Chapter No 10 - Communication 10.1 Communication with other ICT users using email: + Constraints + Laws + Acceptable Language + Copyright + Security and Password Protection + Netiquette Email Laws > Many countries require senders of emails to obtain ‘opt-in’ permission before emails are sent out A company or individual must have a clear way for recipients to opt-out Companies must provide subscribers with a very clear way to unsubscribe from their listings Companies and organisations must make their policy very clear to subscribers vvvy Many countries don't allow companies or organisations to harvest email address > is important that emails are not sent out with false or misleading subject lines Acceptable language D The language used by people when writing emails must lie within an acceptable code of practice. > Following isa list of unacceptable content to be used in emails, text messages and online forums: D> Obscene images > Abusive Language DP Violent messages DP Use of illegal messages Copyright D tis very important to realise that emails are subject to copyright laws. D> Printing, copying or forwarding emails is generally not considered a breach of copyright unless the sender has indicated clearly that the message is confidential or the subject is copyright law. Security and Password Protection D Its important to consider the security of emails D> Some methods of increasing the security of emails include:vvyv Netiquette Using strong password when logging into your email Changing password on a regular basis Using spam fiters to remove suspicious emails toa unk folder or to even block the email entirely Running anti-virus (Eg: MCAfee, Quickheal and Norton) and anti-spam software (eg: SUPERAntiSpyware, SPYWAREFighter, Spybot and SpywareBlaster) on your Computer to protect against emails from unknown or malicious sources. D> Netiquette is a shortened form of the phrase internet etiquette D> Netiquette constitutes the following, > vyvvvvyvvyvyvY Spam Don't be abusive or use personal violence Don't send spam messages, Be clear and succinct with your message Your posts has to be public and read by anyone. ‘Always check your spelling and grammar Respect people's privacy Forgive people's mistake Don't use capital letters to highlight comments Don't plagiarise Don't use too many emoticons as they might annoy your readers, D> Any unsolicited email sent over the intemet is regarded as spam D> Itis often send to multiple recipients and can range from being annoying to dangerous. D> Spam can contain viruses or be a part ofa phishing scam D Disadvantages: a vvvy Email groups It uses up people's time It annoys people It uses up valuable bandwith on internet, slowing it down It can have viruses attached or even be part of a phishing scam tt can clog up users’ inboxes D> Email groups are used for a number of purposes:D> Itis easier to send out multiple mais if the address are all grouped together under a single name > Companies and organisations can group people together for marketing purposes > Spammers can create email groups by buying addresses of people from certain companies > Companies use email groups to set up meetings to ensure that everybody is always invited to attend — it would be easy to forget a person if the email addresses were all typed in individually 10.2 Effective use of the Internet, Internet > Internet is a worldwide collection of networks and allows the user to: = Send and receive emails = Chat online = Transfer files from computer to computer = Browse the World Wide Web Intranet > Sharing information within a single organization Reside behind firewall Less chance of Hacking and virus Prevent external links Send sensitive message Better bandwidth P Ability to create extranet Difference between Internet and Intranet: Internet > > > > Ensure information availabilty to their needs > > Intranet International Network Intemal restricted access network Covers topics of global interest Gives local information Blocking certain websites is difficult Blocking certain websites is easier Accessible from anywhere Need User Id and Password Difficult to protect against hackers and virus Protects against hackers and virus Public Access. Private Access Cloud Storage Cloud storage is a method of data storage where data is stored on offsite servers D> Types of cloud:= Public Cloud: Storage environment where client and cloud storage provider are different companies. * Private Cloud: Storage environment where client and cloud storage provider are integrated and operate as a single entity. Hybrid Cloud: Combination of two previous environments, some data resides in the private while other can be accessed from a public cloud storage provider. Cloud Storage - Advantages P Client files stored can be accessed at any time > No need to carry external storage devices D> Prevent data loss by keeping remote back up of data > Unlimited storage capacity Cloud Storage - Disadvantages D> Accessing or downloading is dificult due to unstable internet connection P Costs can be high fa storage capacity is required > Possibiity of potential failure of cloud storage company which leads to loss of backup data. 10.3 General Internet Terms HTTP D> Hypertext Transfer Protocol is a set of rules that must be obeyed when transferring data across the intemet D> When a web page is being accessed, entering ‘http at the front of an address tells the web browser that http rules for communication are to be obeyed. Types: HTTP and HTTPS Leiter's’ after HTTP refers to secure. If http is omitted from the address, most web browsers default to http. vvyv While transferring sensitive or private data across the internet, https has to be used. > Because of encryption, it is slower to use HTTPs than HTTP. Web Browsers D> AWeb browser is a software that allows a user to display a web page on their computer screen. D> They interpret or translate the HTML from the websites and show the result ofthe translation. D> Features of web browsers: D They havea ‘home’ page D> They have abilty to store a user's favourite websites! webpagesD They keep history of websites visited by the user D Abily to go forward and backward through websites opened. D They have hyperlinks that allow users to navigate between web pages. Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) > > v Web browsers use URLs to access websites and retrieve files They are represented as ether by a set of four numbers or as an alphanumeric format: D Set of four numbers: hitp//109.108.158.1 > Alphanumeric Format: Protocol:/iebsite address/pathiflename Protocol is usually http or https Website address: > Domain host (www) > Domain name (Name of website) D> Domain type (.com, .rg, .c, .net, gov) D> Sometimes a country code is given(.uk, us, de, cy) Path (Web page) Filename (Item on the web page) any part of URL is incorrect, am error will be displayed. For example, HTTP 404 will be displayed mostly on the screen. File Transfer Protocol (ftp) » » » » FTP is a network protocol used when transfering files from one computer to another over the internet. Itis similar to htp (Transfer of web pages and data) and smtp (Simple mail transfer protocol used when transferring emails) ftp is an application protocol forthe transfer of files across the intemet. Web browsers can be used to connect to an ftp address as connecting to an http address. Internet Service Provider (ISP) » > > » Blogs Internet service provider is a company that provides users with access tothe internet. Itis normal to pay monthly ee for this service When a user registers with an ISP, an account is set up and they are given login details that include username and password. An ISP has equipment and telecommunications line access required to have internet access — usually broadband connections, which use copper cables, or more recently fibre cables.Blogs (web logs) are personal internet journals where the writer will type in their observations ‘on some topic and provide links to some relevant websites. D> Blogs tend to range from minor projects to important social issues. > The comments made on blogs are not immune from the law: bloggers can still be prosecuted for writing offensive material. > Features of blogs: D Updated on a regular basis by the author. D> Usually organised in reverse chronological order. > Normally public ~ anyone can read them. > Entries normally come from a single author P Other internet users can't change blogs - they can only read them D> Microblogs are similar to blogs but are most often used on social networking sites to make short, frequent posts. D> Post can be done using instant messaging, emails, or other social networking vehicles. v Social networking sites use microblogs to allow members to update their personal profiles D> B.blog — short for business blog — which is used by businesses to promote themselves on the internet. Wikis D> Wikis are web applications or websites that allow users to create and edit web pages using web browser. v It supports hyperlinks and uses a very simple syntax to create web pages > Features of wi D Anyone can edit, delete or modify the content D> Many authors can be involved in a wiki D> Itis possible to organize a page any way that the author(s) wish(es) D Shows! keeps track ofall entries P Can be easily edited using a web browser D> Allows large documents to be seen by many people — itis easier than emailing several people Social networking sites > Social Networking sites focus on building online communities of users who share the same interest and activities. > They enable people to share photos, videos and music, hobbies, favourite eating places and so on, > The members do this by creating public profiles and thus create ‘relationships; with other users.Features of Social networking sites: D> Each member is provided with free web space Each member can create their own private and public profiles Possible to upload content such as text messages, photos and videos. It is possible to ‘write on each other's wall. Members are given free instant messaging and video chatting Possible to email other messages within the community Members can create pages where they can post photos and articles vvvvvyvyY Possible to invite people to become friends > Members have control over who can access their private or personal data, Searching the internet for Information Search Engine D One of the most useful and powerful aspects of the internet isthe abilty to easily search for vast amounts of information on almost any given topic. D There are basically two ways to locate information: D> The first isto type in the URLs if you know the name of the website you wish to access. Dif you don't know where to find the information you are looking for, the second method is to use a search engine. D> We could narrow down the search by now typing in using + sign to get a much reduced selection. (Example: ICT textbooks + Hodder + IGCSE) D> Once the information is found it can then save or used as follows: D Saved as a favourite > By adding hyperlinks in a document, so that this web page can be accessed when required. D> By using ‘Print Screen’ and pasting the saved information into a word processor page. > Copy and pasting the information into another document. Search Engine - Merits P Information on the internet tends to be up-to-date. D> The internet has vast, almost limitless, amounts of information. D> Searching for information using a search engine is fast and easy. > People can look for information in the comfort of their own home. DP Information on the internet is usually free of charge.> Pages on the internet can have multimedia elements that make learning more interesting and easier to understand the topics. Search Engine - Demerits D> The internet is not regulated — anything can posted on a web page and consequent information may be biased or totally incorrect. > There is always the risk of accessing inappropriate websites when using search engines. D> Itis too easy to be distracted when searching on the internet — users can find computer games or enter social working sites instead of doing their work. D> There is always isk of “information overload” if the user lacks the necessary experience and expertise when using search engines. D> Because itis very easy to copy material from the internet, there is a huge risk of plagiarism. > Some research skils are lost when using the internet as search engines do all the work for you. Why are internet searches to find relevant information not always fast? > When using search engines, there is always the danger of information overioad. tis possible for milions of sites to be found matching the given criteria. Unless the user narrows down their search criteria, it can take a long time to find out exactly what they are looking for. D Ifthe user is uncertain of what needs to be asked, it can also take a long time to obtain only relevant information. Why isn't it always easy to find reliable information on the internet? > When using a search engine to find information on the information on the internet, there is no guarantee that the material returned is accurate or unbiased. > Essentially, anybody is able to set up a website and write whatever they like without having to be first verified or checked by other people or factually correct. D> Itis possible for search engines to suggest websites that are completely out of date so that the information displayed on the web page is no longer correct or relevant. How can you evaluate the reliability of information found on the internet? > Anybody can set up a website, so information is not necessarily reliable or accurate ‘Some commercial websites will be biased to advertise their products. if a website has excessive advertising it could be unreliable ifthe advertising on a website is related only to its own products it could be unreliable. Itis possible to use the final part of a URL to identify a website's reliability. (Eg: gov) vvvyvy If a comparison of information from reliable sited or reliable/ authenticated students book is made, this will show if the information is reliable v Itis always a good idea to see if responsible bodies have endorsed the website. v ‘Check if the website has links to other reliable websites or to unreliable websites.D If awebsite has testimonials, this can indicate reliability. D ifthe date of the last update was a long time ago itis likely to be unreliable or out of date.