Module 1:

INTRODUCTION TO
INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGY

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ICT: An Introduction
You wake up in the morning and search for your smartphone to read messages
and check for Facebook updates. As you go out of your room, you see your father
watching news from your flat-screen television. You also see your younger sister
watching a video she downloaded into her tablet. Your mother, meanwhile, is
preparing a meal using a recipe she just saw in Youtube. When you arrive in
school, you see almost everyone busy with their smartphones, either playing a
newly downloaded online game or updating their blogs. You, along with almost
everyone around you, are drawn towards a thing or two in today's
technological trends.
It is important to stay updated with knowledge of the trends we are going along
with, especially given that we are dealing with gadgets and electronic tools
throughout our lives. To be able to do that, we must know which specific tool to
use to assist us in gathering this information. These tools may come as a hardware
device or simply an application sitting in your desktop or laptop computers. As for
software, we also need to know how to use some of the advanced applications
since we are dealing with them most of the time either as a student or as a
professional. For example, you need to finish your homework using your
spreadsheet (e.g., Microsoft Excel), but you are having a hard time determining
the formula to use to obtain the correct result. One more instance is when you do
your research for your thesis using online resources; however, it is already taking
you hours searching for the the article you need.
ICT is an acronym for Information and Communications Technology. A good
way to think about ICT is to consider the use of technology, which enables
individuals, businesses and organizations to use digital information. ICT covers
any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information
electronically in a digital form. This covers areas under education, banking,
healthcare, government, business, and so many branches that we can think.

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1.1 Current State of ICT Technologies

Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extended term for

information technology (IT) which stresses the role of unified communications
and the integration of telecommunications

 IT - is just about computers and the retrieval and storage of information.

 ICT - relates to the hardware and the software within IT but also broadens
to telecommunications, audio visuals and storage to store, transmit and
retrieve information

COMPONENTS OF ICT

 Cloud Computing
 Software
 Hardware
 Transactions
 Communication Technology
 Data
 Internet Access

Cloud Computing

 the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to

store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal
computer.

1.1.1 Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is the current state of online technology as it compares with the early days
of the Web, characterized by greater user interactivity and collaboration, more
pervasive network connectivity and enhanced communication channels.
One of the most significant differences between Web 2.0 and the traditional World
Wide Web (WWW, retroactively referred to as Web 1.0) is greater collaboration
among Internet users, content providers and enterprises. Originally, data were
posted on Web sites, and users simply viewed or downloaded the content.
Increasingly, users have more input into the nature and scope of Web content and,
in some cases, exert real-time control over it.1
The social nature of Web 2.0 is another major difference between it and the
original, static Web. Increasingly, websites enable community-based input,
interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Types of social media sites and
applications include forums, microblogging, social networking, social
bookmarking, social curation, and wikis.

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1.1.1.1 Elements and Tools of Web 2.0
Elements of Web 2.0

 Wikis: Websites that enable users to contribute, collaborate and edit site
content.
 The increasing common web apps and cloud computing rather than locally-
installed programs and services.
 Mobile computing: Smart Phones, Tablets and any device in readily
accessible Wi-Fi networks.
 Mash-ups: Web pages or applications that integrate complementary
elements from two or more sources.
 Social networking: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.
 User-generated content (UGC): Websites for Writing, Editing images, audio
and video content.

Web 2.0 tools

 Social media are Web 2.0 tools allowing people to interact with one another
exchange information, career interests, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual
communities and networks. A more detailed discussion of this is illustrated on
Module 1.1.3.

This technology lets users organize their access to the web sites by storing the
preferred sites that have been recently accessed, and then maybe accessed later
on. Web sites dedicated to social bookmarking, such as Flickr and del.icio.us,
provide users with a place to store, categorize, annotate and share favorite Web
pages and files.
Unlike file sharing, social bookmarking does not save the resources themselves,
merely bookmarks that reference them, i.e., a link to the bookmarked page.
Descriptions may be added to these bookmarks in the form of metadata, so users
may understand the content of the resource without first needing to download it for
themselves.

Name Link Description

BibSonomy is a system for sharing

BibSonomy http://www.bibsonomy.org/
bookmarks and lists of literature.

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 CiteULike is a web service which
CiteULike http://www.citeulike.org/ allows users to save and share
citations to academic papers.

The site was bought by Avos

Systems on April 27, 2011 though
Delicious http://del.icio.us
was operated by Yahoo! until July
2011

Digg is a news aggregator with an

Digg http://digg.com/
editorially driven front page

Designed to bookmark web pages

Diigo http://www.diigo.com/ and highlight key points for
reference. Free.

Google
https://www.google.com/bookmarks Bookmarking service by Google
Bookmarks

Collaborative bookmark exploration

Pearltrees http://pearltrees.com/ and curation tool organized and
presented like a mind map.

Pinboard can automatically import

your links and tweets from a number
of outside services. The archive
feature saves a local copy of
Pinboard http://pinboard.in/ everything you bookmark in case the
original page goes offline, and offers
full-text search. Currently 11 USD
annual fee, with an optional 25 USD
fee for archiving.

Pinterest is a web and mobile

application company that offers a
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/
visual discovery, collection, sharing,
and storage tool.

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 Users submit content in the form of
Reddit https://www.reddit.com/ either a link or a text ("self") post.
Links and content can be voted on.

StumbleUpon is a discovery engine

StumbleUpon https://www.stumbleupon.com/ that finds and recommends web
content to its users.

We Heart It is an image-based social

We Heart It http://weheartit.com/
network for inspiring images

Syncs bookmarks (folders & sub-

folders) and profiles across different
browsers and platforms. Includes
Xmarks http://www.xmarks.com/
sharing option and possibility to
access bookmarks via web-based-
interface.

Table 1.1.1.1 a List of Social bookmarking sites and their

Description

 A Podcast is basically just an audio (or video) file. What distinguishes a

podcast from other types of audio on the Internet is that a “podcaster” can solicit
subscriptions from listeners, so that when new podcasts are released, they are
automatically delivered, or fed, to a subscriber's computer or mobile device.
Usually, the podcast features an audio show with new episodes that are fed to
your computer either sporadically or at planned intervals, such as daily or
weekly. This format encourages listeners to “subscribe.”2 Common podcast
applications include iTunes which can be used only for iOS devices,
and Spotify, an application focusing on streaming service (streaming mediais
multimedia which allows a media file to be played before the entire file has
been temporarily been transmitted.)

 Educational tools. There are two types of educational tools under Web
2.0. Electronic portfolios (also referred to as ePortfolios or Webfolios) are
gaining recognition as a valuable tool for learners. It is practically a storage
medium for individuals who wish to store learned information. Learning
Management Systems (LMS), however, is faculty-centered type of application
that is focused on providing tools for students to learn and be assessed with.

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 LMS is owned by the institution to where it is currently being implemented while
the ePortfolio is owned by the learner. As it is more popular and common today,
LMS will be discussed further and will be the main topic on Module 1.1.4.1.

1.1.1.2 The History of Web 2.0

The foundational components of Web 2.0 are the advances enabled by Ajax and
other applications such as RSS and Eclipse and the user empowerment that they
support.1
Darcy DiNucci, an information architecture consultant, coined the term “Web 2.0"
in her 1999 article, "Fragmented Future”, indicating that the Web will be known to
be a "transport mechanism, the ether through which interactivity happens. Darcy
foresaw that the Web will be seen not only on personal computer units but in TV
sets, car dashboards, mobile phones, and hand-held game machines as well. This
was mostly observed when Palm Inc. started introducing their well known product
- personal digital assistant, with Web access capability.
Tim O'Reilly is generally credited for popularizing the term, following a conference
dealing with next-generation Web concepts and issues held by O'Reilly Media and
MediaLive International in 2004. O'Reilly Media has subsequently been energetic
about trying to copyright "Web 2.0" and holds an annual conference of the same
name.
Tim O'Reilly and Dale Dougherty had a brief discussion to confer the changes
experienced from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, as summarized in Table 1.1.1.2a. For
instance, the website for Encyclopedia Britannica online was popular before; most
of the researchers tend to gather information from this site. In the new era, the
attention of researchers are now focused on Wikipedia, as information are mostly
updated by end users themselves.

Web 1.0 Web 2.0

DoubleClick Google AdSense

Ofoto Flickr

Akamai BitTorrent

mp3.com Napster

Britannica Online Wikipedia

personal websites blogging

evite upcoming.org and EVDB

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 domain name speculation search engine optimization

page views cost per click

screen scraping web services

publishing participation

content management systems wikis

directories (taxonomy) tagging ("folksonomy")

stickiness syndication

1.1.1.3 Web 2.0 Technologies

Most of the technologies used in delivering Web 2.0 are rich Web technologies,
such as the list given below:

 Adobe Flash

This is the plug-in on browsers used for delivering high-impact, rich Web content.
Designs, animation, and application user interfaces are deployed immediately
across all browsers and platforms, attracting and engaging users with a rich Web
experience.1

 Microsoft Silverlight

Silverlight is a powerful development tool for engaging on interactive user

experiences for Web and mobile applications similar with Adobe Flash. This tool is
a free plug-in that is based under the .NET framework and compatible with multiple
browsers, devices and operating systems.2 It is different with Adobe Flash in terms
of animation model used, compression formats, file size, platform capability, and
so forth.

 JavaScript

JavaScript is the programming language of HTML and the Web used to define the
behavior of web pages.3 An instance of this is a new window being displayed after
clicking an image, text shown in marquee mode (string of text displayed moving
from left to right and vice versa), or a control being in and out of visibility. A more
simple library used by programmers, which is jquery, is also used to ease up the
content of code as it is already commercially free and available.

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1.1.2 The future of Web 2.0: Web 3.0

 The creation of high-quality content and services produced by gifted individuals

using Web 2.0 technology as an enabling platform

Web enthusiasts believe that the Web 2.0 is just one phase that transformed World
Wide Web into a newer and more established phase they call Web 3.0, also known
as the Semantic Web.
Tim Berners-Lee, founder of WWW, suggested that the Web can still be improved
as a whole in a more intuitive manner to serve the needs of the Internet users
better. Berners-Lee noticed that users are unable to clearly choose the site that
they need as multiple ones are being shown and indexed after entering the
keywords in the search engine. He then suggests developers and authors, singly
or in collaboration, to utilize self-descriptions to inform users of all suggested sites
to lessen users' struggle in searching for the correct information. Web 3.0 will
involve the publishing of web resources in languages intended for data (such as
XML, RDF, OWL and XHTML) to supplement them with metadata that will allow
software to analyze, classify and deliver content for more personal relevance. The
Semantic Annotations for Web Services group at W3C is defining the
specifications for the Web 3.0.
The evolution of Web 1.0 to 2.0 up until 3.0 which is where we are now is discussed
in the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5d61xYzdv0

1.1.2.1 Web 3.0 Expanded Definition

There are actually several major technology trends that are about to reach a new
level of maturity at the same time. The simultaneous maturity of these trends is
mutually reinforcing, and collectively driving the third-generation Web. From this
broader perspective, Web 3.0 might be defined as a third-generation Web enabled
by the convergence of several key emerging technology trends1:
Ubiquitous Connectivity

 Broadband adoption
 Mobile Internet access
 Mobile devices

Network Computing

 Software-as-a-service business models

 Web services interoperability
 Distributed computing (P2P, grid computing, hosted “cloud computing” server
farms such as Amazon S3)

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Open Technologies

 Open APIs and protocols

 Open data formats
 Open-source software platforms
 Open data (Creative Commons, Open Data License, etc.)

Open Identity

 Open identity (OpenID)

 Open reputation
 Portable identity and personal data (for example, the ability to port your user
account and search history from one service to another)

The Intelligent Web

 Semantic Web technologies (RDF, OWL, SWRL, SPARQL, Semantic

application platforms, and statement-based datastores such as triplestores,
tuplestores and associative databases)
 Distributed databases — or what I call “The World Wide Database” (wide-area
distributed database interoperability enabled by Semantic Web technologies)

Intelligent applications (natural language processing, machine learning, machine

reasoning, autonomous agents)

1.1.2.2 Ubiquitous Computing

 is a paradigm in which the processing of information is linked with each
activity or object as encountered.
 It involves connecting electronic devices, including embedding
microprocessors to communicate information.
 Devices that use ubiquitous computing have constant availability and are
completely connected

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 Figure 1.1.2.2a Elements of Ubiquitous Systems1

1.1.2.3 More Intelligent Web

 is the area of scientific research and development that explores the roles and
makes use of artificial intelligence and information technology for new products,
services and frameworks that are empowered by the World Wide Web

The threshold of the third-generation Web will have been crossed in 2007. At this
juncture, the focus of innovation will start to shift back from front-end improvements
towards back-end infrastructure level upgrades to the Web. This cycle will continue
for five to ten years, and will result in making the Web more connected, more open,
and more intelligent. It will transform the Web from a network of separately siloed
applications and content repositories to a more seamless and interoperable whole.
Because the focus of the third-generation Web is quite different from that of Web
2.0, this new generation of the Web probably does deserve its own name. In
keeping with the naming convention established by labeling the second generation
of the Web as Web 2.0, this third-generation of the Web could be called Web 3.0.

1.1.3 Social and Assistive Media

Social Media

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websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to
participate in social networking. And also merely a collection of communication
channels accessed through the Web and mobile applications with the purpose
of allowing users to interact, collaborate, and exchange information, interests,
ideas, and any visual representation with another user in a Web-based community.
Social networking sites, like Facebook, also use a microblogging feature in profiles.
On Facebook, this is called "Status Updates". Bloggers can usually use a number
of service for the updates including instant messaging, e-mail, or Twitter.

Primary Software Content Ad-

Service Owner Launched Multilingual
service license license free

Facebook, social own

Facebook 2004-02 proprietary Yes No
Inc. network TOS

Google, social own

Google+ 2011-06 proprietary Yes No
Inc. network TOS

Status micro- Apache v2 CC-

identi.ca 2008-07 Yes Yes
Net, Inc. blogging (pump.io) BY 3.0

micro- own
Tout Tout 2010-04 proprietary Yes Yes
blogging TOS

Twitter, micro- own

Twitter 2006-08 proprietary Yes No
Inc. blogging TOS

Yammer, micro- own

Yammer 2008-09 proprietary Yes Yes
Inc. blogging TOS

Table 1.1.3a List of Sites offering microblogging services1

There are at least tens of thousands of other wikis in use, both public and private,
including wikis functioning as knowledge management resources, notetaking tools,
community websites and intranets. Ward Cunningham developed the first wiki
software, WikiWikiWeb, originally described it as "the simplest online database that
could possibly work". The encyclopedia project Wikipediais by far the most
popular wiki-based website as of today, and is in fact one of the most widely viewed
sites of any kind of the world, having been ranked in the top ten since 2007. The

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table below shows a list of other wikis and the notes signifying the functions of
these sites.2

Name Focus Notes License

Initially pre-populated with

information about many different
AboutUs Internet GFDL and CC BY-
websites.
.com directory SA
Uses MediaWiki software, but
now largely with Ruby on Rails

English, Sustainable development,

Apprope French, including appropriate
CC BY-SA 3.0
dia German, technology merging with several
Spanish other wikis

Baidu Encyclopedic/C
A Chinese encyclopedia Copyrighted
Baike hinese

Baike.co
Largest Chinese wiki. Social
m (互动 Encyclopedic networking features. Chinese Copyrighted
百科) language only

A Spanish
Base de Encyclopedic/S
language encyclopedia, with own Copyrighted/Other
datos panish
wiki software.

Originally in Dutch, with English

version. Collectors specific for
comics, coins, stamps, trading
Catawiki Catalogues cards, board games, model cars,
model trains, bank notes, books,
watches, Disney memorabilia,
clocks and other.

non-profit
Connect funded and maintained by Meyer GNU Free
organizations a Documentation
ipedia Memorial Trust. Runs on Wagn
nd foundations License and a

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 Name Focus Notes License

Creative Commons
License

Choral Public Domain,

Public CPDL Licence,
A wiki library of
Domain Music C.C. Licences,
free typeset musical scores
Library( Copyrighted (free
CPDL) use)

Environmental
Ekopedi Multilingual—
sustainability merging with CC BY-SA 3.0
a Encyclopedic
Appropedia.

Encyclo
pedia of
Mathematics CC BY-SA 3.0
Mathem
atics

Family
Reference information and
History Genealogy
research guidance. In 11 CC BY-SA 3.0 US
Researc research
languages.
h Wiki

Familyp
Genealogy Family trees and history CC BY-SA
edia

Reference— A Creative Commons structured

Foodista
Food and wiki about foods, recipes, and CC-BY
.com
Cooking other culinary information.

Dedicated to the creation of a

Galaxiki Fictional galaxy GFDL[15]
fictional galaxy

Creative Commons
Gardeno Meant as a "complete plant and
Gardening Attribution
logy.org garden wiki encyclopedia"
ShareAlike

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 Name Focus Notes License

GCpedi Internal Government of Canada

Government
a Wiki

A geographical database that

GeoNa
Places links specific names with unique
mes
features

Three non-accessible wikis

Intellipe Government—
running on networks that link the
dia Intelligence
U.S. intelligence community

Internati
onal
Music A wiki library of public
Music GFDL
Score domain musical scores
Library
Project

A multi-
JurisPed Government— lingual academic encyclopedia,
CC-NC
ia Law including Arabic, Chinese, Englis
h, French, German and Spanish

Mostly copyrighted.
LyricWik
Music—Lyrics A listing of lyrics by album CC BY-SA for
i
minority of content.

1000 biological databases and

database of
MetaBa over 800 'web services', more BioLicense and Me
biological
se than 50 'user-contributed' taBase:Copyrights
databases
databases

Metaped A white nationalist and extreme

Encyclopedia unknown
ia right-wing online encyclopedia.

Misc—
MyWikiB Allows people and enterprises to
Business GFDL and other[23]
iz write about themselves
directory

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 Name Focus Notes License

Uses GPS, aerial photography

OpenStr
Places—Maps and other free sources of images ODbL 1.0
eetMap
to create a map of the world

Promotes sharing and

OpenW Science—
dissemination of knowledge CC BY-SA
etWare Biology
related to biological research

PCGami Games—Video Attempts to provide fixes and

CC NC-SA 3.0
ngWiki games information on all PC games

PlanetM Misc— Free wiki-style mathematical

ath Mathematics encyclopedia

Information and articles are

Rational written from
Encyclopedic CC-BY-SA 3.0
Wiki a liberal and secular point of view
as a response to Conservapedia

riscos.in Computers— Hosts C programming resources

cc-by 2.5
fo RISC OS and projects

Written exclusively by
Scholar professionals focusing on their
Encyclopedic Copyrighted
pedia field of expertise; subject to peer
review

Words in A social learning network built

TermWi
different around terms and questions in 75
ki
languages languages.

A social networking site dedicated

Traveller
Places—Travel to sharing stories and CC BY-SA 3.0
spoint
recommendations about travel

Emergency A rapid reference for practical Creative Commons

WikEM point-of-care clinical knowledge Attribution-
Medicine
with a popular linked point-of-care NonCommercial-

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 Name Focus Notes License

phone application. Intended for NoDerivatives 4.0

clinicians only and not directly for International
patients. License

WikiAns General Compiles answers to questions

Copyrighted
wers knowledge posed

The project aims to create high-

quality, complete and well- public domain
WikiArt Art, paintings
structured online repository of fine artworks
art.

Wikiboo General—
A Wikimedia project CC BY-SA/other
ks textbooks

Open Open educational resources

WikiEdu CC BY-SA and CC-
educational which anyone may use, adapt,
cator BY
resources and share

wikiHow How-to articles A wiki how-to manual CC-by-nc-sa 3.0

Combines Google Maps with a

WikiMap wiki system for polygonally
Places—Map CC by-nc-sa[44]
ia defined areas; currently supports
35 languages

Wikimed
Misc—
ia A repository of free electronic CC BY-SA and
Electronic
Commo media; a Wikimedia project other
media
ns

Wikinew General— Collaborative news service,

CC-BY
s News a Wikimedia project

Wikipedi Multilingual Wikimedia

Encyclopedic CC BY-SA
a project that uses MediaWiki

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 Name Focus Notes License

Wikiquot Reference— A quote repository; a Wikimedia

CC BY-SA
e Quotations project

An online encyclopedia focusing

on Shi'a, the second major
denomination in Islam. It has
WikiShia Shi'a Islam Unknown
articles in 8 languages. Farsi has
the most number of articles which
is more than 3500.[46]

Places—Great
Wikishir Gazetteer and interactive
Britainand Irela CC BY-SA 3.0
e map of Great Britain and Ireland
nd

Reference— A digital library of free content

Wikisour
Primary textual sources; a Wikimedia CC BY-SA
ce
sources project

Wikispe Science— A directory of species; GFDL and CC BY-

cies Biology a Wikimedia project SA

A travel guide using Wikimedia's

software, but unconnected to
Wikitrav
Places—Travel the Wikimedia Foundation (which CC BY-SA 3.0
el
hosts Wikivoyage). 20 supported
languages

A free global family

WikiTre tree using MediaWiki software,
Genealogy Unknown[51]
e but unconnected to the Wikimedia
Foundation.

General—Self- Supports free learning

Wikivers
directed communities, projects, materials, CC BY-SA 3.0
ity
learning and learners; a Wikimedia project

Wikivoy A multilingual travel guide of

Places—Travel CC BY-SA 3.0
age the Wikimedia Foundation.

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 Name Focus Notes License

Computer
WikiWiki programming, World's oldest wiki (began circa
GPL
Web specifically desi 1995)
gn patterns

Wiktiona Multilingual An online dictionary; a Wikimedia

CC BY-SA 3.0
ry dictionary project

Table 1.1.3c List of Wikis and their Functions3

Assistive Media
Assistive media is an Internet-based audio reading service for people with reading
impairments. This opens unique avenue of accessibility for said individuals with
visual, cognitive, and communication disabilities. History dates back 1996 when
David Erdody researched the availability of accessible audio-based reading
materials for his father Kenneth Harmon Erdody who is suffering from diabetic
retinopathy. Soon after, he discovered that less than 5% of U.S. publications were
provided in an alternative audio format.

1.1.4 Educational Technology

It encompasses several domains including learning theory, computer-based

training, online learning, and where mobile technologies are used.

The succeeding modules describe and discuss ICT tools focusing on education.

1.1.4.1 Learning Management Systems

is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting,

and delivery of educational courses, training programs, or learning and
development programs.

1.1.4.2 Peer-to-Peer Platforms

are computer systems or any devices which are connected to each other via the
Internet.
Files can be shared directly between systems on the network without the need of
a central server.

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1.1.4.3 Conferencing Applications
Software Applications that can be use to contact more Person in One Device.
 Messenger
 Skype
 Facebook Live
 Avaya Phones
How Does Data Compression Work?
 The camera and microphone capture analog video and audio signals from
a video conference. These data are a continuous wave of amplitudes and
frequencies representing sounds, color shades, depth and brightness.
How Does the Data Transfer Work?
 Once digitally compressed, the video and audio data can be transmitted
over a digital network.
 Data is sent to the other participant’s video conferencing system and then
decompressed and translated back into analog video images and audio
sounds.

1.2 Online Safety, Security, Ethics and Etiquette

Rules:
Don't give out personal information such as your address or phone number.
Don’t send pictures of yourself to anyone, especially indecent pictures.
Don't open emails or attachments from people you don't know.
Don't become online ‘friends’ with people you don't know.
Never arrange to meet someone in person who you've met online

The Risks

 Cyber bullying
 Cyber stalking
 Identity Theft
 Sexting
 Making ‘friends’

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  Online grooming
 Spam
 Phishing
 Viruses/Adware/Malware/Worm

Virus

 A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your

computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses
can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are man-made. A
simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively
easy to produce.

Adware

 a software that generates revenue for its developer by automatically

generating online advertisements in the user interface of the software or on
a screen presented to the user during the installation process.

Malware

 Short for malicious software, malware refers to software designed

specifically to damage or disrupt a system.

Worm

 A worm is similar to a virus by design and is considered to be a sub-class

of a virus.
 Self-replicating program that can spread throughout a network without
human assistance.

1.2.2 Online Security Threats and Attacks

 Ignoring Updates
 Easy to Guess Password
 Dodgy Downloads(Torrent Sites)
 Dodgy Emails
 No Anti-Virus Software
 Bad Software(Cracked Software)
 Fall for Scams

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How to Prevent
 Use a firewall
 Install antivirus software
 Using of Proxy Websites
 VPN to Hide IP
 Incognito
 Tor Browser (Diving Deep Web)
 Cover your webcam if you have one
 Install an anti-spyware package
 Use complex passwords
 Ignore spam
 Back up your computer
 Use encryption
 Secure your network
 Use encryption

1.2.3 Cybersecurity
What is Cybersecurity?
The connected electronic information network has become an integral part of our
daily lives. All types of organizations, such as medical, financial, and education
institutions, use this network to operate effectively. They utilize the network by
collecting, processing, storing, and sharing vast amounts of digital information. As
more digital information is gathered and shared, the protection of this information
is becoming even more vital to our national security and economic stability.
Cybersecurity is the ongoing effort to protect these networked systems and all of
the data from unauthorized use or harm. On a personal level, you need to
safeguard your identity, your data, and your computing devices. At the corporate
level, it is everyone’s responsibility to protect the organization’s reputation, data,
and customers. At the state level, national security, and the safety and well-being
of the citizens are at stake.

Cyber threats
Your online credentials are valuable. These credentials give the thieves access to
your accounts, which in turn will give them access to the money you store in your
accounts. A criminal could also take advantage of your relationships. They could
access your online accounts and your reputation to trick you into wiring money to
your friends or family. This trick which is coined as social engineering allows
criminal to send messages stating that your family or friends need you to wire them
money so they can get home from abroad after losing their wallets. This technique

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is also used by these criminals to manipulate people into making them think they
are closed friends, but they actually have hidden intentions behind this.
The criminals are very imaginative when they are trying to trick you into giving them
money. They do not just steal your money; they could also steal your identity and
ruin your life.

There are two types of security threats. Attacks originating from within an
organization or from outside of the organization is known as an internal threat. An
internal user, such as an employee or contract partner, can accidentally or
intentionally mishandle confidential data, threaten the operations of internal
servers or network infrastructure devices, facilitate outside attacks by connecting
infected USB media into the corporate computer system, accidentally invite
malware onto the network through malicious email or websites. When the
mentioned attacks is done from the outside the facility, this is considered to be
an external threats. Internal threats also have the potential to cause greater
damage than external threats, because internal users have direct access to the
building and its infrastructure devices. Employees also have knowledge of the
corporate network, its resources, and its confidential data, as well as different
levels of user or administrative privileges.

Types of Attackers
Attackers are individuals or groups who attempt to exploit vulnerability for personal
or financial gain. Attackers are interested in everything, from credit cards to product
designs and anything with value.
Amateurs – These people are sometimes called Script Kiddies. They are usually
attackers with little or no skill, often using existing tools or instructions found on the
Internet to launch attacks. Some of them are just curious, while others are trying
to demonstrate their skills and cause harm. They may be using basic tools, but the
results can still be devastating.
Hackers – This group of attackers break into computers or networks to gain
access. Depending on the intent of the break-in, these attackers are classified
as white, gray, or black hats. The white hat attackers break into networks or
computer systems to discover weaknesses so that the security of these systems
can be improved. These break-ins are done with prior permission and any results
are reported back to the owner. On the other hand, black hat attackers take
advantage of any vulnerability for illegal personal, financial or political gain. Gray
hat attackers are somewhere between white and black hat attackers. The gray hat
attackers may find a vulnerability in a system. Gray hat hackers may report the
vulnerability to the owners of the system if that action coincides with their agenda.
Some gray hat hackers publish the facts about the vulnerability on the Internet so
that other attackers can exploit it.

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Organized Hackers – These hackers include organizations of cyber criminals,
hacktivists, terrorists, and state-sponsored hackers. Cyber criminals are usually
groups of professional criminals focused on control, power, and wealth. The
criminals are highly sophisticated and organized, and they may even provide
cybercrime as a service to other criminals. Hacktivists make political statements to
create awareness to issues that are important to them. State-sponsored attackers
gather intelligence or commit sabotage on behalf of their government. These
attackers are usually highly trained and well-funded, and their attacks are focused
on specific goals that are beneficial to their government.

The Consequences of a Security Breach

To protect an organization from every possible cyberattack is not feasible, for a
few reasons. The expertise necessary to set up and maintain the secure network
can be expensive. Attackers will always continue to find new ways to target
networks. Eventually, an advanced and targeted cyberattack will succeed. The
priority will then be how quickly your security team can respond to the attack to
minimize the loss of data, downtime, and revenue.
By now you know that anything posted online can live online forever, even if you
were able to erase all the copies in your possession. If your servers were hacked,
the confidential personnel information could be made public. A hacker (or hacking
group) may vandalize the company website by posting untrue information and ruin
the company’s reputation that took years to build. The hackers can also take down
the company website causing the company to lose revenue. If the website is down
for longer periods of time, the company may appear unreliable and possibly lose
credibility. If the company website or network has been breached, this could lead
to leaked confidential documents, revealed trade secrets, and stolen intellectual
property. The loss of all this information may impede company growth and
expansion.
The monetary cost of a breach is much higher than just replacing any lost or stolen
devices, investing in existing security and strengthening the building’s physical
security. The company may be responsible for contacting all the affected
customers about the breach and may have to be prepared for litigation. With all
this turmoil, employees may choose to leave the company. The company may
need to focus less on growing and more on repairing its reputation.

Legal Issues in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity professionals must have the same skills as hackers, especially black
hat hackers, in order to protect against attacks. One difference between a hacker
and a cybersecurity professional is that the cybersecurity professional must work
within legal boundaries.
Personal Legal Issues

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You do not even have to be an employee to be subject to cybersecurity laws. In
your private life, you may have the opportunity and skills to hack another person’s
computer or network. There is an old saying, “Just because you can does not mean
you should.” Keep this in mind. Most hackers leave tracks, whether they know it or
not, and these tracks can be followed back to the hacker.
Cybersecurity professionals develop many skills which can be used for good or
evil. Those who use their skills within the legal system, to protect infrastructure,
networks, and privacy are always in high demand.
Corporate Legal Issues
Most countries have some cybersecurity laws in place. They may have to do with
critical infrastructure, networks, and corporate and individual privacy. Businesses
are required to abide by these laws.
In some cases, if you break cybersecurity laws while doing your job, it is the
company that may be punished and you could lose your job. In other cases, you
could be prosecuted, fined, and possibly sentenced.
In general, if you are confused about whether an action or behavior might be illegal,
assume that it is illegal and do not do it. Your company may have a legal
department or someone in the human resources department who can answer your
questions before you do something illegal.
International Law and Cybersecurity
The area of cybersecurity law is much newer than cybersecurity itself. As
mentioned before, most countries have some laws in place, and there will be more
laws to come.
International cybersecurity law is still quite new. The International Multilateral
Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT) is the first, international public-
private partnership that is focused on cyber threats. IMPACT is a global
partnership of world governments, industries, and academia dedicated to
improving global capabilities when dealing with cyber threats.

What is Cyberwarfare?
Cyberspace has become another important dimension of warfare, where nations
can carry out conflicts without the clashes of traditional troops and machines. This
allows countries with minimal military presence to be as strong as other nations in
cyberspace. Cyberwarfare is an Internet-based conflict that involves the
penetration of computer systems and networks of other nations. These attackers
have the resources and expertise to launch massive Internet-based attacks
against other nations to cause damage or disrupt services, such as shutting down
a power grid.

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An example of a state-sponsored attack involved the Stuxnet malware that was
designed to damage Iran’s nuclear enrichment plant. Stuxnet malware did not
hijack targeted computers to steal information. It was designed to damage physical
equipment that was controlled by computers, and used modular coding that was
programmed to perform a specific task within the malware. It used stolen digital
certificates so the attack appeared legitimate to the system.

The main purpose of cyberwarfare is to gain advantage over adversaries, whether

they are nations or competitors.
A nation can continuously invade other nation’s infrastructure, steal defense
secrets, and gather information about technology to narrow the gaps in its
industries and military. Besides industrial and militaristic espionage, cyberwar can
sabotage the infrastructure of other nations and cost lives in the targeted nations.
For example, an attack can cause the following:

 disrupt the power grid of a major city.

 traffic would be disrupted
 the exchange of goods and services is halted
 patients cannot get the care needed in emergency situations.
 access to the Internet may also be disrupted.

Furthermore, compromised sensitive data can give the attackers the ability to
blackmail personnel within the government. The information may allow an attacker
to pretend to be an authorized user to access sensitive information or equipment.
If the government cannot defend against the cyberattacks, the citizens may lose
confidence in the government’s ability to protect them. Cyberwarfare can
destabilize a nation, disrupt commerce, and affect the citizens’ faith in their
government without ever physically invading the targeted nation.

Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability

Confidentiality, integrity and availability, known as the CIA triad is a guideline for
information security for an organization. Confidentiality ensures the privacy of data
by restricting access through authentication encryption. Integrity assures that the
information is accurate and trustworthy. Availability ensures that the information is
accessible to authorized people.
Confidentiality
Another term for confidentiality would be privacy. Company policies should restrict
access to the information to authorized personnel and ensure that only those
authorized individuals view this data. The data may be compartmentalized
according to the security or sensitivity level of the information. For example, a Java
program developer should not have to access to the personal information of all

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employees. Furthermore, employees should receive training to understand the
best practices in safeguarding sensitive information to protect themselves and the
company from attacks. Methods to ensure confidentiality include data encryption,
username ID and password, two factor authentication, and minimizing exposure of
sensitive information.
Integrity
Integrity is accuracy, consistency, and trustworthiness of the data during its entire
life cycle. Data must be unaltered during transit and is not changed by
unauthorized entities. File permissions and user access control can prevent
unauthorized access. Version control can be used to prevent accidental changes
by authorized users. Backups must be available to restore any corrupted data, and
checksum hashing can be used to verify integrity of the data during transfer.
A checksum is used to verify the integrity of files, or strings of characters, after they
have been transferred from one device to another across your local network or the
Internet. Checksums are calculated with hash functions. Some of the common
checksums are MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512. A hash function uses a
mathematical algorithm to transform the data into fixed-length value that
represents the data. The hashed value is simply there for comparison. From the
hashed value, the original data cannot be retrieved directly. For example, if you
forgot your password, your password cannot be recovered from the hashed value.
The password must be reset.
Availability
Availability is best ensured by rigorously maintaining all hardware, performing
hardware repairs immediately when needed and maintaining a correctly
functioning operating system environment that is free of software conflicts. It’s also
important to keep current with all necessary system upgrades. Providing adequate
communication bandwidth and preventing the occurrence of bottlenecks are
equally important. Redundancy, failover, RAID even high-availability clusters can
mitigate serious consequences when hardware issues do occur. Fast and adaptive
disaster recovery is essential for the worst case scenarios; that capacity is reliant
on the existence of a comprehensive disaster recovery plan (DRP). Safeguards
against data loss or interruptions in connections must include unpredictable events
such as natural disasters and fire. To prevent data loss from such occurrences, a
backup copy may be stored in a geographically-isolated location, perhaps even in
a fireproof, waterproof safe. Extra security equipment or software such as firewalls
and proxy servers can guard against downtime and unreachable data due to
malicious actions such as denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and network intrusions.

1.2.4 Fighting against security threats

Best Practices for Combating Malware Threats

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One should always secure their system from malware attacks. The following steps
are recommendations for cybersecurity.

 Ensure that your operating system is up to date. This means that you must
regularly apply the most recent patches and fixes that is recommended by the
OS vendor.
 Install an anti-virus software in your PC's. Also, assure that they are always
updated. This can prevent threats like viruses, Trojan horses and malwares
from causing damage into your system. The installed software should be email
to scan e-mail and files as they are downloaded from the Internet or transferred
from external media.
 Firewall should always be enabled. A firewall is a set of related programs,
located at a network gateway server, that protects the resources of a private
network from users from other networks.1
 Assure that the file to be downloaded is safe. Emails usually have attached
files which may tend to be unsafe as it may contain viruses and Trojan horses.
Assure that your mailing site has anti-virus extensions enabled. In addition,
download attachments only from known trusted senders (and at least verify
from the sender if he has really sent an email or not).
 Be cautious accepting or agreeing to prompts. When prompted to install
any program or add-on, make sure to read and understand the agreement
before clicking on the Ok button. If you do not understand the agreement or
feel it is not necessary to install the program, cancel or close the
window. Additionally, when installing any program, watch for any check
box that asks if it's ok to install a third-party program, toolbar, etc. These are
never required and often cause more issues than good. Leave these boxes
unchecked.

Points to Ponder to Secure your Own Data

Your personal data can be accessed anywhere. It is up to you how you secure this
information from the cyber attackers. No one is safe from these threats, so it is up
to you to secure your data and perform appropriate measures to assure safety and
security. Remember that the information may be used against you in any way an
attacker can, so precautions must be put into consideration.

 Use browsers in a private manner, especially when surfing in an internet cafe

or using others laptops/desktops. Other browsers term this asInPrivate
browsing or incognito mode. This mode allows the system not to store any
information entered by the user while using the browser. All of the input values

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 will totally be erased once the user closes the browser. However, keep in mind
that browser needs to be closed after using it; its feature will be meaningless if
the device is left opened while you are still logged in.
 You should take care when choosing a username or alias for your online
identity. The username should not include any personal information. It should
be something appropriate and respectful. This username should not lead
strangers to think you are an easy target for cybercrimes or unwanted attention.
 Choose your passwords wisely. As much as possible, choose a password
with a combination of uppercase, lowercase, numeric, and special characters.
Never use passwords that will include any personal information like your
birthday or full name. In addition, never store them in a way that is accessible
by anyone.
 Be careful when sharing documents, pictures, and other online resources
via blogs or emails.Once files are downloaded from a public computer shop,
make sure that the files are removed from the system before leaving your
terminal.
 Be aware of shoulder surfing. This is an act of looking "past your shoulder"
anything that you are typing from the keyboard or on your cellular phones and
tablets without you noticing.
 Verify data is encrypted. When sending confidential information over the
Internet, such as usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers, only send it
securely. To verify this, look for a small lock in the bottom right corner of
your browser window or next to the address bar. If visible, this lock should also
be in the locked position and not unlocked. We also suggest making sure
the URL begins with https. While the lock is in the locked position, data
is encrypted, which helps anyone from understanding the data if it's
intercepted. When no lock is visible or in the unlocked position, all information
is plaintext and could be read if intercepted. If a web page is not secure, such
as an online forum, use a password you wouldn't use with protected sites, such
as your online banking website.
 Be aware of social engineering. This is a psychological manipulation of
people into tricking other people until the victim divulge into sharing confidential
information.
 Use two-factor authentication if it is available. Two-factor
authentication adds additional protection by requiring an additional step in
verifying a login. Typically with two-factor authentication, after verifying your
password, if the service does not recognize your computer, it sends your phone
a text message with a verification code. If someone had your password but did
not have your phone, even with a valid password, they cannot access your
account.
 When connecting via Wi-Fi, log on to a secure network using WEP or
WPA; this may prevent nearby users from intercepting and reading information
that has been sent to and from your PC.

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1.2.5 Netiquette and Internet Chat Rooms
Netiquette, a colloquial term for network etiquette or Internet etiquette, is a set of
social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks. Interaction may be in
the form of:

1. Email

Electronic mail (e-mail) is a common way of communicating formally with people

as you are able to put in your message to whom the message is for (it may be an
individual or a group of people), a summary of the message in the Subject field,
and some critical information of the sender. When composing an email, you usually
fill up the following components:
* To: field: the main recipient of the message; it may contain more than one email
addresses
* CC: field: this means carbon copy. This may include email addresses that you
wish to have the copy of the mail that you are going to send but are not your direct
recipients.
* BCC: field: this means blind carbon copy. This is the same with CC field except
that this hides the details of this recipient from the others who will receive this
email. This means that the recipients from the To: and CC: fields will not know that
the recipient from the BCC: has received the same email.
* Subject: This portion should contain a brief detail of what the message is all
about and is considered the title of the email.
* Body: This contains the message of the sender.
* Signature: This is seen at the bottom portion of the email and contains
information about the sender - Job Title, Work Address, Contact Number, and
many others, to name a few.

2. Chat rooms
This is the quickest way of sending a message to the recipient and are usually
embedded in most blog sites. It also shows the status of the receiver which will
give you a hint if he is available to read the message or not. The receiver may reply
immediately to the message as though he/she is conversing with the other in a
telephone.

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3. Usenet
Usenet is a bulletin-type of service containing newsgroups where the users can
post messages and these posted messages are distributed via Usenet servers.
The messages posted will last only for a limited amount of time known as retention
time. Usenet users currently logged in may be able to see and reply to any of the
posts given the same channel. Some Usenet providers also allow users to
upload/download files from the site.

Like the network itself, these developing norms remain in a state of flux and vary
from community to community.The points most strongly emphasized about
netiquette often include:

 using simple electronic signatures; this can be done in the settings of the
mailing site.
 avoiding multiposting, cross-posting, off-topic posting, hijacking a discussion
thread, and other techniques used to minimize the effort required to read a post
or a thread.
 use of unabbreviated English while users of instant messaging protocols like
SMS occasionally encourage just the opposite, bolstering use of SMS
language. However, many online communities frown upon this practice.
 avoid flamewars and spam
 avoid typing in all caps or grossly enlarging script for emphasis, which is
considered to be the equivalent of shouting or yelling.
 Other commonly shared points, such as remembering that one's posts are (or
can easily be made) public, are generally intuitively understood by publishers
of Web pages and posters to Usenet, although this rule is somewhat flexible
depending on the environment. On more private protocols, however, such as
e-mail and SMS, some users take the privacy of their posts for granted. One-
on-one communications, such as private messages on chat forums and direct
SMSs, may be considered more private than other such protocols, but
infamous breaches surround even these relatively private media.
 Beyond matters of basic courtesy and privacy, e-mail syntax (defined by RFC
2822) allows for different types of recipients. The primary recipient, defined by
the To: line, can reasonably be expected to respond, but recipients of carbon
copies cannot be, although they still might. Likewise, misuse of the CC:
functions in lieu of traditional mailing lists can result in serious technical issues.

Core Rules of Etiquette

Rule 1: Remember the Human
Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace

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Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth
Rule 5: Make yourself look good online
Rule 6: Share expert knowledge
Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control
Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy
Rule 9: Don't abuse your power
Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

1.3 Contextualized Online Search and Research Skills

When your teacher asks you to do your homework and you cannot find the answers
from your textbooks, you resort to doing your research. This activity may involve
either, if not all, of the following: looking for the needed articles from your school
library, from references bought from school supply stores, or surfing the Internet.
Research is an integral part of students' life in creating presentations, solving
scientific problems, and searching for the definition of an unknown term, but there's
more to these activities than what the students usually do. For professionals and
academicians, a research assists them in developing new theories, proposing a
new solution to an existing problem, or analyzing historical information to
determine the origins of a certain person, object or an event.

The easiest way for students to perform their research is to do it online. The
following six strategies can help online students produce stronger research1.

1. Contact a librarian before getting stuck sifting through piles of online

information: A 2016 Project Information Literacy found that only 9 percent of
respondents cited librarians as a go-to learning source, while 88 percent said
they relied mainly on search engines. Many university library websites have a
librarian chat feature and other ways to remotely contact a librarian. Reaching
out at the beginning of a project to clarify the topic, research questions,
methodologies and best potential sources will make the research process and
project better.

2. Consider that when in doubt, it's wiser to over-cite sources than risk
plagiarism: Many learning management systems employ plagiarismdetection
features that flag suspicious language for the instructor to further investigate.
It’s best to provide citations or quote phrases taken from Internet sources;
online students can use free plagiarism checkers such
as PlagScan or Turnitin to ensure an assignment complies.

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3. Use Google and Wikipedia at the beginning of a research process, not the
end: The first few pages of search engine results are generally the most
popular and commercial information sources, which aren't necessarily the most
scholarly or authoritative. It's best to think of Wikipedia as a table of contents
of popular sources about an idea rather than the single most definitive source.
The links at the bottom of a Wikipedia entry are useful jumping-off points.

4. Don't think that the Web is your only source of information: Online students
can access premium databases that are not available to the public such
as ProQuest, EBSCO, JSTOR, Naxos and Elsevier. These databases contain
electronic access to published journals, magazines, newspapers, books,
reports, documents, dissertations, image collections, films, videos, curated
archives and audio recordings. The difference between searching these
collections and the entire web is that these sources are peer-reviewed and
under copyright, and do not contain commercial results.

5. Understand the professor's expectations for citation format: Before using

a scholarly reference citation tool such as CiteULike, Zotero, or BibDesk,
understand that a professor's requirements may differ from the default settings
in these tools.

6. Understand why professors still assign research projects: Research isn't

busy work or an outdated vestige of higher education. Research and the
information literacy needed to produce it remain sought-after job skills. Online
students must be able to accurately search and source scholarly information,
evaluate it, contextualize it; think, speak, and write critically about it; and
synthesize it to inform opinions and drive good decisions. Graduates who have
honed these abilities will quickly rise as the most valued in the workplace. If
these skills aren't being developed, then the online student is missing
something.

As online students absorb new knowledge, competencies and skills in pursuit of a

degree or certificate, sifting through the copious amounts of useful and useless
information should be viewed as a special skill in need of development. Seeking
the online assistance of research and reference librarians is an essential practice,
and online students must work to develop healthy information-seeking and
scholarly citation habits.

1.3.1 Search Engines

Search engines are programs that browse documents for specified keywords and
returns a list of the documents where the keywords were found. A search engine is
really a general class of programs; however, the term is often used to specifically
describe systems like Google, Bing and Yahoo! Search that enable users to search
for documents on the World Wide Web.

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Web Search Engines
Typically, Web search engines work by sending out a spider to fetch as many
documents as possible. Another program, called an indexer, then reads these
documents and creates an index based on the words contained in each document.
Each search engine uses a proprietary algorithmto create its indices such that,
ideally, only meaningful results are returned for each query.
As many website owners rely on search engines to send traffic to their website,
and entire industry has grown around the idea of optimizing Web content to
improve your placement in search engine results.
Common Types of Search Engines
In addition to Web search engines other common types of search engines include
the following:

 Local (or offline) Search Engine: Designed to be used for offline PC, CDROM
or LAN searching usage.
 Metasearch Engine: A search engine that queries other search engines and
then combines the results that are received from all.
 Blog Search Engine: A search engine for the blogosphere. Blog search
engines only index and provide search results from blogs (Web logs).

Google is the world's most popular search engine, with a market share of 67.49
percent as of September, 2015. Bing comes in at second place.
The world's most popular search engines are:

Search engine Market share in September 2015

Google 69.24%
Bing 12.26%
Yahoo! 9.19%
Baidu 6.48%
AOL 1.11%
Ask 0.24%
Lycos 0.00%

1.3.2 How to Search the Internet

The following are steps you need to consider in searching for a word or phrase in
the Internet:

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1. Select a search engine. At the top of any page on your computer, type the
phrase “search engines” into the Search Bar to attain access to several
different internet sites that specifically aid in searching.
2. Type in whatever you want to search on the allotted text box.
3. Choose a few of the most specific or relevant keywords or phrases to
describe your topic. Utilize synonyms. Generally, capitalization and
punctuation are not needed. Search engines usually disregard minor words
such as "the, and, to, etc.
1. If you are to search for a series of words, the results given to you include
web pages where these words are present. If you wish to be specific with
the sequence of the words as you type them, enclose the words inside
double quotes.
2. Look for the advanced options of the site you are using if you wish to have
a Verbatim search or if you wish to restrict your search according to some
points like dates and mostly viewed links.
4. Click Search or press the Enter key on your keyboard.
5. Assess your results. Search through your list of web pages to pinpoint
information. Click the links of the sites shown to you. Of course, you must be
careful in choosing as some may lead you to cyber threats mentioned before.

How search Engine Works?

 The internet is a Web of Pages Connects to Each other by Hyperlinks.
 Search Engine are constantly running a Program called Spider/crawler
that cross to this web pages to collect Information about you are searching
for.
 Each Time it finds a Hyperlink, it follows it until has Visited every Page it
can Find on the Internet.
 For each page that this Spider visits, It records information it might need for
a search by adding it to a Special Database called Index.
 The search Engine search each of the words you type in the Search Index
to Immediately get the Pages on the Internet containing those words and
Determine the Best Matches to show you first.
 Each search engine uses it’s own Algorithm to Ranks the pages based on
what it thinks you want.
 The search Engine ranking Algorithm might check if your search term shows
up In the Page Title.

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 Module 2:
ADVANCED APPLICATION
TECHNIQUES FOR
PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS

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2.1 Word Processors
A word processor is a software application that involves composition, modification,
and printing of documents. Typical features of a modern word processor include
font application, spell checking, grammar checking, a built-in thesaurus, automatic
text correction, Web integration, and HTML exporting, among others. In its simplest
form, a word processor is little more than a large expensive Typewriter-like
machine that makes correcting mistakes possible before printing.1
Consider the video below for the brief introduction to word processors.
Word Processing Compared to Using a Typewriter
People used to rely on typewriters to create their documents. Although this is the
fastest way of having a printed document, there are several disadvantages
incorporated into it:

1. You will not be able to make changes without either retyping the entire
document, use liquid eraser to cover up the mistake, or simply overtype the
characters inside.
2. There are cases when the ribbon from the typewriter needs to be replaced.
This turned out to be messy and may result to having untidy documents.
3. Mechanical typewriters only have a single font for formatting.
4. Typewriters do not have spell checkers.
5. Some keys get stuck when they are often pressed too hard.
6. No reproduction available for the same document; what you need to do is go
to a photocopier to have a new copy of the document.

The great advantage of word processing over using a typewriter is that you can
make changes without retyping the entire document. If you make a typing mistake,
you simply back up the cursor and correct your mistake. If you want to delete a
paragraph, you simply remove it, without leaving a trace. It is equally easy to insert
a word, sentence, or paragraph in the middle of a document. Word processors also
make it easy to move sections of text from one place to another within a document,
or between documents. When you have made all the changes you want, you can
send the file to a printer to get a hard copy.

2.1.1 History of Word Processors

Word processing did not develop out of computer technology. It evolved from the
needs of writers and not those of mathematicians, only later merging with the
computer field. The history of word processing is the story of the gradual
automation of the physical aspects of writing and editing, and the refinement of the
technology to make it available to individual and corporate users. 1
The invention of printing and movable type at the end of the Middle Ages was the
initial step in this automation. But the first major advance from manual writing as

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far as the individual was concerned was the typewriter. Henry Mill, an English
engineer of the early eighteenth century, is credited with its invention. He was an
English inventor who patented the first typewriter in 1714. The fact that almost
nothing is known about his early version today is evidence of its lack of success.
The evolution of typewriters up to a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)
typewriter is seen in the table below.

Year Contribution

Christopher Latham Sholes, with the assistance of two colleagues, invented

the first successful manual typewriter.

1867

Figure 2.1.1a Sholes typewriter

The typewriter began to be marketed commercially, rather improbably by a

gun manufacturing company, E. Remington and Sons. The main drawback
1874
of this model was that it printed on the underside of the roller, so that the
typist could not view his work until he had finished.

IBM introduced the Selectric typewriter, which replaced the standard

movable carriage and individual typestrikers with a revolving typeball. This
could print faster than the traditional typewriter. With the same year, it also
introduced word processing as a definite idea and concept. The term was
1961
first used in IBM's marketing of the MT/ST as a "word processing" machine.
It was a translation of the German word textverabeitung, coined in the late
1950s by Ulrich Steinhilper, an IBM engineer. He used it as a more precise
term for what was done by the act of typing.

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 Figure 2.1.1b Selectric typewriter

Stephen Bernard Dorsey, Founder and President of Canadian company

Automatic Electronic Systems (AES), introduced the world’s first
programmable word processor with a video screen. The real breakthrough
by Dorsey’s AES team was that their machine stored the operator’s texts
1972
on magnetic disks. Texts could be retrieved from the disks simply by
entering their names at the keyboard. More importantly, a text could be
edited, for instance a paragraph moved to a new place, or a spelling error
corrected, and these changes were recorded on the magnetic disk. 2

Electric Pencil, released in December, was the first word processor

software for microcomputers. Software-based word processors running on
general-purpose personal computers gradually displaced dedicated word
processors, and the term came to refer to software rather than hardware.

1976

Figure 2.1.1c Electric Pencil word processor

Some programs were modeled after particular dedicated WP hardware.
MultiMate, for example, was written for an insurance company that had
hundreds of typists using Wang systems, and spread from there to other
Wang customers. To adapt to the smaller, more generic PC keyboard,

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 MultiMate used stick-on labels and a large plastic clip-on template to remind
users of its dozens of Wang-like functions, using the shift, alt and ctrl keys
with the 10 IBM function keys and many of the alphabet keys.

Disk programs made it practical to develop packages for use with personal
computers, first made available in completely assembled form in 1977.
1977 Thus the separation of the software from the hardware also opened up the
field to individuals. Word processing is now "one of the most common
general applications for personal computers."

Developed by Apple, AppleWriter was the first popular PC word processing

program, though it had its quirks. It displayed text entirely in uppercase.
Characters that the user signified as uppercase appeared in inverse color
capitals, while characters in lowercase appeared as standard capitals.

1979

Figure 2.1.1d Applewriter word processor

MacWrite, Microsoft Word and other word processing programs for the bit-
mapped Apple Macintosh screen were probably the first true WYSIWYG
1984 word processors to become known to many people until the introduction of
Microsoft Windows. Dedicated word processors eventually became
museum pieces.

2.1.2 Features of Standard Word Processors

Basic Features
All word processors support the basic features the same ones of a text editor.
Although they have the same purpose, text editors can only be used in plain text.
The most basic example of this is the Notepad in Windows OS.
The following are the basic features for standard word processors1:

 insert text: Allows you to insert text anywhere in the document.

 delete text: Allows you to erase characters, words, lines, or pages as easily as
you can cross them out on paper.
 cut and paste: Allows you to remove (cut) a section of text from one place in
a document and insert (paste) it somewhere else.

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 copy: Allows you to duplicate a section of text.
 undo and redo: Allows you to remove the last change done to the document
(undo) and advances the buffer to a more current state (redo). Undo rolls back
the previous action while redo rolls back the previous undo execution.
 page size and margins: Allows you to define various page sizes and margins,
and the word processor will automatically readjust the text so that it fits.
 search and replace: Allows you to direct the word processor to search for a
particular word or phrase. You can also direct the word processor to replace
one group of characters with another everywhere that the first group appears.
 word wrap:The word processor automatically moves to the next line when you
have filled one line with text, and it will readjust text if you change the margins.
 print: Allows you to send a document to a printer to get a hard copy.

Advanced Features
Most word processors support additional features that enable you to manipulate
and format documents in more sophisticated ways. These more advanced word
processors are sometimes called full-featured word processors. Full-featured word
processors usually support the following features:

 file management: Many word processors contain file management capabilities

that allow you to create, delete, move, and search for files.
 font specifications: Allows you to change fonts within a document. For
example, you can specify bold, italics, and underlining. Most word processors
also let you change the font size and even the typeface.
 footnotes and cross-references: Automates the numbering and placement
of footnotes and enables you to easily cross-reference other sections of the
document.
 graphics: Allows you to embed illustrations and graphs into a document. Some
word processors let you create the illustrations within the word processor;
others let you insert an illustration produced by a different program.
 headers, footers, and page numbering: Allows you to specify customized
headers and footers that the word processor will put at the top and bottom of
every page. The word processor automatically keeps track of page numbers
so that the correct number appears on each page.
 layout: Allows you to specify different margins within a single document and to
specify various methods for indenting paragraphs.
 macros: A macro is a character or word that represents a series of keystrokes.
The keystrokes can represent text or commands. The ability to define macros
allows you to save yourself a lot of time by replacing common combinations of
keystrokes.
 merges: Allows you to merge text from one file into another file. This is
particularly useful for generating many files that have the same format but
different data. Generating mailing labels is the classic example of using
merges.

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 spell checker: A utility that allows you to check the spelling of words. It will
highlight any words that it does not recognize. There will be suggestions that
are near to the unrecognized word with difference by either one to two
characters.
 tables of contents and indexes: Allows you to automatically create a table of
contents and index based on special codes that you insert in the document.
 thesaurus:A built-in thesaurus that allows you to search for synonyms without
leaving the word processor.
 windows: Allows you to edit two or more documents at the same time. Each
document appears in a separate window. This is particularly valuable when
working on a large project that consists of several different files.
 WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get): With WYSIWYG, a document
appears on the display screen exactly as it will look when printed.

2.1.2.1 Essential Word Processing Features

Word-processing functions can be grouped into the categories of input,
manipulation, formatting, and output of text1.
Text Input
Typically, text is entered into the word processor from a keyboard. Other input
methods include:

 Copying text from other applications (such as from hypertext markup language
[HTML] documents, e-mail messages, or online encyclopedias) and pasting it
into a word-processing document
 Scanning printed documents and using optical-character-recognition (OCR)
software to convert the scanned documents into text characters
 Using voice-recognition software to convert spoken words into text characters

Text Manipulation
Text manipulation refers to the "processing" part of word processing. Word
processors provide easy methods of deleting, inserting, copying, and moving
individual characters, words, phrases, and paragraphs—even entire pages of
information—with a few clicks of a mouse button or with such keyboard shortcuts
as Ctrl-C to copy, Ctrl-X to cut, and Ctrl-V to paste or insert text.
Text can be automatically checked for spelling and for conformance to basic
grammatical principles as the text is entered and edited.

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Figure 2.1.2.1a Misspelled word underlined in red which was detected upon
typing

As shown in the image above, the word is underlined in red because the spelling
of the word is incorrect. This automatic detection depends upon the default
language set on the word processor. There is also a green underline usually seen
on words or phrases that are detected to be grammatically incorrect.

The find-and-replace feature in a word processor allows the user to search for
every occurrence of a particular character, word, or phrase within a document. For
the find feature, the located words will be highlighted as shown below. For
the replace feature, the located words are replaced with the new word inputted by
the user.

Figure 2.1.2.1b The word todo is highlighted after searching the word using find-
and-replace feature

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Most word processors also include automatic correction and automatic formatting
of common errors and mechanical conventions as text is entered from the
keyboard. For example, commonly misspelled words can be automatically
corrected as soon as the misspelled words are entered; two spaces entered after
the end of a sentence can be changed automatically to one space; a lowercase
letter beginning a new sentence can be capitalized automatically. Proper
typographic quotation marks ("smart" or "curly" quote marks—" and ") and
apostrophes (') can be inserted automatically instead of the straight typewriter-
style quotation marks entered from the keyboard. Fractions and other symbols can
be formatted automatically as their keyboard equivalents are entered. For
example, when a fraction for one-half is entered as 1/2, it is changed to the
symbol ½, two hyphens (––) are changed to a long dash (—); and (c) is changed
to ©.

Text Formatting
Word-processing software typically includes "wizards" or "help" features to provide
automated formatting of common business documents. For example, a letter
wizard can assist the user to properly format a business letter, and a
résumé wizard can help the user format a professional-looking résumé.
The most-common formatting tasks are typically performed by the user as a
document is created. Individual character and word formatting includes selection
of type size, type style, and typeface. Size is measured in points, a unit of measure
in which 72 points make up an inch. Typically, 11- or 12-point type is used for basic
business documents. Newsletters, annual reports, and other such "designed"
documents may use type as small as 8 or 9 points for the basic text and as large
as 24, 36, or 48 points (or more) for main titles.
Type styles, such as italics, underline, and bold, are easily selected using
keyboard shortcuts or by selecting them from the basic font menu. Typefaces
(typeface refers to the look or design of the type) are available in thousands of
varieties, including such commonly known faces as Times Roman, Arial, Helvetica,
and Garamond.
Paragraph formatting in word processors are as follows:

1. line spacing, meaning the amount of blank space left between lines of type
(single spacing and double spacing, for example);
2. paragraph spacing (the amount of blank space that precedes or follows each
paragraph);
3. justification (all lines of type made even at both margins, or left uneven or
ragged at the right margin);
4. indentation (such as a first-line indentation at the beginning of each
paragraph).

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Page and overall-document formatting includes setting margins (typically 1-inch
margins are used on the top, bottom, and both sides of such basic business
documents as letters, reports, and memos), creating columns like those used in a
newspaper or newsletter, and creating headers and footers (information such as
the page number or a chapter title that is repeated at the top or bottom of each
page of a document) like the one shown below.

Figure 2.1.2.1c Example of using headers for the title of the page/s and footers for
filename, page number and date

Most word processors also provide special layout features for formatting outlines,
tables, envelopes, and mailing labels.
Text Output
Once text has been created, edited, and formatted into a finished electronic
document, it must be put into some tangible form or lasting electronic form to be
of practical benefit. That output process usually starts with the saving of the
document on the computer's hard drive, a floppy disk, a CD, or a memory device
such as a flash drive. Saving the document, in fact, is an activity that should take
place frequently during the creation and editing processes to guard against loss
due to problems such as electrical-power failure, computer malfunctions, and
operator error.

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Printing a document on paper is the most common output method; other output
methods include faxing a document directly from the word processor by use of a
computer modem, sending the document to another person by e-mail,
and converting the word-processing document to various other electronic
formats for online viewing or for eventual printing from other applications. For
example, word-processing documents are frequently converted to HTML for use
as Web pages, to portable document format (PDF) files, and to rich text format
(RTF) files for use in other computer programs (particularly other word-processing
programs).

2.1.2.2 Advanced Features for Word Processors

Although most word-processing users tend to learn and use primarily the basic
word-processing features, numerous more-advanced features are available in
most word processors to make word processing much easier to complete in less
time. Taking the time to learn some advanced word-processing features and
functions usually has a high payoff in terms of productivity and professionalism. 1
Some of the more-common advanced word-processing features and functions are
described briefly below:

Styles

Styles are user-created formatting commands that allow great control over
repetitive formatting structures within a document. For example, using a "style" for
each type of heading in a report will ensure consistent formatting of the headings
and will eliminate the need for a user to manually format each heading as it is
created.

Macros and Merging

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Macros are stored keystrokes, or sets of editing and formatting commands, that
can be replayed whenever needed. Macros can boost productivity and take much
of the tedium out of repetitive word-processing tasks. Merging is the process of
using lists of such information as names, addresses, phone numbers, product
descriptions or model numbers, and so on to fill in designated fields or blanks in
documents to create mass mailings, address labels, directories, and catalogs.
This macro would be useful if you have several documents to work through, in
each of which you have been asked to change the main heading to bold red text. 2
If you needed to change all the sub-headings to italic blue text, you could set up
another similar macro to do that. Alternatively, you could edit the macro directly by
changing the code in the edit window.

Macros can be used to automate any task within an application program. For
example, they can be used to activate long and complex data manipulations within
a database application, or specialized formatting within any type of document.
Version Control
Version-control features allow a user to track the various stages of editing that a
document may pass through, including versions created by multiple users involved
in the creation and editing of a document. Related features such as the ability to
track changes made in a document enable multiple users to review suggested
document changes and to accept or reject proposed changes.
Automatic References and Indexes

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Documents that include tables of contents, cross-references, indexes, footnotes,
endnotes, and captions will benefit from the capability of a word processor to
automatically generate and format these items.
1. headers / footers
Headers and footers are typically used in multiple-page documents to display
descriptive information. In addition to page numbers, a header or footer can
contain information such as: The document name, the date and/or time you
created or revised the document, an author name, a graphic, a draft or revision
number.3
This descriptive information can appear in many different combinations. For
example, the second page of a business letter typically contains a header with the
name of the addressee, the page number, and the date. A report can contain a
footer with the report name and a header with the page number and chapter name.
A newsletter can contain a header with a title and logo on the first page and a
footer with the title and page number of the pages that follow. Adjust your headers
and footers via the "Header and Footer" selection on the View dropdown menu on
the Menu toolbar.
2. endnote / footnote
A footnote is a term used to describe additional information found at the bottom of
a page. Often a footnote will contain the source of the information, or additional
information about the text contained in the document. You can identify any text
that points to a footnote by the small number after the text.
Meanwhile, an endnote is additional information or credits given at the end of the
document instead of at the bottom of each page. The links shown at the bottom of
this module page is an instance of a footnote.
The advantages and disadvantages of endnote and footnotes are shown below:

Footnote Endnote

When readers want to look at the

When your readers want to look at the
information in a specific endnote
information in a footnote, they simply have to
as they read, they must go to the
look at the bottom of the page.
end of your research paper.
If you use endnotes that re-
Your readers have instant access to the number within each chapter or
citation or a supplemental thought, idea or section, you must remember
concept that is closely related to the material which corresponding number goes
in which the footnote appears. along with that number in each
chapter.

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 Your footnotes are printed on each page
Endnotes require a separate page
when you print your research paper; no
when printed.
additional printing is necessary.
When you have a higher number of footnotes
on a single page, they can make your paper
Endnotes are not as distracting
appear cluttered or difficult to read; also, if the
and do not clutter the pages of
information in some footnotes is too lengthy,
your paper.
the footnotes may dominate the page and
distract from your paper.
Endnotes let your readers look
Footnotes are distributed throughout all the
over and digest citations and notes
pages that may require an extra effort if the
as a whole since they are all in one
user wants to group all citations as a whole.
place.

3. Index
An index lists the terms and topics that are discussed in a document, along with
the pages that they appear on. To create an index, you mark the index entries by
providing the name of the main entry and the cross-reference in your document,
and then you build the index.

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4. Table of Contents
This is a feature of a word processor that lets one contain in a single page all the
list of headings and subheadings for the entire document together with the page
where they are located.

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Desktop-Publishing Capabilities
Graphical images from clip-art collections, digital photographs, and scanned
images, and drawings created with graphics programs, can be integrated easily
into word-processing documents. Pages and paragraphs can be enclosed with
decorative borders. Background images and colors can be added to pages within
a document. Graphical elements such as lines, boxes, arrows, and artistic textual
headings can be created quickly and easily within most word-processing
programs.
Professional-looking documents such as newsletters, advertisements, annual
reports, brochures, and business cards can be designed with most modern word-
processing software.You may see what are the list of documents that you can
create in the succeeding module.

2.1.2.3 Creating Documents with Available Templates

Word processors may be used not only in creating documents needed in school or
office, but also can be used to create professional-looking documents such as
newsletters, advertisements, business cards, etc.
Although word processors are generally not as sophisticated as desktop-
publishing software or page-layout programs in their capabilities for setting type
and for working with graphical elements, they can be used to create attractive,
professional-looking documents that go beyond the basic layout and formatting of
letters, memos, and reports. Using a word-processing program to create designed
documents is often preferable to using a high-end desktop-publishing program,
however, because word-processing users are not required to become proficient in
using another program and because documents within an organization or
department are created and maintained using the same application.

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Word processors come with available templates that may be downloaded or may
be directly installed with the software. A template is a type of pre-formatted, fill-in-
the-blank document that is useful for maintaining a specific format each time a
document is created, especially when multiple word-processing operators are
involved.
The types of document that usually come with a template are as follows1:
1. Newsletters
Shortened form of newspaper and informational letter, a newsletter is a small
publication (as a leaflet or newspaper) containing news of interest chiefly to a
special group. Generally used to describe a periodic publication distributed by e-
mail to an opt-in list of subscribers. Newsletters are normally used by organizations
or owners of a Web site to communicate with their readers. The template allows a
user to enter the text of newsletter articles, headlines, and graphics without having
to re-create the newsletter layout for each issue of the newsletter.
2. Advertisements
An advertisement is a paid, non-personal, public communication about causes,
goods and services, ideas, organizations, people, and places, through means such
as direct mail, telephone, print, radio, television, and internet. An integral part of
marketing, advertisements are public notices designed to inform and motivate. The
word processor allows anyone to be able to create such and be able to have a
print out to be distributed or posted.2
a. Flyers
A flyer is a small piece of paper with information on it about a product or
event. This is usually printed with multiple copies and are either distributed to
individuals or posted on walls.

b. Brochures
A small booklet or pamphlet, often containing promotional material or prod
uct information. Brochures are usually printed in both sides of a paper, and then
folded out vertically before it is distributed. Because of this, information are usually
printed per columns depending on how many folds will be done

c. Outdoor Mockup / Billboards

Billboards or any roadside mockups may be printed out using word
processors. For large scale type of advertisements, it is advisable to use other
tools that can accommodate the size and structure of the layout being done.

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3. Certificates
This type of document is provided as a prize for something earned by winning a
contest or getting an achievement. For academic qualifications, a document that
certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or
series of tests.

4. Résumé
A résumé is a document used by job seekers to help provide a summary of their
skills, abilities and accomplishments. In other words, a résumé is typically a short
and quick way for a job seeker to introduce themselves to a potential employer (In
North America a résumé should not be confused with a curriculum vitae or CV).
5. Letters
Formal letters may also be created using word processors. A letter may be, but not
limited to, any of the following:

 cover letter
 letter of introduction
 resignation letter
 internal application
 student reference

Besides the mentioned items above, you may also create documents using
available templates for calendars, invoices, maps, schedules, timelines, and photo
albums.

2.1.3 Examples of Word Processing Software

Although Microsoft Word is the most popular word processor available, there are
many other available options for creating documents. Below is a list of different
word processors that are still being used today1.
1. Microsoft Word
2. Google Docs
3. OpenOffice Writer
4. LibreOffice Writer
5. Corel WordPerfect

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2.1.4 Integrating images and external material
One may also insert images into a word processor. Placing an image helps in
providing a better visual of the content being discussed in the document and
usually makes the content become interesting and appealing to read.
Images may be taken from the following methods:
a. a file stored from the personal computer to be copied from an open image
handling tool, or to directly insert it into the processor. This process is also
called embedding an image. The data may also be taken from scanners/cameras
which will be pasted directly into the document.
b. a link to the location of the image file stored locally or remotely (from a network
drive)
c. a link accessed from the Internet

Advantages / Embedding an Link to a local or Link to an

Disadvantages Image remote location Internet site
Smaller because
Larger because the Smaller because only
only the link is
Document Size image is directly the link is stored in the
stored in the
placed inside. document
document
If the same image is
pasted in separate Modifications
Modifications done on
documents, done on the
the image will be
Image modifying one from image will be
reflected to all the
Modification the first document reflected to all the
documents that has
will not have an documents that
link to it
effect on the other has link to it
document.
Images will be Proper location
Internet access is
permanently handling of image
necessary in
inserted in the should be considered
Mode of Access allowing the
document wherever when
image to be
the document is document/image is
displayed.
stored or accessed. stored elsewhere

Modifying an Image
Picture formats may vary depending on the characteristics selected. The following
are some of the included formatting styles that the user may implement on an
image:

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a. Crop
This feature is used to remove a portion of an image. For example, the image
below on the left is cropped to get the image of the singe flower. The portion of an
image may be removed from any corner of the image (top, bottom, left, or right).
b. Resize
Resizing involves changing the height and/or length of an image. The image may
be shrunk to save space for images that are too big, or enlarged to make the
image more visible or to give emphasis to some parts of it. An example of resizing
is done below; the image below on the left is resized to make it look smaller. Note
that this technique will adversely affect the resolution, causing some degree of
blurring.
c. Rotate/Flip
Rotating an image involves changing its orientation in a clockwise or counter-
clockwise manner. This may be done by either choosing the options for rotation in
the toolbar or dragging the rotation handle present on the image upon selection.
For instance, the image below is rotated 90 degrees to the right by means of
dragging the rotated-arrow symbol.
4. Text Wrapping
There are situations when the image is hard to position within the document. There
is a feature for word processors known as text wrapping which allows positioning
of the picture relative to the page and text. By default, an image is in line with
the text.

2.1.5 Mail Merging and Label Generation

As defined in the Cambridge Dictionary Online, "Mail merging is the use of a
computer to produce many copies of a letter, each copy with a different name and
address stored on file, or a computer program that does this."1 It involves merging
a main document with a data source.

A main document contains the text and other items that remain the same in each
label. A data source contains the information that changes in each label, such as
the name and address of each recipient. 1

Merge fields that you insert into the main document instruct Word where to print
information from the data source. When you perform the mail merge, Word
replaces merge fields in the main document with information from the data source.
Each row (or record) in the data source produces an individual label.

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Data Source
The data source contains the information that can vary in each label, such as a
destination address. You can open an existing data source created or you can
create a new data source and fill in the addressee information.

Here are few examples of data sources you can use for mail merge in word
processors.

 Spreadsheet

An Excel spreadsheet works well as a data source for mail merge if all data is on
one sheet and the data is formatted well, so that it can be read well.

 Mailing Software Contact List

You can retrieve contact information directly from the contact list of your mailing
application, like Microsoft Outlook, on to your word processor.

 Apple Contacts List

You can export Apple contacts into the word processor and use it as your mailing
list for mail merge.

 Database

Import data from the Database applications before you use it to perform mail
merge. For more information, see Import data from FileMaker Pro database

 Text files

You can use any text file that has data fields separated (or delimited) by tab
characters or commas and data records separated by paragraph marks.

Envelope
When you have bulk mail to send to people on your mailing list, you can use mail
merge to create a batch of addressed envelopes. This is the same one used when
sending a mail via post office. The advantage of using a word processor is that you
can directly print a copy of it and fold it out to be an envelope.
Each envelope will contain an address in your mailing list. You can also create and
print envelopes without using mail merge.

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Labels
One may use address labels when sending a bulk mail to people in the mailing list.
The following are the documents usually involved in creating and printing labels
using the mail merge process:
 Your main document
This is the document you use to set up the layout of the labels in the mail
merge. You can also set up any content that you want repeated on each
label, such as a company logo or your return address on shipping labels.
 Your mailing list
Your mailing list is the data source that Word uses in the mail merge. It's a file
that contains the addresses to be printed on the labels.
When you combine those two documents, you'll have your address labels.
Example of a form containing multiple labels are shown in Figure 2.1.5b.
Steps for Mail Merging
Mail merging requires the given steps below:

1. Creating a Main Document/Template.

2. Creating a Data Source.
3. Defining the Merge Fields in main document.
4. Merging the Data with the main document.
5. Saving/Exporting.

Steps for Label Generation

1. Setting up the Mailing List

2. Prepare the main document for the labels
3. Link the mailing list to your labels.
4. Add the addresses to your labels.
5. Preview and print the labels.
6. Save your labels document.

2.2 Spreadsheets
A spreadsheet is an application designed for managing and organizing the data in
tabular format. This type of document lets users arrange data in rows and columns
of a grid, allowing them to be manipulated and used in calculations. Each cell may
contain either numeric or text data, or the results of formulas that automatically
calculate and display a value based on the contents of other cells. Spreadsheets
are developed as computerized simulations of paper accounting worksheets.
Spreadsheets use formulas to process data and perform integrated calculations.
They're primarily used in business for financial statements, but are also commonly
used for production of breakdown analyses and graphs. The best known

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spreadsheet formats are MS Excel and Lotus, developed in the 1980s and
introduced worldwide by the 1990s.1 Spreadsheets have now standardized most
of the old style accounting methodologies and are a primary source of raw data.

2.2.1 History of Spreadsheets

Daniel Bricklin and Bob Frankston created the first spreadsheet application,
VisiCalc (for "visible calculator"). Lotus 1-2-3 came next, followed by Microsoft
Excel. While Lotus 1-2-3 was the first to introduce cell names and macros,
Microsoft Excel implemented a graphical user interface and the ability to point and
click using a mouse. There are many other spreadsheet applications in the market
today; however, Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Excel continue to be the most popular.
The table below shows specific timeline for the history of spreadsheets 1.

Year Contribution
Professor Richard Mattessich pioneered the development of computerized
speadsheets for use in business accounting. Mattessich's work and that of
other developers of spreadsheets on mainframe computers probably had
1961 little positive influence on Bricklin and Frankston. Dan Bricklin was
preparing a spread sheet analysis for a Harvard Business School "case
study" report and wanted a program where people could visualize the
spreadsheet as they created it.
Dan Bricklin had programmed the first working prototype of his concept in
integer basic. The program helped users input and manipulate a matrix of
five columns and 20 rows. The first version was not very "powerful" so
1978 Bricklin recruited an MIT acquaintance Bob Frankston to improve and
expand the program. Bricklin calls Frankston the "co-creator" of the
electronic spreadsheet. Frankston created the production code with faster
speed, better arithmetic, and scrolling.

Bricklin and Frankston formed Software Arts Corporation. Daniel Fylstra,

founding Associate Editor of Byte Magazine, joined Bricklin and Frankston
in developing VisiCalc. Fylstra and his firm Personal Software (later
1979
renamed VisiCorp) began marketing "VisiCalc" with a teaser ad in Byte
Magazine. The name "VisiCalc" is a compressed form of the phrase "visible
calculator".

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 Fig 2.2.2a Screenshot of VisiCalc running on an Apple II computer2

Mitch Kapor developed Lotus and his spreadsheet program quickly became
the new industry spreadsheet standard.

1983

Figure 2.2.2b Sample Interface of Lotus 1233

Excel was originally written for the 512K Apple Macintosh. Excel was one
of the first spreadsheets to use a graphical interface with pull down menus
1984 and a point and click capability using a mouse pointing device. The Excel
spreadsheet with a graphical user interface was easier for most people to
use than the command line interface of PC-DOS spreadsheet products.
Excel was on the market, being the flagship product for Windows 3.0. It was
the only spreadsheet development for a quite a few years. This gave Excel
1989
the advantage over any Windows based worksheet software that came
afterwards.
IBM acquired Lotus Development and Microsoft Excel is the spreadsheet
1995
market leader.

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2.2.2 Features of Spreadsheets
The following are some of the basic features of spreadsheets:1
Visual Design
Most people process data most easily when it is presented visually, rather than
simply existing as a set of hypothetical numbers in the mind. Spreadsheets allow
you to lay figures out on a grid, calculating and manipulating them visually. Often,
this may result in you being able to process the information more quickly. On a
spreadsheet, you may also notice errors or omissions that you would not have
otherwise.
Automatic Calculations
Spreadsheet software gives you the ability to enter mathematical formulas ranging
from simple arithmetic to complex statistics. This is done in a simple and intuitive
manner; to perform a calculation with two different cells on the spreadsheet, simply
click a cell, press a key for a mathematical operator such as the "+" sign and click
the second cell. This is often a much faster way to perform calculations with your
data than a calculator would be.
Dynamic Updates
In addition to the standard method of entering data in a spreadsheet -- typing
numbers in cells -- you can also create a cell with a value generated dynamically
based on other cells. For example, a cell might display the net profit on the sale of
an item by combining a value in one cell with a certain percentage. Because the
value displayed in the cell is based on the values in two other cells, the cell
dynamically updates when you change either of the referenced cells. This allows
you to test different scenarios by changing the cost of an item, or the percentage
of profit. Any time you base the value of one cell on the value of other cells, the
value of one cell updates automatically when the other is changed.

Data Analysis
Spreadsheet software gives the ability to analyze data in ways other than simply
looking at grids and lines. Most spreadsheet software can automatically create
graphs and charts from your data, giving you different ways of comparing and
analyzing information. These visual representations can also be printed and
emailed, or exported into slide shows for presentations.

2.2.3 How spreadsheets work

One spreadsheet file consists of one or more worksheets. Each worksheet
appears as a grid, in which each row is represented by a number and
each column is represented by a letter ascending alphabetically from left to right.

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The spaces that hold items of data are called cells. Rows and columns are labeled
to give each cell a cell address or reference (e.g., D3 means column D, row 3).
From the image in Figure 2.2.3a, the cell being pointed at is at C5 because it seen
at column C and row 5.
It is also possible to refer to a range of cells collectively. For instance, E4:E12
includes E4, E12 and all of the cells in-between. This is mostly done when you
want to include a range of values in an operation, say the sum or average of the
selected values.

Data may also be referenced from another worksheet. You may do that by
including the spreadsheet name followed by an exclamation point (!) . For example,
if you have the formula =Sheet2!C4, this means that you are accessing the fourth
row (4) third column (C) from worksheet which is named Sheet2.

Each cell may contain numbers, text or formulas. To place a data inside, simply
click on the cell and key in the data that you wish to input.

2.2.3.1 Formulas under Spreadsheets

A spreadsheet can also be set up with an equation to perform involving a set of
data. This is accomplished by using formulas. Formulas in a spreadsheet are
generally math equations and can be tailored to a specific set of data. The formulas
are formed by telling the spreadsheet program what cells to use when calculating
the equation.

The equal sign (=) is used to start up an equation. For example, if you wanted to
multiply the value of cell C3 by the value D7, enter =C3*D7 in an empty cell where
you want that specific data to appear. The program will then multiply the values of
those two cells and provide you with the final result. If you specifically used
constant values in the formula, then the result will be based from the operation
used and the constants involved (e.g., =5*4 will result to 20 on the cell where the
equation is placed).
Arithmetic operators
The arithmetic operators, in order of precedence, are:

^ Exponentiation

- Negation

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 */ Multiplication, division

+- Addition, subtraction

The order of precedence indicates which will be computed first. Groupings come
first, which are those enclosed in parentheses. The sequence from the table,
starting from exponentiation up to addition/subtraction, is followed next. For
multiplication and division, whichever operation is encountered first from left will
be prioritized. This goes the same with addition and subtraction.
P- PEMDAS
E - Exponents
M - Multiplication
D - Division
A - Addition
S – Subtraction

Relational operators
Relational operators compare two numbers or two strings. The result is a logical
value expressed as a number, either 1 (=TRUE), or 0 (=FALSE). The relational
operators, in order of precedence, are:

= Equality

<> Inequality

< Less than

> Greater than

<= Less than or equal to

>= Greater than or equal to

2.2.3.2 Spreadsheet Functions

A function is a standard operation used to perform common tasks. It involves
using formulas with reserved words.

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To be able to use a spreadsheet function, use the same way used in creating
formulas, include the function name, then enter the parameters and data enclosed
in parentheses (). Spreadsheet function parameters can be of the following
formats:

 numbers
 cell and range references
 other functions
 text strings which should be enclosed in quotation marks
 dates and times
 logical values (TRUE, FALSE)
 error values.

Multiple parameters may be included in one function, but each parameter should
be separated by commas. Also, arithmetic operators can be used within
parameters. The examples below show the list of examples on possible usage
of the SQRT and SUM function.

 SQRT(9)
o gets the square root of 9; only one parameter is used.
 SQRT(B4)
o gets the square root of the value seen under B4 cell.
 SQRT(7-D4)
o gets the square root of the difference of 7 and the value under the D4 cell.
 SUM(A9:A36)
o gets the sum of all values from cell A9 up to A36

Let us consider the functions considered to be used frequently in spreadsheets:

SUM()
Gets the sum of the arguments.
VLOOKUP()
This function will search for a piece of information in a large table of data and pull
in any field from that table into your new table.
MAX() and MIN()
Returns the largest and smallest value, respectively, from a series of numbers.
ROUND()
Takes an amount that has many decimals and round it off to the preferred number
of decimals.
NOW()
Returns the current date and time

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SQRT()
Gets the square root of the parameter

Mathematical functions

ABS(x) Absolute value function

ALOGIT(l) Antilogarithmic function
CEIL(x) Rounds x up
E() Euler's number
EXP(x) Natural exponential function
FLOOR(x) Rounds x down
INT(x) Integer value function
LN(x) Natural logarithm function
LOG(x) Logarithm function
LOGIT(p) Logit function
MOD(x,d) Modulo function
POWER(x,p) Power function
RAND(x) Random number function (Uniform distribution)
RANDNORM(m,s) Random number function (Normal distribution)
ROUND(x,n) Rounds the number x to n digits
SIGN(x) Sign value
TRUNC(x) Truncates the number x by removing the fractional part

2.2.3.3 Advanced and complex formulas and computations

A spreadsheet may be able to handle not only a series of arithmetic operations but
also a set of complex functions and formulas to arrive at the expected result 1.
VLOOKUP Function
The VLOOKUP formula has four components:

1. Lookup_value: The value to search in the first column of the table array.

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2. Table_array: Two or more columns of data; the values in the first column of
table_array are the values searched by lookup_value.
3. Col_index_num: The column number in table_array from which the matching
value must be returned. A col_index_num of 1 returns the value in the first
column in the table_array; a col_index_num of 2 returns the value in the second
column in table_array, and so on.
4. Range_lookup: A logical value that specifies whether you want VLOOKUP to
find an exact match or an approximate match. If TRUE or omitted, an
approximate match is returned. In other words, if an exact match is not found,
the next largest that is less than lookup_value is returned. If FALSE, VLOOKUP
will find an exact match. If one is not found, the error value #N/A is returned.

Consider the formula: =VLOOLUP(A4, Items, 2) * B4

Conditional Functions
Conditional functions, like conditional formatting, are great features to help you
highlight or manipulate select information based on specified criteria. A
spreadsheet evaluates the source against the criteria, and returns a value if the
logical test is “true” and a different value for “false”. In the same way, it will perform
a function, like adding or counting, based on the logical test.

 The elements “value_if_true” and “value_if_false” may be a static value or

another formula.
 Up to 7 functions may be nested to create some very elaborate tests.
 If, Countif, and Sumif perform the logical test using single criteria.
 Countifs, and Sumifs perform the logical test on a range of cells that meet
multiple criteria.

IF function is straightforward. The reference cell is tested against criteria and will
return a value or perform another function if the test returns true or false.
“Logical_test” includes both the cell reference and the criteria, such as “B4 is less
than 20.”
Syntax: IF(logical_test,value_if_true,value_if_false)
In this example, we are testing against the width of a book. If the width is under
.375 in (3/8 in), the book requires a pamphlet binding (pam). If the width were equal
or over .375 in, the book would require library binding (LB).
Formulas with nested functions
In spreadsheet formulas, nesting one function within another means using one
function as an argument of another function. Here is a very simple example of a
nested formula that includes the SUM function to find the total of the values from

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cell B2 up to B6, and ROUND function to round the result to the nearest integer (0
decimal places):
=ROUND(SUM(B2:B6),0)
Of all the spreadsheet functions, IF is nested more often than all others. As you
probably know, the IF function is used to evaluate a specified condition and return
one value when condition is met, and another value when the condition is not met.
However, quote often you have to deal with situations where there are more than
two possible outcomes. And if this case, you can write several IF functions and
nest them into each other:
Array formulas
A single array formula can perform thousands of calculations and replace
hundreds of usual formulas.
Supposing you have 2 columns of numbers, column A and B. And you want to
know how many times column B is greater than or equal to column A when a value
in column B is greater than 0.
This task requires comparing two ranges and you can do this by using the following
array formula:
=SUM((B2:B10>=A2:A10) * (B2:B10>0))

Statistical functions
Some basic statistical operations like finding mean, median and mode can be
implemented under spreadsheets. Below are the list of basic functions that we can
use in the spreadsheet.

Average Function (Mean)

One of the most used statistical functions is Mean. Mean is simply the average of
all the data, so we can simply use the Average function and select the range which
needs to be averaged. In the example below, if we want to know the mean of the
data from column A, we use =AVERAGE(A3:A13).
Median
Median is a function which is used to find the middle number in a given range of
numbers. When you are finding median manually, you need to sort the data in an
ascending order but in spreadsheet, you can simply use the Median function and
select the range and you will find your median. We take the same example as
above to find the median the set of values in column A. So we use
=MEDIAN(A3:A13).

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Mode
Mode helps you to find out the value that occurs most number of times. When you
are working on a large amount of data, this function can be a lot of help. To find
the most occurring value, use the MODE function and select the range you want
to find the mode of. In our example below, we use =MODE(A3:A13) and since 79
is the value that is seen most of the time (three times), the result of the mode
function is this value.

2.2.4 Charts and Graphs

When a spreadsheet contains a set of data organized within worksheets, you can
represent this data in a form of a chart. This will allow users to view data in a
manner easy to understand. Spreadsheet programs offer automated tools for
transforming data sets into graphs and charts.

Parts of a Graph
All graphs have different parts that enhances the way people may understand the
illustration:

 Title: Provides a brief description explaining what the graph is all about
 Labels: Both seen at horizontal and vertical sides of the graph telling what kind
of data is being shown
 Scale: Number or any other data representation that shows units used on the
graphs
 Key/Legend: this is seen at the side of the graph that indicates what the
color/image is representing

Different Types of Graph

We have different types of charts that user may be able to use depending on the
type of data to be represented or the manner on how the user should present them:
1. Pie chart
A pie chart is a circular type of chart wherein data are represented by slices. It
is generally used to show percentage or proportional data and usually the
percentage represented by each category is provided next to the corresponding
slice of pie.
2. Bar chart
A bar graph is a type of representation where each data is represented by either a
horizontal or vertical bar. The length of the bar is dependent on the number of data

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items corresponding to that row/column. Bar graphs are preferred if the major
concern is the magnitude of data.
3. Line graph
A line graph is a type of graph where the corresponding data is represented by
dots that are interconnected by a line. This is mostly preferred to represent data
for a given set of time as the interconnection illustrates the change in direction if
the data has increased or decreased for a certain period of time.
4. Scatter chart
Scatter charts are almost similar with line graphs except that the dots are not
connected with each other. This type of chart is best used to show the correlation
of variables. This means that it illustrates how much one variable is affected by
another.
2.3 Presentation program
A presentation program is a software package used to display information in the
form of a slide show. It has three major functions: an editor that allows text to be
inserted and formatted, a method for inserting and manipulating graphic images,
and a slide-show system to display the content.1
Presentation software (sometimes called "presentation graphics") is a category of
application program used to create sequences of words and pictures that tell a
story or help support a speech or public presentation of information. Presentation
software can be divided into business presentation software and more general
multimedia authoring tools, with some products having characteristics of
both. Business presentation software emphasizes ease- and quickness-of-
learning and use. Multimedia authoring software enables you to create a more
sophisticated presentation that includes audio and video sequences. Business
presentation software usually enables you to include images and sometimes audio
and video developed with other tools.2
There are common uses for this type of software including, but not limited to, the
following:

 teaching a new or complex concept to a group of students

 announcing the launch a new product or service campaign to employees
 training employees on key concepts or new policies
 presenting a proposal to a group
 presenting a periodic evaluation

Presentation software makes the ability to communicate messages to a group of

people much simpler than other delivery methods. The ability to combine text and
graphics makes the presentation visually enticing. Seeing the presentation while
hearing about it helps both visual and audio learners absorb the information.

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Some very popular presentation software, such as Microsoft's Powerpoint and
Lotus's Freelance Graphics, are sold stand-alone or can come as part of office-
oriented suites or packages of software. Other popular products include Adobe
Persuasion, Astound, Asymetrix Compel, Corel Presentations, and Harvard
Graphics. Among the most popular multimedia authoring tools are Macromedia
Director and Asymetrix's Multimedia Toolbook. These authoring tools include
presentation capability as well. Most if not all of these products come in both PC
and Mac versions.

2.3.1 History of Presentation Software

Originally, presentation programs were used to generate 35 mm slides, presented
using a slide projector. As these programs became more common in the late
1980s, several companies set up services that would accept the shows on diskette
and create slides or print transparencies. In the 1990s dedicated LCD-based
screens that could be placed on the projectors started to replace the
transparencies, and by the late 1990s they had almost all been replaced by video
projectors. After that, there were already numerous applications that have been
introduced to replace the way transparent slides are used to be used in
presentation. The table below further discusses the era for presentation software1.

Year Contribution
The first commercial computer software specifically intended for creating
1979 WYSIWYG presentations was developed at Hewlett Packard and called
BRUNO and later Hpickles are crunchyP-Draw.

The first software displaying a presentation on a personal computer screen

was VCN ExecuVision, developed in 1982. This program allowed users to
choose from a library of images to accompany the text of their presentation.

1982

Figure 2.3.1a Sample slide done using VCN ExecuVision

VCN ExecuVision was the first presentation program for the personal
1983
computer. This program allowed users the ability to manipulate graphics

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 and text not just for business data, but for all communication purposes.
Created by Visual Communications Network, Inc., the benefits of this
software program were first discussed in the journal of Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers. In addition to the benefits of VCN ExecuVision,
the journal published images created by the software, illustrating the new
emerging software available for personal computers at that time.
Microsoft PowerPoint was developed by Bob Gaskins, a former Berkeley
Ph.D. student who envisioned an easy-to-use presentation program that
1984 would manipulate a string of slides. Gaskins joined a failing Silicon Valley
software firm called Forethought and hired a software developer, Dennis
Austin.2
PowerPoint was called "Presenter" initially by Gaskins, but was changed to
PowerPoint to avoid a trademark problem. This application was the first
1987 product to attract strategic venture capital from Apple and later the first
significant acquisition made by Microsoft. Forethought and PowerPoint
were purchased by Microsoft Corporation for $14 million
PowerPoint 3.0 was created, which added output of live video color
1992 slideshows including slide transitions, builds, animations, and synchronized
sound and video clips.

2.3.2 Features of Presentation Program

The following are the standard features of a presentation program1:

 Slides: a container for any mixture of text, images, video, animations, links and
sound that will be displayed one by one during the presentation.
 Layout: this contains formatting, positioning, and placeholders for all of the
content that appears on a slide. Placeholders are the containers in layouts that
hold such content as text (including body text, bulleted lists, and titles), tables,
charts, SmartArt graphics, movies, sounds, pictures, and clip art.
 Templates: existing preset slides and presentations which allow users to
simply put text onto the page. There are already a huge number of designed
templates available to be purchased fairly cheaply from the Internet
 Animation effects: that allow the various elements on each slide to appear
after a certain amount of time or when a presenter presses a button.
 Slide master: this allows the style (font, font size, background etc) to be set
once and then used throughout the presentation
 Transitions: this is how the presentation software “moves” the display of one
slide to another. Transitions usually include dissolving from one slide to the
next or the current slide being moved in some way to show the next slide as
though it was underneath.
 Slide notes: the presenter may be able to see the current slide and any notes
associated with it on his/her display and the audience will see only the slide on
another screen or from a projector.

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2.3.2.1 Slides and Layouts
A slide is considered the initial page for anything that is to be presented. Any text,
images, and videos may be placed inside it and be shown during the presentation.
The slides are shown one by one during the presentation, may it be in an animated
manner or by manual transition based from the click/key input of the presenter.
A layout is simply a style defined within a slide. This includes positioning titles,
images and block of texts to make it more presentable to the user.

Sample layouts are shown below:

1. Blank
This layout is the simplest one, considering the slide is bare and has nothing inside
yet. The user is expected to create an own design for that slide and position any
text or attachment within it

2. Title with Content

This layout allows user to place a title on the top portion of the slide and any content
(text, image, chart, etc.) on the remaining part. The font size of the title portion is
larger compared with the one in the content portion to emphasize the title. List of
items may be arranged in a bulleted or numbered form and may be displayed with
animation for each bullet depending on the transition used.

3. Title
This layout allows a simple title at the center with a subtitle below it. This is used
to startup a set of slides to simply denote what the set is all about.

4. Two Content
This is almost similar with a Title with Content layout wherein the content part is
divided into two. This is useful when the user wishes to illustrate similarities or
differences between the two contents.

2.3.2.2 Animation
In presenting slides, one may be able to add animation effects. Animation has the
following benefits:

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 makes a presentation software more dynamic
 helps the presenter to focus on important points
 aids in controlling the flow of information
 helps in increasing viewer interest in one's presentation.

Types of Animation Effects

1. Entrance
This effect is seen as soon as all or some parts of the slide contents are about to
be shown. The animation shows how the contents are shown into the slide. As
shown below, the contents are being displayed one by one, starting from the title,
the three bullets, the chart, and lastly, the image below the chart.
2. Exit
This effect is seen after displaying all the content of the certain slide, right before
the next slide is to be shown, or if it is the end of the slide, right before the
presentation can be ended. The animation shows how the contents are removed
out of the slide.
3. Motion Paths
This effect allows a certain content to move from current position to another
one within the slide. For example, on the slide shown below, the petals moved
across different paths and went back to original positions. The path of the objects is
defined by the user.
4. Emphasis
This effect allows a certain content within the slide to be given importance. For
instance, each column is highlighted for emphasis on the point that needs to be
discussed as shown in the given slide below.
One can also add sound to increase the intensity of the animation effects.
The transition may be triggered manually via a user input (mouse click or keypress)
or automatically after few seconds or minutes.
Note that too much animation can be distracting. Do not let animation and sound
take the focus away from what you are saying.
2.3.2.3 Slide Master
A slide master is the top slide in a hierarchy of slides that store information about
the theme and slide layouts of a presentation, including the background, color,
fonts, effects, placeholder sizes, and positioning.1
Every presentation contains at least one slide master. The key benefit to modifying
and using slide masters is that you can make universal style changes to every slide
in your presentation, including ones added later to the presentation. When you use

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a slide master, you save time because you don't have to type the same information
on more than one slide. The slide master especially comes in handy when you
have extremely long presentations with lots of slides.
Using Slide Master view
Whether you're making significant changes to your slides or just a few small
tweaks, Slide Master view can help you create a consistent, professional
presentation without a lot of effort. You could use Slide Master view to change just
about anything in your presentation, but here are some of its most common uses 2:

 Modify backgrounds: Slide Master view makes it easy to customize the

background for all of your slides at the same time. For example, you could add
a watermark or logo to each slide in your presentation, or you could modify the
background graphics of an existing theme.
 Rearrange placeholders: If you find that you often rearrange the placeholders
on each slide, you can save time by rearranging them in Slide Master view
instead. When you adjust one of the layouts in Slide Master view, all of the
slides with that layout will change.
 Customize text formatting: Rather than changing the text color on each slide
individually, you could use the Slide Master to change the text color on all slides
at once.
 Create unique slide layouts: If you want to create a presentation that looks
different from regular PowerPoint themes, you could use Slide Master view to
create your own layouts. Custom layouts can include your own background
graphics and placeholders.

Because slide masters affect the look of your entire presentation, when you create
and edit a slide master or corresponding layouts, you work in Slide Master view.
When you go to Slide Master view, you'll see that there are several default layouts
associated with any given slide master. Most likely, you will not use all of the
layouts provided. You choose from the available layouts, the ones that work best
to display your information.

2.3.2.4 Presenter view

You can view your speaker notes privately while delivering a presentation on
multiple monitors. In this way, you can be confident in speaking in front as you
have something from your desktop/laptop that you may look at in case you want
to be reminded of something related to what you are discussing that you suddenly
forget.
The notes can be created for each slide. Their contents may be a summary of the
topic related to the slide or important key points that can remind the speaker about
something that can be discussed during the presentation. The audience will not be
able to see these notes; the only thing visible to them is the presentation slide from
a different monitor or a projector.

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Besides the notes, the other things that the presenter can see are:
1. the current slide number
2. slide thumbnails, so that you select a certain slide if you wish to go back or skip
some slides
3. the time elapsed during the presentation
4. icons that can be clicked to execute an action.

Before the presenter can use this feature, some requirements must be met first:
1. The computer that you are using should be able to support the use of multiple
monitors.
2. Proper configuration when setting up before the presentation. This is usually
done especially if you are to use a projector.
3. Verify if your application has its presenter view feature available and is activated.

2.3.3 Hyperlinks in Presentation Software

A hyperlink, or more commonly called a link, allows the viewer to quickly access
another screen on the computer by simply clicking on a text entry or a graphic
object.
Hyperlinks in a presentation software such as PowerPoint or Open Office Impress
can link to -

 another slide in the presentation, leading either to the following:

o First Slide
o Last Slide
o Next Slide
o Previous Slide
o Any specific slide depending on its Title
 another presentation file
 another slide in a different presentation
 a website
 an email address
 any other file on the computer

Link to Another Presentation or Another File Type

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You are not limited to creating hyperlinks to other PowerPoint slides. You can
create a hyperlink to any file on your computer or network, no matter what program
was used to create the other file.
There are two separate scenarios available during your slide show presentation.

 If the hyperlink goes to another PowerPoint presentation, on click, that

presentation will simply open and be the active presentation on screen.

 If the hyperlink is to a file created in another program, on click, the file will open
in its corresponding program. This will then be the active program on screen.

Linking (or hyperlinking) makes objects and documents “connected” to each other.
To provide an analogy, consider each slide or presentation to be an individual
computer on a network. Individual computers do some awesome work, but the
network is much more useful, and increases the worth of each individual computer.
In this case, the linking adds the “network” to your PowerPoint files. In any of the
linking scenarios, you will find that three factors are always present.
These are:
Anatomy of a Link

1. Anchor: This is the object that you click or hover upon to make the interactivity
happen. These may be any images, pictures, or any texts that when clicked will
allow you to proceed to the destination.
2. Target (Destination): This is what the "anchor" is linked to.
3. Link (Hyperlink): This is what connects the “anchor” with the “target”.

Screen Tip
A screen tip can be added to any hyperlink on a PowerPoint slide. When the viewer
hovers the mouse over the hyperlink during the slide show the screen tip will
appear. This feature can be helpful to indicate additional information that the
viewer may need to know about the hyperlink. A screen tip can be added to any
hyperlink on a presentation slide. When the viewer hovers the mouse over the
hyperlink during the slide show the screen tip will appear. This feature can be
helpful to indicate additional information that the viewer may need to know about
the hyperlink.

2.3.4 Online Presentation Software

Office suite tends to be expensive such that very few are avail such for
presentation purposes. For this reason, there are programs introduced wherein
one does not need to download an office suite to build great-looking presentations
for work, a talk, or school. There are plenty of online options that work well from

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any computer with a web browser, whether it's your desktop, a PC at work, or a
laptop on the go.
Advantages of using Online Presentation Programs

 free or low-cost
 data can be accessed anywhere whenever you need it for as long as you are
online
 files don't need to be carried around inside removable media devices to create
or modify their slides and give a presentation especially if there's a web browser
where the presenter is headed
 it comes with different animations that normal programs from suites do not
have.

Examples of Online Presentation Programs

Prezi
Prezi is a type of visual storytelling medium that connects presenters more
powerfully with their audiences and customers. Unlike slides, Prezis open,
interactive canvas encourages conversation and collaboration, making
presentations more engaging, persuasive, and memorable. Now, Prezi Business
combines the awesome selling power of Prezi with an entire suite of creation,
collaboration, and analytics tools designed just for business teams.1
Google Slides
While other online presentation tools take a more dynamic approach and try to
depart from the PowerPoint-esque style of presentations, Google Sides embraces
it—and that's not a bad thing. If you're already familiar with tools like PowerPoint,
want something familiar but simple and easy to use, Google Slides is the tool for
you. In fact, we should mention it was Another of you favorite PowerPoint
alternatives. It's come a long way since it was introduced, but it manages to
incorporate a professional look and feel along with some interesting and dynamic
transitions, images, presentation themes, and other tools that make it fun and
refreshing to use.1
Like other Google Drive applications, Slides also allows you to collaborate in real
time with other users, and everything is stored on the web, in Google Drive, so you
can get to it any time, on any computer or device, or send it to anyone who needs
to see it. Slides also makes embedding your own images, charts, graphs, videos,
or just about any other type of multimedia relatively easy. Best of all, if you're
coming from a PowerPoint world, Slides can open, save, and convert PowerPoint
files. Offline editing is part of the package, and best of all, it's completely free. If
you have a Google Account, you already have access to it and don't need to sign
up for anything else.

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PowToon
If you've seen animated infographics online, you might already have an idea of
what Powtoon can offer; it's perfect for creating video presentations slightly more
lively and charming than the standard PowerPoint fare, with royalty-free music and
eye-catching looks. Whether its blend of cartoony assets and sprightly animations
is the right thing for you is another question.
Such frivolity may help you stand out, but it might single you out as a presenter
who isn't taking things seriously. That said, Powtoon's dedicated Slides section
provides a more traditional editor for making more straightforward slide decks, and
anything you create there can be later tarted up in the Studio section.
Emaze
Emaze is another great online tool for creating presentations. It has a rich UI, and
lets you create great looking presentations in minutes. It has a wide range of
templates, many created by top designers, that let you make stunning content.
Emaze also has the option of creating cool 3D presentations, which stand out from
the rest. It is cloud-based, built with HTML 5 and accessible across all devices and
platforms. Emaze presentations by default are stored in the .emaze format and
require you to download the Emaze viewer to view offline (only available for
Windows and Mac). 2
Haiku Deck
It is a presentation software that is powered by Artificial Intelligence. Haiku Deck
lets you create instant presentations, with nearly zero sweat. The point of Haiku
Deck is to help make your storytelling simple and fun. Haiku Deck was founded on
the premise that simple, modern, and elegant slide decks should be the norm,
instead of overly dense, difficult to read, and difficult to digest ones. Similarly, the
service makes creating those presentations easy, thanks to its webapp (and iPad
app). Slides made using Haiku Deck focus on imagery and graphics, with a few
words per-slide, but you're free to customize your slideshows so they work best for
the story you're trying to tell.

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 Module 3:
IMAGING AND DESIGN

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3.1 Basic Principles of Graphics and Layout

Layout

 Layout is the process of planning and arranging in detail something such as a

page or book to be reproduced.

Graphics

 Based on dictionary definition, graphics are visual images or designs on some

surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone to inform, illustrate, or
entertain.
 But in engineering, graphics may refer to any computer device or program that
makes a computer capable of displaying and manipulating pictures.
 The term also refers to the images themselves.
 For example, laser printers and plotters are graphics devices because they
permit the computer to output pictures. A graphics monitor is a display monitor
that can display pictures. A graphics board (or graphics card) is a printed circuit
board that, when installed in a computer, permits the computer to display
pictures.

The principles of design are balance, proximity, alignment, repetition, contrast and
white space. The principles govern the relationships between the elements used
in the design and organize the composition as a whole. Successful design
incorporates the use of the principles to communicate the intended message
effectively. They help designers organize the images and type on the page, so that
it feels more comfortable to viewers and makes a greater impact.

3.1.1 Balance
 Balance is an equal distribution of weight. In terms of graphics, this applies to
visual weight. Each element on a layout has visual weight that is determined
by its size, darkness or lightness, and thickness of lines. Balance is vital to the
success of a design.
 There are two main types of balance.

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a. SYMMETRICAL BALANCE

 Symmetrical balance is an arrangement of elements so that they are

evenly distributed to the left and to the right, or top and bottom of
center.

 Examples of Symmetrical Balance

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b. ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE

 Asymmetrical balance is an arrangement of unlike objects of equal weight on

each side of the page. Color, value, size, shape, and texture can be used as
balancing elements.

 Examples of Asymmetrical Balance

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 Tips on creating balance
o Colors have weight (Red = Heavy, Baby Blue = Light)

 Text/type must be legible. Use simple font. Also consider the size (Larger =
Heavier)

 Lines: Thin vs. thick

 Alignment of elements is important, whether it be text or images.

 Use proper justification (left, center or right)
 Images should be big enough and must be in high resolution
 Caption all photos possible, and DO NOT forget to add credits!

3.1.2 Proximity
 The Principle of Proximity demands that related items be grouped together, be
move physically close to each other so that they appear as one cohesive group

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 rather than a bunch of unrelated bits. The basic purpose of proximity is to
organize. Simply grouping related elements together into closer proximity
automatically creates organization. If the information is organized, it is more
likely to be read and remembered.
 For example, here refer to the three business cards below.

This business card has 5

separate elements which
compete for the viewer's
attention

Your eye does not know

where to look first. The
information is not
organized and is lacking
proximity.

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 By grouping related
information together, the
design becomes more
clear and organized.

 When you create a flyer, a brochure, a newsletter, or whatever, you already

know which pieces of information are logically connected, you know which
information should be emphasized and what can be de-emphasized. Express
that information graphically by grouping it.

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 As in life, the proximity, or the closeness, implies close relationship. By
grouping similar elements into one unit, several things instantly happen: The
page becomes more organized; you understand where to begin reading the
message; and you know when you are finished. And the "white space" (the
space around the letters) automatically becomes more organized as well.

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3.1.3 Alignment

 New designers tend to put text and graphics on the page whenever there is
space, often without regard to any other items on the page. The Principle of
Alignment states, "Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item
should have a visual connection with something else on the page." When items
are aligned, the result is a stronger cohesive unit. The basic purpose of
alignment is to unify and organize the page.

Left aligned type does not

connect to the image on
the right. Our eyes are
drawn in two separate
directions.

Aligning the type to the

right, along the edge of
the image creates a
visual alignment and
creates unity!

 Be conscious of where you place the elements (line, image, type).

 Always find something else on the page to align with, even if the two objects
are physically far away from each other.
 Avoid using more than one text alignment on the page (that is, don't center
some text and right-align other text).

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 Competing alignments (left and center) Left and right alignment creates
balance

Center alignment Left alignment

3.1.4 Repetition

 The Principle of Repetition states, "Repeat some aspect of the design

throughout the entire piece." The repetitive element may be a bold font, a thick
line, a certain bullet, a color, a design element, a particular format, a spatial
relationship, etc. It can be anything that a reader will visually recognize as being
a “theme.” Repetition can be thought of as consistency. It is a conscious effort
to unify all parts of a design.

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 The card has a strong left
alignment but no repetition.
Where do your eyes look first?
When they get to the bottom of
the card, where do you look
next?

By making the last element bold

(the phone number), we are
using repetition to keep the
viewer's eyes on the card longer.
From the bottom, we look back to
the top.

 Repetition helps organize the information. It guides the reader and helps to
unify parts of the design. Repetitive elements establish a sophisticated
continuity and can "tie the whole thing together."
 Business identity, also known as “branding” requires a strong use of repetition
so the customer can easily identify the business

Envelope

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Letterhead & Business Card

 A repetition of visual elements throughout the design unifies and strengthens

a piece by tying together otherwise separate parts. Repetition creates unity and
adds visual interest. Think of repetition as consistency. Then push the existing
consistencies a little further. Avoid repeating the element so much that it
becomes annoying or overwhelming.

3.1.5 Contrast

 Contrast is the most effective way to add visual interest to your page. Contrast
is also crucial to the organization of information - a reader should always be
able to glance at a document and instantly understand what's going on. Add
contrast through your type face choices, line thicknesses, colors, shapes,

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 sizes, space, etc. The Principle of Contrast states, "If two items are not exactly
the same, then make them different. Really different."

This design lacks contrast because the size, color, and style of typeface are all the
same. It looks boring and can easily get overlooked.

By changing the font, increasing the size, and adding shapes or color, we have
used contrast to create a more eye-catching design.

 Contrast has two purposes:

o To create an interest on the page. If a page is interesting to look at, it is
more likely to be read.
o To aid in the organization of the information. The message should be clear
and easily recognizable.

 Tips on adding contrast

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 o Add contrast through typeface choices, line thicknesses, colors, shapes,
sizes, space, images, etc.

 Don't be a wimp. If you're going to contrast, do it with strength.

 Avoid contrasting a sort-of-heavy line with a sort-of-heavier line.
 Avoid using two or more typefaces or colors that are similar.
 If the items are not exactly the same, make them different!

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3.1.6 White Space
 “White space is the art of nothing. White space is the absence of text and
graphics.” It breaks up the elements on the page. It provides visual breathing
room for the eye. Add white space to make a page less cramped, confusing,
or overwhelming. White space doesn’t actually have to be white. It gets its
name from the early days of graphic design where most printing was done on

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 white paper. White space can be black, blue, red, etc. whatever color the
background is. White space is also referred to as “negative space”.

 White space always occurs in a design from the moment you open up a blank
document, when the design begins with white space. There are two types of
white space, the undefined white space, which is what you get when you open
a new document, and active white space, which occurs when an object is
placed in an undefined white space.

 White space is made of nothing, but shouldn’t be treated that way. There are
several benefits that a generous dose of white space can bring to a design.
Simply by increasing the space between elements in a layout, a design can
take on a more elegant appearance, and by injecting more white space into a
design’s typography, content becomes more legible.

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 New designers always tend to forget the principle of white space. They often
try to fill the entire page, but it is important to remember that in design,
sometimes LESS is MORE!

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Remember these 6 principles and apply them to your designs. You will find that
they often work hand-in-hand and eventually you will begin to use them without
even thinking about it. All great designs are founded on these principles:

3.2 Visual Message Designs

Visual message design involves the appropriate considerations of visual

perceptions when designing an instructional program. The interpretation of
pictures is based on prior experiences, culture, etc. When designing an
instructional program, it is important to consider the culture, educational ability, and
language of the audience. The purpose of visual message design is to gain
attention, create meaning, and facilitate retention.

Examples of Visual Message Design

 Representational
 Analogical
 Charts and graphs

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Infographics are one of the most challenging types of visual communication,
primarily because their creation cannot be left to chance or luck and the difficulty
of accumulating multiple objects to form one uniform visual representation.
Depending on the complexity of data presented, an infographic can be quite an
extensive and laborious process. Data collection alone is time consuming,
because you have to carefully filter the information from the most credible resource
you can find.
What are infographics?

 When a complex piece of information needs to be described quickly, precisely

and clearly, a graphic is suitable. Infographics are used for signs, maps and
data presentations. Scientists, technical writers, mathematicians, educators
and statisticians ease the process of developing, organizing, recording and
communicating conceptual information by using infographics.
 The term “Infographics” is applied to information, data or knowledge that is
presented in graphic visual form and that presents a clear message quickly and
clearly.
 A well-known example would be a simple yet effective road sign. A bright
yellow triangle at the side of the road alerts you that there is something to be
cautious about ahead so you glance quickly at the sign and see the clear black
image of rocks falling onto the roadway. You are instantly aware that you
should keep your eye out for falling rocks. The message is delivered, quickly
and simply, and you can go on with your drive.
 An effective infographic grabs your attention and keeps it just long enough to
deliver an important message or teach you important information.

Infographics are used for the following reasons:

 To communicate a message,
 To present a lot of data or information in a way that is compact and easy to
comprehend,
 To analyze data in order to discover cause-and-effect relationships,
 To periodically monitor the route of certain parameters.

3.2.1 Principles of Visual Message Design using Infographics

 BE UNIQUE
 One of the most important aspects of designing an effective infographic
is to make it engaging and memorable with a unique twist on something
that everyone can relate to.
 Don’t just generate a basic bar graph or chart inside a software
application, throw in your data, and expect anyone to be super excited
about it.

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  Design something unique that will capture the attention of the audience
you are seeking to draw in.
 Using something unexpected in an ordinary bar graph, for instance, will
draw interest and get your point across.

This Twitter infographic writes out the data, rather than visualizing it

 One example would be having 3D skyscrapers representing the number of

construction projects completed in the past decade, showing the growing trend
as each skyscraper reaches higher on the graph.

 KEEP IT SIMPLE
o Even though you want to shoot for interesting and unique, don’t throw in so
much detail and extraneous information in a way that the audience is
overwhelmed by everything going on in your infographic.
o Using too many different images and designs or filling backgrounds with too
much color or full photographs may actually make your data harder to
understand.
o The audience can be distracted trying to comprehend all the visual
information being thrown at them, hindering their ability to focus on the main
point.
o Everyone must remember that in this generation, so much information is
available that when people see too much to digest and comprehend quickly,

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 they are probably going to turn away or click somewhere else because it
looks too complicated to be worth their time!!

Here, there are two ways to visualize the data from the Twitter example above.

 BE CREATIVE AND BOLD

o For a truly impactful design that gets your message across, it’s important to
make sure that your main message is bold and obvious.
o Creative enough to just give it that special little twist.
o For instance, a statement written in a neutral font such as Arial can highlight
the most important points by presenting a few of the words in a creative font
that artfully describes the meaning of each important word.
o You can perhaps use shapes or images in place of some of the letters or
words to emphasize meaning.
o Simple, bold creativity is your key to grabbing attention quickly and getting
your message across with effective infographics
o Here are some examples on how to dress up simple graphs for an
infographic

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 LESS IS MORE
o Keeping your text minimal will most likely produce more impact than a page
full of words.
o People are bombarded with information all day long, including blaring
images, bright colors and blinking lights. Your goal is to entice them to stop
scrolling and look at your infographic.
o An effective image will grab the attention of the audience with something
as simple as an effectively displayed word that makes them stop and read
the important information below it. Remember that you want to capture the

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 attention of your audience, make your statement, and entice them to click
“share”.
o Make sure your message gives them some piece of interesting information
that will not be easily forgotten.

 SHARING
o The final and most important thing you want from an effective infographic
is a simple way for people to share it with their friends.
o Include links reminding people that they want their friends to enjoy the
information they have just found.
o A simple row of “share me” buttons will do. Readers can quickly forward the
information to their Facebook friends, Pinterest followers, Email contact list,
Google plus circles, and more.
o Make sure that forwarding can be done in only a couple of clicks. If it gets
too complicated, most people will close the box and move on to something
else. Only a handful of people will have the patience to copy and paste the
url manually.
o Never forget that your biggest harvest of unique visitors and audiences will
come as everyone passes your infographic around with the magic of
internet forwarding.

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Share buttons we usually see when visiting a certain website. It enables us to share
the articles or any post that we want to share from the site.

3.2.2 Learning from the Past and Looking to the Future

While it’s true that infographics have been around for many years, their importance
and impact has increased as they have become distributed by the masses through
the internet. Today, a cleverly designed, high impact infographic can deliver a
message around the world within moments after release. With the rise in popularity
of free sharing tools, the audience itself becomes the largest distributor of the
information.
Social media sites have made a game out of sharing visual messages that make
an impact in an interesting, unique way, so clever infographics have the potential
to go viral within only a few days, or in some cases, within hours. Make sure your
organization understands these principles so your team can create effective
infographics with maximum impact. With effective, high impact infographics that
grab the attention of the people, you can sit back and watch as the magic of internet
distribution delivers your important message to the world.

3.3 Online file formats for images and text

JPEG

 JPEG images (short for Joint Photographic Experts Group) are “full-color
images that dedicate at least 24 bits of memory to each pixel, resulting in
images that can incorporate 16.8 million colors,” and are frequently referenced
by their file extension, JPG.

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 JPEGs are also “lossy,” meaning they retain all color information, but compress
file size by selectively discarding data—and that compression can result in a
loss of quality.
 In most design programs, you can choose the degree of compression you wish
to apply to individual images—just be aware that by doing so, you also will alter
the image’s quality. As a result, if you choose the maximum quality option, your
image will most likely be indistinguishable from your original photograph, albeit
with a correspondingly larger file size.

Pros and Cons of using JPEG

JPEGs are great for photographs and images with lots of colors.

By way of contrast, here the same text captured as a GIF.

As you can see, the text is much clearer in the GIF. Artifacts (The little bits of "fuzz")
in the space around the letters in the JPEG cause the text to look blurry or dirty.
Here's the same example zoomed in:

However, JPEGs are probably not the best option for images containing text. Here
is a snippet of text saved as a JPEG.

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These little grey artifacts are part of the way JPEG compression works. The very
thing that helps make photographs look more realistic at high compression sticks
out like a sore thumb when you save a text or clip art image as a JPEG file.
If large headlines look that bad, can you imagine how illegible smaller copy might
get?
GIF

 GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format.

 GIF is one of the file formats used to display indexed-color graphics and images
in HTML documents on the web.
o This means that a GIF will only display a maximum of 256 colors; as a
result, GIFs are great for images with simple illustrations and blocks of
colors, like logos and icons, but probably not the best option for
photographs.
 GIFs preserve transparency.
o You can use image-editing software to select colors in a GIF image’s color
palette to become transparent. This allows you to put a GIF over a colored
background, or even a photograph, and you won’t see a border around the
image.
o However, GIF transparency is not selective. This means that if you make a
color transparent, that color will become transparent in the entire image.

The original picture has a transparent background. (Vectored)

The original image was placed at the top of a black image

 GIFs support animation, which is an increasingly popular technique in email

design!

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PNG

 PNGs, or Portable Network Graphics, offer a wide range of attractive features.

 Full range of color depths, support for sophisticated image transparency, better
interlacing, and automatic corrections for display monitor gamma.
 PNG images can also hold a short text description of the image’s content,
which allows Internet search engines to search for images based on these
embedded text descriptions.
 There are two types of PNG formats: PNG-8 and PNG-24.
o The PNG-8 format is similar to GIFs in the fact that they are saved with 256
colors maximum.
o The PNG-24 format is able to display millions of colors, but also comes with
a larger file size.
o The rule of thumb here is to choose whichever format is an appropriate
balance of color and file size for your particular needs.
 PNGs are also capable of producing background images without jagged edges.
 They can be used for photographs, PNGs typically have larger file sizes than
JPEGs since they use lossless compression.
 A negative of the PNG format is that they are not supported by all web browsers
or early versions of Lotus Notes.

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In this website, you can see how only the PNGs are disabled, while JPEGs and
GIFs render just fine:

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BMP

 BMP is short for "Bitmap." It can be pronounced as "bump," "B-M-P," or simply

a "bitmap image."
 The BMP format is a commonly used raster graphic format for saving image
files.
 It was introduced on the Windows platform, but is now recognized by many
programs on both Macs and PCs.
 The BMP format stores color data for each pixel in the image without any
compression.
o For example, a 10x10 pixel BMP image will include color data for 100 pixels.
This method of storing image information allows for crisp, high-quality
graphics, but also produces large file sizes.
 The JPEG and GIF formats are also bitmaps, but use image compression
algorithms that can significantly decrease their file size. For this reason, JPEG
and GIF images are used on the Web, while BMP images are often used for
printable images.

TIF

 TIF is lossless (including LZW compression option), which is considered the

highest quality format for commercial work.
 The TIF format is not necessarily any "higher quality" per se (the same RGB
image pixels, they are what they are), and most formats other than JPG are
lossless too.
 TIF simply has no JPG artifacts, no additional losses or JPG artifacts to
degrade and detract from the original.
 TIF is the most versatile, except that web pages don't show TIF files.
 For other purposes however, TIF does most of anything you might want, from
1-bit to 48-bit color, RGB, CMYK, LAB, or Indexed color.
 Most any of the "special" file types (for example, camera RAW files, fax files,
or multipage documents) are based on TIF format, but with unique proprietary
data tags - making these incompatible unless expected by their special
software.

EPS

 EPS stands for "Encapsulated PostScript."

 EPS is a PostScript image file format that is compatible with PostScript printers
and is often used for transferring files between various graphics applications.
 EPS files will print identically on all PostScript-compatible printers and will
appear the same in all applications that can read the PostScript format.

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 As the name implies, EPS files contain PostScript code, which is used for
storing font and vector image information.
 EPS files may also include a rasterized version of the image used for
previewing the contents of the file.

WHICH FORMAT IS BEST?

Unfortunately, there is no right answer. You need to determine which file format is
most appropriate for the content of that image. If you’re looking to include
animation, the GIF format is the obvious choice. Need your photographs to retain
their detail and color? Go with a JPEG.
SUMMARY:

3.4 Image Manipulation

Image Manipulation is an art that involves transforming or altering an image using
different methods and techniques to achieve desired results.
Photo manipulation techniques are used by many designers to create extremely
creative works of art. Once you understand the key focus points in photo
manipulation, you can create anything you can imagine.

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3.4.1 Principles and basic techniques of image manipulation
These are the six focus points for successful image manipulation. These examples
are in no particular order of importance.

A. Proportion
Proportion is probably one of the most important things a designer must possess
if he wants to do image manipulations. This will make the image more realistic if
the original design is extremely far-fetched. For example, you cannot have your
dog bigger than your house, or your horse bigger than your car.
Remember that images that are supposed to be far away have to be smaller than
the ones that are closer. Below is an example of great proportioning.

B. Texture
Texture is the surface quality of the image. It adds to the depth of the image and
blends all the images together evenly. Blending is a huge part of image
manipulation, so textures are something a designer has to carefully select. For
example, a designer is trying to go for an image manipulation that is dark and dirty
looking, use a rough ground surface as a background texture; or if looking for
something smoother, use paper or a wall texture.
Below is an image manipulation with a grungy and dark feel to it. It uses a nice
cracked surface texture. The three dimensional elements that the artist used are
about the same color as the texture, so they blend smoothly.
Remember if you do not have a background for your photo manipulation, you
should use a texture that will match the mood you are trying to set in your art.

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C. Color Blending
Not every image you use is going to match your background, your texture, or even
other images. That is where color blending comes in. Colors like pink, white,
yellow, and orange blend together easily. That is what a designer should look for
at first; colors readily blend.
An excellent example of color blending is shown below. We see many types of
different flowers throughout the whole piece. Even with a large amount, they still
blend very nicely to form a whole.

D. Emphasis on Detail
When creating a piece of art, set one area as the main focus. You want to draw
the viewer’s eyes instantly to that spot. There are multiple techniques to achieve
that. One way is to work on focusing attention on the most vibrant, colorful, or sharp
area in the design.
A good example of emphasis on a certain part of a design is the artwork below.
The fire is the first thing that catches the viewer's eye. The fire is the most vibrant
and brightest part of the image, so it instantly stands out. That is exactly what you
want: for a part of the image to instantly stand out when someone looks at the
piece of art.

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E. Combining Multiple Images
Images are like missing puzzle pieces; without them, you can never fully complete
the puzzle. So choose them carefully. You may need to look at multiple stock
images before choosing the right ones for your composition.
An example of a great use of stock images is below.

There are plenty of images in this artwork, but the composition maintains its
coherence. In your design, you can use a multitude of images, but they all have to
flow properly, and be used to your advantage.

F. Shadows
Image manipulations are made so that you can bring out things that would never
happen in the real world. Shadows also make the image more realistic, because
they emphasize the object effectively. It is realistic in a way that every item has a
shadow if it needs one and every item is proportional to everything else.

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Look at the image carefully and notice that the airplanes have shadows under
them. The paint brush, pencil, and the paint bucket all have shadows under them,
which all add to the realism of the image manipulation.

3.4.2 Basic image manipulation using offline or open-Source

Software
SketchUp is a 3D modeling computer program for a wide range of drawing
applications such as architectural, interior design, civil and mechanical
engineering, film, and video game design. This application is an open-source
software that can be used offline, of course when its installed in a personal
computer.
SketchUp can also be used in image manipulation. This feature of SketchUp can
be done together with another image editing software, such as Photoshop. The
following steps explain the basic image manipulation using SketchUp with
Photoshop.
1. Choosing Your Default Image Editor for SketchUp
Make sure Adobe Photoshop is your default image editor. If it is not, go to Window
> Preferences > Applications and browse for your Photoshop.exe file. You should
find it in your Photoshop program file folder. Double click the Photoshop icon and
that will load the exe. file.

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2. Editing Your Material
To edit the material, just right click on the material and select Edit Texture
Image from the Context menu that appears. This will open your image editing
software, in this case Photoshop.

3. Editing in Photoshop
At this stage, your image editing software, i.e., Photoshop, should have opened
automatically. Edit your image as required and once finished Flatten
Image and Save it. The file will be saved in a temporary folder.

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4. The Image is Updated in SketchUp
The image is automatically updated in SketchUp once you Save and Flatten it in
Photoshop. The saved image is located in a temporary folder used by SketchUp.

Another way to access your editing software is to go to Windows>Materials and

click on the Edit tab (1) in the Dialog box and then click on Edit texture image in
external editor icon (2) as highlighted by the arrows in the image below.

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And the screen shot of the material being edited in Paint Shop Pro.

Again, Flatten and Save the image to update in SketchUp. Simply, in SketchUp,
all you have to do is to use those pins to adjust your materials and if you are not
satisfied will your texture, you can just shift back to Photoshop and do some more
work on it, which is the big plus in SketchUp 7.

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Here are some renders and project samples using this useful method of editing
materials. To get a good result, proper texturing is a must.

Materials Edited

Final Podium Render

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3.5 Combining text, graphics and images

Graphics

 Graphics may refer to any computer device or program that makes a computer
capable of displaying and manipulating pictures. The term also refers to the
images themselves.

Text

 These can be words, sentences, or paragraphs. Text processing refers to the

ability to manipulate words, lines, and pages. Typically, the term text refers to
text stored as ASCII codes in computer language.

Introduction:
In SketchUp, combining text and graphics is significant since it will make the viewer
and the modeler understand each other. This can be further depicted in the
following figure using the four types of text.

 Screen text - The most basic text in SketchUp, screen text (Callout 1) is fixed
to the screen regardless of how you manipulate or orbit a model. Screen text
is not attached to any entity.
 Leader text - A leader is the line or arrow pointing to a model entity. Predictably,
leader text (Callout 2) has a leader line that points to a specific entity in your
model.
 3D text - 3D text (Callout 3) is made of actual edges and faces that become
part of your model.
 Dimensions - When you want to indicate a length, radius, or diameter, use the
Dimension tool to create a dimension entity (Callout 4). A dimension entity,
which is linked to the line, circle, or arc entity you choose, displays a
measurement automatically and updates that measurement dynamically as
you work on your model.

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You create screen text and leader text with the Text tool, create 3D text with the
3D Text tool, and dimensions with the Dimension tool.
These are additional tools that can enhance your model. With colors, textures, and
photos, you can improve details that make a 3D model look realistic and complete:

 Colors are like paint.

 Textures add realistic materials, such as carpet, tile, grass, wood, glass, and
anything else you can capture as a digital image.
 Photos can be pinned to your model (or just a face within it).

In SketchUp’s Materials browser (Microsoft Windows) or Colors browser (Mac OS

X), you can find and edit predefined colors and textures. The color and texture
materials not only enhance detail to model, but also enable you to swap one
material for another with a click and to calculate what materials you need. For
example, if you’re creating a precise model of something that you plan to build in
real life, you can use the color and texture materials to determine details such as
how much surface area you need to paint or how many square feet of tile you need.
In SketchUp, texture materials are typically photos that are tiled on a face.
However, you may want a single photo to cover a face instead.

With the Match Photo feature, you can apply one or more photos to a 3D model’s
faces or draw a model based on a photo. Match Photo is especially helpful if you’re
modeling an existing structure that you can photograph. By matching photos to
your model, you can show quite a bit of detail without having to create that yourself,
and SketchUp can render a model with photos faster than one with lots of detailed
geometry. To mix your own colors to simulate paint or to colorize a texture, you
need to understand a bit about how SketchUp’s color pickers reflect the underlying
technologies for digital colors.

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3.6 Uploading, sharing and image hosting platforms

3D Warehouse
The 3D Warehouse is a wide collection of 3D models that is free and easily
explorable. If you have a Google SketchUp model you want to share with the world,
share with just a few people, or just store on Google’s servers for safekeeping, the
3D Warehouse is where you put it.
Two categories:

 Geolocated – These are things that exist in a specific geographic location.

Some examples are buildings, monuments, bridges, and dams. These models
can be seen on the 3D Buildings layer in Google Earth. Hence, the 3D
Warehouse is where the data came from.
 Not geolocated – These are objects that don’t exist in any one geographic
location. Some examples are toasters, SUVs, wheelchairs, and sofas.

Uploading a model to the 3D warehouse can make you a SketchUp modeler, who
can fill the 3D warehouse with models. There are two options to make your model
accessible or otherwise. You can make a model public so that other 3D Warehouse
users can view and download your model. You can keep an uploaded model
private so that the model is accessible only to you on your My 3D Warehouse page.
Note: To upload models to 3D Warehouse, you need a create an account. If you
already have an account, just create a user account and sign in.

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Uploading a model or component from SketchUp
From SketchUp, you can upload an open model or a component within an open
model. When you upload from SketchUp, your model or component is available as
an SKP File, COLLADA File, and optionally an STL File.
Steps To Upload Model In 3D Warehouse:

1. Open the model you want to upload in SketchUp and fiddle around with your
view until you like what you see. When you upload a model to the 3D
Warehouse, SketchUp automatically creates a preview image that’s a
snapshot of your modeling window.

2. Choose File, 3D Warehouse, Share Model. A minibrowser window opens, and

it shows the logon screen for the 3D Warehouse. If you want to upload models,
you need a Google account. They’re free; you just need a valid email address
to get one. If you don’t already have one, follow the onscreen instructions to
sign up. When you create your Google account, be sure to type something
where the system asks for a nickname. If you don’t, everything you upload is
attributed to Anonymous.

3. Enter your Google account information, click the Sign In button, and fill out the
Upload to 3D Warehouse form as completely as you can.

4. Click the Upload button to add your model to the 3D Warehouse. If everything
works properly, you see a page with your model on it, along with all the
information you just entered.

Tip: Use the component option when you want to upload only a part of a SketchUp
model, such as a single building from a model of a larger development.

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3.6.1 SketchUp and Google Earth
You can place a SketchUp model anywhere on the earth using Google Earth.
Google Earth is an application where you can view satellite imagery, maps, terrain,
3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean.
Steps to place model in Google Earth:

1. Open SketchUp.
2. Draw a model in SketchUp
3. Import the site from Google Maps by selecting the icon in the SketchUp menu
bar with the yellow arrow pointing down.

An “Add Location” Dialogue box will appear:

4. Type in the address of the location you want, and then click on “Select
Region” button. You can then adjust the pins at the corners and, then select
the “Grab” button.

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If you don't like the background, click on it so the border turns red, then right click
and select "unlock" from the context cursor menu. The border will then turn blue.
The Original 3D image in Google Earth:

The image SketchUp after importing the Google Earth site to SketchUp:

You can move, rotate or scale your drawing on the Google Maps background, but
you will not be able to change the background. After you have the building where
you want it, and want to see how it will look in Google Earth in 3D, export it along

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with the site to Google Earth by selecting the "Place Model" icon in the SketchUp
menu bar with the orange arrow pointing up.

The "placed" model will look in 3d in Google Earth:

Note that you can continue to make changes to the model in SketchUp and use
"Place Model" again to update it.
Click “Yes” to update the image in Google Earth

3.6.2 Sharing a Model on a Website or via Social Media

3D Warehouse is all about sharing and that ethos extends to websites and social
media. Before you embed a 3D model in a web page, read the 3D Warehouse
Terms of Use.
Steps to embed a 3D Warehouse model on a web page:

1. On the model details page, click the Embed tab in the sidebar on the right.
2. Select Thumbnail to get HTML code for embedding a thumbnail image of the
model. Select 3D Viewer for HTML code that embeds a 3D viewer on a web

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 page. For the 3D viewer to work on a web page, the visitor’s web browser
needs to support WebGL.
3. In the Embed This Model window that opens, as shown in the following figure,
copy the code snippet, which you can then insert into your web page. You may
want to save the code snippet to a TXT file that you can save to your hard drive,
especially if you don’t plan to embed the code snippet right away.
4. Click the Close button.

Tip: If you want, you can change the width and height attributes in the HTML code
snippet.
You can also share a model on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest directly
from the model details page.

Steps to share a model via social media:

1. On the model details page, scroll down to the Share tab.

2. Click the icon for the social media service on which you want to share your
model.
3. On the window that appears, enter your login name and password (if you’re not
already logged in) and follow the onscreen prompts to share your model.

Example of sharing in:

1. Facebook

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2. Twitter

4. Tumbler

5. Instagram

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 Module 4:
PLATFORMS AS TOOLS
FOR ICT CONTENT
DEVELOPMENT

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4.1 Presentation/ Visualization Online Platform

 Prezi is a presentation tool that can be used as an alternative to traditional

slide making programs such as PowerPoint. Instead of slides, Prezi makes
use of one large canvas that allows you to pan and zoom to various parts of
the canvas and emphasize the ideas presented there. https://prezi.com/ (Links
to an external site.)Links to an external site.

 Slideshare is a slide hosting service, acquired by LinkedIn in 2012. It allows

users to upload files (PowerPoint, PDF, Keynote, or OpenDocument
presentations), either privately or publicly. The slide decks can then be viewed
on the site itself or can be embedded on other
sites. http://www.slideshare.net (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site.

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 MindMeister provides a way to visualize information in mind
maps utilizing user modeling, while also providing tools to facilitate real
time collaboration, task management and creating presentations. By using
cloud storage, MindMeister can distribute changes in mind maps in real-time
to all users on all devices. Mind maps can be shared both privately with an
unlimited amount of users and publicly. https://www.mindmeister.com (Links
to an external site.)Links to an external site.

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4.1.1 Cloud Computing Online Platform

 Google Drive is an online storage that allows you to save photos, stories,
designs, drawings, recordings, and videos online and share it with others to
view, download, and collaborate. Files or folders can be shared privately with
particular users having a Google account, using their @gmail.com email
addresses. https://www.google.com/drive/ (Links to an external site.)Links to
an external site.

 Google Docs allows user to create and share your work online and access
your documents from anywhere. Google Docs brings your documents to life
with smart editing and styling tools to help you easily format text and
paragraphs. It allows users to easily manage documents, spreadsheets,
presentations, surveys, and more. https://www.google.com/docs/about/ (Links
to an external site.)Links to an external site.

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 Box is an online file sharing and content management service for businesses.
The company uses a freemium business model to provide cloud storage and
file hosting for personal accounts and
businesses. https://www.box.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site.

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 Dropbox is a file hosting service (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site. that offers cloud storage (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site., file synchronization (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site., personal cloud (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.,
and client (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. software.
Dropbox creates a special folder on the user's computer, the contents are then
synchronized to Dropbox's servers and to other computers and devices that
the user has installed Dropbox on. Everything you keep in Dropbox is synced
automatically to all your devices. https://www.dropbox.com/?landing=fd (Links
to an external site.)Links to an external site.

4.1.2 Nature and Purpose of Online Platforms: Social Media

3. Social Media Online Platform

 Facebook is an online social networking site that allows users to communicate

and stay in touch with friends and family. It is the biggest social network of
students, and is gaining ground among professionals. Facebook application
enables users to add new ways to interact with each other, share messages,
pictures, and videos. https://www.facebook.com/ (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site.

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 Flickr, in addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed
personal photographs, and effectively an online community, is widely used by
photo researchers and bloggers to host images that they embed in blogs
and social media. https://www.flickr.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site.

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 Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing site that allows users to share
pictures and videos. Users can upload media captured in any aspect ratio and
apply digital filters to their images. Videos uploaded on Instagram can support
widescreen resolutions of up to 1080p and longer recording times for either
prerecorded (up to one minute) or disappearing live (up to one hour)
videos. https://www.instagram.com/?hl=en (Links to an external site.)Links to
an external site.

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 LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for the business
community. The goal of the site is to allow registered members to establish
and document networks of people they know and trust professionally. It is
another example of social networking site, although its focus is business and
professional networking. https://www.linkedin.com/uas/login (Links to an
external site.)Links to an external site.

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 SnapChat allows users to talk with friends, view Live Stories from around the
world, and explore news. Snapchat evolved into a mix of private messaging
and public content, including brand networks, publications, and live events
such as sports and music. https://www.snapchat.com/ (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site.

 Skype, owned by Microsoft, is one of the most popular communication-based

social networking platforms. It allows users to connect with people through
voice calls, video calls and text messaging. You can even conduct group
conference calls. Skype-to-Skype calls are free and can be used to
communicate with anyone, in any part of the world, over the

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 internet. https://www.skype.com/en/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site.

 Tumblr is a microblogging and social networking website. The service allows

users to post multimedia and other content to a short-form blog. Users can
follow other users' blogs. https://www.tumblr.com/ (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site.

 Twitter is an online news and social networking service where users post and
interact with messages or "tweets". It is a free application that lets users
connect with people and get information around the world in the area of politics,
sports, and entertainment, news and current events. Registered users can
post tweets, but those who are unregistered can only read
them. https://twitter.com/?lang=en (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site.

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 Viber is a multilingual social platform, which is available in more than 30
languages, and is known for its instant text messaging and voice messaging
capabilities. You can also share photos, videos and audio messages using
Viber. It offers you the ability to call non-Viber users through a feature named
Viber Out.

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4.1.3 Nature and Purpose of Online Platforms: Web Page Creation

4. Web Page Creation Online Platform

 Weebly allows user to create a free website, blog, or online store in minutes
by using a simple drag and drop interface. It is a web-hosting service featuring
a drag-and-drop website builder. https://www.weebly.com/?lang=en (Links to
an external site.)Links to an external site.

 Wix is a cloud-based web development platform that allows users to create

HTML5 web sites and mobile sites through the use of their online drag and
drop tools. http://www.wix.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site.

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 Webs (formerly FreeWebs) is among the most popular free website creators
available and features many of the same features of other online website
builders. It only takes a few clicks in order to add e-commerce functionality to
your website as Webs has the ability to integrate your site with Paypal or
Google Checkout. Create your own social network by requiring visitors to “join”
your site. http://www.webs.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site.

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 Webnode is a website creator with a user-friendly interface (think of Microsoft
Word) and operates like a content management system. With Webnode,
webpages are edited by browsing to the page first, then making the necessary
changes. This helps to better visualize how website will look and function
exactly. Change your page layout and design at anytime using the toolbar.
Webnode allows for automatic linking and navigation, so it can be particularly
useful when creating large websites with lots of

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 content. https://www.webnode.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site.

 Yola (formerly Synthasite) has functionality similar to that of desktop

publishing software such as Microsoft Publisher. It offers drag-and-drop editing
features which make it easier to use than some of the mentioned web creating
sites. Most remarkable is Yola’s online photo editing through a partnership
with picnik.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Yola
service is very reliant on templates, but there are plenty to choose from and
they vary from fun and funky to classy and cool. https://www.yola.com/ (Links
to an external site.)Links to an external site.

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4.1.4 Nature and Purpose of Online Platforms: File Management
and Mapping

5. File Management Online Platform

 Zamzar is a web-based file conversion tool that can convert your video, audio,
images, and documents from nearly any format to nearly any other format. It
supports over 1200 different conversions - Video Converter, Audio Converter,
Music Converter, eBook Converter, Image Converter, CAD Converter among
others. http://www.zamzar.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site./ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

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 Word2PDF easily converts your Word files to PDF with this online tool. Users
can select particular pages, rotate PDF pages, re-order pages, split files and
more. A PDF protection for printing, copying and editing is removed
automatically (without password). Supported formats include Word, Excel,
Powerpoint, Publisher, OpenOffice, Images, XPS, PDF among
others. http://www.word2pdf.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site.

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6. Mapping

 Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided

by Google that offers satellite imagery, street maps, and Street View
perspectives. It helps users find local businesses and allows them to view
maps and get driving directions.

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 Wikimapia is a privately owned open-content collaborative mapping project
that utilizes an interactive "clickable" web map with a geographically-
referenced wiki. http://wikimapia.org/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site.

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4.2 Basic Principles and Elements of Web Design
The elements of design are the basic building blocks of all design projects. The
elements of design include line, shape, texture, color, size, space and value.

The principles of design are how you apply design elements to your page. These
principles are some of the more accepted methods of design. The principles of
design are balance, contrast, emphasis, rhythm, and unity.

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4.2.1 Elements of Web Design

1. Line
Line is a basic element of design. It adds to the style of a design and can enhance
the comprehension and readability of a design. Lines can be used as a border
around elements or a divider between elements.

 Truf Creative (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. uses

horizontal lines to separate headline text from the main content of the page.
Lines are used in the body of the home page to divide chunks of information.

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2. Shape
Shapes are made up of closed contours and three-dimensional objects placed in
the design. Shapes are used to convey meaning and organize information. An
example would be the three basic shapes: circle, square, and triangle, considered
to be the fundamental shapes found in all design.

 e-Science conference 2008 web site (Links to an external site.)Links to an

external site. used repeating circles in the background of the web page. Circle
shapes are also used in the animation transitions on the home page main
feature.

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3. Texture
Texture is the look and feel of a surface. In two-dimensional form, texture is
essentially visual and adds richness and dimension to work. Texture can also refer
to pattern, which is visual texture.

 Jesus Rodriquez Velasco (Links to an external site.)Links to an external

site. uses illustration to create a texture in the header portion of the layout.

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4.2.2 Elements of Web Design (cont.)

4. Color
Color is used to generate emotions, define importance, create visual interest and
unify branding.
5. Size
In graphic design, size is used to convey importance, attract attention, and create
contrast.

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6. Space
A vital part of any good graphic design, space is the area around the elements in
a design. It can be used to separate or group information. Use it effectively to give
the eye a rest, define importance and lead the eye where you want it to travel

7. Value
Value is how light or dark an area looks in a design. It is everything from the darkest
of blacks thru the brightest of whites. Used correctly, it will create depth, contrast,
and emphasis.

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4.2.3 Basic Principles of Web Design

1. Balance
Balance occurs when all the design elements are equally distributed through the
design. There are essentially two types of
balance: symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical elements are arranged
equally on both sides of a composition to suggest a stable or static motion.
Asymmetrical elements create a deliberate imbalance to suggest variety or
dynamic movement.

 http://www.giselejaquenod.com.ar/blog/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an

external site.is using a symmetrically balanced three-column layout. The
majority of content is placed in the center column, and other supporting content
is placed in two columns equally sized on both sides of the center column.

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 Jeffrey Sarmiento (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. has an
asymmetrically balanced layout with the weight of the content and images
being on the left side, and the right narrower column is sparser with
information. The asymmetrical balance activates the content.

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2. Contrast
Contrast shows the differences between elements on the page. Big and small,
black and white, square and circle - these are all contrasts. Contrast stresses the
visual differences between the elements to enhance the perception of a message
intended. Contrast also draws and directs the viewer's attention to specific areas
of information.

 The Web Standards Project (Links to an external site.)Links to an external

site.'s header portion of its page uses a black background color with white text.
This contrasts with the body of the page that has a white background color with
black text. The contrast separates the header from the lower right portion of
the page and helps the user to understand these two areas as having different
levels of importance.

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 3. Emphasis
Emphasis is often called dominance. With emphasis, designers showcase what is
of highest priority in the design. The most emphasized visual element in a design
is called a focal point, because it attracts the viewer's attention first. You can
create emphasis by taking an element and making it bigger, bolder, or brighter, by
putting it in a contrasting color, or by surrounding it with white space.

 Giorgio Molinaro (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. uses

large-scaled type on the front page, to give emphasis to the subject matter of
the website.

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 Toucouleur (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. places a large-
sized illustration in the most prominent position of the layout. The user has to
scroll down to read the body copy on the page. This forces the viewer to spend
time looking at the illustration. Thus, the emphasis is placed on the illustration.

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4. Rhythm
Rhythm or repetition is the expression of visual harmony within a design.
Repetition and rhythm attract attention in a design and allow the viewer to relax as
they recognize the pattern. The term sequence is used to refer to the viewing
order of the elements and to determine the flow of a multi-page publication such
as a magazine, book or large website.

 Cameron Moll (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. creates

rhythm in this portfolio page of his web site by creating a consistent design
treatment for each portfolio image and accompanying information, and then
repeating these content blocks down the page. This allows the user to scan
through each piece quickly.

 CNN.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. uses consistent

design elements on the entry page, which are then repeated down the page.
This is seen in the blocks of information that have a consistent headline font
size and color, and also in the thumbnail image size. This gives order to the
mass of information displayed on the page, and allows the user to quickly scan
through to find the topic or subject they are looking for.

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  5. Unity
 Unity is achieved when all the design elements relate to one another and
project a sense of completeness. For example, an image must relate to the
text it is next to, otherwise the overall message will not make sense to the
viewer. Unity is what makes the content attractive and understandable to
the viewer. Where there is no unity in the design, the message can appear
confusing and undesirable to the viewer.

4.3 Web Page Design Using Templates and Online Platforms

This part of the module gives some view points on how to design pages using
templates and online platforms. The following tools to be discussed are as
follows:

 Weebly

Weebly is an easy way to build a fantastic site. First step is to pick a theme, then
pick a domain option, and build your weebly website.

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 Wix

Wix is a cloud-based web development platform that allows users to create HTML5
web sites and mobile sites through the use of their online drag-and-drop
tools. http://www.wix.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

 Facebook Pages

Pages are for businesses, brands and organizations to share their stories and
connect with people. Like profiles, you can customize a Page by publishing stories,
hosting events and more. People who like your Page and their friends can get
updates in News Feed.

4.3.1 Designing Web Pages in Weebly

Select a Theme
The first step on the road to building your site is selecting a theme. Choose from a
variety of themes, all of which are responsive and built to adapt to a variety of
purposes.
You can look them up with a quick scroll through the Theme Gallery.

Domain Name
After you pick a theme, choose your site's address/domain name. Select from a
free sub-domain of Weebly.com or register a new domain name.

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Click the image below for the video tutorial of building a website using weebly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TZqFc5bDhA (Links to an external site.)Links

to an external site.

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4.3.2 Designing Web Pages in Wix
To create a webpage using Wix, follow the step-by-step guide below.

1. Sign up for an account

Getting started with WIX requires you to sign up for an account. To do this, you
just enter your email address and a password or you can sign in with a Google or
Facebook social account.

2. Choose a Type of Website

Some of the selections most useful to small businesses might include a business
website, online store or blog. However, depending on the type of business you
operate, you might also select “Photography,” “Restaurants,” “Accommodation” or
“Beauty & Wellness,” etc.

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3. Select a Template
You can browse from the popular templates or search for something specific. You
can also search within specific categories like websites made specifically for
consultants, service providers or marketers. Also, you can choose from a selection
of mostly blank themes and then build up from there.

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4. Change Your Details
When you’ve selected a template you like, WIX will take you to a preview of the
design that you can edit by clicking, dragging and dropping the different elements
on the page. Update your business name, tagline and any other text elements on
the page. To do this, just click on the text that you want to change and then you’ll
see a text editor that lets you type in new text and change the size, font and other
elements.

5. Update Media
You’ll also have the ability to change some of the more visual elements of the site.
If there are any photos included on the template, you can click on them to change
them to a photo that’s more specific to your business. Also, you have the ability to
change the background of your page. Just click on the background option on the
sidebar, and then choose a color or upload a photo or video to serve as the
background of your website.

6. Add Different Elements

You can also add other elements to the page to really make the site look complete.
On the sidebar, click the “add” button to bring up a list of potential page elements
you can add to your site. You might choose to add things like text boxes, images,
slideshows, buttons, menus, videos or shapes. When you click on one of those
elements from the menu, you can see a few different options for the type of style
you want to add to your site. Then, you can add and move around different
elements to make everything look exactly the way you want it.

7. Repeat for Each Page

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You don’t have to add the exact same elements. You can customize each page to
look exactly the way you want using the same method. Just click on the page you
want to edit in the navigation bar and then add whatever elements you want on
that page. Save your work and move on to edit the next page.

8. Publish Your Site

You can preview your site by clicking the button in the top right corner. Click
“publish” in the top right corner and your site will go live. You can see your domain
in the popup that appears. Or you can choose to connect your WIX site to your
own branded domain.
Sample webpage created using Wix:
http://www.whothedickens.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

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4.3.3 Designing Web Pages in Webnode

Step-by-Step guide on webpage creation using Webnode:

 Name your website and Register

Go to www.webnode.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and

enter the desired address for your new website in the “Website address” field, as
well as your email and password. Click on “Sign up and launch your site”.

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 Select type of website and website category

You can choose a personal website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external

site., business website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., or
an online store (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. depending on
the purpose of your website. Next, you will be able to change the title of your
website, add a slogan and, most importantly, choose a business category by
clicking on “View all”. For this example, we chose to make a Business Website.

From the list of more than 100 categories, select the category that describes your
business best. Based on your choice, your website will be created with relevant
text prepared for your business category and placed in your template.

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The name of the category that you selected will be inserted into “Business
category”. Click “Continue”.

 Choose design template

Now you can choose your template. Click “Continue”.

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 Fill in Contact Details

The last step is to fill in the contact details about your company. To complete the
registration process, click on “Finish” to create and launch your website.

4.3.4 Facebook Pages

Pages are for businesses, brands and organizations to share their stories and
connect with people. Like profiles, you can customize a Page by publishing stories,
hosting events and more. People who like your Page and their friends can get
updates in News Feed.

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To create a Page:

1. Go to facebook.com/pages/create (Links to an external site.)Links to an

external site.

2. Click to choose a Page category

3. Select a more specific category from the drop-down menu and fill in the
required information

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4. Click Get Started and follow the onscreen instructions

Sample Facebook Page

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https://www.facebook.com/EC_shop-store-online-484998451616863/ (Links to an
external site.)Links to an external site.

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 Module 5:
COLLABORATIVE
DEVELOPMENT OF ICT
CONTENT

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5.1 Team Structure and Dynamics for ICT Content

SYSTEMS AND SERVER TEAM DYANAMIC INFORMATION SOURCES

DISADVANTAGES
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Provide support for the maintenance and development of the University's
corporate information system.
2. Project management and business project change consultancy services.
3. Supports the delivery of ICT projects aligned to the ICT plan.
 Telecommunication is an economic sector in itself.
 ICT, which includes computer,software application,and the internet are
benefiting countries and their citizens.
 The impact of ICT is also seen in their creative and cost efficient use in basic
sectors,such as education,health, and agriculture,among others.

ADVANTAGE AND DIS ADVANTAGE OF DYANAMIC INFORMATION

SOURCES
ADVANTAGES
TEAM STRUCTURE
1. Proficiency in strategic thinking,analytical and technical mindset.
2. Proficiency in project management,leadership and team building.
3. Ability to work across team.
4. Good command of oral language skills and writing ability.
5. Good interpersonal communication skills and ability to work with others under
pressure and solve problems.
INFORMATION SYSTEM GROUPS

RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Help the team to plan and prioritize workloads and projects.
2. Manage the team performance.
3. Manage day to day operational activities.
4.Be a technical escalation point for the team.
5. Have excellent communication skills,with the ability to communicate effectively
face-to-face.

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Requirements

 A good example of dynamic source would be a website which is updated

on a regular basis.
 The word dynamic is characterized by continuous change.

SKILLS
NETWORK TEAM

 Changes can be made quickly and mistakes may go unnoticed.

 There may be conflicting information on different websites.
 The information may be biased or completely wrong.
 Information overload.

TELECOMMS TEAM

 Can be updated quickly as changes happen.

 A large number of people can access the information at the same time.
 It is easy to find related information or to cross reference information.
 You don’t need to know where to look for the information.
 Can access a lot of content.
 Often fairly inexpensive to maintain when compared with producing static
information sources.

TEAM STRUCTURE
RESPONSIBILITIES

 Prepare strategic and operational plans for the Information

Communications Technology (ICT).
 Manage and provide oversight for the information of an ICT system etc.
 Ensure development, implementation and maintenance of all policies
related to ICT.
 Develop and manage the planning and budgeting for the ICT services.

DESKTOP AND MEDIA SERVICES TEAM

1. Masters degree in computer science
2. Software engineering,computer engineering,Information communication
technology,Electronics and Telecommunication.
3. Required a minimum of 3 years of experience in ICT environment with a working
knowledge in Project Management,Strategic planning,finance,accounting,and
procurement is required.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Staffing of events.
2. Video editing and post production.

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3. Product research for new audio video technology
4. Preparation of files.
5. Audio and video editing.
Director ICT

RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Undertake analysis,development,implementation,integration to support core
ICT applications
2. Participate in the progressive rotation of analyst.

5.2 Online Collaboration: Purpose and Tools

What Is Online Collaboration Software?

Collaboration software can take many forms, from simple instant messaging, to
conferencing and telephony, to video conferencing. Some applications may focus
on a specific element, while others try to incorporate multiple capabilities. An
increasing number of applications allow workers to collaborate on the same
document at the same time, wherever they might be.

Wikipedia defines collaboration software as, “An application software designed to

help people involved in a common task to achieve goals.” And for benefits, it goes
on to say: “A collaborative working environment supports people in both their
individual and cooperative work thus evolving into a new class of professionals, e-
professionals, who can work together irrespective of their geographical location.”

There are many tools that might fall in this category, but for the purposes of this
article, we define online collaboration software as a software application, platform,
or tool that is delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), or cloud, and contains a
number of capabilities within one platform, either built directly in, or integrated with
other applications.

As the use of cloud-based software has risen exponentially in the past few years,
there are many terms that can come into play when discussing using collaboration
tools. Here are some essentials:

 Coordination functionality: Coordination is a business-critical piece of every

project, with every team member. The right collaboration software will allow
coordination of tasks, projects, deadlines, and assignments, as well as the ability
for team members to reach out and align tasks together.
 Enterprise collaboration: In recent years, the needs of enterprise-level, global
organizations have driven innovation, features, and functionality in collaboration
software. Big companies used to deploy giant software solutions, tools, and
servers to handle their bigger work, yet employees in the trenches were still using

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 individual tools, planners, and spreadsheets. Now, a new generation of solutions
can enable buy-in and use from every level of an enterprise—so that collaboration
and project management can work smoothly, and scale.
 Asynchronous collaboration tools: These tools are managed by a server, and
allow messages to be sent and received through the servers. In other words, these
communications happen on a schedule set by the server, not in real time.
 Synchronous collaboration tools: This formal name covers online
communication tools, like Skype, Yammer, Google Chat, and so forth.

The Past, Present, and Future of Collaboration Tools

Workers have used collaboration tools as long as people have worked together on
projects. The telephone, telegraph, and other broad communication tools changed
the landscape of modern business early in the 20th century. No longer did
salesmen have to go door to door or wait for a customer to walk into a shop to
connect with prospective customers. As the internet grew late in the century,
employees began to use emails, instant messaging, VoIP (Voice over Internet
Protocol), and mainframe, and then server-based, portals to track projects and
time. Some of the organizations involved early on in collaboration tools include the
following:

 Wiki: A wiki is a user-editable website, with no designated owner or moderator.

The first wiki site was WikiWikiWeb, founded in 1994 by Ward Cunningham in
Portland, OR. Since then, thousands of wiki sites, and software that powers them,
have come into use. The most successful is Wikipedia, a global knowledge base
that any reader or user can update.
 Microsoft: Microsoft launched SharePoint in 2001 as a content management and
storage system that also integrated with its Office products. The software, powered
by servers, let employees and project members upload and share documents,
resources, due dates, notes, and more. Today, SharePoint is cloud-based, and
the platform is highly customizable.
 Lotus Notes: The Lotus Corporation developed the word processor collaboration
software in 1989, and it was bought by IBM in 1995. Now called IBM Notes, the
platform, like SharePoint, handles internal and external communications,
document filing and versioning, and more, and can be easily customized to fit a
company’s needs.
 Google: One of today’s powerhouse collaboration suites is offered free by Google
to anyone with a Gmail account. This provides access to Google Docs, Google
Drive, Google Sheets, and the communication tools Google+ and Google
Hangouts. Based on an earlier collaboration tool called Writely, Google Docs was
introduced broadly in 2009 and has quickly become one of the world’s most widely
used suite of collaboration tools.

Looking ahead, the trends that will be affecting small and enterprise level
collaboration tools involve the broader use of the cloud for storage, security, and
speed of response. The key for companies is to identify the needs of their
business—and their employees—because any collaboration solution requires
complete buy-in for it to really boost productivity.

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Assessing Your and Your Company’s Collaboration Needs

Online collaboration software isn’t just for companies who have people working in
different locations; it’s also a valuable tool for any business that wants to increase
efficiency and effectiveness. But with so many choices, how do you choose the
right collaboration tool for your organization? As you begin your research, it’s
critical to examine your business and what types of collaboration needs it has.

Empowering workers with collaboration tools can increase productivity, help keep
deliverables on track, and improve overall workflow. There are plenty of online
options available regardless of industry, so look for solutions that have the features
you need. Some products are for designers and more creative types who need
virtual whiteboards and interactive brainstorming tools, while others are ideal for
businesses that rely heavily on office productivity tools. Still some options have a
healthy mix of features that would appeal to both designers and executives in the
company. It all depends on the functionality that you need for your specific project
or organization — some teams require the ability to create interactive prototypes,
others want microblogging and mindmapping capabilities, and others want a virtual
3D world in which to collaborate.

People who increasingly use collaboration tools include the following:

 Remote staff members (people who work from home or on the road, or are based
in another country or time zone)
 Contractors, vendors, and freelancers in the growing “gig economy”
 Human resources teams
 Project managers
 Agile team managers and members
 Developers

While it’s great to have so many options, picking the right collaboration tools can
be daunting. To help narrow your search, do a little research at your company to
get a better idea of how people would use online collaboration software. Start by
identifying the type of projects that it could be used for. Talk to the people who will
be using it and find out how they handle workflow and communication on a project.
What are the steps involved in the project? How many people are working on it?
How many departments? What content will be used? Some workers will prefer to
store discussions in a centralized location, while others may only want to be able
to make comments on specific files attached to the plan.

During this research period, meet with project owners or managers to learn more
about style preferences and how team members currently interact while working
together. What methods of communication and tracking do they use? Where do
they store project files? How do they each like to work? This will provide great
insight to the type of features that will benefit your company most.

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Additionally, create a list of apps that the company frequently uses. You’ll want to
make sure that the online collaboration software you choose will integrate with
what is currently in use. Above all, figure out if the program you select will actually
help streamline your team’s work.

Now you should be prepared to evaluate the collaboration tools in the marketplace,
with your company’s unique needs in mind. To make your search easier, we’ve
created this list of five essential areas to evaluate when researching online
collaboration tools.

Tip 1: Pick a Collaboration Tool That Supports All Communication Methods

When it comes to collaboration, communication is everything. It’s important the

solution you choose accommodates the way you and your team communicate.
There are some groups who can do all their work over group messaging, while
others need to huddle on a call and talk through project challenges. Other team
members may prefer to be present at a meeting in order to gauge interest from
other conference participants.

Understanding the following communication features will help you pick the right
collaboration software for your team.

Look for Integrated Messaging Features

Collaborating on work doesn’t always mean two or more people are working on
something simultaneously. Often, a document or file is created and needs to be
reviewed by other team members. This is when messaging can be incredibly
helpful in moving the process along. Users who are viewing a file should be able
to leave messages in the file. There should also be an option to share the
messages privately or with a group. In addition to leaving messages on individual
files, support for instant messaging (IM) should also be integrated into the online
collaboration tool. Whether it’s a free IM program or one the IT department
manages, sending IMs has become a common and efficient way to communicate
in the workplace. Find a solution that supports the IM method used in your
workplace or has its own form of messaging included.

Confirm Private Communication Is Possible

Collaboration often occurs between just two people who are preparing a concept
for the group to review later. The online collaboration tool you select should enable
this type of communication. The ability for two people to work on a file together
and simultaneously have an interactive conversation about it using their
messaging preference (audio, video, or online chat) can increase productivity.
Additionally, it’s important to have privacy and access settings per individual that

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can be adjusted whenever needed — there are some occasions where everyone
in the group doesn’t need to be privy to a conversation.

Verify Conference Calls Can Be Conducted Online and Over the Phone

There are plenty of online conferencing options available, such as GoToMeeting,

Skype for Business, and WebEx, but you shouldn’t need to supplement your online
collaboration software with one of these services. The solution you select should
offer similar features found in conferencing programs. Verify if there is a limit on
how many participants can be on a call simultaneously (typically it’s 25), and
inquire about fees for additional participants. How do people call in for a meeting?
Will they need to install a separate application on their computer or is it seamlessly
integrated into the collaboration software? Will workers need to use a separate
application? Determine if it will work on smartphones, as well. Perhaps your
organization prefers to keep it simple and use a separate audio/telephone bridge.
Determine which method(s) work best for your company and ensure that your
online collaboration software of choice supports it.

Understand the Requirements to Host Video Chats

Many workers have become accustomed to using Skype and Google Hangouts to
collaborate on projects. Participants often have to manage screen sharing and deal
with quality issues that can accompany the use of free products. When there are
multiple people on a call working on the same file, it’s useful for everyone to view
and comment on it simultaneously. Remember that video can be a strain on
networks. If this feature is important to you, make sure your company and remote
workers who are using this solution have networks with enough bandwidth to
handle it effectively.

Store Project Conversations in a Central Location

One of the latest trends in online collaboration software is having all the
conversations about a project stored in a central location. Think of it as a bulletin
board or Facebook for business, but without the ads. Instead of inviting people to
an event where everyone leaves comments and additional commentary on specific
messages, team members have a similar messaging center for a particular project.

Tip 2: Choose Easy, Intuitive Online Collaboration Tools to Increase Adoption

Introducing a new tool in the workplace has plenty of benefits. It can increase
productivity, help employees work smarter, and in the case of collaboration tools,
improve communication and help encourage team members to form personal
relationships. But sometimes adding more tools is not necessarily a good thing
when you’re looking at online collaboration software. Getting everyone to use the
same program is essential and eliminates the need to support multiple tools or deal
with the complexity of everyone using a different tool.

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To help increase adoption of a new tool in the workplace, ease-of-use is critical.
People are busy and don’t have a lot of spare time to learn new tools from scratch.
And if a new tool proves to be complicated to learn or hard to use, people will
abandon it, making it a fruitless effort. However, if the new online collaboration
software has an interface people are familiar with, is easy to quickly learn and use,
adoption will be more successful. And remember, the tool you choose does not
necessarily have to be a big upfront cost: Sometimes a simple tool is the best
option.

Pick a Product with a Simple and Intuitive Interface

Look for a solution that has an intuitive interface — one that is familiar and simple
to navigate. The solution should also not be overly complex nor overly simple. It
should conform to the way each individual chooses to work. Some teams opt for a
platform with dashboard functionality, so they can drag and drop designs or
documents for review, or get an at-a-glance view of project status and metrics in a
single, central information hub. Additionally, the solution should integrate with and
support other programs or methods currently in use. If a program isn’t easy to use,
the people in your organization aren’t going to adopt it.

Choose Software with Workflow Management Features

Collaborating on work doesn’t end at leaving a comment; it also involves workflow.

Therefore, the online collaboration software you select should help automate your
workflows. It should track the location of a file or document, who has made
changes to it and when, and even help move it along in the process via task
management features.

Look for a Product that Provides a Digital Workspace for Brainstorming

Sessions

Plenty of phenomenal ideas come out of a good brainstorming session. In today’s

work environment, where people may be working at home or located in different
offices around the globe, getting everyone in front of the whiteboard is challenging.
The good news is that with the right online collaboration tool, you can gather
everyone together on a virtual whiteboard. After all, collaboration is about the
people, not the location.

Research the Type of Mobile Support Provided

Thanks to smartphones, tablets, and ubiquitous wifi, people don’t stop working
when they walk away from the computer. Many workers want to be able to use
their mobile devices to check in on projects while on the go, so be sure to consider
the type of mobile support available. Besides just being compatible or having a
mobile app for Windows Phone, Apple iOS, and Android devices, find out if there
are any limitations. For example, when using the mobile app version, will team

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members only be able to view changes on a document, or can they also add
comments?

Make Sure It Works on Multiple Platforms

It’s not uncommon to find multiple computer platforms in the workplace. Designers
may be working on Macs while the business team uses PCs. Also, consider the
employees who work away from the office (either full-time or after traditional work
hours), who may use an entirely different platform at home than they do at work.
The online collaboration software you select should work seamlessly on all
platforms: Macs, PCs, and even Linux (if that’s part of your environment). A
solution that is initially compatible with multiple operating systems (OS) will likely
be scalable and support future OS updates.

Tip 3: Ensure Your Choice Has Scheduling Features to Help Keep Projects on Track

An essential key to any successful project is scheduling. In addition to meeting

deadlines, it can also be a useful tool for team members to help manage their work.
While collaboration is often about reviewing files and making changes or adding
comments in real time, it’s also about taking accountability for your deliverables.
When workers can add their status updates on their tasks, it saves the project
manager time, and everyone knows the state of the project. If all of this is in the
cloud - in real time - then everyone is on the same page.

Confirm That It Can Create Task Lists

To help monitor all the moving parts of a project, the online collaboration software
you choose should have the ability to create task lists. This is more than just a
lengthy to-do list. When creating task lists, start by analyzing a project’s
deliverables and assign task owners responsible for each item. Look for an online
collaboration tool that can assign tasks to individuals, along with due dates and
sub-tasks, as well as the ability to attach files to a specific task.

See How It Manages Scheduling and Tracking Multiple Tasks

Projects typically have multiple moving parts and plenty of dependencies. That’s
when scheduling is key. It’s one thing to add deadlines and tasks to the calendar,
but the ability to keep track of and automate them can help workers meet
deadlines. The online collaboration software you choose should monitor the status
of tasks and project milestones, and even send out automated reminders or an
alert to team members when a deadline is approaching, or when something has
fallen behind schedule.

Determine Whether It Supports Gantt Charts

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For project managers, Gantt charts are visual roadmaps that identify potential
bumps in the road, so they can plan accordingly. At a glance, a Gantt chart can
show if tasks are being completed in the right order, if deadlines are being met, if
the right dependencies are in place, and if something is falling behind. Depending
on the tool you use to create a Gantt chart, it can also send out alerts and
reminders to specific team members. When it comes to collaborating, Gantt charts
are a useful tool for seeing the status of a particular document and where it is in
the workflow process. While online collaboration software isn’t synonymous with
Gantt charts, the ability to at least view a Gantt chart for a project can help keep
team members in the loop so they always know the status of their work.

Verify That the Tool Will Integrate with Your Calendar Apps

Once tasks are assigned and milestones and deadlines set, one of the easiest
ways to view that information is in a calendar. There’s no reason to re-invent the
wheel: Look for a solution that uses a standard calendar view that workers are
already accustomed to using. Additionally, look for the ability for tasks assigned to
team members to appear in their individual calendars. Many programs integrate
with existing calendar apps such as Google, Outlook, or iCal, and will automatically
add appointments and meetings to those programs.

Tip 4: Choose a Dynamic File-Sharing Solution

Online collaboration software isn’t about a group of people working on a single file.
It’s about a team working on a project, which has multiple types of files. Depending
on the project’s scope, it can include a variety of file types, such as PDF, Excel,
Word, PNG or JPG (images), Google Docs, Power Point, Project files, and more.
It’s essential to have an online repository where all project files are stored,
accessible, and editable by team members.

Certify the Product’s Security Features Align with IT Requirements

When making files available to a group of workers both internally and externally,
security is essential. You’ll want to make sure the solution you pick conforms at
the very least to the security requirements set forth by your company’s IT
department. Additionally, if you want to manage the level of access that each user
has (to see particular details or make changes to files), look for an option that offers
role management. This can be used to assign permission levels easily.

Check that the Solution Works with the Type of Files You Use Most

Since online collaboration tools can also serve as a repository for all the files in a
project, confirm that it supports all the file types you use. Create a list of all the
possible file formats used in different projects and use that for reference when
researching features.

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Confirm the Ability to Attach Feedback to Individual Files

Sometimes you don’t want to add a change or a comment directly on an attached

file. Instead, you might wish to start a discussion about the contents of a file and
have that commentary associated with it. This feature is at the heart of
collaboration software, so look for a solution that allows users to post comments
on folders and files, and even leave messages. Team members should be able to
use virtually any device (smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer) to leave
comments. Better yet, find a tool that can produce reports to let you know which
files are generating the most discussion.

Select a Tool that Seamlessly Integrates with Apps your Company Uses

When introducing a new tool into the office, it’s important that it works well – or is
it deeply integrated – with other applications and programs already deployed
throughout your organization. If workers can still use many of the tools they like in
conjunction with the new product, adoption will be higher. Take an inventory of the
apps already in use at your company. For example, if your organization uses cloud
storage (Box, DropBox, Google Drive, etc.), Google Apps, and other productivity
programs, you should still be able to use them within the new collaboration tool.

Tip 5: Choose a Product with Real-Time Collaboration

There are many benefits to using online collaboration tools to complete projects. It
gives team members the opportunity to edit project files, provide feedback, leave
comments, and chat with each other all in real time, without having one file that
must be “checked out” and “checked in,” or tracked for version control. It helps to
consistently maintain one current version, no matter who’s working on it or when
they’re working on it. While this method can save a lot of time and move the project
along quickly, it can also create some challenges if the collaboration software isn’t
correctly managing and tracking changes. When evaluating an online collaboration
tool, look for these keys features to handle version control and file protection.

Find Out If You Can Add Collaborators

Whether your company is big or small, one of the first questions you should ask
when looking for an online collaboration tool is if there is a limit to the number of
collaborators who can use the product. You’ll also want to know if there is a limit
to how many people can collaborate simultaneously. Collaborating on projects isn’t
limited to people just within the company. Many project contributors or team
members from outside the company, such as partners, vendors, and customers,
require access and input to the project plans. It’s important to understand if there
are any limitations for these users. For example, if someone making changes to a
file isn’t a part of your organization, find out if you will you need to pay a fee for
them to use the tool. Also ensure you can control what they can view or edit. The

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online collaboration software you choose should account for all users, no matter
where they are.

Understand How It Handles Track Changes Made by Different People

In true collaboration, multiple people work on the same project plan or files
simultaneously. When this occurs, two people might be making edits to the same
section. An intelligent collaboration tool will let each person working on the file see
where the other person is making changes - even if they are occurring
simultaneously. What about when a team member works on a file offline? When it
is returned to the online environment, the file should still denote what changes
were made offline and by whom, and automatically sync up to the latest version.

Identify the Types of Users Who Can Overwrite Changes

When multiple people work on the project plan or file, a lot can happen. Sometimes
the project owner may not agree with all the changes made and wish to reject
changes or revert to a previous version. Perhaps the project manager wants to
include a section removed from the third version of the file. It shouldn’t be a
complicated process to find that version and merge it back into the document.
When overwriting changes, look for a lock feature, so that the final version really
is final.

Now that you have a better idea of how to research and what to look for when
picking an online collaboration tool for your organization, start your search by
deciding which features are the most important. Don’t make this list alone. After
all, this software is designed to help people work together. So, get others involved
in the decision and ask them about their process, what would make it easier for
them to work with others, and the apps and file types they currently use. Once you
have this list, rank the features in order of importance. This will help you prioritize
your needs, which will serve you well when doing your research.

Improve Collaboration with Work Management in Smartsheet

Collaboration software can help boost productivity and efficiency in your

organization. Smartsheet is the world’s leading SaaS platform for managing and
automating collaborative work. Over 70,000 brands and millions of information
workers trust Smartsheet to help them align the right people, resources, and
processes to get work done.

With its familiar, intuitive interface, designed for how people actually work, rapid
and broad adoption occurs across your organization. Use self-service reports and
dashboards in Smartsheet to provide real-time visibility into resources, status, and
performance so you can rapidly align operations with strategy.

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5.2.1 Online Collaborative Tools: Slack and in Vision
We're entering a golden era of collaboration tools. Distributed teams are much
more common, and it's easier than ever to work with individuals in different cities...
or even different continents. Collaboration tools make it easier and faster for
designers to get feedback and approve artwork in a professional manner, with
nothing getting lost in translation.

In this article, we gather together some of the best online collaboration tools that
enable creatives to work together in real time. Some are created specifically for
designers, others serve as a concept crafting whiteboard. We've also included
some more full-on project management tools for when you need to take your
collaborative project to the next level.

01. Slack

Want to improve communication within your team? Or work remotely but still stay
in touch? Collaboration tool Slack is a fantastic solution for clear, real-time
communication that keeps everyone in the loop. It's so popular now, chances are
you're using it already.

Perfect for anyone managing a team of remote employees, Slack enables project
development to move forward more smoothly. Different channels help keep
conversations on track, while having all team communication in one place ensures
no one gets left out of the loop. Slack can also help you grow your design business
by reducing email and meeting times.

02. InVision

Created specifically for designers, InVision is a web-based tool and mobile app
that turns your designs into fully active prototypes, complete with gestures,
transitions and animations. Clients can provide feedback in the form of comments
on your designs , and you can keep them up to date with the project’s progress in
real time through actionable to-do lists. Getting started on your first project
with InVision is free, but any more than that and you'll need to move to a paid plan.

03. Asana

Asana will help you stay on top of your workflow by enabling you to create to-do
lists, keep track of tasks via a project 'board', set deadline reminders, comment on
others' posts, and send requests to colleagues. Employers can also use it to keep
track of how projects are progressing. This collaboration tool first launched in 2008,
and is still very popular.

04. Trello

This project management tool is like a magical customisable to-do list on a single
interface, which you can share with others in real time. Based on a system of

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'cards' (which are essentially Post-it notes), you can categorise and order text,
photos, drawings and mockups whichever way you want. There's also a nice
progress gauge so you can keep an eye on your project's pipeline, as well as the
ability to set appointment reminders. Most brilliantly of all: Trello is completely free.

05. Visme

Browser-based collaboration tool Visme collects all your team activities in one
place. It's especially good for designers because it enables you to create a variety
of visual projects, including presentations and infographics. There are built-in
features to help you monitor on each user’s workload, progress, and activity on
ongoing jobs.
06. Google Keep

Google Keep is a fantastic way to share lists and ideas (or keep them to yourself).
You can access Google Keep through its website or using the iOS or Android App.
If you're looking for an easy-to-use list app, check is a collaboration tool that's
definitely worth checking out.

07. Appear.in

You want to see all your team's smiling faces, right? That's not always possible
when working remotely, but online collaboration tool appear.in is the next best
thing. This brilliant video conversation app allows up to eight people to converse
in a chatroom, with no login or downloads required. It's free to use, or you can
bump up to a paid Pro plan for extra features.
08. Basecamp

The daddy of project management, Basecamp was created when 37Signals

couldn't find a project management app that wasn't insanely complicated, and so
decided to build its own. It worked so well that clients wanted to use it, too, and
things grew from there.
Featuring a whole suite of collaborative tools including to-do lists, wiki-style
documents, file sharing and messaging, it packs in just about everything you need
to keep any project running smoothly. You can use it via the web or with iOS and
Android apps, and if you want to get a feel for it you can sign up for a 30-day free
trial.

09. Podio

Online collaboration tool Podio aims to help you improve the structure of your
workflows by offering a way to organise unwieldy stacks of work and assign
different employees specific tasks. It enables you to share files, get feedback on
work, and view the status on ongoing projects. One of the most enticing features
is its third-party integrations – it works with a whole load of services, from Dropbox
and Google Drive to Evernote. There are also mobile apps for use while you're out
of the office.

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10. Red Pen

More fun than a teacher's marking pen, this feedback tool is particularly great if
you're a freelancer looking for some constructive criticism on a project. Specifically
created for designers, Red Pen lets you drag and drop your designs into a
dashboard and invite specific colleagues (or even clients) to let you know their
thoughts in real- time as you roll out your latest updates. One of Red Pen's best
features is that it keeps track of the numerous versions so you can always reclaim
that earlier design if you change your mind.

11. Mural

Mural is a creative tool for you to drag-and-drop rich media files, links and
documents onto a big HTML5 drawing board, which is a great way to collect
inspiration and gather your thoughts. It also supports collaboration that allows
designers to brainstorm cool ideas remotely. Plus, it is optimised for iPad and
gesture-friendly.

Mural is not just designed as a pinboard like Pinterest – its main goal is gathering
and organising ideas. Anyone can join you to edit and collaborate, and changes
are reflected on the board in real time. Just send an email invitation or set up a
password for the board and you are ready to go.

Tools like Mural are lighter than some of the more traditional brainstorming tools,
and if you're new to collaborative brainstorming then this could be a good place to
get started.

12. GoVisually

Free tool GoVisually allows you to mark annotations and place comments on any
part of your project. With it, designers and clients can collaborate to revise projects
online without sending painful emails, which should ultimately increase
productivity.

For your annotation you can chose an elliptical, rectangular or lasso selection, as
well as customising its colour and weight. These functions are very useful, and are
as simple to apply as you'd find in a basic drawing app.
When multiple team members are on the same page, GoVisually applies layers for
each user, like in Photoshop. Clicking on each user hides or displays relevant
content, which is particularly useful when collaborating with different departments.
Revisions can be easily upload and it is simple to switch between different versions
of the same document or project.

13. MindMeister

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Mindmeister is a powerful mind-mapping tool, but also has the functionality of
many collaboration tools, so designers can use it to craft ideas and concepts. It
might feel a bit quirky to organise a design idea through mind mapping, but this is
still a great collaboration tool to try out. You can create up to three mind maps for
free, or swap to one of the paid plans if you find this tool works well for you.

14. Conceptboard

Conceptboard is an instant whiteboard for teams and projects, and designers can
also reap benefits by using it as a collaboration tool. Indeed, it's optimised for
creatives and is more like a one-stop solution for crafting concepts, managing
projects, and providing feedback at any time. There's a free version, but you'll only
be able to add up to 50 objects to each board you create. If you need more than
that, you'll need to swap to a paid plan.
15. Ideaflip

Ideaflip makes it easy for your team to quickly turn thoughts into ideas, and share
or refine them – whether your collaborator is in the same room or on the other side
of the world. A beautifully simple web app, Ideaflip is perfect for group
brainstorming and individual ideas, and offers a great way to compose, collect and
clarify your ideas. With this collaboration tool, it's free for guests to view and
contribute to boards, but to create a board yourself, you'll need to subscribe to a
paid plan.
16. ProofHub

Another web-based project management and collaboration tool, ProofHub

promises that it'll enable you to plan, organise and deliver projects of all sizes
faster. It offers all the tools you'd expect, including Gantt charts to help schedule
and track multiple tasks, and a proofing tool that aims to ease the whole process
of approving and reviewing designs. It's available as a online, or as an Apple or
Android app, and you can try it for free for 30 days.

17. Concept inbox

Describing itself as the simple way for designers, teams and clients to
collaborate, Concept inbox provides you with a straightforward dashboard where
you can upload images, get fast feedback from clients and add revisions with full
version control. It also enables you to create interactive prototypes; just the thing
if you have a brilliant idea for an app and want to communicate how it would work.
18. Cage

Cage is an online collaboration tools specifically built for designers. The original
app allowed you share images of designs and get contextual feedback on them,

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 but it's now much more comprehensive. You can add tasks, approve files, and
even explore a more engaging experience with web-based presentations.

5.2.2 Online Collaborative Tools

A collaboration tool helps people to collaborate. The purpose of a
collaboration tool is to support a group of two or more individuals to accomplish a
common goal or objective. Collaboration tools can be either of a non-technological
nature such as paper, flipcharts, post-it notes or whiteboards. They can also
include software tools and applications such as collaborative software.

5.2.3 File and Folder Sharing with Google Docs, Sheets and
Slides
In recent years, web-based files have quickly gone from “interesting glimpse
of the future” to critical part of day-to-day work. But corralling work stored across
multiple web-based tools is difficult, if not impossible. Today, we’re taking the first
steps towards changing that. At Google Cloud Next ’19, we showed off a new
feature—available in open beta for Dropbox Business customers today—that lets
you work with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files right from Dropbox.

Organize your work

Once you’re signed in to both your Google and Dropbox accounts, you can create
and store Docs, Sheets, and Slides files in any Dropbox folder, right alongside
traditional files. This new feature will make it easier to organize your work by letting
you:

 Search everything. Docs, Sheets, and Slides files will show up when you search
your Dropbox account. And our full-text search feature—available when searching
from our website, mobile app, and the Dropbox icon in the Windows system tray
and Mac menu bar—will show results from the content of your Docs, Sheets, and
Slides, not just the file names.
 Create web-based files. You can start a shared Docs, Sheets, or Slides file right
from dropbox.com or our apps for Windows and Mac, and have it stored in
Dropbox. And when you open it, you’ll be taken straight to familiar Google editors
that launch right on dropbox.com.
 Edit existing files. Now you can open .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx files from Dropbox in
Docs, Sheets, or Slides, respectively, and save them back to Dropbox in their
original format.

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 Manage everything

Sharing and real-time co-editing functionality is part of what’s made Docs, Sheets,
and Slides so successful, and they’re at the heart of this new feature. Adding a
Docs, Sheets, or Slides file to a shared Dropbox folder will automatically grant
members access—no need to leave Dropbox—so everyone can get to work
quickly. You’ll also be able to:

 Share individual files. You can also share any Docs, Sheets, or Slides file on a
one-off basis, without adding it to a shared folder. You’ll have the option of inviting
people directly from our apps or by creating a shared link you can paste into an
email or chat.
 Manage access. Whether you’re sharing directly from Dropbox or by creating a
link, you can grant recipients edit or view-only access. You can also set
permissions to team-only—to keep work inside your company—or anyone, for
sharing outside your Dropbox Business team. And since sharing is managed by
Dropbox, there’s nothing additional for team admins to manage.
 Get feedback. Comments made on your Docs, Sheets, and Slides files will appear
in your Dropbox notifications, so you can stay up to date without checking multiple
places.

Open for Business

This new feature is launching as an open beta for English-language Dropbox

Business teams starting today. Once activated, you can create new Google Docs,
Sheets, and Slides files from the Windows system tray, Mac menu bar, and
dropbox.com. You’ll be able to browse, move, copy, and delete Docs, Sheets, and
Slides files on our website, and our Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android apps. In our
mobile apps, you’ll be able to preview any stored Docs, Sheets, and Slides files
and make them available offline.

We’re thrilled to partner with Google Cloud to bring this new feature to teams using
Dropbox, and help them get work done more easily every day. And it’s just the first
step we’re taking to bridge web-based apps with Dropbox. Stay tuned for more
announcements soon.

5.2.4 Google Hangouts

Hangouts brings conversations to life with photos, emoji, and even group video
calls for free.

Use Hangouts to keep in touch. Message friends, start free video or voice calls,
and hop on a conversation with one person or a group.
 Include all your friends with group chats for up to 150 people.

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  Say more with photos, videos, maps, emoji, stickers, and animated
GIFs.Turn any conversation into a free group video call with up to 10
friends.
 Keep in touch with friends across Android, iOS, and the web, and sync
chats across all your devices.
 Message friends anytime, even if they’re offline.
 Snooze your notifications so you can respond later.
 See what you chatted about in the past, including shared photos and your
video call history.
 Keep a record of any conversation for just a short period of time by turning
history off.
 Connect your Google Voice account to make calls, send and receive SMS,
and access your voicemail.

Hangouts Chrome extension:

 Use Hangouts and get notifications as you move from tab to tab in Chrome,
or even without a Chrome window open.
 Position Hangouts anywhere on your screen, even if you have more than
one monitor. Keep conversations in a single window or pop out the
important ones.
 View and continue your conversations across devices.
 Get notifications just once. After you see an alert, it’ll be removed on other
devices.

Notes:

 Unlike the Chat for Google app, Hangouts doesn’t support “invisible
status”.
 Mobile carrier and ISP charges may apply.

5.2.6 Prezi
Prezi is a presentation software company founded in 2009, with offices in
Budapest, San Francisco, and Riga. As of April 2018, Prezi had more than 100
million users who had created more than 325 million public presentations that
have been viewed over 3.5 billion times. The word prezi is the short form of
"presentation" in Hungarian.

History
Prezi was founded in 2009 in Budapest, Hungary, by Adam Somlai-
Fischer, Peter Halacsy, and Peter Arvai.
The earliest zooming presentation prototype had been previously developed by
Somlai-Fischer to showcase his media-art pieces. Peter Halacsy, an engineer,

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saw one of these presentations and proposed to improve the software. They
were joined by entrepreneur and future CEO, Peter Arvai, with the goal of making
Prezi a globally recognized SaaScompany.
The company incorporated on May 20, 2009, and received its first major
investment from TED two months later. In November 2009, a San Francisco
office was opened and the first US employee was hired.
In early 2011, Prezi launched its first iPad application. That same year, it
received $14M in Series B venture capital funding led by Accel Partners. A
Prezi iPhone app was launched in late 2012.
In March 2014, Prezi pledged $100M in free licenses to Title 1 schools as part of
the Obama administration's ConnectED program. November of that year saw the
announcement of $57M in new funding from Spectrum Equity and Accel
Partners.
In February 2015, Prezi launched Nutshell, an app for creating 'mini-movies' from
photos.
Prezi for Android was launched in 2015, and in June 2016, the company
launched Prezi Business.
In April 2017, Prezi Next—a new HTML5-based product—was released. In May
2017, Prezi acquired Infogram, a data visualization company based in Latvia.

5.2.6.1 Starting template and Navigating Canvas

Design Tools: How to use templates
When creating a new content page in Canvas, you do not have to start from scratch
- you can use Cidi Lab Design Tools to select a template to work from. Using
Design Tools templates also helps to make your content pages more accessible.
Navigate to the course and content page that you would like to work in. If you are
already in the editing interface of your content page, skip down to Using Design
Tools Templates.

1. Access the course that you would like to work in by clicking on

the Dashboard icon in the Global Navigation Menu, or by clicking on
the Courses icon in the Global Navigation Menu and then click the All
Courses link.

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 2. On the Course Navigtation Menu, click Pages. Click image to enlarge it.

3. Click the View All Pages button in the upper left.

Click image to enlarge it.

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If you want to work with an existing content page, select the page you would like to edit,
and then press the Edit button. If you want to create a new page, select
the +Page button in the upper-right side of the screen.

Using Design Tools Templates

Now you may begin using Design Tools to select a template. You can watch the
video below, or use the written-out steps we have provided below it.

1. Click on the rocket ship icon that appears in the top-right corner of the
screen.
Quick Tip: If you prefer using keystrokes, you can use the keyboard
shortchut Alt-Shift-D to access Design Tools.

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 2. Click the Create/Edit Content dopdown item in the Design Tools menu.
Then, click the Copy Existing Content item.

3. Under Institution Template Pages you will be able to choose from seven
different templates: Assignment Instructions, Discussion Instructions,
Document, Module Overview, Quiz Instructions, Start Here, and Video
Lecture.

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 4. Once you have selected your template page, you are able to start editing
text by filling in your own information. If you want to adjust the template's
"theme," Click Choose a Theme on the Design Tools menu and then click
on a theme to apply it to your page.

If you would like to add or rearrange the content blocks on your page simply
select Create/Edit Content > Add/Rearrange Content Blocks. Here you will be
able to drag content blocks into your desired order by clicking on the left side of
the content blocks. You can delete a block by pressing the red X that displays to
the right, or add a new block by pressing the + Add Blocks button.

Remember to press the garnet Save button at the bottom of your content page to
save all your changes! If you do not do this and you navigate away from your
content page, then all your changes will be lost.

5.2.6.2 Adding texts, Framing, and Customizing Sidebar

The sidebar is a narrow vertical column often jam-packed with lots of information
about a website. Found on most WordPress sites, the sidebar is usually placed on
the right or left-hand side of the web page. In some cases, a site will feature two
sidebars, one on each side of the main content where your posts are found. This

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tutorial examines some of the information items and features generally found in
the sidebar. After reading this article, you’ll feel more comfortable in adding or
changing the content of your own sidebar.

Nested Lists
The Classic and Default WordPress Themes use nested lists to present their
sidebar information. Nested lists are a series of unordered lists of information, set
inside of each other. Here's a simple example:

<ul><!-- open whole list -->

<li>Title of Section One

<ul>

<li>Apple</li>

<li>Orange</li>

<li>Banana</li>

</ul>

</li><!-- closing list under section one -->

<li>Title of Section Two

<ul>

<li>Beef</li>

<li>Chicken</li>

<li>Fish</li>

</ul>

</li><!-- closing list under section two -->

<li>Title of Section Three

<ul>

<li>Carrot</li>

<li>Celery</li>

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 </ul>

</li><!-- closing list under section three -->

</ul><!-- closing whole list -->

Each of these nested list "sections" can feature a CSS ID or class to make each
one look different or all the same, depending upon how they are styled within the
style sheet.

You don't have to use nested lists for your sidebar. That is up to you. If you do use
the nested lists as set by example in the WordPress core Themes, you need to
know how they work. To learn more about how to style your WordPress nested
lists, check out the article on Styling Lists with CSS.

Navigation
Historically, the main purpose of the sidebar has been to provide navigation
assistance for the visitor - a function commonly needed to the present day. These
navigation aids are designed to help people move about your site and find the
information you want them to see. The list of navigation items
includes Categories, Pages, Archives, and even the most recent posts. Another
navigational tool you'll see in the sidebar is a search form to help people find what
they are looking for on your site.

The first information in the standard WordPress installation is a list of Pages or

Categories. Listing Pages helps the visitor find more information about your site,
like About, Contact, Register, or Site Map. The information displayed in the
sidebar is controlled by your Theme's Template sidebar.php file.

An example usage of the Pages list template tag in your sidebar.php file might be:

<?php wp_list_pages('title_li=<h2>Pages</h2>'); ?>

This puts the title Pages in an H2 heading and then puts the Pages in a list below
the title. This is just one sample of its usage and there are more options available
for controlling the end result of the template tag called wp_list_pages().

Listing the Categories helps the visitor find the information they want by topic. This
might look like:

<li id="categories"><?php _e('Categories:'); ?>

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 <ul>

<?php wp_list_cats(); ?>

</ul>

</li>

This lists the title Categories within the menu list, and then creates a nested list
underneath to list the WordPress categories you've added to your site. If you have
no posts in a category, it will not show up on the list by default. Add a post, and it
will be there.

The original WordPress Default Theme, Kubrick, used a set of navigation tags on
its index.php template file, but you can use this same set in your sidebar to
emphasize the navigation from one post to another in chronological order:

<div class="navigation">

<div class="alignleft">

<?php next_posts_link('&laquo; Previous Entries') ?>

</div>

<div class="alignright">

<?php previous_posts_link('Next Entries &raquo;') ?>

</div>

</div>

This example puts the text for the links to the right and left parts of the screen. You
can change this to something more suitable to your sidebar's look by changing the
style sheet references or by further customizing the next and previous post links.

Post Lists
Part of helping your visitors navigate your site is to point them towards specific
posts and archives. Your most recent posts and archives can be displayed in a
variety of ways in your sidebar. The WordPress Classic and Default Themes
showcase the archives by month:

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<li id="archives"><?php _e('Archives:'); ?>

<ul>

<?php wp_get_archives('type=monthly'); ?>

</ul>

Using the wp_get_archives() template tag, you can customize this list in a variety
of ways. Let's say you want to list the last 15 posts you've written by their title.
Replace the type=monthly as follows:

<?php wp_get_archives('type=postbypost&limit=15'); ?>

There are also Plugins which can help you customize different ways of
showcasing your lists of posts. They can be customized by category, most
commented on, most recent, most recently updated, and the list goes on.

Coffee2code's Customizable Post Listings offers myriad ways of creating a

customizable list of posts in your sidebar. For example, if you would like to create
a list of the 5 posts that have most recently been commented on:

<ul>Recently Commented Posts

<?php c2c_get_recently_commented(5); ?>

</ul>

Several plugins will generate a list of related posts to the one you are viewing. One
of them, WordPress Related Entries Plugin by Wasabi, is easily activated and
might appear like this in your sidebar to return a result of ten related posts in a list:

<li id="related"><?php _e('Related Articles'); ?>

<ul><?php related_posts(10, 10, '<li>', '</li>', '', '', false, false); ?></ul></li>

This is just the tip of the iceberg for ways of listing posts in your sidebar. You can
find more on your visit to the plugin sites listed below.

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Meta Data
Did you know you could put anything you want in your sidebar? Some people like
to add the post meta data to the sidebar because it has information about the
post and adds links to different categories, dates, and possibly even next and
previous posts, all helping increase the visitor's navigation choices.

WordPress Lessons features an article on designing your Post Meta Data

Section which will help you to customize this information in your sidebar.

Part of that meta data might be a little paragraph about who you are and what the
site is about. You can add that using standard HTML and CSS and place it where
you would like it to appear in the sidebar, such as:

<p class="aboutme">Have a passion for racing

cars? Join the club. This site is dedicated to the hobby

and passion of car racing.</p>

Remember, it's your sidebar and you can add or remove anything you want.

Link Lists
Lists of links, also called Blogrolls, are ways of listing different websites for your
viewers to visit when they are done with your site, of course. This is also a handy
way of featuring link exchanges.

Your link lists are controlled through the WordPress Link Manager. Each link can
be displayed as text or as an image. In the WordPress Default Theme, your Links
List is created with a conditional tag that only displays the Links List on the front
page and not on the rest of the web pages within the Theme. The Classic Theme
displays the Links List on every web page like this:

<?php get_links_list(); ?>

There are several ways of displaying your Links, and the above is just one
example. You can also customize the display of the list by using
the get_links() template tag. For example, let's say you want to display the links
only for category 2 in a list featuring images and not the link text, and sort the links
by the URL address:

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<ul><?php get_links(2, '<li>', '</li>', '', TRUE, 'url', FALSE); ?></ul>

There are also a variety of Plugins for Links you can choose from to customize this
information even more.

Have your own set of links you want to share and you don't want to use the Link
Manager? Want to highlight links to specific posts or pages? Check out the article
on creating links to posts, pages, and categories.

Link List of Authors

If you have a requirement to present a list of authors (users) with links to their web-
site, consider this example designed for the WordPress Default
Theme's sidebar.php. Here the wpdb class is used to collect the User ID Column
(get_col) from the wp_users table. The User ID of All users is stored in
the array called $user_ids . A foreach loop is used to 'cycle' through all the users
in that array. In that foreach loop, the WordPress Function, get_userdata, is called
to get all the Profile data for a given user, and finally, that user's Web-site ($user-
>user_url) and Display name publicly as ($user->display_name) is used to
compose the "a href" tag link to each author's web-site:

<h2>Link list of authors:</h2>

<ul>

<?php

$order = 'user_nicename';

$user_ids = $wpdb->get_col("SELECT ID FROM $wpdb->users ORDER BY $order"); // query users

foreach($user_ids as $user_id) : // start authors' profile "loop"

$user = get_userdata($user_id);

?>

<li><?php echo '<a href="' . $user->user_url . '">' . $user->display_name . '</a>'; ?><br /></li>

<?php

endforeach; // end of authors' profile 'loop'

?>

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</ul>

Different Sidebars Anyone?

Old way of adding sidebars
Sidebars come and sidebars go...well, at least they do in the WordPress Default
Theme. View the front, archive, or category page and you will see the sidebar.
Click on a post title and view the post and you will see the sidebar disappear. How
did this magic trick happen?

WordPress 1.5 used modular template files for the different parts and pieces of a
site. We are currently discussing one of them, the sidebar.php. Some Themes
feature different web pages beyond the index.php such
as archive.php, single.php, search.php, and category.php. Each of these post
pages can feature different sidebars, headers, and footers. Do you want to have
the sidebar change dependent upon whether someone is viewing a category,
archive, or the front page? We'll show you how.

By default, the call for the sidebar is:

<?php get_sidebar(); ?>

In the WordPress Default Kubrick Theme, the single.php template file did not
request a sidebar. If you viewed a single post, you would see that the post
stretches across the space where the sidebar would have been. Click back to an
archive, category, or the front page and the sidebar returns. This Theme has
removed the call for the sidebar.

To have a sidebar be different on a different template page, instead of using the

default template tag, you can use the PHP command INCLUDE.

<?php include ('sidebar2.php'); ?>

Placed on the single.php or the category.php template file instead of the default
tag, this different sidebar would appear on those web pages. You can then
customize sidebar2.php to feature whatever information you would like so that it is
different than the default sidebar.

If you would like to have a different sidebar on the single.php template file, and
another different sidebar visible when viewing an archive or category, edit
the archive.php or category.php template files and change the sidebar call to:

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<?php include ('sidebar-cat.php'); ?>

<?php include ('sidebar-archive.php'); ?>

Actually, you can use whatever name you want. You can also set up The Loop to
call different sidebars dependent upon what you are viewing, and you can learn
more about this technique in the WordPress Lesson on Exploring the Loop. You've
got the basic idea, and from here, it's up to your imagination.

New way of adding sidebars

You can register more than one sidebar. In wp-includes/widgets.php you find the
function-definition for register-sidebars() which you may use in your custom
function within your theme-folder (functions.php - if it does not exist, create an
empty php file by that name):

<?php if ( function_exists ('register_sidebar')) {

register_sidebar ('custom');

} ?>

'custom' refers to a sidebar file called sidebar-custom.php. Sidebars get indexed

in the WordPress database. Your default sidebar (sidebar.php) gets indexed as 1.
Every succeeding one will have an index higher than 1. You will see your sidebars
now listed in 'Appearance' -> 'Widgets'. You can drag and drop Widgets onto
sidebars.

In your sidebar-templates you may now call the dynamic generated content
(widgets) by the index of your sidebars:

<?php if ( function_exists ( dynamic_sidebar(1) ) ) : ?>

... regular html ...

<?php dynamic_sidebar (1); ?>

... regular html ...

<?php endif; ?>

Or, even easier, call your sidebar by name - if your sidebar has a name of 'foo',
you can use:

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 <?php dynamic_sidebar('foo'); ?>

You can integrate your sidebars in your template-files

(e.g. index.php, single.php, archives.php):

<?php get_sidebar (); ?>

gets you the default sidebar.

<?php get_sidebar ('custom'); ?>

should display your custom sidebar.

Sidebar Accessories
You can put anything you want in your sidebar. Want to have a random image or
a bit of text that changes with every view of a page on your site? How about adding
some asides which are little snips of post information? Want to add "buttons" or
icons to indicate favorite sites, or sites that do validation, or awards you've won?
How about weather reports or the latest news? You can honestly add anything you
want to your sidebar. Here's more examples of what's possible.

Randomness
Did you know you could have random images or text in your sidebar? Yep! There
are a variety of scripts and techniques for creating random images on your site,
images that change with every page or with each refreshing of the browser screen.
The key to having these things in your sidebar is making sure they fit within your
sidebar.

Vertical photographs and graphics tend to fit well with the long vertical column of
the sidebar. You can also feature horizontal images as long as they don't exceed
the width of the sidebar. If they do exceed the sidebar width, they can either
overlap, or push the rest of your content around, messing up your lovely layout.

Here are some resources for creating random images:

 Random Image Selector by Keith Murray

 Random Image Script by PhotoMatt
 Coffee2code's Random File Plugin
 Automaticlabs' Image Rotator

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 More random content, such as text that changes with each page view, can be
added to your sidebar with the use of various plugins. This is a great feature if you
want to have a random list of links to posts within your site, or random quotes or
sayings, or other random bits of information.

 Coffee2code's Random File Plugin

 Randomized Blogroll Plugin
There are a lot of random things you can add to your sidebar, and you can find
many of these at WordPress Extend.

Asides
Asides are like mini-posts; little tidbits you can post that show up in your sidebar
to leave a quick note about a topic or issue. These can be generated by
using Plugins or by taking advantage of the Link Manager.

Within Link Manager, create a link category called Elsewhere, for example. Enter
the links you would like to have listed in your Asides section in your sidebar. Give
them simple titles and descriptions to help identify the links. Then put the following
in your sidebar where you want your Elsewhere Asides to appear:

<h3>Worth Visiting:</h3>

<ul id="elsewhere">

<?php get_links(5, '<li>', '</li>', ' ', FALSE, '_id', FALSE, FALSE, 3, FALSE, TRUE); ?>

</ul>

There are other ways of creating asides, including using some Plugins which turn
"mini-posts" into asides:

 Adding Asides
 Photomatt's Asides
 Coldforged's Asides
 Innereyes' Rustasides

You can find more Plugins and ways to create Asides by visiting the various
WordPress Plugins sites listed below.

Buttons and Icons

People enjoy listing their links and accomplishments in their sidebar highlighted by
buttons and icons. Instead of listing a text link that proves your site has valid
XHTML or CSS, you can create a link using the icon "awarded" to sites which pass

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the test. If your site has won an award, or is part of a webring, or is a member of a
group, you can provide a graphic link to show that off, too. You can even use
graphics to create links to your RSS feeds.

The WordPress Default and Classic Themes provide a text link to validate your
site. It looks like this:

<li><a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer"

title="This page validates as XHTML 1.0 Transitional">

Valid <abbr title="eXtensible HyperText Markup

Language">XHTML</abbr></a></li>

To replace the link with a graphic link, like the "Valid XHTML" icon, copy the icon
to your site and try the following example, changing the file name and folders to
match your site:

<li><a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer"

title="This page validates as XHTML 1.0 Transitional"><img

src="http://example.com/graphics/icons/valid-xhtml10.gif"

alt="Valid XHTML 1.0!" height="31" width="88" /></a></li>

The same technique can be used to highlight an award your site has won or any
other graphic link:

<li><a href="http://example2.com/"

title="Award Winning Site Awards"><img

src="http://example.com/graphics/icons/award42.gif"

alt="Award for Award Winning Site" height="50" width="50" /></a></li>

Linking to graphics for Feeds is a little different from putting graphics in links.
WordPress uses Template Tags to display and coordinate feeds within a
WordPress site. Without a graphic, a link to a RSS 2.0 Feed looks like this:

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<li><a href="feed:<?php bloginfo('rss2_url'); ?>"

title="<?php _e('Syndicate this site using RSS'); ?>">

<?php _e('<abbr title="Really Simple Syndication">RSS</abbr>'); ?>

</a></li>

The template tag bloginfo() has parameters for the different feeds so you don't
have to come up with the URL yourself. It's automatic. Now, let's replace the text
with a graphic.

It used to be common that Feeds were identified by an orange colored box, but
now, RSS Feeds can look like anything, but they tend to have a common look so
they are identifiable from site to site. They feature a horizontal box with two
"columns" of color, one bright and one light, saying RSS|FEED or RSS|Valid. You
can make it say whatever you want, as long as it points your visitors towards this
feature. Feedforall's DYI Feed Graphic Designer allows you to easily design your
own feed icon.

The Feed Icons site provides graphical icons using the icon created by the Mozilla
Foundation and later adopted by Microsoft. A graphical icon helps avoid some of
the issues currently associated with the wide variety of text-based icons.

To use a different icon, here is how it might look:

<li><a href="feed:<?php bloginfo('rss2_url'); ?>"

title="<?php _e('Syndicate this site using RSS'); ?>">

<img src="http://example.com/graphics/icons/rssfeed20.gif"

alt="RSS Feed 2.0" height="20" width="75" /></a></li>

We've given you some examples of how to create graphic links, buttons, or icons
in your sidebar, the rest is up to you.

Weather, Location, and Times

There are so many things you could put into your sidebar, we could go on forever.
Some of the most popular elements are weather bulletins for the weather wherever
the site administrator calls home, GPS and location information, and even the time
in different time zones. There is even a plugin that you can use to list upcoming
dates, events, and holidays, with a countdown until the date.

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 If you can't find a plugin that does what you want it to do in your sidebar, you can
also write your own plugin and share that with the world to use in their sidebars.

Customizing Sidebars By Page

As users are requiring more and more control over their websites, developers are
relying on WordPress Sidebars to offer this additional control. Until recently the
hurdle of displaying different widgets on every page, while using a single sidebar,
was a daunting task that few accomplished.

Plugins such as Widget Logic and Dynamic Widgets now allow users to customize
the display of Widgets on pages.

Plugin Resources
We've only mentioned a few of the many different Plugins you can use in the
designing and customization of your sidebar in WordPress. You can find these and
more from the various plugin resources listed below or search the Internet for
more.

Follow the instructions very carefully as provided by the plugin author. If you have
trouble with the plugin, contact the author's site first, then the author, and if that
doesn't help, do a search on the Internet for help and then visit the WordPress
Forum for further assistance.

 WordPress Codex Plugins List

 wp-plugins.org
 wp-plugins.net
 BloggingPro WordPress Plugins
 Search Google for More WordPress Plugins

Testing without CSS

One might test one's sidebar with the CSS disabled, to understand how it might
appear in such cases, e.g., in text-based browsers. Often one is shocked about
how long and drawn-out one's pages become, (a great opportunity to find places
to optimize,) as the former sidebar now just becomes part of the vertical flow.

Categories:
 WordPress Lessons
 Design and Layout
 Templates

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5.2.6.4 Collaborating with Prezi
Adding collaborators

To start collaborating on a presentation, its owner must first give users rights to
edit, comment, or view. Please note that collaborators need a Prezi Next license
to be able to edit a presentation.

1. From the dashboard, click the three dots (...) in the thumbnail of a
presentation to get the detailed view screen.
2. Click the Collaborators icon in the top-right corner of your screen.
Alternatively, you can click the arrow icon in a presentation thumbnail
and select Add collaborators.
3. You’ll see the “Collaborators” pop-up window with the list of current
collaborators.
4. Enter the name or email of the collaborator you wish to add, then
select their rights.
5. Click Add when you’re done.

You can also add a collaborator while you’re in the editor.

1. Click on the Share icon at the top of your screen, then select Collaborate.
2. You’ll see the “Collaborators” pop-up window with the list of current
collaborators.
3. Enter the name or email of the collaborator you wish to add, then select
their rights
4. Click Add when finished, then Done to close the pop-up.

Adding your entire team as a collaborator

Part of a Prezi team? You also have the option of adding everyone in your team
as a collaborator at once. Simply choose "Anyone on the team" in the collaborator
dialogue and choose the presentation rights for your team members.

Removing collaborators

If you change your mind and would like to remove a user from your presentation,
it’s easy. You can also decide to give them rights to only present or only make
comments.

1. From the dashboard, click the three dots (...) in the thumbnail of a
presentation to get the detailed view screen.

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 2. Click the Collaborators icon in the top-right corner of your screen.
Alternatively, you can click the arrow icon in a presentation thumbnail
and select Add collaborators.
3. You’ll see the “Collaborators” pop-up window with the list of current
collaborators.
4. Click the user’s rights located next to the person’s name to remove
or change their rights.
5. Choose the rights you want to give for the presentation, or
select Remove from presentation to remove the user completely.
6. When finished, close the pop-up window.

Adding and viewing comments

Prezi Next allows your team to collaborate more quickly and efficiently using
comments. Now you can give feedback on work directly where it matters.

To add a comment

1. From the editor, select the object, text, or area where you want to add a
comment.
2. Click the comment icon in the context toolbar to get the pop-up window or
right-click (CTRL/CMD + click) on the canvas.
3. Type your comment in the field and hit ENTER. You’ll see yellow dot appear
where the comment was made.

Any user who has permission to edit the presentation can add or reply to a
comment. If a presentation has any comments, all users who have commented in
the thread will be notified by email and if integration has been added, by Slack.
Moreover, a yellow dot will appear wherever a comment has been made on the
presentation and in the left sidebar.

To see all comments, click on the comments icon in the top toolbar next to the
“Present” button.

Co-editing a presentation

You can add up to 10 team members to co-edit a single presentation. You can see
the number of co-editors in a presentation next to the person icon in the upper right
corner of the editor.

To add co-editors or change collaborating rights, simply click on the icon to get the
pop-up. Then follow the directions listed above on how to add collaborators.

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 Module 6:
MULTIMEDIA AND ICT'S

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6.1 Rich Content in the Online Environment and the User
Experience

Online Learning Environments

The new online learning platforms provide adaptive forms of delivering

course content to students as well as tools for them to engage in individual and
collaborative work. Teaching in an open online course in which all of the learning
activities take place online enables faculty to share knowledge with a wide range
of students around the world as well as enrich theirs and their students'
perspectives on their disciplinary knowledge. Alternatively, by combining an on
campus class with a private online course site to deliver course content, faculty
can use their face to face time in class for activities such as experiments, group
projects, discussions and other learning experiences.
Private or open courses may be conducted as sessions that unfold over a number
of weeks in which students form a cohort with a synchronous learning experience.
Alternatively, courses may be offered so that all of the material is available for
students to individually work through according to their own schedules or return for
reinforcement. Online environments can be defined by who the students are, the
extent of integration with an on campus course, and the degree to which the
learning activities take place online:

Virtual Learning Environment

A virtual learning environment is an online system that allows education

materials to be transmitted through the internet to transfer knowledge from
organization to employee, or teacher to student. Virtual learning environment
examples include the following and more, all of which can be accessed via an
online or computer-based system:

EXAMPLE OFONLINE ENVIRONMENT

 Distance Learning Degree Programs

 Professional Certification Courses
 Instructional Videos
 Video or Audio Lectures
 Books, Articles, and Other Writings
 Podcasts
 Webinars
 High School or University Classes

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ADVANTAGES AND DIS ADVANTAGES OF AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT

ADVANTAGES

 Easy Tracking and Assessment

 Seamless Delivery
 Time Savings
 Financial Savings
 Communication and Connection
 Flexibility

DISADVANTAGES

 Dwindling Attention Spans

 Getting Lost in the Material
 Discomfort with Technology
 Limitations

What is User Experience?

User Experience refers to a person's emotions and attitudes about using a
particular product, system or service. It includes the practical, experiential,
affective, meaningful and valuable aspects of human–computer interaction and
product ownership. Additionally, it includes a person’s perceptions of system
aspects such as utility, ease of use and efficiency. User experience may be
considered subjective in nature to the degree that it is about individual perception
and thought with respect to the system. User experience is dynamic as it is
constantly modified over time due to changing usage circumstances and changes
to individual systems as well as the wider usage context in which they can be
found. In the end, user experience is about how the user interacts with and
experiences the product.

YouTube
A great example of a web 2.0 application that utilises rich user experiences
to capture and retain an audience is YouTube. I can safely say that everyone who
reads this blog post would have used YouTube at some point and can see why i
have chosen this as an example for a rich user experience. YouTube provides the
tools (with the help of google of course) for an online community that is driven by
sharing and collaboration. YouTube provides so many fantastic features for all
levels of users, meaning you dont have to invest hours of time to see a worthwhile
return in terms of the experience. YouTube has come a long way since the days
of its beginning, we can now see many features that were in the past reserved for
powerful desktop computing machines right there on the web!. YouTube is
essentially providing a service to amateur film makers/animators with the features
they give them. Users can simply jump on and create an animated video within a

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few minutes using app extensions like Xtranormal Movie Maker and One True
Media. Because many of the videos that are uploaded to Youtube are from devices
not capable of high quality video recording YouTube offers an online movie editor
that can colour correct your video and even stabalise the camera shake. Although
some of the features at this stage are not as developed as the expensive desktop
applications we can see the direction that these types of Web 2.0 user experiences
are going.

FIVE ELEMENTS OF USER EXPERIENCE IN THE ONLINE

ENVIRONMENT

 Usefulness of the Website

 Adherence to Functionality
 Usability
 Influence
 Visual Design

6.1.1 Ways on how to Manage Online Content

Whether you manage a brand, a business or yourself, your online reputation

matters, particularly if you’re serious about creating a meaningful content strategy
for engaging with potential customers.

Despite the horror stories (e.g., United Breaks Guitars or Boeing’s Social
Media Lesson), the benefits are undeniable when customers find you online
and engage with your content. Using digital and social tools leads to more links
to your website, better quality visits and more indexing. It also allows you to
establish your trustworthiness and credibility with customers, build relationships
with them and improve business profitability.

Are you ready to manage your online reputation? Here are several steps for you
and your company to consider.

By they way, I encourage you to use yourself as an example as you go about

exploring how to manage your own reputation online. This can provide you with
important insights about online reputation management. More importantly,
because you know yourself well, you will intuitively be able to interpret the results
you see. As a result, you’ll be better able to make sense of the results for your
company or brand.

Monitor your Google search results

What’s your “Google juice’? Good? Bad? Indifferent? You need to check it out.

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Enter your name in quotation marks in a search window and examine the results
from the first three pages. When you monitor your search results, you’re looking
to create a baseline for terms that matter to you and your business, starting with
your name, your company name and extending to category names.

 Do many relevant results come up?

 Do any troublesome results appear?

TIPS:

Ultimately, you’re looking to recreate the experience that a potential customer may
have while searching for your name and your company’s name, so keep these
ideas in mind:

 Experiment with different browsers and search engines (e.g., Google, Bing,
Social Mention, etc.) as you’ll notice different results.
 Be aware that Google search will personalize results so they are more
relevant to your search patterns. You’ll want to compare the results you
obtain when you search logged into your Google account (if you have one)
vs. when you are logged out.
 Change your search location (see left sidebar in Google).
 Test with Google instant turned on and off.

Develop digital profiles

Your goal is to ‘own’ as many first page search results as possible for your
name and/or your company’s name with content you’ve created or positively
influenced. Ideally, your website address will appear at the top of those page one
results.

Complete and robust social profiles allow you to own more of those page one
results. Claim your profiles and make sure they consistently describe you
and your company. Consider those social profiles extensions of your
company’s sites; they are ways for you to extend your presence and influence.

Here are some profiles to consider:

 LinkedIn personal profiles for you and your business associates

 LinkedIn Company Pages (Here’s a great step-by-step primer on this
relatively new feature.)
 An individual Google Profile
 A company Google Places account (This is particularly relevant for
businesses with physical locations.)
 SlideShare
 YouTube
 Facebook: Use a Facebook Fan page, not a personal profile page.

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  Flickr
 Twitter

TIPS:

 Create consistent keyword-rich profiles that link back to your website or

blog.
 Keep your profiles updated.
 Create profiles that sound human and engaging.
 If the profiles are for individuals instead of companies, consider providing
everyone at your company with boilerplate information to increase the
likelihood that they will complete their profiles.

Listen intensely

Start listening for what matters to you and your potential customers:

 Create Google Alerts for your name, your company name, your URL, your
competitors, your terms of interest.
 Explore Google Adwords to get a sense for which terms generate the
greatest number of monthly searches; calibrate that against what you know
about your specific customers and marketplace.
 If you want to listen based on geographic proximity, you can experiment
with a Twitter tool called Monitter.
 Don’t forget to analyze your web analytics (check out How to Find Content
Ideas in Your Web Analytics Report) for clues on what customers are
searching for.

What should you do with the information you collect?

 Explore the results you obtain from monitoring your searches. Some may
reflect specific opportunities to address issues and ideas with customers.
 When you can, find out more about specific circumstances so you can make
improvements and communicate back with your solution.
 Respond! See the next section for specific tips.

Be sensitive to patterns and don’t limit your listening to online. Be sure to

listen offline, too, so you can absorb how customers speak or how your sales
associates and service representatives interact with customers.

Once you have a better feel for the terms that properly reflect what your
customers are looking for, consider paid listening tools.

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Set expectations

Of course, you should also respond to the comments that you hear while
listening. Develop policies and guidelines so you and others in your
organization will engage consistently and respectfully with potential
customers via digital and social means:

 What kind of content will you share?

 With what frequency will you respond? (Be sure to validate what real-time
means to your customers as their response expectations may vary
considerably.)
 What is off limits to readers?
 What can potential customers expect from your company?

Never forget that your reputation – online and offline – is a function of those who
represent you and interact with customers. Engage respectfully and consistently
with employees and customers. For instance, here are some thing to capture in
your guidelines:

 Acknowledge comments
 Encourage interaction
 Ask questions
 Listen intensely to what ensues
 Say thank you.

Involving your employees in monitoring and managing your company’s online

reputation leads to better awareness of the value you and your company offers
potential customers, not to mention faster response to issues and opportunities.

For validation, look at what Fiskars — a 360+ year old scissor company — has
achieved with employees and customers with its Fiskateers Brand Ambassador
program [see Fiskars: 360 Years Young & Innovating With Customers].

For examples of policies and guidelines, see my post titled How Do I Start With
Social Media Guidelines?

Evaluate your website

Objectively review your website:

 How solid is your content?

 Is it unique to your business?
 Does it reflect what you’ve learned during your intense listening?
 Does your content speak from the perspective of your customers?
 Are you answering questions that they have about your product or service?
 Does your website project your humanity?

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  Does your website meta data –- page title, description, keywords — reflect
what your content is about? For more perspective, check out
Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide.

Be sure to include the story of your business and identify your employees;
when possible, add a link to their individual LinkedIn profiles.

Plan for the worst

The more time you can spend calmly considering worst-case scenarios
before they happen, the more likely you’ll be able to avoid them for your
company. By virtue of thinking about them and creating a social media response
plan similar to what the US Army and Ohio State Medical Center have in place,
you’ll be ready to react productively and consistently that supports your company’s
online reputation.

6.2 Web 2.0 and 3.0

The World Wide Web or WWW was first introduced in the year 1991. But, later, as
the technology advanced, new versions of web standards in the form of Web 1.0,
Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 came into existence. However, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 are
obviously considered more advanced and easy to use when compared with Web
1.0. But, most of the people are confused with the changes and the evolution that
has taken place.

The Web Applications in the current days have become a complete phenomenon
in today’s generation. This post is framed In order to help and redefine the way,
organizations and individuals communicate and collaborate with each other.

Further, this could notify the current generations on web applications and to identify
the architectural design of the next generation. Especially, the advancement on
the web could have a better impact on Digital Marketing.

The Standards of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0:

Diving into the advanced stages of the internet, the development phase of Web
3.0 assisted by an artificial intelligence has made technology to provide explicate
information to users involved in the day to day activities. The search engine
optimization and the new order probability provides a clarity of the information
about the query in real life situation.

The realistic approach of web 3.0 flags way on dynamic performances that focuses
on predicting answers based on user priority. An executable 3.0 engages dynamic

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content and executes machine interaction as devices like smartphones,
automobiles are highly connected to the internet. Whereas, web 2.0 motivates data
sharing.
This article aims to be clear out the difference between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0.

S.No Web 2.0 Web 3.0

1 “The document Web” “The metadata Web”
2 “The social Web” “The intelligent Web”
Highly mobile, three-dimensional or
3 Static
3D
4 Controversial Even more controversial
Executable phrase of the WWW with
interactive services, dynamic
5 Writable phrase of the WWW
applications and “machine-to-
machine” interaction
6 Uses the read-write web Uses semantic web
Semantic Web companies as
7 Google as catalyst
catalyst
Google keyword search is used to find Databases with metadata are used
8
information to find information
Uses blogs, web applications, rich Uses drag and drop mashups and
9
media and viral media widgets
10 Focuses on Communities Focuses on Individuals
Uses online knowledge community
Uses content management systems
11 that entails people tagging of content
along with artificial intelligence
and its categorization
Interprets information like humans
Facilitates interaction between web and wisely produce and distribute
12
users and sites useful content customized to the
requirements of users
13 Abundance of information Control of information
14 Sharing Content Consolidating Dynamic Content
The key technologies developed
during this stage of the Web include
are Blogs (Blogger); Wikis
(Wikipedia); Social Bookmarking The key technologies developed
(del.icio.us); Social Networks during this stage of the Web include
(Facebook, MySpace); Instant are Ontologies (YAGO, DBPedia);
15 Messaging (Yahoo!, Google Talk, Semantic Searching; Thesauri and
AIM); Mash-ups; Auction Web sites Taxonomies; Personal Intelligent
(eBay); and Professional Networking Digital Assistants; and Knowledge
(Linked-in, Plaxo). Bases.

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Thus, a powerful data that clarifies on both web 2.0 and web 3.0 would highly help
you to get promoted on web development services. Would you like to know more
on any of the web related services and its advancements, then you could directly
reach us. We are here to help you to know much better about the advancements
and even provide services on web applications.

6.2.1 Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is the name used to the describe the second generation of the world wide
web, where it moved static HTML pages to a more interactive and dynamic web
experience. Web 2.0 is focused on the ability for people to collaborate and share
information online via social media, blogging and Web-based communities.
Web 2.0 signaled a change in which the world wide web became an interactive
experience between users and Web publishers, rather than the one-way
conversation that had previously existed. It also represents a more populist version
of the Web, where new tools made it possible for nearly anyone to contribute,
regardless of their technical knowledge.
Web 2.0 is pronounced web-two-point-o.
The meaning of the term Web 2.0 has evolved over time, but it has come include
social media as a major component. Although community has always been a part
of the web, new web applications such as AJAX and more modern browsers began
providing opportunities for people to express themselves online as never before,
and to combine applications to create a more integrated web. By 2005, the term
Web 2.0 was well-established, and companies such as Google made huge strides
to integrate information online. For example, a website that reviews restaurants
may use social media, user-generated content, photographs from Flickr, Google
maps, and content from around the web to create a more complete user
experience.
To a certain extent, Web 2.0 is just an overused buzzword. On the other hand,
there is a genuine difference between the brochure-ware websites in the early '90s
versus the rich web apps of the modern web.

6.2.2 Web 3.0 and the Participation of Users in the Web

What is Web 3.0

1. Probably another buzzword like Web 2.0 for marketing purposes. Web 3.0 is
referred to as the Semantic Web, in which the web itself will be used as a
database with more intelligent search engines, filtering tags and where the
information will be widgetized.

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 2. Web 3.0 is a term used to describe the future of the World Wide Web. Following
the introduction of the phrase “Web 2.0” as a description of the recent evolution of
the Web, many technologists, journalists, and industry leaders have used the term
“Web 3.0” to hypothesize about a future wave of Internet innovation.
3. Based on the development of semantic web.
4. Web 3.0 describes demand-orientated information-, communication-, and
transaction processes within the Net Economy. Due to these processes, the
consumer and the demand via individual registration-, and specification systems
represent the starting point for related e-request-, and e-customization processes
predominantly carried out by means of e-desk (request) or modified e-shop
platforms.
5. Also called the semantic Web, it is an extension of the World Wide Web where
it can be expressed a natural language understandable and usable by software
agents, thus permitting finding, sharing and integrating information easily.
6. Web 3.0 can be considered as an evolution of Web 2.0, which in turn can be
roughly seen as a service-oriented Web, enabling and encouraging user
participation and collaboration. There is no agreement about the specific features
characterizing Web 3.0, but many reaserchers agree on the major role that
semantic technologies and personalization techniques play in it. In this
perspective, Web 3.0 can thus be viewed as a semantic and personalized version
of Web 2.0.
7. Web 3.0 is a term used to describe the future of the World Wide Web. Following
the introduction of the phrase “Web 2.0” as a description of the recent evolution of
the Web, many technologists, journalists, and industry leaders have used the term
“Web 3.0” to hypothesize about a future wave of Internet innovation.
8. Web 3.0 is used to describe the evolution of the use and interaction in the
network through different paths. This includes the transformation of the network in
a database, a move towards making content accessible by multiple non-browser
applications, the thrust of artificial intelligence technologies, the semantic web, the
Geospatial Web, or Web 3D
9. It represents the third phase in the evolution of the Web. It, among other things,
supports a machine-facilitated understanding of information on the Web. Web
3.0 is a Semantic Web, a 3D Web, a pervasive Web, a large database presented
as Web pages, or a combination of these. Web 3.0 is aimed at addressing the
needs of a user in context by rolling up elements such as content, context,
community, commerce, vertical or contextual search, and personalization.
10. Web 3.0 services will be content-oriented, semantic-based, context-sensitive
services based on technologies supporting semantically enriched websites that
might support portable IDs in order to use the Web as a database and an operating
system. Examples are Eurekster, AskWiki, Twine, or Freebase.

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11. Web 3.0 is defined as the creation of high-quality content and services
produced by gifted individuals using Web 2.0 technology as an enabling
platform. Web 3.0 refers to specific technologies that should be able to create the
Semantic Web.
12. Web 3.0 is a techno-social system of co-operation. Networked information
technologies are used as medium that allows humans to produce something new
together or to form cohesive social relations that are bound by feelings of
togetherness and belonging. An example for the first are wikis and for the second
social networking platforms.
13. It is the third generation of the web, and the focus is on delivering
a web experience that is personalized by being responsive to the end-users needs
and interests. Collects data based on the end-users web activity.
14. Term coined in 2006 by John Markoff of the New York Times to characterize a
paradigm shift in the evolution of the Web from dispensary (Web 1.0) to interactive
(Web 2.0) to reciprocal (Web 3.0) whereby instead of users reading the Web, as
done with Web 1.0 and 2.0, the Web also reads the users. Examples include
cookies, algorithms, and artificial intelligence that personalizes what users receive
as they explore the Internet.
15. Web 3.0 describes demand-orientated information-, communication-, and
transaction processes within the Net Economy. Due to these processes, the
consumer and the demand via individual registration, and specification systems
represent the starting point for related E-Request, and E-Customization processes
predominantly carried out by means of E-Desk (request) or modified E-Shop
platforms.
16. The term used to describe the projected evolution of the Web as an extension
of Web 2.0 which provides connective intelligence connecting data, concepts,
applications and people through recognizing commonalities and relationships
between initially independent data entities.
17. This network mode is censed to foster a new style of reception and production
of information, knowledge and meaning. It is often nominated
Semantic Web because its main aim is to construct social semantic sites and
networks where their own underlying model of meaning and knowledge is manifest
and described.
18. Web 3.0 is the technological period that includes the latest internet
technologies and applications that can produce data and share between them
through to internet connections. It is also called “semantic web.”
19. Is the creation of high-quality content and services produced by gifted
individuals using Web 2.0 technology as an enabling platform.

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Data growth and Web 3.0
What is Web 3.0? If you look for a Web 3.0 definition you probably won’t find
a clear and unique explanation. In 2006, Tim Berners Lee said, “People keep
asking what Web 3.0 is. I think maybe when you’ve got an overlay of scalable
vector graphics – everything rippling and folding and looking misty – on Web 2.0
and access to a semantic Web integrated across a huge space of data, you’ll have
access to an unbelievable data resource…”.

To understand the data volumes he was talking about (and that are
constantly growing), consider these statistics (source CISCO VNI: Forecast
and Methodology, 2015-2020). Global IP traffic will increase nearly threefold over
the next 5 years, annual global IP traffic will reach 2.3 ZB per year by
2020, smartphone traffic will exceed PC traffic by 2020, and the number of
devices connected to IP networks will be more than three times the global
population by 2020. While it’s undeniable that the data volumes are growing
faster than ever before (and we will continue to create new content every second
also in the future), the debate about a Web 3.0 definition and its connections with
the digital universe of data is still open.

Web 3.0 definition: 5 main features

It’s easier to identify the major differences between Web 1.0 ( users passively
consult web pages and for the most part don’t participate in generating
content) and Web 2.0 ( users create content and interact with sites and with each
other through social media, forums, etc.). Instead, with Web 3.0, the differences
are not as clearly defined. The term, coined by the reporter John Markoff of
The New York Times in 2006, refers to a new evolution of the web, its third
generation, and includes specific innovations and practices.

Below are 5 main features that can help us define Web 3.0:

1. Semantic Web The next evolution of the Web involves the Semantic Web.
The semantic web improves web technologies in order to generate, share
and connect content through search and analysis based on the ability
to understand the meaning of words, rather than on keywords or
numbers.

2. Artificial Intelligence Combining this capability with natural language

processing, in Web 3.0, computers can understand information like
humans in order to provide faster and more relevant results. They
become more intelligent to satisfy the needs of users.

3. 3D Graphics The three dimensional design is being used extensively in

websites and services in Web 3.0. Museum guides, computer games,
ecommerce, geospatial contexts, etc. are all examples that use 3D
graphics.

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 4. Connectivity with Web 3.0, information is more connected thanks to
semantic metadata. As a result, the user experience evolves to another
level of connectivity that leverages all the available information.

5. Ubiquity. Content is accessible by multiple applications, every device is

connected to the web, the services can be used everywhere.

How Web 3.0 can change our lives

These features bring us closer to a Web 3.0 definition.

Now, In Web 3.0, while you are driving, you can simply ask your automotive
assistant a question (“I would like to watch a romantic movie and eat Japanese
food”). The search engine embedded in the car assistant provides you with a
personalized response that takes into account your location, suggesting the
closest cinema that matches your request and a good Japanese restaurant by
automatically consulting the reviews on social media. Then it might even present
a 3D menu from the restaurant in the display.

6.3 Types of Rich and Multimedia Content

Rich media is a digital advertising term for an ad that includes advanced features
like video, audio, or other elements that encourage viewers to interact and engage
with the content.

While text ads sell with words, and display ads sell with pictures, rich media ads
offer more ways to involve an audience with an ad. The ad can expand, float, etc.
You can access aggregated metrics on your audience's behavior, including
number of expansions, multiple exits, and video completions to get granular data
on the success of your campaign.

Rich media lets agencies create complex ads that can elicit strong user response.
Using HTML5 technology, the ads can include multiple levels of content in one
placement: videos, games, tweets from an ad, etc. If you have a simple objective
to generate clicks or a more ambitious goal to create brand awareness, rich media
is the format to go with.

Standard display creative vs. rich media creative

The key advantages of rich media creatives include:

 An engaging user experience leading to higher interaction rate

 Increased conversions, click-throughs, and view rates
 Better metrics than traditional ads

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The differences between standard and rich media creatives are detailed below:

Rich media creative

Standard creative
 A single .html, .gif, .png, or .jpg  Usually exceeds 200K
file format of 200K or less  May use multiple files
 Contains no video or  May contain video
expansion  May expand to a larger size
 Usually only tracks a single  May include detailed tracking metrics
click-through link on user interactivity
 May track multiple click-through links
 May contain other special features
(polling, send-to-a-friend, gallery, etc.)
 Some publishers may require a polite
load

Rich media creative types

Studio supports different creative types to display rich media ads in different
ways on a target website. Creative types (also called formats) are assigned when
a designer makes a new creative in Studio.

 Banner

A creative with a fixed size and position on a web page or in a mobile app. A
banner is the most basic rich media ad format. Rich media banner creatives can
include videos and polite download technology, which waits for the web page to
completely load before loading the creative.

 Banner with floating

A banner creative and an interstitial creative displayed at the same time.

 Dynamic creatives

Banner, expanding, interstitial, or VPAID creative types can also be dynamic.

Dynamic creatives use a linked management profile that can change creative
content on the fly, either manually or based on content rules.

 Expanding

A creative that expands beyond its initial dimensions over the top of other page
or app content. Expansion can take place after a user interacts (for example, by
click, tap, or mouse-over) or automatically when the page loads (auto-expand).
Creatives can expand in any direction, shape, or with fading effects and can
collapse on user interaction, automatically on mouse-out, or based on a timer.

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Other expanding creative types include: Lightbox, multi-directional expanding, and
push-down.

 Interstitial

A creative that either floats on top of a page's content or appears as a fullscreen

ad during natural transition points in mobile apps, such as during launch, loading,
and video pre-roll. Interstitial creatives served on web pages can move with
content or maintain a locked position as a user scrolls. The "Locked" option is
enabled at the trafficking stage.

 Lightbox

Lightbox is a premium brand format for the Google Display Network. Lightbox
is an expanding creative that works on both desktop and mobile. On desktop
computers, a two-second mouseover expands the Lightbox. On mobile devices,
you tap to expand. When expanded, the Lightbox takes over most of the available
screen space to feature brand content, including videos, maps, games, and more.

 Multi-directional expanding (MDE)

A creative that expands in multiple directions, depending on where the ad

appears in the page. For example, when the ad is on the left side of the page, it
will automatically detect its location and expand to the right. If the same ad is
served on the right side of the page, it will expand to the left.

 Multi-floating interstitial

Multiple interstitial creatives (a maximum of four) that work as a single creative

delivery, commonly to border or surround a page's content. Like an ordinary
interstitial creative, this creative can move with content or maintain a locked
position on a page as a user scrolls.

 Push-down

An expanding creative that pushes down the content of a webpage when the
creative expands, moving the web page out of the way to display the ad. If the
push-down is frequency capped (a user can only see it auto-expand a certain
number of times during a given period), then you must build both a user-initiated
expanding version and an auto-expanding version. You must also select a setting
for this option in the trafficking stage.

 Video

Videos can be included in all other formats. See VPAID below to learn about
ads that are displayed within or alongside publisher video content instead.

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  VPAID

VPAID stands for Video Player-Ad Interface Definition. A VPAID creative is

displayed in an a publisher's in-stream video player (like the YouTube player), and
typically includes video content. Studio supports VPAID linear creatives, which
appear before, between or after the publisher's video, and fill the entire video
player.

6.3.1 Video Formats

A video file format is a type of file format for storing digital video data on
a computer system. Video is almost always stored using lossy compression to
reduce the file size.
A video file normally consists of a container (e.g. in the Matroska format)
containing video data in a video coding format (e.g. VP9) alongside audio data in
an audio coding format(e.g. Opus). The container can also contain
synchronization information, subtitles, and metadata such as title. A standardized
(or in some cases de facto standard) video file type such as .webm is
a profile specified by a restriction on which container format and which video and
audio compression formats are allowed.
The coded video and audio inside a video file container (i.e. not headers, footers,
and metadata) is called the essence. A program (or hardware) which can decode
compressed video or audio is called a codec; playing or encoding a video file will
sometimes require the user to install a codec library corresponding to the type of
video and audio coding used in the file.
Good design normally dictates that a file extension enables the user to derive
which program will open the file from the file extension. That is the case with some
video file formats, such as WebM (.webm), Windows Media Video (.wmv), Flash
Video (.flv), and Ogg Video (.ogv), each of which can only contain a few well-
defined subtypes of video and audio coding formats, making it relatively easy to
know which codec will play the file. In contrast to that, some very general-purpose
container types like AVI (.avi) and QuickTime (.mov) can contain video and audio
in almost any format, and have file extensions named after the container type,
making it very hard for the end user to use the file extension to derive which codec
or program to use to play the files.
The free software FFmpeg project's libraries have very wide support for encoding
and decoding video file formats. For example, Google uses ffmpeg to support a
wide range of upload video formats for YouTube.[1] One widely used media player
using the ffmpeg libraries is the free software VLC media player, which can play
most video files that end users will encounter.

6.3.2 Types of Audio File Formats

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 An audio file format is a file format for storing digital audio data on
a computer system. The bit layout of the audio data (excluding metadata) is called
the audio coding format and can be uncompressed, or compressed to reduce the
file size, often using lossy compression. The data can be a raw bitstream in an
audio coding format, but it is usually embedded in a container format or an audio
data format with defined storage layer.

Format types
It is important to distinguish between the audio coding format,
the container containing the raw audio data, and an audio codec. A codec
performs the encoding and decoding of the raw audio data while this encoded data
is (usually) stored in a container file. Although most audio file formats support only
one type of audio coding data (created with an audio coder), a multimedia
container format (as Matroska or AVI) may support multiple types of audio and
video data.

There are three major groups of audio file formats:

 Uncompressed audio formats, such as WAV, AIFF, AU or raw header-

less PCM;
 Formats with lossless compression, such as FLAC, Monkey's Audio (filename
extension .ape ), WavPack (filename extension .wv ), TTA, ATRAC Advanced
Lossless, ALAC(filename extension .m4a ), MPEG-4 SLS, MPEG-4
ALS, MPEG-4 DST, Windows Media Audio Lossless (WMA Lossless),
and Shorten (SHN).
 Formats with lossy compression, such
as Opus, MP3, Vorbis, Musepack, AAC, ATRAC and Windows Media Audio
Lossy (WMA lossy).
Uncompressed audio format
One major uncompressed audio format, LPCM, is the same variety of PCM
as used in Compact Disc Digital Audio and is the format most commonly accepted
by low level audio APIs and D/A converter hardware. Although LPCM can be
stored on a computer as a raw audio format, it is usually stored in a .wav file
on Windows or in a .aiff file on macOS. The AIFF format is based on
the Interchange File Format (IFF), and the WAV format is based on the
similar Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF). WAV and AIFF are designed to
store a wide variety of audio formats, lossless and lossy; they just add a
small, metadata-containing header before the audio data to declare the format of
the audio data, such as LPCM with a particular sample rate, bit
depth, endianness and number of channels. Since WAV and AIFF are widely
supported and can store LPCM, they are suitable file formats for storing and
archiving an original recording.

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 BWF (Broadcast Wave Format) is a standard audio format created by
the European Broadcasting Union as a successor to WAV. Among other
enhancements, BWF allows more robust metadata to be stored in the file.
See European Broadcasting Union: Specification of the Broadcast Wave
Format (EBU Technical document 3285, July 1997). This is the primary recording
format used in many professional audio workstations in the television and film
industry. BWF files include a standardized timestamp reference which allows for
easy synchronization with a separate picture element. Stand-alone, file based,
multi-track recorders from AETA,[1] Sound Devices, Zaxcom, HHB
Communications Ltd, Fostex, Nagra, Aaton,[5] and TASCAM all use BWF as
[4]

their preferred format.

Lossless compressed audio format

A lossless compressed format stores data in less space without losing any
information. The original, uncompressed data can be recreated from the
compressed version.
Uncompressed audio formats encode both sound and silence with the same
number of bits per unit of time. Encoding an uncompressed minute of absolute
silence produces a file of the same size as encoding an uncompressed minute of
music. In a lossless compressed format, however, the music would occupy a
smaller file than an uncompressed format and the silence would take up almost no
space at all.
Lossless compression formats include the common[6] FLAC, WavPack, Monkey's
Audio, ALAC (Apple Lossless). They provide a compression ratio of about 2:1 (i.e.
their files take up half the space of PCM). Development in lossless compression
formats aims to reduce processing time while maintaining a good compression
ratio.
Lossy compressed audio format

Lossy compression enables even greater reductions in file size by removing

some of the audio information and simplifying the data. This, of course, results in
a reduction in audio quality, but a variety of techniques are used, mainly by
exploiting psychoacoustics, to remove the parts of the sound that have the least
effect on perceived quality, and to minimize the amount of audible noise added
during the process. The popular MP3 format is probably the best-known example,
but the AAC format found on the iTunes Music Store is also common. Most formats
offer a range of degrees of compression, generally measured in bit rate. The lower
the rate, the smaller the file and the more significant the quality loss.

6.3.3 Embedding Audio and Video Files

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Audio and video on the web Section

Web developers have wanted to use video and audio on the Web for a long
time, ever since the early 2000s, when we started to have bandwidth fast enough
to support any kind of video (video files are much larger than text or even images.)
In the early days, native web technologies such as HTML didn't have the ability to
embed video and audio on the Web, so proprietary (or plugin-based) technologies
like Flash (and later, Silverlight) became popular for handling such content. This
kind of technology worked ok, but it had a number of problems, including not
working well with HTML/CSS features, security issues, and accessibility issues.
A native solution would solve much of this if implemented correctly. Fortunately, a
few years later the HTML5 specification had such features added, with
the <video> and <audio>elements, and some shiny new JavaScript APIs for
controlling them. We'll not be looking at JavaScript here — just the basic
foundations that can be achieved with HTML.
We won't be teaching you how to produce audio and video files — that requires a
completely different skillset. We have provided you with sample audio and video
files and example codefor your own experimentation, in case you are unable to get
hold of your own.

The Video Element

The <video> element allows you to embed a video very easily. A really
simple example looks like this:

<video src="rabbit320.webm" controls>

<p>Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Here is a <a
href="rabbit320.webm">link to the video</a> instead.</p>
</video>

The features of note are:

src
In the same way as for the <img> element, the src (source) attribute
contains a path to the video you want to embed. It works in exactly the same
way.
controls

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 Users must be able to control video and audio playback (it's especially critical
for people who have epilepsy.) You must either use the controls attribute to
include the browser's own control interface, or build your interface using the
appropriate JavaScript API. At minimum, the interface must include a way to
start and stop the media, and to adjust the volume.
The paragraph inside the <video> tags
This is called fallback content — this will be displayed if the browser
accessing the page doesn't support the <video> element, allowing us to
provide a fallback for older browsers. This can be anything you like; in this
case we've provided a direct link to the video file, so the user can at least
access it some way regardless of what browser they are using.

Supporting Multiple Formats Section

There's a problem with the above example, which you may have noticed
already if you've tried to access the live link above with a browser like Safari or
Internet Explorer. The video won't play! This is because different browsers support
different video (and audio) formats.

Let's go through the terminology quickly. Formats like MP3, MP4 and WebM
are called container formats. They contain different parts that make up the whole
song or video — such as an audio track, a video track (in the case of video), and
metadata to describe the media being presented.
The audio and video tracks are also in different formats, for example:

 A WebM container usually packages Ogg Vorbis audio with VP8/VP9 video. This
is supported mainly in Firefox and Chrome.
 An MP4 container often packages AAC or MP3 audio with H.264 video. This is
supported mainly in Internet Explorer and Safari.
 The older Ogg container tends to go with Ogg Vorbis audio and Ogg Theora video.
This was supported mainly in Firefox and Chrome, but has basically been
superseded by the better quality WebM format. An audio player will tend to play an
audio track directly, e.g. an MP3 or Ogg file. These don't need containers.
The above formats exist to compress video and audio into manageable files
(raw video and audio is very large). Browsers contain different Codecs, like Vorbis
or H.264, which are used to convert the compressed sound and video into binary
digits and back. As indicated above, browsers unfortunately don't all support the
same codecs, so you will have to provide several files for each media production.
If you're missing the right codec to decode the media, it just won't play.
So how do we do this? Take a look at the following updated example (try it live
here, also):

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<video controls>
1 <source src="rabbit320.mp4" type="video/mp4">
2 <source src="rabbit320.webm" type="video/webm">
3 <p>Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Here is a <a
href="rabbit320.mp4">link to the video</a> instead.</p>
</video>

Here we've taken the src attribute out of the actual <video> tag, and instead
included separate <source> elements that point to their own sources. In this case
the browser will go through the <source> elements and play the first one that it has
the codec to support. Including WebM and MP4 sources should be enough to play
your video on most platforms and browsers these days.
Each <source> element also has a type attribute. This is optional, but it is advised
that you include them — they contain the MIME types of the video files, and
browsers can read these and immediately skip videos they don't understand. If they
are not included, browsers will load and try to play each file until they find one that
works, taking even more time and resources.

6.3.4 Video on-demand

Video on-demand (VOD) is a form of video media distribution that allows
users to consume TV and movie-content whenever they choose rather than at a
scheduled broadcast time. During the 20th century, the major form of media
distribution was broadcast in the form of over-the-air programming. The
development of the Internet and IPTV technology in the late 20th century resulted
in a significant switch in content consumption habits with VOD coming to
televisions and personal computers.[1] Unlike broadcast TV, video on demand
requires each user to have considerable internet bandwidth to access the content
effectively.
Television VOD systems can stream content through either a set-top box, a
computer or other device, allowing viewing in real-time, or download it to a device
such as a computer, digital video recorder (also called a personal video recorder)
or portable media player for viewing later. The majority of cable and telephone
company-based television providers offer:

 VOD streaming, whereby a user selects a video program and it begins to play
immediately on the television set, or

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 downloading to a digital video recorder (DVR) rented or purchased from the
provider, or downloading onto a PC or to a portable device, for viewing in the
future.
Internet television is an increasingly popular form of video on demand. VOD can
also be accessed via desktop client applications such as the Apple iCloud online
content store.
Some airlines offer VOD as in-flight entertainment to passengers through
individually controlled video screens embedded in seatbacks or armrests, or
offered via portable media players. Some VOD services, such as Netflix, use
a subscription model that requires users to pay a monthly fee to access a bundled
set of content, which is mainly movies and TV shows. Other services, such
as YouTube, use an advertising-funded model, where access is free and only
some premium content requires a subscription.

6.4 Online Games

An online game is a video game that is either partially or primarily played
through the Internet or any other computer network available.[1] Online games are
ubiquitous on modern gaming platforms, including PCs, consoles and mobile
devices, and span many genres, including first-person shooters, strategy
games and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG).[2]
The design of online games can range from simple text-based environments to the
incorporation of complex graphics and virtual worlds.[3] The existence of online
components within a game can range from being minor features, such as an
online leaderboard, to being part of core gameplay, such as directly playing
against other players. Many online games create their own online communities,
while other games, especially social games, integrate the players' existing real-life
communities.[4]
The culture of online gaming sometimes faces criticisms for an environment
that can promote cyberbullying, violence, and xenophobia. Some are also
concerned about gaming addiction or social stigma.[5] Online games have
attracted players from a variety of ages, nationalities, and occupations. [6][7][8] The
online game content can also be studied in the scientific field, especially gamers'
interactions within virtual societies in relation to the behavior and social
phenomena of everyday life.[6][7] It has been argued that, since the players of an
online game are strangers to each other and have limited communication, the
individual player's experience in an online game is not essentially different from
playing with artificial intelligence players.[9] Online games also have the problem of
not being permanently playable, unlike purchased retail games, as they require
special servers in order to function.

6.4.1 End User License Agreement

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 An end-user license agreement (EULA) is a legal contract entered into
between a software developer or vendor and the user of the software, often where
the software has been purchased by the user from an intermediary such as a
retailer. A EULA specifies in detail the rights and restrictions which apply to the
use of the software.[1]
Many form contracts are only contained in digital form, and only presented
to a user as a click-through which the user must "accept". As the user may not see
the agreement until after he or she has already purchased the software, these
documents may be contracts of adhesion.
Software companies often make special agreements with large businesses
and government entities that include support contracts and specially drafted
warranties.
Some end-user license agreements accompany shrink-wrapped software
that is presented to a user sometimes on paper or more usually electronically,
during the installation procedure. The user has the choice of accepting or rejecting
the agreement. The installation of the software is conditional to the user clicking a
button labelled "accept". See below.
Many EULAs assert extensive liability limitations. Most commonly, an EULA
will attempt to hold harmless the software licensor in the event that the software
causes damage to the user's computer or data, but some software also proposes
limitations on whether the licensor can be held liable for damage that arises
through improper use of the software (for example, incorrectly using tax
preparation software and incurring penalties as a result). One case upholding such
limitations on consequential damages is M.A. Mortenson Co. v. Timberline
Software Corp., et al.[citation needed] Some EULAs also claim restrictions on venue
and applicable law in the event that a legal dispute arises.
Some copyright owners use EULAs in an effort to circumvent limitations the
applicable copyright law places on their copyrights (such as the limitations in
sections 107–122 of the United States Copyright Act), or to expand the scope of
control over the work into areas for which copyright protection is denied by law
(such as attempting to charge for, regulate or prevent private performances of a
work beyond a certain number of performances or beyond a certain period of time).
Such EULAs are, in essence, efforts to gain control, by contract, over matters upon
which copyright law precludes control. [2] This kind of EULAs concurs in aim
with DRM and both may be used as alternate methods for widening control over
software.
In disputes of this nature in the United States, cases are often appealed and
different circuit courts of appeal sometimes disagree about these clauses. This
provides an opportunity for the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, which it has
usually done in a scope-limited and cautious manner, providing little in the way
of precedent or settled law.[citation needed]
End-user license agreements are usually lengthy, and written in highly
specific legal language, making it difficult for the average user to give informed

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consent[3]. If the company designs the end-user license agreement in a way that
intentionally discourages users from reading them, and uses difficult to understand
language, many of the users may not be giving informed consent.

6.4.2 Various Computer Game Genres

A video game genre is a specific category of games related by
similar gameplay characteristics. Video game genres are not usually defined by
the setting or story of the game or its medium of play, but by the way the player
interacts with the game. For example; a first-person shooter is still a first-person
shooter regardless of whether it takes place in a science
fiction, fantasy or military setting; so long as it features a camera mimicking the
perspective of the protagonist (first-person) and gameplay centered around the
use of ranged weaponry.
Genres may encompass a wide variety of games, leading to even more specific
classifications called subgenres. For example, an action game can be classified
into many subgenres such as platform games and fighting games. Some games,
most notably browser and mobile games, are commonly classified into multiple
genres.
Today’s computer games are loaded with action, and there are many different
categories or genres of games. But, many games can be considered to be more
than one genre. For instance, a soccer game could be considered a sports game,
as well as a simulation game. Here is some information that will help you to better
understand the various computer game genres.

1. Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)

These games are played over a LAN (local area network) or via the Internet.
Players use a network and interact with other players in the virtual game room.
You can play against people from all over the world. The creation of these games
involves thousands of hours of programming, giving you, the player, the most
amazing gaming experience possible.

2. Simulations
These games involve taking control of real-world vehicles, including tanks, ships,
and aircraft. You learn how to control these vehicles, and use simulation games
that can also be used to train professionals. In fact, many pilots are trained
using airplane simulators before they actually take flight.

3. Adventure
These are usually single player games, and are often set in fantasy or adventure
worlds. You complete puzzles to advance levels. The game generally starts with a
back story of your character, and let you know what your mission is. You have to
figure out how to complete the mission.

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4. Real-Time Strategy (RTS)
For these games, you usually need to build up your inventory of items, armies, etc.
Similar to a strategy game, RTS games move in real-time, and players can play at
once without taking turns so you can play together at the same time.

5. Puzzle
These games appeal to those who love to solve difficult puzzles. There are many
levels, from beginner to expert, and games usually have coloured shapes and
simple actions. These are brain games, with no action involved.

6. Action
You need to be fast to enjoy these fast-paced games, and you need to have
excellent reflexes. Complete challenges by fighting with enemies, and use a
character of your choice to represent yourself and jump into the action.

7. Stealth Shooter
These tend to be war games or spy-based games, where you use stealth to defeat
your enemies.

8. Combat
Fight one on one with opponents, up close and personal. You need good reflexes,
and the ability to use the controls for all kinds of fighting moves.

9. First Person Shooters (FPS)

You are the protagonist, and the game is viewed through your eyes. You can really
get into these games. The only downfall is that you are not able to see how you
look in the game, because you are seeing things through your own eyes.

10. Sports
Play real-world sports like baseball, basketball, soccer, and more. As you work up
through the various skill levels, your game will involve mimicking real professional
athletes and how they move. The most popular sports games are usually based
around specific popular sporting events.

11. Role-Playing (RPG)

If you love fantasy, you will love role-playing games. You get to act out the part of
the main character, be the hero, etc., and make decisions that go along with the
games’ story lines. Many of these games have narrative guides.

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12. Educational
While many parents and teachers complain about video games, there are some
great educational games out there that can help with the learning process. Train
in a variety of subjects, using games to make learning fun instead of boring. There
are testing functions, where you can answer multiple choice questions. The most
common types of education games are for math, science, and ICT.

6.5 Online Educational Tools

Online education is very rampant to the community nowadays due to its
accessibility. Online education is based on a learning process which uses
exceptional online education tools or educational learning tools for the students to
learn quicker. These online educational tools for students will be a big helping hand
for students to be more engaged in the topic or subject was chosen. Thus, it will
create more life and interest to learning.

As more and more college students choose not to be indebted with student
loans and wish to spend time with other matters, online education has become one
of the choices for students instead of attending the normal physical classes which
would be time-consuming, herculean, and physically and emotionally draining due
to the pressure.
Below are examples of the top 8 online education tools suggested by the
parents and teachers around the world.

1. ezTalks Meetings
Among the other online classes on the list, ezTalks Meetings is so far the greatest
online tool there is in the world. As a high-quality video conferencing tool, it has a
high-definition camera that would make it more engaging for the student and the
teacher to be both participative in the class.
ezTalks Meetings is not just an online video conferencing tool for students and
teachers, it can also be used for business meetings, conference calls with your
boss and for personal use.
It also has the capability to arrange and schedule meetings, control management,
cross platform chat for a participative interaction between both parties.

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2. FluentU
FluentU has become one of the ramping online language tool applications used by
the community nowadays due to its accessibility on each smartphone. It offers
Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Japanese and English. Instead of using
templates, it uses online videos, music videos, and movie trailers. These serves
as an educational learning tools for the student not only to learn the language but
also learn the accent and a part of the culture as well.

3. Memrise
Memrise uses multi-media flashcards for memorizing the lesson or topic taught.
They have online highly-trained teachers who uses scientific methods to record
your best personal learning style. They currently offer a wide range of language,
over 200 languages are being taught as of today. It is an application available for
iOS and Android version.

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4. Udemy
Udemy not only offers language courses but other courses as well such as Design,
Business, Web Development, Marketing, Personal Development, and many more.
Some of the available courses are free while some are rated to be around $200.
Either way, it will be more convenient for the student to spend the day in the
comfort of his own home.

5. Mathletics
Mathletics is an online education website specifically teaching Mathematical
subjects. It is available around the world. An online space that helps students
specifically with mathematical problems to solve, memorize, and instill the lesson
into the students’ minds.

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6. Edmodo
This website is not just available for students to use. They also hire professional
teachers to work with them, as long as the teacher is certified. It also gives parents
the comfort of checking the students' progress in terms of learning. This website
can also be used by teachers from other schools or campuses to provide quizzes,
homework, and tests whenever they are not available.

7. Schoology
The founders of Schoology are Jeremy Friedman, Ryan Hwang, Tim Trinidad, and
Bill Kindler. They first-handedly experienced the boredom of an online physical
class. So they came up with an online tool called Schoology which is an online
learning website not just for kids. It offers K-12, Higher-Ed, and Corporate Learning
with a wide range of courses to choose from.

8. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization that wishes to provide
accessibility around the world through a website. It offers several basic subjects

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and courses such as Science and Engineering, Computer Programming,
Mathematics, Arts and Humanities, Economics and Finance, and many more. It
has been founded by Salman Khan and has a goal to provide education to students
with have very limited access to schooling or students who wants to be home-
schooled.

Conclusion
As a conclusion, these online educational tools are so far the best evolution in
technology. They offer accessibility and freedom to students who are loaded up
with other herculean tasks such as part-time jobs that even barely pay for their
college tuition fees, students who are just too far from the world to experience a
physical class, and students who wants to avoid student loans as much as
possible. These educational learning tools for students are hands-down the best
invention there is yet in terms of education.

If you are considering getting an online educational software, it is highly suggested

that you consider the pros and cons first. Just like any other technology,
educational tools are also made by the human mind.

6.5.1 Online Assessment

There are different types of online assessment. Online assessment is used

in different working areas and all of them have their own goal to achieve. The
working area that I will highlight is the educational working area. Educational
assessment is the systematic process of documenting and using empirical data on
the knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs. By taking the assessment, teachers try
to improve student learning.

Assessment can be focused on the individual learner or all individuals

together, like the whole class, an institution or specific program. Formative
assessment will give you an overview of your students in the beginning of your
instruction. It gives you the opportunity to still have the chance to improve your
instruction. Summative will give you the outcome of the whole instruction.

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6.5.2 Types of Online Assessment
Pre-assessment or diagnostic assessment

Before creating the instruction, it’s necessary to know for what kind of
students you’re creating the instruction. Your goal is to get to know your student’s
strengths, weaknesses and the skills and knowledge the posses before taking the
instruction. Based on the data you’ve collected, you can create your instruction.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is used in the first attempt of developing instruction.

The goal is to monitor student learning to provide feedback. It helps identifying the
first gaps in your instruction. Based on this feedback you’ll know what to focus on
for further expansion for your instruction.

Summative assessment

Summative assessment is aimed at assessing the extent to which the most

important outcomes at the end of the instruction have been reached. But it
measures more: the effectiveness of learning, reactions on the instruction and the
benefits on a long-term base. The long-term benefits can be determined by
following students who attend your course, or test. You are able to see whether
and how they use the learned knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Confirmative assessment

When your instruction has been implemented in your classroom, it’s still
necessary to take assessment. Your goal with confirmative assessments is to find
out if the instruction is still a success after a year, for example, and if the way you're
teaching is still on point. You could say that a confirmative assessment is an
extensive form of a summative assessment.

Norm-referenced assessment

This compares a student’s performance against an average norm. This

could be the average national norm for the subject History, for example. Other
example is when the teacher compares the average grade of his or her students
against the average grade of the entire school.

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Criterion-referenced assessment

It measures student’s performances against a fixed set of predetermined

criteria or learning standards. It checks what students are expected to know and
be able to do at a specific stage of their education. Criterion-referenced tests are
used to evaluate a specific body of knowledge or skill set, it’s a test to evaluate
the curriculum taught in a course.

Ipsative assessment

It measures the performance of a student against previous performances

from that student. With this method you’re trying to improve yourself by comparing
previous results. You’re not comparing yourself against other students, which may
be not so good for your self-confidence.

6.5.3 Online Courseware

Open Course Ware (OCW) are course lessons created at universities and
published for free via the Internet. OCW projects first appeared in the late 1990s,
and after gaining traction in Europe and then the United States have become a
worldwide means of delivering educational content.

History
The Open Course Ware movement started in 1999 when the University of
Tübingen in Germany published videos of lectures online for its timms initiative
(Tübinger Internet Multimedia Server).[1] The OCW movement only took off,
however, with the launch of MIT Open Course Ware at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT) and the Open Learning Initiative at Carnegie Mellon
University[2] in October 2002. The movement was soon reinforced by the launch of
similar projects at Yale, Utah State University, the University of Michigan, and
the University of California Berkeley.[citation needed]
MIT's reasoning behind OCW was to "enhance human learning worldwide by the
availability of a web of knowledge".[3] MIT also stated that it would allow students
(including, but not limited to, its own) to become better prepared for classes so that
they may be more engaged during a class. Since then, a number of universities
have created OCW, some of which have been funded by the William and Flora
Hewlett Foundation.[3]

Principles
According to the website of the OCW Consortium, an OCW project:

 A free and open digital publication of high quality educational materials,

organized as courses.

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 Available for use and adaptation under an open license, such as
certain Creative Commons licenses.
 Does not typically provide certification or access to faculty.

6.6 Webcasting
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet
using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many
simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on
demand. Essentially, webcasting is "broadcasting" over the Internet.
The largest "webcasters" include existing radio and TV stations, who
"simulcast" their output through online TV or online radio streaming, as well as a
multitude of Internet only "stations". Webcasting usually consists of providing non-
interactive linear streams or events. Rights and licensing bodies offer specific
"webcasting licenses" to those wishing to carry out Internet broadcasting using
copyrighted material.

6.6.1 Self-Service Webcasting

Self-service webcasting offers individuals or businesses access to
enterprise-grade webcasting, publishing, editing and analytics tools so they can
host their own webcasts using their existing technology infrastructure.

6.6.2 Game casting

Casting is the act of providing live commentary of a game or replay, using
the in-game broadcasting function to speak to audience members watching
the game. Casters take on the responsibility of directing the in-game camera,
providing live audio, and entertaining the audience

6.6.2.1 How to be a Good Game Caster

We talk much about the games and their players. We pay attention to the
organisations and events. But do we pay attention to the commentators?

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 The shoutcasters are an integral part of competitive gaming and in some cases
it’s lifeblood. When the tension is high and things get messy on the screen, it’s the
commentator’s job to make sense of all the split-second action and be entertaining at
the same time. Not an easy task, to be sure.

But what exactly is the caster’s job and how do we tell the good ones, from the
bad?

When they are bad, we notice. Many things could go wrong during a game and
the casters have to be prepared. A bad caster isn’t knowledgeable when it comes to
the game itself and its meta environment. A bad caster gets distracted and talks about
irrelevant things at the worst of time. A bad caster could be plain annoying.

So what is a good one, then?

There are at least two main types of shout casters with their strengths and
weaknesses, much like the class roles in our favorite games.

A play-by-play commentator is the usually the thing that pops first to our mind
when we think casters. This is the guy who yells in the heat of battle, emphasizing the
key moments and generally hyping everything up. They bring excitement and provide
emotional feedback, that’s a key part to the eSport spectating experience. However,
they are also often accused of overhyping situations and are more prone to say funny,
inaccurate, or straight-up inappropriate things in the heat of the moment.

The other ones are the colour commentators. They are the other side of the
coin – very analytical, down to earth, sophisticated in the game’s intricacies and always
providing expert information, explaining why exactly this other guy is shouting so much.
On the downside, due to the very nature of the commentary they provide, they could
be less interesting at best, and straight-up boring at worst.

Some sort of balance has to be struck between the two styles, and this is where
teamwork pays off. Again, a concept all competitive gamers are well familiar with.

So how can you become a great shoutcaster? There is no magic potion that you have
to drink. Like any other skill set, this is something you gradually build up with hard work
and effort. But it’s not an impossible task, either. Here are some quick tips that we find
important.

 Know what you’re talking about. You must know the game you’re commenting.
You have to be familiar with the mechanics, the characters, the maps and the

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 interactions. The lore of the game is extremely useful for colouring your commentary
and a nice way to get out of a situation you’re not prepared for.
But that’s not all. You have to know the metagame, the current trends, what the
communities are passionate about at the moment and what the developers are
announcing.
And this one goes without saying, but you must know the players! It’s their actions
that you’re commenting, it’s their play style that you’re analyzing and it’s their victories
and defeats that you are conveying to the audience.

 Build a style and stick to it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being the shouty
guy, or the brain behind the mic. There is nothing wrong with being a multi-class of
these, either. But pick your role and lock to it. This will help viewers recognise you
and adjust their expectations from the watching experience. It will help tournament
organisers recognise you and pick you for certain events over your colleagues. But
most importantly, it will help you become better at your job. When you stick to your
‘lane’ and your co-caster does the same, you are working in perfect synergy.

 Be entertaining. With so much money and passion on the line, it’s sometimes easy
to forget that this is entertainment we’re watching and not an actual battle on life and
death. The audience appreciates casters who crack jokes at the right times and find
unexpected ways to communicate what’s happening on the screen. A good caster
can turn the most predictable or mundane in-game situation into a hilarious anecdote
that people will talk about after the game.
 Have a catch phrase. This one ties to the previous point and might feel a little weird,
but it shouldn’t be underestimated. Think of all the big personalities associated with
eSports and video game content in general for the past ten years. You can’t hear the
words ‘Tons of damage’ and not immediately think of Phreak. Or ‘never lucky’ for
Forsen. You get the point. Having a catchphrase helps you build a following and
leave an impact in the game you’re commenting and its community.

 Know your limitations and find a partner. You know what’s better than an amazing
caster? A team of amazing casters. Having a buddy by your side can help you in
more ways than one. If you separate your roles right, you’ll be able to cover all
aspects of the game in front of you. You’ll provide insightful, but also entertaining
commentary. And most importantly – you will cover each other’s back. It’s human to
get nervous, let a slip of the tongue, forget, or just don’t notice an important detail.
This is where a second pair of eyes and a friendly remark can not only remedy your
mistakes but also turn them into a fantastic moment people will remember fondly. As
the old League of Legends motivational poster states – ‘Team work OP!’.
6.6.2.2 How to be a Good Game Caster (cont.)

While people do watch top-tier competitions in games like competitive

Overwatch to see world-class players duke it out, it must be said that half the
excitement comes from listening to skilled commentators discuss the games at
hand.

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Do you have what it takes to be one of them? Here are some tips to help get you
there.

Discover Your Own Style

Personality makes up a large part of being an eSports caster. When people tune
in to listen to your casting, it’s because they like you, and as far as eSports casting
is concerned, personality is synonymous with style.

There are two main types of casting, though they aren’t mutually exclusive:

 Play-by-play casting involves giving a running commentary of the action as it

happens in real-time. The nature of great play-by-play casting requires a quick
mind, articulate speech, and strong knowledge of what’s going on.
 Color casting, also known as analytical casting, fills the gaps when there isn’t
much play-by-play action. Many color commentators are experts who can
provide in-depth analysis of strategies while other forms of color commentary
exist in the form of statistics, background information, and humor.

To succeed as an eSports caster, you should know which kind of commentary best
suits your personality. Match broadcasts tend to pair a play-by-play with a color
caster, so it’s better to excel at one than to be mediocre at both.

But even within the two types of casting, there is ample room for distinguishing
yourself from others. In the beginning, when you don’t yet know which style works
for you, it may help to emulate a popular caster. However, over time, you should
break away and be innovative with your own techniques, phrases, inflections,
tempo, volume, etc.

Again, people will listen to you because they like you. If you’re emulating Day9,
why would they listen to you when they can just tune into Day9’s
commentary? You are what makes your own casting unique. That’s your selling
point. Discover it and develop it.

Learn the Game Inside and Out

An eSports caster cannot succeed if they don’t know the game. After all, the crux
of commentary is that you’re commentating about the game. If you have little
knowledge, what’s left for you to say? At best, you’ll speak emptiness. At worst,
you’ll be wrong about everything. This is true of play-by-play and color casters
alike.

In fact, learning the depths of a game actually provides fuel for your casting. Not
only do you know what to talk about, you can connect the dots between gameplay
and meta-gameplay, resulting in a richer broadcast for viewers. You don’t have to
be an analyst, but you should still have some insight.

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Once you’ve learned the mechanics, you’ll then want to learn about factors outside
the game. Who are the players? What are their stories? Are there any rivalries or
drama going on? What’s at stake in the given match? All of this will add another
dimension to your commentary. Before you cast, you have to be prepared.

Master Your Tools and Software

If you’re trying to break into the eSports casting scene, you’re probably a one-man
team. Until you can find someone who can handle the technical details on your
behalf (good luck finding someone who will), you’ll need to handle them yourself.
Get ready because this won’t be a walk in the park.

First, you need to pick your casting medium. Are you going to stream live on
Twitch? Or will you be making after-the-fact commentaries on YouTube? Or, if
you’re so inclined, you could choose to do audio-only commentary in a format
similar to a podcast.

Once you know the medium, you can pick the right software. I highly
recommend OBS Studio for live streaming and recording gameplay videos. It’s
free and less resource-intensive than most free streaming software. For audio-only
commentary, you could go with Audacity or one of its many alternatives.
Next, make sure you have enough hardware power. Live streaming video requires
quite a bit of CPU and GPU strength, especially if you want good quality (at least
720p). For Open Broadcaster Software, you can use their settings estimator to see
how well you can stream. You’ll also need a fast Internet connection that’s at least
1.5 Mbps upload.
Lastly, you’ll need a microphone or headset with good audio quality. At the very
least, captured audio should be crisp and clear without any static, buzzing, or other
artifacts that are harsh on the ears. Check out our article on the best essential
podcast equipmentbecause there’s some overlap there.
Produce New Content Regularly

Take a step back and put yourself in your (future) audience’s shoes. Which casters
and streamers do you watch the most? Which ones develop the widest
reputations? Are they the ones who put out a new video/stream every few weeks?
No way. The ones who gain the most traction are those who cast day in and day
out.

Ideally, you should create a new video/stream every single day. However, not
everyone has the time to live up to an ideal, especially when they’re just starting
out. In that case, you should decide on a content production schedule (e.g., every
Monday and Friday) and stick with it diligently.

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The benefits are many. Each cast is practice for you, and each will be better than
the last. Furthermore, regular practice gets you comfortable with the casting
process. As your confidence grows, so will your quality.

But the greatest benefit is organic audience growth. If you stick with it,
you will develop a fanbase over time. It may take a week, a month, or even a year,
but each video/stream you put out is one more opportunity for someone to discover
you. On the contrary, if you quit, you guarantee failure.

Be Scared, Be Bold, Be Humble

At the end of the day, successful eSports casting is about overcoming mental
hurdles. Anyone can learn the mechanics of a game, how to talk like a
commentator, and how to use the right equipment – as long as they keep a right
mind.

Be scared. Casting for eSports is public speaking and public speaking can
be terrifying. It’s okay to be scared. Allow yourself to be. Embrace the fear and use
it as fuel for continued growth and improvement. If you aren’t scared, then you’re
underestimating the difficulty of being a caster.

Be bold. Don’t let your fears stop you. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Don’t hesitate
to promote yourself whenever appropriate. It’s okay to be scared as long as you
don’t use it as an excuse to huddle within your comfort zone.

Be humble. There’s always room for improvement, even after you think you
understand everything there is to know about casting. Whether constructive or not,
listen to whatever criticisms come your way. As Neil Gaiman famously said:

“When people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost
always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it,
they are almost always wrong.”

6.6.3 Podcasting
Podcasting is the preparation and distribution of audio files using RSS to
the computers of subscribed users. These files may then be uploaded to digital
music or multimedia players like the iPod. A podcast can be easily created from a
digital audio file. The podcaster first saves the file as an MP3 and then uploads it
to the Web site of a service provider. The MP3 file gets its own URL, which is
inserted into an RSS XML document as an enclosure within an XML tag.

Once a podcast has been created, it can be registered with content

aggregators, such as podcasting.net or ipodder.org, for inclusion in podcast
directories. People can browse through the categories or subscribe to specific
podcast RSS feeds which will download to their audio players automatically when

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they next connect. Although podcasts are generally audio files created for digital
music players, the same technology can be used to prepare and transmit images,
text, and video to any capable device.

Podcasting has been likened to TiVo because it allows users to listen to

their selected podcasts whenever they like, similarly to the way time-shifting lets
viewers watch television programs when it suits them. Furthermore, because of
the portability of the player devices, users can listen to audio files from the Internet
as they go about their daily activities - for example, listening to a news blog entry
while at the gym, commuting, or just walking around.

Content producers are increasingly turning to podcasting as an inexpensive

and user-friendly new distribution channel that has the potential to reach a large
audience. Not surprisingly, musicians and bloggers are prevalent among the early
adopters, but mainstream media organizations, including ZDNet and National
Public Radio (NPR), are beginning to venture into podcasting as well.

6.6.3.1 Popularity of Podcasts

Podcasts have been causing quite a lot of noise lately.

Yes, literally.

For those completely new to the podcast scene, podcasts are a series of audio
files made available online. Most podcasts are set up like a TV or radio show, with
different “seasons” and episodes focused on varied topics featuring special guests.

Listeners can subscribe to specific podcasts, download new episodes, and listen
whenever it’s convenient to them.

While podcasts have been around for about a decade — think back to 2004 when
Apple’s iPod minis were all the rage, and iTunes Music Store had just gone
international — there’s been a surge in listenership in the last couple years that’s
getting a lot of attention from business owners, celebrities, advertisers, and
consumers alike.

Let’s take a closer look at six reasons why the rising popularity of podcasts could
matter for your business:

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1. It doesn’t take much to get started.
One of the things that makes podcasts so compelling for businesses — especially
businesses with smaller staffs and limited budgets — is that they don’t require a
significant investment to get started. Something as simple as recording on a
smartphone or tablet should be perfect for your first few episodes.

Because podcasts are also very conversational, you won’t need to write out
everything you want to say. You can create an outline ahead of time to help you
stay on topic, but most of the conversation will be fine unscripted.

2. Podcasts are perfect for storytelling.

As a small business, your stories are what help you draw people in, get them
invested in your business, and persuade them to choose your business over the
competition. Hopefully, you’re already looking for ways bring your unique stories
to your online presence like your website, blog, social media, and email
marketing messages.

If so, you’re probably wondering — what’s the benefit of adding a podcast to this
list?

As an audio based platform, podcasts allow you to harness more communication

power than written word alone. Your listeners will be hearing your stories straight
from the source, rather than reading the words and interpreting them on their own.

This will help you convey tone, timing, humor, and excitement in a way that even
the most talented writers struggle to get across on a page.

3. They’re extremely convenient to consume.

More than blog posts or videos, which demand someone’s full attention, podcasts
give listeners the gift of multitasking.

That’s why most podcast listeners listen to podcasts through their smartphones,
tablets, or other mobile devices. Listeners are able to listen to podcasts while
getting ready in the morning, driving to work, or cooking dinner.

Podcast fans can easily incorporate listening time into their daily routines, which is
probably why one in five weekly podcast users consume six or more podcasts a
week.

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4. You can become an industry expert.
What kinds of industries are using podcasts? A quick perusal of iTunes will show
you everything from knitting to craft beer to economics are all fair game.

Think about your expertise and audience, and what topics you could cover on an
ongoing basis. Remember that podcasts also work well for interviews, so you don’t
have to worry about being the expert on every topic you want to cover.

You also shouldn’t be concerned about your expertise being too niche; in fact,
niche podcasts may work well because you have less noise to fight through. You
could also have an easier time of being featured on a platform like iTunes if there
are less podcasts focused on your specific topic.

5. Your listeners are in it for the long haul.

Consider the time difference between a member of your audience viewing one of
your tweets versus listening to a podcast. Podcasts give your listeners the time
they need to settle in and engage more deeply with what you’re saying.

While the length of podcast episodes varies quite a bit, keeping episodes to 15 -
30 minutes increase the likelihood that listeners can consume full episodes without
interruption.

Beyond the time investment, podcasts inspire loyalty because listeners are getting
to know and trust you. This will move potential customers through the buying cycle
more quickly and give you opportunity to keep them updated on your business’s
offerings.

6. You can reach a new, targeted audience.

Your business is probably already thinking about how to optimize your website
to get found through search engines. Starting a podcast will open up opportunities
for getting found on platforms like iTunes, which has 800 million accounts, or
SoundCloud, with over 250 million active users.

New listeners who come across your podcast are often those who are searching
out information on a specific topic. This ensures you’re reaching them with the right
information at the right time.

Additionally, you can add subscribe buttons to your email newsletters and website
to engage those who are already familiar with your business.

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 Ready to dip your toes into the podcast stream?
Even if the idea of starting a podcast appeals to you, you may feel unsure about
taking on another commitment.

Consider taking these small steps first:

 Listen to what’s out there: Find out what’s already being created and think
about how your approach would compare. You can find recent episodes of our
new podcast, Small Biz Stories here.

 Appear on existing shows: If starting your own podcast isn’t realistic for you
right now, you can still benefit from podcasting as a featured guest on existing
podcasts. Spend some time researching popular podcasts related to your
industry. Ask customers what podcasts they listen to. Once you find podcasts
that could be relevant to your industry, or that you think you could add value to,
look for opportunities to build relationships with the hosts. If you have your own
content that you think they’ll find interesting, share it with them so that they can
see the type of value you could offer.

6.6.3.2 Characteristics of Podcasts

What differentiates a great podcast from an average podcast? Well, you
can say it’s the audio quality or the guests who are interviewed. But at the heart of
it all, the thing that defines a podcast as great is the host! The host is the glue that
holds everything together. They determine what content is created, which guests
make an appearance, and whether or not the audience becomes a strong,
engaged community.

Becoming a great podcast host takes some skills, practice, and a few key
characteristics! To help your podcast thrive, you have to learn to create the
conversation your audience desires, become an expert on the subject, and really
seek out the best guests to interview on your show. Of course, each of our
podcasts has a unique spin and requires any number of important podcast host
traits to make it a success. So take these 10 characteristics and implement them
as a start to creating the successful podcast you’ve always dreamed of.

1. Engage Your Audience in Conversation

One of the best tips for a podcast host is to speak to your audience like they
are in the room with you. Don’t tell them about what they “will hear” or how
“great the interview was”. Instead, let them discover it along with you, in
“their” moment. This helps your listeners to feel like they are right there with

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 you, listening to the interview for the very first time as it is happening.
Although this is not true, it definitely creates a much more life-like
atmosphere and draws your listeners into the crucial and sometimes
intimate conversations of your podcast. Most importantly, think of your
listener as a third person listening in to your conversation, not a crowd of
people listening to your conversation. This creates a one-on-one feel,
inviting them into the conversation with you to go on the journey together!

2. Know Your Subject Matter

There’s nothing worse than going off on a tangent simply because you
forgot what you were talking about in the first place. Knowing your subject
matter is critical when it comes to keeping your audience engaged and
actually allowing them to walk away from the episode having learned what
you set out to teach them. Being well-prepared and researched in your topic
can help you stay focused and gives you a clear path of the conversation.
It is important to keep a narrow focus and make sure that you are not losing
anyone along the way. True knowledge and expertise trump a simple
opinion every time!

3. Avoid Information Overload

Podcasts are not all about shoving information down your listeners’ throats.
Oftentimes people get bored when there is too much information thrown
their way. Instead, break the information up by adding in stories, personal
anecdotes, or something for your audience to relate to and remember down
the road. Your listeners are much more likely to remember a story than a
bunch of facts strung together. Keep in mind, you cannot assume that
everyone learns the way that you do. Find new ways to be a good teacher
and a great communicator and you are sure to get your message across
effectively.

4. Understand Your Audience

In order to be a great podcast host, you have to be one with the audience,
and understand what’s running through their mind the entire duration of the
show. Throughout the episodes, keep reminding yourself of what they would
be feeling or what they would be thinking. By knowing their thoughts, you
will be able to ask much better questions of your guests, really digging into
what your audience is after. As the podcast host, it is your job to deliver the

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 content they want to hear, and you can only do that when you truly
understand what makes your audience tick.

5. Seek Out the Best Guests

Sometimes a podcast guest can make or break your episode. If your guests
are inexperienced with the podcasting format, do your due diligence to
make sure that they get the right tools, even set up a practice run, and really
get them acquainted with the world of podcasting. Now, remember, just
because someone has asked to be featured on your show does not mean
that they are a good fit. Again, what does your audience want? Will this
guest benefit them and give them the valuable content that they are looking
for? Don’t be afraid to ask these tough questions and really vet your guests
to find those golden interviews!

6. Prepare For Every Interview

Before the interview, make sure to research your guest and become familiar
with their work. Take the time to read their books, listen to other podcasts
that they’ve been interviewed on, and really get accustomed to their topic
of choice. To dig even deeper, send out a pre-interview survey to get to
know them better. Gather as much information about your guest, including
their bio and headshot, so that you can give them a big thank you and share
their details out with your listeners to really give them the value and
exposure above and beyond what is expected. On top of that, say thank
you by sending them a gift or something to remember the podcast by.

7. Set Your Guests at Ease

Preparing your guest for the interview is just as important as preparing

yourself. A great way to get your guest to be more prepared is by sending
over sample questions ahead of time to give them a chance to look them
over and think through the possible answers they could give. Another great
tip is to pick a topic of their interest, something that highlights their expertise
and brings a new piece of knowledge into your show. On the day of the
interview, get your guest loosened up before by asking them personal
questions, or sharing a story with them. These non-threatening topics can
help them become more relaxed. Then, transition straight into the interview
with this same feel and energy so that the momentum is not lost for the
show.

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8. Encourage Respectful Debates

Part of being a skilled interviewer and great podcast host is learning how to
read the conversation. Every conversation as the potential to go really well,
really badly, or simply fall flat. This is where it is key for you to guide your
guests along the conversation, encouraging interesting topics and diving
into each aspect of what the guest has to offer. Now, keep in mind, often
listeners really enjoy a spirited debate, a conversation that really gets into
the nitty-gritty of a topic, especially one that is close to their hearts. As the
host, you have to guide these debates and encourage them to be respectful
of all sides. Again, giving your listeners the excitement of it all without it
getting too heated or uncomfortable.

9. Create Killer Episode Titles

When it comes to your episode title, first impressions are key! There needs
to be a hook that draws listeners in and give them a hint of what is to come
without giving it all away! If your podcast has been running for a while, it can
often be hard to come up with creative, catchy titles. This is where
interesting content comes into play; make sure to ask guests things that
have never been said on other podcasts, dig into topics that aren’t often
covered, and really find that unique twist to add to your show, even if the
guest is not new to the audience. Be your own creator, and really embrace
that side of yourself.

10. Be Authentic

Finally, but most importantly, just be authentically you. At the heart of it all,
you have to be authentic on your show. There’s nothing better than knowing
that as the host, you are giving it your all! Listeners want to connect with
you, the real you. Not some made up version of someone you wish you
were. That is what will make your show the most unique because nobody
can tell it like you can. Only you have the perspective and the point of view
to share your message with your audience. At the end of the day, they tune
in to hear your authentic voice and to relate to all that you have to share
with them.

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