EIR Practical 4 & 5

Hi all,

It's another long day and I would like to share with you about my search using meta crawler.com and yahoo directories. Well, for me personally, meta crawler has a lot of advertisements, old links and outdated information however it is very easy to use, just like any other search engines that I've used before. The sort by search engine function is also very useful as it allows us to see which search engine is most useful in accordance to the topic which you are searching for. The yahoo directories is quite hard to use because when I tried to use keywords, the directories option disappear and vice-versa, so I had to manually go through so many directories until I find something relevant to my search. So boring... After a long hard search, I found some useful links, blogs and details to help me in my research of Web 2.0 in Organizations and all my hard work pays off. So I guess its a fruitful day after all.

Site feeds is quite hard for me to customize as I went through the html codes but was unable to find the line that I needed to edit but after some exploring, I found the edit template link which gave me what I needed. And now my new blog has a RSS Feed of two of our classmates blogs as well as links to them. Sharing in the EIR wiki space proved to be interesting as the threads are quite hard to find due to previous year students works being there as well, but I still posted my research under the Web 2.0 topic thread. Sharing on wiki space is something new to me and it is helpful as we add onto the page more information that we know so all of us can share it.

T.

Things I learned in Week 5

Well, I have learned a lot today,a lot about Internet Search Facilities. Previously, I just knew about and used Baidu and Google, though I thought they are useful enough for research. However, I realized that for more professional searches Google is not enough. Besides, since everyone uses Google, the search results of the same topic will be the same, and not unique.

So, what are the difference between Internet Search Facilities?
Search engines---most commonly used (such as google & askjeeves),but a single search engine can only find a portion of the relevant web pages.


Meta Search Engines---multi-search engines (such as Jux2, IxQuick, Kartoo, Mamma, MetaCrawler & Vivisimo) which combine google, yahoo...The searching ranges are more bride.However, it is not always stable. (I cannot open the Kartoo for the whole morning in the class) 


Subject Directories---subject catalogs (such as Yahoo Directory & Galaxy )


Invisible Web---Databases (such as Spark )


Tips:
For familiar topic, search engines and meta search engines are good choices.

•For unfamiliar topic, we can use subject directories as it allows us to browse through relevant links .

•For specialized information, we have to use invisible web.

Furthermore, there are three useful guide websites:

http://infopeople.org/

http://www.searchengineshowdown.com/

http://www.noodletools.com/

 

Virtual Shopping on Second Life - The New Way To Shop Till You Drop!!!

Just Arrived at Farrah Island

Flying, The New Way To Shop

So many clothes, so little time... 

First Person View Shopping

JCNY - Picture Perfect w Store Owner

Picture Perfect Services

Picture Perfect Products
(They piece SL Characters into Real Life Scenes)

 

Shopping at TNC

Shopping at VTwins Biker Outfitters

Trying out clothes the SL way

Modelling Contests in Shops

JCNY - Main Store

Talking to JCNY Customer Service Rep.

"Live Models"

Gift Cards As Christmas Presents!!!

What do I like best about this virtual experience which I cannot get in real life?

I personally prefer flying around the mall than just purely walking about, shopping at any hour in the day, friendly customer service who accompanies you around the shopping area all these attract me. Another plus is trying on clothes without having to queue for the changing room but just with simple clicks of the mouse button to see how the clothes look on me. Flying makes going from shop to shop a lot faster than just walking and makes window shopping more fun than it already is. Chatting with real life people who are actually renting shops and hiring customer service representatives or even live models and paying them with Lindens which is the credit in the game brings a whole new level of reality to Second life, making it more than just a game.

I learnt so much about how a helpful customer service officer who isn’t stressed and tired from working the whole day and doesn’t have to rush around trying to get the correct dress size for you can be much more fun to interact with. We do not need to rush to the cashiers and queuing to pay as everything is paid for with a few clicks of the mouse makes life a lot easier.

This shopping experience is a lot more interactive than eBay or any form of online shopping, I am able to see the merchandize straight away, ask for help as to how to test out the clothes or products, and even have customer reps give you a tour around the island and make friends with them enhanced my overall experience. The live models also help make your day as they chat with you and tell you what they think about the new designs, which was an eye opening experience.

I learnt that people take second life as seriously as real life but it’s a more perfect world where people are never stressed, always friendly, no thefts as programming eliminates it from happening, no queues as everyone can test clothes as and when they like and pay for it by clicking on the pictures. Initially trying to find my way around the islands, many floors and many shops proved challenging however, it took me only a short while with some help to make my way around the island.

Overall, the entire shopping experience proved to be a fun, interactive and enriching experience made better with friendly customer service.

EIR Practical 3 Activity 4 - Blog Reflections

Today I did the EIR practical, I was really impressed by the effectiveness of using keywords and the proper search queries. However, the results from Google scholar seems more relevant than the results from Google, but the range of articles from Google is a lot wider. I did not know that using the right search queries and alternative keywords can make such a difference in the results and I will practice that from now on.

Citing and compiling of bibliography of resources was the next activity that I went through, it helps us by letting us give credit to the owners of the information and not violate copyright regulations as a result. It also allows us to trace back where we got our information from when we need to refer to the sites for other uses.

Sadly, I could not find the discussion thread to post in. However, from my previous experiences and postings on other discussion boards in OLIVE, I personally feel that it is not as helpful as doing your own research but I have no problems chatting and sharing ideas with others on the discussion boards.

Overall, I had quite a good learning experience from doing this activity however, it could be much better if it isn't Sunday when I am doing this blog entry. Oh well, until next time....

What did I learn...

During these 3 weeks , I have learned about many different types of Internet Resources,such as Blogs,Wikis & Online Forums and how to use these resources for different research purposes and effective search strategies.

So what are the differences between a Blog, a Wiki and a Forum?

Blogs often focus on a particular subject (eg. political, travelling, food, local news etc) They usually combine text with images, links and other media that relates to that particular topic that the blogger is blogging about.

Wikis are a kind of website that allows anyone visiting the site to add, rename or edit all the contents of the site very quickly and easily.

Forums are the place where members start a discussion on a sub-topic that all members can see and follow-up on the discussion and it is possible to create more than ONE forum community.

Using the right keywords is very important and helps us to save time and effort to find what we are looking for. We should focus on the topic and extract the keywords, NOT articles, prepositions,adverbs,common verbs,common adjectives but include other words of similar meaning. Besides that, we should write citations and references after using information from other websites or sources. Here are some useful tips to help facilitate your search:

      1.  */?        (e.g.cent* will result in center, centers, centers, centers)
      2.   ( )         Searches words inside the ( ) first
      3.   OR       A OR B = either A or B
      4.   AND    A AND B = both A and B

APA:

Website:

Author's last name,first name. (Date of publication:year,Month Day)."Title:capitalize only initial letter."Retrieved Month day,year from www.URL
Website (No Author)
Homepage Title. (Last update or copyright dates).
Available: URL

If I Have $500...

If I have $500, I would buy:

1. A Teresa Teng 25th Anniversary CD @ $16.99 off eBay.com



This is for my mother who loves Teresa Teng's songs. I hope that this CD will make her enjoy the times when I cannot be with her.

2. A Takamine New Yorker Acoustic Guitar @ $267.90 on eBay.com




This is for my boyfriend because I believe that a great warrior has to have a equally great sword and I feel that my boyfriend is a talented musician and thus I feel he is deserving of this guitar.

3. A Citizen Quartz Chronograph Solid Steel Watch @ $149.95 on eBay



I am buying this watch for my dad because I hope that in every moment in time, happy or sad, I can be with him and be remembered by him.

4. Nike Air Force 1 16 inches White Women's Sneakers @ $44.99 on eBay.com


I am buying these sneakers for myself because dancers often sprain their ankles and the high cut sides will support my ankle when I dance, the soft bottom will also cushion the impact when I dance protecting my feet.

5. A Korean Cosmopolitan 10th Anniversary Magazine with Lee Hyori on the Cover @ $18.18 on eBay.com



I am buying this magazine for myself because I am a big fan of Lee Hyori and I collect everything that has to do with Lee Hyori.

The reason I chose eBay is because of the competitive pricing and the large selection of items on it.

I have learnt that shopping online is fun and easy, keywords are very important to finding the right item in the shortest time possible and also there are two ways to buy items on eBay, bidding and buying it at a fixed price.

The developments and usage of Web 2.0 in Singapore

"If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito."

                                                                                                  

                                         -  Anita Roddick

Web 2.0, the revolutionary term that seemed to change the tide of the way the Internet works. The term is coined in 1999 by Darcy DiNucci a consultant on electronic information design in her article “Fragmented Future” and the technology was adapted by Microsoft in the late 90s.

Web 2.0 changes the role of the user from just surfing the net into someone who creates waves in the world wide web, users turn from the original passive information receiver to the active creator and sharer of information on the web. To put it in simpler terms, users turn from read to write, viewing to uploading of new information.

Web 2.0 makes the Internet come to life, gone are the days of Netscape and big companies like Britannica Online Encyclopedia who owned all information and distributed them to end users without allowing them to edit the information but now even a fifth grader with a PC and Internet access can give information online with Google, Facebook, Wikipedia and other such user-interactive websites.

In the words of tech guru Tim O'Reilly “Applications that get better the more that people use them.” Web 2.0 encourages user interaction with the web and allows information to be edited, changed or even disputed openly thus causing improvement to the data given making it a people centered and people empowered media that thrives on feedback, editing and other forms of data exchange between the maker of the web page and the end user.

Besides using Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other Web 2.0 sites which are used to make friends and for shopping, the Web 2.0 concept is used by some organizations for other purposes such as uploading company photos of events and staff can join the groups to receive latest information and even just discuss leisurely topics to facilitate company bonding. Their staff can also post information such as birthdays and interests unto their profiles allowing their bosses and colleagues to know them better as an individual. At times, information can be uploaded and every staff in the company notified with a single update as long as they are part of the group/network. School groups use them to keep their members updated of the latest information and even blogs about events and encourages discussions among members. Web 2.0's rich user interface facilitates efficient data transfer, allows flexibility and communication with ease and solves many problems of more traditional methods of information sharing. Some companies even use Google and Facebook to check on the profile of potential employees before deciding to hire them.

Even though there are many Web 2.0 sites in the world, Singapore still lags behind in the number of sites due to restrictions in content and lack of funding by the government, lack of local talents in AJAX and relevant media skills and Singapore is also too small and the local web community is limited thus making traffic almost irrelevant compared to the rest of the world.

My conclusion is if Singapore would fund and encourage talents and students to study and develop the IT field to head in the direction of AJAX and Web 2.0 concept sites and more Singaporeans would actively participate online, it would make a big difference in the development of Web 2.0 for organizations in Singapore in the future.

熬夜必看

熬夜也要有技巧，才能依然身体硬朗，否则，铁打的身体
   也受不了如此的日夜操劳噢～
因此，想要熬夜，千万记住：      

    １：不要吃泡面来填饱肚子，以免火气太大，最好尽量以水果、面包、清粥小菜来充饥。      

    ２：开始熬夜前，来一颗维他命ｂ群营养丸，维他命ｂ能够解除疲劳，增强人体免疫力。      

   ３：提神饮料，最好以绿茶为主，可以提神，又可以消除体内多余的自由基，让您神清气爽；但是肠不好的人，最好改喝枸杞子泡热水的茶，可以解压，还可以明目呢！      

    ４：熬夜前千万记得卸妆，或是先把脸洗干净，以免厚厚的粉层或油渍，在熬夜的煎熬下长满脸痘痘。      

    ５：熬夜之后，第二天中午时千万记得打个小盹。      

    生理时钟，一般而言熬夜是不容易补救的，补救的原则还是建议您改回原来的睡眠时间，尤其是熬夜会使生理时钟发生问题，此时要改回原先的睡觉时间会 较难，可建议您不论前一晚多晚睡，次日一定同一时间起床（如设定７点起床） ，白天想睡时不可卧床大睡，仅能趴着小睡如此便能逐渐将入睡时间提早。      


生 理 时 钟 说 明       

00：00～01：00  浅眠期   多梦而敏感，身体不适者易在此时痛醒。

01：00～02：00  排毒期   此时肝脏为排除毒素而活动旺盛，应让身体进入睡眠状态，让肝脏得以完成代谢废物。

02：00～03：00 休眠期   重症病人最易发病的时刻，常有患病者在此时死亡，熬夜最好勿超过这个时间。

09：00～11：00 精华期   此时为注意力及记忆力最好，且工作与学习的最佳时段。

12：00～13：00 午休期   
14：00～15：00 高峰期   是分析力和创造力得以发挥淋漓的极致时段！

16：00～17：00 低潮期   体力耗弱的阶段，最好补充水果来解馋，避免因饥饿而贪食致肥胖。

17：00～18：00 松散期   此时血糖略增，嗅觉与味觉最敏感，不妨准备晚膳来提振精神。

19：00～20：00 暂憩期   最好能在饭后３０分钟去散个步或沐浴，放松一下，纾 解一日的疲倦困顿。

20：00～22：00 夜修期   此为晚上活动的巅峰时段，建议您善用此时进行商议， 进修等需要思虑周密的活动。

23：00～24：00 夜眠期   经过整日忙碌，此时应该放松心情进入梦乡，千万别让身体过度负荷，那可得不偿失哦！


夜猫子，要好好照顾自己喔！

十件你生命中无能为力的事（看了你会放开很多）

如果你幸运的看到了这篇文章，那么你将是真的很幸运！因为生活中，并不是只要努力就什么都可以的，不只是你，我们都一样，这篇文章是写给那些正处于烦恼，迷茫中的人，看了这生命中无能为力的十件事后，相信你会懂得很多，放开很多，得到很多！真的！
希望每个看到的人都能够过得开心，幸福！

1  离你而去的人 
  
       离你远去的人，是他失去了你，不是你失去了他。离开，也许是为了下个路口的更好的重逢。 
                  “离开，生命中注定了太多的离开。” 
2   流逝的时间

                   时间比水流失的还要快，所以想做的事情就去努力，人这辈子，至少自己得对得起自己。   
                      “人生在世，俯仰之间，自当追求卓越，但有尽其所能。” 
  3   倒向你的墙 
                         也许这面倒向你的墙，让你无法呼吸，也许会让你失去一切，但是如果沉默的接受，那么，倒向你的还是那面墙， 如果你挺起肩膀，抬起头来你会发现很多事情不是向我们想象的那么糟。                               “永远不要后退，退到最后无路可退。” 

   4 没有选择的出身                                有人天生的就是王，有人天生的就是贵族，但是很多人天生的就是平凡，这个世界上，没有什么不可以改变的东西，尤其你想改变的话。                                                   “追求一切美好的过程是人生珍贵的财富” 
5  莫名其妙的孤独                   不管达观还是拘谨，无论高贵还是卑微，谁都可能相遇孤独的感觉，常常深深地萦绕在不为人所知的寂寞的情怀中。                           “其实是知己难求” 


6   无可救药的喜欢

                  一种很甜的毒药，戒不掉的东西，但喜欢终究是喜欢，不是爱。  
           “人，一辈子注定了被好多人喜欢，也喜欢好多人。但是选择只有一个。并要终于这个选择。
 
爱，又有几个人足够幸运，能够在有生之年，正确的时间，遇到  真爱呢？……”  
7   无可奈何的遗忘

             很多我们以为一辈子都不会忘记的事情，就在我们念念不忘的日子里，被我们遗忘了。
 
           人生总是因为有回忆，而多了分美好。
            偶尔的回忆胜过永远的想念。毕竟日子是会越来越好的。
8   永远的过去                                 一秒就成为了下一秒的过去，既然很多东西注定要失去的，那么，我们唯一可以做到的就是不轻易忘记。
 
          “读过一句话--当你总是缅怀过去的时候，证明你现在过的并不好。所以，美好的回忆可以，但绝不留恋。要永远憧憬，永远在现在努力。” 
9   别人的嘲笑               嘴长在别人的身上，耳朵在自己身上，说不说，是他们的事情，听不听，是你自己的事情了,我们要学会微笑的面对这一切。  
                       “不必去理会……” 
10    不可避免的死亡                  生命是个过程，死亡只是必然的结果，但轨迹是自己的色彩和温度，既然不可避免，那么就更无所畏惧。  
                       “真的希望人是有灵魂的，不要一切皆为虚幻。” 

生活中，并不是努力就一定什么都可以。很多时候，我们也会觉得自己无能为力。
不只是你，也不只是我，大家都一样。
知道时间不可能停留，就没有必要伤春悲秋。
知道感情不可能刻意，就不会为了谁寻死觅活。
知道遗忘总是必然的，就不会为一时的忘却伤感。
知道过去始终是存在的，就没有必要遮掩和炫耀。
知道孤独总是如影随形的，就不会在某一些时刻难以自制。
知道死亡总是在将来的某一刻，就能好好把握现在能做好的。
知道这些，就不必勉强为难自己，心放开了，就什么都好了。
心放淡一点，再淡一点，没有那么多给自己设置的心结，心境也就平和了。

每天读一遍，不久你就会变！

１、别低估任何人。

2、你没那么多观众，别那么累。

3、温和对人对事。不要随意发脾气，谁都不欠你的。

4、现在很痛苦，等过阵子回头看看，会发现其实那都不算事。

5、和对自己有恶意的人绝交。人有绝交，才有至交。

6、学会宽容伤害自己的人，因为他们很可怜，各人都有自己的难处，大家都不容易。

 7、学会放弃，拽的越紧，痛苦的是自己。

8、低调，取舍间，必有得失。

9、不要试图给自己找任何借口，错误面前没人爱听那些借口。

10、慎言，独立，学会妥协的同时，也要坚持自己最基本的原则。

11、付出并不一定有结果。坚持可能会导致失去更多。

12、过去的事情可以不忘记，但一定要放下。

13、活得轻松，任何事都作一个最好的打算和最坏的打算。

14、做一个简单的人，踏实而务实。不沉溺幻想。不庸人自扰。

15、不说谎话，因为总有被拆穿的一天。

16、别人光鲜的背后或者有着太多不为人知的痛苦

17、尽量充实自己。不要停止学习。不管学习什么，语言，厨艺，各种技能。

18、注意自己的修养，你就是孩子的第一位老师。

19、孝顺父母。不只是嘴上说说，即使多打几个电话也是很好的。

20、爱父母，因为他们给了你生命，同时也是爱你爱的最无私的人。

21、偶尔也要现实和虚伪一点，因为不那样做的话，很难混。

22、收敛自己的脾气，偶尔要刻意沉默，因为冲动会做下让自己无法挽回的事情。

23、无论什么时候，做什么事情，要思考。

24、永远不要给背叛过自己的朋友第二次的背叛的机会。

25、无论是谁，都有自己的限度。特别是信任。

26、懂得倾听别人的忠告。

27、别人说的记在脑袋里，而自己的，则放在心里。

28、尽量不要讲同事朋友的八卦。

29、信佛，信因果，在真正的因果面前，人的力量是微不足道的。

30、坦然接受生活给你的馈赠吧，不管是好的还是坏的。

31、真正了解无常的含义，当你痛苦时，你要想这痛苦不是永恒的，当你快乐时，你要想这快乐也不是永恒的。

32、要快乐，要开朗，要坚韧，要温暖，对人要真诚。

33、空虚无聊的时候就读书，但一定得有自己的生活目标和计划。

34、对人性的弱点有清醒的认识，但要相信真诚的爱情，对爱情永远怀有单纯的向往。

35、不要太过依赖除自己以外的人，因为只有自己不会抛弃自己。

36、永远对生活充满希望，对于困境与磨难，微笑面对。

37、多看书，看好书。

38、少吃点，吃好的。

39、古龙说过，爱笑的女孩子，运气不会太差。

40、多交朋友，交好的朋友。女人一定要有闺密。

41、请记得，好朋友的定义是：你混的好，她打心眼里为你开心；你混的不好，她由衷的为你着急。

42、要有梦想，即使遥远。

43、努力爱一个人。付出，不一定会有收获；不付出，却一定不会有收获，不要奢望出现奇迹。

44、承诺是一件美好的事情，但美好的东西往往不会变为现实。

45、每个人都有自己鲜明的主张和个性，不要识途去改变他人，同样，也不要被他人所改变。改了，就不是自己了。

46、没有十全十美的东西，没有十全十美的人，关键是清楚到底想要什么。得到想要的，肯定会失去另外一部分。如果什么都想要，只会什么都得不到。

47、这个世界最脆弱的是生命，身体健康，很重要。

48、老天爷对每个人都是公平的。

49、不要试图控制别人，不要要求别人理解你

50、活在当下，别在怀念过去或者憧憬未来中浪费掉你现在的生活

51、不要忘本，任何时候，任何事情

52、要诚恳，要坦然，要慷慨，要宽容，要有平常心

53、学会忘记, 善忘是一件好事

54、要乐观，要积极，多笑，多照镜子

55、相信他说的话，但不要当真。

56、凡事多长心眼。

57、不要自作聪明。

58、做自己的决定。然后准备好承担后果。从一开始就提醒自己，世上没有后悔药吃。

59、自己不喜欢的人，可以报之以沉默微笑；自己喜欢的人，那就随便怎么样了，因为你的喜爱会挡也挡不住地流露出来。

60、相信因果报应！相信轮回！

61、要学会忍耐与坚持！

62这个世界上没有真正的爱情……时间可以冲淡一切

63、不要做刺猬 能不与人结仇就不与人结仇，谁也不跟谁一辈子，有些事情没必要记在心上

64、有时要学会听取身边人的意见，更多时候这样才不会让自己受到伤害。

65、忘记过去才能有新的开始。

66、这个世界很不公平。

67、不要太依赖朋友，人性基本都有恶的一面。

68、爱情很美好，相信爱情。如果连爱情都不相信那人生岂不太苦了？

69、想得到一样一定会失去另一件东西。

70、痛苦让人成长，是你进步的一个机会，一个挑战。别害怕痛苦的事情，它有另一面积极的作用。

71、人就是孤独的，缓解它带来的痛苦的唯一方式就是平静的接受它。

72、没有经历过的，永远不能理解这些道理，但听听也是好的。

73、可以不美丽，可以不可爱，可以不温柔，但是一定要诚实和善良。

74、喜爱一切美好的事物，赞美并享受它们所带来的美好。

75、当困难来临时，用微笑去面对，用智慧去解决。

76、要勇于承认自己所犯的错误，并承担其带来的责任。

77、爱家人，爱朋友，爱伴侣，爱孩子，然而，要真正为自己活。

78、永远不要为已发生的和未发生的事忧虑。已经发生既成事实忧虑也于事无补，未发生的凭主观臆测，无法推断事情的走向，徒增烦恼而已。

79、不要老在别人面前倾诉你的困境袒露你的脆弱。

80、不要想着依靠别人，要有目标有追求，这与年龄无关。

81、做一个简单的人，踏实而务实。不沉溺幻想。不庸人自扰。

82、学会思考，头脑清晰，明白自己的渺小，切忌自我陶醉。炮打出头鸟，凡事不要强出头，因为并没有想象中的强！

83、每个人都是独立的个体，真的没有谁离开谁就活不下去！

84、不要太高估自己在集体中的力量，因为当你选择离开时，就会发现即使没有你，太阳照常升起！

85、社会是有等级的，很多事不公平。别抱怨，因为没有用。