Chapter #7 Blog Post

Chapter #7

Understanding E-Business

This has to be my favorite chapter of the book. Of everything i have taken from this class I think my learning of social media, marketing, and e-business might be the most valued.

First step in understanding how your E-business model should work is knowing your consumer and business relation. Some of the most popular are shown below

Once this has been determined you can shape your model and decide where you need to go to cater to your needs and grow.  Some questions to ask yourself...
Do I want to sell susbscriptions?
Is social networking important to us?
Will we be able to obtain ad revenue?
Questions like this will help identify the type of business you have and how you will market it.

Looking forward E-Business is just going to get larger and is an opportunity many have fallen victim to already by not staying current with. Borders is about to shut don and this is an example of a brick and mortar company simply not adjusting to the changes that were needed in todays marketplace.

Chapter #6 Blog Post

Chapter #6

This is a chapter in the book I NEEDED to read terribly. Although I might understand how to use some of the great resources of the internet I should know how and what is happening to make that available to me.  This chapter had a plethora of information on networks, cables, routers, transmissions, switches, gateways and much more. Some of it is still over my head the understanding I have gained is world beyond what i knew before the chapter. I didn't even know there were different types of networks! such as LAN for say a building, MAN for many buildings sharing in an area like a school, and WAN that could connect people on a network all over the world.

Virtual meetings and web conferencing are something I am greatly interested in and plan to push at my place of employment.  This can step up company efficiency and take strain off the would be traveling employee. 

Network security is another thing I just did not have a clue about but now have a vague understanding of what is going on.  Moving forward in business with our internet reliance network security is only going to become more and more important.

Chapter #5 Blog Post

Chapter #5

Portals- Personal portals (horizontal portals) are portals set up to be able to find and provide any information you are looking for. Even to be customized by the individual to be more specific to their interests. Industry portals (Vertical portals) are a more specific search portal finding you specific information on one interest or subject. 

News Sites- Something that I should use more of! These news portals will keep you up to the minute on current events, let you customize them to your needs for things like weather and stocks, and they encourage interaction on the site. 

A few other notables are hobbyist sites, online dictionaries, information sites, finance, education, and shopping all available at your fingertips.

Blog Update!

Why hello there blog it has been too long! since my last update. Just thought I would comment a little on the new Google+ I have been using.  As someone who never used Facebook(yes that's right) I find this a really neat way for me to stay in touch with many friends. I have been communicating with some people of the past and staying in touch with those around me. I also really like sharing some cool tunes!

Chapter #4 Blog Post

We start out this Chapter with some great information as to what exactly is going on when you send and receive an e-mail.  First we learn about the four steps:

Step 1 - Sender creates a message
Step 2 - SMTP server determines route for message
Step 3 - Internet routers direct message
Step 4 - Recipient receives message 

The different types of servers was something new to me(POP, IMAP, and HTTP).  Learning about the differences such as how POP will download the messages but only to a single machine was informative and new to me.  I guess I never put two and two together about how I used to log onto work e-mail without connection to the internet to view already downloaded messages(IMAP). 

I took some time to setup my Windows E-Mail and sync it with my G-Mail account as shown below.

 

Once this was finished I went about soaking in the vast knowledge of e-mail uses and learned a few new tricks myself. One thing that I had known about but never used before was the signature file.  Later in the chapter we also explore a few more new to me ways of gathering information such as the Google Newsgroups. Overall I found that the chapter had some great e-mail information as well as some good ways to organize and access news and social networking sites.

Google Docs is Fun!

So this one has taken me some getting used to but after some time messing around in Google Docs I can really see the added value this brings to the table.  Another new to me technology has been a success and I plan to explore it more and more. Here are a few quick docs I made using Google docs.

Document

Presentation

Now onto using the spreadsheet and forms.  To show how quick and easy it is I started a spreadsheet and started a form. Here is a screenshot using Jing to show them working together

Next up I added Viki's Blog to my Google Reader so I can follow it and be notified of updates.

Lastly I updated my Symbaloo account to reflect my new found interest in Google Docs!

Overall I am very impressed and look forward to integrating Google Docs into my every day needs.

Audioboo Review

Although I do not have a use for this currently this is a great and easy to use technology for recording your voice and sharing it with others.  Especially for such things as narrating a presentation or adding it to another video.
In just a few short minutes I was up and recording. I am really impressed with how user friendly it was.

Mobile Devices In Business

When thinking about how mobile devices are shaping business it is hard to see how they are not shaping business.  I personally am just starting to get used to the future of technology and letting it into my life.  Smart phones are a game changer and now we are looking at all of the tablet type devices as well.  With the way this is headed your mobile devices are also going to be you plugged in devices and allow you to exchange and modify most any of your computer related needs anytime and anywhere.  I remember the first time on the fly I was about to present something and had to modify an excel chart on my phone just minutes before the presentation.  These are some of the qualities that this new technology will bring to the table.   A smart and forward thinking business will typically be on top of current technology.  Doing so will include analyzing and evaluating which technologies will be of use to them then coordinating the training to emplace it in the workplace.  While doing some research I have found that various organizations are implementing mobile technology at the workplace.  Here is a link to the American Institute of CPA’s saying that control and use of mobile devices is the current top IT challenge.

http://www.aicpa.org/PRESS/PRESSRELEASES/2011/Pages/2011TopTechnologySurvey.aspx

Looking at the below image from UPS on logistics we have the following highlighted and here is my take on why they are so important.

4.  This will change everything from being able to quote a job to sending back a graph of information to your boss.  Being able to modify and change the programs that once were confined to the home and office will make customer satisfaction higher and make business far more efficient.

6.  QR codes and importantly being able to print and leave information no matter where you are. Being able to just drop information at the click of a device you have on you almost all the time is incredible. No more “we will send you over the information” you can just make things happen.

10.  I point out this one because it shows the way of the future. Being able to have smaller devices that can function in many of the ways of your main computer such as presentations.  

I am Linked!

Well another day and another new adventure exploring the vast opportunities of social networking and the internet.  Today I started my linkedin account and easily uploaded my resume.  After a few minutes I had made connections and joined groups and am well on my way to utilizing this new tool.

 

Chapter #3 Blog Post

Searching the Web

One of the greatest assets the web has to offer all of us is the ability to search for information with ease.  Knowing how to develop a search query, examine the results, and determine credibility of the source will help you gather information for many things such as work, school, and leisure. While searching we encounter many types of compiled information such as a directory which is a list of human compiled sites on usually a related topic, search engine which uses software that searches the web according to the query, and metasearches that often compile the results from multiple search engines. Throughout the chapter we are taken on a journey of tutorials yet again on how to utilize many search features built into internet explorer with some of them being really neat and new to me such as the research feature. 

 Utilizing the many ways to search the web and including the great qualities that are afforded to use though options like specialized searches for things like shopping have greatly increased the effectiveness of web searching.  Learning how to compile and use the information you seek can help you in many new life adventures and goals.

Go Animate

Getting started on GoAnimate was a breeze and quite fun.  After playing around in a few templates you see quickly that they would like you to upgrade to have access to many premium templates and characters.  This was too much fun being able to make your own short animated film.  Mine is of two pirates stranded on an island and you can watch below.
GoAnimate.com: Angry Pirate by ablake211

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Chapter #2 Blog Post

Basic Web Browsing Tips and Tricks

Chapter #2 is a basic tutorial guide on how to use some key features in navigating the web using internet explorer.  Much of this information is know by many users and although I use the web daily there was still much to be learned here.  One thing I neglect that this chapter addresses is the use of favorites and favorite folders.  I often will leave many tabs open at a time when I know I need information from a site in the near future.  When using favorites I can save the site so that I always have it leaving me with a much less cluttered browser and no risk of losing the site if I accidentally closed it. As well as this subscribing to an RSS feed and web slices are two other features I had never utilized before.

 This chapter had not only a great tutorial of web browser uses it was jam packed with information such as how IP addresses  work, TLD abbreviations for many types of domains, and the components of a URL.  Later in the chapter after your quick web browsing lessons you learn about web security and how to ward off online predators by utilizing such things as smart screen filter and other common safety tactics. 

Net Neutrality

I might have been living under a rock but this is the first I have heard about net neutrality but I must say the concepts and possibilities are quite frightening.   In my opinion the news and everyday opinions we are exposed to are censored and molded enough by powerful people and organizations with certain agendas and influence.  In no way shape or form would I want my internet experiences shaped or molded by the possibilities that would be presented if net neutrality regulation is not given to the government. While giving the government power can be a slippery slope as well in this case I find it necessary to keep the freedoms of the people available.  It seems like the “best” argument to anti neutrality is it being anti-consumer and hurting potential investment. I do not like this argument because in the carrier and technology business there is an abundance of competition and money being made. Where you have competition and profits there will be innovation, research, and investment.  I have displayed my opinion on this subject but below is some reading and viewing material presenting both sides of the argument for you to form your own conclusions as well.

 Anti-Neutrality

Pro-Neutrality 

Twitter

Well I had never been on twitter before today and now that I am I can see what I have been missing.  I quickly located some bands I like and tweeted links to two cars I am building. The RX7 being mine and the Impala being for a customer.

My PLN

My Personal Learning Network

After watching that great youtube video about Personal Learning Networks I can really see the value of this style of organization and utilizing resources. I look forward to molding my PLN to be a quite efficient means of learning. Throughout what we have done in this class already I have begun to structure my PLN using the following:

·         Gmail/reader/docs/calendar

·         Jing for efficient screen cap sharing

·         Symbaloo for tracking sites I use and what others use