"The Web offers tools to allow groups to collaborate on documents and spreadsheets, and to build libraries of reference materials, project documents and shared to-do lists."
Forbes goes on to cover different companies technologies and programs to enable this collaboration. I would like to introduce all of you to the Google Apps for Your Domain which I am actually an end user of. This Forbes article hits on the main features of Google Apps including: Calendar, Docs and Spreadsheets, and notebook. I have found these services to be invaluable to me in my personal life. I utilize the free version of Google Apps and pay $10 per year to godaddy.com to have my own domain name registration. You can visit their site at http://www.google.com/a and setting your own site up is very easy. My wife and I utilize this site for posting pictures, our email accounts are setup via this site and it is very easy to add other family members and mailbox limitations. One of my favorite features of the Google Apps is the Google Docs which takes almost any type of file and lets you edit it as a group and then save as any Microsoft compatible file. The Calendar feature is great too because my wife can add important appointments to the calendar and remind me of certain items. It also syncs with Microsoft Outlook which is really cool! I would highly urge people looking for a custom email address, shared calendar capabilities, website creation and collaboration of documents to take a look at this neat product.
Link to the article can be found here:
http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/2007/02/26/google-microsoft-bluetie-ent-tech-cx_mw_0226smallbizresource.html?partner=links
Fighting Suicide: The Internet or should we say The Supernet
According to A. Kathryn Power, M.Ed., “This new venture is helping us provide suicide prevention information to young people in an online space where they feel comfortable. Our MySpace page gives people an easily accessible link to important information about suicide prevention.”
John Barber
http://www.samhsa.gov/SAMHSA_NEWS/VolumeXV_4/article7.htm
Many people use the internet for blogging, emailing, and social networking everyday. However, several people also use the internet for a different type of social networking, emotional and suicidal outreach. Emotional and suicide support groups are become more and more popular on the internet. I believe the popularity of these support groups are growing due to the concealment of identity. A person seeking emotional aid can log on to support sites, without having to provide age, sex, or other identity characteristics. This may provide the person seeking support with a greater feeling of safety. Through the use of forums emotionally challenged people can discuss issues with support volunteers. In addition, the forums provide a scene for discussion between emotionally challenged people themselves. Perhaps forums discussions of this nature will help others on the internet see that they are not alone with their problems and feelings.
John Barber
Qatari Women Now Use Email More Than Men
"There is an expression in the U.S., "let your fingers do the walking," which encourages the use of e-communication as a link to others, Arab women who may have never heard that exact expression nevertheless are finding the internet serves as a convenient window on the world in an otherwise male-dominated society."
Why Women Use Email Disproportionately in Qatar: An Exploratory Study. Ali Al-Hail, Journal of Website Promotion;2005, Vol. 1 Issue 3, p 99 - 104, 6p
Qatar gained access to the internet in 1997 and Qatari women have seized the opportunity to connect to other cultures. Qatari women have limited freedom compared to men; however Qatari women are more educated and with the advent of the internet, Qatari women taking english courses has increased by 30% because they recognize the value of knowing the english language for communicating in a cyberspace setting.
Qatari women view the internet as a key ingredient to cultural change. Almost 60% of Qatari women use email and the Qatari women that were interviewed for this article, reported that email has brought about an enormous change in their social habits and thinking.
Are Our Children Safe Online?
“You’ll learn that some fears are overplayed, others are underplayed, and above all, that the Internet plays a huge part in adolescence now.”
While there are some big dangers out there, these can be over hyped by the media. There are online predators that prey on children, but if you were to watch the news one would think all of our children would have been approached by now, but that is not the case. As parents we need to be aware of these dangers and prepare our children for these, but it is not a reason to keep our children off the Internet.
The internet can be a wonderful place and be a great tool for learning and communication. It is important that our children are comfortable with this medium. As parents we need to teach our children how to use this new tool, but also how to deal with some of the dangers that come with it just as we teach our children about the dangers of strangers on the street.
We need to remember that danger is everywhere, online or not. This is no reason to scare ourselves about what can happen online because it can happen everywhere. We need to prepare our children and give them the tools they need to succeed themselves and give them the knowledge to protect themselves.
Weblogs Are To Words What Napster Was To Music
Weblogs Are To Words What Napster Was To Music.
“Weblogs are to words what Napster was to music.”
Sullivan, A. (2002).The blogging revolution. Retrieved on October 17, 2008 from:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.05/mustread.html?pg=2
Blogging has definitely exploded since 1994 when it was sometimes called the inspired writings of online diaries(Sullivan, 2002). Sullivan (2002) goes on to say that there are blogs for just about anything anyone cares to talk about and that blogs can be as well sourced as journalism but have the immediacy of talk radio.
It is refreshing to be able to remark to the commentator about his/her article even if it is online; at least one can express an opinion. Just listen how often someone watching a television program or listening to radio talks to the program, they know that their remarks cannot be heard but it feels good to express their opinion. When people read news articles or magazines the conversation is one sided ;readers often doubt the credibility of the source, blogging allows for an exchange of information.
The internet allows bloggers to reach millions of people across the globe for free other than the cost of the internet provider; blogging is a forum that can be used for entertainment, exchange of information, conversation ,sell products, act as support groups, and also promote many other types of products, the options seem endless.
jb
“Weblogs are to words what Napster was to music.”
Sullivan, A. (2002).The blogging revolution. Retrieved on October 17, 2008 from:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.05/mustread.html?pg=2
Blogging has definitely exploded since 1994 when it was sometimes called the inspired writings of online diaries(Sullivan, 2002). Sullivan (2002) goes on to say that there are blogs for just about anything anyone cares to talk about and that blogs can be as well sourced as journalism but have the immediacy of talk radio.
It is refreshing to be able to remark to the commentator about his/her article even if it is online; at least one can express an opinion. Just listen how often someone watching a television program or listening to radio talks to the program, they know that their remarks cannot be heard but it feels good to express their opinion. When people read news articles or magazines the conversation is one sided ;readers often doubt the credibility of the source, blogging allows for an exchange of information.
The internet allows bloggers to reach millions of people across the globe for free other than the cost of the internet provider; blogging is a forum that can be used for entertainment, exchange of information, conversation ,sell products, act as support groups, and also promote many other types of products, the options seem endless.
jb
The Wonderful World Of Email
“You might think you know what you've said, but have you?”
Evans, Clare. (2008, September) Communicating Online And The World Of Email. Articles Base. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/communicating-online-and-the-world-of-email-575117.html
This quote came from an article discussing a topic we covered earlier in class – email etiquette. I liked this article because it talked about how emails can easily be misinterpreted. It’s very important in emails to just get to the point and say what you have to say. Many times, people try to be funny or speak around a subject rather than just say what they want to say. This could cause trouble because you never know how your recipient is taking the message. I don’t know how many emails I’ve received where I’m confused about what the person is trying to say and when I finally figure it out, I think why didn’t you just say that? I really enjoyed reading this article and I found that there were many good tips about email etiquette in this article, but I think we covered all of them in our forum when we discussed this topic.
Evans, Clare. (2008, September) Communicating Online And The World Of Email. Articles Base. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/communicating-online-and-the-world-of-email-575117.html
This quote came from an article discussing a topic we covered earlier in class – email etiquette. I liked this article because it talked about how emails can easily be misinterpreted. It’s very important in emails to just get to the point and say what you have to say. Many times, people try to be funny or speak around a subject rather than just say what they want to say. This could cause trouble because you never know how your recipient is taking the message. I don’t know how many emails I’ve received where I’m confused about what the person is trying to say and when I finally figure it out, I think why didn’t you just say that? I really enjoyed reading this article and I found that there were many good tips about email etiquette in this article, but I think we covered all of them in our forum when we discussed this topic.
Some Patients are Finding More Help in Cyberspace Than in Their Own Doctors Offices
Ferguson. (1997).Health care in cyberspace: patients lead a revolution. The Futurist [Electronic version].31.n6 (Nov-Dec 1997):29(5). Retrieved on October 12, 2008 from Academic OneFile. Gale.BCR Regis University.Patients are leading a revolution in cyberspace. They are using the internet to research health conditions, participate in on-line support groups for various health problems and find resources for their diagnosis that may not be available from a primary care provider. Cyberspace self help communities can be utilized by anyone with access to the internet. Many of these self help sites have volunteer health professionals who are experts on the topics being discussed. Patients can ask questions about conditions and receive an answer from a trained medical professional. While visitors to the sites are encouraged to play an active role in their own care, self diagnosis is not encouraged. Health care providers do not always have time to spend with their patients leaving unanswered questions and anxiety about their health and well being; cyberspace self help sites are filling this void. Self helpers aren’t always seeking treatment options but answers to their questions from knowledgeable people, share concerns with others who understand how they feel, and glean insight from others in the self help environment.
jb
jb
Second Life: a glimpse into the future of online communication
"It's not that Second Life itself will become a dominant Internet destination like the Web. Instead, it represents a model that is likely to become the next approach to online content."
[Holtz, S. (2007). Another World. Communication World, 24 (3), p. 16-19.]
Second Life has off and on generated a buzz by sheer dint of its existence. The concept is simple, to take a platform similar to the MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing games) and turn it into a networking site. It's like Facebook meets World of Warcraft. Bigger than just a website, it allows both private parties and corporations to create an online presence, a "storefront," in a three dimensional world, rather than simply generating a website. Allowing for interactivity at levels previously unimagined, Second Life (and other platforms like it) bring users to companies in a fashion unprecedented by previous Internet technology. Among these capabilities include real-time presentations, conferences and meetings as well as protests (for example the Italian worker protest against IBM in 2007). Although it has its flaws, it provides a promising look at the future of Internet communication, not only where companies can generate a presence, but where consumers can interact in real time with the company and other users.
[Holtz, S. (2007). Another World. Communication World, 24 (3), p. 16-19.]
Second Life has off and on generated a buzz by sheer dint of its existence. The concept is simple, to take a platform similar to the MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing games) and turn it into a networking site. It's like Facebook meets World of Warcraft. Bigger than just a website, it allows both private parties and corporations to create an online presence, a "storefront," in a three dimensional world, rather than simply generating a website. Allowing for interactivity at levels previously unimagined, Second Life (and other platforms like it) bring users to companies in a fashion unprecedented by previous Internet technology. Among these capabilities include real-time presentations, conferences and meetings as well as protests (for example the Italian worker protest against IBM in 2007). Although it has its flaws, it provides a promising look at the future of Internet communication, not only where companies can generate a presence, but where consumers can interact in real time with the company and other users.
Blog #2 Week 7
"As discussed earlier, receiving no reply from an e-mail companion makes a person wonder. Did I say something wrong? Am I being rejected? Did something bad happen to him? Yet another feature of the ambiguity of cyberspace, this black hole experience tends draws out one's anxieties and insecurities."
The above quote was from John Suler's The Psychology of Cyberspace (http://www-usr.rider.edu) and brings to light one of the bad things that happens when communicating in cyberspace. I truely think we have all had this experience at one point or another. Adding to the quote we sometimes think "did my communication even get there"? When communicating with someone else, we need to be sure that we respond in a timely manner so the person on the other end doesn't feel like the quote.
The above quote was from John Suler's The Psychology of Cyberspace (http://www-usr.rider.edu) and brings to light one of the bad things that happens when communicating in cyberspace. I truely think we have all had this experience at one point or another. Adding to the quote we sometimes think "did my communication even get there"? When communicating with someone else, we need to be sure that we respond in a timely manner so the person on the other end doesn't feel like the quote.
A Human-Centered Approach to Online Learning
A Human-Centered Approach to Online Learning
"The online learning environment presents the greatest example of transactional distance and the trappings that come with it. Distance education has been thought of as the physical separation that leads to a psychological and communications gap, a space for potential misunderstanding between the inputs of the instructor and those of the learner." (Moore, 1991)
A Human-Centered Approach Towards Instructional Technology: Impact of Presence and Engagement on Satisfaction in Online Courses (Top Student Paper).Conference Papers -- International Communication Association; 2007 Annual Meeting, p1-1, Bimal Balakrishnan and Keston Pierre
One reason that so many traditional students fear taking online courses is that they are afraid that there will be no social presence or instructor presence to guide them. This student research paper examines the need for social, teacher and meaningful engagement for learner satisfaction in online courses. Without a human-centered approach, students struggle to engage with the course material. Students in traditional classes might be more willing to enroll in an online course if they knew that a human-centered approach was valued and encouraged by their educational institution
Microsoft OneNote Helps Students with Organization & Time Management
In regards to utilizing technology online to making your online learning journey easier at Regis:
According to Dr. Spero, Professor at the University of Toronto, “The demand for having electronic materials has skyrocketed; students are quite vocal in requesting the Microsoft technology (Microsoft OneNote) in the classroom” (Microsoft, 2005, section, “More Effective Note-taking”). At a cost of about $100 for the software, utilizing Microsoft OneNote to be more productive is a small investment with the potential for great returns. Adult learners who combine the use of OneNote with the use of another popular technology, a Personal Digital Assistant, will increase their time management skills even more. I have utilized this product a couple of times and find the notebook feature and the ability to drag and drop multiple sources of information in order to reference later very appealing. It helps to reduce time looking for documents or sources because you can have all of the relevant information in one tab. I would recommend this software to anyone who is looking at buying a new computer and needs to purchase Microsoft Office products anyways.
According to Dr. Spero, Professor at the University of Toronto, “The demand for having electronic materials has skyrocketed; students are quite vocal in requesting the Microsoft technology (Microsoft OneNote) in the classroom” (Microsoft, 2005, section, “More Effective Note-taking”). At a cost of about $100 for the software, utilizing Microsoft OneNote to be more productive is a small investment with the potential for great returns. Adult learners who combine the use of OneNote with the use of another popular technology, a Personal Digital Assistant, will increase their time management skills even more. I have utilized this product a couple of times and find the notebook feature and the ability to drag and drop multiple sources of information in order to reference later very appealing. It helps to reduce time looking for documents or sources because you can have all of the relevant information in one tab. I would recommend this software to anyone who is looking at buying a new computer and needs to purchase Microsoft Office products anyways.
Women's Health In Africa
“The way the world is going, if you are not connected, you do not exist…Access to information is an essential tool for empowering an individual.” Mayer, D. & Pillsbury, B. (2005). Women Connect! Strengthening Communications to Meet Sexual and Reproductive Health Challenges. Journal of Health Communication, Vol. 10, Issue 4, p364
This quote came from an article discussing the issues with women’s health in Africa. Specifically, the article was discussing how to get information out to women about their rights and health in Africa where men generally dominate the world of education and technology. It kind of goes hand in hand with the oh-so-popular phrase “ignorance is bliss”. When I saw this particular quote, I thought it was the perfect explanation for why the internet is important in Africa today. Through the internet, African women have gained so much; they are able to learn about things going on in the world and about opportunities available to them. They are also able to share information with others through the internet. It’s almost as if the internet has given African women a voice and a freedom that they did not have previously. In a place where women aren’t often afforded the opportunity to be educated beyond grade school, if at all, the internet has given them another way to gain valuable information that they may not have otherwise received.
This quote came from an article discussing the issues with women’s health in Africa. Specifically, the article was discussing how to get information out to women about their rights and health in Africa where men generally dominate the world of education and technology. It kind of goes hand in hand with the oh-so-popular phrase “ignorance is bliss”. When I saw this particular quote, I thought it was the perfect explanation for why the internet is important in Africa today. Through the internet, African women have gained so much; they are able to learn about things going on in the world and about opportunities available to them. They are also able to share information with others through the internet. It’s almost as if the internet has given African women a voice and a freedom that they did not have previously. In a place where women aren’t often afforded the opportunity to be educated beyond grade school, if at all, the internet has given them another way to gain valuable information that they may not have otherwise received.
Microblogs, the new blogging
“Microblogs are short text messages -- a phrase or two -- that you send to a chosen circle of friends and relatives, usually describing what you're up to at that very moment.”
Reference: Web Is Now So Filled With Idle Chat, It's Almost Like Phoning
Lee Gomes. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Jul 11, 2007. pg. B.1
Today there are blogs all over the internet. You can find blogs about anything from what someone is doing every day to their political views or even personal things about ones family. With blogs being widely used by everyone it was only a matter of time before someone invented a blog for cell phones. With a cell phone blog, it is now possible to blog from anywhere at anytime letting everyone know what is going on in your life.
Reference: Web Is Now So Filled With Idle Chat, It's Almost Like Phoning
Lee Gomes. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Jul 11, 2007. pg. B.1
Today there are blogs all over the internet. You can find blogs about anything from what someone is doing every day to their political views or even personal things about ones family. With blogs being widely used by everyone it was only a matter of time before someone invented a blog for cell phones. With a cell phone blog, it is now possible to blog from anywhere at anytime letting everyone know what is going on in your life.
Voice Communication in Online Gaming
Quote: "When you add voice, you now have neither a normal online gaming experience or a normal voice experience."
Reference: Karpinski, R. (2008, March 31). Online gaming finds its voice. Telephony, Retrieved October 3, 2008, from Academic Search Premier Database.
I been gaming ever since I was a little boy, and I never thought gaming would be where it is today. I have friends all over the United States and the chat feature in gaming has brought me closer to most of them. I no longer need to call a friend in order to talk to him all I need is my Xbox 360 and an Internet connection. There is no worrying about going over minutes, roaming, or any dumb phone charge a person can think of. I am a person that doesn’t like to talk on the phone so being able to play a game with a friend, and talk to him at the same time through a private voice chat is a one of the best ways for me to communicate. Now don’t get me wrong voice communication in online games has its bad side too. The one thing that I don’t like about it is that people are able to say whatever they want and sometime people just get out of hand, but I guess that’s why they have a mute button for each player. I see the future of voice in online gaming growing in the next couple of months as Xbox plans to make avatars available to gamers adding another way to enjoy voice communication in online gaming.
How Private Can We Be Online?
“Every time we use eBay or write a Gmail, we make a trade-off between body, technology and nature by allowing our data to become part of that organization’s knowledge base.”
Thomas, Sue (2006). The End of Cyberspace and Other Surprises. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, Vol. 12, No. 4, 383-391.
Do we really understand how much information is stored about every little thing done online? A thing as simple as information about the sale of an item is stored, along with personal information. This information, along with all other info stored can be used in the future to help with the development of this product. It shows the demographic that is most likely to purchase this item. If it is something electronic, this item may be able to connect online and find updates to improve itself. Nothing we do is private. We get better service when our information is collected and that is the trade off.
But does this collected information hurt us. While it is possible that it could, it most likely won’t. Most companies aren’t collecting our names and addresses to learn about us in general, but use this information as a demographic so they can better their service or product. They do not know us personally; our name is no different than a number to most. They gather this information to compare how different demographics react or purchase their product.
That being said, it is still important to know what information you are sharing with others and that it can be found, and this isn’t restricted to the internet. You have your name, address and phone number published in a phone book unless you request it to be unlisted. This information can be found by anybody and is much of what companies collect.
While having your information stored into a database may not be harmful, it is important to remain cautious and aware of what information is out there.
Thomas, Sue (2006). The End of Cyberspace and Other Surprises. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, Vol. 12, No. 4, 383-391.
Do we really understand how much information is stored about every little thing done online? A thing as simple as information about the sale of an item is stored, along with personal information. This information, along with all other info stored can be used in the future to help with the development of this product. It shows the demographic that is most likely to purchase this item. If it is something electronic, this item may be able to connect online and find updates to improve itself. Nothing we do is private. We get better service when our information is collected and that is the trade off.
But does this collected information hurt us. While it is possible that it could, it most likely won’t. Most companies aren’t collecting our names and addresses to learn about us in general, but use this information as a demographic so they can better their service or product. They do not know us personally; our name is no different than a number to most. They gather this information to compare how different demographics react or purchase their product.
That being said, it is still important to know what information you are sharing with others and that it can be found, and this isn’t restricted to the internet. You have your name, address and phone number published in a phone book unless you request it to be unlisted. This information can be found by anybody and is much of what companies collect.
While having your information stored into a database may not be harmful, it is important to remain cautious and aware of what information is out there.
Generation Technology: Advanced or Falling Behind??
When referencing how kids study information on the internet according to Dr. Alan Simon, “If it’s good, they go with it. If not, they don’t. It’s called ‘Internet thinking.’ They don’t have a [Walter Cronkite]. We can help kids sort through the internet cacophony by discussing with them what they find there.”
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Moving On: Plugged In, but Tuned Out: Getting Kids To Connect to the Non-Virtual World
Jeffrey Zaslow. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition).
The technology that exists today greatly increases the amount of communication that takes place. Whether a person uses their cell phone to check an email, their computer to peek at their favorite blog, or a business sends a fax to ‘seal the deal’ on a purchase, there is no doubt that the world has become a way different place than what previous generations lived. But can everyone agree that the technology available today provides proper information and communication? Previous generations relied on books, newspapers, and other periodicals to gather information and develop notions. The ‘technological generation’ can be lazy when gaining information for research. I tend to wonder if the lust for new ideas is sometimes lost with the benefits of being able to search Wikipedia, Google, or biased blogs. I can only hope that current and future generations will decipher between opinions and facts on the internet as the ease and robustness of technology continues to grow.
The next iteration of news transformation
"If contemporary American journalism is a lecture, what it is evolving into is something that incorporates a conversation and seminar." - Dan Gillmore
[Gillmor, Dan. (Fall 2003) Moving toward participatory journalism. Nieman Reports 57.3: 79(2).]
The Internet is a transformative technology, one which has the ability to take existing forms of communication and culture and to take them to entirely new levels. One of the best examples of this is the evolution of news reporting since the inception of the Internet. Now not only do news agencies have their own website, but bloggers across the world have in the past ten years begun to comment on the news. The next iteration of news transformation, then, incorporates these two aspects of the news into one coherent whole that not only provides more information to the viewer at the stroke of a couple keys, but additionally makes the news interactive, a forum for learning rather than a static medium for information. This not only allows the consumers of the end product of news to become part of the process, but brings every aspect of the process – the event, the reporter, the reporting medium and the consumer - into a generative cycle that provides a more integrated approach to journalism.
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