Communication

Digital communication VS voice communication

• Slang and abbreviations can be used


• You can't always understand what the person has sent to you


• You can't distinguish emotions
  
• DC is less personal
• You have toknow the person in order to text them
• DC you have to wait for a response

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/content/articles/2006/01/04/kate_ingham_student_diary_mobile_feature.shtml

North Yorkshire Diaries- Lost Without My Mobile

This article describes how reliant people are society on their mobile phones and how it has given them a more relaxed outlook on staying in touch with people and arranging meetings with people. Things like SMS and instant messaging cut out the personalisation of communication between friends, you can even send messages to house phones.

"A person without a phone is assumed socially disconnected even if they are only minus the mobile for a day"- It seems that people nowadays are totally reliant on communcation via technology.

Employment Opportunites

Changes from 40Years ago

• Companies are more reliant on computers, which cuts down job opportunities.
• Computers are used instead of people during production and assembly lines such as manufacturing cars.
• BACs a system that allows companies to pay money directly into an employee's account.
• Electronic banking can be done any where, don't need a lot of people at the cashier desk. used to have around 10 now the staff is down to 3.
• ATM automatic teller machine...means banks don't need as many branches.
• Secretaries had to use typewriters(if you made a mistake you have to start again) computers cut down the amount of time spent doing particular jobs. Most people can use Microsoft word, so this means typists and short hadn secretaries have lost their jobs. Secretaries are now known as personal assistants now.

Job opportunites

• ISP came abut 10 years ago
• People that connect you to the internet
• IT technicians
• Network managers
• People and their work are reliant on ICT, if the system crashes it is a big problem
• Online retailers. do not need shops any more, they can employ less people and send off items to people.

Jobs that have moved to other countries

• Call centers- people speak English fairly well, they are trained in IT, people abroad work for cheaper e.g India
  
• Advantages of moving your company abroad-Time zones- they can work through our night which is their morning, and when we wake up the documents will be ready
• Information can be sent abroad really quick
• Problems with abroad services. language culture. Dell was in India, but they had to move it back to America because of cultural differences
  
• Manufacturing/engineering computers and gadgets abroad to enable us to even access technology.
• Online adult materials are a big industry and they make money
• Games cost as much as making a game, a lot of people are involved in making the games thats why they are much more expensive.
• People are more reliant on technology
• Sat navs
• Mp3 players
• All ICT related, without it we would not have all these gadgets that make our lives better in some ways or bad..
• Outsourcing-jobs have gone abroad

Impacts
Technology has altered the way we live and function in society, we are always open to new gadgets and inventions that will help us in our working environment. Human jobs like standing in a production line and assembling a part of a toy have been replaced by robotic arms that are controlled by a computer. Although this is good for the company for it means getting more items on sale, it does not benefit every one. Around 50 years ago before the development of technology working class men and women would go to factories and do the jobs that computers now do. This provided more job opportunities for people. It only takes one person to oversee the production and maybe a IT expert to always be on standby. This means that many people are now out of jobs.

Scareware

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7645420.stm

Activity 1 -Tool Man

John the salesman prides himself in being the best he can be. However at the moment he is struggling with all the unnecessary accessories he is carrying around with him. ICT could help him in many ways, firstly he could use a PDA (personal digital assistant) as it is a hand held computer that would allow him to easily access contacts and infromation needed for his work. The PDA would allow John to input important dates such as customer consultations and appointments, these would remind him where to go and when.


GPS stands for Global Positioning System, this would help John get to a certain destination in a reduced amount of time, for it actually provides you with routes and roads to travel down. Since he meets new clients often they will obviously be located in new places that may be unfamiliar to him so travelling would be alot easier.


Laptop, this could be used to type up letters, forward recipets an informative e-mail's. John could also calculate the companies income, expenditures and wages using Microsoft Excel. By using a laptop John would be able to get his administrations and sales done a lot quicker and would therefore be able to get to more customers. If John likes listening to music he could download music via the internet onto his laptop and listen to it on his computer whilst sitting in his car.

Mobile phone, this could be used to make business calls whenever he wished to do so. If John is late due to traffic he could call his client on his mobile out of courtesy to let them know. John could get a phone that had access to the internet such as the iphone and would be able to send e-mail's from their.


If John had the internet he could create a website for his company to publicise himself and reach out to more customers. Problems with incorporating ICT within his buisness is that it is not always reliable. Viruses and spam make computer's vulnerable to crashing and loosing important documents. Not every one likes to depend on modern technology.

Social Networking

I as a teenager use social networking websites to keep in touch with old school friends and family member who may live far away. As it is getting more and more popular I want to discover why?
I regularly use myspace and facebook, and have had myspace for about 2 years now.
Myspace is a social networking website that allows you to almost have a website dedicated to you, except it is only a page allocated per e-mail. With myspace you can create your own account using your email address in a fairly easy process. Once this has created you can edit your profile to how you want it to look by adding HTML codes. HTML codes are really easy to find in a search engine, these can make your profile feel more personalised and appealing. Myspace allows you to upload pictures and videos of yourself and friends and puts them into albums that you can create, this is good for wanting to share and remember memories. Because myspace is widely used, artists and celebrities often have profiles. This is good for fans because we can find out the latest information, and listen to the latest tracks on their profiles. Songs can be added to normal profiles from music myspace's.
You can send comments and messages to people on your contact list. The good thing about myspace is that you can prove or disapprove comments, messages and friend requests. Myspace is also world wide and totally free. Users can either set their profile to private or open, which means that any one can read your information if it is open. This could increase the danger risk to users. Due to the fact tht myspace is free, you get a lot of advertisements on most of the pages you see. This could be a problem for people as some may not be safe. There is no age limit to myspace .




Facebook is another social networking site that is aimed at those who want to get in contact with old class mates and family members. Facebook is very simplistic in comparison to myspace, there are no HTML codes and coloured backgrounds. You can search for people you know by entering their first and second name in to a search engine, a list is usually provided of those who fit the criteria. Although you cant add backgrounds and music to your profile you can add applications such as owned, movies, circle of friends and my girls. Applications make facebook more fun and interesting to be on.
Like myspace, facebook is free of charge and reaches to across the world. Instead of sending comments to people you can write on the person's wall. This is not always good for this is viewed by any one who has your profile, whereas on myspace you can hide them with the use of codes. Like myspace you can upload pictures and videos and create albums for them to go into. There is an installed chat system within facebook which allows you to talk to your contacts, this is quicker than sending messages or posting wall comments.
Facebook and myspace both allow you to talk to people over the internet, and alert you with new updates. An advantage to social netoworking websites is that you can disapprove or approve friend requests and comments and limit how much information you write about yourself. The disadvantage of a social networking website is that it is easy to create and is available to any one.

Teleworking

Teleworking in BT allows people to work from home, Telco says that it saves £35m a year in accomodation, recruitment, costs and absenteeism. BT's teleworkers are four times less likely to take days off sick, which averages to 3 days a year compared with 12 days away from the office. Almost 80% of workers said that they were more productive due to less disruptions, commuting time and stress. Today found that one in six employees surveyed now work over 60 hours a week compared to just one in eight in 2000. One in 10 respondents indicated that they would not be able to do their current job unless they were able to telework. These include staff with children, carers for ill or disabled people or those with special needs.

Advantages

• Teleworking allows people to work from the comfort of their own home, this may give them more time to spend with their families
• You do not have t go in to the office, for work can be e-mailed to you
• No travel expenses
• No tiredness from travel and work

Disadvantages

• Because you are working from home, more work may be given to you
• Still have a deadline
• No one around to consult, completely independent work
• 
  

Case Study Ambulance Services

• ICT has been used etensivley in command and control centers to make services more efficient and responsive.
• New secure digital communications systems replaced old broadcast system.
• sattelite tracking.
• Satnav.
• Geographical information.
• Technology is used to analyse patterns of usage to call in the exact number of staff required.
• Ambulances are placed at points that are closest in travel time to places of peak demand and are tracked at all times to show where they are.

New Chapter-Life in the information age

Working styles
Ict is not just computer based, it can be any portable device such as blackberry's iphones, laptops and mobiles in general. The most useful tool in companies is a database, because it can store contact details for employee's, you can find out about people, you can look through databases to search for products. Any information that may need to be recalled will be inputted into a database. databases get information quickly from the search criteria. if the database is not working the whole thing has to shut down until the problem is resolved. jobs would be longer without ICT. if you work in a company you might had blackberry, phone and laptop, a lot of people find it stressful to have all these gadgets. You need to charge them and transport them.

E-mail
crucial for any organisation to communicate faster with people around the office.

EPOS=ELECTRONIC POINT OF SALE. a computerised till connected to a price look up database, and possibly to the live stock database. EG in argos when you are searching.

EFTPOS=ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER AT POINT OF SALE. a system that allows debit cards to be used to pay for goods. the funds are transferred automatically by machine at the till from the buyer's bank account to the seller.

Ict in journalism
Newspapers today you can publish in any country in the world by sending it via the internet, so this saves you sending it through plane or boat. some one with a laptop and a mobile could transmit pictures and scenes of a story within 5-10minutes onto the news system. Organisations have IT staff to deal with a problem as soon as it occurs. if the problem is not solved straight away the organisation could lose money. Communication is very fast.

doctors can do surgery over the internet by using a video transmitter and a robotic arm.

Using ICT for entertainment-screenshot!

The internet can be used for many things, but it is vastly becoming popular for entertainment purposes. BBC iplayer is an internet based vault of all programs and radio shows that have been brodcasted on one of the BBC channels. BBC iplayer is useful for those who have maybe missed an episode of a series such as eastenders and want to catch up. BBC iplayer has many features such as saving your history on to your computer so every time you sign in you can continue watching a program where you left off. BBC iplayer is available to any one as long as they have access to the internet, so you do not have to sign up for anything and it is free. You can watch programs in high quality and search for specific shows, this shows that it reaches out to a wider audience. BBC iplayer is catergorised so it is easier to search for programs.


Xbox
The Xbox is a popular games console that allows users to connect to the internet and play games with other users over a network, to do this the users must be using the same version of the xbox. Shops sell equipment to enhance the gamers online play such as chat pads and keyboards to enable users to communicate whilst versing each other, this makes it similar to using chat rooms. Members can download games, new versions of cars, backgrounds and charecters for particular games.

Ahead of the curve

• 97% of american children ages 12-17 play video games
• Important for social networking, helps connect people
• Nearly 3/4 of teens said that they play games with other people, this could be parallel playing or opposing eachother. online, groups around the computer. This included games on computer, consoles, portable devices, online, phones
• Online gaming people can actually meet up, some fall in love and get married(virtual world)
• Social networking will attract both good and bad things

Archiving

Archiving is an online backup service that allows free storage for those who sign up, this tends to run automatically once you sign up. So once you download the file it will save your work at once.
This is good because it means you do not need disks, tapes or USB pens, although this is good it means that there is a high demand for it. This may lead to the system slowing down, members can get 2GB for free, anything above that will cost you. If someone downloads you file it will be encrypted which means it can be wrapped in codes.

Social networking
www.linkedin.com is a social networking website for business people and professionals who would like to keep in contact with their work mates. This is strictly a business page and helps those who are looking for jobs within the same field. There is also a Q and A page where you can question people who are already in this profession.


Advantages of online gaming

• Any one can play
• You can play against new people which may motivate you more

Downloads

Films

Itunes allow users to download films as good as this may sound it does like many things have it's terms and conditions. You can preview a clip of the film which is usually a trailer that lasts around 1 minute. Downloading films usually costs around £7, which to be fair is cheaper than buying DVD's which range from £10-£15. Itunes also allows users to rent films, this costs about £3. Although this is reasonable you are only given it for a month and once you start watching the film you have 24hours to finish it. It is then erased from your computer completely. Itunes provide a list of films that other buyers have bought that may interest the user, this is good for discovering new films that you may not have heard about. It is easy to find films on Itunes for it is simply catergorised into different genres. The newest features of Itunes is the cover flow which allows users to slide through DVD or CD covers. Once you have chosen a film to buy you can pay via credit card as long as you are a registered member of Itunes, you can also add films as well as CD's and podcasts to your shopping cart. There is always a customer review underneath the synopsis of the film, this may be useful to those wanting to watch the film, although not every one shares the same views and opinions. Due to the development of technology you can actually stream the film from your computer Apple TV's or connect your ipod to the screen.

Music
The good thing about downloading music from Itunes is that it is legal!, most record labels allow their artists to put out their new albums when it goes out in shops. This is good for those who prefer music that is straight on their computer. When you search for an artist or an album on Itunes you can actually preview the songs on their album before buying it, you don't have to buy the whole album unlike in stores. Just like the films customers can review the music, give ratings and opinions on the chosen album or song. Another feature to the music in Itunes is that you can upload your own mixes of your favorite artists that include albums you have bought and actually sell them to those with similar taste to you. You do not get any of the money for it goes straight to Apple. Once you download a song from Itunes you can only play it 5 different computers, this is a huge limitation.



Podcasts
Podcasts can either come in audio or video versions this is usually denoted by a TV symbol or not. Say you missed a radio program you can download the podcast for free and listen to the highlights on your ipod. Podcasts are easy and fast to download, but like most items depends on the duration and size.

When you are searching for any items on Itunes the auto suggestion, shows items that may be related to what you are looking for. You can also access live streaming from a wide range of radio stations which is free of charge.

Another place to buy musicis a website called emusic, unlike itunes it has no Digital Rights Management. Emusic is limited in the things it offers for it does not offer podcasts, videos, applications etc.

Audiobooks
These are audio clips of full version of book, which depending on the book can usually last up t 8 hours. This is helpful for those who are blind but still enjoy books, younger children, the elderly, and students who may want a different way of learning.

Drivers and software

This is for when your computer is lacking the communication needed between a piece of hardware and software. For example a printer needs to communicate directly with the computer but this cannot be done without drivers.

www.tucows.com allows registered member to download software for their computer. The webiste splits the software into freeware and shareware. Freeware is when the software is free, whereas shareware is where the software is downloaded on a trial basis only.


Microsoft

www.microsoft.com provides users with new fixes to any viruses that may risk their computer, these are called patches. Patches update a part of the computer's operating system to make the computer work better. The good thing about this s that once you have a windows license it is free to download any patches.

Ebooks

These are books that can be downloaded online these can go into special readers that you can transport around with you.

www.audible.co.uk
allows you to download ebooks

The hacker crackdown is an ebook about long-distance telephone switching system that crashed in 1990. The good thing about this ebook is that you can access it any time free of charge. The ebook is separated into 4 parts. I think this is to small for the amount of information that is actually given to the reader. This ebook may interest those who are interested in technology but want to read the information in a new way, rather than a normal textbook.

Government Services Online

• Pay fines or appeal



• Apply for driving licenses
  



• Apply for a passport?



• Find out about jobs, and things related to your local council



• Planning permission for your area, things that are going to be built near you



• Any health issues NHS direct



• Order prescriptions online



• Register a vehicle online



• Renew car tax online

This benefits the government because people are more likely to pay them online, this cuts down administration costs on. The speed of doing things online is faster than posting a letter.

The direct gov website allows students to apply for student loans online, this is good because it saves the student going through possible universities and applying for loans. Downloading an application form makes it easier for a student to access. This cuts down the wait which can sometimes be lengthy for forms to arrive in the post. Another useful side to the direct gov website is that if you are a registered user of the website you can apply online. This eliminates the amount of paper wasted on forms. If you apply online it benefits the government because once it is on the system it will always be there unless some one deletes it, it is also easier to process electronic information in comparison to filing through stacks of hand written forms.

Direct gov has listed websites for your local area and council. This feature may be useful for parents who may be concerned about their children's education. You can find out term dates, school travel, free school meals, school holidays, how to plan your route to school, how you can become a school governor and how you can get more involved in your child's education.


The direct gov website has a link for people who may be concerned about residents in there area, this is helpful for people who may be living in fear. People can actually report some one who is causing a noise nuisance in the area or find out information on penalty notices, ABC's and ASBO's. There is also a link for parents who may be concerned that their child is carrying a weapon. This is useful because this gives pointers to parents in how to e sure their child isn't carrying any thing dangerous, instead of going through the police.

Online Education

1)Sam Learning
2)Teach-Ict
3)Wikipedia
4)Bitesize


Samlearning is an online education website which helps children from the ages of 5-18. The information provided all comes in a drag and drop exercise format, this makes the tasks alot more interesting. Once you have completed one task which consists of about 5 pages, you are given a percentage. This gives you an indication as to how much you have either learnt or need to revise. The topics are divivded under sections and headings, so it easy to find your chosen topic. Once the user has completed the revision tasks and is satisfied you can progress to test yourself with an exam paper similar to the one's from the examination boards. The paper can either be printed out or done online and timed. Another useful feauture to Samlearning is that you're teachers can set you online homework. A bad feature to Samlearning is that you it does not tell you what exam board their information corresponds with.

Bitesize is another online education website. The good features to this website is that you do not have to be a member so it is open to any one. The website is aimed at those between the ages of 5-18. On the GCSE home page their is a list of different GCSE revision subjects. This makes it easier for the user to navigate around. The site includes games, audios and message boards to involve the user. Their is also a mock exam at the end of all the topics. Like Samlearning the website does not tell you what exam board it corresponds with. Another usefull feature to this site is that you can read example answers and the grades it has been given.

Teach-ICT offers a wide range of ways to learn, such as images, text and video tutorial's. Once you have picked a subject you can choose from the following icons; Theory, quizzes, lesson ideas and related news articles. This is not only useful to pupils but teachers for it provides new interesting ways for lessons which involve new technology and ideas.

Wikipedia although widely used may not always be reliable. This is due to the fact that any one can log in and write information under a certain topic. You don't necessarily have to be a member of wikipedia to edit the information, if you are not registered to the website you IP address will not be concealed. Wikipedia has a wide network of information that can be searched in the search engine, this makes it easier to find subjects.

Online Simulation

Net Frog 2002: On line dissection Index

I feel that the online simulation of a frog being dissected meets the purpose of teaching viewers how to dissect an animal. The site gives simple steps for people who are dissecting a frog for educational purposes. The website actually allows you to either read the speakers script, red the text or watch the video. The good thing about this is that you can both read the text whilst listening to the audio and looking at the pictures. This is a good feature because every one has different learning skills. Another useful part to the website is that you can quiz yourself after watching the video, before starting the dissection. Some people may find it easier to watch the video and do the dissection straight after. An interesting link is the 'Guess what' button, it leads you to informative facts about the frog. The ability to go back over steps is good for those who maybe do not understand it the first time.
As a student I would find online simulations like this very useful for it is simple to use and easy to find.

Making the Modern World

Making the Modern World

The link above provides information for those either studying A levels or are doing vocational courses.
The website provides information from people who have qualifications in their chosen topic, this motivates students to push their education and go far. This is under the category of 'everyday life' for those who are auditory learners there is an audio version of the text, this is goods as it provides variety for the sites users and may invite more people. At the bottom of all informative pages there are several links with material that is related to whatever you are reading. This is good because it picks out the key subject and allows the reader to continue furthering their knowledge. All of the pages include pictures of maybe a related scientifical apparatus, this provides more variation to the readers learning. The website also provides interactive videos in which students can find out information by making their way through the images and text.
The website has alot of information, this may seem very daunting to a student nd may put them off. The purpose of this website is to provide a different more interesting way for people to learn. I think with all the audio clips, media scene's and images the website succeeds in a new way to learn. The site is also very simple and free from distractions such as games and sponsored sites, another feature is that it's is very easy to navigate around.
The site reinforces that education is very important, and provides useful information, people may uwish to refer to this rather than a textbook in the near future.

SMS Banking

SMS banking is where a customer connects to their bank account from their phones, it is of course limited by the amount of things you can do. You can:

• Get account balance details
• Request a cheque book
• Request last three transaction details
• Pay bills for electricity, mobile, insurance etc.

It is easy to access your account from any where, so if your on a long weekend away to the British Isles you would still be able to access your account as long as you have connection there. Another advantage is that most mobile handset's are small and easy to carry around, unlike a computer or an actual bank. You don't have to go into a bank and join long queue just to check your bank statement.

SMS only has 150 characters so if your text message was bigger it would may be cost more to send. A digital divide could mean that not everyone has access to mobile handsets, so it is not convenient for everyone.

Video Tutorials

http://www.teach-ict.com/

The video tutorials on this website are very useful and informative this is helpful to people who are new to all the different programs, a strong disadvantage is that their is no sound. This differs from other ways of learning because some people may be visual and interactive learners. So instead of them listening to a teacher and taking notes, they can watch a video. the deifntion of a learning object is a resource, usually digital and web-based, that can be used and re-used to support learning.

Online Seminars 'Webinar'

A webinar is shortened for an online Web base seminar, a presentation, lecture or workshop that is transmitted by web.

Advantages

• You don't have to go into a packed room
• Teaches people from different parts of the globe
• It can be done from the comfort of your own bed
• Some may be free

Disadvantage

• It can only be accessed at scheduled points of the day
• Slower response if you have a querie about the topic of conversation
• Some may not be qualified, it is unsure of the persons credibility
• Some may charge

I went into an actual online webinar and took the following screen shots:

Phishing

Phishing is when someone manages to get hold of sensitive information such as user names, passwords and credit card details. This is in no way good for the society especially as it is on the increase according to reports from the Apacs, a banking body. When private information is obtained by hackers streams if money can be withdrawn from your account. In the worst case scenario the hacker could actually set up another account, or overdraft. This does not reflect good on the victim and may in turn effect the bank society. Phishing is obviously a negative part to technology as it costs money to protect your computer.

Online Banking

Advantages

• You don't have to queue up in a bank- This is usefull for people who may be disabled or have limited time



• Bank processes are usually quicker online in comparison to going in the bank. Money is easier to control online



• Keep a regular check on your account



• Using less paper helps the environment

Disadvantages

• Identity theft- This can happen if credit card details are displayed online and spread if the computer is not secured



• There is no personal advisor there to help you, say if you have a problem with your account you would actually have to go in aswell as doing it online. E-mail process can slow down communication



• Website maybe hard to navigate at first

Investigating online banking-Barclays

The purpose of barclays online banking is to enable customers to keep a record of their account, this saves time and makes it easier for people the branch to access and handle people's money. The barclays online banking website is aimed at people who either don't have the time to go to their local branch or maybe those who find it useful to keep a record of all their purchases daily. This could be helpful for those who run their own buisness and buy things daily.

Major advantages of using the barclays online banking webiste is that new comers can watch and listen to a demo, that takes the user step by step through the website. When registering with barclays the customer is sent a small device that resembles a calculator, this is called PINsentry and helps to eliminate identity theft and fraud. Whilst logging in you get a new passcode every time. Another advantage to the website is the "ask a question" feature, this is a search engine where you get instant questions as close to the question you asked. A safe keyring is also available for those who have a bigger account, this sends a new code everytime the user logs in.

Barclays could improve their online banking by making the safe keyring available to all customers, this could be a useful tool for students who would want to transport the keyring to different places.

I found the website easy to navigate around, tabs on the top panel make it easy to suit people's needs. There is also a box on the left hand side which enables people to either log in or register. This box is bold and highlighted, so it is easy to find. The website has to many links on the home page, this may increase the amount of time you spend looking for other features.

Online Shopping-eBay

eBay is an online shopping model, in which users can buy and sell items in an internet based auction. eBay is aimed at all sorts of people who range in age and interests, it is widely used by people who are very much involved with technology and are always looking for the latest gadgets.

The purchase process starts with someone wanting to sell an item, they then specify a suitable price and wait for buyers to state how much they would buy it for. The item is usally kept on the site for a few days, and the buyer with the highest bid usually gets the selected item.

Although eBay is widely used and is secured by PayPal, it is still possible for some one to use another persons credit card's details if someone does not use the PayPal system. eBay is also open to any one this means any one can make an account. This is very dangerous and could affect any one who is a frequent user, items can be slightly exaggerated such as saying that something used to belong to a very famous celebrity. This is a threat to fanatics would be prepared to spend huge amounts of money for something that is not the real deal. Another problem with eBay is the same as buying anything online, items may arrive to you damaged or completely broken. There is no guarantee that the seller would be friendly enough to allow you to send the item back for a refund, every seller has their own policies. Goods can also be delayed due to problems in depots and post offices. When buying clothes or shoes off eBay there is no guarantee that the item would actually fit you, so it is better to physically go in a changing room and try it on.

A lot of people usually head straight to eBay with the knowledge of items being considerably cheaper than the recommended retail price, this is good for buyers who wish to buy in bulk and sell them on in a shop for profit. The use of online shopping enables people to shop from the comfort of their own homes, this guarantees the avoidance of busy shops and long queues. Unlike a shop where you have to look high and low for a perfect outfit you can just search for items in the eBay search engine.
So why is eBay such a successful shopping model? Due to the amount of endorsements and advertisements that eBay get it has become a popular worldwide shopping model.

Weather in my area

This is a 5day forecast of the area that I live in, everyday i will compare reality to what has been provided by BBC weather. A good feature to this website is that you can scroll over the images and it gives the user a description of the specified item. Underneath the 5day forecast there is a paragraph summarising what some of the ehadings may mean. eg. 'The maximum temperature is the highest temperature forecast between dawn and dusk.' This makes it clear to people who are new to the website, the website is simple and has links on the side and top of the page. These links lead to other places on the BBC.

Tuesday- this was more or less correct, it was fairly cloudy and light with the odd sun shine.
Wednesday-The weather was a bit chilly today, hardly any sunshine
Thursday-Although there was a few breezy spells the weather was nice and sunny

Planning a journey online

It is now really easy to plan journey's online instead of using an A-Z which can sometimes be tricky!
Here is my journey from Leigh-On-Sea, Essex to Tottenham Court Road, London:



This was taken from the c2c website, I found this website very straight forward to use because they had the journey planner on the home page. It also provides a map of the c2c route, train times and any alterations to your journey.


The second part of my journey required me to get off at London Fenchurch street and change to get the underground:

Whilst planning my journey I came across a problem that is common amongst any public transport. My journey had been disrupted by engineering works:


This was taken from the TFL website, i found this website useful due to the fact it provided me with the estimated travel journey for each change. There was also a link by each step, when pressed a map would appear of how far you are from your destination, and it's surrounding roads.

'Warning sounded on web's future' Article analysis

Sir Tim Berners-Lee

This article found on the bbc website was written by Pallab Ghosh a Science correspondent for BBC News. The article raises important issues that have been silent until now. Many people surf the internet for information, whether it be educational or leisure purposes so we have no reason to question the internet. As students we are told to research information from more than one source. (books, parents, magazines etc.) This is due to the fact that any one can access the internet, create their own site and fill it with opinions presented as facts.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee is the co-creator of a foundation that aims to make the web truly worldwide, he was increasingly worried about the way the web has been used to spread disinformation.' The foundation will also aim to help people decide if sites are trustowrthy and reliable sources of information. An example of how the web was recently used to twist facts was the incident with the scientific experiment. The use of the web to spread fears that flicking the switch on the LHC could create a Black Hole that could swallow up the Earth.

Another issue this article raised was the 'digital divide' the Web Foundation will also explore ways to make the web more mobile-phone friendly in order to increase it's use in countries where more handsets are available than computers.

·

t

· .

·

·

Digital divide

What is the 'digital divide'?
The digital divide is when there is a gap between those people who have access to technology in comparison to those who don't.

To find out information about the ‘digital divide’ I searched Google groups, which is a Usenet. This is useful because when posts are loaded the newest ones are put at the top of the page. A limitation to Usenet is that it is always people’s views and opinions rather than fact.

Tsunami

The aftermath of the tsunami relied on technology and help from other countries. The day after the tsunami struck a new charity set up a base in Sri Lanka with the help of big companies such as Vodaphone, Cable and Wireless, AT&T, and Alcatel to help people contact their family members. Free minutes were provided by Télécoms Sans Frontières, which covers 98% of the world. This was particularly helpful to those who had come on a trip to SE Asia. Websites and bulletin boards were set up for people to search for lost ones. This highlights how useful technology can be.

Information about the Tsunami aftermath taken from- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/4155335.stm

Chat Systems

• IRC also known as Internet Relay Chat is a system for chatting that involves a set of rules, conventions and a client/server software.
• IM also known as Instant Messaging is a computer based conference over the internet between two or more people who meet online at the same time.
• Web based chat is a system that allows users to communicate in real time using a web interface.
• Online role-play is when you’re in an open chat system and you take another identity.
• BBS also known as a Bulletin Board System this is when a computer system runs software that allows users to connect and login to the system using a terminal program

Example of an online role play