E-Learning Blog Posts

Greeting and peace upon to the citizen of the world and over the net, we meet again in another exciting blogging experience with me, Hanif Mazuki. But before going through let me reminds you folk (the reader) these posts are considered as bone dry… believe me.

Blog Post 1

The Internet

Internet was described by O’Brien and Marakas as “a rapidly growing computer network of millions of business, educational and governmental networks connecting hundred of millions of computers and their users” (O’Brien & Marakas 1975, p.524). But according to my own definition, the internet is like a spider web that interconnected with each others to form a network in which mass quantities of data or information are stored and transferred. The history of the internet began in 1960s by the US Defense Department and also known as ARPAnet in order to transfer data safely between machines and it also function as a medium in communication between military officials and scientists during the height of the cold war.

Initially, the early version of the internet was connected and being utilized in four universities in the States; UCLA in Los Angeles, University of Utah, UCBS (Santa Barbara) and Stanford Research Institute. As time and advancement progressed through time, the internet nowadays it a tool that had provided many services to its user all around the world such as E-mail, Listserv, USENET Newsgroups, Chat, Videoconferencing, FTP (File Transfer Protocol), Multimedia Streaming and my favorite, the World Wide Web.

Blog Post 2

Web browser

Web browser is software that enabled user like you and me to view or browse the web. There many varieties of web browsers to date such as Safari (for Macintosh), Netscape, Opera and the most popular of them all, Internet explorer by Microsoft. But my favorite web browser for the time being is Mozilla Firefox because mainly of the multiple “open new tab” function and download list menu.

Blog Post 3

Browsing the net

In order to browse for information in the net, majority (well… almost) of us use web directory, search engine and Usenet. Web directory is website that stores lists and lists of Internet sites; and it is a bit like the ‘A – Z’ guide or phone directory. Select a category that suited best for you information and let it do the job for you. Web directory is best to use when you apparently have little idea on what to look for or just simply lost. Major drawback of this method is you will spend much time on clicking for information and end up getting lost in the process.

Meanwhile, search engine is a website that has access to an incredibly large index of websites right across the network. Unlike web directory method, search engine does not categorize websites; instead it provides a textbox for you to enter your search directly. Search engine is best to use when you want to get result directly in your face and it is easier than web directory when mastered it. The only drawback of this method is you will be spending more time thinking about the keyword to type in the textbox.

Usenet is one of the most active parts on the net which it is consisting of Newsgroup (collection of Bulletin boards that people usually ask questions and post their opinions online) Usenet is not supervised by anyone or anything; people can use the site to discuss about sensitive issues such as political issues, health issues, government policies and so on.

Blog Post 4

Weblogs

Weblogs are websites that are often updated on a daily basis. Often the design of weblogs sometime can be very simple in nature. They are easy to write and require no or little programming skill. Some wrote their weblogs like a personal diary; while others operate as watchers of media, sport, entertainment, etc. The writer of the weblog is known as Blogger (like me). Other term for weblog is blog and using the weblogs is blogging.

Blog Post 5

Netiquette

Netiquette is etiquette or guidelines for posting messages to any online services. When surfing the Internet, as a Netizen (combination of net and citizen) and the users of the internet must follow certain standard in order to communicate with others online. Since no one owns the Internet, netiquette is basically a mixture of common sense and also courtesy. You must never (3X) forget that there is a human being at the end of the telephone line or anything when using Internet.

Netizen must obey the following rules:-

1. DO NOT CAPITALISE EVERYTHING! As if you were shouting at someone.

2. Do not criticize. (different people, different perception)

3. Pay Attention to Language Issues. (bad language are prohibited)

4. Think Before Posting. (take your time, something wrong you send today will haunt you tomorrow)

5. Avoid Humor. (not many people had a sense of humor, just use emoticons J)

6. Reply Quickly (mostly within a day)

7. Keep Personal Information Private.

8. Obey Copyright Laws.

9. Manage your password.

Blog Post 6

Internet Security

The Internet had dramatically revolutionized the global communications as it making possible for people from all around the globe to easily exchange the information in which sometime involved with lots of money. But the very same openness also creates an enormous problem. Anyone can access the network, yet not everyone has good intentions. Some engage in malicious mischief by unleashing destructive software programs as such computer viruses, Worm, Trojan, Spyware and junk mail in order to steal some of the profit. While others view hacking computer networks as sport. Then there are people with criminal goals in mind. To avoid becoming a victim of misguided pranksters or cybercrime, take the time to examine the security of your personal data and here are some my recommendations.

First line of defense in a war against destructive software program is by installing anti-virus software. Anti-virus is all in one protecting package that protected your computer and personal data from malicious software which is appearing everyday. Another step is to be careful with email attachment because these programs can hide itself in an attachment and make sure to scan it before open it, safety first.

Blog Post 7

E-Learning

The subject that I currently studying right now and it is refer to the use of processes and technologies to create, distribute, manage, and enable learning via an electronic network. The conventional method of learning is mainly on teacher-oriented as the source of information and as time progressed the method of learning is based of student-oriented or student-centered which it is more flexible in delivering the information and knowledge when using electronic network or E-Learning.

Blog Post 8

Identity in the age of the internet

Let me introduce the definition of Identity in the Age of the Internet, it is a study of how people interact with machines and some of the consequences for the way people use these computers or machine in a short and long term. Computer nowadays had evolved from humble beginning which is a one to one communication; computer and person and until it is interconnected with networks to connect all the computers worldwide mostly via Internet, LAN, WANS. The network itself or the Internet provides a virtual space or cyberspace for people to interact with each others in a life on the screen. A best example to show the interaction of people in the cyberspace is Second Life, a virtual world developed by Linden Lab with 15 millions users or also known as Residents which interact with each others via Avatar.

Blog Post 9

The Internet and Linguistic Pluralism

Is one standard language over the internet can satisfy others language users? A very interesting question as majority of the internet-related communication events nowadays are conducted in English. The usage of one standardize language such as English in the internet is seems as convenient at one level only and making the nonnative speaker of English feel left out. The process of globalization over the last 30 years has pushed English from being an international language – to becoming a truly global one, spoken and used more broadly than other languages in the world. Go figure, 85% world’s film market is in English, 65% of scientific papers is in English, and 85% of international organizations make official use of English. English is rapidly becoming the main language of online communication as it is used on more than 50% of websites.

Blog Post 10

Cyber language

Cyber language is a language of the internet, which the definition of the cyber language is not yet recorded in any dictionaries but it is being used regularly in daily basis in our life. The Netizen commonly used words derives from device and borrow words from familiar contexts to describe a new concept such as bookmark, download, mouse, crash, homepage and icon. The creation of cyber language is a never ending process and very unpredictable one as new terms will be introduced as technology evolved. Since the introduction of the cyber language, literacy itself is changing because of the impact of technology on writing and reading practices worldwide.