3.3 - Collecting Information
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Monday 19 January 2009
Personally, i feel the internet can be a good source if you use appropraite websites with valid information. However, anyone can edit and post information on blogs and on wikipedia so in that sense it isn't reliable. Also, the printed word can be a good source if again it is from a reliable source that has been checked in books. Personally, i prefer the internet as there is a wider range of sources than that of the written word. Surveys can provide a good subjective test as it is mainly personal opinion of people off the street. Sensors are also fairly reliable as they provide objective data and it can't be tampered with. Predictions however i feel aren't a vary good source of information as essentially it is a an educated guess.
Discussion - 3.2 - Understanding the Problem
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Sunday 18 January 2009
The problem from the companies point of view is that revenue is declining whereas total costs and salaries are increasing. This therefore means that the company is loosing money. The problem from Neil's point of view is that his position may be under threat as the salaries level is increasing at a greater rate than the revenue of the company. This could cause the company to cut jobs meaning Neil's job may be at risk. From the data provided, Jill's reading of the situation is correct as salaries appears to be the highest increasing amount in the graph. However, there could be other variable effecting the total cost such as increases in other areas which may also account for the rise in total cost. Jill's proposed plan may well be successfull if the salaries is the main cause of the total cost rising over the revenue. Jill's plan to reduce the amount of staff will cause unemployment and could also make the company perform less effectivly as you are getting rid of experienced staff who can work the machines to a good standard. Other causes of action which could be taken are a pay cut in staff which would reduce the amount on salaries, or being more energy efficient which will reduce the electrics bill causing the total cost to fall. However, the likley causes of these effects are that people may leave the job anyway if there is a pay cut to find a place which may pay more elsewhere.
Homework - Cost Definitions
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Fixed Cost :- fixed charge: a periodic charge that does not vary with business volume (as insurance or rent or mortgage payments etc.)
Indirect Cost:- costs that are not directly accountable to a particular function or product; these are fixed costs. Indirect costs include taxes, administration, personnel and security costs, and are also known as overhead
Overhead Cost:- refers to an ongoing expense of operating a business. The term overhead is usually used to group expenses that are necessary to the continued functioning of the business but that do not directly generate profits.
Variable Cost:- A cost that varies in proportion to the quantity produced. Theoretically, variable costs are zero if there is no production. As opposed to fixed cost.
Indirect Cost:- costs that are not directly accountable to a particular function or product; these are fixed costs. Indirect costs include taxes, administration, personnel and security costs, and are also known as overhead
Overhead Cost:- refers to an ongoing expense of operating a business. The term overhead is usually used to group expenses that are necessary to the continued functioning of the business but that do not directly generate profits.
Variable Cost:- A cost that varies in proportion to the quantity produced. Theoretically, variable costs are zero if there is no production. As opposed to fixed cost.
Bridging the Gap - example of initiatives
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Sunday 2 November 2008
Research initiatives to fund the digital divide
Intro:
Choose one of the projects described previously
What is its purpose?
How does it relate to the digital divide?
Who are its main target clients?
What are its strengths and weaknesses?
What improvements could be made?
Answer:
I have chosen the "Learn Direct" Campaign
The main purpose of "Learn Direct" is to teach adults how to use I.C.T, in schools, libraries and colleges.
Learn Direct is trying to bridge the digital divide by teaching adults how to use basic I.C.T. such as word documents and spreadsheets. You can also do qualifications which bridge the digital divide again.
Learn Direct's main targets are mostly adults, mainly mums who are out of work who need a certificate in I.C.T. Also, retired people may be interested in doing the course if they have spare time on thier hands.
The strengths of Learn Direct is the fact that the hours are fairly flexible meaning you can do the course at any time and for how long you want to do it for. Also, you can work it around to suit your hours, for example, a mum could do the course while her children were at school, and end the session in time to pick them up from school again. The weaknesses to Learn Direct is the fact that it is mainly self taught online. This means that if people are completly incapable of using computers they may struggle with the courses. Also, the course is only online meaning if you don't have access to a computer at home, you can do the course at home.
An improvement to the course may be to do an exam at the end. This tests your knowledge of the course fully rather than just getting a certificate that you have completed the course. They could also may courses more teacher based meaning participants will get more from the course rather than whats just on the screen.
Research your local community I.C.T. Access
Intro: Research the provision of I.C.T. in the community of your home town.
Intro:
Choose one of the projects described previously
What is its purpose?
How does it relate to the digital divide?
Who are its main target clients?
What are its strengths and weaknesses?
What improvements could be made?
Answer:
I have chosen the "Learn Direct" Campaign
The main purpose of "Learn Direct" is to teach adults how to use I.C.T, in schools, libraries and colleges.
Learn Direct is trying to bridge the digital divide by teaching adults how to use basic I.C.T. such as word documents and spreadsheets. You can also do qualifications which bridge the digital divide again.
Learn Direct's main targets are mostly adults, mainly mums who are out of work who need a certificate in I.C.T. Also, retired people may be interested in doing the course if they have spare time on thier hands.
The strengths of Learn Direct is the fact that the hours are fairly flexible meaning you can do the course at any time and for how long you want to do it for. Also, you can work it around to suit your hours, for example, a mum could do the course while her children were at school, and end the session in time to pick them up from school again. The weaknesses to Learn Direct is the fact that it is mainly self taught online. This means that if people are completly incapable of using computers they may struggle with the courses. Also, the course is only online meaning if you don't have access to a computer at home, you can do the course at home.
An improvement to the course may be to do an exam at the end. This tests your knowledge of the course fully rather than just getting a certificate that you have completed the course. They could also may courses more teacher based meaning participants will get more from the course rather than whats just on the screen.
Research your local community I.C.T. Access
Intro: Research the provision of I.C.T. in the community of your home town.
Answer: The dis-advantaged groups who will benefit the most from having access to digital technologies are the homeless and un-employed. These two examples are usually caused by a lack of money thus resulting in the fact that they may not be able to afford any digital technologies at all. In stubbington, the vast majority of people who have access to the internet are between ages 12-50. Also, people with jobs are more likely to have access to digital technologies. However, people who can afford them yet choose not but them are the elderly because they arn't educated in how to use many digital technologies. Stubbington Library provides internet access and computers so people can use the digital technologies, even if they can't afford them. Because libraries are free, un-employed and homeless can also gain access to them.
Investigate I.C.T. at your Library
Intro: What does your local library have to offer in terms of internet access?
Why and How is the I.C.T. used?
How convenient is it?
What, if any, has there been an impact on library life?
What, if any, has there been an impact on library life?
Answer: Stubbington library has 8 public computers with free internet access.
I.C.T. is used to give an opertunity for people to come in and do work or have access to the internet free of charge, if you have a library card. They I.C.T. is free when the library is open for anyone to use. It is fairly convenient as it is situated not far from the main stubbington village meaning people can shop, then come and use I.C.T. in the library. I.C.T. may have resulted in more people coming into the library because of the different feature that I.C.T. can result in.
I.C.T. is used to give an opertunity for people to come in and do work or have access to the internet free of charge, if you have a library card. They I.C.T. is free when the library is open for anyone to use. It is fairly convenient as it is situated not far from the main stubbington village meaning people can shop, then come and use I.C.T. in the library. I.C.T. may have resulted in more people coming into the library because of the different feature that I.C.T. can result in.
Case Study - Wifi in the UK
Find out about WLANs
Intro: Where are these projects mainly located? Why have they been created? What groups do they serve and in what way? Have they, and/or will they have any impact on the digital divide?
Answer: WLAN projects are mainly located in cities around the world. Most of which are situated in the U.K. Most of the people in these towns and cities wish to have free internet access but some are also willing to pay or, there isn't enough good quality internet access for the locals to use.
WLAN projects have been set up and created because there is a lack of good quality internet access in the specific area.
WLAN projects mainly serve the local communities of towns or cities, however they also serve anyone visiting the area because they would be intilited to use the WLAN.
This project tackles the digital divide as it provides an opertunity to for people to connect to the internet.
Causes of the Divide
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Case Study - I.C.T. and Pensioners in rural England
Intro:
Do you feel that digital technologies have may a genuine impact on the couples lives?
Would their lives be poorer if they did not have access to I.C.T. at home?
The couple were able to afford thier own computer. Would access in the community center three miles away be useful?
Answer:
Yes i do feel that digital technologies have made an impact on the couples lives because they use a wide range of I.C.T. to contact and communicate with family by mobile phone. They have also learnt to communicate by E-mail with reletives in different parts of the world (Australia and Pakistan). They also now order food online rather than go to the shops which is easier and less hassle in that sense. Also, they have made good use from the word processing to keep hold of documents which may be important.
Although digital technologies have made an impact on the couple's lives, I feel thier lives would not be poorer because non of the digital technologies have made a direct impact on their livelihoods thus not improving the standard of living.
Access in the local community center would be useful to people who lived in the village without internet access, but for people who can afford their own computer, this facility won't be too useful unless thier computer broke down. For example, in the Local village, the library has internet access which i have seen people use, however, i have only used the facility in there when my computer broke down.
Intro:
Do you feel that digital technologies have may a genuine impact on the couples lives?
Would their lives be poorer if they did not have access to I.C.T. at home?
The couple were able to afford thier own computer. Would access in the community center three miles away be useful?
Answer:
Yes i do feel that digital technologies have made an impact on the couples lives because they use a wide range of I.C.T. to contact and communicate with family by mobile phone. They have also learnt to communicate by E-mail with reletives in different parts of the world (Australia and Pakistan). They also now order food online rather than go to the shops which is easier and less hassle in that sense. Also, they have made good use from the word processing to keep hold of documents which may be important.
Although digital technologies have made an impact on the couple's lives, I feel thier lives would not be poorer because non of the digital technologies have made a direct impact on their livelihoods thus not improving the standard of living.
Access in the local community center would be useful to people who lived in the village without internet access, but for people who can afford their own computer, this facility won't be too useful unless thier computer broke down. For example, in the Local village, the library has internet access which i have seen people use, however, i have only used the facility in there when my computer broke down.
Dimensions of the Divide
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What is the impact of internet access for the homeless?
Intro:
Write down 5 ways in which access of internet could change the life of a homeless person for the better.
Write down the impact of not having internet has on that person
Write down 5 things that are more important to a person than the internet.
Answer:
5 ways which internet access could change the life of a homeless person are the fact that they could look up and read and educate themselves of world issues which they may not be aware of. They could also look up homes which homeless people can stay in. They could also look up people in thier family so they could stay with them. They then could contact this family if they created an e-mail account. They then could browse for jobs.
The impact of not having internet on that person if the fact that they may not be as aware to the current issues in society because news streams are mainly on the internet. Also, there communication will be lacked because it is hard to communicate effeciently with someone else in country without; telephone, e-mail or letter.
5 things that are more important to a person than the internet are; having something to eat, having something to drink, having a roof over your head, having a family and having a social life.
Who studies computing subjects?
Intro:
What is the situation where you are studying? How many girls and how many boys study computing subjects post-16? If there is a significant difference between the two then investigate why this is the case. What impact do you think it has on girls and on society as a whole.
Answer:
In our I.C.T. class, there are 2 girls and X boys. This therefore shows a significant difference between the amount of girls and the amount of boys studying Applied I.C.T.
This may be the case because on the whole, boys may be more into I.C.T. than girls. In the world of work, there are generally more Men than Women who are I.C.T. teacher or technicians.
As an impact on society, I believe that this doesn't nessasarily directly impact they way in which people view I.C.T. As a streotype, people may believe that men are more likely to do I.C.T. as an A-Level or as a job than women.
Intro:
Write down 5 ways in which access of internet could change the life of a homeless person for the better.
Write down the impact of not having internet has on that person
Write down 5 things that are more important to a person than the internet.
Answer:
5 ways which internet access could change the life of a homeless person are the fact that they could look up and read and educate themselves of world issues which they may not be aware of. They could also look up homes which homeless people can stay in. They could also look up people in thier family so they could stay with them. They then could contact this family if they created an e-mail account. They then could browse for jobs.
The impact of not having internet on that person if the fact that they may not be as aware to the current issues in society because news streams are mainly on the internet. Also, there communication will be lacked because it is hard to communicate effeciently with someone else in country without; telephone, e-mail or letter.
5 things that are more important to a person than the internet are; having something to eat, having something to drink, having a roof over your head, having a family and having a social life.
Who studies computing subjects?
Intro:
What is the situation where you are studying? How many girls and how many boys study computing subjects post-16? If there is a significant difference between the two then investigate why this is the case. What impact do you think it has on girls and on society as a whole.
Answer:
In our I.C.T. class, there are 2 girls and X boys. This therefore shows a significant difference between the amount of girls and the amount of boys studying Applied I.C.T.
This may be the case because on the whole, boys may be more into I.C.T. than girls. In the world of work, there are generally more Men than Women who are I.C.T. teacher or technicians.
As an impact on society, I believe that this doesn't nessasarily directly impact they way in which people view I.C.T. As a streotype, people may believe that men are more likely to do I.C.T. as an A-Level or as a job than women.
Tackling the Divide : Political Initiatives
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Saturday 1 November 2008
Intro: State the aim of the summit.
List 3 positive points that have come out of the summit.
List 3 negative points that have come out of the summit.
Write a short conclusion stating whether you feel it was successfull or not.
Answer: The main aim of the summit was to discuss ways to achieve the goal of having at leasy 50% of worlds population having access to electronic media by the year 2015.
A positive point that came from the meetin was the fact that alot of countries turned up to the meeting which therefore raises more awareness. They also stated a number of priciples that needed to be met if they had any chance at all of achieving this goal. Also, different countries found out the importance of the internet in economic senses.
Negatives to this meeting was the fact that some people didn't take to the idea to well because they believed that words won't change this situation, only money will which can buy resources to actually make an impact.
To conclude, I feel the summit was some-what successfull in the sense that it raised awareness of the importance of the internet. They all set a very hard goal to meet which could give these nations motivation to do something. However, it is true that words will not change things, only money and resources because you can change anything without these things.
List 3 positive points that have come out of the summit.
List 3 negative points that have come out of the summit.
Write a short conclusion stating whether you feel it was successfull or not.
Answer: The main aim of the summit was to discuss ways to achieve the goal of having at leasy 50% of worlds population having access to electronic media by the year 2015.
A positive point that came from the meetin was the fact that alot of countries turned up to the meeting which therefore raises more awareness. They also stated a number of priciples that needed to be met if they had any chance at all of achieving this goal. Also, different countries found out the importance of the internet in economic senses.
Negatives to this meeting was the fact that some people didn't take to the idea to well because they believed that words won't change this situation, only money will which can buy resources to actually make an impact.
To conclude, I feel the summit was some-what successfull in the sense that it raised awareness of the importance of the internet. They all set a very hard goal to meet which could give these nations motivation to do something. However, it is true that words will not change things, only money and resources because you can change anything without these things.
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