Disaster

Just suffered the consequences of not paying enough attention.
Way back I read a post on the discussion board and I thought it said that the resource document could be done on a word document if you weren't sure about web pages etc. WRONG.
I submitted it one day earlier than the final submision date and relaxed after sending the tutor a message.
I should have checked my messages, which I didn't for a couple of days.
When I did, there was a message from the tutor telling me a word doc was not acceptable and I still had time to change it. But by now it was too late.
I did quickly create a new blog and pasted it on, but web ct would not allow me to re-submit.
Lot of wasted time and effort.
Depressing.

Module four. Final analysis

1.
In regard to my own future use, I would prefer to make use of both a snapshot of a web page and an annotation.
The snapshot because an image can be a quick reminder, and the annotation because, depending on the time since last use or number of utilities used since, there are times when you need to be reminded of some of the key aspects of the site that an an image cannot portray.

2.
As far as external users go, I feel a short, succinct annotation followed by the hyperlink would be most beneficial.
There seems to be little point in directing people to sites willy nilly only to have them find out later, after wasting time browsing through the site, that it is not suitable for them or the sources are not reliable.

Module Four. Evaluating The Web

http://webteacher.org/windows.html
Web Teacher.
Purpose: To inform
Author credentials: Created in 1997 by two teachers and a Tech Corp. webmaster.
Content: Balanced
Coverage: Adequate
Currency: Last updated 7/9/2006
Recognition: 785 sites linked.
"People who visit this page also visit" Web for Teachers, Webopedia, W3 Schools , Whatis.com, New User Tutorial, RDN Virtual Training Suite, The Digital Education Network, among others.

ANNOTATION.
This site is, in my opinion, a well constructed, well laid-out site that is informative and up to date.
The site is linked to a large number of other sites and the authors are listed and their qualifications clearly displayed and checkable.
One is a professor of physics, the other a teacher of over twenty years experience, and the third a consultant in web technologies at the university of Tennessee.
The idea behind the site is to teach you in a step by step fashion how to become more familiar with the internet and to perform some basic (and some not so basic) tasks like writing HTML
There does not appear to be 'ulterior motive' to the site, i.e. it is not trying to sell any product as you work your way through the tutorial, and there are no annoying pop-ups.
The information contained in this site is aimed primarily toward teachers, with a view to developing a web-based curriculum.

module Four. Organising search information.

The best three sources for Advanced Internet Users, in my opinion, were:

1.
http://www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced/
Domain Name:K12SCIENCE.ORG. Domain ID:D3122510-LROR
CIESE. Centre for inproved engineering and science education.
Created 03/09/1998. Last updated 26/5/2005
Stevens institute of technology. Hoboken. New Jersey. USA
Admin Name:Jason Sayres
IP address 192.216.20.58
Adavanced Internet User Tutorial.
This self-guided tutorial is intended to be used by those who have an expertise in the basic web browsing features. During the hands-on training that covers Basic Internet Features, it is expected that those advanced users take that time to review more complex technical features of their web browser. Those currently engaged in Basic Training are encouraged to re-visit this web site to further their knowledge about internet browsing.
(Quoted from Tutorial information page)

Saved onto my computer using pagesucker into a newly created folder, plus bookmarked using Netvisualize for quick reference.
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2.
http://www.rockymtnweb.com/free/advanced/index.htm
Rocky Mountain Web Studio
Jackson Hole. Wyoming. U.S.A.
Domain ID:
Created: 28/01/2002 Last updated: 15/07/2006
Registrant: I & S Thunderhart
"Web Design, Hosting, Domain Names, Marketing and more..." (Main page)

Saved onto my computer as above.

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3.
http://webteacher.org/windows.html
Web teacher by Tech Corps.
Domain IDD457927-LROR
Created On:06-Sep-1997 Last Updated On:07-Sep-2006
Sponsoring Registrar:Network Solutions LLC.Maynyard. Massechussettes. U.S.A.
Admin name: Jeff Bajgot
" Welcome to webTeacher, a self-paced Internet Tutorial that puts both basic and in-depth information about the World Wide Web at your fingertips - just a mouse click away!" (From Web teacher info page.)

Saved onto my computer as above.

Module Four. Boolean

A.
The best way to search for 'Advanced Internet Users' in my opinion would be to check the "use exact phrase" box, if available, or use the boolean equivelant.
Using the 'and' or 'or'command would produce more, but a great deal of the resulting material would be of little or no use.

A.
Using the term 'exact phrase' when searching alta vista for 'Advanced internet users', produced 2,690 results.
Browsing through the first few pages it appears that this search has produced more quality results as opposed to using the basic request for 'Avanced internet users' which produced 50,300,000 results, most of which, on browsing the first few pages, were of little or no relevance or interest to me.

B.
Searching for skills based information in Advanced Internet Users, I first tried 'skills-based information+Advanced Internet users' on Google, and got 163,000 hits, but I am not sure whether the instruction means to use an actual skill, like using html, and link that with advanced internet users.
Tried 'telnet' "advanced internet users" via Alta Vista and the results were a bit more promising.
Using the same option via google returned 154 hits with the first page at least producing some promising results.

C.
To search for 'Advanced internet users' from university resources, I tried a number of options.
The first was through GOOGLE using the exact phrase option plus 'University' as the extra word option.
The result was 307 hits, though they were not all from university sources.
Next I tried 'Ask.com' using the command 'Advanced internet users + edu' with the exact phrase box checked. This resulted in 378000 hits
Browsing the first few pages it was obvious that the exact phrase option had not been successful, and I was getting results unrelated to my requirements.
Applying the same search to INFOMINE, a schollarly internet resource, produced 7 hits.
Using quotation marks, "advanced internet users" produced 2 hits, both with the exact phrase but in the field of chemistry.
I finally tried the search via Google,"Advanced internet users" phrase: .edu on the advice of Kerri Bennett, (discusion board, item No. 1622).
This was more successful.

module four. web searching

Performed a search of the www for Advanced Internet Users, first using my usual search engine NINESMSN.
1.
http://www.ciolek.com/PAPERS/oregon-2003-tables.html, The internet and it's users. The physical dimensions of cyberpolitics in Eastern Asia.
2.
The second was identical to the first.
3.
http://www.vicnet.net.au/training/advance.html , VICNET. "Victoria's comunity information portal."
4.
http://weblog.globaladvancedmedia.com/category/internet-users/ GLOBAL ADVANCED MEDIA WEBLOG
5.
http://www.datatrain.net/ , DATATRAIN

There was a total of 10,324,642 sites available using ninmsn, most of which would be useless.

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Performing the same search using COPERNIC with 3 search engines enabled, Alto Vista, Lycos and Yahoo, produced 20 results, the first site being

1.
http://www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced/, CIESE, Centre for improved engineering and science education.
2.
http://www.softstack.com/advink.html , SOFTSTACK.COM.
3.
http://www.theoccasionalcompany.co.uk/ THE OCCASIONAL COMPANY
4. http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwindows/internet/tips/advanced/2advanced_list.asp Microsoft windows 98. Tips and Tricks for advanced users.
5.
http://www.internet2.edu/ Internet 2.

Conclusion:
Using a basic search engine such as ninemsn produced a huge number of available sites but I feel there is more quantity than quality in that large number. A lot of what appeared was of no use to me as it produced articles on each of the words Advanced, Internet, and Users.

Searching through Copernic which uses a number of search engines produced a much smaller number and were relevance rated and came from a number of different search engines
Even so, there was still a number of sites pruduced that were only vaguely, if at all, connected to what I wanted.
After ticking the 'exact phrase' box I got 29 results, most of which would be useful to some degree. This would be covered in the 'Boolean Logic' part of the tutorial too I imagine.

Module Four. Downloads

Downloaded Realplayer along with Firefox. Not sure about fire fox. Just thought I'd give it a try and hope it's not too hard to get rid of if I don't like it.

Also downloaded copernic. The ability to search multiple search engines will, I hope open up new horizons to me as I had no idea this was possible and had never heard of the 'deep web'.

Also downloaded Pagesucker. I, like a lot of people, prefer to bring sites to my computer and read them at my leasure.

Successfully loaded adobe shockwave player and flash player.

Downloaded Real player. Was using windows media player previously. Have yet to decide whether Real player is any better or worse.

Downloaded Netvisualise in order to better organise my growing list of favorites. Finally I will be able to get some order instead of scanning up and down my list which is all mixed at the moment. I like the idea of being able to see a snapshot of the main page of the bookmarked site.

Struggling with upload.

Coming to the end of week six and module three.
While I'm enjoying it on the whole, the issue of uploading is causing me no end of grief.
I just can't seem to get it!
I have posted notes on the discussion board and asked indeviduals but I cannot grasp what seems to be a fundamental task.
Other students have been helpful but I am embarrassed to admit that I do not understand a lot of the jargon being used in the explanations they have provided.

Bingo!
Finally, I have managed to get a look at my www page in the oasis/curtin network.
Turns out my ftp uploading was going ok but I needed to download vpn client software to be able to access the web page.
So with the help of cynthia and a lovely girl (April I tink) at Curtin, I was able to see my volcano site.
Now I just have to figure out how to get the graphics to come through!

Bingo again!
After wrestling with it for ever, changing the syntax over and over to no avail, I finally added the word volcano to the url and up it came, graphics and all. Such a simple thing.
Problem now though, is that I can't say that I understand why. I don't feel like I have achieved much if I don't fully understand what I did, even if it was successful

My next hurdle is working out the uploading to presentations page. Something I am having difficulties with still.

Module Three. Blog

Obviously, this is my blog and learning log.

My top tips for new bloggers would be:

1. Keep in mind that anyone can view it. Careful what you say!
2. Keep graphics to a minimum. Not everyone has broadband.
3. Be courteous.
4. Be aware of libel, slander laws etc. People are being sued right now!
5. Make it 'easy on the eye'if you want people to stick around long enough to read it.

Module Three. Copyright

Copyright.
According to the copyright act of 1976, almost any original expression that is fixed in a tangable form is protected as soon as it is expressed.
Therefore, even though the Volcano tutorial sit is presenting facts, which are not eligable for copyright, the way it is presented and the images it uses are in my opinion eligable for copyright protection.
The fact that it is a tutorial and encourages you to make a web site using text and images it provides, in my opinion suggests an implied consent, therefore I do not believe I have contravened copyright laws.


The Curtin logo would fall under trademark law rather than copyright law.

Module Three. www standards.

The most important rules for Writing Online in my opinion are:

Summarise.
People don't want to read through half of War and Peace on the web page to get to
the point of the article. You can fill them in if they chose to read on.
Be concise.
Don't waffle on getting to the point eventually. People lose interest in long
dry article. Use one paragraph per idea and don't use superfluouse words
that aren't neccessary, like superfluouse.
Be Scannable.
Most people scan articles, searching for things of interest them. Use familiar word, that
you appeal to everyone, not just people who are familiar with the latest 'in words'.
Alter text style and use things like bullets to highlight your points or links.
Don't make them wait.
Most people don't like to wait for more than a few seconds so, for example,
use graphics wisely. Not to many and not too big. Keep download times to a
minimum.
Give them options.
For the purpose of printing, one long page is good. But when reading from a
screen, people tend to scan. So keeping the initial presentation snappy with links
to areas of interest, while offering the option of a printable version will keep a lot of
people happy. People in general, prefer to print out long articles and read them
off line.
Be organised.
Make life easy for the reader if you want them to stick around.

I arrived at the above conclusions after reading articles, mostly by Jakob Neilson.
With the massive increase in web traffic since the articles were written (1997), I feel his idvice is as relevant today, if not more so.