Chapter 7 The Internet, One Giant Catalog

The days of purchasing products through catalogs such as Brand Names and Sears are a distant memory. Does anyone still have or collect Green Stamps? The Internet has done amazing things for business. For firms it allows small business to compete with the large companies, especially if they have a particular niche.

                                                                                             
You can buy just about everything online from insurance, books, movies, to equipment and medicine. many companies have sprung as intermediaries that brings the buyers to the sellers. An example of this is Amazon. What has made e-commerce so successful is that it eliminates geography and time. You can buy or sell a product anywhere or anytime. Several business models are used  which include most commonly,  business to consumer, business to business , consumer to consumer.There are more ways that companies generate revenue besides selling it's products. "For example, an e-business's primary e-business model might emphasize selling products or services directly to consumers; however, the e-business also might generate revenues by one or more of the following:

                                       Offering subscription-based at its web site
                                       Earning advertising space at itsWeb site
                                       Selling proprietary e-business technologies to other companies
                                       Providing s channel for business partners to sell their products
                                       Participating in an affiliate marketing program   "(Shelly,Napier, Rivers 2010).

                                                                               

There are different payment methods used for e-business. Mist commonly used is through use of credit card.
Just as there are interments for selling products, there are third party collectors like Paypal for which payments can be made in secure fashion. "To more than 50 million users, PayPal used to signify a peer-to-peer payment exchange that relied largely on email notifications. Not anymore. While PayPal still stands as one of the most recognized brands in the e-commerce world, it’s no longer a single payment system: It's a suite of different payment options that can assist merchants to start accepting payments online or enhance their existing payment functions"(Arrigoni 2007).
                                                                        

                                                                                 


Selling products and services on the Internet is now easier  than ever. The partnerships have evolved to allow small business by use of e-commerce; to take advantage of cheaper marketing, advertising and payment collection methods and compete with the "the big boys" Find a niche and you can sell it anytime and anywhere.


Works Cited
Arrigoni, Massimo. "Analysis: The New PayPal | Practical ECommerce." Resources for Online Business Owners. Practical E-Commerce, 26 Apr. 2007. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/469-Analysis-The-New-PayPal>.
Shelly, Gary B., H. Albert Napier, and Ollie N. Rivers. Discovering the Internet:Complete Concepts and Techniques. Boston, Mass: Course Technology/Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
Images Cited
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&biw=1258&bih=588&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=sK54FwL7xw4MTM:&imgrefurl=http://www.bkpextranet.com/tips/amaz
http://www.systemdesignstudio.bigcartel.com/img-src-smiley-gif-alt-smiley-face-height-42-width-42

Chapter 6 Keeping Information Safe and Secure

Business relies more and more on technology today than ever before.  Whether it is the banking system or educational system, technology use for business will only increase in the future. The future technological advances also mean challenges exist on how to protect the assets of a company. The assets know as intellectual property.It is crucial for a company to protect the equipment  and data from threats. "Threats to network and Web site security can originate both internally from within the organization and externally from outsiders( Shelly,Napiers, Rivers 2021).

Internal threats can come from carelessness with security procedures or from former employees looking for a little payback. External threats come from others wishing to access the network by hacking or guess passwords form those who already have access.                        

Strong policies and procedures can help to keep networks secure.  Here is a list of 15 habits to keep a secure network.http://www.itworkers-alliance.org/15-habits-to-keep-a-secure-business-network-secure.html

Since I work for the federal government, I understand how networks must be protected. We must have photo ID just to have access to an area. I order to get that ID , security clearances are performed. Our ID cards are also our smart cards that are encrypted with certificates that also use bio-metrics and access code number in order to gain access to the government computer access. The government , like a business cannot afford to slow down or have the system crash all together. We are required to have annual training in order to make sure we stay compliant with security policies.

Computer viruses  form external threats can be reduced or eliminated by secures passwords, installing firewalls, and most of all having policies that employees follow and are enforced. Hackers are always looking for ways to gain access to networks such as through emails and internet sites. Software must be kept up to date because hackers  are continuously looking to find a way in.

Simply put, network security is the responsibility of everyone!!!

                                                                                   
Works Cited
"15 Habits to Keep a Secure Business Network Secure." Technology Network. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.itworkers-alliance.org/15-habits-to-keep-a-secure-business-network-secure.html>.


Shelly, Gary B., H. Albert Napier, and Ollie N. Rivers. Discovering the Internet:Complete Concepts and Techniques. Boston, Mass: Course Technology/Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.


Images Cited
http://wirelesstradein.org/tag/wireless-network-security

Chapter 5 Getting More Out of the Internet

The internet has become more and more part of our daily lives. What was used first just to send emails has not developed into a communication and information phenomenon. We can use the internet for researching, such as information for this blog , use a site citation service, or checking medical facts from a medical portal like WebMD. We have the ability to search stock information and do our banking online, Want to plan a trip, no problem there is a portal for that.                  


There are thousands of special interests sites that cater to our hobby interests or simply "do it your self sites" like how to cook or putting together a DJ sound system ( Very challenging..Is there a book "How to DJ for dummies").  Whatever your interest is, chances are there is a portal to help you. For example, "For the beginner it can be a bit much to take on the wild world of DJing when you don't have a clue and even if you do you may be skeptical of spending so much money for something you may only do as a hobby"(HousePlanetDJ).

                                                                                     Image Courtesy of Technics/ Panasonic

"If you are interested in learning about your families history, the Internet is an amazing resource"(Shelly, Napier, Rivers).


The possibilities are endless, you just have to look.

Works Cited

http://www.houseplanet.dj/index.php/Articles/DJ-equipment-tips-for-beginners.html

Shelly, Gary B., H. Albert Napier, and Ollie N. Rivers. Discovering the Internet: Complete Concepts and Techniques. Boston, Mass: Course Technology/Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.

SoundCloud Experience

Well finally after many tries, I now have SoundCloud to use for my social media projects. It is a fun and interesting site and what makes this site interesting is that you can upload a track and then do voice overlays to record your own production. The best part, it stores it for you and therefore not using your precious memory, hence the name SoundCloud.                

 You can upload your own remixes( watch out for copyright infringement) and people can leave you feedback for your remix or any other audio you wish to share. I believe this could be very helpful for my new business, Ultimate Event. I plan to record some of my gigs then use Soundcloud to embed them in a blog fr my web page.

 Here is one of my favorite tracks from summertime, "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock.  Enjoy!!!


References

http://soundcloud.com/tracks/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=all+summer+long++kid+rock
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&biw=1366&bih=667&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=qEYc5AMtX2fp6M:&imgrefurl=http://soundcloudpromotion.com/soundcloud-contests/&docid=NQeVB0u-DxLlrM&imgurl=http://soundcloudpromotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sou

Chapter 4 Social Networking

Social networking is not a new phenomenon. We have been engaging in social networks our entire lives. We start with our family, classmates, and associates at work. Now that the internet has expanded its usefulness, there are many way to engage in social networking like never before. We can connect with people around the world and share information with others that have similar interests. " Social networking sites use members' profiles s hubs for members' personal networks"(Shelly, Napier, Rivers 2010).

The profiles tell people who we are and what we are interested in.By connecting through social networking sites we can learn information from others as well as sharing valuable information. .By joining groups, members can post blogs and reply to others. Building networks takes time but can be very rewarding. When used in business it helps connect buyers with sellers and allows one of the most important things for business, that being feedback.


There is a downside to social media. Sometimes we allow ourselves to divulge to much information and social networking sites, which are usually free, feed off our tendencies. Does social networking cause us to give up some of our privacy?
"According to Consumer Reports' 2010 State of the Net analysis more than half of social network users share private information about themselves online, opening themselves up to a variety of online dangers. The key findings of the report include the following:

• 25 percent of households with a Facebook account don't use the site's privacy controls or weren't aware of them.
  
• 40 percent of social network users posted their full date of birth online, opening themselves up to identity theft.
  
• 9 percent of social network users dealt with a form of abuse within the past year (e.g., malware, online scams, identity theft or harassment)"( Johnny Widerlund 2010).

Social networking can be a good thing providing precautions are taken. People need to be aware of how to protect against identity theft. Social networking sites need to be sure they follow FOIA laws and make sure that those advertising on their sites  do not cross the line by sharing private information.

Works Cited

Shelly, Gary B., H. Albert Napier, and Ollie N. Rivers. Discovering the Internet: Complete Concepts and Techniques. Vol. 3rd. Boston, Mass: Course Technology/Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.

Widerlund, Jonny. "Social Media: The Privacy and Security Repercussions." Search Engine Watch. Incisive Interactive, June-July 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2065928/Social-Media-The-Privacy-and-Security-Repercussions>.

Images Courtesy of Google Images

Chapter 4 Communicating with Social Media: To text or not to Text

There are many other ways of communicating with others, especially when a person or group wishes to send messages to a mass. "Newsgroups are online bulletin boards first made available  in the 1980's over the distributed Usenet network"(Shelly, Napier, Rivers 2010). Newsgroups are a great way to find information because they specialize in a particular area of interest. Other  groups are for discussion where  people exchange ideas and information. These  groups are an excellent form of education.



Because of the internet, information is instantaneous and readily available. Communication has been upgraded from the telephone , to cell phones, to now text messaging. Texting allows people to send short messages that don't require instant response.

                                                                         

 But is all this technology good for communication? Just as the meaning can get lost in email messages , so too can text messages and would not be practical for business other than to notify a college of someones whereabouts or a quick message to ask a colleague a question. One of the bigger problems is how much today's youth uses texting to communicate. The younger generation spends very little time reading and enjoying other pleasures in life and instead are busy texting or playing video games. The long term affects are causing teens to fall behind in their language and literacy skills. "According to the results of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s most recent Program for International Student Assessment, the gap in reading ability between the 15-year-olds in the Shanghai district of China and those in the United States is now as big as the gap between the U.S. and Serbia or Chile"(Fergusson2011).


What books are on your kids shelves and how much time do they spend reading even just a newspaper. Too of a good thing can be bad  and the case of our fast pace lives, technology can actually work against us and development of our youth.

                                                                             


Works Cited
Ferguson, Niall. "Texting Makes U Stupid." The Daily Beast. 11 Sept. 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/09/11/how-will-today-s-texting-teenagers-compete.html>. 

Shelly, Gary B., H. Albert Napier, and Ollie N. Rivers. Discovering the Internet:Complete Concepts and Techniques. 3rd ed. Boston, Mass: Course Technology/Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.

Images Cited

Children's Hospital Of LA

http://www.wearechildrens.org/2010/12/teens-texting-what-parents-need-to-know/

Chapter 4 Junk Mail AHHH!! What do I do?

                                                                       

As more and more businesses and individuals join the internet world either for private use or for business, everyone has to deal with being followed and tracking tendencies. In other words "big brother is watching". Junk or spam mail continues to be a problem for everyone from individuals to organizations and business.                                                                   
                                                                           
                                             




What do we do with all this junk mail?  Well it is no different than when you open your regular mailbox. You sort through and throw out unwanted mail in the trash. For email it is a little different. Most email software packages including those on  those through the cloud, have by default blocking filters that sort the junk mail. Remember junk mail can carry viruses, trojans, and unwanted cookies that cause your computer to run slower. It is important to keep junk email in check. "Additionally, businesses can install spam filtering software for their networks , and individuals can install spam filtering software on their home computers(Shelly,Napier,Rivers 2010).  

Problems can and will eventually  cause major problems and much of it is related to spam."Receiving a flood of emails from "Postmaster" is bad news. It means that your email address has been harvested by hackers. These hackers use your email address as the "reply to" and send out spam, bulk emails and junk email. When the email address they send to has been discontinued, the postmaster sends an automated message to the "reply to" address--yours. That is why you are getting emails from the postmaster. Take steps to both stop the emails and prevent hackers from using your email address again"(Hanley).  Follow these steps to help manage junk email.


Read more: How to Get Rid of Emails From the Postmaster | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5900234_rid-emails-postmaster.html#ixzz1rSkXrZQu 

Works Cited

Hanly, Samantha. "How to Get Rid of Emails From the Postmaster Read More: How to Get Rid of Emails From the Postmaster | EHow.com Http://www.ehow.com/how_5900234_rid-emails-postmaster.html#ixzz1rSmFzk9a." Web log post. Ehow. Web. 8 Apr. 2012. <http://www.ehow.com/how_5900234_rid-emails-postmaster.html>.

Shelly, Gary B., H. Albert Napier, and Ollie N. Rivers. Discovering the Internet: Complete Concepts and Techniques. 3rd ed. Boston, Mass: Course Technology/Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
Images Courtesy of Google Images