Wednesday 30 March 2011

Week 5 Blogging

I love Blogging!

INTRODUCTION: 'This week, we will be taking a look at blogs; what they are, the functions they perform in the age of participatory culture and the way that individual blogs have evolved into an ongoing conversation that has been termed 'the blogosphere'.

Introducing Blogging
Definition(s)
What is a blog?
On the surface this question appears a little simple. Linguistically, the term blog is a shortened form of weblog:
  • Blog (noun): Shortened form of weblog.
  • Blog (verb): The act of authoring a blog.
  • Blogger (noun): One who blogs.
"The word blog is irrelevant, what's important is that it is now common, and will soon be expected, that every intelligent person (and quite a few unintelligent ones) will have a media platform where they share what they care about with the world." Seth Godin cited in Lecture Notes, (2008).
[Pasted from http://lms.curtin.edu.au/courses/1/305033-Vice-Chancello-111877403/content/_1253702_1/dir_
Web101.zip/Web101/2.1.html]

Week 5 and already half gone!
This week we have to read about early bloggers like Rebecca Blood
(weblogs: a history and perspective)

and Jill Walker Rettberg
who wrote one of the first books about Blogging

image: http://www.polity.co.uk

B inspired &
Get Blogging!

I'm finding it difficult to get through the readings - finding time and the reading is a bit heavy.
Their work is not unfamiliar to me, I have read the concepts before, in the early days of twitter with the likes of Ned Dale, Seth Godin, etc., I am sure i have come across this or similar material before. I was saturated by the expertise and influential marketing gurus who used blogs extensively as marketing tools.


The Significance of Blogging
'As we have already seen, the idea that almost anyone can publish to the World Wide Web has initiated a new from of media - many-to-many. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the rise of the blog. With any individual able to publish and globally disseminate information, the role of the traditional journalist and news organisations have been thrown into question.' 
An interesting concept, but one that doesn't hold a lot of significance for me personally, i think the world is fair game, and people have a right to record and report incidents as they see fit. I don't believe Journalism will fade to far into the past, there is always going to be the need for professional reporters of information. Things change so rapidly on the Internet, that what was once the big thing yesterday is today not so and in the future anything is possible.....it is very difficult to predict the outcome of the technological universe commonly referred to as the 'web'.
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Thursday 24 March 2011

Week 4 What is Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is about integration, communication and collaboration.

This week,  we are being introduced to some of the key ideas behind Web 2.0.
What is it? How does it work? Why is it new?


Wordle: What is the Internet? 
There's no doubt the Internet is changing and the Web is catching up!
As technology advances things get faster and more stream-lined.

Wordle: WEB Communication tools have developed to make the Web more user friendly and easier for people to connect, communicate, participate and collaborate.


What is the Internet?

Wordle: Internet

the internet is everything and more....coming soon!



Wordle: What is the Internet? The Web is no longer a static repository of information (Leaver,2010), it is alive and dynamic and inter-active!





WEEK 4
23.03.11
WEB 2.0
REFLECTION TO - WHAT IS WEB 2.0
 my thoughts...
I think Web 2.0 is relating to 'Social Networking' where the internet became more interactive with the users participating actively rather than passively. I haven't watched the lecture or read the activities yet, so I am sure there is more to it than that. Web 1.0 was more about information receiving rather than sending.
After watching the video….well of course it's a lot more than that but basically it is that we are using the web more than before and interacting and collaborating rather than passively watching or seeking information.

I feel a lot better about my Web Presence Assignment now, because I felt I have been delaying a bit with picking a theme, but at least I'm settling on a Blog (have already opened more than one…!) and I feel comfortable that Tama said we have time to sort that out….don't have to do it all in week 1! So I have time to think and plan and decide and to experiment a little ….I'm still tossing up between journal/uni experience [but that's probably more suited to the Learning Portfolio Assignment rather than a Web Presence] and something to do with Art/uni  or Art/project e.g. Art Let/Art Space or perhaps My Art…and my progress?

[I have usually avoided promoting myself in the past, and have been more comfortable helping or promoting others, so this is perhaps a big step in the right direction to put some effort into 'me' and 'my world']


...and what is RSS? 

The acronym RSS stands for many versions of the same thing.
  • Really Simple Syndication
  • Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91)
  • RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9 and 1.0)
  • Real-time Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0) 

Gil, P. (2010). RSS - What is RSS? ABOUT.COM GUIDE. Retrieved from <http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/rssandlivewebfeeds/f/rss.htm>  accessed 27.03.11

ONLINE ACTIVITY:

ONLINE ACTIVITY
Subject: RE: Official thread: RSS Reading  

Author: Susan Baumgartner
Posted date: Friday, March 25, 2011 9:32:47 PM WST
Last modified date: Friday, March 25, 2011 9:32:47 PM WST
Total views: 2  Your views: 2

1a. Do you think RSS will go the way of the Dodo? I think RSS will remain in some form or another - in the world of technology there is always room for improvement - some bright spark will probably come up with a modified version to save space and time...like an edited version of the feed for example that you can link to if you want to read more.

1b. Has the use of RSS changed since 2009? In essence RSS hasn't changed much, although it has become more accessible and more available where anyone can have it on their Blog now rather than just the major news providers or the tech experts and we can access it via mobile networks.

2. Within the context of the new XML/HTML reading platforms - such as the iPad, Kindle and other mobile devices, how might "the incremental" web (RSS) be used in the future? It will continue to be used to motivate, educate, inform and communicate and it could possibly take the place of written press and magazines in print form.

3. Is such a mobile news stream changing the way we use the web to communicate?
I think it has some influence on how we search the net, because we are choosing to view specific feeds, rather than having to search indiscriminately, and this also makes it easier to share the information via social networks or for the readers of our blogs. It also has the potential to reduce the time we sit at the computer, because if we access the main activities or news feeds on our mobile/iPad/ or kindle, we can get to where we are going much faster as we can do these things before we even get out of bed, and then get up informed and get dressed and go on our way....and when we get to work, we don't have to waste time checking facebook, or the like, as we already have accessed the main information.

4. Is there such a thing as information overload?  Definitely!
The Internet in itself is the biggest information overload yet invented, and it would be near impossible to access all the information available over the net. I don't read newspapers anymore - who has the time? - actually, I don't actively go out of my way to access any news feeds, because in my normal day to day activities I 'get' the news whether I want it or not. For example, anything that is happening in the world that is worth knowing about, is already broadcast over twitter or facebook almost the instant it happens, so when I go to check my messages or log onto facebook for a chat, whatever has happened is already there. Someone in my network has 'discovered' it and broadcast it and I find that since twitter and facebook came on the scene, I watch less television because it is 'old news' and I have more time to do the things I enjoy - like sitting in front of the computer and studying...
Susi B



Leaver, T. (2010). Module 2 Introduction - What is Web 2.0? [Lecture notes] Retrieved from <http://lms.curtin.edu.au/courses/1/305033-Vice-Chancello-111877403/content/_1253702_1/dir_Web101.zip/Web101/2Intro.html>

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Monday 14 March 2011

Week 3 '....and what's the World Wide Web?'

Introduction
"It has become common to refer to the Internet and the World Wide Web as if they were pretty much the same thing. As we have seen this is not the case. The Internet is a system of hardware and software which enables the connection of multiple computers. The Web is an application that makes use of this functionality, just as email, Instant Messaging and other applications do. Accessed through clients named web browsers, the Web is a series of 'hypertext' documents all linked to each other to form a 'web' of information.
However, it is the World Wide Web that constitutes the everyday 'public face' of the Internet, and which permeates our perception and cultural understandings of it." (Leaver, 2010)


REFLECTION: I think one of the reasons that people confuse these two terms or use them interchangeably is that both 'net' and 'web' have the same connotation for most of us, visually at least. Appearance and function are two different things so in this case the 'Internet' is the structure (and function) that the 'Web' runs on, and the Web is the application, delivery and presentation of information across the 'net'. Although Internet describes the function well, and www is a catchy and familiar term, WebPedia, WebSphere, Web-World, or World Wide Peadia would have been more aptly descriptive of the www!

Instructions

In this section we are going to examine the history and technologies behind the World Wide Web and the implications of hypertext on our undertsandings of information and writing.


image: 







WWW in Plain English! Courtesy of Commoncraft





Part One - A Little More History

The ideas behind the Web had been fermenting in various ways since the end of the Second World War. The notion of an easily accessible and internally linked repository of information was first touted in the writings of Vannevar Bush in a 1945 article entitled 'As We May Think'.
By the 1960s, computing technology had developed to the point where the idea of networking computers was now possible. In 1968 researcher Doug Engelbart, working on a project humbly entitled 'The Augmentation of the Human Intellect', had developed the first working mouse, bit-mapped computer screens and, most importantly for the development of the Web, 'Hypertext': (Video Duration 8 Mins.)


Where have we come: Adam Curtis - The Medium and the Message


Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk
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Monday 7 March 2011

Week 2 What is the Internet?

WEEK 2

Topic 1.1 What is the Internet?

Introduction

The Internet is, in essence, merely a big computer network.






Part One - Networking Basics

In the most basic terms of hardware, the Internet is a collection (or network) of computers connected over cables, phone lines, powerlines, radio or satellite links. The network works something like this: each individual user’s computer is linked, either directly or indirectly, to a server. Servers, which can be commercial or public (e.g. university) machines, connect to one or more other servers thereby forming another network, encompassing all machines in effect within the one network. When every such network is connected with the other networks, you get an internet.
A Little Bit of History
We are all familiar with the story of the Internet's foundations as a network designed to withstand a nuclear attack. The following animation (Duration: 8 Mins.) gives a little more context for this myth and begins to lay out the shifts in technology that allowed the development of the Net:

History of the Internet





Part Two - Activities

Activity One - Routing in Action!
When you make a request to another computer on the Internet, that request passes through a number of other computers on its way to the host
I enjoyed finding out about the Proxy and Host Trace page - interesting to think they travel that far!!!

Response to Activity One - Routing in Action!
I did this activity and have gone back a few times to check different websites that I come across, but I don't really get what it's really about or what it is for!

Is it checking the trace from my computer via the Trace company's computer to the destination of the web page I am looking for? Or is it just checking the route that my computer takes to get to my destination's computer?

Activity Two - Who Owns What?
All domain names are registered either to a business or an individual. Now, we're going to use that knowledge to do a little snooping!
And the whois page - I looked up my new domains that I bought thru free website hosts and saw who owns them:
My Wordpress ones  are owned by WildWest Domains and the Weebly one is owned by Register.com

Reflection to: Activity Two - Who Owns What?
As I own several Domain names, whois lookup is not new to me although I perhaps accessed the 'whois' from a different platform or webpage previously (many different times and places). I still did the exercise so that I could follow the activity through and try and keep up with the class. I am falling behind a bit with the discussion board -just too many posts to handle as well as watching the iLectures, keeping up with the readings, etc.


DB ENTRIES FOR WEEK 2:

Author: Deepti Azariah
Date: Friday, March 4, 2011 2:50:24 PM WST
Subject: Official Thread: Thinking Back

Hello everyone,
This week we’re discussing the technologies of the Internet as well as little bit of history
What was your first experience of the Internet? Has it changed over time?
Share your answers, comments, and thoughts under this thread.
In answer to Deepti's questions on ''Thinking Back"

[I know, this is way out of context time-wise, but i was just thinking about this and trying to remember when was the first time i came across the internet....] 

Thinking Back...
In one way I can't imagine there was ever a time without internet, but i know that is not true, but that is how it feels, or more precisely how could we imagine a time without internet. and on the other hand, i remember always wanting everything before i could have it, like i knew about computers long before any of my friends and just had to have one, picking up a second-hand one that did the job, i thought it was at least a way to learn! Then about 1993? a friend had internet and i couldn't get around there quick enough! and the only reason they had it was they worked in IT, so had all the latest gear. I had to wait a while before i could manage myself, and eventually got online when i was living overseas, around 1999 - it nearly killed me not having it, but again, most of my friends had still never heard of it! Then as they say i never looked back... i have never been in the position financially to always have the latest or the greatest, but have managed over the years to always be connected.
Has it changed over time? 
In summary, the internet has always featured in my life since it became commercially available, and i now have a PC, a laptop, a netbook, and a HTC smart phone so can be mobile whenever i need. So it has changed in the sense that the delivery of it has become more mobile.
Where is the internet now?
At the moment, it is much easier to access the Internet, with prices of computers falling, broadband becoming faster and cheaper makes it more viable for more people. I can't really imagine what the future may bring, but at a guess we'll probably have some way of connecting our minds directly to eliminate the need for a keyboard, and perhaps the technology will be small enough to fit on a chip that can be implanted or inserted into either our bodies or at the least our jewellery and screens could be superimposed anywhere like on a bench or a book or the bonnet of your car...
 [other DB entries of an advisory/help nature helping other students find things or explaining how to access iLectures, etc.]
susi b)




References:
Leaver, T. (2010). Module 1: What is the internet? [Course notes]. Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au

Video: Bilgil, M. (2009). History of the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hIQjrMHTv4. Accessed March 7th, 2011.
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Tuesday 1 March 2011

Week 1 What's in a Name? and Who am I online?

MY OVERALL REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK ONE (28 February, 2011) : WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Reflections for week one are to do with setting up a new web presence - after reading the activities for week one, we were asked to consider creating a 'new web presence' and check sites like Flickr, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogger and Wordpress… [Activity - Thinking about Usernames], (Leaver, 2010).
 We were introduced to a handy online tool from NameChk where we had the ability to search for the availability of a suitable username. I chose the name Susibart (Susi B Art) as it was available in all the required/suggested networks.

  • Go to the website namechk.com
  • We are principally interested in establishing a common username for the following sites:
      • delicious
      • twitter
      • blogger
      • wordpress
      • flickr
      • linkedin
      • friendfeed

    [Screenshot from http://namechk.com/]






    I DID THIS ACTIVITY PRETTY QUICKLY - signed up all for susi b art
    There seemed to be a lot of confusion in this exercise, so I got involved in a more advisory nature/capacity on the DB.
    [In response to the queries from other students]

    Thread: User name check??
    Author: Susan Baumgartner
    Posted Date: March 2, 2011 1:27 AM
    Status: Published


    Hi Robert, have you tried 'signing out' and then on the grey tab at the top click on 'Join Today' and then you have to use a different email address to join up new. if you don't have more than one, it's easy to create one in google or yahoo, then sign up with your new email and it should work :o)
    the other thing you may have to do is to separate your user name i.e. camera (first name) and cupboard (as second name) 

    i've had to do that on a few of the sites to get 'accepted' e.g. facebook won't let you join without a surname
    my username is susibart and for some i have had to split it - susi b art or susib art etc.

    good luck! susi b :o)





    Thread: namechk.com?
    Author: Susan Baumgartner
    Posted Date: March 2, 2011 2:35 PM
    Status: Published

    As you'll see in the next thread below, many of us had this problem, just trial and error i guess!
    and...
    i've just read a comment by Sky under 'Assignment Questions' 'Week 1 User Name Check' quote; "Bear in mind that you don't need to register for these sites yet - we just want you to check the availability of the names.".

    i probably wasted a lot of time because i understood we had to create NEW accounts for each of those listed: twitter, flickr, etc. from here:
    Module 1 Introduction - 'What's in a Name?':
    "When you are done, make a note of this username. (Note: You do not have to join all of these services today, but you are welcome to if you wish.)"

    i guess i'll have to read further to see what i should be doing!

    and i have probably put this comment in the wrong place too! :o) it takes a while to sort it all out - everything is new (although this unit is VERY well organised) but that's half the fun i suppose!

    good luck :o) susi b




    But…., I was surprised, and I became somewhat overwhelmed at the amount of work it takes to set-up, sign up and log on, and in to, several social networks at one time. Usually you develop your online footprint over a longer period of time, as you discover sites and recognise their function, you choose whether to join or not.  So, the reason it was all getting to be too much was that I didn't read the brief fully before I acted - I just saw the list of common social networks on page one, understood that I needed to create a new web presence and assumed that meant the whole list....and so, off I went! Therefore, I ended up wasting a good lot of time this week with just navigating myself around the web, and I unfortunately got blocked with this one (rather overconsuming) activity.

    At the end of week one, I am exhausted, confused and now running behind.


    Online Activity - After watching Tama's iLecture answer the following questions:

    Have you used email this week?
    1. I use email everyday, I receive more than I send, but check every few hours or when i think of it

    Have you used a social networking site in the last week? (Facebook, MySpace, CyWorld)
    2.  I use facebook all day and night, it's great for keeping in touch with overseas relatives and friends
         and re-connecting with long-lost friends or colleagues, but I try and turn it off after i chat or  
         check now, in an attempt to not get too distracted...

    Have you watched video content online in the last week? (YouTube, Facebook Video, etc.)
    3.  I watch videos every day, usually links from fb friends or study buddies - art videos, funny videos
         and 'how-to' videos (didn't realise you could watch TV episodes too!!!)

    Have you created media in the past week? (Shared a photo you took, video, posted to a blog, or Twitter, etc?)
    4. I make videos/movies every week, now that i have windows moviemaker - just slideshows 
        with music or short animations - I have vimeo and youtube accounts
        I used twitter a lot when it first started and have several twitter aliases, but haven't been active
        for a couple of years now...most of my friends switched to facebook    


    REFLECTION ON ACTIVITIES: WEEK 1

    This was the first online activity we had to do
    I found it easy as I am familiar with all the online media and activities that are mentioned
    and I use all of the social media that was mentioned - just have to find time to write up and
    present on the discussion board.


    I was rather surprised by how many responses this thread attracted, it could be because it is the start of the Unit  and when everyone is still enthusiastic and eager to start….?

    DB ENTRIES FOR WEEK 1:

    Thread: Who are you online?
    Author: Susan Baumgartner
    Posted Date: March 2, 2011 5:41 PM
    Status: Published

    1. I use email everyday, receive more than I send, but check every few hours or when i think of it
    2.  I use facebook all day and night, it's great for keeping in touch with overseas relatives and friends 
         and re-connecting with long-lost friends or colleagues, but I try and turn it off after i chat or  
         check now, in an attempt to not get too distracted...
    3.  I watch videos every day, usually links from fb friends or study buddies - art videos, funny videos 
         and 'how-to' videos (didn't realise you could watch TV episodes too!!!)
    4. I make videos/movies every week, now that i have windows moviemaker - just slideshows 
        with music or short animations - I have vimeo and youtube accounts
        I used twitter a lot when it first started and have several twitter aliases, but haven't been active 
        for a couple of years now...most of my friends switched to facebook    

    I spend too much time on the internet, but that's entertainment! susi b :O)
    Thread: Who are you online?
    Author: Susan Baumgartner
    Posted Date: March 2, 2011 9:01 PM
    Status: Published

    Hi Michelle/nell,
     re: what's in a name?
    i enjoyed reading your blog and just read your interesting article from danah boyd :o)
    i can relate to it as i also prefer writing my name in lower case and use 'i' instead of the 'I' when speaking about myself....it is rather frustrating when i have always been known as 'susi' and then being confronted by a somewhat foreign name when dealing with official paperwork like the 'Susan' above - a name that was on my birth certificate, but not one that i readily identify with. i don't dislike Susan, i just never have been referred to (except on paper) as susan.
     i never thought much about 'why' i don't capitalise my name, it's just something i did, but it's not readily acceptable, so i am always being corrected!
    thanks, i liked danah's story :o) and don't feel so 'odd' now!
    cheers, susi b :)
    Thread: Who are you online?
    Author: Susan Baumgartner
    Posted Date: March 2, 2011 9:23 PM
    Last Modified Date: March 2, 2011 9:27 PM
    Status: Published

    that sounds too beautiful to be true Robert :o)
    i can't wait to see your web presence emerge as we go along in this unit
    i'm intrigued and look forward to meeting your cat too.
    regards, susi b and miss lucy-lu
    Thread: Who are you online?
    Author: Susan Baumgartner
    Posted Date: March 4, 2011 1:15 PM
    Status: Published


    DITTO!!!!!!!!!

    YES, once i felt guilty for spending too much time on social networks and now i am finding not enough time to service them all! let alone get the 'real' work done!!! LOL too! sorry to add to the discussion but at least you can see this was meant for you

    it is still fun though, 
    enjoy!
    susi b :o)




    REFERENCES:

    Leaver, T. (2010). Module 1 Introduction - 'What's in a Name?' [Course notes]. Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au
    Image:  namechk, 2010.Web Communications 101: Communication and Collaboration Online,  Module 1 Introduction - 'What's in a Name?' Screenclipping taken from http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp (Accessed 11.03.11)
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    The Difference

    The main difference i am talking about involves the handling of a new web presence and how difficult that has been for me. Difficult in the sense that, instead of it being as easy as i expected to set up a new blog, new flickr, delicious, twitter, etc., i have in fact encountered innumerable obstacles and challenges that were completely unexpected and have resulted in a lot of wasted hours and energy! Of course there are a lot of help guides out there, and a couple of my colleagues from WEB101 are brilliant 'mentors' in the art of 'webbing' but i thought i already knew what to do! I didn't realise that i would need help!! It was a big shock and as these things can be, it was a leap, rather than a step, out of my cosy comfort zone!!! So now i know where to go, i have slowed down, settled down, inserted links to my trusty new friends and mentors and going to sit back and relax and take it step by step. Perhaps this blog is changing its theme already and becoming the lay-person's version of 'how not to do it' when endeavoring to embark on a new web venture.....who knows? ...but time will certainly soon tell :o)

    Here is something that may come in handy from makeuseof.com - 10 ways to link your facebook and twitter accounts simultaneously: 

    and my 2 new links for this week are: 
     1. delicious where you can collect your favourite websites as bookmarks (so you can have them all in one place and easy to find again)

    
    delicious Bookmarks by Susibart
    
    and 

    2. claimID  is a free and easy way to set yourself up with a place where you can easily record and store your online presence in one place in the form of building a list of links and bookmarks as you grow.

    
    claimID weblinks portfolio susib
    
    have fun and enjoy being social!

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