The article I have chosen to use for my portfolio is about an FBI sting on the largest dynamic database site for personal data like credit card numbers, phone numbers, social security numbers and much more. This site would pull information from sites that requested personal information like pay pal or ebay. It would latch on to the servers and collect the information and transfer it to a dynamic database. Users would then

be required to pay to use the site. This means the creators where making money and

costing others hundreds of dollars. While this site was still running, it created panic in the public which ultimately affected sells on ebay because people where less willing to use there pay pal accounts.

There are many IT systems used to make the web site function. The most basic system is your IP address which stands for ‘internet protocol address’. IP addresses are numerical identification number given to computers. IP addresses are usually stored as binary (32-bit) numbers but are displayed in human readable notation. For example a common IP address is 192.168.100.1 (this is an example of a IP version 4 address). With the expansion of the internet, new forms IP addresses have been created like the IP version 6 :db8:0:567:1:1 ( this form of address was created in 2001). Now they use a combination of version 4 and version 6 but as the internet grows, there is no doubt they will have to create a new version. In simple terms an IP address is characterized as “A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicate where it is.”

There are also many social and ethical issues that go along with this article but the most interesting of all in control. As the internet expands we are not able to monitor that vast amount of new web sites that are being created every day. The real question is do we want the government to monitor web site creation? In a way it would help to eliminate phishing web sites which would make the internet safer for

users. However, this brings up the issue of Big Brother. If we increase the monitoring of internet, it takes away our rite to privacy.

The area of impact in the article is Business. The site caused fear in users on the internet creating a drop in purchases on ebay and amazon. Also more people where driven away from using internet banking. It is mainly used to make transactions quickly.

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• Techdirt: UK Lawyers Video Game Piracy Shakedown Catching Plenty Of Innocent Bystanders
  Interesting story - indiscriminate or necessary?
  (tags: ITGS piracy p2p)
• GCHQ spies based in Cheltenham want to monitor every email and text message sent in Britain, and keep records of individuals' internet use
  Do you agree with this???
  (tags: ITGS surveillance email intelligence government humanrights)
• FOXNews.com - Oregon Woman Loses $400,000 to Nigerian E-Mail Scam - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News
  Yikes…you had better be careful…
  (tags: ITGS privacy security phishing crime)
• Thanks to gamers, the desktop supercomputer arrives
  Buy a supercomputer for $10000 - go on you know you want toooo!
  (tags: ITGS supercomputer nvidia)
• Webopedia: Online Computer Dictionary for Computer and Internet Terms and Definitions
  Another great site - that helps with technical definitions - use it or lose it!
  (tags: ITGS Technology Education research webopedia encyclopedia)
• Teach ICT - Tons of Free Teaching Materials and ICT Revision
  This is one of the best sites if you are struggling with the main content of how computers work - it also helps explain many technical terms in non geek speak!!! So use it perriwinkle!
  (tags: ITGS ict)

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The article I have carefully chosen to use in my Itgs Portfolio has to do with the “digital dark age”. This is when, in the near future, society will lose exobytes of data due to rapidly advancing platforms and formats.

This article invokes several social and ethical issues. The first and most obvious issue is reliablility. As more information is being digitalized everyday, we need to bring into question whether this is a good idea or not. Is it really more effective to have a digital copy of something rather than a physical one? Data can be corrupted causeing, in most cases, permanent loss in that information. While the most that can be done to a physical copy is physical damage. Should we really put our trust into digital storage that can be manipulated so easily?

An area of impact that this issue can affect is Business. If we were to suffer a digital blackout lots of things would be affected including economic and business records. This could cause many economic problems, as economists require previous records of economic history in order to predict future economic outcomes.

This case could open eyes to the effects of new technology. New technology can be innovative and more advanced than its predecessors. But what problems can it create for a society already relying on older technology?

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For my article in ITGS, I am looking at the impacts of Social Networking websites in the workplace. There are a few social and ethical issues relating to this topic

Firstly, I can relate this to Privacy & Anonymity. This is because Employees’ internet usage is being monitored constantly. Facebook is perceived as a distraction rather than a business tool; but in the view of employees, Social networking enables easy communication and the sharing of ideas. While most offices ban facebook, some can see it’s advantage. This also interlinks with Policies & Standards; as it raises ethical questions over what counts as productivity, as well as how offices plan to use the technology itself.

Secondly, I can relate this to Globalization. The globalization of the technology is allowing colleagues to work together and communicate abroad; boosting productivity. 30 years ago, it was difficult to work abroad. But now with the new technology in computers, such as social networking; business conferences are one click away.

But the big question is whether companies can successfully embrace social networking as a business tool rather than a distraction. Will we become too dependent? Could it impair human communication? There are many issues lying within this article; which is why I am writing on it for my first Portfolio.

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Image by .nele via Flickr

New Assignment ITGS Grade 11, starting later this week :)~

We are all in stuck with the same issues in our modern day technological world. Ask any of the teaches in the school, about dealing with the constant flow of emails, that take up hours of time a day. Think about every time you sit down to do homework, and find yourself in a multitasking world trying to do ten things at once - normally ‘booking, chatting, gaming within the occasional word typed on your most recent assignment. So is there a solution - is there a way to GET THINGS DONE? David Allen thinks so….and many so called experts are given thousands of pounds to lecture and discuss with companies their GTD problems - just check out the Inbox Zero presentation at Google or Dave Allen’s below?

Many educators have decided that the use of so-called Web 2.0 tools would be great in helping students learn and allow themselves and others to GTD, and they have even completed lists on some of those applications - Web 2.0 School Applications and here at Shambles. But some see this as just confusing the situation with more tools, that in fact complicate our lives even further and that Web 2.0 is a waste of time - check out this post on the shortcomings of Web 2.0.

So your mission to see if a variety of Web 2.0 tools and applications can actually allow you to GTD and are are they having the social and ethical impacts needed for our newly complicated lives?

From the options below I would like you to pick two areas in which GTD applications are flourishing and choose two specific types of application to test whether you believe this is a revolutionary new way that will help you GTD or that these Web 2.0 applications are just a waste of time. You will need to demonstrate how to use this tool, and for what this tool might be used (you might need to be a little persuasive!). You will also need to show how others have used these types of applications, and whether this would enable you to GTD in a more efficient way than how you did the same tasks before:-

• Every One MUST DO THIS - RSS Feedreaders - Sorry no choice Bloglines or bust…

1. Follow through this tutorial to setup your bloglines account or here as a PDF
2. View my public feeds at my Bloglines account
3. Produce feeds for news searches on valid ITGS content areas - check this post to help you at URLGREYHOT
4. Place at least 20 feeds to sites that you think are relevant to a technology based course?
5. Publish your bloglines public feeds to the weblog along with a post outlining the positives and negatives of the search coming to you rather than you going to the search?
6. Make sure your thoughts about its impact on areas related to any of the social and ethical issues of the ITGS triangle, are included along with sharing in discussion your findings related to the shortcomings article from earlier. Link it to the rules of GTD theory as well to assess its effectiveness.

Then choose one from below:-

• A - Social Bookmarking Tools (sillibilliboi + magicman)
  

1. Explore the del.icio.us website and other social bookmarking websites…and join one you think looks most effective
2. Visit Dr Tech’s public social bookmarks and decide how these might be a better idea than normal bookmarks or favourites, what do you notice about how this links with this weblog?
3. Follow the seven habits of successful Del.icio.us users then bookmark sites that you have been using on a consistent basis on your recent Internal Assessment or in general
4. Prepare a comprehensive blog post outlining the use of the tool here, and your thoughts about its impact on areas related to any of the social and ethical issues of the ITGS triangle. Link it to the rules of GTD theory as well to assess its effectiveness.
5. You will present the tool briefly on the board, and share in discussion your findings related to the shortcomings article from earlier.

• B - Online Office Applications - The choice is yours.. (pass + mathuselar)
  

1. Research into online applications - a good review is here at the Computer World blog
2. Play with a variety of different online applications and decide on which you believe to be best
3. Bring together a presentation where you show how the application works and what would be the benefits of using such a system over a normal Office productivity suite
4. Post a link to a online document that you create discussing the negatives and positives as described above, not forgetting to discuss your thoughts about its impact on areas related to any of the social and ethical issues of the ITGS triangle, that you think are relevant.
5. Also place in your blog post and in your discussions your findings related between your application and the shortcomings article from earlier. Link it to the rules of GTD theory as well to assess its effectiveness.

• C - Web 2.0 - Start pages (swamp)
  

1. View a variety of different Web 2.0 start pages outlined on the weblog Pandia.
2. Decide on which you think would be the most appropriate for you and a group of students to use to help with collaborative work and set up an account - here is an example here, although i am sure that you can do better.
3. Give everyone in the group the ability to add to the start page
4. Show how the start-page works to the class, and write a post outlining this web 2.0 tools benefits always thinking through the shortcomings article above.
5. Make sure your thoughts about its impact on areas related to any of the social and ethical issues of the ITGS triangle, are included. Link it to the rules of GTD theory as well to assess its effectiveness.

• D - To Do Lists(almost too many) - Remember the Milk / Vitalist / Tada List (odo + perriwinkle)

1. View a variety of different to do lists - from above
2. Decide on which you think is the most effective and use the tool for a period of one week to organise your school and home schedule. Make sure you use a variety of its input techniques - if you have an ipod or PDA then all the better!
3. Show how the to do list works to the class, and write a post outlining this web 2.0 tools benefits always thinking through the shortcomings article above.
4. Make sure your thoughts about its impact on areas related to any of the social and ethical issues of the ITGS triangle, are included. Link it to the rules of GTD theory as well to assess its effectiveness.

• E - Browser Information Manager - Evernote / Iterasi (shakeandbake)

1. View the above very new - so called Browser Information/Archive managers.
2. Choose one to dowload and set up with your browser, and then use the tool to bookmark and manage your research based experiences for all your school work for a week
3. Show how the BIM works to the class, and write a post outlining this web 2.0 tools benefits always thinking through the shortcomings article above.
4. Make sure your thoughts about its impact on areas related to any of the social and ethical issues of the ITGS triangle, are included. Link it to the rules of GTD theory as well to assess its effectiveness.

P.S. Note assessment will be based on each of you reviewing each others posts and presentation of the tool, in the following areas:- How well do you understand the tool used? Does the post describe the positives of the web tool sufficiently for you to understand how you might use it in your studies? Do you understand the technology behind how the tool works and specific terms? Do you understand the social and ethical issues that might limit or push the use of such a tool/application? Has the presenter persuaded to use it in the future, or only when Dr Tech asks? Link it to the rules of GTD theory as well to assess its effectiveness.

Here is the PeerAssessment grid, which you will fill out during each students demonstration. Much better than Dr Tech grading you huh?

P.S. The distraction free browser - might help you with your GTD?

P.P.S Here is a list of 112 so called GTD applications - arrrgghhh, not all are considered Web 2.0 though. Why might that be?

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Image via Wikipedia

• ID Theft Ring Attacked Retailers on Multiple Levels - CIO.com - Business Technology Leadership
  (tags: ITGS security sniffer phishing)
• Professor Dealzmodo: Why You Should Buy a Refurbished Laptop
  (tags: ITGS e-waste refurbish laptop)
• Security: WPA Wi-Fi Security Gets Cracked; Your Network is No Longer Secure
  (tags: ITGS security wi-fi wpa)
• Nothing To Do With Arbroath: Software can clone keys from single photo
  Woweee…how crazy is this…..
  (tags: ITGS security Applications cloning)
• Obama and McCain systems were hacked during election run-up - Boing Boing
  (tags: ITGS security evoting)
• 60 Minutes Crew Roughed Up in China While Reporting On America’s E-Waste - Boing Boing
  (tags: ewa ewaste technology china ITGS)

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Businesses these days are troubled not only by the marketplace but also more devastating things like database infiltrations. It’s similar to a house burglary, most don’t account for them with the concept of “it won’t happen to me.” Well, this is exactly how businesses see it.

Database infiltrations can prove destructive for a business. They are not common, however, and advanced measures against them are costly. The true gold to a hacker is a credit/debit card database. With a decently sized company, a hacker can access and exploit millions of credit card numbers and relative details. With the rising usage of bank cards, these databases are everywhere; minor retail outlets hold access to an entire company network with this information. A small slip in one of these stores could result in devastating effects.

Wireless internet is one of these vulnerabilities. An unsecured network of a retail outlet can be quickly accessed by a third party. An experienced hacker could quickly tie in with the network locating system information (passwords, IP addresses, etc.). With this the hacker could then locate numerous related databases with valuable bank and personal details of recorded customers - simple as that. A simple WPA Key can be placed on wireless access points to secure it and is the most common to protect from these attacks. Even these, however, are becoming vulnerable - related article¹.

A recent event, considered the largest ID Theft attack in the US, was caused this way. In 2003, Albert “Segvec” Gonzalez (Miami), part of a global identity theft ring, located an unsecured wireless access point at a BJ’s Wholesale Club store. Databases linked to this access point were then breached but the breach was not identified until almost a year later in early 2004. The identity theft ring then located another unsecured access point at an OfficeMax retail outlet in Miami later that year. These findings seemed to have encouraged the group to plunder additional locations as a member in 2005 named Christopher Scott compromised two additional access points run by a massive retailer known as TJX (owner of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods). Bank account information was then stored by the group and simple access to millions of dollars was available to them. The data breaches were only fully identified in 2007 and several members were prosecuted in 2008.

Based on my portfolio article². Bibliography following.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Image via Wikipedia

Read that title and you must be confused - what is Dr Tech talking about. Imagine that you have a presentation set for a certain date, and then the night before you are incredibly ill and can’t make it. If it was on Powerpoint you would have to cancel your presentatio which in business could cost you alot of time and money!

So your assignment is to imagine that you are going to be way for the presentation on the topic you have researched within Artificial Intelligence. So you will need to be able to show this presentation without you being present and explain through your ideas. Are you getting the idea?

So you must first find a presentation tool, online that has the following features:-

• Is able to embed on a weblog…
• Is able to run automatically…
• Is able to have vocals recorded / or uploaded…
• Is able to communicate your points and thoughts about your area of research with pictures/photos etc…

So first of all you will need to find a tool to use, I have listed some examples below of online presentation tools I know - although not all of them will be able to fulfill the criteria above? You can obviously search and find your own as well.

• Toufee
• Slideshare
• Voicethread
• Sliderocket
• 280 slides
• ScreenCastOMatic
• Empressr
• Online Presentation Tools

Deadlines will be set next week - on the deadline we must be able to open the weblog and view your presentation without any interaction from you - and still understand your area of research and thoughts upon it.

P.S. Please remember when uploading your third assignment to Turnitin - to place it in the IA3 section

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