5.1: Network Applications
·
Discovery: allows users
to browse and search data sources, on the Web.
o
Search engines are
computer programs that search for specific information using key words and report all the results.
o
Meta search engines
search from many engines at once and collect the findings of the different search
engines to answer queries posted by users.
§ Largest search engines: Google,
Yahoo, Microsoft Network, Ask.
§ Meta search engines: Surf-wax,
Metaclawler, Mamma, Karto, Dogpile.
o
Portal is a
Web-based, personalized gateway to information and knowledge that provides
related information from different IT systems and the Internet using advanced
search and indexing techniques.
§ Commercial (public)
portals offer content for diverse
communities and are the most popular portals on the Internet.
§ Affinity portals support communities such as a hobby group or a political party.
§ Mobile portals are accessible from mobile devices.
§ Corporate portals offer a personalized single point of access through a Web browser.
§ Industry wide portals are for
entire industries.
·
Communication:
o
Electronic mail (e-mail) is the largest-volume application running on the Internet.
o
Web-based call centers (customer call center) are services
that provide effective personalize customer contact as an important part of
Web-based customer support.
o
Electronic chat room is a virtual meeting place where groups of regulars come to “gab”.
o
Voice communication : people communicate with one another from a distance using Internet
Telephony, which also known as voice- over Internet protocol or VoIP.
o
Unified communication: Hardware
and software platform that simplifies and integrates all forms of
communications – voice, e-mail, instant messaging, location and
videoconferencing- across an organization.
·
Collaboration: Collaboration refers to efforts of two or more entities
(individuals, teams, groups, or organizations) who work together to accomplish
certain tasks.
o
Work group refers
specifically to two or more individuals who act together to perform some task.
o
Virtual group (team) is
when group members are in different locations.
o
Virtual collaboration is the
use of digital technologies that enable organizations or individuals to
collaboratively plan, design, develop, manage and research products, services
and innovative applications.
o
Workflow technologies
facilitate the movement of information as it flows through the sequence of
steps that make up an organization’s work procedures. Includes workflow
management and workflow systems.
o
Groupware refers to
software products that support groups of people who share a common task or goal
and who collaborate to accomplish it.
o
Teleconferencing is
the use of electronic communication that allows two or more people at different
locations to hold a simultaneous conference.
o
Videoconference is
when participants in one location can see participants at other locations and
share data, voice, pictures, graphics and animation by electronic means.
o
Web conferencing is
videoconferencing conducted over the Internet.
o
Real-time collaboration tools
support synchronous communication of graphical and text-based information i.e.
computer-based whiteboards.
5.2: Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is a loose collection
of information technologies and applications, and the Web sites that use them.
·
Most Common web 2.0 Memes: A meme is any unit of cultural information,
such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action
from one person to another. Examples
include thoughts, ideas, theories, practices, habits, etc. Note the basic memes
of Web 2.0 are: usability, participation, economy, convergence, remix ability,
design, and standardization.
·
Web 2.0 Information Technologies and Applications:
o
AJAX: A web development technique that allows portions of web pages to
reload with fresh data instead of requiring the entire web page to reload
o
Tagging: A tag is a keyword or term that describes a piece of information
(e.g., blog, picture, article, video clip)
o
Blogs
and blogging: A blog is a
personal web site, open to the public, in which the site creator expresses his
or her feelings or opinions.
o
Wikis: A wiki is a web site on which anyone can post material and make
changes to other material.
o
Really Simple
Syndication (RSS) : RSS allows
users to receive, or customize the information they receive when they want it
without having to surf thousands of web sites.
o
Podcasts
and Video casts: A podcast is
a digital audio file that is distributed over the web using RSS for playback on
portable media players or personal computers. A videocast is the same as a
podcast, only with digital media and audio content.
·
Categories of Web 2.0 Sites:
o
Social Networking Sites: Allow users to upload their content to the web in the form of
text, voice, images, and video.
o
Aggregators: Provide a
collection of content from the web (e.g., Technorati, Digg, Simple thred).
o
Mashups: A web site
that takes content from a number of other web sites and mixes them together to
create a new kind of content (e.g., SkiBonk, Healthmap, ChicagoCrime)
·
Web Services and Service-Oriented Architecture:
o
Web services are
applications delivered over the Internet that users can select and combine
through almost any device, from personal computers to cell phones.
§ Four Protocols of Web services:
·
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
makes it easier to exchange data among a variety of applications. All Web services documents are written in
XML.
·
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is a protocol that defines how messages can be exchanged among
different systems and applications through the use of XML.
·
The Web Services Description Language (WSDL) is used to create the XML document that describes the tasks
performed by various Web services.
·
Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) allows users to search for needed Web services in public or
private directories of such services.
o A service-oriented
architecture is an IT architecture that makes it possible to construct business
applications using web services.
§ Web services architecture has three major components:
·
(1) Web services provider
·
(2) Web services directory
·
(3) Web services client (or consumer)
§ WSDL creates the XML document and describes the various Web services in
the directory.
§ UDDI allows Web services to be stored in the directory and allows users
to search for those services
§ SOAP enables users to access needed Web services.
5.3: E – Learning and Distance Learning
· E-Learning is the learning supported by the Web.
· Distance learning (DL)is any learning situation in which teachers and students do
not meet face-to-face.
· Benefits and Drawbacks:
Benefits of E-Learning:
|
Drawbacks of E-Learning:
|
ü Self-paced learning increases content retention.
|
ü Instructors may need training to be able to teach electronically.
|
ü Online materials deliver high-quality, current content.
|
ü The purchase of additional multimedia equipment may be necessary.
|
ü Students have the flexibility of learning from any place at any
time at their own pace.
|
ü Students must be computer literate and may miss the face-to-face
interaction with instructors.
|
ü Learning time generally is shorter, and more people can be
trained due to faster training time.
|
ü There are issues with assessing students’ work, as instructors
really do not know who completed assignments.
|
ü Training costs can be reduced.
|
5.4: Telecommuting
· Telecommuting allows workers
to work anytime and anyplace.
·
Telecommuting Benefits:
o
For Employees:
|
o
For Employers:
|
ü Reduced stress, improved family life.
|
ü Increased productivity.
|
ü Employment opportunities for single parents and persons with
disabilities.
|
ü Ability to retain skilled employees
|
·
Telecommuting Disadvantages:
o
For Employees:
|
o
For Employers:
|
ü Feelings of isolation.
|
ü Difficulties in supervising work.
|
ü No workplace visibility.
|
ü Potential of the security of information
|
ü Potential for slower promotions.
|
ü Additional training costs.
|
I think meta search engines are more efficient
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