Week 14: Clear

This week we studied Enterprise computing which elaborated on RAID, Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. There are many differnt levels of RAID ranging from the most simple RAID1 to the most complex RAID6. RAID 1, or mirroring is simply the use of a pair of drives which mirror each other. If one drive were to fail, the second drive keeps right on moving at full speed with no data loss. The most complex to date is the RAID6 which is any form of RAID that can continue in the event of two concurrent disk failures.

RAID is very important in the business environment because it can severly limit the risk of data loss in the event of disk failure. Whether you are a small business keeping data on your individual customers or a massive corporation keeping data on thousands of employees, it can be catastrophic if your system fails and all of your data needs to be recovered (assuming it can be). RAID is much quicker than using standard backup devices such as tape or external hard drives.

In an attempt to learn more about RAID I came across an article titled Beginners Guides: Installing RAID on a desktop PC located at http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=830 . This artcile really helped to elaborate on the benefits of RAID and the process involved with setting them up.

 

Secure Email Project

http://www.techiwarehouse.com/cms/engine.php?page_id=ee2ef23b

The article I found about businesses using encryption was titled SafeData Helps Companies Comply with New Data Privacy Laws. In todays electronic age personal data is transmitted over the internet millions of times a day which sets up a dangerous situation. Recently Massachusetts and Nevada passed legislation which prohibits businesses from electronically transferring personally identifiable information which is not encrypted outside of their secure system. I personally think this is an excellent idea. When you think about all of the financial information our banks and financial advisors have the ability to email, or our medical professionals with all of our personal medical history. This could be something as harmless as me calling the bank and asking them to email me a recent statement. If this were to be sent un-encrypted, it could very easily fall into the wrong hands. The article goes on to mention that many other states are expected to follow suit in the very near future.

Week 13: Clear

During this weeks lectures and reading, the topic I found to be most clear was computer security risks. During my studies I was very interested to learn that their are 7 categories of perpetrators of cyber crimes: hacker, cracker, script kittie, corporate spy, unethical employee, cyberextortionist, and cyberterrorist. All of the different classifications work in differnet ways but are all dangerous to the computing world.

It is very important for the business world to understand these different types of security risks. Knowledge of these predators allows them to boost up security to block hackers, crackers, and script kiddies. Internally they will be able to prevent corporate spies, unethical employees, cyberextortionists, and cyberterrorists.

While doing additional research on the topic of Hackers versus Crackers, I came across an article located at http://www.techiwarehouse.com/cms/engine.php?page_id=ee2ef23b which does a really good job of seperating the two classifications.

Week 12: Clear

This week we learned about information systems. While enjoying this topic, the area I found to be most clear was the System Development Life Cycle also known as the SDLC. The SDLC consists of five phases: Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation, and Operating, Support, and Security. System development is a collaboration of representatives from many different departments all of which bring different talents and skills to the table. These activities and representatives come together to complete the system.

System Development Life Cycle is extremely important in the business environment because it creates solutions to problems. When I company foresees a change in process or a problem which needs to be modified or improved, the Cycle begins. It allows ateam of professionals to brainstorm and eventually develop a system to assist in correcting or streamlining the issue.

While attempting to better understand the topic of SDLC, I came across a very well written article about this topic. The website which housed this article is located at http://ezinearticles.com/?Definition-of-SDLC-and-Its-Phases&id=2817306.

Database Project

The database project using Microsoft Access was a challenging, yet interesting, project. While completing this project I learned how to successfully create a database by either manually inputing data or by importing external data. Once my database was created I learned how to change the format to fit my purpose and desire. Now that I had my data just they way I wanted it, I learned how to complete queries and present my queried data in a report or form view. By completing this project I feel that I have learned the necessary skills to work with Access in the future.

If I were given the option to modify this database, I would set the membership type to auto fill when you begin typing. Since you only have two options, Individual and Family, this would save a great deal of extra typing. This would be accomplished by setting up a combobox and adding a dropdown list which contained your default values. In addition to this I would setup the gender field to only allow Male or Female. This would be accompished by setting up a validation rule in the design view. I would also add validation text to pop up if any other data was input. This would let the user know what error was being made.

Week 11: Clear

After reading chapter 10 and reviewing this weeks lectures, the concept I found most clear was relational databases. A relational database stores information and organizes it into a two dimensional table. When designing a database, most programmers will use a process called normalization. This process helps to insure the least amount of redundancy.

Relational databases are very important for businesses. A business may use a relational databases for task such as payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, and many other functions. This database help the company stay  organized which ultimately will lead to more profitablity.

While do more research on relational databases, I came across a website located at http://www.howstuffworks.com/question599.htm which explains the history of databases. While reading this information, I learned that databases began in 1970 and were originate by IBM.

Week 10: Clear

This week the concept which I found to be very clear and educational was Communications Devices. There are many different devices used to transmit and receive data. The most common devices are Dial-Up Modems, ISDN, DSL, and Cable modems. A Dial-Up Modem uses a homes telephone line to transmit and receive data. An ISDN modem sends information to an ISDN line and receives information from an ISDN line. A DSL modem uses a DSL line to transmit and receive data and a Cable modem uses a homes cable tv line to transmit and receive data.

These devices are instrumental in the success of a business. Without the use of a Communications device a business could not transmit and receive data. A good example of this is a banks ATM machine. When you use the machine it transmits the transaction to the main computer to verify the information, then receives data from the main computer on how to proceed.

An article I found on WiFi Notes.com located at http://www.wifinotes.com/computer-networks/network-communication-devices.html did an excellent job of elaborating on the hardware involved in communications devices as well as the process associated with each.

Excel Project

When I first sat down and read through the 5 full pages of instructions it was a bit daunting thinking about starting this project. After re-watching the Excel lectures and opening up my Excel Bible I was ready to jump in head first and to my surprise this project was really fun and educational. The two steps which I think I learned the most from, and will use most in work life, were the use of formulas and the use of pivot tables.
Working with the formula functions while completing this project gave me a glimpse into the endless amount of formulas Excel has to offer. I was very surprised to learn that the formulas are not difficult to use. After playing around with manually entering the formulas, I met my new best friend; the formula wizard in the task bar. This made the formula process very simple and almost error proof.

In addition to the formulas, I also learned a great deal about the PivotTables. This is a feature I have never heard about prior to this class. Once I was able to grasp which data fields to drag where, it really was an easy task. This is a function which I feel will be used a great deal in my professional life. It really simplified the process of analyzing large amounts of data.

In my opinion this has been a very useful project which I think will carry over to my professional career. Thanks for making it fun.

Week 9 - Clear

This week we focused on Excel, which is a program that has always fascinated me. To me it is mind boggling to think about all of the different functions which are available within the software. The part of the discussions which I was able to grasp the best was Pivot Tables. Pivot Tables is a great function which allows the user to select a large group of data and import it into specialized tables. This allows the user to analyze data very quickly and with very little effort.

Pivot tables would be very useful for businesses because it would allow them to sort large amounts of data down to a very specific report. This would allow them to focus on certain areas of the business and to know how to improve  with out commiting large amounts of time. In addition it helps reduce errors which could be made when trying to manually input formulas.

Microsoft Office website has some good tutorials on how to use Pivot Tables. One which I found very helpful is PivotTable Reports 101 located at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HA010346321033.aspx . In addition to the written version, I also found a video tutorial of PivotTable Reports 101 which I have attached for your viewing pleasure.

Excel 2003 Pivot Table 101 - Click here for more amazing videos

Week 7: Clear

This week we learned about chapter 8 Operating Systems and Utility Programs. The topic which I found to me most useful was the section on Disk Utilities. Prior to watching this lecture I had heard about Disk Defragmentation but I did not understand how files were stored on the disk and the impact this could have on the performance of the computer. I know know how to perform a defrag and allow my system to run smoother.

I believe that Operating Systems and Utility Programs are important in the business environment because computers are the life blood of business. By having a basic understanding of how the ststems work and the maintenace required to keep them running smoothly, a business will be able to avoid unnecessary down time.

While doing additional research on this topic I came across a video which shows how to perform a defrag on your computers drive. Please view the attached video for a detailed explaination.


How to Defrag a Computer -- powered by eHow.com

Second Life Extra Credit

I have heard many things about Second Life but never in my wildest dreams would I have been able to truly comprehend the magnitude of Second Life. As my first experience using a virtual world environment, it was almost overwhelming. After playing around for a while, I was able to begin navigating this vast virtual world and discovering all that it has to offer. One thing I was surprised to encounter was the number of people I met who were using the software as part of a college course requirement, both undergrad and graduate level. My first day I think I met 3 different people at Orientation Island. Of all the place I visited, I think my favorite was Costa Rica. I really enjoyed wondering the ocean, exploring the island, and just hanging around in the hammock (as you can see from my screen shot). If I were to offer any advice to future users, I will tell them that the easiest way I found to walk around is to click and hold the forward arrow then just move the mouse in the direction you wish to move. It took me awhile to figure this out but it is much easier than click each arrow individually. All in all I found Second Life to be very entertaining, but I can certainly see how people could easily become engulfed in this virtual world.

Avatar

This was really a fun process creating an Avatar. I tried a few different programs but ended up using TizMe. Before deciding on TizMe, I also tried SimpsonizeMe but the service was unavailable at the time I tried it. Face Your Manga was another software I tried but I did not like that it gave me a warning message that once I submited it I was unable to change it. All things considered I think I will use this sort of software again.

Week 6: Clear

This week I really enjoyed learning about The Processor. Before watching this lecture I was unaware of all the items inside of the processor and how each piece contrubuted to the process. I must admit that I was one of those people who thought the the speed of a computer was determined clock speed, although prior to watching this it was not clock speed to me but mearly a number. In addition to the closk speed I found the multicore processors to be very interesting, the video did a great job of visualizing the process.

This information will be extremely useful in the business world. It will allow me to make an educated decision about when it is time to consider replacing systems and what the best units to purchase are. The process of how to pick a system is valuable information.

While researching the processor, I came across an article published by Computer Shooper which explains the clock speed, cache, bus speed, etc. This article can be located at http://computershopper.com/feature/cpu-cache-clock-speed-and-bus-explained

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV6CReLELwU

Web 2.0 Project

At the beginning of the semester I read through the instructions for this project and I must admit that I thought is was going to be a quick project to be completed one evening after work. That statement could not have been more false once I began. Initially this project had me very confused, I really had no idea where to start. This lead to massive procrastination on my part. Eventually, after reading pages of posts on the discussion boards, I was able to muster up the courage to begin. Once I got rolling I really enjoyed this project and using the software to create a montage.

I chose to use One True Media for my Web 2.0 tool and found it to be very user friendly. I feel that this skill will come in handy, both in the work environment and in my personal life. In fact after sharing it with my family I have been officially nominated to document all future vacations and events. This software also holds a place in the corporate world as it could really help demonstrate and personalize a product or service.

For my interaction method I chose to use the comments section and embed a poll. Please feel free to leave comments and complete the poll so that I am able to improve on my Web 2.0 skills.

I received very positive feedback from my peers. They all seem to think the story flowed nicely and made them want to go back to the keys. Thank you to everyone who left comments.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Week 5 - Clear

This week I really enjoyed learning all about the different hardware associated with computers. The piece which I found most interesting was the Voice Input. Wow is this cool, I never thought that in my lifetime we would see software that is able to recognize your voice and translate it to the computer. It was fascinating to watch the Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 video and seeing all of the different functions associated with this advanced program.

This software would be extremely useful in the business world. It would virtually eliminate the need for dictation machines and free up the time of the person responsible for transposing the information. I also feel that the hands free capabilities would allow for more efficient work time.

While doing additional research on this topic I came across a valuable website located at http://www.cforat.org/assistive_technology_information/voice_input.htm. This website did a great job of describing other uses for this advanced software such as handicapped individuals.

Week 4 - Clear

Of the four categories of Application Software, the Business category was most clear to me. Business software includes many different programs such as Spreadsheet, Word Processing, Database, Accounting, etc. These programs were designed to help people become more efficient and effective with their daily business activities.

Business software is extremely important in the business world. Word Processing programs, such as Microsoft Word and Corel Word Perfect, assist in preparing reports, memos, or transcription. Spreadsheet software programs, such as Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers, allows user to organize data in a spreadsheet. The spreadsheets may be set up with built in formulas to help quickly calculate data and display it in a usable format. Another option for businesses would be to utilize a Business Software Suite. By bundling the software programs , for example Microsoft Office and IBM Lotus Smart Suite, a business is able to reduce costs and create ease of use.

In order to get a better feel and understanding of a Business Software Suite, I explored the Microsoft Office website located at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX100647101033.aspx?pid=CL100569831033.

Week 3 - Clear

Week 3, Internet and Web, discussed a lot of good information. The portion of the book which was most clear to me was searching the web. It was interesting to learn that there are two types of search tools used to locate information on the web, a search engine and a subject directory. A search engine is a computer program that searches through its own databases for sites based on the key words you input whereas a subject directory is generally maintained by humans and sorts information by subject, ie sports, food, etc..

Being able to uses search tools in the business environment can be useful in many different ways. A company could very easily research new up and coming trends to better assist them with product development. Once a product has been identified, search engines could be used to outline certain demographic information to assist with the marketing and distribution of the newly developed product. As the market changes, a company could use search engines to help maximize profits by researching more cost effective procedures used to produce this product.

While researching additional information to help explain the difference between a search engine and a subject directory, I came across a website located at http://www.anybrowser.com/DirectoriesvsSearchEngines.html . This website helped me understand the best ways to become listed and how to maximize the amount of traffic sent to a particular web address.

Week 2: Clear

The topic of Introduction to computers was very clear to me. This topic was very well laid out and did a very good job of building a foundation for the remainder of the term. Computers date back to 1642 when Pascal created the first adding machine. As time progress the innovations in computers grew created more sophisticated devices able to handle greater capacity. These innovations in technology have resulted in multiple operating systems, more efficient machines, more applications, and the list goes on.

Introduction of computers is vital to the business world as it helps explain a broad overview of computers and the many features available. Computers are used in the medical field to maintain patient files, monitor vital signs, and provide greater precision to surgeons while performing delicate procedures. Computers are used in manufacturing to assist is fabrication which has dramatically reduced the production time of certain items. Another example of computer application in the business world is finance. Banks are a great example of this because computers are used to maintain customer records, assists in financial calculations, as well as for communication via email.

An article I found on the Internet which was originally published in Compute Magazine, http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue48/281_1_Computers_And_Society.php, gave me some quality incite into computers in the workplace. I found that this article helped expand upon the information presented in the lectures and the text.

Week 1: Clear

The topic of Information search, Netiquette, and Copyright was very clear to me but it was also extremely interesting as it elaborated nicely given me a much better understanding of the information. Information search allows you to use search engines and subject directories to find an unlimited amount of information on the World Wide Web. Netiquette is the basic rules or courtesies which should be followed while online. One thing which should be remembered is that when you are speaking face to face, the recipient is able to read facial expressions, inflections in your voice, hand gestures, etc. which allows them to get a feel for what you are saying. While on the Internet that personal interaction is lost which may lead to your discussion being misinterpreted. Copyright laws define what material may be reproduced, for what purposes, and how much. Educational users are allowed under “Fair Use” to reproduce limited amounts of copyrighted materials for educational purposes.

Information search, Netiquette, and Copyright are all very important in the business world. Information search can be used to research your competitors, verify laws and codes, investigate new products, etc. Without information search these tasks could take hours, days, or even weeks to complete. Netiquette is used daily in the business world primarily while communicating via email. It is very important to proof read any and all email correspondence prior to sending it. If typed incorrectly, it is easy to send the wrong message entirely. Copyright laws are used in our daily lives, both at work and at home. These laws were designed to protect the author of these documents, songs, etc. It is important that when ever we use this material that we give credit where credit is due.

While doing an information search using Google, I came across a great article which discusses netiquette. The article, located at http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/62280537.html adding some additional insight into the topic. For example the article discussed emoticons which can help to express your feelings. When used the reader is able to get a visual on what you are trying to communicate.