TOPIC 10: COMPLEXITY AND SOCIAL NETWORKS

Exercise 10.1 Social networks case study
What is Following?
Do you have a favorite blog and want to let the author and readers know that you are a fan? Well now you can do that and more with the Blogger Following feature! You can even keep track of the blogs you follow via your Reading List on the Blogger dashboard.

How do I become a Follower of a blog?
There are several ways to become a follower of a blog. One of the easiest ways is to visit a blog that has added the Following widget and click on the "Follow" button under the "Followers" widget:

By following a blog you show the author you are interested in their subject and will therefore encourage further dialogue from them:)

Illustration from my observations of who is following whom on the Blogger website

reference:

http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en-uk&answer=104226

Etherpad Log

Since earlier posting I and my three other member of the Green Pod have met regularly particularly with the Assignment 2 task in mind. We still use the etherpad log as it allows us to keep a record of our meetings. We found that the Ning site was not capable of keeping a journal of our discussions so we no longer meet there.

I'm including a screen dump to document our discussions and teamwork during this course.

It is Sunday and we are still working on our assignment. The three other members are excellent participants and keep all to task.

TOPIC 9 BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND RESEARCH PERCEPTIONS

Exercise 9.2 Research and evaluation in Government 2.0

The term Government 2.0 is used "to describe the new opportunities presented by online technologies and social methodologies to achieve a more open government", Lundy & Waugh.

Wiki: Senator Kate Lundy


Senator Lundy states, (pg.11, 2009 briefing paper) that the benefits to the people from the government using a wiki to post papers for public discussion will be that, "Individuals and service users must have a say in shaping their own futures and the benefits and services that are offered to them. Detailed feedback from users and community members and genuine and inclusive consultation are important sources of information to improve policy settings and service delivery."
Twitter:
This web 2.0 tool has emerged as a significant channel for breaking news, announcement and discussions on political, social, environmental and commercial topics. The tweetMP site at


http://tweetmp.org.au/ allows for a "transparent" government. The tweetMP site further suggest that by engaging with the Web 2.0 tools the government is providing "real-time interaction, allowing a unique chance for politicians to connect with their constituency....... let the Government know your ideas and hold them accountable."



Yes! It would appear that by adopting the latest technology the Australian Government if making itself more visible and accessible to all, particularly those young adults who are techno savvy.

references:

Laundy & Waugh http://cpd.org.au/article/case-study-public-sphere

Senator Lundy 2009 briefing paper http://www.katelundy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Public-Sphere-2-Government-2.pdf

TOPIC 9 BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND RESEARCH PERCEPTIONS

Exercise 9.1: Is social networking a business model?



"Social networks operate under an autonomous business model, in which a social network's members serve dual roles as both the suppliers and the consumers of content. This is in contrast to a traditional business model, where the suppliers and consumers are distinct agents" (Wikipedia).

The advantages of having social networks as a business model are:

1. They connect people for a low cost, which helps those business just starting out.


2. Companies can use social networking for banners and other text based advertisements.


3. Allows for ease of contacts around the globe. One example is LinkedIn.com which has over 40 million users in over 200 countries.

The disadvantages of having social networks as a business model are:

1. Cultural differences
2. Technological infrastructure or the other party may not allow them access to your site.
3. Potential buyers may feel overwhelmed.
4. Small business owners may find it time consuming to keep up with social networking.
   

"Barack Obama's presidential victory demonstrated that platforms like YouTube and Twitter could transform electoral politics" (Forbes 09). Yet it would appear that many business executives feel that social networking is "a time-wasting distraction or a risk management problem. Much of their fear has focused on potential risks like security breaches and data privacy": (Forbes 09).

"Nonetheless, big brands, generally speaking, haven't successfully tapped the potential of social media; they tend to regard Web 2.0 platforms as just another way to push out short-term marketing campaigns. They fail to grasp that the new media require new ways of doing business. Old ways need to be tossed out" (Forbes 09). Lets face it! "Web tools like blogs can help corporate leaders enhance their credibility by communicating directly and having authentic conversations with key stakeholders" (Forbes 09).

reference:

Forbes 09 http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/11/social-networking-executives-leadership-managing-facebook.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service
http://www.gaebler.com/News/Small-Business-Technology/SMBs-may-see-some-disadvantages-to-social-networking-19173166.htm

TOPIC 8 APPLICATIONS,TOOLS AND SERVICES

EXERCISE 8.4: AGGREGATION, SYNDICATION AND THE SOCIAL ENGINE

a) RSS, or really simple syndication is the format for delivering regularly changing web content as required by news sites and weblogs. Still confused! Try YouTube-video:RSS in Plain English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU. RSS is an XML file that summaries and links information and is typically linked to the word "subscribe" says Murudesan. The orange rectangle or the letters RSS in an orange box identifies the feed.

Aggregation and syndication are used to serve your web pages content. Syndication is according to Wikipedia refers to making web feeds available from a site in order to provide other people with a summary of the website's recently added content. Where aggregation is having new content being retrieved at user determined intervals to create a unique information space or "personal newspaper" states Wikipedia.

To subscribe to an RSS feed you need to have a news aggregator (sometimes called a 'newsreader'), a software tool that collects and displays the feeds you choose to subscribe to. Wikipedia suggests one of the following tools;
1) With a recent browser
2) With an account on an aggregator website.
3) With dedicated Podcatching software

b) del.icio.us http://delicious.com/is a social page which uses a tagging system. Users bookmark interesting pages and assign tags to them. You can share your tags with others, "it is a great way to capture contextual knowledge" states Murugesan.



The advantage to work groups was proven to me when I was marking a group of Maths 3 student assignments. This assignment required the students to bookmark and tag suitable websites to facilitate the teaching of Mathematics to primary students. Each student gave me their del.icio.us user name and password so I could access their selected Websites. Marking this assignment was easy as I could access their assignments from any computer and at any time without carrying around bulky assignments and could easily see for myself the websites value. if a student used an hierarchical tagging system the task was very easy to follow. Some of course called all their tags the course number making the tags irrelevant.



Where as a tag used by a web publisher is called a meta tag. These tags are used used to help search engines find a specific site and to create redirects.


c) Go2Web2.0, how easy is that! All one page and with one single click you can gain access to what you want. But before you go directly to the site you are given on overview to assist with whether this site has what you are after.


Go2Web2.0 informs users of new and updated applications on the web. It has over 3,000 services listed and it adds to this daily, with outdated services being removed.


I went to the E-learning Web 2.0 Tools this stops so much time being wasted. Fantastic in this busy time. You could direct your work group to this site where at a single click they can all be on the correct site without having to type in a web address, which often gets misspelled and without the need to Google. 5 stars from me :)





d) The Elgg social engine provides the following for its subscribers: 'advanced user management and administration, social networking, cross-site tagging, powerful access control lists, internationalisation support, multiple view support (e.g. cell phones, iPhone), an advanced templating engine, a widget framework" (The Elgg Community). How does it work on the website it is installed on? "Elgg has special mechanisms to entice visitors into registering. By giving visitors a sneak-peak of the content on the network, Elgg ensures that only interested people join......When visitors land up on your main page, they are greeted by Elgg's customized
welcome message."(Sharma pg.18)



Yes! it would be fantastic as it offers a simple social bookmarking tool and can cater for small or large membership. It is easy to join as the Elgg sends out email and handles all aspects of registration.



reference:

Murugesan San 2007 "Second Generation Web Technologies Understanding Web 2.0" published by IEEE Computer Society.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_syndication
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggregator
http://wiki.arts.usyd.edu.au/elearning/index.php?title=Rss_feed&redirect=no


http://www.ask.com/bar?q=web+publishing+tag+&page=1&qsrc=2417&ab=2&title=Web+Publishing+Reference+-+Using+Meta+Tags+%7C+IS%26amp%3BT&u=http%3A%2F%2Fist.mit.edu%2Fservices%2Fweb%2Freference%2Fcreate%2Fmetatags&sg=aqIXU8bTUAPF2rBhvMZhRJHRbQ03mv9057PYdEhQmXc%3D&tsp=1256347140730


http://www.go2web20.net/about/

http://community.elgg.org/pg/pages/view/17/

Sharma http://www.packtpub.com/files/Elgg-Social-Networking-Sample-Chapter-Chapter-3-Users-Profiles-and-Connections.pdf

The semantic web

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The semantic web

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TOPIC 8 APPLICATIONS,TOOLS AND SERVICES

EXERCISE 8.3: DATA PORTABILITY, FOAF AND THE SEMANTIC WEB



The Semantic Web is an enhancement that gives the Web greater utility. The Friend of a Friend (FOAF) project, is a social-networking system where users post information and imagery in any format they like and still connect it all, which other social networks like MySpace and Facebook cannot do because of incompatible data language. The Semantic Wed uses a data language, "called Resource Description Framework (RDF), which names each item, and the relations among the items, in a way that allows computers and software to automatically interchange the information." (L.Feigenbaum et.al.)

Some "observers worry that people's privacy could become compromised as more data about them from different sources is interlinked. Advocates argue that the protections are the same as those used in the non linked world. If two databases joined by the Semantic Web have different privacy criteria, then the software will have to honor both sets of rules or create a set that covers both".(L.Feigenbaum et.al.)

FOAF is written in OWL or Web Ontology Language which allows users to choose the "sites and tools they like without being cut off from their friends". This is great as it allows users of mac and windows to get together.



reference:

The Semantic Web in Action December 2007 Lee Feigenbaum, Ivan Herman, Tonya Hongsermeier, Eric Neumann and Susie Stephens
http://thefigtrees.net/lee/sw/sciam/semantic-web-in-action#page1
The Friend of a Friend project http://www.foaf-project.org/

image from http://www.relativitycorp.com/socialnetworkmarketing/article3.html

TOPIC 8 APPLICATIONS, TOOLS AND SERVICES

EXERCISE 8.2 THE AVALANCHE OF APPLICATIONS SELF-INTERVIEW

image accessed fromhttp://www.link3it.com/blog/?p=59

Q1. Am I getting inundated with new tools and services? Yes, in this course alone I have encountered so many previously unknown tools. Some of which like Skype I have not even ventured into. Tried to get onto the Tolbox site today 21st during my lunch break at school, guess what! Blocked by the DET.

From Ken's list I'm saying to myself what is Webex, Elluminate and Google Wave!!!! I'm Out of my depth here. I know what Itunes are but I don't use them. Why am I reluctant to try and have a go. My personality requires me to see others using it and to try it out in a safe environment. I don't like trying anything on my computer from the Internet that may cause a virus to enter it. I know that sounds DUMB!! but it's the truth. I will say that I have enjoyed the wiki, NING and Ether pad experience I have had as part of the Green Pod group. Here I was forced out of my comfort zone to participate or to fail and the prospect of failing this subject because of this was too much for me, so I bit the bullet and engaged with the members.

Q2 Facebook and Twitter, is there a place for these in my busy life?

No! I have been informed by Facebook that I have four friends waiting for me to let them onto my friend list. No can do! I've forgotten my username and password and what with the identity theft scare I really wanted to distance myself from the whole scene. I only joined up as part of this course and without access to the Internet at home I find I'm not interested and because the DET bands Facebook, I can't access it after school.

Q3 What tools do I use?
Wiki, Blogging and emailing all of which I use either for work or for uni studies. I have no life!!!!! I would really like to have confidence using the other social networks or have someone to corresponded with. I would like to really use blogging and wiki with the older students at my school and the DET say blogs are the way of the future, but as yet there is no facility for using this with students at primary level.

TOPIC 8 APPLICATIONS,TOOLS AND SERVICES

EXERCISE 8.1 THE 30 MINUTE WALK

Gee! I've just come back from an interesting walk around part of my property and who is waiting for me, our friendly wallaby and her joey. I 'm on 100 acres and no I didn't walk that! Only a very small section.

I followed the path through the semi tall grass that has been flatten by the passing of wallaby feet. Through into what was once the secret garden. My children when they were young would often play here and I take a moment to sit and contemplate the many hours they spent with their dolls and other toys playing under the shade of the weeping fig tree.

While I've been contemplating and lost in my own thoughts the bird sounds have returned, I can hear the tweeting of small fairy wrens as it is the time of day when the larger predatory birds rest. Time to move on.

As a walk further my senses are overwhelmed by the sweet sickly smell of jasmine. The buzzing bees is loud but not loud enough to drown out the incessant sound of the cicada. They had ceased there noise when I first entered this area but now it is leave or be deafened.

I keep following the wallaby trail until I spot a small mob of the animals under the shade cast by the avocado tree, how peaceful they look. In the afternoon I know they will be around the house looking for bread scraps and the sweet freshly mowed lawn.

TOPIC 7 DEVICES FOR DISPLAY AND INTERACTION

EXERCISE 7.2: NEW DEVICES, AGED CARE AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

In the futuristic cartoon series "The Jetsons," a robotic maid named Rosie whizzed around the Jetsons' home doing household chores--cleaning, cooking dinner and washing dishes. At MIT researchers are working on a robotic helper which could help the elderly or wheelchair bound person with simple tasks, such as putting away dishes.

For more than 15 years, Microsoft has been a leader in developing accessible technology for people with disabilities. Popular Microsoft products, such as the Windows operating systems and Office applications, include many built-in accessibility features, from a screen magnifier and voice recognition to filter keys that help people with shaky hands or stiff fingers avoid typing extra keystrokes unintentionally. These are available from the start button on each computer.

Intel Health Guide, has a device that let doctors monitor a patients health remotely. Each day the patient steps on a scale and strap on a blood-pressure cuff that are attached to the Health Guide. The device collects the patients vitals and sends them to their doctor's office.

In an article on Intelligent housing it was noted that some nursing homes are engaging a programmable interface which monitors the use of electricity, lights, water or any number of digital devices in the residential units and issues alerts to staff if there is irregular use.This intelligent monitoring solution which can also be fitted to an individuals home, enabling them to reside in their own homes for much longer. The system can also be programmed to turn on the bathroom light when you get out of bed at night, making it easy to see where they're going.

When it comes to smart homes image.... pressing a "welcome home" button on a remote control as you pull into your driveway and having your pathway, front porch and hallway lights turn on. Your air-conditioner begins to warm or cool your living room, and your favourite music starts playing throughout your house. That's a smart home! From your television you can also check to see if the baby is sleeping - then change back to the video channel to watch the television or movie. That's a smart home!

references:

Intel wants you to age gracefully, at home http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=11241223 (accessed 20/10/09)

intelligent housing http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-rescare-clinitfly-case9.htm (accessed 20/10/09)

smart homes http://www.smarthomesystems.com.au/comfort.html (accessed 02/10/09)

Assistive robot adapts to people http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/domo.html (accessed 20/10/09)

TOPIC 7 DEVICES FOR DISPLAY AND INTERACTION

EXERCISE 7.1 SMART SCREEN INTERFACE CASE STUDY



At my school we have an interactive whiteboard, this board is not one of the Smart touch boards but the Panasonic board. Which requires the user to use a stylus to manipulate the board instead of the hand. I have used both boards and with the Smart board if any body part accidentally makes contact with the board it begins the interactivity of the board, a real problem for large breasted women.

The visual impact of these boards are very engaging for students. The Learning Federation has numerous sites that can be used to teach students in all areas of Key Learning Areas these very visual sites stimulate learners and cater for a variety of learning styles.






image from http://lonewolflibrarian.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/cartoon.jpg


The advantage of using an interactive whiteboard over a projector and a computer are numerous. For starters the interactive whiteboard pages are kept in an archive along the side of the board and at any time during the day you can bring these pages back up and refer back to them or those students who didn't finish their handwriting or maths examples can gain access to the lessons during their lunch break. The teacher can also keep their notes and annotations as an electronic file for later distribution on paper or through a number of electronic formats.

Being in front of the class allows the teacher to still have control, which is lost when you are behind the computer and projector. Also you can call on students to show their understanding to their peers and allows them to experience what it is like to instruct the class. During brainstorming on a topic students can come out and share their thoughts directly onto the board.

The software which is the essential component of an interactive whiteboard enables the teacher to quickly change and reconfigure information, providing opportunities to engage with pupils at a higher level of understanding.

According to a white paper on Interactive Whiteboards and learning students gain the following personal rewards when using the interface of the interactive whiteboard:
Intrinsically students are motivated to demonstrate their understanding in front of their peers.
Extrinsically students are enticed by the "wow factor" of the technology and the enjoyment they get from using the equipment.

How does the Panaboard and Smart Interactive Whiteboard work?
The Panaboard works by displaying the contents of a computer screen onto a large white screen, because the screen is interactive the user is able to control programs directly from the whiteboard. The board is compatible with Windows Applications like Excel, PowerPoint and Word. The electronic pen allows for easy-to-use mouse –like operations and lets the user draw, add annotations, and illustrate on top of the display. The Smart board is similar as it allows the user to use their finger or the coloured pens to control aspects of the board.


reference:
Panasonic whiteboard image accessed 20/10/09 http://www.ivexpress.com.au/whiteboards.php?gclid=CNnR3ouXyp0CFRYhDQodi2ydqw
White paper on Interactive whiteboards and learning http://www2.smarttech.com/NR/rdonlyres/2C729F6E-0A8D-42B8-9B32-F90BE0A746D8/0/Int_Whiteboard_Research_Whitepaper_Update.pdf (accessed 20/10/09)

Trust in Online Communities

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Trust in Online Communities

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TOPIC 6 DESIGNING FOR USABILITY, SOCIABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Exercise 6.3: Trust and reputation: how is it achieved?

What is trust?
Mayer, Davis, and Schoorman, 1995 define trust as “the willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party based on the expectation that the other will perform a particular action important to the trust or, irrespective of the ability to monitor or control that other party”

it is the foundation for any relationship.(Dwyer et al). This is especially important with online communities. Martin Reed highlights the importance of trust in his article, "The importance of trust", "Right from the very first seconds of visiting your website, a user is deciding whether they can trust you. Are your articles or posts trustworthy? Can they trust you with their email address? Can they trust you to safeguard their privacy?"

All users expect an environment that is free from hackers and where your personal identity is preserved. this certainly was not the case for Big Brother fans who went on line. The official Big Brother site said they were not using encryption technology on its credit card sign up page and names and phone numbers of members were being revealed to others, TRUST!!! I don't think so! See full story Porn and privacy:Big Brother's Big Brother, at http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/23/1177180545710.html

Members of online communities often follow the leader, if the leader is sarcastic in their comments others will be too. If you want trust from your community members you have to earn it. "Communities are built on human relationships. Relationships based on lies, suspicion and deception are not healthy. You want to ensure your community is associated with trust and honesty if you want it to succeed. Give your members confidence that they can share information about themselves without being mocked or belittled. The more personal the information your members share, the more they are demonstrating their trust" (Martin Reed,2009).

I chose Facebook and MySpace, because they are popular sites and have millions of members.
Dwyer et.al (2007) states, "Facebook’s association with physical entities, i.e. universities, helps vouch for the authenticity of its members. MySpace, has a poor reputation in terms of trust. Law enforcement officials allege that MySpace is used by sexual predators to lure teenagers."
My personal experience with face book is on of a skeptic. I'm not into this form of communication and how can your information be safe! a recent news article on how your identity can be stolen is proof enough for me on the dangers of this site and I want to remove my identity from it but I can't work out how:( (SMH 'Facebook is 'gold for identity thieves' http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/facebook-is-gold-for-identity-thieves-20091012-gtlw.html )

So what of the pragmatists, conservatives and the skeptics? The preceeding graph shows that these people are the last to join any social networks they do not make that leap across the chasm until they are very sure. I am like these people, but looking at the graph I'm not a skeptic but more of a "Conservatives", but up the top of the bell curve. Once I'm sure of a thing I usually try it out.

reference:

Dwyer et.al 2007 Trust and Privacy: A Comparison of Facebook and MySpace http://csis.pace.edu/~dwyer/research/DwyerAMCIS2007.pdf (accessed 20/10/09)

Martin Reed The Importance of Trust March 2007 http://www.communityspark.com/the-importance-of-trust/ (accessed 19/10/09)

Martinn Reed Are you honest enough to manage an online community April 2009 http://www.communityspark.com/if-you-cant-be-honest-dont-build-an-online-community/

(accessed 19/10/09)

trust image http://www.communityspark.com/if-you-cant-be-honest-dont-build-an-online-community/

the chasm image http://www.dilanchian.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=293:beware-of-web-20-crossing-the-chasm&catid=23:ip&Itemid=114 (accessed 20/10/09)

TOPIC 6 DESIGNING FOR USABILITY, SOCIABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Exercise 6.2 Wiki and Moodle design







According to Wikipeadia a moodle is 'designed to help educators create online courses with opportunities for rich interaction. Its open source license and modular design mean that people can develop additional functionality.' The major features of a moodle are:
Activities (including word and math games)
Resource types
Question types
Data field types (for the database activity)
Graphical themes
Authentication methods
Enrollment methods
Content Filters



(Wikipedia accessed 19.10.09 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle)



For a simple and visual understanding on Moodles, see Moodle Presentation on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvCIv5KCbeE

I went to the Charles Sturt University Moodle and found it a bit daunting. It was another experience where I was unsure of what I was supposed to do, or what I was supposed to achieve :(.

A Wiki is a community website, it can be used for personal note taking or collaborative activities. To get a simple explanation on what is a Wiki go to You Tube and watch Wiki in plain English at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY .



To me Wikis have the following advantages. Once you set up your wiki and allowed your members in, then those members can edit the wiki. This allows the other group members to refine and expand on each others ideas. The end result highlights Ben Parr at (http://mashable.com/2009/10/04/business-wikis-guide/) is a 'cohesive idea by the group rather than a series of scattered thoughts"

I found the wiki useful for keeping track of past postings as a history is kept. Ben Parr also suggests that a wiki is useful as it archives information. Making it a repository for legal documents, old memos etc.


Both Moodles and Wikis follow the three underlying principles of Kim, as they are designed for growth and change, they create and maintain community feedback and the members do take control over the structure and direction of the community.


My Green Pod group have our own wiki at http://greeniespod.wikispaces.com/

We meet weekly at this site and are using this for our Assignment. I have found this wiki to be very usable and sociable and it is meeting the needs of our group.

TOPIC 6 DESIGNING FOR USABILITY, SOCIABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Exercise 6.1 Design rules and your CSU forum experience

image downloaded from: http://www.jeffandcompany.com/ethnography/bc2.html

Purpose to connect to like minded people, we all have the same goal and there has been plenty of times when I was unsure of what a particular task was asking from me. without the ability to ask from my peers what was aim of a particular topic I would have floundered. Even if you don't participate and are only a lurker you can read others ideas and postings and get some direction. without the forums you would never know of any releveant changes to assignment due dates or any additional information or corrections.

People once again it is the like mindedness that keeps the forum engaging. There is no such thing as a "dumb" question. Everyone wants to help, perhaps it is because you can't physically see the other party that you can't develop any preconceived ideas as to who they are! They are just a name. I personally don't feel others are holding back comments or steering others in the wrong direction, perhaps it is the very nature of the course and the maturity of the participants.

Community size it is not that large that you have to wait for ever to get some response to postings. The pod groups are small and the GREEN GROUP is fantastic!!! So supportive they want everyone to succeed. The more experienced online users help and support those of us who find this technology daunting. I feel that I have joined a great group and will miss our weekly correspondences, but we are all evolving and need to move on to new challenges.