Week 14 - Clear

I understood the first two lectures that discussed storage because we already touched on storage in the first couple of lessons in the beginning of the semester. It was somewhat of a review to learn about raid storage and it was interesting to learn about the newest form of raid storage Raid 6. I really understood some of the storage problems as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each of the storage options. I truly understood Raid 5 after viewing the diagram. Raid 5 seems to be the perfect option because it is a combination of Raid 1 and Raid 0. Information must be spread across disks with one that can be used as the hot spare for error recovery. This is great because if there is a single drive failure, although the system will slow down somewhat, the information will be replaced by the idle hot spare. I found it interesting to learn about the computation that the parity uses to read a damaged hard drive.

I think knowledge of storage techniques is important because this will help to overcome storage problems and help business executives know what type of storage they need for their computing needs. I would be worried to use a Raid 0 because I would be fearful that all my information would be lost at the failure of one disk. I do realize however that it is extremely fast and can hold large files while things are happening simultaneously, which is helpful.

I found a website that explains all levels of Raid and was very helpful.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAID.html

Week 13 - Clear

I found this week to be particularly interesting because it was about a topic that I have always thought about...security with computers. I always wondered why and how so much information can be protected such as social security numbers and credit card information. When I read the introduction for this week I was so excited that I could relate. A question asked was "Why do people create and attack other computers with viruses?" I have always wondered this...what would possesses someone to sabotage the work of another. I am always so weary of downloading anything and opening email attachments.

I enjoyed learning about the topic of software piracy. Software piracy is the illegal copying of software. If you do not buy a particular software then you are not licensed which means you cannot make copies to sell to others, you can only use the copies for backup purposes. The website http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/ offers great tips about how to protect yourself and when exactly to know that you are a victim of software piracy. I think it is so important to look for a Certificate of Authenticity and only accept information from well-known sources.

Secure Email

I found the secure email project to be very fun! It was interesting and introduced me to a useful program called Thunderbird. I thought the directions were helpful and easy to follow and definitely opened my eyes to the importance of secure email.

I found an article from http://ezinearticles.com/?Using-Secure-Email-is-Crucial-For-Any-Business&id=3313320 that discussed the importance of secure email in the business realm. Secure email systems help to keep hackers away and help business keep their secrets, legal documents and agreements private. Secure email systems also protect information from leaking to the public, due to people that are fired or let go from a company. Also when employees or executives of a company use hot spots or Wi-Fi, secure email systems give extra security to important information. The article discussed the fact that other companies/competitors can easily locate information if they wanted to and secure email systems help to prevent any theft as easily as possible.

Below are my screenshots of my emails from Thunderbird.

Week 12 - Muddy

Networking...seems like a pretty easy concept to grasp. Well, somewhat. I am a public relations major so in my field communication is extremely important. It is always exciting to learn about different forms of communication and especially the interworking of the Internet. But I was wrong. I really took to ViOP because these type of programs keep people in touch as the world is constantly changing and becoming more technologically savvy. I enjoyed learning about Ethernets because ironically I had never heard of the official term until I cam to UF. This is because it is commonly used in business settings and hospitals and college-settings. It is a cable used for local area networks and transfers radio frequency signals between multiple computers at a rate of 10 megabits per second. There are also Ethernet cards that serve the same purpose.

I started to get confused with the TCP/IP jargon. Computers are sometimes too technical for me and this was somewhat confusing. TCP/IP is communication language between computers on the Internet. It is amazing to me how the Internet works so it is hard for me to grasp such detail-oriented concepts. TCP is the communication between applications, and occupies the communication line. The IP is communication between computers without network lines. I utilized this website to help me understand in more basic terms http://www.w3schools.com/tcpip/tcpip_intro.asp and this website http://www.yale.edu/pclt/COMM/TCPIP.HTM. I also found a tutorial helpful. This topic is important for business because it establishes how any form of interaction can take place via computers and the Internet

Voice Over IP Extra Credit

I thought this assignment was very interesting. I can say that I need to get more equipped with the various technological resources and social media sites that exist especially as a public relations and business student. I have a Twitter and Facebook and I hardly use them both. I do not have a skype but I downloaded it for the purposes of this assignment. I never had a MySpace and actually only got a Facebook once I came to college just to stay updated with activities and long-distance friends.

I downloaded and used Skype for the first time and I found it to be so cool. In my conversation with my friend Armando, I thought it was the greatest thing to be able to hear his voice and not use a phone. Once I turned the web cam on, my excitement launched to a whole new level, although I tried to act cool. Skype is great! And it is amazing to have a real conversation with someone and be able to see them at the same time. I made faces at him and did strange movements with my head, just because I thought it was neat that he could see my every move.

I think ViOP programs can be very important and useful for conducting business meetings and transactions. ViOP offers a simple way for people to communicate and present or show information at the same time. I don't know why I never used Skype but I will utilize it now.


Links to my videos can be found below.

http://www.screencast.com/users/CWhitlow01/folders/Jing/media/edb12726-79ae-4772-bdab-9f52cb1ca6e2

http://www.screencast.com/users/CWhitlow01/folders/Jing/media/92e096aa-124f-4cf6-bcea-553269bc9bcd

Avatar Extra Credit

I had fun creating my Avatar using a website inspired by the Wildlife Conservation Society and New York Zoos called Build Your Wild Self. I thought it was really fun and interactive. I got the opportunity to make myself like an animal. I liked the fact that you could also make yourself a regular human but I thought the animal aspect was a fun twist. I made myself an elephant because that animal is significant to my sorority. I also made my attire colors that are similar to that of my sorority's colors because my sorority is important in my life. I got an opportunity to put my Avatar in a specific background and I chose a Sahara-like atmosphere because I feel like that gives elephants a vast amount of space to roam. The background has sound effects with thunder and lightning and also my Avatar's trunk moves and I can hear elephant sounds. Although my Avatar had elephant feet and ears as well as a trunk, I made skin and hair color significant to my own and I made the eyes and eyebrows look as if they were peering to the side because I always have my eyes and ears open and I am very nosey! That is also why everything is big - eyes, nose (tusk) and ears!

I think creating an Avatar is an interesting project. It is pretty cool to make a 3-D you! You can customize it to be just like you or maybe an alter ego. They are commonly used in video games and they can also be used to replace a username when an individual writes a post or discussion. I enjoyed this activity!

Week 11 - Muddy

This week I found Information systems to be quite complex. It seemed easier than I thought. However, I was thoroughly confused! I think that this topic may be beneficial to grasp but it will definitely take me some time. I didn't quite get the language especially relating to programmers, analysts and. I did find the system development cycle with steps including: planning, analysis, implementation, testing and maintenance, to be quite interesting. However as I was doing my research I noticed that there can be anywhere from five to seven steps in the cycle. I feel like the more in-depth, the better because it is more thorough and helps to capture all elements of developing a project. I also understood change management and the emphasis and outlooks of two different perspectives, the manager/boss and the employee. It will affect them differently.

I really have to give it to system analysts. I could not do their job. I truly admire their ability to understand programming language, create, deploy and test systems. These skills would be useful in the business setting because so much of what is done now a days is technical and involves computers. However, I do not think these skills are very transferable. I feel that they take some time to develop. They are very unique and seem like it takes a lot of practice to acquire. I found a video to clear up some confusion.

Database Project

This project taught me so much about Microsoft Access. I had no prior knowledge about this program and its capabilities. Although the project was tedious, I was able to explore and download a program that I never would have otherwise explored. I learned how to create forms, reports, tables and run queries. This is interesting and useful in the business profession as another means to organize data. When a large amount of data is collected such as the amount of employees in a corporation or in this instance a group of members in a gym, this can be very helpful to track people, group and sort data and and see observe trends with dates such as the list of departed individuals in the past six months.

I think the functionality of the database could be enhanced with the help of tutorials. I had to watch the lectures over and over and also watch the additional lectures so more help would be greatly appreciated.

Week 10 - Muddy - Database

I was fairly confused by the topic of Databases this week. The scavenger hunt didn't help me understand the topic as much as I thought I would. I still can't really wrap my head around the concept of database management. I don't understand exactly why and when I will use Microsoft Access and how it relates to Database Management System. I understood the different forms to access each view: Form view, Layout view, and Design view but I had to keep re-watching lectures to fully understand. And I am still lost. The terminology was quite confusing to me. I found an article that cleared up some information for me.

The article relating to Database Management Systems helped to clear up some information. I understand that Microsoft Access can be used to develop software and build applications but I don't see it as being very useful for the average person such as myself. However, it can be useful for sharing, editing and updating work without having to overwrite it, if a network is used to store or house a database. This and other features such as its ability to create tables, forms, reports and manipulate data are all practical uses for the program in the business setting. It is good for linking two sets of data together that may be in different locations.

I was also confused as to what the difference is between Excel and Access. There is a difference in some terminology, for example what is called a row in Excel is called a record in Access. Also Excel is not a database management system but is spreadsheet software. Excel uses worksheets and Access uses tables that use querying to relate sets of data stored in different places together. I found an article relating to the difference between Access and Excel to clear up my confusion.

Web 2.0 and Presentation

After critiquing my classmate’s presentation I saw some areas I could have made some improvements upon as well as some areas that were strong. In some presentations I looked at, the pictures didn't really tell a story whereas in my presentation I decided to add a lot of pictures and media in order to capture the audience’s attention. I aligned the pictures in a way that I thought was more aesthetic to the public eye and added my own voice in order to gain a more personable feel with my audience. In my presentation I tried to describe the event with as much detail as I could, without boring the audience. I don't think I anticipated the questions very well. I tried to keep the information on slides concise so as not to be too wordy, but this technique may be lacking and thus cause the audience to not fully comprehend the content. I proofread my presentation many times and elaborated on my slides with audio and video. My goal was to captivate the eye of my audience and encourage them to have fun and be engaged because of the nature of the event- Homecoming.

Presentations like the ones we create in this class are very much needed in the business world. Presentations are constantly used in business to sell a product or illustrate a strategy for a product launch or restructure. They are great tools to deliver a message and elaborate on findings or ideas. Presentations present information in a logical and systematic way, if done so correctly. If ever I need to persuade someone in the field of business I would feel better prepared.

http://www.myplick.com/view/5I1qhj6Nls1/soulfest-final-last?invite=1vdv7690qUS

Below is a new link to my presentation on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPUevU5rX3Y

Week 9 - Clear - Internet and the Web

Since I've enrolled in this class I have began to see the internet in a who other realm. I didn't know anything about web servers or any other details about the intricate functioning of the world wide web. Now when I surf the internet I will think about how domain names are translated into their own IP addresses through DNS servers. The internet is a great resource for people to use and I'm glad I'm gaining a better understanding of it.

The internet is so vast and accesses you to a myriad of valuable information at your fingertips. Most of the time I use Google's search engine primarily because it is reliable and is in my comfort zone. Google is very popular and it even has its own phrase..."Google it." I use gmail and Yahoo the most for emailing for the same reasons. Times have changed with people using the internet instead of phone books.I think it's crazy that some companies and organizations don't have websites. Confusion about basic information as well as some details could be alleviated by creating a website.

Below is a Video about how some people believe Google is a Conspiracy

Week 7 - Clear

One thing that stood out to me when discussing presentations is the powerpoint slides. I hate giving presentations because I never know how much to say. Reading directly off of a slide is one of my biggest pet peeves. I feel like people should be able to read without you doing it for them. It seems so pointless to me unless people paraphrase. It is so important not to boggle the slide down with so many points. People don't want to eat all of that. This can negatively affect the signal-to-noise ratio and people will not want to listen to the presentation any longer.

Good communication skills and precision with presentations is crucial in the business profession because ideas need to be thoroughly explained but not in a manner that is redundant or unimportant. I found a YouTube video offering some good advice on making good presentations.

Excel Project

Excel is a program that definitely increases the efficiency of data calculations and the analyses of data and is very useful in the business realm. I had to opportunity to complete a project this past week that enabled me to act as if I worked for a fitness center and do various analyses to observe the effectiveness of a particular workout. I began by manipulating the data by adding and formatting columns, using the freeze panes option and using various formulas to find heart rates. I changed the page setup to ensure that the worksheet would print in landscape view with rows 1 and 2 and a header and footer on every page. Then I created two pivot tables to determine if the subjects reached their target heart rate after during the exercise regimen and the average percent increase in heart rate based on gender and the grouping of ages.

This project definitely helped to expand my knowledge about Excel. I had no idea the capabilities it has and how helpful it could be. This was actually the first time I have ever used the application and I found it to be rather clear. There were some parts that didn't click to me at first, such as how to make the formula apply to more than one cell without writing it every time. After I checked the discussion board things began to click. I value this experience because I feel this is another skill I can add to my toolkit. I found it interesting to change numbers to percentages and also pick how many decimal places to round the number. I learned how to use logical tests such as =IF(F3>E3,"YES", "NO") to compare sets of data and how to create pivot tables, something that I never knew existed. I was surprised to observe how helpful pivot tables are and how quickly they can manipulate information at the click of a button. I think Excel is a lot harder than it seems but I think even computer-illiterate people such as myself can get it with some practice.

Week 6 - Clear

Learning about multimedia is a helpful tool in the business world, especially since in global business technology such as teleconferencing, video podcasting, and website creation is becoming increasingly utilized. The lectures on the basic concepts behind images, audio, and video gives me a clearer understanding as to how I can incorporate multimedia into my projects, and allows me to differentiate between the various aspects of each category. For example, I did not know that WAV files were not compressed files, and that it would be most useful to store in that format if I needed the original version for the purpose of editing. I also did not know that there were two different kinds of graphics: raster and vector. I always wondered why some pictures were so blurry when I zoomed in, and some were very clear no matter what size I zoomed into. I thought all images were created with pixels, and that the clearer ones were created with really high tech equipment.

In practical terms, people in several industries such as music, motion picture, or even education, are heavy users of multimedia. It is crucial to understand the logistics behind images, sound, and video to give your audience the best possible experience. For example, if I am designing a movie with particular sound variations that required plenty detail, I probably would not want to use the lossless method if deciding to compress the sound file. Similarly, if I was a professor at a University, I could apply my knowledge of the PNG formatting of pictures to have a transparent background on an image so that it could blend well with my lecture slides. I always listen and download music online, but never understood where they came from, or the copyright principles behind each file. To help me further comprehend what Digital Restriction Management was and the logistics behind the analogue hole and how it is removed, I read this article.

Week 5 - Clear

Who knew Excel could be so interesting! I am so glad for this week's mini lectures. I am grateful to those students who requested this section to be a part of the course. I felt so much smarter after watching the lectures. The arrangement of rows and columns helps the data to be organized and the formatting helps with the appeal and design of the workbook. I learned how to print excel sheets because I always wondered how to fit all the information on the page. I also found the way words and percentages and currency is inputted to be interesting. I think it is so advanced that the document just does everything and reads the data automatically. The spreadsheet helps you analyze data, calculate formulas, and display summarized data in a pivot table.

I think having knowledge regarding Excel can be so useful in the business setting. It's great for accounting and even just keeping a record of transactions. I think this is some of the most practical information I can learn. Oftentimes students feel like classes are a drag because the information is not going to be used later in life but I feel more equipped with skills to use Excel when I used to just push it away and say "I don't know how to do that". I found a helpful YouTube video (click the link) for us "slow" people that describes Excel in a great way just like the lectures from class.

Week 4: Clear

This is so strange to me to say that I actually understood the material that was presented this week. I consider myself to be quite computer illiterate but I actually got most of the concepts presented. I understood application software and other types of application software including, business software and graphics and multimedia software. I understand the basic idea of application software being that it relates to various programs that help people excel in their field of work and even their personal lives by helping people become more efficient and effective with everyday tasks. There are different types of software including: educational, video and editing, word processing, and presentation software. I read an article online to learn more about application software.

I found it interesting to learn about the decision making process for analyzing software and also terms such as horizontal and vertical applications as well as software suite. I also found it interesting and practical to learn about software licensing. This is important because I know myself like many others tend to just check the box when the agreement comes up and just pretend we read it. No one wants to read all the fine print when they are trying to install or download something. This opened my eyes to the fact that this is a serious matter. I realized I have to be careful when downloading or installing because I could potentially be fined, kicked off a network or possibly engage in copyright infringement. I also learned that people have the capability to acquire source codes and potentially modify how a program works and then sell it as a different product. I didn't realize that there were different license agreements either, such as site license, per-seat and free licenses. Prior to watching lectures I had no idea what or how to interpret software version numbers. Now I understand what the first through fourth numbers mean. I feel so educated after this week. I feel like I am constantly examining my computer and trying to understand and fully grasp what I learned.

Week 3 - Clear: Ergonomics

I definitely can appreciate and understand Ergonomics. It is the importance of position and posture of the body while at work. It strives to prevent strain injuries and make people feel more comfortable while using equipment and working on the job. It's goals are health and productivity. I came across a short description of ergonomics that stated some opportunity for ergonomic risks such as: jobs requiring repetitive, forceful use of the hand as well as frequent lifting or pulling of heavy objects. I also found it interesting that vibration and cold conditions can also play a part in ergonomic risk.

I think this is an interesting topic because people often joke about Workers Compensation and getting hurt on the job wishing they could blame it on their company. But it actually isn't a joke. My mom is constantly on the phone everyday and she holds it on the top of her shoulder with her face to the receiver and she has had rotator cuff surgery on her shoulder which has been the most pain she has had to endure aside from child birth.

I find this topic to be particularly interesting because I know if I spend too long in front of the computer my eyes, back and head start to hurt...so clearly I am doing something wrong. And that is the problem according to a web site devoted to this science. I don't have the "training" to particularly notice that my body is strained and I should change my position immediately. Instead I type away and continue to do my work. That is so crazy. After looking over the site, I will work on being more conscious and take care of my body...I only have one after all and I would hate to lose it to technology.

Week 2: Muddy

Interface, CPU, platter, SSD, HHD, RAM…all these computer terms that are so muddy to me. I am definitely not the most computer savvy person and after watching this week’s lectures, I have realized that this statement still holds true. I often found myself going back and replaying lectures to get the wording correct and make sure I actually understood what I was writing down.

As I went back multiple times, from what I understand the organization of hard drive uses a platter, binary data, tracks and interface. It starts with a metal platter with magnetic material then the hard drive reads magnetic signals they are transmitted to the computer with binary data. The surface of the platter has concentric circles (tracks) of information. Information is written on the top and bottom of the platter and the track is divided into sectors that hold a certain amount of information. A knob goes over the track and the as platter spins with revolutions, data is read off of platter and transferred through the interface to CPU.

I had to first understand this in order to grasp the function of the RAM and motherboard. I read articles found at http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4572119_hard-drive-work.html and http://www.datarecoverynj.com/how.html about how hard drives work. I also watched a video to further grasp the concept.

Week 1: Clear

It is said that one cannot not communicate. This is important because verbal and nonverbal communication are both essential in everyday life. We have been taught since a young age about using our manners and being polite to others and the proper way to be respectful to someone when speaking. In the business realm shaking hands, making eye contact and dressing conservatively and professionally are all important aspects of etiquette. What can sometimes be forgotten when communicating electronically is that there is another person on the other end of the computer and all of those behaviors cannot be easily seen or noticed. However, there are specific guidelines to follow to ensure that your message gets across in the most comprehensible and polite way. Netiquette basically means having good conduct and using ones manners while communicating via the internet.

Netiquette is important in the business world because transactions need to be made and relationships need to be formed in order to get work done. An e-mail, chat room message or other form of online communication could possibly be the first form of interaction between two or more people. This is important because first impressions are crucial and can oftentimes make or break a deal or create a bad feeling in a person’s head about someone else. In the readings and web pages that were assigned last week, we learned important tips and protocol for communicating via email. For example you should ask before sending an attachments because it can slow down a person’s e-mail, refrain from using ALL CAPS because it can come across as yelling and also you should refrain from trolling which means posting a controversial message that is off-topic simply to create a flaming war.

There are many great web sites that give some helpful tips on how to conduct business over the internet such as, http://www.learnthenet.com/learn-about/netiquette/index.php that discuss the use of smiley’s called emoticons, advice for watching what you say via email because it can come back to you and also to research before asking questions. I also found the terms trolling and flaming to be interesting. They are terms that I had never heard of and behaviors that I had no idea people participated in. However, now I am aware and understand them and will look out for people who sabotage messages to illicit certain responses from others to create heated discussions that can sometimes be offensive.