Bridging the Gap: Introduction to the Internet For Those Not In the Know: September 2016

Sunday, September 18, 2016

So What is Streaming?, What's E-commerce?

Streaming Media

Streaming media are audio and video that is continuously fed to your browser instead of having to wait for the file to download to your computer. Streaming media is what allows you to listen to Pandora, watch Netflix and play online games like World of War Craft. To stream movies or music you need a web browser (of course) and a “plug-in” or player. Adobe, Flash, Quicktime, Windows Media Player are some of the more popular “plug-in” players. Probably the biggest advantage of streaming media is choice. With Netflix, you have literally tens of thousands of choices for television and movies to choose from. While Cable providers are now offering “on-demand,” you still have to sit through commercials as you watch your favorite shows. As internet connections become faster and faster, the days of paying $100 a month to watch television shows where you spend half the time watching commercials will soon become a thing of the past, like renting videos from Blockbuster.[1]

E-commerce and M-commerce

E-commerce or electric commerce is the act of conducting business online. So when you buy a flowers from 1-800Flowers.com you are conducting e-commerce. According to one statistic, there was over $800 billion dollars in e-commerce conducted in the United States alone.[1] There are several types of e-commerce; company to client, which is what I describe earlier. You, the consumer purchase something from a company. Business to Business, where businesses buy and sell from one another. Consumer to consumer where sales are conducted between individuals. For example, if you have ever sold anything on ebay or Craig’s List, you have participated in consumer to consumer e-commerce.[2] So what is “M-commerce.” M-commerce is the same thing as e-commerce except you use your mobile phone purchase or sell goods and services. The advantage of using a mobile phone is that you are not limited to specific location. For example if you’re driving home and realize that you forgot to buy your friend a birthday gift, you can now use your phone to go online, select a gift, purchase it and have it shipped out the same day (depending on the website). Or the other example are the recent commercials for Chase Bank, where the person uses their smart phone to deposit a check. As the internet connections for cell phones becomes more reliable, M-commerce will become the more preferred way people conduct e-commerce, especially as the workforce becomes more mobile.[3]

Conclusion

There are have been whole books written on the internet and what it has to offer. The point of this blog was to give people who have not ventured online a basic understanding what the internet has to offer. I hope I have provided some insight and at least a basic understanding of the terms commonly used to describe the online world. There is little to fear, and lots to gain. Welcome to the 21^st century.

[1] http://www.statista.com/statistics/239372/us-b2c-e-commerce-volume-since-2006/

[2] Evans, A. Martin, K., & Poatsy, M.A. (2015). Technology in Action. “conducting business over the internet: E-commerce,” Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Pg 86-87

[3] http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/m-commerce

[1] H. (2015). Can Cable Compete With Streaming TV in 2016? Retrieved September 17, 2016, from http//www.cnbc.com/2015/12/30/can-cable-compete-with-streaming-tv-in-2016-html

Podcast and Webcast

Podcasts and Webcasts

Podcasts is a form of online media made up of series of audio or video files that are distributed over the internet. There are podcasts for radio shows, educational programs, magazines and even comic books. What makes podcasts different from regular radio shows is that a person can subscribe to a podcast. This is done by using Really Simple Syndication or RSS. RSS is a format that sends the latest podcast to an aggregator such as iTunes or Youtube. These aggregators locate all the RSS series you have subscribe to and automatically downloads the newest podcasts to your computer or media device. Of course you don’t have subscribe to listen to a podcast, you can search on sites such as google and type in the topic you are interested along with the word podcast and thousands of options will be presented to you.[1] For years, what we listened to and who got to speak was controlled by a few corporations. These corporations would choose personalities and formats that would help their bottom line but often lacked in originality. If you have ever driven cross-country and listened to the radio, you will have notice this phenomenon. Whether you are in Newark New Jersey, or Austin, Texas, you kept hearing the same talk shows and music channels, with very little variation. And, this is just an opinion, but it feels like you keep hearing the same voices speaking to you through the radio, even if there different radio personalities Podcasts have level the playing field, as Podcasts are not restricted by the Federal Communications Commission or (FCC). And since Podcasts are not controlled by any large media conglomerate such as Clear Channel, the topics one can find being discussed on Podcasts are only limited by one’s imagination. Podcasts are often started by people with a passion for particular topic.[2] UFC commentator Joe Rogan started a podcast to bring in people to discuss subjects that he is interested in such as Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing, Kickboxing and Gracie Jujitsu. However, over the years Joe has brought in guest to discuss hunting, the environment and even people to talk about Big Foot. And this is the beauty of the Podcast, while a person may be known for one thing, the Podcast allows them to explore other topics they might be interested. As opposed to TV or Radio shows where what gets talked about is often not decided by the person hosting the show. Anyone with a computer and microphone can create a podcast. And simply googling “How to create a podcast?” will give you hundreds of options and suggestions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3LUiucjgik

Webcast is simply the live broadcast of an event where one can either listen or watch & listen to an event in real time. The difference between a webcast and a regular television viewing is that webcast often invite people to comment in real time to what is occurring on screen. A variety of organizations webcast; corporations meetings are often webcasted to allow for offices in different parts of the nation to see and hear their companies CEO or President discuss where the company is headed. Medical facilities webcast surgeries in real-time to demonstrate the latest techniques in surgery. And of course, television shows will webcast shows to allow people who don’t have cable to still see a major event or particular show in real time.

[1] Evans, A. Martin, K., & Poatsy, M.A. (2015). Technology in Action. “Podcasts,” Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Pg 83-84

[2] By subscribing to the How to Podcast Ezine you will stay current the. (n.d.) How to Podcast. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from http://www.howtopodcasttutorial.com/what-is-a-podcast.htm

Wikis & Blogs

Wikis and Blogs

Wikis? Wikis are websites with content that is collaboratively created by multiple users. The result of this collaborative effort that helps create an overall opinion instead of that of an individual writer. Because of the technology associated with Wikis, they can be continuously updated. The most popular Wiki site is Wikipedia but there are others as well such as Wikihow, MediaWiki, WikiTextbooks, Wikispaces. These sites offer the reader a variety of information from how to build a car engine, where to get free software, news & current affairs, and even textbooks.

[1]

There is a downside to wiki sites, and it is that information posted can dated, erroneous, or even fabricated. While the wiki sites update regularly, you don’t know if the item you are researching has been updated. Also, say for instance you are researching a topic, such as the fall of the Roman Empire. While the site and this particular topic may have been updated, if it was updated by a group of people without PhDs, the information may be dated or the complexities of the issue may not be explained properly. A single author with a PhD is more credible source because their educational background has validated and evaluated on multiple occasions. When conducting research, wikis are great place to start but should be relied on as your sole source of information on the topic.[2]

Blogs?

A blog is a website usually created by one person, which consist of entries called Posts. Post appear based on the most recent date, sort of like a daily journal. A person who blogs is called a Blogger, the act of writing a post is called Blogging and the Blogosphere is the online community of blogs and bloggers. Blogs can be about anything and everyone can create a blog. To create a blog you will need a specific software, which is usually free. People blog about their personal lives, politics, cooking, their pets, travel and million other topics. As of today there approximately 100 million blogs and this number will grow as more and more people get internet access.

Gary Vaynerchuk is a person who is considered by lifehack.org as to be one of the most influential bloggers working today. Gary has become a millionaire blogging about anything and everything having to do with wine[3]

Most blogs are text based but many now include video and sound. Just like wiki sites, their drawbacks to blogs. First and foremost, anyone can create one which means that the information on a blog may not be verified, exaggerated or even fabricated. Blogs are created by people who have their own opinions, beliefs and view of their world. [4] Also, there is now a problem with splogs or spam blogs. These blogs that are made to look like they were written by individuals but are actually created by companies to generate traffic to their website, usually to sell a product they are marketing.[5] Getting information from a blog is fine, but if you have doubts, seek out another source, or get another opinion.

[1] Here’s an example of a wikiHow page, and for this blog, appropriate. http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Internet-Research

[2] Evans, A. Martin, K., & Poatsy, M.A. (2015). Technology in Action. “Wikis,” Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Pg 82

[3] https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/blog/ & http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/top-10-most-inspirational-bloggers-the-world.html

[4] H. (2014). What is a Blog? Retrieved September 17, 2016, from from http://weblogs.about.com/od/startingablog/p/WhatisABlog.htm

[5] Evans, A. Martin, K., & Poatsy, M.A. pg 83

Social Media and Social Networking

Social Networking

To understand Social Networking, one needs to have a basic understanding of Social Media. Social Media are the online communication sites dedicated to interaction, content-sharing, collaboration among individuals. Below are some of the more popular sites with a brief description

So now that you have a basic understanding of social media, we can talk about Social Networking. Social networking is when one expands the number of their business and or social contacts by making connections through individuals. These connections can benefit the user both personally and professionally. While making connections has been a part of human civilization for millennia, social networking websites allow people access to potentially millions of people almost instantly. People, who would have never met one another twenty-years ago due to location, age, or even language can now potentially connect with one another.[1]

[1] http://coolsymbols123.blogspot.com/2010/12/all-text-symbols-for-facebook.html. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Facebook_icon.jpg, https://pixabay.com/en/twitter-pin-button-icon-icons-i-667462/, https://pixabay.com/en/photos/social%20network/?image_type=vector,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_logos, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LinkedIn_Logo.svg

http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/files/2011/04/reddit_logo.jpg?red=as, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pinterest_Shiny_Icon.svg

What is social media? – Definition fromWhatis.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2016, from http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/social-media)

How does it Work? What are Web browser? and What is E-mail?

How does it work?

In brief, all computers connected to the internet create a giant network. These computers communicate sort of like people do when they ask a question or reply with an answer. The computer acts in one of two ways, as a client, which ask for data or server that receives the request and returns the data to the client. For example, when you go to purchase something on Amazon.com, the computer or device you are using is the “client,” while the Amazon network is the “server.”

What are Web browsers?

A Web browser is a software application used to find, retrieve and display content from the World Wide Web. Images, Videos, Pictures, Software programs and more can be found using a web browser. Going back to the previous section, “How does it all work,” the web browser is the client that contacts the web server and requests the information you requested. Then the web server sends the requested information back to the web browser which displays the results on the computer, usually in the order of most relevant to your search.[1] For example, if you were to search for Ferraris using Google, the first site that is listed is http://www.ferrari.com/en_us/. But as you scroll down, the more irrelevant the results become.

[2]

There are number of web browser available, the most popular of which is Google. In fact, the word Google has become so popular, it is now a verb. For example, if someone were to ask “How did you learn how to sew?” A person can now reply “I googled it,” and most people will know what that means. But Google is not the only web browser, when it comes to web browsers there number to choose from, each one offers some unique features. The following is a link to a video that describes some of the more popular search engines, their differences and features.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-browser-internet-explorer-vs-chrome-vs-firefox-vs-safari-vs-edge/

Electronic mail, or e-mail for short, is the transmission of messages over communication networks. Most messages sent via e-mail are sent in text format, meaning they are mostly composed of words and numbers, however pictures and videos can be added to an e-mail. [3] While most people may think social networking sites like Facebook are the most popular way people communicate, e-mail is the main method for electronic communication worldwide because it is fast and convenient. The other benefit of email is that users don’t need to present or online when a message is sent. As with all forms of online communication, nothing is 100% private. Companies and individuals, if motivated, can find out the content of your email. So be careful when at work if you decide to say something less than flattering about your boss.[4]

[1] What is Web Browser (Browser)? Webeopedia Definition By Beal – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/browser.html

[2] https://www.google.com/#safe=off&q=ferrari

[3] Beal, B.V. (n.d.). Email. Retrieved September 13, 2016, from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/e_email.html.

[4] Evans, A. Martin, K., & Poatsy, M.A. (2015). Technology in Action. “Social Networking - Email,” Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Pg 79-80

History of the Internet

The concept of the Internet was developed during the Cold War in the 1950s. The US Department of Defense wanted to develop a computer network that wouldn’t be disrupted in the event of a war with the Soviet Union. While at the same time get computers in different locations to be able to communicate with one another using a common language. [1] Now, who invented the internet? Despite popular belief or more like popular joke, it was not former Vice President Al Gore. The internet evolved from an early US government-funded project called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). It involved the universities of UCLA, UCSB (University of California Santa Barbara) and University of Utah. [2] The first description of the internet that was actually recorded (as opposed to someone thinking out loud) was in a series of memos written by J.C.R. Licklider of MIT in August 1962. In these memos Licklider described a “Galactic Network” concept where he envisioned a globally interconnected computers which everyone could access data and programs.[3] The general population did not start using the internet till the early 1990s.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nox_noctis_silentium/6315123685

[1] Evans, A. Martin, K., & Poatsy, M.A. (2015). Technology in Action. “Using the Internet: Making the Most of the Web’s Resources,” Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Pg 76

[2] Ibid, pg 77

[3] Leiner, B. Cerf, V., Clark, David. Brief History of the Internet by 1983. http://www.internetsociety.org/internet/what-internet/history-internet/brief-history-inter

Introduction

This blog is to provide people who have little to no knowledge about the internet and what the internet has to offer. This blog will give you a basic understanding of how the internet came about, how does the internet work, what are web browsers and brief description of the following topics; Social Networking, Email, Wikis and Blogs, Podcasts and Webcasts, Streaming Media, E-commerce and m-commerce. I hope this blog will give you a basic understanding of the internet. I invite you to ask me any questions and explore on your own.