Module 2: News Groups and Internet Chat

News Groups
I found a group on Google Groups about Dubai, I followed it for a couple of days and posted the following message. Unfortunately after three weeks I received no replies. It may have to do with the size of the group as it was rather large with over 300 group members. I was disapointed to not receive any feedback, it has however allowed me to discover how groups work, and was amazed at the amount of detail people go into. It is a very interesting way of communicating with people for all different walks of life. Still I dont think it will be a method I will use that often in the future.

I was surprised to read some of the views of Dubai by people who obviously haven't been there. I agree that it has its fair share of desert, but calling it culture less is somewhat narrow minded. While it may not have some of the architecture that Vienna or Florence have, Dubai is history in the making. Dubai is rapidly developing and building architectural feats, what country can claim to have developed as much as it has in the past 20 years? It may not have many historical features now, but can you imagine in a hundred years time? Not only is it developing the tallest building in the world, but it has managed to make a hostile environment a completely flourishing economical hub. The opportunities here are endless.
As for things to do, have you ever been desert bashing? Diving in the Gulf? Camping in amazing Mars like wadis? Stayed and eaten in some of the best restaurants and hotels in the world? Smoked sheisha whilst playing chess? Gone skiing in a mall? Watched locals through Ramadan all sit outside the Mosque together getting ready to break their fast? Had a bbq on a sailboat whilst dolphins frolic around you? Seen hundreds of nationalities all in one place getting along with little crime and trouble?
No one can deny that Dubai is in fact a flourishing hub, regardless of which airlines are going where. And it should be respected for just that, what an amazing place has been created, out of nothing, and still it gets bigger, they do have a final picture in mind, and I think once all the hammering has stopped, Dubai will be quite amazing. It might not be an ideal place, but you have to give it some credit, no matter how you feel about it.


Internet Chat

I have been using MSN Messenger since I was 14 years old and have managed to stay in contact with my friends from around the world, which is something I could never have achieved without it. It was my life line when I was travelling, allowing me to talk to family and friends at minimal cost, and lets face it, its so much better than dodgy phone lines!

I was able to chat to Lyn from the the NET11 unit, but failed to have a group discussion. From my own experience I would say that MSN is probably the most widely used Chat programme, allowing for video chat and even conversations with a little delay. It is used in every country I have ever been to and so easy to use.

Chat is a fantastic way to stay in contact with people world wide at minimal cost, its easy to use, quick, you get instant gratification and are able to to have multiple conversations at once. Businesses are now buying into it too, using Chat programmes instead of phones. It is also true that having information written allows us to carry out more than just the one conversation, allowing for time to reflect on what has been said.

I really do believe that chat is the best invention since sliced bread!!!

Module 2: Lists

My personal opinion is that email lists seem very dated, and a little questionable.

From what I gather anyone in front of a computer with Internet can start a list, about basically any subject, it is an electronic mailing list for those interested in the subject list they join. From the lists that I saw (which were not many, due to the length of time all the listing web sites took to download), it seemed as though people go and make a list and then forget about it! 90% of the lists I tried to join required a subscription fee. Maybe due to my lack of willing to pay for one of these list subscriptions, I missed out on something really fantastic. But am I really willing to pay for something that I am unable to see.

I would be more likely to choose a discussion board than a list, I believe discussion boards create more of a community for the user, there is a quicker response time and while there is probably not as much filtering of information, you just assume that you do have to take all the information read with "a pinch of salt". I understand that lists do have a moderator to filter out any spam or abusive messages, which is a definite bonus when looking into such sites.

Discussion sites such as the one we use for this course are easy to follow, accessible, and most of the sites do not allow other members to edit other peoples entries.

Module 2: Email Tasks

1. What information about a user's email, the origin of a message, and the path it took, can you glean from an email message?

From an email , you can usually derive:

-the senders URL and name ( having used hotmail as my resourse)
-the recievers' URL and name
-the time and date which it was sent
-a summary of the contents in the "subject" field
-whether or not the email has an attatchment

Within the email, if it has been replied to, you will often get the old message requoted, if it has not been tampered with by the responder.

If that still leaves you unsatisfied you can proceed by clicking

File >Properties

will give you extra email information such as:

-The full URL
-The size of the email
-Protocol
-Type
-Date Creates
-Date Modified

2. In what cases would you find it useful to use the 'cc', 'bcc' and 'reply all functions of email?

CC is an acronym for Carbon Copy. This allows you to send the one email to a multitude of recipients, this allows all the recipients to see who the message has been sent to.

BCC however is short for Blind Carbon Copy, this has the same features as CC, in that it allows the sender to mail information to a multitude of recipients, but now the recipient can not see who the email has been sent to.

3. In what ways can you ensure that an attachment you send will be easily opened by the receiver?

Every computer has different programmes downloaded, in these days of fast technology it is impossible to download every programme available, this can become a problem when sending attachments. To ensure that all recipients receive a readable copy of your attachment you must make sure that you don't send unnecessary attachment that take time to download, and be thoughtful about who you are sending them to, will they have an Internet connection as fast as yours, will they have the programme you are using, so on. To ensure that the recipient of the attachment can read it, it is safe to send the attachment as ASCII file, this will ensure that text is received, though it does not deal with graphics as well.

4. What sorts of filters or rules do you have set up, and for what purpose?

The only filters I am aware of with my email account are SPAM FILTERS, this is an automatic spam filter supplied by hotmail, I have created a few seperate folders within the "junk email" folder, these are websites that have somehow got hold of my email address and now send me news letters, I was able to filter this mail so I no longer receive it in my Inbox.

5. How have you organised the folder structure of your email and why?

I have had the same email address with Hotmail since I was about 13, I had never even considered organising until I decided to go away for a year, while I was away email was the only form of communication I used to stay in contact with everyone at home, the emails were coming in by the faster than I could answer them, I was losing a lot of them, deleting important contacts and notes, that is when I finally noticed the folder link! What a saviour!! Since then I have made it a priority to have my email well organised, to me my emails hold many memories, a little like a diary, and while I realise this may not be a conventional way of using Hotmail, it is a method that has worked for me for many years.

Now I have two email addresses, one for what I consider important matters, such as banking, university, work, while the other email account is purely social. My "important" inbox is separated into folders and then sub-folders, such as University, sub folders Assessments, Emails from Classmates, Important Notices. My "social" account has been split into groups, such as Family Emails, Friends I made while backpacking, Friends Australia, Friends UAE and so on. For the moment this method is working well, I am able to keep on top of all emails received and have put in filters for those I do not wish to have shown in my Inbox.

I do not believe that Hotmail has the best filing system available, but its simplicity is a positive for me. I have it organised well, and while I am learning about new ways of filing, it will do!

Module I Conclusion

Self Test Multiple Choice Questions


1. What is the title of the book by Bennahum?

Managed Care: financial, legal and ethical issues


The missing word was:

capitalisation


3. The IP number for webct is:


134.7.134.101

Module 1: Internet Tools

I love this pinging business, six degrees of separation they say, well this just finds all the information for you. This was a relatively easy task, I had no problem.

Tracing route to curtin.edu.au [134.7.179.10]... this was a slightly different Ping to that on the self test, but I have seen all my fellow class mates have the same answer, so it is fair to say the ping may have changed.

I had 19 hops, I am going to go back and compare that with other students, does your geographical placement make a difference? I would assume so.

Module 1: File transfer Protocol (FTP)

I finally have a little confidence, I managed to do this task with no hiccups at all. File transfer protocol is something i use everyday as an avid Internet user, especially with my love of photographs and being so far from my family, so I understand the importance of being able to send files in a quick and secure manner.

The answer to the task: Capitalisation Matters!!!

Module 1: Telnet

After having downloaded two different Telnet programmes, both of which I could not make any sense out of I finally took the advice of a fellow student and downloaded CRT3.0. I am finally in the game!!

As I understand it, Telnet is similar to a search engine, allowing me (the Telnet client) to communicate with a remote computer, in this case, the Deakin library database computer. So I am able to sit infront of a computer anywhere in the world and send commands to the Deakin Library in Perth, which is amazing!

I have found Windows inbuilt "help" on my computer very helpful in clarifying issues I am a bit fuzzy with.

deakin book search
You searched for the AUTHOR: bennahum
2 AUTHORS found, with 2 entries; entries 1-2 are: LOCATIONS
Bennahum David A 1936
______________________________________________________________________________
1 Managed care : financial, legal, and ethical M
Bennahum Ninotchka
______________________________________________________________________________
2 Dance & community : Congress on Research in M

I have to admit that while I understand the basics behind having just done that exercise, I am not quite sure how i would apply it in my everyday internet use, I will see if I can get a better understanding by looking up some more information and letting you know!