The report has been handed in but it was not as bad as it seemed. I felt that part one was easy as we had discussed all the different parts during lectures therefore it was easy to find information and books as most of the applications are very popular. I read a varity of texts do complete the fiorst part but i think one of the best books was colloboration of web 2.0 by Wiley it discussed every application in full detail making it alot easier tio talk about the applications.
However i felt that the second part of the report was hard because we had not discussed it in depth during lectures as i felt that the last two lectures were too crammed with information which made it hard for me to understand the different startegies. Therefore in order to understand the second part of the report i had to do alot of reading to actually understand what was being discussed. I mostly read the two recommended books as they were mainly talking about various issues realting to that subject.
I wish that we had got our report handed out during the holidays as i probably would have managed to make a much better attempt at it however i tried my best and i am hoping for the best as i have puut alot of effort in to it.
Saturday 22 May 2010
Thursday 22 April 2010
Week 11
This week’s lecture was on management of web 2.0 delivered by Margaret McCann.
Web 2.0 is causing a splash as it stretches the boundaries of what Web sites can do. But in the rush to add features, security has become an afterthought.
"We're continuing to make the same mistakes by putting security last," said Billy Hoffman, lead engineer at Web security specialist SPI Dynamics. "People are buying into this hype and throwing together ideas for Web applications, but they are not thinking about security, and they are not realizing how badly they are exposing their users."
The risks of web 2 include the following:
• Privacy
• Information disclosure
• Loss of reputation
• Authenticity
• Transparency
• cyber stalking
There are a huge number of security risks associated with web 2.0 such as:
• Hackers
• Viruses
• Worms
• Adware
• Spyware
• Malware
• Spam
• Phishing
• Mobile devices such as wifi
Websense's State of Internet Security, released Tuesday, notes that attackers are focusing their attention on interactive Web 2.0 elements. Some 95 percent of user-generated comments on blogs, message boards, and chat rooms are either spam or contain malicious links, the security vendor warned.
The security company said its research during the first six months of 2009 indicated that community-driven security tools, which enable people to report inappropriate content, on sites including YouTube and BlogSpot are 65 percent to 75 percent "ineffective in protecting Web users from objectionable content and security risks."
According to Websense statistics, the number of malicious sites between January and June grew 233 percent over the second half of 2008, and 671 percent compared with the same period last year.
The security company also found that during the first six months of 2009, 78 percent of new Web pages with objectionable content such as pornography or gambling, contained at least one malicious link. Some 77 percent of Web sites with malicious code were compromised legitimate sites.
Ethics are important not only in business but in all aspects of life because it is an essential part of the foundation on which of a civilized society is build. A business or society that lacks ethical principles is bound to fail sooner or later
Internet, which hosts an enormous information base, has given rise to the concept of information privacy. The vast information on the Internet faces security needs. Unauthorized access to the information is undesirable. Data privacy refers to the association between the technology and the legal rights related to it. Whenever any information about a person or a person's data is stored, privacy needs arise. Internet privacy is the control one has over what information about oneself, the person wishes to disclose. Internet privacy deals with controlling the access to information over the Internet.
Internet privacy can be considered as a subset of computer privacy. Computer privacy consists of the data privacy relating to the avoidance of the improper disclosure of the personally identifiable information collected and stored by websites. The effective sharing of data while protecting the private information is the real challenge.
One school of thought denies the existence of Internet privacy while the other advocates the necessity of the Internet privacy. Complete anonymity is not the intent of Internet privacy. It rather intends to achieve a controlled disclosure of one’s personal information. Internet is a network of networks and when a person uses the Internet, he/she connects to it and is identified by an address. In technical terms this address is known as an IP address. For security reasons, a website may wish to track these addresses of its users. Websites may collect the non-personally identifiable information of their users. Such information is the one, which in no way can be used to uniquely identify a person. The disclosure of these forms of information is acceptable. It is actually the means by which websites track the users' Internet activities.
Some users prefer stricter forms of privacy such as anonymity to the Internet. Is it ethically right to allow users to use the Internet with a fake or an anonymous identity? While it caters to the privacy needs of some users, it may endanger the Internet usage for the others. Many users complain of being stalked by the anonymous users.
During the intellectual part of the lecture we discussed whether free music downloads is a means of stealing. The majority of the class disagreed that it is not stealing but Margaret said that it is stealing because you are getting something without paying it is a bit like going into an HMV store and stealing a CD from there then saying it is stealing. It made me realise how ethically wrong this is.
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that allows artists, authors, publishers and musicians the option of creating and defining a flexible copyright for their creative works. Creative Commons was officially launched in 2001 by a group of intellectual property experts, lawyers and web publishers. Creative Commons licenses cover art, music, and writing, but is not designed for software.
A Creative Commons license allows creators to place conditions on their copyrights. Traditionally, copyrights restrict the rights of others from modifying or distributing copywritten works. Creative Commons licenses offer flexibility by allowing the creator (copyright holder) the ability to choose what limitations they want in place with respect to specific copywritten works.
A variety of license options exist for the copyright holder. Assigning a Creative Commons license does not mean that the copyright holder is relinquishing rights to a piece of art, it merely means some conditions could be placed on the use of creative works.
Examples of Creative Common License Options
A Creative Commons license enables copyright holders to grant some of their rights to the public while retaining other rights.
• NonCommercial
A non-commercial license lets others copy, distribute, perform creative works and derivative works, but only for noncommercial purposes (anyone using the creative works cannot profit from it).
• ShareAlike
A ShareAlike license allows others to distribute derivative works under a license identical to the one held by the original copyright holder.
• NoDerivative Works
A NoDerivative Works clause allows others to copy, distribute, display and perform the exact copywritten works and no derivative works can be created.
Creative commons covers 4 attributes. The attributes states that you must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
With the understanding that:
• Waiver
Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.
• Public Domain
Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
• Other Rights
In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:
o Your fair dealing or fair use rights, or other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations;
o The author's moral rights;
o Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.
• Notice
For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to this web page.
Two of the companies policy guidelines I found interesting are:
• Yahoo
AND
• BT
Yahoo! believes in fostering a thriving online community and supports blogging as a valuable component of shared media. The Yahoo! Personal Blog Guidelines have been developed for Yahoos who maintain personal blogs that contain postings about Yahoo!’s business, products, or fellow Yahoos and the work they do. They are also applicable to Yahoos who post about the company on the blogs of others. The guidelines outline the legal implications of blogging about the company and also include recommended best practices to consider when posting about Yahoo!.
LEGAL PARAMETERS: The following two bullets cover your legal responsibilities and non-disclosure obligations. Failure to abide by these two guidelines can result in serious ramifications for individual bloggers and/or individuals who post on the blogs of others.
• Legal Liability
When you choose to go public with your opinions via a blog, you are legally responsible for your commentary. Individual bloggers can be held personally liable for any commentary deemed to be defamatory, obscene, proprietary, or libelous. For these reasons, bloggers should exercise caution with regards to exaggeration, colorful language, guesswork, obscenity, copyrighted materials, legal conclusions, and derogatory remarks or characterizations. In essence, you blog (or post on the blogs of others) at your own risk. Outside parties actually can pursue legal action against you (not Yahoo!) for postings.
• Company Privileged Information
Any confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information is obviously off-limits for your blog per the Proprietary Information Agreement you have signed with Yahoo!. To obtain a copy of your agreement, please contact your HR manager. The Yahoo! logo and trademarks are also off-limits per our brand guidelines. Anything related to Yahoo! policy, inventions, strategy, financials, products, etc. that has not been made public cannot appear in your blog under any circumstances. see Yahoo! Guides 2. Disclosing confidential or proprietary information can negatively impact our business and may result in regulatory violations for the company.
BT recognises that its transformation into a global communication services company delivering software driven products relies on a workforce that can actively participate in collaboration and innovation with colleagues, customers, partners and suppliers on the web using social media tools.
Any BT person can use social media tools on the BT Intranet without approval. BT people may also use social media tools on the internet in support of their role and where there is clear business benefit provided they have permission to do so from their line manager.
Specific user guidance for blogging
Blogs can be used in two main ways:
• Personal blogs – these are personality driven channels
• Business blogs – these are content/issue driven channels.
Personal blogs – these are a vehicle for individuals to post business-related information in a personal context and some personal information about themselves. Internal personal blogs support knowledge management by:
• Providing searchable skills and experience information about BT people
• Providing searchable information about the issues/challenges individuals face in their work which can be shared and solved collectively
• Getting more data in the network where it can be searched and shared
• Providing a mechanism for building communities through which the collective power of the community can solve problems and issues individuals face
• Reducing duplication
• Sharing best practice across the organization and sharing good ideas and valuable experiences
• Encouraging innovation and inspiring and engaging BT colleagues.
Business blogs – may be individual in personality (although not containing personal information) or run by a group of people as a group blog. These blogs will focus on content or issues but be delivered by a named and recognisable individual or individuals. A business blog may be associated with existing published material of some kind, be part of a marketing or communications campaign, or complement an existing process (e.g. it might be part of an existing web site; set up in response to the issuing of a hard-copy newsletter; or to gather feedback about an existing process).
I found these the most interesting because they were more detailed than the other and also seemed less strict than the others.
During the lab I finished my group activity and created a new wiki then put the information on that. Therefore it was nothing new that we got to do in the lab. However the lecture was very good because it made me think about the benefits and the problems with social networking and web 2.
Web 2.0 is causing a splash as it stretches the boundaries of what Web sites can do. But in the rush to add features, security has become an afterthought.
"We're continuing to make the same mistakes by putting security last," said Billy Hoffman, lead engineer at Web security specialist SPI Dynamics. "People are buying into this hype and throwing together ideas for Web applications, but they are not thinking about security, and they are not realizing how badly they are exposing their users."
The risks of web 2 include the following:
• Privacy
• Information disclosure
• Loss of reputation
• Authenticity
• Transparency
• cyber stalking
There are a huge number of security risks associated with web 2.0 such as:
• Hackers
• Viruses
• Worms
• Adware
• Spyware
• Malware
• Spam
• Phishing
• Mobile devices such as wifi
Websense's State of Internet Security, released Tuesday, notes that attackers are focusing their attention on interactive Web 2.0 elements. Some 95 percent of user-generated comments on blogs, message boards, and chat rooms are either spam or contain malicious links, the security vendor warned.
The security company said its research during the first six months of 2009 indicated that community-driven security tools, which enable people to report inappropriate content, on sites including YouTube and BlogSpot are 65 percent to 75 percent "ineffective in protecting Web users from objectionable content and security risks."
According to Websense statistics, the number of malicious sites between January and June grew 233 percent over the second half of 2008, and 671 percent compared with the same period last year.
The security company also found that during the first six months of 2009, 78 percent of new Web pages with objectionable content such as pornography or gambling, contained at least one malicious link. Some 77 percent of Web sites with malicious code were compromised legitimate sites.
Ethics are important not only in business but in all aspects of life because it is an essential part of the foundation on which of a civilized society is build. A business or society that lacks ethical principles is bound to fail sooner or later
Internet, which hosts an enormous information base, has given rise to the concept of information privacy. The vast information on the Internet faces security needs. Unauthorized access to the information is undesirable. Data privacy refers to the association between the technology and the legal rights related to it. Whenever any information about a person or a person's data is stored, privacy needs arise. Internet privacy is the control one has over what information about oneself, the person wishes to disclose. Internet privacy deals with controlling the access to information over the Internet.
Internet privacy can be considered as a subset of computer privacy. Computer privacy consists of the data privacy relating to the avoidance of the improper disclosure of the personally identifiable information collected and stored by websites. The effective sharing of data while protecting the private information is the real challenge.
One school of thought denies the existence of Internet privacy while the other advocates the necessity of the Internet privacy. Complete anonymity is not the intent of Internet privacy. It rather intends to achieve a controlled disclosure of one’s personal information. Internet is a network of networks and when a person uses the Internet, he/she connects to it and is identified by an address. In technical terms this address is known as an IP address. For security reasons, a website may wish to track these addresses of its users. Websites may collect the non-personally identifiable information of their users. Such information is the one, which in no way can be used to uniquely identify a person. The disclosure of these forms of information is acceptable. It is actually the means by which websites track the users' Internet activities.
Some users prefer stricter forms of privacy such as anonymity to the Internet. Is it ethically right to allow users to use the Internet with a fake or an anonymous identity? While it caters to the privacy needs of some users, it may endanger the Internet usage for the others. Many users complain of being stalked by the anonymous users.
During the intellectual part of the lecture we discussed whether free music downloads is a means of stealing. The majority of the class disagreed that it is not stealing but Margaret said that it is stealing because you are getting something without paying it is a bit like going into an HMV store and stealing a CD from there then saying it is stealing. It made me realise how ethically wrong this is.
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that allows artists, authors, publishers and musicians the option of creating and defining a flexible copyright for their creative works. Creative Commons was officially launched in 2001 by a group of intellectual property experts, lawyers and web publishers. Creative Commons licenses cover art, music, and writing, but is not designed for software.
A Creative Commons license allows creators to place conditions on their copyrights. Traditionally, copyrights restrict the rights of others from modifying or distributing copywritten works. Creative Commons licenses offer flexibility by allowing the creator (copyright holder) the ability to choose what limitations they want in place with respect to specific copywritten works.
A variety of license options exist for the copyright holder. Assigning a Creative Commons license does not mean that the copyright holder is relinquishing rights to a piece of art, it merely means some conditions could be placed on the use of creative works.
Examples of Creative Common License Options
A Creative Commons license enables copyright holders to grant some of their rights to the public while retaining other rights.
• NonCommercial
A non-commercial license lets others copy, distribute, perform creative works and derivative works, but only for noncommercial purposes (anyone using the creative works cannot profit from it).
• ShareAlike
A ShareAlike license allows others to distribute derivative works under a license identical to the one held by the original copyright holder.
• NoDerivative Works
A NoDerivative Works clause allows others to copy, distribute, display and perform the exact copywritten works and no derivative works can be created.
Creative commons covers 4 attributes. The attributes states that you must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
With the understanding that:
• Waiver
Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.
• Public Domain
Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
• Other Rights
In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:
o Your fair dealing or fair use rights, or other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations;
o The author's moral rights;
o Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.
• Notice
For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to this web page.
Two of the companies policy guidelines I found interesting are:
• Yahoo
AND
• BT
Yahoo! believes in fostering a thriving online community and supports blogging as a valuable component of shared media. The Yahoo! Personal Blog Guidelines have been developed for Yahoos who maintain personal blogs that contain postings about Yahoo!’s business, products, or fellow Yahoos and the work they do. They are also applicable to Yahoos who post about the company on the blogs of others. The guidelines outline the legal implications of blogging about the company and also include recommended best practices to consider when posting about Yahoo!.
LEGAL PARAMETERS: The following two bullets cover your legal responsibilities and non-disclosure obligations. Failure to abide by these two guidelines can result in serious ramifications for individual bloggers and/or individuals who post on the blogs of others.
• Legal Liability
When you choose to go public with your opinions via a blog, you are legally responsible for your commentary. Individual bloggers can be held personally liable for any commentary deemed to be defamatory, obscene, proprietary, or libelous. For these reasons, bloggers should exercise caution with regards to exaggeration, colorful language, guesswork, obscenity, copyrighted materials, legal conclusions, and derogatory remarks or characterizations. In essence, you blog (or post on the blogs of others) at your own risk. Outside parties actually can pursue legal action against you (not Yahoo!) for postings.
• Company Privileged Information
Any confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information is obviously off-limits for your blog per the Proprietary Information Agreement you have signed with Yahoo!. To obtain a copy of your agreement, please contact your HR manager. The Yahoo! logo and trademarks are also off-limits per our brand guidelines. Anything related to Yahoo! policy, inventions, strategy, financials, products, etc. that has not been made public cannot appear in your blog under any circumstances. see Yahoo! Guides 2. Disclosing confidential or proprietary information can negatively impact our business and may result in regulatory violations for the company.
BT recognises that its transformation into a global communication services company delivering software driven products relies on a workforce that can actively participate in collaboration and innovation with colleagues, customers, partners and suppliers on the web using social media tools.
Any BT person can use social media tools on the BT Intranet without approval. BT people may also use social media tools on the internet in support of their role and where there is clear business benefit provided they have permission to do so from their line manager.
Specific user guidance for blogging
Blogs can be used in two main ways:
• Personal blogs – these are personality driven channels
• Business blogs – these are content/issue driven channels.
Personal blogs – these are a vehicle for individuals to post business-related information in a personal context and some personal information about themselves. Internal personal blogs support knowledge management by:
• Providing searchable skills and experience information about BT people
• Providing searchable information about the issues/challenges individuals face in their work which can be shared and solved collectively
• Getting more data in the network where it can be searched and shared
• Providing a mechanism for building communities through which the collective power of the community can solve problems and issues individuals face
• Reducing duplication
• Sharing best practice across the organization and sharing good ideas and valuable experiences
• Encouraging innovation and inspiring and engaging BT colleagues.
Business blogs – may be individual in personality (although not containing personal information) or run by a group of people as a group blog. These blogs will focus on content or issues but be delivered by a named and recognisable individual or individuals. A business blog may be associated with existing published material of some kind, be part of a marketing or communications campaign, or complement an existing process (e.g. it might be part of an existing web site; set up in response to the issuing of a hard-copy newsletter; or to gather feedback about an existing process).
I found these the most interesting because they were more detailed than the other and also seemed less strict than the others.
During the lab I finished my group activity and created a new wiki then put the information on that. Therefore it was nothing new that we got to do in the lab. However the lecture was very good because it made me think about the benefits and the problems with social networking and web 2.
Thursday 15 April 2010
Week 10
This week the lecture was about management of web 2.0. This is an important topic which has to be addressed because there is so much involved in web 2.0 that if it is not managed it will create serious issues in the future.
With all the hype that Web 2.0 has gotten, many companies are now looking at their existing Web CMS and wondering whether it meets the new paradigm’s needs or merely traps them in an earlier age of the Web, thereby missing new business opportunities and making them appear dated.
Some of the success stories that I found interesting are:
WholeFoods
Natural food retail giant Whole Foods makes an interesting case study because the company's use of Twitter points the way for enterprises such as retailers to keep both a national or international presence, as well as a local presence on social networks.
Whole Foods maintains a corporate presence on Twitter that has over 550,000 followers.
While many of the interactions between this national Whole Foods and its customers concern corporate policies and the company's social activism, many more interactions involve customer service issues related to specific stores. Such as
"Sorry to hear that your soup was cold. Let me know which store it was and I'll see if I can get you in touch with the [store team leader]."
"You'll have to check in your local store about that since they determine product selection. Thanks."
To address local concerns such as these, Whole Foods is bringing many of its local stores to Twitter. These branch accounts can directly respond to issues such as what the store stocks, issues around service or product quality in the stores.
VirginAmerica
Virgin America, an upstart US domestic carrier that is separate from Virgin Atlantic, has worked hard to craft a service-first, fun brand image to differentiate itself from its competitors.
That brand image has extended to its use of Twitter. Virgin America, therefore, is an interesting case study in how to promote your business using twitter.
Virgin America's Twitter presence is heavy on marketing, using "fun" language and attitude while giving details of new routes, new deals and overall corporate "feel-goodery".
It is also the home for some marketing stunts, including live Twittering on a flight (via in-air WiFi) by airline founder Sir Richard Branson. The airline also handles customer service issues addressed directly to its user name. Here is a recent exchange with a customer.
It is also significant that the airline has successfully managed to blend the its customer service interactions with other interactions, accurately reflecting corporate branding, while maintaining customer satisfaction.
There are so many issues involving management of web 2.0 such as:
Look out for repetitive strain injuries, twitter fans are warned
Trick or Tweet? Twitter launches crackdown after millions are duped by fake accounts
Michael Grove: All balls and Twitter: how the so called schools secretary is wrecking our children’s education for his political career
There are so many more headings which are all important issues which is shocking because this is growing as a big problem for many people.
McKinsey (2007) discusses how businesses are using web 2 technologies in a global survey. Overall, executives are satisfied with their previous investments in Internet technology, and most are investing in trends that promote automation and networking online.
The rising popularity of user-driven online services, including MySpace, Wikipedia, and YouTube, has drawn attention to a group of technological developments known as Web 2.0. These technologies, which rely on user collaboration, include Web services, peer-to-peer networking, blogs, podcasts, and online social networks.
Respondents to a recent McKinsey survey show widespread but careful interest in this trend.1 Expressing satisfaction with their Internet investments so far, they say that Web 2.0 technologies are strategic and that they plan to increase these investments. But companies aren’t necessarily relying on the best-known Web 2.0 trends, such as blogs; instead, they place the greatest importance on technologies that enable automation and networking.
It is clear that companies using Web 2.0 technologies have developed a new way of bringing technology into businesses. And, according to many participants, this new approach is easier to implement and more flexible than traditional top-down approaches. Discussion participants are seeing some business impact from these technologies and seem generally optimistic about their benefits, particularly in how they help a company refine its strategy.
McKinsey Quarterly published an interesting article this month how companies can successfully use Web 2.0 tools. McKinsey has studied in the past two years the experiences of more than 50 early adopters of Web 2.0 tools in corporate organizations. The experiences are equally balanced between enthusiastic and dissatisfied. However, basis for success lies in the acceptance of the disruptive characteristic of Web 2.0 and the understanding how to create value with these tools.
Based on these results McKinsey has identified six critical success factors for the use of Web 2.0 technologies:
• The transformation to a bottom-up culture needs help from the top
Web 2.0 projects depend on bottom-up involvement of people throughout the organization. However, involvement of senior management is paramount as they will act as role models that will encourage participation of the rest of the organization.
• The best uses come from users – but they require help to scale
Successful use of new technologies depend on the involvement of the users in the development and implementation of it. Failure is at risk when management tries to dictate their preferred uses of the technologies used. Mckinsey’s research demonstrates that the applications that drive the most value through participatory technologies are often not those that were expected by management.
• What’s in the workflow is what gets used
When developing Web 2.0 applications make sure that the users are able to create the time within their daily workflow to participate in these new collaborative initiatives. Initial enthusiasm will fade rapidly if users experience that participation is another add-on to their already crowded to-do lists.
• Appeal to the participants’ egos and needs – not just their wallets
Financial incentives do not work in collaborative technologies. They create content, but of low quality. More effective is it to bolster the reputation of participants in relevant communities, rewarding enthusiasm, or acknowledging the quality and usefulness of contributions.
• The right solution comes from the right participants
Be sure who to target. To select users that will have valuable contributions takes thorough preparation. Look across the borders of the traditional experts but also involve other disciplines within the organization. If done correctly, it can create great benefits beyond expectations. Sales forecasts predicted by participants with a more diverse base in operational knowledge were more accurate than those of the company’s experts.
• Balance the top-down and self-management of risk
Web 2.0 by definition is disruptive and stads for authenticity, open and free communication. these factors feed many companies with fear for these technologies. However, Web 2.0 is not equal to total anarchy and some control over the content produced is prudent in corporate environments. Some security functions can, and should, be installed, such as prohibiting anonymous posting. Ultimately, successful participation means engaging in authentic conversation with participants.
Acceptance of Web 2.0 tools in corporations is growing. Spenditure on Web 2.0 technologies is currently estimated at $1 billion by McKinsey, but in the coming five years an annual growth of 15% is expected, despite the current recession. I fully agree with this view. Even stronger, due to the unique characteristics of Web 2.0 (e.g. cost effective, participative, collabrative, very effective harvesting of tacit knowledge) it is the distinctive technology in times of economic downfall. After all, if one thing survives in a recession, it’s innovation. And Web 2.0 is such an innovative technology that makes the difference
The barriers to success are as follows:
• Culture
• Security
• Lack of engagement
• Lack of commitment
• Risk
I think that security is the most serious issue therefore a positive, confident and competent approach is to look at the security implications and deal with them. Blocking access to applications is too often the first approach, when it ought to be the last. A good IT department should be looking for ways that it can help, not hinder. In any instance, an information department really should have access to just about anything, up to and including Facebook and YouTube because they’re useful information tools. If the question is rather more ‘we can’t trust our staff’ then that’s an entirely different conversation which shouldn’t get tied up with security/access to resource queries.
If it’s considered too dangerous to put material onto an external website that’s a good reason not to use a product, and that sort of security should be paramount. In most cases however, that’s going to be quite rare, and it shouldn’t hinder the use of other sites for more general material
This lecture was very difficult to understand as I did not actually get what was being discussed properly. I did some research on this lecture in order to get a better understanding but it was still hard to digest so much information at one time. Also Margaret did not finish the lecture therefore the last part was completely not understood.
This week in our lab time we were given our coursework task which was okay to do but I just wish we had got it before the Easter break because I would have finished it during this time. Now there is too much to be done and so little time getting very stressed about things. The activity in the lab was okay because it made us address questions that we could pick up on in our report therefore it was fine. Also the team worked well together developing on each others ideas.
With all the hype that Web 2.0 has gotten, many companies are now looking at their existing Web CMS and wondering whether it meets the new paradigm’s needs or merely traps them in an earlier age of the Web, thereby missing new business opportunities and making them appear dated.
Some of the success stories that I found interesting are:
WholeFoods
Natural food retail giant Whole Foods makes an interesting case study because the company's use of Twitter points the way for enterprises such as retailers to keep both a national or international presence, as well as a local presence on social networks.
Whole Foods maintains a corporate presence on Twitter that has over 550,000 followers.
While many of the interactions between this national Whole Foods and its customers concern corporate policies and the company's social activism, many more interactions involve customer service issues related to specific stores. Such as
"Sorry to hear that your soup was cold. Let me know which store it was and I'll see if I can get you in touch with the [store team leader]."
"You'll have to check in your local store about that since they determine product selection. Thanks."
To address local concerns such as these, Whole Foods is bringing many of its local stores to Twitter. These branch accounts can directly respond to issues such as what the store stocks, issues around service or product quality in the stores.
VirginAmerica
Virgin America, an upstart US domestic carrier that is separate from Virgin Atlantic, has worked hard to craft a service-first, fun brand image to differentiate itself from its competitors.
That brand image has extended to its use of Twitter. Virgin America, therefore, is an interesting case study in how to promote your business using twitter.
Virgin America's Twitter presence is heavy on marketing, using "fun" language and attitude while giving details of new routes, new deals and overall corporate "feel-goodery".
It is also the home for some marketing stunts, including live Twittering on a flight (via in-air WiFi) by airline founder Sir Richard Branson. The airline also handles customer service issues addressed directly to its user name. Here is a recent exchange with a customer.
It is also significant that the airline has successfully managed to blend the its customer service interactions with other interactions, accurately reflecting corporate branding, while maintaining customer satisfaction.
There are so many issues involving management of web 2.0 such as:
Look out for repetitive strain injuries, twitter fans are warned
Trick or Tweet? Twitter launches crackdown after millions are duped by fake accounts
Michael Grove: All balls and Twitter: how the so called schools secretary is wrecking our children’s education for his political career
There are so many more headings which are all important issues which is shocking because this is growing as a big problem for many people.
McKinsey (2007) discusses how businesses are using web 2 technologies in a global survey. Overall, executives are satisfied with their previous investments in Internet technology, and most are investing in trends that promote automation and networking online.
The rising popularity of user-driven online services, including MySpace, Wikipedia, and YouTube, has drawn attention to a group of technological developments known as Web 2.0. These technologies, which rely on user collaboration, include Web services, peer-to-peer networking, blogs, podcasts, and online social networks.
Respondents to a recent McKinsey survey show widespread but careful interest in this trend.1 Expressing satisfaction with their Internet investments so far, they say that Web 2.0 technologies are strategic and that they plan to increase these investments. But companies aren’t necessarily relying on the best-known Web 2.0 trends, such as blogs; instead, they place the greatest importance on technologies that enable automation and networking.
It is clear that companies using Web 2.0 technologies have developed a new way of bringing technology into businesses. And, according to many participants, this new approach is easier to implement and more flexible than traditional top-down approaches. Discussion participants are seeing some business impact from these technologies and seem generally optimistic about their benefits, particularly in how they help a company refine its strategy.
McKinsey Quarterly published an interesting article this month how companies can successfully use Web 2.0 tools. McKinsey has studied in the past two years the experiences of more than 50 early adopters of Web 2.0 tools in corporate organizations. The experiences are equally balanced between enthusiastic and dissatisfied. However, basis for success lies in the acceptance of the disruptive characteristic of Web 2.0 and the understanding how to create value with these tools.
Based on these results McKinsey has identified six critical success factors for the use of Web 2.0 technologies:
• The transformation to a bottom-up culture needs help from the top
Web 2.0 projects depend on bottom-up involvement of people throughout the organization. However, involvement of senior management is paramount as they will act as role models that will encourage participation of the rest of the organization.
• The best uses come from users – but they require help to scale
Successful use of new technologies depend on the involvement of the users in the development and implementation of it. Failure is at risk when management tries to dictate their preferred uses of the technologies used. Mckinsey’s research demonstrates that the applications that drive the most value through participatory technologies are often not those that were expected by management.
• What’s in the workflow is what gets used
When developing Web 2.0 applications make sure that the users are able to create the time within their daily workflow to participate in these new collaborative initiatives. Initial enthusiasm will fade rapidly if users experience that participation is another add-on to their already crowded to-do lists.
• Appeal to the participants’ egos and needs – not just their wallets
Financial incentives do not work in collaborative technologies. They create content, but of low quality. More effective is it to bolster the reputation of participants in relevant communities, rewarding enthusiasm, or acknowledging the quality and usefulness of contributions.
• The right solution comes from the right participants
Be sure who to target. To select users that will have valuable contributions takes thorough preparation. Look across the borders of the traditional experts but also involve other disciplines within the organization. If done correctly, it can create great benefits beyond expectations. Sales forecasts predicted by participants with a more diverse base in operational knowledge were more accurate than those of the company’s experts.
• Balance the top-down and self-management of risk
Web 2.0 by definition is disruptive and stads for authenticity, open and free communication. these factors feed many companies with fear for these technologies. However, Web 2.0 is not equal to total anarchy and some control over the content produced is prudent in corporate environments. Some security functions can, and should, be installed, such as prohibiting anonymous posting. Ultimately, successful participation means engaging in authentic conversation with participants.
Acceptance of Web 2.0 tools in corporations is growing. Spenditure on Web 2.0 technologies is currently estimated at $1 billion by McKinsey, but in the coming five years an annual growth of 15% is expected, despite the current recession. I fully agree with this view. Even stronger, due to the unique characteristics of Web 2.0 (e.g. cost effective, participative, collabrative, very effective harvesting of tacit knowledge) it is the distinctive technology in times of economic downfall. After all, if one thing survives in a recession, it’s innovation. And Web 2.0 is such an innovative technology that makes the difference
The barriers to success are as follows:
• Culture
• Security
• Lack of engagement
• Lack of commitment
• Risk
I think that security is the most serious issue therefore a positive, confident and competent approach is to look at the security implications and deal with them. Blocking access to applications is too often the first approach, when it ought to be the last. A good IT department should be looking for ways that it can help, not hinder. In any instance, an information department really should have access to just about anything, up to and including Facebook and YouTube because they’re useful information tools. If the question is rather more ‘we can’t trust our staff’ then that’s an entirely different conversation which shouldn’t get tied up with security/access to resource queries.
If it’s considered too dangerous to put material onto an external website that’s a good reason not to use a product, and that sort of security should be paramount. In most cases however, that’s going to be quite rare, and it shouldn’t hinder the use of other sites for more general material
This lecture was very difficult to understand as I did not actually get what was being discussed properly. I did some research on this lecture in order to get a better understanding but it was still hard to digest so much information at one time. Also Margaret did not finish the lecture therefore the last part was completely not understood.
This week in our lab time we were given our coursework task which was okay to do but I just wish we had got it before the Easter break because I would have finished it during this time. Now there is too much to be done and so little time getting very stressed about things. The activity in the lab was okay because it made us address questions that we could pick up on in our report therefore it was fine. Also the team worked well together developing on each others ideas.
Saturday 3 April 2010
Week 9
This week’s lecture was about Social Marketing which was presented by a guest speaker called Arlene Newbigging Grady. Arlene gave us an introduction on what marketing is and highlighted the 5ps of marketing and then went on to discuss how and why companies use social marketing. This weeks lecture was very interesting because she discussed the topic very well with good backup of examples. It was also good to discuss a different topic and get a guest to come from outside and tell us how Heineken the company that she works with uses social marketing.
Marketing is a philosophy called the marketing concept which simply means that the organisation puts the consumer at the heart of the business.
Some benefits of marketing include the following:
· Consumers get up to date products they need and want
· Organisations achieve revenue, profit and survival objectives
· Organisations can compete more effectively and efficiently
· Prosperity for individuals, organisations and nation
The 4ps of the marketing mix are:
· Price
In the marketing mix it is very important to choose the right price for the market conditions.
· Place
This usually refers to how the product is distributed via chain of intermediaries.
· Product
This may be a crucial element for many functional products since people buy things for what they can do.
· Promotion
This aspect is about how the company communicates with its market and is crucial in certain markets.
Example of a successful company that uses the marketing mix is Ben Sherman.
Ben Sherman
Ben Sherman is a globally recognised lifestyle brand which established in 1963. They sell their brand in 35 countries around the world.
Product
Ben Sherman has to decide whether to create a product and then market it to target customers or find out what the market wants and then provide it.
To achieve both, the company produces a wide product range that appeals to all its target market segments. The range includes casual clothes, formal wear, denim, footwear, and lifestyle acces
Price
The price of a product relates to it’s perceived value. Lower priced items will expect a higher volume of sales, whilst fewer sales of ;luxury products may achieve the same revenue through higher pricing. Ben Sherman has to assess which markets its products are aimed at and set a price to match. Therefore they mostly produce medium price range products.
Place
This refers both to the places where Ben Sherman products may be bought and to the channels of distribution used to deliver the products to these places.
Ben Sherman use three traditional distribution channels such as their own stores where the brand is the strongest, independent fashion stores and department stores.
Promotion
Ben Sherman use independent media to reach a wide audience easily and also reach customers by direct mailing.
Many companies are using social marketing to promote their products to reach a wider range of customers. Social marketing is when companies use a network to link consumers with computers and mobile technology.
Arlene showed us two examples of companies that used viral marketing campaigns and looking at their campaigns it was so difficult to even imagine that they were Volkswagen and Samsung campaigns. This was because it was hard to understand what message these companies were actually trying to put forward to their customers. There was no meaning to these campaigns because most people in the lecture did not actually understand them.
Companies use social marketing:
· To adapt to ever changing needs and to adapt objectives in a rapidly moving environment.
· To engage the brands with consumers and to fit with their consumers and to fit with their lifestyle and social needs.
I had a look at the 5 semantic search engines by asking different questions and I felt that Hakia and Google were the fastest and gave answers which could be understood. I did not like Powerset because it had a lot of responses therefore it took time to actually filter through and find the actual answer.
This lecture could definitely become useful in the future because every company uses marketing tactics in order to reach potential customers. Therefore if we are aware of different things that companies then we are more likely to bring success to the company. I really enjoyed discussing this topic because it is something that I would enjoy doing in my future career.
In this week’s lab we were presenting our presentations. It was good to see other peoples presentations and compare it against my own as it allowed me to notice my strengths and weaknesses of my presentation. I think that my presentation was good even though my group did not work well as a team we still managed to deliver our presentation well. I wish that we could have used some kind of media to enhance our presentation but because the rest of the members in my team did not want this then I had to agree with them. Overall the presentation went well and I was happy with it.
sories. Wednesday 31 March 2010
Week 8
This week’s lecture was about Web 2.0 Technologies. This lecture was very interesting because it pointed out how much the web has changed over the years and how much it can change further. However I found it very difficult to understand some parts of the lecture such as the applications and technologies within web 2.0. For this reason I had to do a lot of research to understand the areas properly.
Web 1.0 was made public in 1991 and was mostly used just to read information. There was no real way in which users could contribute their thoughts and opinions.
Web 2.0 is the popular term for advanced Internet technology and applications including blogs, wikis, RSS and social bookmarking.
An Internet Week article by Howard Greenstein summarizes key differences between the Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 models, mainly around the trend towards more dynamic, interactive, user-driven and -supplied content.
While O’Reilly believes that Web 3.0 is an extension of Web 2.0, he believes it will be a third generation web approximately between 2010 and 2020. In order to understand Web 3.0, we must balance it against the existing Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is about social networking and mass collaboration with the blurring of lines between content creator and user whereas Web 3.0 is based on “intelligent” web applications using:
• Natural language processing
• Machine-based learning and reasoning
• Intelligent applications
The goal is to adapt online searching and requests specifically to users’ preferences and needs
Web 3.0 is proclaimed to have the following features over web 2.0:
By opening up access to information, Web 3.0 applications will run on any device, computer, or mobile phone. Applications can be very fast and customizable. Unlike Web 2.0, where programs such as Facebook and MySpace exist in separate silos, Web 3.0 will allow users to journey freely from database to database and program to program.
Web 3.0 will use a three dimensional model and transform it into a series of 3D spaces. Services such as Second Life and the use of personalized avatars will be a common feature of the 3D web. Web 3.0 will extend beyond into the physical; imagine a Web connected to everything not only to mobile phones but cars, microwaves and clothes, therefore truly making an integrated experience.
Where Web 3.0 is about control of information web 2.0 is about information overload. The most obvious example is in the sheer explosion of programs and passwords on the Web which claim to encourage networking and socialization. Web 3.0 attempts to bring order and allow users to be more accurate in searching and finding precisely what they want.
In conclusion web 3.0 is proclaimed to have much higher benefits that the existing web 2.0.
This weeks seminar was about RSS news feeds which I found a bit boring because there was not much to do in the lab as I already knew how to do most of the things discussed in the given sheet. The exercise was very short and not very useful for this reason after completing the exercise I worked on my presentation on Peckish Foods.
Web 1.0 was made public in 1991 and was mostly used just to read information. There was no real way in which users could contribute their thoughts and opinions.
Web 2.0 is the popular term for advanced Internet technology and applications including blogs, wikis, RSS and social bookmarking.
An Internet Week article by Howard Greenstein summarizes key differences between the Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 models, mainly around the trend towards more dynamic, interactive, user-driven and -supplied content.
The two major components of Web 2.0 are the technological advances enabled by Ajax and other new applications such as RSS and Eclipse and the user empowerment that they support. New technologies such as AJAX provide a rich, interactive user interface similar to client/server without the operational management headaches. AJAX applications run within a standard browser using standard web technology such as JavaScript, Dynamic HTML, Cascading Style Sheets and XML.
Web 2.0 technology can fundamentally change business processes by delivering productivity gains and making user feedback an integral part of development processes. But many IT managers are shying away from the technology, unsure of how it will fit into their business. A survey of 3,000 executives conducted in January by UK consultancy McKinsey found widespread but alert interest in using Web 2.0 technology to enable greater automation and networking within enterprises.
While O’Reilly believes that Web 3.0 is an extension of Web 2.0, he believes it will be a third generation web approximately between 2010 and 2020. In order to understand Web 3.0, we must balance it against the existing Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is about social networking and mass collaboration with the blurring of lines between content creator and user whereas Web 3.0 is based on “intelligent” web applications using:
• Natural language processing
• Machine-based learning and reasoning
• Intelligent applications
The goal is to adapt online searching and requests specifically to users’ preferences and needs
Web 3.0 is proclaimed to have the following features over web 2.0:
By opening up access to information, Web 3.0 applications will run on any device, computer, or mobile phone. Applications can be very fast and customizable. Unlike Web 2.0, where programs such as Facebook and MySpace exist in separate silos, Web 3.0 will allow users to journey freely from database to database and program to program.
Web 3.0 will use a three dimensional model and transform it into a series of 3D spaces. Services such as Second Life and the use of personalized avatars will be a common feature of the 3D web. Web 3.0 will extend beyond into the physical; imagine a Web connected to everything not only to mobile phones but cars, microwaves and clothes, therefore truly making an integrated experience.
Where Web 3.0 is about control of information web 2.0 is about information overload. The most obvious example is in the sheer explosion of programs and passwords on the Web which claim to encourage networking and socialization. Web 3.0 attempts to bring order and allow users to be more accurate in searching and finding precisely what they want.
In conclusion web 3.0 is proclaimed to have much higher benefits that the existing web 2.0.
This weeks seminar was about RSS news feeds which I found a bit boring because there was not much to do in the lab as I already knew how to do most of the things discussed in the given sheet. The exercise was very short and not very useful for this reason after completing the exercise I worked on my presentation on Peckish Foods.
Tuesday 23 March 2010
Week 7
This week’s lecture was about software as a service, RSS and mashupss. This lecture was the most detailed and hard lecture in the entire module possibly because it was discussing topics which I have never heard of before that is why I was so interested in this weeks lecture.
In the lecture I did not understand the definition of software as a service, after doing research I found out that basically Software as a Service is a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a vendor or service provider and made available to customers over a network, usually the Internet. It is becoming an increasingly common delivery model as underlying technologies that support Web services and service-oriented architecture mature and new developmental approaches, such as Ajax, become popular. In the meantime, broadband service has become increasingly available to support user access from more areas around the world. The benefits of software as a service model which I have found are:
• High Adoption
Software as a Service applications are available from any computer or any device—any time, anywhere. Because most people are familiar with using the Internet to find what they need, they have high adoption rates, with a lower learning bend.
AND
• Lower Initial Costs
Software as Service applications are subscription based. No license fees mean lower initial costs. Having the Software as a Service provider manage the IT infrastructure therefore means lower IT costs for hardware, software, and the people needed to manage it all.
The popularity of Software as a service is slowly increasing because it simplifies deployment and reduces customer acquisition costs. A recent survey of a thousand IT professionals by Forrester Research found that they are turning to hosted Software as a Service products as a way to relieve management of non-mission-critical applications such as HR and CRM. Also, the subscription based Software as a Service pricing model can keep IT budget costs consistent or lower than packaged or homegrown software.
Despite Software as a Service having many advantages I still think that the problems cannot be overlooked especially the security problem because it is a major issue which can affect many organisations especially larger organisations because they are more likely to have more confidential information therefore would not have the trust in another organisation coming in and accessing their software.
I have never used RSS even though I have an RSS app on my phone because I did not know what it was used for. After the lecture I think it is a good idea to use RSS software to get a live news feed at your fingertips. The main advantage I think RSS has is that it is spam free. Unlike email subscriptions, RSS does not make use of your email address to send updates therefore privacy is kept safe from spam mails. However there is a disadvantage which requires attention such as RSS feeds create higher traffic and demands on the server.
Mashupss is a topic which I completely have no idea about. After some research I realised that mashupss are a web tool which is used to collaborate information from all diferent sources. I found it very difficult to find further resarch on this topic therefore I wish we had discussed it more in class. However i will keep looking out for more information on this topic in order to obtain a better understanding as this was the only topic in the lecture that I did not really understand.
In the lab this week we continued with our team presenation. One om my team members were absent therefore we had no idea how much he had worked on the presentation. I was the only one in the team who had finshed my research therefore I helped the others to complete theirs.
In the lecture I did not understand the definition of software as a service, after doing research I found out that basically Software as a Service is a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a vendor or service provider and made available to customers over a network, usually the Internet. It is becoming an increasingly common delivery model as underlying technologies that support Web services and service-oriented architecture mature and new developmental approaches, such as Ajax, become popular. In the meantime, broadband service has become increasingly available to support user access from more areas around the world. The benefits of software as a service model which I have found are:
• High Adoption
Software as a Service applications are available from any computer or any device—any time, anywhere. Because most people are familiar with using the Internet to find what they need, they have high adoption rates, with a lower learning bend.
AND
• Lower Initial Costs
Software as Service applications are subscription based. No license fees mean lower initial costs. Having the Software as a Service provider manage the IT infrastructure therefore means lower IT costs for hardware, software, and the people needed to manage it all.
The popularity of Software as a service is slowly increasing because it simplifies deployment and reduces customer acquisition costs. A recent survey of a thousand IT professionals by Forrester Research found that they are turning to hosted Software as a Service products as a way to relieve management of non-mission-critical applications such as HR and CRM. Also, the subscription based Software as a Service pricing model can keep IT budget costs consistent or lower than packaged or homegrown software.
Despite Software as a Service having many advantages I still think that the problems cannot be overlooked especially the security problem because it is a major issue which can affect many organisations especially larger organisations because they are more likely to have more confidential information therefore would not have the trust in another organisation coming in and accessing their software.
I have never used RSS even though I have an RSS app on my phone because I did not know what it was used for. After the lecture I think it is a good idea to use RSS software to get a live news feed at your fingertips. The main advantage I think RSS has is that it is spam free. Unlike email subscriptions, RSS does not make use of your email address to send updates therefore privacy is kept safe from spam mails. However there is a disadvantage which requires attention such as RSS feeds create higher traffic and demands on the server.
Mashupss is a topic which I completely have no idea about. After some research I realised that mashupss are a web tool which is used to collaborate information from all diferent sources. I found it very difficult to find further resarch on this topic therefore I wish we had discussed it more in class. However i will keep looking out for more information on this topic in order to obtain a better understanding as this was the only topic in the lecture that I did not really understand.
In the lab this week we continued with our team presenation. One om my team members were absent therefore we had no idea how much he had worked on the presentation. I was the only one in the team who had finshed my research therefore I helped the others to complete theirs.
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Week 6
This week’s lecture was about Virtual Worlds a topic which I had never heard of before. This topic was very interesting because it was very different from anything I had done before. It was amazing to see how many companies use Virtual media to promote their products and their company. Another thing which was very amazing was to see the statistics of the number of people that logged into second life in the last seven days and how serious some people take second life as Margaret told us that many people spend a lot of money on second life.
In the lab we had to go into second life and create an account and then we could style our own avatar which sounded like a fun lab exercise. However I could not log on and create my own account therefore I had to watch somebody else designing their avatar which was not very exciting because her computer was very slow and the avatar would not do anything. For this reason I went home and downloaded the icon and then opened my account. Once I designed my avatar I visited the real world businesses within second life such as Dell, IBM and Calvin Klein they were all very well designed.
This week’s lecture was the best from all of the lectures we have had so far in this module. I feel that both of the lecturers are very good in presenting the lecture because both of them give lots of examples on the topic which makes it easier to understand the topic and makes it more fun as well. I feel that because we had a chance to go into second life and understand how to use it was a very useful skill to have because this could be a quality that an employer is looking to have in their staff so if we know more about it we are more likely to get recruited. However I would not want to do a future career which involved designing on second life because it seems both technical and difficult to do.
In the lab we had to go into second life and create an account and then we could style our own avatar which sounded like a fun lab exercise. However I could not log on and create my own account therefore I had to watch somebody else designing their avatar which was not very exciting because her computer was very slow and the avatar would not do anything. For this reason I went home and downloaded the icon and then opened my account. Once I designed my avatar I visited the real world businesses within second life such as Dell, IBM and Calvin Klein they were all very well designed.
This week’s lecture was the best from all of the lectures we have had so far in this module. I feel that both of the lecturers are very good in presenting the lecture because both of them give lots of examples on the topic which makes it easier to understand the topic and makes it more fun as well. I feel that because we had a chance to go into second life and understand how to use it was a very useful skill to have because this could be a quality that an employer is looking to have in their staff so if we know more about it we are more likely to get recruited. However I would not want to do a future career which involved designing on second life because it seems both technical and difficult to do.
Tuesday 9 March 2010
Week 5
This week’s lecture was on Social Networking which I found very interesting because social networking is a thing which is growing rapidly. Many people use it, some for business reasons and some for personal life therefore it is amazing to see the rise in the number of people that use facebook now from previous years. Learning about various different social networking sites is a good skill to have because employers will want to take on employees who can use these sites to either promote products or improve communication throughout the business. I already knew about most of the network sites discussed in the lecture but one that I did not know about was LinkedIn which is a business site where companies can advertise products and promote themselves. When I visited this site I found it very interesting as many companies had used it in different ways.
In the seminar this week we had a look at social networking sites and then were put into separate groups to undertake an e-activity. This e-activity involved choosing a social networking site which you felt would best promote a company given in the case study. As a team we decided to present our presentation in Google Docs as this would allow us all to contribute our parts into the presentation. Understanding what Google Docs is all about is useful because it can help teams to work individually but also together as there is no real need to meet one another or put the burden on one person to complete the presentation.
This e-activity in a way will help to improve our team working skills for our future careers also it will allow us to build on our communication skills as we were put into teams with people we had not spoken to before.
In the seminar this week we had a look at social networking sites and then were put into separate groups to undertake an e-activity. This e-activity involved choosing a social networking site which you felt would best promote a company given in the case study. As a team we decided to present our presentation in Google Docs as this would allow us all to contribute our parts into the presentation. Understanding what Google Docs is all about is useful because it can help teams to work individually but also together as there is no real need to meet one another or put the burden on one person to complete the presentation.
This e-activity in a way will help to improve our team working skills for our future careers also it will allow us to build on our communication skills as we were put into teams with people we had not spoken to before.
Tuesday 2 March 2010
Week 4
This weeks lecture was about social media such as podcasting and bookmarking. from the lecture I learnt many things which I did not know becuase the only thing I really knew about was podcasting this was mainly because of my IRM lecturer using the podcasting technique to sumarise the lectures This weeks lecture gave us an outline of many websites which we can use now or in the future to share media files and also discussed how many people actually use these websites.
However I felt that this weeks lab was not of great use because we mainly just browsed the recommended websites which did not really help me much because it did not actually involve any practical work. For this reason in my future career if I had to do any of the things discussed in the lecture I would actually not know how to do them. I have understood the theory but prcatically have not understood anything.
This weeks e activity was just adding on to the wiki which we designed last week. I feel that so far in the module wikis and blogging is the only real thing I know completely as we have done practical work and also discussed the theory behind it therefore if I was to do any of these two things in my future career I would have no problem.
Doing the e-activity on wikis actually surprised me because when I was researching I actuaaly realised how many people actually use it including companies and individuals. It is a good way to contribute your thoughts and suggestions on a topic with other followers.
However I felt that this weeks lab was not of great use because we mainly just browsed the recommended websites which did not really help me much because it did not actually involve any practical work. For this reason in my future career if I had to do any of the things discussed in the lecture I would actually not know how to do them. I have understood the theory but prcatically have not understood anything.
This weeks e activity was just adding on to the wiki which we designed last week. I feel that so far in the module wikis and blogging is the only real thing I know completely as we have done practical work and also discussed the theory behind it therefore if I was to do any of these two things in my future career I would have no problem.
Doing the e-activity on wikis actually surprised me because when I was researching I actuaaly realised how many people actually use it including companies and individuals. It is a good way to contribute your thoughts and suggestions on a topic with other followers.
Thursday 18 February 2010
Week 3
This weeks lecture was easy because we have discussed wikis at college before therefore I could understand it more. The Lab was easy aswell because we created our own wiki and invited members to join so that we could weekly update our wiki by contributing to the activities.
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