It seems that my cookie and cache woes last week were actually a server-end problem. The reason I believe this is that now I can get access to gmail and my blogging account from Firefox. For everyone's sake, I'll refrain from groaning oy-vey.
Question:
I had to use Safari this past week and I find it less user-friendly that Firefox. One of the weird things I noticed is that when I am in blogger.com or our school's moodle, the small tool bars (where you can create links, spell check, and such) available when viewing the entry windows with Firefox are not available in Safari. Why is this? Is it up to me to adjust settings on Safari browser so that pages come up the same way? I guess I should poke around but in order to save time I'd appreciate a directive.
-Wondering and Lazy,
Laura
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Cookies and Cache Woes: Silver Lining
In the land of cookie and cache woes last week, one really cool technical thing did happen. It was so cool and so new to me that I probably spent a few more hours on the phone with tech support than I would have (or should have) in other circumstances. The NetGear technician who was half-way around the world in India was able to get remote access to my computer and use my laptop in Vermont. There was no need to find words to explain the situation. The technician was able to poke around and actually see what was happening (or not) on my computer. I found the technology that enabled this extraordinary. With this tool, a phone call to a technician is enhanced so that is really no different than getting help from in-house tech support – a live person who comes to your office or whom you visit. It eliminates typical communication obstacles.
Some of you may already have experience with this type of tech support , perhaps its is far more common place than I realized. Well, in any case, this is a tech sector that's booming. As we discussed in class, the number of workers who work remotely has dramatically increased in the last ten years. (Bomgar whitepaper on this topic). And with a dispersed workforce come new tech support needs. This remote PC access technology is just one of many new innovations to meet emerging needs.
Interestingly, the innovator of Bomgar developed the product in an effort to be more efficient. As a support technician, he felt too much time was being wasted getting to and fro on each service call. The motivating idea was to get remote access to computers so time would not be wasted in transit. Now, this is an emerging business in the tech sector.
The technology
The technology is explained as follows from the Bomgar website. Bomgar technology allows remote access to both attended and unattended systems from a single console. The remote control software allows tech support to establish a remote desktop connection with any Mac, Linux, or PC anywhere. While most firewalls block incoming traffic, they do not block outgoing traffic and it is this phenomenon that allows the technology to work. The remote PC access software works because both the support rep and the end-user send outbound traffic to the console. A review in PC Magazine explains further: “The application connects to your specific Bomgar device via standard TCP/IP ports that corporate and personal firewalls rarely block, bypassing a common headache with remote-support tools. All session traffic is then secured with the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard from point to point, securing your data in transit from theft by an outside party.”
Click here for detailed explanation with diagrams of how it works.
Although I understand the process of how it works, I still am unclear about the actually technology that enables it other than a network connection. If someone can explain this better, I would appreciate it.
Marveling at technology,
Laura D
Some of you may already have experience with this type of tech support , perhaps its is far more common place than I realized. Well, in any case, this is a tech sector that's booming. As we discussed in class, the number of workers who work remotely has dramatically increased in the last ten years. (Bomgar whitepaper on this topic). And with a dispersed workforce come new tech support needs. This remote PC access technology is just one of many new innovations to meet emerging needs.
Interestingly, the innovator of Bomgar developed the product in an effort to be more efficient. As a support technician, he felt too much time was being wasted getting to and fro on each service call. The motivating idea was to get remote access to computers so time would not be wasted in transit. Now, this is an emerging business in the tech sector.
The technology
The technology is explained as follows from the Bomgar website. Bomgar technology allows remote access to both attended and unattended systems from a single console. The remote control software allows tech support to establish a remote desktop connection with any Mac, Linux, or PC anywhere. While most firewalls block incoming traffic, they do not block outgoing traffic and it is this phenomenon that allows the technology to work. The remote PC access software works because both the support rep and the end-user send outbound traffic to the console. A review in PC Magazine explains further: “The application connects to your specific Bomgar device via standard TCP/IP ports that corporate and personal firewalls rarely block, bypassing a common headache with remote-support tools. All session traffic is then secured with the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard from point to point, securing your data in transit from theft by an outside party.”
Click here for detailed explanation with diagrams of how it works.
Although I understand the process of how it works, I still am unclear about the actually technology that enables it other than a network connection. If someone can explain this better, I would appreciate it.
Marveling at technology,
Laura D
Saturday, November 10, 2007
OLPC Project: One Laptop Per Child
In class last week, the initiative to create affordable laptops for children in developing countries was mentioned. The OLPC project is a joint venture of experts in the fields of academia and the computer industry. The purpose of the laptop is to further educational opportunities for children who would otherwise not have access to educational materials.
The challenge was to create a laptop that would cost $100. In the end, the laptop cost $200. While twice as expensive as initially planned, it remains an affordable computer. The computer is the size of a "textbook and lighter than a lunch box." Here's what the computer looks like:
Click on the picture for a larger view. Image source: laptop.org/en/laptop/hardware/specs.shtml
As far as powering the computer - a question which came up in class, the website explains how it works:
"XO is fully compliant with the European Union's RoHS Directive. It contains no hazardous materials. Its NiMH batteries contain no toxic heavy metals, plus it features enhanced battery management for an extended recharge-cycle lifetime. It will also tolerate alternate power-charging sources, such as car batteries.
In addition, —for use at home and where power is not available—the XO can be hand powered. It will come with at least two of three options: a crank, a pedal, or a pull-cord. It is also possible that children could have a second battery for group charging at school while they are using their laptop in class."
Citation: laptop.org/en/laptop/hardware/features.shtml
Individuals worldwide may participate in the program in helping get a computer to every child. One may either volunteer in some capacity in the program or one may pay to place a computer.
Since this project may have great influence on the future of computing, I encourage folks to visit the OLPC site. The site dedicates pages to the vision, the computer, participation in the program, and the children who benefit from the project. I recommend exploring the laptop pages. It has already revolutionized "the existing concept of computer interface." The project built an interface specifically for children and their targeted activity of learning. The project created "a “zoom” interface that graphically captures fellow learners and teachers as collaborators, emphasizing the connections within the community, among people, and their activities."
Citation: laptop.org/en/laptop/interface/
The cost effective production and the radically new interface may set a new benchmark for future computing worldwide.
The challenge was to create a laptop that would cost $100. In the end, the laptop cost $200. While twice as expensive as initially planned, it remains an affordable computer. The computer is the size of a "textbook and lighter than a lunch box." Here's what the computer looks like:
Click on the picture for a larger view. Image source: laptop.org/en/laptop/hardware/specs.shtml
As far as powering the computer - a question which came up in class, the website explains how it works:
"XO is fully compliant with the European Union's RoHS Directive. It contains no hazardous materials. Its NiMH batteries contain no toxic heavy metals, plus it features enhanced battery management for an extended recharge-cycle lifetime. It will also tolerate alternate power-charging sources, such as car batteries.
In addition, —for use at home and where power is not available—the XO can be hand powered. It will come with at least two of three options: a crank, a pedal, or a pull-cord. It is also possible that children could have a second battery for group charging at school while they are using their laptop in class."
Citation: laptop.org/en/laptop/hardware/features.shtml
Individuals worldwide may participate in the program in helping get a computer to every child. One may either volunteer in some capacity in the program or one may pay to place a computer.
Since this project may have great influence on the future of computing, I encourage folks to visit the OLPC site. The site dedicates pages to the vision, the computer, participation in the program, and the children who benefit from the project. I recommend exploring the laptop pages. It has already revolutionized "the existing concept of computer interface." The project built an interface specifically for children and their targeted activity of learning. The project created "a “zoom” interface that graphically captures fellow learners and teachers as collaborators, emphasizing the connections within the community, among people, and their activities."
Citation: laptop.org/en/laptop/interface/
The cost effective production and the radically new interface may set a new benchmark for future computing worldwide.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Gmail jilts Firefox and the Irresistible Allure of Problem Solving
A suitable alternate title: Puzzled, annoyed and finally exasperated: Cache and Cookie woes
Yesterday morning, I tried to log into my Gmail account and failed to do so. I got the following error message from Gmail:
"We're sorry. It seems there is a problem. Please try using Gmail with a supported browser. If you're encountering this error while using a supported browser, we suggest alerting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) that a proxy is failing to accept cookies on HTTP redirects."
It seemed as though the browser had been "corrupted" and Gmail was having none of it. I followed the Gmail directions to resolve the problem: I had to clear the cookies and cache from the browser. On the Mac, one goes to menu bar clicks on the following sequence: Firefox --> Preferences --> Privacy --> Clear now. It also recommended that I go to Tools --> Clear Private Data. A dialog box pops up where one can check things off to be cleared and then clear them. I did both of these things via the Preferences and Tools. I then quit the application, re-opened it and tried Gmail again and ended up with the same error. It seemed as though the cookies and cache were not being cleared and therefore Gmail was refusing to accept my request to access email. I did it all over again. Still no success. I then ended up turning off the dialog box in tools and no longer could choose what needed to be cleared from there. I did not know how to turn the dialog box back on.
So, I had three problems: 1) How do I turn the dialog box back on. 2) How do I successfully clear cookies and cache. 3) How do I get Firefox to let me get my Gmail.
I found it maddening for a few reasons. The principle one being that I felt the solution was probably simple but it remained elusive to me in particular. I could get my e-mail via Safari so technically I did not need to resolve the problem. But the problem was there and I simply could not ignore it: I needed to resolve it out of pure pride and stubbornness.
Although I followed the help offered by Gmail, nothing worked. I did suspect that I should uninstall Firefox and re-install it if I wished to return to the non-corrupt version. Yet I decided to call the tech support I had signed up for a few weeks ago and see if they could help. The tech support gave it a real go but it escaped them as well. After awhile, tech support simply declared that I should just use a different browser, that Firefox was incompatible with Macs. I protested since knew this was not the case. In the end they confirmed my intuition: re-install it and see what happens.
I went to Safari to download a new version of Firefox. Even though I had gotten rid of the old version and installed the new one, I was puzzled that the "new" one, while a bit jazzier, had all of the bookmarks and such from the previous version. So I suspected that perhaps cookies and cache lingered as well. And sure enough I still could not get to Gmail.
I installed new versions of Firefox repeatedly. In an effort to erase all Firefox memory stashed on my computer, I finally decided to find every single Firefox file on my hard drive and manually trash each file. I then did a re-install. And.........it still doesn't work. I can go through multiple pages to get to the "secure" site and only then does Gmail work. This is an annoyance and unless I can fix it, I have no intention of repeatedly going down this rabbit hole to get email through the Firefox browser.
In the end there was one final explanation possible provided by Gmail help: "If you're still having problems with your account you may be facing a known issue. You should be able to use the older version of Gmail or through the basic HTML view while we work to resolve the issue." In the end, this is perhaps a non-resolvable issue on the client-end. It may be an issue the Gmail giant needs to resolve.
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!
I am embarrassed to admit how many hours I spent on this problem. Aside from hours on the phone with tech support, hours of my own initiatives, I also spent time reading about cookies/cache and trying to figure out the possible source of the problem. Valuable hours I could have been using getting other pressing school work done. Ah... the irresistible allure to problem solving...
Your most exasperated classmate,
Laura of cookies and cache woes
Yesterday morning, I tried to log into my Gmail account and failed to do so. I got the following error message from Gmail:
"We're sorry. It seems there is a problem. Please try using Gmail with a supported browser. If you're encountering this error while using a supported browser, we suggest alerting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) that a proxy is failing to accept cookies on HTTP redirects."
It seemed as though the browser had been "corrupted" and Gmail was having none of it. I followed the Gmail directions to resolve the problem: I had to clear the cookies and cache from the browser. On the Mac, one goes to menu bar clicks on the following sequence: Firefox --> Preferences --> Privacy --> Clear now. It also recommended that I go to Tools --> Clear Private Data. A dialog box pops up where one can check things off to be cleared and then clear them. I did both of these things via the Preferences and Tools. I then quit the application, re-opened it and tried Gmail again and ended up with the same error. It seemed as though the cookies and cache were not being cleared and therefore Gmail was refusing to accept my request to access email. I did it all over again. Still no success. I then ended up turning off the dialog box in tools and no longer could choose what needed to be cleared from there. I did not know how to turn the dialog box back on.
So, I had three problems: 1) How do I turn the dialog box back on. 2) How do I successfully clear cookies and cache. 3) How do I get Firefox to let me get my Gmail.
I found it maddening for a few reasons. The principle one being that I felt the solution was probably simple but it remained elusive to me in particular. I could get my e-mail via Safari so technically I did not need to resolve the problem. But the problem was there and I simply could not ignore it: I needed to resolve it out of pure pride and stubbornness.
Although I followed the help offered by Gmail, nothing worked. I did suspect that I should uninstall Firefox and re-install it if I wished to return to the non-corrupt version. Yet I decided to call the tech support I had signed up for a few weeks ago and see if they could help. The tech support gave it a real go but it escaped them as well. After awhile, tech support simply declared that I should just use a different browser, that Firefox was incompatible with Macs. I protested since knew this was not the case. In the end they confirmed my intuition: re-install it and see what happens.
I went to Safari to download a new version of Firefox. Even though I had gotten rid of the old version and installed the new one, I was puzzled that the "new" one, while a bit jazzier, had all of the bookmarks and such from the previous version. So I suspected that perhaps cookies and cache lingered as well. And sure enough I still could not get to Gmail.
I installed new versions of Firefox repeatedly. In an effort to erase all Firefox memory stashed on my computer, I finally decided to find every single Firefox file on my hard drive and manually trash each file. I then did a re-install. And.........it still doesn't work. I can go through multiple pages to get to the "secure" site and only then does Gmail work. This is an annoyance and unless I can fix it, I have no intention of repeatedly going down this rabbit hole to get email through the Firefox browser.
In the end there was one final explanation possible provided by Gmail help: "If you're still having problems with your account you may be facing a known issue. You should be able to use the older version of Gmail or through the basic HTML view while we work to resolve the issue." In the end, this is perhaps a non-resolvable issue on the client-end. It may be an issue the Gmail giant needs to resolve.
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!
I am embarrassed to admit how many hours I spent on this problem. Aside from hours on the phone with tech support, hours of my own initiatives, I also spent time reading about cookies/cache and trying to figure out the possible source of the problem. Valuable hours I could have been using getting other pressing school work done. Ah... the irresistible allure to problem solving...
Your most exasperated classmate,
Laura of cookies and cache woes
Monday, October 29, 2007
Ingenious Free Spirted 16 year olds
Sheri thanks for your posts on your son's tricks. It seems it is Trick or Treat at your house everyday! My word, doing school work is challenging enough without pranks making you heart skip a beat. This said, it must be great having a resident techie who can help when needed or challenge you to reach beyond your comfort zone. Your story points to how younger generations view computers, computing, the internet - heck - the entire caboodle! - as a vehicle for fun. We fuddy-duddies view it primarily as a work and information tool. Now that I have time on my hands, I look forward to exploring the lighter side of this tech world. I probably will never even approximate your son's free spirit, but I hope to at least have a wee bit of fun.
Cheers, Laura
Cheers, Laura
iPod mystery solved..perhaps
David, thanks for your post on the iPod. I had done a post as well on the iPod and, like you, had a hard time downloading files to it. Unlike me, you were far more patient. You managed to figure out that you needed to download mp3 files. I will eventually go back to the pod and try again. Thanks for the tip.
-Laura
-Laura
Dual Screens and Hearing Aids
Thanks Maury for your posts on screens. Every time I am stacking and reducing windows in my 15 in screen, I think of you and think how nice it would be to claim more of the screen real estate available.
It is amazing to realize the virtual world is not at all contained in the frame of our screen. I realized this a few years ago when I was trying to project a dvd from my computer onto a classroom screen. It was completely disorienting to realize the mouse had scooted out from my laptop screen onto the external screen. I was surprised to realize that it was not the same screen just projected over head: the virtual screen was way bigger than I had been led to believe by the frame of my computer. The virtual world seems to have no confines. We arbitrarily impose them due to our hardware restrictions, our habits and issues of practicality. Do we really want to carry around an infinite screen? Probably not. But just knowing it is there is thrilling.
Thank you also for your detailed posts on hearing aids. I read them with great interest and was intrigued to learn how sounds are processed. My mother started wearing hearing aids 5 years ago. The aids dramatically improved her hearing but it never occurred to me to ask " How are you hearing sounds?" I look forward to having that conversation with her next time I see her. Thanks again!
Best, Laura
It is amazing to realize the virtual world is not at all contained in the frame of our screen. I realized this a few years ago when I was trying to project a dvd from my computer onto a classroom screen. It was completely disorienting to realize the mouse had scooted out from my laptop screen onto the external screen. I was surprised to realize that it was not the same screen just projected over head: the virtual screen was way bigger than I had been led to believe by the frame of my computer. The virtual world seems to have no confines. We arbitrarily impose them due to our hardware restrictions, our habits and issues of practicality. Do we really want to carry around an infinite screen? Probably not. But just knowing it is there is thrilling.
Thank you also for your detailed posts on hearing aids. I read them with great interest and was intrigued to learn how sounds are processed. My mother started wearing hearing aids 5 years ago. The aids dramatically improved her hearing but it never occurred to me to ask " How are you hearing sounds?" I look forward to having that conversation with her next time I see her. Thanks again!
Best, Laura
RFID and DoCoMo and Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451°
Thanks Bernice and Peter for your posts on chips.
Here's a pastiche of highlights cut from the linked articles in Peter's and Bernice's posts with comments.
From the Reuters article on the DoCoMo Phone cited by Bernice:
Pastiche:"The Japanese company DoCoMo has developed mobile phone prototype which uses a sensor made by start-up Kaiser Technology Co. that can send electric signals through the human body to transmit data, enabling electronic payments or data transfer at the touch of a finger. Here's a sample application: Doors to secure areas would open as your phone transmits your ID code through your feet, or you can get in a car and have the car instantly adjust the seat and steering wheel to the perfect angle, said DoCoMo spokesman Takushi Koinumaru."
How do I feel about the possibilities? At the present time, I have two replies. If I am feeling curious: "Very interesting, but no thank you." If I am feeling threatened by its dark side, " No way in hell!" In the future when this technology may become run of the mill, I will most likely feel very differently. Also, our tech societies may evolve to the point where one has no choice but to pay bills via a chip in their body. Because it is so strange to us today it is frightening. In 10 -15 years , it may seem strange no to do so. Yet today I remain uncomfortable at having a device in me that can track me at all times.
From the link Peter posted, Lev Grossman discusses both the Orwellian and benign possibilities of the RFID chip. This quote on a more benign implementation of the technology really shows how human interaction may be dramatically altered by the new possibilities. I find the possibilities described by this excerpt really kookie:
"The cheaper RFID tags get, the more ubiquitous they'll become. But personally I envision a slightly more benign future, one in which the trend of human-implantable RFID tags merges with the online social-networking craze. What if all the information in your Facebook profile were tucked snugly into a tiny RFID-like chip embedded, say, in the ball of your thumb? Your RFID-enabled cell phone could beep every time you walked past somebody two degrees of separation or less from you or who had the same favorite novel you do or who liked to play Scrabble and wasn't doing anything later. Nightmare or utopia? You decide."
The key word here is ubiquitous. It would need to be so for us to become blasé about it. But this said, the enduring questions of privacy will probably be fiercely fought over the implementation of this technology. I would imagine people could control when they choose to emit their signal or one would hope to have that level of control on settings. Still a bit scary..
Here's another quote from the other article Bernice posted:
"A new poll shows that nearly 1 in 4 Americans say the Internet could be a stand-in for a significant other for a period of time. Among singles, the percentage was even higher: 31 percent. (One wonders how popular such responses as "reading a good book" or "playing with my cats" were to the question of substitutes.)"
Today, I heard a great discussion of Ray Bradbury's futuristic novel Fahrenheit 451°. Although published 50 years ago in reaction to the advent of television, he anticipated many aspects of our modern day society. One of the scary aspects of modern life he anticipated is the very phenomenon mentioned in the quote above: people will become so engaged with media/technology that they will forgo actual human companionship. How prescient Bradbury was in anticipating media's hold on our society!
As far this phenomenon, NO THANKS!!! While I marvel at technology, nothing replaces sitting down face to face and talking to a real live human being. NOTHING!!!! So I need not worry about falling under this zany spell.
Thanks for letting me mull over these issues.
And who knows,
your perhaps future gong-ho advocate of implanted chip enabled capacities,
Laura
Here's a pastiche of highlights cut from the linked articles in Peter's and Bernice's posts with comments.
From the Reuters article on the DoCoMo Phone cited by Bernice:
Pastiche:"The Japanese company DoCoMo has developed mobile phone prototype which uses a sensor made by start-up Kaiser Technology Co. that can send electric signals through the human body to transmit data, enabling electronic payments or data transfer at the touch of a finger. Here's a sample application: Doors to secure areas would open as your phone transmits your ID code through your feet, or you can get in a car and have the car instantly adjust the seat and steering wheel to the perfect angle, said DoCoMo spokesman Takushi Koinumaru."
How do I feel about the possibilities? At the present time, I have two replies. If I am feeling curious: "Very interesting, but no thank you." If I am feeling threatened by its dark side, " No way in hell!" In the future when this technology may become run of the mill, I will most likely feel very differently. Also, our tech societies may evolve to the point where one has no choice but to pay bills via a chip in their body. Because it is so strange to us today it is frightening. In 10 -15 years , it may seem strange no to do so. Yet today I remain uncomfortable at having a device in me that can track me at all times.
From the link Peter posted, Lev Grossman discusses both the Orwellian and benign possibilities of the RFID chip. This quote on a more benign implementation of the technology really shows how human interaction may be dramatically altered by the new possibilities. I find the possibilities described by this excerpt really kookie:
"The cheaper RFID tags get, the more ubiquitous they'll become. But personally I envision a slightly more benign future, one in which the trend of human-implantable RFID tags merges with the online social-networking craze. What if all the information in your Facebook profile were tucked snugly into a tiny RFID-like chip embedded, say, in the ball of your thumb? Your RFID-enabled cell phone could beep every time you walked past somebody two degrees of separation or less from you or who had the same favorite novel you do or who liked to play Scrabble and wasn't doing anything later. Nightmare or utopia? You decide."
The key word here is ubiquitous. It would need to be so for us to become blasé about it. But this said, the enduring questions of privacy will probably be fiercely fought over the implementation of this technology. I would imagine people could control when they choose to emit their signal or one would hope to have that level of control on settings. Still a bit scary..
Here's another quote from the other article Bernice posted:
"A new poll shows that nearly 1 in 4 Americans say the Internet could be a stand-in for a significant other for a period of time. Among singles, the percentage was even higher: 31 percent. (One wonders how popular such responses as "reading a good book" or "playing with my cats" were to the question of substitutes.)"
Today, I heard a great discussion of Ray Bradbury's futuristic novel Fahrenheit 451°. Although published 50 years ago in reaction to the advent of television, he anticipated many aspects of our modern day society. One of the scary aspects of modern life he anticipated is the very phenomenon mentioned in the quote above: people will become so engaged with media/technology that they will forgo actual human companionship. How prescient Bradbury was in anticipating media's hold on our society!
As far this phenomenon, NO THANKS!!! While I marvel at technology, nothing replaces sitting down face to face and talking to a real live human being. NOTHING!!!! So I need not worry about falling under this zany spell.
Thanks for letting me mull over these issues.
And who knows,
your perhaps future gong-ho advocate of implanted chip enabled capacities,
Laura
Kudos Allison! Routers and Routing....
Well Allison, you'll become the resident expert on setting up routers. Yes, the time and cost are a drag but the upswing will be that you will have wi-fi access on future visits. I'm impressed it took only 1 1/2 hours. It took me over 4 hours all told with various trouble shooting.
Thanks David for your post on bank routing numbers. Having lived overseas, the routing number was my friend when in need of a wire transfer of funds.
I was curious if routing numbers and routers have anything in common. I just did a quick search so I may have missed something. Initial impression: the technologies are not linked except in principle: each system ensures information is transmitted from one point to another.
FYI: While electronic these days, bank routing numbers are part of a system developed by the Banking Industry in 1910 to help identify banks. It is officially called a Routing Transit Number, an RTN.
For more information on routing numbers, click on the link below: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Routing_transit_number
-Laura D
Thanks David for your post on bank routing numbers. Having lived overseas, the routing number was my friend when in need of a wire transfer of funds.
I was curious if routing numbers and routers have anything in common. I just did a quick search so I may have missed something. Initial impression: the technologies are not linked except in principle: each system ensures information is transmitted from one point to another.
FYI: While electronic these days, bank routing numbers are part of a system developed by the Banking Industry in 1910 to help identify banks. It is officially called a Routing Transit Number, an RTN.
For more information on routing numbers, click on the link below: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Routing_transit_number
-Laura D
The "I" in IT
Since we have been very focused during this course on the T of the IT formula, I'd like to focus for a moment on the I. Information! Information traveling at lightening Speed!
As Leslie mentioned in her blog, we forget the degree to which we take the benefits of technology for granted. Living in Vermont, I have learned how quickly one can be plunged into living in the past, in the dark, completely incommunicado and with no water. All it takes is a strong wind to knock down a branch and we are reminded of our complete inefficiency without our powered tools. Once its back on, we return to our hyper-efficient little world that can reach the far end of the earth. And we may forget how wondrous it all is.
Well, in the last couple of weeks, even though I am accustomed to the instantaneity of e-mail communication and web pages pulling up in fractions of seconds, I had to marvel at how fast information can travel thanks to our digital age.
For the Fundamentals of Business Class, we had to consult various on-line financial information resources. Most have general information available to non-subscribers and more detailed information available to subscribers. One site claimed you could have a free trial of the unabridged information: all you had to do was fill a registration form to kick-off the free trial. Within an half-hour, I received a phone call from one of the company's agent offering to help me with my "business." I was actually astonished by the rapid turn around of information once my irritation at their shamelessly aggressive marketing approach wore off. Back in the pre-digital day, this "courtesy" phone call would have taken probably a couple of weeks from my initiating the process with an inquiry either by mail or by phone to the company, a request which would then perhaps had to have been processed before the appropriate agent would have called me. Astonishing how efficient the process has become.
Efficient to the point of being intrusive. In our digital age, boundaries of privacy are being redrawn and as a society in transition we can't help but be alarmed as the novelty catches us unaware. With a streak of malicious glee, I told the agent I was a penniless student with no business to be helped and the call came to an even quicker conclusion: she had just wasted a few extraordinarily precious minutes on a non-revenue dead-end!
The website that generated this call claims that students can have free access to the site. A few days later, I tried to subsribe to the free student site. Again like clockwork, the phone rang within an half-hour. In our conversation, the agent obliquely admitted there is no free student access. She essentially admitted it was false advertising. So the promise of a free trial is simply a ploy to get the user's information and to hound them. This show the ease with which certain practices can veer into the unethical. I may report the misleading advertising.
Despite my irritation, I must say I marveled at the technology that allowed information to not simply be transmitted but to be processed and acted upon with astonishing alacrity. I can understand the irresistible draw the potential of this technology has for big business.
Another encounter with the I in IT. Last week I finally got around to filling out my FAFSA form on-line. It had been on my list of things to do for week and I finally had all my ducks lined up to do it. Having filled one out last academic year, I knew the on-line process was easy and straightforward and expected it to to me an hour or so tops. So imagine my delight when I logged into my account to file a new form, I discovered that all the standard information which usually does not change from year to year had been remembered. All told, it took me a half hour to key in the variable information and it was done. I must say the website has excellent user interface which also contributed to the ease of filing the application.
This experience with FAFSA should not have surprised me: I am accustomed to buying books or other products on-line that remember my credit card number, address and such. But it did! I believe my memories of the paper application were my operating paradigm and not the internet. On one naive level, I simply didn't expect it to retain such a log of sensitive information. On a practical level, I was also preparing a new application - in my mind's eye this materializes as an actual form- and I didn't expect information I filed from last year would be available for the new year. But alas it was!
In both cases, the Financial and FAFSA websites, JavaScript was used to gather process the data.
Still Susceptible to Tech Surprises,
Laura
As Leslie mentioned in her blog, we forget the degree to which we take the benefits of technology for granted. Living in Vermont, I have learned how quickly one can be plunged into living in the past, in the dark, completely incommunicado and with no water. All it takes is a strong wind to knock down a branch and we are reminded of our complete inefficiency without our powered tools. Once its back on, we return to our hyper-efficient little world that can reach the far end of the earth. And we may forget how wondrous it all is.
Well, in the last couple of weeks, even though I am accustomed to the instantaneity of e-mail communication and web pages pulling up in fractions of seconds, I had to marvel at how fast information can travel thanks to our digital age.
For the Fundamentals of Business Class, we had to consult various on-line financial information resources. Most have general information available to non-subscribers and more detailed information available to subscribers. One site claimed you could have a free trial of the unabridged information: all you had to do was fill a registration form to kick-off the free trial. Within an half-hour, I received a phone call from one of the company's agent offering to help me with my "business." I was actually astonished by the rapid turn around of information once my irritation at their shamelessly aggressive marketing approach wore off. Back in the pre-digital day, this "courtesy" phone call would have taken probably a couple of weeks from my initiating the process with an inquiry either by mail or by phone to the company, a request which would then perhaps had to have been processed before the appropriate agent would have called me. Astonishing how efficient the process has become.
Efficient to the point of being intrusive. In our digital age, boundaries of privacy are being redrawn and as a society in transition we can't help but be alarmed as the novelty catches us unaware. With a streak of malicious glee, I told the agent I was a penniless student with no business to be helped and the call came to an even quicker conclusion: she had just wasted a few extraordinarily precious minutes on a non-revenue dead-end!
The website that generated this call claims that students can have free access to the site. A few days later, I tried to subsribe to the free student site. Again like clockwork, the phone rang within an half-hour. In our conversation, the agent obliquely admitted there is no free student access. She essentially admitted it was false advertising. So the promise of a free trial is simply a ploy to get the user's information and to hound them. This show the ease with which certain practices can veer into the unethical. I may report the misleading advertising.
Despite my irritation, I must say I marveled at the technology that allowed information to not simply be transmitted but to be processed and acted upon with astonishing alacrity. I can understand the irresistible draw the potential of this technology has for big business.
Another encounter with the I in IT. Last week I finally got around to filling out my FAFSA form on-line. It had been on my list of things to do for week and I finally had all my ducks lined up to do it. Having filled one out last academic year, I knew the on-line process was easy and straightforward and expected it to to me an hour or so tops. So imagine my delight when I logged into my account to file a new form, I discovered that all the standard information which usually does not change from year to year had been remembered. All told, it took me a half hour to key in the variable information and it was done. I must say the website has excellent user interface which also contributed to the ease of filing the application.
This experience with FAFSA should not have surprised me: I am accustomed to buying books or other products on-line that remember my credit card number, address and such. But it did! I believe my memories of the paper application were my operating paradigm and not the internet. On one naive level, I simply didn't expect it to retain such a log of sensitive information. On a practical level, I was also preparing a new application - in my mind's eye this materializes as an actual form- and I didn't expect information I filed from last year would be available for the new year. But alas it was!
In both cases, the Financial and FAFSA websites, JavaScript was used to gather process the data.
Still Susceptible to Tech Surprises,
Laura
Thursday, October 25, 2007
RSS Feeds and iGoogle
One of the goals I set was to set up RSS feeds to my blog. My intention: I wished to customize my blog page with a selection of RSS feeds on topics of interest. I imagined that the blog site offered aggregator services.
The reality: After some poking around, I realized that the way RSS feeds work at eBlogger was not what I had in mind. From my blog, the most I could do is set up a RSS feed to essentially "broadcast" my blog to the world wide web. Folks at large on the web would be able to read my site because they set up aggregator/reader pick up my site based on the topic. Not what I intended.
The solution: After reading David's blog about iGoogle, I decided to customize my own page. The starkness of the classic Google home page always irked me. In the early days of web browsing, I had used Yahoo! and liked the format of its search page. For the last six years, my web browser had been set to the Google basic page as a default. Over the last six years, I simply did not have time to explore the web let alone the fancifying options Google offered. I was tipped off to the possibility of customization when I had seen Allison's cool page. I asked her "How did you do it?" "iGoogle" she said. It suddenly made sense: I should have known that Google's starkness was actually a blank canvas asking me to leave my mark. I planned on doing it but it wasn't until Dave mention it that I set to task.
To my delight, as David said, it was easy to do and cool. While all the gadgets are both neat and useful, the best part was being able to add a tab for new pages and load each with a selection of RSS feeds. In addition to the home page, I added a page with French news and another with culinary feeds. I love how I can with one click get to information I want with out having to do a search. Since I customized, when I go to my browser which loads the Google search page, I have a customized page but not access to the other pages: for that, I still need to log into my account to view my other pages. I find this inconvenient: I wish it would just load automatically without having to sign in. Today I realized though that once I sign into iGoogle, I can access gmail without having to sign in again.
I wonder however if I search the web after having signed into iGoogle, is Google able to keep better track of my habits than if I used the search engine without signing in? I wonder..
One RSS step further : I also went and explored the Google Reader and decided to set up my reader. It was easy to set up my RSS feeds.
Now all I need to do is make it a habit to use all this convenient technology!
The reality: After some poking around, I realized that the way RSS feeds work at eBlogger was not what I had in mind. From my blog, the most I could do is set up a RSS feed to essentially "broadcast" my blog to the world wide web. Folks at large on the web would be able to read my site because they set up aggregator/reader pick up my site based on the topic. Not what I intended.
The solution: After reading David's blog about iGoogle, I decided to customize my own page. The starkness of the classic Google home page always irked me. In the early days of web browsing, I had used Yahoo! and liked the format of its search page. For the last six years, my web browser had been set to the Google basic page as a default. Over the last six years, I simply did not have time to explore the web let alone the fancifying options Google offered. I was tipped off to the possibility of customization when I had seen Allison's cool page. I asked her "How did you do it?" "iGoogle" she said. It suddenly made sense: I should have known that Google's starkness was actually a blank canvas asking me to leave my mark. I planned on doing it but it wasn't until Dave mention it that I set to task.
To my delight, as David said, it was easy to do and cool. While all the gadgets are both neat and useful, the best part was being able to add a tab for new pages and load each with a selection of RSS feeds. In addition to the home page, I added a page with French news and another with culinary feeds. I love how I can with one click get to information I want with out having to do a search. Since I customized, when I go to my browser which loads the Google search page, I have a customized page but not access to the other pages: for that, I still need to log into my account to view my other pages. I find this inconvenient: I wish it would just load automatically without having to sign in. Today I realized though that once I sign into iGoogle, I can access gmail without having to sign in again.
I wonder however if I search the web after having signed into iGoogle, is Google able to keep better track of my habits than if I used the search engine without signing in? I wonder..
One RSS step further : I also went and explored the Google Reader and decided to set up my reader. It was easy to set up my RSS feeds.
Now all I need to do is make it a habit to use all this convenient technology!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
HCI and Microsoft
A few weeks ago, just before class, I wished to print a copy of my white paper for my presentation. I went to the one of the PC stations in the computer cluster of the grad school, opened up my document in the spiffy new Windows application and tried to print the document. With the new version of word, with seemingly no drop-down menus from which to chooses actions, I spent some time trying to understand the new interface before me. I finally saw an icon that seemed like a good candidate for print. I clicked on it and expected a dialog-box to pop up to walk me through the usual steps to print a document or I expected to at least see a window pop up confirming that the document had indeed been sent to the printer.
Since neither of my expectations were met and certain I had zeroed in on the right button, I continued to click on the icon. I sat there puzzled: why is this not working? I scanned over all the other icons one more time to be sure I was indeed on the right button. No other icon seemed appropriate, so I clicked a few more times. I finally asked for help. Someone suggested, "Well, did you check the printer? Maybe it has printed already." Skeptical but willing to follow any lead, I went to the printer and - lo and behold! - not one but a gazillion copies of the document were spewing forth from the machine. I simply could not believe it. I was furious!!!!!!!!! How could Microsoft change such a fundamental rule of computer interaction and not warn me? I interpreted the computer's silence as inaction, as non-activity. No confirmation, no print-out. As you all know, I printed enough copies for the class and then some, so I asked for a response from the bloody application at least 10 times and each time nothing. Just think nationwide the number of schmucks like me who have wasted literally reams of paper over this changing of game rules with no warning. Of course, I have learned from this but at what cost. The potential for waste is mind-boggling.
Perhaps the application was so fast that a dialog box did pop up confirming printing but popped up so quickly it was not apparent to a mere mortal's vision. If that is the case, Microsoft should have foreseen the problem and programmed a box that would linger. In short, Microsoft failed to consider some very basic concerns in creating its human and computer interaction; HCI is the acronym for "Human and Computer Interaction."
As we interact with technology, we are constantly evaluating whether or not the interaction was user friendly. While these assessments can be made in matter of moments, acting on these value judgments depends on many circumstances. If a user has a negative experience at a particular site on the web, the user will generally migrate to another site. Age is a factor in this decision-making process: younger generations who are tech savvy and therefore less patient with poor interface make these decisions far more quickly than older folks who are not as tech literate and not as aware of a less than optimal interaction. In a case like the one above or in a work environment, users sometimes have no choice but to put up with poor interface. This is unfortunate. One can only hope that the industry will eventually see the value of HCI, adopt the best practices in HCI development and strive to create optimal user interaction. With Microsoft dominating the market as it does, that hope seems dim.
Promote HCI whenever you can,
Laura
Since neither of my expectations were met and certain I had zeroed in on the right button, I continued to click on the icon. I sat there puzzled: why is this not working? I scanned over all the other icons one more time to be sure I was indeed on the right button. No other icon seemed appropriate, so I clicked a few more times. I finally asked for help. Someone suggested, "Well, did you check the printer? Maybe it has printed already." Skeptical but willing to follow any lead, I went to the printer and - lo and behold! - not one but a gazillion copies of the document were spewing forth from the machine. I simply could not believe it. I was furious!!!!!!!!! How could Microsoft change such a fundamental rule of computer interaction and not warn me? I interpreted the computer's silence as inaction, as non-activity. No confirmation, no print-out. As you all know, I printed enough copies for the class and then some, so I asked for a response from the bloody application at least 10 times and each time nothing. Just think nationwide the number of schmucks like me who have wasted literally reams of paper over this changing of game rules with no warning. Of course, I have learned from this but at what cost. The potential for waste is mind-boggling.
Perhaps the application was so fast that a dialog box did pop up confirming printing but popped up so quickly it was not apparent to a mere mortal's vision. If that is the case, Microsoft should have foreseen the problem and programmed a box that would linger. In short, Microsoft failed to consider some very basic concerns in creating its human and computer interaction; HCI is the acronym for "Human and Computer Interaction."
As we interact with technology, we are constantly evaluating whether or not the interaction was user friendly. While these assessments can be made in matter of moments, acting on these value judgments depends on many circumstances. If a user has a negative experience at a particular site on the web, the user will generally migrate to another site. Age is a factor in this decision-making process: younger generations who are tech savvy and therefore less patient with poor interface make these decisions far more quickly than older folks who are not as tech literate and not as aware of a less than optimal interaction. In a case like the one above or in a work environment, users sometimes have no choice but to put up with poor interface. This is unfortunate. One can only hope that the industry will eventually see the value of HCI, adopt the best practices in HCI development and strive to create optimal user interaction. With Microsoft dominating the market as it does, that hope seems dim.
Promote HCI whenever you can,
Laura
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Pudding, Selective Vision and User Testing
Well, this morning, clear as day, I glanced at the "pudding" links and discreetly above the links was the phrase "Sponsored Links." Below the links Google explains the sponsored links. I truly had not seen these explanatory tags that were in plain vision. Google was not spying without permission but erring on the side of full and plain disclosure. One can refer to my oversight as the "Duh-factor"...Duh, Laura! But I actually believe it reveals how we use the web or interact with computers in general.
Here are various explanations. When doing e-mail, I am extremely focused. I look at the content of the message and concentrate my efforts on responding. I block out what I deem peripheral to my essential task. Another explanation: The site is new to me and I still have not explored all of its features. This is not a behavior specific to computers: it is how I actually operate in the real world. When I am new to a place/task, I figure out only the minimal necessary that will allow me to function effectively straight away. Once I am working effectively then I accord myself the luxury to explore further, to meander. I guess I am very pragmatic. Yet another explanation: The right margin with the links only shows up when you are reading the e-mails; it is absent from the in-box page. This formatting variance between two typical pages of the site, in short the inconsistency, does not help me become familiar with a space dedicated to links. Since the space is not present on every Gmail page, my eye is simply not trained to either linger there or inquire about the space.
These comments reveal how each individual interacts in distinct ways with computers. When I was doing user testing on the usability of certain web sites, I was always amazed how users on occasion failed to see the obvious links on the home page. This is perhaps why certain sites or programs such as Dreamweaver allow users multiple options to accomplish the same task: it is not a one-size-fit-all world out there.
Here are various explanations. When doing e-mail, I am extremely focused. I look at the content of the message and concentrate my efforts on responding. I block out what I deem peripheral to my essential task. Another explanation: The site is new to me and I still have not explored all of its features. This is not a behavior specific to computers: it is how I actually operate in the real world. When I am new to a place/task, I figure out only the minimal necessary that will allow me to function effectively straight away. Once I am working effectively then I accord myself the luxury to explore further, to meander. I guess I am very pragmatic. Yet another explanation: The right margin with the links only shows up when you are reading the e-mails; it is absent from the in-box page. This formatting variance between two typical pages of the site, in short the inconsistency, does not help me become familiar with a space dedicated to links. Since the space is not present on every Gmail page, my eye is simply not trained to either linger there or inquire about the space.
These comments reveal how each individual interacts in distinct ways with computers. When I was doing user testing on the usability of certain web sites, I was always amazed how users on occasion failed to see the obvious links on the home page. This is perhaps why certain sites or programs such as Dreamweaver allow users multiple options to accomplish the same task: it is not a one-size-fit-all world out there.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Pudding, Gmail and No Free Lunch
Thanks Peter for your post on Pudding.
My initial thoughts: I must say I find it bewildering that one would give permissions to a commericial agent to "spy" on one's phone conversations and to knowingly sollicit a barrage of advertisements, albeit well-targeted ones. I have maintained great friendships far and wide thanks to the telephone. On many levels, the privacy of my conversations is sacred. The fact that I would breach that confidence to be monitored even by a machine makes me uncomfortable. It is certainly a service that I would easily pass up.
My Discovery: Well, given my sentiment, you can imagine my surprise at discovering that Google was "pudding-ing" my e-mail correspondences! I am new to G-mail and, at first, it was not really registering with me what was going on in the right margin of my inbox. It was only in my recent collaboration with Dave that I started noticing lists on the right of the inbox thematically linked to the content. At first, I thought that they were perhaps links that my correspondent was posting for me. It was not until I opened an e-mail from a French correspondent and watched all those right hand links covert to a series of French links that I realized I was being pudding-ing. While this does not bother me at Amazon - books are peddled to me based on previous purchases or previous searches, scanning e-mail correspondences does. I guess it is the price one pays for "free services." I am now considering perhaps another e-mail service that will not subject e-mail to such trolling. On some level, I should just trust that the systems will not be abused. Is it purely machine generated with no trace beyond the instant it posts? Hard to know and a leap of faith.
Just one more reason for me to detest e-mail!
-Laura
My initial thoughts: I must say I find it bewildering that one would give permissions to a commericial agent to "spy" on one's phone conversations and to knowingly sollicit a barrage of advertisements, albeit well-targeted ones. I have maintained great friendships far and wide thanks to the telephone. On many levels, the privacy of my conversations is sacred. The fact that I would breach that confidence to be monitored even by a machine makes me uncomfortable. It is certainly a service that I would easily pass up.
My Discovery: Well, given my sentiment, you can imagine my surprise at discovering that Google was "pudding-ing" my e-mail correspondences! I am new to G-mail and, at first, it was not really registering with me what was going on in the right margin of my inbox. It was only in my recent collaboration with Dave that I started noticing lists on the right of the inbox thematically linked to the content. At first, I thought that they were perhaps links that my correspondent was posting for me. It was not until I opened an e-mail from a French correspondent and watched all those right hand links covert to a series of French links that I realized I was being pudding-ing. While this does not bother me at Amazon - books are peddled to me based on previous purchases or previous searches, scanning e-mail correspondences does. I guess it is the price one pays for "free services." I am now considering perhaps another e-mail service that will not subject e-mail to such trolling. On some level, I should just trust that the systems will not be abused. Is it purely machine generated with no trace beyond the instant it posts? Hard to know and a leap of faith.
Just one more reason for me to detest e-mail!
-Laura
Buyer Beware: Short-term Warranties
During my router set-up, I learned about short-term warranties and the privileges they afford.
The router came with a thirty day warranty. Within that timeframe, I apparently could have called the company as often as I liked to ask for help with set-up and the product. Also, were there to have been any serious product failure, I would have been able to return it.
I purchased my router last April. I started the set-up process shortly after purchase but did not complete it. I started by trying to get all the necessary information before embarking on the process. I had one initial, fruitless conversation with my ISP and planned to folow-up. Well, I did not follow-up until 5 months later. In the meantime, I forfeited the privileges accorded by the short-term warranty: free customer support.
Even though the warranty had expired, the company granted me one free inquiry. I used my initial call to garner the requisite information. But when I stumbled again in the set-up, I called back. This time there would be a charge for the support services. I was quoted a half-hour rate ($36.00) or an unlimited rate for 6 months of all types of computing support ($65). Unsure whether the problem could be resolved in an half-hour, I opted for the unlimited service. The technician was helpful and I plan to see how helpful they will be for random inquiries.
So lessons learned: Use products immediately so, if there is a warranty, you do not forfeit your privileges unwittingly. Also if one needs to return an item, it usually has to be returned within a month.
Best, Laura
The router came with a thirty day warranty. Within that timeframe, I apparently could have called the company as often as I liked to ask for help with set-up and the product. Also, were there to have been any serious product failure, I would have been able to return it.
I purchased my router last April. I started the set-up process shortly after purchase but did not complete it. I started by trying to get all the necessary information before embarking on the process. I had one initial, fruitless conversation with my ISP and planned to folow-up. Well, I did not follow-up until 5 months later. In the meantime, I forfeited the privileges accorded by the short-term warranty: free customer support.
Even though the warranty had expired, the company granted me one free inquiry. I used my initial call to garner the requisite information. But when I stumbled again in the set-up, I called back. This time there would be a charge for the support services. I was quoted a half-hour rate ($36.00) or an unlimited rate for 6 months of all types of computing support ($65). Unsure whether the problem could be resolved in an half-hour, I opted for the unlimited service. The technician was helpful and I plan to see how helpful they will be for random inquiries.
So lessons learned: Use products immediately so, if there is a warranty, you do not forfeit your privileges unwittingly. Also if one needs to return an item, it usually has to be returned within a month.
Best, Laura
From Oy Vey! to Yippee! : Router Set-Up Challenges
One of the goals I set up for this session was to successfully set up a router so I could have wireless access within my home.
After a few uninterrupted hours, several phone calls and 65 buckaroos later, I did succeed on Monday morning.
Oy Vey!
The challenge in set-up was not a technical issue but rather a question of accessing critical information and making erroneous assumptions. It had less to do with hardware than dealing with support services and abandoning assumptions. In order to setup the router one needs their Dynamic or Static IP address, subnet mask number, the router address, and both the primary and secondary DNS (Domain Name Server).
I had some of this information but not all of it. Most I could get from my own computer under the heading "System Preferences: Network" but the rest had to be provided by the ISP or so I thought. The other challenge was the misleading assumptions I made based on my interaction with the set-up program, and with technology in general. I also did not trust my intuition when interacting with my computer.
The hard copy directions where brief and, in the end, insufficient: it is only enough to guide you to the on-line instruction manual/setup wizard. Of course, this approach of instruction-giving presumes you will not fail to get to the critical on-line crossroad on the way to successful setup.
I managed to get to the on-line set-up wizard. Although I was missing a couple of bits of the key information, I thought I would try set up anyway, presuming the program would be "smart" and glean all the information from simply running through the systems. What led me to make this assumption is that one of the early set-up screens leads the user to believe that it actually can read how the system is configured. Trusting this was the case, I proceeded with set up. Well, I assumed wrong. The Wizard was not smart enough to read key system information. First problem: contrary to the Wizard's suggestion, my IP address was actually dynamic and not static. This fact was critical in the set-up because dynamic and static each had their own distinct configuration. I suspected that my IP address was dynamic: everytime I looked up the address under the system preferences, it was different; but I chose to disregard my intuition and trust the softwares' analysis instead. Second problem: the missing information was not furnished by the wizard. I figured as much but I thought it was worth a try.
By the time I realized what had gone wrong, there was no way for me to go back and correct the first mistake, claiming my IP address dynamic and not static. Now I am blurry about why I could not go back. Maybe it was because it seemed like I had lost internet access and could not get back to the wizard and the on-line directions. I had lost sight of the critical set-up crossroad and was lost in the wilderness. I had to troubleshoot both problems.
First I tried to get all the critical information. Surprisingly, the company that provided the router had the key information and not the ISP as I had assumed. This discovery took a few phone calls to the following: the ISP, to the store where I had purchased the router, and finally the router's own help desk.
Second, I went back to the set-up wizard and realized I needed help with the set up. When I tried to pull up the wizard page, nothing happened. I phoned the router support services and the router techician told me to type the router address number into the address window and bingo! the wizard reappeared. This is the key step that I never would have thought to do without the help of the technician; this very knowledge is what justifies the fees. It was strange typing a number instead of a typical web address. Although after the fact I understood why it worked, habit would have simply prevented me from putting a string of numbers where I usually put text. The router technician walked me through all of the steps. Once we actually began the process, it took roughly a half hour to have it up and running.
Yippee!
It is such a thrill to no longer be tethered to one desk in my home. The mobility to work anywhere in the house is terrific for all the obvious reasons. For me however, with winter coming, the ability to work from a warm room is key. While parts of my house can be heated with either the back up oil system or wood, my study is in a part of the house heated only by wood stove. It takes time to warm up parts of my home with the wood stove; last winter there were hours lost on-line because I simply could not work in a cold room. This is why I am thrilled with this new mobile access.
There have been other lessons learned in this process I shall share with you in briefer posts.
After a few uninterrupted hours, several phone calls and 65 buckaroos later, I did succeed on Monday morning.
Oy Vey!
The challenge in set-up was not a technical issue but rather a question of accessing critical information and making erroneous assumptions. It had less to do with hardware than dealing with support services and abandoning assumptions. In order to setup the router one needs their Dynamic or Static IP address, subnet mask number, the router address, and both the primary and secondary DNS (Domain Name Server).
I had some of this information but not all of it. Most I could get from my own computer under the heading "System Preferences: Network" but the rest had to be provided by the ISP or so I thought. The other challenge was the misleading assumptions I made based on my interaction with the set-up program, and with technology in general. I also did not trust my intuition when interacting with my computer.
The hard copy directions where brief and, in the end, insufficient: it is only enough to guide you to the on-line instruction manual/setup wizard. Of course, this approach of instruction-giving presumes you will not fail to get to the critical on-line crossroad on the way to successful setup.
I managed to get to the on-line set-up wizard. Although I was missing a couple of bits of the key information, I thought I would try set up anyway, presuming the program would be "smart" and glean all the information from simply running through the systems. What led me to make this assumption is that one of the early set-up screens leads the user to believe that it actually can read how the system is configured. Trusting this was the case, I proceeded with set up. Well, I assumed wrong. The Wizard was not smart enough to read key system information. First problem: contrary to the Wizard's suggestion, my IP address was actually dynamic and not static. This fact was critical in the set-up because dynamic and static each had their own distinct configuration. I suspected that my IP address was dynamic: everytime I looked up the address under the system preferences, it was different; but I chose to disregard my intuition and trust the softwares' analysis instead. Second problem: the missing information was not furnished by the wizard. I figured as much but I thought it was worth a try.
By the time I realized what had gone wrong, there was no way for me to go back and correct the first mistake, claiming my IP address dynamic and not static. Now I am blurry about why I could not go back. Maybe it was because it seemed like I had lost internet access and could not get back to the wizard and the on-line directions. I had lost sight of the critical set-up crossroad and was lost in the wilderness. I had to troubleshoot both problems.
First I tried to get all the critical information. Surprisingly, the company that provided the router had the key information and not the ISP as I had assumed. This discovery took a few phone calls to the following: the ISP, to the store where I had purchased the router, and finally the router's own help desk.
Second, I went back to the set-up wizard and realized I needed help with the set up. When I tried to pull up the wizard page, nothing happened. I phoned the router support services and the router techician told me to type the router address number into the address window and bingo! the wizard reappeared. This is the key step that I never would have thought to do without the help of the technician; this very knowledge is what justifies the fees. It was strange typing a number instead of a typical web address. Although after the fact I understood why it worked, habit would have simply prevented me from putting a string of numbers where I usually put text. The router technician walked me through all of the steps. Once we actually began the process, it took roughly a half hour to have it up and running.
Yippee!
It is such a thrill to no longer be tethered to one desk in my home. The mobility to work anywhere in the house is terrific for all the obvious reasons. For me however, with winter coming, the ability to work from a warm room is key. While parts of my house can be heated with either the back up oil system or wood, my study is in a part of the house heated only by wood stove. It takes time to warm up parts of my home with the wood stove; last winter there were hours lost on-line because I simply could not work in a cold room. This is why I am thrilled with this new mobile access.
There have been other lessons learned in this process I shall share with you in briefer posts.
State of the Art Technology
In light of Leslie's remark on how past "State of the Art" technologies may seem so antiquated today, let's consider the horse drawn wagon.
One of the architectural thrills of my visit to Vienna was standing in the grand Hall of Pillars in the Austrian Parliament building. The marble hall was truly magnificent. The hall, 40 meters long and 23 meters wide, gets its name from the 24 corinthian pillars made of marble which frame the hall: each column is a monolith weighing 16 tons each. 16 tons! The solid 16-ton columns were brought to the construction site and carved in situ before being installed. It took a 24-horse powered wagon to haul each column from the coutryside of the Habsburg empire into the city.
I marveled at the ingenuity of hauling such a behemoth in an age before the motorized vehicle and thinking what madness to even entertain such a feat. But the feat was accomplished despite the lack of our facilitating modern day technology. While I gazed at th picture of 24-horse drawn cart with the enormous, solid smooth colum in tow, it dawned on me that the cart I was looking at was probably state of the art for the 1870's. The architect Theophil von Hansen dared to undertake this venture because he knew what technologies were available to him to accomplish his feat. And if they were not sufficient, he would improve on them because he was a man on a mission and nothing would stop him from realizing his dream.
I have not been able to find a picture of the column in transport but I have found a picture through Wikepedia of the Hall of Pillars. Of course the image does the reality no justice.
Image: Hall of Pillars
One of the architectural thrills of my visit to Vienna was standing in the grand Hall of Pillars in the Austrian Parliament building. The marble hall was truly magnificent. The hall, 40 meters long and 23 meters wide, gets its name from the 24 corinthian pillars made of marble which frame the hall: each column is a monolith weighing 16 tons each. 16 tons! The solid 16-ton columns were brought to the construction site and carved in situ before being installed. It took a 24-horse powered wagon to haul each column from the coutryside of the Habsburg empire into the city.
I marveled at the ingenuity of hauling such a behemoth in an age before the motorized vehicle and thinking what madness to even entertain such a feat. But the feat was accomplished despite the lack of our facilitating modern day technology. While I gazed at th picture of 24-horse drawn cart with the enormous, solid smooth colum in tow, it dawned on me that the cart I was looking at was probably state of the art for the 1870's. The architect Theophil von Hansen dared to undertake this venture because he knew what technologies were available to him to accomplish his feat. And if they were not sufficient, he would improve on them because he was a man on a mission and nothing would stop him from realizing his dream.
I have not been able to find a picture of the column in transport but I have found a picture through Wikepedia of the Hall of Pillars. Of course the image does the reality no justice.
Image: Hall of Pillars
Street Lamps, Worldview and Collaboration
One more thought on Vienna.
I was struck by the way the Viennese illuminated their streets. Rather than have lampposts on sidewalks with long-necked lamps arching over the street, the Viennese string their lamps smack above the road. As you walk down the street and look up, there are all these suspension wires crisscrossing the sky. To an American, this seemed somewhat impractical and labor intensive. However I must say the system illuminates the road far more precisely than our approach.
This example made me realize how cultures resolve similar problems in dramatically different ways. Something as simple as lighting a street can have two such radically different approaches, each having its virtues. The fact that people approach problems so differently means that distinct, viable solutions are possible. It also points to the value of collaboration and the need to learn from people who think and work differently from us. It is like the collaboration in our course: I have learned something about styles of work from each of my collaborators and I have also learned to be more aware of my own approach to things. All in all an invaluable experience.
Cheers,
Laura
I was struck by the way the Viennese illuminated their streets. Rather than have lampposts on sidewalks with long-necked lamps arching over the street, the Viennese string their lamps smack above the road. As you walk down the street and look up, there are all these suspension wires crisscrossing the sky. To an American, this seemed somewhat impractical and labor intensive. However I must say the system illuminates the road far more precisely than our approach.
This example made me realize how cultures resolve similar problems in dramatically different ways. Something as simple as lighting a street can have two such radically different approaches, each having its virtues. The fact that people approach problems so differently means that distinct, viable solutions are possible. It also points to the value of collaboration and the need to learn from people who think and work differently from us. It is like the collaboration in our course: I have learned something about styles of work from each of my collaborators and I have also learned to be more aware of my own approach to things. All in all an invaluable experience.
Cheers,
Laura
Technology and Service
I lapsed on my regular tech blogging at the end of September because I was away on a trip. I thought I'd get on-line during the trip but in the end jet lag, touring fatigue and the simple desire to not break the magic spell of being truly away kept me from my daily blog.
My family and I traveled to Vienna to celebrate my folks 50th wedding anniversary. It was the first time I traveled to a place where I did not speak or even understand the language. All the staff spoke English fluently as well as several other languages. While at the desk engaging with the staff, it became instantly apparent I was not a German speaker and staff always graciously spoke English. What puzzled me however is the staff greeting me straight away in English and by name when I placed a phone call to the front desk. Granted we were staying at a Marriot hotel, an American chain, the clientele included German speakers as well as myriad of other language speakers, so it was not logical to address all guests in English even if it has become the international language.
It finally dawned on me, when the phone rang at the front desk, some form of caller id must pop up not only with my name but with language of address. In their effort to provide good service, the hotel has used this caller-style id technology to log critical information to help staff offer the best service possible to its guests. It was a service I appreciated.
I have been trying to think of other encounters with technology while on the ground in Vienna and I can't immediately think of one.
Of course these days in travel, interacting with technology is part and parcel of the experience. For instance, flying has become completely tech interactive. One can book their flights on-line, choose seats and meals, print boarding passes and the like. On can even sign on to services that alert passengers of flight status and delays.
Information is communicated rapidly and efficiently. For the one-hour layover in Paris, we needed wheelchair assistance to ferry my mom from one-gate to another. At the gate, a wheelchair assitant was there at the ready. Of course in France, where a nice balance between efficiency and mayhem reign, each ferrying experience was subject to wildly various styles of interpretation. In the end however the essential was communicated and the job got done.
-Laura D
My family and I traveled to Vienna to celebrate my folks 50th wedding anniversary. It was the first time I traveled to a place where I did not speak or even understand the language. All the staff spoke English fluently as well as several other languages. While at the desk engaging with the staff, it became instantly apparent I was not a German speaker and staff always graciously spoke English. What puzzled me however is the staff greeting me straight away in English and by name when I placed a phone call to the front desk. Granted we were staying at a Marriot hotel, an American chain, the clientele included German speakers as well as myriad of other language speakers, so it was not logical to address all guests in English even if it has become the international language.
It finally dawned on me, when the phone rang at the front desk, some form of caller id must pop up not only with my name but with language of address. In their effort to provide good service, the hotel has used this caller-style id technology to log critical information to help staff offer the best service possible to its guests. It was a service I appreciated.
I have been trying to think of other encounters with technology while on the ground in Vienna and I can't immediately think of one.
Of course these days in travel, interacting with technology is part and parcel of the experience. For instance, flying has become completely tech interactive. One can book their flights on-line, choose seats and meals, print boarding passes and the like. On can even sign on to services that alert passengers of flight status and delays.
Information is communicated rapidly and efficiently. For the one-hour layover in Paris, we needed wheelchair assistance to ferry my mom from one-gate to another. At the gate, a wheelchair assitant was there at the ready. Of course in France, where a nice balance between efficiency and mayhem reign, each ferrying experience was subject to wildly various styles of interpretation. In the end however the essential was communicated and the job got done.
-Laura D
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Deutsch Welle: German Lessons On-Line
The internet is truly grand!
I gave up on the iTunes-iPod initiative; I'll pursue that when I have more time. Hoping I could perhaps upload free lessons to the iPod, I went to Deutsch Welle's website. I listen to their broadcast of the radio and remembered they encouraged listeners to study German for free at their site. The website was user friendly and the lessons were so much fun! I am so amazed and so truly appreciative of what wonderful learning tools are available for free on the web. While the pdf lesson files downloaded, it seems that the sound files do not. I was bummed about this.
You may be wondering why I am trying to learn German. On Sunday I fly to Vienna and wished to garner some basic notions if only to be polite as I'll ask my interlocutor to speak a language other than German!
-Laura D
I gave up on the iTunes-iPod initiative; I'll pursue that when I have more time. Hoping I could perhaps upload free lessons to the iPod, I went to Deutsch Welle's website. I listen to their broadcast of the radio and remembered they encouraged listeners to study German for free at their site. The website was user friendly and the lessons were so much fun! I am so amazed and so truly appreciative of what wonderful learning tools are available for free on the web. While the pdf lesson files downloaded, it seems that the sound files do not. I was bummed about this.
You may be wondering why I am trying to learn German. On Sunday I fly to Vienna and wished to garner some basic notions if only to be polite as I'll ask my interlocutor to speak a language other than German!
-Laura D
iTunes, iPod, and not iNtuitive yet
Well, up front I have to admit I have used iTunes literally only a handful of times. So bear that in mind with the following.
Well, the easy part was setting up the iPod and seeing all the possibilities. I explored for a while but I must confess I was not clear on how to proceed. I tried to figure out how to load my German lessons from the CD to iTunes to the iPod. I suspect that there may be a copyright protection on the CD which is prohibiting me from uploading the music to iTunes and thus preventing me in turn from downloading to the iPod. Just an idea.
In the end it is probably because I still don't know how to navigate iTunes so I guess I will need to spend some time doing that first. I spent about an hour trying a few intuitive approaches but none worked. I was unable to create a playlist of the lessons. I still don't understand why; the lessons have a CD icon next to it.
Well I just went back to iTunes. In point of fact, I did successfully upload the lessons to iTunes. Now my challenge will be to figure out how to download to the iPod.
I'll keep you posted.
-Laura D
Well, the easy part was setting up the iPod and seeing all the possibilities. I explored for a while but I must confess I was not clear on how to proceed. I tried to figure out how to load my German lessons from the CD to iTunes to the iPod. I suspect that there may be a copyright protection on the CD which is prohibiting me from uploading the music to iTunes and thus preventing me in turn from downloading to the iPod. Just an idea.
In the end it is probably because I still don't know how to navigate iTunes so I guess I will need to spend some time doing that first. I spent about an hour trying a few intuitive approaches but none worked. I was unable to create a playlist of the lessons. I still don't understand why; the lessons have a CD icon next to it.
Well I just went back to iTunes. In point of fact, I did successfully upload the lessons to iTunes. Now my challenge will be to figure out how to download to the iPod.
I'll keep you posted.
-Laura D
iPod and iNtutition
Setting up the iPod was truly a breeze. All I had to do was connect the iPod to my computer with a cable, open the iTunes software, read the prompts hit return a few times and voilà ! it was set up. Apple truly creates ease of use in set up: I believe it is idiot-proof.
The challenge in the end was not the set up but then learning to navigate the possibilties. That part of it was not obvious to me. Again it will take some time for me to explore and understand this new virtual universe.
Exploration and learning through use is probably what Apple expects its users to do since, heck!, it creates intuitive interfaces. I actually have faith that when I dedicate time to these tools I will actually succeed.
There is no manual so I have no choice but to plunge into this universe and try to figure it out. I probably will eventually go to the Apple website and look for pointers there. Notice my assumptions: I am obviously assuming that there is information out there either at the official website or even among avid users who may post tips on their usage on a blog perhaps. I may poke around to see what kind of help is out there. I also am assuming that Apple has created an intuitive tool.
-Laura D
The challenge in the end was not the set up but then learning to navigate the possibilties. That part of it was not obvious to me. Again it will take some time for me to explore and understand this new virtual universe.
Exploration and learning through use is probably what Apple expects its users to do since, heck!, it creates intuitive interfaces. I actually have faith that when I dedicate time to these tools I will actually succeed.
There is no manual so I have no choice but to plunge into this universe and try to figure it out. I probably will eventually go to the Apple website and look for pointers there. Notice my assumptions: I am obviously assuming that there is information out there either at the official website or even among avid users who may post tips on their usage on a blog perhaps. I may poke around to see what kind of help is out there. I also am assuming that Apple has created an intuitive tool.
-Laura D
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Another Moodle Peeve: Slow Loading of Pages
Hi Folks,
Another frustrating element to Moodle is how long it takes for pages to load. Of course, it did occur to me it may be my home connection (high-speed through satellite) but today, at another wireless provider, I am finding it is equally slow. This leads me to believe I am not the only one experience slow loading from class Moodle. It is not terribly slow, but I would say there is a noticeable lag of at least 15 seconds, sometimes more.
Anyone else experiencing this?
-Laura D
Another frustrating element to Moodle is how long it takes for pages to load. Of course, it did occur to me it may be my home connection (high-speed through satellite) but today, at another wireless provider, I am finding it is equally slow. This leads me to believe I am not the only one experience slow loading from class Moodle. It is not terribly slow, but I would say there is a noticeable lag of at least 15 seconds, sometimes more.
Anyone else experiencing this?
-Laura D
Posting Comments to Blogs
Hi Folks,
I was reading through classmates blogs today. Occasionally, I posted remarks to classmates' posts.
Observation: While the basic process is the same: find box, enter text, and submit, the slight or dramatic variation from one site to another has been a bit disorienting. Occasionally, I would hit a key that would inadvertently close the window, and poof! my comment was gone into the nether lands.
Question: Are these merely stylistic differences or is it safe to say that there appears to be a lack of standards for this process?
Also some sites seem to only allow registered bloggers, in other words an insider, to post while others do not. Or it could simply be that I did not know where I was relative to each blog. Maybe I was "inside" but did not realize it.
Also, on the Mac, hitting the tab button does not indent text but sends my cursor off to some unexpected part of the page. Now I can't remember if this is a Moodle problem, a blog problem or both. I have just been spending a lot of time surprised by the consequences of hitting Tab in these new on-line environments. Any remarks? Of course, I will try to understand the function of the tab key and post my findings.
Puzzled on comments,
Laura D
I was reading through classmates blogs today. Occasionally, I posted remarks to classmates' posts.
Observation: While the basic process is the same: find box, enter text, and submit, the slight or dramatic variation from one site to another has been a bit disorienting. Occasionally, I would hit a key that would inadvertently close the window, and poof! my comment was gone into the nether lands.
Question: Are these merely stylistic differences or is it safe to say that there appears to be a lack of standards for this process?
Also some sites seem to only allow registered bloggers, in other words an insider, to post while others do not. Or it could simply be that I did not know where I was relative to each blog. Maybe I was "inside" but did not realize it.
Also, on the Mac, hitting the tab button does not indent text but sends my cursor off to some unexpected part of the page. Now I can't remember if this is a Moodle problem, a blog problem or both. I have just been spending a lot of time surprised by the consequences of hitting Tab in these new on-line environments. Any remarks? Of course, I will try to understand the function of the tab key and post my findings.
Puzzled on comments,
Laura D
Moodle: Not Thrilled Yet
Hi Folks,
Just a quick comment on my initial impressions of Moodle.
I do like the layout on the home/entry page to the site. It is clear and easy to find the classes one is enrolled in.
I find however the format of the discussion forum quite frustrating for the time being. Perhaps there are solutions to the peeves listed here and I simply have not taken the time to solve them..so do indulge me for now. Of course, keep in mind, I believe I am one of the few who has gone on record as actually liking First Class.
I find entering the discussion/post zone disorienting: I find the format to be far too unwieldy. Having to scroll down to read all the posts rather than having windows of posts stacking is annoying. Also I liked the combined nesting AND threading function in First Class. In Moodle it seems that posts can either be nested OR threaded; I may need more practice with using the discussion zone with the threaded listing of posts. I find that the way the threaded posts are presented are unaesthetic and disturbing to my eye. I really also miss the select summarize function. Perhaps I can control these aspects of the presentation in the preferences category. I will need to be proactive to address these potentially resolvable issues.
Enough gripping for now.
What do you folks think so far about Moodle?
-Laura D
Just a quick comment on my initial impressions of Moodle.
I do like the layout on the home/entry page to the site. It is clear and easy to find the classes one is enrolled in.
I find however the format of the discussion forum quite frustrating for the time being. Perhaps there are solutions to the peeves listed here and I simply have not taken the time to solve them..so do indulge me for now. Of course, keep in mind, I believe I am one of the few who has gone on record as actually liking First Class.
I find entering the discussion/post zone disorienting: I find the format to be far too unwieldy. Having to scroll down to read all the posts rather than having windows of posts stacking is annoying. Also I liked the combined nesting AND threading function in First Class. In Moodle it seems that posts can either be nested OR threaded; I may need more practice with using the discussion zone with the threaded listing of posts. I find that the way the threaded posts are presented are unaesthetic and disturbing to my eye. I really also miss the select summarize function. Perhaps I can control these aspects of the presentation in the preferences category. I will need to be proactive to address these potentially resolvable issues.
Enough gripping for now.
What do you folks think so far about Moodle?
-Laura D
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Modest (actually ridiculously easy) challenges
Hi Folks,
I set myself a couple of challenges today. In the end the tasks were far easier than I had expected.
The two tasks were 1) burn music on a CD and 2) program someone's phone number in my cell phone. Two obviously mundane tasks that everyone but me does on a regular basis.
There are a few reasons why these seemed like reasonable challenges to undertake today.
Burn a CD
In the past, I simply did not have ready access to the technology to burn a CD. While my last computer had a CD drive, it did not have a CD burner. My first experience trying to burn a CD was frustrating because I had not realized the system lacked the key burning function. So I spent quite some time uploading music to iTunes and repeatedly trying to "burn" a CD. I discovered I could not complete the task. The problem at that time was that the lack of the "burn" function was not clearly communicated to me. The system kept feigning transfer of files but in the end the disc remained blank. The experience was frustrating because I had assumed wrongly I had done something wrong. The tech support person had to explain to me why I had not succeeded. Despite the a-ha moment, this previous difficult experience left me with the impression that burning a CD could potentially be complicated. It is funny how misguided impressions can last.
Today, I learned it was easy as most functions are on a Mac. I had opened iTunes and then popped the disc in. A dialog box popped up asking me what application I wanted. I chose itunes even though I had already opened the application. Then a new dialog box popped up telling me how to burn a playlist from iTunes. The disc was automatically initialized and the music transferred quickly. The computer was smart: the sheer act of popping a disc into the computer triggers the proper prompts to the user. It could not have been easier.
Another reason I failed to pursue this task in the past is that I simply lacked the time for such tasks. The task was not essential to my daily work life and I did not have any leisure time that afforded meaningful exploration of new things that were not within my immedaite sphere of tech access. I simply did not wish to make the effort.
So, in brief, time, simplicity and direct access to the technology are key factors as to whether some individuals adopt it.
Program a phone number into a cell phone
Yesterday, I bumped into a friend . As she was giving me her new cell phone number, I was trying to find a pen to jot it down. So she said "Why don't you program it into your phone?" I had to confess to her that I did not know how to do it. Again, the reason I am so unfamiliar with my cell phone's functions is that I hardly have an opportunity to use it: unless one lives in Brattleboro, the chances of having reliable service are close to nil. Again, easy and ready access to technology facilitates adoption and time allows for broadening of skill in use. Plus the phone I have was a gift and actually has more functionality than I really care for.
In the end the task was straighforward. As I worked through the task, I learned to cultivate an appreciation for the functions and their potential. It only took a few minutes.
Tomorrow's challenge: learn to use my iPod.
Your slow adaptor,
Laura D
I set myself a couple of challenges today. In the end the tasks were far easier than I had expected.
The two tasks were 1) burn music on a CD and 2) program someone's phone number in my cell phone. Two obviously mundane tasks that everyone but me does on a regular basis.
There are a few reasons why these seemed like reasonable challenges to undertake today.
Burn a CD
In the past, I simply did not have ready access to the technology to burn a CD. While my last computer had a CD drive, it did not have a CD burner. My first experience trying to burn a CD was frustrating because I had not realized the system lacked the key burning function. So I spent quite some time uploading music to iTunes and repeatedly trying to "burn" a CD. I discovered I could not complete the task. The problem at that time was that the lack of the "burn" function was not clearly communicated to me. The system kept feigning transfer of files but in the end the disc remained blank. The experience was frustrating because I had assumed wrongly I had done something wrong. The tech support person had to explain to me why I had not succeeded. Despite the a-ha moment, this previous difficult experience left me with the impression that burning a CD could potentially be complicated. It is funny how misguided impressions can last.
Today, I learned it was easy as most functions are on a Mac. I had opened iTunes and then popped the disc in. A dialog box popped up asking me what application I wanted. I chose itunes even though I had already opened the application. Then a new dialog box popped up telling me how to burn a playlist from iTunes. The disc was automatically initialized and the music transferred quickly. The computer was smart: the sheer act of popping a disc into the computer triggers the proper prompts to the user. It could not have been easier.
Another reason I failed to pursue this task in the past is that I simply lacked the time for such tasks. The task was not essential to my daily work life and I did not have any leisure time that afforded meaningful exploration of new things that were not within my immedaite sphere of tech access. I simply did not wish to make the effort.
So, in brief, time, simplicity and direct access to the technology are key factors as to whether some individuals adopt it.
Program a phone number into a cell phone
Yesterday, I bumped into a friend . As she was giving me her new cell phone number, I was trying to find a pen to jot it down. So she said "Why don't you program it into your phone?" I had to confess to her that I did not know how to do it. Again, the reason I am so unfamiliar with my cell phone's functions is that I hardly have an opportunity to use it: unless one lives in Brattleboro, the chances of having reliable service are close to nil. Again, easy and ready access to technology facilitates adoption and time allows for broadening of skill in use. Plus the phone I have was a gift and actually has more functionality than I really care for.
In the end the task was straighforward. As I worked through the task, I learned to cultivate an appreciation for the functions and their potential. It only took a few minutes.
Tomorrow's challenge: learn to use my iPod.
Your slow adaptor,
Laura D
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Blog Set-Up
Hi Folks,
I had to set up a new e-mail account before I could do our asigned blog task. I set up a g-mail account and that was very simple and straight forward. Surprisingly simple.
Before signing up for the blog, I compared the two that were recommended in class. I went with this one, blogger.com through google because it seemed more user friendly straight away than the wordpress on. I liked that it had a tour so I could familiarize myself with what I was about to do. I went back to wordpress to look at the "free features" to compare user friendliness. It was not intimidating but I determined that as a neophyte blogger I prefered the utter simplicity of the google site. Thus here I am.
Of course, blogs is the topic Allison and I will be presenting next class so I willknow much more about this world in a matter of days.
One kookie thing did happen once I got to the post page. After typing the "Title," I had inadvertantly hit a button and had published without intending to do so! That was a bit unnerving but the "Edit" button was in plain sight and here is my intended post.
I'll have more comments latter.
Cheers, Laura D
I had to set up a new e-mail account before I could do our asigned blog task. I set up a g-mail account and that was very simple and straight forward. Surprisingly simple.
Before signing up for the blog, I compared the two that were recommended in class. I went with this one, blogger.com through google because it seemed more user friendly straight away than the wordpress on. I liked that it had a tour so I could familiarize myself with what I was about to do. I went back to wordpress to look at the "free features" to compare user friendliness. It was not intimidating but I determined that as a neophyte blogger I prefered the utter simplicity of the google site. Thus here I am.
Of course, blogs is the topic Allison and I will be presenting next class so I willknow much more about this world in a matter of days.
One kookie thing did happen once I got to the post page. After typing the "Title," I had inadvertantly hit a button and had published without intending to do so! That was a bit unnerving but the "Edit" button was in plain sight and here is my intended post.
I'll have more comments latter.
Cheers, Laura D
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