Age Smarter

Net 12 Journal 1.3

2009-04-07T23:01:00.000+10:00

WEBSITE EVALUATION:

http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/

http://www.webmd.com/

I have chosen to evaluate these two websites associated with the promotion of personal health and associated issues. Both of these pages operate as commercial sites as indicated by the “.com” domain extension and are published and promoted under the same titles as the respective web servers.

yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com

The name of the site, whilst advertising personal health, is co-sponsored by “ivillage” which in turn is sponsored by NBC Universal Inc. ivillage is a “media company dedicated exclusively to connecting women at every stage of their lives”.

In addition to the website NBC produces a Your Total Health tv program which is linked to the ivillage and selected episodes can be viewed from the site.

The webpage of the site has location tabs which offer assistance with popular areas of personal health with an emphasis on feature topics that are unique to women but with a data base of information relevant to both genders.

webmd.com

WebMD purports to provide health information, tools for managing health, and support to those who seek information. They state that the information is reliable and current. This site is supported by advertising for health and lifestyle related products.

There is a clear differentiation between WebMD content, sponsor influenced content and other independent third party content. The policy toward sponsors and advertisements is clearly documented on the site and it is easy to identify each category from the

Authenticity:

yourtotalhealth.ivillage I selected two health related conditions (diabetes & sleep disorders) and both topics opened up windows on articles (and links to related topics), that explained the condition and provided information that could be absorbed in the reader’s own time and establish a basis for discussion and enquiry with a medical practitioner.

Webmd provided similar information but when entering a disease or medical condition, the result opens a new “health centre” window e.g. “diabetes health centre”, which is easier to navigate.

The articles on both sites are reviewed by medical experts who’s profile and qualifications are available via a link.

Currency:

Both sites have been updated with current year (2009) articles and the selected articles had a date when it was last reviewed so the reader was aware of the currency of the information.

Objectivity:

Most of the health information is factual and reviewed by practitioners in the health field. Any bias of the site is toward womens’ health issues and the advertisements appear to target women although the actual product may be relevant to both genders.

Registration:

Both sites invite online registration to record personal details that are governed by the privacy statements of each site. The use of various software tools may require the collection of other health related data and this is also collected and subject to the privacy statement.

Preference:

At first glance, these sites could be twins; they have similar design (colour, layout, graphics) and provides the same quality of information. Either of these sites could be used as a platform for the next generation of interactive personal health information technologies.

I would choose to use WebMD as my first source because I found it easier as a first time user to browse and locate articles about specific health topics but would expect to use the yourtotalhealth site as it appears to have a greater “entertainment factor” using its multi media resources which may be a significant factor in combating the “Law of Attrition” Eysenbach G. The law of attrition. J Med Internet Res 2005 Mar 31;7(1):e11.

Net 12 Journal 1.2

2009-04-01T02:11:00.000+11:00

Topic 1.2: Music: I want My MP3

The Role of Music in My Life:
Nostalgia: Listening to the music that I heard on the radio when I was a teenager and linking them to special events or moments that bring back memories (mostly pleasant).

I would describe my approach to music as intense rather than casual and private rather than public but only with those sound tracks selected from a variety of sources that make up my music library. Music for me creates very private feelings whether I’m in a crowded place or on my own and if a favorite song is played I prefer to listen and exclude everything else rather than have it play as background. (Music Media In Young People’s Everyday Lives)

I have used all the media types in the article and especially found the iPod a great way to locate quantities of music that come from a specific era or genre and download entire albums or just songs. I can carry around a massive library of music in my pocket that I can sort or scroll through and play without bothering anyone.

Does the music say who I am?
I like playing different music when I am doing different things like sport to get me motivated but I treat music as a way of enhancing the way I feel. For me its an intense medium that lets me drift emotionally without a preconceived direction.

Shared Tastes?
There are some music tracks that I like for personal pleasure but would be reluctant to talk about because of the personal meaning they have for me that probably wouldn’t be appreciated by the people and groups I now have contact with. On the other hand I have shared new music with my children and friends and we sometimes share music that we all enjoy and we use it for public entertainment. (Gospel Music)

Methods of “Pick Up” of Music:
iPod search for a genre.
Radio

The article by David Beer highlights for me, the changes, not only in promotion of music but also the methods of acquiring sound tracks. I apologise in advance for my indulgence in nostalgia but I remember watching Top Of The Pops in the sixties and although it was entertainment watched with my family and not my personal preference it put faces to the groups and music I heard on the radio and introduced the audience to new fashion as well as dance moves. On reflection, it was the only visual program that advertised new music like the Beatles and all the other UK and American rock bands of the time. So with a virtual monopoly I think it influenced the style and popular preferences of its viewers and pushed the music the record companies wanted to sell along its new lifestyle. It reminds me of CountDown and Bandstand that have gone the same way as Top Of The Pops.

Now the TV media is competing with the internet which provides me with information about new music at any time and lets me download tracks at any time. I’m not sure whether the internet has isolated music as a product or whether it still sells a lifestyle as well.

Download Music?
I collect music by download to my iPod but do not watch video clips or participate in online profiles or research. Having said that I guess that iTunes would have a record of the type of music I have downloaded which would be part of a huge statistical pool that would be used for their sales and marketing.

Studying The Internet

2009-04-01T01:45:00.001+11:00

My first encounter with the Internet:

At university in late 70’s and early 80’s a lecturer was introducing us to the library services. He mentioned a new resource called “arnet” (or something like that) that was available to access the university library and other libraries. I can’t seem to find a reference to it on the internet so maybe this isn’t the correct spelling. It operated with a system similar to telnet and it didn’t impress me because at the time I felt that the library had all the resources I needed and an adequate local database index system to locate the relevant books.

The next time I was introduced to the internet without realizing that it was similar technology was at work when we started using on-line ordering for some of our supplies. It didn’t really come as a technological shock but rather a practical solution to streamlining our supply chain.

The versatility of the internet really attracted me when I understood how to use a search engine like Yahoo. Then it became popular with my peers and I actually had people I could email. It probably wasn’t until the mid 90’s that I was using the internet in a limited way for email and file transfer but as more internet services have gone on-line like banking, games, remote access, education etc. I have gradually come to rely on its convenience and now view it as a tool that has unlimited potential.

I still seem to be catching up with the concepts and products that are available but I accept that there are volumes of applications that I have access to and can experiment with for my personal and professional use. The internet has created an enormous resource and it now seems so easy to have the information so easily accessible.

Is it different or part of my everyday life?
My life revolves around work, family and church.

At work, the use of internet for commercial tasks is being promoted as a way of streamlining functions and reducing costs so using and promoting the use of software via the internet is a major part of my work.
Everyone in my family uses the internet; for school, communication with friends, playing games, downloading programs, ordering groceries or buying on eBay.
I use the online Bible and the numerous websites dedicated to discussion about religious topics to prepare lectures and talks.

If a task or function can be performed via the internet then I will gladly use it.

Net 12 Journal 1.1

2009-03-31T01:11:00.012+11:00

1.1 CYBERSEX: How far would a partner/spouse have to go before it is considered cheating?

I think this is a personal value judgment but I’ve googled “cybersex’ and looked at three sites that invite me to enter into a conversation with the girl on the screen and anyone else who is in the chat room. I guess if the intention is to substitute this internet relationship for the one you have with your spouse/partner, then you are cheating but this is a generalization and there may be hundreds of personal reasons for trying what seems to me to be a very unsatisfactory alternative to the real thing.

I also looked at three sites that explain what a cybersex site is and how I should have the right equipment i.e. a webcam and microphone and how I should behave with dialogue that steers us to a crescendo of mutual (erotic?) pleasure.

I don’t know if this is a common theme on all the “instruction” websites but the ones I read do seem to treat it as a form of light entertainment or a way of faking a strong libido or trying to find a way to have a long distance sexual encounter without the fear of social rejection.

"Pleasures Of the Fur" & "Burned Furs"

I guess my limited imagination has only let me explore what I think are “mainstream” or “conventional” websites and functions of the internet that support the practical aspects that make up and support my every day life. In this case a significant community has developed around a common attraction for Anthropomorphics which degenerated into a cultural argument over the purpose of the community and an attempt to retrospectively invent/impose rules to control the formation of sub cultures in the community. (I had to write this down to get a reality check on the quirky subject matter of this group)

Mainstream Coverage:

A common interest group has become popular.
It has grown to a size that extends beyond a group and now has formed a community.
The community exists without any obvious control or philosophy to guide its citizens.
Special interest groups are able influence the community by weight of numbers.

Subcultures:

I think that subcultures exist in every community (e.g. religious, economic, sex, political etc.). There is always going to be friction where the interests of each subculture overlap such as sex and religion, sex and business, sex and politics. It seems that sex has such a polymorphic behavior that it can assume relevance in almost any area of a community if there is nothing to control it.

This online community appears to have changed itself into a different animal that started off as an interest in combining animal and human characteristics to a venue that explores a number of social/sexual dysfunctions. Who would have expected such a dramatic transformation to affect such a perfectly normal interest????

Everyday Life:

I cannot in all honesty say I appreciate the behaviour of the people in “Pleasures of the Fur”. Has the internet changed their character to the point where the online community becomes acceptable behaviour in the real world? If I visited an online community as an “avatar” would I try and be my online character while I was offline every day?

Module 1 - Blinkinlights

2008-09-07T22:39:00.013+10:00

Telnet Blinkinlights:

It took the author that made this animation out of 13,935 individual frames to create this version of star wars. He has been very ingenious in using numbers & symbols to create the character images which depict the star wars characters.

This example of animating dots & dashes is a forerunner of using a computer as a medium that displays images as well as text and numbers to communicate information. The software applications that are available today make this
animation look primitive but it demonstrates the concept that information can be packaged using a variety of formats. Graphics have expanded the development of techniques to enhance the presentation of data with multimedia applications that exist on our computers and on the net.

Module One

2008-08-30T10:08:00.002+10:00

Traceroute to Curtin University:

Module 3

2008-08-30T02:46:00.001+10:00

Blinklist v HTML:

BLINKLIST: - is a specialized web based application for creating a personalized bookmarking site. It has intuitive features designed to file and manage bookmarks according to personal preference and other variables such as favorites, popularity, recently visited and a most used “cloud” which graphically enhances the font, type and color of each bookmarked site in the “cloud” to give a visual overview of the sites that have been visited the most.

The bookmark “tag” that the user attaches to a site enables the link to be filed with other links with the same tag. The intuitive bit happens when Blinklist starts suggesting “tags” based on those you have already used. This provides some consistency in the filing method and should make it easier to maintain lists of references that are managed with an element of personal preference. Multiple “tags” means that the reference link has the potential to relate to any number of related topic enquiries.

Blinklist automates the task of creating and managing a personalized reference library that will become more advantageous as the list expands. This is an end-user application that can be integrated with other applications such as blogs and other Web 2.0 applications.

At first glance, the Blinklist has all the preferred format features such as scannability, easy to navigate and a simple and ordered appearance that make it easy to read and experiment with.

HTML: - reference list has, up to a point, provided the same results as Blinklist and any time difference taken in the initial construction of both lists was probably negligible. However, the html source code would have been very labour intensive and the process would require manual updating each time a new link/reference was added.

The absence of a cross reference link or tag would mean the individual references were isolated from each other and links to other related sites would require separate browser software. This highlights the dependency of this html list version on a server rather than the web (as in Blinklist).

The appearance of the html document is functional and ordered in headings but not graphically enhanced as Blinklist.

My Preference: - would be Blinklist as it is a tailored application that contains a package of features that focus on executing its function. It combines automation to handle large amounts of data and establish relationships within the data, with an ability for the user to include personal preferences e.g. tag names. There are several ways that the data can be stored and accessed and the tags give it access to other related data.

Html is a functional format but would be cumbersome if used to manage large amounts of data manually. It requires other server functions to perform similar tasks that are all contained in Blinklist.

If the web is going to be filled with these types of “Web 2.0” products then using “mashable” applications like Blinklist to expand the potential of other applications like Blogs would be preferable.

Module 3

2008-08-30T02:43:00.001+10:00

A “BLOG” is short for Web-Log or Bulletin-Log. The Wikipedia gives it a pretty good description as a personal website with links. Blogs are published with an expectation or at least a hope it will be read and while the structure allows exclusive access to the author, the links give it the power to be disseminated throughout the Web.

This course is the first opportunity I have had to use a Blog and I’m still coming to terms with its potential. I have seen a variety of Blogs with varying quality and impact on the Web. Some have terrific writing quality but no graphics or links and others appear to be a demonstration of the authors’ artistic ability using graphics in every format possible. I cannot be too definitive about the formats used because I don’t claim to understand them all. However, a program called “Flickr” is being used extensively for photo management and probably “Java” as well.

Having the tools and motivation to publish a personal Website is a powerful thing if there is a story to tell and everyone has a story they want to tell and a Blog lets it happen. Creating and using my Blog has been exciting from the first day I published. With this in mind I was encouraged to “form relationships” on my Blog that would connect me with the community that had similar ideas using links and “key words” in the content.

The content has been devoted to the tasks of school and therefore my main interest is completing the tasks and maybe interacting with the other students who have posted their own Blogs. However, the reason I have chosen the name “Age-Smarter” is to remind me that one of the reasons I have taken this course is to find out if there are any features that the internet can offer to help the elderly (i.e. 75+) or whether there are some enhancements that will help create or maintain their social interaction in an environment where face to face communication isn’t necessary and removes physical barriers imposed by immobility.

Many of the Blogs I have seen have been personal diaries or travel logs, technical information, commentaries on social and Web development issues. Even businesses have published Blogs offering a critique of my Blog and how to improve it. I might visit that site again later.

I have checked out a site that has compiled the best 100 Blogs in Australia and they are a combination of commercial, diaries and commentaries. Some I have visited are “better” than others because they have a quality that makes them stand out. Whether it’s the quality of the writing, the topic, the graphics or the format that makes a blog popular is an area that the serious blogger should identify if the/she wants to really break into the global community.

The real value of a Blog is the access to a global population without the immediate need for technical know-how on creating and posting a Webpage using html or Webpage editors. It’s the reverse of Webpage creation in that the content can be posted on a very simple Blog and the enhancements and links can be added later.

The concept of a site for personal and original content should be an important factor when publishing on a Blog. There are many opportunities to use images, and work that should be attributed and or not posted without permission. An author who creates a Blog, while hoping it will be a shared experience should expect some acknowledgement that they own the content and it would not be copied indiscriminately by others.

Censorship: - http://www.blogger.com/content.g

Types of censorship include, obscene and/or types of pornographic language or images. These are perhaps the obvious types of content that censorship used to address. However, in most cases the “content policy” of “blogger” can only place safeguards such as an interstitial (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstitial_webpage ), which is a page between the offending pages, warning of the contents so it doesn’t take the reader unaware.

Other types of censorship that are addressed by blogger cover a multitude of other items such as religion, age, gender, disability etc. The level of tolerance accepted by blogger is decided by the law and a threat to report any “illegal” material. Some countries will impose political censorship which block content with key words.

Spam and viruses are not permitted, obviously.

Entering a global electronic environment will mean interaction with people of different countries, religion, morals and standards of communication. Perhaps to make the Blog work in this environment the system has to rely on the “Blog Community” to be socially responsible and impose self censorship.

Evolution:

“Myspace” is a communication room between users; it can create a Blog and has email and chat-room facilities. It has been promoted as a “place” to locate friends and relatives who have lost touch.

“Facebook” is a variation on blogs that enables social interaction within and across networks. My wife uses facebook to post photos and talk to friends within her network which includes people in the local geographical region and overseas.

Each development of a blog demonstrates a significant feature/ utility that differentiates it from other formats. Myspace appears to be an integration of several communication features included in a blog and Facebook is a communication site that allows the uploading of an unlimited number of photos. The user friendly techniques to operate these programs is a key feature of their popularity and can get the user “up and running” in a matter of minutes. Enhancements can then be added once the user is comfortable with the program.

These methods of communication have become an accepted way to communicate using the internet and I can only presume that this generation will continue to adopt future software as it is developed. Therefore, examining how features can meet all generations from young to old will eventually be an expectation of this generation in the near future rather than an optional extra now.

Module 3

2008-08-30T02:38:00.001+10:00

COPYRIGHT:

Copyright protects “artistic works”, provided they are:
• not copied from something else; and
• recorded in “material form” (that is, in a form from which they could be reproduced: for example, by making a craft item, painting a picture, taking a photograph or making an artwork in digital form).

A wide range of things are included in the category of “artistic works”, including:
• drawings
• paintings
• sculptures
• photographs and
• craftworks (such as mosaics, tapestries, jewellery and woven art).

There is no registration procedure for copyright protection in Australia but the Copyright Act 1968 applies. Registration of original work is not required. An original artistic work is automatically protected as soon as it is created.

Permission:
If I want to reproduce, communicate or publish an artwork and I am not the copyright owner, I need permission UNLESS:
• copyright has expired and the item has entered the Public Domain
• one of the special exceptions to infringement applies.

Items have entered the “Public Domain” if:
• Works published prior to 1978 did not contain a valid copyright notice.
• Non-renewed copyright on work prior to 1968.
• Federal documents.

Exceptions: - Fair use:
It could be argued that reproduction of images on my Blog would be allowed by the Copyright Act under the Fair Use provision. There are three factors that are taken into account to determine fair use:
• Commercial nature or non-profit educational purposes.
• Preamble purposes
o Critism
o Coment
o News reports
o Teaching
o Scholarship
o Research
• Degree of Transformation:

Images on my Blog:
It could be argued that downloading of images are for non-profit and educational purposes and may also fall into one of the Preamble purposes (e.g. Research). However, the provisions only allow for one copy to be downloaded and posting to a Blog may be seen as making multiple copies therefore requires permission from the owner before posting.

In looking at the images I have reproduced on my Blog, some were obtained exclusively via the WebCT site and it may be presumed that copyright permission has been obtained via the University as it was implied that these images should be posted to our Blog, although this should be checked.

If I have reproduced any original images that are not in the public domain and published them on a Blog or Website then it would be prudent to ascertain whether they are protected by Copyright and seek permission to publish them. The permission may attract a fee or an acknowledgement of the image’s origin.

Curtin University Logo:
A logo is usually held to fall under Copyright protection if the artwork is consistently associated with, and regarded as being identified with a particular product or organization. Any “close” imitations with some changes may be a breach of the original artwork copyright if there is substantial association with the original.

Ownership of the Curtin University Logo Copyright License would be held by the creator unless the License was assigned as part of the commissioning agreement, to the University.

The University has the right to:
• Copy or reproduce the logo (including digital copies)
• Publish the work
• Communicate the work to the public (electronically, broadcast, email or fax, posting to its website).

The exceptions that may apply to reproducing artwork would not apply to the Curtin University Logo unless it was directed by the University as research or study in which case the appropriate permission would have been granted.

Passing Off:
If the Curtin University Logo is reproduced on my Blog, I may be regarded as benefiting from the established reputation of the University and using the logo to elevate the value of the material in the Blog or implying that the University endorses the content of the Blog. This is said to be “passing off” and is a breach of the Trade Practices Act 1974 or Sections of the fair trading laws.

Trademark:
The logo may also be a registered trade mark in which case an infringement will breach Copyright and Trade Mark rights Trade Marks Act 1995). It would be reasonable to assume that the logo could be a registered trademark as it is “inherently capable of distinguishing the traders’ goods or services”.

The Curtin University Logo would be protected by Copyright and it would be an infringement to reproduce the logo without the University’s permission.

Module 5

2008-08-30T02:31:00.000+10:00

Ecology of Information:

Ecology, or ecological science, is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and how the distribution and abundance are affected by interactions between the organisms and their environment. The environment of an organism includes both physical properties, which can be described as the sum of local abiotic factors such as solar insolation, climate and geology, as well as the other organisms that share its habitat
The two elements that seem to be important in describing an ecology are the behavior of a body within its environment and the influence or interaction it has on its external environment.

Behavior: The internet has evolved from a technological tool to communicate between academics into a huge interrelated network of computers that create the framework or environment in which other components i.e. software can be developed and distributed anywhere within the internet. The internal environment it has created has led to the development of the World Wide Web and other applications for any purpose or utility that we can think of (e.g. education, commercial profit, scientific research, leisure, astronomy etc.).

The other additional component that the internet incorporates is the user who, when “connected” to the functions of the internet, becomes part of its operation and influence. The user of the internet is not an identity in him/ herself but any individual, who at any time, interacts with the internet and flow of information within it.

Interaction: The second element of an ecology is its effect on the external environment in which it exists (its habitat). The internet exists in a society that thrives on accumulating and controlling information. There is almost a symbiotic relationship between the internet and society; the internet relies on the flow of information to sustain its existence and enable it to grow and we use the internet to maintain our society and make it grow.

In this broader definition of hardware and software and people then the internet has some of the characteristics of an organism that acts and reacts to the flow of information and communication between its different parts. The influence of the internet on the social and ethical behavior on its external environment is the issue debated by (Capurro, R.) who views information technology as an opportunity to change the inadequacies of society pre-information technology. The suggestion that society should reassess its motives for controlling the access of information to promote a greater balance of information flow, cultural diversity, moral values and share of wealth is a strong indication that the internet has a major influence on its external environment.

Reflection: When I connect to the internet, am I part of the internet’s external or internal environment? I used to think that the distance between the keyboard and me was the separation line. However, when my wife used “Facebook” recently I noticed that at the bottom of the screen that the counter said that over 10 million people were using that program at the same time she was. The participation and influence of that user community on the internet would not be regarded as part of the external environment but part of the internet.

This has changed my awareness of the society that exists at any given time within the internet environment and appreciate the potential influence it has on its external world.

How are the concepts ‘information’ and ‘communication’ understood within the framework of an ‘information ecology’?

The ecosystem concept:
A central principle of ecology is that each living organism has an ongoing and continual relationship with every other element that makes up its environment. The sum total of interacting living organisms (the biocoenosis) and their non-living environment (the biotope) in an area is termed an ecosystem. Studies of ecosystems usually focus on the movement of energy and matter through the system.

From the free encyclopedia Retrieved from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecology, August 26th, 2008.

If we consider the aspect of relationships between elements within an ecology and note that the interaction between the elements focus on the “movement of energy and matter through the system” (Wikipedia) then we can associate the central elements in the information ecology of information and communication creating a synergy that is greater than there individual value. (Stadler) states that the elements of communication and information are interdependent: communication is the process which connects the pathways to carry the data. The interaction of this data with different bits of data and as it travels through the internet it is enriched through its combining with otherwise meaningless bits of data. The result of the combination between communication and information is the information ecology.

Why don’t we talk of a ‘communication ecology’?

The concept of a ‘communication ecology’ isn’t refuted as a concept but it would be superfluous to try and describe communication to the exclusion of knowledge when the two elements are combined to create information.

Aren’t we talking about the characteristics and dynamics of information? Using the internet as an example, communication technology exists to transmit data and the product, which is information, exists because of its ability to be channeled through communication technology. The particular outcome of this process requires the input of communication and data combining to produce information. This is the sum total of the interacting organisms within their ecosystem.

Stadler, Felix “information Technology” A position paper (version 1.0) McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology, FIS, UofT, 1997.

Module 4 - Annotation

2008-08-29T00:32:00.003+10:00

Summary:

The Web has made huge amounts of information available to society and has been a technological leap in communication and data storage, retrieval and display. Even so, storage and retrieval of data has depended on the ability of search software to find data stored in structured formats (schema) that allow it to be recognized as legitimate data and contain a complete set of attributes before it can be retrieved.

Creating suitable applications to perform these “relational” tasks means the development of software features that are not constrained to select data that has been stored using a predetermined schema. This software needs to be “agile” enough to collect data, store and retrieve it in a format that responds to its quality and quantity and can evolve as more data is changed or added.

The relational data base relies on the primary key to link related data from different tables and it will not retrieve and display that data if the primary key is missing or different. The Semantic Web, however, has the potential to retrieve data from unrelated databases which therefore requires a more flexible alternative to the traditional notion of the primary key.

SPARQL is a Web 2 software which is an extension of the Web search software that can operate with the existing Web data storage structure whilst accessing the Semantic Web data. In the example of a database, the Semantic Web has access to information which reaches across the data defined in a table.

The ability of this type of software to form relationships with data outside of one database table with data in another database will create “one huge database” and make the next evolutionary leap in data storage and retrieval.

Preference:

The information describing the article was an introduction to a number of articles on the same topic as the Semantic Web and not directly attributable to the content of the researched article. Therefore, although the summary was relevant to the Semantic Web, the article by Andrew Newman was specific to describing a type of software with the capability of searching and interacting in the Semantic Web environment. There is some technical information which, although very detailed, was not helpful to the conceptual discussion that I was looking for.

The annotation which I have written is a summary of this particular article and provides a description which would give me a more informed and preferable version of the article.

External users would prefer to use the information in the annotation that I have written. It would take longer to read than the “snapshot” on the original source but it would save time to read a description that provided the key elements of the article rather than a general summary of the articles located at this site.

Newman, Andrew, “A Relational View of the Semantic Web”. March 14^th, 2007. Retrieved from: http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2007/03/14/a-relational-view-of-the-semantic-web.html

Module 4

2008-08-29T00:11:00.011+10:00

Evaluating Web Sites:

Type of Content:

The website I have chosen is a site that contains an article located at O’ReillyXML.com. This is a media website that publishes articles and resource material. The information is more reliable than a site such as a blog but not as proven as a research paper. This site however, reproduces topical articles from many newspapers and magazines.

Search Engine: Yahoo “Semantic Web”

The description of this article, although brief, has more credence because of the website that it appears in i.e. “Semantic Web Resource Center”. This site is a collection of commercial and public resources for research groups and has a catalogue of articles on the Semantic Web.

The headline of this article is: “A Relational View of the Semantic Web”.

The “blurb” reads “Creating a Web of machine readable information, leading the Web to its fullest potential…” But this is an introduction for a list of articles about the Semantic Web and not directly attributable to this article.

URL: http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2007/03/14/a-relational-view-of-the-semantic-web.html

Author: Andrew Newman 14^th March 2007

Institution: O’ReillyXML.com

Summary: “A Relational View of the Semantic Web:”

Abstract:

Software which falls into the category of “Web 2” have the ability to search and find information drawn from databases using applications that are designed to search all data, locate and identify combinations in which bits of data appear and interpret the relevance of the data for the user. This new software has a flexibility that does not need to conform to rigid database design features to conduct a search. The outcome is the integration of data in any database being available and accessible to the user. Therefore, creating the most suitable software to operate within the semantic web and produce these results is the goal of numerous software developers.

Relevance to Purpose:

I selected this article for its relevance to the concept of Meta Data being the data required to produce quality search results in research. The concept of the Semantic Web is an evolutionary step to using Meta Data and the title implies that the relational aspect between types of Meta Data is an important factor it the development of the Semantic Web.

Purpose of the Site:

This site would be described as commercial because it invites subscription to its service for a fee and has an abundance of advertising material on it. It sells books on line and reference material can be downloaded for a fee. However, the article is valid and the information can be tracked to a reliable source.

O’RiellyXML.com is a resource and publishing center. To post to the site membership is required but articles are free to read. It would be a useful search tool for future reference.

Author:

The Journalists who wrote this article are recorded in the search results. The facts noted in their article are suitably referenced in the Bibliography for authenticity. The credentials of the author are available on a separate reference page:

Andrew Newman

“Andrew Newman is currently working for the University of Queensland's eResearch centre and part time on his Honours. His has previously worked on Kowari and continues to actively support the RDF API for Java, JRDF. His current interests include SPARQL, defeasible logic, agile databases using RDF, ontology development, and software development methodologies. and as the source is a newspaper, it should be seen as an opinion on a topical issue and not a research document.”

Publisher:

The article is published by “© 2008, O'Reilly Media, Inc.”. The Website produces a directory of articles about the topic but states at the foot of the page that copyright is owned by the individual authors. There is an invitation on the site to submit articles on topics that are new and “it helps if you know that we tend to publish "high end" books rather than books for dummies, and generally don't want yet another book on a topic that's already well covered.”

Content Bias/Balance:

The content of articles is talking about a new area of Web use in the Semantic Web. The article doesn’t lend itself to being bias unless support for the Semantic Web concept is bias. There is a substantial amount of information and speculation that is supported by explanatory data and a bibliography.

Coverage:

Other articles about the topic are published on the same site and are listed in the directory. Also using Google I found 27 related sites:

Currency:

The date of the article was recorded on the search results. The development of this concept will make each article time sensitive because of the changing technology. However, this site seems to be a popular resource for publications and attracts current information on the topic. A search of this site on the Semantic Web produced 9,842 references to similar articles. The range of posting dates appears to be from 2000 to 2008 but they are not listed in date order and required a manual search for the information.

Signs of Recognition:

Links to http://www.xml.com/semweb/ (above) – 6 (3 are blogs, 2 are linked to the publisher’s Webpage and 1 is an educational reference.

Tags for this Site:

Tags for www.xml.com (above) – 13 bookmarked items from this site used by 5,585 people. Is this a significant number of tags for this type of site? A search in del.icio.us for “Semantic Web” resulted in 23,915 bookmarked items by thousands of people. This doesn’t place www.xml.com as a popular website for this information.

Blog reaction to website www.xml.com 1,432 The “authority rating” is respectable for the blogs on a specialized topic. A search for blogs with references to the “semantic web” was 8,281. Not all references from xml.com are about the semantic web so more comparison would have to be made to determine whether bloggers thought this site is popular.

Blog reaction to website www.xml.com 1,432 The “authority rating” is similar for these blogs as the previous but would need some more comparison with other sites to get the relative popularity.

Citations of Articles by other Researchers: This is a search using the title of the article to see whether it has been cited in any research articles. The search found that the article had been cited in one published paper.

Module 4

2008-08-29T00:09:00.001+10:00

Boolean searching task:

The biggest number of hits relating to these key words:

Using OR:

Semantic OR Web: would initiate a search for the individual words or both words combined.

Semantic

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&as_qdr=all&q=semantic&btnG=Search&meta

Web

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&as_qdr=all&q=web&btnG=Search&meta

Semantic OR Web

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&as_q=&as_epq=&as_oq=semantic+web&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images

Search Items	Results
Semantic	23,600,000
Web	4,210,000,000
Semantic OR Web	4,230,000,000

Information most relevant to what I actually wanted to look for:

Using Semantic AND Web AND Concepts: would initiate a search of sites that only contained these words and as I was searching for information on the concept of the Semantic Web, I could exclude reference to “applications”by using NOT and ().

(Semantic AND Web AND Concepts) NOT applications: http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&as_q=&as_epq=Semantic+Web+concepts&as_oq=&as_eq=applications&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=title&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images

Using Google, the number of results using a Boolean search with these parameters, came to 49.

Google doesn’t seem to recognize the Boolean Operators and substitutes its own “Implied Boolean Logic” instead with the use of + & - symbols. The following site address provides a list of corresponding Boolean Operators used by Google: http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators_reference.html

Information coming only from Universities:

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&as_q=Semantic+Web+concepts+universities&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images – This search included the AND Universities – Results 849,000. The term “Universities” doesn’t limit the results to University sites.

Specialised search engines or nominated types of sites such as *.edu will focus on data from unique areas: http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&as_q=&as_epq=Semantic+Web&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=.edu&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=title&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images This site is powered by Google but only brought up results from educational institutions. Results 15,400

Searches using different search engines would reveal different search results and each search would require several modifications to narrow down the search to get the best quality information.

Module 4

2008-08-28T23:41:00.008+10:00

Log Entry of Three Search Results:

URL: http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2007/03/14/a-relational-view-of-the-semantic-web.html

Author: Andrew Newman 14^th March 2007

Institution: O’ReillyXML.com

Summary: “A Relational View of the Semantic Web:”

Search Engine: Yahoo

URL: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-semantic-web

Author: Tim Berners-Lee, James Hendler and Ora Lassila

Institution: Scientific American magazine May, 2001

Summary: “The Semantic Web:”

(An extract from the article)

“The Semantic Web is not a separate Web but an extension of the current one, in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation. The first steps in weaving the Semantic Web into the structure of the existing Web are already under way. In the near future, these developments will usher in significant new functionality as machines become much better able to process and "understand" the data that they merely display at present.”

Search Engine: Copernic Agent

URL: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13953_3-9891949-80.html

Author: Posted by Dan Farber 11/3/2008

Institution: cnetnews.com

Summary: “Tim Berners-Lee: Google could be superseded by the semantic Web:”

The evolution of the web is moving towards complete integration of data which will be a tool that will infiltrate every part of society. The automatic search and use of information by a new wave of software applications has already started. These applications exceed the current ability of limited search engines like Google and create a connection between all sources of information. The speed with which this new technology is adopted will depend on drivers such as commerce, usability and cooperation between providers to set standards of data recording. All factors need to be developed and reach a stage where they produce a cheap, user friendly and integrated search system.

Module 4

2008-08-28T22:44:00.007+10:00

Searching the Web:

Log Entry 1: - Standard Google Search for “Semantic Web”.

(above) :This is the top 7 results of a Google search for “Semantic Web”. This is a Web index search which has picked out matches of the two words either in the title or the content of the web page. These results put the two words in order but as searches progress down the page, the words may be found in different areas of the web page. That is why there are 7,980,000 results in this search.

To make the search more relevant it would be helpful to conduct a further search within the first set of results to focus on a topic such as “applications” or “issues”.

Log Entry 2a: - Modified Yahoo Search, using modified search features: “Semantic Web” in the Title Page only.

(above): results 912,000 sites: This is a search of the same topic using Yahoo and making the search more specific. I have asked the search to look for the words “Semantic Web” in order and only in the title of the page. This should help ensure that the document I am seeking is primarily on the topic of the Semantic Web and not a passing comment in the text. Even with this one modification , the search results have been narrowed to 1/10th of the Google search results. There are three resources appearing in both searches but the modified search introduces an article but the main differences will be further down the search list as results that refer to the Semantic Web in the content only have been excluded.

These results, while still numerous ensure that the initial search for this topic results in sources that are only discussing this topic.

Log Entry 2b: - Deep Web search engine (Complete Planet) “Semantic Web”.

(above): results 1 site: This is a search using CompletePlanet “Deep Web Directory” with the same query. The result is a website for a directory type search engine that uses Semantic Web applications. CompletePlanet conducts a database search and the concept of the Semantic Web is not a reference term to be found in a database.

Log Entry 2c: - Copernic Search Manager using 6 Search Engines “Semantic Web”.

(above): results 22 sites (less 4 sponsored sites): This is Copernic search agent which combines the results of multiple search engines. This search used 6 search engines and the Yahoo engine was modified using the same filters as the example in log entry 2a to give the results of a “Deep Web Search” (i.e. only search for the words Semantic Web, in the titles). Copernic has combined duplicate sites and labeled which engines found them.

There are 3 sites in this search that appear in the broader Google search.

Summary: The results from the Google search are of a general nature but the first 5 displayed give a broad range of topics and reference material to start a research project. There is less information about the sites in the Copernic search manager so it is difficult to determine the relevance of the site from the summary of the source. On this website there is a “relevancy indicator” that is used to order the search results but I would hesitate to rely on this indicator alone and would check the data personally to determine the site’s relevancy to my research.

The Copernic search manager has performed satisfactorily (overlooking the first 4 sponsored sites which may not appear in a paid for version), as it has reduced the duplication of search results. If there was a specific research project or issue to narrow the topic down further and ample opportunity to practice using the application to be satisfied with its operation then this type of search manager should produce a narrow range of good quality results.

The Google and Yahoo results provide more details about the source than the other two search engines. The quality of the results is affected by the topic being researched but in this case the results in Google, Yahoo and Copernic are on a par with each other.

Conceptual Research & Reflection Project

2008-08-08T14:27:00.010+10:00

Concept 1: Asynchronicity

“Asynchronous communication means that the sender and receiver deal with the communication between them at different times. We are familiar with asynchronous communication, for we use it regularly with letters, faxes and similar media. However, email often appears to be more similar to the conventions of real-time (or synchronous) communication and thus the particular nature of asynchronicity is different. People often expect a response to email in faster time than a letter (perhaps because they themselves respond rapidly to email). People expect to be able, through email, to conduct a conversation, with much back and forth, similar to an oral conversation.
In other words, asynchronous communication does not render time and schedules unimportant (as is sometimes claimed). Rather it requires us to think up new rules to assist us in managing communications that, from one perspective are 'instant' and, from another, are 'lagged' and that, standing back, are about the differences in temporal location of the people communicating.

Asynchronous electronic communication is not the opposite of real-time, synchronous communication: rather it describes forms of communication that appear differently 'located in time' depending on the perspective of the sender and receiver.

This concept applies equally, of course, to the other forms of asynchronous communication that are very similar to email, or use email (newsgroups and lists). What is perhaps less obvious is that FTP and the World Wide Web can also enable asynchronicity: indeed they depend on it, by allowing individuals to access material in many different personal ‘time zones’. For example, teaching online is predominantly effective where students cannot gather together in class to hear lectures but need to access them individually, at their own time.” (Concepts Document - The Internet: Communications (SP2 and SP4))

Communication is asynchronous if the sender and receiver each have the ability to transmit their messages intermittently without the other party having to be present to instantly respond. In terms of person to person communication, the communication is taking place at different times or over a certain period of time.

This is in contrast to synchronous communication which implies that the sender and receiver are expected to transmit their and receive their messages in real time where they have to be in the same place (physically or virtually) at the same time. A chat room or video conference are examples of two people being in front of their computers or camera, ready and able to exchange information.

The definition of asynchronous and synchronous communication is sometimes blurred as it is often a distinction between whether the sender and receiver choose to send and receive in real time. An example of this is email where the parties to the communication may be available and willing to exchange messages in real time but by choice decide on a delay in responding. Neither is there a compulsory timeframe in which a response is required. Because of the email process, the transmitted message will be received whether the addressee of the message is present or not.

The concept of asynchronous communication is more clearly defined when it is applied to the technical environment of communication and data transmission between computers and peripheral equipment such as printers and modems where the internal clock of each piece of equipment operates independently of its counterparts. An elaborate system of communicating between these components allows the transmission of data in relatively small packages which limits the speed that information travels between each component (e.g. 64 kilobits per second)

The use of synchronous communication has the advantage of synchronizing the clock of the sending and receiving components which removes the need for transmitting in packaged bits of data. Information can be transmitted at much greater speeds (e.g. 10 Gigabits per second).

The implication from demonstrating the technical superiority of synchronizing component clocks and faster data transmission speeds is that this is the overriding factor that demonstrates the inferiority of asynchronous communication. However, whilst high transmission speeds may be an advantage it is premature to expect that this will revolutionize the response time to an email or other similar electronic communication.

There are advantages to both types of communication which suit the purpose of a variety of users. The use of email and other asynchronous communication are flexible enough to allow users to approach the synchronicity of machines if they desire by the instant exchange of information and data package transfer but the convenience of a timely and considered response to a complex email query should also remain an important component in electronic communication. This flexibility is also not limited to two users but can be expanded to a group who may be in different time zones or otherwise preoccupied but who can contribute to the discussion because of the delay made available through this type of communication.

References:

Site 1: Asynchronous Communication / http://www.erg.abdn.ac.uk/users/gorry/eg2069/async.html

Fairhurst, Gorry, Asynchronous Communication. Retrieved: August 5, 2008, from http://www.erg.abdn.ac.uk/users/gorry/eg2069/async.html

This is a brief explanation of some aspects of asynchronous communication between computer hardware and how data flow is affected. The specific differences are explained in relation to the behavior and speed of data transmission in an asynchronous and synchronous environment.

The start, stop nature of asynchronous data transmission because of the differing internal time clocks of each piece of hardware is an apt description of the behavior of human communication: It parallels the differences of an individual’s internal clock but the acts of sending and reading transmitted data at different times are determined by the individual and not the program.

Site 2: Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: Some Thoughts /
http://www.webct.com/service/ViewContent?contentID=2339346

Goldberg, Murray, (2000) Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: Some Thoughts. Retrieved: August 5, 2008 from http://www.webct.com/service/ViewContent?contentID=2339346

An opinion on the future benefit of asynchronous communication in the light of developing technology in synchronous communication. Asynchronous communication is introduced using the example of email and the advantage and convenience to send and receive information at different times as opposed to the sometimes inconvenient necessity to be present during synchronous communication.

The author discusses the use of asynchronous communication in an electronic teaching environment that offers a revolutionary type of interaction between teacher and student rather than an electronic version of face to face teaching offered by synchronous communication which already exists in classrooms.

Site 3: Internet Communications Concept Document, Concept 1 - Asynchronocity. Retrieved August 1st, 2008 from: http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home

Concept 6: Reading the difference between 'surface' metadata and 'implied' metadata.

“Metadata, in the context of email, is the generic term for the descriptive data contained in the header of the message that tells us who the email is address to; who the email comes from; what is the email's subject; who else is receiving copies of the email; the urgency which the sender has ascribed to the message; the time the email was sent; and (as supplied by your own interaction with the message once arrived) has it been read and has it been replied to. Metadata is, technically 'data about data'. It is the information which tells us the import and content of other information (you will learn more about metadata throughout your studies).

Effective electronic communication depends on metadata; but, from a user's point of view, the 'surface' metadata (what is actually 'there' in the header) needs to be read in light of the content of the message to see if it is reallyas it should be. For example, a message send to my email address may not actually be to 'me'. Perhaps the person believes I am, for example, the technical support officer in my department (whereas I am the academic coordinator of Internet Studies). The content of the message will make that clear and I will need to respond accordingly.

While the header contains the 'surface' metadata, understanding email messages may require you to interpret the implied, hidden metadata cued into the body of email messages.

While email messages need certain key elements of metadata to make them sendable, and also routinely contain other key elements to make them useable, many websites do no really have good metadata and, with the URL, no-one needs that data. Furthermore, URLs are, rarely, much help as metadata in themselves, unless the site is carefully constructed in such a way as to make the URL communicate to you as well as to the computer. However, as you can see by looking at the metadata in websites, it is important for the proper functioning of search engines and other finding tools.

Conceptually, we are seeing the use of metadata in information services change from being a tightly controlled, ‘professional’ activity (ie a classifying system used by librarians, such as Dewey Decimal, MARC etc) to being an activity completely entwined with the many, diverse processes of everyday, social life. Hence, marketeers carefully think about the metadata they can place in a site so as to attract an audience; pornographers try to make their sites ‘available’ to as many different kinds of search engine requests as they can get away with; even non-commercial sites use metadata to attact people. Thus, rather than being data that describes the data, metadata is slowly becoming (at least in part), data that tries to predict and attract certain types of users.” (Concepts Document - The Internet: Communications (SP2 and SP4))

The surface data of an email is gleaned from the traditional areas such as header, author & address of sender, subject, and time sent etc. Similar information can be included in a URL (Webpage) and for research and study it provides a relatively simpler means of finding related information via search engines especially when it is a standardized form such as MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_readable or Dublin Core (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Core). The quality and quantity of metadata required by either of these standards ensures the reliability and relevancy of the information. This process lends itself to collection by repositories with structured metadata which can be applied to a wide range of digital materials, such as: images, learning materials, assessment materials, technical reports or catalogue records.

However, metadata management as a marketing tool can be fashioned to infiltrate a broader customer market when a greater focus is placed on the target audience. The audience will be attracted by the product that best fits their perceived need and therefore the entrepreneur will design metadata used to identify a webpage or a location in the webpage that targets that need. This is called Search Engine Optimisation (SOE). The wording of the metadata may be keywords placed in a webpage document or series of documents each with a unique set of key words that advertise the content and draws the client to that site. The metadata used to describe the information contained in the resource therefore implies that the content relates to the heading via one or many key words planted in the webpage.

Implied metadata has many applications that are not necessarily used for direct marketing. Information resides in the context of the data and the location and extraction of this may be more relevant to a diversity of applications than indicated by the information inserted in the surface metadata. Access to the actual or implied content of the data allows a search to be conducted and correlated according to any number of variable criteria. Surface metadata entered on a document is influenced by the relevance of the information at the time of filing and ignores the possible future applications of information within the context of the data that can be discovered using the implied or semantic metadata.

A search of semantic metadata will provide a potential for differentiating search results which may not have been apparent or relevant at the time of creating the formal metadata but are relevant to the current research or a variety f different types of research. This type of search will provide results that may not use the exact words specified but find data that has the same meaning or concept. A major shift in the operation of this type of metadata search is the greater involvement of the machine to search and sift through data and interpret relevant results from resources that are related by the data or concepts contained in the context of the data rather than their surface metadata.

References:

Site 1: The Semantic Web / http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-semantic-web

Berners-Lee, Tim & Hendler, James & Lassila, Ora. (2001): The Semantic Web: Retrieved August 5, 2008 from http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-semantic-web

This is an article that illustrates a hypothetical scenario using an existing semantic web and leading with the vision that the new web culture will expect that the new semantic metadata may be searched for information to a degree that will enable the application of the results to the solve complex problems and the execute intelligent tasks. These functions will be completely automated by the machine. The new features/ systems that will operate within the semantic web are: knowledge representation, ontologies and the introduction of “virtual” agents in the software, which will lead to the continuing evolution of knowledge.

Site 2: Semantic Web Activity Statement – W3C/ http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/Activity.html

Semantic Web Activity Statement – W3C. (2008): Retrieved August 5, 2008 from http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/Activity.html

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is a leader in the development of standards for the World Wide Web. This web page is indicative, of the resources and progress that is being made in the development of the semantic web. There is research into software language, structures within the web to enable connection of all data, software development and vocabulary.

This site gives information about specific areas of research and the progress being made. Even if this is not the sole source of information about the semantic web, this is the mainstream research and should be an authoritative guide when researching other sources.

Site 3: Internet Communications Concept Document, Concept 6 - Reading the difference between 'Surface' Metadata and 'Implied' Metadata. Retrieved August 1st, 2008 from: http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home

Concept 7: Netiquette.

“An overwhelming and many-facted aspect of using email and similar asynchronous communication systems over the Internet is 'Netiquette'. Netiquette describes 'good' and 'bad' conduct in online communication (amongst other forms of Internet use). But what is important about Netiquette is the concept that there are these 'agreed' rules of what is good and bad.

Understanding why and now netiquette operates is more than just learning those rules (for, indeed, there are numerous differences and disagreements about the 'rules'). Rather, one must gain from a reading of 'netiquette' a sense that users must themselves contribute to the proper functioning of the Internet as a communication system: that no-one is in 'charge' of the net and we all must exercise an ethic of maintenance, taking responsibility for doing it 'right'. Moreover, what defines 'right' most of all is : 'how would I feel if this action I am about to take was done to me, instead of by me?' and, as a test of whether you are implementing 'right' properly, ask yourself "if I assume the recipient of my messages is less experienced than me, will they learn something 'good' or 'bad' from what I am doing?'

Good communication practice on the Internet is not something one 'learns', but something one 'practices' so as to teach others, less familiar than yourself, how it is done.

Good communication practice on the Internet is not something one 'learns', but something one 'practices' so as to teach others, less familiar than yourself, how it is done.

Netiquette seems to apply almost entirely to communication: email, online chat, and so on. Perhaps this fact suggests a difference between the kind of info-communication practice involved in website creation and use and that involving direct communication lines. The difference is that, in the latter case, the immediacy of the communication, the sense of ‘back and forth’ means that damaging practices cannot be as easily ignored. We feel, in personal communication (as opposed to the more indirect ‘reading and website’ form of communication), that bad netiquette really does waste our time and affect us. A poorly designed website doesn’t do more than prompt us to move on to the next one.” (Concepts Document - The Internet: Communications (SP2 and SP4))

Effective electronic communication, whether it is synchronous or asynchronous is meaningful conversation; to exchange information or convey a message whether for the purpose of social interaction, research or commerce. To effectively use electronic text medium it is important to be aware that communication between sender and receiver relies solely on the text to convey meaning. In text it is not possible to use visual cues such as facial expression or tone of voice to communicate meaning.

When you're holding a conversation online there is always a risk of misinterpreting your correspondent's meaning whether it's an email exchange or a response to a discussion group posting. And it's easy to forget that your correspondent is a person with similar feelings to you. Behavior and interaction with people on line removes the personality of the people communicating with each other and some of the inhibitions that we may have in place to protect ourselves and moderate our speech when we interact with people face to face are removed when we communicate on line.

There are conventions or rules that have evolved to avoid any disadvantage of only using the written word to communicate in the electronically. Netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online. It is a book on manners rather than a legal document but it urges the user to do their best to act within the laws of society and cyberspace.

Likewise, webpage design is inspired by the need for visitors to be attracted by the impact of the design for the purpose of using the site for the utility it provides. If there are no strict conventions for webpage design then surely the conventions and standards will be driven by the popularity of some pages over others. The development of these standards are similar to netiquette in as much as the breach of a rule of netiquette will compromise lines of communication and perhaps cause a conversation to be terminated, whereas the webpage that breaches fundamental design rules that make it unattractive and non conventional to the point of unusable, causes the same affect of the website being discarded and not seen again.

Users are in constant motion across the web and experience different levels usability which they expected to appear in your site. This will not be a static measure but should be constantly improved to move with the changing expectations.

Netiquette is a collection of rules which may vary in the number and are not definitive or enforceable but they are based on an underlying philosophy to remember the person/ people involved in the communication expect to be treated with the same respect and consideration they would receive if the conversation was face to face and in the same manner we expect to be treated by them.

Perhaps the same standard should be used by website designers to remember that the webpage is a type of communication to many unknown clients who expect that the webpage design respects their needs and not that of the designer.

References:
Site 1: Netiquette Home Page / http://www.albion.com/netiquette/

Ross, Seth T. The Netiquette Quiz: Netiquette Home Page: Retrieved August 5, 2008 from http://www.albion.com/netiquette/ .

This website gives an overview of netiquette and is as informative as many other sites on the subject. The questionnaire is a short quiz which took me 5 minutes to complete. The questions and answers reinforce the notion that netiquette is common sense behavior that we would expect from any considerate person who has an interest in informative and meaningful communication using the electronic medium.

However, rule 10 of this version says “be forgiving of other peoples mistakes” which is essential because the use of this medium requires practice before the application of some of these rules become routine behavior.

Site 2: End of Web Design/ http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20000723.html

Nielsen, Jakob. (2000). End of Web Design: Retrieved August 5, 2008 from: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20000723.html.

This article argues for the eventual conformity of webpage design as both the experienced and new web browser will expect common features in each web page to remove the time wasting effort of having to learn a new technique for access or navigation. This will effectively relinquish control of the site to the expert and novice as opposed to the service provider attempting to enforce the order of exploration through structured and complicated design. He also supports the expansion of website promotion through interaction between websites and the exchange of content to advertise or promote complementary services.

Site 3: Internet Communications Concept Document, Concept 7 - Netiquette. Retrieved August 1st, 2008 from: http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home

Concept 11: The relationship of data to meta-data.

“Meta-data is, in essence, information about information. In electronic communication, it is mostly to be thought of as the information that locates data in a particular context. The obvious example is the 'header' in an email message, detailing who it is from, to whom it is addressed, when it was sent, and what it is about. Internet communication depends on this meta data as obviously as, say, the postal system or, indeed, face-to-face communication. But, whereas in most other communicative contexts metadata is often concealed, or inflexibly mediated (the postmark on an envelope is sometimes germane to its contents but rarely do we keep envelopes), on the Internet, the metadata is fully available. Moreover, it is tightly connected to its data and, without physical form, can be manipulated much more easily.

For example, if I file paper correspondence under 'sender', then it is no longer available for me to file under – say – subject matter. I could copy the correspondence and file it twice, or three times, or more, depending on the number of categories of metadata and the importance I ascribe to them. However, it is often the case that a category does not become important until after the initial filing. Electronic communication (say, email), can be filed in one place and then sorted and resorted depending on the needs of the moment.
Advanced Internet users learn to intuitively conceive of any document, file, message or communication as consisting of metadata and data. They then can explore the functions of various communications/information software looking for how that software can assist them in using metadata to enable sorting, processing or otherwise dealing with that data.

A great failing of most web browser and management software is its inability to allow people to easily organize and reorganise information, to catalogue and sort it, thereby attaching their own metadata to it. Without the physical ability to sort, annotate, sort and resort, it is harder to do the cognitive processing necessary to make the data ‘one’s own’, relevant to the tasks that you are using it for, rather than its initially intended uses. New forms of ‘organisation’ need to be found, and new software to make it work.” (Concepts Document - The Internet: Communications (SP2 and SP4))

Metadata consists of information that characterizes data and is information about data and is used to provide documentation for data. Some characteristics that Metadata describes are content, accuracy, reliability and the source.

The metadata can be used to publicise the data or assist research in locating and extracting relevant information. To say that Metadata is similar to a paper filing system narrows the application of Metadata. It is accurate to say that data can be filed and retrieved using Metadata but the potential for multi-level access to relevant data is a far more powerful than simple filing and retrieval.

At a local level, file “tagging” and storage of data files is an application using Metadata to give the data a label. The usual business application is to file labeled data into folders that relate to a specific project or client. This can be applied to email documents where numerous messages are collected and may be automatically filtered or redirected to various folders with Meta data that identifies the data using such tags as: time of transmission, subject matter or name of sender. This principle can be applied to information contained in newsgroups and websites where information described by its Metadata can be allocated to specific areas of a webpage or to a particular discussion group or topic thread.

However, using Metadata in the electronic environment also enables a much broader application than filing. Metadata helps researchers find the data they need and determine how best to use it. The data may have been produced for a completely different purpose but refers to information/research that, at some time in the future, may be relevant to another project. Locating and incorporating the existing information into current research prevents the duplication of work and resources.

Metadata enables the grouping of similar data sets from an unlimited number of locations provided they contain metadata that has common identifiers. The data may be documents, files or images that have been filed.

The system of identifying terms of reference using metadata is therefore integral to the efficiency of filing and retrieval. Metadata standards are a way of defining information in a consistent way, which enables that information to be compared across different service delivery settings and sectors and to ensure consistency and comparability of information to improve interoperability of systems, cross-program analysis, relevance and availability of information.

Of course, to have consistency in tracking and compiling the information, it is important to consider the creation of using rules or standards when recording the metadata.

From an organization’s viewpoint, maintaining a library or file of data using the Metadata prolongs the value of data if it has the capacity to be retrieved and used for different research projects. This potential value would not be available if changes, such as in personnel cause undocumented data to be lost over time.

Data producers and users cannot afford to be without documented data. The initial expense of documenting data clearly outweighs the potential costs of unnecessarily duplicating data or making data redundant prematurely.

References:
Site 1: Dublin Core Metadata Initiative / http://dublincore.org/resources/

Dublin Core Metadata Initiative – Resources: Retrieved August 5, 2008 from http://dublincore.org/resources/

This is a web page that accesses all the resources offered by Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. It describes the resources and research that is being carried out by the organization to standardize metadata and offers comprehensive instruction on how to use the standards.
Dublin Core is a consistently referred to resource by most articles I have read on the web and demonstrates the significant effort being put into the concept of metadata storage and retrieval.

Site 2: Metadata Interoperability and Standardization – A Study of Methodology Part I / http://dlib.ejournal.ascc.net/dlib/june06/chan/06chan.html

Chan, Lois Mai, & Zeng, Marcia Lei (2006): Achieving Interoperability at the Schema Level: Metadata Interoperability and Standardization – A Study of Methodology Part I. Retrieved August 5, 2008 from http://dlib.ejournal.ascc.net/dlib/june06/chan/06chan.html

This document describes the current reluctance of data producers or services to conform to a uniform standard of metadata schema. The result is the difficulty of conducting a reliable search for relevant data across multiple repositories and libraries. However, methods are emerging to enable interoperability of data across different systems, which is an essential advantage and goal of using metadata.

The article defines and describes the various relevant terminology and methods involved in the storing and retrieving metadata. This has been valuable in understanding the technical information and the potential that a uniform standard schema can achieve.

Site 3: Internet Communications Concept Document, Concept 11 - The Relationship of Data to Metadata. Retrieved August 1st, 2008 from: http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home

Module 2

2008-07-04T00:26:00.002+10:00

Details from an email header:

An email is composed of a series character lines (headers) that precede the actual email message but are not displayed on the same page as the message. Each email program has the ability to call up and display these headers which display the relevant information.

The information about the sender in this image (from MS Office) tells us that the message originated at the IP address of the sender [208.47.117.254]; sent to the server: sp-mailer.skillpath.com and received via Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMPT).

If necessary, the IP address of the sender can be investigated using other data base programs generate more details of the sender.

‘cc’, ‘bcc’ and ‘reply all functions’:

A ‘Bcc’ (blind carbon copy) is a copy of an email message sent to a recipient whose email address does not appear in the message.

This is in contrast to ‘To’ and ‘Cc’ recipients, whose addresses do appear in the respective header lines. Every recipient of the message can see all the ‘To’ and ‘Cc’ recipients, but does not know about ‘Bcc’ recipients.

When you send a message to more than one address using the Cc: field, both the original recipient and all the recipients of the carbon copies see the To: and Cc: fields including all the addresses in them. This may not be desirable for individuals who prefer their privacy.

When using Bcc; the only recipient address that will be visible to all recipients is the one in the To: and cc: fields. So, to keep maximum anonymity you can put your own address in the To: field and use Bcc: exclusively to address your message.

Reply All or Reply to All is a term used in email. It refers to sending a reply message not only to an e-mail's original author, but also to any other recipients that were listed in the original To or Cc lists. (Wikipedia)

The “Reply All” function should be reserved for when all members of the recipient list need the information being sent. In how many cases do you need to know that one of the recipients said “okay”? Not often. Instead, in the interest of time, efficiency, and professionalism this type of response should be sent only to the person who generates the original email.

In a collaborative project where all members of the team need to be kept apprised of the goings-on of team members, using “Reply All” is the right thing to do. This is especially important if the team works remotely or when members of the team work on opposite shifts or don’t see one another frequently. Then using “Reply All” is good communication because it keeps the lines of communication open and moving.

Attachments to emails:

Transferring information in a format that the receiver may not possess will mean that the attached file will not be read by the receiver. This may be overcome by converting a file into rich text format (RTF) which can be interpreted by all computers. Rich Text Format (RTF) is a file format that lets you exchange text files between different word processors in different operating systems. For example, you can create a file using Microsoft Word in Windows 98, save it as an RTF file (it will have a ".rtf" file name suffix), and send it to someone who uses WordPerfect 6.0 on Windows 3.1 and they will be able to open the file and read it.

The RTF Specification uses the ANSI, PC-8, Macintosh, and IBM PC character sets. It defines control words and symbols that serve as "common denominator" formatting commands. When saving a file in the Rich Text Format, the file is processed by an RTF writer that converts the word processor's markup to the RTF language. When being read, the control words and symbols are processed by an RTF reader that converts the RTF language into formatting for the word processor that will display the document.

Rules/ Filters:

A rule is an action that Microsoft Office Outlook takes automatically on an arriving or sent message that meets the conditions that you specify in the rule. You can choose many conditions and actions by using the Rules and Alerts Wizard. Rules do not operate on message that have been read, only on those that are unread.

Rules fall into one of two general categories: organization and notification. The Rules and Alerts Wizard contains templates for the most commonly used rules.

Stay organized These are rules that help you to file and follow up on messages. For example, you can create a rule for messages from a specific sender, such as Bobby Moore, with the word "sales" in the Subject line, to be flagged for follow-up, categorized as Sales, and moved to a folder called Bobby's Sales.
Stay up-to-date These are rules that notify you in some way when you receive a particular message. For example, you can create a rule that automatically sends an alert to your mobile telephone when you receive a message from a family member.
Start from a blank rule These are rules that you create from scratch.

Fig. 2 The Rules and Alerts Wizard contains several predefined rules, called templates.

I wasn’t aware that emails can become so unmanageable because of the sheer volume due to negligent use by legitimate senders who do not write concise and relevant messages and by the amount of spam that “hits” my mail on a daily basis.

Fortunately, our server has software that filters out spam by the hundreds daily but sometimes legitimate messages from senders with unrecognized an address gets caught in the spam filter. This has to checked every couple of days to make sure these messages are cleared.

I manually move messages from regular senders to separate folders on my account but I will be creating some simple rules to have them moved automatically and also try to receive an alert when an email is received from a Board member.

If these work successfully email management will be a training session with staff.

Folders:

I have a simple folder structure which has evolved from the need to declutter the inbox of my account so I can more easily identify the messages that require immediate attention. Emails that I receive regularly for recording information only are transferred to a series of relevant folders from which I can extract information at a predetermined time in my work schedule. Other randomly received messages that remain in the inbox can then be identified more easily and attended to.

However, the quantity and diversity of messages remaining in the inbox are increasing and reaching a stage that will require a more managed approach. I am a hoarder and emails that relate to finished projects or topics are scattered through my inbox. If I have to refer to them I am required to search for the sender’s name or the topic. This method is becoming more complex and inefficient especially when I am the only person who can remember the details of the email sender or subject heading. This makes it impossible for other authorized staff to access the files when needed. These are ideal candidates for an archive folder which will enable me and others to refer to them if necessary, in a timely way.

Module One

2008-07-01T01:39:00.002+10:00

Task one:- Use Telnet to access Deakin library catalogue and download details of booksearch:

This was a simple exercise using the Microsoft "telnet client" and a freeware called "Kevterm". Both produced the same results as above. I had to input the hostname which is the IP address of the computer I wanted to connect to (Deakin library) which then displays the catalogue search screen.

Using the telnet method to access data bases or networks where the user is a recognised client allows this program to work effectively in its search task. Its purpose was to collect and display information about books by an author and could have supplied information searched by title, subject, key words or a variety of other criteria.

The display format is dated because of the DOS window and when compared to the internet search engines, is difficult to read.

However, the system seems to operate reliably for the purpose it was designed for and in some circumstances, might be preferred to the multitude of site options that would be displayed by the Internet.

2008-06-30T17:00:00.000+10:00

Hello.
These are a series of tasks that I am completing with the intention of improving my Internet communication skills. Hopefully, during the process, there will be an opportunity include discussion of the limitations and benefits specific to the elderly.

Completing a singular task will not necessarily be a revelation to solving an aged related communication problem but collectively, they may identify something that has a practical application for the elderly.

This blog is a record of the tasks carried out and reflections on each:

Welcome to Age Smarter

2008-06-17T23:21:00.000+10:00

Internet communication is the last frontier for the elderly to explore. Senior citizens often misunderstand the medium but relish the newfound community once the technology is adopted.