How might the metaphor of an ‘ecology’ impact on the way you think about, understand or use the Internet?
It is a great metaphor. It has helped me to settle. It is accurate because that is the feeling I get when I am involved with the many levels of the internet. It's a bit like a 'big bang' in that it is evolving, complex and very different to what has come before. But it's a bit short on beauty... the likes of flora and fauna... internet can never replace the prior ecology. I'm glad I was a spectator for part of the transition. I hope I can help to make it a positive part of the future.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Week 12
I was almost driven to 'phone a friend'. I could not find the cover sheet files. I have been looking for weeks on and off. I knew I had seen them when I first read the course notes. But I have been looping around these notes so many times now I was lost. The first thing I did this morning was check one more time. And I found them. Onward and upward! j:)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Week 11
Blogger down for maintenance. Click here for more info. Clicked there and the new info was old info 8.5.09. Came back on and Voila! Back on. .... just another internet time waster!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Module 4_Boolean Search
Peacock and habitat - on Google - 908,000 hits.
Peacock or habitat - on google - 940,000 hits
Peacock not habitat - on Google - 284,00 hits
habitat peacock - on Google - 891,000 hits
peacock habitat - on Google - 888,000 hits
peacock - on Google - 19,800,000 hits
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock
All searches have wikipedia close to the top. There were no university sources on this topic.
All searches gave me a part of what I was looking for. They are native to India and a few other places like Java which I didn't know. But the information is patchy and not that abundant about peacock habitat on the top level internet really. There is nothing leading me to the 'deep web'.
I would save these searches in Explorer's Favourites. If there were too many favourites I would place them in a folder called Peacocks. Really I would search on a 'needs to' basis. The internet itself is the library or resource. Why store everything again? To be honest I would not search for information about peacock habitat in this way. Nothing on the internet seems very reassuring about this topic.
Peacock or habitat - on google - 940,000 hits
Peacock not habitat - on Google - 284,00 hits
habitat peacock - on Google - 891,000 hits
peacock habitat - on Google - 888,000 hits
peacock - on Google - 19,800,000 hits
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock
All searches have wikipedia close to the top. There were no university sources on this topic.
All searches gave me a part of what I was looking for. They are native to India and a few other places like Java which I didn't know. But the information is patchy and not that abundant about peacock habitat on the top level internet really. There is nothing leading me to the 'deep web'.
I would save these searches in Explorer's Favourites. If there were too many favourites I would place them in a folder called Peacocks. Really I would search on a 'needs to' basis. The internet itself is the library or resource. Why store everything again? To be honest I would not search for information about peacock habitat in this way. Nothing on the internet seems very reassuring about this topic.
Module 4_Search Engine Task
Search Engine: Google
Search Term: Peacock habitat
First site: http://www.gotpetsonline.com/peacock/information-peacock/peacock-habitat.html
No. hits: 888,000
p.s. Very ordinary quality site. The page repeats the same sentence 3 times. boo!
Next 4 hits: http://www.bird-breeds.com/Peacock.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock
http://www.tonyhill.net/peacockfeathers.ivnu
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_natural_habitat_of_a_peacock
_________________
Search Engine: Copernic
Search Term: Peacock habitat
First site: http://www.gcamerica.org/scholarship/peacock.html
No. hits: 20
p.s Very obscure choice. Someone who's surname is Peacock offers scolarship on bird habitat. doh!
Next 4 hits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock
http://www.gamebird.com/peacock.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_habitat_of_a_peacock
http://www.peacock-birds.com/
On first glance I was happier with google, but now that I look at the first 5 sites of each search, I believe Copernicus gave results which seemed to stay closer to the topic, despite the first one being an unusual selection for an advanced search engine.
Search Term: Peacock habitat
First site: http://www.gotpetsonline.com/peacock/information-peacock/peacock-habitat.html
No. hits: 888,000
p.s. Very ordinary quality site. The page repeats the same sentence 3 times. boo!
Next 4 hits: http://www.bird-breeds.com/Peacock.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock
http://www.tonyhill.net/peacockfeathers.ivnu
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_natural_habitat_of_a_peacock
_________________
Search Engine: Copernic
Search Term: Peacock habitat
First site: http://www.gcamerica.org/scholarship/peacock.html
No. hits: 20
p.s Very obscure choice. Someone who's surname is Peacock offers scolarship on bird habitat. doh!
Next 4 hits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock
http://www.gamebird.com/peacock.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_habitat_of_a_peacock
http://www.peacock-birds.com/
On first glance I was happier with google, but now that I look at the first 5 sites of each search, I believe Copernicus gave results which seemed to stay closer to the topic, despite the first one being an unusual selection for an advanced search engine.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Concept 13
13. Communication is not complete upon receipt
A major disadvantage of email and similar asynchronous communications systems is that, often or sometimes, human users assume that when a message has been received, then it is automatically going to be acted upon or read or similar processed by the human(s) to which it was sent. While computers are very good at automatically processing information, humans are not.
The key to effective email management is to consistently and conscientiously respond to and act upon the email you receive, while recognising that others may not be as efficient as yourself.
Equally, a website is not complete when it is created and presented: it has to be used. Websites are, basically, a very indirect form of communication and so, if we wish to use the web effectively, we can apply the same lesson: simply visiting a website is not sufficient…doing something with it is what closes the circuit of communication.
Communication is not complete upon receipt. Email, fax, snail mail, messenger, yelling across a room, whispering in an ear... who gets a receipt? Communication has never been an exact science. What is frustrating with the myriad of asynchronous communication systems is that there are so many of them now. So many options of how to make a piece of communication. So many individual preferences all made based on nothing in particular. There are no rules here.
Forget communication on a personal basis, that is a work in progress for our society doing great things with Facebook, mobile phones, SMS, twitter, You Tube and email. These forums have made communication fun and different for those who 'get into it'. But there are a lot of people who don't. I personally don't because it takes just too much time, especially if you actually want a response!
Advertisers try to break into these markets, it's a lot of work to get a message in and responded to.The web and email has fragmented the communication channels from both sides.
The concern when writing formulas for e-direct mail is that a mass email can be sent very economically and quickly. It is not a favoured form of communication, because many people don't open their emails unless they are personal. A personal email does not look personal unless it is personal. That means you need to trust and desire to communicate with the person or business attached to that particular address.
Then there is the cold heartedness of the web for individuals exploring businesses and the community. You can feel unresponded to. The web does not have a politeness factor. This is very difficult to resolve. The best websites make an effort to acknowledge visits. In my experience complaints are not acknowledged often. It is very easy to sign up for things but not easy to get a question answered or service afterwards.Communication should be complete upon receipt. The fact that it is not is what makes the web ineffective. It is a bit hit and miss, so unless you can close the loop by other means ie phone or letter then professionally it is not a stand alone communication, but then again, what is? Any task would need to be followed up and checked throughout its journey to completion. Why does the internet imply completeness. I think it's because there is no visible recipient. It asks you to trust it, because once you have pressed send you have no other means of knowing whether it is truly with the recipient. So there is a built-in assumption there that it must work otherewise it's useless. Which many times it is. And no-one wants to accept this fact.
The internet has a long way to go. It has come a long way too. This course is basically my second look at internet. When I first took an interest it was so raw and basic that I lost interest. This was in 1997 before the dot.coms crashed. 498 words.
Tschabitscher, H (2009) About.com Guide to Email since 1997
http://email.about.com/
This About.com site covers it on 'emails'. The site is part of The New York Times group of companies and has been running since 1997. It has a faithful following on many useful topics, not just email. This 'email' topic within the site talks about good email housekeeping and how to create successful marketing emails. It is relevant to this concept because it illustrates just how much there is to know about a simple topic like email. Email has a lot of applications. Improving our understanding of its uses will improve our chances of enjoying closed circuit communication when we use email.
HavenWorks.com (2009) HavenWorks.com is an Independent American News Website Blog.
http://www.havenworks.com/
This website, gets the prize for the worst website. it looks bad and it is not even current. The last piece of news it has on Australia dates back to February 2008 and is about the Australian Wheat Board price rise. I have included it here to illustrate how badly designed a website can be. It is not that useful, all my searches turned up nothing, so I am not sure who is actually benefitting from this website. News by date (fyi todays date is 17.05.09) has the top entry dated 31 March 2009. How useless. It is also an illustration of what a website looks like when you have no hope of finding out who is behind it. Take my word for it, this site has made me feel bilious.
A major disadvantage of email and similar asynchronous communications systems is that, often or sometimes, human users assume that when a message has been received, then it is automatically going to be acted upon or read or similar processed by the human(s) to which it was sent. While computers are very good at automatically processing information, humans are not.
The key to effective email management is to consistently and conscientiously respond to and act upon the email you receive, while recognising that others may not be as efficient as yourself.
Equally, a website is not complete when it is created and presented: it has to be used. Websites are, basically, a very indirect form of communication and so, if we wish to use the web effectively, we can apply the same lesson: simply visiting a website is not sufficient…doing something with it is what closes the circuit of communication.
Communication is not complete upon receipt. Email, fax, snail mail, messenger, yelling across a room, whispering in an ear... who gets a receipt? Communication has never been an exact science. What is frustrating with the myriad of asynchronous communication systems is that there are so many of them now. So many options of how to make a piece of communication. So many individual preferences all made based on nothing in particular. There are no rules here.
Forget communication on a personal basis, that is a work in progress for our society doing great things with Facebook, mobile phones, SMS, twitter, You Tube and email. These forums have made communication fun and different for those who 'get into it'. But there are a lot of people who don't. I personally don't because it takes just too much time, especially if you actually want a response!
Advertisers try to break into these markets, it's a lot of work to get a message in and responded to.The web and email has fragmented the communication channels from both sides.
The concern when writing formulas for e-direct mail is that a mass email can be sent very economically and quickly. It is not a favoured form of communication, because many people don't open their emails unless they are personal. A personal email does not look personal unless it is personal. That means you need to trust and desire to communicate with the person or business attached to that particular address.
Then there is the cold heartedness of the web for individuals exploring businesses and the community. You can feel unresponded to. The web does not have a politeness factor. This is very difficult to resolve. The best websites make an effort to acknowledge visits. In my experience complaints are not acknowledged often. It is very easy to sign up for things but not easy to get a question answered or service afterwards.Communication should be complete upon receipt. The fact that it is not is what makes the web ineffective. It is a bit hit and miss, so unless you can close the loop by other means ie phone or letter then professionally it is not a stand alone communication, but then again, what is? Any task would need to be followed up and checked throughout its journey to completion. Why does the internet imply completeness. I think it's because there is no visible recipient. It asks you to trust it, because once you have pressed send you have no other means of knowing whether it is truly with the recipient. So there is a built-in assumption there that it must work otherewise it's useless. Which many times it is. And no-one wants to accept this fact.
The internet has a long way to go. It has come a long way too. This course is basically my second look at internet. When I first took an interest it was so raw and basic that I lost interest. This was in 1997 before the dot.coms crashed. 498 words.
Tschabitscher, H (2009) About.com Guide to Email since 1997
http://email.about.com/
This About.com site covers it on 'emails'. The site is part of The New York Times group of companies and has been running since 1997. It has a faithful following on many useful topics, not just email. This 'email' topic within the site talks about good email housekeeping and how to create successful marketing emails. It is relevant to this concept because it illustrates just how much there is to know about a simple topic like email. Email has a lot of applications. Improving our understanding of its uses will improve our chances of enjoying closed circuit communication when we use email.
HavenWorks.com (2009) HavenWorks.com is an Independent American News Website Blog.
http://www.havenworks.com/
This website, gets the prize for the worst website. it looks bad and it is not even current. The last piece of news it has on Australia dates back to February 2008 and is about the Australian Wheat Board price rise. I have included it here to illustrate how badly designed a website can be. It is not that useful, all my searches turned up nothing, so I am not sure who is actually benefitting from this website. News by date (fyi todays date is 17.05.09) has the top entry dated 31 March 2009. How useless. It is also an illustration of what a website looks like when you have no hope of finding out who is behind it. Take my word for it, this site has made me feel bilious.
Concept 6
6. Reading the difference between 'surface' metadata and 'implied' metadata
Metadata, in the context of email, is the generic term for the descriptive data contained in the header of the message that tells us who the email is address to; who the email comes from; what is the email's subject; who else is receiving copies of the email; the urgency which the sender has ascribed to the message; the time the email was sent; and (as supplied by your own interaction with the message once arrived) has it been read and has it been replied to. Metadata is, technically 'data about data'. It is the information which tells us the import and content of other information (you will learn more about metadata throughout your studies).
Effective electronic communication depends on metadata; but, from a user's point of view, the 'surface' metadata (what is actually 'there' in the header) needs to be read in light of the content of the message to see if it is reallyas it should be. For example, a message send to my email address may not actually be to 'me'. Perhaps the person believes I am, for example, the technical support officer in my department (whereas I am the academic coordinator of Internet Studies). The content of the message will make that clear and I will need to respond accordingly.
While the header contains the 'surface' metadata, understanding email messages may require you to interpret the implied, hidden metadata cued into the body of email messages.
While email messages need certain key elements of metadata to make them sendable, and also routinely contain other key elements to make them useable, many websites do no really have good metadata and, with the URL, no-one needs that data. Furthermore, URLs are, rarely, much help as metadata in themselves, unless the site is carefully constructed in such a way as to make the URL communicate to you as well as to the computer. However, as you can see by looking at the metadata in websites, it is important for the proper functioning of search engines and other finding tools.
Conceptually, we are seeing the use of metadata in information services change from being a tightly controlled, ‘professional’ activity (ie a classifying system used by librarians, such as Dewey Decimal, MARC etc) to being an activity completely entwined with the many, diverse processes of everyday, social life. Hence, marketeers carefully think about the metadata they can place in a site so as to attract an audience; pornographers try to make their sites ‘available’ to as many different kinds of search engine requests as they can get away with; even non-commercial sites use metadata to attact people. Thus, rather than being data that describes the data, metadata is slowly becoming (at least in part), data that tries to predict and attract certain types of users.
There is a finite amount of meaningful marketing metadata available. It is getting harder and harder to get original and relevant urls. Even personalised numberplates have re-emerged using 3 for 'e' and colour variations to try to get some more life out the finite scope of 6 letter words.
There is also a cultural aspect to metadata being used world-wide. When I ftp'ed a person in the miidle east, the URL was 'enduringlife'. And this was an advertising agency. So url styles vary around the world. This name would put me in doubt-mode and I would probably not open an email like that unless I knew who it was from.
It is interesting that the URLs are ultimately a number when they are hatched. I was often intigued about how language was actually filed. No problem for meaning but duplications and variations is a problem. And the more names which are created the less their meaning is accurate. So many times I have to settle on a password or user name which is a couple of steps removed what I actually intended. This also adds to the hit and miss perception of the internet.
A great web-site which I have kept an eye on for the last 10 years is http://www.thebranflakes.com/. If you key in http://www.branflake.com/ it defaults to some other url. I actually found it 10 years ago and I haven't thought about it again until now.
The Branflakes are a band. They make amazing music out of found music. They piece all this old stuff together and make something truly original.
I emailed them to find out what they have done with their nifty web 'danger button'....
Hi Joanne,
I do recall you asking about the song. That was years ago and our site has most certainly gone through many transformations. Our Danger area is still active, but hidden. It's accessible from our about page in our bio, http://www.thebranflakes.com/about.html and located here, http://www.thebranflakes.com/danger/index.html
A lot of the content has changed in that from 1997-2000 the website had side projects that Mildred and I were doing, but since 2000 we sort of turned the site into just a place for the band and other projects went over to http://www.happityme.com/ and http://www.otisfodder.com/ and http://www.libsci.com/
Very nice to hear from you and thanks for wanting to use our site as an example.
Cheers,
Otis and Mildred
From: Joanne Murray [mailto:justjoanne@iprimus.com.au] Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 7:01 AMTo: info@thebranflakes.comSubject: Hello
I just want to say hi to you guys from Australia.
I have not thought about you in over a decade and I see your web site is still going!! Your videos are a breath of fresh air.
I stumbled on your site while looking for music - 'She's the ginchiest' by Lee Gordon. Do you remember me? I vaguely remember emailing you then. And I think you answered.
Anyway... I am using your site as an example of meta-data for my Internet Communications course (it is your url http://www.branflake.com/ isn't it?). I was disappointed to see your site doesn't have that 'don't push button'. Why'd you let it go?
This web site has been the bench-mark for me for the mysteries of the internet. How did you all know so much so early? You are real pioneers.
love joanne x
_______________
How's that for some meta-data which does not even try to make sense? 544 words
http://lii.org/pub/subtopic/3247
This website covers in depth about a lot of types of meta-data.
Metadata, in the context of email, is the generic term for the descriptive data contained in the header of the message that tells us who the email is address to; who the email comes from; what is the email's subject; who else is receiving copies of the email; the urgency which the sender has ascribed to the message; the time the email was sent; and (as supplied by your own interaction with the message once arrived) has it been read and has it been replied to. Metadata is, technically 'data about data'. It is the information which tells us the import and content of other information (you will learn more about metadata throughout your studies).
Effective electronic communication depends on metadata; but, from a user's point of view, the 'surface' metadata (what is actually 'there' in the header) needs to be read in light of the content of the message to see if it is reallyas it should be. For example, a message send to my email address may not actually be to 'me'. Perhaps the person believes I am, for example, the technical support officer in my department (whereas I am the academic coordinator of Internet Studies). The content of the message will make that clear and I will need to respond accordingly.
While the header contains the 'surface' metadata, understanding email messages may require you to interpret the implied, hidden metadata cued into the body of email messages.
While email messages need certain key elements of metadata to make them sendable, and also routinely contain other key elements to make them useable, many websites do no really have good metadata and, with the URL, no-one needs that data. Furthermore, URLs are, rarely, much help as metadata in themselves, unless the site is carefully constructed in such a way as to make the URL communicate to you as well as to the computer. However, as you can see by looking at the metadata in websites, it is important for the proper functioning of search engines and other finding tools.
Conceptually, we are seeing the use of metadata in information services change from being a tightly controlled, ‘professional’ activity (ie a classifying system used by librarians, such as Dewey Decimal, MARC etc) to being an activity completely entwined with the many, diverse processes of everyday, social life. Hence, marketeers carefully think about the metadata they can place in a site so as to attract an audience; pornographers try to make their sites ‘available’ to as many different kinds of search engine requests as they can get away with; even non-commercial sites use metadata to attact people. Thus, rather than being data that describes the data, metadata is slowly becoming (at least in part), data that tries to predict and attract certain types of users.
There is a finite amount of meaningful marketing metadata available. It is getting harder and harder to get original and relevant urls. Even personalised numberplates have re-emerged using 3 for 'e' and colour variations to try to get some more life out the finite scope of 6 letter words.
There is also a cultural aspect to metadata being used world-wide. When I ftp'ed a person in the miidle east, the URL was 'enduringlife'. And this was an advertising agency. So url styles vary around the world. This name would put me in doubt-mode and I would probably not open an email like that unless I knew who it was from.
It is interesting that the URLs are ultimately a number when they are hatched. I was often intigued about how language was actually filed. No problem for meaning but duplications and variations is a problem. And the more names which are created the less their meaning is accurate. So many times I have to settle on a password or user name which is a couple of steps removed what I actually intended. This also adds to the hit and miss perception of the internet.
A great web-site which I have kept an eye on for the last 10 years is http://www.thebranflakes.com/. If you key in http://www.branflake.com/ it defaults to some other url. I actually found it 10 years ago and I haven't thought about it again until now.
The Branflakes are a band. They make amazing music out of found music. They piece all this old stuff together and make something truly original.
I emailed them to find out what they have done with their nifty web 'danger button'....
Hi Joanne,
I do recall you asking about the song. That was years ago and our site has most certainly gone through many transformations. Our Danger area is still active, but hidden. It's accessible from our about page in our bio, http://www.thebranflakes.com/about.html and located here, http://www.thebranflakes.com/danger/index.html
A lot of the content has changed in that from 1997-2000 the website had side projects that Mildred and I were doing, but since 2000 we sort of turned the site into just a place for the band and other projects went over to http://www.happityme.com/ and http://www.otisfodder.com/ and http://www.libsci.com/
Very nice to hear from you and thanks for wanting to use our site as an example.
Cheers,
Otis and Mildred
From: Joanne Murray [mailto:justjoanne@iprimus.com.au] Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 7:01 AMTo: info@thebranflakes.comSubject: Hello
I just want to say hi to you guys from Australia.
I have not thought about you in over a decade and I see your web site is still going!! Your videos are a breath of fresh air.
I stumbled on your site while looking for music - 'She's the ginchiest' by Lee Gordon. Do you remember me? I vaguely remember emailing you then. And I think you answered.
Anyway... I am using your site as an example of meta-data for my Internet Communications course (it is your url http://www.branflake.com/ isn't it?). I was disappointed to see your site doesn't have that 'don't push button'. Why'd you let it go?
This web site has been the bench-mark for me for the mysteries of the internet. How did you all know so much so early? You are real pioneers.
love joanne x
_______________
How's that for some meta-data which does not even try to make sense? 544 words
http://lii.org/pub/subtopic/3247
This website covers in depth about a lot of types of meta-data.
Concept 5
5. The mobility of electronic digital data
Email and similar forms of asynchronous communication carry with them the possibility for rapid, efficient, almost invisible 'multiplication' of the addresses to which communication is being sent. Functions such as carbon copying, forwarding and so on enable the most rapid form of communication 'expansion' - bringing other people into communicative circuits - yet seen. It is very easy, with forward for example, to simply 'pass on' information without processing it or, without processing the dynamics of the communicative relationship between you and the forwardee or without realising that you are establishing a third relationship - between the original sender and the final recipient.
Moreover, once people begin to use email and realise that information can be copied and forwarded very easily, there is a tendency for this 'mobility of data' to become a cultural given in which, routinely, we include more people within circuits of communication than are necessary; or include them in ways that are inappropriate.
Advanced Internet communicators always think about the ways in which their own exploitation of the technological ease of mobile data can impact on other Internet users, seeking to ensure that technical possibility is not simply substituted for effective communication requirements.
Another complex aspect of the ‘mobility of data’ can be seen in the way internet users routinely send each other URLs. The addresses, or reference points, of Internet information are incredibly mobile, then. But, to exploit this mobility requires a little work prior to sending, or after receipt. For example, sending URLs to work colleagues without any ‘contextualising’ information is not very useful. You can assist recipients of your URLs by briefly indicating why it is being sent, what is ‘behind’ the URL, and how useful it might be. You should also recognise that passing URLs around may be less effective than passing around summaries of information or comments. For example, would you prefer to receive a short precis of an important article 9and the URL) or just the bare URL? While the ability to move data rapidly and simply, and the cultural sensibility of constantly forwarding and sharing information, is to be valued, it does have certain problems.
The mobility of electronic digital data aka cut and paste violations over the email. Nothing worse! I have indulged myself the luxury of ignoring emails from people who waste my time by communicating this way. Allowing me to sift through jargon that they have possibly already sifted through or worse, not bothered. There is a lot of good PR in explaining to the recipient the value contained within in a large piece of communication, not to mention credibility earned to sustain quality communications for the long term. Either way there is a distrust about what is actually intended by the communication when it is just a subject: FYI and Message: url (with a massive amount of meta-data) oo!
There can be massive negative consequences resulting from information carelessly shared in this way by multiple recipients. It is just useless. It does happen a lot though. I find that when I am sorting through data searched on the internet, there is always so much more information accompanying the sought after part. It is a constant and tiring task to stay on topic. I do understand why the copy paste bad habit has made a home for itself on the email. I guess it's easier than playing information policeman for the plethora of information available, especially when it is rarely done. If you have a mind to do it you end up being cc'd on everyone's emails, just so you can clean up the mess. I'm exagerating, but you get my drift.
Despite or because of 'Boolean logic', there is still a need to comprehend once you have found a phrase which may lead you to what you are seeking. There could still be a lot of useless information to sift through. The internet is effective when you know exactly what you want. It is a trap for browsers.
Take this search:
_________
Question:
'In the wake of the current financial crisis what is the next best alternative to superannuation?'.
_________
Big ask? Let's see what happens when I google this.
The second site to come up is an Aussie sight, so that's good!
I then clicked for similar pages. They felt unconvincing, real estate, money manager, The Age, Guardian, finance.yahoo.
No I think my first search result was the strongest.
As for an answer, let's see....
reading.... oh here we are Mercer spokesman David Anderson said.
"....However, the more knowledge someone had about their super and the workings of financial markets, the more likely their latest statement was in line with expectations...."
Good answer. But the answer was in what I didn't find, considering the question was fairly specific.
__________
My answer:
Currently there is no alternative to superannuation in Australia, there are options in how to manage the shortfall in superannuation but basically it is advised that individuals take responsibilty for the knowledge they have of financial markets as they stand in the present and learn to be realistic about the feasability of long term forecasts.
FYI: Some background information to support my answer can be found on this url.
http://www.news.com.au/business/money/story/0,28323,25092879-5013954,00.html
__________
I found that this search resulted in an articulate, accurate, easily found, easy to read and understand format, the site itself was fast, relevant and original. It was responded to by other comments in the form of very energetic and intelligent dialogue on the article, it was not unimpressive to view, it suited its purpose.
The problem with sharing the information I have found is that my answer is an opinion on the article. It needs to be accompanied by the URL. 571 words.
Barrymore, K. C. (2009) Herald-Sun A superannuation crisis of faith, February 23.
http://www.news.com.au/business/money/story/0,28323,25092879-5013954,00.html
This article was written as part of the News Limited web site under the headings of Money, superannuation. It is considered impartial as it is part of a recognised world news source. Ii itself it doesn't supplort this concept. It is included because the information it contained has aided me in illustrating my point about interpreting information contained within a url.
Whittaker, P.C (2008) The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia Media Release Is email crippling your business? May 2008
http://www.charteredaccountants.com.au/news_releases_2008/may_2008/A121417602
This media release covers other email ettiquette concerns including cost implications to business productivity and the additional demand on staff due to email protocol not being standardised for businesses.
Email and similar forms of asynchronous communication carry with them the possibility for rapid, efficient, almost invisible 'multiplication' of the addresses to which communication is being sent. Functions such as carbon copying, forwarding and so on enable the most rapid form of communication 'expansion' - bringing other people into communicative circuits - yet seen. It is very easy, with forward for example, to simply 'pass on' information without processing it or, without processing the dynamics of the communicative relationship between you and the forwardee or without realising that you are establishing a third relationship - between the original sender and the final recipient.
Moreover, once people begin to use email and realise that information can be copied and forwarded very easily, there is a tendency for this 'mobility of data' to become a cultural given in which, routinely, we include more people within circuits of communication than are necessary; or include them in ways that are inappropriate.
Advanced Internet communicators always think about the ways in which their own exploitation of the technological ease of mobile data can impact on other Internet users, seeking to ensure that technical possibility is not simply substituted for effective communication requirements.
Another complex aspect of the ‘mobility of data’ can be seen in the way internet users routinely send each other URLs. The addresses, or reference points, of Internet information are incredibly mobile, then. But, to exploit this mobility requires a little work prior to sending, or after receipt. For example, sending URLs to work colleagues without any ‘contextualising’ information is not very useful. You can assist recipients of your URLs by briefly indicating why it is being sent, what is ‘behind’ the URL, and how useful it might be. You should also recognise that passing URLs around may be less effective than passing around summaries of information or comments. For example, would you prefer to receive a short precis of an important article 9and the URL) or just the bare URL? While the ability to move data rapidly and simply, and the cultural sensibility of constantly forwarding and sharing information, is to be valued, it does have certain problems.
The mobility of electronic digital data aka cut and paste violations over the email. Nothing worse! I have indulged myself the luxury of ignoring emails from people who waste my time by communicating this way. Allowing me to sift through jargon that they have possibly already sifted through or worse, not bothered. There is a lot of good PR in explaining to the recipient the value contained within in a large piece of communication, not to mention credibility earned to sustain quality communications for the long term. Either way there is a distrust about what is actually intended by the communication when it is just a subject: FYI and Message: url (with a massive amount of meta-data) oo!
There can be massive negative consequences resulting from information carelessly shared in this way by multiple recipients. It is just useless. It does happen a lot though. I find that when I am sorting through data searched on the internet, there is always so much more information accompanying the sought after part. It is a constant and tiring task to stay on topic. I do understand why the copy paste bad habit has made a home for itself on the email. I guess it's easier than playing information policeman for the plethora of information available, especially when it is rarely done. If you have a mind to do it you end up being cc'd on everyone's emails, just so you can clean up the mess. I'm exagerating, but you get my drift.
Despite or because of 'Boolean logic', there is still a need to comprehend once you have found a phrase which may lead you to what you are seeking. There could still be a lot of useless information to sift through. The internet is effective when you know exactly what you want. It is a trap for browsers.
Take this search:
_________
Question:
'In the wake of the current financial crisis what is the next best alternative to superannuation?'.
_________
Big ask? Let's see what happens when I google this.
The second site to come up is an Aussie sight, so that's good!
I then clicked for similar pages. They felt unconvincing, real estate, money manager, The Age, Guardian, finance.yahoo.
No I think my first search result was the strongest.
As for an answer, let's see....
reading.... oh here we are Mercer spokesman David Anderson said.
"....However, the more knowledge someone had about their super and the workings of financial markets, the more likely their latest statement was in line with expectations...."
Good answer. But the answer was in what I didn't find, considering the question was fairly specific.
__________
My answer:
Currently there is no alternative to superannuation in Australia, there are options in how to manage the shortfall in superannuation but basically it is advised that individuals take responsibilty for the knowledge they have of financial markets as they stand in the present and learn to be realistic about the feasability of long term forecasts.
FYI: Some background information to support my answer can be found on this url.
http://www.news.com.au/business/money/story/0,28323,25092879-5013954,00.html
__________
I found that this search resulted in an articulate, accurate, easily found, easy to read and understand format, the site itself was fast, relevant and original. It was responded to by other comments in the form of very energetic and intelligent dialogue on the article, it was not unimpressive to view, it suited its purpose.
The problem with sharing the information I have found is that my answer is an opinion on the article. It needs to be accompanied by the URL. 571 words.
Barrymore, K. C. (2009) Herald-Sun A superannuation crisis of faith, February 23.
http://www.news.com.au/business/money/story/0,28323,25092879-5013954,00.html
This article was written as part of the News Limited web site under the headings of Money, superannuation. It is considered impartial as it is part of a recognised world news source. Ii itself it doesn't supplort this concept. It is included because the information it contained has aided me in illustrating my point about interpreting information contained within a url.
Whittaker, P.C (2008) The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia Media Release Is email crippling your business? May 2008
http://www.charteredaccountants.com.au/news_releases_2008/may_2008/A121417602
This media release covers other email ettiquette concerns including cost implications to business productivity and the additional demand on staff due to email protocol not being standardised for businesses.
Concept 3
3. Effective Internet communication combines technical and communicative competence.
People who know their email programs inside out and can number the dozens of official documents relating to mail protocols often send hopeless email messages; people who, face-to-face or on paper, communicate brilliantly often stumble when on the Internet. Why? Well, besides general issues about intelligence and knowledge not being enough for communication, the answer lies in the fact that the technologies of Internet communication are not 'invisible': because they are new (to most of us) and change the rules about communication we can't divorce (say) writing skill from knowing what an email program does when it store messages. Both aspects are essential.
Because Internet technologies for communication are so much more powerful in their ability to manipulate, transform and process data (a pen, for example, can't store words as well as write them), information processing and communicative skills must be developed in concert.
Similarly, advanced searching involves the development of both techniques (including, for example, detailed knowledge of Boolean logic, but also speed in filling out search engines), and also informational competence, in which you instinctively consider and apply your knowledge of the ways information can be categorised and organised, translating from others classifications into the pattern that you are establishing. Technical skill in searching is not, thus, sufficient.
Refelection on effective internet communication combining technical and communicative competence has lead me to think that the unfamiliarity of these skills due to them generally not being required in concert before the 'techno age' has contributed to there being 90% sub-standard incomplete and generally useless content on the internet and only 10% intelligent and worthwhile matter. This ratio is a guess, but it illustrates my opinion of my first impressions on the internet.
The skills which a beginner on the internet can master easily is copy and paste. There is unlimited space, a massive amount of duplicity and it seems to be run by lunatics. I believe the internet to be literally full of the whole worlds musing and ramblings.
I found the internet very frustrating to begin with. I could see that the information contained on its various indexes, blogs, websites and directories compelled me to want to communicate, but the manner of putting the words out there was so inhibitive, I simply could not work out how to do it. To start with I satisfied myself with surfing. This Net 11 course has encompassed my very first attempts to communicate on the internet.
Writing for the internet and being included in the top 10% of the content found there ideally would be, articulate, accurate, easily found, responded to, impressive to view, easy to read and understand, fast, relevant and original.
Welcome to my blog. I am not sure that it encompasses any of the above hopes, but they are the perameters I have tried to apply whilst I have attempted to learn as many skills as posssible which would help me to meet those objectives.
My lack of technical skills has meant that I have often resisted responding to even a group email through lack of confidence as to the scope of the technology. My worst fear was always to respond to everyone in my address book. Not being technically literate is akin to having a disability the more the internet world evolves.
Technical literacy has been hard to learn because many of the ways the internet searches like 'Boolean logic' can feel like a desparate form of logic at first. You throw every associated phrase you can think of at a seemingly impossible search. It feels very hit and miss until you offer up specific facts of what you are looking for then it literally has all the answers.
Coupling writing with technical skills is not the only hurdle. The system of computers and data itself is relatively unstable. It is quite feasible that the internet site is down for some reason, or the email is down, or there is a change of email address that hasn't been communicated. Or the web site links don't work. These are not problems which are controlled by the user. These moments require us to down tools and wait or seek an alternative method of communication.
It is in this alternating between communication platforms that the information loses its potency. Internet communication can give a lot of confidence to the user when it works but can seem so flimsy when important information is delayed because of a computer glich. 520 words
Kaplan, M., C (2007). Herp Care Collection. Assessing and Validating Information Found on the Internet
http://www.anapsid.org/internet/assessnet.html
This website outlines a useful process to validate information found on the internet. It also offers many on- line and text resources which may support a persons efforts to validate information found on the internet.It is a page which the writer encourages participation from readers to include new resources as they come to hand. The writer seeks to reinforce the need for awareness of the potential lack of integrity which may affect information from the web.
Anderson, C., C(2004). The Long Tail. Wired Magazine Issue 12.10.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.10/tail.html
This article is about the ease of finding buyers on the web for obscure and secondary products which have been knocked back in the original marketing selection process. The ease of putting things up to be found on the web is simpler to 'just do it' than to spend time analysing the value of making such an item available. This is the complete opposite to marketing prior to the internet where available space to display and production costs reduced the options available to a particular buying market.
People who know their email programs inside out and can number the dozens of official documents relating to mail protocols often send hopeless email messages; people who, face-to-face or on paper, communicate brilliantly often stumble when on the Internet. Why? Well, besides general issues about intelligence and knowledge not being enough for communication, the answer lies in the fact that the technologies of Internet communication are not 'invisible': because they are new (to most of us) and change the rules about communication we can't divorce (say) writing skill from knowing what an email program does when it store messages. Both aspects are essential.
Because Internet technologies for communication are so much more powerful in their ability to manipulate, transform and process data (a pen, for example, can't store words as well as write them), information processing and communicative skills must be developed in concert.
Similarly, advanced searching involves the development of both techniques (including, for example, detailed knowledge of Boolean logic, but also speed in filling out search engines), and also informational competence, in which you instinctively consider and apply your knowledge of the ways information can be categorised and organised, translating from others classifications into the pattern that you are establishing. Technical skill in searching is not, thus, sufficient.
Refelection on effective internet communication combining technical and communicative competence has lead me to think that the unfamiliarity of these skills due to them generally not being required in concert before the 'techno age' has contributed to there being 90% sub-standard incomplete and generally useless content on the internet and only 10% intelligent and worthwhile matter. This ratio is a guess, but it illustrates my opinion of my first impressions on the internet.
The skills which a beginner on the internet can master easily is copy and paste. There is unlimited space, a massive amount of duplicity and it seems to be run by lunatics. I believe the internet to be literally full of the whole worlds musing and ramblings.
I found the internet very frustrating to begin with. I could see that the information contained on its various indexes, blogs, websites and directories compelled me to want to communicate, but the manner of putting the words out there was so inhibitive, I simply could not work out how to do it. To start with I satisfied myself with surfing. This Net 11 course has encompassed my very first attempts to communicate on the internet.
Writing for the internet and being included in the top 10% of the content found there ideally would be, articulate, accurate, easily found, responded to, impressive to view, easy to read and understand, fast, relevant and original.
Welcome to my blog. I am not sure that it encompasses any of the above hopes, but they are the perameters I have tried to apply whilst I have attempted to learn as many skills as posssible which would help me to meet those objectives.
My lack of technical skills has meant that I have often resisted responding to even a group email through lack of confidence as to the scope of the technology. My worst fear was always to respond to everyone in my address book. Not being technically literate is akin to having a disability the more the internet world evolves.
Technical literacy has been hard to learn because many of the ways the internet searches like 'Boolean logic' can feel like a desparate form of logic at first. You throw every associated phrase you can think of at a seemingly impossible search. It feels very hit and miss until you offer up specific facts of what you are looking for then it literally has all the answers.
Coupling writing with technical skills is not the only hurdle. The system of computers and data itself is relatively unstable. It is quite feasible that the internet site is down for some reason, or the email is down, or there is a change of email address that hasn't been communicated. Or the web site links don't work. These are not problems which are controlled by the user. These moments require us to down tools and wait or seek an alternative method of communication.
It is in this alternating between communication platforms that the information loses its potency. Internet communication can give a lot of confidence to the user when it works but can seem so flimsy when important information is delayed because of a computer glich. 520 words
Kaplan, M., C (2007). Herp Care Collection. Assessing and Validating Information Found on the Internet
http://www.anapsid.org/internet/assessnet.html
This website outlines a useful process to validate information found on the internet. It also offers many on- line and text resources which may support a persons efforts to validate information found on the internet.It is a page which the writer encourages participation from readers to include new resources as they come to hand. The writer seeks to reinforce the need for awareness of the potential lack of integrity which may affect information from the web.
Anderson, C., C(2004). The Long Tail. Wired Magazine Issue 12.10.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.10/tail.html
This article is about the ease of finding buyers on the web for obscure and secondary products which have been knocked back in the original marketing selection process. The ease of putting things up to be found on the web is simpler to 'just do it' than to spend time analysing the value of making such an item available. This is the complete opposite to marketing prior to the internet where available space to display and production costs reduced the options available to a particular buying market.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Module 4_Tools for using the web (cont.)
This material has been developed to accompany:
"Searching and Researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web, Fourth Edition" ISBN 1-59028-036-9 "The Information Searcher's Guide to Searching and Researching on the Internet & the World Wide Web" ISBN 1-887902-58-9
.edu
educational (anything from serious research to zany student pages)
.gov
governmental (usually dependable)
.com
commercial (may be trying to sell a product)
.net
network (may provide services to commercial or individual customers)
.org
organization (non-profit institutions; may be biased)
I recently checked out a website of a company which I know is 'in business' 'doing well' 'has a well designed web page' 'up to date content'. I was intrigued that it had copyright 1998. It is 2009. In this instance what conclusions should I draw from a date? Knowing this company they probably think it means they've not just turned up on the web. But I do wonder!
"Searching and Researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web, Fourth Edition" ISBN 1-59028-036-9 "The Information Searcher's Guide to Searching and Researching on the Internet & the World Wide Web" ISBN 1-887902-58-9
.edu
educational (anything from serious research to zany student pages)
.gov
governmental (usually dependable)
.com
commercial (may be trying to sell a product)
.net
network (may provide services to commercial or individual customers)
.org
organization (non-profit institutions; may be biased)
I recently checked out a website of a company which I know is 'in business' 'doing well' 'has a well designed web page' 'up to date content'. I was intrigued that it had copyright 1998. It is 2009. In this instance what conclusions should I draw from a date? Knowing this company they probably think it means they've not just turned up on the web. But I do wonder!
Week 9
I have been missing in action. I cannot believe it's the end of week 9. I have found this course extremely time consuming. I have learned heaps but have not managed to record all that much. I have started module 4 again, I didn't grasp enough, I failed the online tests... I'm missing something. I have just spent the last hour getting up to speed with shockwave. Testing the site I thought I would start with an online jigsaw puzzle. Easy right? No. Todays (may 2) is corrupt - paly now, won't play now! Don't get me started on the fact that today is May 3. May 3 won't let me play unless I join club shockwave. Patchwork game alternative - can do. V boring tho!
I had BB opened in tabs. I left the java script applet running on a separate tab, whilst I went back to BB on another tab. I could not get back to the tab which I left with the Java applet going. Internet Expolorer seized up.
Boy oh boy. I don't know why I would save things off the web. With the right search technique I just find what I'm looking for and let it go. I search fresh everytime. It is mindboggling me to think of people referring to 'trying to catalogue their 1,000's of searches'. I'm really missing something.
I had BB opened in tabs. I left the java script applet running on a separate tab, whilst I went back to BB on another tab. I could not get back to the tab which I left with the Java applet going. Internet Expolorer seized up.
Boy oh boy. I don't know why I would save things off the web. With the right search technique I just find what I'm looking for and let it go. I search fresh everytime. It is mindboggling me to think of people referring to 'trying to catalogue their 1,000's of searches'. I'm really missing something.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Module 4_Tools for using the web (cont.)
A new day a new attempt:
2. Bookmark Buddy Download
This programme is not very easy to use. I don't have that many bookmarks. I have no problem doing fresh searches to find what I'm looking for. I have read the help notes for an hour and I am completely uninspired by this programme. It's a 30 day trial. I only need 30mins. I am going to uninstall it.
2. Bookmark Buddy Download
This programme is not very easy to use. I don't have that many bookmarks. I have no problem doing fresh searches to find what I'm looking for. I have read the help notes for an hour and I am completely uninspired by this programme. It's a 30 day trial. I only need 30mins. I am going to uninstall it.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Module 4_Tools for using the web
1. Copernic Desktop Search Download and Use
It was free for home use.
Reading the additional features for the professional packages which costed up to $60 I felt that the features provided were not going to be useful for me anyway. So the features of the home version are just fine. It searches all files in all the different programmes, formats and folders, including email and the web. I can find everything everywhere on my computer. It has made searching much better. Before I downloaded it I thought I would not find it useful because my files are very organised anyway, but this search is supreme and thorough. It finds what I want and what I forgot I had.
2. I thought I would download a game. But ended up finding a website where I could read books on line. Now I am off the track. I will tackl progamme no.2 tomorrow...
It was free for home use.
Reading the additional features for the professional packages which costed up to $60 I felt that the features provided were not going to be useful for me anyway. So the features of the home version are just fine. It searches all files in all the different programmes, formats and folders, including email and the web. I can find everything everywhere on my computer. It has made searching much better. Before I downloaded it I thought I would not find it useful because my files are very organised anyway, but this search is supreme and thorough. It finds what I want and what I forgot I had.
2. I thought I would download a game. But ended up finding a website where I could read books on line. Now I am off the track. I will tackl progamme no.2 tomorrow...
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Module 3_Web 2.0
The html list was heaps easier to comprehend than the furl site. I could not understand the furl site until I looked at the html site.
I think the benefits might be negligible. Furl reads like a forum without an adjudicator. Html reads like a library book shelf. They are both fine, it comes down to personal preference.
I loathe the idea of everyone being able to have an input on the web's content. It compromises the perception I have of integrity of information and the self esteem of the individual. It is very easy to become part of the internet. It draws you in and as soon as you get comfortable it takes something from you. It's like a bad friend.
There is always your own inner critic and then there is the web's mysterious input on content. I never understood cyber bullying until I did this course. But I now see that peole divulge a part of themselves and then potentially can be attacked from an unknown source. Just because someone did a search on 'I feel sad' for instance.
I think the benefits might be negligible. Furl reads like a forum without an adjudicator. Html reads like a library book shelf. They are both fine, it comes down to personal preference.
I loathe the idea of everyone being able to have an input on the web's content. It compromises the perception I have of integrity of information and the self esteem of the individual. It is very easy to become part of the internet. It draws you in and as soon as you get comfortable it takes something from you. It's like a bad friend.
There is always your own inner critic and then there is the web's mysterious input on content. I never understood cyber bullying until I did this course. But I now see that peole divulge a part of themselves and then potentially can be attacked from an unknown source. Just because someone did a search on 'I feel sad' for instance.
Week 7
My log is my log. It is not good or bad. It is what it is. I have done my best. I accept my fate. Please give me 10/10. The week 7 assessment is completed.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Module 3_Blogs
http://www.louis-vuitton-review.com/
This is an interesting and orderly blog. It stays on the topic. It has merit.
I have read a lot of blogs. Generally they are a waste of my life. I feel this way because I have head space of my own that rambles at me all the time. Reading other people's random head talk is plain useless. I would not dream of writing all my thoughts out. That's like thinking double. My god the majority of this stuff is soooo useless.
But it is very clever how it all works and fits in on the 'web'. It is pretty amazing the volume of information roaming around the ether. It really is the 3rd dimension.
Module 3_Upload my web page
Cannot. I have tried to speak to iprimus and after waiting to speak to someone during business hours they could not tell me how to upload a web page although I do have web space on my account. Basically it all relies on how lucky you are with the person on the other end.
I then proceeded tonight to upload onto the curtin website. I follow all the instructions about 6 times and end up with
Error: Could not read from transfer socket: ECONNABORTED - Connection aborted
When I explore this problem I find I am not the first person to hit a wall with this problem on the web. But for all my searching I cannot resolve the problem.
I have remained calm and patient.
You will have to be content with the image of my website from previous blogs. Take my word for it, all links work a treat.
I then proceeded tonight to upload onto the curtin website. I follow all the instructions about 6 times and end up with
Error: Could not read from transfer socket: ECONNABORTED - Connection aborted
When I explore this problem I find I am not the first person to hit a wall with this problem on the web. But for all my searching I cannot resolve the problem.
I have remained calm and patient.
You will have to be content with the image of my website from previous blogs. Take my word for it, all links work a treat.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Module 3_Optional 'Standards' Task 2
It would be a breach of copyright to use the Curtin logo on my work. The reason for this is that it is my work. Even if Curtin University placed their logo on my work it is a breach of my inherent copyright. The Curtin logo may only be used on documents commissioned by Curtin University and it's employees as original material or research, or formal communication from the organisation.
I have permission to use the cartoon by Weg which I have placed on my study website. His trustees have said my use of it to market myself is no problem. It is of me and I have the original. Sometimes using an image for marketing purposes would create multiple copies of original works which could attract royalties to be payed to the artist or creator.
I have permission to use the cartoon by Weg which I have placed on my study website. His trustees have said my use of it to market myself is no problem. It is of me and I have the original. Sometimes using an image for marketing purposes would create multiple copies of original works which could attract royalties to be payed to the artist or creator.
Module 3_Optional 'Standards' Task
The 5 most important standards for writing on line are:
1. Write half as much as you would normally.
2. Keep the layout simple with no too many long time downloads
3. Say what you mean
4. Say it first
5. Be clear about introducing who you are
The thing which I find annoying when I read internet text is too many links to deeper documents. When I am trying to learn I feel compelled to read everything. Some of the web info in this course has lead me into massive information overload. It has been quite tiring sometimes to stay on the topic. And I don't print out! It's such a waste of paper. Internet words are hard to keep and file and recognise over the long term.
1. Write half as much as you would normally.
2. Keep the layout simple with no too many long time downloads
3. Say what you mean
4. Say it first
5. Be clear about introducing who you are
The thing which I find annoying when I read internet text is too many links to deeper documents. When I am trying to learn I feel compelled to read everything. Some of the web info in this course has lead me into massive information overload. It has been quite tiring sometimes to stay on the topic. And I don't print out! It's such a waste of paper. Internet words are hard to keep and file and recognise over the long term.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Module 3_Thoughts on html
I have enjoyed making a web page very much. But it takes patience and practice. I have explored further topics such as the use of frames and CSS but prefer to keep things simple. So although the long list of commands is useful I find them complicated. I think when I begin to write information in a more purposeful manner I will find more complex commands useful. It is very difficult to write interesting content when you are also imagining how it will look and learning how to do it.
Module 3_Make a web page
I made it!! It is going to be hard to remember to use US spellings. I was also unable to change the font to Arial. I will upload my script tomorrow to BB and see if I can get some help. Hang on, just worked it out.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Week 6
Internet was down last night. It was still down tonight. So I called tech support, waited half an hour. Thankfully I could be helped. I had to put my splitter on the phone socket and not the internet phone socket. It has also stopped all the crackle on the phone since I switched to broadband.
In my head, everything I read and write on the internet I do with an American accent.
In my head, everything I read and write on the internet I do with an American accent.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Module 3_That bloody book of sand
Well, I will keep reading. Maybe tomorrow the riddles will be more obvious. Note to self, this is how the non-linear world drags you into it's grasp. Spooky!!
Week 6
Well I have now mastered the screen grab. Let's see how it looks. This is done on IBM by pressing the 'print scr' key while holding 'alt' to take a screen shot of the active window and paste the picture into paint and save as jpg. I wish I knew this before. I have screen grabbed my ICQ screen. It is lovely to see those people but unfortunately they are not online when I am. But it was fun to chat to Sheila the other day.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Module 2_IRC
Well, I joined IRC and Riko contacted me. And we chatted.
excerpt below:
I am glad you stayed :) how long have you used IRC ?
Beginner, what's so good at about it?
meeting people ...
Can't say I find it that easy speaking this way. How long do you spend doing this?
a few hours a day , 2 days a week ...
maybe five hours a week ...
on average
No, I just don't have time, and do you speak to someone diffeent every time?
sorry I type so slow ...
yeah it is always someone new
Gee, I really don't get it. I am gonna go now, but enjoy your chat. Who will you speak to when I sign off?
bye :) your English is really good for a Martian ... :)
Take Care ...
Yeah take care, it was lovely to meet you, look after the Cortina! j:)
-
RiKo-^44^ is ~schlendrh@host81-156-102-65.range81-156.btcentralplus.com * Riko
RiKo-^44^ on +#Beginner #startrek #drwho +#RiKo's
RiKo-^44^ using irc.easynews.com your usenet, our world.
RiKo-^44^ actually using host 81.156.102.65
RiKo-^44^ End of /WHOIS list.
-
RiKo-^44^ is ~schlendrh@host81-156-102-65.range81-156.btcentralplus.com * Riko
RiKo-^44^ on +#Beginner #startrek #drwho +#RiKo's
RiKo-^44^ using irc.easynews.com your usenet, our world.
______________
When I double clicked I got all this extra info about his IP address and stuff. I was just trying to select the text. Everything I do feels unsure when I explore this stuff. I cannot enjoy a really good chat because I don't want to disclose anything about myself. I have never said 'stuff' twice like I just did? But it is all just stuff!!
excerpt below:
-
RiKo-^44^ is ~schlendrh@host81-156-102-65.range81-156.btcentralplus.com * Riko
RiKo-^44^ on +#Beginner #startrek #drwho +#RiKo's
RiKo-^44^ using irc.easynews.com your usenet, our world.
RiKo-^44^ actually using host 81.156.102.65
RiKo-^44^ End of /WHOIS list.
-
RiKo-^44^ is ~schlendrh@host81-156-102-65.range81-156.btcentralplus.com * Riko
RiKo-^44^ on +#Beginner #startrek #drwho +#RiKo's
RiKo-^44^ using irc.easynews.com your usenet, our world.
______________
When I double clicked I got all this extra info about his IP address and stuff. I was just trying to select the text. Everything I do feels unsure when I explore this stuff. I cannot enjoy a really good chat because I don't want to disclose anything about myself. I have never said 'stuff' twice like I just did? But it is all just stuff!!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Module 2_Chat
From my yahoo group experience, I got on to ICQ chat. I joined the 'internetstudies' group, expecting some type of cohesive dialogue to be ensuing. All it was it seemed was other students getting on the site and saying hi and leaving. It reminded me of people falling into another world by some strange portal, but absolutely nothing was going on when they got there. I tried to engage with someone and kept leaving messages and returning every hour and a half or so. I did this about 4 times and then Lawrence came on and rescued me and said that the group was not conducive to chatting, and gave me his ICQ number. Saved.
ICQ chatting was very satisfying, it was in real time. My number is 564089066.
ICQ chatting was very satisfying, it was in real time. My number is 564089066.
Module 2_Lists
Hello list, bye bye lists. I am not into lists. Very very time consuming and DULL. Not much of value from what I could see. I can't imagine a good purpose. And sooo many. Very odd.
Week 4
Today I see I've got a follower and some comments, this is really nice. I was also really lucky to get to chat with Lawrence on ICQ which I found amazing. And I made a mistake on my link which is now fixed. Note to self 'check links'. Onward and upward.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Week 3
So much time spent getting on my yahoo group. And nothing much to read when I got there. And no-one to talk to.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Week 3
Well, today I couldn't get on to the Curtin website. So I worked on my concept assignments instead. I found an interesing program on the net to help me with word count. I wonder if I have a place on my computer to paste the script?
www.javascriptkit.com/script/script2/countwords.shtml
www.javascriptkit.com/script/script2/countwords.shtml
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Module 2_Email
1. The information about a user's email such as molearnin@iprimus.com.au:
- Shows who the email has come from.
- That the email account is from Australia
- That the service provider is iprimus
- That the domain name is iprimus
- The path it took was user 'molearnin' sent an email from a domain named iprimus in Australia.
2. It is useful to use:
- 'cc' when you would like to include outside parties to read the email you are sending but to not respond.
This may be because you want to register that it is sent.
You want to include other recipients to add to the weight or meaning of the email you are sending.
You may be issuing a chance for that person to take up inclusion in the discussion. - 'bcc' is useful if you want the communication to be read by outside parties without the recipients knowledge.
This may be because it is a copy to yourself.
You may want to keep things simple for the recipient.
You may want to keep something from the recipient. - 'reply all' is useful to let everyone know the same message.
This is not useful for overly complicated communication as it asks too many people to put too much energy into the same communication which may not be efficient.
3. You can make sure attachments will be easily opened by the recipient in the following ways:
- ASCII format
- RTF format
- Pdf format
- ensure files are less than 1mb
- If files are bigger than 1mb it would be useful to ask the recipient what they can handle across their network and what programs are useful to them. But I would only enter this dialogue for big files. For the smaller files they will either be able to open it or not and will advise accordingly. If they are made aware there is an attachment they can let the sender know if there is a problem.
4. The only rules I have for incoming email is the default setting for Nortons Anti-spam. It goes into a Nortons Anti-Spam folder. Otherwise, I have been very careful with my email address and I get junk emails from a source through iprimus which are always different but easily identifiable so they get deleted manually. It would not be poossible to define them for an automated task to delete.
5. I have organised the folders in my email based on the outcome that they contribute to ie 'Net11'. That way as a project is completed that folder is stopped and new ones begin. Some folders are ongoing like 'iprimus' but generally this stops the folders contents getting too large and is easy to refer to. The only disorganised folder is the 'personal' folder
Monday, March 16, 2009
Week 3
Well here I am ready to start Module 2. Yay, I am already running slightly behind. I find discussion board so laborious. I cannot view it from my computer at home so I have to book a computer at the library. It takes me an hour just to read the posts, let alone respond. But It is handy to read the info that is there, I have so many questions I need to ask but it would be so problematic hanging around for the answers.
Module 1_Internet Tools
1. Using the Traceroute tool from Centralops the route took 19 hops to curtin.edu.au. The average time is 253 miliseconds. Curtin IP number is 134.7.179.56.
My feeling on this excercise is that it takes a lot of self exploration to understand what I am seeing and interpretting. Ultimately I am reticent to explore or play with these sites as I am aware of the magnitude of information I may inadvertantly let out.
2. To ping takes 252.7 milliseconds.
Ping sends a message to a router to see if it is there and comes back to the sender with the information. It must take the same time as the Traceroute because it follows the same route.
3. I went to the site and tried to download the software A-toolbar 3.1, but there is just not enough information about what the software does and the down load just said 'done with errors on page'. So I am not proceeding further with this, but I assume the trace would be quicker from my computer to Curtin because we are all in the same country.
My feeling on this excercise is that it takes a lot of self exploration to understand what I am seeing and interpretting. Ultimately I am reticent to explore or play with these sites as I am aware of the magnitude of information I may inadvertantly let out.
2. To ping takes 252.7 milliseconds.
Ping sends a message to a router to see if it is there and comes back to the sender with the information. It must take the same time as the Traceroute because it follows the same route.
3. I went to the site and tried to download the software A-toolbar 3.1, but there is just not enough information about what the software does and the down load just said 'done with errors on page'. So I am not proceeding further with this, but I assume the trace would be quicker from my computer to Curtin because we are all in the same country.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Module 1_ftp
CAPITALIZATION MATTERS
I know this. And I have used ftp before. It is slow for large files. But it is very efficient when sharing files with remote recipients. I have always found it to be very stable and fast for files up to 30mb. Larger files are best left to upload over night. If the connection is stable it is reliable. It's a bit hit and miss on the directory though. Having access to files which I may not want. It would be easy to download the wrong thing.
I know this. And I have used ftp before. It is slow for large files. But it is very efficient when sharing files with remote recipients. I have always found it to be very stable and fast for files up to 30mb. Larger files are best left to upload over night. If the connection is stable it is reliable. It's a bit hit and miss on the directory though. Having access to files which I may not want. It would be easy to download the wrong thing.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Module 1_Task B
Now let me see....
............................0 0
......................3 _[ ]_ E
.......................\ /___\ /
......................../] [] [] [ \
it's a crab
When I did computer programming in year 7 we did a programme on these computer cards and had to make a triangle out of symbols. It was a great stack of cards. It was fun but useless. But it is the start of using pixels as building blocks for images. Recent computer imagery is as good as real life. The principal is the same.
............................0 0
......................3 _[ ]_ E
.......................\ /___\ /
......................../] [] [] [ \
it's a crab
When I did computer programming in year 7 we did a programme on these computer cards and had to make a triangle out of symbols. It was a great stack of cards. It was fun but useless. But it is the start of using pixels as building blocks for images. Recent computer imagery is as good as real life. The principal is the same.
Module 1_Task A
Good afternoon, well I have completed this task. I was very satisfied when I began making headway as the windows were very unfamiliar. Really basic compared with the views we get on pc screens now. I don't think it matters much once you have got what you are seeking. Of course I dont know if I will ever use Telnet again, but it was interesting.
And I have seen these views before... when iprimus was helping me over the phone with setting up my modem. They were helping me with "...maintenance of core network elements in mobile communication networks." (Telnet, Wikipedia, 9 March 2009)
I instinctively knew that this type of computer language spoke in common terms to the core information within my computer.
And I have seen these views before... when iprimus was helping me over the phone with setting up my modem. They were helping me with "...maintenance of core network elements in mobile communication networks." (Telnet, Wikipedia, 9 March 2009)
I instinctively knew that this type of computer language spoke in common terms to the core information within my computer.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Week 2
I have constant trouble getting on to the Curtin discussion board. Everything I attempt has so many links and details to explore that I spend 2 hours so easily just looking and reading through websites. I have looked at quite a few other students blogs and am really impressed with the ease with which some people carry out the tasks. I have so many questions I need to ask.
1. How do I get a url to link in the text?
2. How do I get to format a grid when creating a reference list?
My modem finally arrived and of course it was not straight forward to connect so I had to get telephone support. And what I learned is all a blur.
3. I need to study up on Norton Utilities to manage it properly as the windows constantly pop up.
My to do list is mounting up. Every step forward is simple but opens up copious amounts of enquiry.
1. How do I get a url to link in the text?
2. How do I get to format a grid when creating a reference list?
My modem finally arrived and of course it was not straight forward to connect so I had to get telephone support. And what I learned is all a blur.
3. I need to study up on Norton Utilities to manage it properly as the windows constantly pop up.
My to do list is mounting up. Every step forward is simple but opens up copious amounts of enquiry.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Week 1
Well it's all about blogging, plagiarism and '10% good stuff and 90% crud' theory at the moment.
I have had my eyes opened this week with trying to think why on earth it is necessary to blog? (I was offered 5 reasons in Who Magazine (Lorenzo Bennell and Richard Jerome, Feb 2, 2009) about a person who has been blogging for his newborn daughter who's mother sadly died 3 days after her birth. The blog http://www.mattlogelin.com/ started as a way to keep family and friends informed but has opened up lines of support for the father and is building as a record of the daughters mother for when she is old enough to appreciate it. So all that is a good reason for him and his 40,000 followers.)
I have had my eyes opened this week with trying to think why on earth it is necessary to blog? (I was offered 5 reasons in Who Magazine (Lorenzo Bennell and Richard Jerome, Feb 2, 2009) about a person who has been blogging for his newborn daughter who's mother sadly died 3 days after her birth. The blog http://www.mattlogelin.com/ started as a way to keep family and friends informed but has opened up lines of support for the father and is building as a record of the daughters mother for when she is old enough to appreciate it. So all that is a good reason for him and his 40,000 followers.)
- support
- information
- posterity (this will need to be proven)
- gives other people something to read
- creates dialogue
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Week 1
Well I am very inspired by all this new information and fun internet blogging. There is a stack of research I need to do and I have already developed skills that I would never have had the courage to try without the reassurance of my course notes.
5 tips for new bloggers
- Don't be afraid
- Start slowly
- Persevere
- If in doubt leave it out
- Be rapt that you got this far!! Press PUBLISH POST
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