Unit 2Digital media and communication
Definition
Digitized
content (text, graphics, audio, and video) that can be transmitted over
internet or computer networks is called Digital media and communication.
Digital
media includes any format or device used to convey content using digital signals.
Simply put, when you talk on your cell phone, read this Internet article, or
watch a television show, you are using digital media. Schools offering
Animation degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
Industry
Overview
Digital
media is employed in many aspects of our lives. Many industries are finding
areas of expansion or ways to simplify production using digital media. For
example, the advertising industry is exploring innovative ways of reaching
customers over cell phones and the Internet. In the movie industry, filmmakers
are switching to digital technology to utilize animation and ease the editing
process. Other examples of new or expanding digital media include:
1.
Interactive
web pages
2.
Video
games
3.
MP3
players
4.
eBooks
5.
Digital
television
Education
Digital
media requires the combination of digital technology and creativity. There are
several paths you can take to pursue a career in this field. Whether you choose
to pursue vocational study in an area such as technical installation or complete
a bachelor's degree in an area such as graphic design or communications,
opportunities in this expanding technology will only continue to grow. Degrees
you might pursue include:
1.
Journalism
and Mass Communications
2.
New
Media
3.
Graphic
or Multimedia Design
4.
Advertising
5.
Network
Installation
6.
Filmmaking
Career Opportunities
As
digital media increasingly touches almost every aspect of our lives, there are
endless career possibilities within the industry. Digital media has become a
huge outlet for advertising and marketing. Positions include:
1.
Account
managers
2.
Analysts
3.
Strategists
Digital
media is now a mainstay in the art and entertainment industries. Technology is
used in everything from graphic design, fine art, and photography to special
effects in movies, animation, and game development. Careers in this field may
include:
1.
Graphic
and web designers
2.
Animators
3.
Digital
videographer
4.
Video
and sound editors
Opportunities
also abound in research and development, as well as in installation and
implementation of digital media technologies. Such jobs include:
1.
Software
engineers
2.
Programmers
3.
Network
engineers
4.
Technicians
ICT and Digital DivideICT - Information Communications Technologies
The
Digital Divide, or the digital split, is a social issue referring to the differing
amount of information between those who have access to the Internet (specially
broadband access) and those who do not have access. The term became popular
among concerned parties, such as scholars, policy makers, and advocacy groups,
in the late 1990s.
Dimensions
of the Divide
Broadly
speaking, the difference is not necessarily determined by the access to the
Internet, but by access to ICT (Information and Communications Technologies)
and to Media that the different segments of society can use. With regards to
the Internet, the access is only one aspect, other factors such as the quality
of connection and related services should be considered. Today the most
discussed issue is the availability of the access at an affordable cost and
quality.
The
problem is often discussed in an international context, indicating certain
countries are far more equipped than other developing countries to exploit the
benefits from the rapidly expanding Internet. Here is the latest State of the
Internet Report from Akamai, showing average and maximum connection speeds,
Internet Penetration and Broadband adaption, Mobile usage, as well as trends in
this data over time.
The
digital divide is not indeed a clear single gap which divides a society into
two groups. Researchers report that disadvantage can take such forms as
lower-performance computers, lower-quality or high price connections (i.e.
narrowband or dialup connection), difficulty of obtaining technical assistance,
and lower access to subscription-based contents.
Bridging
the Gap
The
idea that some information and communication technologies are vital to quality
civic life is not new. Some suggest that the Internet and other ICTs are
somehow transforming society, improving our mutual understanding, eliminating
power differentials, realizing a truly free and democratic world society, and
other benefits.
In
many countries, access to the telephone system is considered such a vital
element that governments implement various policies to offer affordable
telephone service. Unfortunately some countries lack sufficient telephone
lines.
Literacy
is arguably another such element, although it is not related to any new
technologies or latest technological devices. It is a very widely shared view
in many societies that being literate is essential to one's career, to
self-guided learning, to political participation, and to Internet usage.
Unfortunately,
in the world there are still 757 million adults including 115 million youths
who cannot read or write a simple sentence. Explore the interactive literacy
data to see which countries are most affected.
There
are a variety of arguments regarding why closing the digital divide is
important. The major arguments are the following:
1.
Economic equality
Some
think that the access to the Internet is a basic component of civil life that
some developed countries aim to guarantee for their citizens. Telephone is
often considered important for security reasons. Health, criminal, and other
types of emergencies might indeed be handled better if the person in trouble
has an access to the telephone. Another important fact seems to be that much
vital information for people's career, civic life, safety, etc. are
increasingly provided via the Internet. Even social welfare services are
sometimes administered and offered electronically.
2.
Social mobility
Some
believe that computer and computer networks play an increasingly important role
in their learning and career, so that education should include that of
computing and use of the Internet. Without such offerings, the existing digital
divide works unfairly to the children in the lower socioeconomic status. In
order to provide equal opportunities, governments might offer some form of
support.
3.
Democracy
Some
think that the use of the Internet would lead to a healthier democracy in one
way or another. Among the most ambitious visions are that of increased public
participation in elections and decision making processes.
4.
Economic growth
Some
think that the development of information infrastructure and active use of it
would be a shortcut to economic growth for less developed nations. Information
technologies in general tend to be associated with productivity improvements.
The exploitation of the latest technologies may give industries of certain
countries a competitive advantage.
Rural
areas access
The
accessibility of rural areas to the Internet is a test of the digital divide.
But nowadays there are different ways to eliminate the digital divide in rural
areas. Use of Power lines (PLT and PLC) and satellite communications offer new
possibilities of universal access to the Internet, and lack of telephone lines
will not limit access. Lower access prices are required to bridge the ICT
divide.
Disabilities
Disabilities of potential Internet users
constitute another type of divide and care should be taken to avoid that
persons with disabilities be left out of Internet access.
Information society
Information
society A society in which low cost information technology, computers, and
telecommunications are widely used to facilitate communication nationally and
internationally, and to promote access to libraries, data archives, and other
stores of information held by private organizations or in the public domain. It
is argued that this greater facility of communication and increased access to
information creates a qualitatively different society with attendant new
problems, such as information overload, and the need for new forms of
regulation to control information flows between persons, companies, and
countries. Whereas market economies have traditionally been geared towards
solving the problem of scarcity, information will practically by definition
lead to problems of abundance, and questions about how tools should be developed
to manage that abundance.
The
digital convergence of information and communication technologies in the late
1990s constituted a major step forward for the information society, energizing
every economic sector, opening up the potential for new products and services
in the twenty-first century that are still being developed in business, the
media, arts, and public administration. Some have argued that there will be a
further transition from an information economy to a knowledge society, leading
to renewed emphasis on lifelong learning and investment in education. Another
consequence that is already in progress is the expansion of home-based work and
neighborhood work centers replacing public transport and the car for bringing
together the worker and (white-collar) work. Similarly, new technologies permit
certain types of white-collar work to be carried out anywhere in the world,
leading to the globalization of enterprises and increased competition.
New World Information Order and E-governance
Definition
E-governance,
expands to electronic governance, is the integration of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) in all the processes, with the aim of enhancing
government ability to address the needs of the general public. The basic
purpose of e-governance is to simplify processes for all, i.e. government,
citizens, businesses, etc. at National, State and local levels.
E-governance
has gained more popularity in convoluted business world. Many management
scholars have described the concept of e governance which is emerging as an
important activity in the business field. It is established that E-governance
is the application of information and communication technologies to transform
the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of informational
and transactional exchanges with in government, between government & govt.
agencies of National, State, Municipal and Local levels, citizen &
businesses, and to empower citizens through access & use of information
(Mahapatra, 2006).
World
Bank explained the E governance as the use by government agencies of
information technologies (such as Wide Area Networks, the Internet, and mobile
computing) that have the ability to transform relations with citizens,
businesses, and other arms of government. These technologies can serve a
variety of different ends: better delivery of government services to citizens,
improved interactions with business and industry, citizen empowerment through
access to information, or more efficient government management. The resulting
benefits can be less corruption, increased transparency, greater convenience,
revenue growth, and or cost reductions."
According
to international organization, UNESCO, "Governance refers to the exercise
of political, economic and administrative authority in the management of a
country's affairs, including citizens' articulation of their interests and
exercise of their legal rights and obligations. E-Governance may be understood
as the performance of this governance via the electronic medium in order to
facilitate an efficient, speedy and transparent process of disseminating
information to the public, and other agencies, and for performing government
administration activities". The Council of Europe elaborated e-Governance
as "the use of electronic technologies in three areas of public action
such as relations between the public authorities and civil society, functioning
of the public authorities at all stages of the democratic process (electronic
democracy) and the provision of public services (electronic public services).
NWICO: New World Information and Communication Order
The
New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO or NWIO) aka the MacBride
Commission is a term that was coined in a debate over media representations of
the developing world in UNESCO in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The term was
widely used by the MacBride Commission, a UNESCO panel chaired by Nobel Peace
Prize laureate Sean MacBride, which was charged with creation of a set of
recommendations to make global media representation more equitable. The
MacBride Commission produced a report titled "Many Voices, One
World", which outlined the main philosophical points of the New World
Information Communication Order.
Issues
A
wide range of issues were raised as part of NWICO discussions. Some of these
involved long-standing issues of media coverage of the developing world and
unbalanced flows of media influence. But other issues involved new technologies
with important military and commercial uses. The developing world was likely to
be marginalized by satellite and computer technologies. The issues included:
1.
News
reporting on the developing world that reflects the priorities of news agencies
in London, Paris and New York. Reporting of natural disasters and military
coups rather than the fundamental realities. At the time four major news
agencies controlled over 80% of global news flow.
2.
An
unbalanced flow of mass media from the developed world (especially the United
States) to the underdeveloped countries. Everyone watches American movies and
television shows.
3.
Advertising
agencies in the developed world have indirect but significant effects on mass
media in the developing countries. Some observers also judged the messages of
these ads to be inappropriate for the Third World.
4.
An
unfair division of the radio spectrum. A small number of developed countries
controlled almost 90% of the radio spectrum. Much of this was for military use.
5.
There
were similar concerns about the allocation of the geostationary orbit (parking
spots in space) for satellites. At the time only a small number of developed
countries had satellites and it was not possible for developing countries to be
allocated a space that they might need ten years later. This might mean
eventually getting a space that was more difficult and more expensive to
operate.
6.
Satellite
broadcasting of television signals into Third World countries without prior
permission was widely perceived as a threat to national sovereignty. The UN
voted in the early 1970s against such broadcasts.
7.
Use
of satellites to collect information on crops and natural resources in the
Third World at a time when most developing countries lacked the capacity to
analyze this data.
8.
At
the time most mainframe computers were located in the United States and there
were concerns about the location of databases (such as airline reservations)
and the difficulty of developing countries catching up with the US lead in
computers.
9.
The
protection of journalists from violence was raised as an issue for discussion.
For example, journalists were targeted by various military dictatorships in
Latin America in the 1970s. As part of NWICO debates there were suggestions for
study on how to protect journalists and even to discipline journalists who
broke "generally recognized ethical standards". However, the MacBride
Commission specifically came out against the idea of licensing journalists.
Response
of the United States
The
United States was hostile to NWICO. According to some analysts, the United
States saw these issues simply as barriers to the free flow of communication
and to the interests of American media corporations. It disagreed with the
MacBride report at points where it questioned the role of the private sector in
communications. It viewed the NWICO as dangerous to freedom of the press by
ultimately putting an organization run by governments at the head of
controlling global media, potentially allowing for censorship on a large scale.
From another perspective, the MacBride Commission recommendations requiring the
licensing of journalists amounted to prior censorship and ran directly counter
to basic US law on the freedom of expression.
There
were also accusations of corruption at the highest level of UNESCO leadership
in Paris. The US eventually withdrew its membership in UNESCO (as did the
United Kingdom and Singapore) at the end of 1984. The matter was complicated by
debates within UNESCO about Israel's archaeological work in the city of
Jerusalem, and about the Apartheid regime in South Africa. The United States
rejoined in 2003.
Convergence: Need, nature and future of convergence
It
is important here to consider the fact that much difficulty and disagreement
had arisen in defining the notion of media convergence. Most theorists agree
that in general terms convergence means ‘coming together of two or more
things’, however a variety of different arguments have been put forward in an
attempt to define what exactly is coming together (Grant and Wilkinson, 2009).
On the one hand, convergence can be viewed as ‘coming together of different
equipment and tools for producing and distributing news’ (ibid.). Jenkins
(2006:3), on the other hand, defines convergence as ‘flow of content across
multiple media platforms’, suggesting that media audiences nowadays play a
crucial role in creating and distributing content, and convergence therefore
has to be examined in terms of social, as well as technological changes within
the society. According to Jenkins, media convergence is an ongoing process that
should not be viewed as a displacement of the old media, but rather as
interaction between different media forms and platforms (Jenkins, 2006).
Supporting this argument, Deuze cited in Erdal (2011) suggests that media
convergence should be viewed as ‘cooperation and collaboration’ between
previously unconnected media forms and platforms. Burnett and Marshall cited in Grant and
Wilkinson (2008:5) explain convergence as ‘blending of the media,
telecommunications and computer industries’ or, in other words, as the process
of blurring the boundaries between different media platforms and uniting them
into one digital form.
One
question that needs to be asked, however, is whether or not these recent
developments are beneficial for the society and the industry itself. In other
words, whether or not media convergence presents more opportunities than
challenges to both media producers and consumers. One of the areas of
particular concern when examining positive and negative consequences of media
convergence is media ownership (Jenkins, 2006). Nowadays the power to control
media industry is concentrated in the hands of private owners and relatively
small number of big media corporations. For example, companies, such as Warner
Bros., which used to focus on the film industry, nowadays have control over
various aspects of entertainment industry in general, such as computer games,
books, magazines, web sites and toys, which is all part of the process of media
convergence (Jenkins, 2006). Consequences of this trend can be viewed as both
positive and negative. On the one hand, it may cause the decline in the
diversity of material offered and result in a tendency that voices of those
lacking economic power will not be taken into account (Branston et al.,
2008:179). On the other hand, it is argued that market driven media owned and
controlled by big media corporations ‘can actually improve the value of the
service, the flexibility of topics and the competence of the contributers’ as
well as enable technological developments, change the elitism of media
professionals and create new general awareness (Grant, 2009). Another aspect of
media convergence that can be seen as its major drawback is what Jenkins
(2006:23) calls the ‘participation gap’. This concept refers to the fact that
while media convergence in general has encouraged audiences to participate in
the process of content creation, it requires extended access to modern
technologies, familiarity with the new forms of media, as well as developing
certain skills (ibid.). As a result, certain segments of the audience arguably
remain neglected and unable to fully participate in the new media culture.
Drawing
on the definitions of media convergence outlined above, it can be argued that
one of the ways of understanding media convergence is in terms of interaction
between old and new forms of media. This concept can be explained more clearly
using the example of television industry and its development over the years.
The idea of transition from analogue media to digital media stands at the core
of media convergence debate. The term ‘analogue’ is used to describe something
‘that resembles something else’ (Dewdney and Ride, 2006:227), therefore signals
transmitted through television can be seen as being analogous to the light and
sound of the actual scene (ibid.). In the case of analogue media, each form was
separate and independent from the others due to the need to use different
‘materials, properties and apparatuses’ (ibid.). With the introduction of
digital code however the situation changed rapidly and opened new possibilities
for media creation and convergence, for example, new forms of interaction
between producers and consumers
Emerging Trends for Mobile Technology
IT
Services the usage of mobile apps has exploded over the past few years. With
the ever growing adoption of modern smart phones, more and more consumers are
using apps to order their favorite food, book tickets, perform banking
transactions, listen to music on the go, etc. Today, our world is a digital
sphere, where keeping in touch with friends across boundaries is no more a
chore, and as the number of mobile apps keeps on increasing, so does our
ability to perform hitherto difficult tasks.
The
growing demand for more functional apps has also resulted in widespread
interest in mobile app development, especially amongst independent and
freelance developers. Since an operating systems' mobile app store is a level
playing field, anyone can create an app which could become the next smash hit.
Flappy Bird, the indie game, raked in $50K daily at the height of its popularity,
resulting in the immense success of its small-time developer!
As
we have stepped into this New Year, there are quite a few interesting mobile
app trends which mobile app developers, such as you, should keep a lookout for.
From brand new technologies to older ones finding their feet, a spurt of new
programming languages, etc., 2018 has a lot in store not only for the consumers
but for the developers as well.
10
Emerging Mobile App Development Trends
Mobile App
Development1. Cloud
Technology Finally Finds It's Place: No surprises here. From the average
consumer to the tech professional, everyone has heard about the benefits of
cloud technology, and how it can to change our collective lives. Today, cloud
computing is not only fast, easy to deploy, and inexpensive; but also makes a
good working argument for both large-scale enterprises and small mom-and-dad
joints.
Dropbox,
OneDrive, and Google Drive are just the tip of the iceberg, as in 2018, we can
expect new powerful apps which directly run on the cloud and take minimal space
in the phone storage. Syncing data - working on an app on the phone and then
continuing it from a tablet or desktop will also see a huge acceptance.
Mobile App
Development2. Enterprise Mobile Apps Get a New Lease of
Life: It's not a secret anymore that more and more developers are gravitating
towards developing enterprise mobile apps. The reason being that such apps,
which make it easy to keep large teams connected, as well as track key metrics
and KPIs, are now required by almost every small and large business to some
extent.
43%
of the enterprise app developers earn more than $10,000 per month, as compared
to the 19% of the developers who develop consumer-focused apps. Enterprise app
stores are also predicted to become the next big thing, as with more B2B
interaction, a tremendous opportunity will be offered to new developers.
Mobile App
Development3.
IoT will Open New Possibilities: IoT, or the Internet of Things, is already a
$19 trillion industry, and over the next five years, more than 5 billion people
are expected to be using an IoT-driven technology in some form or the other.
Today, IoT is present in modern wearable technology, smart thermostats, smart
bulbs, dimmable streetlights, etc.
In
the coming year, expect this technology to be rapidly adopted for mobile
application development, while allowing for more personalized user experiences
across a variety of devices.
Mobile App
Development4. Location-based
Wi-Fi Services Become Commonplace: Mobile location services and Beacon technology
are now starting to blur the boundaries between online and offline advertising,
especially in the retail sector. Apple had already integrated the technology
within iBeacon, and in 2016 Android followed suit.
In
the following years, Wi-Fi will be used for more than just internet access, as
more and more public hotspots would also double up as location access points.
App developers are also expected to follow suit, by building apps which take
advantage of such location-based Wi-Fi services.
Mobile App
Development5.
m-Commerce to be the Next Great Opportunity: As e-commerce giants such as
Amazon and eBay flourish, the usage of m-Commerce apps is also expected to
increase in the coming years. With more smartphones featuring technology such
as NFC, Fingerprint recognition, etc., using a mobile phone to pay for
transactions, amongst others, will also find ready acceptance. Developers will
also have the opportunity to build m-Commerce apps which can provide additional
functionality to the consumer.Read our article which describes the models,
benefits, and future trends of mobile payment solutions.
Mobile App
Development6. High-quality UX to be the Norm of the Day:
Besides a nice look and feel, smartphone users today expect their apps to be
more intuitive and provide more relevant content suited to their own likes and
dislikes. In the coming year, developers will have to focus more on answering
burning customer questions such as whether the app is secure enough or whether
they need too many user permissions, etc.?
Mobile App
Development7. In-App
Advertising and Purchasing Will Grow Steadily: With a growing number of
smartphone users using their mobile apps to perform mundane, day-to-day tasks,
the revenue generated from in-app advertising and purchasing is also steadily
increasing. According to the latest figures, in-app purchasing from mobile
devices touched approximately $9 billion in 2017. In the coming years, expect
application development trends to move away from simple banners and integrating
advertisements in a fun, non-obnoxious manner for the end-user.
Mobile App
Development8. More
APIs to Accelerate Innovation: As we move towards a future where mobile app
development necessitates rapid development across a variety of target devices,
an API-first approach ensures both the agility and flexibility with which the
app can function.
Today,
one of the hottest mobile app trends to impact 2018 is the ability with which
developers can leverage a large catalog of JSON/REST APIs, ensuring a lot of
backend work such as data storage, retrieving information, etc. is taken care
of.
Mobile App
Development9. Application
Security Becomes Necessary: With rapid technological advancements being made on
a daily basis, application security, as well as general smartphone security is
a major concern. Currently, most of the top 100 apps in the Google app store
have already been hacked, and the picture isn't that pretty on the iOS side as
well.
Therefore,
with Google, Microsoft, and Apple all raising the stakes and making security a
big target for the coming few years, developers also need to focus on cyber
security and implement new-generation security features within their apps.
Mobile App
Development10.
New-gen Mobile Games See the Light of Day: With the advancements being made in
the field of social connectivity and cloud technology, now is the time for
developers to focus on games which have an increased multiplayer focus rather
than developing only single player games.
By
developing new-generation games based on the latest game engines, which also
make use of easy access to cloud technology, developers can push frequent and
rapid updates to enhance the UX.
Social Media
Social
media is a phrase that we throw around a lot these days, often to describe what
we post on sites and apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and
others.
The
term is used so vaguely that it can basically be used to describe almost any
website on the internet today. Or maybe not. Some people have more of a
restricted view of social media, often equating it to mean the same as social
networking (a.k.a. Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Other people don't consider blogs
to fall under the social media category.
Rather
than define the term using a bunch of boring jargon that would probably only
complicate things further, perhaps the best way to get a clearer understanding
of it is to break it down into simpler terms. To start, let's look at each word
individually.
The
"social" part: refers to interacting with other people by sharing
information with them and receiving information from them.
The
"media" part: refers to an instrument of communication, like the
internet (while TV, radio, and newspapers are examples of more traditional
forms of media).
From
these two separate terms, we can pull a basic definition together: Social media
are web-based communication tools that enable people to interact with each
other by both sharing and consuming information.
Yes,
it's a broad definition – but keep in mind that social media is a very broad
term. This is likely as specific as we can get without zeroing in too much on a
more specific subcategory of social media.
Common
Social Media Features
The
following list of common features are dead giveaways of a social media site. If
you're questioning whether a particular site could be classified as social or
not, try looking for at least one of these features.
User
accounts:
If a site allows visitors to create their own accounts that they can log into,
then that's a good sign there's going to be social interaction. You can't really
share information or interact with others online without doing it through a
user account.
Profile
pages:
Since social media is all about communication, a profile page is often
necessary to represent an individual. It often includes information about the
individual user, like a profile photo, bio, website, feed of recent posts,
recommendations, recent activity and more.
Friends,
followers, groups, hashtags and so on: Individuals use their accounts to
connect with other users. They can also use them to subscribe to certain forms
of information.
News
feeds:
When users connect with other users on social media, they're basically saying,
"I want to get information from these people." That information is
updated for them in real-time via their news feed.
Personalization: Social media
sites usually give users the flexibility to configure their user settings,
customize their profiles to look a specific way, organize their friends or
followers, manage the information they see in their news feeds and even give
feedback on what they do or don't want to see.
Notifications:
Any
site or app that notifies users about specific information is definitely
playing the social media game. Users have total control over these
notifications and can choose to receive the types of notifications that they
want.
Information
updating, saving or posting: If a site or an app allows you to post absolutely
anything, with or without a user account, then it's social! It could be a
simple text-based message, a photo upload, a YouTube video, a link to an
article or anything else.
Like
buttons and comment sections: Two of the most common ways we interact on social
media are via buttons that represent a "like" plus comment sections
where we can share our thoughts.
Review,
rating or voting systems: Besides liking and commenting, lots of social media
sites and apps rely on the collective effort of the community to review, rate
and vote on information that they know about or have used. Think of your
favorite shopping sites or movie review sites that use this social media
feature.
What's
the Difference Between Social Media and Social Networking?
As
mentioned earlier, a lot of people user the terms social media and social
networking interchangeably as if they mean the exact same thing. Although the
difference is subtle, they're not the same. Social networking is really a
subcategory of social media.
The
easiest way to understand the difference between social media and social
networking is by thinking about the terms "media" and
"networking" separately. Media refers to the information you're
actually sharing–whether it's a link to an article, a video, an animated GIF, a
PDF document, a simple status update or anything else.
Networking,
on the other hand, has to do with who your audience is and the relationships
you have with them. Your network can include people like friends, relatives,
colleagues, anyone from your past, current customers, mentors and even complete
strangers.
They
certainly overlap, which is why it gets confusing. For example, you can share media
with your social network to gather likes and comments–a form of social
networking. But you can also just upvote a link on Reddit, which is a social
media platform, to help out the community and give your say in the matter
without any intention of building relationships with other users.
Still
confused? Try to think of social media like fruit. Apples, bananas, oranges,
grapes, berries, melons and pineapples are all part of the broader fruit
category the same way that social networking, social news, social bookmarking,
wikis, blogs and private web messaging are part of the broader social media
category.
Web 2.0
Web
2.0 is the current state of online technology as it compares to the early days
of the Web, characterized by greater user interactivity and collaboration, more
pervasive network connectivity and enhanced communication channels.
One
of the most significant differences between Web 2.0 and the traditional World
Wide Web (WWW, retroactively referred to as Web 1.0) is greater collaboration
among Internet users, content providers and enterprises. Originally, data was
posted on Web sites, and users simply viewed or downloaded the content.
Increasingly, users have more input into the nature and scope of Web content
and in some cases exert real-time control over it.
The
social nature of Web 2.0 is another major difference between it and the
original, static Web. Increasingly, websites enable community-based input,
interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Types of social media sites and
applications include forums, microblogging, social networking, social
bookmarking, social curation, and wikis.
Elements
of Web 2.0
Wikis: Websites that
enable users to contribute, collaborate and edit site content. Wikipedia is one
of the oldest and best-known wiki-based sites.
The
increasing prevalence of Software as a Service (SaaS), web apps and cloud
computing rather than locally-installed programs and services.
Mobile
computing,
also known as nomadicity, the trend toward users connecting from wherever they
may be. That trend is enabled by the proliferation of smartphones, tablets and
other mobile devices in conjunction with readily accessible Wi-Fi networks.
Mash-ups: Web pages or
applications that integrate complementary elements from two or more sources.
Social
networking:
The practice of expanding the number of one's business and/or social contacts
by making connections through individuals. Social networking sites include Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.
Collaborative
efforts based
on the ability to reach large numbers of participants and their collective
resources, such as crowdsourcing, crowdfunding and crowdsource testing.
User-generated
content (UGC):
Writing, images, audio and video content -- among other possibilities -- made
freely available online by the individuals who create it.
Unified
communications (UC):
The integration of multiple forms of call and multimedia/cross-media
message-management functions controlled by an individual user for both business
and social purposes.
Social
curation: The
collaborative sharing of content organized around one or more particular themes
or topics. Social content curation sites include Reddit, Digg, Pinterest and
Instagram.
Unit 3
Traditional v/s Online Journalism-difference in news consumption, Presentation and Uses
The
digital medium is one where content is totally interlinked with the product.
Reporters
at a newspaper are not really expected to know how a printing machine operates!
But in the digital space, content teams are expected to have knowledge about
how search-engines work, be receptive towards trending-topics, drive the site's
interactive elements, use multimedia tools for better packaging and in general
be aware of what goes into the management of the site.
While
a print journo will focus more on the language while framing a headline, a
digital media person will think in terms of keywords, trending topics and ease
of discovery for the user.
Writing
style
Given
that digital-content today is not only consumed on the computer, but across
multiple platforms, writers are conscious about attention spans. While a print
journalist may take pride over an elaborate article that spans over pages; in
digital, brevity is the name of the game. Writers are conscious of the fact
that their stories are being read on screens smaller than five-inches.
Some
of the crafty expressions that would be a pleasure to read in print might not
gel well with the digital consumer. Use of complicated phrases is also bad for
content discovery, as the average user searches using terms from spoken
English. For writers who switch from print to web, this is usually the biggest
aspect they find hard to unlearn.
Feedback
The
Internet is a ruthless medium and writers are usually not good at handling
criticism. But due to the two-way nature of interaction on the web, online
reporters are far more used to feedback, as compared to their print peers.
Most
online-writers begin as bloggers, so they have an appetite for making as well
as digesting nasty comments. But amidst all this commenting-noise there is also
space for healthy, constructive criticism.
Web
writers are accustomed to regular reality checks from users in case of errors
or potentially polarising points of view. And due to this continuous stream of
author-user interaction, web-writers are far more detached from their copy,
flexible in style and less emotionally invested in their story.
Need
for speed
Background
research is of top priority to any good journalist. But online writers do not
always have the luxury of time. In the era of phablets, digital teams have 24x7
access to their site. And page lineups change several times in response to
trending topics. So content that may be 'hot' in the morning might be totally
irrelevant by afternoon.
Which
is why there are cases of irresponsible reporting, based on Twitter rumours,
just to appear high on search. While basic rules of journalism do not change,
content writers in the digital space have to have a strong sense of quality
check, and constantly filter the information overload.
Convergence
Traditional
media still has the advantage of infrastructure. Digital has the power of speed
and multimedia presentation.
Unlike
print, thinking purely in terms of text doesn't work here. So whether it is
using a video from a TV bulletin or a slideshow of images, they all make for
engaging tools to hook the reader, and provide a complete audio-visual
experience. The packaging and aesthetics of the content are of supreme
importance and digital journalists think of this aspect very seriously, while
planning and publishing their story.
User
generated content
The
Internet exposes journalists to a plethora of user-generated content. At a time
when camera-phones and social-media have made citizen journalism a reality,
reporters have to pay attention to the voice of the reader.
So
while purists may find Kolaveri Di trivial, news websites cannot ignore viral
content. A print journalist may wait for viral content to become a rage, before
considering it for a story - But the online counterpart has to identify a trend
way in advance, and sense its viral potential much before mainstream media.
If
print journos have to be alert about the world around them, the ones on the web
have to be in touch with the sentiment of the online community, which can often
be very unique from the real-world-view.
Way
forward
Given
the dynamic mature of the medium, and real-time access to analytics, content
writers have to keep an eye on the performance of their story, and make tweaks
based on traffic rankings and search results. These digital media reporters
have earned their stripes in the age of social-media, where headlines are
driven by trending hash-tags. And the speed, at which you publish your story,
is almost as important as the story itself.
So
while the Internet still reports the same facts as traditional media, the ones
writing for the web care a lot more for user engagement than self-satisfying
literary indulgence.
The
digital journalist is a lot more in tune with what's on people's minds, and is
perhaps more of an opinion moderator/aggregator rather than an opinion
generator. News has become totally democratic and the digital medium is where journalists
are truly talking to the people and not 'at them'.
Online Writing & Editing: Do’s and Don’ts
Content
writing the field of content writing is unlike any other form of writing in
terms of its style, audience, and tone. This makes getting started on content
writing a tricky task. However, with the correct technique, you’ll be on the
right track in no time. Read on if you want to improve your content writing
skills.
Do
remain professional
While
it’s important to create a personable, humanized online presence to attract
customers, you don’t want to make the mistake of getting too casual. Remember
that, however laid-back your customers may appear, a few poorly chosen
statements could alienate them. Avoid swearing, slurs, or expressing personal
opinions and viewpoints outside of a business context when creating your
content. Nothing in your blog should offend your target customers.
Don’t
overdo it
Graphics
are great, but when there are too many, your blog will be like a house with too
many Christmas decorations. It will look tacky and it will load slowly. Don’t
forget that some of your clients may not have the fastest Internet speeds, and
a website that has to load too many graphics will end up discouraging potential
customers from revisiting your site. Focus on content writing, not on adding
flashy backgrounds.
Do
practice content writing
Whoever
invented the phrase “practice makes perfect” understood writing. Like anything
else, content writing takes practice. You’re already taking the first step in
improving your writing if you’re reading this blog. The next step is to
research good content writing. Write a few practice blog posts, and send them
to friends for feedback. Don’t hesitate to listen to customer feedback either.
You never know who is commenting on the blog, and he or she may just be a
professional.
Don’t
plagiarize
You
probably remember the lectures about plagiarism from your school days, but you
may not realize that those rules continue to apply. The difference is that,
when it comes to Web content, plagiarism can cost you a lot more than a passing
grade. It’s okay to hunt around websites and blogs to get ideas, but when it
comes to content development itself, you need to come up with your own
material. If you are inspired by another site, you should cite the source and
link back to the original piece. Give credit where credit is due.
Do
keep your content writing updated
Outdated
content bores readers. Make sure to update your blog regularly. Outdated
content reflects poorly on your business. It makes readers—and possible
clients—think that your business is out of touch. At the very least, readers
may think that you don’t have enough business to maintain an active blog. While
none of these assumptions may be true, you don’t want to assume that your
audience will give you the benefit of the doubt. If you’re having a tough time
content writing frequently enough to keep your site updated, it may be time to
outsource.
Don’t
repeat yourself
Your
article writing should be innovative, interesting, and fresh. Don’t just repeat
what other people are saying. The best writing is authentic and brings a new
perspective. Think about what you have shared in the past, and why you found it
useful.
BlogDefinition
A
frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links.
Information
Blogs,
or weblogs, started out as a mix of what was happening in a person’s life and
what was happening on the Web, a kind of hybrid diary/news site.
The
word “blog” is a shortened version of web logs or weblogs. Besides being
shorter and catchier, “blog” seems less likely to cause confusion, as “web log”
can also mean a server’s log files.
People
maintained blogs before the term was coined, but the trend gained momentum with
the rise of automated published systems, most notably Blogger at blogger.com,
which lowered the technical barrier to entry for formatting and organizing
posts. Now, self-hosted platforms such as WordPress offer new levels of
functionality, with a large ecosystem of talented designers and developers serving
the varied needs of millions of users.
Despite
its grassroots beginnings, blogging has also become a popular platform for
business, from companies trying to humanize their brand to solopreneurs seeking
to make a full-time income online. But with increased opportunity comes
increased competition, and it takes more to stand out now than in the early
days of blogging. Still, there are so many more people online today, so the
potential rewards are higher for bloggers who break through.
Blogging
Tools
These
are the basic blogging tools we use and 💚 at marketingterms.com
Domain
Name – Namecheap
WordPress
Hosting – WP Engine
(optional)
Page Builder – Beaver Builder
(optional)
Page Builder Addons – Ultimate Addons
To
go beyond the basics, visit the lists of WordPress and marketing tools.
RSS
RSS
is technology used to monitor rapidly changing information on the web in an
organized and user friendly way.
There
is a lot of confusion surrounding the little orange and white RSS icon that is
found all over the world on news and blog sites. People find it odd that when
you click on it, you're taken to a webpage that looks unfinished. Did the
website designers forget to do something here? In fact the opposite is true.
Putting that little orange symbol
Rss icon on a webpage is the final touch in
making website information available to everyone as soon as it is put on the
internet. The strange webpage you are taken to is written in what's called XML
code. XML is a special set of instructions to an RSS feed reader that tell it
when the information for that particular webpage has changed or been updated.
People who visit a webpage often for "up to the minute" information
use this amazing technology to bring them the
Rich
Site Summary
RSS
stands for Rich Site Summary and it is not limited to monitoring news sites. It
also allows a user to monitor blogs, Twitter or Facebook pages, financial
information, daily deals, classified sites, and government alerts to name just
a few. By posting a "feed" on their page, web site owners allow rss
readers to search their site to continuously look for fresh and new information
all the while maintaining user privacy.
Subscribe
button
Sample
Feed Button
RSS
is what brings new news to your attention.
RSS
aggregators work in any language and reach every country around the globe. If
you click on the recognizable icon found all over internet sites and see an
screen your browser can't digest, copy and past the URL into your RSS feed
reader. If you want to be an RSS subscriber, download an RSS feed reader by
doing a Google search for RSS Feed Reader. If you're a web site owner and would
like to give your users the freshest information possible download the RSS
Creation Tutorial.
Atom (Web standard)
User
interface of a feed reader
The
name Atom applies to a pair of related Web standards. The Atom Syndication
Format is an XML language used for web feeds, while the Atom Publishing
Protocol (Atom Pub or APP) is a simple HTTP-based protocol for creating and
updating web resources.
Web
feeds allow software programs to check for updates published on a website. To
provide a web feed, the site owner may use specialized software (such as a
content management system) that publishes a list (or "feed") of
recent articles or content in a standardized, machine-readable format. The feed
can then be downloaded by programs that use it, like websites that syndicate
content from the feed, or by feed reader programs that allow Internet users to
subscribe to feeds and view their content.
A
feed contains entries, which may be headlines, full-text articles, excerpts,
summaries, and/or links to content on a website along with various metadata.
The
Atom format was developed as an alternative to RSS. Ben Trott, an advocate of
the new format that became Atom, believed that RSS had limitations and
flaws—such as lack of on-going innovation and its necessity to remain backward
compatible— and that there were advantages to a fresh design.
Proponents
of the new format formed the IETF Atom Publishing Format and Protocol Workgroup.
The Atom syndication format was published as an IETF proposed standard in RFC
4287 (December 2005), and the Atom Publishing Protocol was published as RFC
5023 (October 2007).
Usage
The
blogging community uses web feeds to share recent entries' headlines, full
text, and even attached multimedia files.[2] The providers allow other websites
to incorporate a blog's "syndicated" headline or
headline-and-short-summary feeds under various usage agreements. As of 2016
people use Atom and other web-syndication formats for many purposes, including
journalism, marketing, bug-reports, or any other activity involving periodic
updates or publications. Atom also provides a standard way to export an entire
blog, or parts of it, for backup or for importing into other blogging systems.
It
is common to find web feeds on major websites, as well as on many smaller
ones.[citation needed] Some websites let people choose between RSS- or
Atom-formatted web feeds; others offer only RSS or only Atom. In particular,
many blog and wiki sites offer their web feeds in the Atom format.
A
feed reader or "aggregator" program can be used to check feeds and to
display new articles. Client-side readers may also be designed as standalone
programs or as extensions to existing programs like web browsers.
Web-based
feed readers and news aggregators require no software installation and make the
user's "feeds" available on any computer with Web access. Some
aggregators syndicate (combine) web feeds into new feeds, e.g., taking all
football-related items from several sports feeds and providing a new football
feed.
Podcasts
What’s
a podcast?
A
podcast is an audio show, usually spread across a series of episodes, which can
be downloaded from the Internet and listened to either on a computer or an Mp3
player. The term, which was coined in 2004, is portmanteau of ‘iPod’ and
‘broadcast’.
Who
makes them?
Anyone
with a computer and an Internet connection can make and freely distribute
podcasts, making it a bracingly democratic and vibrant medium. In the early
days of podcasting, it was largely an amateur concern – the Internet’s answer
to CB radio – but in the last few years dozens of major broadcasters, magazines
and news organisations have rolled out large-scale podcast operations of their
own.
Are
they free?
Yes,
almost entirely. Some podcast makers, like Marc Maron, have recently started to
charge for access to their archives, but it’s the exception rather than the
rule.
How
can I find them?
If
you've got a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to find and listen to
podcasts is through a dedicated podcasting app. Dozens are available; if you're
unsure where to start, I can recommend Pocket Casts, which is available for
iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
On
a computer, the most popular way to find and listen to podcasts is through
Apple’s iTunes software, which has a dedicated podcast section listing
thousands of different episodes and programme strands; and a built in system
for downloading episodes and transferring them to an iPod or iPhone.
Podcasts
are also widely available on the Web; typically a podcast creator will upload
their content to a website (for instance, the BBC’s podcast website), where
users can either listen online or manually download the files. A quick Google
search ("This American Life", e.g.) will usually bring up the
relevant page.
What’s
an Internet radio station?
An
Internet radio station is like a terrestrial station except that instead of
being broadcast over the airwaves it reaches listeners via the Internet. Many
Internet radio stations also broadcast conventionally in their countries of
origin and run a simultaneous Internet broadcast so that people elsewhere in
the world can tune in (Argentina’s FM Tango, for instance). There are also a
multitude of dedicated Internet radio stations, which broadcast only in
cyberspace.
Listen
to our new guide to digital radio: The Pod Couple
The
Telegraph has launched a new weekly audio guide to the best podcasts and
digital radio, hosted by our award-winning radio critic Gillian Reynolds and our
podcast expert Pete Naughton. It's called The Pod Couple and you can find it
here.
How
can I listen to Internet radio?
There
are three main ways to tune in to an Internet radio station.
Firstly,
you can visit the Website of a station; there’s usually a ‘listen now’ button
somewhere prominent on the home page, which will open up a window with a radio
player in it. There are also a variety of Websites like shoutcast.com which
allow users to browse through and listen to a large selection of different
stations.
Secondly,
there are a handful of useful radio apps for smartphones (TuneIn Radio is a
popular choice) which enable users to search a large global index of radio
stations and listen on their phones.
Thirdly,
some high-end DAB radios now also come with an Internet radio function, where
they can connect to a user’s WiFi network and stream the stations directly,
without the need for a computer.
WIKIS
DEFINITION
A
wiki (sometimes spelled "Wiki") is a server program that allows users
to collaborate in forming the content of a Web site. The term comes from the
word "wikiwiki," which means "fast" in the Hawaiian
language.
A
wiki provides a simplified interface. It is not necessary to know HTML. At any
time, contributors can review the history of the page they are working on or
preview the Web page before publishing it.
A
wiki Web site operates on a principle of collaborative trust. The simplest wiki
programs allow users to create and edit content. More advanced wikis have a
management component that allows a designated person to accept or reject
changes. The best known example of a wiki Web site is Wikipedia.
The
work “wiki” actually means “quick” or “fast” in Hawaiian. It was first used in
1994 by Ward Cunningham in Portland, Oregon. He developed his “WikiWikiWeb”
after being inspired at Honolulu International Airport by an airport employee
advising him to take the “Wiki Wiki Shuttle” between terminals; it was an
alternative to “quick,” as he wanted to avoid the phrase “quick-web.”
The
main characteristic of a Wiki is the ease with which a web page, called a “wiki
page,” can be created and edited, often accepted without review or
modification. Many wikis are open to the public and require no registration.
Some do recommend logging in to provide for a “wiki signature cookie” to
automatically sign edits. However, edits often appear in real-time. Private
wiki systems may require registration and user authentication to edit, or even
read, the content.
Wikipedia versus Britannica
There
are a number of differences between Wikipedia and Encyclopedia, though they
both perform the same duty of distributing knowledge to people. Kids of today
may not be aware of encyclopedias because of a sea of knowledge and information
available to them on the internet for free. However, not much time has passed
when parents bought encyclopedias for their kids to help them in their quest
for knowledge. The world is full of encyclopedias; some of them belonging to a
particular subject matter, while some running in volumes and being a treasure
house of knowledge of many subjects. With the advent of internet, many websites
tried to take on the mantle of encyclopedias, but none succeeded to a great
extent other than Wikipedia, which is one site that takes pride in running
without the help of any advertisement, and providing up to date information on
anything under the Sun. Let us see how Wikipedia fares against an encyclopedia.
What
is Encyclopedia britannica?
Encyclopedia
is a book or a set of books that offer information about a number of subjects.
This can also be information about different aspects of the same subject as
well. All these information is arranged in the alphabetical order. When it
comes to the encyclopedias of the world, the one people have heard the most is
Britannica. The encyclopedia Britannica, though it was compiled in 1911, is
still regarded as final, authoritative, and unmatched in terms of knowledge
that it imparts. Many of us who have been privy to Encyclopedia Britannica
remember the reverence in which it was held and how much importance, even
teachers have attached to the information contained in it.
What
is Wikipedia?
Wikipedia
is a nonprofit organization that is totally dependent upon contributions from
readers as they are the creators of all that is there on the website. All
information inside Wikipedia is for everyone, and people have the liberty to
edit and put updated information on any webpage of the site. This is enough to
put doubts in the minds of readers as to the extent up to which they can rely
on such information. But, Wikipedia tries to put to rest all such doubts by
saying that there are editors that verify the information submitted and thus,
the information is not wrong at all.
Wikipedia
vs Encyclopedia
However,
there is no denying of the facts that, in today’s world, where internet is the
best medium for dissemination of knowledge, to even think of encyclopedias
getting the kind of readership that Wikipedia is enjoying (2.5 billion page
views per month) is ridiculous. Also, the fact that Wikipedia is growing by the
minute and today contains more than 4, 733, 235 articles (2015) in English
Wikipedia is astounding. Also, these articles contain much more than what
Britannica has to offer to the readers. It is also a fact that Wikipedia is the
easiest of the sources to look up for information on anything under the sun
rather than trying to find that information in any other encyclopedia.
What
is the difference between Wikipedia and Encyclopedia britannica?
•
Wikipedia is a sea of information that is being contributed by readers present
in all parts of the world, and the content on the site is growing by the
minute.
•
Encyclopedias are literary works that are definitive and authoritative, which
cannot be said about Wikipedia. Especially, in the academic world, though
encyclopedias are accepted as sources, Wikipedia is not accepted as a reliable
source.
•
Wikipedia is easily available to all, and anyone can edit and update the
information, which is not possible in the case of encyclopedias.
•
Though Britannica is trying hard to fight a battle of readership with an online
version and even CD’s and DVD’s of Britannica being available apart from the
regular hard copy, it is a foregone conclusion that Wikipedia is going to
emerge victorious.
•
Wikipedia is free. That means, if you have an internet connection, you do not
have to pay to use Wikipedia. However, you have to pay to use an encyclopedia.
To use one, you have to buy one. Even if you use a library book, the library
has already paid to purchase the book. Also, online versions too charge money
for subscriptions.
•
Wikipedia is found only as an internet encyclopedia while other encyclopedias
are available as hard copies and internet sources.
Photo Sharing
It’s
quite straight forward really. Instead of people publishing pictures in hard
copy and exhibiting to friends over a cup of tea, photo sharing websites allow
users to upload their images to share with their online friends, or indeed the
entire web.
Photo
sharing has been around since the 90s
Whatever
device was used to capture the image, users can publish anything.
Photo
sharing has been around since the 90s. However, in recent years, with the
proliferation of cheap digital cameras and high-spec camera phones, websites
specifically developed for uploading and sharing have become more popular.
Young
people in particular are keen users of digital photography. Many teens like
taking pictures of socialising with friends and share the images online through
social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.
Most
photo sharing sites are free to use and offer plenty of handy tools.
Users
can edit, crop and group images together on many of the websites as well as put
together slide shows and other display options.
Photo
Sharing: the Most Popular Websites?
Here
is a list of some of the most popular and widely-used photo sharing websites:
Flickr: Flickr is
perhaps the most popular photo sharing website around. It’s probably one of the
oldest too, having been on the go since photo sharing became popular. It allows
users to join groups similar to their interests in order to share images and
there is a big focus tagging
Picassa: This is
Google’s photo sharing offering. It’s easy to use for Google Mail subscribers
and offers many of the same things as the other sites. It also offers users the
chance to upgrade their package to have more space and editing tools in return
for a fee
PhotoBucket: According to
some, the most popular photo sharing site in the US, PhotoBucket is fast
becoming popular in Europe. The site has many of the same features but also
includes instant chat options and operates closer to the way traditional social
networking websites do
Instagram: Instagram is
perhaps the fastest growing photo sharing website. It is popular with Twitter and
Facebook users in particular as it allows people to upload to their profiles.
It works well on mobile platforms. Instagram also has good and easy-to-use
editing tools which makes it popular
Photo
Sharing: the Risks?
Photo
sharing websites come under the social networking umbrella. They are similar to
the Facebooks and Bebos of the internet, in that they allow people to connect
and share online.
However,
as with social networking, photo sharing also presents many of the same risks
for users, particularly young people.
Privacy
is perhaps one of the biggest risks with photo sharing websites.
Privacy
is perhaps the biggest risks with photo sharing
While
there are privacy settings, many pictures posted can be accessed, downloaded,
copied and edited by anyone.
Teens
can sometimes forget that what they post is essentially a form of publishing
and, unless profiles are set to private, anyone can view the pictures.
Often,
teens post too much personal information online and some photos can be very
revealing in terms of information we would rather not release publicly.
Unfortunately,
there are unscrupulous people who trawl the internet searching for vulnerable
people and sometimes photo sharing websites are targeted, as with most social
networking websites.
Cyberbullying
has also found a home on photo sharing websites and with the proliferation of
camera phones, bullies are now capable of posting embarrassing pictures of
people online without their authorisation.
And
the very nature of photo sharing means that pictures can be spread across the
internet very quickly, which means maximum psychological damage for victims.
As
well as this, there can also be content on some photo sharing websites that we
would prefer young people did not see.
Despite
the existence of filters on photo sharing websites, not all filters are 100 per
cent accurate and often some images of an explicit nature can find their way
online.
Podcasting
Podcasting
is the preparation and distribution of audio files using RSS to the computers
of subscribed users. These files may then be uploaded to digital music or
multimedia players like the iPod. A podcast can be easily created from a
digital audio file. The podcaster first saves the file as an MP3 and then
uploads it to the Web site of a service provider. The MP3 file gets its own
URL, which is inserted into an RSS XML document as an enclosure within an XML
tag.
Once
a podcast has been created, it can be registered with content aggregators, such
as podcasting.net or ipodder.org, for inclusion in podcast directories. People
can browse through the categories or subscribe to specific podcast RSS feeds
which will download to their audio players automatically when they next
connect. Although podcasts are generally audio files created for digital music
players, the same technology can be used to prepare and transmit images, text,
and video to any capable device.
Podcasting
has been likened to TiVo because it allows users to listen to their selected
podcasts whenever they like, similarly to the way time-shifting lets viewers
watch television programs when it suits them. Furthermore, because of the
portability of the player devices, users can listen to audio files from the
Internet as they go about their daily activities - for example, listening to a
news blog entry while at the gym, commuting, or just walking around.
Content
producers are increasingly turning to podcasting as an inexpensive and
user-friendly new distribution channel that has the potential to reach a large
audience. Not surprisingly, musicians and bloggers are prevalent among the
early adopters, but mainstream media organizations, including ZDNet and
National Public Radio (NPR), are beginning to venture into podcasting as well.
Video podcasts
Dead
End Days (2003–2004) is commonly believed to be the first video podcast. That
serialized dark comedy about zombies was broadcast from 31 October 2003 through
2004.
Since
the spread of the Internet and the use of Internet broadband connection TCP,
which helps to identify various applications, a faster connection to the
Internet has been created and a wide amount of communication has been created.
Video podcasts have become extremely popular online and are often presented as
short video clips, usually excerpts of a longer recording. Video clips are
being used on pre-established websites, and increasing numbers of websites are
being created solely for the purpose of hosting video clips and podcasts. Video
podcasts are being streamed on intranets and extranets, and private and public
networks, and are taking communication through the Internet to new levels.
Most
video clips are now submitted and produced by individuals. Video podcasts are
also being used for web television, commonly referred to as Web TV, a rapidly
growing genre of digital entertainment that uses various forms of new media to
deliver to an audience both reruns of shows or series and content created or
delivered originally online via broadband and mobile networks, web television
shows, or web series. Examples include Amazon Video, Hulu, and Netflix. Other
types of video podcasts used for web television may be short-form, anywhere
from 2–9 minutes per episode, typically used for advertising, video blogs,
amateur filming, journalism, and convergence with traditional media.
Video
podcasting is also helping build businesses, especially in the sales and
marketing sectors. Through video podcasts, businesses both large and small can
advertise their wares and services in a modern, cost-effective way. In the
past, big businesses had better access to expensive studios where sophisticated
advertisements were produced, but now even the smallest businesses can create
high-quality media with just a camera, editing software, and the Internet.
In
a two-year study, 2012-2013, conducted by a South African university a question
was raised; over the years of podcast development, is podcasting socially
inclusive. The results of this study concluded with minor quarks, podcasting is
socially inclusive.
Screencasts
A
screen cast is a narrated video recording of your computer screen. Unlike a
video recording of a classroom lecture, in a screen cast the person giving the
lecture is not the primary visual focus — rather, their presentation material
is the primary visual focus.
A
screen cast can comprise anything from still images (for example, slides
containing text or photographs) to full motion (for example, the movement of
your mouse cursor, drawing or writing on slide, video clips from lab
demonstrations, and so on). Screen casts can be enhanced with the inclusion of
"call outs" (such as arrows or circles that emphasize certain parts
of the screen image) or title cards (which are slides with text that introduce
a new section of the screen cast).
The
benefits of screen casts
Free
up class time
Screen
casts can allow you to deliver content outside of class, which means that class
time can be spent on more productive and interactive learning activities. This
is called flipping the classroom.
Screen
casts also allow instructors to deliver course content that they don't want to
cover during class. For example, after giving your students a test, you might
not want to spend an hour going over the test questions to explain the correct
solutions. Instead, you could create a screencast that explained the solutions,
which your students could watch (and re-watch) at their convenience. Using
screen casts in this way can also help students catch up on remedial content.
For example, the instructor of a history course might find that many of their
students don't know how to properly reference sources. Instead of covering this
remedial content in class, it is delivered via a screen cast that is accessed
by those students who need it.
Increase
access
Screen
casts allow students to access the content from any location and whenever they
need it. They can watch screen casts multiple times. They can review them prior
to final examinations.
Screen
casts can also benefit students whose first language is not English (they can
watch the screen cast multiple times, and you can include captions with your
screencast), and for students with certain learning disabilities.
Unit 4Cybercrime
Cybercrime,
or computer oriented crime, is crime that involves a computer and a network.
The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the
target. Cybercrimes can be defined as: "Offences that are committed
against individuals or groups of individuals with a criminal motive to
intentionally harm the reputation of the victim or cause physical or mental
harm, or loss, to the victim directly or indirectly, using modern
telecommunication networks such as Internet (networks including but not limited
to Chat rooms, emails, notice boards and groups) and mobile phones
(Bluetooth/SMS/MMS)". Cybercrime may threaten a person or a nation's
security and financial health.[4] Issues surrounding these types of crimes have
become high-profile, particularly those surrounding hacking, copyright
infringement, unwarranted mass-surveillance, sextortion, child pornography, and
child grooming. There are also problems of privacy when confidential
information is intercepted or disclosed, lawfully or otherwise. Debarati Halder
and K. Jaishankar further define cybercrime from the perspective of gender and
defined 'cybercrime against women' as "Crimes targeted against women with
a motive to intentionally harm the victim psychologically and physically, using
modern telecommunication networks such as internet and mobile phones".[3]
Internationally, both governmental and non-state actors engage in cybercrimes,
including espionage, financial theft, and other cross-border crimes.
Cybercrimes crossing international borders and involving the actions of at
least one nation state is sometimes referred to as cyberwarfare.
A
report (sponsored by McAfee) estimates that the annual damage to the global
economy is at $445 billion; however, a Microsoft report shows that such
survey-based estimates are "hopelessly flawed" and exaggerate the
true losses by orders of magnitude.[third-party source needed] Approximately
$1.5 billion was lost in 2012 to online credit and debit card fraud in the US.
In 2016, a study by Juniper Research estimated that the costs of cybercrime
could be as high as 2.1 trillion by 2019.
Types of Cyber Crimes
Computer
Intrusion
Computer
intrusion is any malicious activity that harms a computer, or causes a computer
or a computer network to work in an unexpected manner. These attacks involves
spreading of virus, denial of services or exploitation of the operating system
or a software feature.
Social
Engineering
The
term “social Engineering” means to fool a user by sending him an email or
calling him to provide confidential data like passwords etc.
Masquerading
In
this type of attack a system is fooled into giving access by sending a TCP
Packet that has a forged source address which makes the packet appears to come
from a trusted host.
Denial
of Service (DOS Attack)
This
type of attack intent is to make resources or service unavailable to its
intended users. Such DOS attacks are carried out on websites to stop them from
functioning.
Smurf
Attack
This
attack generates large amount of traffic on a victims network, which causes the
network to crash. Smurf Attack is a type of DOS attack.
Fraggle
Attach
It
is a type of DOS attach where the attacker sends a large amount of UDP echo
traffic to IP broadcast addresses.
Email
Bombing
Email
bombing means sending thousands of email to a victim causing the victim’s mail
account or mail server to crash.
Logic
Bomb
A
logic Bomb is an event driver attack. This type of attack activates only if
certain even occurs.
Salami
Attack
This
type of attack is carried out for financial gains. In Salami Attack, the key is
to make changes so small that in a single case it can go unnoticed. For instance,
a bank employee deducts 2 Dollars from every single customer or transaction.
The customer is unlikely to notice the change but the employee gets a fortune.
What is cyber security?
Cyber
security comprises technologies, processes and controls that are designed to
protect systems, networks and data from cyber attacks.
Effective
cyber security reduces the risk of cyber attacks, and protects organisations
and individuals from the unauthorised exploitation of systems, networks and
technologies.
What
are the consequences of a cyber attack?
Cyber
attacks can disrupt and cause considerable financial and reputational damage to
even the most resilient organisation.
If
you suffer a cyber attack, you stand to lose assets, reputation and business,
and potentially face regulatory fines and litigation – as well as the costs of
remediation.
The
cyber threats organisations face
Although
larger organisations tend to have a realistic appreciation of the cyber threats
they face, many small to medium-sized enterprises are unclear about the ways in
which they’re vulnerable, and as many as 45% mistakenly think they’re not a
viable target.
In
fact, all Internet-facing organisations are at risk of attack. And it’s not a
question of if you’ll be attacked, but when you’ll be attacked. The majority of
cyber attacks are automated and indiscriminate, exploiting known
vulnerabilities rather than targeting specific organisations. Your organisation
could be being breached right now and you might not even be aware.
Creating
a solid cyber security foundation
The
most effective strategy to mitigate and minimise the effects of a cyber attack
is to build a solid foundation upon which to grow your cyber security
technology stack.
Solution
providers often tell their clients their applications are 100% compatible and
will operate seamlessly with the current IT infrastructure, and for the most
part, this is true. The problem arises when we start adding IT security
solutions from different manufacturers regardless of the granularity of their
configuration settings – technology gaps will always be present.
And
technology gaps will always appear for one simple reason: developers will
always keep certain portions of their code proprietary as part of their
competitive advantage. Hence, true compatibility and interoperability may only
be 90%. These are known as technology gaps. It is through these gaps that
attacks usually occur.
A
solid cyber security foundation will identify these gaps and propose the
appropriate action to take to mitigate the risk of an attack.
A
solid foundation provides organisations the confidence to build their cyber
security strategies.
Cyber Laws & Ethics and the difficulty in enforcing them
What
is Cyber Law?
According
to Wikipedia, “Cyber law or Internet law is a term that encapsulates the legal
issues related to use of the Internet. It is less a distinct field of law than
intellectual property or contract law, as it is a domain covering many areas of
law and regulation. Some leading topics include internet access and usage,
privacy, freedom of expression, and jurisdiction”.
In
other words, Cyber law can be considered as a part of the overall legal system
that deals with the Internet, E-commerce, digital contracts, electronic
evidence, cyberspace, and their respective legal issues. Cyber law covers a
fairly broad area, encompassing several subtopics including freedom of
expression, data protection, data security, digital transactions, electronic
communication, access to and usage of the Internet, and online privacy.
The
Indian Information Technology Act was passed in 2000 (“IT Act”). On the other
hand most of the companies are still uninformed of the strict provisions of the
law. The rising use of Information and Communication Technology has given go up
to serious compliance concerns, which if unnoticed may attract various civil
and criminal sanctions.
All
the companies who are connected cyber business are required to fulfill with the
requirements of the law. There are quite a few cyber law firms in India that
has given so much for the growth and development of cyber law of India.
Cyber Ethics
1.
Thou
shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
2.
Thou
shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper
compensation.
3.
Thou shalt not appropriate other people's
intellectual output.
4.
Thou
shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the
system you are designing.
5.
Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that
ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.
6.
Thou
shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
7.
Thou
shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
8.
Thou
shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.
9.
Thou
shalt not use a computer to steal.
10.
Thou
shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
Limitations of law enforcement in fighting cyber crime
The
FBI recently broke up the largest cybercrime ring in history when more than two
dozen people were arrested in the United States and around the world in a sting
operation dubbed “Operation Card Shop.”
Federal
authorities cracked down on online financial fraud, in which suspects allegedly
stole credit card and banking data, and exchanged it with each other over the
internet, a practice known as “carding.”
The
bust came on the heels of another takedown earlier this year when the
Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit, along with U.S. marshals and a consortium of
financial services security firms, orchestrated a high-profile and successful
strike against a significant cybercrime operation that may have taken more than
$100 million from tens of thousands of people. Known as “Operation B71,” the
bust made headlines by taking out servers and computers infected with the Zeus
malware.
On
the surface, these recent activities appear to support the idea that the good
guys are making progress in the fight against cybercrime. But a closer
inspection of the complaints highlight the limitations of law enforcement and
the existing legal code as an effective weapon.
The
effort needs to shift from what happens once fraud has been perpetrated to
prevention of the crime in the first place. And that requires an entirely new
skill-set.
Elements
& Principles of Web Designing
What
is Web Design?
Design
is the process of collecting ideas, and aesthetically arranging and
implementing them, guided by certain principles for a specific purpose. Web
design is a similar process of creation, with the intention of presenting the
content on electronic web pages, which the end-users can access through the
internet with the help of a web browser.
Elements of Web Design
Web
design uses many of the same key visual elements as all types of design such
as:
Layout: This is the way
the graphics, ads and text are arranged. In the web world, a key goal is to
help the view find the information they seek at a glance. This includes
maintaining the balance, consistency, and integrity of the design.
Colour: The choice of
colours depends on the purpose and clientele; it could be simple
black-and-white to multi-coloured design, conveying the personality of a person
or the brand of an organization, using web-safe colours.
Graphics: Graphics can
include logos, photos, clipart or icons, all of which enhance the web design.
For user friendliness, these need to be placed appropriately, working with the
colour and content of the web page, while not making it too congested or slow
to load.
Fonts: The use of various fonts can enhance a
website design. Most web browsers can only read a select number of fonts, known
as "web-safe fonts", so your designer will generally work within this
widely accepted group.
Content: Content and
design can work together to enhance the message of the site through visuals and
text. Written text should always be relevant and useful, so as not to confuse
the reader and to give them what they want so they will remain on the site.
Content should be optimized for search engines and be of a suitable length,
incorporating relevant keywords.
Principal of Web Design
Besides
the basic elements of web design that make a site beautiful and visually
compelling, a website must also always consider the end user. User-friendliness
can be achieved by paying attention to the following factors.
Navigation: Site
architecture, menus and other navigation tools in the web design must be
created with consideration of how users browse and search. The goal is to help
the user to move around the site with ease, efficiently finding the information
they require.
Multimedia: Relevant video
and audio stimuli in the design can help users to grasp the information,
developing understanding in an easy and quick manner. This can encourage
visitors to spend more time on the webpage.
Compatibility: Design the
webpage, to perform equally well on different browsers and operating systems,
to increase its viewing.
Technology: Advancements in
technology give designers the freedom to add movement and innovation, allowing
for web design that is always fresh, dynamic and professional.
Interactive: Increase active
user participation and involvement, by adding comment boxes and opinion polls
in the design. Convert users from visitors to clients with email forms and
newsletter sign-ups.
Toronto
web design professionals create excellent User Interface (UI) Design for a
satisfying web experience. They use critical planning and analysis for the
design and they pay attention to individual client specifications, converting
the intricate process into a simple and elegant piece of art.
Basic Programming for Web Designing-- HTML
Web Programming
Definition -
What does Web Programming mean?
Web programming
refers to the writing, markup and coding involved in Web development, which
includes Web content, Web client and server scripting and network security. The
most common languages used for Web programming are XML, HTML, JavaScript, Perl
5 and PHP. Web programming is different from just programming, which requires
interdisciplinary knowledge on the application area, client and server
scripting, and database technology.
Web programming
can be briefly categorized into client and server coding. The client side needs
programming related to accessing data from users and providing information. It
also needs to ensure there are enough plug ins to enrich user experience in a
graphic user interface, including security measures.
1.
To
improve user experience and related functionalities on the client side,
JavaScript is usually used. It is an excellent client-side platform for
designing and implementing Web applications.
2.
HTML5
and CSS3 supports most of the client-side functionality provided by other
application frameworks.
The server side
needs programming mostly related to data retrieval, security and performance.
Some of the tools used here include ASP, Lotus Notes, PHP, Java and MySQL.
There are certain tools/platforms that aid in both client- and server-side
programming. Some examples of these are Opa and Tersus.
HTML : How to start in
HTML and web design
Getting Started
HyperText Markup
Language (HTML) is the primary building block of creating a website. HTML is a
very basic markup language and requires memorization of a few dozen HTML
commands that structure the look and layout of a web page. Before writing any
HTML code or designing your first web page, you must decide on an HTML editor
or text editor, such as Notepad or WordPad.
Once you have
obtained an HTML editor and are ready to begin setting up your website, think
about how you want the site to look and be set up. Consider even drawing out
your ideas, to help visualize the site and pages in the site. Below are some
considerations to think about when designing your web page.
How are you
going to store all the files? Are all the files going to be in the same folder
or directory? If you plan on having lots of different pictures and files, it's
recommended that you store the pages, files, and pictures in separate
directories.
Are the HTML
files going to be stored as .HTM or .HTML files? There is no advantage or
disadvantage of going with .htm or .html. However, it is a good idea to stick
with the same extension.
Do you plan on
having a template for the pages? Are all the pages going to have the overall
same look and feel?
How is the
navigation going to be handled? Do you feel its better for the navigation menu
to be on the left, bottom, or top of each page?
Tip: Realize
that your web page is going to change over time as you find things that do not
work. Over the life time of the Computer Hope website, we have changed our
complete site several dozen times.
Writing basic HTML
After installing
an HTML editor and setting up a folder, you are ready to begin creating your
page. Begin by creating a file named index.htm or index.html as your start
page. All servers on the Internet look for an index file if no file is
specified. For example, when typing https://www.computerhope.com, the server is
really accessing the https://www.computerhope.com/index.htm address.
Once you have
created the index.htm or index.html file and it is open in your HTML editor, we
recommend inserting the below source code into your page. If your HTML editor
automatically places HTML code into your page or you have a WYSIWYG editor, you
can skip this step.
The above code
is a very basic example of the code that helps make up every web page. As you
can see, the code starts with <html>, which is defining that everything
within <html> is HTML code. Next, you have <head>, which is
defining the heading of your HTML document. Third, we have the <title>
section within <head>, which defines the web page title that is displayed
at the top of the Internet browser window. Finally, the <body> section
contains what is shown on the web page.
Below is
additional code that can be placed in the <body> section of the code to
help familiarize you with some of the most commonly used HTML commands.
As you can see
from looking at the above code, you will realize that the basic HTML commands
are fairly simple to use. First, we start off with <center>, which is
telling the browser to center the information within these tags. Next, the
<h1> or heading one statement tells the browser to display the text in
the largest heading style. Next, the <hr> tag tells the browser to
display a line straight across the screen. The third line contains <br>
that creates a line break on the page. Next, the <p> is short for
"paragraph" and helps separate the text on the page. Next, the
<b> tag is short for bold and will bold the text contained within the
tag. Next, the <ul> starts a bullet list and each bullet is represented
by the <li> tag. Finally, the "<a href" tag is a method of
creating a link to another location. In this example, we are creating a
bulleted list of links to Computer Hope and Google.
Please Add your comment
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please share your views