Tutorial task 7

http://quesmo.epetitions.net/
E-petition regarding on the spot fines for smoking in cars with children
State representative: Nathan Rees
Local (tweed heads): Geoff Provest
Liberal: Tony Abbott

http://nsw.nationals.org.au/news/labor-starts-rail-corridor-sell-off-provest.aspx
Comments on nsw rail way

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20091202008
Geoff provests last speech concerned to crimes amendment bill, and took place on the 2nd of december this month

I read and searched for more information regarding the youth allowance dilema discussed on the Heywire Blog for ABC. Which concerns the allocation of funds in rural areas. The blog had links to polticians responses and layperson audio recordings which i thought was a helpful feature in getting a better understanding of the issue. However i did also look elswhere.
I do believe that youth allowance funding should be over looked at least, with the current allocation of funds only helping the rich get richer and the poor get poorer!

Video

Tutorial Task 3

1. What did Allan Turing wear while riding his bicycle around Bletchley Park?

http://www.historyarticles.com/new_page_5.htm A gas mask! Found using yahoo.

2. On what date did two computers first communicate with each other? Where were they?

http://www.web-friend.com/help/general/pc_history.html 1969, the computers were located in California and Utah. Found using yahoo.

3. What is Bill Gates' birthday? And what age was he when he first sold his software?

http://www.woopidoo.com/biography/bill-gates.htm He was born on the 28th October 1955. He sold his first piece of software in 1975. Found using yahoo.

4. Where was the World Wide Web invented?

http://www.boutell.com/newfaq/history/inventedwebwhere.html Switzerland. Found using yahoo.

5. How does the power of the computer you are working on now compare to the power of a personal computer from 30 years ago?

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/cpu/fam/g1I8088-c.html and http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=37148 In 1979 a computer's power was 8-bit 4.77MHz, today it is roughly 64-bit, 3.2 GHz. Found Using dogpile.

6. What is the weight of the largest parsnip ever grown?

http://www.portlincolntimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/holden-growing-more-giant-vegetables/1570577.aspx?src=rss 2.3 kg. Found using altavista.

7. When did Queensland become a state and why is the Tweed River in New South Wales?

http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/mapping/index.html In 1859 Queensland and New South Wales separated and Queensland became a state. Found using altavista. http://www.tweedstay.com/ The Tweed River is in New South Wales because it falls just over the border from Queensland. Found using yahoo.

8. What was the weather like in South East Queensland on the 17th November 1954?

http://weather.ninemsn.com.au/station.jsp?lt=site&lc=40284&list=ds&of=of_a&ot=ot_a&mm=11&yyyy=1954&submit=go Min = 19 degrees celsius Max = 39.5 degrees celsius with no rain. Found using yahoo.

9. Why is Lord Byron still remembered in Venice?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/byron_lord.shtml He wrote some of his most famous works in Venice, including Don Juan. Found using altavista.

10. What band did Sirhan Chapman play in and what is his real name?

http://web.revolutionrock.com.au/oral-hist/index.php?id=36 The Black Assassins. He did not want his real name published. Found using yahoo.

Tutorial Task 2: My use of communication technologies

I have been using a mobile phone for about 7 years, but have only recently (in the last 2 months) been using the social network cite face book.
I began using nct solely for the purpose of communicating with friends and family, especially those that do not live locally.
I’m not particularly worried about privacy issues, as I only give out certain information. However this is probably due to the fact nothing serious has happened to me or anyone I know.
I do not have any friends that I have met on the internet and am not really interested in doing so either. Nevertheless I have communicated with people I wouldn’t have normally face-to-face

Tutorial Task 2

This video is about Google wave,it was mentioned in the lecture so i looked it up on youtube to find out what it was all about.I thought it was relevant as it was discussed in the lecture that email hasn't changed since it was developed, also the clip mentions convergence; how the best features of various types of media were used to create this new form of email.

Day 3: Media, new media, and social media

With virtual communitys comes the issue of identity. Turkle (1995) put frowrd the idea that the identity that individuals often portray is not a true reflection of that person. The internet allows people to construct an indentity, often in a more favourable light.
Initially the internet was seen and used as a means of connecting people from different backgrounds and in different geographical locations, however, the interent is now used in a more self-centered way. Another shift has become aparent with the emergence of social networking and blogging cities. The internet is now used not only for business but as a leisure/recreational activity.

A new way of thinking about the web has been proposed, Web 2.0 is based on the user experience, community and collaboration, where the average person can have some imput.

Day 5: Virtual Philosophy

The lecture began by questioning the nature of reality
What is real? This question was examined by looking at a clip from the matrix which depicted reality as a sort of abstract an uncertain concept
Plato
Plato described things as having a true form or essence. We do not see this but a variation of the objects true form which is shaped by our views and experiences. Platos allegory of a cave, further explains this idea, by humans only seeing a reflection of reality or essential truths which are lurking in the background.
Deleuze & Guattari
Looked at not only reality but virtual reality. Actual reality is described as a string of moments occurring in the passage of time, for each individual moment there are an infinite number of alternate possibilities. These possiblities make up virtual reality.
The lecture concluded with a video looking at the virtual world second life

Tutorial Task 5: Internet field trip

I think the only major difference between virtual worlds and other communication technologies is in how people perceive them, and the way people are invested in them psychologically. They are similar to social networking cites in that people create an identity, and IM in the way communication is less inhibited. As apart of the tutorial task I became a member of habbo hotel and it included features such as being able to buy furniture, and go to events, however i dont think it differed greatly from Instant Messaging. Im guessing if i spent more time in the world maybe the content of communication might differ to that in IM, people might talk about their experiences in the online world rather than whats going on in real life.

Day 4: Free culture, free society

It is not reasonable to apply full copyright in the age we live in. Therefore todays lecture began with discussion on the shared resource creative commons. Creative commons sits between the all rights reserved and the public domain copyright. Options can vary with regard to non-commercial, no derivities, and sharealike. However whenever information is used the creator must be acknowledged.
Initially all software was free up until the 70's when the likes of microsoft/bill gates demanded money for their work. Creative commons is based on the philosophy of R. Stallmans Free Software Movement. With propriatary software people are contrained to using the software as it was created, they cannot access the source code, therfore do not know whats been put into the software or fix problems. Free software allows people to use, edit, and distribute software as they like.Free software enables people to have a choice, to collaborate with other individuals (instead of going against copyright) to change and create good things, and benefit the community.

Day 2: A selective history of computing and the internet

The History of the computer

• Babbage, Turning and the birth of the computer in the 1900's was discused. Charles babbage invented the first digital computer to crack the codes of the german military in WW1.


• The weakess link in cumputer security is people.


• IBM interaction business machines


• The first home computer-PC- wasnt available until 1975, however the first compueters were around in the 1940's


• These large primitive computers were developed by IBM for military purposes


• Xerox Park took computers out of a military context and made them available for business/ordinary people


• The first PCS didnt come set up as they do today, individuals would by the kit and "hack together' the computer


• Hence the term "hacker' meaning computer expert (not criminal)


• These computer hackers began to share software


• 2 Steves began selling these computers


• Microsoft caught on and copied this idea


• Late 70's and early 80's IBM & apple really blosumed
  

Computers and the internet have a long history of people and personalitys, these people and what seemed to be simple decisions at the time, have been extremely important in shaping our society.Computers and the internet are apart of our nomative experience however it is important to remember and examine the history behind them.

History of The Internet

• Cyber space- an abstract representation of the internet as a geographical space.



• The Internet and the World Wide Web are often used as interchangeable terms, however the internet is an interconnected network of computer hardware and software and the www is just one application of the internet


• The internet was created 40 years ago, this is alot earlier than most people think as they were only available to certain peopel in universities and werent introduced to the rest of society until much later


• The internet is considered to have been developed for military purposes, so that communication was possible between bases, however a few individuals were already working on the technology which was then funded by the military.


• Its imortant that messages sent via the internet are not disrupted/destroyed, packet switching overcomes this by breaking down the meassages into tiny parts before sending them off
  

Day 1: Introduction to New Communication Technologies

Today was the first class for the summer mode new communications technologies. First up we did a quick survey regarding the classes use of communication technologies. Not suprisingly close to everyone used social networking cites and the use of other forms of communcation technology varied. We discussed the formal definitions of communication and technology, a distinction was made between technology and medium. Technology is a physical/ mechanical operating device however when it is use for social and cultural purposes it becomes media. The idea of convergence was discussed, convergence refers to some aspect of a type of media being carried over into a new media form.