MODULE 3 - Web 2.0

HTML or Diigo?

I really like the interface of Diigo as I found it very organised and easy to follow. When I looked at the net11 HTML site, I found it extremley hard to glance over the information because all I could only see unorganised text. Although you have the links and information clearly colour coded, there was no format on the webpage. Diigo was neatly set in a frame and heading, and all other information was formatted so you could glance over the information and not get lost.

The differences I could visually see were:
Diigo - Dates, Tabs, Heading, web address, Annotation
HTML - Heading, Site info

One major difference between the two sites that is a huge benefit was the fact that the html site can be printed with the same layout as the site. The diigo site lost all the structure so when you went to print, it wasn't the same as what you had seen online. I'm not sure if any one would print this but I guess you need to be able to execute any command.

Diigo


HTML



I came across a HTML bookmarking list on Ellen Von Unwerth and I actually found this one as easy to read as the diigo site. This HTML site was organised well and was set in frames with Pages for the site clearly marked. The writer for this site has carefully made this clear for any reader. This site is carefully grouped as article, info and biography with each one containing the heading, date and topic name on the bookmarked page. In comparison to the diigo page, I think this one is much better as this one is simple and very clear!


I guess it all depends on how the author organises and designs the site. My initial preference was diigo because of the visual difference compared to the net11 HTML but now that i have seen an organised HTML site ( Ellen Von Unwerth) I prefer this at it has the same info as the diigo but looks more simple.

MODULE 3 - Blogs

I guess I would have to say that I am still a learner with the blog. I haven't researched other blogs so far, but now that this question has come up I did a little research. I am a traveler and I thought maybe I could find some travel blogs, and I did! www.travelblog.org It was interesting to see this, as it has give me an idea to start something similar. I think this is a great way to show people where you are and what you are up to. Instead of using other programs such as Facebook or Myspace, blogs are more personal and your friends can follow it easily!

I must admit, when I did some research on the web previously, alot of the time I have come across information on blogs. It's actually come in handy and I found it easy to use. It is a cheaper way to advertise yourself too. I believe that if you are a large corporation such as business, marketing, etc, it is not professsional to use the blog program, also the blogging system is not suited for this purpose, a proper website should be used.

MODULE 3 - Copy Right Task 3

After researching the Curtin website, I found the link to the correct use of the Curtin Univeristy logo.

Anyone who would like to use the Curtin logo must obtain an approval from the University Marketing Sector. Without the approval we are breaching the copy right law.

http://policies.curtin.edu.au/local/includes/getdoc.cfm?url=https://ecm.curtin.edu.au:443/alfresco/gd/d/workspace/SpacesStore/b9eeb000-648c-11de-bd31-ed274d0857ea/Logo%20Use%20Procedures.html?guest=true&policyId=959f55ad-fec2-11dc-b6c5-253dc30d60f2

1. have you used images or words on your web page or website that contravene copyright laws?

To be honest, I have and I believe everyone has at one point in time. I haven't have breached the copy right law professionally but when I was studying in High School I had used images for my projects. This was not intentional, but I guess with the lack of knowledge then I would have used images without thinking twice.

2. Would you be in breach of copyright if you put the Curtin logo at the top of your web page for an assignment? This information may be difficult to find so be prepared for a search and some independent thought!

Yes, this would be in breach of the copy right law. As stated on the link provided above, it informs you that whether you use the logo professionally or as a student, you must obtain an approval prior to use.

MODULE 3 - WWW Standards Task 2

I tried the Web validator and i have received information that i have many errors. I have double checked that I had inputted the information correctly to the lesson guideline. I'm not sure why I have these problems as i have done this correctly. I guess this is something I have to play around with and need more knowledge. Here are some examples of the error......



I copy and pasted the examples from http://www.pagetutor.com/ to see if any errors would appear and much to my amusement it did. So I am not sure if the program to check the scripting is correct or not.....

MODULE 3 - WWW Standards Task 1

5 most important ‘rules’ for writing online

Usability
The website should be easy to use and not complicated. It should be kept simple so you can navigate through the website without any fuss. If you have a complicated website, you can easily loose the attention of the reader. The navigation tools should be simple and should easily navigate you through the website. Also making sure that you can always return to the previous page or the homepage easily. Contact page should be easy to find, as this is the most important information.


Simple short information
The information provided on your website should be kept minimal. We all live and have a busy life, and we dont have a lot of time to surf for information while working. Writing too much can be time consuming for busy people and they will avoid reading all the content. Keep it precise and straight to the point.


Content
Only have relevant information. Users will surf your site for specific information, they dont want to read and waste time reading time wasting articles.


Appearance
The website should look user friendly. Also, the website should look clean and not
messy with information everywhere. The more simple it is, the easier it is for readers to look at.
Dividing the page into too many sections can be time consuming to look at and confusing. Keeping everything consistent. Make sure you have the heading and content in different type so you can easily scan through the information. Also making sure that the font you have chosen is legible to all readers.


Updated Information
Keep all the information up to date. Dates, web links, cost etc. If you have a website for selling products, the products should only show available goods and and the cost should be at the right cost at that point of time.

MODULE 3 - HTML Tags

Initially I had a lot of trouble with Texteditor. I entered the Tags in Lesson 1 and when i opened up in firefox all the tag names appeared. I checked thoroughly that I had entered all the text correctly and also copy and pasted the text to make sure that I had done it correctly. It was still appearing the same, with all the tags showings. I checked if anybody else had similar problem on the discussion board and of course, another mac user had! I read through the posts and someone had provided a re-typed version of the tags, which i tried and fortunately had worked! I'm not sure what happened, but there must have been a typing error.......




I absolutely enjoyed this exercise, it was a little time consuming but it amazed me how scripting can create a website! Understanding the script would definately be helpful if you are having problems.

HMTL and blogging have similarities but they are completely different in other respects. They can both be used as your peronal information site but HTML is better suited for business and having more creativity. Blogging sites are all quite similar and is used for personal reasons.... I found that HTML is much harder to play around with than using the blog program. The blog program is very straight forward and even a computer illiterate could learn how to use this program very easily, but HTML will take some time to master!

I prefer to use HTML as it gives you more create control. The design can be to your liking, the layout to your preference. I am still a learner with both programs so there is much more to learn!

MODULE 2 - Chats

I have opted to use my msn messenger as I been having some trouble downloading ICQ and using ichat on my mac. As time is passing so quickly, I thought it would be better to use a program i am more comfortable with. But I would like to work out what is wrong with my ichat as i think this program would be a good one to use.

The reason for not being able to install ICQ is because my computer is MAC OSX 10.5.7 and ICQ only supports MacOS 8.1-8.5, MacOS 8.6 and MacOS 9-X. I then tried to use Ichat, which is a program already installed on my computer, but I have seem to have forgotten my password. I have tried to retrieve my password but the program doesn't seem to email me the details.

I find msn is good for social chatting, rather than for professional use. Msn is great for group chats but if you are a slow typer, it is hard to keep up with your friends and can get frustrating at times. When I am in the office, I use my skype to chat to my work collgues. The group function on this is easy to use and very clear. Also sending files is much quicker and it is able to support larger files!

I personally believe that msn is probably the best and easiest for both PC and MAC users. Downloading and installing the program and straight forward, and even the most computer illiterate person would be able to do this with ease. The only negative comment I have about msn is that the MAC version is always so far behind with upgrading the software, while the PC version is always improving. The interface on the PC is also much better and modern than the MAC interface which still appears like the PC msn over 5 years ago.

Group wa completed on Thursday 9th July on msn messenger. The exercise was simple and enjoyable. I found that it is easy to loose the conversation topic because if you dont type back quickly, the next conversion will arise. So as i mentioned in earlier paragraph, it can get a little confusing. But I believe that it is good function to have because trying to manage 2 or more chats in different windows can become too overwhelming and confusing!

MODULE 2 - Lists

What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards?

PROS Email Lists

• Almost automatically distrubuted
• Almost a guarantee that people have seen the message
• Privacy
• Manage membership
• Don't need to be online to view information as it is stored in your email

PROS Discussion Board

• Public or private
• Organised well, easy to find information later on
• Easy to access information anytime
• You dont need to subscribe
• Build relationships with others on board

CONS Email Lists

• Need to subscribe, so your information is given out
• Need to organise the email yourself to keep information in order
• Can be overwhelming with continuous information
• Private information can leek out to other people - Spam
• Information which you are not interested in is also sent out

CONS Discussion Board

• Need to be online to view information
• Not everyone may see the post - only people who are interested
• Needs to be searched, not automatically sent to you (unless if you subscribe to that particular thread)
• A large amount of information can be posted so it can be overwhelming
• It is a self search program so you are not completely certain that the information is received
  

I believe that if you would like to advertise or sell something, whether it be products or information, email list is more appropriate as you are certain that the information has been sent. Whether the subscriber has read it or not, there is more chance that the information will be read.

If you are seeking help, or would like to discuss an issue, it is more appropriate to use a discussion board, as this is a place where you can post questions and people who are able to help can help. This is also a good place to have discussion with other people as it it keeps the flow of the conversion so people can stay informed or new comers can join easily with all the previous information.

MODULE 2 - Email Tasks (5)

"How have you organised the folder structure of your email and why?"

My personal (gmail) email account has main labels (folders) which I archive after I have read them in the inbox. I have labels such as COMMONWEALTH BANK, AUSTRALIA UNITY, OPEN UNIVERSITY etc. Once I receive emails from these companies, I like to place them in their designated label so when I need to look for information in the future, I can easily access them.

My work email is a slightly more organised as in Outlook I can create folders and subfolders. Once I make my main folder, eg company name, I create a sub folder for which job I am working on. Once that job is finished, under the same company folder, I create another sub folder for the new job. This keeps all my emails organised and easy to find later on!

MODULE 2 - Email Tasks (4)

"What sorts of filters or rules do you have set up, and for what purpose?"

I didn't have any filters or rules set up on my account until now! Once I read this question, I went to my gmail account and played around with setting up filters!! How amazing and organised it is, I wish I had done this earlier...

I have now setup a filter for my entire facebook message alerts to skip my inbox and go directly into a label named facebook! This will now allow me to keep the inbox more vacant for other important email!

MODULE 2 - Email Tasks (3)

"In what ways can you ensure that an attachment you send will be easily opened by the receiver?"

We all need to understand that we all have different computers and not everyone has the same platform, or programs. If we can communicate first before sending an attachment, we can ensure that there are no hiccups when the receiver receives the attachment.

Before I send anything, I usually ask the receiver what format they would like to receive the file, so this helps me to choose which format is better suited for them. If you are not sure what format to send, or if they are having difficulty, RTF would be the best format to send as most platforms and programs can read this without loosing too much information.

With my line of work, I either use PDF or Jpeg to send an attachment. PDF is widely used as the PDF reader can be downloaded for free. Also by using PDF, you can compress the files down to a minimal size. If I would like to send an image, I found that JPEG is compatible with most computers and also allows you to save the files quite small!

MODULE 2 - Email Tasks (2)

CC - Carbon Copy is very useful when you would like to send someone a copy of an email that is not directly to them, but they may find the information useful. I also find CC is an email which I don't need to respond to if I don't feel the need, but if I find the information important and relevant to myself, I can reply!

Useful when: I am working on a project with a colleague of mine and we are both dealing with a client. I want to send an email to the client, but I would like to keep my colleague involved, so I would CC the email to my colleague, while addressing the email to the client.


BCC - Blind Carbon Copy is used when you would like to be discrete about sending other peoples email address. If you would like to send a few emails of the same content but do not want others to see whom you have also sent to this is best way.

Useful when: I am seeking a quote from a few companies I would send 1 primary email and BCC the other companies so they cannot see who else I have asked a quote from.


REPLY ALL - This is useful to use when you would like to keep all recipients in the loop. But I would have to say, if you were to use “reply all” at work, you need to consider if all the recipients need to know your response. If the email was sent out to 30 people, you dont want to receive 29 replies when only the sender needs to know.

Useful when: I have sent a group email to 10 people in regards to a meeting and I need to change the date, I would in this instance, reply all and send out the new date and time to all 10 people who require the information.