Government Online services

It is easy for a consumer to research for the Government online services and find out necessary information about anything they wish to find out or solve.
When looking a the governments information services by using www.directgov.co.uk, i found that they had 500 searches covering a wide range of subjects from pest control to UK flights. It is very easy for a consumer to find out information and is veru useful.
While when researching for online reporting and advice the selection of links are considerably smaller at only 51, it still may be useful and is likely to answer most peoples questions and explain how to report something. It displays information about terroists attacks to squatters to fraud.
One again there is a vast range of links, which enable a consumer to book things such as driving tests. Once again this is very useful, sometimes it is easier and you have a wider range of things that you are able to book on other websites, however, they may be less reliable as directgov.
The website directs to 500 links to give consumers advice and help and information on how to cope with their payments or even how to pay them. This is very useful to a consumer and gives them reassurance that they will be able to cope with their payments with the recent credit crunch.

According to the cabinet office report in 2004, the Government hopes to have saved £1.3 million within 3 years by migrating its services online and to have saved consumers £1 thousand million. How is this possible?


I do not think this is possible and seems a very unrealistic judgement to make, I do not see how they are saving cosumers £1 thousand million.

Recently, I have used the social networking www.facebook.co.uk and have reseached things on search engine websites such as www.google.com.

Education

One type of online learning is the www.bbc.co.uk/learning
This offers students the chance to complete many activites and tutorials. It has information on many subjects and ranges from KS2 up to A-level, so there for is suitable for all. It is also a very reliable source of learning. It had fun games as another way of learning and also short film clips for certain subjects. It suitable for everyone to use and is a good way of revising and practising work and there is plenty to learn.

There are also websites that shows you step by step ways of completing your work on the computer, such as ,www.macromedia.com. This is very useful and enables students to work indepently and also complete work at home. As, sometimes when a person explains how to use Dreamweaver it is not easy to understand and websites such as the Macromedia website explains how to do things step by step. It is a great source of learning for students, although it is difficult to fins these in many subjects.

There are also 'Learning objects' that many companies market to the educational market. These are very useful for teachers as well as students and is an easy way of demonstrating something clearly to the whole class. It is also a different and interesting way to learn that students can use at home or during school/college. Once again, you are limited to which topics you can find them on, however, they are still good sources of learning and can be a great way of improving a students skills on the computer, which can help them most subjects.

There is also 'simulations', such as www.netfrog.com. The website Netfrog allows students to look at a series of images showing the close dissection of a frog. This is very useful for students studying biology or animal rights. It is also very fascinating and it is possible to fins simulations on many different topics. However, it is not as beenficial as carrying out a dissection or watching it in real life, althought some people have issues with such things and therefore would prefer to watch it on the internet. I do not think it si the best way of learning, however, it can be used as a back-up to reienforce information already learnt, as it is a different way of learning.

Education-Use a Learning Object

Simple demonstrations, such as, a viewlet that displays "using the toolbar and format menu”. These types of flash and quicktime movies are marketed by a number of companies to the educational market as 'learning objects'. These are another way in which students can learn, making learning more unique and interesting. Also, it is an easier way of teaching the whole class all together about such things. I think it is a good and valuable way of learning and is very beneficial to students and teachers.

A good website to view this movies on is www.lynda.com

Internet Weather Predictions

Once again the weather has been just as predicted. Now reflecting back on the weather of the last 5 days, it has proved that the internet weather predictions are very accurate, although, we did have some rain on monday night and the internet weather predictions did not predcit that, apart from that the weather predictions have been very reliable and I would use them again.

Education- Macromedia Presentations

http://www.macromedia.com/

Your are able to visit the website above and have a lesson in using macromedia software, it is very good and shows you clearly how to use the programs. It is a very good idea, especially for students, who can do more independent working and look it up how to work the programs and therefore learn for themselves how to do their work.
However, it has its disadvantages, the lessons only show you one way to do things and there is normal several others, if you still dont understand when you get someone to explain it to you sometimes it can make things more confusing. The presentation may be too long and may go into detail that is not necessary for you to know in order to do your work. Also, it does not always work efficently and depending on the speed of your internet or what sort of compuet you are on or any faults with the macromedia website sometimes you are unable to view the presentation and this can be quite fustrating.

Education- Netfrog

http://frog.edschool.virginia.edu/Frog1/

I do not think that the website above is very good and it certainly doesnt make the dissection of a frog interesting.
However, it is a good idea to be able to look at how to dissect a frog before doing so, in order to make sure you are doing it and therefore able to see all the necessary things in the frog.
Also, if things like dissecting a frog make people ill there are able to look at what you see when dissecting frog instead of actually doing so, also you then dont have to kill frog.
However, the pictures on the website arent exactly great and as beneficial as you would like them to be but would help you in some way.

Education- Online learning

Online Education.

http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/learning_modules/

I looked around the website above, and found that it was very easy to navigate around, menaing it is suitable for students, who may not have time to try and figure out a website or may not be very good at computers. It has loads of relevant and interesting information. I think it fulfils its purpose very well.
However, I don't think that it is fun enough, meaning students will get bored easily and therefore may leave the site and give up on revising/learning online.
On the other hand, it is an alternative for those students that dont like learning other ways.

Online Banking

Online Banking.

The purpose of online banking is to prevent people from having to go into town to bank, this is to make things easier for people.
I have looked closely at the Lloyds TSB bank website, it although it fulfils its purpose and allows you to do all kind of things to do with your bank account. I think onlie banking is aimed at people who long hours and have a hectic life style and therefore struggle to find time to go to the bank during opening times, where as online banking sites allow them to bank whenever they wish.
I also looked at the HSBC site, which works in a similar way and people are able to bank online whenever they wish.
One down side to online banking is things can always go wrong and sometimes it is better to talk to a person about what you want to do and then it is always easier to put problems right. I have heard of many accounts in which people have had serious problems due to online banking so therefore it isnt always the best idea.
Also, you have to be good at computers and know what you are doing because it is a risky business entering in details and you are messing with your own money. Is it really worth the risk?
However, I think banking can be improved in the future, it can be made more efficient and problems need to be made easier to solve, with a place you can be directed too or ring up in order to sort problems rather than hasseling people at your local branch. Although, if you went to them in the first place, you might be better off.

Internet Weather Predictions

Once again the internet weather predictions are very accurate and in my area we have seen sun and slight bit of cloud. So, on my research so far i would say that the internet is fairly reliable.

Internet Weather Predictions

So far the weather predictions, that i posted on her yesterday, are right, friday was cloudy but sunny and today(saturday) it is sunny. So, at the moment the internet weather predictions seem to be fairly accurate.

eBay

I have been looking at eBay and how it fulfils its purpose.


The idea of Ebay is to allow people to buy and sell stuff. People have to bid within a time restriction the seller has set and the person who bids the highest wins the goods. Ebay is used world-wide and has an enormous auidence and users. It is aimed at a wide range of people from teenagers to elderly people and every one in between; however you can only but something if you have a debit or credit card. There is a extremely big range of things on sell and it is possible to find almost anything you search. It certainly fulfils its purpose in allowing people to buy and sell things. Some people have even given up their jobs to run thjeir own eBay business but basically just buying things and selling them on eBay and making a extremely good profit. You can buy second as well as first hand stuff and it is easy to navigator around. Obviously the only limitation with any commerical transactional website is you, you never get a clear idea of what the product looks like and sometimes this can be a problem.

Internet Weather Predictions

I am now researching the weather for my area for the next 5 days. I plan on noting down out the weather is actualy like and then comparing it with the websites predictions, so i can see how accurate it is.
I found the weather predictions www.bbc.co.uk/weather.

Friday-cloudy but sunny-19°C-moderate
Saturday-Sunny-17°C-moderate
Sunday-Sunny-17°C-good
Monday-Sunny-17°C-good
Tuesday-Cloudy but sunny-17°C-good

I will write back agains oon comparing the predictions with the actually wheather.

Planning my Journey

I had to plan a journey from my home town, stubbington, to Tottenham Court Road in London.
First of all, I researched the journey by train and underground.

Arrive at Fareham train station at 12:30
Get on the train to London Waterloo at 12:40
Arrive at London Waterloo at 2:28
Then catch the Underground Nothern Line to Tottenham Court Road.
Arrival Time 2:40

Secondly, I researched the jounery by car.


.00
Start out at Stubbington,Fareham
Unclassified

0.00
0.06
Turn left onto Metcalfe Avenue
Metcalfe Avenue

0.06
0.09
Turn left onto Burnt House Lane
Burnt House Lane

0.15
0.08
Turn left onto Gosport Road - B3334
B3334

0.23
0.15
At roundabout take the 4th exit onto Gosport Road - B3334
B3334

0.38
0.21
At roundabout take the 1st exit onto Titchfield Road - B3334
B3334

0.59
1.84
Turn left onto the A27
A27

2.43
0.68
Holiday Inn (Fareham-Solent)
A27

3.11
0.07
At roundabout take the 3rd exit onto the A27
A27

3.18
0.11
Shell Titchfield
A27

3.29
1.02
At roundabout take the 4th exit onto the A3051 (signposted Southampton, Portsmouth, M27)
A3051

4.31
0.41
At roundabout take the 1st exit, then join the M27 motorway (signposted Southampton) Traffic blackspot: Call 401100 from your mobile
M27

4.71
9.24
Turn left onto the M3
M3

13.95
2.12
Holiday Inn (Southampton-Eastleigh M3, Jct.13)
M3

16.08
7.98
Shell Winnall (Junction 9)
M3

24.06
4.05
Winchester Service Area (ROAD CHEF)
M3

28.11
22.74
Fleet Service Area (WELCOME BREAK)
M3

50.85
15.62
Leave the M3 at junction 2, then join the M25 motorway (signposted Heathrow Airport)
M25

66.47
6.88
Leave the M25 at junction 15, then join the M4 motorway (signposted London (WandC), Heathrow Terminals 1,2 and 3) Traffic blackspot: Call 401100 from your mobile
M4

73.36
2.05
Holiday Inn (London-Heathrow M4, Jct.4)
M4

75.41
1.55
Warning: Speed Cameras along the M4
M4

76.96
1.50
Heston Service Area (MOTO)
M4

78.46
5.19
Continue forward onto the A4
A4

83.65
1.13
At Hogarth Roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A4 (signposted Central London, Hammersmith)
A4

84.77
0.32
Warning: Speed Cameras along the A4
A4

85.10
0.57
Express by Holiday Inn (London Hammersmith)
A4

85.67
0.10
At Hammersmith Flyover Junction continue forward onto the A4 (signposted Central London, Olympia)
A4

85.76
1.40
At traffic signals continue forward onto the A4
A4

87.16
0.25
At traffic signals continue forward onto the A4 (signposted Central London (West End), Knightsbridge) Central London Congestion Charges ApplyMon-Fri 7am-6pm
A4

87.41
0.44
Holiday Inn (London-Kensington Forum)
A4

87.85
0.06
Holiday Inn (London-Kensington)
A4

87.91
0.34
Natural History Museum
A4

88.25
0.32
At Brompton Oratory continue forward onto the A4
A4

88.56
0.31
Harrods Store
A4

88.87
0.22
At Scotch House Junction continue forward onto the A4 (signposted Central London)
A4

89.09
0.20
At Hyde Park Corner Junction, continue forward through underpass (signposted The City, West End, Piccadilly Circus)
A4

89.29
0.72
Holiday Inn (London-Mayfair)
A4

90.02
0.35
At Piccadilly Circus turn left then right and continue forward onto Shaftesbury Avenue
A401

90.37
0.35
At Cambridge Circus turn left onto the A400
A400

90.71
0.22
Arrive at Tottenham Court Road Underground Station,London
A40

90.94

If starting out at 12:30 I would arrive at Tottenham Court Road by 2:34 without any traffic.

Planning my Journey

I had to plan a journey from my home town, stubbington,

Tsunami disaster

The tragic incident of the 2004 tsunami is a good example of presenting information in different ways. Many people queued up at internet cafes in order to be able to e-mail loved ones to tell them they were ok, the phone lines were jammed, as some many people were trying to contact others, also, there was a lot of text messages sent. This enabled them to share the information quickly, E-mails were delievered straight away to the reciever, phone calls were constantly being answered and also, text messages worked better than ever before, people were sending messages which would wait in the message centre until there was a break in the lines for the message to send, getting the informtaion to their family and friends as soon as possible. More money was raised over the internet by the public in different countries, than all the money the government's gave, this an amazing achievement. Organisations and indiviuals all concentrated hard on trying to raise as much as possible to help Asia deal with its horrific tragedy. Modern Communication Services were used rather than the old ones because they are more efficent and once you have sent, people do not have to worry so much as to whether the person has recieved the message, as they recieve it as soon as there is a free space in the lines. I think all of the services were very effective during this incident and helped the Asian community significantly and certainly fulfilled their prupose. Due to all the help of the internet and phone lines, people of Asia and tourists were able to tell their family's and friends they were ok. Also, One of the hospitals was taking pictures of every patient and uploading it to their website so that they could let people know they were safe and this resulted in a woman in Sweden recognising that her 2-year-old nephew was on the website and therefore she was able to help. This is just one story to tell that reflects the Modern Communication Services are very good and fulfil their purpose.

Digital divide

Today, I researched the 'digital divide' on http://www.groups.google.com/ .
Unfortunately I did not find anything of any help to me. The only one benefit these groups have is it enables people to all talk about a common interest they have, however, it is very difficult to find a suitable group to read or join, as they often re-direct to other sites or do not have any messages on them. I do not think that it fulfils its purpose very well.

Today, I sent an SMS containing a Haiku Poem. It read as follows:
B4 its 2 l8
i c u l8r
2nyt k?
The person I sent the message then sent a message back converting my Haiku into proper English, as follows:
Before it is to late,
I will see you later,
Is tonight ok?

E-mail is a better communication service due to it being a free service and it is easy to write in language that everyone understand and you are also not restricted to how much space you use. It is also more efficient to use E-mail to send messages to people living in other countries. Instant Messaging is also a very good and well used communication service. It is very easy to have a proper conversation with someone for free and is very simple to work. The most common sources of IM is MSN or Yahoo. Another, common way of communicating is SMS, it is very easy to use, however, it is costly and it is sometimes hard to understand people's messages.

So therefore, I think E-mail is the best source of communication services although it is not always convenient to use a computer throughout the day and therefore SMS is a better option.

Today, I sent an E-mail to a peer, with a document attached explaining what an E-mail is, including a diagram with description to how an E-mail works, as shown below.

About E-mails

E-mail is an abbreviated form the term ‘Electronic Mail.’ E-mail is a store-and-forward method of writing, sending, receiving and saving messages over electronic communication systems. The term ‘e-mail’ applies to the internet e-mail system based on the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, to network systems based on other protocols and to various mainframe, minicomputer or internet by a particular systems vendor, or on the same protocols used in public networks. E-mail is often used to deliver bulk unsolicited messages or ‘spam’ but filter systems exist which can automatically block or delete some or most of these.

(Diagram here)

The diagram above shows a typical sequence of events that takes place when someone composes a message using their mail user agent. They type in or select from an address book, the e-mail address of their correspondent and then press’ the send button. Their MUA formats the message in Internet e-mail format and uses the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to send the message to the local mail transfer agent (MTA).The MTA looks at the destination address provided in the SMTP protocol (not from the message header).An Internet e-mail address is a string of the form localpart@exampledomain.com, which is known as a Fully Qualified Domain Address (FQDA). The part before the @ sign is the local part of the address, often the username of the recipient, and the part after the @ sign is a domain name. The MTA looks up this domain name in the Domain Name System to find the mail exchange servers accepting messages for that domain. The DNS server for the b.org domain, ns.b.org, responds with an MX record listing the mail exchange servers for that domain, in this case mx.b.org, a server run by the correspondents ISP.
smtp.a.org sends the message to mx.b.org using SMTP, which delivers it to the mailbox of the user. The user presses the "get mail" button in his MUA, which picks up the message using the Post Office Protocol (POP3).

Today, I went on social networking site, www.facebook.com.

This is my first post.