Conceptual Research & Reflection Project

Concept 7: Netiquette



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



Netiquette is social networks of etiquette in which provides the do’s and don’ts of online communication. [S T Ross, n,d] The primary reason for its existence is to provide guidance on good manners for internet users who utilize the world of WWW. But who provides this ethics of practice? There are plenty of websites that list and contain do’s and don’ts for netiquette, stemming from Edutopia, Netiquette Guidelines & countless other websites of similar information. But who are these people? They are people just like you and me who are promoting good behaviour and exercising the ethic of maintenance. However they do not take responsibility for doing it ‘right’, they are merely teaching others less familiar then themselves, how it is done.

Our goal in contributing to networking sites, email & various other communication media is always to interact with other people and its social communities. Ignoring the particulars of social behaviour/netiquette is the easiest way to lose out on the benefits of social networking. [P Sturges, 2002]There are many problems that occur online, that destroy online communities and it is vital that we teach others the practices of netiquette to ensure these problems don’t weaken sociability online.

There is no one ‘ruler’ in cyberspace controlling the manners/behaviour of internet users to make certain they are ethically doing the right thing and given this potentially dangerous problem, internet users must ensure that they practice netiquette online and teach others of this social responsibility. [S T Ross, n,d]

Previously this concept has been very grey, because of the disintegration of online communities & as such is created from societal evils. [L Weir, 2009] There is a perception that there are evidently no consequences in an online environment because there is no one to get in to trouble with & it is virtual by all means. My evaluation of online bad behaviour is due to no face to face authorities, mystery of the internet, a vast difference in communication styles & ages from around the globe & day to day society networks. There will always be people that don’t follow the norm and show no remorse.

It is very critical in today’s online society to ensure that interacting over communicating systems through the internet is done safely and effectively. To ensure that good communication practice is used on the internet, it needs to be taught from an early age so that internet users take this approach to online communication in the future & so they can teach others. [L Weir, 2009] Educators must take responsibility and become aware that students from an early age need to be educated on internet behaviour. By doing so, this will enable good network netiquette, the implementation of ethical social responsibility that one practices on a day to day basis and to show others how it is done.

As teaching netiquette to the youth from a young age is critical to the future of online communication, it is also important for internet users of today no matter what age, to teach others the rights of netiquette, respect others, share information & communicate ethics of maintenance to head in this same direction. [S Hambridge, 1995].



Site 1: Behave Yourself – Online Manners Matter
URL Link: http://www.edutopia.org/Whats-next-2008-netiquette-guidelines



This article written by Laila Weir outlines the importance of educating children from a young age about netiquette & online manners. Laila stresses how critical it is to teach students about Internet communication and that it is just as important as teaching manners in society networks. The internet is now a very big part of society and do’s and don’ts should be strictly taught to ensure students educate & teach others how it is done. The article also outlines the reasoning behind her assumptions & opinions and provides ways of forward thinking in our education system.



Site 2: Etiquette Online: From nice to necessary
URL Link: http://www.ifsm.umbc.edu/~preece/Papers/Etiquette_online.pdf



Preece’s article evaluates the current evolution of netiquette in a variety of asynchronous communication systems. She speaks about how the perceived ‘manners’ and ethical boundaries of internet publication is often blurred. She stresses that netiquette is a necessity in to days world wide web due to social problems & the perception that there is no consequences in an online forum. Preece has provided a range of solutions given to sole this ongoing bad behaviour with reference to current solutions in place. This site is credible as Preece is a significant writer & professer of informationm systems & has been cited in many publications.


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



Quote: “Real-time internet-based text chat is a significant part of contemporary internet use. The question than to be asked is: what is the difference here that makes this mode of communication popular; and then what impact does it have of the kinds of communication and social interaction that take place?” [Allen, n,d]



Instant messaging (IM) is a type of real-time communication that allows interaction between people based on typed text. Chat happens in real-time right before your eyes as a faster conversation than technologies such as email & can be moderately fast paced. [J Marquez, 2005]

Text-based real-time chat allows people to more easily form and sustain friendships and romance attachments & engage in debatable social & political discussions directly from their home. (Tyler p 196, 2002). However IM provides the user with the ability to hide behind the computer screen, show none of the physical signals that they would normally see face to face & created a desired impression of ones self. You loose cues such as interpretation of tone, facial expressions, body language & giving the end-user the time to pick & choose his or her words. [J Marquez, 2005]

This creates a lot of control for the user enabling a person to hide behind a false character they wish to pursue. For the receiver it is also hard to discern the motives in a conversation. [R Farm, 2003] IM grants people time to respond & can be used to consider certain words to be said when talking about touchy topics however IM also allows a person to think their responses through to ensure that arguments become less heated & easily resolved. IM can also help with shyness & socialising issues unlike email or telephone by helping a user to sit behind a desk and feel normal, free to be one self & to be accepted by his or her peers because through text you cannot see what a person looks like & thus breaks down the barrier of stereotypes.

As entities are becoming more information based the need for effective information sharing, team working & ethical environments has become vital in the workplace.
IM also raises a great debate in the workforce as it is a very useful tool for work colleagues because it fits in perfectly with busy schedules & enables the ability to multi-task. [R Farm, 2003] The benefits it presents are that it allows you to communicate for free with other workers & customers where distance is a problem. It also provides efficient productivity with getting answers immediately, quick communication & clarification, co-coordinating & scheduling tasks & the ability to get the job done faster. IM can also be used for presentations via Web-cams & online meetings, thus savings time & money. Another advantage to this growing tool in business is the convenience of working from home. Using IM as a tool for business purposes also has its downfall when it comes to lost productivity [D Shinder, 2004] by spending more time than necessary ‘chatting’ and abusing the tool for personal use & more involved conversations. This tool can also be a distraction to employees by wasting a lot of time talking to family & friends & also be open to viruses & security risks. Chat conversations can be lost unlike email however it is now possible to save a conversation for later reference. [Businessknowledgesource.com, n,d]



Site 1: The Effect of Instant Messaging on the Social Lives of Students Within a College Dorm
URL Link: Http://www.stanford.edu/class/pwr3-25/group2/pdfs/IM_Social.pdf



Juan talks about the consequences of face to face social interactions & explores the ways that IM affects the social lives of students. He speaks about the research, history & background of IM and trends found in standard online communication tools. Juan gives a better indication of whom, when & how often IM is used within students. The author of this essay evaluates that IM real-time text based chat affects everyone differently depending on their personality & social nature & that IM only enhances students social habits & it’s the direct cause of this.



Site 2: Instant Messaging: Does it have a Place in Business Networks
URL Link: http://windowsecurity.com/articles/Instant-Messaging-Business-Networks.html



This article looks at the pros & cons of allowing online communication using instant messaging in the workplace. I think Deb outlines her debate in a fair way & presents reasoning for her opinions. She also talks about the relationships between the ongoing updates to Voice over IP & that it is slowing the growth of instant-messaging. It provides answers to ensure that IM is made secure in the work environment & how to stop users from using it on the whole. This website is significant for business owners to evaluate communications through technology & how to handle implementing this tool in the workplace.





Concept 26: Privacy & Security



Quote: “The internet is a profoundly ‘open’ system and advanced internet users are cautious about either accepting or sending material from and to unknown sources and are careful in releasing information about themselves in any form. Conceptually, the internet challenges us to take greater responsibility for the protection of privacy and security than perhaps we are used to when dealing with the media.” [Allen, n,d]



The internet has crossed boarders on global levels and changes need to be made in order to protect our security & privacy. Users must realise that necessary measures should be taken to protect not only personal details & identity but also there computer & software. [J Nielsen, 2000] There are many aspects of privacy & security generated from the internet and they can affect all means of life. Internet users of today must become aware of various threats & need to ensure that they take responsibility for the protection of privacy & security to take steps to prevent these unwanted attacks over the internet.

Privacy on the internet is the responsibility of the individual. One must be cautious at all times when producing private information on to the internet. Internet users should never trust technology with identity details as hackers actively seek to exploit others for their own gain. [Center for Democracy & Technology, n.d] These motivations include criminal, social & political demons & limited technical understanding with users also creates an attractive environment for security breaches.

“The object must be to bring policy to the internet, and bring the internet to everyday privacy polices” (Attaran & Van Laar, 1999)

Security & privacy measures must be taught to internet users in order to protect themselves from harmful internet consequences. It can be argued that it will not solve the problem long term & therefore internet users will switch back to traditional methods of communication.

The most secure way to ensure our information is protected is using an encrypted program. However to protect all mediums on the internet the realistic way to do this would be to make a built-in feature of all computing basics & encrypt all information at all times. Turn on all security settings by default, and automate all updates. You cannot rely on the user to ensure he or she is safe from these vulnerabilities, the computer industry and/or government needs to take responsibility and take control over the security & privacy measures that can be put in place to ensure simplicity. [J Nielsen, 2004] Some examples of these security & privacy breaches range from the following:

- Viruses
- Spoofing
- Worms/Spiders
- Hackers
- Spammers
- Identity Theft
- Unwanted content
- Collection of personal data
- Stored information from web browsers & IM

To ensure the user takes the right steps in protecting ones self from security & privacy breaches, the following measures can be taken:

- When using internet for financial details one must use a secure program
- Never reveal your true identity
- Protect your passwords
- Constantly update your virus protection
- If you are subscribing to an online website check the companies online privacy policy
- Use 2 emails – One for personal use & one for online merchants [Privacyrights.org, 2008]

The internet is an influential medium allowing the fast transfer of immense quantities of information between users world wide and whilst this brings great benefit, it has given rise to new vulnerabilities. The answer to these consequences lies with companies at large, computer designers & not so much the user, as it is to unrealistic to assume that the average users cannot beat the threats online.



Site 1: Security & Human Factors
URL Link: Http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20001126.html



Nielsen Norman Group focus on leading edge research into countless user experience tools & topics and their impact in the online environment. Jakob Nielsen is the founder of this large organisation who is a significant authoritarian on usability & how to achieve security & privacy threats by applying rules of a more computer based design. I believe in Nielsen’s opinion that the fix does not rely on the human to make changes but for the computers to be the change. This article shows you different ways in which security can be protected & debates how design is an important factor is protecting our online environment.



Site 2: The Australian Government Net Alert
URL Link: http://www.netalert.gov.au/home.html



This site helps facilitate families & students with useful information & tips to ensuring that a safe online environment is used. This site should be more advertised in the marketing world as I’m sure many internet users do not know these help centers like this even exists. This national net alert has features including: tips, awareness, downloadable programs & news & events to ensure your family is protected. This site also provides safety advice & solution guides for parents, librarians & teachers. This website also shows the government’s contribution to helping Australian families, companies & students with using the internet.

Concept 13: Communication is not complete upon

receipt



Quote: “The Key to effective email management is to consistently and conscientiously respond to and act upon the email you receive, while recognizing that others may not be as efficient as yourself” [Allen, n,d]


Email is a system that sends and receives messages electronically through the World Wide Web. This communicative tool is a popular way for people to interact with others for personal & business use. An email can be created & sent straight away to anyone on a global level & thus why it is widely used for all purposes. [D Dunn, 2008] However what comes with this is the concept that communication is not complete upon receipt & thus raises uncertainty that the recipient may or may not respond. [Mindtools.com, n,d] This is because if the recipient does not get back to the sender, subsequently there is no communication between the sender & receiver. As a result communication comes to an end at the hands of the receiver & the sender does not have any control of what happens after the email has been sent. Communication is only complete when a reply is received!

It can be argued that when we send an email to someone we expect a reply immediately; however this is not the case depending on the recipients’ circumstances and that we cannot rely on others to be as efficient as ourselves. This also stems out to assume that we can rely on automated processing information but not on humans.
It is impractical for efficient users to assume that when a message has been received, it will automatically get responded to or acted upon.

For successful email communication, emails should be responded to in an efficient way however this is not always the case. In my personal experience I have come across several recipients who choose not to reply in a quick manner, I have waited hours, days and sometimes my emails never get returned. In such circumstances humans have no control other the receiver and thus need to recognise that others may not be as efficient as me!

To ensure that emails are acted upon there are several ways in which the recipient can become an efficient user. Firstly, you can attach a ‘read receipt’ on to the email to get notified if the recipient has viewed your email, though this does not guarantee that the reader has paid attention to the text & whether they have any intention to reply. [Marc, 2007] Other key recommendations are to keep emails short, precise, identify the type of response that is required & include a title that is going to grab the reader’s attention. Stay away from long emails as it is tedious for the reader and they may choose to ignore the email altogether & sometimes you will find that the recipient may just ignore the email for no reason at all. [J Jasper, n.d]

A good way to be efficient is if you do not have time to reply, a notification should be sent to the sender that you will reply when you get some time. [Marc, 2007] This shows how one can take responsibility of the email & that notice has been taken. We also must realise that not everyone is going to be efficient email users & that as humans we cannot be relied upon.


Site 1: Effective Mail – How to communicate powerfully by email
URL Link: http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/EmailCommunication.htm



This site is extremely vital for any internet user in ensuring that emails get responded to & provides tips & effective ways in which you can send your emails to ensure that the recipient will want to read it. This site provides general insight to email communication & how powerful it can be when used in the right way. This site shows credibility & enables users to trust the information provided. Mind Tools emphasis that a simple rule to get your email noticed is for it to be useful to the recipient.



Site 2: Efficient Email Use Enables User Productivity
URL Link: http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?articles/P3016/23p16/23p16.asp&guid (Please note this URL always goes back to homepage after it has been published, it won't let me get to the exact article. If you insert the head title into the search it will find the article immediately.)



This article written by Darrell Dun emphasis’s the importance of being an efficient email user. Darren believes that users in the workforce should be educated with email etiquette & provide simple tips that will improve the experience for employees & ensure the best results for the recipient. Darrell focuses on implementing policies to govern the use of email to ensure efficiency & encourages appropriate practice in the workforce. This includes how to implement a policy; adopt a compliance policy appropriate for the industry; limit or eliminate the use of personal folders; communicate some end-user email guidelines & attachment rules.

Bibliography/Reference

Title: Behaveyourself.com: Online Manners Matter

URL: http://www.edutopia.org/Whats-next-2008-netiquette-guidelines

Public Education – 2009 – The George Lucas Education Foundation

Date Accessed: January 22, 2009

Writer: Laila Weir Reference: [L Weir, 2009]

Title: Beyond Emily – Post-ing Etiquette

URL: http://www.edutopia.org/netiquette-guidelines

Public Education – 2009 – The George Lucas Education Foundation

Date Accessed: January 22, 2009

Author: Laia Weir Reference: [L Weir, 2009]

Title: CDT’s guide to online privacy
URL: http://www.cdt.org/privacy/guide/start/
Publication: Center for Democracy & Technology
Volume: Chaptor one
Date Published: No Date
Date Accessed: January 25, 2009
Reference: [Center for Democracy & Technology, n.d]

Title: Efficient Email Use Enables User Productivity
URL: http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?articles/P3016/23p16/23p16.asp&guid
Author: Darren Dun
Article covers: General Information
Date Published: April 18, 2008
Date Accessed: January 26, 2009
Volume: 30 Issue: 6 Page: 11
Reference: [D Dunn, 2008]

Title: Efficient Email Tips URL Link: http://www.businessknowhow.com/manage/emailtips.htm

Author: Jan Jasper

Publication Date: No Date

Publication: Business Know-how ATF Attard Communcations Inc

Date Accessed: January 25, 2009 Reference: [J Jasper, n.d]

Title: Effective Mail – How to communicate powerfully by email
URL: http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/EmailCommunication.htm Author: No Name
Publisher: Mind Tools Ltd Published
Date: No Date
Date Accessed: January 26, 2009
Reference: [Mindtools.com, n,d]

Title: Email Communication Problems: How to Communicative Effectively
URL: http://www.marcaandangel.com/2007/05/28/email-communication-problems-how-to-communicate-effectively/
Author: Marc (no last name provided)
Publication: May 28, 2007
Date Accessed: January 25, 2009
Reference: [Marc, 2007]

Title: Is the Internet Changing Social Life? It seems that More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same.
Author: Tyler, T.R
Journal: Journal of Social Issues
Year: 2002 Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Page: 195-205

Title: Instant Messaging – Collaborative Tool or Educator’s Nightmare! URL: http://www.unb.ca/naweb/proceedings/2003/PaperFarmer.html Date Accessed: January 24, 2009
Author: Rober Farm
Education: Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada
Published: 2003 Reference: [R Farm, 2003]

Title: Instant Messaging: Does it have a Place in Business Networks
URL: http://windowsecurity.com/articles/Instant-Messaging-Business-Networks.html
Date Accessed: January 24, 2009
Author: Deb Shinder
Published: November 2, 2004
Updated: April 6, 2005
Section: Articles – Misc Network Security
Reference: [D Shinder, 2004]

Title: Leadership & Management Program - Efficient Email
URL: http://www.inclentrust.org/pdf/lamp2003/Efficient%20Email%20Module%20_July%202003_.pdf
Author: Nancy Johnson, Cynthia Cordero, William Macharia
Date Published: July 2003
Date Accessed: January 26, 2009
Version: 1 Module 5

Title: Netiquette Home Page

URL: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/

Date Accessed: January 22, 2009

Published Date: No Date provided

Author: Seth T Ross

Reference: [S T Ross, n,d]

Title: Netiquette Guidelines
URL: http://www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html
Date Accessed: January 22, 2009
Last Page Update: 24 October, 1995
Author: Sally Hambridge
Reference: [S Hambridge, 1995]

Title: Privacy and the Internet – Travelling in Cyberspace Safely Fact Sheet URL: http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs18-cyb.html
Publication: Privacy Rights Clearing House
Date Accessed: January 25, 2009
Published Date: 2008 Reference: [Privacyrights.org, 2008]

Title: Pros & Cons of using instant messaging at work URL: http://www.businessknowledgesource.com/smallbusiness/pros_and_cons_of_using_instant_messaging_at_work_022590.html Date Accessed: January 24, 2009
Published: Ongoing 2003-2009
Reference: [Businessknowledgesource.com, n,d]

Publication of Education: Curtin Univesity – Internet Communications – Concepts Document URL Link: http://www.webct.curtin.edu.au
Author: Allen Date Published: No Date Reference: [Allen, n,d]


Title: Remember the human: The first rule of netiquette, librarians and the Internet.
Author: Paul Sturges
Journal: Online information review
Year: 2002 Volume: 26 Issue: 3 Page: 209-216
Publisher: MCB UP Ltd Reference: [P Sturges, 2002]

Title: Security & Human Factors URL: Http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20001126.html
Date Accessed: January 25, 2009
Author: Jakob Nielsen
Published Date: 2000 Reference: [J Nielsen, 2000]

Title: The Effect of Instant Messaging on the Social Lives of Students Within a College Dorm
URL: Http://www.stanford.edu/class/pwr3-25/group2/pdfs/IM_Social.pdf Date Accessed: January 24, 2009
Author: Juan Marquez Reference: [J Marquez, 2005]

Title: User Education Is Not the Answer to Security Problems
URL: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20041025
Date Accessed: January 25, 2009
Author: Jakob Nielsen
Published Date: 2004 Reference: [J Nielsen, 2004]

Title: World Privacy Forum URL: http://www.worldprivacyforum.ord/index.html
Date Accessed: January 25, 2009
Published: Ongoing, No Date

It is drawing near to the end!

WOW!!! What a journey...


I have now completed all the tasks and finalising my blog ready for submission. This blog has enabled me to show all my ups and downs, my accomplishments & hard times. as i have never done anything like this before i have learnt & thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I have a new appreciation for blogs and completely understand how it all works. I never realised how big the communication stems here on the internet and can use so much of it in my day to day life. I will take away the knowledge that i have gained and use it in the workforce, personal life & for sharing. As an accountant on a day to day basis this is very far from what i am used to, it gave me a real challenge and opened the doors to new experiences.


The friends i have made and experiences i have shared with other NEt11's got me through this subject & made this an incredible & satisfying journey. Some to name are Tess, Rhys, Chris, Antony, Jamie, Hans, Duane & Louwna. To Cynthia & Peter, man i have to give it to you, you guys definitely have a passion for this and it really shows. The amount of encouragement & help that was provided through the course was astounding, this is the first subject learning with Curtin as i am normally a CSU girl but boy do u guys give Curtin a great reputation. Don't you wish all lecturers were like Cynthia & Peter, i certainly do! So many thanks to you all, i wouldn't have got through this subject without you.


I guess what i'm trying to say is that i had a blast but now it's closing near and we all move on to bigger and better things. Looking forward to creating my own HTML site in the future and starting up a blog about wedding tips. I have only 10 months to go and my Degree will be complete, not long to go now. I hope everyone does really well in this subject and i hope i contributed & helped some of you to along the way. Great Summer everyone!!!


So this is peace out from me... Last post to come will be my concepts project!



















Everyone take care, good luck in everything that you do & never give up because when you have the courage to begin, you have the will to succeed!! Cheers

Mon x

Module 4 - Evaluating the Web!

So i checked out the tutorial recommended at Net.Tutor


The source i have chosen to use is Wedding Central Australia

Title: Wedding Central Australia

Publication: Wedding Central Australia Pty Ltd

Date Accessed: 31 January 2009

Date Publishing - Ongoing - 2009

Author: No details provided


The main purpose of this site is to provide people of Australia one of the biggest wedding directories online. It's directories provide information & links to anything you need to create your special day. It stems from function venues, decorators, entertainment, videographers etc which is Australia wide. This site also provides online forums, photo galleries, announcements etc. I believe based on the Net.tutor and from my research on this site, it is very reliable & has the credibility for anyone to trust and use this information provided. The site has authority as Wedding Central Australia is a very well known wedding company that controls many aspects of the industry including bridal expos, wedding magazines and has a huge presence online. I'd imagine the authors would be employees of the company who put the website together and get all the information approved by managers before submitting the information online.


Content - Each directory record has a website link and also a profile which provides more information about about the business & also allows for reviews & testimonials. With a site like a directory based site you must always go directly to the business you found to find out more, it only is an introduction to each business.


The information is current and added to the site on an ongoing basis & changes when a business changes it's status. The site also does provide recognition to other websites & vice versa with other prestige wedding businesses.

When choosing whether which body of information when to refer back to this site would probably be going to the original site. Reason being is because my view could come across as bias as i show my appreciation for the site and the favourtism for the site over others. Others may not have a good experience when searching this site, they may not like the design, user friendliness of it or other reasons. Also my annotation could become old and the site may continue to update & improve OR go bad after my annotate is published, therefore making my view unreliable.

In terms of external users to help judge whether this site is useful or not would be to first look at who publishes the information, for eg Wedding Central Australia. My annotate would help them review the site as it provides good feedback as to what the main purpose is, why it is credible & reliable and a direct link to the site. An about us, reviews & open forums judge if it is useful or of interest to them.

Module 4 - Boolean searching task

First i began reading up on Boolean Searching on the Internet

I remember doing something similar when i did information technology for the HSC, wow that was a long time to ago! These tutorials and search techniques i find really helpful, i really do struggle when searching the web, especially for technical accounting rulings for work, i can never seem to find what i'm looking for, but i am getting better and really starting to understand how to get my answers quickly & smartly.

So the key words i previously used were with an additional word function "Sydney Wedding Venues Function"
I think to get the best results with accurate findings i should use AND, therefore
"+sydney +wedding +venues + functions" Lets see... I actually got 113,000 hits for this one, the information is relevant and gives me exactly what i am after.

Lets try OR instead and see if this is better... "Sydney wedding functions OR Venues". This actually came up with better results giving 143,000 hits. So using OR has proven to give the biggest number of hits.

Overall the both search options used have given relevant information so that isn't a concern for either techniques.

Lets give it one more go, lets try NOT "Sydney Wedding Venues NOT Melbourne"
It has given us 510,000 hits BUT, yep wait there is a but, when looking at the search results the URLS provided don't really give me the answers i am looking for, don't get me wrong there are still relavant sites here but its a time waster to have to trail through each one to find what i am looing for. Also there are no unversity sources

Module 4 - Searching the Web

So close yet so far, the end is almost near and i have only a few tasks to get through, lately i have been reflecting so much about this subject and the many tools i will take away from it, there is so much that people don't know about the internet & it's communication. I'm thinking that high schools should really make a compulsory internet subject, i think it is going to be needed in the future, i also think it should be a core subject for any bachelor degree, EVERY single person will use it & will be able to take this information away with them in any workforce chosen!!

Neways back to the topic, Searching the Web! I think this experiment will be fun.

So we have to choose our most commonly used search engine & do a search with words of my choosing. Well Google is the only place i go to search, no one else even gets a thought! Ok i'm going to search for "Sydney Wedding Venues"

OK WOW i got 164,000 hits!!! See below: I have copied & paste my results into paint for your reference!!

Here are the first five hits for this search:

Now.. I'm using Copernic to search through 3 search engines. Tried setting up the 3 search engines in Copernic, but i have no idea how to do it? I searched the help online and when i search it goes to sponsored links only?? I can't seem to find where i can insert my three different search engines to use, when i click on the "Web" icon, it goes straight to Copernic Find? . Does Copernic even have the option to trail through other search engines with our choosing? Argh this is so frustrating, i'm going to the webct discussion board to see if anyone else has had this problem. Be right back...

In the mean time i'm going to put "sydney wedding venues" in the Search box and choose "All" and see what happens. Yep it says no matching documents but brings up 83 web results. The results only seem tp come from Google & Ask.com?? The search doesn't even compare to searching directly from a search engine, why would anyone want to waste there time with this? Copernic is so basic and i find it so hard to use when searching the web...

I just had a look at Jamies blog and he seems to have the same problem when searching the "deep web"! Phew, i'm not the only one who can't navigate around this site.. OK I worked it out, the home version only allows you to search from their criteria. From the search results it did allow me to search other search engines including: Google, Ask.com, Windows Live & Yahoo.com . But no deep web! However the first five hits of this search brings up Google only. See below for my results!

Overall, i would NEVER use Copernic to trail the internet for searching the web, it needs to stick to searching your network and thats about it!!! Pretty ordinary experience with Copernic but can't go wrong with Google. Is results provided me with exactly what i was looking for & they were pretty accurate. Not that i need to use 164K results BUT it's better than 83 and gave me more options than Copernic.

Module 4 - Downloading Tools/Plug ins Task

1. Adobe PDF Reader

I already have Adobe's PDF Reader on every computer i own. I find this program one of the most used programs i have simply because it allows me to PDF anything i want. This is great because i can share my documents with other people that have all kinds of PDF viewers. It is user friendly, fast & has many built in features to collaborate your electronic documents. I mainly use this program for PDF'ing invoices, CV's, letters, spreadsheets, & financial data. When preparing something in word or excel it is easy to convert to a PDF file and send to a client, this also enables the client to see it in a clean format rather than opening the actual file use to create the document.

2. Shockwave player
So i clicked on the "Check this page" on webct to see if i have a flash or shockwave application, to my surprise it asked me to install the program. I really should invest in a good one so i installed the Adobe Flash Player . So i installed it, really quick & easy to do! I have to say though Adobe's website is incredible, just looking at there flash demonstration entices you to have their product! This program will come in handy when i download my favourite shows which i have always wanted to do but never got around to it :)

3. Media Player
I already have Windows Media Player which i think works great, again it is easy to use & loads really quickly. So i downloaded Real Time Player for this experiment. This website is also really hi-tech and up their with Adobe. SO i downloaded the Basic Real Player which was really easy to do. In a matter of minutes i had this brand new spanking player on my PC. When comparing to Media Player they both offer the same features & interact with many other programs. I think i like the look of Windows Media Player better when it comes to the actual play, stop, etc panel. Although i really like the Real Player features with it's built in online movie library, i love the fact that it is all right there and you don't need to go searching for movies. The only difference between the full featured player and basic is that you can't burn from this player which is fine because i use Nero for burning anyway. It also gives you 500 movies instead of 200 in the library but hey 200 movies is pretty good! And for what i'd use it for limited audio & visual control would be suitable for my needs.

4. Search Managers/Combiners
So i'm thinking..... A search manager, to be honest i've never used one before and do i really need it! Well let's download it and see what the fuss is all about... I chose Copernic for this experiment. Downloading the program was quick & easy to do, now to test the program to see if it works. Ok so i'm going to search for my concept project file which is currently in Microsoft word. Lets see if it can find it?
Yep, it quickly assembles the search results with your different criteria. So i tried a few more files and i have to say it is pretty accurate and so quick. I think this would be really good to use at work when searching in a client directory or my email directory to be able to find a file quickly, i always seem to have this problem and it takes me forever to find files sometimes, with Copernic it enables the user to gain access quickly & efficiently. Not bad at all!!! I don't think it will benefit using this program for private use but would definitely gain productivity time for business use. I also like the fact that it separates web results from desktop results, it is user friendly. However i have heard of scenarios where people have used search programs and were unable to locate the file or email even though they know it is on their hard drive! Has anyone experienced that and if it is true then why bother with a search program that doesn't do it's job.

5. Bookmark Manager

When learning about this in our topics i always thought that they would not be useful for me as i rarely would need to manage my bookmarks. But i guess we can only try... so i downloaded BookMark Buddy. This program managers your bookmarks & favourites which enables you to find bookmarks quickly & filter by date, rating & site changes. I think the best feature that this program offers is that it checks the status of your bookmarked sites in the background to see whether they have been updated or move since the last time you used it. In my personal experience this gets me everytime, i go to use a bookmark from my favourites and all of a sudden it's gone. This would be the only reason why i would use this program! The only other feature i like is that it maintains your lists based on what you recently visited, favourites etc. Other than that i don't think i'd use this program on a day to day run, i'm to lazy & don't have enough bookmarks to manage...

6. Offline/Browser Copier

I have never used an offline copier before but i would think that it would be very useful when working on uni projects & searching for information. The fact that it can save complete copies of your sites & almost anything online for later study is GENIUS. For example when researching & preparing for my concepts project i had countless websites running at the same time, but if i had to finish up and wanted to remember & keep all this information, this offline copier would be able to store all this information for me to be able to work on it later and offline. This program is extremely efficient for business & personal use and i would recommend anyone to use it.

Out of all the programs i downloaded today i would have to say that the flash player & offline copier would be the ones i'd use most. Flashplayer for lifestyle reasons & offline copier for university & studying reasons. From this experiment today i have definitely learnt some great tools to take away with me to make me a more efficient user in the online & offline environment of the internet.

Concept Research & how i am going with it!

Hi Guys

HaPpY AuStRaLiA DaY - Go the Green & Gold

So i have been working on my concepts project over the last few days and thought i'd give you an update as to how i am travelling.

Firstly i found it really hard to choose concepts that were right for me, there were so many interesting ones and it took me a good while to get the 4 of topic! The research has been time consuming & i have been creating notes ever since, I think the hardest part so far is having to choose the particular path you want to take each project! There is so many things you can discuss so i went on what interested me the most. I also found it really difficult to get into really deep writing, don't you think it's hard to do in only 500 words? You're just beginning. So trying to keep it to the point & down in words + also get my point across was a mission. I am almost done, now i have to put together & make it a damn good project!

For me this project is one of a kind. It has been really hard to get everything together & to even grasp the idea of what we even have to do. I have never done anything like this before & so i hope i have done each project right!! Fingers crossed! The threads on Webct & Cynthias tips have been really helpful & have sent me in the right direction.

I am hoping to finalise my findings & write up a final draft of each concept over the next week. Summer school is almost coming to an end and i can't believe how fast it has come and gone. I am so glad i chose this subject even though it has taken me on a ride - Good & bad. I sure have come out on top ;)

Module 3 - Web 2.0

I briefly touched on Web 2.0 already in a previous post but shall dissect more in this post!

There definitely was a stand still time in the history of the internet where it went from published media with no two way interaction to a full blown beast of communication sharing entirely new concepts and social applications!!


In the early days the internet consisted of (Web 1.0):
One way directed websites
Publishing media & information
Business websites
Basic web design
Personal websites (Home Pages)
Mainly Written Data (read, read, read)

What the internet consists of now (Web 2.0):
Technological interactivity with websites & services
Social networking & two way interaction
Self Publishing & creating communities
Visual & Audio data introduced
Mainstream business management & systems (I can see the dollar bills)
Blogs
Communication, communication, communication

Tim O'Reilly provides a more detailed explanation on What is Web 2.0. This is good because a beginner can still understand and see the comparison clearly of Web 1.0 to Web 2.0. Has anyone checked out Darren Barefoot, this guy is from Canada and provides the best comparison by far, you can check it out Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0 (And he uses a blog to share his ideas to)

The list can go on and i must say i don't think i could live without most of these communicative tools, i'd say most people would agree...

The main idea here is that the internet prior to Web 2.0 was STILL, no talking just Shhh!! Web 2.0 is about TALK TALK TALK!!! Web 2.0 breaks down information & data to the very core, there are no hidden cameras here!! It's all about sharing and communicating and the best part is you don't need to be an expert to do it!

The benefits are countless, everyone can contribute, learn more, share more, see more, teach more, feel more, earn more and communicate more!! And thats only just the beginning..

Which format do you think you would like better and why?

When comparing the blinklist to the HTML Version the answer immediately stares you in the face! The blinklist format wins hands down!! Medal goes to blinklist :) Reason being is because it's clean, consice, holds a great web design & is presented well. It is easy to navigate and is very user friendly. It has all the characteristics a websites needs to be successful. Look at the HTML version and it screams confusing, messy, dull and on to the next website please! This html version would not win over any users as it is not presented clear and even though there is the same amount of hyperlinks as the blinklist site it seems like way to many in that format. It's not usable in todays Web 2.0 as it doesn't provide anything other than plain text.

You can justify that the HTML version looks more like a Web 1.0 website and the Blinklist looks more like a Web 2.0 website because the Blinklist shows google ad words, visual & audio presentation, two way communication with comments, votes and a virtual community for users where as the HTML version doesn't.

Welcome Web 2.0!! I love everything about it and love the fact that it is growing more each day!

I can't even begin to wonder what the next step in online communication will be?? You can think that there is no possible way to advance from where we are but someone will find a way.

Web 3.0 here we come!! Yippeee!!

Module 3 - Legal Issues

This is an interesting topic because there is a fine line when it comes to copyright online and with the massive range of information how is everyone supposed to keep up with what is being published? Is there a way of protecting copyright in such a huge medium like the internet?



To find out more about how it is protected i went to the suggested Copyright Website!

So basically everything can be copyrighted online except for ideas, titles & names & short phrases. This is interesting, so my website BuyMyPet for instance, i cannot copyright the idea of selling pets & pet goods & services online through a third party medium such as us OR i can't copyright our title buymypet but i can copyright the logo we have created? right? The guidelines do not seem to be fine tuned enough.. So i looked further into the Fair Use Test. Ok so if someone pretty much took our logo and used it for commercial purposes i could sue them? Well that is good to know :) I also quickly went through the How to file a copyright to ensure we have copyrighted our site correctly, based on these facts stated at benedict i am safe! Phew! I decided to check out the copyright legalities in Australia by Copyright Agency Limited. This site is also good as it explains how you cannot copy other users materials & how to protect your site from nasty copycats! I think i would go MeNtaL if i saw my logo elsewhere, wouldn't you just flip out!!!!



So in answer to your questions...

I checked out Curtin's copyright & policy documents to see if i can find whether we are allowed to include the Curtin logo in an assessment? After much searching around i finally found the logo use procedure which defines that the Logo cannot be used as it is a registered trademark and if you wanted to include the logo you would need to get prior approval from the Executive Director of Corporate Communications. Therefore it cannot be used as it is protected from unauthorised use.

I have not used any images or words in my blog or webpage that contravene these laws of copyright. I have only provided links to other peoples sites which is just sharing more information.

Module 3 - NET11 & Blogs

What i think about NET11 so far...



I have really enjoyed this subject so far, everything that has been in the cirriculum is new to me so i have gained so much knowledge and technical tools to take away with me. I have learnt about many people and how they to feel about the internet, communication and its concepts and have genuinely enjoyed getting to know my fellow NEt11's. I really love how enthusiastic everyone is, how helpful people are and the confidence it gives you as a person. It also makes you believe that YES you can achieve anything you want! Isn't this what life is all about?



Learning and exploring = never end = gratification



I think anyone that doesn't want to advance, learn more, keep up with technology is trully missing a great opportunity. The internet has come so far hence the reason why i'm studying this subject. The concept & perception side to the subject has really got me fascinated because until recently i never looked at the internet and it's communication in the way that has been taught by Cynthia & Pete. I always just looked at the internet as a source for me to go and search up on things about everything and anything. Now i look at it completely different. Don't get me wrong i am still trying to get my head around it and grasp this concept side, it is really quite difficult. The assessment is worrying me a little because i'm not sure how i will do, but i will give it my BEST shot!


I have found it very difficult to keep up with the forums on Webct and try to include my imput wherever i can, the downfall is because i am such a newbie at this i can't really advise anyone if they need help because i probably need help to (although i have tried)! The amount of time i have spent on this subject is crazy (not complaining) the pros outway the cons by far. I have tried to keep up to date with most blogs but again find it difficult to read every post and comment on everyones pages, but i do put significant time aside to leave feedback on peoples blogs. (I give Pete credit for spending so much time checking all our blogs - do you even get to have a life? - 100 bonus points to you!)



Using online manuals for my cirriculum is a first time for me and i have found it quite handy, i think many other subjects should adopt this approach as it is easily accessible anywhere! The most favourite things i will take away from this subject thus far is the learning about blogs and creating my own, the communicative tools that i have never heard of before which will be an advantage to me in the future, the chat task, how to style your writing on your own site successfully & now creating my own HTML page.



What i think about blogging so far...



For someone who has never blogged before the inital idea of blogging sounded difficult until i had began my learning log with NEt11. All up it has been a really enjoyable experience, i have learnt so much and have found great advantages for using a blog as a communicative tool. It can also open the door to MORE information by checking out other bloggers specific to what you are searching for, more opinions and more ideas to think about. I think it is incredible for a everyday user like myself to publish my own written material out into the world for anyone anywhere to see. I feel more accomplished now than i did in the beginning and feel like i can contribute to our society this way. Give me another reason to talk and i'm there!



I think maintaining a blog shows great dedication as it needs tender love and care as it is really hard to keep up with other fellow bloggers, leave comments & keep your posts interesting & appealling. This experience we learnt in NEt11 shows us how big a tool blogging has become. I have the perfect example, Queensland has just launched a massive "Tourist Campaign" for a Island caretaker job offer: get paid $150,000 to swim, snorkel! You can view the article from SMH here. All you have to do as part of this job is blog your experience and communicate to the travellers how wonderful the Great Barrier reef is, but the terms are it has to be interesting & appealing. Where do i sign up?? So you can see the affects and how far blogging has come, this is the major source of Queenland's Tourism strategy.



I do believe that blogging is catered to the younger generation simply because it is a new trend and not experienced by the older generations, as i have said in my previous posts, if you can't keep up you'll get left behind and thus citizens would definitely be out of touch! I think blogs do have that personal element which makes it more inviting to the reader, it breaks down formality barriers and can be used for informal reasons. Personal blogging would have to be the most popular form of blogging.


Overall it has been a self teaching experience with alot of guidance and encouragement and something i will never forget. I will move forward and take this experience to create other leisure/tips & hints based blogs in the future (when i get time :))


However there is still a long road ahead until completion, so we keep chugging along!!

Module 3 - WWW Standards

I found this task to be really enjoyable as it was great to see the insight to the actual "standards" of the web. I never really thought about it this before.



Jakob Nielsen's findings on "How Users Read on the Web" is a really good read because you can tell he has done his research, most of the common things that people do when reading online was spot on, well to the way i traul aroun the net anyway! I definitely don't read, i do sure Scan though! I scan everything, pages, blogs, intricate websites until i find what i'm looking for, if i haven't found what i am looking for within a matter of minutes i'm on to the next hyperlink or website i can find. I also scan when i'm searching the engines also, for instance, when i type a few keywords into Google, if i haven't found a good credible sight with exactly what i'm looking for on the first page i won't even bother looking next to the second page, i would just re-type in other keywords. People don't have time to search and read everything, users use keywords, sub-headings etc like Jakob explained, therefore writing online needs to be to the point, grab the readers attention and be short, if they want to divulge further, put in place hyperlinks with further information, the writing needs to stand out and be credible, otherwise after a few seconds the user is of to the next station. People really do have standards when reading on the internet and Jakob describes them exactly! Even though Nielsen's paper is written in 1997 i do believe that it is very much current in the way users grab there data.



Credibility is so important, the user needs to be able to trust the information written & website before the user gets comfortable with returning to the site for repeat business or using there information.




The example that Jakob used when comparing the same data on difference sites, prooves that short and straight to the point written data is most popular as the reader is fulfilling their objectives quickly without having to look elsewhere or getting a lazy eye by viewing much data.




Moving on to Web Teaching


Now this website gives great information but for me i can you see that it is long and bland? I really had to concentrate and get into reading it, if this wasn't part of the task , i probably would have moved on by now because of it's writing style.



I then checked into Dennis Jerz's website here

Most of the links provided by NET11 were along the same lines except for some minor differences.

The 5 most important RULES for writing online goes to...

1. Writing online must be written in scanable text - this is the key to getting your readers to stay put on your site long enough to get the information they need without moving onto your competition

2. Write in the language & style of your target reader - Keep it informal/formal based on what information your writing about and who the target reader is, that way the reader can connect with the writing style and feel in line with the text

3. Summarise, Summarise, Summarise - Use bullet points, short paragraphs, pictures, diagrams and summarise your information within short paragraphs to ensure the reader does not get bored & lazy & leave your site. The reader wants easily accessible quick information, they do not have all day to search for information in todays busy society. Does to much data stear away the user? I think so, one of my tips would be to NOT include to much data, add a link if they want to read further!

4. Use a inverted pyramid writing style - Start with your findings/conclusion, than progress with additional information that backs your conclusion, and finish with the more intricate details last. Almost doing things backwards.

A good link to compare normal writing styles with inverted-pyrmaid styles can be found at Great Web Design Tips.

5. Highlight heywords for important information - This also helps with the scanable text to ensure the reader finds what they are looking for without much effort. This will also make your text stand out and grab the readers attention

Creating a webpage that will keep its value is not easy, having the correct writing style is key to a successful website!!! We need to ensure we have met all the readers needs & wants, ultimately they want to be fulfilled after checking out your site so ensure that it is appealling to the reader.

Module 3 - HTML Tags Task

We have to make a webpage? At first that seems very foreign & scary but i'm going to give it a go. Can it really be that hard? First i will begin with the 26 lessons at So you want to make a webpage by Joe Barta. Here we go!
P.S I love this site and it's so easy to follow!! I have put it in my favourites for my next website creation


So i created a HTML page quick easily.... NOT!!! It has taking me a few days to get it to the standard it's at now.. Firstly, I got to adding my own picture as a background. I saved it as .jpeg when i think it needs to be .jif. I'm going to check it out now... Yep that was the problem, the tutorial so far is taking up alot of time but i wanted to make notes of the codes, i have a bad memory. Got up to the part where you can add a .doc but for some reason it doesn't want to upload, so i am going to try again, second round and yep got it working, mystery why it didn't work first time round. The other hard part was adding a thumbnail of a picture ... I had to have a few goes until i got it right but my thumbnail is a picture of me and makes me look like a blimp until you open it to a normal size.. not sure how to fix that as i have looked over and over on Joe's page for answers... Maybe the thumbnail is supposed to be like that, joe said the gif files do come out not as a good as a jpeg so maybe thats why.. Completed the rest of the tutorial okay..

Now to the next part, uploading it to the presentations section in Webct. Boy was/am still frustrated with this section of the task, for the life of me i could not get my background and pictures to work even though i uploaded them...... Breathe..... Breathe... Breathe

So i checked out the discussions boards to see if i could get any help, yep a zillion questions about my same issues and the threads made me even more confused, zip this and try that! As recommended by fellow students i went to the help section on the webtct site and it thankfully helped me fix all my problems.. The case-sensitivity got me so i fixed and bam.. All working... After having a look at other websites made by other students i was blown away by the talent we have in NET11, mine looks like a heap of S**t, excuse the french compared to others. Well at least i got the basics down pat and hopefully i will be able to create better sites down the track!
Overall after much frustration and perseverance i managed to successfully complete the task :) I do feel accomplished now and can say that i now know how to create web pages YAY!! What an achievement i reckon...

Oh i forgot to mention that i validated my page with only 50 errors & 3 warnings.. Kidding about the only.. That is major!!! I think the reason why i got so many errors is because my code could probably be a bit more cleaned up, i have to many codes everywhere and probably haven't fixed errors once uploading the file. For instance i write code then upload and move on but keep the wrong code there coz it doesn't make a difference to the look of the site. But i do know that it definitely pays to have a clean site because Google will index it alot higher, so in the future i will be much more careful with my coding and ensure that i use the Validator site.

I don't think i can compare HTML to blogging, they are completely different, they are both great tools though. Blogging is more for self publication and journaling where as HTML is more for publishing information and data to a target audience. The experience is also different as with blogging it is two way communication and with HTML it is up to the user to check out your site! I enjoy both but for now enjoy blogging more, once i get better at HTML i'll probably enjoy that just as much! Blogging is much more easier than HTML but i think once you get used to HTML it won't be that difficult to pick up!
Peace out!!

Module 3 - My Thoughts on Infosphere

Did anyone else know that hypertext began way back in 1945? WOW i'm blown away by this, i seriously had no idea it started way back then!!

Ohhhh ok WWW was created in 1991, thats better, that makes much more sense!

Before i begin my rant about what i thought of Module 3 i wanted to share that i got let of work early this afternoon, it is 40 DEGREES outside (Stinking Hot), my family are all over swimming in the pool and playing volleyball and YES that's right i am inside studying my NET11 Module 3 in the boiling hot study.. NOW THAT IS DEDICATION MY FRIENDS

I began my learning of the infosphere by reading the Cybertextspace suggested. When i first read this link i got quite confused, well alot confused actually, so much depth to take in.. So i read it a few times to grasp the idea & concept of Dr Karin Wenz. She brings perception, conceptualization & imagination together to introduce the idea of space & how we construde in our minds the structure of our perceptions & ideas. It does make sense that the organisation of our memory defines the concepts we choose to compose texts. The way we take in, percieve & organise the information in our minds, forms the expressions in its content & expresses ourselves through cyperspace like a form of art!

I always wondered what HTML was & what it did exactly but over this course i have learnt that it is a very important piece of the internet puzzle. And i'm starting to write & understand html code to :)

Quoted from Curtin that Hypertext is trully above and beyond is an understatement. The way it was put into perspective on curtin is a real eye opener. The internet has changed communications structure and flows in ways of the readers choice, it is the gateway of information and the way it is provided has no ending. We can control everything in cyperspace

Hypertext (linearity VS non-linearity)

So i continued further and checked out the online Book of Sand (P.S i just sent you to another package of information) This sort of technology is going to push business out and online in. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Books like these posted online to view the information you're after could diminish businesses such as book cafe's, libraries, R & D etc. Do we really want the world to move in this way? Before we know it the internet will run us! Or has it already begun!! I'm not sure if it is entirely good, in 20 years from now everything will be viewed from our computers.

What would you prefer...

Reading a good novel in bed VS reading a good novel on the laptop

Take a walk down to the nearest cafe to grab the Sunday paper VS logging on the SMH online and NO exercise

I know what i'd prefer, read a hard copy book & take a stroll.

These are only a few examples of the million or so ways in which the internet can change our lives, all because of hypertext! But the world is moving faster, people want things NOW, they want convienance & more information. And the reason why the internet and information are a combining force is because it provides answers to our needs and wants & hence the reason why it is moving faster everyday, WE are the hungry people who want more! This discussion with myself could go on and on! I find it really interesting, don't you? OK so i went of on a bit of a tangent! Hypertext has no structure, we make the form/structure/content WE want, the internet is what we made it today!

Ahh Huh, See i'm on to something. I just checked out the Youtube video suggested called The Internet is Us/ing US. What a great video by the way, did you notice that 7.5 Million people have viewed in to watch that! Just goes to show the interest in this topic. I love how it shows who organises hypertext, WE DO! That's what i love about it, we make the rules, hence we can RULE THE WORLD!! Ok now im exaggerating.. Or am i not?

I think i'm going to go to the forums for this one...

Web 2.0 - Is it something different, was it necessary to put in a second stage. I think so, the internet is moving all the time however there was a stand still moment that needed something to kick it into gear. Web 2.0, i highly doubt that this name was the critical element that kicked cyberspace into notch but why not call it an upgrade, the internet had moved from basic to incredible with endless opportunities that became a money making machine. It definitely was a step in online history, take a look at the Web 1.0 VS Web 2.0 at What is Web 2.0. I can definitely see an upgrade in these comparisons. The web turned from learner to experienced in seconds! It was such a big step, i guess it had to have a name. Don't you?

I'm of for a swim!! See ya :)

Blog Issues

ok so now i'm really annoyed coz my blog settings are playing up. On my last blog there is a section under "what i didn't like" that i had to change to purple in colour.. DO U KNOW WHY? Because everytime i posted it, the writing would not appear? it would vanish, the only way i could make it appear was to change it's colour.... What on earth is happening? i tried fixing it looking through the "edit HTML" screen but there is no codes or anything that is making it that way. Is it a mystery? a fault in blogger's setting? or am i doing something wrong? Anyway that's the reason why my blog doesn't look nice anymore. Anyone else having this problem give me a YELL!!! Thanks

Module 2 - Chat Part 2

Part 2 - Chat Continued


So all the ICQ followers arranged to chat through Webct, on Sunday 4th Jan at 7pm. I ensured that i added everyone who posted there details as a friend and this was very easy to do. You enter in there number and ICQ prompts you if you would like to add them, you simply click yes and can leave amsg for them. 7pm came and i signed on to be greeted by BJ who had already set up a multi-chat room for us Net11's and took great leadership. There were 6 or so already joined ready to begin, everyone was so nice & welcoming and i was greeted with big hello's. We all waited a few minutes until most of us were in and we had about 15 Net11's eager to begin our journey!!!

We all introduced ourselves and then it was on, the chat began.. one after another everyone was talking, at times it was a bit hard to keep up with everyone's conversations as they were all running in the same multi-chat box, but i must say it was FUN!! We all had a laugh and got really into it! We spoke about NET11, what's fake space, what chat service we preferred etc

You wanna see??




Now to the serious side...

What i liked

I liked that each chat box that you carried out a chat in was consolidated into one big chat room, like internet explorer is now with the tabs. Very handy & doesn't take up all your toolbar space

ICQ now sends you msg's that pop up over the top of the toolbar icon to show that you have awaiting msg's & adds from friends. This is good because you don't need to check back to the main screen, you can see the little envolope role over the flower (ICQ symbol) icon.

You can now personalise your font, sizing & send over emoticons that are really animated. I think this is really important as it defines the person you are through written communication & gives you a reflection of people's personalities. For instance we had fellow NET11's write with huge font in bright colours and some with smaller font very squared. They would all tell a story i reckon.

You can now use a multi-person chat room which i don't think ICQ had back in the day. This is handy for meetings, friends, work & play, saves opening up a million chat boxes to tell everyone the same thing. Saves time & duplication.

ICQ now offers similar characteristics to MSN and is a fierce competitor for chat service providers. ICQ can be linked to your email as MSN does & provides you with the latest entertainment & news every time you login. Now what does MSN have that ICQ doesn't, ZILCH!!

The design and layout of ICQ is so easy & friendly to use. I would definitely use ICQ again for instant chat!

What i didn't like

The multi-person chat also has its negatives. The chat is dumped on screen so fast that i cannot keep up with it, with many people having multiple conversations in the one screen is difficult & i loose track, and i can type fast! The old fashion individual box for each chat is much more easy to communicate with if you're having separate conversations with each person

The other problem we have here is that ICQ isn't the most popular software to use for instant chat. Most of my friends are on MSN therefore it seems to be that all friends need to be on the same chat service otherwise you need to use multiple tools to stay in touch!

Conclusion

After using both MSN and ICQ i would have to say i would choose MSN simply because all my friends are on it & it is linked to my hotmail account which i use all the time. It's about convienance & SPEED at the end of the day. Right?!