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!