What is E-Commerce?

Courtesy of optimum7

Let’s go shopping.  Those are my favorite words to hear.  It doesn’t matter if I’m looking for something specific or just browsing the stores with the girls, shopping is my favorite pastime.  But not everyone has these same feelings as I do.  Many times I hear people complaining that the stores are too crowded or they never have what they went there for.  That’s where the importance of e-commerce comes into play.

So you may be asking what e-commerce is.  It’s actually short for electronic commerce.  It is also interchangeable with e-business (Shelly, 2010).  It is a way of doing business electronically over the internet.

E-businesses definitely have its advantages.  When establishing a business, geographic location plays a huge factor in whether a business is going to succeed.  One would normally set up shop close to its targeted customers.  Take that factor out of the mix because with e-business you can reach consumers anywhere around the world.  The next factor in establishing a business is to have convenient hours.  With e-business, consumers can browse, select and purchase items while you are sleeping.  The other key factor is floor space.  When having a local business, one can only display a certain number of products and have limited inventory of these items.  With e-business, this inventory is endless.  It seems like e-business is a win-win situation for both the business and the consumer.  Look how simple a process it is.

Courtesy of digiteen2008.wikispaces.com

To attract its consumers and keep them coming back, e-businesses are focusing their websites to tailor to the consumers interests.  This is done through personalization and customization (Shelly, 2010).  Personalization is an automated process that the website generates based on your browsing and purchasing history.  I’m sure you have all seen this where once you have viewed something, the website suggests other things you may be interested in.  A lot of this has to do with what other consumers have viewed and purchased together.  Customization is something that the consumer updates based on their personal preferences as to what they would like to see.

Being an avid shopper, I am also a very smart shopper and I love to get deals.  With that being said, lately I find myself browsing more often than purchasing when I am out and then coming back home to see if I can get a better deal online.  Even Black Friday businesses have caught on to the importance of doing business and having deals online.  Are you ready to check it out?

References

Shelly, Napier, Rivers  Discovering the Internet  2010

            Course Technology, Cengage Learning, Boston, Massachusetts

Internet Technologies

So far we talked about everything the internet has to offer.  But what actually allows this data to be shared from user to user.

There are basically three different types of computer networks (Shelly, 2010):

• Local Area Networks (LAN) – this is a network that supports a small area.  Think of it in terms of your place of employment or Empire State College campus at Appletree Business Park.
• Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) – this network expands out a little further.  A MAN can support multiple buildings across a city or state.  This would be beneficial to a place like Empire with several campuses located throughout New York State.
• Wide Area Networks (WAN) – this network can cover large areas expanding across the country or even around the world.  Because of the large capacity of a WAN, it might consist of a single network or can be a combination of multiple LANs.

More on Internet Usage

There is even more to what you can find on the internet.  The best is shopping (and that’s only because I love to shop and look for bargains).  Not only am I able to expand my search of what I am looking for to different states or even countries, I can price compare so that I know that I am getting the best deal around.  I found this especially useful when buying books for my college classes.  There are several out there including DealOz, AbeBooks and Half.

Banking is another popular resource that many are finding convenient.  You can do everything from issue checks, check balances and even transfer funds (Shelly, 2010).  Although many people are already on board with this, I am not.  And this surprises a lot of people because they know that I am constantly on the Internet.  For some reason, this is one area that still scares me when it comes to the security of it.  I think once I am done with school and can afford the time to research more into it, I will jump on the bandwagon.

Are you an internet user or do you prefer doing things the old-fashion way? I would consider myself both depending on the subject matter at hand.

References

Shelly, Napier, Rivers  Discovering the Internet  2010

            Course Technology, Cengage Learning, Boston, Massachusetts

Internet Usage

I don’t know about you, but I depend a great deal on the internet.  My husband laughs at me and makes a smart remark every time I go to Google something we were discussing.  I can’t help it.  With all the wealth of information that is available to you, why not take a second to look something up.

My favorite is when my husband is arguing with me about something.  Normally we would have to wait to find out the answer while he would insist that he is right.  With the help of the internet, I am able to prove him wrong and make him eat his words.

Think back to the day, when the local weather (and by local is was usually the weather at the airport) could be seen on the hour and on the half-hour.  First of all, that was a long time to wait and if you missed it, you had to wait another half-hour.  At least now The Weather Channel runs the weather updates constantly on one of their two channels, but even that is very generic to the area.  The other downfall was the fact that the weather was based from a specific central location.  Living 15 miles away from the airport, my weather can be totally different from that on the TV.  With the help of the internet, I am able to customize by search for a specific area (usually by zip code or town).

PLN Update

So far, I have found very interesting data being connected to my PLN.  I have utilized new recipes, caught up to date on worldwide activities (seeing that I don’t get to surf much internet or watch the news because my time is consumed doing homework).  But I’m starting to get more involved. 

There have been a few job postings (not that I’m interested in a new job) that are relevant to my field of experience.  It is very interesting to see the companies that are searching for a Program Scheduler and the qualifications required.  I need to be more diligent and get involved with others in my field to learn from them and expand my horizon. 

I must say that I am still a little hesitant when it comes to LinkedIn.  Part of my hesitation is that I need to learn more about it.  The other part is hearing others speak about the fact that it is “so professional” and that they actually have refused people to join their link.  I’m sure as I get more acclimated with it, I will benefit more from it.

More to come – I will keep you posted.

Networking Online? - Be Smart and Safe About It

This is the part of online social networking that really gets to me.  I know to Tweet or Facebook is an easy way to stay connected to friends and family, but is it really necessary to share your every move with them?  Do you think that your friends care that you just got up?  We all get up everyday – so what’s the big deal?  Then to post your plans for the day or talk about an upcoming vacation giving specific details on when, where and for how long.  You are just opening you and your family up to danger.  Remember – what you post on the Internet is pretty much open for everyone to see.  You might as well be blunt and invite a potential robber to your house.  There are too many stalkers out there in the world.  Why subject your family, especially your kids, and your belongings to these kinds of predators?

But wait – there’s more about being safe and smart online.  How about posting information about your current position or company?  Employers are savvy to the fact that people vent and sometimes put information about their current work status online.  Employers need to be aware of the company’s reputation that is being laid on the line by employees.  Potential employers are even surfing online for information about potential candidates.  Even bigger than this are colleges who are viewing potential students to see if they are academic material.  Do you think an Ivy League school is going to accept someone who brags about being out all night partying?  Sure most of us have probably partied during our college years, but we didn’t put it in writing and post it to the world.

Charles Brant (Brant, 2011) has posted the top 10 things to not post on social networking sites.  There is a lot of value information to read in his article including reasons not to post pictures of your kids.  After educating yourself, be sure to pass this information on your kids.  KidSMART (2009) talks to your kids about smart online rules including telling a parent or caregiver if something doesn’t seem right.

I know that I limit what I say online – do you?

GoAnimate.com: Safe Social Networking by SpikeShelby

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

References

Brant, Charles  2011

      Top 10 Things You Should Not Share on Social Networks

      How Stuff Works Inc., Retrieved 13 March 2011 from

      http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/social-networking/information/10-things-you-should-not-share-on-social-networks.htm

KidSMART  2009

      Childnet International, Retrieved 13 March 2011 from

      http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/beingsmart/

Email Viruses and Spam



So now that you have entered the world of the Internet and having been emailing all your friends and family with this totally cool new means of communication, there are some things that you need to be aware of – viruses and spam.

  

Courtesy of elisha06.mlblogs.com

Emails can contain computer viruses, worms and spyware.  These are designed to damage your computer.  The sad thing is that the email’s recipient is unaware that his/her machine is being affected.  They open what looks like a legitimate email and Bam! - your computer is affected (Thanks Emeril).  

Courtesy of metrolic.com

Microsoft  warns you to never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know and even if you do know them and are not expecting an attachment, don’t open it (Microsoft, 2011).   Damages include corrupting your files and computer, erasing your hard drive or spreading the virus to all of your email contacts.

Like viruses, spyware can be accessed through email attachments or even from downloads from the Internet (Shelly, 2010).  Spyware differs in that it gathers your personal information and uses it in malicious ways.

Google Forms Survey Results

Google form is an awesome tool to use.  I have turned on many of my coworkers to this feature.  In such a short period, you can already see the time and effort saved because Google summarizes all your results.  You can then custom your results to best suit your needs or you can take the ones that Google has preset for you.  Under “Form” in your toolbar, click on “Show Summary of Responses”.  Take a look at this neat visual.

There is an important concept to remember.  Your survey is only as valid as openly and honestly as your responders are.  I won’t mention any names but there was one male responder in class who believes he is under 21 (hint – look at the summary above and you will find out who I am talking about).  Information like this will misconstrue your results.

Another thing to keep in mind when posting a survey on the Internet, you have no idea how many responses you may receive.  In this case, I only had two to date (if I get more I will update the results for you).  If I was to email this form to a group of coworkers and it was mandatory that everyone respond, I’m wondering if there is a way that Google will summarize a list of recipients along with the results.  This way it would be clear who you may be waiting for a response from.  Another part of me says that there couldn’t be a list like this because a lot of surveys are confidential.  If you had 90 responses out of 100, you would not be able to tell who responded with what specific answers.  You would only be able to tell that they actually did respond.  But if you had 10 recipients and only 2 responded – one with negative feedback, one would be able to greatly pinpoint who gave the negative responses.  That in turn would not be good practice.  Have you used the Google forms feature and found a summarization of who you sent the form to?

Email Etiquette



Courtesy of flickr.com



Have you noticed how laid back emailing is?  What happened to the day of formal salutation and proper use of language?  Yes email does not always need to be as formal depending on the subject and who the recipient is, but I think that even businesses have come a long way in allowing for such laid back ways. 

Before venturing into emailing for either business or social purposes, take a few tips from experience users.  This list can be a little lengthy but has a lot of value to it.  If that is too long, at least read what Microsoft  has summed up as 12 great tips to get your business started with email.

Google Forms

Google forms may not be new to you, but it is definitely new to me.  If you are out of touch with the latest and greatest that the Internet has to offer, you may be asking yourself what are Google forms.   Google forms can be found under Google docs. 

Don’t think you are limited to just forms to create surveys.  You can also choose documents which is equivalent to Word, spreadsheets which is similar to Excel and presentations which serves the same purpose as PowerPoint.  Learn more from Google.

Google Forms Survey

Here is a quick survey to get us all acquainted with Google forms.

I have figured out how to email a survey to others and obviously how to post one to a blog or website, but does anyone know how to utilize a form like this in training?  Most instructional seminars ask that you fill out a survey before leaving.  How would you handle something like this?  Any insight woiuld be helpful.

Email – the Mail of the Present and Future

Can you remember when there was no email?  In my professional career, I cannot.  What I can remember is that email wasn’t as prevalent as it is today.  I can recall being an Administrative Assistant where all correspondence was handled via telephone and followed up by snail-mail.  These days, I can’t image doing business without email.  I can’t recall the last time I had a piece of hard copy correspondence in my in basket on my desk.  Are you kidding me – most coworkers don’t even have an inbox on their desk.

According to statistics (Brownlow, 2010), the most popular email websites as of December 2010 were AOL, Gmail, Yahoo Mail and Windows Live Hotmail.  Of course there are many more websites that offer email services.

Email definitely has its advantages (Shelly, 2010):

-     Faster delivery which in turns relates to faster responses

-     Reduced costs – what is a stamp these days 44 cents?  With email, as long as you have Internet connection, your emailing is unlimited.

-     You can view your email from anywhere that has Internet access.  No more waiting for the postal man to delivery or for you to get home to see if your mail is there.

-     Less paperwork to file and easier management of your emails (I will get into this in a little bit.

Is LinkedIn For You?

Courtesy of www. reelseo.com

LinkedIn – you couldn’t find a more appropriate name.  LinkedIn is just that – you are linked in.  The only question to be answered is what are you linked in to?  Let’s explore a little more.

  

LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/) is a business-networking site that allows the user to connect to others with similar interests.  LinkedIn differs from other networking sites in that it is geared more towards professional business.

LinkedIn officially launched in 2003 (2011, LinkedIn).  It currently services over 200 countries and has over 90 million members.  It’s amazing to read that it took approximately only 16 months for LinkedIn to achieve 1 million members.  That is a great accomplishment.

According to Jeff Weiner, chief executive of LinkedIn (2011, CNN), the new feature introduced in late 2010 that will allow users to review products and services will benefit others because the commentary is coming from people in their network, people that share common interests and from people they trust.

Update to PLN - Enhance your PLN using Elluminate

Elluminate is an extra feature to keep in mind for your PLN.  It is designed to allow the users to connect to their audience for learning, teaching or just plan getting a better understanding of something. 

Most of us are more familiar with Webex.  Elluminate is very similar, but I think it gives you more freedom and options.  The one thing I found very useful was that all participants could draw on the screen.  This could be very helpful when trying to get your point across.  Instead of trying to explain something and hoping the other understands, why not work together to eliminate wasted time and costs.

 

I believe I am going to generate a PLN around a business (Welding and Small Engine Repair) my husband would love to pursue.  Setting up a PLN will get him one step closer to his dream coming true.  The PLN can start his rode to gaining knowledge of the need for such a business, the experience that others have encountered and any tips or tricks of the trade.  Elluminate could be useful in my PLN as he has had several calls where people are looking for something repaired or something built.   One job I remember was building steel display racks for a local liquor distributor.  I believe that the many phone calls and in-person meetings to finalize the design could have been eliminated using this tool.

The only downfall I found was not having a microphone.  If I were one-on-one with someone, not having a mic would have been fine.  But when there are multiple people (and you type slow like me), any comment I was writing seemed irrelevant because the others were on to a different subject.  But don’t let that hold you back from trying Elluminate – just invest in the microphone.

Mobile Devices – Can You Do Business Without Them?

In today’s modern world, everywhere you look, people are on their cell phones, smart phones or sipping coffee while on their laptops.  Is this way of living necessary or are people just that dependant on staying connected?

While I believe that mobile devices for business purposes can be useful, I really don’t see the need to text the person sitting next to you.  Of course, I’m sure people would argue with me that they NEED to have access to mobile devices.  The advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages in terms of how many there are.  Let’s take a look:

Advantages:

-         Always stay connected, whether traveling for business, in a meeting or vacation

-         Respond to emergencies faster

-         Can send and respond to emails instantly

-         Allows user to access internet to search for whatever may be needed

-         Enables user to access information, check inventory or place orders back at the office

Disadvantages:

-         Never really separate work and home

-         Cost associated with buying equipment and maintaining a mobile provider

-         Risk of losing mobile device and someone else accessing data

Unfortunately, the disadvantages have a lot more power than the advantages.  Time spent away from the family is something that you can never get back.

The Internet – It Can Get You In Trouble

Talking to people, they think the Internet is just a wealth of information.  And they are right.  What they also think is that the information is free reign to do as they please.  This is where they are wrong.

Just as one needs to cite their research papers to give credit where credit is do, one needs to site where they got their information from on the Internet.  One good reference that all of us ESC students should be familiar with is Citing-Document Sources.  There are many other helpful websites too that can be found on the Internet depending if you are in need of MLA style or APA style.  According to the Cornell University Online Library (2011, Cornell) there are citation management softwares available, such as RefWorks and EndNote that will help you to build your citing references.

Internet Search Tools



Photo courtesy of wordpressconsultant.net



So do you think you are ready to start searching the Internet?

The book (2010, Shelly) states that there are search tools available to help aid you in your endeavors.  Such tools are directories, search engines and metasearch engines.  Directories are designed and created by an average person like you and me.  I understand that these directories have that personal touch and can be geared to what they think the user would like to see.  It is meant to be user-friendlier (and with the complexity of the Internet, who wouldn’t want something easier).  But this is where I get confused.  Do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages?  With directories, the user is relying on a person (or maybe group of people) to decide what you may want to see and how you may want to see it.  This is the opinion of a few select people.  We have all been around long enough to know that everyone has their own opinion about things, so an established directory may not be for everyone.

Advanced Searching

There are so many little techniques and tips that can assist you with your searches.  No matter who you think you are and how much knowledge of searching on the internet you have, there will always be new things to learn.   I’m learning everyday through this course and related research.

Earlier during my search for my first blog for this chapter, I ran across Boolean commands.  The book actually refers to them as Boolean operators (2010, Shelly).  Boolean commands help to refine your search.  By having key words in your search, the results will vary.  Take for example the Boolean command “AND”.  You are saying that you want all the words in your search to appear in your results.  If you add the command “OR”, you are opening up your research to show results for any site that contains at least one of the words that you searched for.

 

Process of Searching the Web

The internet is a very powerful tool.  Anything that one could image about searching for is right there for you.  I have become very familiar with the internet and find it very useful.  I would rather look up something on the internet (example: a telephone number) versus trying to dig out my old, heavy (and probably dusty) Talking Phone Book.  But that is my choice.  Others may not see it that way.  One example is my husband.  He gets very frustrated when he can’t find what he is looking for.  The key is knowing how to search.

You ask – how difficult can it be?  It’s really not difficult.  You just need to remember a few key points.

-         If you want a specific, direct, exactly “as is” topic, be sure to put the search words in quotation

-         The more specific you are, the better refined search you will get

-         Learning about boolean commands could be key to your search (2010, Media Awareness Network)

GoAnimate & Jing - Two Useful Networking Tools

Blogging is all about capturing the attention of your audience and making your blog interesting enough to make the viewer want to continue reading and anticipate the arrival of your next blog.

GoAnimate is a cute way of generating comic videos in order to relay one's message.  I was trying to embed the video here but it didn't seem to work.  Please view my creation at GoAnimate.  If anyone has some helpful hints to embed a GoAnimate video into their blog, I would love to know what they are.

Another way to do a video is by using Jing.  Or you can capture still shots and add comments to relay your information to your viewers.  Unfortunately, I had the same embedding issue with my video.  To learn more about Jing, follow these two simple steps:

Have fun designing your blog!

UPDATE: Thanks to Vanessa and her helpful tips, I think this may actually work.  Below should be my animation.
GoAnimate.com: Jing Animation by SpikeShelby


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

PLN - Learn It, Live It, Love It!

What exactly is a PLN?  A personal learning network is a group of people connected together for a sole purpose:

-          to learn from

-          to gain insight to what others have learned or experienced and the resources used

-          to give advice and inspiration

-          to share your findings and revelations

A PLN is customized specifically for you.  It allows you to decide exactly what you want to see and it allows you to choose how involved you want to be with your new found networking group.

A lot of research on the internet favors PLN for educators, but a PLN can be useful to everyone.  My mind is already going on how I can utilize a PLN in my current position.  As a Program Scheduler, it is my responsibility to devise a project plan incorporating details of the tasks involved from onset of the program to the finished product.  While doing this, I am also incorporating resources (both human and equipment), loading budget to these tasks and measuring the team’s performance on these tasks.  There are times that I have questions or would like to know how others accomplish similar tasks within the industry.  A PLN would be a beginning for me to establish a network of people doing similar work.  I also would like to do a PLN for my husband’s small engine repair/welding business.

Learn Before You Browse

There is so much to know before you start surfing the internet.  Your web browser is full of little gadgets to aid you in your adventure.  Taking the time to learn some of the functionality will help in making your browsing experience more enjoyable.

But don’t be fooled.  You will never learn everything there is to know in one sitting.  One reason is because there is so much to learn.  Second reason is because there are always new features added.  When I upgraded to IE8 (Internet Explorer 8), I couldn’t get the hang of having multiple web sites opened in one browser.  Now I don’t know what I do without it especially during this class.  How many times do we need to jump from ESC to Symbaloo to a new tab to do research?

Of course I learned something new from our textbook.  I never bothered to read the page when you open a new tab.  There is actually some valuable information on there about your recent activity.  Being the grayish, dull color, I never took the time to look at it.

Everything about your web browser can be customized to fit your needs.  You can customize your toolbar, add your favorites or view your history.  This is especially important if you have children that use the internet and are not savvy enough to know that the sites are tracked. 

Twitter - What's in it for you?

Twitter is another useful tool to stay connected and up to date with family, friends and business associates.  Are you new to Twitter like I am?  Go to Twitter  to learn more and sign up. 

According to reports, Twitter has moved up to be the third highest social networking site in January 2009.  Previous to that it was twenty-second.

I know I am no expert at Twittering but what I see so far is a large number of people can be reached in a short period of time.  It also seems to be beneficial for those that do not have a lot of time on their hands to get updated with the world around them.  This is accomplished by the limiting of the characters that can be written.  Unlike blogging that allows people to babble on forever (which I am doing), Tweeting is simple and sweet.  If the Tweeter would like to provide more info, a link is usually attached.  But for the most part, the reader can capture the essence of the post by just a few simple words.

Symbaloo

Symbaloo is a great place to store links to all your favorite websites.  It is a great way to stay organized.  You can see what mine looks like.  I started going through some of the custom, original icons.  They contain some useful information.  I didn't want to delete any of them until I get a chance to look them over because I am not sure I would be able to get them back, so far now I pushed them off to the left side.  My favorites are on the right.

Has anyone come up with any unique icons?

Net Neutrality – What Is It?

Net neutrality is a new term for me.  It really surprises me that I have not heard about it prior to this, as it has been an issue since 2005.

So what exactly is net neutrality?  Net neutrality is the philosophy that network providers will not engage in discriminatory actions that would affect a user’s internet usage.  Because this is an ongoing dilemma that affects a large amount of people (think about how many people user the internet on a daily basis), there is a lot of information that can be found on this topic.  A good starting point is Net Neutrality 101. 

One may ask how your internet usage can be affected by someone else besides for your contracted provider.  It’s simple.  A network provider can block the competition entirely from reaching the user.  The provider can also degrade the service that you are receiving from another supplier in hopes that the user will get discouraged with the provider and therefore look for a new one.  Another way would be by charging extra for services and information that is technically public access.

Introduction to the Internet

If one were to ask a teenager what the Internet is, they probably wouldn’t even have to hesitate to think of an answer.  But try asking a middle age adult.  I bet that at least half of them either don’t know or respond with a wrong answer.  Ask the question again to the elderly and they may think you are swearing at them or something because they have no clue what that word is that just came out of your mouth.  Look for yourself at the statistical data in US Report: Internet Usage by Age.  



Courtesy of nc.edu



So what exactly is the Internet?  The Internet is a network of computers that transmits information all around the world.  In today’s standards “computers” doesn’t just mean the hard drive, monitor and accessories that are “plugged in” to an electrical outlet in your home or business. The networks of computers that connect to the Internet include laptops, blackberries, iPhones and cell phones.

The Internet can be used for various reasons relating to personal use, school use or business use.   Some examples include research for a school paper, inquiry on a product or service, ordering items not available locally or sold cheaper somewhere else, looking up medical advice or possibly just surfing (browsing) for pleasure.  Today’s more modern technology even allows for banking online including paying monthly bills.  Because of its popularity and usefulness, the Internet is being introduced to children in schools at a relatively young age.  To get an overview of what your young one may be learning, the San Diego Public Library offers a short overview of modern technology. 

The Hype of Blogging

courtesy of ShashiBellamkonda

Do you blog?  What is the purpose of you blogging? 

In today’s society, you hear the word blog everywhere.  It is used in social settings and professional settings.  Blogging seems to be a thing of the present and the future.   Is blogging here to stay?  Alyssa Gregory summed this up in will blogging be another fad.

Yes it’s true that many people can reach out to a blog.  They can read it for their own enjoyment, learn something new from it or elaborate on a blog by posting their own comments to it.