Week 10: Information Management

Lecture Summary:

Week 10 was based on Information Management. We use the computers to manage our information for us quickly and easily by using text, documents, images, WebPages, bookmarks, presentations, assignments, and references.

Atom-Based: his includes books, magazines, papers, reports etc. These are good sources as they are difficult to copy or change, we can see it so will not lose it easily, an can store it away. Negatives include the large size, you can not update or change, it can go out of date.

Bit-Based: This includes digital reproductions and information in an electronic format. The pros of this are it is easy to store and cary, cheap, edit or update wat any time. Negatives are, it is easy to copy of sleal ideas, and there could be a large chance of it being fake as it is easy for anyone to edit.

Principles for organising your bits are to put work in the correct, organised files, locate files by using the search button, an install a google search engine. Learn what the file extensions are and what they do, this wil make it easier to manage files.

Tutorial Tasks:

This weeks task was to complete the task on http://www.inette.com/aibtinette/favoritesI.html about using bookmarks on the internet. Make a favourites list wiith atleast 3 files in it, 2 websites marked as favourites. Read through the article called 'Being Digital' on http://archives.obs-us.com/obs/english/books/nn/bdcont.htm. Write 150 words on why i think the information presented is still relevant, include pros and cons of using 'atoms' and 'bits'

Week 12: Social & Ethical Issues

Lecture Summary:


Who is Watching you?
This was one of the man points during this lecture. A report was shown about Myspace. This included identifying an individual by looking up or researching the few personal details they present on their personal page about themselves including, full name, star sign and what country or state in which they live. This indicates that information which you chose to present on the internet can be useful for other people and easy for them to look up personal information. There is the option to set your profile to private so that you control who views your page so there is a certain amount of privacy and security. Although websites have warnings on this issue, they do not always appear clear to users.

Why are there problems?
There are many problems related to the internet as characteristics of the internet itself, characteristics of the internet information and characteristics of the internet user are not always correct.

What are the problems?
The problems one the internet as the information being presented is not always correct, it may be bias, anyone can publish information, unethical information and publishers may not be very intelligent.
Other problems include copyright, plagiarism, security intellectual property, privacy and freedom of speech. This plays a huge role in the types of problems on the internet.
Security problems deal with content and password thief, viruses opening attachments on e-mails and downloading unwanted software. Data from one computer can be transmitted to the destination computer.

How to protect yourself
Installing firewall and antivirus software will prevent viruses from attacking your computer. Beware of attachments, the majority of them contain viruses. Understand what spy wear you install as sometimes they contain viruses or are not actually protecting your computer

Academic Misconduct
Edith Cowan University does not accept any form or misconduct. For example, plagiarism, unauthorised collaboration, cheating in examinations, theft of others students work, collusion, inadequate and incorrect referencing, just to name a few. If any of these things take place, there will be a punishment.
Tutorial Tasks:
This weeks tutorial task was to access 5 information sheets on the internet that are written for undergraduates informing them on copyright policies and what is acceptable and what is not. I needed to look for examples of these pages and summarise. Copyright wen it comes to music is also looked up. From this I realised free music downloads are not fait to the musician or song writer themselves, because we don’t pay, the artists don’t have anything to get paid for their work themselves. A guide is to be written on how to protect my PC from viruses.

Tutorial Tasks:

This week was based on copyright codes and conducts. I had to look up and summarise 5 information sheets that are written and aimed at students at undergraduate level.Tutorial. Also, I had to research information on 3 different websites on music and the web. The last part, is to write a guide on how to protect your PC from unwanted viruses and the different causes of these.



Readings:
1. Review 5 information sheets on the website www.copyright.org.au.
My first information page is named Recording from TV & radio for educational purposes. This revolved around the idea that students can learn greatly by using TV and radio. Information on what you are allowed to record, from where, what you can do with a recorded programme, what cant you do with recordings, information on recordings, copies and communications, keeping records of recording, copying and communication, and moral rights obligations, non-broadcast AV material. The web site sums up with questions and where to find further information.

The second information sheet Special case exception: education, libraries, collections. This information page is a guide for educators rather than for students. The guide includes information needed to know and putting ideas into practice.

Thirdly, copyright update. This information page contains information and a graph on recent updates, this is published 6 times a year so the information presented is current and kept up to date. The graph is easy to follow, it appears to be very clear and precise.

The fourth information sheet is Training materials: legal protection. This sheet contains information on key points such as, who creates training materials, moral rights in relation to work, and information about getting permission to incorporate third party material into training. Information on copyright and what it protects, how long it lasts before it expires, the rights of copyright, who owns copyright training materials, infringement, moral rights and reducing copyright materials. Common questions are presented and answered, and finally, where to find further information on the topic. This page is straight to the point and easy to follow for students at undergraduate level.

Finally, Research or study. This information sheet is aimed at students and other people who generally want to know what’s available to copy for research. Discussed, is what amount of information is available to copy, this is 10%, 10% or words, mages and paragraphs. Definitions of research and study are defined, and lastly, general questions and answers. This guide is clear on what is useful and how much of it.

2. http://www.apra.com.au/music-users/online_mobile/online_mobile.asp is an informative website on what we need to know about music and the web. Clearly, is the statement that ‘free’ music and downloads, mean that musicians and artists do not get paid. Although these ‘free’ music downloads are great news for us, it is unfair to musicians who are doing their job and not getting paid for it.

Copyright music is only copyright after the appropriate clearances have been made. This lets people reproduce and broadcast their work to the public. Broadcasting covers radio, television and internet.

“The reproduction of a musical work occurs in the process of operating a streaming, on-demand or download service – i.e. uploading a work onto a licensee’s central server and/or downloading onto a user’s hard drive.”
A couple of online licenses are shown, these include AMCOS and APRA. This encourages and makes it easy for users on the internet to download from these servers; webcasters, on-demand music and other services, digital downloads and mobile phone ring tones rather than other ‘free’ ones. Digital downloads and mobile phone ring tones are introduced to show the sited are useable and suitable.

3. A plan to protect myself from attacks on my privacy and security involves, using vista as it is stronger than its users. This is useful as it is actually powerful.
Protecting my PC from viruses is important. I would buy antivirus software to protect my computer from unwanted viruses and bugs. Avoiding pop-ups and unknown sites is a safe move as there is no risk of receiving a virus.
On all Microsoft applications have Macro Virus Protection enabled. Avoid as many macros as possible as it is never safe to run them in a document.
Be aware that emails can contain viruses, open ones you are positive have no viruses. Scams are used such as ‘you have won…, CONGRADULATIONS’ etc. these are all used to get your attention so when you click them you receive a virus.
Microsoft Word can need to be updated, make sure the security emergency is switched on for maximum safety and protection from unwanted viruses.

Week 11- Building Knowledge

Lecture Summary:
There was a pop quiz on how to Build Knowledge. The quiz included;

1.What is a Boolean search?
2.What strategies can you use to give a great presentation?
3.What criteria can be used for evaluation of websites?
4.What are the advantages of atom based information?
5.What was the original purpose of the web?
6.What are the 5 top things you have learnt about the use of technology at University?


Definitions and differences of Datum meaning a fact of proposition was explained. This includes factual, non-judgmental, non-inferential, transient and has no "meaning" or "value."

Information, a collection of facts or data that together create information as they relate to each other, rational, dimensional, permanent, has meaning and uncertain value.

Finally, knowledge, meaning the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered or learned. Knowledge includes experimental, judgemental, subjective, inferential and very valuable data.

Workshop Tasks:
Browse the website http://www.success.co.il/is/dik.html to look up the terms, data, information, knowledge and wisdom on online dictionaries.
Search for alternative ways online to represent these words using a drawing toolbar in Microsoft Word to create graphical representations. Add this into the blog as a screen capture.
Type up a brief explanation as to why these terms assist in university study.
List 5 organisations that use and collect information from either clients or the public and explain why they need this information.

Readings:
The term data means, information proved to be factual by statistics or measurements. Data is used as the basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data

Information is the outcome of processing, manipulating and organising data and arranging it so that data becomes fact.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information

Knowledge is an understanding of information.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/knowledge

Wisdom means being wise; it means being able to make sense of knowledge.
http://www.webster-dictionary.net/definition/Wisdom

These terms will assist university students as they firstly gather data and turn it into information. They do this by having knowledge on the topic. Wisdom with make the student understand whether the information gathered is correct.

Five organisations that collect information from both the public and clients are:

Education Organisation:

This organisation uses client information such as name, age, nationality, address, phone number etc so that students can get the best education from their school. Their age needs to be recorded so that they are placed in the correct year of study, their nationality often has something to do with the level of study, for example Indigenous Australians, Torres Straight Islanders, and people with English as a second language often do different levels of English. Addresses and phone numbers need to be kept record of so that if there are problems with either education or personal issues parents can be contacted.

Recreation Organisation:

Recreational Organisations need to keep track or name, age, gender, address, phone number etc so that if any injuries or any problems occur with a player, parents or guardians can be contacted immediately. Also, there are selected age groups in sport teams, players mush be placed in their correct age group. Records of players stats are also kept. This is only for the reason of presentations at the end of season, its like a reward for players.

Hygiene Organisation:

This includes doctor surgeries, dentist, orthodontist, hospitals etc. Record of age, name, address, medical history etc in case of emergencies or problems that family's will have to be contacted. Age and medical history is important as it can greatly relate or help determine the illness of problem an individual may be suffering from. Also details are kept of complaints or good feedback patients have about the doctors and dentists. Records of the amount of patients the workers have had are useful for stats on that individual as a worker.

Library:

Library cards are given out, these include D.O.B., name, age, suburb and the basic details. This is to keep record of who has their property and what time they hired it and need to return it. This makes it easy for librarians to draw up tables and pages of information as to when the property will come back so it is available for hire again. Records of what books have been taken out are kept to that librarians can see what genre and type of book or source is popular and what isn't so much. This could help them when they need to order more sources so that the customers are satisfied.

Volunteer Groups:

These groups keep record of who is in them, like the other organisations, they keep record of name, age, gender, nationality, address and phone number along with any other contact details. They use this information so that shifts can be filled out and they can be contacted if someone is sick or can not make it into work, they will be replaced.

Week 9: Communications

Lecture Summary:
Today's technology is much more advanced compared to 20 years ago, because of this, the world connects in a completely different way today.

Communication can occur through networks. These networks include, chain networks, wheel networks, circle networks, and all-channel networks.

Synchronised communication is where all participants of the conversation have to be engaged at the same time. An example of this is a telephone call.

Asynchronous is when participants take their time to reply, it is not a real-time conversation. This would orrur when writing letters.

Place dependant and place independant is where you can either be near someone in the conversation and place independant is where you can be anywere on cyberspace and holdd a conversation.

Some examples of ITC use are, mobile telephone, video and tele-conferencing, ipods, mp3 players, lap-tops, electronic Mail including e-mail and finally, multi-media communications. Examples of why these are positives were explained and discussed.

We were shown how to set up an e-mail correctly and what to put and what not to add to them.

Tutorial Tasks:

This weeks tutorial tasks revolve around finding information on a topic of interest by clicking on the 'groups' tag on google. Look through bulletins and messages posted on this topic and record my findings. Visit a podcast site such as www.podcasts.yahoo.com and search for a topic and listen to one or two podcasts that interests me. Browse through the librarys website, http://www.ecu.edu.au/library/services/podcasts.html. Record the potential benefits of podcasts for uni students.

Readings:

The topic i researched on google under 'groups' was Rihanna. My findings were pages on her clothes, such as an open top she wore and how she was told to leave her cousins wedding because her dress was revealing on the side of her chest. Messages from the public on this issue was that she was being rude taking the attention away from the couple on their special day. Critical remarks are made, bringing up her appearance and her sense of style.

Another issue was that 'Rihanna gets grabby with the girls' Some people support this as it was harmless, saying she a 19 year old girl having fun on the lens. Others say that gays aren't supported in her home town.

I listened to a podcast on Ludacris. It only came up with a song. Although this is all i listened to, university students have benefits with learning from podcasts as they can download them then listen to them whever they can. This could include on public transport, excercising, university breaks,in bed, making dinner, almost anywhere at any time. They can be played over and over agen so that the information sticks in your head. Podcasts are very reliable sources of learning.

Week 8: Presentation Strategies

Lecture Summary:

A video was shown during this lecture on
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1529637984

After watching this, I had to make a top 10 tips for a good presentation. I decided on the following:

1. Use spell check to avoid any miss spelt words, there's nothing more annoying than seeing miss spelt words and incorrect grammar.

2. Don't overcrowd slides, audiences loose interest.

3. Bullet keypoints, used to make a statement or emphasise something.

4. Don't overcrowd slides, becomes confusing and hard to follow.

5. Use animations wisely, very few, keep the slides interesting.

6. Use the correct colours, basic is always effective, emphasise the text.

7. Use an interesting but legible font, a font that relates to the discussed topic.

8. Show key points so that its easy to follow and remember for the audience. Your talking should emphasise points.

9. Only add images and audio if it relates to the topic otherwise they appear distracting.

10. Transitions should remain the same throughout the entire presentation. If more than one is used the overall presentation looks tacky.

Make the point you are presenting a strong one, keep the audiences attention. Explain points clearly so that the audience support it, not questions it.

Presentations should always be structured clearly. Start by having an introduction, body and conclusion. The conclusion should include a summary of your findings. Structure each section of the presentation clearly, much like that of an essay.

Presenting the presentation is a main point. Use the correct voice level, pitch, speak clearly and at a suitable, easy to follow speed. If this is done well, the audience will be interested and points will clearly get across.

Tutorial Tasks:

This week, the task was to look through a website and state the 'Top 5' strategies that will create an excellent presentation. Create a 6 slide slide show presenting my findings on a low impact PowerPoint presentation.

Readings:

My Powerpoint presentation on Low Impact presentations.

1. The cover page is plain, includes one image on the topic.
2. The introduction is basic, straight to the point, States what the presentation will cover.

3. The first main slide includes information on Colour.

4. The second slide is on Layout

5. Thirdly, is Text

6. The conclusion (summary) is straight to the point and sums up the entire presentation.

Resource summary on PowerPoint in the Classroom:

This website is made for students. Cartoons lead you through the information to make it more interesting. The information they say is like they are talking to you so they are getting you involved. This is a good way to involve younger students.

Areas such as Meeting PowerPoint, Creating Slides, Making Changes, Adding Images and Charts, Adding Motion, Adding Sound, Timing and Rehearsing, Taking it With You, Tutorials in Print, DEN Home, and Teachers Guide are all included in this site to deliver the best learning experience possible.

The language used is suitable for students and children's education.

Week 7: EndNote Libraries

Lecture Summary:
This weeks lecture was based on Endnote. Endnote is a flat-file database system in which you use to reference. Endnote can either run off Microsoft Word, or run as a standalone programme. Information is stored as data in tables, this table is easy to follow and you can look back at references as to where you got information from.

We reference so that other individuals ideas and you own can be distinguished in a piece of work. Their ideas may support your idea, and you support theirs by referencing the source in alphabetical order.

We were told how to start using EndNote and how to work the programme. From how to open the programme, to where to save our file. Below is an example.

Tutorial Tasks:

Complete the EndNote 11 Excercises for Vista task on blackboard. Give examples of referencing after finding examples. Save a copy of this task and add a screen print to my blog.

Week 6: Evaluation & Authentication

Lecture Summary:
This weeks lecture was based on Evaluation and Authentication of the WWW.
A quiz on True of False was completed.


I found these ideas were true;
1. Anyone can put up a Web page
2. Web pages can be about anything
3. There is no quality control
4. There are no selection guidelines for search engines



The false ideas were;

1. All web pages are kept up-to-date
2. Most sites are “peer-reviewed”
3. Website are as trustworthy as scholarly publications



Discussed, was what types of Web sites are actually useful for work at a University level. What to look for in the sites and site addresses to see if they would contain factual information and useful referencing. I was told about when and how the Internet first came about. It was first made by University students. We compared NineMSN to BBC and discovered NineMSN contains more celebrity news whilst BCC is more broad and more information can be found about other topics.

Tutorial Tasks: The tasks for this week week were to review the ICYouSee Critical Thinking page, look through the strategies for evaluating the information found in websites and in my own words briefly describe the strategies in the blog. Once completed, compare what i have written to "INCO 48" web page and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" Complete the "Reliving the Sixties Web Site Evaluation Assignment" exercise on the ICYouSee website.

Readings:
A review the ICYouSee Critical thinking page. These were my findings

1. Make sure you are in the right place: Check the dates and information on the site to see if it relevant.

2. Consider the Source: Check where the information came from, who wrote it and make sure the URL is correct for what you are looking for.

3. Understand what the site is about: Read through information and see if it is written for someone particularly like students, if it is out or your league when it comes to reading, find another site.

4. Check datails: Details such as images, spelling, grammar, set out can all indicate the site is not professional or there is a large chace the information is not up to university standards.

5. Distinguish Web Pages from pages found on the web.

Week 5: Using Search Engines

Lecture Summary:
The lecture for week five was based on Using Search Engines: Queries, Strategies and selecting results.

I completed a search engine quiz.
1. Four search engines are firstly, www.google.com, www.vista.com, www.yahoo.com and www.atomz.com

2. Some problems encountered using search engines are the information you receive doesn’t always relate to the topic you are looking for in the most accurate way, sometimes the topic gets off track. Keywords have to be specific otherwise information is not always accurate. Pages or information you receive may appear bias; this may include their personal attitudes and beliefs. The author may not be well educated on that topic and information may not be accurate. Information may also be out of date which often leaves information incorrect and is not useful. Finally, viruses are a major negative of search engines. They can repetitively show up on your screen whilst trying to carry out a search which rapidly slows down and makes you search harder to complete.

3. Strategies I can use to best overcome these problems would be to look at the reference and see if it is accurate, for example, a well educated author, well respected by fellow peers, this way the information will be fictional and useful for research. Check that the information source is up to date and accurate. Analyse wether the web page itself has been designed to show facts, a joke, wether the information is aimed to inform younger children, students or adults. This will make it clear as to if the information being presented is suitable for you as a reader.

4. Boolean search refers to a search that allows you to type words such as and, or, or not etc. Some of these searches allow the symbols such as +, -, = etc to be used.

5. Some features of an advanced search in google are, you get the option to search for an entire phrase, a group of words not as a phrase making sense and you can type in a couple of words that relate to your search. Another option is type in unwanted words in which you don’t want to be searched. And lastly, there is an option under tools, this includes results per page, language, file type, and a search within a site or domain. Advanced search lets you be more specific in what you are researching, this eliminates hundreds of unwanted, useless pages.

There are three basic categories of information on the web. This includes the free, visible web, the free, invisible we, and paid databases over the web. There are only two categories of search tool types, these include search engines and directories.

A search engine is a web based program that covers the internet. Indicis of websites from textual information are created. Sites are commonly indexed according to keywords. A couple of search engines are, Google, Yahoo, AltaVista and AlTheWeb.

Directories on the other hand are human-edited. This allows information to be more accurate as it has been edited and checked not just posted up on the internet. These are some of the most useful directories, http://dmoz.org, http://directory.google.com, http:// dir.yahoo.com, http://www.looksmart.com and http://www.about.com

Search engine rankings were shown to give a clearer idea of what ones are the most accurate and would be the best to use for research.


Tutorial Tasks:
Tutorial Tasks this week were to search through a given website and complete an online quiz by searching for the answers. This was very useful as the questions being asked were on history and I did not know the answers without searching for them online. I not only found out answers, I found the best way to search for a question is to type in keywords. Doing this is more fluent now than before and I automatically type in the most important words rather than less important ones. Also, to summaries three websites by three different authors about using search engines.


Readings:
1. By looking through the web site http://www.monash.com/spidap.html. I found that 4 of the easiest most effective ways to structure a good search in my Learning Log are the following;

Firstly, Keyword Search. This involves typing in the main word of the topic you wish to further research. By using one or two of the main words your search will be much more accurate in finding information you are searching for. If you were to type a sentence searches for every word will appear. This not only wastes time, but makes your search much harder then if you were to type a couple of keywords.

Secondly, Refining my search. This includes different options, ‘basic’ and ‘refined’ or ‘advanced’.
A basic search includes entering one keyword, no adjustments on settings are done, just very basic by typing in the main word of the search.
Differing from one search engine to another is the advanced search options. More than one word is searched by using advanced search, this gives more detail to the search and the search becomes more accurate and straight to the point. Phrases can be searched using this search option.
Another option includes what type of information you search up, for example select the URL you wish to search.
The Boolean operators may also refine your search. You may type in and, or and not and words such as near and followed by. This will define your search more accurately.
Thirdly, Relevancy Rankings. As computers listen to what the user types, does not always mean information or searches are accurate every time. Often dozens of pages and links come up if you type in a certain word, just because an article or a page contains that word, does not mean that it is supplying the correct type of information in a relevant way to what you are looking for. As some words you type in are common words, hundreds of pages will come up containing that word with no relevancy at all to your search. Relevancy of that word is determined by the positioning of that word in a phrase or sentence, if that word appears near the start in a document or in the title. If so, there is a high chance that the document will be relevant.

And finally, information on Meta Tags. Meta tags are also known as head tags. HTML is a meta tag, this means that the authors input was used in the information. Ratings for these sites can rise and drop suddenly so there so no promising a large number of hits.

2. I completed the inline internet quiz on http://www.siteseen.co.uk/questions/historytrivia/
The strategies I used to locate my answers were type keywords such as the persons name or age, biographies popped up and I located my answers on these pages. Information about dates and locations were searched my typing in history on a certain location. These searches were effective as I found the correct answers to the quiz by doing them.



3. So far this module has given me a better understanding of the more advanced search techniques. I have always used a basic search which takes me through dozens of useless pages. By completing these exercises I can find more effective information, much quicker than I have done in the past.

4. The web site created by Robert Harris- Web Search Strategies basically states that you as an information seeker must know what you are looking for and how I can find it, as well as how do you know if what you have found is accurate and useful.
A summary of the free, visible web, the free, invisible web, and paid databases over the web were stated. It states that a search engine searches for the index containing the same word. Four types of search engines are clearly stated and explained what they are used for such as global, regional, targeted, and reference search engines.
There is a guide to choosing a starting place for your search, from a broad search, down to a general subject area, well-known specific subject, very specific and unusual subject, then finally, a research paper.
The best types of keywords to search are, forms, related terms, synonymous terms, and a ladder of generalisation. By searching for these, your results will be pretty accurate.
Search tips such a, using several search tools, read the search tips or help information at each search engine, search for keyword searches, use several words, guess a location, recognise what’s opinion and what’s fact, what’s fictional and what’s non fictional and if the source is trustworthy, and back up to find were you are, so check the directory and if it is accurate or not.

5. The History of the Internet Chapter Four: Search Engines by Richard T. Griffiths is basically about the beginning of the search engines, how it worked and progressed over the years. Also, information on how we find information on the web such as single words, no capital letters, recognising mathematical symbols, do not leave spaces between words, Boolean logic and searching within a category.
Directories were discussed with graphs to help explain the sizes of them. A few databases were names and described.

Week 4: Using the WWW

Lecture Summary:
Week fours lecture was based on the World Wide Web (WWW).
The lecture we looked at Internet vs Web, historical perspective of the Web, defining the WWW, web Protocols and web Browsers/Interface.

The WWW is defined as being a universe of accessible information stored on computers throughout the world. The information is available through a gigantic network called the Internet.
A network of servers are linked together by a common protocol, allowing access to millions of hypertext resources.

•The WWW is the content of a network of computers using TCP/IP to communicate between each other.
•TCP allows data/binary signals to be converted into telephone like signals and transferred along existing telephone cables. These are converted back to data at the destination computer.
•IP is a protocol that enables data to be routed from one network to another over the Internet.
•The WWW is the visible part of the Internet and uses HTTP and HTML to instruct a computer how to display and/or exchange data between computers

We were told about Domain Name System conventions such as www; com; .org; .net; .au; .uk; .nz. These Domain Name System Conventions represent top-level Domains and Country codes associates with different countries.

Browser Interface was explained and we were shown were to locate different icons, shortcuts and tabs etc.

Workshop Tasks:

The Workshop Tasks for week 4 were understanding the Internet and Web. Understanding how to view websites as if they are serious and factual or they are pretty pointless and are created as a bit of a joke. I had to state the reasons why particular websites are created for a laugh and what ones were created to tell usefull facts. I could recognise these sites and their meanings by the layout, images used, captains, amount and point of the information or topic being presented. This is important because half the information students look up on the Internet for assignments is not factual or is not worthy enough to use in work at university level.

Readings:

www.haggishunt.scotsman.com and www.molossia.org appear to be authentic because of the following reasons.

Firstly www.haggishunt.scotsman.com was created so viewers can have a laugh at the thought of hunting Haggis. One paragraph states "Do not be too despondent at the season's close. The hunt begins again on St Andrew's Day. Until then, why not familiarise yourself with the terrain by studying our webcams? Or maybe leaf through our Haggisclopedia to hone your hunting skills further." This statement clearly isn't serious as it states, "Until then, why not familiarise yourself with the terrain by studying our webcams?" Also there is a reference to another website to upgrade your Haggis hunting skills.

The images on each of the websites make it easy to understand that the sites have not been designed to be taken too seriously. The first website has images such as different pictures of Haggis in different positions, these images are created by computer as they are not real animals but is a type of food including sheep brains, heart, liver, lungs and cooked in traditional yin the animals stomach.

The captains under the images on http://www.molossia.org/ are longer than the average captain. The English is not the best and overall it doesn't sound professional as it would be on a professional website. These captains include "The Moon, taken through the new Telescope. Also, "The Moon, taken by somebody else." These captains are not professional as "the new telescope" should not be written like that, instead the name of the telescope would be stared. "The Moon, taken by somebody else." could be written as, "The moon, and the photographers name." This was the overall site may become more professional and could be taken more seriously.

Lastly, the topic and seriousness of the information being presented isn't the best quality. Haggis hunting isn't a serious issue and the random topics on http://www.molossia.org/ do not in any way relate to one another. Topics on http://www.molossia.org/ include; Naval Academy Goes Gangbusters! New National Musical Instrument, Lunar Eclipse, Kosovo and His Excellency, The Presidents New Year Speech.

Both these websites have been created for viewers to have a giggle at.

Before i visit the website www.martinlutherking.org, based on the URL i expect to find important information on Martin Luther King himself. This information would include his past, family life, occupation and death in quite a lot of detail. I do not know much about Martin Luther King and i am hoping to find factual information on him and his life.

My first impressions of the website were that the site would contain plenty of factual information. Although the way it is set out is not very professional looking or neat, the titles and topics are appealing.

Interesting information is stated on the homepage such as the information on the left of the page. This is interesting information because this is not the way people knew Luther. It is much more personal and shows his personality behind the cameras.

Titles such as Historical Writings, Truth About King, Death of the Dream, The King Holiday, Civil Rights Library, Jews and Civil Rights and Suggested Books are all bold titles. This adds interest and the viewer wants to read what has to be said under each title.

An Educational Video is featured stating "Watch the new Martin Luther King Educational Video" on the homepage, viewers become interested and want to know what the man has to say himself. By using the word "new"attracts viewers as they know it is up to date information.

The articles presented on this particular website are factual and would be useful for assignments and research at university level. Information on his school life, cheating, sex and the king holiday and its meaning are all stated and references are given. This proves that information is not made up by one person with an idea, but has backup from other individuals on the information being presented. A seperate section of the website gives all references and where to find other usefull, factual information.

A Brief History of the Internet

This website includes the following:

1. Introduction

2. Origins of the Internet: This section of the webpage is written is a few paragraphs o chronological order of how it came about.

3. The Initial Internetting: This section states that it would be made of multiple independant networks.

4. Concepts Proving the Ideas

5. Transition to Sidespread Infrastructure

6. The Role of Documentation

7. Formatting of the Broad Community

8. Commercialization of the Technology

9. History of the Future

10. Footnotes

11. Timeline

12. References tp support their ideas.

13. Authors

Summary of History of the World-wide Web. This website contained information on the Development of Computers untill the 1960's, from ARPANET to World Wide Web, Hustory of electronic mail, Search Engines, and Basic Net Data.

Week 3: Online Libraries & Databases

Lecture Summary:

Today's lecture was focused on databases and online libraries.
A quiz was completed in pairs then discussed with everyone in the lecture.

We use online libraries because it is convenient. The currency is accurate, therefore journals are up to date and information is usefull to viewers. An eletronic format is used so, it is convenient and simple to re-do mistakes and edit, it simple to write clear, correctly formated notes, and lastly, 24/7 access is granted.

Online libraries such as, Online Text Repositories, Online Journals, Electronic Books, Musical and Artworks are all available as online libraries. This makes if simple to use and large amounts of information is available for students.

Clearly stated was the fact the we need to include references into all work we do as proof of research and factual information. AS many sites and sources of information are copyright i have to be careful to find information that i am allowed to use.

Databases:
I learnt what a database was during this lecture, "An organised collection of information (data), characterised by the use of data fields, that provide procedural methods for retrieving information."

Some Databases include; People Searches, E-mail Directories, Genealogy Resources, Maps & Atlases, Government Information & Statistics, News & Media and Portals.

The same advantages of Online Libraries are the same advantages of Databases. They are extremely easy to use.

Therefore, the disadvantages are greater, many databases accessible by subscription only, lots of advertising, they can be difficult to navigate and information Overloads sometimes occur. Although there disadvantages are serious Databases remain very useful.

The lecture finished earlier than normal which was good because we were told useful information but it was said quickly and straight to the point.

Workshop Tasks:
This weeks task required us to transfer information we had been told during the lecture into my blog. I searched on the online Library and database for useful information relating to the given topics on the economic impact of global warming on business on http://www.ecu.edu.au/library/ and information on birth defects on www.medlineplus.gov. I found a large amount of information no these topics when i got the hang of how too use the website.

Readings:
10 useful functions or search tips from the ECU library site are;

1. Find databases by faculty, subject, title, MetaQuest, trial Database and journal references. This makes it simple to find out the information you are searching for because it gives you plenty of options in finding your requested information.

2.Websites are easily accessible on this site as you can search a topic by clicking the hyperlink for Websites, this takes you into a new page were topics are shown.

3. When you click on a type of research or information such as journal, website etc, the more detailed topics in that subject are shown in alphabetical order which makes it simple to read and find your requested information.

4. Titles are clear and information can be found simply by looking under the title you need such as learning assistance, find, information about, resources for, quick links and news update.

5. A referencing guide makes it simple to find out information on all different topics such as books, authors, audio etc.

6. Imformation about ECU Library can be seen, we can then see contacts, library service for teachers and students, general information andcorporate information. This allows us to know about the library itself.

7.You can ask the library questions to do with e-Web, e-Reference and e-Loans.

8. Quick catalogue search can be used to make it easy to find information on your chosen topic.

9.You can trial databases to see what one is best suitable for you so you can find out what you need easier than only having the choice of one resource.

10. Library workshops and tours can be seen and information on Universities such as Mt Lawley, Joondalup, Churchlands and Bunbry is viewable.

I have visited the http://www.medlineplus.gov/ website. I have taken up interest in birth defects caused by Drugs and Alcohol.

The first 3 months of the baby's growth inside the womb is the crucial time for the mother and baby's health to be perfect or close to perfect. During these 3 months is when the defect occurs. In the United States, 1 in 33 babies were born with a birth defect caused by the drug taking by the mother. One out of every 33 babies in the United States is born with a birth defect.

The body's appearance is effected by the birth defect. Problems such as cleft lip or neural tube defects can be easily seen. Doctors use special tests to find other conditions that can not be seen by the baby's appearance such as heart defects whether mild to severe. These problems occur by the mother consuming alcohol whilst the baby is growing and developing inside the mother. For example, alcohol abuse can cause fetal alcohol syndrome.

Although some defects can be fatal to the baby, some problems can be corrected or treated whilst the baby is in the womb by toady's doctors.

I think a student or someone interested in a certain topic would find this website just as useful as i found it. Its easy to use, presents clear information and uses english that teenagers and older would understand and clearly be able to follow.

Week 2: Office Applications

Lecture Summary:
Today's lecture was based on Office Applications. Microsoft applications, Vista, Internet Browsers and websites were all discussed during this lecture as a whole class.
Application's such as Word, Excel, Paint, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook, Internet explorer, Calculator, Encyclopedia and Games were all were all recognised as Microsoft Application's.


How to find Vista was discussed. We had to name the websites in which we had used within the last week that we had never used before, sites such as http://www.blogger.com/, http://www.ecu.edu.au.com/,

Although i would have rather been out on a public holiday, the lecture wasn't as boring as i thought because is was more of a discussion and pretty casual as we could talk about what was information was being presented to us. I think this also makes it easier to learn and for information to stick in my head because being able to repeat it or say the answer out loud makes work stick in my head easier.

Workshop Tasks:
This weeks Workshop Task included completing a few basic activities on Microsoft Word 2007 and Microsoft Excel. By completing the Microsoft Word 2007 exercises i was able to fix how the paragraphs and titles were set out, edit spacing and colour of text, create a contents and i was able to set out references in the correct order alphabetically. Microsoft Excel exercises included creating a timetable. I looked through different functions on Excell and overall find it easier to use an now i have a clearer understanding of how it works. After completing these tasks i took screen shots of my word and uploaded them into my blog.

Readings:
Personal Computing
In the past few years Personal Computers (PCs) have become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives. People use them for work and at home. In many cases they have become essential tools for business, personal productivity and leisure. For some people the PC has replaced the pen, typewriter, diary, notebook, radio, TV, CD player and telephone. For instance, I can talk to friends here and abroad using MSN Messenger, listen to an Internet radio station, download some electronic documentation from the ATO, transfer money between bank accounts and play a card game on the Internet against someone I have never met and don't know. It therefore makes sense that skills in using PCs and their related applications are an essential part of modern society.

Oral Presentations
There is a great anecdote about how, when NASA joined the space race, they spent millions of dollars developing a pen that would write in zero gravity. They tried pens with tiny pumps, pens that worked with microscopic valves, pens that worked by capillary action. The Russians took pencils. It is important that you use technology to improve your own productivity and not waste time. As an undergraduate student (and beyond), you will regularly be put in a position where you have to deliver presentations to your peers, and to the ECU staff. ICT can be of great benefit in this.

Anderson, J., & Poole, M. (1998). Assignment and thesis writing. Brisbane: John Wiley & Sons.
Liberty: ECU Library Resource Package.Available at: http://www.ecu.edu.au/library/liberty/index.html
Turabian, K.L. (1996). A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations (6th ed). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

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Personal Computing.. 1
Oral Presentations. 1

Using MS Word for APA tasks is a suitable and accurate website to guide you through how to use Word. Easy to follow instructions is given and tables and diagrams further explain the text.

This website guides you through many things such as deleting hyperlinks, typeface, margins and alignment, alphabetising reference lists, keep headings with text, formatting of paragraphs, page headers and numbers, line spacing, auto formatting, spelling and grammar check, how to avoid irregular spacing, avoiding 'orphan' headings, dot leaders for table of contents, subheadings, customising the toolbar, deleting comments, removing strike through, and how to add your own elements to a document, just to name a few.

This website would be a great guide for learners or begginers to get started on Word.

Graphic File Formats information is based one Adobe Photoshop. This page explains the settings you should have your work saved as for the best quality.

Bitmap is the standard image format for PC's. Savig images as in this format effects the colour and size of the image.

Unlike Bitmap, Compression does not effect the image quality.

GIF is compressed with a maximum of 256 colours, this minimises transfer time as the image will be simplified. Animations and other moving frames should be saved as GIF.

JPEG is used to display internet images.Colour remains at the best quality when images are saved as a JPEG image. Although this setting can reduce the size of the image, the quality remains the same.

This is an example of an image saved as a JPEG image:

TIFF stands for The Tagged-Image File Format, this format is used between computers.

These are the basic file formats as i have discovered by browsing through this website.

Week 1: Introduction to Computing

Lecture Summary:

Toady's Lecture was an introduction for the semester.
The lecturer was introduced and basic rules were set out, these include, no copying and pasting from existing articles in any work or assignments, unacceptable behaviour by any students will leave individuals punished, no changing of tutorial times is allowed and a basic outline of the semesters work was shown along with the marking grid. This information was very useful and will help me get on track with the work that is expected of me.
Overall, we were told about what is to be expected by each student throughout this semester. The lecturer sounded enthusiastic and made the semester sound very helpful in getting us where we want to be in the future. It was 45 minutes of positive, very useful information that i would be lost without.


Workshop Tasks:

The Workshop Task's for this week included logging onto SIMO and checking my student email address so that i was able to begin creating a blog, i then added the first week of information such as the Lecture Summary, Workshop Tasks, and Readings under the correct titles so that the blog is easy to view and read. We were told that we will need a USB by next week for our work. I then uploaded an image from the internet and added it into my final blog entry.


Readings:

Today i had to go to http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ and look up something about computers and pick something of interest in relation to computers. I was interested in how a Graphics Card work's. I learnt that the graphics displayed on the monitor are made up of millions of pixels to create an image.


The first step in creating an graphic is a wire frame image outlining the main parts and sections within the image. The empty or hollow he spaces are then filled in and an overall image is completed by adding textures and colour by the Graphics Card.


The Memory, Processor Heatsink, Processor Fan and Motherboard Connection are the four main connections of the Graphics's Card. The CPU connected to the requested software sends information to the Graphics's Card, then the card uses the pixels and created a complete image, this is then sent to the monitor through a cable.

PC Lube and Tune is a service station that deals with tutorials, and education on technical subjects to the large audience of computer users through the internet.

Information on the following is presented in this website:

1. An introduction to PC hardware

2. Exception handling in Java

3. The graphic user interface

4. Computers, videos and high definition television

5. Technical perspective

6. The tragedy of Microsoft and Java

7. Character encoding and Web standards

8. Miscrosoft NET framework

9. Distributed applications and the web

10. Das boot

11. The storm before the COM

12. Introduction to SNA

13. Introduction to TCP/IP

14. Introduction to APPC

15. Ethernet

The website www.howstuff works.com is a suitable site to look up accurate information on a specific topic. This website informs us on technology and computers. Everything you need to know is stated on here from the basics such as the parts of a computer to how memory cards work. The information is precise and images and graphics are used to further explain the topic. A very educational website!