the internet is not something one ‘learns’, but something one ‘practices’ so as to teach others, less familiar than yourself, how it is done.” (Allen, n.d.)

When I was growing up my mother was always reminding me of correct etiquette and instilled on me the values of correct and ethical social behaviour. 

Fundamentally, netiquette has exactly the same meaning, but relates to the correct ethical and social behaviour over the internet.  The name itself derives from the words etiquette and internet as described by our very own government. (Australian Government, n.d.)

Correct netiquette encourages others to embrace the same behaviour and it is up the more advanced internet user to instil this to other less advanced internet users than ourselves.  Treat others as you would expect them to treat you.  Good old fashioned courtesy.  Set a good example for others to follow.  Remember that we are communicating via the internet, but the information we are sending is still being sent to a real person. 

Another aspect of internet communication and correct netiquette that is of great importance is the cross cultural diversity of the internet.  The world wide web is indeed just that and as a result we are surrounded by users from so many cultures and backgrounds.  We must not assume that a word or a practice that we find completely acceptable and normal is accepted in the same way by a person from a different background or a person who has different beliefs from ourselves. 

This is concisely described by Professor of Linguistics at America University, Naomi S. Baron.

“Human linguistic exchange is shaped not only by modality and technology but by linguistic and cultural diversity.  These issues are important in working with language on the Internet because failure to be aware of subtle cultural considerations can wreak havoc on what may at first glance, seem to be straightforward tasks of writing Internet content, parsing text, or constructing translation programs.” (Baron, 2003)

When we talk to someone face to face or even over the telephone, we are able to discern certain things, such as the emotional state of a person by listening to the tone of their voice, by their facial expressions, their body language and so on.

 “However in most cases on the net, all we’ve got to deal with is text.” (Curtin University, Netiquette Guide). 

Just as we can show emotions in the tone of our voice, we can also show tone and emotion in our internet communication. There is every chance if you sit down to write an email in an angry state, that emotion will probably be conveyed in the tone of your email.  It is at this time the writer may be best served to take a moment to reflect on the content and pause before responding or until they have calmed down. 

Although there are fundamental netiquette rules, these rules can differ depending where on the internet we are communicating.  Sending an email to someone would require a different approach to chatting online to that same person.  Virginia Shea elaborates this fact in her book, Netiquette.

“What’s perfectly acceptable in one area may be dreadfully rude in another. For example, in most TV discussion groups, passing on idle gossip is perfectly permissible. But throwing around unsubstantiated rumors in a journalists’ mailing list will make you very unpopular there.” Shea, V (1994)

Familiarise yourself with your ‘cyberspace’ surroundings, before launching in and posting comments or offering your opinion.  Research the netiquette of a particular domain or platform, as a courtesy to others.

As the global internet community continues to grow and more and more users join this community as contributors, netiquette will become increasingly important.  From my own perspective I would much prefer a community that has patience with each other, respect for differences in culture, opinion and diversity of skill.  Allow for mistakes to be made, but lead by example and practice a little netiquette. 

(497 words)

Site 1:
Feinberg, A. (Sept 1990). Netiquette. Lotus, 6, n9. p.66(3). Retrieved May 16, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale:
http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodId=ITOF

Feinberg is able to convey, the ease at which we can send an email that may have ramifications we do not necessarily want.  In a sometimes humorous way he is able to describe to us what can go wrong, how to avoid the pitfalls, and offers some examples of big ‘stuff ups’ that have occurred over a period of time. Feinberg elaborates on the finer points of email writing by also touching on the correct techniques for sharing within a network environment, and sums up his paper by providing the reader with a list of ‘The Finer Points of Netiquette’, which is quick and easy to read.

(107 words)

Site 2:
Dolan, P. L. (June 2, 2008). June 2, 2008. Social networking etiquette: Making virtual acquaintances.(Business). American Medical News, 51, 21. p.17.
Retrieved May 16, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale:
http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodId=ITOF

Although this paper was written by Dolan, for publication in American Medical News, I found the information was relevant and helpful to any user of the internet.  The information was clearly set out and offered some sound advice on social networking for professionals, wanting to network with other likewise professionals.  The information is clearly set out and easy to understand.  Dolan elaborates on ways to keep our business and personal social networks separate, and offers advice on what not to do within the realms of social networking.  The text is written in a friendly and non technical way which makes this site useful for internet users of different skill levels.

(110 words)

References:

Allen, M (n.d.) Internet communications concepts document.
Retrieved May 15, 2009, from
http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapps/portal/

etiquette. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1).
Retrieved May 15, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary1.classic.reference.com/browse/etiquette

netiquette. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary1.classic.reference.com/browse/netiquette

What is netiquette? Australian Government. (n.d.)
Retrieved May 15, 2009 from
http://www.netalert.gov.au/advice/behaviour/netiquette_emoticons/What_is_netiquette.html

Netiquette guide, Curtin University, Content last modified: February 18, 2009.
Retrieved May 16, 2009
http://oasis.curtin.edu.au/help/general/netiquette.cfm

Shea, V. (1994) Netiquette, by Virginia Shea, The Core Rules of Netiquette, excerpted from the book, Netiquette.
Retrieved May 16, 2009
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.

Baron, N.S (2003) The Language of the Internet
Retrieved May 17, 2009
http://www1.american.edu/lfs/tesol/2003%20Paper–Lg%20of%20the%20Internet.pdf

******************************************************************************

Concept 17: The impact of text-based real-time chat

“Communicating in real-time with text enables a form of ‘authoring of the self’ that is similar to the processes of face-to-face speech but which is much more amenable to authorial control, experimentation and reflection.  Further, text-based communication carries with it the possibility for multiple, differing conversations occurring simultaneously, relying on the ability of the human brain to deal with text much better that speech” (Allen, n.d)

Instant messaging, chat rooms, virtual places for virtual conversations. In other words, text-based, real-time chat.   My teenagers have mastered the art of chatting, so much so, that they can have multiple conversations without even thinking about it.  I wonder at how much information is processed as they skip from one chat to the other, within their social network.

When we consider the fundamental differences between text based, real-time chat and a face to face conversation, such as our facial expressions, our body language or the volume and tone of our voice, we are removing much of the human element of conversation.  We cannot ‘see’ who we are talking to, part of our identity, part of who we are, what makes us human is taken away.  There is a element of anonymity. Learning to overcome these limitations can enhance an online conversation.

“Nonverbal communication adds nuance or richness of meaning that cannot be communicated by verbal elements alone. Given time and experience, some of the same richness of real-time, face-to-face communication can occur in a virtual, text-based medium.” (Gajadar & Green, 2005)

For some, this is exactly what they want, an opportunity to ‘lurk’ in inappropriate areas, such as the ever presence of paedophiles who prey on unsuspecting children and teenagers.  For others face to face and social interaction can be challenging and difficult.  Consider a person with a physical impairment and the restrictions of normal face to face interaction.  A platform such as text based real time chat can offer a safe and level playing field.  Here they can be more open and expressive without being judged by these social or physical restrictions.  A chance to be accepted for who they are, in a non judgemental way.

Text-based real-time chat affords the user the opportunity to think before they ‘speak’.  In face to face situations we can sometimes say something before we have really had an opportunity to think clearly about what we wish to convey.  A text-based conversation such as in online chatting can for some provide more clarity, allowing the processing of information to take place before responding.  Paradoxically, the fact that we can be distracted whilst involved in a text based chat, could equally prevent us from clearly processing the information and therefore responding in an unsuitable or nonsensical manner.

The impact that chat has had on society is massive.  Millions of users around the world are busily chatting away at any one time.  Just as with telephone conversations, the reason for chatting can be diverse.  Many people use chat on a day to day basis, whether staying in touch with family and friends or as a means of communication within a work environment, such as mine. Whilst it is only one communication method that we use, it is a valuable tool enabling multiple employees to join a conversation or similarly on a one to one basis, with relatively no cost to the company. 

When we think about cost involved in long distance communication, text-based real-time chat is relatively cost efficient which makes the method widely available to anyone with a computer.

“But there are great advantages to the text based approach. The bandwidth requirements are low, much lower than sending audio or video. The hardware requirements are low too: any computer or PDA has a means of entering and displaying text whereas not every machine has sound/video capabilities.
(Roddy & Epelman-Wang, 1998)

As the internet becomes more readily available in developing countries, this method of communication enables communities and individuals to share and contribute information in this global ‘space’.  It is truly extraordinary, when we can be interacting with so many people of different backgrounds and economic situations from vast areas of our planet.

(527 words)

Site 1:
What is a chat room? (n.d.)
Retrieved May 18, 2009, from
http://www.tech-faq.com/chat-rooms.shtml

The information contained here would be most suitable to someone new to online chatting.  Here brief descriptions are given on the history of chat rooms, how they have evolved and a general overview of what types of chat rooms there are.  Included is a helpful direction on Chat room etiquette that for a first time user would be most useful.  Whilst there is no technical data as such, the reader can learn the basic requirements need to become an active text-based chatter.   The reader also has the opportunity to research the topic and closely related information within the same database, expanding the range of their knowledge.

(106 words)

Site 2:
Lewis, C., Fabos, B. (2005) Instant Messaging, Literacies, and Social Identities.
Retrieved May 18, 2009, from
http://www.reading.org/Publish.aspx?page=RRQ-40-4-Lewis.html&mode=retrieve&D=10.1598/RRQ.40.4.5&F=RRQ-40-4-Lewis.html&key=DC01C0D7-8E7D-4220-A0B8-AC7BE1F778B3#

For a close up look of the world of Instant Messaging (IM) and teenagers this was a very interesting journal.  Lewis and Fabos enter the world of the the teenage social network and offer interesting perspectives of how IM impacts on their lives and relationships with others. They study the reasons why young people use IM, and the expectations they have in relation to the use of IM in socialising with friends and associates, and in what ways they use IM to build on and extend their social groups and circle of friends.

(93 words)

References:

Gajadhar, J., Green, J., (2005) The Importance of Nonverbal Elements in Online Chat, Educause Quarterly, Volume 28, Number 4.
Retrieved May 15, 2009, from
http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/TheImportanceofNonverbalElemen/157368

Allen, M (n.d.) Internet communications concepts document.
Retrieved May 15, 2009, from
http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapps/portal/

Roddy & Epelman-Wang (1998) Interface Issues in Text Based Chat Rooms, SIGCHI Newsletter, Vol.30 No.2, April 1998
Retrieved May 15, 2009, from
http://www.sigchi.org/bulletin/1998.2/roddy.html

*****************************************************************************

Concept 23: Human-computer interfaces

“The Internet lessens the recognition of difference between humans and computers because, at a distance, it is often feels similar to communicate and act on the Internet regardless of whether one is speaking to a human or a machine.” (Allen, n.d.)

Mankind has always thrived on invention and progress.  It’s a natural part of human behaviour.  The history of computers one could argue dates back to when the Abacus was invented by the Chinese in 3000bc.  The abacus was developed as an interactive tool to be used by a human to lighten the task of calculation.  It was and is an effective tool that some still use today.

Now as we leap thousands of years ahead, to the technical age of the present day, computers have advanced somewhat, to say the least, and are now common household items, used for a multitude of purpose.  Not only do we use computers to ease our workload, but we use them for communication, recreation and interaction. 

Along with the computer came the development of the internet. 

“In 1969, the US Department of Defense wanted a communication system that could not be destroyed in the event of an emergency. They linked computers over telephone lines so that if one computer failed to work, the others could still communicate with each other.” (Australian Government, n.d.)

Of course since 1969, much progress has been made and the internet has grown to become what it is today.  The latest data shows us that there are over 1.5 billion people using the internet today.  (Internet World Wide Statistics Website, May 2009)

People use the internet for many different reasons.  One of the areas that have emerged from this new technology is online gaming.  No longer is it necessary for us to find someone to play along with when we can play the computer instead.  A friend of mine recently introduced me to a great game called Lexulous.   Here you can jump in and learn the rules of the  game by  playing against the computer before challenging  a real person to a game.  As I continued to pit myself against the computer, in vain I might add, I began to forget that I was in fact playing a computer and not a human being.  However, it was my choice to interact with a game bot.

Sometimes things are not always as they seem. Early this decade, whilst working for Yahoo , Dr Udi Manber, who now works at Google,  undertook the challenge of creating a way of detecting the difference between human intelligence and artificial intelligence. Manber was quoted as saying:

“What we needed, was a simple way of telling a human user from a computer program.” (Robinson, 2002)

It was at this time that Yahoo was experiencing large scale problems stemming from huge numbers of bots attempting to gain access to personal information of its members.

“Rogue computer programs masquerading as teenagers were infiltrating Yahoo chat rooms, collecting personal information or posting links to Web sites promoting company products.  Spam companies were creating havoc by writing programs that swiftly registered for hundreds of free Yahoo email accounts then used them for bulk mailings.” (Robinson, 2002)

Over the following years, a team of computer scientists, headed by Dr Manuel Blum, developed a range of puzzles which they decided to call Captchas (Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart).  These puzzles could be generated by computers and even graded by computers, but computers could not pass the puzzle tests.  These Captchas were based on a test dating back some 50 years ago, developed by the mathematician, Dr Alan Turing.

Nowadays, we invariably have to enter a Captcha correctly before we are given access to many websites requiring membership or password identity.  In effect we are now needing to prove to computer programs that we are indeed human.

As users of the internet, we know there are increasing numbers of incidences where we are interacting with a bot or a computer program.  But we understand this and accept it.  The choice is ours.  There is no deception involved. 

(522words)

Site 1:
Florida State University (2005, November 15). Online Learning’s Frontier: Researcher Gives Computers A ‘Human’ Face. ScienceDaily.
Retrived May 21, 2009, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051115170829.htm

I found this article really interesting, in which Science Daily discusses research and development by Amy L Baylor, a researcher from the Florida State University. It is very relevant to this topic and furthermore about how human computer interfaces are developing.  Baylor has been developing a system that equips the computer or computer program with not just a human avatar, but a personality, and a pleasant voice which enhances the interaction and acceptance by a human user, in particular in an online learning environment.  Of particular significance is the use of ‘pedagogical agents’ (http://ldt.stanford.edu/~slater/pages/agents/main.htm) which are able to mimic human facial expressions. Better watch out, teachers of the world!

(108 words)

Site 2:
The Official Captcha Site: Telling Humans and Computers Apart Automatically
Retrieved May 20, 2009, from
 http://www.captcha.net/

This site gives detailed explanations of how the technology of Captcha was developed and how it can be applied.  Readers are given an overview and are able to read in detail about how Captchas work such as, preventing comment spam in blogs, protecting website registration, protecting email addresses from scrapers, amongst many other applications.  Visitors to this site can also download a free Captcha for their site, test drive Captchas and access Academic Publications & Presentations.  You can even play some games that are described as addictive, with the intention of helping computers to learn to think more like humans.  I wonder is that something we really want to do!

(110 words)

References:

Australian Government (n.d) Guide 2: What is the Internet, The Culture Portal
Retrieved May 20, 2009, from
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/resources/guides/g2/s2.htm
Robinson, S (2002, December 10). Human or Computer? Take This Test.
The New York Times
Retrieved May 20, 2009, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/10/science/human-or-computer-take-this-test.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

Internet World Stats (2009)
Retrieved May 19th, 2009, from
http://www.internetworldstats.com/

electronic banking. (2009). In Webster’s New World Finance and Investment Dictionary
Retrieved May 19th, 2009, from
www.yourdictionary.com/finance/electronic-banking

*******************************************************************

Concept 33: Information and attention

“In the era of the ‘attention economy’, readers and users of Internet information must be carefully craft, in their own minds, the kind of metadata which will – almost instinctively – ‘fit’ with the metadata of the information sources they want, so that – in the few brief moments of initial exchange, when a seeker of information encounters information being sought, rapid, effective judgements are made that ‘pay off’ in terms of further reading, accessing and saving.” (Allen, n.d.)

Have I got your attention?  If I have and I can manage to keep it then I am in possession of a valuable commodity, especially in relation to the internet.  If my website is interesting enough to draw and keep your attention, then advertisers will pay to advertise on my site and consequently I make money.  Sounds easy right!

“Big companies don’t automatically get attention on the Web simply because they have a lot of money.  Having money can enable  a company to make a diverting multimedia website, and generate awareness of it through conventional media and promotions, but if the website has no engaging content it will not win attention” (Gauntlett, 2000)

It can be a challenge to get and keep someone’s attention.  In the case of the internet, where a relatively new economy has emerged, known as the ‘attention economy’ (Goldhaber, 1997), this can be an especially demanding task. 

“The internet has transformed into a superfluous repository of information in the present era. Consequently, this information overload is causing a deficit or a scarcity of attention. Now if you are not quite familiar with the usage of the word “attention” in the context of this discussion, it simply refers to consumption of information.” (Sura, 2009)

People are inundated with information, overloaded with facts, figures, theories, opinions, blogs, music, news, the list seems endless.  How do we ensure that in a time poor society, when someone visits our website, we can keep their interest level up, grab their undivided attention.  It is becoming increasingly competitive to attract attention.  Many companies rely on multiple websites with search engine’s linking these sites.  Search engine optimisers are busy trying to find different ways of ensuring maximum hits. 

Decisions will be made in moments, when seeking information.  People will only invest enough time to glance the metadata, skimming the surface to perceive whether further attention is warranted.

“Supporting perception means increasing both the ability to notice relevant information and to discard irrelevant ones.  We recognise at least four different manners in which perception may be enhanced: (1) facilitating the selection of relevant information, (2) facilitating information comprehension, (3) supporting group perception, and (4) presenting interruptions at the correct level of conspicuity” (Roda & Nabeth, 2006)

Some people are attracted to visual stimulus, they may be attracted to a colourful display of information, for others the ease of understanding the information may be beneficial to holding their attention.  In a classroom environment, involving the whole class in interaction could prove successful in grabbing attention, such as a discussion board or even a Facebook  page.

Companies wanting to chase this attention economy will need to invest time and money into keeping up with the latest technology and ways in which to harness the attention. 

One of the latest and fastest growing attention grabbing platforms is Twitter.  Like many of these platforms that provide messaging service, Twitter is free for anyone to join.  What differs about Twitter is that the messaging is restricted to short messages no longer than 140 characters, within the phrase, “What are you doing?”, and the messages or response to this question are then displayed on your page, for all to see.  It certainly has had no problem grabbing people’s attention and millions of people have already joined up. It’s quick and easy to use and people are able to subscribe and become your followers.  Even prominent politicians, actors and musicians have their own page, so we can all keep up with what they choose for us to keep up with.  A simple yet powerful tool to grab and keep peoples attention.

Up until now, Twitter has not really begun to make a great deal of money.  So far there are no advertisers allowed.  At present they are working on their business model to ensure Twitter lives on as a viable business.

“We plan to build Twitter, Inc into a successful, revenue-generating company that attracts world-class talent with an inspiring culture and attitude towards doing business.” (Twitter Inc, n.d)

It seems to me that Twitter already has the most valuable commodity.  Attention; and lots and lots of it.  Perhaps this is where the future of the attention economy lies, first secure the attention and then the money will follow.

(510 words)

Site 1:
Goldhaber, M. (1997) The Attention Economy and the Net
Retrieved May 21, 2009,from
http://www.well.com/user/mgoldh/AtEcandNet.html

This is an in depth overview of Michael Goldhaber’s proposed theory of the attention economy.  Golbhaber introduces us to the philosophy behind his idea of how the attention economy grew into what it is today. He explains in detail how man has almost reached his materialistic consumption and is moving onto a new commodity, that of attention.  Goldhaber elaborates on the value and scarcity of attention and why it is seen as valuable.  In conclusion he makes note of the fact that the web offers everyone the opportunity to have ‘a crack’ at the attention economy.

(96 words)

Site 2:
Iskold, A. (March 1, 2007) The Attention Economy: An Overview, Read Write Web.
Retrieved May 21, 2009, from
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/attention_economy_overview.php

I found this site to be visibly interesting, which coupled with some concise yet interesting text, provided lots of food for thought.  Iskold offers some different points here and his flow charts provide us with an overview of the way in which the attention economy works. It added clarity to the information.  Iskold also makes mention of not for profit organisation, Attention Trust, founded by Steve Gillmor and Seth Goldstein.  Set up to protect consumers they developed a set of principles or rules to be considered by any company wanting to take part in the Attention economy, which Iskold also chooses to publish here. 

(104 words)

References:

Gauntlett, D. (2000) Basic Web Economics: How things work in the ‘attention economy’
Retrieved May 22, 2009, from
http://www.newmediastudies.com/economic.htm

Sura, A (January, 11, 2009) Attention economy, Web Data Source
Retrieved May 22, 2009, from
http://www.webdatasource.com/2009/01/attention-economy/

Roda, R. & Nabeth, T. (2006) Attention Management in Virtual Community Enviroments. 
Retrieved May 22, 2009, from
http://www.ac.aup.fr/~croda/publications/RodaNabeth_AIM200610.pdf

Twitter Inc, (n.d.) What’s Next for Twitter? About Twitter
Retrieved May 22, 2009, from
http://twitter.com/about#about

********************************************************************

 

Information Ecologies!

How might the metaphor of an ‘ecology’ impact on the way you think about, understand or use the Internet?

Generally, ecologies are constantly changing.  Things move, leave, come, go, die and change and these factors effect the ecology.  If ‘cyberspace’ is the ecosystem, then the information and technologies that form part of the makeup of ‘cyberspace’ are constantly changing and evolving.  As new technologies become available and these technologies become more widely available and affordable, the ecology changes and evolves.  But as Nardi & O’Day suggest, “In information ecologies, the spotlight is not on technology, but on human activities that are served by technology.”  After thinking about this I realise as a user of the internet, I must also constantly change and evolve in my thinking and the way I use and utilise the internet.  People will change the internet, technology will change the internet.  The information available on the internet will constantly change and be added to.

To me I never really thought about everything working together.  MSN was a way to chat, Google was a way to search for something, emails kept me up to date with friends, family and were an integral part of my work, but as I think back on what we have learnt, I have found that they really all rely on one another.  All of these things are connected via the internet.  Its like one big entity, that is full of information, social networks, music, pictures, the list seems endless, all constantly being added to and updated. 

How are the concepts ‘information’ and ‘communication’ understood within the framework of an ‘information ecology’?

Information is the ‘guts’, the lifeblood of the internet or ‘cyberspace’.  People, like you and I, put the information out there for others to read, use, listen to or look at.  Communication is the vehicle we choose to connect to that information, whether is be on a chat program, via email, watching a video or listening to music.  The form of communication is the way we receive the information that exists within the ‘Information Ecology’.

Why don’t we talk of a ‘communication ecology’?

Information is the critical basis of the ecology,  whereas communication is simply a way to disperse the information.  Ecology is the study of  the interaction between living thing and the environment.  In the case of Information Ecology, one could say that the ‘Information’ is the living thing and the communication forms part of the ecological system it lives in.

 

Evaluating the Web!

I went with the first hit that came up because when I did the search on ‘Google’ I could instantly see that the material written in this site had been cited 151 times.

http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol1/issue4/december.html

I found the sight to be a rich source of information referring to the subject of Internet Communication.  In the introduction author John December, provides a detailed outline and introduction to Internet communication.  All his quotes have been correctly referenced and he has provided the reader with accompanying graphics and visual diagrams to back up the information, which for me as a visual learner is very important.  By providing a link to his website, a reader could easily see that the author, John December was educated and qualified to research and write the material.  December’s data was factual and unbiased, providing the reader with both technical and factual information.  A reader could go on to read further and discover more deeply the intricacies of the subject, as December moves to expand on the topic.  At the end of the document, December, provides us with a clear and concise list of references used throughout the article.

Comparing the analysis

In terms of my own future use, I would probably refer back to the original ‘snapshot’ as this also provided a visual description in the form of an image, and this would remind me specifically of the content of the site.

In terms of external users, a link to the page would be most beneficial with the first section providing a table of contents, that would enable any person visiting the site to quickly peruse the information to see if was of relevance to them.

Reflections:

At times during this module I was feeling quite frustrated.  I found the search tasks reaped mixed results and once again reminding me how time consuming searching the internet can be.  When I look back and reflect on the tasks I realised that I had learnt quite a lot, not only about searching, storing and evaluating the information but also about getting out of my comfort zone and exploring alternative options that are available to anybody who is willing to give them a try and invest a bit of time researching.

 

Searching the Web!

Search Words:

Internet Communication

Google search:

My initial result for this search on google is an astounding 2.75 million.  What I noticed immediately was that at the top of the search were three hits under ‘Scholarly Articles’.  Well of course I clicked on the first result and straight away was whisked to another screen ‘Google Scholar’.  Aha I thought let me first bookmark this.  I had no idea that such a search tool was available via ‘Google’.  I wanted to continue down the other path of the regular ‘Google search’, so I returned to the initial search via ‘Google’.  Aside from the fact that the number of hits is clearly too many for one person to search through in a reasonable amount of time, I find that the list of results is clear and from the description I can sift through the hits that I may want to pursue or avoid.

Google: First 5 Hits

http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol1/issue4/december.html

http://worldadmin.net/Cisco-Training-Describe-the-components-required-for-network-and-Internet-communications-389-i.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband_Internet_access

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Internet

http://technet.microsoft.com/es-es/library/cc766131.aspx

Copernic search:

The most notable difference between these two searches is the number of hits.  Copernic’s search for the exact same words result in just 62 hits.  Is is quality over quantity.  To be honest at this point I still find the whole web search can be frustrating time consuming and sometime seemingly fruitless in my attempts to wade through the volume of information, that is relevant information.  There certainly isn’t any lack of information.  But what of the quality.  My initial hits on Copernic seem more relevant, but a lot was not.  I had to negotiate through advertising, sponsored sites, book sales and crap basically.  Maybe I still learn to look in the right place.

 http://www.actewagl.com.au/education/Communications/Internet/default.aspx

http://www.it.murdoch.edu.au/~sudweeks/catac98/pdf/07_voiskounsky.pdf

http://llt.msu.edu/vol7num2/thorne/

http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2009handbooks/units/GCO3824.htmlhttp://robles.callutheran.edu/~tierney/comm.

http://webliminal.com/essentials/eoc-rtfs/ch03.htm

First glance:

On first glance I thought oh yes, Google was better, but digging a little deeper and sifting throught the hits, I think maybe Copernicus might just scrape through by a nose, but certainly not a big nose!

Boolean Booyeah

I found by using the Google Advanced search that the best results were achieved.  Here I was able to specify that both of my words ‘Internet Communication appeared in the title.  This succeeded in more successful and relevant hits.  But again I did feel a little dissappointed with the result.  The Copernic Agent Basic did not allow me to filter the information in the way I wanted.  Each time I attempted to use a filter I was advised that the feature was not available and I would need to upgrade to a paid version.  We were not able to download a trial version for this, so I resorted to a tool already familiar and available to me.

Organising Search Information:

I actually had problems with both ‘Pagesucker’ and ‘Web Copier’.  When I went back to use ‘Web Copier’ I kept getting an error message and it would then shut down……so I deleted it and reinstalled….same message.  Okay so let me try ‘Page sucker’.  It loaded okay but when I went to use it, I was told I needed to download a java file which I tried to download but had no idea which one of the many I needed to use.  So back to the drawing board.  I found another free to download Offline Copier program, called Pagenest, which was easy to use and seemed to have the same funtionality as the previously mentioned programs.  s

So this is the program I used for organizing  my search information, for this task.  It allowed me to easily set up a folder, which I downloaded my three sources to, from where I could readily locate them again.

Below is the inforamtion recorded about each site:

Site 1:

URL: http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol1/issue4/december.html

Author: John December

Institution: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Site 2:

URL: http://www.actewagl.com.au/Education/communications/Internet/

Author: ActewAGL (Copyright 2003 – 2009, ActewAGL Retail. ABN 46 221 314841)

http://www.actewagl.com.au/contact/

Institution: AGL – Energy Suppliers, ACT, Australia

   Site 3:

URL: http://www.it.murdoch.edu.au/~sudweeks/catac98/pdf/07_voiskounsky.pdf

Author: C. Ess and F. Sudweeks (eds). Proceedings Cultural Attitudes Towards
Communication and Technology ’98, University of Sydney, Australia, 100-115.

Institute: University of Sydney

 

Module 4 – Tools for using the web

Tools I downloaded:

• Real Networks Real One for Windows
• Copernic Meta for PC
• Bookmark Buddy
• Webcopier for Windows

The reason for choosing Real Networks Real One and Copernic was to try alternative programs to the ones I currently use.  I downloaded Bookmark Buddy and Webcopier as I had not used these type of programs before and wanted to see if I could learn more about them and see if they were beneficial to me.

I have to say that I found in the relatively short amount of time I had to play with Bookmark Buddy, that it was rather cumbersome to use.  I find that my bookmarks in Firefox are simple to organise and use, so at this point do not see the need to persist with Bookmark Buddy.  However, I plan to leave it loaded on my laptop and persist with it to see if it offers more than my current bookmark system.  I found Webcopier confusing and again with little time at this point to persist I will leave it for now and keep it loaded for the free trial period and invest more time to play later.

 

Furl vs HTML Version

Visually the Furl version is without a doubt doing it for me a whole lot more than the HTML version.  Its easy to see where I want to go and with a simple click of the mouse I am on my way. The colours and graphics make for a more pleasing and appealing page to visit whereas the HTML version did not offer this at all.

However, I actually found that by scrolling down the page of the HTML version I could see at a glance what each link represented and what I could expect when I clicked on it.  I found it quicker to scan and see what was available.

Which would I prefer.  I think it would depend on what I was doing.  If I was visiting casually and just having a look around I would probably go for the more visually appealing Furl version.  Perhaps if I was in a hurry or wanting to locate something quickly I would prefer the HTML version.

 

Web 2.0

In the beginning we had Web 1.0!  That was pretty cool.  We could as end users, turn on our computers and look up information.  No longer were we restricted to going to the library and reading a book to learn about something, or picking up a newspaper and reading the latest news.  Web 1.0 enabled us to go online and gather information, learn new things and it was fanstastic.  But to be a contributor we had to know coding, HTML to be able to write, design or update a web page.  For most of us that was not going to be possible, unless we did a crash course in HTML.  Hey didn’t we just do that!!

After reading our notes and visiting the links provided I was still a little fuzzy and found another video on You Tube that helped to further clarify this term and what it meant and represented.

View the video here

Over 10 years later the term Web 2.0 emerged and the World Wide Web began to become more end user friendly.  Suddenly the WWW was interactive.  It was the users, the contributors that were suddently making the web what it is today.  The contributors were defining what the web was becoming.

Social networking became the new buzz word and it seemed everyone was participating.  With the emergence of such platforms as Facebook, MSN and now Twitter, anybody could become part of a social group, or just drop by for a chat. We can sing out allowed to anyone who wants to listen by posting a video on You Tube

Suddenly we could all not only source information but contribute information as well.  Blogging became another big buzz word and as we have already seen, there are blogs out there on everything.  Web 2.0 has made this all possible.  It has been made easy and fun for us to do these things.  We don’t need to know how to write code or understand what syntax or programming language is being used and we do not need to know what ajax means.  We just need to know how we can use it and what applications we can use to best suit our needs and requirements.

 

Blogs!

It was only about 3 years ago that I first learnt about blogs, although it was a long time prior to that, when I first came across a blog; I just didn’t know what it was called.

I love blogs and blogging.  It’s easy, fun and I can express myself and my opinions as I please.  The fact that nobody will read it doesn’t really bother me, in fact for the most part blogging for me had been more about a personal journey rather than a public journey.

I believe that blogging provides freedom to and an equal opportunity for all.  Let’s face it, I am not going to become a journalist at the ‘Herald Sun’ or ‘The Age’, but I could if it was my wish to start up my own online newspaper.  The fact that it is hightly unlikely that anybody would read my ‘newspaper’ blog is irrelevant.  I can still set it up if I want and providing I don’t breach any laws, such as copyright, I can publish what I want.

I could write a book and post it to a blog.  I could from this form a book club and invite people to join via the blog.  I love it.  It empowers people and gives them an easy tool to use, and what’s even better it can be for free.  I don’t need any particularly technical skills. As long as I have a computer and access to the internet I can be a blogger.

Blogs have been used for travel logs, family logs, personal logs.  I have seen gossip blogs, newsletter blogs, community blogs.  You name it there is a blog for it.  Even blogs about blogs and blogging.

One of my favourite uses for blogs is for ‘Citizen Journalism’.  What does this mean you may say?  Well citizens, like you and me, not professional journalists, but mum and dads, kids, teenagers, common or garden variety people who want to have a say.  I decided to find out a bit more and found this great video description on ‘You tube’.

Watch it here

It’s interesting.  Are these citizen journalists giving the professional journalists a run for their money.  Absolutely! Could it be that newspaper journalists will become obsolete.  Perhaps not or perhaps not just yet.  But how cool is it that we have this media available to us, whether we want to be able to read citizen journalism or if we want to become an active citizen journalist.  It’s exciting to me that this is even a possibility.