upc0004

Week 12- Social and ethical issues

2007-10-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

Social and ethical issues
Problems within the internet are intellectual property, copyright, plagiarism, security, privacy and freedom of speech.
Intellectual property includes inventions, ideas, music and movies. Copyright meaning the right to copy is when you can only copy something if you have permission by the maker if it is protected by copyright law. Plagiarism is using others ideas as your own and not acknowledging them. Always acknowledge other peoples work when using it if unsure how to us a referencing guide. Security interception ca occur anytime when using he net this is why you must take special precautions when using the net some ways of staying safe are:
1. Do not reveal personal information inadvertently.
2. Turn on cookie notices in your Web browser, and/or use cookie management software or infomediaries.
3. Keep a "clean" e-mail address.
4. Don't reveal personal details to strangers or just-met "friends".
5. Realize you may be monitored at work, avoid sending highly personal e-mail to mailing lists, and keep sensitive files on your home computer.
6. Beware sites that offer some sort of reward or prize in exchange for your contact information or other personal details.
7. Do not reply to spammers, for any reason.

Copyright sheets relevant to me as an undergraduate will be artworks, computer software, disabilities, education institutions and music.

US vs. Sankas case
John Sankus the leader of oldest organized software piracy groups on the internet pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on May 17, 2002 at 9:00 am and could receive a maximum sentence of five years. Sankas engaged in the illegal distribution of copyrighted software, games and movies on the internet he reproduced and distributed hundreds of thousands of copyrighted material around the world. The cost of the damage of this reached as high as $2.5 million. There is still being investigations in to the crimes committed by the “crackers” (group members who cracked the codes of the software) to date.

Week 11- Building Knowledge

2007-10-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

Data, information and knowledge
Data: is raw it has no significance beyond its existence
Information: is data that has been given meaning by the way of relation connection
Knowledge: the collection of information to be intended to use again

Importance
Data: valid unbiased data is essential otherwise there would be no information
Information: must be used to inform and must be related to data
Knowledge: a justification from the data and information and is subjective

Examples
Data: price, shares, exchange rates, weather, census data
Information: historical information, records, budgets, minutes of meetings
Knowledge: white papers, press releases, marketing strategies

Strategies for assignment work
Highlight keywords of a question given to you and not known the meaning research them.
Data: begin your assignment by researching facts statistics etc. to assist in forming an idea about the subject by getting factual information it will back up statements and observations.
Information: begin building your assignment with information collected which relates to the data a pattern will emerge which will help you to structure the assignment
Knowledge: the composition phase of the assignment, make your own judgements based on the information you have collected

Definitions
Data: individual facts, statistics or items of information
Information: knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance, the act or fact of informing
Knowledge: acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or invesigation

Week 10- Online libraries and data bases

2007-10-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

Examples of online library resources
Art
The louvre
The British national gallery

Limitations of online libraries
In many cases only the catalogue is online which shows only a section of something. Many libraries are only available by subscription (you can view other libraries threw the ECU website which ECU may have already paid for i.e. curtains library).

Referencing online libraries
In many courses marks are deductible if not referenced properly use endnote to help you reference.

Copyright
If there’s copyright laws you can email and ask if you can use the material by saying you’re university student permission will usually be allowed.

Online databases
An organised collection of information stored away. Things that can be found with these are:
Genealogy- family history, deaths, people who have travelled on boats before.
Resources- maps and atlases, people searches, government info
Statistics- local laws, town planning schemes, tourist information
News and media- current information on issues and events
Portals- commercial have a bit of everything

Advantages of online databases
-Comprehensive
-Searchable
-Current
-24/7 access

Disadvantages
-Many databases accessible by subscription only
-Lots of advertising
-Can be an information overload

10 useful functions of the ECU online library
1. Catalogue access, you can access a number of libraries from around the world
2. Endnote software, a downloadable referencing program
3. Library podcasts, allows you to listen to missed lectures
4. Journal articles databases, allows you to access journal articles from different databases
5. referencing guide, can be used to check referencing
6. interactive learning package, helpful ways to search effectively
7. document delivery services, enables remote external students to place a request for loans or journal articles from other libraries or supply services
8. find websites, appropriate websites chosen by ECU for students under various subjects
9. Library collections, ECU Libraries house a number of special collections that reflect the academic requirements of the university
10. Resources by faculty, Library resources are provided by the Faculty Library Teams to meet specialised subject needs

Medline plus has information from the worlds largest medical library, the national library of medicine. Patients, doctors even uni students can use its authoritative and up to date information the online tutorials are a very useful way to learn about a condition. It has information on over 740 diseases and conditions. Medline plus gathers its information from national institutes of health. There are also lists of hospitals, medical encyclopaedia, medical dictionary and links to clinical trials.

Week 9- Using search engines

2007-10-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

Search engines
A program that searches the internet for sites that are related to keyword you have typed. Examples of search engines are Google, Yahoo, Ask jeeves, Alta vista, Wisenut etc.

Problems with search engines
Return to many results
Limited relevance
Can include broken links in list of results
It can be hard to determine how useful a lower ranked site could be

Types of quires used
Keyword, phrase, Boolean, advanced engine features

Strategies
Use several different search tools
Search sites are constantly indexing no web engine has the entire web indexed
Use several words in keyword searches.
To reduce the number of hits received and find what you’re looking for more quickly or use an exact phrase.
Look at search tips on each search engine
To learn how to use the search engine more efficiently for example on some search engines quotation marks can be used to create an exact phrase search this will help create powerful searches.

Internet search tips and strategies
Form- change the form of the word needed so you don’t dismiss any sites i.e. if searching validity of testing you should include the forms test and tests.
Related terms- search for related terms to the subject i.e. test could be searched under assessment
Synonymous terms- change what you have written but keep it so it still means the same thing for example apple growing could be changed to fruit tree farming
Ladder of generalisation- when searching for something and have not found what you are looking for look at all the sites found and generate some more terms.

Week 8- Evaluation and Authentication

2007-10-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

A WWW history
How did the web get so unruly?
The web is so unruly because it is technically open to everyone.
How to determine the quality of the content we find on the www some principles:
Make sure you understand what’s fully required in an assignment
Know what it is your looking for and why someone has created a website.
Is the type of content bias?
Suggested criteria for evaluating the web
Accuracy, Authority, Currency, Coverage, Authentication
Accuracy
Is there an editor? (Bad grammar) is it error free?
Authority
If there’s sponsorship then it’s most likely real. Is there an author?
Objectivity
Are its goals clearly stated? Is it designed to try and change your opinion on a subject?
Currency
How are current are the links? If getting failed links then the page is most probably old.
Coverage
Determine the extent of the content.
Authentication
What is the domain type? Validation of references is a good sign

Week 7- Using the WWW

2007-10-04T04:54:00.000-07:00

Be careful when using the internet because there are lots of bogus sites on there.
Internet vs. Web
The internet is the world’s largest computer network. The World Wide Web is like a catalogue that sits within the internet. On the net you find computers on the web you find documents, sound, information etc.
The Web
-is an abstract space of information
-could not be with out the net
-made the net useful
The web was developed by Tim Berners in 1989 so that he could access library information from different computers. He developed a more formal one in 1990. The web is a network of computers using Transmition Control Protocol/Internet Protocol the visible part of the internet uses HTTP and HTTML to display or exchange data between computers. HTML is a written language that allows you to create web information.

WWW Protocols
-TCP/IP- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
-HTTP- Hypertext Transfer Protocol, specifies how they transfer information between places.
-DNS- Domain Name System, allows IP address’s to be associated with web address’s .mil .com .org .net are top level domains it is useful to know what the domain of a web address means because then you know why this site exists and if it useful to you i.e. .au .nz .de are associated with countries.

Web browsers
Web browsers are programs that allow you to search for things on the web. Some examples of these are Safari, Mozilla, Netscape and the internet.

You can tell the following site www.haggishunt.scotsman.com is a fake because it is supposed to be a joke a haggis is not a real creature they have just made it look like it is. They have attempted to make look like a real creature by having a race to try and catch a haggis (which is a type of food) and if you win you can get prizes. There is a haggis shop which has t-shirts with haggis on them. A clue is how the site describes a haggis ‘Any apparent difference in length could be due to the haggis’s habit of standing in a bog to confuse predators’.

The following site www.molossia.org is a fake because Molossia is not a real state or nation. There are only a total of four people in this pretend nation which is what makes it obvious it is only meant t be a joke.

Week Six-Using Endnote 6/9/07

2007-09-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

Reference to distinguish your work form others and also so the reader can find more information on the subject. (Citing) is quoting references in text. A reference list is used when you’ve paraphrased and drawn ideas from some one else’s work it is located at the end of an essay in alphabetical order.

Endnote is a database that is used to reference it can be used as a reference manager to search for references or to create your bibliography you type in the information and it references it for you it can be used in two ways as a standalone program reference manager for a research project or integrated in to MS word if it already exists in your end note library than it will automatically reference things for you. Endnote is a flat file database system if you highlight something in the library it will write the reference out for you and you can choose what style of reference you want it in. Why use it? It helps keep track of your references, displays a variety of styles of referencing and you can choose what type of document you have i.e. thesis, report. When transferring a reference list to word hit edit copy formatted then paste it in to word.

Week Five- Information management 31/8/07

2007-08-31T06:06:00.000-07:00

Nicolas Negropontes being Digital
Bits and Atoms
Although most information we get is in form of atom (printed material), we are heading into an information economy. Relatively speaking, the information itself can be worth much more than the physical device it is stored on. In digital form, the flow of content is not easily restricted compared to real content. Bits is the way of the future a company judges itself by what technologies it has in digital form but this does not mean everything that is manufactured will become bit based. The good thing about having bit based information is it is cheaper, doesn’t use many resources and is easy to access all the time. The bad thing is you can’t touch it like with a book and its not as good of quality like with a book.

With a book it is bound by three physical dimensions but with a book on the internet there can be many networks which can keep growing and growing because there is unlimited space. People can edit an author’s work as more information comes along. Multimedia is always changing in the future laptops will become like books themselves. In summary technology will always be growing in schools, hospitals life in general.

Managing information by Dr Jim Mullany
When becoming an undergraduate it is necessary to manage your information effectively using computers will become a big part of managing your information. To make it easy to find references you’ve used in the past use end note it is reference management software that stores all of your references for you. To access previous assignments from different subjects easily it is important to organise them into different folders one for each subject. Use bookmark to save web address’s when using the internet to research rather then relying on memory. Take care when copying and pasting information to not forget to reference it otherwise it would be plagiarism.

To add a web page to your favourites click on the add favourites button then click ok. Click on the favourites button then you can click on organise favourites and create a folder now you can drag the website to the folder.

Information format- Atom based
Meaning the information can be touched, you can see it eg a book magazine or news paper. I prefer atom based information because i find it easier to relocate information.

Information format- Bit based
Meaning electronic content like electronic journals on the internet a good thing about using the internet is it’s cheap and easy to mass produce.

The changed face of goods and services gone from being paper based to bit based information. Internet banking, email

The changing face of goods and services include TV (foxtel IQ), centrelink, dating services, music (shopping)

Some principles for organising bits
Learn the most common file extensions and what they do. The end part of the file name is called the extension i.e. www.compaq.com some of these are .doc (word document) .pdf (adobe acrobat file) .jpeg (image file) .mpg is a (movie file) .wav (sound file) if you cant open one of these documents it’s because you don’t have the soft ware to do it.
Create folders according to function rather than content so that you can find it and use it further down the track if you want to.
Use the properties tool to create meta data about your documents for when you want to search for a document you don’t just have to use the title to look for it you can use key words. It helps us bridge a Symantec gap. So if you can’t remember later on you can jut use key words.
Using the search function when trying to find files which is located in the start menu.
Install Google desktop its useful because it helps you use information that is saved to your desktop from previous searchers.

Week Four-Communications 28/8/07

2007-08-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

How to refine emails to get the point across clearly and concisely.
As the sender
Think about wether emailing is the best option or if you need to use another communication method. Make sure to get to the point straight away, if asking a question put it as a question don’t just make a statement of people could disregard what your trying to tell them be clear about who your stating things to and when you need a response. Use grammar and punctuation it makes it easier for people to read. Summarise what you have written just encase someone has not understood the might be able to get a clearer picture.

As the recipient
Sometimes things can come across differently when written in emails because you can’t hear the person’s tone of voice like when on a telephone so don’t assume any emotions. Try re reading it and see wether it could mean anything else before sending a reply. If you can’t understand an email ask the sender to clarify or even phone them. Use email tools to help sort through emails making it easier to access the important ones when needed.

Email etiquette
Choose a subject to let the recipient now what the email content is going to be about. Address recipients appropriately don’t just write hey Linda use dear and spell the persons name correctly. Choose your tone to suit your recipient for example if writing to your boss don’t start adding smiley faces you would need to use a professional tone with proper grammar and punctuation. Don’t be sarcastic in emails because the recipient won’t be able to tell wether you’re trying to be funny or just being rude. Don’t send attachments with out asking the person unless you know them an finally edit your email to get rid of any errors.

IRC internet chat relay allows people to communicate from all over the world. It consists of various network machines that allow users to connect. Once connected you join a chosen channel. Your conversations can public or private.

Spam is unwanted electronic mail and messages which personal email and news groups. Typically in the form of deceptive advertisements, spammers can send millions mail messages with it costing a neglible amount. Spam is more than just an annoyance for the receiver - lots of Internet resources are consumed (space, bandwidth, etc.)

Application protocols and benefits if ICT (Information Communication Technology). Communication can be between two individuals, individuals and organisations, within a business, between business’s and an external organisation. Communication takes place within networks. There are four different types of communication place dependant, place independent, synchronous and asynchronous. Place dependant is when it’s at the same time same place eg chat room or different time same place eg bulletin board. Place independent is at the same time different place i.e. msn messenger or different time different place eg email. Synchronous is when all the parties are communicating at the same time eg a phone call. Asynchronous is communicating in your own time like writing letters. A few things that are ICT mobiles, laptops, ipods etc. some examples of ICT use are email like outlook, instant messengers like Google talk and MSN. Also there is a program called trillion that allows you to put all your instant messengers in to one place, Blogs which are online journals which you can upload pictures and information for the public to see and there’s also useful stuff for students like electronic journals newsletters and broadcasts which all can be quickly and easily accessed over the net. The benefit of using ICT is it is always a growing and updated source of information.

My search term was ‘global warming’ the group that I found interesting was a topic in alt.politics on the causes of global warming someone raised the issue of wether global warming is due to natural influences. There is a few people that agree that global warming is natural but the majority says that it is man who has caused it by putting out such high emission from our lifestyles

The benefits of podcasts for university students is that students can listen to lectures in their own time and revise over them. Anybody who has missed out on a lecture gets a chance to listen to it. Besides lectures, there may be various information covering many topics which could be useful in an assignment.

Week Three Using computers-Presentation strategies 24/8/07

2007-08-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

There are a few different types of presentations some of these are a written presentation such as an essay report or paper, self contained presentation on a CD-ROM, video or web page and a oral presentation where you stand in front of a class and do a speech about what you have written. At university you will be asked to give a number of these. There are three points to a speech introduction, body and conclusion. In the intro there are six main components attention getter's, the thesis, audience adaption, credibility statement, preview and transition to the body. The body has the main ideas and references to outside research so your pretty much putting out your argument to the audience. The conclusion reasserts and reinforces the thesis and leaves the reader with the most important ides to remember. When giving a speech on average the audience will only absorb the first 8 minutes so it is important to try and get the audiences attention as much as possible and to have a clearly structures speech as not to confuse them.

When using audiovisual, make sure your information is clear and concise and in reasonably large font so that if people are sitting far away they can still see. If using a projector make sure there is one at the venue. Rehearse your presentation so you know whats coming up next and you don't get confused. Make sure you keep a back up of your working properly in case something goes wrong. Try out your presentation at the venue before hand to make sure everything is working properly. When using power point don't just read what is on the slides make it interesting use the slides as a summary of what you have talked about. Don't use crazy pictures that don't go with what you are talking about keep your theme consistent throughout the presentation.

My top five ways of giving a good presentation are getting your audience involved by asking them questions to keep them listening, use props as examples, make eye contact with the audience, don't be afraid to ad. lib. and most importantly rehearse your presentation so that it doesn't come out in a jumbled mess.

Week Two Using computers-Office Applications 19/08/07

2007-08-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

When typing a document to ECU standard it needs to be double spaced have 1 inch margins, the type face size 11 in times new roman also when necessary use appropriate headings. To use dot leaders for the table of contents click on toolbar, format and then tabs the standard setting is 5.7.
Graphic formats
Bitmap- standard windows format
Compu serve- compressed format used to minimise file transfer time.
Jpeg- commonly used to display images on the internet
The tagged image file format- used to exchange files between applications and computer platforms.

2007-08-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

Demonstrating Microsoft Word formatting according to ECU standards.
- Text passages were copy-'n-pasted.
- Typeface formatting was adjusted.
- Paragraph formatting was adjusted.
- References were sorted alphabetically so that it is easy for lecturers to find.

2007-08-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

The following are the most common applications used on PC: Windows Explorer, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, Adobe Acrobat Reader and Microsoft Outlook.

Windows Explorer is used to provide file management. Some Windows commands are Send To, Rename, Copy, Delete, Undo, etc. Files can be copied across disks or into other folders. Undo can be used to reverse a users actions. New folders can be created and put inside each other.

In word processing, some tasks included Insert Images, Document Map, Editing and formatting, Tables and other objects. Borders and shading can be used on tables. Images can be embedded witihin the text. The text can flow around the objects.

Microsoft Excel can be used to record graphs, pie charts. Data types can be numbers, text, currency, date/times, etc. Handy formulae such as AVERAGE and SUM can be used around data sections. These formulas can be copied down or across as needed by dragging a special part of the marker. Standard formatting can be applied to any cells in the sheets. Charts are created based on existing data. Simple and complex chart types are available, e.g. pie chart, bar chart, line chart, x-y chart, etc.

Microsoft PowerPoint is used for presentations. You can select Formatting and Styles, use animations and graphics. A presentation is broken down into slides. Each slide can have its own style.

Internet Explorer’s Favourites button is used to store website needed for another time. The Navigation buttons are used to go backwards or forwards into your browsing history. The refresh button used to reload the page again. Microsoft Internet Explorer is the most common web browser. Firefox or Netscape are good alternatives.

Dealing with email is a common PC task. Different programs are availiable that manage a users email. People generally follow common email protocol and etiquette. Emails can be forwarded (FWD) to other recipients or replies can be sent back to the original sender. Using the CC field, the email can be sent to multiple interested parties. SPAM is unwanted or unsolicited email sent from around the world or locally. It clutters mailboxes and is a nuisance. Many email clients have feature specifically to deal with SPAM.

PDF is a commonly used document format on the Internet. It works as a plugin for the browser. It has numerous features to help a user read the document, such as page-view options, thumbnail view and zooming. PDFs are useful in how they present a consistent view of the document on the screen or on paper. Within PDF documents, a handy tool is the note taking feature.

2007-08-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

Using data tables and graphs in Microsoft Excel.

- different formulae were used in the tally columns

- borders and colours were used within the table

- the graphing Wizard was used to create the charts

2007-08-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Week One Using computers-Personal computing 14/08/07

2007-08-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

This week is about learning how to use the ECU website because as an undergraduate it will be used all the time. It is important to logon to Blackboard regularly because announcements are made regularly by lecturers and tutors. Students should also have basic computer skills. How to access the following should be known:
- student email
- unit materials
- ECU library
- enrolment details
- support services
Getting to know the uni now will save time later.

The UPC0004 unit helps you how to access knowledge through the library, Internet and communication technologies. This will then be used to form a report.

By the end of this unit, students should be able to access the Internet and use the ECU website, complete university standard documents, search and find accurate sources and apply them appropriately and be able to work in a team.

A PC is a tool that can be used to do lots of different things and has lots of different parts to it such as a memory hard disk a modem etc. The main components of a desktop computer are the central processing unit (the brain), memory, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), basic input output system, caching, virtual memory, motherboard, power supply, hard disk, operating system, integrated drive electronics, peripheral component interconnect, SCSI, AGP, sound card and graphics card these all work together in a basic operating system session. PC lube and tune is a site that has information on using computers and the internet.