Introduction to the internet
Name: Felicia Goh
Class: B
Instructor: Abel Choy
A weekly blog about our journey with the internet
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Saturday, February 28, 2009
Singapore man faces 180 years in prison
By Frank Washkuch
Jan 9, 2007 5:57 PM
Tags: Singapore | man | could | face | 180 | years | in | prison | for | illegal | web | access, | also | charged | with | fake | bomb | threat
Lin Zhenghuang, 21, was charged last week with facetiously warning of a bomb at a local bus stop - just after the London subways and bus bombings. Other site users reported Lin's post to authorities, according to an Associated Press report.Jan 9, 2007 5:57 PM
Tags: Singapore | man | could | face | 180 | years | in | prison | for | illegal | web | access, | also | charged | with | fake | bomb | threat
Lin, who uses the online pseudonym "krisurf," also faces 60 charges of illegally accessing nine wireless networks between July 2005 and February 2006, according to the AP. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and US$6,500 in fines.
Lin has been charged with violating Singapore's Computer Misuse Act.
Garyl Tan Jia Luo, 17, was also charged with accessing the web via another person's internet connection in November of last year. A neighbor told authorities that Tan had accessed his web connection in May 2006.
source: http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News/70959,singapore-man-faces-180-years-in-prison.aspx
As you can see, cybercrimes happen everywhere, even in sunny Singapore! The above mentioned incident happened just after the London bombing, as well as another guy who was charged with "accessing the web" through someone else's connection.
Cybercrimes can happen in all sorts of ways, apart from viruses, trojans, worms and so on. Cybercrimes can affect the community as a whole (like the bombscare), by posting false information and causing grieviences.
But in a way, I guess viruses are the still most common form of a cybercrime as they happen on a very small scale and tracking the source is often a difficult task.
I remember getting a virus before and it was a traumatic experience due to my computer illiteracy in terms of its technicalities. A friend of mine, who did not know that he/she (i cannot remember) had the virus sent me one unknowingly. I guess that's what they do. they multiply without the user's knowledge and send themselves to other users. Being a naive user at that time, I happily accepted the file and before I knew it, I had a virus attack!
We are often so used to accepting files from friends that sometimes, it is an oversight on our part to not check the file and varify with the user if the file was really sent by him/her.
Thankfully, the problem was able to be resolved thanks to a friend of mine.
MSN and Facebook are also common places in which viruses thrive. As of the past week, ive had random people on my facebook chatlist sending me random messages which I knew thay would not have normally sent. The same goes to MSN.
I guess, it is really important that we all protect our computers using anti-virus softwares and update them regularly. We should also always varify with the sender if it was them who sent the file, especially if they look dubious.
At the end of the day, a little effort to protect our computers go a long way. Saves us a lot more trouble as compared to having to send our laptops/ computers for recovery if we really get hit by one.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
wow, I never knew that making a video on Windows Movie Maker was so easy! I had so much fun making the video of my family's vacation to Beijing, at the Great wall of China!
The video making process was a simple as ABC, all i had to do was to drag pictures I took from my trip and add them into a time line pre-set by Windows. I could add music, and even configure the transitions!
Creating the video was an enjoyable process and I probably will do more videos for the rest of my trip to China and show it to all my friends!
--
Google has a lot of tools which they have created for its uses to aid them in their daily lives. One tool which I chanced upon is Google Translator beta.
It is a wonderful tool which helps users to decipher another language!
I put the tool to the test to see if it really did work.
First, I did an English Translation to French, then to German, and a few other languages.
They seemed to work pretty fine! however i realized, how would I even know if the translations were correct or not? After all, I was translating phrases into languages which i did not know.
I then decided to do an English Chinese translation to see if it was correct, since as a singaporean, We know both English and mandarin
.
Viola! It worked and translated well!
So I guess, at the end of the day, Google translator is indeed a very useful tool for those who would like to know more about another language =D
Till next week!
The video making process was a simple as ABC, all i had to do was to drag pictures I took from my trip and add them into a time line pre-set by Windows. I could add music, and even configure the transitions!
Creating the video was an enjoyable process and I probably will do more videos for the rest of my trip to China and show it to all my friends!
--
Google has a lot of tools which they have created for its uses to aid them in their daily lives. One tool which I chanced upon is Google Translator beta.
It is a wonderful tool which helps users to decipher another language!
I put the tool to the test to see if it really did work.
First, I did an English Translation to French, then to German, and a few other languages.
They seemed to work pretty fine! however i realized, how would I even know if the translations were correct or not? After all, I was translating phrases into languages which i did not know.
I then decided to do an English Chinese translation to see if it was correct, since as a singaporean, We know both English and mandarin
.Viola! It worked and translated well!
So I guess, at the end of the day, Google translator is indeed a very useful tool for those who would like to know more about another language =D
Till next week!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Post FOUR!
My apologies beforehand for this short post because I am feeling SICK. =( my nose has been runny the entire weekend and now my eyes feel a little swollen =(
This week we were learning about E-learning as well as multiple intelligence. Both aspects were familiar to me but the concept of e-learning hit closer to home.
I remember vividly, while studying in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, every module we took had an e-learning segment. We would get one week off from the class room, and just read the notes and readings posted online.
To ensure that we participated and learnt from the whole experience, we were made to complete assignments based on the knowledge we gained from that week.
Looking back, though e-learning is indeed something for the future, it does have a few loopholes, in my opinion.
But first, let's look at the positives.
1. E learning SAVES TIME. We are able to gain knowledge without having to sit down and be surrounded by the four walls of the classroom. we are able to learn something from the comfort of our own home or at any comfortable venue.
2. E learning SAVES paper. With knowledge being made available online, there is a decreased need for the printing of notes and hence, less tress will be cut down =)
3. E learning is COST EFFECTIVE. This is for both lecturers as well as students. Students save more money on school fees and schools save money on having to hire that many lecturers because everything is online.
HOWEVER. There is always the dark side to the internet, hence, e-learning is no exception.
1. E learning can be RISKY. why do I say so? Because learning occurs on the internet, there is no moderator. We are picking up information from many sources and if we are not careful, we might be learning the wrong things.
2. E learning reduces PHYSICAL INTERACTION. Indeed, even though we can say that e learning does give us more freedom of time, I'll have to mention that after having gone through periods of E-learning in polytechnic, I feel that it is not as useful as a the traditional face to face learning because then, who is going to answer your questions or hold discussions about topics in relation to the course of study?
some might say that discussions and questions can be posted online but..
3. E learning produces a TIME LAG. when we post questions and queries online, we have to wait for a period of time before someone gets back to us with an answer.
4. also, E Learning, like the internet, gives rise to MISUNDERSTANDINGS. With learning and communication going on just through the internet, miscommunication will arise because there will always be a different perception of meaning when we are just typing words. There is the lack of emotion.
I guess, at the end of the day, though e-learning is something which will probably grow to take a bigger place in our lives, I strongly believe that it cannot and should not replace classroom education. If anything, it should complement and aid learning.
Till next week!
This week we were learning about E-learning as well as multiple intelligence. Both aspects were familiar to me but the concept of e-learning hit closer to home.
I remember vividly, while studying in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, every module we took had an e-learning segment. We would get one week off from the class room, and just read the notes and readings posted online.
To ensure that we participated and learnt from the whole experience, we were made to complete assignments based on the knowledge we gained from that week.
Looking back, though e-learning is indeed something for the future, it does have a few loopholes, in my opinion.
But first, let's look at the positives.
1. E learning SAVES TIME. We are able to gain knowledge without having to sit down and be surrounded by the four walls of the classroom. we are able to learn something from the comfort of our own home or at any comfortable venue.
2. E learning SAVES paper. With knowledge being made available online, there is a decreased need for the printing of notes and hence, less tress will be cut down =)
3. E learning is COST EFFECTIVE. This is for both lecturers as well as students. Students save more money on school fees and schools save money on having to hire that many lecturers because everything is online.
HOWEVER. There is always the dark side to the internet, hence, e-learning is no exception.
1. E learning can be RISKY. why do I say so? Because learning occurs on the internet, there is no moderator. We are picking up information from many sources and if we are not careful, we might be learning the wrong things.
2. E learning reduces PHYSICAL INTERACTION. Indeed, even though we can say that e learning does give us more freedom of time, I'll have to mention that after having gone through periods of E-learning in polytechnic, I feel that it is not as useful as a the traditional face to face learning because then, who is going to answer your questions or hold discussions about topics in relation to the course of study?
some might say that discussions and questions can be posted online but..
3. E learning produces a TIME LAG. when we post questions and queries online, we have to wait for a period of time before someone gets back to us with an answer.
4. also, E Learning, like the internet, gives rise to MISUNDERSTANDINGS. With learning and communication going on just through the internet, miscommunication will arise because there will always be a different perception of meaning when we are just typing words. There is the lack of emotion.
I guess, at the end of the day, though e-learning is something which will probably grow to take a bigger place in our lives, I strongly believe that it cannot and should not replace classroom education. If anything, it should complement and aid learning.
Till next week!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Post THREE
Lardeedum.
It's the post after our Chinese New Year break. After our one week of hiatus from blogging, we're now back to talk about the internet!
This week in class, we discussed about e-businesses and e-commerce. It got me thinking back on my own little online business which I stopped temporarily because of school. Perhaps i should get it going again =)
E-business/E-commerce is something which is highly fascinating to me. I am constantly awed by how we are able to purchase things with just a click of the mouse! Being a girl (obviously :) ) shopping is one of the things i love to do. Through the evolution of the internet and e-businesses, my shopping habits have changed. Due to busy schedules at school, I have less time to go out to shop. Because of that, I spend more time on the internet browsing through online stores, making up for the lack of shopping in the real world. When you think about it, internet shopping is indeed more efficient as compared to physical shopping.
Firstly, it saves me the time of having to go down to a shopping mall to look for clothes.
Secondly, it saves me from having to squeeze with the crowd to look for something I want.
Thirdly, it is a shopping paradise open 24/7, 365 days a year!
Apart from popular foreign brands which allow shoppers from all over the world to shop at their e -store, fellow Singaporeans have also recognized this opportunity and have also cut their slice of cake with e-commerce.
There are a number of popular online clothes store in Singapore. For example, Bonito Chico.
Bonito Chico has gained so much popularity that if you enter their store, you would notice that with each collecion, they get at least 200 comments, or in this case, hits, purchasing their apparel.
Above is just an example of the type of apparel they sell, strictly catering to local Singaporeans in terms of their taste for clothes.
The benefits of having a small business catering to a small market is that they are able to come up with specific themes for certain occasions. For example, Chinese New Year, in which they specifically brought in clothes appropriate for Chinese New Year.
Another popular local brand is Agneselle. Because of their popularity, they have took their online business one step further by creating a label under their brand Agneselle called Luxe Lable.
The popularity in which these two "companies" have among many others, is because of the strong clientele which they have, who would support these businesses.
So in conclusion, as to why I think these businesses are so successful in Singapore is because of the following:
1. They were able to understand their target market (in this case, Singaporean girls) very well
2. Because of their ability to meet the needs of their clients, they generated happy customers who in turn spread word to other friends, who would then be new customers to the online store.
3. These businesses make use of mailing lists to update clients on new apparel, drawing their customers back.
4. Because it is a local business, the lag time for the clothes to arrive is cut short from about 1 month if you order clothes from other countries to about 3 days! THAT is a big difference!
If you look at the above points, I think it is mainly because of marketing through word of mouth that allowed these businesses to become what they are today. Girls like me who love to shop are constantly hooked onto these shopping websites because of the affordability, convenience and efficiency.
Those are also why I think online businesses are able to be successful.
So yes, watch this space. My online business will be re-launched again soon. For those who havent heard of it yet, i assure you, it will be exciting ;) For those who have, Im sure you cant wait either!
lovee. =)
Credits: Bonitochico, Agneselle
It's the post after our Chinese New Year break. After our one week of hiatus from blogging, we're now back to talk about the internet!
This week in class, we discussed about e-businesses and e-commerce. It got me thinking back on my own little online business which I stopped temporarily because of school. Perhaps i should get it going again =)
E-business/E-commerce is something which is highly fascinating to me. I am constantly awed by how we are able to purchase things with just a click of the mouse! Being a girl (obviously :) ) shopping is one of the things i love to do. Through the evolution of the internet and e-businesses, my shopping habits have changed. Due to busy schedules at school, I have less time to go out to shop. Because of that, I spend more time on the internet browsing through online stores, making up for the lack of shopping in the real world. When you think about it, internet shopping is indeed more efficient as compared to physical shopping.
Firstly, it saves me the time of having to go down to a shopping mall to look for clothes.
Secondly, it saves me from having to squeeze with the crowd to look for something I want.
Thirdly, it is a shopping paradise open 24/7, 365 days a year!
Apart from popular foreign brands which allow shoppers from all over the world to shop at their e -store, fellow Singaporeans have also recognized this opportunity and have also cut their slice of cake with e-commerce.
There are a number of popular online clothes store in Singapore. For example, Bonito Chico.
Bonito Chico has gained so much popularity that if you enter their store, you would notice that with each collecion, they get at least 200 comments, or in this case, hits, purchasing their apparel.
Above is just an example of the type of apparel they sell, strictly catering to local Singaporeans in terms of their taste for clothes.
The benefits of having a small business catering to a small market is that they are able to come up with specific themes for certain occasions. For example, Chinese New Year, in which they specifically brought in clothes appropriate for Chinese New Year.
Another popular local brand is Agneselle. Because of their popularity, they have took their online business one step further by creating a label under their brand Agneselle called Luxe Lable.
The popularity in which these two "companies" have among many others, is because of the strong clientele which they have, who would support these businesses.
So in conclusion, as to why I think these businesses are so successful in Singapore is because of the following:
1. They were able to understand their target market (in this case, Singaporean girls) very well
2. Because of their ability to meet the needs of their clients, they generated happy customers who in turn spread word to other friends, who would then be new customers to the online store.
3. These businesses make use of mailing lists to update clients on new apparel, drawing their customers back.
4. Because it is a local business, the lag time for the clothes to arrive is cut short from about 1 month if you order clothes from other countries to about 3 days! THAT is a big difference!
If you look at the above points, I think it is mainly because of marketing through word of mouth that allowed these businesses to become what they are today. Girls like me who love to shop are constantly hooked onto these shopping websites because of the affordability, convenience and efficiency.
Those are also why I think online businesses are able to be successful.
So yes, watch this space. My online business will be re-launched again soon. For those who havent heard of it yet, i assure you, it will be exciting ;) For those who have, Im sure you cant wait either!
lovee. =)
Credits: Bonitochico, Agneselle