The Cloud...And its Many Possibilities

In this weeks lesson we learned about the Cloud and the many possibilities that it can give to users. Dr. Olson explained all that goes into the Cloud.

I was unaware of what the Cloud actually was until this lecture and to be perfectly honest, I didn't even know it existed.

The Cloud consists of open source code that anyone can obtain for free and make changes to if necessary. however as Dr. Olson pointed out just because the programs are free it doesn't mean it is completely free. He compared it to a free puppy, just because it is free upon getting it doesn't mean there won't be future bills down the road.

Having open source code allows access to the code when it is necessary to fix bugs, modify behaviors to the applications and add features. The fact that the code is open makes it a community, not just code as Dr. Olson explained. The community provides collaborative development, support resources and contributions from several parties.

An open source that we use here at UF is Sakai. Sakai was originally designed by the University of Indiana and a university in South Africa. Sakai is a resource that we as students, faculty and staff at UF use everyday.

I found the open source code an interesting concept. I didn't know that things such as Mozilla Firefox, Apache and Linux Operating System are all open source code.

This lesson really opened my eyes to all that is out there involving code that I truly didn't even know existed.

Who knew that the Linux Operating System is the system that Facebook and Google were built upon.

The use of open source code is a wonderful thing that allows individuals from all over to contribute to already great code, making it better and easier to use.

Support Melissa Dohme Presentation Project

The presentation process was a lot harder than I expected it to be. From the lessons on presentations section in this class I learned what we needed to do, but in implementing them in my presentation I was able to fully understand what goes into creating a successful presentation.

 In my presentation I chose to present about one of my best friends, Melissa Dohme.

[Dohme Family Photo]

On January 24, 2012 Melissa was attacked by her ex-boyfriend, Robert L. Burton. He stabbed her 17 times in the head, neck, back, face and arms. Melissa was in the ICU for two weeks and in the rehab center for on week at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Burton is currently in jail in Pinellas County and charged with attempted murder in the first degree.

Melissa is now home and working to get back to life as usual. She is back in school and going to therapy several times a week.

We are all very thankful that we still have Melissa with us today, however the cost of her medical bills is too much for her family to bare.

That is why I chose the video subject that I did. The following video means more to me than just the project that we were assigned to do. The goal of my video is to encourage someone to want to donate and/or support Melissa and her family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MI65-ojTFk

Critiques:

To critique my video the first thing I would do differently would be to add music. I didn't want to add music for fear of copyright infringement.

I would also add a clip of Melissa herself talking to the audience so they could see her now, after the attack.

My video needs to be edited better, I should have researched how exactly to edit the video instead of just "winging" it.

One thing I didn't do in my presentation was ask questions. I feel as though I sparked curiosity with the information I gave, however I did not do it by asking a question.

I really tried to avoid clutter and being too wordy. I focused on making a point with pictures on a page and explaining the page with my voice.

In doing my peer review I realized I wasn't the only student not to use music which makes me feel better. One thing I liked about the peer review was that we did different scenarios, so I was able to see how someone did the project in a different direction than me.

But all in all I truly enjoyed this project and I look forward to the other useful projects that are assigned in this class!

Licenses: Not Just for Driving or Marriage

This week we learned about a variety of things involving computers and the inner workings. We learned about software, applications, operating systems hardware and much more. One of the most interesting things that we were taught in this week's lesson was about software licenses and the ins and outs of that process.

When we first come to school we are faced with a long to do list of things to get. Laundry bag, check, laptop, check, software...wait, whats that? Or at least that's what I first thought when I came to college. I had no idea that software needed to be purchased, let alone the many different ways it is offered. This topic was a muddy one for me, but after this lesson the basic ideas of licences became clear.

Commercial software is software that you purchase, usually its the code that you buy that allows you to download the software. When it is being purchased there are different ways this can be done; the shrink-wrap method, single-user applications,Original Equipment Manufacturer licences.

The shrink-wrap application forces you into an implicit agreement with the company. When one opens the shrink wrap of the source code, you agree to the terms and conditions of the license.

Single-user application is a license that has perpetual use. Users can use the application on any machine they own as long as the application is uninstalled in the old machine and re-installed in the new one.

OEM licenses are cheaper than full retail or packaged licensees but they are tied to one machine. Once the license is used it can not be used again.

The best piece of advise I learned from the lecture on licenses is before you buy a license use a trial license. Feel the program out, make sure you understand and feel comfortable using it and then make the decision to purchase and download on your computer.

Presentations: The Do's and Don'ts

Presentations are something that is used in business, in school are several other facets of life. I have made presentations for school since ever since i was young, not to mention the various presentations I made to try and convince my parents to get me things like a puppy when I was in grade school.

In this weeks lesson the do's and don'ts of presentations were explained. If I only knew then what I know now. The lesson this week is not only important for our assignments, but it is useful information that we as ISM students can bring into the real world. 

When composing a presentation the first thing you need to do is create a storyboard. Close your laptop and grab a piece of paper and a pencil and start sketching what exactly it is you want to get across in your presentation. Include pictures, topics, points and anything else you feel is relevant. 

Next look into how you can successfully present your information. Don't put too much text on one page, and don't put a page full of bullet points in your presentation. Instead stretch that page out into separate pages with the bullet point and a visual, for example. Make your readers feel an emotional connection to what you are saying with the non-verbal aspects of your presentation.

Something to be aware of when making your presentation and adding images is not to use copy-righted material. Use websites such as Flicker and Google Images to find non copy-righted material. 

After your material and images are on your presentation, look at the ascetics of it. Make sure it appeals to your target audience. Make sure the colors you have chosen blend well together. To create a custom color theme for your Power Point go to Kuler.com. 

A couple more do's and don'ts and you will be on your way to having a rockin' presentation. Make sure you chose a font and size that is legible and don't make it move on your page. The idea is to make it so your readers can actually read and understand what you are saying. 

Always remember the 5 rules of presentations by Duarte Design: Treat your audience as king, spread ideas and move people, help them see what your are saying, practice design, not decoration and cultivate healthy relationships. 

Keep all of this in mind and your next presentation is sure to be a successful one!

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Sources: 

http://www.duarte.com/training/tools/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KbSPPFYxx3o

DoppelMe: My Avatar

I made my avatar on DoppelMe. It was an interesting experience making an avatar that is based on me. I based my avatar on a typical outfit I would wear. The idea of using an avatar for things on the internet is something I was unfamiliar with before the assignment. As I researched more about it I found that avatars can be used as a visual online identity. 

Technology and It's Impact on Today's Business World

Today technology plays a huge role in how the modern-businesses world operates. In this week's lesson we learned about the impact of technology not only on businesses individually, but on the business world as a whole.

I find it fascinating how much technology has changed the way things are. Business is moving to a paperless world, with the use of technology. Businesses are online now, using technology to communicate with their employees and clients, save documents and preform daily tasks.

In order to make it in today's world it is imperative to understand technology. It is built into jobs everywhere; it is rare for a job in today's world not to involve technology in any aspect.

Technology in today's business wold encourages people to develop critical thinking skills, evaluate new and up and coming technologies and gives employees an advantage in making decisions.

Technology has changed the way the business world operates in the past twenty years as it evolves will continue to change in years to come.  To work in today's business world you need to be willing to change and adapt as the technologies impact the way things are done.

Although technology has impacted the business world, it is understood that it is a "key enabler" rather than the reason for advantages. The key values of business haven't changed, but technology gives companies the the tools to succeed in today's world.

The best thing you can do when it comes to technology is embrace the changes, rather than fight them. Technology has the power to positively impact your experience in the business world in more ways than one.