I find that it is hard to get a hang of Google Sites. I have been exploring and exploring but have not found what I am looking for exactly. There are many options to design a site and make it successful. I just find it difficult to figure out all the functions and how to utilize them the right way. It is a good tool to use but there is a lot of exploring to do with it to make the site work. I know what I want to do with my site but I cannot figure how to put it into full effect using Google Sites.
I am still working on getting it all together. I found myself at a loss because my group members were not responsive. But I did seek help and will be using that help to fix my project to the best of my ability. I am going to redesign the site to what I believe will be the best functional way for it to be accessed and utilized.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Privacy issues
From Boyd's reading I found that the potential ability to reconstruct a user's social security number by knowing their birthdate and place of birth was interesting. Most people generously give out their information on social networking sites because it is asked for. They do not think about the simple possibility that their social security number could be obtained by that information. The more we provide the more we expose ourselves to identity theft.
The social network that I currently use is Facebook. I do have a Myspace still but I cannot remember the last time I used it. I switched over from Myspace because it became less appealing to others even though I liked the concept of making the backgrounds. Facebook became more popular and a lot of my friends began to use it so there was the turning point for me. On Facebook there is the privacy settings that they allow you to change to your own preference. I have utilized this function to make my profile the way I want it to be seen and viewed by others. One thing I noted was that when they created a new system for privacy settings it wiped out the previous settings I had.
In Boyd and Ellison's reading they stated that in 2005 a study that was conducted by Gross and Acquisti they studied 4,000 Carnegie Mellon University Facebook profiles. This is when they found that social security numbers could easily be reconstructed. If this was an immediate threat Facebook should have been addressed and sent a message to its users concerning their privacy. For myself I know I do not provide my full birth year and currently have all my information in different places I am not from. This way it is hard for others to find me.
The social network that I currently use is Facebook. I do have a Myspace still but I cannot remember the last time I used it. I switched over from Myspace because it became less appealing to others even though I liked the concept of making the backgrounds. Facebook became more popular and a lot of my friends began to use it so there was the turning point for me. On Facebook there is the privacy settings that they allow you to change to your own preference. I have utilized this function to make my profile the way I want it to be seen and viewed by others. One thing I noted was that when they created a new system for privacy settings it wiped out the previous settings I had.
In Boyd and Ellison's reading they stated that in 2005 a study that was conducted by Gross and Acquisti they studied 4,000 Carnegie Mellon University Facebook profiles. This is when they found that social security numbers could easily be reconstructed. If this was an immediate threat Facebook should have been addressed and sent a message to its users concerning their privacy. For myself I know I do not provide my full birth year and currently have all my information in different places I am not from. This way it is hard for others to find me.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Website Redesign Part 3
This site is not too difficult to navigate but is poorly designed. Their flow does not work well and they are in desperate need of a navigation bar and search tool. All of the links are located underneath the description of the homepage. These links centered in the middle of the page lead you to different parts of the site. They are only one click away but can be organized and utilized better using a navigation bar.
There are a few links that direct you to different sites, but they are related to what the site does. There is also a Google search tool located at the bottom of the page. The page itself I feel needs its own search tool to allow users to find what they are looking for easier. With alignment and proximity this site can be more appealing to the eye and can be easily navigated.
Website Redesign Part 2
Tollet and Williams design principles consist of "CARP" Contrast, Alignment, Repetition and Proximity. On this site Alignment is definitely a problem. There are certain areas that are aligned to the right and centered. On the homepage they centered their links that lead you to other pages with information. They need to choose one alignment and use it for the entire page. Here you can see that the person who designed the page was trying to add a nice aspect by centering the links. This does not work well for the websites because the links should be categorized differently and used at the top of the page in a toolbar style.
They lack proximity on certain pages. The spacing should be done differently on certain pages that involve visuals of the missing persons’. It would be easier to navigate with the eye if things were linked in different ways. Keeping headlines close with the information that should be read is something to the site should work on as well.
As far as repetition the page has one visual that is used throughout the website. This visual does not change according to the page. It stays the same and there are no additions to it to connect it with the link chosen. Adding more visual or changing the visual at hand and enhancing it will make the webpage more appealing to the viewer and look more professional.
Contrast is something that should be worked on for this site. Their few primary colors being used throughout the site are okay but can use some work. As far as the focal point here it is the main visual that is in a box. This visual should be taken out of that box and made bigger to catch eyes. Removing the box will create less clutter.
Website Redesign Part 1
This website is for an organization called For the Lost. They intend on informing people of the Lost and their cases. This is an organization that is devoted to missing persons’ cases. Here the members help work on these cases unlike other sites. It is meant to be active. Having this website up they intend on acquiring more members. With more members they will be able to take on a larger caseload. They provide online forums that discuss missing persons’ cases. They constantly update the cases with new findings or if the case is closed due the missing person being found. They find that missing person cases can sometimes be forgotten or neglected. Here they work on finding and investigating these cases in hopes of bringing these missing persons’ home.
This site is meant to be serious, there are people that go missing and are never found. They work to help aid to these cases in any way possible. The genre I would stick to this website is informative. They provide cases that allow members and viewers to understand the circumstances of these missing persons’.
The site provides visuals of the people that have gone missing, but other than that it is merely text. The website itself has a lot of work to be done due to different strengths and weaknesses. The site is just too simple. I think they would have more members if they portrayed their site in a different way. More information on the main page would be a plus and the design itself needs to be reconstructed. It is not that the site is hard to navigate but there are aspects that should be changed.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Wiki Postwrite
Having no idea that Wikitravel existed I was unsure of how I was going to go about being successful by providing information to others. With no prior experience of adding to a website I was able to learn how to make things work. After looking over the site and exploring, I found that it was easy to use.
In Nardi and Oday's explanation of coevolution they said, "Information ecologies are filled with people who learn and adapt and create." After using Wikitravel I found that coevolution can directly apply to the site. Wikitravel allows all of these things to happen. I was able to create a page for my own town. This allowed me to explore the wikitravel site more in depth. I was able to navigate the site easier and utilize certain tools to perfect the page. I had to learn how to create this page in the correct format provided and keep it professional. This website is not isolated it allows anyone to contribute to the pages they choose. I enjoyed using this site it allowed me to explore a different type of online writing.
Not only did I successfully create a page but I was able to contribute and edit others. Here we see that this information ecology allows updates to pages to occur immediately. This website allows many users to update or edit what other users have posted. The inaccurate information will be recognized by others who will re-edit the information to make sure it is correct. This is the beauty of the internet it is constantly changing and keeps us on our toes. Wikitravel is a site that will be changed constantly by their users. People gain knowledge everyday and are willing to contribute and be a part of this ever changing technology, the internet.
Not only did I successfully create a page but I was able to contribute and edit others. Here we see that this information ecology allows updates to pages to occur immediately. This website allows many users to update or edit what other users have posted. The inaccurate information will be recognized by others who will re-edit the information to make sure it is correct. This is the beauty of the internet it is constantly changing and keeps us on our toes. Wikitravel is a site that will be changed constantly by their users. People gain knowledge everyday and are willing to contribute and be a part of this ever changing technology, the internet.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Modaltiy...
After looking at my process blog I found that I only use the textual modality. On my enthusiast blog I use images and provide links as well. There I utilize different modes to present certain things I blog about. Using pictures help the reader to understand what I am referring to throughout my blog. I find that when I look to find a blog it helps when there are pictures that can catch my high or simple blog posts that give you inspiration.
According to Kress we find that we see more text accompanied by images. This helps aid to different learners and allows them to further understand what is being read. Certain modes can capture the meaning of something without having to explain it in depth. For example in my enthusiast blog I provide a picture or link to allow the reader to use another source to understand what my blog is about.
Looking at other blogs shows who utilizes which mode more. It can be seen that one mode can provide everything you want without using other modes as well such as a picture or a link. Being able to use the different modes effectively is a great strength for a blog. It allows bloggers to expand creatively and attract new readers and followers. Communicating through multiple modes is a strength in this type of writing environment. This genre of writing has showed and demonstrated different strengths and weaknesses throughout this class.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Information Ecologies and its impact...
Our lives are ever changing like technology. There are new advances everyday and technology will only continue to innovate us. Wikitravel is set up similarly to Wikipedia this allows their users to collaborate with information already provided on the chosen page. This site is meant to be a travel guide that allows all of those who have visited or passed through a destination. All of those who have traveled will have a different opinion based on experience. Having a wiki source can be found very useful to certain individuals. Just like Wikipedia it will take time to get down pact a specific monitoring system for submissions by individuals. The truth of the matter is that no matter what the source is going to be we choose what we will or will not believe.
We use the internet as a source to seek information about things we may or may not now about. It is evident that with new technology we can easily access the internet through many devices. What do we do when we don't know something? We look it up of course. Why not Google it, or check Wikipedia? "Designers of tools are responsible for providing useful and clear functionality, but they do not complete the job. As users of tools, we are responsible for integrating them into settings of use in such a way that they make sense for us."(Nardi & O'Day) Everything and anything can affect something. Contributors to the Wiki sites integrate with one another to produce some type of information. Now is this not the whole point of the wiki sites? We live in a world where things are constantly changing, who are we to tell another they are wrong? I would say that online writing can cause many issues. Online writing is a very useful source but there is always bad with the good. There are consequences due to online writing because you risk your own knowledge by trusting others not to infringe upon.
We use the internet as a source to seek information about things we may or may not now about. It is evident that with new technology we can easily access the internet through many devices. What do we do when we don't know something? We look it up of course. Why not Google it, or check Wikipedia? "Designers of tools are responsible for providing useful and clear functionality, but they do not complete the job. As users of tools, we are responsible for integrating them into settings of use in such a way that they make sense for us."(Nardi & O'Day) Everything and anything can affect something. Contributors to the Wiki sites integrate with one another to produce some type of information. Now is this not the whole point of the wiki sites? We live in a world where things are constantly changing, who are we to tell another they are wrong? I would say that online writing can cause many issues. Online writing is a very useful source but there is always bad with the good. There are consequences due to online writing because you risk your own knowledge by trusting others not to infringe upon.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Description...
http://cuteoverload.com/about_us/
This is a strong description because it is short, to the point, and leaves you with relief that you know what is going on.
This is a strong description because it is short, to the point, and leaves you with relief that you know what is going on.
Welcome, here you are in a world filled with noise, but music is the only thing you hear. You're surrounded by clothes, but don't know what's in. You walk around thinking you can survive, but it's not possible without shoes. Throughout this blog you will be enlightened by the music and fashions of today's world. This may not spark everyone's interest but I am hoping I can catch a few eyes. I hope to keep you updated as much as I can with the latest trends or new exclusive music.
About me/profile....
http://iamfashion.blogspot.com/
I came across this blog and found it rather interesting that in her about me section she had a link to another blogspot. The blogspot I found myself on was simply questions and answers about the blog that was originally created. I thought this was a different way to go about things. Although they are no longer blogging now they were very successful for four years. Four years of blogging with many followers is a lot of work. For myself I do not need a link in my about me for others to understand what my blog will consist of. I am only a newbie in the blog world and I do not believe I can rank myself that high. But it is clear followers do want to try and understand who you are when reading these blogs. I liked the attitude and personality throughout the posts. It was playful just like I am looking to make my blog.
About me draft:
Hey everyone! My name is Nicole Chiarella I am currently a sophmore at the University of Rhode Island. I am looking forward to becoming a Public Relations major where I will than go into the Event Planning field. My favorite thing at the moment are shoes. Yes, I know typical for a girl but shoes tend to bring it all together. Not only will I be posting about shoes, but fashion and music as well. Bask in the world of entertainment with Haute Toujours.
I came across this blog and found it rather interesting that in her about me section she had a link to another blogspot. The blogspot I found myself on was simply questions and answers about the blog that was originally created. I thought this was a different way to go about things. Although they are no longer blogging now they were very successful for four years. Four years of blogging with many followers is a lot of work. For myself I do not need a link in my about me for others to understand what my blog will consist of. I am only a newbie in the blog world and I do not believe I can rank myself that high. But it is clear followers do want to try and understand who you are when reading these blogs. I liked the attitude and personality throughout the posts. It was playful just like I am looking to make my blog.
About me draft:
Hey everyone! My name is Nicole Chiarella I am currently a sophmore at the University of Rhode Island. I am looking forward to becoming a Public Relations major where I will than go into the Event Planning field. My favorite thing at the moment are shoes. Yes, I know typical for a girl but shoes tend to bring it all together. Not only will I be posting about shoes, but fashion and music as well. Bask in the world of entertainment with Haute Toujours.
My aim...
So I was unsure at first like everyone else as to what I would be blogging about. I figured the best way to go about it was to pick something I find myself doing constantly or have a flare for. I found that I am most interested in fashion, shoes, and music. I intend to include photography in my posts as well to keep readers interested, it is always nice to look at something other than letters on a blog. My hopes are to appeal to all different readers and hope to keep their interest. This blog is not meant to be taken with a serious tone but more of a sarcastic or playful one. I want my readers to feel free to make comments or disagree with what I post about. Not everyone thinks the same way and it is nice to get feedback or opinions from others.
Week 2 Blog 1
After reading and observing the three blogs: "The Future" "Through the Gypsies Eye" and "Stitched Personae" I found myself either into the blog or bored by it. I kept in mind that there will always be weaknesses and strengths whether I am interested in the blog or not. As any blogger does there is always a purpose to their blog or something they want to give or express towards its readers. Each blog has a different purpose therefore they entertain certain readers for different purposes.
Throughout the blog "The Future" I found myself bored and uninterested. There was plenty of information on the blog about each topic with plenty of details. Information is not his weakness, but to make his blog more enjoyable and maybe spark interests would be to have photos relating to the topics. This may intrigue the readers. This also was the only blog that did not contain any photos in relation to the posts.
When looking at "Stitched Personae" I was immediately intrigued to see what was going on and what she was talking about. She showed her creative abilities throughout her blog and it was seen that the projects she conducted were difficult. I am not to into the animation world at this time, so I could not find myself really getting a grasp of what she was talking about. She had a strong about me with plenty of detail but maybe it was too much. Being specific is good but she could have easily expressed some of these things throughout her blog posts.
"Through The Gypsies Eye" was well done. I found myself interested throughout the entire blog. Not only did I think her about me was the strongest but I felt she had the strongest blog description as well. She told me everything I needed to know about her to understand how this blog would flow. I myself like to travel so it was interesting to see what her experience was traveling in all these different places. There is such a great personality throughout this blog that it makes you want to stay and read more about what her experience was. I think that her personality is what makes this blog so succesful.
There are many things I have learned from looking at these different blogs. I can take from this that using photography in blogs is a good way to keep a reader interested. Concerning the about me section on the blog I found that it is important to give information but not too much. You want to keep the reader interested not scare them away.
Throughout the blog "The Future" I found myself bored and uninterested. There was plenty of information on the blog about each topic with plenty of details. Information is not his weakness, but to make his blog more enjoyable and maybe spark interests would be to have photos relating to the topics. This may intrigue the readers. This also was the only blog that did not contain any photos in relation to the posts.
When looking at "Stitched Personae" I was immediately intrigued to see what was going on and what she was talking about. She showed her creative abilities throughout her blog and it was seen that the projects she conducted were difficult. I am not to into the animation world at this time, so I could not find myself really getting a grasp of what she was talking about. She had a strong about me with plenty of detail but maybe it was too much. Being specific is good but she could have easily expressed some of these things throughout her blog posts.
"Through The Gypsies Eye" was well done. I found myself interested throughout the entire blog. Not only did I think her about me was the strongest but I felt she had the strongest blog description as well. She told me everything I needed to know about her to understand how this blog would flow. I myself like to travel so it was interesting to see what her experience was traveling in all these different places. There is such a great personality throughout this blog that it makes you want to stay and read more about what her experience was. I think that her personality is what makes this blog so succesful.
There are many things I have learned from looking at these different blogs. I can take from this that using photography in blogs is a good way to keep a reader interested. Concerning the about me section on the blog I found that it is important to give information but not too much. You want to keep the reader interested not scare them away.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Week 1
Blogging is happening right meow, it is a way to become part of the social networking process. It is a learning experience, every post can lead to feed back from others revealing something we may or may not know. There are all types of blogs that serve certain purposes. Businesses benefit as well from blogging; it allows their business or company to grow. People love to express their feelings it is a part of communication. Blogging has now become another form of communication it helps individuals post all types of things to their blogs and find that people may or may not be interested. A good personality shown through the blog is another way that a blog can be successful.
I find interest in blogs with random posts of quotes, facts and photos that are inspired by individuals. I tend to use the website www.xanga.com and search the many blogs that are accessible on the site. I want to get a good handle of blogging and was hoping this class would be able to help me accomplish that. Blogging can only aid to my knowledge in using the technology environment. Looking at different blogs individuals can see the different types of post that will continue to keep certain readers returning to their blog site. Being able to express oneself and communicate to others through a blog site and not said through words can leave a different impact on a variety of different individuals.
I find interest in blogs with random posts of quotes, facts and photos that are inspired by individuals. I tend to use the website www.xanga.com and search the many blogs that are accessible on the site. I want to get a good handle of blogging and was hoping this class would be able to help me accomplish that. Blogging can only aid to my knowledge in using the technology environment. Looking at different blogs individuals can see the different types of post that will continue to keep certain readers returning to their blog site. Being able to express oneself and communicate to others through a blog site and not said through words can leave a different impact on a variety of different individuals.
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