Everybody is talking about it... Privacy and Security are very important topics concerning the internet. First of all, lets check out the issue of privacy on the internet. Is there any privacy at all? Well of course there is, if you stay out of the social networks and don't share anything.
But with Facebook, Twitter and Google+ around, there are only few who can really stay out of all this. So we all need to find ways to protect our privacies, that is, if we want to do so.
There are people who don't care about privacy and share whole their lives on the internet with just everybody.
I for example am signed up in Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook I had to update all the privacy settings after the Timeline was introduced. Before I wasn't worried that much, but the Timeline didn't sound so well... I checked my new settings and found out that I had to change lots of things and uncheck certain permissions, otherwise Facebook would have the right to share my information with everyone. So everybody has to decide for themselves whether they want to share so many information or not.
As I mentioned there are people who want to share information deliberately. There are ways to share them professionally. This is called Personal Marketing. On websites like Xing or LinkedIn people can create a professional profile and look for jobs.
Security is another highly discussed topic when talking about the internet and its usage today.
There is no way to be online and be totally safe, that is just not possible as the hackers can find a way through any kind of security measurement they want to when they try hard enough.
But there are a few things everyone can do to protect themselves, like choosing complicated passwords or making use of security software when working on a computer with Windows on it or switching to a Mac as there are almost no viruses or trojans that can infect a Mac ;-)
I for myself am using Apple devices and until now never had a problem with viruses or trojans, I am using passwords that are really really hard to guess and hope that will keep me away from security problems.
Dienstag, 5. Juni 2012
22.5.12 - Assignments
Cyber War
Wikipedia defines Cyber War as following: "...refers to politically motivated hacking to conduct sabotage and espionage."
Well that gives a good idea of what its all about. Lets see where cyber war is carried out.
I found an article that is quite interesting, it is about the spying software "Flame" that is infiltrating Computers in for example Iran or Israel or other countries of the Middle East.
http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/webwelt/article106386129/Computervirus-Flame-verseucht-den-Nahen-Osten.html
Wikipedia defines Cyber War as following: "...refers to politically motivated hacking to conduct sabotage and espionage."
Well that gives a good idea of what its all about. Lets see where cyber war is carried out.
I found an article that is quite interesting, it is about the spying software "Flame" that is infiltrating Computers in for example Iran or Israel or other countries of the Middle East.
http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/webwelt/article106386129/Computervirus-Flame-verseucht-den-Nahen-Osten.html
22.5.12 - Government
What am I doing right now? Right, I am blogging about our Social Web class. I could also be blogging about all kinds of things. Blogging can also be a way of journalism, but people still have trouble recognizing bloggers as journalists. Well at least that is right for the countries of the "Free West".
But what about the other countries where the right of free speech isn't established?
Lets find out.
I had a look at this website: http://cpj.org/reports/2009/04/10-worst-countries-to-be-a-blogger.php
There is a list where 10 of the worst countries to be a blogger are shown. As you can imagine these countries censor the media and do not allow their journalists to speak freely.
There are countries like Egypt where more than 100 bloggers were arrested in 2008, China where nearly 300 million people are using the internet - thats more than in any other country in the world - but the government is highly censoring the content or Vietnam where the government introduced a new agency in 2008 only to control whats going on online.
But what about the other countries where the right of free speech isn't established?
Lets find out.
I had a look at this website: http://cpj.org/reports/2009/04/10-worst-countries-to-be-a-blogger.php
There is a list where 10 of the worst countries to be a blogger are shown. As you can imagine these countries censor the media and do not allow their journalists to speak freely.
There are countries like Egypt where more than 100 bloggers were arrested in 2008, China where nearly 300 million people are using the internet - thats more than in any other country in the world - but the government is highly censoring the content or Vietnam where the government introduced a new agency in 2008 only to control whats going on online.
15.5.12 - Assignment
1. Kickstarter
There is some really crazy stuff on there :-) But there are also pretty cool projects with products I would buy.
I chose 3 projects I really thought they were interesting.
First one is the "Ringbow" - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/669350010/ringbow-next-generation-gaming-accessory?ref=category
It is a ring that can be used in many different ways. For clicking further in a presentation, for gaming, for surfing, for changing music on your phone... For me the functions I liked the most, are presentation and changing music, in my opinion the rest is not really useful... but thats only my opinion :-)
I will definitely follow this project and see if it gets funded, at the moment it looks like it will.
Second one is the iPen - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ipen/ipen-the-first-active-stylus-for-ipad?ref=category
Well... At first I wanted to write a devastating criticism on that pen because it is against the idea of multitouch and the way an iPad or iPhone should be used. There are so many projects on Kickstarter based on any kinds of pens for smartphones or tablets.
The most funny ones are the ones for Apple products. Why? Well watch this little part of the Keynote of 2007 where the first iPhone was introduced by Steve Jobs:
As he said: "Who wants a stylus??!!" Thats the reason why people should stop designing pens for Apple products or trying to sell them... Well at least most of these people, because this iPen really isn't that bad I guess. It looks like it could be very useful for artists designing on the iPad as it is really precise.
And the last project I wanted to talk about is Juicies - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/laudowicz/juicies-colorful-cables-for-ipod-iphone-and-ipad?ref=category
It's nothing really special, these are cables for a few Apple devices, so what? They have different colors! Wow amazing :-) It really isn't anything great but the reason why I picked this project is something else. Without knowing about the project on Kickstarter I had already bought one of these cables. It was a offer on eBay and I think I payed 1€ for it. But I think it is not coming from the same person that tried funding them on Kickstarter as my cable was delivered from Hong Kong.
I checked the updates and read the comments and apparently I am right, the project on Kickstarter is finished and was successfully financed but the cables aren't ready to be sold at the moment as the guy who had the idea is working on different methods coloring the cables and hasn't found the perfect method yet.
So I guess this is the bad side of Kickstarter, before you get the chance to finance and sell your product someone else can steal it from you and act faster.
2. Flattr
I have to admit I am very skeptical when it comes to investing money in this kind of thing. I don't really trust these systems.
So I am not interested in adding the Flattr button on my blog and don't want to register wit Flattr and spend money.
4. Dell Hell
Google lists some 41.300.000 results.
Dell Hell is one of the Social Media Crisis, it happened in 2004 and was a big mistake by Dell. Jeff Jarvis is a journalist, a professor and blogger and posted his dismay about the customer service of Dell in his blog.
The biggest mistake Dell made was to ignore him. Readers of Jarvis' blog didn't, they are angry at Dell as well and want justice. Soon the story reaches media and the share prices of Dell as well as their selling numbers start to decrease.
At least afterwards Dell learned not to ignore the needs of their customers and started the "IdeaStorm" so they can find out what their buyers are thinking and what they want so they can improve their products.
There is some really crazy stuff on there :-) But there are also pretty cool projects with products I would buy.
I chose 3 projects I really thought they were interesting.
First one is the "Ringbow" - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/669350010/ringbow-next-generation-gaming-accessory?ref=category
It is a ring that can be used in many different ways. For clicking further in a presentation, for gaming, for surfing, for changing music on your phone... For me the functions I liked the most, are presentation and changing music, in my opinion the rest is not really useful... but thats only my opinion :-)
I will definitely follow this project and see if it gets funded, at the moment it looks like it will.
Second one is the iPen - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ipen/ipen-the-first-active-stylus-for-ipad?ref=category
Well... At first I wanted to write a devastating criticism on that pen because it is against the idea of multitouch and the way an iPad or iPhone should be used. There are so many projects on Kickstarter based on any kinds of pens for smartphones or tablets.
The most funny ones are the ones for Apple products. Why? Well watch this little part of the Keynote of 2007 where the first iPhone was introduced by Steve Jobs:
And the last project I wanted to talk about is Juicies - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/laudowicz/juicies-colorful-cables-for-ipod-iphone-and-ipad?ref=category
It's nothing really special, these are cables for a few Apple devices, so what? They have different colors! Wow amazing :-) It really isn't anything great but the reason why I picked this project is something else. Without knowing about the project on Kickstarter I had already bought one of these cables. It was a offer on eBay and I think I payed 1€ for it. But I think it is not coming from the same person that tried funding them on Kickstarter as my cable was delivered from Hong Kong.
I checked the updates and read the comments and apparently I am right, the project on Kickstarter is finished and was successfully financed but the cables aren't ready to be sold at the moment as the guy who had the idea is working on different methods coloring the cables and hasn't found the perfect method yet.
So I guess this is the bad side of Kickstarter, before you get the chance to finance and sell your product someone else can steal it from you and act faster.
2. Flattr
I have to admit I am very skeptical when it comes to investing money in this kind of thing. I don't really trust these systems.
So I am not interested in adding the Flattr button on my blog and don't want to register wit Flattr and spend money.
4. Dell Hell
Google lists some 41.300.000 results.
Dell Hell is one of the Social Media Crisis, it happened in 2004 and was a big mistake by Dell. Jeff Jarvis is a journalist, a professor and blogger and posted his dismay about the customer service of Dell in his blog.
The biggest mistake Dell made was to ignore him. Readers of Jarvis' blog didn't, they are angry at Dell as well and want justice. Soon the story reaches media and the share prices of Dell as well as their selling numbers start to decrease.
At least afterwards Dell learned not to ignore the needs of their customers and started the "IdeaStorm" so they can find out what their buyers are thinking and what they want so they can improve their products.
15.5.12 - Corporations and Marketing
The class about Corporations unfortunately wasn't about how to make a lot of money ;-)
Amazon, eBay, Kickstarter, SwapTree and Flattr are the topics that are introduced here.
Everyone knows Amazon right? Amazon is a platform to buy all kinds of stuff with a section of customer reviews. These reviews help to make the decision for a certain product easier. If you want to find out what the product you are interested in really is like, you have to read especially the bad reviews. What disturbed the customer? Why do they criticize the product? Was it only because it took too long to be delivered or was there a technical problem and the product wasn't working as it should?
These are questions need to be answered when buying a product, so Amazon is being pretty helpful with these reviews.
eBay also relies on the evaluations made by the users, you are interacting with people all over the world or just in your own country and have to find a way to trust the other person your money and be sure you will get the product you bought for it.
So, evaluations made by customers is on the one hand a very good way to find out whom to trust, but still you have to be careful and not just check one or two evaluations but a few more to find out if these are really true.
Kickstarter, I have to say I hadn't heard of that before. Kickstarter is a new way to raise money for projects. For example, if you have a great idea you want to bring to life but don't have enough money on your own, you can place your idea in Kickstarter with videos and descriptions etc. and ask for a
self-chosen sum of money. If people like your idea they can invest money in your project.
SwapTree is kind of a modern bric-a-brac market on the internet. People who want to get rid of their own stuff place it on the online market and create a whishlist with things they want to have.
So people sell their own junk and at the same time buy the stuff others don't want anymore.
Amazon, eBay, Kickstarter, SwapTree and Flattr are the topics that are introduced here.
Everyone knows Amazon right? Amazon is a platform to buy all kinds of stuff with a section of customer reviews. These reviews help to make the decision for a certain product easier. If you want to find out what the product you are interested in really is like, you have to read especially the bad reviews. What disturbed the customer? Why do they criticize the product? Was it only because it took too long to be delivered or was there a technical problem and the product wasn't working as it should?
These are questions need to be answered when buying a product, so Amazon is being pretty helpful with these reviews.
eBay also relies on the evaluations made by the users, you are interacting with people all over the world or just in your own country and have to find a way to trust the other person your money and be sure you will get the product you bought for it.
So, evaluations made by customers is on the one hand a very good way to find out whom to trust, but still you have to be careful and not just check one or two evaluations but a few more to find out if these are really true.
Kickstarter, I have to say I hadn't heard of that before. Kickstarter is a new way to raise money for projects. For example, if you have a great idea you want to bring to life but don't have enough money on your own, you can place your idea in Kickstarter with videos and descriptions etc. and ask for a
self-chosen sum of money. If people like your idea they can invest money in your project.
SwapTree is kind of a modern bric-a-brac market on the internet. People who want to get rid of their own stuff place it on the online market and create a whishlist with things they want to have.
So people sell their own junk and at the same time buy the stuff others don't want anymore.
8.5.12 - Assignments
1. Evaluation: MeinProf.de (RateMyProfessor)
Done.
2. Evaluation: GoogleDocs
Done.
4. Stanford's "Introduction to Computer Science"
"How many people can recognize a computer that is on?" - Hilarious :-D and its getting even better
"More seriously, how many people have actually used a computer for anything?" :-D
It is really fun listening to Mehran Sahimi.
5. Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern
Courses that might be interesting:
Internetkompetenz - Webdesign für Anfänger
Einführung in CAD mit solid edge
Computergrafik
Rechnersehen mit Anwendungen in der Augmented Reality sowie beim bildbasierten Rendering Teil 1
Done.
2. Evaluation: GoogleDocs
Done.
4. Stanford's "Introduction to Computer Science"
"How many people can recognize a computer that is on?" - Hilarious :-D and its getting even better
"More seriously, how many people have actually used a computer for anything?" :-D
It is really fun listening to Mehran Sahimi.
5. Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern
Courses that might be interesting:
Internetkompetenz - Webdesign für Anfänger
Einführung in CAD mit solid edge
Computergrafik
Rechnersehen mit Anwendungen in der Augmented Reality sowie beim bildbasierten Rendering Teil 1
8.5.12 - Teaching
Wow, finally I have time to blog again ;-)
Todays topic is Teaching and Learning. First of all I am watching the video of Salman Khan now, so hang on a bit... or check out the video for yourself :-)
http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html
... I have to say I am impressed. I absolutely agree with Khans ideas about teaching. Students being able to work on the subjects on their own pace by watching videos and doing challenges online is a great way of improving the way students are learning things. I wish this kind of teaching had existed in my school when I was a kid. I guess I wouldn't have so many leaks in my math knowledge then ;-)
Being able to ask your teacher questions about the topics you have problems with in class is a great improvement, as in normal ways of learning the teachers only have limited time to offer real help to students.
So I really agree with Salman Khan and would love to turn back time and start school again with these new teaching methods :-)
I think all these tools like Podcasts, YouTube videos, Moodle, and any other platforms are helpful to make teaching and learning more interesting. Learning new things isn't always easy stuff, especially if a student is for example only interested in one part of the whole topic but has to know all parts to pass his exam. With those tools the student might be able to learn the things better because most of the students nowadays are interested in social media and all the tools and platforms around it.
Of course, in the end everybody has to decide on their own, how they want to learn their stuff.
I for myself like to use YouTube videos to understand better the topics that were discussed in class, especially when it is a course I am not so good at ;-)
Todays topic is Teaching and Learning. First of all I am watching the video of Salman Khan now, so hang on a bit... or check out the video for yourself :-)
http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html
... I have to say I am impressed. I absolutely agree with Khans ideas about teaching. Students being able to work on the subjects on their own pace by watching videos and doing challenges online is a great way of improving the way students are learning things. I wish this kind of teaching had existed in my school when I was a kid. I guess I wouldn't have so many leaks in my math knowledge then ;-)
Being able to ask your teacher questions about the topics you have problems with in class is a great improvement, as in normal ways of learning the teachers only have limited time to offer real help to students.
So I really agree with Salman Khan and would love to turn back time and start school again with these new teaching methods :-)
I think all these tools like Podcasts, YouTube videos, Moodle, and any other platforms are helpful to make teaching and learning more interesting. Learning new things isn't always easy stuff, especially if a student is for example only interested in one part of the whole topic but has to know all parts to pass his exam. With those tools the student might be able to learn the things better because most of the students nowadays are interested in social media and all the tools and platforms around it.
Of course, in the end everybody has to decide on their own, how they want to learn their stuff.
I for myself like to use YouTube videos to understand better the topics that were discussed in class, especially when it is a course I am not so good at ;-)
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