Case Study: Peer to Peer

P2P as software / technical network

“At the most basic level, P2P refers to a ‘file sharing’ system that operates between peers– i.e. a network that is decentralised and works by allowing direct access of data from ‘peer’ to ‘peer’ (rather than a ‘client-server’ relationship. Although most famously associated with Napster, and latterly Kazaa and others, there are many different (and non-music orientated) forms of P2P software.” (Allen, n.d)

See ‘How the old Napster worked’

An Introduction to Peer-to-Peer Computing - David Barkai (Intel)

Prior to my studies I have thought or had very little to do with P2P, or file sharing. The readings on this subject do raise questions to whether file sharing should be encouraged or not and whether, as individual users, we are utilizing the internet ethically and legally.

Piracy is Good

Piracy is when electronic / audio-visual media is reproduced and used either personally or commercially without consent.

One example of piracy, and probably widely practiced, is when somebody buys a new CD and burns a copy for their car. Hiring a DVD and burning a copy for a personal library also common.

Theorist Mark Pesce gives insight into the bigger picture of piracy in the following reading:

Piracy is Good? How Battlestar Galactica killed braodcats TV. Part One: Hyperdistribution.

This article broadened my perception of piracy. What started out as an illegal entity, ended up with a beneficial outcome. If the viewing of Battlestar Galactia exceeded expectations and celebrated as most popular program even after a piracy conspiracy, then why is the practice shunned. Does word-of-mouth tempt a person to coddle in something that may not have previously sparked their interest.

Harry Potter is just one of many subjects familiar to Bit torrent practices.

Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince, 2005

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200507/22/eng20050722_197778.html

New Harry Potter Film, Prisoner of Azkaban, pirated online.

http://waxy.org/2004/06/new_harry_potte/

The children’s book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, leaked to Bit torrent in 2007.

http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/07/19/harry-potter-piracy-yep-text-is-next/

Copies are OK, but it doesn’t compare to the real thing. Personally I prefer originals, and if I was given a copy of a really good CD, it would only prompt me to go out and purchase the original hardcopy or buy it on itunes.

In the question of software copyright, an article by Sam Williams, talks about how business can benefit from the practise.

Programs that are superceded by new programs can cease to attract purchase. Offer them as a free download, attract new users and in turn they could potentially upgrade to the better version or with word of mouth attract more users. Smart business for old products.

“The argument for allowing piracy boils down to two words: network effects. Without a critical mass of users, most software products tend to wither and die. Conversely, the more users a software product acquires, particularly a consumer-oriented software product, the more valuable it becomes. This is especially true for operating systems, which require significant third-party support from application developers to stave off obsolescence. In fact, it was Microsoft's overwhelming dominance of the P.C. software marketplace in the mid-1990s that forced many economists to reexamine the issue of software pricing.” Williams, S (2002)

Information transfer

Peer to peer file sharing

"On the surface, the most obvious purpose of p2p is the transfer of some kind of data – most famously music – and films. However P2P networks can and are used for the transfer of all sorts of data – not just those that are copyrighted." (Allen, n.d)

P2P Networking: An Information-Sharing Alternative Parameswaran, Susarla & Whinston

Peer-to-Peer for Academia – Andy Oram

One of the most successful file sharing sites for downloading music was Napster. The ability to be able to find music that you liked without leaving your home and without having to purchase quickly became a phenonomen. Before Napster was shut down, due to obvious copyright violaltions, it generated 60 million visitors per month. Instead of a limited central database, P2P opened the doors for people to share their own music, from personal PC to personal PC. You just needed to be registered on the website to offer your music collection to other users.

There were/are other P2P systems, Kazaa and Gnutella to name a couple. In 2003, Napster relaunched, as a legal pay-for music site by Roxio.

Detailed information can be read at the following website regarding the above P2P systems.

Brian, M (1998-2008) http://www.howstuffworks.com/file-sharing.htm, page viewed 24 Jul. 08.

Community

"Reference is often made to the P2P ‘community’, indicating that the sharing and retrieval of information alone is not sufficient to account for the success of P2P software. For many, the communicative aspects of P2P are what made such networks so popular". (Allen, n.d)

See Henry Jenkins on the ‘community’ aspects of Napster:

‘Henry Jenkins, Playing Our Song?

Having the ability to offer something of your own with others openly represents a community. People coming together within a system where their interests are appreciated by others. The search for a song that is no longer available in a store is an exciting find through a P2P community. The whole purpose of peer to peer is to share, no strings attached.

Legal issues: copyright

"As with many other areas to do with the Net, our notions of what is subject to copyright in the electronic era are constantly being challenged and redefined. P2P has highlighted these issues, but an understanding of copyright and what can legally be transferred and copied on the Internet is increasingly a key part of any kind of Internet use." (Allen, n.d)

"Copying is Theft ..." And other legal myths in the looming battle over peer-to-peer. Mark Rasch

Rip, Mix, Burn: The Politics of Peer to Peer and Copyright Law by Kathy Bowrey and Matthew Rimmer -

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Since Napster

Copyright and file sharing

"The legal and ethical issues raised by peer-to-peer file-sharing technology can be complex with the control of publicly distributed peer networks being virtually impossible to monitor. Also most peer-to-peer file-sharing technology is designed to provide free information allowing exchange of content; this has raised controversy with arguments stating this freedom has in turn deprived artists of royalties owed in ‘conventional’ sales (Flew). Alternatively others have argued the development of subscription-based sites could increase digital music revenues to be worth over two billion dollars (US) as long as record labels made it easy to buy songs". Mathieson G (2005)

The ability to copy CDs’ or DVD’s is not as easy as it used to be before file sharing. The encryption of future products, dampening the spirits of hiring a heap of new releases from the local video store and building a personal library.

There is now decrypting software available but realistically, I think it is much easier just to do the right thing and purchase the original product.

Copying media and old P2P sites will always be in existence, how we conduct our activities is our own responsibility. Copyright Laws are very clear and if a user chooses to download or share unethically, then they will risk prosecution.

P2P sites of today require a fee in exchange for music downloads. Because it is only minimal, around $1 per song, its instant and choice select features appeals to a lot of online users. The down side of buying an album from a CD shop usually meant there were songs on the album that were less liked. Now you have the choice to only buy the ones that you really like. A very versatile system, and with the packed features today in MP3 players, you can still enjoy the album covers.

Security and privacy

"As with many other Internet uses, another element in the ‘ecology’ of P2P is the issue of security – with the unprecedented access to other users computers offered by large scale file sharing have come a host of viruses, spyware and adware that can potentially compromise the security and privacy of individual computers". (Allen, n.d)

Pcstats Beginners Guides: Spyware Protection and Removal

Gene and Katie Hamilton, Is Your Computer Talking To Strangers?

Protect Your Privacy With Antitracking Software, Smart Computing, January 2002 • Vol.13 Issue 1, pp. 48-51.

spychecker have lists of known spyware, and downloads of various anti-spyware tools

Approximately 5 years ago I had major problems with what was a relatively new computer. Looking over the shoulder of the PC technician, I was eager for answers. It didn’t take him long to find the culprit. Kazaa, downloaded by my two sons without me realizing, had corrupted our PC. In an attempt in the days prior, I had uninstalled numerous programs that I felt were not needed, in the hope of fixing the problem myself. I was surprised when he said Kazaa was the problem. He quickly pointed out that even when you think you are removing Kazaa, it leaves hidden files behind, and these along with the complimentary viruses were the nasties that kept this guy in a job and emptied our pockets.

When you open your privacy to others in sharing practices, you leave yourself open to security threats.

Socio-political considerations

"In addition to the obvious ‘uses’ of p2p (for information, for community, for free music…) and the elements constraining its use (possibilities of legal action, copyright issues) there are less tangible aspects to consider. For example, the political or social motivations that both impact on its use, and development – such as the expression of discontent around record companies, or the liberatory ideals of free and open sharing of information that characterises both early Internet proponents, and the open source movement". (Allen, n.d)

Some examples:

http://p2pnet.net

http://www.janisian.com/article- internet_debacle.html

“I've found that to be true myself; every time we make a few songs available on my website, sales of all the CDs go up. A lot. And I don't know about you, but as an artist with an in-print record catalogue that dates back to 1965, I'd be thrilled to see sales on my old catalogue rise.” Ian, J (2002)

P2P file sharing will have its place in cyber society today and future. Free downloads are a regular offering on sites like itunes or as with Janis Ian, directly from artists websites. The prospect of giving a little, when marketing, can in turn result in additional sales that may not have occurred otherwise. On many occasions I have pre-booked an album release with itunes and in return received a free download of one of the featured songs, or was tempted by the free song of the week, by an Artist that I hadn’t heard of, and then followed with more purchases. Other ways of Artists benefiting from sharing free downloads is the following of fans to concerts and retail sales at the concerts. Offering a small token in the way of a free download is a form of advertising and exposure.

"Realistically, why do most people download music? To hear new music, or records that have been deleted and are no longer available for purchase. Not to avoid paying $5 at the local used CD store, or taping it off the radio, but to hear music they can't find anywhere else. Face it - most people can't afford to spend $15.99 to experiment. That's why listening booths (which labels fought against, too) are such a success" . Ian , J (2002)

In recognition to the above statement, I myself have probably spent more money on music and videos with itunes than I ever did from a conventional CD store.

References:

Allen M (n.d) Curtin University of Technology, Module 5 Curriculum, Net11 The Internet Communications,retrieved 24 July 2008 from http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home

Williams, S (2002) Salon.com Technology, Profits from piracy, Retrieved 25 July 2008 from
http://www.si.umich.edu/~rfrost/courses/SI110/readings/IntellecProp/MS_Soft_on_Chinese_Piracy.pdf,

Mathieson G (2005) m/cyclopedia of new media; Copyright, Retrieved 24 July 2008 from http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Filesharing_-_Copyright

Ian, J (2002) Janis Ian.com, The internet debacle – Article, An alternative view, Retrieved 24 July 2008 from http://www.janisian.com/articles-perfsong/internetdebacle.pdf

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Further Thoughts so far................

I was caught off guard with the intensity of Module 5. My thinking that I would be soon starting the concepts assignment fizzled and it was heads down for one more stretch. My eagerness to start the assignment building, but Module 5 is shaping to further prepare me for the end. I have found the readings quite interesting but very in depth. Definitely an area that I would like to re-visit later.

?newO seigoloce noitamrofni ni detseretnI

Information Ecologies - Module 5

"Information as a concept has a diversity of meanings, from everyday usage to technical settings. Generally speaking, the concept of information is closely related to notions of constraint, communication,control, data, form, instruction, knowledge, meaning, mental stimulus,pattern, perception, and representation". WiKipedia (2008)

Ecologies:

"We define an information ecology to be a system of people, practises, values, and technologies in a particular local environment. In information ecologies, the spotlight is not on technology, but on human activities that are served by technology."

(Nardi & O'Day, 1999)

Further Reading:

Rafael Capurro, Towards an Information Ecology. In: Irene Wormell (Ed.): Information and Quality. London: Taylor Graham 1990, 122-139.

Information Ecologies by Felix Stalder

How might the metaphor of an ‘ecology’ impact on the way you think about, understand or use the Internet" (Allen n.d)

In My understanding, if the ecology of the internet is the correlation between the user/information and environment, then the interaction of how we used the internet will keep making headway as technology progresses, regardless of any changes or lack of changes within the system.

But a contemplation comes to my mind, even though as an internet user I believe I engage a significant role in the ecology of internet, at the same time I can also feel like my role can be insignificant.

The traffic that I generate whether it be online purchasing, browsing etc along with millions of other users is an aspect that feeds the system. The internet provides us with products, information and resources. My insignificance rears its head when the system fails. When servers go down then the interaction stops. During a power failure the interaction stops. PC crashes and the interaction stops. The system is still physically there but disabled to the affected user. Obviously this may only incur in small environments or circumstances, and only causes interruptions, but what would happen if the interruption affected all users at the same time. It would only be then that the ecology would be affected. Other than that, as within society, we keep moving within the environment. New information is made available to us every day, new online shops and services, and also the same can disappear. New users come online and new relationships are formed in business and socially. How protected we are depends on how we use the system.

"How are the concepts ‘information’ and ‘communication’ understood within the framework of an ‘information ecology" (Allen n.d)

The internet is a system that provides the user with information. I think in the framework of information ecology, the user also plays a role in providing the information.

Where as a library’s source of information is in the form of books/literature published by authors, the internet is open to the views/wealth of everyone. In the journey of this unit, I have published a blog with information of my journey.

Our ability to access a computer today is more readily available whether we own one or not. Computers in schools, libraries, internet cafes, information and communication has never been easier.

Thinking of ecology as a whole my thoughts would still suggest missing links. There are still communities that do not access the internet, ie remote areas within Australia and Worldwide. Also, as I reflected in the previous question, our access is also in the hands of our environment, that being server errors, power failures, breakdowns etc.

How we communicate or what we do with communications can affect us or others. If we don’t imply that we wish to receive a response to an email or subject it clearly then we may need to recommunicate uneccessarily. How many personal emails are checked in the workplace in your bosses time, how effectively are communications stored for later use. Are you communicating with a legitimate person or are you subject to a scammer. What we communicate is information.

Information and communication go hand in hand and how we chose to use it will have an effect on others.

"Why don’t we talk of a ‘communication ecology"(Allen n.d)

As with my thoughts in the previous question, communication and information go hand in hand. Without information, there is nothing to communicate, therefore communication ecology would automatically fall into information ecology.

We have available to us different modes of communication through the internet, email, chat or forums to name a few. How we conduct communications falls upon the responsibility of the user, taking into consideration netiquette. Communication via internet can be fast and precise, but once again open to the downfalls of failure within the system or our environment or sometimes a breakdown within the chain of communication from sender to recipient. As users become more comfortable with the communication options available, ecology will evolve. At the moment I don’t think of the telephone as a tool, it is just how I expect to communicate. I feel the same way about email. Virtual interaction/chat on the other hand, being new to me, is different, but communicaton via the internet is fast becoming adopted as technology evolves.

Curriculum Reference:

Wikipedia (2008) Wikipedia The Free Encylopedia; Information as a concept, Retrieved 22 July 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information

(Nardi & O'Day, 1999) Curtin University of Technology, Net11 The Internet Communications; Module 5 Info. Communication Concepts, Information Ecologies, Retrieved 22 July 2008 from http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home

(Allen n.d) Dr Matthew Allen, Curtin University of Technology, Net11 The Internet Communications; Module 5 task, Information Ecologies, Retrieved 22 July 2008 from http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home

Wondering about the title of this post? This one was for Owen:)

Evaluating the Web

If you want to verify whether information from a website is relevant to what you are looking for, you can look for key information in an evaluation process.

Points to consider in the evaluation process.

• What is the nature of the website. For example, is it an educational domain, a news/magazine site or someone’s point of view in a blog.
  

• Who is the author, or person/organization that published the content. Are their credentials fitting to what they are publishing.
  

• Thinking of credentials, where does the source of the information come from.
  

• Does the information fulfil your search query or do you need to investigate further links/searches.
  

• When was the information published/reviewed. Do you require your information in any sort on timeline , or is it information where time doesn’t change the content eg History.
  

• Do other users find the information in this site useful. You can check the popularity of a site through bookmarks like del.ic.ious. How the site has been tagged by others can also indicate where it would be useful ie studies.
  

URL: http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/

AUTHOR: E. Chamberlain pages/bones/bones.shtml

INSTITUTION: The University of South Carolina Beaufort Library

The reliability and authority of the site / source / article

My first observation in regard to evaluating the above website was within the URL. edu is recognised as a top level domain, usually a university or college.

Secondly I noted the following information from the bottom on the home page:

"Bare Bones 101" was originally created in 2000 by Ellen Chamberlain, Library Director at the University of South Carolina Beaufort campus. She had previously co-authored BCK2SKOL, a tutorial on Internet basics that ran from 1995-2000. Although BCK2SKOL is no longer being updated, it is still available on the Web. In 2007 Ellen retired and "Bare Bones 101" is now being managed and updated by Melanie Hanes-Ramos, Assistant Director of the USC Beaufort South Campus Library." Chamberlain, E (2007)

When I conducted a further search into the name ‘Ellen Chamberlain’ I still came up with the same website. I did find a link to a new URL for the University of South Carolina Library. Exploring the new homepage I found a list of the Library staff.

I see that Ellen Chamberlain’s position of Library Director, is now held by Harvey Varnet D.A.

Melanie Hanes-Ramos is the Assistant Library Director.

I also searched del.ic.ious whether it had been bookmarked by other users.

As you can see by the above screenshot, the website I am evaluating has been bookmarked by 257 people.

The main ideas or subjects discussed in the article

The main subject of the ‘Bare Bones tutorial is based on how to improve websearch techniques. Extremely relevant to my initial search ‘Searching the web’.

The purpose for which the site was written (this might include any apparent external interest, intellectual motivation or contextual information)

The site was written as an educational tool into Internet Basics. Although the site is not being managed by the original author, Ellen Chamberlain (Library Director, University of South Carolina Beaufort campus), it is still being maintained by Melanie Hanes-Ramos (Assistant Director of the same campus library).

So at completion of the task I am quite happy that the Bare Bones tutorial was valid and fitting to my search result.

References:

Chamberlain, E (2007) Bare bones “Searching the Web “tutorial. Beaufort: University of South Carolina.Viewed 17 July 2008, http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml

WOW...... this post was a real challenge for me. Nothing to do with the actual task:)

GUESS WHAT?

Zoe has a brand new iMac !!

Soooo different to use than my little laptop. One disappointment though and I am sure Fiona has probably noticed what it may be. Yes, my screenshots, I tried to download Snagit but I can't get it for a mac:(

I may revert back to taking the screenshots on my laptop and saving them on USB, hopefully then able to get them on the Mac. I didn't have time to play tonight, my goal was to finish module 4 this week, screenshots took a backseat.

So if any Mac users out there have any hot tips for a newbie, I would love to hear:)

Organising Search Information

Beginning module 4, I signed up to start using Connotea. I have never used or had a need for this type of application before but as the concepts assignment lingers near, I needed to find a way of organising information.

I am not sure whether any information from my Boolean search task is needed towards my assignment (I haven’t decided on 4 concepts yet), but I will follow through with the topic, ‘Searching the web’, for the remaining module 4 tasks.

Source 1

URL: http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml

AUTHOR: E. Chamberlain

INSTITUTION: The University of South Carolina Beaufort Library

Bare Bones 101: A basic tutorial on searching the web

“The information contained in the following lessons is truly "bare bones," designed to get you started in the right direction with a minimum of time and effort. For more comprehensive and detailed help on searching the Web, consult our recommended list of sites in Lesson 20 at the end of this tutorial.” Chamberlain, E (2007)

I found this website by typing ‘searching the web’ into the Google search engine. Listing 2nd on the page, the words Bare Bones instantly caught my eye, and I pursued to look further into what was noted as a basic tutorial.

In terms of finding a straight forward, well informed tutorial, Bare Bones 101 fulfilled all of this. The tutorial consists of 20 lessons to enhancing your searching abilities, but also gives you the option to link straight to a ‘quick search tips’ area if you decide to just browse the site for information. It is well presented and offers the reader all the information they need to learn the fundamentals of searching for information on the internet.

Source 2

URL: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/internet/search/index.html

AUTHOR: Purdue Owl

INSTITUTION: Purdue University, Owl Writing Lab

Searching the World Wide Web
Untangle the web to find a wealth of information.

“The Internet is a terrific resource. It contains hundreds of web sites dedicated to thousands of topics. With so many sites, it is easy to get lost. Knowing the types of search tools available and mastering some general search tips can make your search more profitable.” Moore, J (n.d)

I chose this website from a search using Copernic. It ranked 1st on the page with a 93% relevancy rating.

The information within this site offers identifying and using the different search engines available to users and general tips when searching a topic on the internet. It doesn’t have as in depth information as the ‘Bare bones tutorial’ but I was interested in the option of learning how to evaluate a website. Once again, being an educational resource, the information is clear and easy to understand.

Source 3

URL: http://www.internettutorials.net/boolean.html

AUTHOR: Laura Cohen

INSTITUTION: University at Albany, SUNY

Boolean Searching on the Internet
A Primer in Boolean Logic

"The Internet is a vast computer database. As such, its contents must be searched according to the rules of computer database searching. Much database searching is based on the principles of Boolean logic. Boolean logic refers to the logical relationship among search terms, and is named for the British-born Irish mathematician George Boole." Cohen, L (2008)

Once again I chose to use a search within Copernic. The Boolean tutorial appeared 2nd with a 91% relevancy to my search.

When I first entered the website I didn’t realise it was the same resource used in the Boolean task. I find this a relevant site to save because it focuses purely on advance searching techniques as apposed to my other chosen sites which cover web searching in general.
The use of lists and diagrams throughout this website are extremely clear to understand and I found the link at the very bottom of the page, How to chose a search engine or directory, http://www.internettutorials.net/choose.html quite informative to my research.

References:

Chamberlain, E (2007) Bare bones “Searching the Web “tutorial. Beaufort: University of South Carolina. Viewed 17 July 2008, http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml

Moore, J (n.d) Searching the World Wide Web. Owl online writing lab: Purdue University. Viewed 17 July 2008, http://owl.english.purdue.edu/internet/search/index.html

Cohen, L (2008) Boolean Searching on the internet. Internet Tutorials: University at Albany, SUNY. Viewed 17 July 2008, http://www.internettutorials.net/boolean.html

Boolean Searching on the Internet

Boolean Searching definition:

"A term for the process of narrowing or expanding an electronic search by using terms such as AND (retrieves items in which two or more terms are found) OR (retrieves items in which either term is found), NOT (retrieves items in which the first term is present but the second term is not)". Colorado Department of Education (2008)

I have chosen ‘Searching the Web’ for the Boolean task. My results showing the following

My biggest number of hits relating to my keywords - searching the web, 57 results.

The search result information most relevant to what I was actually looking for was - searching the internet.

Information coming from University sources appeared in - All of my search results. I would gather this outcome because it is a task in this module so education tutorials are evident.

___________________________________

Searching the web
Search engines AND the web
Searching OR the world wide web
Searching on the internet

This task has broadened my search initiative from now on. Understanding to expand a search and utilise advanced searching and the Boolean method makes perfect sense rather than sifting through too many search results. I still like to choose from top results, so now by mixing it up so to speak, will give me more relevant choices.

References:

The Colorado Department of Education (2008) cde Improving Academic Achievement; The Colorado Survival Guide, definitions, Boolean Searches, Retrieved 15 July 2008 from http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/LibDict/Glossary2.htm

WWW Standards

In preparation for this task we were required to read through the following links.

http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~webteach/articles/text.html

My first perception of Jakob Nielsen's site was 'Oh here goes, more information overload', but each link offered really interesting information. I was particularly interested in the eye tracking study. Now every time I open a website I make a mental note on what my eyes are doing:)

EYE TRACKING STUDY



"The eye tracking study reveals that a viewer will scan a webpage in the shape of an F pattern". Nielsen, J (2006)

The above screenshot taken from usit.com, shows a heat map of eye tracking studies from 3 websites. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html

• Red areas being hot spots (where viewers looked the most)


• Yellow areas holding less viewing


• Blue areas indicating very little interest


• Gray areas not attracting any fixations

I can see from the above study that the first website held a relative amount of interest in the first half of the page but little or nothing in the end. Considering there is quite a bit of written information, important aspects of what the website is offering the viewer is only half affective.

The middle website really highlights the F pattern. Very impressive stats. If you look at the hot spots the viewer has scanned just about all of the website. Not much information lost here.

The last website is a search page. Once again you can see the distinctive F but not many hot spots here. My thought on this would revert back to keywords with search engines. I myself I only look into the top few sites from a search, page 20 of 10,000 will never attract my attention. So thinking about keywords, make them count and aim for the amazing F.

Zoe's 5 Important rules for 'writing' online

• Think about your content. Viewers generally enter and leave a site quickly. If you want to hold their attention you need to make sure that what you are putting across isn't swallowed up in a monotonous page of unbroken text. Make use short paragraphs and highlight any keywords that link to what you are saying. Remember your page will be scanned rather than read.

• Utilise lists. A list of one liners is a great way to feed a viewer a package of information without them feeling they are reading the information. I am using a list here but not effectively. Because the content of this list is in long paragraphs, I doubt whether it is being fully read. I would hope that my highlighted points are hot spots. (I feel that I need to give more explanation of my views purely for my learning log).

• Images. I would regard images in the same context as written information. Keep them relevant and interesting to the viewer. Make sure the images load quickly, the last thing you want is a visitor leaving your page through impatience before it has even loaded.

• Links. Make sure they work and make them count. The viewer is leaving your site, have they absorbed what you wanted them to before they leave. Chances are they may not come back once they click out.

• Animation and sound. I don't mind a good slide show of what is relevant to what I am reading, but annoying little animations zipping around cause instant distraction. Sound affects me in the same way. 90% of the time my volume is muted.

I would feel that the advice in Nielsen's paper is still current/relevant even though it was written in 1997. To me, if a reader only scans over a page then you do need to be aware of your writing skills. I wouldn't think this advice need change, in fact as society/technology picks up pace, more so the awareness of information to maintain effectiveness with change.

'Validator' page

I was a little confused about the validation process and in my attempt to validate my page only incurred errors with the process. I hope this last step hasn't inhibited my upload. I am not sure now that I have already uploaded to the presentation area whether I can pursue this step.

Copyright

http://www.benedict.com/info/info.aspx

http://www.copyright.curtin.edu.au/

I don't think I have used words or images on my webpage that would contravene any copyright laws. I acquired a 'Taurus' image from a free clipart site. I used a screenshot of my blog title as a link to my blog. The Chef image was part of the Tutorial.

I did link to my workplace website, but as my husband and I are the managers then I would assume permission would be granted.

Wording used was from the tutorial (I hope we were to use it) and also my own.

In regards to using the Curtin logo, I would seek written permission from Curtin before doing this.

URL of my Webpage

http://webct.curtin.edu.au/305033_b/student_pres/Group75/index.html

Blogs

Before starting with my studies I didn't take any notice of blogs. I knew they existed but didn't take the time to see how they worked. I now think they are an effective information tool. I like the way blogs progress with updated content.

Following my fellow net11 buddies blogs has been quiet fulfilling. I can honestly say that I check our blogs more than I check my personal email now.

As a newbie blogger I also look for comments, in our situation I find the feedback a way of keeping on track.

I really like blogging !!

Web 2.0

This task required a visit to the following sites:

http://www.blinklist.com/InternetCommunications/

http://wievia.bay.livefilestore.com/y1p8GOFx-eIftrxl3h80up_xuZsctBHCKWcH_uCngHae_M_zdfG5A8mxh0wlgpFfx3g_ji273o8NyVIosEsl_PVp-Mvnffqji3I/net11.html

Now I can see definite differences in presentation between the two but felt that I needed to do a Google search on 'Blinklist' before I went any further. Being yet another thing I had not heard of before, I found the following explanation -

"BlinkList: The vision and goal of BlinkList is to be the leading “Personal Discovery Engine” where people come to discover, share, and organize the most recent and relevant information available online. Before BlinkList, saving and finding saved bookmarks was a frustrating user experience. In addition, sharing links and finding the top links that your friends or peers have been discovering was close to impossible. BlinkList is attempting to solve both problems." Chang, E (2005)

My perception of web2.0 is not so much a whole new www, but a new look of page presentation. A bit like itunes downloads I suppose. Each has a new look and maybe some extra features.

I liked the look of the Blinklist page, and even though I don't fully understand how it works, navigation seemed quite easy.

My first impression of the html written list was confusion, but when I took time to have a closer look, I found it quite user friendly. I actually found some interesting links that I didn't find first in the blinklist page. I probably spent more time with the html page because it seemed more familiar.

In retrospect of which format would be better, I vote for the blinklist page. The simplicity of the layout would enable quicker use as far a time was concerned and probably a better format thinking about vision implications, page spread out and having clear headings.

References:

Nielsen, J (2006) Usit.com, Jacob Nielsens Alert Box; Summary, F Shaped Pattern for reading Web Content, Retrieved 11 July 2008 from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html

Chang, E (2005) ./emilychang eHub; eHub Interviews Blinklist, Retrieved 11 July 2008 from http://www.emilychang.com/go/ehub/interview/blinklist/

One last step before the concepts assignment.... next weeks goal is to complete fully mondule 4 :)

HTML tags

HTML is extremely new to me. I really enjoyed the task, the concept of laying out a single web page proved to be more involved that what I would have originally thought.

Page formatting in my eyes before this task was about simply clicking layout buttons. Text alignment, font colour and size, inserting images shed a whole new light with coding/tags. The amount of extra writing just to achieve a simple feature was amazing. The consistent saving and checking of layout labour some, but the way each tag manipulated what you were doing, truly amazing!

In reflection to the difference between html and blogging, from my experience comes down to time. It is easier for me to publish into my blog at this stage because I have those familiar buttons before me. But then on the other hand, in previous posts what I previewed wasn't always what I got. On a few occasions you may notice paragraphs where line breaking isn't there. This has really frustrated me, but now that I have learnt the basic tags, and I can see a 'Edit Html' tab before me, I might venture in and see if I can correct this myself:)

What do I like best? Well because it is still really new, publishing my blog is easier. I think once you could recall correct tags on your own, it would become second nature.

I really appreciated learning how to link, clicking on them and finding they actually worked was a milestone.

Areas that I was unable to achieve:

Loading jpegs (hmm) I tried and tried but couldn't work it out. A shame because I would have liked to tissy my page more. Why? I don't know. I don't have any experience with photoshop, I don't even have photoshop so maybe I need to learn more in that area. Everytime I tried all I got was the little red cross.

Here is a screenshot of my page, you can link to it through the HTML title for a closer look.

http://webct.curtin.edu.au/305033_b/student_pres/Group75/index.html