Tutorial 3 and 4

Assuming that you have been appointed as the new CEO of YouTube, discuss in your groups answers to these questions :


1. What are the factors that lead to the extreme popularity of YouTube, especially with keen competition from other social network services like Wiki, Blogs and Facebook.

Personally, I feel that the reasons youtube is so popular is because...

1) Simple to use

Unlike other video sharing websites, youtube makes it simple for users to upload videos on to the internet with its simple and clear instructions.

2) Social networking

The second reason would have to be social networking. Youtube has become a means of social networking for those who want to share their work with others, get feedback or comments from viewers. Its service also gives people the ability to create, upload and share your videos with up to millions of people. This has become a means of social networking for people who want to engage in an environment that draws people together, meet new people or even as simple as wanting to share or read opinions.

3) Reliable viewing

Also, Youtube does not require the users to sign up or download any programs in order to use it. With this, it means that it allows people of whichever browser, OS or computer to be able to view it with ease without any problems. It also allow the users to easily embed their videos or videos they want to share with others, on their blogs or even on forums, allowing easy sharing.

Example:
In the past usually when someone sees a really funny tv show/commercial on tv, he can only share the experience by trying his best to describe the video out or try very hard to search the video on the net. However, with Youtube, you can easily share the video with others.

However, I feel that the reason Youtube is ahead of its competitors is that it gives people the chance for their '3 minutes of fame'. Unlike wikis, blogs and facebooks, which are mostly just text-based, Youtube provides more interactivity. Most of us would have thought about becoming famous, popular and appearing on tv. With Youtube, this is very much possible. It allows people to express themselves or showcase their talent.

2. The article discusses some downsides to YouTube. How would you deal with these issues?

In order to solve or crack down on the copyrights issue, I would have stricter rules regarding the copyright issues and have more moderators on hand to ensure that any videos that violate the rules are taken down as fast as possible. Users are also equally responsible and play an important role in this. By helping to report illegal videos, they can help to crack down on copyrights issue.

As for privacy, I would also set up stricter privacy rules, allowing only people or friends that the user trust to view his/her full profile. However, the users would also have to learn to protect themselves from the danger of the internet

3. What would be the future direction for YouTube?. Refer to the sections “Where is it going?” and “What are the implications for teaching and learning” for some ideas.

I would make sure that Youtube is able to continue evolving by keeping current with the latest technologies and trends. I would also try and incorporate more functions and features like Facebook, allowing more interactivity between the people.

As video-blogging or vlogging is getting more and more popular, maybe I can make Youtube the host or platform for people to vlog. (Eg, seemer to blogger, maybe I can have http://www.thisismyblog.ytvlog.com)


Reflection:

From this tutorial, I have learnt to apply evaluation of website criteria on the Youtube Case Study. This case study has made me think in depth on why certain websites (in this case, Youtube) are popular. By looking at this, I am able to understand more on why certain websites appeal to people and why certain websites fail to do so. Furthermore, it will also aid me if I decide to create a website, as it has made me aware that in order to create a successful website, there are many things to consider.

Practical 9

Wow this is the last practical for UIR!

In this practical we must...

Describe in a paragraph, the most important lesson that you had learnt in your UIR journey.

The most important lesson that I have learn in UIR is the searching techniques and the use of different types of search facilities. Previously, when searching for something, I would just do a basic search and end up having to dig through pages of results before finding what I am looking for. However, after learning the searching techniques such as using stems, wildcards, boolean operators etc, I am able to search for information on the net more effectively and efficiently. Before learning the use of different types of search facilities, the only search facility I would use is the search engine. However, I realise this was a grave mistake. Different search facilities are useful in different situations. For example, use a search engine or meta search engine to search for familiar topics and use a subject directory to search for an unfamiliar topic. By learning the pros and cons of each search facilities, I am now able to optimize my searches to obtain the best results.

Practical 8

Activity 2 – Individual & Group
Visit this website http://www.talkingcock.com/
Using the criteria for evaluating websites, comment and justify whether you think this website is sustainable.

Purpose
The purpose of talkingcock.com is to preserve and advance the authentic voice of Singaporeans and ultimately, building a community of Singaporeans with a sense of humour and who enjoy life in all its complexity.

Coverage
The website covers quite a huge range of topics, mostly the latest news and happenings in Singapore. There are also many specific columns talking about many different topics.
List of Topics:
News:
- Local News - International News - Politics - Business - Sports - The Arts - News in Brief
Columns:
- Alien Talent - Another Day In Paradise - Diary of the Dragon Prince - Art with Fatt - Dear Ah Beng - Travel with Auntie - Lim Peh Ka Li Kong - Louie Chin Ooh Lui - Poet's Corner - We, The Citizens - Interview

Authority
The website is not an authoritative source as it is mostly just articles that poke fun at local events and happenings written by a bunch of Singaporeans. The articles do not have any source of information and as the writers are anonymous, thus they have low credibility and authority.

Accuracy
The facts are not very accurate as it is mostly made up of personal opinions. Furthermore, as it is a website made to poke fun at local events and happenings, the writings contain a lot of Singlish and local dialects.

Currency
The information provided on the website is up-to-date and well-maintained. The website is updated regularly with new articles talking about the latest events and happenings.

Accessibility
The website is easily accessible, no log-ins or registration required and all the information accessible are free. However, the forums would require one to register before posting.

Presentation and Arrangement
Although the layout of the website might look a little old-fashion, the information are all well presented with clear formatting and presented/arranged logically. It is also consistent in its presentation and layout. There is a search engine within the site and the topics are all listed by their categories at the left hand side of the website, allowing one to look for relevant information easily.

Usability
The website has a simple layout with clear headings which makes it user-friendly and allows for easy navigation.

Overall
Overall, I think that although the website might not be highly reliable, it is sustainable. The humorous style of writing and the way it voices out the general population's concerns and thoughts makes it popular among the people. Besides, the website is also well-maintained and up-to-date.

3. How would you react to this website if you were :
Singapore’s Prime Minister
A Singaporean
A Foreigner working / studying in Singapore

If I am the Singapore's Prime Minister, I would take the website lightly instead of offensively as it is merely a satirical humour website that is not defamatory in any way. The articles are also all clearly stated to be purely fictitous and humourous. However, I would also look at this website to see the general concerns and feelings of the public as the website is in a way, voicing out for the general public regarding current events and happenings.

If I am a Singaporean(which I am), I would laugh at the contents of the website, as it is closely related to me and what is happening around me.

If I am a foreigner/student working in Singapore, I would feel that many Singaporeans are unsatisfied living in Singapore. I would also think that the government in Singapore is incompetent with so many complains about it. However, I would find Singaporeans to be humorous and have a sense of humour as they are able to poke fun at themselves and their society.


Reflection:

This practical has help to reinforce my understanding of evaluating websites as the practical is similar to Practical 6a&b.

The games have also help to reinforce my understanding of evaluating websites.

Question 3 of the practical has helped me learn to look at a controversial website from different viewpoints and how different groups of people would react to it. This would definitely help me when I create my own website. When creating a website, it is not only for my own viewing, therefore, I need to learn to put myself in the shoes of the different types of readers and consider how other people would react to it and ensure that I would not offend anybody and be more sensitive with the content.

Practical 6a & b

Practical 6a&b

The following is based on http://alcoholism.about.com/

Purpose Are the aims of the website clearly stated? The aims of the website is quite clearly stated in the title and headings.

Coverage What is the coverage of the site? Is it comprehensive? What subject areas and materials are covered? Are there any pointers to further information that enhance the coverage of the site? Are the links to other sites useful? The coverage of this website is to educate people about alcoholism. The website covers a wide range of topics such as the 'effects of alcohol', 'symptoms/diagnosis' and 'treatment/rehab'. It also includes all the latest news regarding alcoholism. The website also include an option to subscribe to its newsletter and sponsored links to alcoholism treatments. The links to external websites are not really useful as they are mostly just advertisements.

Authority Is this an authoritative source? Are there any reviews about this site or has it been included in any gateways or virtual libraries? The website is an authoritative source. It is a part of The New York Times Company which is a highly reputable mass media resource hence the source of information and resources are clearly stated. The author has years of research and experience in this field and can be contacted through email.

Accuracy Are the facts accurate? Does it use research as a basis? Is there political, ideological, or biasness in the source? Is it a factual site or one that contains an opinion? Are the references stated clearly? Is it free from grammatical, spelling and typographical errors? The facts are accurate as the content of the article are all reviewed by a team of board certified physicians and certified health professionals from leading institutions. There are no political, ideological or biasness detected in the articles and the sources and references of the articles are also stated clearly at the end of the article.

Currency Is the information up-to-date? Is it well-maintained? The information on the website is quite up-to-date and well-maintained. The 'Alcoholism Blog' and the 'Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the News' is updated daily. However, some of the articles such as 'Types of Alcohol Problems' was last updated in Nov 2007.

Accessibility Is the site easily accessible? Does it require registration and log-ins? Are all the information accessible for FREE? The website is easily accessible, no log-ins or registration required and all the information accessible are free. However, the forums would require one to register before posting.

Presentation and Arrangement Is the information well presented and arranged? Is the information clearly, consistently and logically presented and arranged? Are there any features such as site map, an index or a search facility? How effective are the search features in helping users to find information? The information are all well presented with clear formatting and presented/arranged logically. It is also consistent in its presentation and layout. There is a search engine within the site and the topics are all listed by their categories, allowing one to look for relevant information easily.

Usability Is it easy to use and navigate around? Are there user support facilities? The website has a simple layout with clear headings which makes it user-friendly and allows for easy navigation.

Overall What is your overall impression of the quality of the website? My overall impression of the quality of the website is quite good. The website is easy to navigate and search for information. All the information are also presented clearly and very accurate. However, some of the articles are not updated regularly, which might result in the information being outdated.

Reflections:

From this practical, I have learnt how to accurately evaluate a website and the importance of it. Previously, I didn't even know there were so many things to consider when evaluating a website. Evaluating a website is very useful, especially when researching as by knowing important things such as the authority, accuracy and currency of the website, I am able to tell if the information is reliable and up-to-date. Also, by knowing the coverage, I can easily determine the content of the website. Therefore, the knowledge of evaluating websites has definitely helped me a lot, especially in researching.

Practical 4&5

Long long time since I post.. But I am back here for practical 4&5!

Activity 1

1. Based on this research topic, choose relevant keywords to search for relevant 3 resources.

The relevant keywords I chose are 'Impact', 'Alcoholism', 'Society'


2. What are the keywords that you would use?

Keywords:

'Impact', 'Alcoholism', 'Society.


3. List the variations to your keywords.

Keyword Keyword variations

Impact Effect, Influence, Result

Alcoholism Alcohol abuse, dipsomania

Society Community


4. Write down the search phrases that include the keyword and variations as identified above.

(impact OR effect* OR influence OR result*) AND (Alcoholism OR Dipsomania) AND (Society* OR Community*)


5. Use the following search facilities to search for the 3 resources:

(Refer to Lecture notes 4 & 5)

· Search engine (use only one example)

· Meta search engine (use only one example)

· Subject directory (use only one example)


Within each category of search facility, there are many examples to select from. Identity the ones you like best and use them for your search.


Search Engine: Google

Keywords Used: (Impact OR Effect* OR Influence OR Result*) AND (Alcoholism OR Dipsomania) AND (Society* OR Community*)

URL of the resource: http://www.greatalcoholismhelp.com/category/alcoholism-society/

Comments on Search Result: Total hit of 322,000(Searching using Impact of Alcoholism on Society returns 17,100,000 hits). By searching using this keyword, it has narrowed down the results by a lot. This has helped me alot in searching for the resources required as I realise the resources are more relevant to what I am searching for.


Meta Search Engine: Metacrawler

Keywords Used: Impact of Alcoholism on Society

URL of the resource: http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/homework/a/blsociety.htm

Comments on Search Result:Total hit of 71. MetaCrawler has helped alot, as it tranmits search terms simultaneously to several search engines, it had results which were previously not found in the first few pages of Google.


Subject Directory: Yahoo Directoy

Keywords Used: - (Searched by browsing the categories)

URL of the resource: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/alcoholism/article_em.htm

Comments on Search Result:Total hit of 33. The Subject Directory helps alot as it categorizes the topics. There is a topic under Alcoholism and this is very useful as all the webpages under it are related. Unlike using a Search Engine, the related webpages that I am searching for are narrowed down and it does not give many redundant results.

Compare the search results. Identify 2 characteristics that make all 3 search facilities similar or different from one another.

One main characteristic that makes a search engine, meta search engine and search directory different is that search engines and meta search engines are machine compiled while a search directory is human compiled. As it is human compiled, it is more reliable. However, there is a drawback to this as well as it needs to be approved and thus, would take some time before the website appears in the subject directory.

The main difference between a search engine and a meta search engine is the way it searches for information. A meta search engine would search a series of other great engines and directories all at the same time and only returns the best results.

Do you find any strength/weakness of each of them, in terms of search capability?

The search engine returns a large amount of hits, which gives the user a wider choice. However, what it returns might not always be relevant. Thus, one might need to sift through quite a few pages of results before finding what is needed.

The meta search engine searches a series of other engines and returns only the best results. This would ensure it returns the most reliable search results. However, compared to a search engine, there are lesser results.

A search directory is more reliable as it is human compiled. However, there is a drawback to this as well as it needs to be approved and thus, would take some time before the website appears in the subject directory.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I feel that the search engine would fit my need most as it gives me a wider choice and if I need to, I can use the search techniques (such as AND, OR " ") to narrow down the results.

Practical 3

Back here for Practical 3!

Activity 1

1. Study the Internet resources that you have retrieved in Practical 2.

2. Identify the purpose of any FOUR resources. Explain your answers by listing the reasons in the table provided. Reasons provided can be related to the different characteristics of each type of resource.

Listed below are the purposes of resources:
- Information
- Advocacy
- Business/Marketing
- News
- Personal
- Entertainment

Resource 1: http://sobernclean.blogspot.com/

Purpose of Resource: Personal

Reasons: This is a personal blog which contains mainly articles related to alcoholism. It also contains information and articles on how to quit alcohol addiction.


Resource 2: http://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/

Purpose of Resource: Information

Reasons: It is an online alcoholism information resource containing factual information ranging from the signs and symptoms of alcoholism to an explanation of treatment. Basically it is a informative website containing all one need to know about alcoholism.


Resource 3: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/alcohol/

Purpose of Resource: News

Reasons: It is a section under Medical News Today focussing on Alcohol/Addiction/Illegal Drugs news. It is updated daily and provides information on current events.


Resource 4: http://www.ncaddnj.org/2008/Home/default.asp

Purpose of Resource: Advocacy

Reasons: The NCADD (The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence) is New Jersey’s public information, public policy and community relations functions are the responsibility of the Public Affairs Unit, which is charged with:

• Influencing public policy in the state of New Jersey to establish effective prevention strategies and sufficient treatment services for alcoholics, drug addicted individuals, and their families.
• Increasing the awareness and knowledge of residents, policy makers, and professionals about alcoholism and drug addiction being preventable and treatable diseases.
• Facilitating the establishment and mobilization of a grassroots recovery movement to provide a constituent voice in public policy, to reduce stigma, and to honor and to celebrate the positive experience of recovery.
• Changing societal attitudes and beliefs in order to reduce the stigma associated with these preventable and treatable diseases.

Reflection:

From this practical, I have learnt how to differentiate and identify the different purposes of internet resources as well as compare them. I had some difficulties trying to differentiate the different sources as some of them seems to either fall into many categories or none of the categories. By learning how to differentiate the different purposes of internet resources, I am able to decide which website's information is more reliable and trustworthy, thus helping me a lot.

Practical 2

Here I am again for my UIR practical 2!

Activity 1 & 2:

What is an organisational website?
•A collection of www pages which are created and maintained by a particular organization
•Include company and university sites, sites of professional groups, society or organizations
•Contains extensive materials on the subject

What is a personal website?
•Maintained by an individual
•Relates to his/her personal interests
•Include materials on specific subject
•May be part of an organizational page

1. Based on the research topic you had selected in Practical 1, search the Internet for ONE Personal and ONE Organisational website.

Personal Website: http://sobernclean.blogspot.com/
I found 1 personal website, which is somwhat related to my topic. The blog focuses on anti-alcohol addiction as well as interesting facts and articles about alcohol. It also includes fresh news regarding alcoholism.

Keywords Used: impact of alcoholism
Search Engine Used: Google.com blog search

Organisational Website: http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/ & http://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/

The first website, http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/ , focuses on how to stop drinking alcohol. It also includes many articles such as 'Drinking and the Problems it Causes', 'Teenage Drinking' and 'How Alcohol Affects Your Family'. Basically it is a website that is dedicated to helping people affected by alcoholism, with contributions from people who have first hand experience of alcoholism.

The second website, http://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/ , has a wider range of information. As taken from the website: 'It is an online alcoholism information resource designed to help individuals who suffer from abuse or dependence, and the people whose lives they impact, gain a better understanding of the disease and begin the journey to better health and emotional wellness. An explanation of treatment approaches is also provided on this web site, along with educational articles and information on where to go for help. '

Keywords Used: impact of alcoholism
Search Engine Used: Google.com

Activity 2 - Compilation of Bibliography activity (Individual and Group)

Cite and compile a bibliography of all the resources you have individually retrieved during Practicals 1 & 2. Use the APA citation style as explained in Lecture 2 (slides 35-43).

In your project groups, compile a group bibliography of all group members’ individual bibliographies.

Practical 1

1) "The Alcoholism and Addictions Help Forum - by SoberRecovery.com" (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/

2) "The Impact of Alcohol Abuse on American Society" (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://www.alcoholicsvictorious.org/faq/impact.html

3) "Alcoholism - The Alcoholism Home Page" (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://alcoholism.about.com/

Practical 2

1) D. Estitute. (n.d.). "Sober N Clean" Retrieved May 13, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://sobernclean.blogspot.com

2) "Alcoholism: Information, Resources, Support Services, and Treatment Options." (n.d.). Retrieved May 13, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/index.html

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Reflections:

From this practical, I have learnt the differences between an organisational website as well as a personal website. The information in an organisational website is more concise and it has more extensive information. The information is also more reliable compared to a personal website.