I attended a meeting last night at the Canberra Branch of the Australian Computer Society where they held a talk on Web 2.0 and the future direction of email. The speaker, Ralph Dermuth, Director of Technology Sales SW service support, Asia Pacific at IBM Software Group, presented a strong argument that emails are on the way out. He indicated that the group working as a collective community was much stronger than the individual working on email in one-to-one contact. He gave a few examples but the most interesting point he presented was an employee at IBM decided that emails were not an efficient way to combine work and communication, so he decided to stop using emails and created an internal blog (not for public viewing). He used this blog as a communication channel, everyone could see what he was working on and could also contribute to the work as a group. He said the main benefit of this was to generate a community that supported each other. If a question was asked by a contributor in the comment area of the blog, anyone could provide the answer, the support gradually grew which provides a diverse range of suggestion and answers that they claim keeps IBM innovative. Apparently this form of communication was particularly successful when people were away from work.
The speaker then went on to talk about how kids use email, they interviewed a number of them and the most common answer was, they use email to contact their parents, apparently the older generation don't chat or Skype. I feel so old but privileged, I use Skype to keep in contact with my kids at school.
He then went on to say web 3.0, the "meshing" of web 2.0 technologies is the next step in enhancing communication tools. The main problem people encounter today with web 2.0 services such as Flickr, blogging and other web user contribution applications is that they are very isolating, they don't cross over and work together. "Meshing" will bring all these communities together to allow for greater interaction.
It was very interesting presentation but it did leave me feeling that I've missed the boat and was trying to swim in the wake of a ocean liner.
I'm not sure how to reference this as I said it was a presentation and the notes on APA referencing 2008 don't give details for this type but I'll give it a go, see below.
References
Ralph Dermuth, (2009). Enterprise 2.0, presented 31 March 2009, 7pm at the Southern Cross Club, Canberra.
Showing posts with label Module Two. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Module Two. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
List-part 4 & Email part 5
Email security and Lists
Oh-My, Oh-My, Oh-My I don't believe it, I found a useful List service, www.gnupg.org. It's a site for open source software that improves the security of electronic communications. Yes, I now subscribe. Subscription was not through that insidious Topica but by stumbling upon the site while searching for useful information.
First observation, posted Wednesday, 4 March.
Now this is the last post for the day, it's a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon and I could be outside enjoying the sun. This supports my First Thoughts about Blogs.
Oh-My, Oh-My, Oh-My I don't believe it, I found a useful List service, www.gnupg.org. It's a site for open source software that improves the security of electronic communications. Yes, I now subscribe. Subscription was not through that insidious Topica but by stumbling upon the site while searching for useful information.
First observation, posted Wednesday, 4 March.
Now this is the last post for the day, it's a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon and I could be outside enjoying the sun. This supports my First Thoughts about Blogs.
Email part 4
Tracing emails
After reading a post on the Blackboard tracing emails by one of the beautiful people in the NET11 group, I decided to follow this through further and visit the suggested sites, www.learnthenet.com and www.johnru.com. Now I don't trust every site I visit (cynic), so I also my own searches and found similar information on the Australian Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, so I guess email security is a problem. (not another)
Well it opened my eyes. This was one of those things I've been intending to, or as the Aussie's say gonna address for sometime. It would appear the easy way to fix the problem is to encrypt the email, "Encryption-based email software packages use a technique known as public key cryptography to scramble messages so that only the authorised recipient can read them". I must encrypt soon. However, with all the email noise out there I think it would be unlikely that my emails are intercepted unless I'm being singled out.
So putting it to the test I tried to ping an IP address I received from a spam email but had no luck. They must be masking their real IP address.
Not actually sure what this achieved because I'm at a dead end, just thought it was interesting.
After reading a post on the Blackboard tracing emails by one of the beautiful people in the NET11 group, I decided to follow this through further and visit the suggested sites, www.learnthenet.com and www.johnru.com. Now I don't trust every site I visit (cynic), so I also my own searches and found similar information on the Australian Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, so I guess email security is a problem. (not another)
Well it opened my eyes. This was one of those things I've been intending to, or as the Aussie's say gonna address for sometime. It would appear the easy way to fix the problem is to encrypt the email, "Encryption-based email software packages use a technique known as public key cryptography to scramble messages so that only the authorised recipient can read them". I must encrypt soon. However, with all the email noise out there I think it would be unlikely that my emails are intercepted unless I'm being singled out.
So putting it to the test I tried to ping an IP address I received from a spam email but had no luck. They must be masking their real IP address.
Not actually sure what this achieved because I'm at a dead end, just thought it was interesting.
Lists-part 3
No better
Well, I tried again with http://lists.topica.com but had no success. Topica incessantly try to sign members up to there "Featured Favorites" from where I suspect they receive sponsorship.
This whole repeated attack in blanket bombing advertising is one of the main features that drives me away from site like this.
When I was finally able to find a list that half appealed the list was long dead and the messages were years old. (maybe I lead the revival but I doubt it)
Topica is in desperate need of an overhaul and it make me wonder how sites like this survive.
This is where I think I'll leave List and move on.
Well, I tried again with http://lists.topica.com but had no success. Topica incessantly try to sign members up to there "Featured Favorites" from where I suspect they receive sponsorship.
This whole repeated attack in blanket bombing advertising is one of the main features that drives me away from site like this.
When I was finally able to find a list that half appealed the list was long dead and the messages were years old. (maybe I lead the revival but I doubt it)
Topica is in desperate need of an overhaul and it make me wonder how sites like this survive.
This is where I think I'll leave List and move on.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Chat part 4
Jumping into the chat room this morning I meet up with some NET11ers, and they showed me how to embed the meebo chat into my blog. It's so cool!
Have a go it works.
Thanks Bee and Collzz, the beautiful people from NET11
Have a go it works.
Thanks Bee and Collzz, the beautiful people from NET11
Newsgroups-part 2, List part 2
In the Yahoo group there appears to be some confusion over what the difference is from a Newsgroup and a List. So here is a brief outline with supporting links for further reading if you wish.
Newsgroups are similar to discussion groups (Blackboard) or forums where anyone can join a public discussion through subscribing to the service. eg giving your details to the group. The subscriber can either just read the posts from other subscribers or he/she can contribute to the thread (join-in on the discussion).
"A newsgroup is an electronic discussion group consisting of collections of related (also called articles) on a particular topic that are posted to a news server which then distributes them to other participating servers." www.learnthenet.com
Lists can be broken down into two types;
"A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients." www.encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com
"The key advantage of a mailing list over a newsgroup is that instead of having to go somewhere to read or retrieve postings, messages are automatically delivered to your e-mail box." www.learnthenet.com
Newsgroups are similar to discussion groups (Blackboard) or forums where anyone can join a public discussion through subscribing to the service. eg giving your details to the group. The subscriber can either just read the posts from other subscribers or he/she can contribute to the thread (join-in on the discussion).
"A newsgroup is an electronic discussion group consisting of collections of related (also called articles) on a particular topic that are posted to a news server which then distributes them to other participating servers." www.learnthenet.com
Lists can be broken down into two types;
- discussion lists, similar to newsgroups in that the subscriber can participate in the thread
- announcement list, similar to a newsletter where the information is just one way
"A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients." www.encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com
"The key advantage of a mailing list over a newsgroup is that instead of having to go somewhere to read or retrieve postings, messages are automatically delivered to your e-mail box." www.learnthenet.com
Ping part 2
I found another use for Ping other than the usual network testing for speed. The Adobe Feed Blog or as Rebecca Blood calls it "Filters" in her book The Weblog Handbook p7 ( I'll reference it better later), which is just a blog containing links to other blogs. In this case the linked blogs have a common theme in the use and promotion of Adobe products. "allows readers to monitor about 2325 different Adobe related weblogs and news sources, all in one place."
Adobe uses the Ping service to receive notifications when the related blogs have posted new blog entries. They claim "instead of waiting for the regularly scheduled update to occur" you can either ping the feed manually by going on to the feed site and using "Ping Adobe Feeds" or if your bloging service supports ping you can set up an automatic call once you have made a new post. "you can configure your weblog to automatically ping Adobe Feeds when you publish new posts"
Well I thought it was interesting.
Adobe uses the Ping service to receive notifications when the related blogs have posted new blog entries. They claim "instead of waiting for the regularly scheduled update to occur" you can either ping the feed manually by going on to the feed site and using "Ping Adobe Feeds" or if your bloging service supports ping you can set up an automatic call once you have made a new post. "you can configure your weblog to automatically ping Adobe Feeds when you publish new posts"
Well I thought it was interesting.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Chat 3–group task
I've now used both ICQ through Meebo and the internetstudies · NetStudy Netizens list group on Yahoo and found both to be useful in different directions.
ICQ is great just to catch up and have an informal "chat" with friends and relatives and keeps the phone costs down. I found it particularly useful just having the browser run in the background with Meebo going and seeing from time-to-time small automatic pop-ups when messages came in. I could react quickly to the messages and continue the conversation unlike email. However the conversations tended to be a bit ephemeral and esoteric, much like talking to one's mates, still a worthy experience. This was a new for me and it's a big YES, I will continue to use this service. The only criticism I have, and it's only small, I couldn't always keep up with the typing and some of the conversation tended get a bit jumbled (thread order was mixed), especially if it's a group session (maybe voice control would be good). Also, I would NOT use this method of communication if I required the message I sent to be kept on record or I required the receiver to action the information and I wanted proof that I had sent the information on.
I found the list group on Yahoo to be a bit cumbersome and slow when I tried to use it in the same manner as a chat room. I quickly came to the conclusion that this service was more to keep groups updated, information that I may like to act on, but more importantly, I could contribute and feel part of the community that it was trying to embrace. I found that the success of the group greatly depends on the contributions and, even at this early stage the group looks likely to fail (not the NET11 unit), but die off into cyberheaven where all the calculators and photocopiers rest in peace and in pieces.
Still, there is a place for this type of asynchronistic communication although I don't see myself keeping up with it as it requires strength of character, perseverance and discipline to continually contribute to such groups. Me, I'm a bit lazzzy (Yes that with 3 z's).
On the other hand the Uni Blackboard messaging system is entirely different again and for communication in another direction. Messages can be posted and then responded to while maintaining the "thread" of the conversation for all to see in the group. This works well in the learning environment as questions are asked and answered and displayed for anyone who has similar questions. (You know the type, the 'frequently asked questions'). It's not for general chatter although people tend to abuse it for this and what happens as a result is the discussion area gets over crowded with pointless banter. People get frustrated if they are search for answers and all they see is a pseudo chat room.
How is it different from the methods I normally use?
As I indicated above, I have only ever used emails up to now for communication over the web—obviously when I was just chatting with email I was abusing it. But now I know differently.
emails uses:
chat rooms use:
Caution
I still have major concerns over the type of people using the chat rooms although I have read somewhere, can't remember where, that the CIA scan these types of services and look for key words to catch terrorists and others. I feel safer that big brother is watching, but it's not me that I worry about, it's my kids.
ICQ is great just to catch up and have an informal "chat" with friends and relatives and keeps the phone costs down. I found it particularly useful just having the browser run in the background with Meebo going and seeing from time-to-time small automatic pop-ups when messages came in. I could react quickly to the messages and continue the conversation unlike email. However the conversations tended to be a bit ephemeral and esoteric, much like talking to one's mates, still a worthy experience. This was a new for me and it's a big YES, I will continue to use this service. The only criticism I have, and it's only small, I couldn't always keep up with the typing and some of the conversation tended get a bit jumbled (thread order was mixed), especially if it's a group session (maybe voice control would be good). Also, I would NOT use this method of communication if I required the message I sent to be kept on record or I required the receiver to action the information and I wanted proof that I had sent the information on.
I found the list group on Yahoo to be a bit cumbersome and slow when I tried to use it in the same manner as a chat room. I quickly came to the conclusion that this service was more to keep groups updated, information that I may like to act on, but more importantly, I could contribute and feel part of the community that it was trying to embrace. I found that the success of the group greatly depends on the contributions and, even at this early stage the group looks likely to fail (not the NET11 unit), but die off into cyberheaven where all the calculators and photocopiers rest in peace and in pieces.
Still, there is a place for this type of asynchronistic communication although I don't see myself keeping up with it as it requires strength of character, perseverance and discipline to continually contribute to such groups. Me, I'm a bit lazzzy (Yes that with 3 z's).
On the other hand the Uni Blackboard messaging system is entirely different again and for communication in another direction. Messages can be posted and then responded to while maintaining the "thread" of the conversation for all to see in the group. This works well in the learning environment as questions are asked and answered and displayed for anyone who has similar questions. (You know the type, the 'frequently asked questions'). It's not for general chatter although people tend to abuse it for this and what happens as a result is the discussion area gets over crowded with pointless banter. People get frustrated if they are search for answers and all they see is a pseudo chat room.
How is it different from the methods I normally use?
As I indicated above, I have only ever used emails up to now for communication over the web—obviously when I was just chatting with email I was abusing it. But now I know differently.
emails uses:
- messages that need to be kept
- messages that require the receiver to action (do something)
- messages for when people are away from the chat room (I wonder if I can access the chat room by mobile)
- messages when I don't want to get caught up in the chat (I can waste a lot of time chatting)
chat rooms use:
- quick and easy talk (honey, I'll be late home tonight)
- no proof of conversation, hopefully! (come down to the pub and play pool with the mates tonight)
- ask questions and receive (correct) answers
- general information that I can use at a later date, "Asynchronous electronic communication is not the opposite of real-time, synchronous communication: rather it describes forms of communication that appear differently 'located in time' depending on the perspective of the sender and receiver."
Caution
I still have major concerns over the type of people using the chat rooms although I have read somewhere, can't remember where, that the CIA scan these types of services and look for key words to catch terrorists and others. I feel safer that big brother is watching, but it's not me that I worry about, it's my kids.
Chat-part 2
I have now been monitoring ICQ since 18 March and I have noticed something fascinating. Most of the participants 'speak in tongues' or some derivative of an ancient dialect from a remote part of the world. It reminds me of the South African movie The Gods Must Be Crazy where the main character, a bushman, speaks in clicks and other phonetic sounds.
I appreciate it's just a shorten version of the English language which has been abbreviated to save key stokes, but I wonder with kids being so tech savvy and essentially knowing how to code the written word, how will the spoken word evolve over the next few generations.
Getting past this, I have been aware of ICQ and IRC for some years now but have never used the service. I believed it to be just a waste of time or a playground for troubled people but this form of synchronistic communication has developed into a very useful tool. I'm connected with ICQ using the meebo service which is incredibly easy to use especially if you use Firefox add-ons. Meebo runs in the background of the browser, so if your connected to the web your live and ready to communicate. This type of chat would suite a more informal method of communication than email and would appear to have adequate security if you engage encryption of the traffic at the socket level. So yes I will probably continue to use the service if I can get someone to chat to. I have posted my number on the Yahoo group and on the BB asking if any will chat but I haven't received any responses to the request—maybe no one like me after my rants :(
I did pick up a copy of The weblog handbook by Rececca Blood so I hope to learn some netiquette soon.
Now talking about netiquette and getting back the chat rooms there appears to be no rules within this type of society. The language used as state above is abbreviated and difficult to follow unless your experienced (I wonder if there is netiquette siting inside the code like CSS) and if your not accepted into the discussion they others simply ignore you. It's like being in New York City without the muggers. This tactic of ignoring others is probably a survival practice of the tech savvy kids.
Just as I was finishing this entry I was luck to have a chat with a couple of NET11ers students in ICQ. It was great to catch up out of Uni in the cyberpub.
I appreciate it's just a shorten version of the English language which has been abbreviated to save key stokes, but I wonder with kids being so tech savvy and essentially knowing how to code the written word, how will the spoken word evolve over the next few generations.
Getting past this, I have been aware of ICQ and IRC for some years now but have never used the service. I believed it to be just a waste of time or a playground for troubled people but this form of synchronistic communication has developed into a very useful tool. I'm connected with ICQ using the meebo service which is incredibly easy to use especially if you use Firefox add-ons. Meebo runs in the background of the browser, so if your connected to the web your live and ready to communicate. This type of chat would suite a more informal method of communication than email and would appear to have adequate security if you engage encryption of the traffic at the socket level. So yes I will probably continue to use the service if I can get someone to chat to. I have posted my number on the Yahoo group and on the BB asking if any will chat but I haven't received any responses to the request—maybe no one like me after my rants :(
I did pick up a copy of The weblog handbook by Rececca Blood so I hope to learn some netiquette soon.
Now talking about netiquette and getting back the chat rooms there appears to be no rules within this type of society. The language used as state above is abbreviated and difficult to follow unless your experienced (I wonder if there is netiquette siting inside the code like CSS) and if your not accepted into the discussion they others simply ignore you. It's like being in New York City without the muggers. This tactic of ignoring others is probably a survival practice of the tech savvy kids.
Just as I was finishing this entry I was luck to have a chat with a couple of NET11ers students in ICQ. It was great to catch up out of Uni in the cyberpub.
rethink-part 2
My point is, people who use the internet should be by now very aware of the security issues we face with online fraud. However, there is a broader issue of personal security. In brief we do not want to face another 9/11 or see repeated stories in the news where children have sexually abused or worse through the use of web dating. I know most kids are aware that chat rooms are potentially unsafe environments, but there will always be someone who is more vulnerable than others. Chat rooms in particular need to be mediated for content because parents can't have 24 hour control over their children nor should they. As responsible web uses we have a care of duty to provide a safe learning experience for all who wish to use it. I don't hate these types of communication, I think they need special attention from the authorities to clean it up but I guess this would be problematic given the current economic problems, climate change ....................
The list is endless so usually the innocent will suffer.
The list is endless so usually the innocent will suffer.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Chat part 1
OK, I can see now I may have been an bit too harsh on "Lists", the real deviant is the chat room.
more soon
more soon
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Newsgroups-part 1
I fear I may start ranting again.
It maybe that I'm not passionate enough on any particular topic to be involved in a newsgroup and I find the whole arena of this type entertainment extremely boring. After viewing some groups the conversation appears to transcend into mindless banter—have you every seen a group of budgies, there all talking at the same time but saying nothing. If I want this type of puerile recreation I'll go down to the pub and converse with my mates. At least its face to face and I can judge whether they're just crapping on.
I have no doubt there are newsgroups on the web that provide a valuable service, but looking through some of Google Groups it's difficult locate one without wasting an enormous amount of time. Maybe the key to this type of communication is perseverance or having someone invite you to join the group. Having a mole on the inside saves time.
OK, I have no desire to get a zero mark for this so I better say something constructive.
more soon
It maybe that I'm not passionate enough on any particular topic to be involved in a newsgroup and I find the whole arena of this type entertainment extremely boring. After viewing some groups the conversation appears to transcend into mindless banter—have you every seen a group of budgies, there all talking at the same time but saying nothing. If I want this type of puerile recreation I'll go down to the pub and converse with my mates. At least its face to face and I can judge whether they're just crapping on.
I have no doubt there are newsgroups on the web that provide a valuable service, but looking through some of Google Groups it's difficult locate one without wasting an enormous amount of time. Maybe the key to this type of communication is perseverance or having someone invite you to join the group. Having a mole on the inside saves time.
OK, I have no desire to get a zero mark for this so I better say something constructive.
more soon
Monday, March 16, 2009
List part 1—a deviants playground
What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards?
Ok, so maybe I'm a cynic but I think most "Lists" are for degenerates with empty lives praying on vulnerable and naive souls. I hope it's a matter of misfortune or just bad luck in coming across inappropriate Lists.
As suggested in Module 2 notes I visited http://lists.topica.com/ with an open mind to join in on a "List". I then clicked on one of the subjects, Art & Design, then I proceeded to Digital Art Solutions which was described as Tips, news, and info for graphic professionals. So what did I find listed out of the 5 possible groups I could make a valued contribution, 5 pron sites. My first instincts were proven correct. Now I'm all for free speech, but, the web needs to be cleaned up, there's way too much crap about. If I was an alien with superior technology scanning the universe to find intelligent life and I came across the web from the planet Earth, I really would think it was Planet of the Apes -20%.
However, I must not paint all Lists with the same broad brush.
So I tried again, this time I selected the Astronomy Digest, written in its description was a length list of vulgarity, porn sites again.
The third go was a little better, I joined a photography List and I will report back soon.
However, I refuse the believe all Lists are as narcissistic or hedonistic as the people who contribute at http://lists.topica.com/. This site is a spawning ground for the devils work. Why would you waste time on people you just can't trust and where everything comes into question over the information that's being broadcast. If the academics say you can't trust Wikipedia, why the hell would you be bothered with an unmediated service. So if the very nature of truth comes into question and deception is an everyday occurrence for this site, how can this be a worthy experience.
In the end cyber-relation creeps into normal life, very slowly but surely. Sites like http://lists.topica.com/ are the asshole of the web.
Sterile list of Pros:
Creative list of Cons: a very apt word for this type of Lists
groups. These can work in a very powerful way when used to better ones self.
Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other?
I find the Listserv that I subscribe to predominatly tend to be one-way communications, receiving newsletters and information for use in hobbies, finance or sport. The information that I read from a list I may like to act on but I will very rarely contribute to.
Discussion boards are used for more of a two-way communication, listening and contributing to the posts and threads. There is usually a mediator to oversee the content and by their very nature tend to be more respectful, considerate and stay targeted to the purpose it was created for.
OK, maybe not all List are bad, I think I will need to investigate further.
Ok, so maybe I'm a cynic but I think most "Lists" are for degenerates with empty lives praying on vulnerable and naive souls. I hope it's a matter of misfortune or just bad luck in coming across inappropriate Lists.
As suggested in Module 2 notes I visited http://lists.topica.com/ with an open mind to join in on a "List". I then clicked on one of the subjects, Art & Design, then I proceeded to Digital Art Solutions which was described as Tips, news, and info for graphic professionals. So what did I find listed out of the 5 possible groups I could make a valued contribution, 5 pron sites. My first instincts were proven correct. Now I'm all for free speech, but, the web needs to be cleaned up, there's way too much crap about. If I was an alien with superior technology scanning the universe to find intelligent life and I came across the web from the planet Earth, I really would think it was Planet of the Apes -20%.
However, I must not paint all Lists with the same broad brush.
So I tried again, this time I selected the Astronomy Digest, written in its description was a length list of vulgarity, porn sites again.
The third go was a little better, I joined a photography List and I will report back soon.
However, I refuse the believe all Lists are as narcissistic or hedonistic as the people who contribute at http://lists.topica.com/. This site is a spawning ground for the devils work. Why would you waste time on people you just can't trust and where everything comes into question over the information that's being broadcast. If the academics say you can't trust Wikipedia, why the hell would you be bothered with an unmediated service. So if the very nature of truth comes into question and deception is an everyday occurrence for this site, how can this be a worthy experience.
In the end cyber-relation creeps into normal life, very slowly but surely. Sites like http://lists.topica.com/ are the asshole of the web.
Sterile list of Pros:
- communicate with a broad group of people inexpensively
- efficient method of dispersing information to members
- still waiting to find another
- not good for communicating on an individual to individual basis
- mishandled email list can be sold to spammers
- unmediated content can quickly go bush (go off track) and be a complete waste of time
- poorly run group will just become a pain in the ass and clutter your Inbox when in content degrades into rambling conversations.
Creative list of Cons: a very apt word for this type of Lists
- lists are like the Catholic church, one way communication. Dictating their doctrine views without listening to the followers. see ABC Compass
- breading ground depravity (like a very nasty rash or venereal disease)
- easy to broadcast your thoughts to similar pervert and create a community of would-be sex offenders
- induce misconceptions and deceit
- powerful tool to incite hatred and racist groups KKK, http://www.christianconcepts.net/informat.htm or the Nazi Party, http://www.americannaziparty.com/index.php. Call me paranoid but I have not directly linked these sites as I have no wish for these types of people to have a look at their referral list and see my details. So if you would like to view these sites then copy the address and past it into your browser.
groups. These can work in a very powerful way when used to better ones self.
Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other?
I find the Listserv that I subscribe to predominatly tend to be one-way communications, receiving newsletters and information for use in hobbies, finance or sport. The information that I read from a list I may like to act on but I will very rarely contribute to.
Discussion boards are used for more of a two-way communication, listening and contributing to the posts and threads. There is usually a mediator to oversee the content and by their very nature tend to be more respectful, considerate and stay targeted to the purpose it was created for.
OK, maybe not all List are bad, I think I will need to investigate further.
To "folder structure" or not to "folder structure" that is the question
5. How have you organised the folder structure of your email and why?
I wish I could have the control that I have in Adobe Bridge managing files incorporated into emails—within Bridge I have access to a fantastic array of options but in the email software it's basic. The screen shot below is not the actual email folder, it's just a sample of the type of structure I employ managing emails. I can't show you the real information, you know how the saying goes "if I show you, I'd have to kill you". I don't know who said that so I can't quote it.
I know I have already answered this question below but folder structure is closely connected to filters and they have a symbiotic relationship. I employ this process to presort the emails into folders, this saves time by having the computer do the mindless monkey work and leaving my ape brain + 2% to work on the creative tasks. (The chimpanzee is only 2% different from humans genetically, (Jane Goodall, Hope for Harvest, 2005). Scary, it should be called Planet of the Apes +2%.)
email structure
Adobe Bridge structure
I wish I could have the control that I have in Adobe Bridge managing files incorporated into emails—within Bridge I have access to a fantastic array of options but in the email software it's basic. The screen shot below is not the actual email folder, it's just a sample of the type of structure I employ managing emails. I can't show you the real information, you know how the saying goes "if I show you, I'd have to kill you". I don't know who said that so I can't quote it.
I know I have already answered this question below but folder structure is closely connected to filters and they have a symbiotic relationship. I employ this process to presort the emails into folders, this saves time by having the computer do the mindless monkey work and leaving my ape brain + 2% to work on the creative tasks. (The chimpanzee is only 2% different from humans genetically, (Jane Goodall, Hope for Harvest, 2005). Scary, it should be called Planet of the Apes +2%.)
email structure
Adobe Bridge structure
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Health caution "Always use filters"
4. What sorts of filters or rules do you have set up, and for what purpose?
Filters are a great time saver if you are constantly receiving emails that contain a similar message thread, from a group of friends or work associates, or other pattern forming expressions. The function is very similar to a GREP search (global regular expression print), it just looks for regular patterns in text, in this case to sort emails into presorted folders. (I use GREP search in Adobe InDesign, a graphic design tool.)
Although the filters in email software are very limited in their search function they can still handle most of the sorting work before I have to intervene. My normal work flow is to set sub folders that I can manage through Thunderbird (yes it's a tacky name but its a good email package, they should have a Australian version named CockyChatter - I must register that name, it sounds cool) and use the "create filter from message" button to set up parameters. Depending on whom I'm communicating with, the sub folders are arranged by group titles such as organisations, events, special interest, things to do, and then there's one for all the rest - emails that are one-offs. To presort the emails into the folders I use searches that contain the sender's name, subject, info that might be contained in the body of the email and so on. Once the email threads are finished I can easily archive the folder.
Generally, the types of filters one may use greatly depends on one's imagination, so be creative and think about it. They are a fabulous time saver.
Also anything that falls outside the filters in my case are usually spam, so it's an efficient way to manage something that can get into an awful mess very quickly.
Filters are a great time saver if you are constantly receiving emails that contain a similar message thread, from a group of friends or work associates, or other pattern forming expressions. The function is very similar to a GREP search (global regular expression print), it just looks for regular patterns in text, in this case to sort emails into presorted folders. (I use GREP search in Adobe InDesign, a graphic design tool.)
Although the filters in email software are very limited in their search function they can still handle most of the sorting work before I have to intervene. My normal work flow is to set sub folders that I can manage through Thunderbird (yes it's a tacky name but its a good email package, they should have a Australian version named CockyChatter - I must register that name, it sounds cool) and use the "create filter from message" button to set up parameters. Depending on whom I'm communicating with, the sub folders are arranged by group titles such as organisations, events, special interest, things to do, and then there's one for all the rest - emails that are one-offs. To presort the emails into the folders I use searches that contain the sender's name, subject, info that might be contained in the body of the email and so on. Once the email threads are finished I can easily archive the folder.
Generally, the types of filters one may use greatly depends on one's imagination, so be creative and think about it. They are a fabulous time saver.
Also anything that falls outside the filters in my case are usually spam, so it's an efficient way to manage something that can get into an awful mess very quickly.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Email part 3, Opening the attachment 'big money to be made'
3. In what ways can you ensure that an attachment you send will be easily opened by the receiver?
Opening attachments can bite you on the computer bum, so be careful!
To ensure the recipient is always able to open attachments, you must first offer them something amazing.
I was toying with the idea to include the following in the subject line:
But getting back to it.
Format of attachments
To ensure the recipient can open any of my attachments I will usually only send pdf files. If I suspect the person has limited experience in using computers I will include the url to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader with a short explanation of how and why. http://www.adobe.com/au/
If I'm forced to use something other than Acrobat I will first determine which format they can accept before I send the email eg MicroSoft Word, Excel and so on.
Encoding
As suggested in Module Two notes "First: communicate about your computer systems. Sometimes, when you expect to send attachments, particularly to users whom you suspect may not be as knowledgeable as you about attachments, you need to seek information from them and to assist them in dealing with the attachment."
I would think it would be highly unlikely that many people know anything about encoding email messages or its purpose, so I would certainly not be contacting the recipient as my first action. I would either follow up the original email with a phone call or send another email without the attachment and ask if they received the first successfully. Bothering people about something that doesn't interest them is just likely to annoy them. (Hey, if I don't like someone I should change the encoding on my email.)
When the encoding fails
Below is a picture of my beautiful dog after a swim at the beach, the image of Lizzy was correctly encoded to show the jpg as intended.
Below is the email opened with a text editor that shows the picture as ASCII text.
"e-mail messages can contain only text information, and attachments aren't text" howstuffworks, http://communication.howstuffworks.com/email5.htm
Because the file I was emailing was not text, the email software is required to encode the image before sending, the encoding used was MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions). If the receiving email software is using different encoding such as, uuencode, Base64 or BinHex the image will not render and you will need to do some heavy maths or some creative thinking to interpret the attachment. Below is a sample of the same image of Lizzy but opened in a text editor. The text editor is only a basic word processor and will not interpret code or render the image.
If that fails I could format the attachment in html and place it directly into the body of the email, or just use ASCII text in the body of the email, assuming there are no images.
Of course there is always fax, sail mail, carrier pigeon or I could get on my bike and start peddling. I just hope its not overseas because I may need a snorkel.
Opening attachments can bite you on the computer bum, so be careful!
To ensure the recipient is always able to open attachments, you must first offer them something amazing.
I was toying with the idea to include the following in the subject line:
- love from
- easy money from Nigeria
- increase the length of your nose
- free Viagra to help the dead stay stiff
- update your details from the banks of the world
- secure your place in the after world
But getting back to it.
Format of attachments
To ensure the recipient can open any of my attachments I will usually only send pdf files. If I suspect the person has limited experience in using computers I will include the url to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader with a short explanation of how and why. http://www.adobe.com/au/
If I'm forced to use something other than Acrobat I will first determine which format they can accept before I send the email eg MicroSoft Word, Excel and so on.
Encoding
As suggested in Module Two notes "First: communicate about your computer systems. Sometimes, when you expect to send attachments, particularly to users whom you suspect may not be as knowledgeable as you about attachments, you need to seek information from them and to assist them in dealing with the attachment."
I would think it would be highly unlikely that many people know anything about encoding email messages or its purpose, so I would certainly not be contacting the recipient as my first action. I would either follow up the original email with a phone call or send another email without the attachment and ask if they received the first successfully. Bothering people about something that doesn't interest them is just likely to annoy them. (Hey, if I don't like someone I should change the encoding on my email.)
When the encoding fails
Below is a picture of my beautiful dog after a swim at the beach, the image of Lizzy was correctly encoded to show the jpg as intended.
Below is the email opened with a text editor that shows the picture as ASCII text.
"e-mail messages can contain only text information, and attachments aren't text" howstuffworks, http://communication.howstuffworks.com/email5.htm
Because the file I was emailing was not text, the email software is required to encode the image before sending, the encoding used was MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions). If the receiving email software is using different encoding such as, uuencode, Base64 or BinHex the image will not render and you will need to do some heavy maths or some creative thinking to interpret the attachment. Below is a sample of the same image of Lizzy but opened in a text editor. The text editor is only a basic word processor and will not interpret code or render the image.
If that fails I could format the attachment in html and place it directly into the body of the email, or just use ASCII text in the body of the email, assuming there are no images.
Of course there is always fax, sail mail, carrier pigeon or I could get on my bike and start peddling. I just hope its not overseas because I may need a snorkel.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Email-part 2, you can't say no to "cc" or "bcc" but you can "reply"
2. In what cases would you find it useful to use the 'cc', 'bcc' and 'reply all functions of email?
How useful is "cc"—carbon copy, "bcc"—blind carbon copy and the "reply" button.
In the past I have only used "cc" and "bcc" sparingly, mainly because I had no reason to and I never really understood the difference between using the multiple "to" functions and "cc" but from reading Module Two notes all was explained. You can quickly forget that there are such things as email ethics hiding behind the computer screen. I have taken points from this lesson and I trust will make me a better person. (If not, at least abuse the system more efficiently.)
In brief
The "to" function is to direct the communication at a particular person or persons.
The "cc" function is just to spread the love further and keep others informed—it may not necessarily require the receiver to action on receipt. It's usually for 'your information only'—FYI.
The "bcc" function is for ratting on your work mates to your boss without them knowing you have passed on the same information in one easy process. This is probably used in ASIO a lot. In my experience it's also used in "request for quotes" or "request for tenders", when the sender is required to keep details of who else is invited to quote, secret.
The "Reply" function is when I need to keep a copy of the previous email within the body, hence "quoting" or maintaining the thread of the conversation in the one document. or. When I'm just too lazy and I need to quickly respond to someone, even if the threads don't follow and the conversation wonders all over the place.
I have received emails from people that I suspect may have "bcc" in the original email and have often wondered if that information can be extracted. Please leave a comment if you can help me out.
How useful is "cc"—carbon copy, "bcc"—blind carbon copy and the "reply" button.
In the past I have only used "cc" and "bcc" sparingly, mainly because I had no reason to and I never really understood the difference between using the multiple "to" functions and "cc" but from reading Module Two notes all was explained. You can quickly forget that there are such things as email ethics hiding behind the computer screen. I have taken points from this lesson and I trust will make me a better person. (If not, at least abuse the system more efficiently.)
In brief
The "to" function is to direct the communication at a particular person or persons.
The "cc" function is just to spread the love further and keep others informed—it may not necessarily require the receiver to action on receipt. It's usually for 'your information only'—FYI.
The "bcc" function is for ratting on your work mates to your boss without them knowing you have passed on the same information in one easy process. This is probably used in ASIO a lot. In my experience it's also used in "request for quotes" or "request for tenders", when the sender is required to keep details of who else is invited to quote, secret.
The "Reply" function is when I need to keep a copy of the previous email within the body, hence "quoting" or maintaining the thread of the conversation in the one document. or. When I'm just too lazy and I need to quickly respond to someone, even if the threads don't follow and the conversation wonders all over the place.
I have received emails from people that I suspect may have "bcc" in the original email and have often wondered if that information can be extracted. Please leave a comment if you can help me out.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Email part 1
1. What information about a user's email, the origin of a message, and the path it took, can you glean from an email message?
Email task—death to all spammers. As you may have guessed from the title, my first sample is from your happy fiend to spammer. Yes I hate them. One day the web will takes its revenge!
Its obvious the email above is from deprived person only set out to cause trouble, just look at the garbage in the address block. I find the best way to quickly and easily identify who the email is from is to use filters that automatically presort any new mail. Any incoming email that bypasses this first stage of sorting is either a new contact or spam—this method is a great time saver.
The next screen shot is from an email that has been automatically forwarded from the beautiful people in NET11 through my uni email to my main email account.
So, which path? Follow the yellow brick road. Before I started this question I had a look at the Discussion Board which just confused me more.
I'm not to sure in which direction I should take this question. The two possible answers I can see are:
If it was only that easy to trace spammers the web would be a quieter place.
more soon.
Email task—death to all spammers. As you may have guessed from the title, my first sample is from your happy fiend to spammer. Yes I hate them. One day the web will takes its revenge!
Its obvious the email above is from deprived person only set out to cause trouble, just look at the garbage in the address block. I find the best way to quickly and easily identify who the email is from is to use filters that automatically presort any new mail. Any incoming email that bypasses this first stage of sorting is either a new contact or spam—this method is a great time saver.
The next screen shot is from an email that has been automatically forwarded from the beautiful people in NET11 through my uni email to my main email account.
So, which path? Follow the yellow brick road. Before I started this question I had a look at the Discussion Board which just confused me more.
I'm not to sure in which direction I should take this question. The two possible answers I can see are:
- Hit the road Jack and take the IP path—as talked about on the Blackboard which I had to think about how to extract the meta data out from the head of the email. I started as usual to search on Google but this proved fruitless and I got bored because most of the searches came up with PC suggestion—pointless for a Mac user. I then had a brilliant idea to just save an email to the desktop as an html file and open that in a text editor. Bingo, it worked. See the results below. ps I'm still trying to decode the info but I can see IP addresses and domain names so I trust this is correct.
- The path can be traced if the user has forwarded the mail to another participants. This is simple providing the user has invoked the "forward" function in the email software which just appends the new message to the old, just like chain mail. To find, just scroll down within the body of the email and look for "quoted" information in the email and bingo, info revealed.
It views very must like threads on the Discussion Board.
If it was only that easy to trace spammers the web would be a quieter place.
more soon.
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