Hw Assignment 17

wireframe- a skeletal three dimensional model in which only lines and vertices are represented

module- any of a number of distinct but interrelated units from which a program may be built up or into which a complex activity may be analyzed

HTML- Hypertext Markup Language, a standardized system for tagging text files to achieve font, color, graphic, and hyperlink effects on World Wide Web pages

hypertext- a software system that links topics on the screen to related information and graphics, which are typically accessed by a point-and-click method

bookmark- a record of the address of a file, web page, or other data used to enable quick access by a user

I used the Dictionary application for Mac OS to find all of the definitions here.

Hw Assignment 16

According to Reuters' Twitter to Launch Business Tools by Year-End article on Wired.com, Twitter hopes to capitalize on it's new found popularity by charging advertisers and adding simple business tools to its interface.

I think it will be smart to pay attention to what Twitter does in the next year.  If it does succeed in its aim, we will observe many more copy-cats applying the same planning to their sites.  It will be interesting to see if they are able to apply a business model to their site, considering that there was no preplanning for such a thing in the first place.




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Hw Assignment 15

hacker- a person who uses computers to gain unauthorized access to data

computer virus- a piece of code that is capable of copying itself and typically has a detrimental effect, such as corrupting the system or destroying data

spyware- software that self-installs on computers and tracks the user's Internet use, mainly for marketing purposes

phishing- the activity of defrauding an online account holder of financial information by posing as a legitimate company

encryption- to convert (information or data) into a cipher or code, esp. to prevent unauthorized access

I used the Dictionary application for Mac OS to find all of the definitions here.

Hw Assignment 14

In John C. Abell's Teens Love Aggregation and 'Free', Newspaper Study Finds article on Wired.com, we "find" that internet era teens like things free, short, and simple.  They enjoy things like visual hierarchy, eye-friendly page layouts, easy usability, non-clutter, short summaries, and categories.   They view news as a commodity and are indifferent to news brands.

I'm not quite sure how this information would be a surprise to anyone.  Other than teens viewing news as something that can be found anywhere, all the other features mentioned in the previous paragraph, are things that everyone is generally interested in.  People like not having to scroll forever in hopes of finding something  of importance amongst a cluttered stream of screaming ads and tables.  Since many of us (in class) have either built, will build, or work for someone building a site or page, these may be things we might want to keep in mind.

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Hw Assignment 13

dataveillance- the extraction of private information about a people or groups from algorithmic study of the residue of their various electronic and digital transactions and activities

hierarchy- a system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority

server- a computer or computer program that manages access to a centralized resource or service in a network

network- a number of interconnected computers, machines, or operations

weblog- (blog) a Web site on which an individual or group of users produces an ongoing narrative


I used the Dictionary application for Mac OS to find all of the definitions here.

Hw Assignment 12

In the Find lost Web Pages article on Wired.com, we are given quite a few methods and free services that help find pages that are bogged down or have been removed from the internet.   These include Coral Cache, Google Cache, Internet Archive, and the Wayback Machine.  The article also lists to web-based bookmarking services (Ma.gnolia and Del.icio.us) that have page caching features available.

These can be useful in accessing more information over the internet, looking at the changes in web design over the years, and elevating your hassle as you "surf the web."  Also, if you did not know about internet caching before, this is a great start.

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Hw Assignment 11

information technology- the study or use of systems (esp. computers and telecommunications) for storing, retrieving, and sending information

technology transfer- the transfer of new technology from the originator to a secondary user, esp. from developed to less developed countries in an attempt to boost their economies

infowar- hostile actions against an enemy's information infrastructure

web site- a location connected to the Internet that maintains one or more pages on the World Wide Web

database- a structured set of data held in a computer, esp. one that is accessible in various ways



I used the Dictionary application for Mac OS to find all of the definitions here.

Hw Assignment 10

CUNY’s "Security Awareness Training" gives a breakdown of the dangers facing your computer and personal information on the Internet. It also gives commonsense tips on the measures that can be taken to protect such data. These run the gamut of everything from filtering spam to spyware blockers. At the end you are given a quiz to test your knowledge. There are also glossary and resource links that could prove useful.

I feel that this is a possible asset to everyone, even if you already know the information that is being provided. Unfortunately, a lot of other students do not know the ramifications of clicking on spam links and we (just as much as them) have to live with possibly infected lab computers and the like. Also, I think this inadvertently brings up an unethical data and market research collecting issue. Companies we may or may not work for in the future could in fact be using these methods to target consumers. It could prove helpful to start thinking of other alternatives now.

http://www.enterprisetraining.com/cunycourse.htm

Hw Assignment 9

proliferation- rapid increase in numbers

hodgepodge- a confused mixture

social network- a social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values, visions, ideas, financial exchange, friendship, sexual relationships, kinship, dislike, conflict or trade.

denigrate- criticize unfairly; disparage

proselytize- convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another

I used the Dictionary application for Mac OS to find most of the definitions here. Social Network however, was found through Wikipedia.

Hw Assignment 8

Brad Stone’s New York Times article Tracking Hate 2.0 on the Web, touches on a subject we tend to forget about when looking at the networking opportunities provided Web 2.0 services. Hate groups have been using websites like YouTube, Facebook, and Myspace as a marketing tool in hopes of getting new recruits.

A lot of the articles I have been looking at over the last few weeks have mostly focused on the positive attributes and potential uses of Web 2.0 services for broadening companies. I find it interesting that sites like Yahoo aren’t the only ones looking at the opportunities available.

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Hw Assignment 7

Steven Jobs- Ceo of Apple Inc.

counterintuitive- contrary to intuition or to common-sense expectation (but often nevertheless true)

Twitter- a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates

Zillow- allows users to see the value of millions of homes across the United States, not just those up for sale and it offers several unique features including value changes of each home in a given time frame (such as 1, 5, or 10 years), aerial views of homes, and prices of homes in the area

interface- a device or program enabling a user to communicate with a computer

I used Wikipedia for most of the defined words. For the others, such as, interface and counterintuitive, I used the Dictionary Application for Mac OS… That Zillow site sounds a bit scary.

Hw Assignment 6

John Markoff’s article On a Small Screen, Just the Salient Stuff, speaks on the iPhone’s success being due to the reconfiguration of sites to fit its screen.

“By stripping down the Web site interface to the most basic functions, site designers can focus the user’s attention and offer relevant information without distractions.”

If only site designers would take this simple approach to web design regardless of screen size. Quality over quantity would be a savior to my eyes (that’s for sure!) This is something a lot of major company’s sites forget in user experience.



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Hw Assignment 5

venture capitalists- people who invest in a project in which there is a substantial element of risk, typically a new or expanding business

widget- a component of a user interface that operates in a particular way

industrial-strength- very strong or powerful

module- any of a number of distinct but interrelated units from which a program may be built up or into which a complex activity may be analyzed

application- a program or piece of software designed and written to fulfill a particular purpose of the user : a database application

Much to my surprise I found all of these definitions using the Dictionary application on the Mac OS operating system.

Hw Assignment 4

Saul Hansell’s New York Times article, Web 2.0 Gets Big – and Corporate, we find that major companies with complex websites are looking to redevelop said sites for similarly interactive features seen in Web 2.0 concepts.

This can be important to pay attention to as we develop our own websites. If Web 2.0 user customization and interactivity is here to stay, we may have to consider that in the planning and creation of our services.

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Hw assignment 3

Motoko Rich’s The Future of Reading: In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update follows a school librarian (a dying breed) as she updates her library and reaches out to students and teachers alike in hopes of keeping their interest in reading and enabling their ability to check the sources of information found on the internet.

“Soon Ms. Rosalia progressed to teaching students how to ask more sophisticated questions during research projects, how to decode Internet addresses and how to assess the authors and biases of a Web site’s content... ‘We are teaching them how to think. But sometimes the Board of Ed seems to want them to learn how to fill in little bubbles.’”

I think that this article is important because usually when checking the Internet for information, we tend to just look through “credible sources” without thinking about what criteria their credibility is being judged. If we are going to be posting information up we should not only be thinking of whether it is correct or not, but also see if it is biased or spun. The other thing gathered from this article is knowing that a librarian is a great updated resource we often forget about.

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Hw assignment 2

dot-com bubble burst- when a bunch of seemingly successful web-based businesses failed in Fall 2001

shakeout- term used to describe the unsuccessful and foolhardy businesses that are thrown to the wayside during industry fluctuations

Web 2.0- standards and approach used by post-crash thriving websites

Buzzword- a stylish or trendy word or phrase

mashup- a web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool

platform- provides a structural representation of the document, enabling you to modify its content and visual presentation. Essentially, it connects web pages to scripts or programming languages.

Web Interaction design- aims to minimize the learning curve and to increase accuracy and efficiency of a task without diminishing usefulness; the objective is to reduce frustration and increase user productivity and satisfaction.

standards-based presentation-

Document Object Model- provides a structural representation of the document, enabling you to modify its content and visual presentation. Essentially, it connects web pages to scripts or programming languages.

algorithmic data- is a procedure used to solve a mathematical or computational problem or to address a data processing issue. In the latter sense, an algorithm is a set of step-by-step commands or instructions designed to reach a particular goal.

To get these definitions, I simply placed the terms in to the Google search engine followed by the word “definition” and sometimes (if needed) “web.” The only one I had problems with is standards-based presentation.