mod 4 task 4

Evaluating the web
For my own reference I would prefer a url and brief description similar to those used in the search engine search results page. This is why I will use Blinklist in the future and currently use my browser bookmark/favourites so much. Should a site interest me enough I use google docs to save a more annotated analytical description, this gives me the opportunity to share the document with others if necessary. I find that organisation is a big issue with so many programs and services available making it easy to become over crowded. This is why I am using google on a more regular basis as they combine a number of services online and at the same place.

When referencing on a website my mind goes back to the final concept 33 (Inforamtion and Attention)in the concept document referring to the current attention environment. With web users having such a short attention span it is necessary to grab their attention and make then want to learn more and click through to the source. In my opinion their is no definitive answer as to what should be used as bait. In some circumstances a simple powerful headline type description combined with a link might be sufficient where in other instances a more graphical teaser might be a better choice. This may be in the case of a book where a dynamic cover plus a short review may be a powerful combination.

It is all a matter of attracting attention, our society revels in the spotlight of attention and the wheels of commerce make sure we don’t forget it.

Website Annotation for NET11 Module 4

The story of Harley Davidson in Australia:
URL: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/previous/harley_davidson.asp

AUTHOR:Joint Production of the Austalian Motor Museum Birdwood SA and The Powerhouse Museum Sydney NSW (2002 -2003)

Summary: As an avid Harley Davidson enthusiast this site brings a overview of the beginnings and the culture of Harley Davidson in Australia. From reputed sources the information is relevant and an authentic outlook of the culture, from the voice of the user to the artists that adorn the shining steel horses with uniquely painted designs.

A story well written and well read with credible sources of information and interviews with users.

mod 4 task 3

Organising Search Engine Tasks

Site 1:
URL: http://www.harley-davidson.com
Author: The Harley Davidson Company
Description: A timeline of the history of the Harley Davidson Motor Company.

Site 2.
URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley-Davidson#Harley-Davidson_engines
Author: Unknown
Description: A comprehensive history of the evolution of Harley Davidson Engines.

Site 3:
URL:http://www.thedreamrider.com/stories.html
AUTHOR:Mary Carstens
Description:Women on Wheels, this website embodies the courage, compassion and enjoyment of women from across America who ride motorcycles as part of their lives.

For my own purposes these sites were first added to my Blinklist for easy access at any future stage.
I also used Paint Sho Pro screen capture to snip a portion of the site and used Google Docs to write a small annotated description of each site. I think that I will use the features at Google a lot more in future and other online services so as to make my life more mobile.

Here are the Screen shots I took.

mod 4 task 1

Tools for Using the Web

There are many very handy tools that can make life a lot easier online. Some are essential to be able to read web content in your browser. Modern browsers are now availing multiple add ons which become a seemless part of your browsing experience and are available from menu or tool bars attached to the browser. While these toolbars can be a pain and restrict space on your browser face, they can be turned off and on when needed.

The Internet is moving toward a more online focussed service model where most of these helpers can be accessed online and there is no need to download software to your PC or Mac. There are still some however that are very helpfull and indeed necessary. A majority of online users now have Adobe flash reader, Adobe or other PDf file readers, Software like Winzip or Winrar to unzip Zip files, media players like Windows Media -Apple Quicktime and Itunes – Realplayer, and other so called add ons. I already have all the above ad on software installed and use it regularly.

I downloaded some of the suggested software and tried it out, some was freeware and others had trial versions. One software site (Glooten) was written in French and I was unable to translate so it was ignored.

The bookmark managers look okay but I prefer to keep all bookmarks in one place and now online with Blinklist so they are not going to remain on my computer. I feel that there is a chance that too much Web related software becomes active on ones PC and I like to keep things simple as possible.

The web copier software is something that I may well use in future. As of yet I have had no real need but I can see the application being useful to research material and read websites offline. I downloaded the trial version.

mod 4 task 2

Search Task
For the first part of this task I chose the search term Harley Davidson on my favourite search engine Google. The Result was…

Search task 2

Using the Meta Search Engine Metacrawler, a web based engine the results were quite different. This metsearch engine gets results from a list of the top search engines including Google, ASK, Yahoo and MSN search. These results seemsm to be a skim off the top of the mentioned engines and don’t run very deep (only 84 returns) and include sponsored and ad listings. On first glance the single search through my preferred search engine using the same general key words brings a greater depth of search but on reflection the meta search may well bring a more relevant unclutterred return.

Boolean Search
1. The biggest number of hits relating to these words.

Using Boolean search queries the largest number of hits would be by using the Boolean Logic OR
Harley OR Davidson. This would return combined results for anything with Harley or Davidson in it. Noting that the OR needs to be in Uppercase. This result in Google returned 160,000.000 hits.

Thid result could also be attained by using the advanced search feature.

2. Information most relevant to what you ACTUALLY wanted to look for!

I wanted to actually search for Harley Davidson Motorcycles. To get the best results I used Full Boolean Search terms Harley AND Davidson AND Motorcycles which returned a much more relevent list of sites, weeding out a lot of junk.

3. Information coming only from university sources.

To filter results coming from a University site simply use the advanced search feature in most search engines or use the following – search term site:.edu

mod 3 task 3

Blogging and WEB2
I have been a staunch advocate of the traditional website but this communications module has opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities. While there is still room for the HTML code as a basis the online world is changing. People want more input into there online presence, they want more flexibility, the latest information and they want it now. The web is changing from a world dominated and determined by the big corporations to a world where collective knowledge and intellingence when combined is the new power. It began with the vision of the webs founder Tim Berners-Lee for the web to be a place of equality and opportunity and while large corporations like Microsoft and Netscape did their most to control it companies with vision have opened the door to change.

Blogging

I must admit, I have not used the blog in this module to anywhere near it ‘s full potential, merely as a log of my study. Here are some of the benefits as I see them.

• Easy to use
• Don’t need to know a range of programming languages
• Range of design templates to choose from
• Easy to keep up to date info
• Good backup service from WordPress
• Great feature enabling addition of other blog links
• RSS feed and Snapshot of pages
• Good easy to follow administratioin panel
• Opportunity to tag all your posts
• Two way communication through feedback comments
• No need for any specific programs installed on computer
• No need to maintain own domain or server account
• Can post anywhere there is internet access
• The opportunity to become a part of or contribute to a wider intelligence

Yes, blogging has many benefits and uses for a range of applications both personal and in business. While commercial blogs are in main the most popular blogging software can be installed on your own server. This will in turn allow you to use your own domain name as such. The only problem may be that you will need to install it which requires some technical knowledge and upgrade as new features appear.

WEB2:

The emergence of WEB2 application has changed the way that many people use the net on a regular basis. First coined during a meeting between Tim Oreilly and Medialive International in the early 21st Century WEB2 has become the buzz word on todays web. A lot of people are unsure as to what it really means as it encompasses a range of new ideas and applications whch have at their heart a number of principles…

1. The web itself is the platform
2. Self Control of Data
3. Harnessing of Collective Intelligence
4. Consists of services not software
5. It’s affordable for everyone
6. It’s effectiveness depends on participation

One of the most noticeable applications of WEB2 is the rise of Wikepedia as an online Encyclopedia that is the collective knowledge gained and posted by individuals on a grand scale. There are some questions as to the data itself being of the highest quality but the data nevertheless is expanding at a phenomonal rate. Other instances readily available today are Flickr, Bittorrent, Facebook, Google Suite, blogs, RSS, Podcasting, and Itunes to number just a few.
I see WEB2 as a collaborative push by the Web community to service not only the top percentage of users but the majority. By harnessing the collective intelligence of the broader Web community this is entirely possible. Just look at the thriving community of open source developers that have collectively given so much to the Web.

Data is power, is the core of WEB2 and harnessing and utilising this power for all is exciting.

In answer to the question about Blinklist and A HTML Directory:
The issues with HTML lists are ones of updating, maintaining and technical skills. On the other hand utilising the collective power of blnklist is awesome. Easy to use, powerful, organically growing with friends, and easy to add to from anywhere without coding.

[Authored P.Hunt April - May 2008]

mod 3 task 2

Web Writing Standards:

There is a tendancy for web writers to write pages that reflect their experience and technical knowledge of being online. This can lead to pages that are unneccessarily complex and difficult to absorb. Through personal observation, research and study I have come to the conclusion that for ease of use web pages need to be designed with a number of simple features. Given that it is a different task finding and reading off a computer it follows that there should be different standards.

The way that online users scan pages has been the object of much study and Jacob Neilson, the father of useability studies in his reading study, found that readers scan the page in an F shaped. pattern. Other studies have shown that there are a number of important features a web page must have for it to enable the user to effectively navigate and read the information.

Some of these features are…

• simple and consistent navigation for ease of getting around
• writing in the style of your target users
• avoid pages that are overly long to avoid unnecessary scrolling
• emphasize important points with headlines, italics, bold text etc. as people tend to scan pages
• put your main points at the top of the page and first to utilise the prime real estate of the page
• chunk your text for ease of use and not necessarily in sequence
• If the information is for reading offline set up another print friendly page or use CSS print options
• use the KISS principle and avoid overly flashy distractions unless the site calls for it

Overall the online user is a totally different creature with distinct preferences and attention span. I know that through research a lot of my own online behaviour has become more clearer. Age, experience, literacy levels, sight and hearing issues, culture and internet access all form a mix of variables that seem difficult to overcome. Through consistent design, market research and the use of standards set up by experienced designers and useabiltiy researchers we can go a long way toward satisfying the majority of Users.

MY Simple Little Website:

Here is the link to my website on my own server. I have kept it basic and uncluttered. I use FTP on a daily basis to upload and download files to servers for myself and clients. A majority of these servers are Unix and the FTP allows me to set file permissions to directories and also do minor editing of files online. Of course these FTP transfers are not anonymous and require password aurthentication for access. I use WS_FTP as a FTP client and I find it a great tool for this purpose. Thank god for FTP it makes my life a lot simpler. Even though I have used Dreamweaver a lot I still prefer the use of FTP to transfer files, it helps me stay orientated with file structures and file references.

Note: [Authored P. Hunt April - May 2008]

mod3 task1

The tutorials on Pagetutor were an excellent resourse in basic HTML. Although I didn’t go through and do the exercises as I know HTML, I did scan through them to refresh my mind. Once doing this I opened notepad and proceded to build a basic webpage using XHTML. Once finished the webpage was uploaded to the student webspace for all to see. The page is only basic and incorporates CSS for styling.

Other resources used were “Castro. HTML, XHTML and CSS 6th edition 2007″ Sitepoint, and HTML Goodies.

Blogging and HTML are really like worlds apart for me. While it is a benefit knowing some HTML when writing your blog it really is not that necessary. Blogs are much easier to keep updated and this shows up in the the posts. Sometimes it is not evident when a static HTML site has been updated. Ease of use makes the blog a great tool for a large group of non technical users, enabling them to have there say easily and effectively. Overall ease of feedback is also a benefit of the blog, making it a more user orientated online tool.

The blog has opened up a completely new world with the use of RSS feeds, Permalinks, Blogrolls and Tags. These benefits allow for a great ammount of up to date information to be distributed through what is referred to as the blogosphere. This is in keeping with the push by “WEB2″ companies to move away from the provision of software products to providing online services accessible by everyone. While static websites will remain an intergral part of the Web for a while to come the provision of these types of services will only grow. The evidence of the benefits of blog linking, tagging and networking are evident when searching through the search engines with popular blogs sitting high in the rankings.

As a communications tool I feel that the blog overall surpasses the traditional website while the traditional website may seem to be more information rich for ecommerce and Information that remains relatively static, also they provide a more personal online address/URL. Both have an important part to play in the communication world.

Being a bit of a traditionalist I like the art of designing websites so I get much more out of it. When I look at the code that is generated by the WYSYWYG Editors attached to blogs and such it gives me nightmares. I guess this is the price you pay for taking shortcuts.

One of the great freedoms of the Internet and World Wide Web is the ability to publish your own material, to express yourself to the world with relatively few restrictions. To feel that you have a space online, a place to call your own which you control can be a powerful and liberating feeling.

Note: [Authored P. Hunt April - May 2008]

mod 2 task 8

Chat Task 1:  I downloaded and joined ICQ, a chat program I had used a couple of years ago. Within a short amount of time my wife was complaining that this (colorful words) program was a pain and had slowed our computer up to a crawl. After trawling through the forum posts I  decided to download and install Pidgen and see how it worked. 

With accounts at Google talk, Yahoo Messages and ICQ this program was exactly what I was looking for, adding buddies to my lists was a cinch and having everything in one area helped keep my wife happy. No more slow downs and I was able to chat successfully with fellow students.

My preferred communication program on the Net is Skype Pro, I use it frequently to call and chat with people on a personal and business level. I have also used Paltalk, but as I don’t have a webcam, talk and text chat is all I really need at this time. I do understand though that the real power of the Internet  is in the ability to utilise a whole range of mediums to optimise the effectiveness of virtual communication. No doubt in the future I will embrace further these opportunities.

This task was relatively simple, the ICQ site easy to navigate and signing up was simple. Pidgen also was easy to download and install. While Pidgen is a great little program it does not have the same features as ICQ which may be a issue for some users, but for me that makes it better and less a hassle.

With several students connected up as buddies and with accounts at Yahoo, ICQ and Google I kept track of who was online and available. When communicating with fellow students we went from study to personal and general conversation. I found the text chat helped me to feel a part of a group and established a space for me online where I could ramble on and get feedback and support.

It was interesting that outside of this course I have been using skype as an overall communication tool, had briefly used Paltalk and also ICQ. While they all have common type features some concentrate more on one medium than the other. The opportunity to contribute on a number of levels and in a number of different discussions, both one to one and in group chat was useful.

In reflection there a number of communication tools out there which are relatively easy to use, inexpensive and rapidly evolving. The freedom of expression is alive and well and the opportunity to forge a new global space network has been taken up by a large and diverse part of the online community. A new way has been forged which transends distance and time, while the tools are sometimes tempremental and dependant on Internet connectivety any one can speak out across the cyberwaves whether by text, voice or video.

The opportunities for Education, Relationship, Friendship, Business, Political, Religion and any other issue to be discussed and absorbed is multiplied through informational space. The dawn of the age of true global communication is well upon us.

Email still sits as the basis for online communication but with age comes change and this is now being used as only one part of a suite of communications tools which the discerning Internet user has in his toolbox.

For me, I still prefer Skype where I can keep a majority of my communication needs together. While I will utilise others this will remain my favourite.

mod 2 task 7

Newsgroups: After going through and searching for a newsgroup of interest for what seemed like an eternity I selected an open web based group on usenet.com.au, an Australian focussed group. There where a limited number of groups and I chose a family light banter group. When following the group for a couple of days I found out that the group was not really into light banter and at times the posts lacked nettiquette and where even quite abusive. Here is my post.

————————————————————————————

Go back to group page

Post reply  | Go to next unread message

Subject: And now on a brighter note
Author: Philp
Date: 2 Apr
I’m interested to know what you think about the issue of rights of passage
and how they relate to people in the 21st century.

Does the acquisition of a mobile phone now mark a significant milestone in
a young persons life?

Is the transition from childhood through to adulthood becoming less
defined and are we as adults expecting more from our children at a younger
age therefore cutting short their innocence?

I fear we are, but I’d like your opinions.
Posted at www.Usenet.com.au 

————————————————————————————

This newsgroup was simple, userfriendly and it was quite easy to follow the flow of information through message flow charts. Unfortunately as there is a lack of moderation it is open to abuse.

 

mod 2 task 6

Email Lists V Discussion boards;

The humble email list (listservs) is a easy way to share and receive information  suitable for the novice and the person who needs information displayed in their faces without too much to do. Because the system is based on email everytime the email system is opened there they are. Unfortunately the disadvantages are that the numbers of emails flooding in can become quite frustrating. When this happens it is hard, if not impossible to manage and the information often gets deleted without being sighted. Interest often depends on subject lines.

My experience with email lists is that they don’t work for me (but then again this doesn’t mean they don’t work for others), but the information shared can be from a broad and knowledgable spectrum. Participation can become boring.

Discussion boards (Bulletin Boards, Forums)

Dependant on how boards are set up they can be either userfriendly or nightmarish. Often attached as a support for a number of services offered online the participant searches out and visits the appropriate boards. Boards are much more user centred and participation is up to the user. Because they are web based they offer a point of contact, searchable by search engine.

I feel the services that utilise the best of both worlds are the better option, Yahoo Groups being a successful example.