All over for NET11

Its been a great experience - this return to study after years out and to such a subject. A huge challenge. I have got a massive amount of it in all respects - from how I compose emails to searching to assessing web page design. Its not all a total mystery any more.

Now all I need to do is finish off that essay ...

Concepts & the Internet

Into my essay. It is a broad, huge subject, but once you get into it and decide your angle its a fascinating one. I really need to make some progress on this in the next few days and find one or two more really good references.

The Essay - ass 2

This essay .... well, I'm thinking that if I was truly to reach the
heights of being an advanced user of the internet, I should almost be
able to predict the next big changes, or almost intuitively know what
tool or software was going to 'get up' and what isn't.

Knowing this would be a big help as then you would use the technology in
the way that allows you to reach your audience most effectively. So, a
conceptual understanding of the 'Net as opposed to a purely techno one,
would help. History is always relevant for understanding the present and
seeing into the future ...

Hopefully I can find a way of explaining this more clearly in my essay
with examples and articles. Back to my learning log for inspiration I
think. Not that my blog is at all inspiring ....

Comment on Capurro

Capurro's article "Towards an Information Ecology" is incredibly difficult to read. Why do academics and authors on subjects like these have to be so obscure and jargonistic in the way they write? Do they want to appear really smart? Make us all think we 're stupid? It seems ironic to me we are discussing communication here and this author has failed miserably - with me anyway. Idiot. And it really annoys me that he can't spell.
On the other hand, Stalder is straight forward ... mostly.

Great sites for webdesign

Not that I'm ever going to be a web designer, but I need all the info I can get to help me thru this course. The other guys doing this course have passed on some great sites.

http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com

Module 5 - Information ecologies, literacy and more

Just finished reading the first two articles. Have had a huge amount of work to do in the past fortnight, and no time for this unit. But the reading has been great. What I really like about both Purdue's (portal: Libraries and the Academy, Vol 3, No. 4 (2003) pp 653-662. Copyright 2003 by The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD 21218) article and Nardi's (http://www.firstmonday.org.issue4_5/nardi_chapter4.html) , is the idea of information literacy, and information ecologies, or environments as dynamic, growing, interactive spaces. That research, and the gathering of information is a journey and should be inspiring as well as instructive - like our old stories.

One down two to go.

So Assignment 1 is in. This will be interesting. Now on to Module 5 - concepts and th einternet. Great - I like this stuff. Wish I had more time to really get into it.

Mod 4 - which resource would I use?

Definitely the Internet tutorial site by Laura Cohen. It suits my needs as a basic advanced internet user. The first page lists all the info covered - thats all you need to see to checkout whether its going to help you navigate the net.

good concept to pull in here:
In the era of the 'attention economy', readers and users of Internet information must be carefully craft, in their own minds, the kind of metadata which will – almost instinctively – 'fit' with the metadata of the information sources they want, so that – in the few brief moments of initial exchange, when a seeker of information encounters information being sought, rapid, effective judgments are made that 'pay off' in terms of further reading, accessing and saving.

Mod 4 - task - evaluating the web

This task asks us to pick our best source from the previous task and analyse it using the following guidelines.

1. Purpose: Determine whether the main purpose of the site is to inform or to persuade (advocate for a cause).

2. Author: The best sites are produced by those who have appropriate education, training, or experience to write with authority on the topic. Check site documents or external sources to find out more about the author.

3. Content: Consider whether content seems biased. Does the author have a "vested interest" in the topic? Look for documentation of claims and a balanced point of view.

4. Coverage: Shop around for the best source. You can compare the page to others on the same topic to see which provides better coverage.

5. Currency: If you are looking for the most current information on a topic, be sure to determine when information was added.

6. Recognition: Also try to determine whether the site has been recognized as exemplary, either in reviews or by others linking to it.

I would choose the 'internet tutorial as this contains some great reading and resources on all the subjects we have been studying.

Here's my annotated analysis:

http://www.internettutorials.net/internet.html

This site is maintained by maintained by Laura Cohen, Web Support Librarian, University at Albany, SUNY.

She may be reached at lcohen AT uamail.albany.edu.

This really seems to be written for people wanting to learn more about how to use the internet. The language is neutral and informative. There seems to be no bias. The site covers all the basics our course is looking at. It is easy to read and easy to use. It follows a very logical format.
Although there are not a great deal of resources listed, there is a 'whats new' link that describe show the site is being put together and what the latest developments are. You wouldn't use this in isolation from ANY other resource but it is so well written that I will read it again and again to clarify issues.

For ASS 3 - why did I choose that software and saving methods?

Used paste and copy for urls, snapshot using paint for images, searched with metacrawler - best results.

Mod 4 (ASS 3 ALERT) - Task - Organising search info

Find best 3 sources and give details:

• URL.
• author,
• institution,
• blurb/ summary / screen shot (this can be a direct copy of an appropriate abstract or introductory paragraph on the site: but make sure you record and reference it as such)

1 http://www.lib.utexas.edu/books/etext.html
This has no author - this is a library source, which seems to be to be of invaluable use to an internet information seeker.
It is hosted by the University of Texas and seems a great resource for the 'how to' - including how to use indexes, directories, how to find articles, journals etc etc

REMINDER FOR ASS 3 - I chose this because it has all the how to find stuff I may need for ass 3 ....

screen shot:
2 http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline/
- This is Hobbes Internet dateline - what a fab resource!!! And strict copyright instructions:
Hobbes' Internet Timeline Copyright (c)1993-2006 by Robert H Zakon. Permission is granted for use of this document in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes as long as this Copyright notice and a link to this document, at the archive listed at the end, is included. A copy of the material the Timeline appears in is requested. For commercial uses, please contact the author first. Links to this document are welcome after e-mailing the author with the document URL where the link will appear. As the Timeline is frequently updated, copies to other locations on the Internet are not permitted.
- authored by Robert Zakon (and I have requested permission to put it up here)
- pic uploaded:
REMINDER FOR ASS 3 - I chose this because it has all the how to find stuff I may need for ass 3 ....

3 http://www.internettutorials.net/engines.html

- another really useful site with a whole bunch of search engines listed and what they are good for.
- Laura Cohen is the author
- snapshot:

Mod 4 - tasks - Boolean searching

This sounds like a term from Star trek. Boole sounds like an interesting chap. But I like the understanding of logic behind searching. I have used the operators AND and OR bu tnever NOT - I can see when that would be useful though.

The search task:

1 advanced internet users - used Google to find the most hits - came up with 123 million.
2 Search for advanced internet users - skills based info - typed in 'advanced internet users AND skills based information' to copernic and cam up with 42 hits
3 Used metacrawler, typed in 'university sources advanced internet users' - sure this is not the right way to go BUT it came up with 69 hits and at least they were from universities and contained decent looking information.

I have really been 'awakened' by this search lesson - will I ever use google again?????

Mod 4 - comparing copernic and google

No comparison. results far more focussed with copernic - really depends what you are looking for. The search words are so important.

First five hits with copernic

Here they are 'advanced internet users'

.	Advanced Internet Users Tutorial - CIESE ... page that describes a specific procedure or aspect of browsing the internet. ... Internet Browser Information Learn some information ... http://www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced [Ask.com]

2.	Advanced Internet Users Tutorial - CIESE - Saving Web Pages ... that understands it ( Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, etc.). You do ... Internet Explorer allows users a number of saving options. http://www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced/saveweb.html [Ask.com]

3.	Finding People on the Internet? Professional tutorials on locating people addresses and phone numbers on the World Wide Web. Excellent resource for both beginning and intermediate Internet users. http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/findingpeople/Finding_Pe... [About.com]

4.	Msen Advanced Internet Users Links Page ... webmaster@mail.msen.com - web page comments For service issues - ... The following links may be of interest to advanced users. http://www.msen.com/1997/adv_links.html [Ask.com]

5.	Lock Down Your PC: Secure Your Computer Against Hackers The essentials of safeguarding your home computer against hackers, crackers, and viruses! http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/lockdownyourpc/Lock_Down... [About.com]

Mod 4 task - search engines

Looking for 'advanced internet users' on google:
first hit:

Advanced Internet Users Tutorial - CIESE

Choosing a link below will bring you to a web page that describes a specific procedure or aspect of browsing the internet. This tutorial ultimately directs ...
www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced/ - 1

number of hits: about 117,000,000 - good god.

With copernic - first hit:
1. Advanced Internet Users Tutorial - CIESE
... page that describes a specific procedure or aspect of browsing the internet. ... Internet Browser Information Learn some information ...
http://www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced [Ask.com]
number if hits: 56 - ah thats a little more focussed!!

First five hits with goggle:

Advanced Internet Users Tutorial - CIESE

Choosing a link below will bring you to a web page that describes a specific procedure or aspect of browsing the internet. This tutorial ultimately directs ... www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced/ - 16k - Cached - Similar pages

- Advanced User's Internet Training Resources

VICNET Internet Training - More Advanced Users. Been connected to the Internet for a while? Want to get more out of the services it offers? ... www.vicnet.net.au/training/advance.html - 18k - Cached - Similar pages

News @ Cisco: China Supports Advanced Applications for Internet ...

Professor Li Xing, deputy director, of the CERNET Network Center said, "With the increase in the number of Internet users and the development of advanced ... newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/global/asiapac/news/2005/pr_09-21.html - 48k - Cached - Similar pages

Msen Advanced Internet Users Links Page

The following links may be of interest to advanced users. Route Servers; Digex - Main page. MAE East Looking Glass · MAE West Looking Glass ... www.msen.com/1997/adv_links.html - 7k - Cached - Similar pages

Windows 98 Using Windows 98: Exploring the Internet-Tips and ...

For advanced users. Click a tip to learn more about exploring the Internet with Windows 98. Customizing the Links bar · Creating a link to a Web page in a ... www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwindows/internet/tips/advanced/2advanced_list.asp - 16k - Cached - Similar pages

Advanced Internet Users, School of Continuing Education ...

Advanced Internet Users. Sure, you know how to use the Internet, but are you an expert? Can you find the number of people currently living in the U.S.? ... cfprod.imt.uwm.edu/sce/course.cfm?id=8704 - 12k - Cached - Similar pages

Schooner.Net - Schooner

Schooner runs on the Wisconsin Advanced Internet Laboratory (WAIL), which is located in the computer science department at UW-Madison. Users can select ...
www.schooner.wail.wisc.edu/ - 8k Cached - Similar pages

Mod 4 - the paradox

The WWW - such a great tool yet is it equal? Can it ever be?
"Furthermore, complexity can disempower those who lack the skills, time and opportunity to learn." states the module's lesson. Exactly.

Mod 4 - Tasks -`Tools for using the web'

As the unit states - these tools need to be assessed in terms of:

• cost - and, indeed, in most cases look for free products
• ease of use - can you use it easily (while recognising that you may need to learn to use programs)
• functionality - does it do what it needs to if it is to be effective (ie if a single vital element is missing, an other wise 'good' program is useless)
• utility - does the program increase your effectiveness (saving time, in particular, or allowing you to do something previously not done)
• commonality - is the program becoming 'standard' or at least common.

The tools I choose to explore are:
copernic 2 and the latest version of RealPlayer
Copernic 2 - what a great find. have often thought what am I missing by just googling .. its free and so easy to use! Seems to do what it says - very easy to read and use. I have not heard of this software before but that doesn't mean anything. I am sure to people using the net frequently for research etc they would know about this. It is now a permanent feature on our computer & even the homework may improve! Definitely saves time.

RealPlayer is just essential software - this is a reminder to look for updates. Opens and plays everything so easily. Again - free. I sometimes get a little confused sorting through what I ma searching for where but thats just unfamiliarity I think. Everyone has this software - its commonly used.

Mod 4 - another topic for Ass 1

Evaluating the web - this intrigues me - how to evaluate a constantly changing, sometimes multiplied mass of information - and ways to get there. I think the search engines are crucial to this - or are they??? Will find out!

Mod 4 - yet another AS1 topic

There are a range of "guidelines" to go by in deciding what tools, add ons etc to use in searching the web, but the one that really resonates with me is commonality - that it is becoming commonly used. I love this about how this technology develops - if it works and its user friendly, it will be used.

Farewell Mod 2

At last, on to Mod 4 - better get going ... think I will look at email as a topic of this unit for Ass 1- there are some great sites on that and I am interested!

Mod 2 - finding that ICQ number

I am also struggling to find the ICQ number for advanced netstudies ... but I am not the only one. So that's OK! Will record observations from tomorrows chat here.
Two days later: Didn't fare too well with that one!! More work needed.

Mod 2 tasks - ICQ chat

Well, that was fun. Not. Anyway now have ICQ chat - hopefully will be able to link up with others tomorrow evening. I have never used this stuff before - am I the only one??? Have added all the contacts I can find from the class list - watch this space!

Note for ass 1

Definitely want to do email as a topic - fascinating. Still believe many rules for traditional forms of written communication apply. ie

"Informational exchange consists in the content of messages but also the uses (intended or unintended) to which the information is put." from course material.

Mod 2 - email tasks

Well I got that first little popquiz - username & domain ... yes well, not going to get too involved in these quizzes - out of date as discussed in DB. And American and well ... good grief!
Right my answers:
1. What information about a user's email, the origin of a message, and the path it took, can you glean from an email message?
You can know what domain the email came from; you can know their username; you can tell whether it was just sent to you or others as well if it comes as bcc; what time & date; status - urgent, not urgent.
2. In what cases would you find it useful to use the 'cc', 'bcc' and 'reply all functions of email?
Use 'cc' to copy someone in to something that doesn't directly concern them but may be of interest.
'bcc' when you don't want anyone else on the email list to know who is getting the email. For reasons of privacy and confidentiality.
'Reply all' when your answer will be of interest and relevance to all the recipients of the original email.
3. In what ways can you ensure that an attachment you send will be easily opened by the receiver?
By ensuring it is encoded - in a commonly used form of code eg mime. Don't use a program to create it that you know may be beyond your audience's technological capabilities.
4. What sorts of filters or rules do you have set up, and for what purpose?
I don' t have any set up - but I think I need to - just to organise my email in a better way. I receive emails from three accounts into my outlook mailbox ... gets confusing. This perhaps is another topic i could pursue as I need ot know more. FILTERS - for what????
5. How have you organised the folder structure of your email and why?
I have my folder organised as shown - not sure if this is readable actually. It is organised basically on work/study/personal lines. those categories are divided into subgroups - I don't have too many sub sub directories - just gets too hard to find things. It works for me - I find I rarely need to go back to emails as I deal with them as they arrive.

Mod 2 - Newsgroups task

Omigod ... those newsgroups do leave a hell of a lot to be desired. Doing this Module after Mod 3 means I have sort of missed the DB - learned a lesson there although the notes said it wouldn't matter! But, I agree with all the comments. Newsgroups are difficult to filter through, they seem to attract a lot of loonies and abuse. I have however found one and posted a comment successfully.
The newsgroup I have joined has really only about 20 regular contributors and a few really mad ones.

Module 2 - Lists - Tasks

I subscribe to one list, but I have never posted to it. It really is just a source of info for me in an area I am interested in. So I am not really giving it anything. The reading suggests I should be. This list for me is sort like an up to date library of projects.
INVESTIGATE FURTHER PERHAPS FOR assignment 1 TOPIC.
More on this -

• What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards? Email lists are a bit more anonymous - I like that. For the purpose of over viewing information I am interested in - its great. Not too overwhelming and succinct. Discussion boards seem to easily go off topic. Like newsgroups. But still better than newsgroups - far more coherent. I think most forms of virtual communication would benefit from a mediator. There are too many people out there with zappy comms systems and time to waste abusing others.
  
• Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other? I think email lists may suit if you really want to be kept informed of developments and not really required to participate too much. DB's suit a more interactive approach - you want to have a discussion and you're not just asking questions and waiting for a response.

Moving on - Module 2

A good chance to correct my bad habits coming up here - I am sure!! I have never eally formally studied anything to do with the internet. It's about time.

Mod 3 - The see-through blog

Weblog expert and author, Rebecca Blood , has a lot of interesting stuff to say about web logs, and how they can become a more noteworthy, trustworthy written source. They are currently a fairly wild and reckless form of writing. Rebecca proposes six main points for good web logging - and I agree with them:

1. When you say something is fact - only do so if you can prove it
2. It's all about transparency. Link to information if it is available, about your subject. This allows readers to check for themselves.
   
3. If you make an error - and realise it - post your discovery - tell people you made an error. A silly good way to do it is to strike through your error. Then readers know straight away ... and the misinformation doesn't keep spreading.
4. To preserve the integrity of the record - and history - don't delete entries, just add or expand. (Am applying this now to learning log). When you publish - publish for good - makes you think more before you speak ...
5. Disclose conflicts of interest
   

Mod 3 - Building a blog

Well, my blog is my learning log - here it is !!

Mod 3 tasks - ftp - fails to pickup!!

I know that's not what it stands for, but I can't connect to the ftp to upload my test web page. However, it looks like others are having the same problem, so i have posted my problem and will wait and see what happens. At least I understand the process much better now and the url for my web page is file:///D:/INT%20STUDIES/Mod%203%20tasks/Mod%203%20work%20area/Volcano/index.html

Mod 3 - The copyright catch

• Have you used images or words on your web page or website that contravene copyright laws?

I don't think so. This is because all the material I have used was supplied by Curtin University for learning purposes only. There is no money being made out of this. Also, at no time is more than 10% of nay article or book published on my volcano web page. But I might put the copyright notice on it anyway just to protect myself because it is now in the public domain - whichis why, I guess we need to move everything into the presentation space.

• Would you be in breach of copyright if you put the Curtin logo at the top of your web page for an assignment?

Absolutely. Unless of course the marketing committee and VC decided it was such high quality that Curtin Uni wanted to put its name to it and pay me copyright!

Virtual communities discussion

Interesting discussion taking place on my CBSM listserv - about listservs and virtual communities, some up to date research and thinking, with clear explanations of various items http://waterwordsthatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/networkofnetworks1.pdf
Will post it on DB as well.

Mod - Failed validation!

Unsurprisingly, my volcano web page failed its W3C validation test. But what does surprise me is the errors. I don't really understand what is wrong, as the most common point is that the mark up text 'is not closed' see sample paste from validation test. But the tags are closed ... I think these errors are related to useability - as the volc page displays OK. Mmmmmmmmmmm ... 17 errors in one short web page. Eeeek.

1. Error Line 38 column 42: end tag for "I" omitted, but its declaration does not permit this.

        the Earth, over four billion> 

   • You forgot to close a tag, or
   • you used something inside this tag that was not allowed, and the validator is complaining that the tag should be closed before such content can be allowed.

   The next message, "start tag was here" points to the particular instance of the tag in question); the positional indicator points to where the validator expected you to close the tag.

Mod 3 - legal issues

Mod 3 - Optional standards task

Top five requirements for well written web pages - or easy to read/use?

1 best stuff first - perhaps a list
2 no flashy images etc
3 use links that have relevance and won't take your reader away from your point
4 don't break it up too much - you'll lose your reader
5 good short, punchy sentences - web readers scan much more so than readers of hard copy BUT if they really want to read what you have written they will print it - make it easy to print

I think all the articles are interesting and all have some relevance today , but the way we use the internet is always changing and so the way we write for it changes too.

task 2 - don't really have a web page to test this on yet ...

Web design - does it matter?

"Still, the dot-com meltdown has proven that fancy design won't save a bad web site." From course readings. Totally agree - hate those fancy sites but then I'm not a thirty something or twenty something web designer ...
Here's a concept I'd like to explore further: Information & communication are related. People like to develop their own context for the information they are seeking ...

email - the art of it

email is a user interface. Design your messages accordingly, aiming for maximum usability. Makes a lot of sense to me. That subject line is crucial. Much of this is to do with marketing and point of difference - tell people what you do, and what you want them to do in the simplest way possible.

Mod 3 - newsletters (Ass 1 topic?)

As I am constantly writing newsletters in my work, and using e-newsletters more and more I might use this as one of my topics for the resource assignment. Just reading the article on "Lower Literacy users"
This is interesting stuff - just how differently this audience reads websites and newsletters than do high literacy users. I'd like to research this more.

Asynchronous communication

The most important thing about communication is the same with blog and web as it is with written and direct verbal communication: keep it simple. With the internet this also means keeping the tech part of it simple as possible IF you want to reach a broad audience. However, I think that plenty of Internet users have a small equally fanatical audience and they all have the same major systems anyway - its called preaching to the converted.
I am much more interested in how the internet can be used to communicate with and between more disenfranchised sections of the population - such as older or isolated people and communities.

Thoughts on html and web design

I am not sure I will ever really get into actual creation of web pages - but it is very nice to now know how it sort of works. None of it really stumped me, and I am sure it is the sort of thing that becomes like a second language when you get the hang of it. I can see how much fun it must be to be able to design really wicked ones ... but ... it's not for me.

Mod 3 - tasks - Upload!

Finally, I have uploaded my Volcano web page to the presentation space. It is very very basic, but at least now I have something up there that has all the basic html I'll be likely to use. Perhaps as I learn more, I will fancy it up a little. Now ... how do i get my blog in there again????

Anchors aweigh!!!

Bit confused about the differences between linked and named anchors but will do a few more practices on my practice web page to clear i up. Otherwise my volcano web page is looking good - there is just no way I will ever remember all this. I will need html editors and reference sheets forever!

Mod 3 tasks - it's all relative

Going OK - to lesson 8 but I am not sure I understand what relative links means and why that is so powerful - think this may become clear later - will ask on DB if not. Just answered my own question by reading that lesson again - relative meaning in the same directory ... so I didn't have to change the addresses of the links on my volc work place.
Linking all the URLs is fine - all works OK, but my own web page is looking some what dysfunctional. The 'intriguing websites' I chose as part of Lesson 8 have NOTHING to do with my subject ... or do they????? Anyway more answers may come out of the DB - I have posted the question. I might have missed something.
Note: Cynthia sounded a little cross with us today. Perhaps we are not reading supporting notes closely enough.

Mod 3 tasks - lesson 8 and on!

Slowly building my volc test page - i guess this is what I will upload into student presentations. Lin's looks beautiful. Again, I ask myself - why are these people doing this course??? I guess they learn at a different level but they must have got pretty bored with this exercise... how on earth will I finish all this ...
Anchors now - great, I have always wondered how that works.

Mod 3 Lesson 6

Lists and more lists!
The lists business could get very nasty ... and why does my web page look so ugly compared to the volcano one? uurrghh. Anyway here they are:

Mod 3 - Lesson 5 - style!

Yup - its all about style here - but too much can be a horror to read! Care must be taken ...

and Domain Names is looking stylish too ...

Mod 3 tasks - My own page

I am designing a page on Domain names ... still unsure about actual content ... here it is :

Mod 3 HTML lessons - Volcano Web

Successfully managed to create my first ever web page from scratch.
but not sure how to demonstrate it here. How do I make that web page a gif file? Or something I can bring in. Those posts are SOOOOOO informative - thank god for Sonia and Lin. Here it is ...

Module 3 Tasks - HTML lessons 1-14 Intro

HTML - another new language to be learnt. My first effort:
"This is my first homepage. This text is bold"
file:///D:/INT%20STUDIES/Mod%203%20tasks/mypage.htm - lovely!

Just about to work my way through a whole lot of lessons on HTML. I want to know who the W3C is - and how they got together in the first place. need to look more at their website http://www.w3.org/

"The idea is to make something that the world can view" http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/tut/tut0.html from Mod 3 tasks.
Seems very logical to me... nothing more frustrating than a website that just doesn't work on your browser. I'm not sure why browsers treat HTML differently - sure I will find out. Guess that's why they want HTML4.

Hyper Text Markup Language here I come!!!

Notes on blogs

"To skilled online role players, it's easier to fake a flesh-world personae than to maintain a consistent, long-term online presence. It also happens to give street credibility.

"http://www.intermedia.uio.no/konferanser/skikt-02/docs/Researching_ICTs_in_context-Ch11-Mortensen-Walker.pdf

Now that's an interesting comment. I think blogs are like diaries. except they're public. And I think people always want someone to read their diaries anyway. Why would they write them otherwise?
Who will our Anne Frank be?

The Blog World

This site http://www.brainoff.com/geoblog/ is just great. It really starts to sink in just how totally radical the internet can be - the lights coming on around the world although it's noticeably dark in Africa and parts of Asia .. question of equal access.

Blogosphere & group identity

Great para from the unit's reading:

"Within the blogosphere, a certain variety of language has developed, one that rationalizes the
human need to communicate with the constraints of the medium. These weblogs group into
tight social networks that consist of varying degrees of community. Each community is
anchored around a topic, whether it is job-related, research-related, age, gender, etc. Because
of the closeness of the blogging networks, communicative practices can be standardized,
strengthening further the sense of group identity."

This subject intrigues me.

More on blogspeak

Love this subject. Intriguing - is it spoken, written, a combination, is it as Lin asks asynchronous? Conversations can happen in real time, and others can read those conversations days later. The blogosphere is a bit like a very noisy party I think. if you're in the right place at the right time, you'll hear and/or get into some great conversations. You can also feel very alone and as if you're chatting away to yourself .... want to check out http://blogtalk.net/presentations/wagingpeace.pdf if I can find it . Back to archives.

LOL explained

Now I know what it stands for - laughing out loud - from the Blogspeak section as listed in Mod 3 http://www.eng.umu.se/stephanie/web/LanguageBlogs.pdf . Everyone uses it on their posts in the DBs- I was thinking lots of luck, look out love? . I need a blog/internet language dictionary .... just to be 15 years younger would probably have helped however!

Mod 3 - Webspeak

I'm not sure I agree with all the listed written/spoken differences in the way we express ourselves, although there are certainly different forms. Far too often, writing takes on a formality and heaviness that prevents any good communication. Still webspeak is something that really intrigues me - may use it as a concept to investigate further for Ass 1 - are we inventing a new language?

Module 3 - Web History

Researching and reading more, hit the old out of date links. Asked the question on the board and of course got a great response quickly. Have now discovered web archives website .. providing some great messages. The language has changed in step with tech advances eg:

"Your crawler is hitting our servers gtoo hard. Please slow down, it's hurting the service we provide to our customers. Thanks. webmaster@userland.com."

Module 3 - Web History

I had no idea the internet stuff went back such a way or started off that way. And much of it just seems to have evolved rather than with any grand plan - thought as much.

Module 1 Topics for Resource Assignment

Topic One
Human-computer interfaces

Topic Two
Client-server two-way interactions
File transfer protocol remains the best example of how the Internet enables files to be sent to and from clients, at their initiation, thus emphasising the local autonomy of the individual user, and the arrangement of 'cyberspace' into publicly accessible and changeable regions

Module 1 Task - Using the traceroute

Using the site recommended in the task, I recorded 19 hops from the tools site to the Curtin site and 246 as the average time, in milliseconds
I also got the IP address right 134.7.179.10 - I think - although its different from the answers in self test - but everyone else seems to say the same .. unless ... it's not THAT IP.

hop rtt rtt rtt ip address domain name
1 0 0 0 70.84.211.97 61.d3.5446.static.theplanet.com
2 0 0 0 70.84.160.129 vl1.dsr01.dllstx5.theplanet.com
3 0 0 0 70.85.127.105 po51.dsr01.dllstx3.theplanet.com
4 0 0 0 70.87.253.5 et5-1.ibr03.dllstx3.theplanet.com
5 0 0 0 157.238.225.5 xe-4-4.r03.dllstx09.us.bb.gin.ntt.net
6 0 0 0 129.250.3.121 xe-2-1-0.r20.dllstx09.us.bb.gin.ntt.net
7 9 5 6 129.250.4.71 p64-1-0-0.r20.hstntx01.us.bb.gin.ntt.net
8 41 55 41 129.250.4.112 p64-1-3-0.r21.lsanca03.us.bb.gin.ntt.net
9 41 41 41 129.250.3.159 p16-1-0-0.r02.lsanca03.us.bb.gin.ntt.net
10 41 41 41 198.172.90.102 so-2-1-0.a00.lsanca02.us.ce.verio.net
11 197 197 197 202.158.194.153 so-3-2-0.bb1.b.syd.aarnet.net.au
12 209 209 209 202.158.194.33 so-2-0-0.bb1.a.mel.aarnet.net.au
13 218 218 218 202.158.194.17 so-2-0-0.bb1.a.adl.aarnet.net.au
14 245 245 245 202.158.194.5 so-0-1-0.bb1.a.per.aarnet.net.au
15 246 245 245 202.158.198.178 gigabitethernet0.er1.curtin.cpe.aarnet.net.au
16 246 246 246 202.158.198.186 gw1.er1.curtin.cpe.aarnet.net.au
17 246 246 246 134.7.250.18
18 246 246 246 134.7.248.65 te1-1.b309-sr.net.curtin.edu.au
19 246 246 246 134.7.179.10 prodweb1.curtin.edu.au
Trace complete

Open communication - the concept

Information loaded onto the internet may sometimes be misleading, wrong, biased. But, whether you use it is up to you. The thing is, information is public now. I doubt whether Hitler would have succeeded today - his secrets could not have been kept and the people he persecuted might have been able to reach each other. The Amercians and Russians might even have helped each other in the space race .... who knows.

Flashback - Mod 1 tasks

No doubt that Bennahum's area of expertise is more complicated than the internet. My biggest drama was figuring out my email address. Sure it's somewhere in all this stuff. Quite like telnet - reminder of the bad old days with no fancy fonts ... flashing white type ...
Can I keep up???

Telnet tales

My first task - downloading and using telnet - even this I find daunting. I think its just the language - plenty of acronyms and jargon. If ever simple plain English was needed this is it! Its an exclusive environment this one, requiring not only the necessary hardware, but also just IT nouse. Perhaps some are born with it. But if I can understand this anyone can. Now to figure out my client ... thank goodness for http://computer.howstuffworks.com !!

Setting up a blog

This has proved to be an interesting exercise. It seems many of the other students doing this unit have more experience than me so I am reading some base ground material to get oriented.

Today I have read (among other things) http://www.dentedreality.com.au/features/blogs/intro/ which is a link on the unit webCT site. Great easy language and a good general concept given of how and why people blog.