The future of Internet wil definitely be much more advanced than what it currently is. The increase in reliance on the net is also one of the factors that may induce these researchers to create something widely out-of-the-world, to further entice individuals to be even more connected to their computers, like they arent already.
However, though many advancements of the net have taken place and many new innovations and technological advancements have taken center stage in today’s world, there are so many things that can happen. Things that would label me a pessimistic, or things that are too far-fetched, like i dont know, time travelling, that make me seem too optimistic. The future is a black-hole of ideas/innovations that we, the average individual wont be able to explain.
But, the things that are to come in future, would be something that we would claim to NEED. Just like the dreaded IPhone, that I have succumbed to.
This module has certainly opened my eyes up to what the internet is really about. The huge myriad of information that I have taken in during my time in this class, has made me more aware of the wonders and users of the internet. Though i am not as tech-savvy as I would like to be, I am more aware what I can do with the internet. The topic I enjoyed most, was definitely the one on e-commerce, as I have purchased from such online businesses and these has made me realize that a lot of hard work goes into the creation process, all the way through the final transaction.
Also, topics like internet security has given me more insight on what can happen in this virtual world that appears to be more secure that it actually is. I’ve heard of hackers who steal your personal information and assume your identity without you even knowing. The scary thing is, there is no way of tracking you down, and even if they trace your IP address and what not, the thread that ties you to these crimes is relatively harder to physical crimes. As the threat of cyber crimes is more prevalent in today’s society, we have to be more careful about what we post, to whom we post it to and where. All this factors are definitely cause for concern where privacy is something that all of us attain to have.
All in all, I had a lot of fun in this module, what with all the videos and discussions that are being brought up in class. Furthermore, the class was pretty humorous in their presentations and some had very good skits and information that I had not known before I stepped into the class. But what i enjoyed most, where the little bite-sized information about the topic which really gave me a new perspective on how I would see the internet.
The world of journalism has been altered greatly ever since the Internet revolutionized the spread of information. Spreading information used to be reserved for individuals who have the access and capability to go out into the field and search for that valuable piece of information/story where it then gets published on newspapers and magazines.
Ever since, the Internet took over the information strata of the world, journalism companies aka newspaper companies, have observed a steep drop in its consumers and many have turned to virtual means. The birth of online newspapers and magazines come about due to the increase in reliance of the public on the internet instead of newspapers. Also, the increase in accessibility of information on the net as well as the low cost, is one of the more important factors as to why people would much rather prefer surfing the net for information as compared to purchasing a newspaper with exactly the same information.
However, the picture of reading a newspaper in front of the breakfast table is something that most cannot seem to shake off. Despite this, the emergence of IPads and tablets, have made the use of electronic devices seem more plausible to fit that image.
Furthermore, everyone and anyone in possession of internet, has a hand in creating and distributing information regardless of his/her capabilities. This is especially daunting to the world of writing/journalism as they rely on their ability to craft information as well as weaving stories in such a way that it captivates the readers. However, the use of web 2.0, has changed things in such a way that everyone has a voice and they want to be heard. Hence, the creation of avenues like forums and discussion boards, where people are able to voice what they want to say.
I, for one am still very much supporting the use of physical media. However, the growth of contemporary social media and its high accessibility is especially captivating for me. Its ease and the multitude of content that it possesses, makes reading and the search for information so much faster and convenient. Even though I love chilling with a cup of warm tea and with a good book in hand, the information found on the internet far exceeds that of the ‘past’.
Power and limitation of internet for political campaigning.
The use of the internet is so powerful in today’s society that information can be spread from one nation to another in mere seconds. In the events of a political campaign, the media goes crazy chasing after political heads as they fight to win votes from the people. But these political parties have taken to social networking sites especially the ones more popular with his/her country. Twitter and Facebook stand up top as the most popular sites among politicians.
Barrack Obama is one such person who has taken the Twitterdom by storm. His followers amount up to 23 million, with countless fan pages on twitter dedicated to this one man! He is seen to be somewhat of a celebrity in the States as well as all around the world. This man can do no wrong especially in the eyes of the youths who view him as a rock star When he recently visited Myanmar, he was so widely received that banners of the American flag were waved enthusiastically and it appeared to be something similar to a procession of some sorts.
Hence, the internet is a very important medium for political parties/leaders to use to spread their influence over wide areas as well as to allow them to seem more accessible to their people. This would therefore, increase their popularity as well as the trust that the public will have on them.
Some have even been lambasted on social networking sites. Take Singapore’s very own political ‘bad guy’, Tin Pei Ling. She was part of PAP’s political party and once the public got word of her facebook account, her pictures became the laughing stock and she got hurled abuses from every side. This is so unfair to her as she’s just doing her job and in the end, her entire personal life is put out on a platter for everyone to judge.
Hence, the internet can definitely be used to further strengthen the political campaign of a particular individual, but it may also harm their chances of winning. Especially with the use of forums and discussion boards where individuals are able to voice their opinions and sway that of the neutral which may further detriment or improve the standings of the political parties.
Young adults and youth, apathetic towards politics.
I, am definitely not someone involved nor interested in politics. The whole talk of voting and ‘fake’ competition just screams fake to me. I do not enjoy hearing individuals speak of good things they wish for the country and laugh as soon as their backs are turned away. But thats just me.
Most of my classmates take a huge interest in the political campaigns between Romney and Obama that discussions about the campaigns can be heard in every class. Also, most seem very literate in that area and even take a stand.
However, the lack of entertainment value may be attributed to this. The American politics are always so hyped up with big celebrities lending their hands in helping to raise funds for the political campaign of their choice. In singapore, politics is treated as something ‘sacred’ and many are scared to voice out their opinions in fear of being thrown into jail. Demonstrations are rarely heard of, and those that get caught, are thrown into jail as well. Protests against anything is heard, will also be thrown into jail. Though there are avenues to raise concerns as well as to voice opinions, there are ways to go about this, but the American way has proven to be best in getting the public or youths involved.
Both ads are marketing their products through the use of multimedia devices as well as cleverly using apps to highlight the superiority of their product in contrast to other similar models. For example, the rivalry between Samsung and Apple is can get so heated that people have been known to argue over something as minute as that. Going back to the commercials, both ads are highly engaging as viewers are so drawn into the functions of the phone that we sit up straighter and hold the screen closer as we gape in awe at the unique functions that they offer.
But wait, as we look closer and watch both videos one after the other, we realize that both products offer similar functions and apps. The only difference is their marketing strategies.
The one from Samsung is highly engaging through the use of a multitude of apps to showcase exactly what it has to offer. The use of Google maps especially, seems to be a poke at Apple’s maps functions which is deemed to be so bad that many hit a dead end instead of arriving at the end of their journey. Furthermore, the use of the functions in Samsung makes the user go through his day with so much efficiency that the viewer would find this unexplained pull towards purchasing the product.
Apple’s commercial is highly prized for its humor and the way it pokes fun at its other competitors. There are also widely known for their ability to pull potential consumers to purchase their products due to the wide acclamation that they have. Iphone users have that tag associated to them as it symbolizes something of higher prestige than that of other mobile phone users. Apple capitalizes on this in their commercial and it does bring a spark of humor as well as poking at its competitors.
However, Samsung has showcased a lot of its other functions which serve to further highlight its competency over the powerful Apple. Albeit this, I feel that Apple has successfully managed to capture its audience attention with this short clip stating that “If you don’t own an IPhone, well, you don’t own an IPhone”. A statement so bold, it works.
Truth be told, I have no biasness towards any of this products. Yes, I am an apple user, but I hold no animosity towards any other products nor companies. May Samsung and Apple coexist harmoniously.
A 21 year old, polytechnic student by the name of Lin Zhenghuang illegally tapped into his neighbor’s wireless connections and posted a bomb hoax on a popular forum here in Singapore. Unfortunately for his poor neighbor, her house was raided by the police who then let her off after clarification. His act sparked an increase in interest by the police forces on dubious acts done on the cyber world. This makes Singaporean officials even more resilient to combat this problem.
The increasing number of cyber crimes in Singapore has raised a lot of questions on what could be done to combat this problem. The increasing trend is due to the increase in the prevalence as well as relevance to information. The internet makes the search for information so much more efficient and fast. The overall impact of this creates the intense reliance on the internet. Hence cyber crimes occur much easily as the number of users on the net has increased by so many folds that it is hard to keep track of the number of users online. Hence, cyber criminals are able to appear and disappear much easily.
Also, cyber crime can be done through mobile apps and through controlling a person’s mobile phone. A recent phone theft occurred here in Singapore where the thief controlled the person’s schedule through controlling the phone of the individual. Singaporeans and people in general, are highly reliant on their mobile phones and many have been known to sleep with or next to their phones.
In my opinion, cyber crimes are much harder to eliminate than physical crimes. This is as, the risk of getting caught is much lower as compared to physical crimes. Though this may not seem to be the case due to lots of tracking devices available on the net as well as the tracks that link the individual back to their online activities, they may very well be found easily. However, due to the many hacking devices available, the user may easily get away from their activities and hide behind another user’s account. Hence, the risk of getting maimed for this kinda activities, is pretty high.
A way to prevent any types of threat to one’s internet privacy would be to have passwords on every account that you’ve got. This is to prevent anyone to have access to your personal information as well as to prevent anyone from snooping around into your personal activities.
Another way to prevent other users from using your account would be to lock your wireless connections such that it would only be available for your usage. This is as, as mentioned in the first paragraph of this post, another user may assume your identity through this method and hence, this would put all the blame on you instead of the actual guy.
However, there’s no surefire way to have full security on our internet or our computers. Hence, the best way is, i guess to not have a computer? cause there are means that we’re not sure of that are available out there that can destroy all the data that we have or worse still, steal our identity.
I’m paying homage to one of the ost genius ideas ever. Something that has spawned TV shows, movies, games, music, and is even being portrayed by both cosplayers and hallooweeners alike. Its…………. POKEMON! DO NOT JUDGE ME.
(its pretty lame but i ran out of ideas, so yeah!)
and if you havent jumped onto the battling bandwagon, please do.
How Learning can be made effective through the use of digital media?
Digital media has been used much recently in my academic life. One such occasion where the use of digital media was used, was during the SARS outbreak where we were told to stay home to prevent the spread of the disease. We were then told to use the computer to access various sites to do quizzes and sit for virtual classes where slides were put up for us to study as well as test questions after the ‘lecture’. At that time, I felt like this was a really cool way to study and it felt like I was being ‘home schooled’.
However, after going through the class on e-learning, I would definitely prefer a physical learning environment as compared to one where I’d have to face the screen for hours on end. This is as, I believe that one can learn so much more when you’re in the classroom. With the teacher standing in the front and the cacophony of noises as well as the shushing by the girl in huge spectacles down in the front. The atmosphere itself is one that even technology would be unable to mimic unless you’re physically there.
The future of our classroom will definitely be more technologically enhanced as the use of e-learning has already been put in place in today’s education system. The use of clickers, which is able to let students provide answers to questions in real-time is especially efficient in today’s society as the teachers are able to pinpoint the exact responses of each students.
Elon University has used the social networking virtual reality device, Second Life to create a virtual classroom environment such as that in the picture above. The students are able to create their own unique avatars to mimic their personalities and this would enable the teachers to get to know the students even more. Also, the students are able to respond to the teacher’s every questions and they are even able to have a one-on-one chat with either the teacher or friends, just like that in a real situation.
However, problems may surface. The ability of students to chat with friends without the teacher knowing as well as the ability of the students to leave the room while leaving their avatars on may cause a problem.
This is an example of how the Microsoft Surface Technology can be used in the instance of the RPG game, Dungeons and Dragons. It revolutionizes the way one uses technology where the screen is much bigger, making the sensors work double time. It is so fascinating to watch the way it operates, where the users hands move similar to that of a magician with swift fingers brushing across the icons so smoothly. It is not yet available in the market at the moment due to it still being tested for glitches, but im very sure that once it gets out, the people lining up for this product would grow by the day.
The use of these devices would surely be the norm in the future. Its success however, is to be determined. This is as, there are so many things that we’re ensure about the capabilities and the length that technology can go to. However, like all new technological advances, the insecurity about the success of the product is always there. But, success is within sight due to many experiments and tests being done on this topic.
10 key factors why some e-commerce have succeeded can be attributed to the following factors:
The ability to look into the future: this is definitely an important aspect as it enables individuals to be thinking ahead and allows them to have more foresight and hence, keep up with the times
Advertising: it plays a huge role in getting your page into the top hits of a search engine. also, more people would more likely view that particular page if it were deem to be popular.
Capital: To ensure the success of any business, a capital that is enough to sustain the start as well as the growth of the business would definitely be a boost to the company
Interactive: There should be some interaction between users to ensure that the transactions go smoothly.
Sufficient information: There has to be enough information about the product to ensure that the consumer knows exactly what they’re getting
Target market: A target market has to be created to ensure that the product being put out there suits the needs/wants of the consumers.
Terms and conditions: This is to protect both the company as well as the consumers from any problems that may occur during the transaction process.
Up-to-date Technology: this would enable the consumers to find what they want with much ease as well as establishing that the company takes pride in being updated with new information.
PayPal: For the most obvious reason.
Never Give Up: Having a business online is something similar to having a double life, and it may be a little tedious to juggle both online work as well as reality. However, with a little hard work, the results will be more than fruitful.
Lack of foresight: the need to constantly look into the future lies on the constant change of the world of technology. Hence, e-commerce has to always look for the now instead of focusing on the present.
Inability to keep up to the pace: Business online moves very quickly and people are online 24/7. Hence, the need to always be on your guard and constantly monitoring the site is exceptionally important.
Tardy: tardiness does not work in both online and physical businesses, there is no way one can succeed if one were to be tardy and lazy. Nuff said.
Lack of drive: Keep the goal in mind and never falter.
Not consumer driven: The customer is always right.
No plan: Planning helps in creating a path towards success, without establishing this path, the journey towards reaching the company’s ‘nirvana’ would take longer tha expected.
Give up: The road to succeed in the virtual world is getting increasingly hard due to the prevalence of a myriad of different groups. Hence, in order to succeed, the ‘never give up’ mentality should remain, else, the road to failure is set in your sight.
Arguments: Between partners, this would most probably occur, due to differing perspectives. However, with a little persistence and conversations to sort out this problem, this should be kept to a minimum.
Safety: Always ensure that both parties are kept safe from any problems that may occur. Else, the company’s downhill spiral is in sight.
Creativity: Without being creative, your company’s gonna look like a typical run-of-the-mill ‘shop’ with similar items and similar procedures. To make yourself stand out from the rest is definitely tough, but it will boost your business greatly. Fer sure.
To do marketing online is something that has to be constantly upgraded and watched. The movement of information online moves so quickly and its constantly changing, hence there has to be a medium of some sorts to sieve out the bad and channel the good to the public.
Also, the need to be kept in the loop of mainstream trends is important to allow the company to be contemporary in its infomation.
Issues about security, privacy and legal issues for e-business
Issues linked to these factors are especially important for businesses as it helps to protect both the consumer and company from any means of fraud or from being cheated. Hence, its important to establish some sort of rules or terms and conditions to ensure that both parties are kept free from such problems. This would also prevent any feelings of mistrust between both parties.
Privacy is also exceptionally important as embezzlement may ensue if information regarding the running of the site were to get out into the public. Private information may be leaked out, hence creating major problems for the company.
Facebook, the organisation synonymous to social networking that many other sites are left in the dust of this giant company. I’ve had facebook for awhile now, and honestly keeping up to date with everything going on in my friends’s lives is so exhausting! Im pretty sure there’re more people out there having the same sentiments, but recently, I’ve barely logged into facebook besides checking up on upcoming events. What with school and work, social networking seems to drop from my priority list (it shouldn’t even be there in the first place).
Well like most of us, I started out with Friendster first, not really knowing what it was for when I first clicked ‘Submit Particulars’. But gradually, its awesomeness came to me. It revolutionized my thoughts and instead of being ‘Bah humbug, what is this for’ it went to ‘Holy ****, this is one genius idea’! So yes, I got hooked on the social networking drug and in my teens, i lived to stare at the computer screen, scrolling for hours learning more about my friends that I ever could have!
I guess its main purpose is to constantly keep us in the loop about the lives of our friends as well as to add some cash in Mark’s pocket. But nonetheless, there are facebook addicts and people who use facebook as a means to propel themselves to stardom (albeit for only 15mins). Also, there has been a rise in users selling their preloved goods online, a smart move to get rid of unwanted clothes while making some money for yourself.
But, as i grew up and learnt to dispel all this crazy fads and things that just bore me, I had this nagging feeling that if i refused to stop holing myself in my room staring at a computer screen for hours on end, ill either turn crazy or be so socially retarded that ill quack instead of speak. So, I’ve cut down tremendously on my time spent on Facebook from hours to a mere 5 minutes. You no longer have my life!
Though the ride has been long and pretty boring, Ill have to say, Ill prolly still use Facebook regardless of how mundane it can be. The only thing keeping me going is the fact that without it, Ill lose all my privileges of liking random photos, making fun of my friend’s weird moments or even listening to a new band shared by a friend! So yeah, being on Facebook does have its perks although I might be very well be considered ‘dead’ on it.
(P.s. its kinda sad how Facebook is a word in itself but Friendster is not)
THE INTERNET 