References

(A, 2008; bare bones Lesson 7: Basic Search Tips
", 2006 ; Barry M. Leiner, Robert E. Kahn, & Jon Postel, 2003; C, 2003; Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza)," 2008; Griffiths, 2002; Haggis hunt," 2007; Luis, 2008; stephenson M; schwitz M, 2008; Martin Luther King; Microsoft Word Training," 2008; miller, 2008; Republic of molossia," 2008; Thompson, 2004; Tyson, 2001; Welcome to PC Lube and Tune,")


A, m. (2008). Kick it like klejestan. Journal, 20(5), 44
bare bones Lesson 7: Basic Search Tips
(2006 ). Retrieved 12th april 2008, 2008, from http://myecu.ecu.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_154713_1%26url%3D


Barry M. Leiner, V. G. C., David D. Clark,, Robert E. Kahn, L. K., Daniel C. Lynch,, & Jon Postel, L. G. R., Stephen Wolff (2003). A Brief History of the Internet. Retrieved 10th april 2008, 2008, from http://myecu.ecu.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_154713_1%26url%3D


C, P. (2003). Using Microsoft Word. Journal. Retrieved from http://myecu.ecu.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_154713_1%26url%3D


Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza). (2008). Retrieved 2 april 2008, 2008, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-danshen.html


Griffiths, B. R. T. (2002, october 11 2002). History of the Internet, Internet for Historians. Retrieved 11april 2008, 2008, from http://myecu.ecu.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_154713_1%26url%3D


Haggis hunt. (2007). Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://haggishunt.scotsman.com/


Luis, A. (2008, may 25 2008). Fire, Red Bulls downplay fued: fire poised for battle with osorio's squad,


M, s. Breathe new life into old sports gear. shape, 27(10), 126.
M, s. (2008). Soccer Thaws British-Russian Relations, at least temporarily. New york times,
Martin Luther King. Retrieved 10th april 2008, 2008, from http://www.martinlutherking.org/


Microsoft Word Training. (2008). Retrieved April 9, 2008, from http://myecu.ecu.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_154713_1%26url%3D


miller, c. (2008, may 25 2008). Edens is MVP for Dixon: Junior is top defender for bulldogs. Retrieved april 29th 2008,


Republic of molossia. (2008). Retrieved April 10, 2008, from http://www.molossia.org/countryeng.html


Thompson, B. ( 2004). Finding what you want on the web. Journal. Retrieved from http://myecu.ecu.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_154713_1%26url%3D


Tyson, J. (2001). How PCs Work Retrieved April 12, 2008, from http://www.howstuffworks.com/pc.htm


Welcome to PC Lube and Tune. Retrieved April 15, 2008, from http://www.yale.edu/pclt/default.htm

Week 11- Building Knowledge

LECTURE NOTES

This weeks lecture was about the characteristics and importance of data, information, knowledge and wisdom. The lecture began with a pop quiz and from there we continued with the definitions of the above words and so forth. In summary-
Data- is non judgemental, transient information.
Information- Is informative data that relates. It is summerative and has uncertain value.
Knowledge- Is what has been 'perceived' and learned through experience
Wisdom- Is understanding their own knowledge.

TUTORIAL
This weeks tutorial was to convey our own understandings of data, information, knowledge and wisdom through a serious of tasks.

Workshop
1a. Definitions

Data- Raw valid information without meaning. Therefore, non- judgemental or bias.

Information- Relational facts that have meaning.

Knowledge- The foundation of wisdom. Understanding what is gained through study or experiences. A judgemental, subjective understanding of what is known.

Wisdom- Soundness of judgement. A collection of knowledge.

2.


3.
Knowing about the processes of; data, information, knowledge and wisdom can most easily be recognised as a process of understanding. Data is the foundation to wisdom and information and knowledge are the steps in between. As a university student we are constantly being introduced to new ideas and new topics to research. These four steps are the keys to understanding. Understanding this relationship means as a topic or idea progresses we are able to follow the steps of progression until we feel comfortable enough to say we know everything to know about that particular idea/topic.
4.
Gaining information on a product, service or opinion allows organisations to plan, adapt and change factors that could possible decrease the succession of their services and profit.

AB Nielson collects information about when a show is watched, this allows television networks to follow the trends in shows and time slots that are most popular amongst the public. By doing this the Television Networks can potentially gain more viewers by adapting their television shows and times, which allows them to optimise there success in the competitive Television industry.

SGIO Insurance Company collects information from their clientele on their driving history, claim history and on any other previous accidents. This allows the insurance company to apply fair insurance covers (to each customer) to maintain the company’s profit.

“YouGov polling” is a company that collects statistics from the Australia population to provide information and summaries to political parties and the public on likely voting patterns in different electorates.

Emergency Services:St John Of God Ambulance-
Asking questions about medical history and current medication allows paramedics to make correct diagnoses and administer the correct service to a patient. Without this information being made available potential problems could be created and a patients life being put in further danger.

Police-
The Police collect information so that they can have an understanding of what the publics opinions are on particular ideas and laws. This is also applicable to new road rules, this helps to minimise potential problems and keep the public safe.

Reading 1- Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom
This reading was defining and understanding the above words. Using examples i was able to appreciate the connection between each word. As stated before data is the foundation to knowledge and as we become more educated about a topic we become more wise.

Reading 2- Information Literacy Tutorial
This reading was a guide to understanding and assessing knowledge. This site also aims to teach its students about the components of university study and how to be successful, this is done by providing assignments to the people who use this page.

Week 10- Information Management

LECTURE NOTES
This weeks lecture was about Information Management. A major problem faced by people is their way they manage their information, even though it is a potentially easy process. Using a computer is an easy way to manage your information. Computers have the ability to be flexible so making a folder for each topic is fairly easy. Using the 'properties' tool to create data about yourself can assist you also.


WORKSHOP
This work shop looks at the Internet and its functions, we specifically looked at the 'favourites' tab. Our task was to open three new favourite files and add two websites to each folder. Mine are as follows
- Gymnastics
- University Sites
- Pod Casts



Do you think Negroponte’s ideas are still relevant? Why?
Negroponte's ideas seem to still be relevant and correct even though they were published 13 years ago. He suggests that bits will over take atoms and an example of this is when he talks about text books being cheap to make but the costs of transporting them being expensive. An example of a 'con' about atom based information is that it can go out of date fast and not be fixed as easily as a bit format. However, a book is something we can keep for a life time and use as an example of progression where as bit is electronic and is constantly being changed and modified.
The Internet, atoms and bit based information is rapidly over taking the every day items such as videos (now DVDs), records (now C.D's) now progressing to the cinema and the other forms of media. Nevertheless, things such as "FedEx" services will not be completely changed or 'modified' but there usefulness will most definitely be reduced.

Types of information formatting:
Atom Based, Books, Journals, Reports
Pros – we can see it, easy to conceal, difficult to change, hard to copy
Cons – Bulky, Costly, Difficult to edit, and redistribute

Bit Based, digital reproductions, electronic content
Pros – cheap, easy to use an edit, flexible easy to mass produce
Cons – Privacy, unsolicited broadcast, authenticity easy to fake and spam

Reading 1- Grazing the Net

This website discusses how young people use the Internet so much that they are able to easily navigate their way though the complex functions and information found on the Internet. It is specifically about schools in North America. It defines students as 'free range students'. This is because students are now able to express themselves and their opinions to the world. The site also talks about students are needing to be taught more about information management and how to retain what they learn. It also says that schools should teach their students how to evaluate sources, so they are able to learn and obtain further information, not relying on just the one source. Finally, this website talks about the creation of the Internet and guides the reader about using skills to be successful when using the Internet.

Week 9- Communications

LECTURE
Technology has impacted every aspect of our lives, a main component being the way in which we communicate. There are four ways in which we can communicate over the Internet, this is; at the same place and same time (i.e chat room), the same time but different place (i.e msn), different time, same place (ie bulletin) and different time and different place (IE- email). This can be further broken down into two categories 'Synchronous' which is engaging in communication at the same time- e.g phone call, msn etc
and 'Asynchronous' which is replying in their own time, IE email or letter.
We then discussed email etiquette and how emails should be set out and written. Information and communication technology (ICT) have many uses these are:
- Mobile phones.
- Video and tele conferencing.
- I pods, mp3, laptops.
- Email
- Multi-media communication.

TUTORIAL
This weeks tutorial required us to look at pod casts. We completed a four part activity that required us to search on a topic of our search. Below are my answers.

1. My topic choice for this workshop was 'gymnastics' and in looking in Google groups I found that this forum was opinionated and sometimes bias. A number of group results came up including 'Gymnastics; More girls than Boys?', 'Artistic Gymnastics' even 'Names of people who have died as a result of gymnastics'. There was a wide variety of blogs covering a large scope about gymnastics. However, some were not technically related to gymnastics as such, which meant they had no significance to my search. I found this interesting from a personal perspective but not from an 'academics' as it is only based on peoples opinions, rather than facts.

2. When browsing through the groups I found alot of variety and coverage of Gymnastics. The groups tab is basically a way in which people can converse together about a topic that interests them. Topics are typically opinionated and sometimes bias. Nevertheless i found it very interesting to read other peoples opinions on a topic that interests me just as much as them.

3.



4. The benefits of using pod casts are that they are easy to use and a way in which a learner can understand the information more effectively because it can be replayed. Pod casts are an effective way to learn as they are suited to most 'learning styles'. They are also an overall effective way of interactive learning.

READINGS
1. Guide to Using Emails
Email etiquette is about writing an email in the right manor and tone so that it is polite and sincere. Below are some factors that will help to structure a professional email.

-Think of an appropriate subject.
-Address the recipients properly. (Dear, Kind Regards)
-Use appropriate tone.
-Avoid sarcasm and irony- this appears rude.
-Avoid emotion as emails can not convey how someone is feeling very successfully ( this is better face to face or on the phone)
-Edit your message.
-Ask before sending attachments.

2. The Problems with Spam
This web page looks at SPAM and its problems it poses to the public as it is such a difficult problem to manage. Some of the main problems about SPAM is

-Your usage of electronic mailbox is denied.
-It is not like any other form of advertising.
-It doesn't cost the sender anything.
-Destroys the purpose of an email.
-It cost the recipient money.
-Stifles other communications.

Week 8- Presentation Strategies

LECTURE
This weeks lecture began by the students making a list of useful tips for presentations, this included: being specific, using colour schemes, knowing who we are presenting to, modulating our voice, engaging the audience, making eye-contact and using correct spelling. Statistics show that most people remember things by being interactively involved, so humanizing things and making an 'emotional' connection is an important part to an interesting and memorable presentation. We then discussed the main components to a speech being the Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion. Each component having critical parts that should be included in a presentation. If we are presenting with PowerPoint we should not solely rely on the PowerPoint as our means of delivery, it should be simple and only aid us in delivering our ideas. Finally, having a prepared and structured presentation is the key to a successful presentation.

TUTORIAL
This weeks tutorial was about successful (and non successful) ways in which to present an oral presentation. We were also taught about successfully using visual effects to enhance our presentation.

WORKSHOP
1. My top 5 stratergies in making a good presentation are;
- Research the topic so that there is no hesinaties when you are talking about the topic, there is nothing worse than someone talking about something they know nothing about!
- A talk should be prepared and organised around a 'central theme' meaning the topic should be clear. The audience should not be going " what are they talking about?"
- A slide show should be simple. This means avoid using tables as they are too detailed for someone to remember during an oral presentation.
- Always use quotes, specific examples, case studies etc as they help you in expressing a point, they also are a way to legitamize an idea. It makes your speach more believable and it means your not going off with the fairies with an idea with no backing.
- The audience should be entertained- constantly. This means having eye contact, being CONFIDENT! Audience interaction and so on..
2.












Readings

This weeks resource was a website aimed to teach students about creating a short, concise and informative Powerpoint Presentation. This site provides a detailed step by step guide about editing and presenting a powerpoint presentation.

Week 7- EndNote Libraries

LECTURE NOTES
Today's lecture taught us how to use 'endnote'. End Note is a flat-file database system designed to help students reference correctly and more easily. Endnote can easily be downloaded via the ecu homepage and tutorials are available to help students use endnote. Endnote is important as it helps stop plaigarism, which is a big problem within the university environment, correctly referencing anothers work acknowledges their work and means a student can not be penalised for not referencing someone elses ideas and efforts. Finally, end note can be integrated with Microsoft Word and is an easier way to reference with a multitude of different styles, designed for all types of referencing.

TUTORIAL
This weeks tutorial task was to learn the fundamentals and 'how too's' of endnote and the advantage of this when referencing.
We then opened up endnote and completed a set of tasks on how to enter information, weather it is a newspaper, handout, book or a web page. This program works by having an already formulated page based on the type of reference and style. From there we can simply enter the information ( i.e author ) and the reference will be laid out in the correct format so that it can be copied and pasted into a reference list.

TUTORIAL ACTIVITY
This workshops activity was to use the correct template to show we can successfully use endnote and cite references, which can then be saved to Microsoft Word.

The screen shots below show the completed task:

Readings
Reading 1- ECU End Note Guide
This week’s first reading was to read the ECU 'End Note' Guide. This guide provides helpful pointers about utilising the functions of End Note. Basically, it is a step by step guide to creating correct references at a University level. This guide aims for the student to successfully use End Note.

Reading 2- Technical Support and Services
The Second reading was to look at the End Note Technical Support & Services site. This page has frequently asked questions and answers for End Note. It also contains links to download End Note so that as a student we can be regularly up to date with the progressing software of End Note.

Week 6- Evaluation and Authentification

LECTURE NOTES
This weeks lecture was designed to help us, as students, evaluate what is authentic on the Internet. The Internet is a useful tool but can sometimes be unreliable and untrustworthy, this is because anyone can publish their opinions without having it reviewed, meaning some sites are bias, inaccurate and false. This is why we need to critically evaluate what is legit from what isn't. This means checking the currency, authorship, objective, accuracy and coverage of the website prior to using it. Evaluating the authenticity of a website can also be checked by its domain, (i.e- .com, .edu, .au), the credibility of the author, the references and links.

TUTORIAL
This weeks tutorial was about evaluating the authenticity of information on the Internet and enforcing what we have learnt in our lecture into our practical work. Using our knowledge in evaluating what is legit to what isn't we were to look at two sites and evaluate them on the criteria of; authorship, purpose, accuracy, detail and design and overall worth.

Task 1- Each website looks at the evaluation of a website, the websites follow the same criteria to authenticating what is real from what is fake. The six main points below explain what a student should look for when they are evaluating a website.

Accuracy - Is the information reliable?
- Are the facts well covered and documented?

Authorship - Is there information about the author/ producer accessible on the page?
- What qualifications does the author hold?
- Are they affiliated with an organisation?

Objectivity - What is the purpose of this website?
- Is the site bias?
- What is the authors point of view?
- Targeted audience?

Currency - Is the page regularly updated?
- Is there ongoing maintenance?
- When was the site originally published?

Coverage - Is the information peer reviewed and trustworthy?
- Does the site well balanced ? Covers all angles of the topic?
- Is the information presented correctly, in an easy to understand way?

Value - Is the site well organised?
- Is it informal or beneficial in any way ?
- Would you re-visit it again?

Minor points to look for are things such as - copy write, citations, connectivity, censorship, critical thinking and comparability. These are six of the ten 'C's' which were developed to help authenticate a websites value.

Evaluation of two sites
1.
The Sixties Project
http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/sixties/

Authority- Although there is an email address, there is no information about the author and no qualifications that are mentioned.
Accuracy- This site is not very accurate. The information seems to be unrealistic and the website does not have much originality.
Purpose- The objective of this website is to tell people about the sixties. However, it isn't informative, it is simply a bundle of meaningless information.
Currency- This website was last updated in 1999, nine years ago. Seeing as it is about history i don't see how alot of the information could be much different but it has not been maintained and this is a give away to an unreliable website.
Coverage- Yes, this website covers a wide scope of information related to the sixties. However, it has no real depth and seems to merely cover the fundamentals of the sixties, rather than explain why.
Overall worth and Detail- This site is poorly organised and i struggled to find any interesting information from it. It might be an 'ok' site to peruse but it is in no form a source for academics. I would not re- visit this site as i found it confusing and abit of a mess.

In conclusion it is prudent that this website is not reliable and not a good source of information about the sixties.

2.
American History 102
http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture27.html

Authority- This website provides the authors names directly under the title. The two authors qualifications are also listed. However, I didn't find much information about the two authors when i looked them up on Google, so I'm not completely convinced this site is legit.
Accuracy- The facts posted were true and this site did not aim to persuade. Facts are well covered and not hollow.
Purpose- The purpose of this website is to inform people about President Johnson's ideologies and how he influenced American culture (specifically the black movement).
Currency- The last time this website was updated was in 1999. There is no evidence of on going maintenance, so i ponder as to the reliability of the information presented.
Coverage- As mentioned before, the coverage of the topic is quite in depth. The information does not say that it is 'peer reviewed' but it does come from the University of Wisconsin, which is a reliable source.
Overall worth and Detail- This site was informative and easy to navigate around. The pictures were referenced and the attention to detail is very refined

Overall, the information presented seems reliable. It is not bias and positions the reader with solid information as to what President Johnson's philosophies were. Although there are some downfalls in the website I do believe that it would be a reliable source to later review.

Readings
The readings this week were aimed to act as a guide for evaluating websites. By using a criteria of: Authority, Accuracy, Purpose, Currency, Coverage and Over All worth students are able to immediately detect if a website is authentic or not. This component is essential in university life as every academic should know what source is reliable and what ones are not.

Week 5- Using Search Engines

I used search engines to help me to complete this quiz. There was also a cheat to complete this quiz, if you got the question incorrect you could go back and re do it, which meant that it was less legit and not as genuine as a quiz that would not give you the opportunity to do that.

LECTURE 17/3/08
This weeks lecture was based around using Search Engines.
Today Helen discussed Search Engines- categories, problems, interaction, queries and tips. We also talked about Directories which is the other main category of a search tool (directories however, are much smaller than search engines but usually of very high quality).
The main problems with search engines is that they are too general, meaning you need to be very specific in your search, they can include broken links, they can misuse the scoring/ranking system and they can be out of date and irrelevant to your search.
Directories are human edited and reviewed, which ensures a certain degree of quality.
The most popular directories are- DMOZ, Google Directory, Yahoo Directory, Look Smart and About.
Examples of Search Engines are Google, Ask Jeeves and Msn Search.
Searching tips were also discussed.

Tutorial
This weeks tutorial revolved around using search engines successfully. We completed a practical exercise which would help us enforce what we had previously learnt in our lecture and tutorial.

Four strategies that will help you to structure a good search
- Use an Advanced Search to find what you are looking for, it narrows down a search to be more specific.
- Avoid use of numbers and heavy punctuation as it can confuse the search engine.
-Specific information is more suited to a Web search engine
- Using quotation marks for sayings like "too be or not to be" help search engines recognize that it is a phrase rather than a collection of key words.

Reading 1- Internet Search Tips and Strategies

This reading was basically an introduction to successfully using the Internet and categorising the information to help the readers create a better search (as suggested by the title). I found the most useful hint was to know exactly what you are looking for and then narrow it down to a refined search. This source would be helpful to a University Student or to someone who doesn't know how to find relevant information on the Internet, and is definitely worth referring too. This website covers all the important researching skills to becoming a successful academic throughout study life and post study.

Reading 2- The History of the Internet

'The History of the Internet' is a the website aimed to inform the reader about the beginning of the Internet and how it came about. It provides links to databases, directories, library catalogues and search engines, whilst also explaining the common functions of the links ( that were previously mentioned). This site also provides a guide to finding relevant information on the Internet and describes the functions and how to use library catalogues, databases, search engines and directories.

Reading 3- Search Engine Optimisation

This website talks about small business websites on a budget. It talks about key word analysis and setting your benchmark as well as engine optimisation, link popularity, measuring your progress and why you should use their company to promote your business on the Internet. My own evaluation of this website is that it is not very easy to understand and although it was fairly basic it didn't seem a very reliable website.

Week 4- Using the World Wide Web

LECTURE NOTES 17/3/08
This weeks lecture was about using the World Wide Web (w.w.w).
In todays lecture Helen talked about the history of the World Wide Web, she also told us about use of the web, defining the w.w.w, protocols, web browsers, browser interface and vista and the internet.
The w.w.w is a place in which anyone can put any information, making it sometimes fairly difficult to distinguish what is reliable and what is not. The web was created and developed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, he created the web to "facilitate sharing research information". The w.w.w can be defined as "a network of servers are linked together by a common protocol, allowing access to millions of hypertext resources."
Helen then continued by explaining protocols and giving solid examples such as HTTP meaning- Hypertext Transfer Protocol. We also learnt about the process of evolution for the web such as developing a computer with a modem until it was able to create an internet connection. We were given some short cuts to finish the lecture.

TUTORIAL
This weeks task was to analyze the authenticity of the following websites
- http://haggishunt.scotsman.com/
- http://www.molossia.org/information.html

When looking at haggishunt I was immediately confused as to what a 'Haggis' was. The website was not very clear in its intentions and I struggled to understand what the purpose of this website was. My conclusion upon reading this site was that it aims to sell merchandise ( such as t-shirts ) and is not reliable with its information, i do not think this website is reliable.
The Republic of Molossia was a lot more difficult to distinguish if it were authentic and took alot of perusing. However i did find that it was a false website.

Both of these websites have done things to make them look authentic and reliable.
Ways in which each website is given away as false.
1. I found that Haggishunt.com was a joke, i read it briefly and instantly knew it was faulty, this was given away by the 'Haggis cams, the Haggiscolpedia and the cooked haggis". I think that the organization website was very in depth and also had .org, which usually refers to an 'organizational' link. However anyone can create a website with .org, it just makes things a little more difficult to determine if it is legit.
2. The Republic of Molossia and a Haggis do not exist. So therefore both sites are totally faulty.
3. There is a greeting from his excellency, the president of Molossia- whom is wearing a military uniform. Nice try buddy.
4. When reading the information you are able to tell by the language used that both are false, an example of this is that in a link off the Molossia site, there is a write up about the 'Molossaphone' which definitely does not exist- although they do have quite an attempt at making it sound true.
As a final point that i also found it humerous Molossia's national food is....cookie dough??

The second task was to look at www.martinlutherking.org but before doing this write what we expect to find on this site (based on the url).
Well from my recall Martin Luther King was a black rights activist. So upon reading this site I expect to find out about his life and the changes he has made within society. Basically, I expect this site to be based around Martin Luther King.

First Impression
Basically looking merely at the home page I am able to tell that this page does not support Martin Luther King and is VERY against the holiday. Quoting the link "Why the King Holiday Should be Repealed!" There is also a very explicit quote apparently said by Martin Luther King, which does not make him sound like a respectable man. It also has a .org at the end of the website but like i stated before any website can do this, which doesnt necessarily make it a true organizational website.

After reading the articles and statements by the writer I was very aware that this was a one sided opinion against Martin Luther King. The website wanted to destroy his pure and clean reputation and expose him in a bad way. Martin Luther King did a lot of great things for society so who ever wrote this is trying to inform people of the bad things he may have or may not have done. The site makes Luther King out to be a violent person, it uses very bold statements that are so derogatory to such a great man. I am truly appauled in this website it is rude and does not define Martin Luther King for what he was. A lot of thought has gone into presenting such a one sided point of view, but to me this person is just a bitter (possibly racist) writer who has nothing better to do but to try and destroy the reputation of such an inspirational man.

Readings
-A Brief History of the Internet
-History of the World Wide Web

A Brief History about the internet is basically about the history (of course) and what we can expect in the future. This site provides time lines (that i might add, are extremely hard to understand) and goes quite in depth into the beginning and the now of the internet.
Reading two was much like reading one, it defines a lot more simpler however and does not drag on.. unlike the previous reading. (I must add i have no idea why it was called a brief history of the Internet, it was not brief!) I found reading two was much easier for me to understand and i enjoyed reading it much more. This reading however does go indepth but has clear headings which make it more easy to read through. Diagrams are more present in this reading but still are difficult to understand.

Week 3- Online Libraries & Databases

LECTURE NOTES

This Weeks lecture was revolved around Online Libraries and databases. Online databases are basically a way in which a student can get reliable(peer reviewed- if necessary) information, that may not be available in 'google' or other search engines. Online libraries can be found on University sites and therefore as a student you are able to retrieve these journals over the Internet.

Types of Online Journals include
-Online Text Repositories
-Online Journals
-Electronic Books
-Musical
-Artworks

REMEMBER TOO
* Use accurate referencing- should be applied using APA format.
* Copyright - correct referencing of source.
Online databases are- "An organised collection of information (data), characterised by the use of data fields, that provide procedural methods for retrieving information." (Quoted from Lecture 3)

Advantages of Online Databases
- comprehensive, current, browsable, searchable, 24 hour a day access and in an electronic format.

Disadvantages of Online Databases
-Many databases accessible by subscription only, lots of advertising, difficult to navigate and Information Overload.

When reflecting on the advantages and disadvantages i feel that the advantages defiantly outweigh the disadvantages. The main point that stood out to me was the 24 hour a day access which works really well with my schedule as it is suitable to use once i have finished work late at night. Obviously knowing about online journals is vital for University studies and I am happy that I have made progress with my understanding of Journals.

Ten most useful tips when using the ECU library websites are as follows-

-The ECU library allows you to view online journals via the Internet instead of having to go to the library to access them.

- The catalogue search allows you too search by keywords, subjects, authors, titles or exam papers, which makes it easily accessible.

- You can search by a unit code (such as UPC0004) entering the unit code you need information on and it will bring you all the relevant information on that course.

- There is an online Thesaurus and Dictionary which is imperative to have when you are studying at University.

- The website runs a feature called 'eReserve' which is an online collection of highly used materials which can be accessed via the the libraries catalogue. You can also access these materials 24 hours a day on the Internet.

-E-referencing for finding information, using database and locating materials.

- You can search the library catalogue via typing in the area of interest that is applicable for you, IE- Education. You can then click straight into the 'faculty' link of Education and Arts. It will then limit your search to books and journals.

- You can choose whether to have your article 'peer reviewed' which means the work has been checked and you know what the journal is written about is

-It offers you with academic tip sheets

-The online library also runs a program called Meta Quest which is an access portal for various library databases which will search up to 10 databases at a time.

TUTORIAL

This weeks tutorial was based around using the ECU online library function. Our task was to find a journal article on the economic impact of global warming on business. We were then to write ten useful tips about the online library. I found this fairly easy and I am quite pleased that I had no problems, like the previous task.
Once i had completed this I was to visit the MEDline plus website and write on a particular topic that interested me. You can refer to mine below

MEDLINE - SLEEPING DISORDERS - INSOMNIA

I visited the medline plus website and look up "insomnia" as i suffer from it. I was interested at what the site-
There are 4 main types of sleeping disorders these are-
Insomnia - is persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity.
Sleep apnea - pauses in breathing during sleep.
Restless legs syndrome - is a tingling or prickly sensation in the legs
Narcolepsy - Excessive sleep attacks (falling asleep at any time)

Insomnia is a more specified type of sleeping disorder, as explained above it is depicted by inadequate and poor-quality sleep. This can be due to- difficulty falling asleep (& vice versor ), waking up regularly in the night or unrefreshed sleep, leaving you feel tired and drained.
There are two types of insomniacs; secondary insomniacs are the most common, with 80% of suffers being type 2. 'Secondary' insomnia is defined as a symptom or a side-effect of some other problem. 'Primary' insomnia is not a side-effect of another problem, and generally lasts more than a month.
Signs of insomnia include, waking up feeling drained and tired, feeling weary throughout the day, having a short attention span and feeling anxious, depressed or irritable. The best way to cure insomnia is too adjust your sleeping pattern and maintain it. You can also change your atmosphere such as Televisions, Computers and Radios being turned off at the power point. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and sleeping tablets are also available for more chronic sufferers.
To obtain this information I followed several links, I also used the built in search engine to find out more about Insomnia.

Write who you think might use such a service and what you think they might get from it?
I think information from an this site is authentic and reliable. It is clear and easily accessible. The tutorials give simple explanations on what they are referring too whilst also having links for more information.
From reading this article I was able to understand more about the topic of Insomnia, its symptoms and treatment and basically a brief overview of the disorder.
The site also provides encyclopedias directories and medical dictionaries which are great when you need more information or help on a topic.
The people that would use this site are-
- People needing general information on a medical condition
- Students studying medicine
- People with a hereditary disease wanting more information
- Doctors, Nurses etc
- People wanting to know about a drug or supplement
- To look up a prescription drug
- People needing direction can refer to the 'Other resources' page
- People finding out cures and risks of certain medical conditions

Readings
1- Finding what you want on the Web
This weeks reading 1 was about using the world wide web and being able to distinguish what is a reliable source and what isn't.
I have jotted down a few points that stood out to me.
-Using the 'Open Dictionary Project' which is reliable as it is a human-edited, non commercial directory for the www.
-Google is still the fastest and most popular search tool. (Google use)
-Other search engines include Kartoo, Fazzle and Vivisimo.
-Not all resources are easily accessible nor are all search engines free.
-Much of what is on the internet is hidden.
-Create categories and grouping stories together.

2- Bare Bones- Lesson 7: Basic Search Tips
This reading was about how to utilize the web. By including certain things a web search can be much more specific and stop endless hours of un-necessary searching.
-Using the plus (+) and minus (-) signs in front of words to force their inclusion and/or exclusion in searches. EX: +jaguar -car
-Quotation marks should be used for quotes (and exactly as it is)
-The key word topic should be placed first in the search.
-Capital letters will usually come back with a restricted seach. Use small case.
-Combine all of the above together ( pluses and minuses, quotations, smaller cased letters) in a search.
-The 'find' command allows you to find the location of a keyword/s within a document. -Know the search engines basic settings.
-Establish if the search engine being used has a 'stop-word' list.

Week 2- Office Applications

Here is a screen shot of the Word document that I completed.



Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!
Here is a screen shot of the Excel spreadsheet I did.

LECTURE NOTES 3/3/08
This weeks lecture was about common PC Tasks. Helen discussed the importance of file management, PC tasks and email protocols, security and etiquette. She also talked a little about a principle called "Kiss", which is "Keep it simple Stupid" in reference to our power point presentations. A main point i took notice of, was the importance of formating of a document when sending it, for example if you are sending a word document using vista you need to be sure that it has been converted into the right format so that it can be open by the receiving computer, for example Microsoft 2003.

TUTORIAL
This weeks workshop required us to create a Microsoft document and an Excel Spreadsheet. I found this a very daunting task as i had never used 'Vista' before.

THINGS I LEARN'T THIS WEEK IN
Vista Word Document
- I learn't what certain icons meant and what they were used for.
- I learn't about a header and footer and what the purpose of each of these were.
- I learnt about how not to over do things when using some applications.
- I learn't how to insert a contents page

Vista Excel Document
- How to Make Graphs.
- How to insert data and do calculations ( such as averages ).
- What icons meant and what they were used for.

READING
GRAPHIC FORMAT

Bitmap (.bmp)-
- Bitman image quality can range depending on what 'depth' you save it, it will effect the colour and filesize.
- Images used for "wallpaper" should be saved in bitmap format.
- Run_Length_Encoding can be used for 4-bit and 8-bit images, which does not effect the quality of the image.

CompuServe (.gif)-
- Is a compressed format. (MAX 256 colours)- designed to minimize transfer time.
- Used to display indexed-colour graphics/images in HTML documents.
- Supports moving frames and animations.
- Supports transparency for greater flexibility in relation to websites with coloured backgrounds.
-'Interlaced' allows image to be displayed gradually. ( Supported better using Netscape rather than Internet Explorer).

Joint Photographic Experts Group - or Jpeg (.jpg)-
- JPEG usage is to display pictures on the Internet. JPEG retains all colour
- JPEGS are automatically compressed when saved (also referred to as 'lossy'), reducing file size. When opened it automatically decompresses.
- Lossy occurs because it compresses an image by averaging the small areas of colour and disregarding data that is not important to the image.
- An image will never be identical to its original form because of compression and decompression.
- When saving in a JPEG format, you can clearly state the image quality and the speed it connects to the net by controlling the compression level.
- The lower the compression level (higher the number), the slower the image will transfer but more quality is retained (and vice verser).
- "optimize" can be selected (in PhotoShop) which keeps the quality of the image
- "Progressive" allows the image to be viewed gradually. This requires more ram for viewing and is not supported by older version web browsers.

The Tagged-Image File Format (.tiff)-
- Tiff is an exchanging program which allows filed to be swapped between applications and computer platforms.
- It can be read by Macintosh Windows (IBM compatible) computers.
- Produces high quality images that support LZW compression.
- LWZ - uses a mathematical formula to compress image without discarding detail.
- Preferred graphic format for all professional printing.

PhotoShop Document (.psd ~ .psp ~ .spp):
- Layered image formats- support more than one layer of visual data.
- Layered images can be viewed in terms of "each layer being a piece of paper with its own image on it"
- Layers can have areas of transparency.
- An image has many layers and each layer can be edited separately. They can be saved and stored in a file provided. They are saved in an image format that supports layers.

USING MICROSOFT WORD® FOR APA TASKS
This reading was all about using Miscrosoft word and its features. Most of the features I had previous knowledge about. The ones i found most informative were-
Hanging Dent- References can be completed in alphabetical order if you use hanging indent.
Quotations- Of 40 plus words, should be blocked at ½ inch from the left margin and should be double spaced via using the 'paragraph bar'
Spell Check- can be completed using the 'Options' menu in located in the 'Tools' menu
Orphan headings- can be avoided if you-
click Format, then Paragraph. Go to tab for Line and Page breaks click Keep with Next, then finally click OK.
Mark-up icon- allows you to print a document with comments.
I have enjoyed reading this as it went over things i knew but may have forgotten the above pointers were things i knew nothing of and will definitely use in my time at University.

Week 1- Introduction to University Computing

LECTURE NOTES 25/2/08

My first lecture for Accessing Knowledge began with the introduction of Helen Cripps as the unit co-ordinator for UPC0004. She went through a power point presentation about what our course structure was and what our requirements are of this course. We were then introduced to blackboard, a web program that would be a guide to all the information about our courses that we need. After explaining blackboard we were told about plagiarism and to NEVER USE Wikipedia as a source of information as it can be inaccurate and unreliable.
Basically this lecture was an introduction into Accessing Knowledge, our requirements, course structure, assessments and unit content.

Finding Information
enrolment details- SIMO
unit materials and updates (re course)-blackboard
campus maps- SIMO
ECU library search-homepage
support services- student central
student email- blackboard or navigating through ECU homepage.
tutorial information- Blackboard

Learning Outcomes
1- Accessing and using the Web enrolment, learning management systems and communications technologies.
2- Ability to produce a variation of documents, using computer applications to a University standard.
3- Locating, accessing and evaluating data, from different sources ( IE- the Internet, journals and books).
4- Minimise the risk associated with writing using and managing electronic documents.

Public Holidays
Labour Day - No
Easter Friday and Monday- Yes
ANZAC Day - Yes

Assignments
Exam- 30%
Group Assignment- 30%
Journal Learning Log- 40%

Course Structure
1. using computers
2. online research strategies
3. communications
4. information management
5. building knowledge
6. social and ethical issues

Short notes
- Work Shops can be completed at home using blackboard.
- Bring a thumb drive.
- Check email regularly.

Each Week
- Summary of the lecture.
- Workshop write-up and evidence that all tasks are completed.
- Brief summary of each readings- located in that weeks folder.

TUTORIAL
- To begin my first workshop I signed into my ECU email making sure it was working properly. This involved checking that I could send and receive emails using my ECU student address, with out any problems.
- I then referred to Blackboard (as explained in my lecture notes); reading this week requirements in Unit Resources.
- I then set up a weblog to show each weeks requirements and progress. My blog address is as follows (http://jaydda1.blogspot.com)
- After I had created my blogger account I made an Image Shack account (which is basically a way of uploading images and linking them to a profile or blog).

- Finally I produced a 'Screen Shot' of what i had done in my tutorial lesson.

READINGS
HOW STUFF WORKS

Computers are revolutionizing the modern IT world, the word 'computers' has become a household name and recognised as the main componant of the I.T world.
Basically every aspect of our lives have some sort of computerised component, for example our television and car both have a microprocessor built into them. The most recognised computer would of course, be the personal computer, or PC.

A computer is built around its microprocessor, so the main componants in a microprocessor is the memory, a hard disk, a modem etc that work in co-ordination with each other. The general purpose is to type documents, send emails, browse the internet and so on.

The Main components of a typical desktop computer is-

Central Processing Unit (CPU) - the microprocessor is the brain of the computer- everything that the computer does is done by the CPU.

Memory- This is a fast storage to hold data, it connects directly to the microprocessor.

Random- access memory(RAM)
Read only-Memory(ROM)
basic input-output system (BIOS)
Caching
Virtual memory
Motherboard
Powersupply
Hard disk
Operating system
Integrated drive electronics (IDE) controller
Peripheral Component interconnect (PCI) bus
SCIS
ACP (accelerated Graphics Port)
Sound card
Graphics card


(showing parts of a computer)
*PICTURE TAKEN FROM WEBSITE - http://www.howstuffworks.com/pc.htm


*PICTURE TAKEN FROM WEBSITE - http://www.yale.edu/pclt/default.htm

PC LUBE AND TUNE

PC Lube and Tune is a convienience service station founded in Feburary of 1994.
The primary objective of PCLT is to educate on technical subjects to the general users of computers.
Anyone can view and browse the articles in PCLT. However, copying, printing, redistribution, commercial, or corporate use is unauthorized unless they hold a license.

The articles available on PCLT are as follows-

An Introduction to PC Hardware- Aims to educate about the inside componants of a computer. It will also teach you meanings of words in clear and simple terms.

Exception Handling in Java and C#- Information about simple principals of practical software engineering, explaining each example with solid arguments that dont change with the latest fashion.

The Graphic User Interface- The article shows how the entire user interface of every operating system is based on a minut number of basic programming concepts.

Computers, Video Files, and HDTV- 'How things work' is the basis of this article. It discussess the convential with the new and improved. The differences between one I.T product to another.

Technical Perspective on The Microsoft Antitrust Case - This article raises important questions about the capability of the judical system for handling technical matters.

The Tragedy of Microsoft and Java- After two years of Java development, a court order erased Microsoft involvement with Java in Nov. 1998, a devistating blow to the advancesments in Java software.

Microsoft .NET Framework- Sales information about visual studio. Net.

Distributed Applications and the Web- New generations of Internet servers that accommodate for a new programming environment for distributed applications.

Das Boot- How to plan, partition, install and remove DOS.

The Storm Before the COM- How personal communications works and how to solve common problems. A discussion of COM ports modems and the new ISDN communications option.

Introduction to SNA- Providing mainframe and Co-operate access to provide more flexibility.

Introduction to TCP/IP- An article on communications protocol used on the Internet.

Introduction to APPC- is the most efficient choice for communications with a mainframe, an AS/400, or for transport through the big corporate backbone network. Approaching the same subject from a welcoming viewpoint.

Ethernet- high speed communication to the desktop (the most accepted choice) .