Mary's NET11 Blog

For this task, I have to choose a Web site from my last task, and annotate it.

Stevens Institute of Technology. (2000). Advanced internet user tutorial. Retrieved April 19, 2007, from http://www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced/

The tutorial offered by the Center for Improved Engineering & Science Information, covers basic web browsing customization techniques.

Targeted at a upper school students, this tutorial is probably a little basic for advanced Internet users - despite being titled 'Advanced Internet users tutorial'.

This tutorial would be a good resource for beginning Internet users who want to learn some tips on how to better use their browser while surfing the Internet.

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Questions -

1) in terms of your own future use, which 'body ' of information (ie. the original 'snapshot' of the site, or your own, annotated, analytical version) would be most useful to refer back to?

The annotated version would be the most useful, as it explains and evaluates the source concisely. This helps me to quickly remember why I saved this link.

2)In term of external users (i.e. if you included this site as a hyperlink or resource on a website) which body of information would best help them judge if the site was useful or of interest to them?

The annotated version would best help users to decide if they wanted to visit the link, as they can see an evaluation of the link before they decided to visit it.

Labels: Module 4

To organise my search information I use Diigo, which has been the best tool I've used to sort and organise information online, mainly because it is so simple and easy to use.

To bookmark and record information about my 3 best sources found while searching for 'advanced internet users' I'm going to use Diigo.

First I click 'Bookmark/share' and automatically the URL, page title and screenshot are recorded, after that I can add my own tags and comments to this page. In this case I added 2 comments, "Found while searching google for advanced internet users" and in the second comment I recorded the author and institution of the Web page.

Source #1 - Advanced Internet Users Tutorial



Source # 2 VICNET Internet Training



Source # 3 CyberSavvy UK - Advanced Internet Techniques

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References:

Cybersavvy UK. (2003). Advanced tutorials. Retrieved April 25, 2007, from http://www.webpr.co.uk/practical/advanced.asp

State Library of Victoria. (2007). Advanced internet training - more advanced users. Retrieved April 24, 2007, from http://www.vicnet.net.au/training/advance.html

Stevens Institute of Technology. (2000). Advanced internet user tutorial. Retrieved April 19, 2007, from http://www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced/

Labels: Module 4

I've been busy all week working on my first assignment, the annotated bibliography of resources.

After deciding on a format ( a blog ) and finalising what content I had found, I cut it down by evaluating each Web site I had found, and finally came up with a short-list of 11 pages that I am now going to annotate.

One Web site I am sure to include is the wonderful Diigo, I cannot speak highly enough of how useful this tool is! the ability to highlight, take notes, and bookmark all over web pages and then being able to organise, tag, share or blog with your information has been fantastic - when I review my pages before writing the annotation I can 'interact' with the piece of writing by asking questions of the content (eg. I'll read "The balloon floats when filled with air" so I'll sticky note with Diigo it and say "why? note to self: find out") this helps me really evaluate and understand exactly what I am reading.

I also searched the net for pages that offer tips on writing annotations, as I find it very helpful to read 2 or 3 different ways of explaining how to do something.

- Mary

Labels: Reflections

My next task was to search with the same keywords 'advanced internet users' and think of a strategy for getting the best results for the following questions.

I searched using Google for this task.

• the biggest number of hits relating to these key words
  

1. (internet AND users) advanced
282,000,000

2. internet OR users OR advanced
279,000,000

BEST RESULT

3. (advanced) internet AND users
291,000,000

My best result was 3.

I achieved this by specifying Google to first search for advanced, then follow it with internet users.

• sources relating to skills-based information on these key words.

BEST RESULT

1. "advanced internet users"

18,000

Searching with quote marks surrounding the words made sure they were all included in any document Google returned. I found that I got lots of skills-based web sites for advanced internet users using this method.

• information coming only from university sources

BEST RESULT

1. "advanced internet users" site:.edu

895,000

Searching with site:.edu meant that all results returned were from educational sources.

Labels: Module 4

I searched for 'advanced internet users' on my most frequently used search engine, Google.

The first hit: Advanced Internet Users Tutorial - CIESE

The number of hits: 114,000,000


Next I tried the same search 'advanced internet users' using Copernic set to search 15 engines.

The first hit: Advanced Internet Users Tutorial - CIESE

The number of hits: 55


Comparison:
Google found a lot more results than Copernic, however my settings on Copernic specified that it was to only return 10 links from each engine, therefore using 15 engines limited my results to just 55.

Getting 55 more specific results is a lot less intimidating than getting 114,000,000 or so that may contain the words 'advanced internet users' ! :)

However, even though it returned only 55 results, Copernic did not perform best for me in this task. I feel that Google gave me the best results when searching for 'advanced internet users'.

Labels: Module 4

Well after some 200 posts on my personal blog, I guess I do have some tips for new bloggers! :)

Tip # 1

Write for YOU.

Don't write your blog because your best friend has a blog, or because your favourite movie star has a blog or because you feel left behind because even your neighbour's dog has a blog!
If you write a blog because you truly want to, you'll find it is easier to write and update, and best of all you'll love doing it.

Tip # 2

Respond to comments on your blog.

Have you ever commented on a post that you loved on a blog? and then you felt so disappointed because never got a reply.
You chose to write the blog and enable comments, so you should also respond to ALL those comments - value your readers and they'll keep on reading.

Tip # 3

Blogroll.

Network, network, network! If you 'blogroll' or link to other blogs you read you'll feel more a part of the blog world and you may even get a reciprocal link, and with it, new readers!

Tip # 4

Format your posts.

Please write with a clearly defined text colour on an easy background colour. Have you even been to a blog where the writer may have had something great to say, but you could just never stand the red text on black background? Keep your readers in mind when choosing font, size and colour.

Spacing is also very important - make sure there in enough in your posts, and don't forget proper spelling and appropriate post headers!

Tip # 5

Keep it real. Don't ever say anything you wouldn't say in the middle of a room full of people.

Don't use your blog to break friendships, gossip about great-aunts or grouch about current or (possible) future employers. They can all use Google too...


So new bloggers, keep these tips in mind, go rule the blogosphere, and have FUN! :)

- Mary

Labels: Module 3

After a break for Easter last week, my Saturday Reflections post is back! :)

I had a little bit of catching up to do with the tasks in Module 3 this week, as well as starting Module 4.

Module 4 is about effectively using the infosphere, and so far the best part about this unit has been the links to specialised databases - it is absolutely great that they have these virtual libraries to browse through! :)

I feel it has been of immense help for my preparation for Assignment 1, the annotated bibliography of resources, to have found these virtual libraries.

Searching around Google is fairly good, especially when you know what commands to use to get the best out of your searches, but searching around in a library is even better - they have already had 'human filters' deciding which pages qualify for listing in the library, which is turn makes the results I get from searching there of higher quality.

An interesting thread is taking place on our WebCT discussion board regarding the effective use of email, and specifically the use or misuse of the subject line.

I couldn't quite work out why I didn't like some people to email me without a subject line, and then I realised why..

"..So, for me - No subject line is
acceptable when you 'trust' or 'know' the sender, as in private work emails,
emails from very close family or friends. and No subject line is
unacceptable when I have never received an email from the person/company
before.. as why would I click on an email with no subject when they haven't yet
gained my trust." (Castieau, 2007)

The subject line of an email can easily be compared with links and downloads - if you don't tell me where I am going or what I am downloading, I'm not going to click! :)

- Mary

References

Castieau, M. (2007, April 12). Skilled or unskilled emailers. Message posted to NET11 Discussion Board, webCT. http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_a/scripts/student/serve_bulletin?COMPILETHREAD+847

Labels: Reflections

1) Adobe's pdf reader.

I already own Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional edition, I've used it to compile various pdf documents together, cut and paste pages etc. A useful program.

Alternatives: Foxit Reader 2.0

Comparison: I personally prefer Adobe Acrobat to read pfd documents, as in my experience sometimes the Foxit reader can display the pdf file a little differently. The whole purpose of pdf documents is that they should look the same on any computer!

2) Flash/Shockwave Players

I have both Flash and Shockwave installed on my computer.

3) Media Players

I have tried Apple Quicktime player, Windows media player, and Real Networks Real One.

I prefer Windows media player . I found Apple Quicktime was too slow on my computer, and Real One player (free edition) was full of advertising.

Alternatives: Foobar2000

Comparison: After using Windows media player, Apple's itunes player, Apple Quicktime player, Real One player and Foobar2000, I found that Foobar2000 offered me the most features. The best points are it is quick loading, playlists are easy to sort, you can customize the layout, and it supports almost every music file format.


4) Search Manager/Combiners

I downloaded a copy of Copernic Meta for PC and tried it out while searching for web sites for my annotated bibliography of resources. My first impressions of this program is that I do get a more varied list of results than I usually do using Google.

5) Bookmark Manager

I downloaded Bookmark Buddy for Windows and I can't say I'm a fan of this program.

To me it seemed more complicated than my favourites folders on IE7, and although it does include a search function, which allows you to search through keywords etc, these extra functions did not really appeal to me, as I already have my favourites organised well in IE7.


6) Offline Browser/Copier:

After downloading WebCopier 4.5 I decided to try it out by copying my personal blog, as this would be a good page to have a copy of.

To download a blog from blogger.com, you have to put in your user name & password. This is a good measure, as it will help my blog from being copied by someone and uploaded elsewhere under a fake name.

On fellow NET11 student Sonia's tip I then tried SpiderZilla, a Firefox add-on. It's great to see that this program has many customizable settings for you to apply when copying a page. I decided to once again try copying my personal blog, and for the time being, left the settings on default. I may change these setting if the copying process takes too long.

Labels: Module 4

After reading through the recommended articles (see reference list below) I came up with a list of -

The 5 most important 'rules' when writing online:

1. Write less, and divide the writing into meaningful sections.
If your readers see a huge un-formatted mass of content, they aren't even going to begin reading it. Make sure you include descriptive headers, appropriate formatting and remember that people don't like reading online.

2. Summarize your main points at the start.
Because people are going to be scanning across your page quickly, make sure they don't miss the important information. So start with your main points.

3. Emphasize important headers or content by applying different styles to them.
Just like I've done in this list, I've made the headers in bold and number large, to show people that this information is divided into different sections.

4.Make your links descriptive.
Just like writing a good email subject line, a good link description lets people make an informed choice about whether they will click on your link.

5. Use bulleted or numbered lists to display content.
I use this rule a lot. If you use lists it is so much easier to organise and read the content.


More Thoughts

After reading Nielsen's (2006) article F shaped pattern for reading where he notes the results of a study into eye patterns while reading online (they tend to follow an 'F' shape) I realised I read in this manner! - especially since I've started studying full time and researching a lot makes me read almost constantly for hours on end.

References

Neilsen, J. (2006). F-Shaped pattern for reading web content. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html

Neilsen, J. (1997). How users read on the Web. Retrieved April 11, 2007, from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html

Dartmouth College. (2003). Writing for the web. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://www.dartmouth.edu/~webteach/articles/text.html

Jerz, D. G. (2003). Top 5 web conventions (writing and design). Retrieved April 11, 2007, from http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/e-text/conventions.htm

Labels: Module 3

Labels: Module 3

I used Filezilla to FTP my web page to Oasis, all the files uploaded fine and I was ready to view my page. However, I couldn't see anything I had uploaded when I typed in the address http://student.curtin.edu.au/~13769789/ all it would do was time out!

So I checked out the NET11 discussion boards, and sure enough the secret to getting this working was installing Curtin's VPN software on my laptop. A quick laptop restart and http://student.curtin.edu.au/~13769789/ was working fine.

- Mary

Labels: Module 3

This task required me to read about copyright on the Internet, and then answer the two following questions:

• Have you used images or words on your web page or website that contravene copyright laws?

I haven't used any images or words on this learning log or on my Curtin webCT student page that contravene copyright laws.

Any images used in my learning log have been drawn/created by me, and all text written by me. If any other information has been used to form my view on an issue, I have referenced the sources at the end of each post.

The template I am using for my learning log has been used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Licence. That means that I am free to share or adapt the template, so long as I attribute the original author in some way. (in this case by the link at the bottom of this blog, showing that the template was designed by conzep.com).

My webCT student page uses a background image that I didn't create, however when I downloaded the image, the author offered it for use on any Web site, provided that a link back was provided. I linked back to the author in the footer of my page.

• Would you be in breach of copyright if you put the Curtin logo at the top of your web page for an assignment?

Yes.

I feel that after reading about copyright on the Copyright Website and also Copyright at Curtin that putting the Curtin logo at the top of a Web page for an assignment would not be acceptable.

If I did feel I needed the Curtin logo at the top of my Web page for an assignment, I would first have to contact Curtin and gain the necessary permission from them to include their logo on my Web page.

Reading about Copyright also reminded me of a post on the NET11 webCT discussion boards 'Blogging for Assignment 3' where we discussed if it was good netiquette to ask before you linked to someone else's blog. The Copyright Website had some good advice in regards to this issue:

"As it stands now, there appears to be a doctrine of implied public access on the
Web. The Web was created on the basis of being able to attach hypertext links to
any other location on the Web. Consequently, by putting yourself on the Web, you
have given implied permission to others to link to your Web page, and everyone
else on the Web is deemed to have given you implied permission to link to their
Web pages.¹" -(Copyright Website, n.d.)

In my personal experience this does hold true, as whenever I create a link to a site, I don't go and specifically ask them for permission, unless they have written on their Web site that they want people to ask them before linking.

This has happened once to me, as in a post for my NED11 studies I wanted to link to Hobbes' Internet Timeline. However, he had specified on his page that you should ask permission before linking. So I emailed and asked for his permission to link to his Web site - and it was graciously granted.

Here is the post in which I linked to Hobbes' Internet Timeline.

The more study I do, the more I realise what an important issue copyright is, and that it is essential to understand exactly what copyright rules are relevant on the World Wide Web.

- Mary

References

¹ Copyright Website. (n.d.). Website linking issues. Retrieved April 11, 2007, from http://www.benedict.com/Digital/Web/WebLinks.aspx

Labels: Module 3

I tried to validate my webCT student page (found in the student presentations area) using the W3C Markup Validation Service.

I first encounted 7 errors, these were easily identified and fixed by closing some tags, and making sure everthing was nested properly.

The next 2 errors I encounted were solved by removing the /> from the end of my declarations in the head of my page, and replacing them with just >

The final problem I am left with is as follows;

Namespace Found in non-XML Document
Namespace ""
found,
but document type is not XML!

Byte-Order Mark found in UTF-8
File.
The Unicode
Byte-Order Mark (BOM) in UTF-8 encoded files
is known to cause problems for some
text editors and older browsers. You may
want to consider avoiding its use until
it is better supported.

I got this page to validate earlier (before I added meta-tags) so I'm guessing the remaining errors are due to me incorrectly declaring something in my meta tags.

- Mary

Labels: Module 3

Labels: Module 3