Thursday, May 22, 2008

Week 12 Social & Ethical Issues

5 Copyright sites

1. An introduction to Copyright Australia
2. Assigning and licencing rights
3. Infringement: action, remedies, offences, penatlities
4. Names, titles, slogans
5. Ownership of copyright

In brief these have somewhat value to me and my further studies. Not only does Accounting need to do the figure, but you have to have a legitament business, with a licenced business name which needs to have copyright. Or another company can trade under the same name.

Music on the Net

Most people think that the music you download on the net is free, but unfortuantely is itsn't. This is where people get it wrong and end up paying fines, because they are using music that wasn't legally bought.
Plan of protection
The best way to protect your computer is to have a reliable software that does this. Some of these being .
~ Install a firewall
~ If you have broadband, turn the computer off when not using it
~ Install an Antivirus software program
~ Don't ever give out private information
~ Do not open emails if you do not know the sender
~ Try not to use Outlook or Outlook express
~ Update virus protection programs daily
Summary
I never really understood much about anti virus protection for the computer. It was interesting to watch the podcast and see just how vulnerable some people are, and how smart they can be. It was definately information that I need to help me with my own computer, so that when I am doing research for my further studies, I will be aware of the information that I will give out and just how easy it is for someone to get into my computer and access my files. The better the protection I have, the safer my information is.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Week 11 Building Knowledge





Part 1 - Definitions

My understandings of the following words.
Data: Is a combination of different individual facts, statistics and or items for information.
Information: Is knowledge that is gained through study, communication, research and instruction. It is the act or fact of something important.
Knowledge: Is facts or data that one knows, it is information that can be presented without feeling unsure. To have full understanding of something, is to have knowledge of it.
Wisdom: Is the basis of knowledge that starts with data that displays information and when put all together you have wisdom.


Part 3 - Relationship

To be able to understand the relationship between data, information and knowledge and have a clear understanding of how these all relate to each other, will be able to assit me through uni. I understand that I need to have the basic data and the information that goes with it to give me knowledge and understanding of a topic. With having the understanding of a topic comes wisdom. Something I need when I am talking about or writing about in my studies.

Part 4 - 5 Organisations

1. Taxation Department

2. Banks

3. Charities

4. Telecoms

5. Hospital / Doctors

They can take your information for all different reasons, to find out your financial status in society, if your doing the right thing by paying your tax, and that you are not frauding the system. Doctors need your information so if you come back in the future they know if your allergic to a medicine. Telecoms like to have your information too, as they like to call at 6pm when your having dinner and ask you a survey of questions.

Summary

To know how this information works and how to use it to improve my learning skills was good. I need to gave an understanding of a topic then work my way up from there, and understanding how these three items come together makes learning new information that bit easier to grasp.

The more I learn and have the right information the better I will be at remembering it and having the wisdom of knowing exactly what it is and what is means.



Week 10 Information Management



Difference between 'atoms' and 'bits'

What was written 13 years ago is still certainly very true. The difference between the atom and the bits, is the atom is obviously the hard object, something that you can hold a 'hard' thing as such and then the 'bits' is the tiny particles that we cannot see, like the information inside of the computer and how it sends information through wires and come out the same on the other side. There are pro's and con's which come into consideration. Some of the good points are obviously that the sending of bits is fast and cheap, though it may not always be safe. If something does get into the wrong hands the outcome could be quite costly. Though you always know that with the atoms that you have to deliver it my with car, foot or some other means of travel but it goes from one hand to the other. Though the bad side to this is that it isn't always a fast approach and the items can be bulky and hard to store. For every good there will always be a bad.

Summary

I new that there were pro's and con's, but you I never actually thought of it in a 'atoms' and 'bits' manner. Though before toady's class I never really thought about these topics. When they are put to me and i realise just how important it is to have the luxury of the Internet and computers, it is going to make study a whole lot easier. To actually have a atom ( computer ) and be able to send assignments through email and access different types of information, it will definately be of an advantage throughout my studies. Though I could come across problems, I know that I can access information through hard copies.

The class was informative and I have had my eyes open, to just how easy things are these days, and how study seems a whole lot easier, than when I first started University.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Week 9 Communications

TASK
I have entered Twenty 20 Cricket, as my topic of interest. It came up with 234,000 results. There are many different ones relating to womens cricket, the current IPL cricket matches, how it will change the game of cricket in the future.

The information that I read was interesting and some of the suggestions were not only funny but practical as well. It has people suggesting that other countries should try and have their version of the IPL. Though this is the first time a country has run an international team Twenty20, it definately has brought alot of attention to a sport that was becoming less entertaining and losing all of the well known athletes of the game.

Potential Benefits
Podcasts for university students is very helpful as it offers different ways to learn, through visual, audio and reading through topics. This helps most poeple who have different learning styles and need the audio to help them. Podcasts are also a good way of showing information when doing presentations. All video shots or pictures are easily shown through a podcast.
Summary
It is interesting to see the different groups that are accessible on the net that all relate to the same topic. Knowing this will come in handy when doing assignments and wanting to see if anyone else has suggestions on the same topics. It will open my understanding of the topic and may help me more. Though I never really had an understanding of Podcasts, it was interesting to understand how they can help in assessments.
Reading 1
Spam; This site explains what a spam is, how you can get it and how to prevent your computer from catching one. If you are unfortunate and do happen to get a spam on the computer this site explains the process of how to get rid of it. It is an interesting site and very detailed.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Week 8 Presentation Skills

"Top 5" List of strategies
1. Keep slides simple, less is more.
2. Do not include a huge amount of information on the slides.
3. Take your time talking, poeple will understand you more if they hear what you are saying.
4. To have fun, you will be more enojoyed if your having fun.
5. When asked a question, repeat it and do your best to answer it, dont go on with the answer if your not sure.
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SUMMARY

Power Point presentation are widely used in the professional world. It is the easiest way to present information to a group of people. Knowing how to use power point, is a major advantage. I understand that less is more and that the you interact the group, in whom you are presenting the information to, the more that they will remember.

Though it is easy to go overboard with the amount of information that is being presented, if I only put the major points on it, more will be remembered. I will be able to use the information that was given today, to present a Power Point presenation what will be remembered.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Week 7 EndNote Libraries

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Summary

I found that todays topic, at first, was a little difficult to understand. Though as the Lecture went on and it was used in a few different examples, it was getting clearer. Though EndNote is obviously a program that isn't going to be easy to use the first time, I have an understanding on how it works, and the time massive time saver it.

Though it is a program that is using the data, that I put in it, it may not always be done correctly. I still need to know how to write references and the different ways of doing them. This way if EndNote misses out information that I haven't put in, I can pick up on this.

Overall, this Database is going to be very useful to me over the next few years at Uni.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Week 6 Evaluation & Authentication

Part 1.

Review on http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html &
http://www.taftcollege.edu/newTC/Academic/INCO48/sec6-4.htm

There are 6 different types of strategies for using a WEB page efficiently. This site asks myself some good questions that i should take into account when i am looking at a WEB page that i am reading for the first time.

After viewing the site INCO 48, there are some differences, i believe that the INCO 48 site has more detailed information on how to look for sites that are a hoax or don't produce the correct information about a topic. There are several way to work out how this can be done, and now that i know i can use this information to help me access the correct information that is needed for a specific topic.

Part 2
Assessing information on two sites;

The first one being - E. Sixties Project.
The information on this site is interesting but the information comes from a source that sells computer software. The information hasn't been update for 9 years. Some of the links in the site cannot be opened, and the layout and design isn't very professional. I find it hard to believe the information from this site to be realistic and authentic.

The second being - D. The Psychedelic Sixties.

The information being presented on this site is up to date and it is resourced from the University of Virginia Library. All the information that is linked to different site is accessable and is legitament. The presentation of the site is very professional and easy to read and understand.

Summary
An overview on todays class was a refresher, as we sometimes forget that the information on the net isn't always true, and that the people who put the information on it aren't always correct. It gave me an understanding that sometimes, i use the internet for granted and don't really fine where the source of information comes from. Sometimes i just believe what i read and don't thoroughly go through it. This isn't good, when it come to doing my Uni Assignments i need to make that the source where i am getting my information from is correct and is current.
I should find out about who the author is and when it was published and how Authentic the information really is.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Week 5 Using Search Engines

4 Strategies

The following are 4 strategies that will help me in structuring a good search in my learning log.
1. By using "inverted commas" to make it more specific.

2. Using the Boolean Search of putting:
- and (+)
- or
- not (-)
- near 7

These will help by defining the search topic.

3. Using Key words for the topic of search.

4. Using the advanced engine features which are avaliable.

Internet Quiz



SUMMARY

I found today's lession to be very useful. What we learnt can definately help me with my research and how to define my searches on the Web and Databases. It is much easier to look through articles at that are of value instead of going through ones till i find one that i need.

I find it interesting to see how the internet works and how defining searches or using key words is of more value than using the whole sentence. Researching information is a large process of studying and using the correct terms, make it a whole lot easier to get information that is necessary.

Reading 1

Today's reading is on how to simplify the search, by using keywords on the topic that you are looking for. This company has helped many small businesses be found, by them giving Website Australia a couple of keywords that will help people who are searching for particular items that relates to the business. Just by using keywords it cuts down a lot of the rubbish information that doesn't have any relation to what you are searching for.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Week 4 Finding and Using Web-based Resources

Upon opening the Haggis Hunt website a few things came to my attention that the site was a hoax. Four points in which i believe gave the site away was;
~ Haggis is an Animal
~ The animal looked like a platypus cross echidna
~ That there is Haggis meeting spots in Time Square, NY
~ The information in the Encyclopedia was very hard to believe.

In the
Molossia website, just from the basic information on the main page was a dead give away that is wasn't real either;
~ The main page had information streaming across the middle of it advertising 'Click here to watch our new promotional movie
~ The dates are written in numerical form and also in Roman Numerals
~ Going through and finding information on the traditional foods, is actually quite funny, as most of it is Pasta and then there is cookie dough as the traditional "Cookie Dough Fests"
~ The culture of the country looks like ornaments found on a farm.

PART 2 First Impressions
For this I had to look at
http://www.martinlutherking.org/, for starters it is an organisation website which is a non profitable site, and the information which relates to him wouldn't exactly be free. I had a quick 10sec look at the site and some of the information seems to be what he represented; then some of it looked like people trying to make him out to be a sinner and that he didn't believe in what he stood for.

After actually reading in the site, it definitely comes across that the main organisers of the site totally dislike Him and all black people. The site is hosted by the main group called KKK, which is an organisation of black people haters. The information provided is of somewhat true about what he said but they have taken what he said and have cut and pasted it to make him look like he did evil. I do not agree with this site and the information that is posted on it. There are links in this site to all different types of people and what they believe in. For those people who do not know who Martin Luther King was and have never read any information on him before, if they were to read the information on this website they would have a very different type of opinion of him. They wouldn't know the full truth, and it is unfortunate that internet sites can provide misleading information. But the real problem is, is how do we really know what is real to what is misleading? I guess that we have to look at the information that is provided to us with an open mind and not always believe what we hear and read.

Summary of Lecture
Internet Vs Web.
Wow I really didn't know the actual difference between these two. I thought that the Internet was the WEB not the cables and connections, you definitely learn something new everyday. It was interesting to find out that the Web cannot exist without the Net, and that the Net was actually invented back in 1961, and yet it took at least another 30years for the Web to be functional all over the world.

The information provided in this class has definitely clarified a few of these different meanings for finding information on the Web. It was interesting to find that the sites that finish in; .com/.co are for funding benefits and yet if it finishes in; .org then it is free. Little things like this was unknown to me prior to this lecture.

This class today was definitely full of useful information and has definitely opened my eyes to the information that is out there isn't always correct, and that it is up to us to find out what really is true and what can be a little more than the truth, or how something is seen through someone else's eyes. This type information on the different sites, can be beneficial in the way that the sites that are educational based will be of more use to me when doing research.
Reading 1
Internet society, explains that the internet has come along way. It could almost be said that the speed of communication has made the business world a better place to be, with material being sent as fast as the click of the mouse. It also states that internet underlies the networking of individual networks that can access the same information.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Week 3 Online Libraries and Databases

The following 10 topics are areas that can be found in the ECU Library website.

~ Student; Which then takes to you the next page which you can then proceed to many different areas of the site one being ENDNOTE SOFTWARE. If you proceed to Endnote then it gives you an outline on what it does.

~ Websites;
I went through this area and found a list of different resources that the librarians use. I followed it through Accounting which then opened a huge number of different areas of Accounting around the world. This website will be very useful in finding information that I wouldn't be able to find through Google.

~ Document Delivery;
This site gives information on how to get resources from other
libraries and the process of doing this.

~ AirPAC;
Tells you how you can access the site form your mobile phone. It just
gives you the basics not the full information.

~ Journal Titles;
This opened up a page, where you can type in the title search in which you are looking for. You can chose which campus you want to find your information or do a larger search if the campus you chose doesn't have it.

~ ECU Library;
Gives you the basic information on opening times, different types of services and contacts and corporate information.

~ SIMO;
This is access to current students information in relation to their timetables, classes and fees.

~ Academic Tip Sheet;
This is a useful site that will be able to give me help when it comes to writing essays and how they are expected to be presented.

~ Journal Articles;
This takes me to the database area, which will be able to help me find articles and books in my field of choice.

~ Student Information;
This is where I can access any information I need about my classes or what my results are or if I need to pay my fees. Anything I need to know is on this page.



Part 2 Global Warming: http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/BriefingBooks/Climate/ebgcc7.cfm
This website hasn't been updated sine 2001 but it has information backdating to 1997 on the impact of Global Warming.

Part 3
The next topic was to go to the Medlineplus site and find a condition or drug which I am interested in. I went to the condition for Hepatitis A. Recently a friend went to South America and contracted this disease whilst he was there. He is now home and has surgery for a severe liver disease and and has been in hospital for 2 weeks. This is information should be able to help him fully understand what the disease it and how it occurred.

Summary
Today's class has given me information that Online libraries and Databases have 24/7 access, which makes doing my work far more easier, that I am not restricted to what time I can find the information I need.
How beneficial are these site to me? Well the fact that they are accessible to me anywhere is a huge benefit. Getting an understanding on how to use this information to help with study is definitely an advantage.
Reading 1
The reading explains the different ways to research the internet, and that Google isn't always the best option. Writing more specific words related to the topic will define the search to the more important pieces of information, and they hopefully wont be doubled up.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Week 2 Word & Excel Exercises




Summary
I definately believe that todays class was very informative, I believe that I have a good understanding on how to use computers and how to use Microsoft Word and Excel. But what was brought to my attention was that I am restricting myself in the programs that I use. Microsoft has many different programs avaliable, but I am only using to the ones I know.

Just in Word and Excel are many different features on how to present the same information. The different types of layouts and shortcuts to make the task more simpler to access.

Todays tasks are to Cut and Paste information into Word and then categorise them, and for Excel the task was to get information on how I spend my hours in the day and week, then with these we were asked to put them into 3 different types of graphs. It is very interesting to see that 3 graphs each shown different but relates to the same information in more detail.
Reading 1
The reading for this week, shows how to use microsoft word and excel. It goes through the tool bar showing all the different options that are avaliable. There are many different shortcuts which makes processing a document faster and neater.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Week 1 Introduction to University Computing

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SUMMARY
The first day at Uni I thought was quite interesting. This is a whole new ball game and I found that the classes and Lecturers were quite good. I did learn a few important facts through the class these being;

~ The importance of knowing the difference between good information and not so not so good information on the Internet.
~ How to use the My Ecu website
~ How to make this Blog
~ That you can never be too careful with your things, and that you are able to save all your pictures on a webpage that you can access any where in the world and it can't be stolen or destroyed.
~ How technology impacts life as a whole.

At the end of this course I hope to achieve confidence in using computers and the internet and have a full understanding of these.

Reading 1
PC Lube and Tune, offers help on different types of information regarding to computers and the difference between them and how they work. It goes on to say that what one company might be doing now, another company may have already done this previously.