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[May. 27th, 2018|11:21 pm] |
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| Learning log #12 - Web 2.0 |
[Jul. 29th, 2009|07:10 pm] |
We were asked to compare these two bookmark list: one on Diigo and another one in simple html.
They are both very representative of distinct Internet eras; the html page looks like something from 10 years ago: all the information is published online and maximum level of interactivity you have with it is to click on the links. The only possible interaction with the original publisher would be to email him/her (if there's an email link on that page).
Meanwhile, the Diigo page looks a lot more contemporary, more "Web 2.0". There are friend lists of people sharing bookmarks with each other; tags to make searching easier; ads by Google; the possibility of joining communities and it's also more aesthetically minded.
While I personally don't mind the simple html page (and it looks very nostalgic to me), I prefer the Diigo page. It's not because it's more "modern", just because it is easier to navigate and find the information you want. The possibility of finding more related information to what you were originally browsing for is also a plus. |
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| Learning Log #11 - various uses of blogs |
[Jul. 13th, 2009|01:08 pm] |
The first use a blog that springs to mind is obviously as a personal journal, which is the way the first appeared online in the mid 1990s. Justin Hall's online journal, regarded as one of the first of its kind, anticipated the tone most contemporary personal blogs would have featuring stories of relationships, family, travels, work and even illnesses. Sites such as Livejournal, Xanga, Blogspot caught on with this trend around 10 years ago and contributed to the blogging explosion.
In the 21st century, several news related blogs surfaced; some of them were independent and many were attached to major news sites, such as BBC, New York Times and most major newspapers around the world written by journalists working for these news corporations.
Eventually, corporations from other industries (namely Google, GM, Dell) adopted the blog format to inform their consumers about new releases, innovations or events sponsored by them. Even some CEOs of big companies have their own blogs as well.
Users might start a blog to talk about subjects dear to themselves without any monetary incentives: to write essays about art, movies, music and philosophy; focus mostly on food and restaurants; the type of clothes they like and what they are wearing as they post an entry. Some may use their blog as a large tutorial to share their knowledge on a certain topic, while forming a community around it.
As a blogger for the last 5 years, I've often contributed to web by sometimes talking about myself, often posting pictures I took or songs I recorded and to meet new people. On Livejournal I became acquainted with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) stanleylieber and silenceinspades and others who also share their musical and visual creations online and had the opportunity to form this virtual community I now participate in. |
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| Learning Log #10 - WWW standards |
[Jul. 13th, 2009|11:34 am] |
On my latest assignment, I used a html markup validator to check whether this journal is following web standards recommended by W3.org.
Markup validation of http://dzima.livejournal.com
There were a total of 46 errors and 350 warnings found.
- The 350 warnings were related to SHORTTAG YES. Upon researching on webmasters and webdesigners forums, this warning is seen as "technically correct but obtuse" or not very important since the only problem is the lack of a closing bracket ">" at the end of a tag;
- a few non-existing errors were caused by the validator confusing the use of the "&" character as an incomplete tag;
- a few other non-existing errors were prompted by a mistake I made with break br tag;
- the validator counts as an error if there's no ALT attribute specified for images. The text description for image links is required for "text browsers, text-to-speech, braille for the visually impaired".
W3.org recommendations to the ALT tag are as follows:
How to specify alternate text
Attribute definitions
alt = text [CS]
For user agents that cannot display images, forms, or applets, this attribute specifies alternate text. The language of the alternate text is specified by the lang attribute.
Several non-textual elements (IMG, AREA, APPLET, and INPUT) let authors specify alternate text to serve as content when the element cannot be rendered normally. Specifying alternate text assists users without graphic display terminals, users whose browsers don't support forms, visually impaired users, those who use speech synthesizers, those who have configured their graphical user agents not to display images, etc.
The alt attribute must be specified for the IMG and AREA elements. It is optional for the INPUT and APPLET elements.
While alternate text may be very helpful, it must be handled with care. Authors should observe the following guidelines:
* Do not specify irrelevant alternate text when including images intended to format a page, for instance, alt="red ball" would be inappropriate for an image that adds a red ball for decorating a heading or paragraph. In such cases, the alternate text should be the empty string (""). Authors are in any case advised to avoid using images to format pages; style sheets should be used instead.
* Do not specify meaningless alternate text (e.g., "dummy text"). Not only will this frustrate users, it will slow down user agents that must convert text to speech or braille output.
Implementors should consult the section on accessibility for information about how to handle cases of omitted alternate text.
There were no other errors pointed out. |
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| Learning log #8 - group chat |
[Jul. 5th, 2009|12:49 pm] |
The time zone differences didn't deter a group chat I had with my classmates Stephen, Tara and Sarah, all of us in different cities.
As opposed to a one on one chat, it's a lot more difficult to have a linear conversation on a group chat context. A topic cannot be extended for more than one question and one maybe two answers at most.
On a formal context, I think the group chat format would work if all parties were given a brief and an opportunity to speak each on their own time, just like a presentation. On a more informal context, it would be useful for friends organising an event, such as a party, but didn't have the opportunity to meet up face to face before said event. |
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| Learning log #9 - html task |
[Jul. 4th, 2009|12:43 am] |
So for my latest uni assignment, I decided to make a Pete Toms fan site.
While I agree that blogs, Flickr, Youtube, etc, have made it simpler for the average person to produce content on the Internet, you do not have to be a computer wizard in order to create a simple website writing html code. The problem is that most Internet users aren't that keen on learning html so pre-formatted tools were required for them.
Being relatively familiar with html, I read the http://www.pagetutor.com tutorial already knowing some of the more common tags shown there. I ended up searching online for some tags I was oblivious of for my own web site (like to create the grey block in the centre and justify my text inside of it).
Creating websites is something I'd like to delve into a bit more, this task has been a reminder that I have a lot to learn yet. I didn't necessarily feel a sense of achievement though.
It's difficult to compare blogging and html since they are so different. The former is pure content; the latter is the skeleton which will give you the structure to produce content. |
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| Learning log #7 - chat |
[Jun. 30th, 2009|05:36 pm] |
Just had a chat to my classmate Sarah which was a meta-conversation about the very medium we were using to communicate: text chat.
We both agreed that it's medium ideal for informal conversations with friends and also for work purposes, though neither of us has ever used chat for the latter.
Chat seems to be a medium in between email or voice/video chat: it might have an element of asynchronicity to it, depending on how involved both parties are in the conversation but it also might work as an instant response medium.
In my opinion, Gmail chat is the most convenient method to communicate, its only fault being the fact that one cannot "add" someone as a chat contact easily. MSN seems a bit outdated and cumbersome since you have to download it to use and it always forces you to use Internet Explorer as a browser (I prefer Firefox); ICQ has gone over the top with too bells and whistles on top of that and I don't see any reason to change from Gmail chat to ICQ or MSN. Simplicity has won me over in the end. |
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| Learning log #6 - lists |
[Jun. 28th, 2009|05:55 pm] |
What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards?
Both mailing lists and discussion boards allow you to "meet" and discuss with like minded fellows, giving one the opportunity to join communities unbound by geographical distances.
In the early days of the Internet, when download speeds were slow and even text files might take a long time to load, the most helpful feature of a mailing list was the fact that they allowed you to receive individual emails whenever a new post was made to said list. Having messages stored in your computer was a quicker and more convenient way to access them for future reference. Nevertheless, the one-dimensional nature of moderated mailing lists (only one topic was acceptable) might have been a stifling to let that form of communication truly grow. Discussion board may have different forums all revolving around different facets of a certain topic while at the same time providing a forum for 'off-topic' threads.
On the other hand, now that connections have sped up and people have a more "multimedia" approach to the Internet, mailing lists lost a part of their appeal since one cannot display pictures, gifs or videos in the body of a message, which is possible on discussion boards.
Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other? |
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| Learning log #5 - email task |
[Jun. 13th, 2009|03:27 pm] |
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?
By consulting this and this websites, I was able to learn a bit more about tracing the origin of an email by using information provided by email headers and also how spammers try to hide their IP address.
Basically, the sender's IP address will be specified under the 'received' section of the header though different IPs might be added as the message makes its way through the net. However, locating someone's IP doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to pin it to specific physical location. Reverse DNS might be useful to achieve this.
For example here, Gmail has its own SPF (Sender Policy Framework) to filter out any possible spam.
2. In what cases would you find it useful to use the 'cc', 'bcc' and 'reply all functions of email?
Upon researching about cc and bcc, I just found out that they stand for "carbon copy" and "blank carbon copy", terminology borrowed from the age of typewriters which had been now updated to "courtesy copy" and "blank courtesy copy".
One of bcc's main usage is obviously to protect the privacy of an email's recipients. This website points out a few other usages applicable for the workplace: make emails seems more personal, keeping management informed or as concealed way of backing up email.
The difference between 'cc' and 'Reply all' is the 'cc' has only one main recipient, meaning that all other recipients are only made aware of the message but wouldn't have to action on it or reply to it all. 'Reply all' bundles all recipients under the "To" field.
'Reply All' is not really a recommendable feature. It should only be used for informal communication. For example, a small group of friends organising a birthday party or students arranging an assignment together. 'Reply all' could become the cause of serious blunders or gaffes if people who aren't meant to read one's reply get it in their mailbox.
3. In what ways can you ensure that an attachment you send will be easily opened by the receiver?
Back in the 90s, I remember having to convert huge chunks of text data from an email in to a .txt file in my computer and then proceeding to convert it to either .jpg, .mov or .mp3 file.
Nowadays, it seems as if a vast majority of computers will be able to handle most mainstream type of file extensions which might attached on an email.
However, there are still measure that can be taken to insure your recipient will be able to access your attachment. For example, the ever ubiquitous BlackBerry can open several widely used file extensions but is not compatible with newer Microsoft Office .doc document and .xls spreadsheet files (reference here and here).
Also, large file attachments might clog email server and are both difficult to send and to receive. For files larger than 10MB, it's recommendable to upload it to a free online file storage, such as Sendspace, and forward the file URL to your recipients.
4. What sorts of filters or rules do you have set up, and for what purpose?
auto sort mailing lists into unique labels. spam. that's about it.
5. How have you organised the folder structure of your email and why?
no folders. just labels. |
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| Learning Log #2 |
[Jun. 12th, 2009|12:07 am] |
Telnet makes browsing the web a much more manual operation. By using it, it makes the internet turn into a handcraft and we are left to figure out how to navigate those handwoven bits and pieces. |
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| Learning log #4 |
[Jun. 8th, 2009|10:22 pm] |
Now, this is very interesting. It's fascinating to see something you take for granted, such as accessing a website stored on a physical location very distant from yours, analyse and dissect it in a very technical way.
The Internet is something of a Ouroboros, a snake eating its tail, when it comes to degree of global connectedness it entails.
hop rtt rtt rtt ip address fully qualified domain name
1 5 1 1 70.84.211.97 61.d3.5446.static.theplanet.com
2 0 0 0 70.87.254.1 po101.dsr01.dllstx5.theplanet.com
3 0 0 0 70.85.127.105 po51.dsr01.dllstx3.theplanet.com
4 0 0 0 70.87.253.9 et3-1.ibr04.dllstx3.theplanet.com
5 * * *
6 41 41 41 72.52.92.57 10gigabitethernet1-2.core1.lax1.he.net
7 47 50 49 72.52.92.21 10gigabitethernet1-3.core1.pao1.he.net
8 41 41 41 72.52.92.70 10gigabitethernet4-1.core1.sjc2.he.net
9 44 44 44 216.218.192.234
10 162 161 161 202.147.0.58 gi1-0-0.cr2.nrt1.asianetcom.net
11 241 241 240 202.147.32.93 po5-0.gw3.sin1.asianetcom.net
12 266 266 266 202.147.33.174 aar-0002.gw3.sin1.asianetcom.net
13 265 266 266 202.158.194.145 so-3-2-0.bb1.a.per.aarnet.net.au
14 266 266 266 202.158.198.178 gigabitethernet0.er1.curtin.cpe.aarnet.net.au
15 266 266 266 202.158.198.186 gw1.er1.curtin.cpe.aarnet.net.au
16 * * *
17 * * *
18 * * *
19 267 267 267 134.7.179.56 systems.curtin.edu.au
avg 267 ms
***
Ping 134.7.180.137
[lms.curtin.edu.au]
Round trip time to 134.7.180.137: 309 ms
Round trip time to 134.7.180.137: 302 ms
Round trip time to 134.7.180.137: 298 ms
Round trip time to 134.7.180.137: 298 ms
Round trip time to 134.7.180.137: 302 ms
Round trip time to 134.7.180.137: 311 ms
Round trip time to 134.7.180.137: 298 ms
Round trip time to 134.7.180.137: 303 ms
Round trip time to 134.7.180.137: 301 ms
Round trip time to 134.7.180.137: 304 ms
Average time over 10 pings: 302.6 ms |
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| Learning log #3 |
[Jun. 8th, 2009|09:54 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | net11 | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | cornelius pavement dinosaur jr beck massive attack aphex twin tricky unkle oval | ] |
(only chez dzima number 3 comes before number 2)
So, on my journey back to 90s Internet I just found out that CAPITALISATION MATTERS when naming files for MAC, OS/2, MS-DOS and MS-WINDOWS.
I wasn't particularly impressed by ftp since I still use often enough to this day, thanks to Stanley Lieber. It was fun to peruse files from 10 years ago on Curtin's site though. The Internet is timeless. (rockist alarms go off)
The reason why websites like Flickr or Sendspace are successful is because they give Internet users free file storage (you'd be paying for a host otherwise [unless you're Stanley Lieber]) and a much simpler interface than FTP to upload files (plus the instant gratification of having your images on display on Flickr).
But, as with Telnet, it makes me feel at more at one with the computer instead of using all the automated software we are used to nowadays. |
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| Learning log #1 |
[Jun. 5th, 2009|07:40 pm] |
So I'm joining Aleks here and keeping the LiveJournal dream alive. It's a new beginning, a new incarnation for this blog, just like Terminator Salvation.
Henceforth it will turn into a full-fledged school assignment. I'll leave the comments open even though I don't anyone will be reading it.
My virtual classmates, feel free to peruse it. There are years of unnecessary posts in here.
TOP FIVE TIPS FOR BLOGGERS
1 - Finding a niche topic or readership;
2 - Regularly updating it;
3 - Blogger should reply to comments often/be easy to reach;
4 - Blog should have a hint of personal touch but shouldn't revolve around daily life, unless you want to keep a diary;
5 - Forming a community around blog. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 23rd, 2009|07:33 am] |
For those of you out of the loop, I've been spending sometime in South America with my adorable family as of lately. In Val Verde to be precise (the same country whose dictator Arnold killed in Commando and where the Predator attacked in his first movie. Also, it's where Sly Stallone is shooting 'The Expendables').
Life is great; if you earn $10 a day here, you can live like a king. My palate is being constantly delighted as well; the locals have come up with hundreds of different ways to make a meal with white flour, sugar and/or meat
And to disappoint all my fans, I also hardly own any musical or photographic gear these days. I'm just trying to make to world a better place without my "art". |
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| Southern (Hemisphere) Man |
[Mar. 18th, 2009|07:34 pm] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | neil young | ] |
So, the update is:
I've figured out pretty quickly that my old best mates in Australia, the ibises and possums at Hyde Park, didn't want me as friend anymore so I decided to move on. I'm going on a short trip to Buenos Aires and after that I'm travelling inter-dimensionally back home to the Battleworld, to rekindle with my father, the Beyonder.
See you in Secret Wars 3. |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 23rd, 2009|11:21 pm] |
I'll fly off tomorrow allegedly but I might be back sooner than you expect, just like the next sequel in the Die Hard franchise.
Here's me, wearing the famous Meta t-shirt. Please help Meta's trust fund by buying this t-shirt from Alin at akabe.
By the way, here's a pixelated tour of Alin's new place.
Alin's place video
He's already planning a new exhibition at there to be curated by The Edge, featuring photos by Pete Toms, a sound installation digitally manipulating Pavarotti's voice samples by Brian Eno and paintings by Nelson Mandela, sponsored by Amnesty International. Coffee at opening party provided by yours truly. |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 20th, 2009|11:01 pm] |
While I still can't find a job, I've decided to launch myself into some entrepreneurial joint ventures in the meantime, specially in the fitness business.
I'm proudly announcing our latest release, the Doraemon Barbell.
If you wanted to do your own squats, deadlifts, bench presses and power cleans at home but don't have enough space for a power rack, here is the all-in-one solution. Weighing 45kg, it provides with enough resistance for the ultimate pump.
In case you wondered how Steven Seagal got his amazing physique in the movies Fire Down Below and Under Siege II: Dark Territory, all he did was to exercise with our very own Doraemon Barbell. Don't go out believing any bogus fitness programs; all you'll ever need is a Doraemon Barbell.
Here's a demonstration video.
Yours for only U$149.99 including shipping worldwide. |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 12th, 2009|10:54 am] |
Looks like I'll be back in Australia very soon. I'm so excited about it that I can't stop smiling, like this:
I'll be looking forward to restart my career as an assistant to the 2nd in charge duty manager at Hungry Jack's/Burger King and being a homeless man, sleeping at Hyde Park with all my best mates: possums, ibises and mosquitoes. I'm not exaggerating.
On less gloomy news, I went to Yokohama Chinatown for the second time ever to apply for a toilet cleaner job. I didn't get it because I didn't have enough work experience and the employer required a university degree in toilet cleaning. Plus the current recession is making people want to save on detergent and not to clean their toilets anymore. Anyway, here are some pictures and videos of Yokohama Chinatown:
It's very touristy, like San Francisco Chinatown. My favourite shop was the one that sold Bruce Lee jumpsuits for kids and babies:
Videos:
Yokohama Chinatown #1
Yokohama Chinatown #2
Yokohama Chinatown #3
Yokohama Chinatown #4
Today I'm applying for a job to be a window cleaner/windowlicker at the 103rd floor of Roppongi Hills, so may you and Richard D. James wish me good luck. Hopefully they won't require work experience or university degree on window cleaning. |
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| Kanto Pilgrimage: (H)Iroshima, mon amour |
[Jan. 24th, 2009|11:10 pm] |
Recently, I got this job that was meant to last for 3 months but which I ended up quitting after one week. It mostly comprised of going to the snowy mountains near Hiroshima, living surrounded by snow and pine trees in complete isolation from the outside world while looking for humans that were infected by a never seen alien mutating shape-shifting species. But that was just my imagination. I quit before I ended up running with an axe after completely normal human beings and ended up too tired of doing heavy workouts in the snow. (There's your next summer blockbuster plot summary: a cross between The Thing, The Shining, Rocky IV and Total Recall).
Here's my failed attempt at snowboarding.
My only friends there were foxes and wild boars. We had a few beers together.
I visited Hiroshima as well. No insult but there's not much to see apart from the obvious A-bomb destroyed sites and related memorials.
The only remaining building from the bombing
How to dismantle Bono with an Atomic Bomb
No matter what Momus wants you to believe in, Japanese people love America more than they even love themselves so here are the stars and stripes standing proudly a few meters away from where the bomb was originally dropped. No joke.
I also tried some local cuisine: Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki. If you had Yakisoba, it's the same thing but with the noodles on top of the vegetables. I'll stick with Osaka style Okonomiyaki from now on.
According to our sorely missed friend Sparklig Beatnic, they were burning last year's protective amulets here at Gokoku Shrine.
It was very warm though so hung out there for while. Here are a few vids of the bonfire:
Gokoku #1
Gokoku #2
Gokoku #3
Also, Hiroshima Castle wasn't that interesting but the ducks in the moat were amusing.
I tried to go to the Contemporary Art Museum but it was closed but apparently it's not very interesting anyway. Then I came back to Tokyo by bus, 12 hour trip, very much looking forward to have a break from snow and alien creatures who don't pay you a proper wage. |
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