My BA Progress

2008-05-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

1. For future reference to Scootersales I would most likely use the ‘Latest Scooter News’ section of the website. I would use this to update myself with any new scooters available at good prices. This area would be good for any new reviews or comparisons available on both used and new scooters that I would have simply bought for the low price or brand name. I would then move to the used scooter market for value deals and after that to the new scooter section.

2. If I were to link back to Scootersales, it would have to be to the news section, this would draw readers into reviews and comparisons of different scooters available. The body of information may then lead to searching within the new and used sections.

As stated earlier my intrest in this site would for scooters only. The site only really caters for one objective, however it can lead via the webring to other kinds of products such as motorcycles and cars.

2008-05-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

I have now discovered that the class is still posting on the external forum and only posting with minimal content on the WebCT discussions. I thought that everyone had come back to WebCT and wondered why not many posts had been made recently. Thought is was possibly due to everyone completed thier assignments. I have now posted back in the forum.

I have posted by assignment as seen below and now need to make sure all modules tasks have been completed now.

Four Concepts - Assignment

2008-05-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

The mobility of electronic digital data (concept #5)

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.

While we send a test email to either ourselves or someone else for the first time, we wait in great anticipation and intrigue as what will happen. If all goes well with the client we are using a returned email messages will come back and be waiting in our inbox. This is amazing at the time, our first email message sent and received. As time goes on though it becomes a given to send out messages and receive even more. It doesn’t take long to have an inbox full of both massages from family, friends and even those we don’t know. Another culprit that appears to fill an inbox quickly would be dreaded Spam email; this is usually from unknown senders but not always as spam can be both legitimate and illegal. Legitimate Spam comes from those with newsletters or online sports clubs and so forth. Another form of Spam is known as unsolicited bulk email (UBE) (Wikipedia, 2008) which usually means you have not signed up to receive these messages from anyone. Other ways to be targeted by Spammers or Spamming software is to insert you email address to websites, which will either spam you directly or pass your email address on to others to spam you. Once this happens it can be very difficult if not impossible to stop your email address from being attacked.

Apart from the annoying nature of spam, the email system is a very cheap, easy and useful way to communicate with others anywhere. Even though one could send an audio, video tape, or even a photo or poster via conventional mail, the versatility and speed at which email with attachments can be sent and received is sometimes far more practical these days. Another point to mention are the distances in which some will travel to deliver normal mail on time. I came across this writing online from a chap named John Delp who decided to travel with a contractor delivering mail for the weekend. This trek covered over 2000 kilometres across the vast Australian outback. (The World's Longest Mail Run - with John Delp 1998) and even though this type of mail is still necessary, increasingly email is becoming far more attractive than normal or snail mail as it is sometimes called.

While we all have used email for different purposes to increase productivity or improve our relationships with family and friends far away or next door, email correspondence needs to be used with good judgement. Email can sometimes be very damaging with ill intent behind what can be sent to others. In the case of a woman stalked by an ex-lover via e-mail and mobile phone text messages, who threatened to e-mail intimate pictures of Samantha to her friends and family. (The Northern Echo, 2001) This would have to be that dark side to electronic communications and as seen in the above case not limited to email. Sometimes negative intent may not be on the mind of the sender at the time, however inappropriate information can be passed on that should not be and this could amount to irresponsible action.

Reference:

Wikipedia, E-mail Spam, (2008). Retrieved 12/04/08 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(electronic)

This Wikipedia reference was used as a simple reflection on what Spam means, even though I would not use Wikipedia as an official source of content it is still good for an overall idea about what Spam is. I’ve found that others tend to be comfortable in reading this type of information in the past and Wikipedia can be a great introduction or further source of information with embedded links. The way the Wikipedia lays outs it information makes it easy for those with little or no technical background to grasp the idea of Spam.

Site 2: By John Delp, Executive Travel. (1998),
The World's Longest Mail Run. Retrieved 27/03/08 from
http://www.executivetvl.com/mailrun/mailrun.html

The John Delp article I thought was quite good for one important reason, it shows how some will and need to go to extraordinary lengths to get normal mail to others over vast distances. Even though email can be substituted for normal mail in many cases, normal mail must be used in certain circumstances when email cannot be utilised. I also thought it was a great article in its own right lying on the boundaries of this subject. In a technological age, it also poses the larger question as to who will be willing to continue these types of tasks in the future.

The Northern Echo. (2001).
Woman stalked by ex-lover via e-mail
Retrieved 14/04/08 from
http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2001/2/27/177900.html

The Northern Echo reference and article shows the darker side to email, how this medium can be used for negative or destructive purposes. It allows us to see what may lie ahead for the future and how all of us should take reasonable steps to reduce this scenario from happening to ourselves in the future. By being aware of what others have endured or gone through, we can understand the potential for this media, whether it be positive or negative. Lastly it shows the negative side to human action through the use of technology and the ramifications if put into action.

Automation (concept #10)

Advanced effective Internet communicators do not ignore automation, nor use it unthinkingly: they essentially negotiate arrangements with their communications software and review them as necessary.

The automation of tasks either online or simply on the computer can be time and cost saving, however this can raise further questions or inevitably involve human intervention to cross examine what an automated task has completed. In some cases both the cost and time savings that were believed to be achieved are not completely true. Spam filtering for example, can reduce the amount of email sent to an inbox and allow us to focus on the more important messages. The problems with this method however allow legitimate email to continue through to the junk Spam folder and if unchecked, messages would lie there waiting for deletion without anyone knowing. This means we must periodically check the Spam folder to make sure legitimate messages haven’t been missed; this then takes up the supposed time saved in the first instance.

Another very important point to observe is that we need to be careful these days when typing certain words within an email message for fear it may be directed straight to the Spam folder for deletion. As shown in an article from Wired, called ‘Spam Filters Grab Good with Bad’ (Michelle Delio 2004) it states many words now are used by Spam filter companies and system admins to catch unwanted messages and moving them “directly into the abyss of the deleted items folder” (Michelle Delio 2004). This is a perfect example of over zealous automation, where we have setup software that was suppose to make life easier and add performance to our daily lives, but in some cases has had the opposite effect. Writing an email can now be time consuming due to fears of it bouncing back again, possibly even days later only to either call or re-email the message all over again. The Spam filter in this sense has had a negative effect on productivity.

There are valid and performance enhancing ways to use email filters, these can be to direct certain messages to pre set folders for viewing at later dates. Automation of calendar items in MS Outlook is another very efficient way of keeping track of ones time management. Software such as MS Outlook can also reduce the need to continually click the send and receive button, this is done by setting the program to automatically retrieve email messages from a desired mail server every five minutes for example. Excel spreadsheets and databasing can be another valuable automation process, even though human input is required for data, this data can be manipulated automatically either on the fly or by a particular pre-set time or date thus increasing productivity overall. Search engines are a major automated process for retrieving data, online search engines such as Google or Yahoo can decrease time spent requesting required data. Google has array of services now, like maps (http://maps.google.com/), online documents and auto saving for email, blogs and web page creators. These services are a combination of automation and interaction, which can save time and money when used in a positive fashion. Lastly, password managers can be a fantastic automated program used to save time filling in user details and keeping private details secure. One very good program called KeePass (http://keepass.info/index.html, 2008) has great security, using Advanced Encryption Standard (AES / Rijndael) 128 bits 256 bits and Twofish 128 bits 256 bits (KeePass, 2008). Plugins or short cut keys can be used to auto fill details into both web pages and applications. The best thing about this program is that it’s open source and free to use for both personal and commercial purposes.

KeePass (2008).
Retrieved 01/05/08 from
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2004/01/61945

I have made reference to KeePass for several reasons, one since it uses automation through auto fill actions and I personally use it for passwords and bookmarks. I have researched online for a free and portable password manager many times and this one appears to be the most secure for the price, which is free. The only down fall is that for the auto fill and login feature to work, Internet Explorer is required. Other browsers such as Firefox and Opera can be used with short cuts however for auto fill only. I have found the unlimited entries and ease of use to be invaluable both at work and home.

Michelle Delio (2004). Wired.com: Spam Filters Grab Good With Bad
Retrieved 14/04/08 from
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2004/01/61945

I have used the above reference as it has come from a relatively good source of information regarding Information Technology matters. The reference or article shows how the need to be thoughtful now days when creating an important email message due to increased spam filtering. I wanted to highlight the fact that even though spam filters are necessary for productivity, they can also be our downfall if not taken into account on a regular basis and left to their own. I also wanted to show that automation can indeed add time saved in certain circumstances.

The relationship of data to meta-data (concept #11)

Advanced Internet users learn to intuitively conceive of any document, file, message or communication as consisting of metadata and data. They then can explore the functions of various communications/information software looking for how that software can assist them in using metadata to enable sorting, processing or otherwise dealing with that data.

Meta-data is not commonly seen by most online users; generally meta-data is hidden in email clients like Outlook Express or MS Outlook unless the properties are checked within an email message. The same can be said for web pages, when browsing between pages online the meta-data tags aren’t visible on each page. Most pages will have some form of meta-data within the html to instruct the page of the type of code will be expected further down the page. For example meta-data can instruct the document to be rendered in XHTML or standard HTML depending on what’s required. Meta-data also allows for search functions, which emphasize particular links, words, phrases and even sentences to be searched on the Internet. By using certain information within meta-data more important information requested by the user can be obtained that is relevant to them.

W3C has been working on recoding this meta-data which started with PICS [Platform for Internet Content Selection] and RDF [Resource Description Framework] (Metadata Activity Statement, 2002). PICS was designed primarily for parents and teachers to control and screen out words and pages for children, RDF is more general and relates to control over the web page itself or links within the page like video, audio and pictures that have a web address to associate or access (Metadata Activity Statement, 2002). Due constant changes online the Metadata Activity Statement has now become superseded by the Semantic Web Activity Statement. RDF and OWL - Web Ontology language has been included as a core models. However new protocols have been created such as SPARQL query language (pronounced sparkle) and GRDDL - Gleaning Resource Descriptions from Dialects of Languages for the decentralization of RDF data and the bridging of the RDF model and XML technologies (Web Activity Statement 2008). All these protocols may seem complicated or involved, however the need for web developers and software vendors to conform together when designing and developing applications, websites, databases and data itself is very important now and in the future years to come. Without this collusion, future possibilities are impossible. The requirements expected and from users for both work-related and personal progression would be impacted greatly or impossible without these standards.

Other types of meta-data are used in applications like Microsoft’s Excel, when equations are created for spreadsheets. For example each cell may have hidden meta-data that makes up the instructions on how to calculate certain cell data. In fact all of Microsoft’s Office programs have meta-data embedded with the documents, Word and PowerPoint contain basic information such as the author, time and date the document was created or modified. When using these programs risks can become apparent like hidden text with sensitive information about a previous author in the case where you may have used a template to create the document. Other areas to remember would information on external parties and comments made by the current author that need not be seen. If left unchecked this could become embarrassing or even turn into a legal matter. (Metadata Risk.org, 2008).

Reference:

W3C, Metadata Activity Statement 2002
Retrieved 16/04/2008 from
http://www.w3.org/Metadata/Activity.html

The Metadata Activity Statement 2002 was used to highlight a more technical idea and background towards meta-data. To show what had been done in the past on a level other than simple tagged information. It makes it apparent how important meta-data is and the effort that some will go to in order to have a coordinated idea and set of rules to keep information organised. There have been a lot of web, programming and other professionals working hard in the past and continue today to keep standards in place.

W3C, Web Activity Statement 2008
Retrieved 16/04/2008 from
http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/Activity.html

The Web Activity Statement 2008 was used to continue my explanation of meta-data examples, however it also must be explained as it’s the W3C’s continued efforts from the previous Metadata Activity Statement 2002 protocols. The new standards needed to be added as web design, function and web applications have progressed enormously from 2002 and these standards will have to be updated to cope with demand. Without the hard work of W#C and those involved with their work, the future would be much harder for application and web developers.

Workshare: Metadata Risk.org 2008
Retrieved 1/05/2008 from
http://www.metadatarisk.org/document_security/dangers_of_docmetadata_overview.htm

I wanted to add the Workshare reference as I gained valuable knowledge that had not previously known. I had a very basic understanding about embedded information with Microsoft documents, however didn’t realise to the extent that creating such documents care was needed. This web page gives some excellent examples and pointers on how to minimize the problems with data popping up at times that would be embarrassing to say the least. Even though care needs to be taken regarding copyright information sometimes it doesn’t have to be plastered across a presentation either.

The impact of text-based real-time chat (concept #17)

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

Text chat is a new way of communicating for those who have gone online for the first time. However for the experienced Internet user who may be relatively fast with a keyboard; it can be a valuable personal and business tool. Experiencing chat for the first time opens up an inquisitive mind to the fact that distance doesn’t have to be a barrier for communication, language is the last hurdle. In saying that however there are some websites like word2word.com, that list other sites for language courses online and applications that allow the translation of language within chat software such as www.webbe.com/. Once chat is familiar though, it becomes apparent how flexible this tool can be. Chat can be used at home, in the office or even on the go, not just when someone wants to meet up physically. The ability to converse with multiple windows and people makes it easier to catch-up with more friends, family or colleagues at the one time, and if the need arises, chat sessions can be saved and re-read at a later date.

The way chat is presented towards us in text format and on the screen, our brains seem to be able to comprehend this in a more organised way compared to speech. If three friends started to talk the same time, mostly likely all three conversations would not be heard correctly. With chat however all three conversations could be dealt with far easier typed out compared to spoken. Chat sessions can be created from either a chat room such as www.icq.com/icqchat, where one would login to a group and request to chat with others with in that chat group. Another form would be using a chat client like ICQ or MSN messenger. These days chat clients are more difficult to initiate chat sessions with unknown chatters as most people will block unknown users from even starting, usually a user will be known or found in a forum or chat group elsewhere beforehand.

A more recent addition to the chat genre, called video chat “allows you to easily see, hear, and chat with people all over the world through a web page” (iVideochat, 2008). Not unlike the mobile phone, chat has changed the way all of us communicate. The world seems much smaller with this simple yet effective idea. The unfortunate side to this technology has been apparent in recent times though, both personal information and the safety of children have become key questions by many. Websites like (http://www.securitysoft.com/) have information and software to aid in this negative trend online with chat rooms. Identity theft is also another reason to be careful as this is increasing every day. “guided tour of a hacker chat room where credit-card numbers, passwords, and PIN’s are bought and sold” (Stephen J. Dubner, 2007). Lastly I would like to touch on the fact that even though chat can bring other close, when required, it also keeps them far away at the same time. The removal of physical communication may play a large role in emotion and wellbeing for many users. Humans have been very social in the past but are moving towards personal isolation in the future.

Reference:

iVideochat (2008).
Retreived 14/04/08 from
http://www.ivideochat.com/

iVideochat was used as a reference to allude to the up and coming forms of chat available. I wanted to introduce a new way of using this communication media, not just from a chat client based environment, but from a web based point of view. I felt that showing how the chat genre had developed recently with video, trying not to emphasise the audio aspect as much as possible though. This points to the fact that even though video is brought into the chat circles, audio doesn’t have to be used; therefore using a chat window can still be quite powerful.

Stephen J. Dubner. (2007).
New York Times: Who Cares About Identity Theft?
Retreived 14/04/08 from
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/09/who-cares-about-identity-theft

The above reference and article is one way of pointing out how dangerous chat programs can be for the user who really doesn’t take any security precautions or may not be aware of their cyber surroundings online. It shows that by simply following steps requested from an email or directions from either a webpage or chat environment, how this can be disastrous. It also indicates the increasingly widespread problem this has become and the imagination boggles at what things will be like in the future regarding identity theft. Using sensible thinking and reliable updated security software can eliminate most identity theft matters.

Module 4 - Evaluating the Web

2008-04-28T17:26:00.001-07:00

I have chosen Scootersales.com.au for the main reason that it’s based in NSW; however after checking the website more deeply I have found that they offer a more in depth view towards the customer and information on both new and used scooters available at their store. The site itself allows easy location of information and isn’t cluttered in any way. The site has some great link partners such as Vespa and Piaggio, which are long time legends in the scooter industry.

The great point to this website is the updated news and reviews on new scooters to the market that can assist in deciding on the best scooter for the type of riding one may do. Another great fact regarding this site is that it doesn’t close itself off to other scooter or motorcycle sellers as there are also links to these manufacturers or sales outlets, like a physical scooter webring. The website also has many photos of scooters for one to browse and compare. The site itself is geared around selling scooters however the extra information like reviews give off a more professional feel and draws one into the site more so that some of the other scooter websites within my search results. Even though this site ranked no1 in my results, I would more comfortable in dealing with this site first of all.

Module 4 - Organising search information task

2008-04-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

1.

http://www.scootersales.com.au/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
Scootersales.com.au is building to be the most exciting event to happen in scootering since its inception in this country. Scootersales.com.au is your one stop website for all your scootering needs.

Whether you are new to scooters or you have been riding for years, scootersales will provide all the up to date information and events to keep you in touch with what is the fastest growing form of two wheeled transport in this country.

2.

http://www.bikepoint.com.au/

Sell your bike at Australia's leading bike website - BikePoint.com.au. For more information, including costs, visit our sell your bike page.

3.

http://www.scootermarket.com.au/index.htm

If you’re shopping for a scooter, come to Scootermarket, the people with more scooter experience than any other shop in Australia! Scootermarket are scooter specialists – we do not sell cars or motorbikes. What we do sell is a range of top quality scooters from Europe and Asia. At Scootermarket we pride ourselves in presenting customers with the biggest and best brands available. This ensures great products and, most importantly, great backup and support from the manufacturer

Log.
I have recorded the above 3 best searches from the previous task. I'm unsure if this will be adequate for my future tasks now or my assignment, however I feel this is what I have chosen and now have to use these search words for the remaining tasks. On a positive side I will most likely have fun trying to use these search terms compared using easier more general terms.

I have used MS Word to record all the information referring back to these 3 best results. This includes the URL, the company name, picture or logo of the website and the first paragraph or the 'about' regarding the site.

I feel using MS Word is the easiest way to reacord this information as I can copy all relevant info into the one area. If I were to require user details to logon to the sites then I would have used my KeePass program but this is not required.

Boolean searching task

2008-04-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

Boolean searching task (Google)

Using search words ‘New Scooters’ in Google with the format of the following revealed:

Results 1 - 10 of about 380,000 for +new +scooters. (0.19 seconds)
Results 1 - 10 of about 1,410,000 for +scooters -used. (0.43 seconds)
Results 1 - 10 of about 151,000 for +scooters -used +sydney. (0.25 seconds)
Results 1 - 10 of about 90,600 for +scooters +new +sydney. (0.31 seconds)
Results 1 - 10 of about 112,000 for +scooters +new +university. (0.31 seconds)

Even though it would be less likely to buy a New Scooter from a University, 112,000 hits were possible from the above search criteria. The search results were mostly about students with scooters or easy parking for those students that were going to ride scooters to University.

Module 4 - Copernic Vs Google

2008-04-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

To sum up the search experiment results from both Copernic (7 Search engines) and Google (The web and Australia), I have noticed that with the words used 'New Scooters' Google have been more promising than Copernic with usable results and closer to the mark to boot. The Copernic results pointed to cars sales where the Google results were located in Aus and were geared towards motorbike sales. If I were to look online for this type of item, Google would the first choice. I would like to experiment further with Copernic to see if other words yield better results.

Module 4 - Search Engine Task (Copernic)

2008-04-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Using the search words 'New Scooters' the following stats were completed:
(Copernic)

Unfortunately the cut down free version of Copernic isn’t able to provide detailed result information, however the following top hits were received from a total of 65 results.
(Copernic 98%)
1. www.northsideeuropean.com.au

(Copernic 98%)
2. www.insuremyride.com.au

(Copernic 98%)
3. www.discountnewcars.com.au

(Yahoo!, AOL Search, AltaVista 91%)
4. www.newscooters4less.com

(FAST Search (alltheweb.com), Ask.com 87%)
5. autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/NewEnglandScooters

The above results were completely different from the two Google search results; this was surprising as I would have thought that similar results would be found.

Module 4 - Search Engine Task

2008-04-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

Using the search words 'New Scooters' the following stats were completed:

Search engine: google.com.au (The web search)
Results 1 - 10 of about 428,000 for New Scooters. (0.24 seconds)

1. www.scootersales.com.au
2. www.bikepoint.com.au
3. www.scootermarket.com.au
4. www.showandgo.com.au
5. bikes.drive.com.au

Search engine: google.com.au (Pages from Australia search)
Results 1 - 10 of about 116,000 for New Scooters. (0.20 seconds)

1. www.scootersales.com.au
2. www.scootermarket.com.au
3. www.bikepoint.com.au
4. www.showandgo.com.au
5. www.ebay.com.au

After this search was completed and the results formulated in the above layout, I have to say that I'm slightly surprised about the results. I would have thought the search results might be more uniformed. Mainly because my assumption was that by searching google.com.au, my thinking was that this should have searched all Australian results in exactly the same manner as the au search, but not so.

Module 4 - Copernic Agent Basic

2008-04-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

I have decided to download the Copernic Agent Basic search program as the website for Glooton isn't in English and I could quickly see any translation tab or button to switch to English. I have to say the Copernic website is far more appealing to the eye and it's in English. Upon installing this application I feel it’s easy to read and the layout is also easy on the eyes. I have left the search function at 7 search engines for now.

Module 4 - Offline Browser/Copier

2008-04-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

I feel that IE7 allows for this purpose quite fine. I have saved pages from the Internet with IE for offline browsing and printing previously with no issues to date. Others may disagree, however I am reluctant to download too many small applications and install them when certain onboard programs can do the same job. The risk of corruption to the OS due to many small software programs installed but not used very often can create headaches. In saying that though, I do realise there are many applications that can enhance production online far better than onboard programs. I will always try to download an application when required or necessary.

Module 4 - Bookmark Buddy

2008-04-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

I have chosen to download and trial Bookmark Buddy. This program costs US$ 29.95, therefore I would like to trial it for the 30 days provided before actually buying it. While downloading the program from the location it requested a selection of either FTP (default) or HTTP download type. I have selected the HTTP as its easier that FTP since I’m already in the browser. The program downloaded quite fast as its only 540KB in total size and can run with all version Windows including Vista.

After installing this program I have checked out some of the areas within and it appears to be a nice little program, however I am currently unable to import the IE favorites. I will look into this further later though. In all honesty I have gotten used to using the IE Favorites and organise these quite well now, so we will see how this little program goes as time passes.

Module 4 - Installing Flash

2008-04-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

After reading the required or suggested software to use and download during the module 4 task, I found that I currently didn’t have Flash installed within the browser. Mainly due to reinstalling my XP OS yesterday due to buggy errors within Windows. I opened the demo page and was greeted with another small window asking if I would like to install Shockwave Flash in the browser.

Behind this small window was the demo page that has an outline of the flash demo but nothing there within the outline. I clicked yes to this small window and proceeded to automatically install the add-on component in the background. The last step asked if wanted to install the Google Toolbar...I don't like added toolbars so removed the tick then hit finish. I now looked at the demo page and the outline had changed to new Flash content within. I was successful in my installation and now have Shockwave flash installed.

Module 3 - Web 2.0

2008-04-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

I’m not really sure what this task or question is really asking, however I will add my thoughts all the same regarding Web 2.0. From my reading on the subject Web 2.0 has changed certain aspects of how websites are laid out and how users now use these sites. For example, mp3.com was used early and then the shift to Napster allowed more access to music with the ability to share. Britannica online allowed one to read about the world, however Wikipedia allowed everyone to create their own type of Britannica about practically anything. Users moved from boring old page view data to pay per click information and revenue.

Basically Web 2.0 has supercharged the way we use the internet and how websites or data from user’s movements online can shape future internet use.

Module 3 - Refelection on Blogs

2008-04-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have not really used blogs much in my time online, for some reason I’ve not really had a fascination towards them. I understand blogs can be used as an audio visual diary by some and advertising by others. They can be a simple means to introducing oneself to the webpage’s or a great to start for attempting building html.

I now know that blogs can be used as an education means like what we are doing with NET11. The information added in my own blog can be referenced later down the track. Blogs can be used for others to view or private consumption only. Therefore information can be shared between companies, individuals and organizations. It’s cheap if not free in most cases and fast to add or update data.

The more common or general use of a blog would be for personal use, such as dairy entries. From my personal experience online, bloging has become a large scale business with websites like Facebook and Bebo. Usually there are ads with in the pages to support the website and continue to allow the service to be a free one. Other uses would be marketing and news. Blogs can be useful tools for these industries as one can add photos, images, sound and links to other blogs, news sites or marketing products.

Module 3 - Copyright Laws

2008-04-04T18:42:00.001-07:00

Using images off other webpage’s or documents would not be proper use of these images. The only time this maybe ok would be if there specific notes or information that says your allowed to do so by the author. Usually this will mean that you would have to add a link to the webpage that you have taken the image from.

Using Curtin images would be in breach of copy right laws unless otherwise specified, however better to be safe than sorry.

Module 3 - FTP Upload (Test HTML page WebCT)

2008-04-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

I tried to upload the html test page using an FTP program to the URL given in the WebCT details, but couldn’t access the web space. I then uploaded to my own hosted space as this was easier.

http://dylans-net11-test.auportal.net/index.html

I then looked how others have managed to complete the task via the NET11 forum, from there I noticed others had used the HTTP action through the ‘Presentations’ link and uploaded to the group area that way. This was straight forward enough. I also noticed I wasn’t the only one with upload issues and posted in the forum how to do this, hope it helps!

Module 3 – W3C Validation - Reflection

2008-04-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

This online toll is fantastic, as long as you have some idea about html basics it can help resolve many page errors. It can also be used as another set of eyes when your become saw at midnight trying to the page to sit right.

I have also posted my test page on the 'Presentations' page in WebCT.

Module 3 – W3C Validation

2008-04-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

After completing the test html page, we are required to test the validation via the W3C webpage, I chose to add the entire code rather than from a URL. Once completed this returned 3 page errors and some other syntax errors.

The 3 main errors were...

Line 11, Column 24: required attribute "ALT" not specified.
Line 50, Column 39: there is no attribute "COLOR".
Line 74, Column 6: end tag for element "HEAD" which is not open.

Some other incorrect syntax errors as well, in all about 7, I have listed one here...

Line 18, Column 4: NET-enabling start-tag requires SHORTTAG YES.

It didnt seem to like my line breaks.

Module 3 - Test HTML page

2008-03-31T19:11:00.001-07:00

Should have posted the index page not page 2, so here it is:
http://dylans-net11-test.auportal.net/index.html

Module 3 - Test HTML page

2008-03-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

I have completed the exercises in module 3 regarding the test html webpage; I had fairly much used all of these basic examples within my own webpage’s in the past so were familiar to these. I did however have some troubles with the web space provided by Curtin University so have uploaded to my own hosted space, which really don’t use much anymore. It’s good to get some use out of it though.

Here is the link below:
http://dylans-net11-test.auportal.net/page2.html

Update on Jakob Nielson's eyetracking from 1997

2008-03-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Update on Jakob Nielson's eyetracking study from 1997. I have found a link from 2007 that concludes the 'F' shaped pattern is not always the case for certain website's:

Here is the link with corresponding information.
http://www.paradymesolutions.com/articles/eye-tracking-study-of-image-rich-web-pages/

Module 3 - WWW Standards

2008-03-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Make a summary of what you believe are the 5 most important ‘rules’ for writing online. Think about any differences between the articles: for example, is the advice in Nielsen’s paper -- written in 1997 – still current?

1. F shaped reading from the eye tracking study, if still current would be very useful information for creating general and specific webpage’s. (Research if still current from 1997)

2. Creating pages for the ever growing lower-literacy users, this is not something I have thought about when creating my basic pages and is something to keep in mind. Making sure the layout is reasonably simple and categorised well. This can help with issues resulting from poor scanning of pages as well, so can assist in at least two areas.

3. Keep intro's simple, use minimal text to explain the context of the site, use deeper links as parachutes into the website. This can useful for search engine users.

4. Taglines appear to a maker or breaker of traffic staying on your site and selling the product. Clearly saying what you do and why users should care is more important than saying the opposite to negative traits of the industry or business.

5. Inverted Pyramids may help with content on pages that require the user to stay rather than become bored and either re-search or flick past the information you need them to see.

Even though these guidelines are in some cases from the mid to late 90's, I feel the basics have not changed in web content, layout and human behaviour regarding how people demand information, products or services. Technology can change habits slightly and it's important to keep up to date with these changes, however some things don't always change quickly or at all.

Module 2 - Chat Part B

2008-03-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

ICQ would have to be my favourite chat program due to the animation while using the program, also the sounds it makes for alarms and signals like the knocking sounds when you hear someone trying to chat with you. I like the flower that changes colour depending on the status you in as well.

Gtalk has been more useful however, the fact that I have used it for IP calling and chat makes it more practical for my daily use. I have tried other IP calling software/servers like skype and Gtalk appears to be the clearest with less drops via transmission.

Module 2 - Chat

2008-03-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

Currently its been hard to meet up with other members from the group to continue the chat task. I have installed Trillian on my flash drive in the hope of being able to logon while at work as I work shifts during the afternoon and night. When trying to find class members during the mornings there doesn't appear to be anyone online ready to chat. The main problem is that I have proxy access at work which blocks all chat servers unless I use Google Talk directly, however it appears Im the only class member with this chat program and login.

I have also attempted to use the WebCT chat rooms with no luck from my home PC or work PC. I click the link to access each section and nothing happens. No error meassage or page attempting to load anywhere. I have used several chat programs in the past however and can draw on those experiences if possible for this task only.

I started using ICQ years ago and was amazed how one could lookup an international directory and say hello. Early in the peice others would say hi right back and chat for a while but slowly I noticed that some would ignore me. This become more frequent as time went by and I can only think that it was due to other males creating this issue. Next I tried Yahoo chat but this didnt allow the kind of searching that ICQ had available and therefore I became quite bored with Yahoo. MSN is similar to Yahoo. Lastly I started using Gmail due to work mates using it, plus the massive storage capacity available. I then started to use Gtalk a standalone application for both chat & IP calls. I used to this keep in touch with others overseas via IP phone and it was far clearer than a landline or mobile to chat over the phone.

Module 3 - Difference between HTML & Blogging

2008-03-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

Straight away one has the sense of control with hand coded HTML compared to adding to a blog, that's if you use a pre created blog site. To me the difference in blogging is that you simply type into an area and submit the text, much like a forum or discussion. HTML allows the full control of a webpage, the content, layout and achievement of viewing your very own creation on the web.

Module 3 - Thoughts regarding HTML

2008-03-24T03:22:00.000-07:00

After going through the exercises creating my new webpage, I still feel the excitement and fulfilment when completing my html code and refreshing the page to see what happened. I hope these feelings will never cease. It's always fun moving text and images around a webpage, changing the font size and colour or layout of the page.

I have been playing with web development for quite a few years now and it never seems to bore me. There's always new ways to create and learn procedures that I may have over looked in the past, no matter how complex or simple.

Module 3 - Reflection

2008-03-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

After going through several lessons within the 'Creating a webpage with Joe' I have been able to learn some new things. I wanted to add these here so I would remember them and be able to reference back again later if need be.

1. The first was knowing the true meaning and use ' ', simply adding a space to the webpage...simple enough, but handy all the same.

2. The second using the '<' and '>' for <> symbols, again very useful to stop pages being thrown around everywhere.

3. Lastly so far, the hierarchy of image references. The order in which you would link the image off the page to where is located with certain folders.

Module 2 - Newsgroups

2008-03-14T04:39:00.000-07:00

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
nuka...@gmail.com View profile
More options Mar 14, 10:37 pm

Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
From: nuka...@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:37:35 -0700 (PDT)
Local: Fri, Mar 14 2008 10:37 pm
Subject: Re: My Pictures/My Music gone.
Reply | Reply to author | Forward | Print | Individual message | Show original | Remove | Report this message | Find messages by this author
On Mar 13, 4:31 am, Byte wrote:

- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

> Click Start and rightclick My Music then click Properties. Now check
> the "Location" where it is pointing to - is it the correct file/directory
> where your music files are located?
> If not, try a System Restore to before the problem started.
> Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore
> you can go back up to 90 days if your Restore is enabled.

> --
> XP - WNP
> Today is the first day of the
> rest of your life.

> "slick1" wrote:
> > > If I click on Start then on My Pictures or My Music on the Start Menu, I
> > now get the Search dialog box instead with either the My Pictures or My Music
> > in the "Look in:" box.
> > > It did not used to do this before and I do not know how or why this is happening now.
> > > How do I set it back to when I click, Start > My Pictures or My Music, I get the proper page instead of the "Search"?
> > > Thank-you !- Hide quoted text -

> - Show quoted text -

You could try to run a search for the files your trying to locate
before the restore, this may allow you to find the files & why they
moved from the expected location.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This post went through the google groups to the Usenet group of microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers

Module 2 Tasks

2008-03-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

1. What information about a user's email, the origin of a message, and the path it took, can you glean from an email message?

The date and time it was sent, also the senders and recipients email address and lastly in standard headers the subject. More detailed headers may contain the mail servers that the message has passed through and any overflow details like days waiting to be delivered.

2. In what cases would you find it useful to use the 'cc', 'bcc' and 'reply all functions of email?

‘Cc’ or carbon copy is used to add someone into the email being sent, it will also make their address visible. ‘Bcc’ or blind carbon copy allows the recipient to be added to the mail list but not seen by others. Reply all allows you to send a reply back to all that are on ‘to’ and ‘Cc’ list.

3. In what ways can you ensure that an attachment you send will be easily opened by the receiver?

Make sure the recipient has the correct software to open the file being sent. Use the right file format like ‘plain text’ as standard. Include the file names with the application that created it for reference. Compress large files with something like WinZip.

4. What sorts of filters or rules do you have set up, and for what purpose?

Usually for spam related emails but can also be for certain types of email like from someone in particular. If you have meetings all the time you can create a meeting folder in Outlook with rules to divert any meeting related messages to that folder. Also any words or domain can be filtered to send straight to the trash folder.

5. How have you organised the folder structure of your email and why?

Currently have my Outlook folders structured alphabetically so I can find things quickly, but some have an asterisk as they are always sent to the top of the list by default.

• What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards?
• Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other?

I feel mail lists have the downfall of having to download the list of messages and categories each time you update your client to the server. Discussion boards are simply waiting for you to logon and once done all messages or posts are available to be seen.

Mail lists are good for uploading files for others to download; discussion boards are faster for information and links to other files, information and websites.

Trace and Ping Tasks

2008-03-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

134.7.180.156 is from Australia(AU) in region Oceana

TraceRoute to 134.7.180.156 [webct.curtin.edu.au]
Hop (ms) (ms) (ms) IP Address Host name
1 9 5 0 66.98.244.1 gphou-66-98-244-1.ev1servers.net
2 0 0 0 66.98.241.12 gphou-66-98-241-12.ev1servers.net
3 0 0 0 66.98.240.5 gphou-66-98-240-5.ev1servers.net
4 1 1 1 129.250.10.189 ge-1-14.r04.hstntx01.us.bb.gin.ntt.net
5 1 1 1 129.250.2.230 xe-0-1-0.r21.hstntx01.us.bb.gin.ntt.net
6 43 43 43 129.250.3.121 as-1.r21.lsanca03.us.bb.gin.ntt.net
7 43 43 43 129.250.5.90 xe-0-1-0.r03.lsanca03.us.bb.gin.ntt.net
8 203 203 203 198.172.90.102 p4-1-1-0.r03.lsanca03.us.ce.gin.ntt.net
9 203 197 201 202.158.194.153 so-3-2-0.bb1.b.syd.aarnet.net.au
10 213 215 214 202.158.194.33 so-2-0-0.bb1.a.mel.aarnet.net.au
11 222 223 218 202.158.194.17 so-2-0-0.bb1.a.adl.aarnet.net.au
12 250 249 246 202.158.194.5 so-0-1-0.bb1.a.per.aarnet.net.au
13 246 251 249 202.158.198.178 gigabitethernet0.er1.curtin.cpe.aarnet.net.au
14 251 250 250 202.158.198.186 gw1.er1.curtin.cpe.aarnet.net.au
15 249 250 246 134.7.16.46 -
16 251 246 250 134.7.248.65 te1-1.b309-sr.net.curtin.edu.au
17 247 250 252 134.7.180.156 webct1.curtin.edu.au

Trace complete

This traceroute took 17 hops to get to Curtin and an avg MS of 252. Not so sure if I'm correct with the avg milliseconds though. I like seeing where data is routed through the different servers to the desination.

The Ip address of webct1.curtin.edu.au is 134.7.180.156

(From my PC)
Tracing route to webct.curtin.edu.au [134.7.180.156] over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.0.1
2 8 ms 7 ms 14 ms 10.27.192.1
3 9 ms 7 ms 7 ms bla1-ge0-1.gw.optusnet.com.au [198.142.34.65]
4 10 ms 9 ms 9 ms mas3-ge2-0-0-811.gw.optusnet.com.au [211.29.155.11]
5 11 ms 9 ms 9 ms mas2-ge14-0-0-821.gw.optusnet.com.au [211.29.156.10]
6 13 ms 9 ms 9 ms mas5-unk8-1.gw.optusnet.com.au [211.29.129.142]
7 169 ms 136 ms 10 ms 202.139.124.97
8 70 ms 71 ms 70 ms 61.88.226.115
9 71 ms 71 ms 71 ms AARNET.o6ssc76fe.optus.net.au [61.88.166.134]
10 1472 ms 69 ms 69 ms ge-1-0-3.bb1.a.per.aarnet.net.au [202.158.198.1]
11 71 ms 71 ms 70 ms gigabitethernet0.er1.curtin.cpe.aarnet.net.au [2
02.158.198.178]
12 72 ms 69 ms 73 ms gw1.er1.curtin.cpe.aarnet.net.au [202.158.198.186]
13 71 ms 71 ms 71 ms 134.7.16.46
14 71 ms 69 ms 70 ms te1-1.b309-sr.net.curtin.edu.au [134.7.248.65]
15 69 ms 69 ms 69 ms webct1.curtin.edu.au [134.7.180.156]

Trace complete.

The traceroute from my own pc took 2 less hops, most likely due to the proximity of my location from the Curtin servers compared to the network-tools.com servers. The routers that my pc passes are almost completely different compared to the network-tools.com servers route again due to location.

Pinging the IP address 134.7.180.156 again was faster from my PC compared to the network-tools.com servers which also reflects this in the amount of hops when tracerouting.

Summarizing what I have completed in the tasks of module one, the only time I have used telnet in any capacity would for trouble shooting email connections to the POP or SMTP servers. This eliminates a firewall, corruption of the mail client or mail servers as any cause for connection/email issues. I’ve never used telnet to email information back to myself although I have used it to check and remove messages with the ‘list’ command before. I have regularly used the tracert and ping commands for troubleshooting slow throughput and connection matters, however don’t claim to be a guru at this by any means. I feel it’s always good to practice in different ways for a deeper understanding and clarification.

FTP Task

2008-03-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

This was fairly easy due to the fact that I have used several FTP clients to upload data to web servers in the past. 'CAPITALIZATION MATTERS' is what’s in the readme file and even though I am familiar with the use of FTP I still had the feeling of achievement once I had downloaded the file and figured out what was to be filled in.

Module 1 - Task B

2008-03-04T19:03:00.001-08:00

Outcome for logging onto towel.blinkenlights.nl with telnet:

1. This was fantastic; I have never seen telnet in this light. The use of asci code is very good and I imagine it would have taken a long time and patience to complete this Star Wars asci scene. Impressed with this little bit of coding indeed.

Module 1 - Task A

2008-03-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

Outcome for logging onto Deakin University with telnet:

1. Tried to run telnet:// from the IE7 browser url with the result of no change in the browser page, then attempted telnet://library.deakin.edu.au/ in the browser with ‘The webpage cannot be displayed’

2. Opened telnet from the Run window and typed telnet:// which brought up a command window in the telnet shell. Typed in ‘o library.deakin.edu.au’ and enter, then received ‘What kind of terminal are you using?’

V > VT100
W > NCSA VT100
Chose ‘v’ and then confirmed with ‘y’ then logged onto a page with search facilities for Deakin University such as Author, Title and many more.

3. Search via Author for Bennahum with 2 items, selected article one then selected ‘P’ for print then 2 for email printer. Typed my Curtin email address with a subject and send by hitting enter.

4. Received email from ‘DEAKIN UNI LIB ftsmail@deakin.edu.au’ with the subject ‘Email from DEAKIN UNI LIB’ and my note above the body of the email message.

2008-03-02T15:28:00.000-08:00

My top five tips for new bloggers...

1. Browse different blog sites like Google/Blogger, Wordpress or LiveJournal.com to see what you like the look of. You may also setup something like a PHP blog script into an existing hosted website, this is more complicated and may be easier to simply use a pre blog website.

2. Have a good think about what your blog site will be named in both the url and the heading.

3. Choose a layout and colours that you like the look of and possibly matches your subject.

4. Make sure your blog site has auto saving draft options built in so you dont lose any work. If it doesnt then use MS Word to draft your entries then copy them to the blogs post window and submit. Also Word has spell checker as an added advantage.

5. Make sure you copy or save the url of your new blog site along with the username and password if needed so you can come back at anytime to post comments without any fuss.

Good luck fellow bloggers!

2008-02-27T03:27:00.000-08:00

Hi and welcome to my first entry, its short and sweet, but not the last.