Week 12 - Future of Internet

The internet is only a few decades old, but look at where it stands and how much it has drastically improved! It has served us well and will continue to do us in education, business, and most important of all, entertainment.

The internet speed is always increasing and becoming faster and faster until it may become almost instant in the future? The big companies - Apple, Microsoft and Google are making much use of the internet, for example cloud computing. I feel that cloud computing is really easy and simple to use and there will definitely be more improvement in the future.

In the future, the internet will help us in every aspect, til we need to question ourselves no more, because we can always find the answer, let the internet do the work for us and we may become more stupid.

Let's look at some things of "future of the internet"

Web surfing on any device

Imagine having the internet on your refrigerator, your watch. Internet will revolve around our lives even more!

In the past although I had a mobile phone that can support web surfing, it did not support wifi and data usage was SUPER EXPENSIVE. Hence I used my desktop and laptops more often. However with the use of a smart phone, I surf on my phone more than I do on my desktop, because I like to be moving around and be near my phone at all times instead of sitting at the study desk. Mobile web will be a key battleground for Microsoft, Apple and Google in 2015. By 2015 mobile web technologies will have advanced sufficiently.

Look, I do not have to fret about what building this is because the answer and information is right at my fingertips! Really fascinating.

I really hope that in the future I am able to keep with all the new technologies. I'll just take it step by step.

Week 11 - Internet & Journalism

What is journalism? It is a profession that involves reporting, photo journalism, editing news stories for one of the media. That is the traditional way of journalism. However now in the web 2.0, times have changed and with the introduction of the internet, people or citizens can hence encourage widespread distribution of information, news and the latest updates. One famous social networking site is Twitter, with an easy access of posting pictures or news.

With the use of internet, bloggers, Facebook users have an easy and free access of posting news almost instantly, because of the heavy use of mobile phones. Whatever they see, it will be noted, and pictures can become viral. It is different from the past because these news are normally not spread so far or quickly, and just kept within a close distance. However now news can spread as quick as a bush fire, and even worldwide. Hence we know what is going on in other countries, such as war, abuse and other such information.

It is impossible to stop citizen journalism just like the internet. There is just no rules, no control to what one can do. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and deserves their voice to be heard. However these news are captured by non-trained citizens, how trusted or reliable can these information be? Is it credible? It can be easily distorted by their own means.

An interesting thing that I found online:

A new app from the Global Media Forum called “Get it Right” provides a crash course in journalism, designed to improve the quality and reliability of reports delivered by citizen journalists…

While the promise of citizen journalism is significant, there is always the accompanying concern about the reliability of the reporting.

While numerous apps have been developed to support citizen journalism on the technical side, few have taken on the task of developing a reporter’s non-technical skill set.

In an effort to raise the standards of quality, Global Media Forum, a non-profit dedicated to training journalists, has released “Get it Right,” an iPhone app offering a mini-course in basic journalism.

"Get it Right" coursework

Billed as “A field guide to practical and critical thinking for citizen journalists,” the app takes would-be reporters step by step through the reporting process, from the equipment they’ll need to the questions they will need to ask and verify.

It offers a series of exercises designed to help citizen journalists develop their news sense, frame their stories, and improve their writing.

So if you wanna start citizen journalism, try out this! It might help.



Photo journalism has become very prominent in the news sector, because a picture can speak a thousand words. Pictures cause people to reflect, and the information is very clear.

Week 10 - Politics and the Internet

The internet has a strong power in influencing and affecting politics, especially so regarding political campaigns. Leaders make use of social media to spread their message, to garner views and opinions from the public. The use of videos may help change people's perception on a certain politician. As videos go viral and spread quickly, information reaches to its target audience more effectively.

This comic photo actually cracked me up. It shows how politicians make use of the internet to actually connect with the public! For those who are interested in handcrafted jewelry, they make actually check out this website. Hence he gains more exposure and people may actually vote for him.

Lets take for example Barack Obama. How do gain popularity within such as short time, and gain favor from millions? The internet has equipped him well.

“Were it not for the Internet, Barack Obama would not be president. Were it not for the Internet, Barack Obama would not have been the nominee,” said Arianna Huffington, editor in chief of The Huffington Post.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/how-obamas-internet-campaign-changed-politics/

Obama and Social Media

The first rule of social media marketing is to put yourself and/or your product out there. A few ways to do that include becoming an active blogger, establishing a presence on the major social networks, and embracing new forms of communication.

Obama has done just that. From social networking to his blog to his Fight the Smears campaign, Obama has made his Web 2.0 presence known. He has over 1.5 million friends on MySpace andFacebook, and he currently has over 45,000 followers on Twitter. This personal activity in social networks allows him to quickly get the word out across multiple platforms.

Obama and YouTube

The days of writing a speech to capture a ten second sound bite on the evening news are over. The popularity of YouTube gives the public access to the entire speech, not just the clip chosen by the news, which means the entire speech must resonate with the audience.

Barack Obama has done a great job of making sure his speeches sound as good on YouTube in their entirety as they do on the evening news with just a clip. He's also gambled on YouTube's audience by creating a strong presence on the website. Historically, young voters have been high on enthusiasm but low on voter turnout. But Obama has been able to utilize social media to buck that trend.

Obama and Social Networking

If we were to look for the ace up Obama's sleeve, we would find Chris Hughes. As one of the founders of Facebook, Chris Hughes knows a thing or two about social networking. Obama's wooing of the social networking whiz may not have made headlines at the time, but it's been a major factor in Obama's success.

Barack Obama isn't the first to utilize social networking in a bid for the presidency -- Howard Dean used Meetup.com to become a serious contender for his party's nomination in 2004 -- but he may have perfected it. The rule of thumb for any great application is to pack a powerful punch while being as simple to use as possible. And that's what My.BarackObama.Com delivers.

A full-fledged social network, My.BarackObama allows users to create their own profile complete with a customized description, friends list and personal blog. They can also join groups, participate in fund raising, and arrange events all from an interface that is both easy-to-use and familiar to any Facebook or MySpace user.

Week 9 - Entertainment and Multimedia on Internet

What is multimedia? It is a computer-based interactive communications process that incorporates text, graphics, sound, animation and video. I will focus more on gaming. I did play some video games when I was younger and I have seen how it has evolved along the years.

My Choy showed us some really cool videos on virtual reality today. I am so amazed and I can't wait for it to be applied in our current age.

So what is virtual reality?

What I picked up from class is that you can convert reality into virtuality and vice versa. You can play a computer action game and you are like "physically" playing the game!

Or you could be shopping and use phone and gadgets to help detect the pricing of things etc etc..
Augmented reality: Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements areaugmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality.^[1] By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one.^[2][3] Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally manipulable. Artificial information about the environment and its objects can be overlaid on the real world.

Week 8 - Security & Protecting Self on Internet

Internet Security!
Warning! Suspicious phishing (sounds like fishing) site! Please enter at your OWN risk.
I'm sure we get these warnings through websites, or email spams.
And who controls these things? Some are caused by hackers-real people who are good at decoding or breaking a security code-they may be able to steal your precious and MOST important information or details such as your bank account or passwords.

And the best solution? You and I should PREVENT IT! Prevention is better than cure. And here is where all the anti-virus companies make money from you haha. Download it and it prevents your personal computer from getting hacked or getting this virus or bug. The symptoms of these bugs and virus can SLOW down your computer, or even consume the power of your computer. Big companies can be mostly affected by this, especially when an important deadline is to be met, and then everyone's computer starts crashing.

Some steps:

1. Discern personal information
2. httpS -> encrypted, is secured. (since I used i-banking or shop online with my credit card, it is pretty safe because I see the 's', which kind of means SAFE or SECURE)
3. internet firewall
4. Regular update
5. Anti-virus
6. Always back up data! (yes this is very important because you never know when virus may hit you)

More steps!:

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.

8) Be conscious of Web security.

9) Be conscious of home computer security.

10) Examine privacy policies and seals.

11) Remember that YOU decide what information about yourself to
reveal, when, why, and to whom.

12) Use encryption!

https://www.eff.org/wp/effs-top-12-ways-protect-your-online-privacy

Week 7 - Internet Tools

Google Earth! Google Search. Quotes = exact word search : " type what you want here "
There also tools such as '+' and '-' to help you with your search.

To see the weather for many U.S. and worldwide cities, type “weather” followed by the city and state, U.S. zip code, or city and country.

To see current market data for a given company or fund, type the ticker symbol into the search box. On the results page, you can click the link to see more data from Google Finance.

To see the time in many cities around the world, type in “time” and the name of the city.To see scores and schedules for sports teams type the team name or league name into the search box. This is enabled for many leagues including the National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball. All sports data provided by STATS LLC

To see the precise times of sunrises and sunsets for many U.S. and worldwide cities, type “sunrise” or “sunset” followed by the city name.

and many more!!! This is actually pretty cool because in the past it wasn't so easy to find information quickly.

I love Google Earth so much because I can actually see the roads without even being physically there! This way I can remember the roads and never ever get lost again!

Week 6 - E Learning & Virtual Education

I think E-learning for me started back when I was in primary school. We could go to the computer labs and I was looking forward to that very much at that time. Now that I'm older, E-learning has definitely improved drastically. We shall see what are the latest updates. There are proven statistics that students prefer to listen to online lectures, as it helps them in their education.

E-learning is learning that is facilitated by the use of digital tools and content. Without the internet, computer or mobile devices, e-learning would of not have existed. It also involves some form of interactivity, such as interaction between the learners, peers and teachers.

Some of the varieties are virtual classrooms, online learning(can be web-based, or a school webpage), game-based, simulation based(in the form of a computer application), game-based.
I think my favourite would be game based, because it is fun, engaging, and time passes faster, and I am more interested in the subject.

Some of the benefits of e-learning is because of its convenience, and flexibility. We can access our personal computers almost 24/7, however real life school is not. Our performances will increase, probably better results! It is helps develop the skills and competences needed in this 21st century, because in the future work will be heavily relied on technology, hence it is important to develop these skills.

My school instructor showed us a video of Second Life, how a virtual school setting was like.

And maybe in the future, we may not have real teachers in teaching in our class, but a computer or a recorded video.

I feel that this technology will be a success, but maybe not in my lifetime, because by the time this technology has stabilised, I will be working or even retired. However I feel that alot of discipline is required for this e-learning. We can be easily distracted or even become lazy.

Video

 A cat came into my house and my brother and I tried to chase it out! But look at how the cat "speaks" to me!
My experience with iMovie was actually quite fun. It was fairly easy to use, and lots of selection for music, fonts and backgrounds were available. It helps make my video more entertaining and people will stay to watch it!

Week 4: Business with Internet

Business and the internet go well together. But what makes a good website and a business plan to ensure success?

1. Think “Strategy” First. Website and everything else second.

Getting started with e-commerce can be difficult enough, but without a strategy to promote your website and get your products in front of potential customers it’s definitely an exercise in futility. Ask yourself how people will find your products online and in search engines. If you’re just crossing your fingers and hoping that people just show up then you’ll probably be disappointed.

When developing an e-commerce site you need to focus not only on your website but on how it will be found in the search engines. It’s surprising how many people consider how the site functions and looks before they ask this question. E-Commerce marketing involves research, website optimization, proper coding, ongoing search engine optimization, conversion testing and promotion. Work with a company that is known for internet marketing first and e-commerce and design second. You’ll find yourself in a much better position with many more orders in your inbox. At Sanctuary Media Group our e-commerce solutions are optimized by experts, including world renowned SEO expert Arron Wall.

2. Present the customer with a professional and reputable image.

Have you ever heard someone say that “it is what’s inside that counts?” Well, that simply doesn’t apply for most e-commerce sites. Consumers have such a wide variety of options available to them these days that you could lose them simply because your competition looks more reputable and professional than you. Despite how many people make purchases online, customers are still leery about using their credit card online. Having a site that looks great will go a long way in making that all important first impression and instilling confidence. Take the time to have your website designed by a professional and it will return your investment many times over.

3. Clearly tell customers why you are the site to buy from.

This may seem obvious but it’s surprising how many sites miss this effective and easy to implement idea. Make it clear why people should purchase from you. Simply tell them that you’re the obvious choice and explain your “up-front value proposition”. Why should they purchase anything from your website? Do you offer the low prices in your industry? Can you ship their purchases quicker? Do you have testimonials or positive product reviews? How about the largest supply of product options? Are your products hard to find and always in stock? Develop your up-front value proposition. This can be integrated into everything from your site tagline to promotions on the homepage and throughout the website. This is the core value that’s integrated into everything that you do on the entire website.

4. Make it EASY for customers to find what they are looking for.

It’s surprising how many sites make it hard for customers to find what they need. Their basic navigation is confusing. The search options don’t return relevant results. Options to search in different ways are limited. Offer flexible options for searching and sorting and navigation like some of the following: “Did you mean?” spelling corrections when searching.

Search suggestions while typing. Related searches list. Advanced search options. Filtering by price. Filter by availability. Filter by free shipping. Search tips and advice. Shop by brand. Shop by price. Saved searches and views. And by all means, make sure that your basic search functionality returns relevant results for keywords in the title, description, options and even the product ID. At this point you actually have someone looking at your site. Don’t lose them because they can’t find what they want.

5. Keep it simple.

It’s funny how many sites put up roadblocks for their customers. In my experiences I’ve seen everything from not being able to figure out how to add a product to the cart to simply not being able to checkout. Make the purchase process PAINLESS. Again, you have someone on your site that wants to make a purchase. Don’t make them abandon you for the competition because you made their task difficult. Many people cite overly complicated navigation or too many pages in the purchase path as reasons they don’t complete their online sale or abandon their shopping cart. Here are some basic recommendations:

Provide an easy and clear way to add multiple items to a shopping cart. Provide a one-page checkout system. Give them shipping quote estimates. Do not require customers to register and provide a guest checkout option. Successful eCommerce sites simplify the checkout process and display clear pricing and shipping information and then they make it quick and easy to pay and finalize the order.

6. Make your products easy to scan and read.

Have you ever been on a website and just didn’t feel comfortable while looking through the site? It’s possible that the site was designed in such a way that made it hard to digest the information on the page. Headlines should be 8 words or less, shoot for 9-12 words on a line (people don’t want to read across the entire screen), keep sentences short (15-20 words) and try to keep summaries under 30 words and hold paragraphs to 40-70 words. This will help customers easily scan information and digest whether they want to purchase or not.

7. For God’s sake, show them the products!

I can’t count the number of sites that I’ve been to that don’t let me see the product in detail. They provide small, low resolution images or one fuzzy view of the product. I want to see pictures! People don’t read on the web, they scan information and pictures are a great way to sell your product instead of babbling on for paragraphs about how great the product is. Focus on photos, keep text to a minimum unless it’s secondary. Add photo galleries if you have pictures available so the customer can see many views of the product from different angles. Allow the customer to use photo zooming to see detail and even consider embedding videos into product description. Don’t lose a sale because the customer is unclear about exactly what they’re buying.

8. Offer many payment options.

Your customers are all different and they all have special needs and preferences. When you have them at the point of sale, don’t lose them because you don’t provide enough ways for them to pay. Some customers will use a Visa, some will want to use Mastercard. Paypal and other services are becoming extremely popular as are secondary credit card companies like Discover. But after all these options, customer may still not want to put their credit card number into their web browser. Allow people to pay over the phone or to (God forbid) mail you a check. If you have an e-commerce site you can also consider selling world-wide. Allow payments in multiple currencies! All of this factors into why your site makes sales or doesn’t. The more options that you have for payment, the less chance you’ll alienate your potential customers.

9. Make your customers feel comfortable and secure.

It’s a reality that customers still don’t feel comfortable buying online. Especially if you’re a small business on the other side of the country or world. Sometimes people won’t buy because they don’t feel comfortable. You could have exactly what they want, at the right price and have it shipped out for free the next day. But if your customers don’t feel comfortable they might shop elsewhere.

Make your customers feel comfortable by prominently stating the following throughout your site and during the checkout process: Online security information, privacy policies, your guarantees, additional charges, return policies, shipping policies, order status updates, contact information, how you handle store credits, provide comments and reviews from past customers, integrate live chat so you can answer questions immediately. Give your customers access to customer service and differentiate yourself from the competition in every way possible. Give them your phone number! Yes, this is e-commerce but people still use the phone. Especially if you sell something that’s expensive and/or complicated. Past studies suggest that consumers feel more confident knowing you’re just a phone call away if they have a question or if there’s a problem with their order. Make them feel comfortable and they will buy.

10. Sell your customers more than what they came for.

Now that you have someone interested in buying, make sure to take it to the next level. This is a critical differentiator for sites that make a lot of sales and those who just survive. Sell your customers more “stuff”. Most of the time this is easier than you think. By simply recommending options and/or additions to a purchase, customers will see what’s possible and available and increase their purchase. Integrated recommendations, up sells, internal promotions, popular products, customers who bought also bought, customers who viewed also viewed, list your new products, display your top/most popular products, list BOGO options, provide free shipping when they spend a certain amount of money (just a little more than the average cost of your products). Find ways to let them know about everything that you have and what might be a good addition to the purchase they came to make.

Week 3 Social Networking

Social Networking... It is all about connecting with people whom are close to you, or keeping in touch (literally within the touch of your fingertips on your laptop, mobile...) with your loved ones or with your friends who are all over the world!! It makes the world a smaller place, as if we were really staying near by.

A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on facilitating the building of social networks or social relations among people who, for example, share interests, activities, backgrounds, or real-life connections. A social network service consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web-based and provide means for users to interact over the Internet, such as e-mail and instant messaging. Online community services are sometimes considered as a social network service, though in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered service whereas online community services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.
http://mashable.com/category/social-networking/

I have relatives who stay on the other side of the world, and the expenses to fly there is not cheap at all, hence our only way of meeting is via Skype! This way we can be updated of each other's lives, and most importantly, it's free of charge to use!

Google has revolved around our lives and we are heavily dependant on it. Now that google has integrated many different applications, everything is all at one website especially Google Documents, gmail maps and more! We use group documents as a common network to discuss projects, share ideas without having to meet up face to face. Maps have helped us a lot  especially guiding us around and even showing exact locations of where you are, so that your friends know too!

Twitter:

Twitter is a free microblogging service founded in 2006 by Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone. At its heart are 140-character bursts of information called tweets. Users can include links to other content in their tweets, and broadcasts can be public or private. Celebrities, journalists, politicians and other public figures have established significant followings on Twitter. Media outlets in particular use Twitter as a way to broadcast breaking news.

Since its founding, Twitter has grown into a social media juggernaut, and popularity on the service is often used as a benchmark of influence. Companies have also used the service as a way to engage with their customers - offering promotions and other specials.

http://mashable.com/category/twitter/

In recent years, the number of users of social networking sites has drastically increased and business has found the opportunity to reach out to a larger pool of customers. There also has been an improvement in sales and that is the proof that social networking does have an effect on business! Even I myself am updated of any promotions or sales a company may have. My knowledge of the company has increased and the best part is I can even send in my feedback via Twitter of Facebook and get a prompt reply. Almost every large company has created a free Facebook page and can be trusted.

Week 2 Social Media

The social media has definitely changed drastically over the years, in terms of its convenience and the number of users. There has been a power shift from the traditional media such as the television, the radio ( which was invented in the 1800s), movies, magazines and newspapers. However the social media is way more popular than the social media in terms of usability, recency, reach and accessibility. Because of its convenience, the use of traditional media has declined.

There are actually tons of different social media platforms which makes it difficult to choose which one to use, however the most common ones are Facebook, Twitter, Youtube which has garnered over millions and millions and users.

I myself started a so called 'social media' game called Neopets, and it is a web version game where you can meet new friends and sell items, or even compete with one another! Gradually my friends were pestering me to use Friendster, they even helped me create an account for me. Well ofcourse I reluctantly used it, mainly just to say hi to friends or upload pictures and find our mutual friends. However what I really disliked about Friendster was that it was a little stalker-ish, because you could actually find out who viewed your profile! Now that I'm using Facebook, it's way of running the website is in fact not too bad, they did lots of changes over the years.

Today in class, (yes i'm blogging almost right away in case I forget..) our instructor showed us a few videos on this social media website, Second Life. It is kind of like a virtual life thing where you could create avatars and be what you can ever imagine! I used to be hooked up on online games (so I could socialize with people whom I never met), but now I've grown out of them. Honestly I probably won't sign up for it unless a whole bulk of people I know joins it first. 

Podcasting!

Podcasting is distributing audio or video content via RSS 2.0, or Atom. Podcast clients such as iTunes, Juice, or CastPodder(linux) allow listeners to subscribe to your RSS/Atom feed and automatically download your content to their portable audio players as it becomes available.

How It Works

1. Create audio or video that you want to share (usually MP3 or MP4)
2. Upload the file to a server
3. Link to the file in a post in your weblog
4. WordPress automatically Includes a link to the file in your RSS/Atom feed
5. Listeners "subscribe" with podcast client application to your RSS/Atom feed and download new files automatically.

http://codex.wordpress.org/Podcasting

RSS:

RSS powers many interesting applications:

• News headlines on large ticker displays.
• Music playlists.
• News readers (like Google Reader).
• Software version notifications.
• Watch for new music or movie releases.
• Receive instant notifications of keywords.

hmm I have not really ventured into these although I know that it has been around for quite some time... haha maybe in future I guess.

Week 1 - Introduction to Internet

It is amazing how far the internet has come today, and what impacts it has made. It has definitely shaped many of people's lives and changed many things. Look at the number of users of the internet that has increased drastically over a short amount of time. Hours and hours are spent on the internet, millions are using it.

What exactly does the word 'Internet' mean? It is a collection of computers connected to form a global networked environment. And we use a medium called the Web. Not spider-WEB but just Web, which is a system of interlinked hypertext documents contained on the Internet. Thru this we can see images, text, videos, GIFs, etc... and we navigate through to the next 'page' via hyperlinks.

Which looks like this:

What I learnt most was the evolution of the web from web 1.0 to web 2.0 and currently web 3.0

Web 1.0
It is the “readable” phrase of the World Wide Web with flat data. In Web 1.0, there is only limited interaction between sites and web users. Web 1.0 is simply an information portal where users passively receive information without being given the opportunity to post reviews, comments, and feedback.

Web 2.0
It is the “writable” phrase of the World Wide Web with interactive data. Unlike Web 1.0, Web 2.0 facilitates interaction between web users and sites, so it allows users to interact more freely with each other. Web 2.0 encourages participation, collaboration, and information sharing. Examples of Web 2.0 applications are Youtube, Wiki, Flickr, Facebook, and so on.

Web 3.0
It is the “executable” phrase of Word Wide Web with dynamic applications, interactive services, and “machine-to-machine” interaction. Web 3.0 is a semantic web which refers to the future. In Web 3.0, computers can interpret information like humans and intelligently generate and distribute useful content tailored to the needs of users. One example of Web 3.0 is Tivo, a digital video recorder. Its recording program can search the web and read what it finds to you based on your preferences.

https://www.google.com.sg/search?q=web+1.0+2.0+3.0&um=1&hl=en&authuser=0&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=XvB3UceOAYTkrAe2joDwBA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAA&biw=1134&bih=522