week 9 - Evaluation of the module

I can't believe that this module has come to an end, it's quite sad because I have actually enjoyed this module and I didn't think that I would have enjoyed it so much because I have never taken a course in web design before so I didn't have a clue on how to format a website until now.

So what did I think of the members that I had to work with? Well, to be honest I don't really like doing group work simply because I feel as though it is too much hassle at the best of times because some people put more effort and dedication into the work than others. However, to answer this question it has been a pleasure working with my group members as each one was dedicated and contributed some really strong ideas illustrated on the group 'wiki'. Although, none of us had a real understanding of web design I feel as though we worked to get it up to the standards which our lecturer would be pleased with. I don't really re-call any hostility between any of the group members including myself as we all knew that we had to work hard in order for our project to be a success, so we all just got on with it.

What did my group find the most challenging? I would have to say that the most challenging thing for my group was the layout of the wiki page. At times we would add images onto the page and try to move it and it wouldn't always go where we would have liked it to go, also decreasing the amount of text displayed on one page, which we managed to do in the end to make it more user friendly for students. Having too much text on one page makes it very mundane to read. People want to look at something which captures their attention straight away, I felt that we have done this by adding more images and focusing on what colours work well for the website.

What improvements would you make to the group wiki? If I had to make any improvements to the group wiki I would have probably looked at a few more case studies on online identites.

What have you learnt whilst doing this module?I feel as as though I have learnt a lot of new practical skills throughout this module which maybe quite helpful when I go on to pursue my career in the media. I would say that I have learnt how to keep an academic diary for a start (the blog), something else which I have never done before, whether or not I will keep on blogging is questionable because I do not think I will have enough time to do so, but I will try. I have also learnt how to design a website using a 'wiki' If you had asked me to create a 'wiki' page before this course I would have probably laughed at you. But now I feel pretty confident in completing one. In addition, I have also learnt what sort of attributes make a good website good and a bad one bad. I too have learnt a lot about second life; this is another arena which I was alien too, however, I do not think I would be setting up a second life account in a hurry as I think that it is time consuming and it is not something which is of interest to me, however, having said that I now realise why people would want to set one up because it is like a computer game i.e 'The Sims' whereby you create and control your own space. (A world created by yourself).

Is there anything else that you would like to add in relation to this project? I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in my group - Sara, Miray, Ionnais and Krisztina for all the hard work that you put into this 'wiki' and just to say that I have enjoyed working with you. Hopefully we should recieve a good grade for it. Also special thanks to Nigel who has been so supportive throughout this module.

Bank details for sale on the internet....................how bizarre!!!!

I recently read in the 'londonpaper' newspaper that bank details were for sale on the internet, I thought this was shocking and I really couldn't believe that this is actually happening in today's society and I hope my account details are not up for sale.

The article reads: the information commissioner has launched an investigation after it was revealed that thousands of Britons' bank details are up for sale on the internet. The times today said that it had found more than 100 websites offering UK bank details, including account numbers, pins and security codes. It had also been able to download banking information for 32 people, including a high court judge for free. (londonpaper page 7)

I think that more needs to be done to cut down on online fraudulant transactions; this shows that online fraud is on the rise and I think people need to be more observant whilst checking their monthly bank statement for any irregular activities. I found this article quite worrying as someone could be using your details and you wouldnt even know, which is why I felt the need to add this link from the times online (an extented version to the London paper article) to my blog as well as my group wiki page on (deception online) so you too can have a better understanding on this matter. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/borrowing/article1536791.ece

Week 8 - Coming to the end of our project

I have been doing so much work on my group wiki that I feel as though I have abandoned my individual project (my blog). Ok enough of the chit chat as we are now approaching the final couple of weeks of our project, there is a little bit of tweeking that we have to do starting with the content on some of the slides, mine in particular. I need to add more theory to it and more images.

Lately, I have been working on an essay for one of my modules on the information society and Cybersociety. What I have come to realise is that some of the theories for my essay have been quite useful for my project as well, but also come across some material which I had to question. In Mike Featherstones book 'Cyberspace/cyberbodies and cyberpunk - there is a quote which states that 'for many all that is left is technology; individuals are increasingly locked into the isolation of their homes and they only make contact with the outside world through telecommunications.' Ok so this maybe true to an extent because I know like many other people that I have become part of the post-modern tradition that is Cyberspace. Yeah I know that it is quite sad but I have somehow been drawn into this virtual world and I do know why, a bit bizarre if you ask me. And like Sara, I have resorted to communicating with family members who are next door on msn, does that make me lazy? Or is it just because I am too busy? I really dont know.