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.
Friday, May 8, 2009
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.
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