Gone are the days of being shackled to desktop computers, as
businesses turn to mobile devices in an effort to be more productive and
efficient. Any basic search of Yahoo will produce countless articles and blogs
pertaining to the future of mobile technology. But in looking deeper into first
hand authoritative sites, we find the essential need for untethered commerce has
gone to lofty extents.
www.3seventy.com
Private
devices within the workplace were once highly frowned upon. But now businesses
want their employees to be “connected.” They
want to broaden their products and ideas far beyond the company structure. Mobile devices enable this by keeping task
lists for employee, scheduling projects and updating statuses. Accessibility to
company information while on the job site has helped to reduce travel and
energy costs. Apps give the ability to track expenses, customer relations
through social networking, or communication with clients. Additionally, there is
the benefit of mass storage within these devices; “Up to 4 gigabytes (GB) of
data (equating to approximately 80,000 boxes of paper) can be stored in a
device as small as a pen.”(Milligan)
Yet,
every improvement has its drawbacks. Foremost, the substantial cost to large
companies in providing their employees with current technology in an ever
advancing age; yet another reason why many companies encourage the private
devices. Having differing Android and iPhone operating systems can produce
great problems for IT managers. There are multiple security and management
issues when utilized for a business, from viruses to the theft of company
information.
A
possible option for companies is the development of Cloud Computing.
I have now obtained a LinkedIn account and increased the
size of my digital footprint exponentially.
Being quite conservative socially, it all gives me this sensation of
standing at the edge of a great chasm, in about 50 mph winds. I realize that it
a progressive step in life, even as it goes against most of my reasoning.
Right
out of the gate I can see the benefits of having such a connection;
professionalism. It will allow me to connect and engage with specialized
contacts that will inevitably further my professional career. Through it I can
keep current with other writers and publishers, be alerted to prospective job
opportunities, and create a somewhat social resume for others to view.
My concern,
aside from immediate consumption of even more of my limited time, is the incursion
upon my privacy. Unlike many, I do not like to openly share. My closest friends
do not ever know what I will get them for Christmas or when I might stop in. I
want my words, not my everyday life to be known. I like to be enigmatic, which
to me is intriguing. I don’t need to know people that well; and well, I
probably wouldn’t want to anyway.
Perhaps
I am being too vigilant. All things considered, we live in a world where all is
accessible and little is wondrous any more. Unwittingly we follow, to be like
all others, to be the carbon copy, to leave our carbon digital footprint.
We as Americans aren't the world’s largest benefactor of the
internet; standing at a mere 22% last year. Yet the majority of us still log on
daily. Nine out of every ten Americans are searching for something, even if it’s
nothing more than to explore a word. It can begin with entering a query search
in address or search bar. Your default search engine will then find possible
results for you.
A way
to help expand upon your search resources is to integrate additional search
engines. This can be done by adding
supplementary search name within the drop-down menu of your address bar. In addition
to giving you more search options, it can be customized to recommend certain
sites based upon your specific preferences.
Not
only are alternative search engines expedient, they are essential. In today
congested media highway, it’s difficult to get where you want to go. Google is
great for the proficiency of common everyday use. But if you are looking for detailed
information on specialized subjects, you don’t want suggestions to blog posts, you
want definitive facts. To achieve this, you need a specialized search engine.
Services
such as LexisNexis or Dialog specialize in the attaining of scholarly
information. They assemble articles such as business, law, and medical from centralized
databases to provide a comprehensive source for researchers. A service like
Wolfram Alpha procures, analyzes, and provides statistic information to the
user, that no average search engine could possible deliver.
“Usage and Population
Statistics.” Internet World Stats. Miniwatts Marketing Group. 10 Sept. 2013.
Searching for a specific topic on the web can
be achieved in several ways; both directly and circuitously. If the exact
web page (URL) is known, it can simply be entered into the browser’s address
box. If that isn't known, a search query
can be performed by entering key specific words into the brower’s search text
box.
The
more explicit words utilized, or the use of quotations to join words, the
closer the web results will be. A targeted search with distinct key words will
provide more focused results, whereas an open-ended search with general wording
will provide a broad scope of web results. The best thing to do is to definitively
target the desired information.
Beyond
the initial appearance, there are things to consider when choosing your web
sources to insure finding the best possible information. According to Dr. Robert
Harris, retired professor of the University of California, the first step in obtaining
reliable information is to determine "What source or what kind of source
would be the most credible for providing information in this particular
case?"(Harris) The credibility of a website must be determined before
accepting its information. Can its material be authorized? What is the quality
of its content, and does it seem to cover the material completely, and
impartially?
The
utilization of search tools such as Directories and Search Engines can help to hone
in on the precise subject you wish to view. Directories gather relevant
information and organize it in an assentative fashion. In this method, there is
a visible trail to follow as you make your way through varies subcategories.
A
search engine works in relatively the same way. Engines like Google search the
internet and index key words to web pages. They amass this index so that as similar
key words are sought by users, the search engine can refer the web pages they
were found upon.
For
the purpose of searching several search engines at once, a Megasearch Engine can be used. At present,Search Engine Watch deems the most popular to be Dogpile.
These specialized search engines examine several engines, directories
and specialty search sites to provide an accumulated list for the user based
upon the requested information. However,
many of these metasearch engines are heavily influenced with sponsorship, and
thus will not always recommend the best site first.
Harris, Robert. "Evaluating Internet
Research Sources." VirtualSalt. 15 June 2008. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm>.
IP (Internet Protocol) address is requested from
a web server. Based upon the explicit numbered address, the server connects
with the location of the web page. To
facilitate users, a domain name, which is broken down into four designating components,
is given to correspond with the sites IP address.
Web sites can vary in their content and purpose. Principally,
they are designed to accommodate specific users for a specific goal. In gaining
access to the information they provide, a process of client/server computing is
utilized, whereas a web page’s
Much of
chapter two within Discovering the
Internet illustrated the locations and usage of tools to utilize the Web.
It demonstrated the method of navigating over home pages and their features,
such as display area, tabs and access tools, to opening web pages for applied
use. I was familiar with much of its initial recommendations. Even so, I did
learn the simple process to activate pop-up
blocking.
In my
particular field of Communications, the use of RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
has been emphasized as a vital tool. These feeds will allow me to actively keep
abreast of media news and updates. The step by step illustration enabled me to
understand how to successfully find and subscribe to various feeds. There was
still a need to effectively create RSS feeds that the chapter did not elaborate
upon, so I am seeking information through sites such as http://codex.wordpress.org/Customizing_Feeds.
Another
area of unfamiliarity to me was the subjects of Cookies. I have been advised on
the deletion of cookies periodically, but never informed on their use. I now
know that they are small files of personal information that are intended for expedient
accessibility and efficiency. However, the information may also be used
maliciously. It must be monitor similar to any threat of spyware.
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