So, what an end to a real busy week, and its not even end of semester yet! But we all survived and that's always good news. This week, we were exposed to the topic of internet security, something which all of us can certainly relate to. How many times have you heard a friend complain to you about his/her computer problems due to a virus or worm? Friends aside, how many times have we ourselves been the target of virus and worms and because of that, lose valuable data on our beloved PCs? 'Reformat' is such a frightening word.
Thus, I feel that it is actually essential for every PC user to be educated in proper internet security, similar to what we have been through in COM 125 this week. First off, what is a computer virus? It is essentially a program code that is designed to destroy or corrupt systems and survives by replicating or copying itself within. A scary resemblance to the biological counterpart. Worms are also programs that destroy other programs but unlike a virus that needs a host, a worm simply wriggles through loopholes in networks like emails. Trojans are an interesting one, just like the myth, Trojans are destructive programs that pretend to be normal or 'friendly' programs which when executed, will most probably lead to the execution of your computer system.
Phishing is also another threat to internet security. It works by stealing private information like credit card numbers and passwords from users so that the evil people behind the phishing tool can use it for themselves. Sometimes they get our private information by setting up a fake website that looks like a legitimate one (like a bank homepage) and when we fill in fields like 'username' and 'password' to gain excess, that is when we offer our private info on a silver platter for them.
So how do we deal with all these dangers? It is not impossible to protect ourselves by using protection and risk-prevention tools. Personally, I use Spybot - Search and Destroy to get rid of spyware and Ad-aware to get rid of unwanted ads or suspiscious files that latch onto my computer while using the web. Both of these programs do a reasonable job in keeping my com clean and you can get them at download.com (make sure you update them often). These two tools that I usually use removes spyware and unneccessary programs but they don't always eliminate viruses or worms. For that, I use a free online scan provided by Panda Security called Active scan 2.0. Active scan does a pretty good job at scanning your entire PC and alerts you of any viruses, worms or malicious software. I must say that Active scan 2.0 doesn't get rid of viruses though, you either have to search for the infected files yourself and delete them or pay for Panda Security's Anti-virus software. Panda Security is not the only website out there that provides free virus scanning services, many websites like Trend Micro Housecall do the same. If you are looking for more anti-spyware, anti-virus, firewall or cleaning tools and programs, filehippo.com is a good place to look for one that best suits your needs.
As the saying goes, 'cure is better than prevention', hey wait a minute, its the other way around! Prevention is always, always better than a cure, hence, it is better to be reserved than to be reformatted. Update your computer and web browser often and only download from sites that are clean and well-established. Never open attachments from wierd email senders and scan for viruses and worms constantly. Be safe, and surf safe for happy days!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The fifth instalment
So, there goes another week and even more lessons learnt in the limitless world of computing. First off, we were tasked to explore Google and the tools and programs that this immensely huge corporation has to offer on its website. There are indeed many interesting tools that can be found to make web browsing easier and more fun. Tools like Google Trend allows you to observe what other people are searching for and Google Doc lets you create, edit, save and share documents.
But the tool that genuinely interest me is Google Mars. It is as if Google Earth is not ground-breaking enough, Google brought its interface and technology to allow Earthlings to look at Mars. I have to state however, that if you expect the same interactivity and the cool zooming factor of Google Earth, then Google Mars may not be as exciting. BUT, I personally feel that Google Mars is a real potential. With human expeditions planned by 2020 and colonies to be created by 2050, it wouldn't be long before we can type an address or landmark on Mars and be able to view it here on Earth on Google Mars. For now though, we can only observe the surface of Mars via satellite photo and still be amazed by the colour of the different depths of Mars. Tags of spaceship landings like the Beagle 2 and the Mars Pathfinder can also be found and are marked on the map. All in all, I feel this webpage as serious potential in the future, till then, we can still gaze and admire at the craters and rocks that belongs to our planetary neighbour.
Another of the things that we were required to complete this week was to make our own movie and edit it on Windows Movie Maker. Honestly I could already foresee that this will be a fun and creative exercise to do simply because I have already been personally making and editing short videos of my own with my friends. I recently had an idea to film a kung fu video specifically a parody of the movie Ip Man and coincidently this week, we are required to make a movie for COM 125. Hence, I got help from two of my friends, one to act as an opponent and another to operate the camera.
We shot this scene at a small open field and it starts with a soldier (played by my friend) instigating a fight with a kung fu master (played by myself). Both characters face-off before the arrogant soldier demands the name of the kung fu master. I translated the dialogues into subtitles in the scene so as to make use of Windows Movie Maker’s ‘add title’ ability. Spelling errors and grammatical errors in the subtitles were made purposely so as to genuinely reflect old Chinese martial arts movies. Besides the use of the usual timeline editing, cropping of scenes and fade-in/fade-out transitions, I also used the movie maker’s ‘old film’ effect which gives the video a gritty and classic touch just like vintage Hong Kong movies.
Of course the kung fu master wins at the end and along with some props and fake blood; I had lots of fun making this video. Windows Movie Maker certainly made this project possible and what makes it interesting is that it is simple to use and its abilities are almost limitless. As with most software, it is through the constant practice and use of Windows Movie Maker that I learned its capabilities and this exercise certainly gave me another chance to further use and explore them. Having said all that, I present to you my video, Hip Man:
But the tool that genuinely interest me is Google Mars. It is as if Google Earth is not ground-breaking enough, Google brought its interface and technology to allow Earthlings to look at Mars. I have to state however, that if you expect the same interactivity and the cool zooming factor of Google Earth, then Google Mars may not be as exciting. BUT, I personally feel that Google Mars is a real potential. With human expeditions planned by 2020 and colonies to be created by 2050, it wouldn't be long before we can type an address or landmark on Mars and be able to view it here on Earth on Google Mars. For now though, we can only observe the surface of Mars via satellite photo and still be amazed by the colour of the different depths of Mars. Tags of spaceship landings like the Beagle 2 and the Mars Pathfinder can also be found and are marked on the map. All in all, I feel this webpage as serious potential in the future, till then, we can still gaze and admire at the craters and rocks that belongs to our planetary neighbour.
Another of the things that we were required to complete this week was to make our own movie and edit it on Windows Movie Maker. Honestly I could already foresee that this will be a fun and creative exercise to do simply because I have already been personally making and editing short videos of my own with my friends. I recently had an idea to film a kung fu video specifically a parody of the movie Ip Man and coincidently this week, we are required to make a movie for COM 125. Hence, I got help from two of my friends, one to act as an opponent and another to operate the camera.
We shot this scene at a small open field and it starts with a soldier (played by my friend) instigating a fight with a kung fu master (played by myself). Both characters face-off before the arrogant soldier demands the name of the kung fu master. I translated the dialogues into subtitles in the scene so as to make use of Windows Movie Maker’s ‘add title’ ability. Spelling errors and grammatical errors in the subtitles were made purposely so as to genuinely reflect old Chinese martial arts movies. Besides the use of the usual timeline editing, cropping of scenes and fade-in/fade-out transitions, I also used the movie maker’s ‘old film’ effect which gives the video a gritty and classic touch just like vintage Hong Kong movies.
Of course the kung fu master wins at the end and along with some props and fake blood; I had lots of fun making this video. Windows Movie Maker certainly made this project possible and what makes it interesting is that it is simple to use and its abilities are almost limitless. As with most software, it is through the constant practice and use of Windows Movie Maker that I learned its capabilities and this exercise certainly gave me another chance to further use and explore them. Having said all that, I present to you my video, Hip Man:
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The forth horseman
So, it is time for another posting and I am making an early posting today as compared to the rest because, well, there is just so much things to ponder upon! I mean if last week as full of learning, then this week is like learning overflow! First off I would like to note that whatever I have learnt so far in COM125 is definitely not what I expected and I like it that way. This module has offered me so many important life lessons that are extremely useful outside the classroom as well. Thanks Mr. Choy!
We first started the week learning about learning. That's right, a paradox, but how useful. we identified the difference between having a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, whereby a person with fixed mindset is primarily concerned about how smart he/she looks and avoids challenges, criticisms and learning new things just to keep up to that image. That results in static learning. A person that embraces growth mindset sees challenges and criticism as a way of further learning. As such, the potential of a person with growth mindset is limitless.
We also covered what is called Bloom's Taxonomy. This is a classification of different learning objectives that educators like teachers can use to systematically educate students. Bloom's Taxonomy consists of Affective, Psychomotor and Cognitive domains. Affective deals with emotional reactions, Psychomotor is the effective use of a tool or instrument and Cognitive is knowledge-based. (Link to more info on Wiki click here)
Videos regarding the use of digital media were also shown to us and the usage of digital media in the field of education is an interesting thought. I feel that digital media can in fact make learning more effective simply by its broad info spectrum and sheer speed. Some examples can already be found in COM 125 class. Our lecturer consistently uses digital media to highlight points and show examples. Imagine a class full of students with the fastest internet connection and tasked to complete an assignment. Research that would typically take weeks years ago can be completed in seconds. Of course the internet can be a distraction to some students, but coupled with a growth mindset, students will be less distracted and even collaborate with instructors. This means that students learning in an environment that effectively uses digital media can actually learn so much more in the same amount of time as a regular student. The future is indeed amazing.
Hopefully this post isn't overly boring, there is still so much more to talk about but I'll need more than a single webpage to do so! Till next week, stay fun!
We first started the week learning about learning. That's right, a paradox, but how useful. we identified the difference between having a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, whereby a person with fixed mindset is primarily concerned about how smart he/she looks and avoids challenges, criticisms and learning new things just to keep up to that image. That results in static learning. A person that embraces growth mindset sees challenges and criticism as a way of further learning. As such, the potential of a person with growth mindset is limitless.
We also covered what is called Bloom's Taxonomy. This is a classification of different learning objectives that educators like teachers can use to systematically educate students. Bloom's Taxonomy consists of Affective, Psychomotor and Cognitive domains. Affective deals with emotional reactions, Psychomotor is the effective use of a tool or instrument and Cognitive is knowledge-based. (Link to more info on Wiki click here)
Videos regarding the use of digital media were also shown to us and the usage of digital media in the field of education is an interesting thought. I feel that digital media can in fact make learning more effective simply by its broad info spectrum and sheer speed. Some examples can already be found in COM 125 class. Our lecturer consistently uses digital media to highlight points and show examples. Imagine a class full of students with the fastest internet connection and tasked to complete an assignment. Research that would typically take weeks years ago can be completed in seconds. Of course the internet can be a distraction to some students, but coupled with a growth mindset, students will be less distracted and even collaborate with instructors. This means that students learning in an environment that effectively uses digital media can actually learn so much more in the same amount of time as a regular student. The future is indeed amazing.
Hopefully this post isn't overly boring, there is still so much more to talk about but I'll need more than a single webpage to do so! Till next week, stay fun!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
The third's a crowd
So, welcome to the third post of my blog! My, we have learned a huge load this week even though its just one topic, e-commerce.
E-commerce first came to me as an alien term, I mean electronic commerce? what's that? But hey, luckily it just simply meant, doing business online. Amazon, E-bay and Google are just a minute fraction of businesses found online. But there is more to e-commerce than just simply doing a business on the internet.
First of, with the millions of e-commerce websites out there on the web, selecting a product/service to sell is pretty challenging, what do you have to offer that everyone else doesn't? There is also the problem of customer loyalty as e-commerce is not the most personalized method of shopping. Security and privacy also proves to be an obstacle when engaging in e-commerce as the lack of the usual physical receipts, signatures and exchange of handshakes are not present.
Having said the difficulties of e-commerce however, its benefits cannot be underestimated. With e-commerce, your market reach is to everyone around the globe that has an internet connection. You don't need much capital to be as visible online as the big boys and more and more potential customers are engaging in online shopping as the popularity of the internet and it abilities continue to increase.
With these benefits, using certain steps can increase your chances of e-commerce success. Doing your research, planning your market strategy and making sure your website is clean are stome of the things you can do to increase your chances of success. Here's a list of 10 steps to e-commerce success that I've found.
Of course success comes with a price and there are failures and misconceptions in e-commerce as well. Though starting e-commerce is easy, it does not mean that it is easy money. Planning and hard work is still as vital as working in real life. Online clients also have to be convinced that your product/service is of top quality and they also have to be assured that your website is secure for online transactions. Failing to keep these points in mind can, well, lead to failure. Here's 10 misconceptions of e-commerce that we all should avoid.
As you might have already noticed, there are cons to being part of e-commerce but I think its fair to say that its pros and benefits certainly outweigh the costs. Personally, I feel that is so when I find myself engaging in e-bay more and more when I initially thought that e-bay-ers are rich people that buy unnecessary things. Now, I have an account and am buying and selling things online as well. Guess I'm an e-bay-er too! Second-hand soccer boots anyone? Haha, till my next post, stay well!
E-commerce first came to me as an alien term, I mean electronic commerce? what's that? But hey, luckily it just simply meant, doing business online. Amazon, E-bay and Google are just a minute fraction of businesses found online. But there is more to e-commerce than just simply doing a business on the internet.
First of, with the millions of e-commerce websites out there on the web, selecting a product/service to sell is pretty challenging, what do you have to offer that everyone else doesn't? There is also the problem of customer loyalty as e-commerce is not the most personalized method of shopping. Security and privacy also proves to be an obstacle when engaging in e-commerce as the lack of the usual physical receipts, signatures and exchange of handshakes are not present.
Having said the difficulties of e-commerce however, its benefits cannot be underestimated. With e-commerce, your market reach is to everyone around the globe that has an internet connection. You don't need much capital to be as visible online as the big boys and more and more potential customers are engaging in online shopping as the popularity of the internet and it abilities continue to increase.
With these benefits, using certain steps can increase your chances of e-commerce success. Doing your research, planning your market strategy and making sure your website is clean are stome of the things you can do to increase your chances of success. Here's a list of 10 steps to e-commerce success that I've found.
Of course success comes with a price and there are failures and misconceptions in e-commerce as well. Though starting e-commerce is easy, it does not mean that it is easy money. Planning and hard work is still as vital as working in real life. Online clients also have to be convinced that your product/service is of top quality and they also have to be assured that your website is secure for online transactions. Failing to keep these points in mind can, well, lead to failure. Here's 10 misconceptions of e-commerce that we all should avoid.
As you might have already noticed, there are cons to being part of e-commerce but I think its fair to say that its pros and benefits certainly outweigh the costs. Personally, I feel that is so when I find myself engaging in e-bay more and more when I initially thought that e-bay-ers are rich people that buy unnecessary things. Now, I have an account and am buying and selling things online as well. Guess I'm an e-bay-er too! Second-hand soccer boots anyone? Haha, till my next post, stay well!
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