Journal #6: Digital Business

  One thing I found surprising about this unit was how popular Paypal is and how easy it is to use it.  I didn't think many people used it but now I know they do and I think it's great.  The only thing I found confusing about this unit was where you could use Paypal but I guess it can be used anywhere's unlike Google Wallet that can only be used in the US.  I always purchase things online, most of the stuff I've purchased was good quality and came quickly but other things took months to get to me and there was only one time I didn't like what I purchased, it was a bathing suit and the material was really bad and cheap looking and the size was way off so I was disappointed but that was the only time.  I've never sold anything online but my older brother has sold stuff on Kijiji and his experiences weren't that bad people gave him the money he was asking for and they would decide when and where to meet up, pay him and then leave and he's never had anyone call and complain to him so it was a pretty positive experience.  One tip I think is important is " When buying using Kijiji and other online service make sure buying is done in a PUBLIC PLACE and never send money via mail or other ways to the seller" I think this is important because the seller might just take your money if you're not careful.  Another important tip was " banks often charge fees for debit usage that is over a set limit so if you use your debit card a lot you may want to ask about ways to get rid of this extra fee or ask for "Cash Back" at checkout to help pay for future things"  This is important because if you use your Debit card a lot you could be charged a lot of money.  I think the biggest issue for young people when it comes to buying or selling online is using unsafe websites.  A lot of teens may see something online and buy it but it could really be a scam.  It's the same with selling things online, if your're not careful someone not all there or someone crazy could be buying your stuff.

Assignment #2: Paypall

  Paypal is a service that allows you to pay, send money, and accept payments without revealing your financial details.  Paypal keeps you safe when shopping at all stores because they don't share your financial details with sellers and with purchase protection, eligible purchases up to $20 000 are protected.  Paypal makes money by having hidden fees and Paypal protects you from undelivered items by reimbursing you for the full purchase price of the item plus original shipping.  If I started a business I would allow payment using Paypal because it seems pretty secure and safe, probably one of the safest out there so I would definitely use it.  Between Paypal and Google Wallet I would prefer Paypal because it guarantees safe payment and can be used anywhere whereas Google Wallet you can only send money to people in the US and use the money to pay at locations only in the US or wherever Debit MasterCard is accepted which is useless to me because I don't live in the US or have any family members that live in the US either so I would prefer Paypal.

Assignment #1: Shopping Carts

    The two biggest reasons people still shop at stores are for the socialization, it's a great way to spend time with people and socialize.  The other reason is there's no shipping frustration, you don't have to wait a week or so for something, no shipping fee and you don't have to worry about it being delayed due to a snow storm or anything. Two biggest reasons people shop online are it's easier to compare offers and people shop online for products unavailable in the near area.  The buying experience I would prefer would be online shopping because you can find good deals and purchase good things not in our area.  I don't think online shopping will be the only method in 2050 because lots of people still shop at stores today, it's a common thing people do especially young people who enjoy going to the mall and I don't think that will change, however I think smaller malls will eventually just close down due to less and less customers and most people travel to bigger malls nowadays and I think all smaller malls will no longer exist in 2050.  I think that the business change Canada Post has made was a smart idea because if their business was crippling then it was time for a change plus a lot of people do digital shopping so if they focus their work on that and delivering the products their business shouldn't suffer as bad anymore.  One way online shopping could make their return policy easier is to make the shipping free to return it and guarantee your money back or replace it as quickly as possible.    

Journal Entry #5: (Digital Wellness)

    What I found most surprising when it comes to digital wellness is how looking away from the road for just one second can be dangerous and scary.  Also another surprising thing about this unit is how so many people let the internet control their life and lots of people are unhealthy due to using the internet.  What I found hard or confusing about this unit was making the pledges to stay off the internet or limit my time because I am always on my phone surfing the web, I check everything in the morning, during lunch time and during evening when I get home, I never stay off my phone.When it comes to digital wellness I think the biggest issue for young people is they are constantly on their phones checking everything instead of doing physical activity and most of the time the internet can effect everyone not only physically but also mentally and I think it's becoming a problem.  Also another problem is some people get so attached to their phones that they block out even their family members which is also pretty unhealthy.    

Assignment #2: The Pledge

I pledge to use less technology
I pledge to not use technology before bed
I pledge to limit my time on the internet to 2 hours maximum
I pledge to put my homework before the internet
I pledge to spend more time with my friends and family and doing physical things instead of sitting home on my phone watching Netflix

Assignment #1: One Mississippi

   Seeing these distances in meter sticks made me feel nervous to look away because it's proven to be very dangerous.  Anything could happen when you look away just for a few seconds.  One reason this may be effective is because it makes you more nervous about looking away and may make you a more careful driver.  One reason it may not change anything is sometimes people get so distracted and look away without thinking or maybe something catches their eye and they look away.  Some people probably don't even care and will still do it anyways because they don't think anything would happen to them.  Something that could help people from being distracted would be to have something like Siri in your car where you could just push a button on your steering wheel and say what you want like "turn on music" or call/text someone or anything really.  Next time I am in a car with a distracted driver I will most definitely speak up, because it is important not to put you or other cars in harms way.

Journal #4: Netiquette

  The things I found most surprising when it comes to issues around Netiquette are that sometimes we agree to things we don't even know about because we don't take the time to read the "terms of agreement".  Another thing I found really surprising was that iTunes can take what you bought off your device, even though you thought it was yours forever and you paid for it iTunes can still take it away from you.  I don't think most internet users read or concern themselves with the terms of service/use agreements when joining a site or online or online service because many people i've talked to said they just skip through it all, including myself because I find it a waste of time.  People should read the terms of service/ use agreements because you could be agreeing to anything and not know about it.  On a scale of one to ten I would rate my online behavior about a 7 because I don't usually say anything negative or get into spats online but when discussion an opinion sometimes I don't look at the other persons view of things and just look at things my way.  One thing I can take from this unit and put into practice to improve my online behavior would be to respect other peoples opinions.  I think the biggest issue when it comes to Netiquette among young people is sometimes they don't think before they say things and often get involved in big arguments online or they say hateful things to people without thinking.   

Online Discussion Boards: Assignment #3

  1. Many of the guidelines are similar to how we expect people to act face to face because it's like the same things.  When talking on the internet we are expected to be respectful and polite same as on the internet.

2.  Four guidelines that I feel are extremely helpful and necessary when interacting with others in an online discussion are:

• "Don't type in ALL CAPS! if you do it it will look like you're screaming" This is important because nobody likes someone yelling at them and it doesn't look or seem very polite.
• "Stay on topic don't post irrelevant links, comments, thoughts, or pictures" This is important because saying or posting irrelevant things are annoying and chances are you will be reported or asked to leave the discussion.
• "Be forgiving.  If your classmate makes a mistake don't badger him or her for it.  Just let it go.  it happens to the best of us."  This is important because you don't want to come off as rude, everyone makes mistakes including yourself and you wouldn't like someone badgering you for a mistake so you shouldn't do it to others to make them feel bad.
• "Don't badmouth people or call them stupid.  You may disagree with the ideas but don't mock the person"  This is important because it can hurt their feelings if it gets back to them.

3.  I've made comments on an online discussion board before, however it was a pretty positive experience because there was nothing negative being said or anything and all was good.

4.  I think I would enjoy a course where you could discuss issues online with other students because you can get both insights on an issue and you can benefit from other students opinions through the discussion to get a better understanding of things or look at things a different way.   

Do as I say: Assignment #2

  Five reasons/facts that will make me choose the right way of doing things in digital society are:

1.  I don't want to get in trouble with the police.

2.  If I want to be treated with respect I should do the same with others.

3. I don't want others to think I am miserable and unhappy.

4.  Others deserve credit for their work instead of claiming it as mine.

5. A lot of work goes into songs and movies and the people should get paid.

Online Standards of Service use: Assignment #1

  Five companies that use the terms and service agreements or have major conditions before use are Facebook, ask.fm, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.  Five services that teens should look further into are "You don't own what you bought", 'They can turn your device into an expensive brick", "OnStar is narcing you out", and "iTunes knows what you are and what you're doing", and "you're almost always giving up your right to sue".  "You don't own what you bought" means that when you buy a digital file you don't actually own it you're just buying a licence to it.  If you read the terms of agreement a lot of them will say they reserve the right to change, suspend, or fully remove any product or content that they choose and they don't mean remove it from their site so nobody else can buy it; they mean remove it from the device you downloaded the file to, never to be seen again.  "They can turn your device into an expensive brick" means with phones it's legal to "jailbreak" the device but just because it's legal doesn't make it a good idea.  Most companies have paragraphs in their terms of service that say you promise not to mess with the software.  if they find out you did, you have given them the right to cause trouble.  For instance, Nintendo, after realizing people were installing software to pirate games on the Wii, released an update that would bring the system upon installation. "OnStar is narcing you out", what that means is OnStar is that incredibly convenient product many drivers use, however what you didn't know is that they are legally spying on you also a new agreement for OnStar forces you to allow them to sell your data to whoever they want.  They sell stuff like your vehicle speed, location and things like that but the downfall is they could sell it to your insurance company.  "iTunes knows who you are and what you're doing", apple can use iTunes to watch you all the time.  Apple is able to see your precise location.  Basically, the location data your phone has been storing is sent to a hidden database file and sync it to your computer whenever you connect your phone.  This means that somewhere on your computer is a log of everywhere's you've been.  "You're almost always giving up your right to sue", almost every user agreement now includes a clause about arbitration.  This means that you agree not to sue should a dispute arise.  Instead your case will be taken in front of an arbitrator who will listen to both sides one of which will include a team of lawyers.  The other side will just include you. http://www.cracked.com/article_19683_6-terrifying-user-agreements-youve-probably-accepted_p2.html

Journal #3: Digital Rights and Responsibilities

      The things I found most surprising when it comes to digital rights and responsibilities were all the commandments to follow and how a simple mistake online can effect your life in real life.  Also I found it surprising how these commandments seem to be known whereas some of them I never knew existed or was something you had to follow.  I don't think most people act responsibly when online because they are behind a screen and are not in the right state of mind to think of the consequences of their actions and they feel they are not doing anything wrong.  Most people I find seem to think they are "tough" when behind a screen and they don't act responsibly to situations they think they are free to say what they want without any consequences and that's where a lot of cyber bullying comes into play.  Out of all ten commandments I think the most important was "Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans".  I think this is most important because having respect online is very important so you don't run into trouble and everyone's happy.  Among young people I think the biggest issue around digital rights and responsibilities is cyber bullying.  Young people nowadays will say anything behind a screen because they don't think before they say anything, they're behind a screen therefore they think that their opinions and things won't matter and they don't think any consequences will be involved or they're really hurting someone. 

Assignment: Digital Rights and Responsibilities

Journal #2: Digital Communication.

     The things I found most surprising when it came to digital communication was all the acronyms that are used, I didn't even know some of them.  Also another thing I found surprising was all the common passwords that people use and it goes to show just how easy it is to hack someones account.  Things I have learned from watching the video about email etiquette was you should answer an email within 24 hours and anytime after one week is considered rude.  Also I learned that you shouldn't use caps in emails because it makes it seem like you are yelling at the person and it's also important to put a subject for your email and start off by saying something related to the title instead of just starting off by saying "hi" because chances are your email will go to the trash quickly. BCC is a copy of an email message sent to a recipient whose email address does not appear (as a recipient) in the message.  It is best to use the BCC feature when sending an email message to a large number of people.  When you place email addresses in the BCC: field of a message, those addresses are visible to the recipients of the email.  Out of all the information I read I think the most important thing for young people to consider when using digital communication would be to remember to use proper language when talking to important people and to use email correctly and politely.     

Acronyms attack (Assignment two)

      Three more acronyms I can think of are:

1. OMW - on my way
2. HBU- how about you
3. NTM- not too much

Four places I would never use acronyms using digital communication would be on a resume, work file, typed assignment for school or important email to someone.

Communication Compass (Assignment one)

    What is the definition of digital communication?

The definition of digital communication is the way and how people interact has been changed forever.  Social media, texting, and portable connected devices have made it more important than ever to examine the way we interact digitally.  Technology itself is never good or bad, it is the way it's used that creates those categories.

 List 4 digital communication advantages and 4 disadvantages in your opinion:

advantages:
1. contact family members
2. make plans with friends to meet up
3. contact someone in case of emergency
4. call someone if you need help with something

disadvantages:
1. pervert tries to communicate with you
2. hackers
3. could call to meet up with a stranger and he kidnaps you
4. face time or snap chat pictures to someone who screenshots them and posts them somewhere's


What are the three most popular forms of digital communication today and why do you think they are popular?

The three most popular forms of digital communication today are social media, texting, and portable connected devices.  I think these are most popular because we use a lot apps today using social media to communicate with others and we also do a lot of texting to a lot of people throughout the day.  It is so easy to get someones number using social media then putting it into our portable connected devices and texting it that's also why I think these are the most important.

What three forms of digital communication may not be around much longer and why do you think they are going to disappear or become irrelevant?  

I predict that blackberry messaging may not be around much longer same as Email and landlines for home.  Not many people use blackberry's anymore and i think it will eventually just fade away also using Email is slowly becoming less used due to being able to just send a simple text or message.  Furthermore, I think due to cell phones most people will disconnect their landlines for home because the majority of the people just use their cell phones to contact each other now and house phones nowadays are basically useless when you have a phone you can carry around with you wherever you go.

Can you list five locations or scenarios in real life where you really SHOULD NOT be communicating digitally and suggest WHY?

Five scenarios in real life where you really should not be communication digitally would be when making a big announcement like telling your partner you are pregnant, that should be done face to face.  Also proposing to someone that should also be done face to face.  Another one would be when fighting with someone you should handle things together privately instead of posting about it everywheres to get more people involved.  Another one would be when asking someone out or asking someone to prom you should do it face to face to make things more realistic and special.  Finally another one would be I think people should keep their life problems off social media and not post about their breakups because nobody really cares about your breakup, if you need help go get help from a professional or get counselling instead of getting random people off facebook or online. Also a bad location for using your cell phone would be at a funeral, hospital visiting a loved one or when speaking to someone, its best not to be digitally communicating at these times to show respect and to not come off as rude.

Spend some time online researching dangerous digital communication then answer: In your mind which TWO forms of digital communication represent the greatest DANGER to your personal health and safety and why? 

Two dangerous situations in which you should never use digital communications include communicating (texting) in a vehicle while driving, and using social network sites in a harmful way such as cyber-bullying, or spreading viruses. These bring danger to your personal life both physically and emotionally. Both can be avoided with using the technology considerately at the right time and place.


Do you think human kids will continue to be more and more connected or will people eventually find their own healthy balance? Why? 

I believe over time, kids will eventually find a healthy balance for their lifestyle with technology. It may seem hard to see as of now, only because the online world is growing so fast, but I think kids will adapt to all the changes and be intelligent with how much they use it. It will only be so long before they see how addicted they are to technology before they smarten up and do something productive with their life.


When a person dies, is too sick or injured to communicate or for any other reason avoids all digital communication; what should happen to their accumulated online communications and records of internet activity? What is your solution to this growing problem? 

When a person is no longer able to update or keep in touch with their personal online communication, I think there must be something on their will that lets them choose what they want to happen to their accounts. If I were going to die, and knew I had to make a choice about what I wanted to do with my online life I would keep it up to let others see my life as a person and what I accomplished. Others may want their account deleted completely due to the fact it could be hacked, or simply because there is no one alive to update that personal profile anymore. A solution to this growing problem would be to make every person with an online profile fill out a form regarding the situation.

Journal #1: Digital Security

        When it comes to digital security and creating passwords the thing I found surprising was how easy it is for computers to guess passwords and how common some passwords really are.  I didn't really find anything confusing or difficult about this section, it was pretty straight forward, it showed us the common passwords, how to choose a strong password and using math to prove a passwords value.  Based on the information in this section I don't think my passwords are very strong but they also aren't the worst or most common passwords around.  I think the most important thing to remember when considering passwords is to make it long but memorable and use one that's unique and not very common.

Digital Security (Assignment 1)

        In the worst password list I think some of the passwords would be really easy to guess, however there are a few that I would probably not even think to guess like qwerty for example and adobe123 I probably wouldn't think of either of those.  From the list I have used some of these passwords like "1234", "000000" and "111111"  I feel kind of stupid for using these passwords now because they are so common and easy to guess and anybody could access my accounts or information. My thoughts about the list are it's pretty accurate.  Yes I think seniors and adults are more likely to use these passwords because they want something simple, like my mother for example uses really simple passwords something like the ones in the list.  Things we can do to save them disastrous consequences would be to show them the list and convince them to make up new passwords.  Three more passwords I can think of that are not on the list are "696969", persons name, or "2468".  In order for a modern password to be considered strong is it should not be just one word it should be a full sentence.  

Apps on Google

    The two apps on google I chose were Pixlr Editor and Pixlr Express.  Pixlr Editor is the most popular advanced online photo editor, no download is required and It's free.  Pixlr Editor is used to edit photos and do touch ups.  Pixlr Editor contains a lot of the features that you normally see in desktop graphic design applications.  Pixl Editor provides tools like layers, lasso tool, brush controls, cloning, and filters.

     Pixlr Express is a fun photo editor that lets you quickly crop, re size, and fine-tune any picture.  Pixlr Express lets you choose over 2 million combinations of free effects, overlays, and borders to personalize your images.  Pixlr Express also helps lets you create and customize a photo collage, it also offers an "auto fix".  More cool things Pixlr Express allows you to do is fix "red eye", whiten teeth, and choose borders.  These apps would be useful if you were a photographer and need to edit photos, also these apps would be useful if you wanted to touch up some of your photos or maybe edit a selfie.

Acceptable Use of School Computers