APPRECIATION OF THE EXPERIENCE OF CREATING AND MAINTAINING A BLOG

My experience with the blog was a bit scary at first, but at the end it was more than ok. Not knowing much about IT, I thought it would be hard to build a blog, write ten articles, insert a blogroll and, at the end, make sure there would be at least 2 kinds of tools in it.

Nevertheless, I was proud to open my computer one day to find out that my blog really looks good. Luckily, there was enough information on the web to build a blog. It did not cost me any money and all the steps to build the blog were really easy to follow. Looking at my fellow classmate’s blogs, I do realize that a blog is very personal. As a matter of fact, my articles were most of the time about IT or IS, but one way or another, it was about technologies and what I thought about it. I guess that the hard part was maintaining my blog with articles related to what we’ve talked about in class ADSI-6601: Management Information Systems; Managing the Digital Firm1; Information Technology in businesses, Information System in the Enterprises, Windows Technology, Digital Firms, Ethical and Social Issues and so on. Everything was new to me. Also, within my articles, I did learn a lot. Especially, trends in electronics, big IT companies, and most of all, how IT and IS could have important impact on decision making.

JC

I hope that people will start sending comments about my articles and my blog as well.
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1. Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon, Management Information Systems; Managing the Digital Firm, Ninth Edition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2006

UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO THE WEB?

The other day I was reading an article on how everyone should have access to the Web, Two Speeds for the Web – Le web à deux vitesses? L’actualité May 1st, 2007, p.85). It looks like there will be a two speed system for the web and the main reason for that: to be one step ahead.

As you can see, nowadays we have what we call network neutrality. It means that we’re all the same before the web, mainly because the access is universal. Big cable networks such as AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner would like to introduce a two speed Internet system : a fast system for those who can pay, and a slower one for the rest of the world. By that I mean that some networks such as Yahoo could be faster than Google. The same thing could also happen to blog sites. That would end up network neutrality.

For Fannie Wellings, responsible for Save the Internet, a coalition that defends Web users, it would be a significant change. Lets says, for example, that you would like to buy a plane ticket; if travelocity offers the same price as Orbitz but paid more to have the fastest connection, well you’ll probably go for travelocity. It would be a war for the last kilometer. On the other hand, telecommunications did put in place a coalition Hands Off the Internet to protect the users. In United State, the American Comission on Communication gave the green light for AT&T and Bell South to merge but with one condition, no two speed in the next two years.

JC

BIOMETRICS vs ETHICAL DIMENSION

I’m looking at Les grands reportages on Radio-Canada (Sunday 5th, 2007) and it’s about biometrics. Now you need to know that biometrics are about using parts of your body for identification (ID).

Companies like Sagem Défense Sécurité , who specialize in biometrics, especially in Arabia, uses all kinds of body parts to identify a person. It could be an eye, a fingerprint, or even blood fluid.

I do realize this could be good for big companies as a part of their security system, especially companies who specialize in nuclear products. I also realized that it could be something good for places where there is no way or should I say services for identifying people. In Ethiopia, for example, where there is no services to identify people, biometrics can be good.

Ethically speaking, is it right? Could biometrics gone too far? In a privacy perspective, where does it stop?

As my IT teacher used to say, ethical does not mean right or wrong!

JC

TRENDS IN ELECTRONICS 2007

As I am browsing the internet, I find this website, MSN Shopping. It’s the about trends in electronics in 2007. As I was reading about it, it says : “Scoring the best electronics is like trying to hit a moving target, because whatever you buy today might well be eclipsed by an even better model tomorrow.”

Amazing how trends in electronics grow so fast. I wonder how companies manage to be in such a fast lane. Online shopper & MSN Shopping’s Editor, Peyton Mays says a lot about it as he points out a few trends worth watching.

1. The best thing about electronics is that you don’t have to buy a new model every time a new product comes out;

2. If you wait just a little bit, you’ll find out that prices start to fall down very quickly;

3. Prices for LCD or plasma flat panel dropped of 12% in the last few months and this freefall is expected to continue into next year.

So all we need to do from now on is wait a bit and try to pay as less as possible. In the meantime, be patient and enjoy watching your old TV channels as it is still giving you the opportunity to watch good hockey games.

JC

ARE YOU A GAMBLER?

Did you know that only six months after President Bush signed a law outlawing online gambling, a key democratic politician has proposed lifting the ban? New to you? Reading this article of Declan McCullagh, Staff Writer of CNET’s News.com, impressed me.

You see, I always thought that gambling was something funny. So when I started to hear that more than a few people had developed a dependence, I was really upset. First, and maybe I’m pushing my luck here, it seems to me like some kind of attention problem more than anything else. Also, in my point of view, it’s very hard to understand something like that. Who could be addicted to such a thing? Not my mother, she doesn’t play cards and surely doesn’t know how to use a poker machine. I would never put a quarter, not even a penny in such machines when there’s more chance that you might not have it back. It’s a machine. What kind of fun could you have gambling with a machine? Please tell me someone.

Regulations on online gambling are supposed to help people with that kind of problem. Wake up! It says in that article that the U.S. ban on gambling violates international trade rules. So you don’t have to think twice to realize that if you have a problem, don’t rely on anyone but yourself to fix it because no one else will. Now for those who like to play cards, go buy yourself six-pack, and go home with a few friends and play poker like the real thing. Have fun!

JC

AMAZON.COM REALLY SCORES BIG

Did you know that Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, president chief executive officer and chairman of the board made a big hit over the last two days, making $1.8 billion for the company.

A lot of money for two days of work. Ha! Ha! Ha! But how did he manage? Reading this article, I did found out he’s a true leader. He does put emphasis on customers and I guess that is why things work so well for its company. Asking him what he thinks about this worthy episode, he says : “What I would really like people to say about Amazon.com is that we raised the bar on customer experience for every industry all over the world.”

It means one big thing: there are no frontiers on how you do things, but only strategies. You have to be a leader, not any leader, a good one, with a vision. Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Vision is the stuff of our dream. Passion is our energy to make it real. The two go together like a horse and rider. In the mind of one is the goal. In the power of the other lies the mean to get there.

A vision is what Bezos had. He wanted to get there, where the bests are. He did found his path. It could have been a critical path, be he did believe in it. So be a dreamer with a vision, and go for it.

JC

HELLO AND GOOD DAY...

Right now, I’m reading a book (Management Information Systems by Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon, page 262) and it says that in 2004, businesses in the United States invested $149 billion in telecommunications and networking equipment and spent an additional $620 billion on telecommunication services, for a combined $769 billion spent on telecommunications. This is nearly as much U.S. business spent on computing hardware, software, and services (about $1 trillion in 2004). Worldwide, telecommunications equipment and services spending hit $2.2 trillion in 2004 and will expand to over $3 trillion by 2007.

It is amazing, nowadays, how technology is taking over the big market. Millions of dollars are spent every day on technology to make things better and easier to use.

I’ve just received an e-mail from this company who has its head office in United Kingdom and who’s looking for people in United States and Canada to work for them. The company looks for a representative/book-keeper in heating and plumbing products. Working online selling products is the best part of this.

Now do you still want to know why telecommunications makes money?

JC

COMPUTERS IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE

Nowadays, computers take a large part of our lives. Every household have at least one if not more! And who doesn’t have one at work?

Computers are not what they use to be: big machines with all kinds of numeric stuff or punching paper. Today, laptops can be handled like a small brief case. We can use it where we want and when we want. Place and time doesn’t exist anymore.

At home, it’s just like furniture or a tool. We use it in the way we operate our finances, order stuff and all kinds of things like that. As for our finances, everything regarding banking activities goes through our computer: car payment, taxes payment, utilities payment, credit cards, and so on. As for ordering things, we like to do camping. So all of our camping gear comes from L.L.Bean or Great Outdoors. Everything is ordered through computers: tent, light, sleeping bag. Everything about camping gear!

The process is so simple that even a child could do it. You order and they tell you when you’ll receive the product, the date and time. Can you imagine? Everything is there waiting to be ordered.

As for our children who live in other provinces, it’s nice to talk to them without having to wait for the best time to call. Most of the time, we send email at any time and in just a few minutes, here comes the answer. Amazing, isn’t it. Most of the time we talk about computers, new stuff, how it works and how important it is to buy it. Actually we just bought a new camera, a Canon PowerShot A610. It does everything and the best part of it is that we don’t have to run to bring the film rolls to the store anymore. We print everything at home when we want. With the video feature on the camera, we don’t need to put movies on VHS anymore: with the press of a few buttons it’s on the computer. I’m telling you, it does everything.

Yap! Computers, it’s the next best thing after television. Oh! By the way, I’ll be on Jeopardy tonight. On my computer, of course!

JC

DID 911 HAD AN IMPACT ON IT?

In my point of view, 911 was the biggest disaster that could happen to America. When I first saw it on television, I really thought it was some kind of disastrous scenario. You know, like nuclear scenario.

After realizing what was really going on, I took the phone and called a cousin of mine who lives down Manhattan. Actually, he works in Tower one as a stockbroker. I left a message asking him to call back as soon as possible. I also try is cellular phone, but no answer. At 9h00 pm he called me and told me what was going on and that everything was upside down in New York. During our conversation, he did explain to me that he couldn’t call earlier because all IT services were shut down because of national security. Everything in America was shut down and only National Security was allowed to use IT services.

The impact was tremendous. We couldn’t even make a call to anyone. Can you imagine for a second what you could be thinking in a situation like this? The fact of knowing you might have relatives caught in such a disaster that you can look up on television is the worst thing that could ever happen to somebody. Where were they? Where are they hiding? Are they still alive? Was my cousin working at that specific time? And badly enough, not having any IT services to contact him.

A few months later, I saw this documentary about 911 and how it did affect us, here in Canada. The whole flying network was shut down. No flights were allowed in the country. Actually, one flight was still in the air and it was because the Vice-Premier, The Honorable John Manley was in it. He only had a working cell phone because he was in constant contact with the Premier, The Honorable Jean Chrétien.

So even here in Canada, 911 had a huge impact on IT. It means one big thing : IT is an important part of our lives nowadays and we really depend on it whatever the circumstances.

JC

MY FIRST WEBLOG EXPERIENCE

I have to admit, this fist Weblog experience was very scary. Not knowing how to start, I thought it would be an adventure, a real adventure. You know, the one that makes you chill because you’re in the dark, the unknown, the real McCoy. Ha! Ha! Ha!

I read a lot about Weblogs in less than 72 hours on how to build one. I find out it was easier and less scary than I originally thought. I went on Blogging101 and everything was there, waiting for me. It looks like something easy, but put it online was another story. I had to start and start and start so many time that I thought that my computer was the problem. Anyway, to tell you the truth about it, I was the problem clearly because I was not taking the necessary time to read all I needed to know.

I did realize that Weblogs are something very personal. So I did put a photo of me and some personal information. You now, like the one you put on dating sites. It makes me laugh just by thinking what my classmates will think about this. You know, letting people know what your Chinese horoscope is. Hope I’ll win a trip to China. Ha! Ha! Ha!

I also found out that you could rely on other blog creators such as Skyblog, Myspace, Blogger, etc. where all kinds of data and information are waiting to be used. I did found out that there is even a Weblog called Jean-Claude Poitras. Go to Google and write Jean Claude Poitras. Would you ever imagine? He’s a designer from Montreal. Actually, I knew about that guy and I always thought he was a good designer.

This is my experience. I wish that everyone could have one as good as mine. Just be smart. Go ahead and try it.

JC