WEEK TEN

09.05.08



INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Lecture

Today's lecture was all about Information Management. We firstly read an article given out by Helen called Warning of 'Internet Overload'.
After reading the article we were then asked the following questions in the below screen capture:





The 3 main points from the article were:

• That the Internet is going to collapse under the weight of the traffic. This means there is too much information on the Internet and not enough space for it all.


• The router can cause this collapse, it cannot carry the capacity of all the users on the Internet.


• Finally, the last thing that can cause this collapse is natural disasters that will cause a digital meltdown.

Question 2: The Internet does not have limits. It it becomes congested and people stop using it, but there is enough money in the Internet to keep it open and flowing.

Question 3 : Internet overload is were there is too much information and everything is not clear. This happens for example when a person receives a lot of unnecessary emails that can clog up their inbox and therefore cause and overload of information.

Question 4: Some technical sources of information include:

• Mobile phones
• Internet
• Radio
• Television

Question 5: Some strategies when managing information can include:

• Inserting information into different folders on your computer
• Different contact names on you mobile
• Having separate folders in your email / student web mail.

Lastly in the lecture we watched a short video all about the Internet, knowing whether the information on the web is true, ie. Wikapedia.
Some people believe that the Internet net is full of oppinuative rubbish that the audience can now produce. Therefore companies can make money from the people adding information.

In the lecture slides continued on with the topic of Information Management.
I learnt that information has gone from being atom-based which includes:

• Books
• Papers
• Reports

Now all the information is Bit-based.
The pros of this are:

• It is flexible- easy to move between formats
• Its cheap- resource implications are much less
• Easy to edit
• Easy to mass produce and broadcast

The Cons of bit based information are:

• Not much Privacy - Easy to copy
• Authenticity - Easy to fake and edit
• Unsolicited broadcast- SPAM
  

This is a screen capture some examples of files that you can save information into.







Tutorial

Today's tutorial class sort of continues on with Information Management, mainly focusing on managing the information you are using, by using favourites on the Internet.

Task 1.
In task one we were asked to go to the web site http://www.inette.com/aibtinette/favoritesI.html
and do the tutorial work from the site. This included all information on how to add web sites into your personal favourites collum.

This is a screen shot of the Favourites site we went to and later used for task 2.

Task 2.
In task 2 we were to use the information in the above web page to make 3 folders in our favourites and then add 2 different web sites to each. The instructions were very easy to follow.
The folders i made have the following web sites saved:

Folder #1:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/overview/
http://www.ecu.edu.au/

Folder #2:
http://www.blink182.com/
http://www.youtube.com/

Folder #3:

http://www.google.com.au/
http://www.facebook.com/

Task 3.
For task three we went to ta the web site:
http://archives.obs-us.com/obs/english/books/nn/bdcont.htm
This online archive was written by a man called Nicholas Negroponte. I focused on the DNA of Information section which included information on bits and atoms.

This is a screen capture of the DNA Information section of the online archive.

After reading this I have to agree with was Negroponte is saying. Even though this was written 13 years ago the idea of an object become a bit is not going to happen anytime soon. I believe

that atom based information is the most reliable and still the most easiest way to send, read, receive and rely on hard copies of information.

The Cons of bit based information is that is is not a hard material. This can be untrustworthy. For example, if you wish to send an important email containing a document, the computer you are sending it from has to use other connections (computers/networks) to send it to the recipient. This can cause problems, as you may send it to a few people, the other computer may not receive it, even though you did send it.

Although I believe hard copies are the most reliable and easiest way to send information, Bit based information can come in handing. Using the above example it is easy to send important information quickly and on time if you cannot make it there in person.

Overall I believe eventually in many years to come, there will be no atom based information left and everything will be sent, received, through computers and on the Internet.

Reading.

This weeks reading is all about how the Internet and technology can advance the classrooms for the better of students. The example given that students can access everything of the Internet with a click of a button may well become very true.

It also gives examples of "wires-schools" and how these can benefit students in the future.