Personal Learning Network Assignment

Personal Learning Networks (PLN) are systems that are created by individuals to accelerate their learning about a specific or broad area of interest.  PLNs allow learners to establish a network of experts anywhere in the world with whom they can communicate to advance their learning.  PLNs allow learners to take control of their learning experience by developing a network precisely for their needs using Web 2.0 tools.  In my case, I have a strong interest in social media marketing for business applications and currently use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I would like to expand my understanding of these social media platforms and develop a higher level of proficiency through a Personal Learning Network.  I was excited to learn while reading the articles included in the course content that there is a vast network of tools available for this learning process.   Many of these tools will be new to me but I'm very interested in learning and understanding them.  

There are five stages of PLN adoption.   They are:  immersion, evaluation, know it all, perspective, and balance as highlighted in the chart below: 

I have established an iGoogle account so that I can subscribe to several blogs of interest to me in Google Reader.   The blogs I've selected are:  Social Mouths, ViralBlog, Hubze, Heidi Cohen, and Likeable Media.   These blogs focus exclusively on social media marketing.    Most focus on tactics and strategies and one is rich in data.  

My plan for establishing my PLN is to expand the reach of my Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter activity to include people who share my interest in social media marketing for business.  Today, as suggested by Professor Ferree, I began to follow on Twitter Will Richardson, Vicki Davis, Steve Hargadon, Andy Carvin, and Penelope Trunk.    I plan to find and participate in webinars and video conferences with experts in my field of interest.  I am going to take some time to learn more about Secondlife, Skype, YouTube, Slideshare, del.icio.us, and diigo.  I need to examine the full array of Web 2.0 tools and develop a comprehensive PLN using more than the tools I am presently comfortable with.     I am also going to write a blog as I become more knowledgeable about social media marketing for business.  

Net Neutrality

Currently when we use the Internet, we can access any Web site we want at anytime we want to access it.  Internet users are able to perform searches, access web sites, watch and create online video, send and receive email, perform instant messaging and Skype/iChat. Our ability to do this unencumbered and at relatively the same speed and price as all other Internet users is due to a principle called “Net Neutrality.”   Net Neutrality is a principle that preserves a free and open Internet.  Net Neutrality means that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) cannot discriminate between different kinds of content and/or applications.  Further, an ISP cannot intentionally degrade or block access to a web site.  Net Neutrality ensures equal access and a level playing field for all Web sites and Internet technologies.

This could potentially change if the biggest ISPs (cable and telephone companies like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon) are able to persuade the FCC to allow them to introduce tiered pricing for access to their networks.   These ISPs would like to charge Web site operators, application providers and device manufacturers different rates for faster service. This tiered pricing structure would offer faster speeds and preferential treatment to web site operators or search engines that pay higher fees for data transmission services.   Web site operators who can’t afford to pay the higher fees will experience slower speeds.   Their sites won't load as quickly and their applications and devices won't work as well.   Also, without Net Neutrality consumers may see that an ISP has blocked the Web site of a competitor, or slowed it down so much that it's unusable.

The Internet was designed as an open network.  Since the Internet's inception every Web site and service has been treated equally.  This is what allows bloggers to compete against large news organizations and small web site operators to compete against larger companies with bigger advertising budgets. That's why when you use a search engine, sites are listed that are the closest match to your request and not those that paid the most to use the network.

Traditionally, ISPs have operated with a pricing structure that charges consumers for Internet access.   They are now proposing to continue to charge consumers for access to the network plus charge the web service providers as well. These providers will then pass those costs along to consumers possibly by charging to view content.  The ISPs believe they should have the option to institute this pricing structure since they built and own the telecommunications network infrastructure.  

I believe that Net Neutrality ensures that innovators can start small and achieve great things like Google and Facebook without facing pricing structures that encumber their ability to compete. Unless Net Neutrality is enforced, many innovators and entrepreneurs will be restricted from the marketplace by big corporations that pay higher fees for better Internet service.  Potentially, on a tiered Internet controlled by ISPs, only their own content/services or those offered by their joint partners will succeed. 

Embedded Video

Chapter 2 Concepts - Revised February 21

Chapter 2 addressed the characteristics of Web Sites, Web Pages, and Web Servers.   The Web consists of millions of Web sites and billions of Web pages.    It is impossible to determine at any given time the exact number of pages or sites because sites and pages are constantly being added and removed.

The number of pages on a website varies depending upon its use.  If it is a personal website, generally there are very few pages.  Business websites can include many pages.   A home page is the first page you see of a website.  Websites with multiple pages are linked together so that people can easily navigate their way through the site.

A web portal is a website that is a funnel to a wide range of content.  Google, Yahoo, AOL, and MSN are examples of portals.  When an individual opens their browser, a web portal provides the starting point for their search activities.   There are general interest portals as well as portals that are used for special interests.

IP addresses, domain names and URLs are used to locate a specific website.   An IP address is a number that identifies a specific computer connected to the Internet.   Because IP addresses are difficult for people to remember, domain names were developed.  A domain name is a text name for an IP address that is easier for people to remember.    It was first invented by Paul Mockapetris in 1983.  In 1984, four Berkley students made revisions to enable domain names to run on Unix systems.  This was referred to as BIND and is the dominant domain name software (DNS) in use on the Internet today.

Web pages also have URLs which stands for Uniform Resource Locator.  A URL is a web address that contains the protocol and the name of the server hosting the Web page.

A Web browser is used to locate and access a specific Web site.  Frequently used browsers for personal computers are Firefox, Safari, Google and Internet Explorer.

When you surf the net, you are accessing information stored on servers located all over the world.  This very public arena connects millions of computers and people.  Although there are many positive benefits to this, there are risks which include hackers and viruses.  A hacker is a person who uses his computer skills to gain access to a network without authorization.  Once into the network the hacker can access data and programs, save, and manipulate files.   Recently in the news we've heard a great deal about the Chinese government hacking into the computer networks of major US technical companies such as Apple.    Something I didn't realize is that your computer network is at greater risk if you connect to the internet using DSL or cable Internet connections.  You can establish a firewall to protect your network from hackers.   A firewall examines the network connection to warn you if an unauthorized person is trying to access your network or it can prevent incoming communications from an unknown computer.

Virus protection software can protect your computer from viruses.  These are software programs that are installed on your computer from software development companies such as Norton and McAfee.  The most likely way that your computer can be infected with a virus is through email communications.  Viruses are embedded in email attachments and once opened, infect your computer.  You should always avoid opening email and attachments that are received from unknown sources.    When shopping online,  it is best to shop on the sites of large, well-known companies.   This provides better reassurance that your transaction information will be handled properly.   An example of a large, well-established online merchant is Amazon.

Another Internet issue is objectionable or inappropriate content.   This is especially important for parents of children who often use their computer to search the web or use web-based information for homework.    Content can be filtered using content filters such as iPrism, McAfee SmartFilter, and Net Nanny.

Wordle Assignment

My Wordle Assignment! 

How Business is Changing the Internet

The Internet is fundamentally changing the way businesses operate. The Internet can reduce the costs of operations for many businesses and stimulate economic activity.  Use of the Internet enables businesses to become more customer and employee focused and responsive.There are many benefits to businesses to participate in the Internet or e-commerce as business activity on the Internet is referred to.  E-Commerce is buying and selling products or services through the Internet and is subdivided into three categories:  business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), and consumer-to-consumer (C2C). 

Since the Internet allows process efficiencies and access to data that wasn't possible in the past, many businesses have focused their resources on developing a strong Internet presence. Through the Internet, businesses are able to make direct connections with their customers thus enabling companies to lower distribution costs, enhance customer service, and improve operational efficiencies.  

The strong presence of e-commerce on the Internet is clear through the amount of marketing and advertising delivered through this medium.  Businesses are working very hard to take advantage of the information gathered by web-based businesses and social media companies and targeting ads directly to the consumers they wish to reach.  Because of the recent explosion of digital data available on the Internet, business managers can measure much more about their businesses and consumers then ever before.  Companies that can access, analyze, and apply this data know much more about their customers and translate that knowledge into improved decision making, performance and targeted advertising. I have provided a link to an excellent article in the Harvard Business Review by Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson that discusses the topic of the application of digital data.  http://hbr.org/2012/10/big-data-the-management-revolution/ar/1  

The impact to the consumer is mixed.   In one regard, the consumer is receiving ads that are likely to be of interest to them instead of a barrage of media messages being thrust at them which is what is typically done in mass marketing.   On the other hand, regular users of the Internet can clearly see a change in the amount of advertising and paid search making the Internet feel somewhat commercialized.  On search pages and on Facebook, advertisements line the page taking away the academic/intellectual feel the Internet once had. 

The Internet has an impact on all users of the medium.  Easy access to accurate information by both consumers and businesses will encourage its continued use and expansion.  The personalization and communication by businesses and their customers enhance relationships in ways not possible in the past and the growth of the role of business on the Internet will continue well into the future. 

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My Personal Symbaloo Page

This morning I developed my personal Symbaloo page and it is included in this post.   I have not yet made my Symbaloo page my home page.   I guess I'm comfortable with the home page I currently use. As I become more proficient using Symbaloo, maybe I'll make the change!    As I've been working with it, I can see what a useful tool this is.

My personal Symbaloo page:

I used Jing to insert this page.   I love both of these tools!

Testing Jing

I've installed Jing on my laptop and I am going to try to use it in this blog but only as a test as I haven't decided what my blog will be written about today.   So here goes........

I need to get a little more precise with marking the image but I'm excited that this worked!    Yeah!   I learned something new!  

Blog Reading Assignment - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Assignment

How the Internet is Used

The internet is used for a variety of purposes.   It is used to access information on the world wide web, communicate with others through email, video chat, social networking, instant messaging, and blogs.  It is also utilized for the creation and use of email lists and downloading and uploading files.  Businesses and individuals can use the internet for remote computing.   This means that data is stored in a network of remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage and process data versus storing this information on a local server.  This is referred to as cloud computing.  Google.docs is an example of cloud computing as is a service offered by Apple called iCloud which allows you to store music, photos, apps, calendars, and documents on their server.  Consumers and businesses can transact business on the Internet as well as performing online shopping.  

History of the Internet and World Wide Web

The framework for the internet originated in the 1960's as a collaboration among government, industry, and academia as a response to the launch of the first space satellite, Sputnik, in 1957. The United States became concerned that we had fallen behind in technological advancement and also worried that our government computer systems were vulnerable to nuclear attack.  Computer systems for the Pentagon, Census Bureau, and other government agencies were stand alone systems.  The government decided to connect computers to distribute computing power among multiple systems to diminish the impact of a nuclear attack.   If one computer system were attacked, there was redundancy in distributed computing.  The Department of Defense created the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to push for scientific advances and amelioration of the current structure of critical government computer systems.   J.C.R. Licklider from MIT headed ARPA's research efforts.   Licklider wrote a series of documents outlining his vision of a network of interconnected computers and is credited with publishing the first references to the concept of the Internet.  The first step in the evolution of the Internet was the establishment of the ARPANET based on the packet switching technology developed by Leonard Kleinrock from UCLA in 1965.  Several key individuals created innovative technologies during the evolution of the ARPANET and the network continued to grow to include more research centers and universities.   In 1972, Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf developed two new protocols, TCP/IP, to standardize the communications protocol for all computers on ARPANET.  In 1983, the government mandated TCP/IP be used by all computers on ARPANET.   These protocols continue to be used by every computer and device connected to the Internet.   Ultimately the ARPANET was replaced by a system developed by the National Science Foundation, NSFNET.  Commercial activity was prohibited by law on NSFNET until 1992 when Congress changed the law and commercial activity was permitted.  The system grew exponentially.  In 1995, the NSF moved the NSFNET to a commercial Internet system supported by commercial network providers such as AT&T and MCI.   Also, the Internet became easier to use by people when numbers used to identify computer hosts were replaced with names.  Two events took place in the early 1990s that propelled the Internet to such wide use.   Paul Lindner and Mark McCahill created a new protocol to form a directory-based system to deliver information over the Internet.   This was the basis of the World Wide Web which is a subset of the Internet.  The World Wide Web is system of web pages that can be accessed by a web browser that may contain text, images, videos, or other multimedia.    The documents on the web are created using HTML and accessed through HTTP. 

How Individuals Connect to the Internet 

Individuals and businesses connect to the Internet directly through a Local Area Network (LAN) or an Internet Service Provider (ISP).  LAN connections are typically connected by high speed telephone or cable lines and are used by schools, businesses and libraries.  Businesses or large organizations generally access the Internet through high-speed business connections such as Business DSL or cable.  These are higher speed connections but are much more expensive.  A home computer is usually connected to an ISP through telephone or cable connections and connect to an ISP through dial-up access, DSL, cable, WI FI,  or mobile wireless.