Week 13: Social Media

Social media is everywhere. Virtually, everyone has some sort of social media site or connections. Whether it be Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, or a YouTube account, we are all a part of this interconnected network for social media. Social media has been transformed from not only a method to connect with your friends and keep in touch personally, but is now a way for businesses and companies to connect with their consumers and potential other business partners. Social Media must be kept up to date with new and exciting features for users to remain using that specific site. Also, the high level of switching costs deters many social media users from switching their accounts. For example, I am highly connected on Facebook with people from here, out of state, and around the world. I have multiple albums of pictures over the past few years that are established and display multiple occasions. Media sites are always competing to have the most members and most users. They fight for the competitive edge by implementing new and unique features.

Project: Database

By completing the database project, I learned a lot. Literally everything that was in the lecture videos and that Mr. Olson taught on Microsoft Access was new information. I had never heard of Microsoft Access and certainly never used it. The capabilities this program has are remarkable for organizing data and tracking information for a company or business purposes. I knew nothing about the program or how to use it. I learned how to organize data, compile lists and organize by certain criteria, and track trends in the data.

I believe that Microsoft Access is a very useful tool in the  business setting. However, I found it very difficult to use. Even after watching the lectures, taking notes, and rewatching the lectures, I still found myself confused on many of the tasks and how to complete them. Perhaps this is a program that takes a lot of practice to master.

Week 10- Clear (Microsoft Access)

Week 10: I was introduced to an entire new software and its' inner-workings that I have never used before. Microsoft Access is a software that is used in databases. It can be used to keep track of inventory, phone numbers, customer lists, or track other information for your company. Here are some more useful times to implement Microsoft Access, taken from the Microsoft Office website.

Microsoft Access

I have never used Microsoft Access before or any other types of database tools, so this should be an interesting experience completing this project with no previous knowledge or experience. The videos were pretty clear on all of the various techniques we need to know to adequately complete the assignment. Also, the scavenger hunt was very helpful to be able to whittle away some of the extra, unnecessary information to focus on what is most import.

Extra Credit: Avatar

Extra Credit: Avatar

I completed the extra credit assignment to make an avatar of myself using the free program “Doppel Me.” I had never made an avatar before, even though I have seen other people’s likenesses. The program was very easy to use and gave multiple choices of different styles. For example, you could choose hair color, hair style, and various clothes. Although the system was very simple to use and I could not find anything I was displeased with (as far as actually making it), I was not very impressed by the final product. Perhaps my expectations that it would look very realistic were too high? 

Week 7- Muddy: Software

Week 7 was very muddy for me. A lot of the concepts feel over my head and I have had a hard time wrapping my head around them. Open Source Software (OSS) was one of the main points discussed. OSS is a type of software that is free and available to anyone. The code can also be changed or modified by any person who is looking at it. With potentially thousands of users, this can improve the quality of the program and fix a lot of the bugs found in the software. As found in the text, there are numerous benefits to companies using OSS.

1.       COST- eliminates a cost spent developing their own operating system or licensing; zero marginal costs

2.       RELIABILITY- there are multiple people constantly checking for problems/bugs and improving product quality

3.       SECURITY- problems can be addressed with greater speed and reliability

4.       SCALABILITY- has the ability to handle increasing workloads or to be easily expanded to manage workload increases

5.       AGILITY AND TIME TO MARKET- may be able to skip segments of the development process; allows new products to reach the market faster

A few of the most well-known OSS are Firefox, Open Office, Apache, Linux, & MySQL.

Cloud computing is another type of software that is growing in popularity. Cloud computing replaces computing resources (hardware or software) with services provided over the Internet. Software as a Service (SaaS) is a type of this. SaaS is when a firm subscribed to a 3^rd party software replacing service that is delivered online. This could be payroll or distribution costs for vendors and reduced risk of software piracy (because it is free to start with!).  However, there are some risks associated with it.

1.       DEPENDENCE ON A SINGLE VENDOR

2.       CONCERN ABOUT THE LONG TERM VIABILITY OF PARTNER FIRMS

3.       USERS MAY BE FORCED TO MIGRATE TO NEW VERSIONS- possibly incurring unforeseen training costs and shifts in operating procedures

4.       RELIANCE ON A NETWORK CONNECTION- which could be slower, less stable, and less secure

5.       DATA ASSET STORED OFF SITE- could lead to security and legal questions

6.       LIMITED CONFIGURATION, CUSTOMIZATION, AND SYSTEM INTEGRATION OPTIONS

7.       THE USER INTERFACE OF WEB BASED SOFTWARE IS OFTEN LESS SOPHISTICATED AND LACKS THE RICHNESS OF MOST DESKTOP ALTERNATIVES

8.       UNAUTHORIZED IT SUPPORT

Virtualization is described in the textbook as an operating system for an operating system. Basically, it is a type of software that allows a single computer to function as if it were several different computers, each running its own OS and software. It can computing more efficient, cost-effective, and scalable. You take pieces of hardware (ie: CPU, memory, storage) and break them up. Then, you give the piecing to virtual machines who use them as if they were the original whole. You can use this for running several “virtual computers” on a single physical host computer system. This would be a perfect tool for a company who wanted to run OS X and Windows on a Mac computer. 

Virtualization was one of the harder concept for me to wrap my head around. I found this video on Youtube which helps alot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HItJ1ET4-oM&feature=related

Presentation Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWVTSg2qW6c

For my presentation, I chose Wounded Warrior Project as my philanthropic organization. I have completed multiple Powerpoint presentations in the years past for various classes and for presentations in my workplace. However, this was my first time being “trained” on the correct way to give memorable presentations. It was also my first time recording my own voice along with a presentation.

If I were to give myself a letter grade on how well I completed this project, I would give myself an A- or B+. I think I did well, but there were a few points that could have been improved. For example, there were a few spots in the voice recording where I stumbled on my words. Looking back, I should have re-recorded this and made it smoother. I believe I performed strongly in all of the other areas based off the Presentation Evaluation Rubric. There was a logical flow and sequence of content: I started out introducing the organization I was discussing, gave some information on what they do, who they serve, examples of programs, and how my audience can help. On my peer critique, the grader stated that I could have done a better job grabbing the audience’s attention. I agree with this. Maybe my next presentation could start out with a question or a story to draw them in. All of the information I presented could be validated and confirmed through the Wounded Warrior Project website, which is where I gathered my information. One thing I learned during the Presentations week is how to reduce clutter. I tried to minimize information on the screen and eliminate bullet points as much as possible. I know personally that I have a hard time reading what is on a screen and listening to the presenter simultaneously. I did not want my audience to have to try to do this and potentially miss an important point I was saying.

Overall, I think I did well on the presentation project. I applied tips I learned from the presentations week and Dr. Means’ lectures, which made my presentation more effective and hopefully memorable. Also, critiquing myself and having a peer critique my work allowed me to see what was done well and what needs improvement for my next presentation. 

Week 6 Clear (Kinda)- Software

Week 6- Somewhat Clear

In Week 6 of ISM3004, we talked about the various types of  software. We use software almost every single time we sit down at our computers, smart phones, or iPad. I am using a type of software right now, through Microsoft Word. For example, Microsoft word is a type of application software (it helps me accomplish a specific task with a specific purpose) The other type of software is known as system software, which enables you to use the hardware. An example of this would be Windows 7 or McAfee Antivirus.

  In this case, the application software is assisting me in completing my weekly blog through a word processor.  The textbook and video lectures described the process of communication as a layer cake. Another way to picture this is a relay race. The baton is passed from runner to runner….

USER--->APPLICATION SOFTWARE-->OPERATING SYSTEM (OS)-->HARDWARE

Each individual components communicates with the other one, allowing a more simplistic approach since each layer is independent. The method in which each layer communicates with the other is called API’s (Application Programming Interface). The operating system provides a common set of controls for managing computer hardware. This makes it easier for users to interact with the computers and for programmers to unite application software.  The consistency of the OS allows everyone to be on the same page and serves as our gateway to the hardware. The analogy Mr. Olson used in the lecture related an OS to a traffic cop.

Furthermore, there are two categories of software: desktop and enterprise. Desktop software is like what I am using now to write this entry (Microsoft Word). It is an application installed on a personal computer that typically supports tasks performed by a single user. Another example is games or a photo editor. Enterprise software is an application that addresses the needs of multiple users throughout an organization or work group. Take for instance, the company of Heinz. “Over 650 million bottles of Heinz ketchup are sold around the world in more than 150 countries.” This of course does not take into account the single serve packets of ketchup that are traditionally found at fast food restaurants. This massive amount of productions, supplies, and the large numbers of workers and vendors that are involved in a year’s worth of work is not something that can be kept in an old fashioned ledger book. They would have to utilize a type of enterprise software to keep track of sales, shipments, and payrolls.

 http://www.heinz.com/our-company/press-room/trivia.aspx

Images allowed for reuse through Creative Commons/Flickr

Week 5: Clear- Presentations

Week 5: Clear

Week 5 was all about proper Powerpoint presentations. The material offered numerous tips from various sources about “do’s and don’ts” of presentations. I personally believe Powerpoint presentations can be extremely effective, if done right. For example, the method in which information can be delivered to an audience through presentations is virtually unlimited. Text, audio, video, and images can all be used to evoke an emotional response from an audience. The key to successful Powerpoint presentations is moderation and creativity. A slideshow full of text with no images or other forms of multimedia to engage the audience will surely result in some snoring from the crowd. On the other hand, too many images can cause a slideshow to seem cluttered and the audience can lose focus on what you are trying to get across. Once again, moderation is vital in creating a memorable presentation.

My first exposure to Microsoft Powerpoint was when I was in middle school, circa 2001. Powerpoints were never regularly used in my classrooms until I got to high school. I have seen countless presentations since then and many of the “don’ts” that were reviewed in the lecture material are common mistakes, some that I am even guilty of doing. Here are some things to keep in mind when creating a Powerpoint and presenting it to an audience.

1.      Be clear in what you are trying to get across. Unneeded information and getting sidetracked on irrelevant information will lose the attention of your audience and leave them confused on the main point.   

2.    Do some spring cleaning! Lose the clutter and “extra stuff” that is on your slideshow. If it isn’t a key factor in demonstrating your argument, it’s usually a good idea to eliminate it.

 3.        Use multimedia wisely. If possible, use images and your own voice rather than reading text on the screen. Images, video, and audio can all be used to illicit an emotional response from the audience.

      4.      Don’t overcomplicate or make your graphics too vague. For example, having too many images on the screen can be just as harmful to your presentation as having a single picture that is vague & your audience cannot make the connection

      5.    Readability: Make sure the text is big enough to read, even from the back of the room.  Another component of readability is only putting what is necessary. Putting a whole slide full of text can overwhelm your audience.

      6.     Don’t forget that your audience might not have any background information on the topic you are presenting. If they do, they still are probably not familiar with the topic at hand now. Therefore, it is important to tie all loose ends on whatever topic you are presenting, so your audience doesn’t walk out of the room scratching their heads.

       7.    Meet the needs of your audience. For example, if you are attempting to sell a product from your company to the CEO of another company, it is crucial to get inside his or her head. They are listening to your presentation, thinking “how will this benefit me and my company?” Make sure you address these questions and tailor your presentations to your specific audience.

By remembering these suggestions regarding Powerpoint presentations, it can ensure that the next presentation you have to give will be a phenomenal and memorable one. 

Permission for reuse granted by Standard YouTube License 

Week 4: Clear- Porter's 5 Forces

 Porter’s 5 Forces

Porter’s 5 Forces are crucial to understanding the interplay between firms in an industry and also formulating strategic moves in order to succeed as a company in a competitive market. Also known as “Industry and Competitive Analysis,” its’ purpose is just as it name describes: it is used to analyze the competition in an industry (our rivals) and come up with a strategy to differentiate our product from theirs. Or at least, the way the consumer sees it. Michael Porter, of Harvard Business School, came up with this model in 1979.

1.       The intensity of rivalry among existing competitors

·         Customer loyalty

·         Number of competitors

·         Switching costs

2.       The threat of new entrants

·         Time and cost of entry

·         Economies of scale

·         Barriers to entry

·         Cost advantage

3.       The threat of substitute goods or services

·         Substitute performance

·         Cost of change

4.       The bargaining power of buyers

·         Number of customers

·         Difference between competitors

·         Price sensitivity

·         Ability to substitute

5.       The bargaining power of suppliers

·         Number of suppliers

·         Uniqueness of service

·         Your ability to substitute

These 5 factors illuminates an industry’s fundamental attractiveness to consumers, exposes the underlying drives of average industry profitability, and provides insight into how profitability will evolve in the future. A firm (or potential firm) can evaluate these five factors to determine their chances or how difficult it will be for them to survive in their respective industry.

The website below explains Porter’s 5 forces in simple terms and gives a good example to tie it all together.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htm

This YouTube video is amusing and also explains Porter's 5 forces!

Week 3: Clear- Basics of Networking

Week 3: Clear

The material covered in Week 3 was clear. In lecture 2.10, Professor Olson began with describing the various types of networks and lots of new terminology.  A network is simply a collection of devices connected together by communication devices and transmission media. First, we have the LAN, which stands for local area network. LAN covers a small, limited geographic area, such as a building or campus. This is one of the most common types of networks that we encounter and can be in two forms, either Ethernet or 802.11, also known as Wifi. For example, the UF campus is in a LAN network (UFW). Second, we have the WAN, also known as a wide area network. The most obvious example of this is the Internet itself. Third, we have the MAN, which stands for metropolitan area network. This is basically just a smaller version of a WAN. For instance, a MAN would cover an area larger than a LAN like Alachua County in its entirety.

The easiest way for me to comprehend this week’s material was to think of the entire computer networking system in the way Professor Olson described it, using the analogy of the postal/mail service. A workstation is simply our laptops or desktops, or a client. Any device that you attach to the network is a node. A server is a computing device that we attach to the network whose primary purpose is to provide services to other devices.

As we stated above, there are two types of local area networks. The first is Ethernet, which requires a cord to be connected from your computer into a jack to receive Internet capabilities. The Ethernet packet consists of the structure, header, and payload trailer. The header is the control info, or more simply put the address label. This gives us who the information is coming from and its destination where it is going to. The payload is the contents inside your package that you are sending. The trailer is the information at the end that signals the Ethernet it is the end of the package. The second form of LAN is 802.11, or as we know it, Wifi. This is  a wireless connection that is available almost anywhere in today’s times. Since it is wireless, there is obviously no physical component of actual wires like Ethernet has. Rather, the physical part contains signaling, radio waves, or possibly an antenna. It is the same as an Ethenet connection, regarding the packet. One difference is that 802.11 has SSID (Service Set Identifier). In other words, this is the public name for the Internet. The University of Florida’s SSID is “UFW.” In the locations on campus where Wifi is available, you connect to “UFW,” which is the identifier of which network.

Below are a few Internet sites that I have found very useful in further explaining the material.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-networking-channel.htm

http://www.beginnersguide.com/computer-networks/

Week 2: Muddy- Binary Numbers & Motherboards

This week, we divulged into unknown territory for me. The concepts and the staggering amount of information we received is overwhelming and definitely muddy. The capacity of knowledge I have on the intricacies of how technology and computers work is limited. My mind was blown a little bit this week by just how many miniscule parts are involved in a computer, but the immensity of their purpose. We started out with the concept of binary numbers. This concept was somewhat clear to me, although I am not proficient in my understanding of it. Computers are binary devices. Every single keystroke, character, letter, and number is transformed into a binary number. The binary number system only has two digits, either a zero or a one. Our traditional number system has 10 digits (0-9). The binary number system uses a two as it base, rather than a 10. (2^2 instead of 10^2). Each key on the keyboard equals a unique binary number, which are stored in “bits” or “bytes.” The website and video listed below gives further information on the unique numbering system.

http://www.binarymath.info/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdFmSlFojIw

*Permission granted for reuse by YouTube Standard License

As we moved further into the course material for this week’s lesson, I began to get more confused and could not really wrap my head around the way certain things worked. For example, when looking at the terminology and diagram on pages 24-25, I felt very confused. I do not understand all of the components of the motherboard. This area of material for this week will require further research and studying to fully comprehend the ways in which it works.

Week 1: Clear- Technology Invasion

ISM3004- WEEK 1 MUDDY/CLEAR BLOG

This first week in class has been an immense amount of information to take in. This is my first semester at the University of Florida and my first experience using Sakai. I am adjusting well and everything has been smooth so far! The course itself is intimidating to me because I am not exactly a connoisseur of technology and computers. My ability to function on a computer is limited to what I consider the basics: Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint, and such.  The capacity of knowledge I hold on how technological devices actually work is minimal, so I am sure to gain a large amount of understanding in this class over the course of the semester.

 However, the material we covered in this first week has been clear to me.  Obviously, technology is literally everywhere in our society. From our daily computer and cell phone use, to red light systems in large cities, to the intricate workings of a new invention, we are constantly bombarded with technology. In Chapter 1, the book describes the boom of technology and the further integration into the business world and everything we use in our daily lives and in the workplace. I am not a business major and honestly am not that familiar with that area. The book used  examples about IT jobs and accounting to demonstrate the vast use of technology in that field. Although I had to do a little research to fully understand what some of the terms meant, a lightbulb went off when I thought about technology in my careers. I am a Health Education & Behavior major. I work two jobs, one as a licensed Paramedic on an ambulance (my primary career) and two as a substitute teacher at a middle school here in Gainesville. “Smart Boards” are now used in middle school classrooms. Basically, any technique of teaching (ie: Powerpoint presentations, pictures, quizzes, Word documents, etc) can all be transmitted from a computer to the projector onto the “Smart Board.” Then, with a special pen or simply your finger, the teacher or students can “write” on the board just like you would on a regular erasable board. Notes, diagrams, arrows, math problems, etc. can be written on this board. There are even different colored “markers” just like a regular board would have.

 As I stated previously, my primary job and career is working as a paramedic. I am employed with Dixie County EMS, which is an hour west of Gainesville. The closest hospitals to us are in Gainesville. Every patient that we transport is a minimum of an hour’s drive to Gainesville for treatment at the emergency room. This poses a significant problem if we have a specific type of patient. Here is a scenario and a little bit of background information.  Rescue 1 gets paged to a 65 year old male, complaining of chest pain. When we arrive on scene, we notice that the patient is presenting poorly and looks like the “textbook” heart attack presentation. A 12 lead EKG is performed. An EKG allows us to look at the electrical activity in the heart. Without going into too much detail, know that certain things change on the EKG which alert us as medical personnel to what we call a STEMI. For layman’s terms, this is basically a massive heart attack. Since we all know the heart is a muscle, time is of critical importance for that patient to get to the cath lab to get the blockage cleared out of their artery. Now, being in Dixie County (remember an hour away from the closest facility), we have a long transport ahead of us, even running lights and sirens. Time is muscle in cardiac patients! In other words, time is not on our side. In this type of scenario, we usually call for a helicopter transport since they can obviously fly faster than we can drive. Sometimes, however, this is not feasible. A number of factors are considered when medical helicopters fly, like (patient weight, weather conditions, or simply availability (already have a patient in their care).  This is where the cool technology comes in. Our cardiac monitors are able to transmit the EKG (what I as the paramedic see in front of me) to the physicians in the emergency department, even though we are an hour away. When a STEMI alert is called by a paramedic (alerting that the patient is having a heart attack), the cath lab team will not be called until a cardiologist is paged to interpret the EKG. We eliminate a lot of wasted time and extra steps by wirelessly transmitting this in the field. 

When the book described the way technology is used in all fields, I immediately thought of these two devices and how technology is present in my career. Being able to link the material directly to my life and things that I take part in makes it much easier for me to comprehend!

Below are two videos further describing what I talked about above.

INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD DEMONSTRATION:

TRANSMITTING 12 LEAD EKG’S:

*Permission granted for reuse by Standard YouTube License.