We have all sent emails that we wish we could retrieve before the recipient reads it. Whether you sent it in the midst of a heated disagreement or maybe you just didn't have all the facts. In my experience (especially in the "techy personality" world) people can be short or sarcastic in email messages. If you are not willing to say it to their face then don't say it at all.
Oops! Sent that Message? This article reminded me of one of our discussions in class. Some of these points are obvious but still make good sense. What annoys me the most is when people type in all CAPS or do not include a subject in an email. What I try to remember when sending an email is that it will likely get sent to the world. Don't write anything you are not will to share with everyone.
THANK YOU. HAVE A NICE DAY.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
virtual worlds, IM etc...
I can see the potential benefits of instant messaging and virtual worlds in an educational setting. Kids today are very much a multimedia--immediate information group. While the basics will always play an important role in education (chalk board, books etc…) ----we must always consider the audience to which we are delivering a message to. As teachers constantly compete for the attention of students they must use these technologies to succeed. As the expression goes--fight fire with fire.
We also need to keep in mind the pitfalls that come with new technologies. There is always a risk of technology for technology sake. When that happens the message that you are trying to deliver can get lost. You also have the added risk of students misusing the technology. Things like posting hurtful messages about class members or teachers, spreading rumors etc…With new technologies comes new problems (along with new opportunities).
We also need to keep in mind the pitfalls that come with new technologies. There is always a risk of technology for technology sake. When that happens the message that you are trying to deliver can get lost. You also have the added risk of students misusing the technology. Things like posting hurtful messages about class members or teachers, spreading rumors etc…With new technologies comes new problems (along with new opportunities).
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
The geeks shall inherit the earth
This is a link to a very interesting 60 Min piece on how technology has changed and how it has given greater importance of the "Geeks" that support the technology society relies on. It also touches on effective design.
Video Segment
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3245054n
Article
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/26/60minutes/main2401726.shtml
Video Segment
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3245054n
Article
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/26/60minutes/main2401726.shtml
"Good" web design
Like others in this class I fired up Google and searched for “good webpage design” and found some of the same information. I believe it was in Kevin’s’ blog he quoted one source as “experts feel that original/unique content, interactivity, and good organization are important elements of effective website design.”
I do agree with what Kevin found. When I think of good webpage design I tend to approach it from a utilitarian frame of mind. Yes the page has to look good and it needs to keep your attention. If it doesn’t have any usefulness to it then it will quickly fade away once the flash and beauty wear off. There are other aspects to consider.
Your audience: If you are a multimedia company then yes you will have to be a little flashier in your website. After all if is an example of what you can do. If you are creating a site for kids then you also have to design accordingly.
Is your site handicap friendly? One of the customers I support at JMU is a blind gentleman. He uses a website reader. After working with him I really could see the importance of making pages handicap friendly. Something as simple as putting in alt text for pictures is very important. Also keep in mind that your audience may have vision or hearing problems.
Ease of use: Nothing bothers me more than going to a site that the information is buried 10 layers deep in the site. About a year ago I purchased a third party data cable for my cell phone. The driver shipped with the cable was not the correct one. After fighting their site for days I finally gave up and sent the cable back. The poor design of the site cost them a sale.
KISS approach: I am a big fan of keeping a site simple. The average user should be able to go to your site and get the information they want without needing an engineering degree from MIT. Ease of use is very important.
Look: Keep the look of your pages consistent. I like pages that have some sense of consistency. This can be easily achieved by using templates for your pages. Whether they are prepackaged with an authoring tool or something you developed from scratch. What kind of image or attitude do you want to project about your organization?
The above characteristics are what I like to see or consider when evaluating websites. In the end I think it comes down to usefulness and does the site meet your needs.
I do agree with what Kevin found. When I think of good webpage design I tend to approach it from a utilitarian frame of mind. Yes the page has to look good and it needs to keep your attention. If it doesn’t have any usefulness to it then it will quickly fade away once the flash and beauty wear off. There are other aspects to consider.
Your audience: If you are a multimedia company then yes you will have to be a little flashier in your website. After all if is an example of what you can do. If you are creating a site for kids then you also have to design accordingly.
Is your site handicap friendly? One of the customers I support at JMU is a blind gentleman. He uses a website reader. After working with him I really could see the importance of making pages handicap friendly. Something as simple as putting in alt text for pictures is very important. Also keep in mind that your audience may have vision or hearing problems.
Ease of use: Nothing bothers me more than going to a site that the information is buried 10 layers deep in the site. About a year ago I purchased a third party data cable for my cell phone. The driver shipped with the cable was not the correct one. After fighting their site for days I finally gave up and sent the cable back. The poor design of the site cost them a sale.
KISS approach: I am a big fan of keeping a site simple. The average user should be able to go to your site and get the information they want without needing an engineering degree from MIT. Ease of use is very important.
Look: Keep the look of your pages consistent. I like pages that have some sense of consistency. This can be easily achieved by using templates for your pages. Whether they are prepackaged with an authoring tool or something you developed from scratch. What kind of image or attitude do you want to project about your organization?
The above characteristics are what I like to see or consider when evaluating websites. In the end I think it comes down to usefulness and does the site meet your needs.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Second First Post
Here are a few sites I have found helpful in the past:
Has some useful tutorials:
http://www.trainingtools.com/
This site has a free remote support tool that is very easy for the end user to install. I use this one for my nephews machine who is away at college. Be sure to click the small link beside the large green one---if not it will sign you up for a 90 day trial---instead of the completely free account. When using this product I have never had any trouble with firewalls.
https://secure.logmein.com/home.asp?lang=en
When you have looked everywhere possible for a device driver and still can't find it...I usually can find it here (you have to create an account).
http://members.driverguide.com/
Hope you find these links useful.
R
Has some useful tutorials:
http://www.trainingtools.com/
This site has a free remote support tool that is very easy for the end user to install. I use this one for my nephews machine who is away at college. Be sure to click the small link beside the large green one---if not it will sign you up for a 90 day trial---instead of the completely free account. When using this product I have never had any trouble with firewalls.
https://secure.logmein.com/home.asp?lang=en
When you have looked everywhere possible for a device driver and still can't find it...I usually can find it here (you have to create an account).
http://members.driverguide.com/
Hope you find these links useful.
R
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