Well to start with the aesthetics of the BlinkList site own the HTML page. There is nothing to attract your eyes in the HTML version except for an overwhelming blueness. Finding the information you want would be a nightmare because of this.
On the BlinkList site, each article has a picture and a heading that can be easily read, making each one of them distinguishable from the next. The inclusion of server side scripting also allows a rating and comments system to be implemented, which can help you decide the validity and usefulness of an article.
I'm going to go out on a whim here and say that everybody in this course would prefer the BlinkList site like me.
The only true benefit I can come up with for the HTML version is that it would load quicker. Also the fact that it would probably be easier for most people to create a page like this.
Friday, January 16, 2009
MODULE THREE - Copyright
Just quickly before I begin, I want to point out that I haven't done the optional tasks. I know that of course optional means you can choose whether or not you do it, but I think it's good for my learning. However I'm so time deprived with work, school and finding room mates that I'm purposely skipping these not because I don't want or am too lazy to do them, but because I like to sleep a little bit before the sun comes up :-)
Anyway as for the Curtin logo. I struggled to find good solid information on this, so I resorted to a little commonsense and the WebCT discussion board. I don't think I can rewrite my thoughts any better so here's what I wrote there:
Have I used copyrighted materials before? Well sure probably in my own personal stuff. But in my work not at all.
Anyway as for the Curtin logo. I struggled to find good solid information on this, so I resorted to a little commonsense and the WebCT discussion board. I don't think I can rewrite my thoughts any better so here's what I wrote there:
"I think that it would be in breach of copyright, because by placing that logo on your assignment you are in a way passing it off as officially endorsed by Curtin. So to me this means that you are 'selling' your essay to people as though it is part of the Curtin 'brand', which in fact means you are stealing curtin's good reputation to use as your own."
Have I used copyrighted materials before? Well sure probably in my own personal stuff. But in my work not at all.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
MODULE THREE - BLOGS
So here I am discussing what I think about blogs on a blog. I never had any experience with blogs before I started this course, and I actually used to think they were a little bit geeky. It was not until I started using one did I find out how easy it is to spill your mind out into it without even knowing who might be viewing it.
I've found that I've actually started to search around for some interesting blogs, and more specifically, blogs that can make me laugh. I found a blog by someone called David Thorn who writes the most off beat posts poking fun (and sometimes confrontation) at every day happenings in his life and the people around him. In some cases he exposes his friends so much that they threaten him until he pulls it down. Whether he does this for his own amusement or for the amusement of others I'm not sure. But I do think that he's found an outlet for his mind in blogs. I'm sure if he found me talking so in depth about him, he'd probably try and make me look like an idiot on his blog. He had a news item a few weeks ago about a picture of a spider as payment for a bill. I recommend you check it out!
What I also find cool is the fact that people who are incredible writers but aren't journalists can now share their views and information with a huge audience. I'm sure everybody at some stage has come across a professional looking blog searching for information without even realising that it could be just some guy or girl doing it in their spare time. Perhaps these aren't going to hold much water in a referencing situation, but I've found that sometimes when I don't understand a reputable sources information, I can find a blog written by somebody that clears it up for me in everyday terms.
At this stage, I don't think I'm the sort of person that can maintain a regularly updated personal blog. For school and work it's fine, but the only reason that I could see myself using a blog is if I was to travel and wanted to share my experiences as the happened with people who cared. :-P
I've found that I've actually started to search around for some interesting blogs, and more specifically, blogs that can make me laugh. I found a blog by someone called David Thorn who writes the most off beat posts poking fun (and sometimes confrontation) at every day happenings in his life and the people around him. In some cases he exposes his friends so much that they threaten him until he pulls it down. Whether he does this for his own amusement or for the amusement of others I'm not sure. But I do think that he's found an outlet for his mind in blogs. I'm sure if he found me talking so in depth about him, he'd probably try and make me look like an idiot on his blog. He had a news item a few weeks ago about a picture of a spider as payment for a bill. I recommend you check it out!
What I also find cool is the fact that people who are incredible writers but aren't journalists can now share their views and information with a huge audience. I'm sure everybody at some stage has come across a professional looking blog searching for information without even realising that it could be just some guy or girl doing it in their spare time. Perhaps these aren't going to hold much water in a referencing situation, but I've found that sometimes when I don't understand a reputable sources information, I can find a blog written by somebody that clears it up for me in everyday terms.
At this stage, I don't think I'm the sort of person that can maintain a regularly updated personal blog. For school and work it's fine, but the only reason that I could see myself using a blog is if I was to travel and wanted to share my experiences as the happened with people who cared. :-P
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
MODULE THREE - HTML Tags
I just completed my webpage and uploaded it to my webspace. I didn't have many difficulties completing this as I'm pretty familiar with the basics of HTML. I decided to style my page with CSS to conform to the current standard, because it just feels really wrong when I style a page within the markup.
One thing I can say is that Joe Barta's exercises are extremely useful for a beginner and I would recommend it to any learner!
I prefer html to blogging because I really love learning design. I'm no expert at design yet, but I get more enjoyment from creating pages than I do expressing my thoughts through blogging. I am getting used to it thanks to this course though :-)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Holiday nearly at an end
So the end is in sight, and soon I fly back to Melbourne to restart my 'other' life once more. I've been very quiet the last 3 weeks as I R&R down in Hobart, but I deserve it damn it! :-P This has been an extremely busy year with work where I do way over my set hours, and there is no such thing as school holidays in Open University (i don't want to have a whole study period off just to have a holiday).
Back to it!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Word 2007 Attachments
I've just been pondering about times when I may have received or sent an attachment that won't open. The only ones I can think of are the .docx files that word 2007 create. I've submitted assignments in a course I did last year that the teacher couldn't open due to this.
Apart from Microsoft's usual lack of conforming to a standard, I don't think I've had a problem for years. There is sort of a unwritten understanding at my company that we only send a file that we know will work such as a PDF, DOC, JPEG, etc. Our computer network uses office 2003 at the moment so we don't have the .docx problem. But soon we will be upgrading to the latest version of Office, so I'm sure we'll have an issue when people start saving press releases and the like with Office 2007's default save to docx.
The problem is these press releases go out to a lot of external parties who may not have word 2007, so I could imagine this will be a major problem. PDF is usually not applicable in this case because the press releases often need to be edited for local purposes.
Apart from Microsoft's usual lack of conforming to a standard, I don't think I've had a problem for years. There is sort of a unwritten understanding at my company that we only send a file that we know will work such as a PDF, DOC, JPEG, etc. Our computer network uses office 2003 at the moment so we don't have the .docx problem. But soon we will be upgrading to the latest version of Office, so I'm sure we'll have an issue when people start saving press releases and the like with Office 2007's default save to docx.
The problem is these press releases go out to a lot of external parties who may not have word 2007, so I could imagine this will be a major problem. PDF is usually not applicable in this case because the press releases often need to be edited for local purposes.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A Nice Surprise
Just looked at my Calendar and remembered that each module is split into 2 weeks. Coming into Christmas I was worried I would be partying too hard in my holidays and getting behind... not now! I can enjoy Christmas in Hobart knowing that I'm safely ahead into Module 3 tasks!Although I won't forget the discussion boards!
Merry Christmas!!
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