tomhburrell

For this weeks blog I discussed the benefits of Open Source software as a response to the topic on Open Access. Open Source software has become a very popular subject over the last few years and one of many areas affected by the Open Access debate. I enjoyed engaging in the comparison between open and closed source development however, as always, struggled to keep my argument brief. Continue reading →

Open Source refers to the concept of publishing the source code of your program. This means publishing absolutely every detail of how it works, has been manufactured and tested. Open Source was first proposed by the free software movement, and goes one step further than free access to the software. Continue reading →

The discussion of online ethics is a broad one, reflected by the huge size of the internet itself. My post this week focussed on the ethics of tracking online. In particular, a discussion of the issues and an analysis of how of the ethics of these practices. Analysing the specifics of the laws in this area was particularly difficult, not least because of the international nature of the web. Continue reading →

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how companies and government agencies can track the websites we visit and how we communicate online. Sites use cookies to track users browsers not only on their site but also on other sites that share technologies. Each computer or small network has an IP address associated with it which can be used to track a user across a number of devices and between sites. Sites have access to the referrer of the browser, so which site links to theirs. Continue reading →

This week’s blog topic was rather more difficult to be creative with, it was quite easy to view a professional profile as simply a good LinkedIn profile and a tidy, well presented online presence. However, the web is far more diverse than this, with many tools at an employee’s fingertips to develop a professional profile and to help find that all important job. Continue reading →

It has always been difficult for employers to choose the correct candidates. The traditional interview and CV will continue to play a role for the foreseeable future however more and more employers and potential employees are turning to the internet to narrow down the search for potential employees and jobs respectively. Increasingly employers themselves are turning to online profiles as a method of recruitment with sites like LinkedIn becoming crucial in the extremely competitive jobs market. Continue reading →

This week’s topic has been particularly interesting and there has been a good variety of approaches. In my original blog post I discussed how multiple online identities can be used to manage your privacy online and also how anonymity and careful management can increase your personal security online. Continue reading →

The web is a useful communication tool, both for making connections and maintaining existing ones. However, as with anything, there is a balance between publicity and privacy that every user should try to maintain. Online profiles can be a great way to update contacts and make connections, both professionally and personally. The benefits of having multiple online profiles is that you can choose to set up how different people perceive you and what content they can see. Continue reading →

The web is a useful communication tool, both for making connections and maintaining existing ones. However, as with anything, there is a balance between publicity and privacy that every user should try to maintain. Online profiles can be a great way to update contacts and make connections, both professionally and personally. The benefits of having multiple online profiles is that you can choose to set up how different people perceive you and what content they can see. Continue reading →

Since posting my thoughts on Digital Visitors and Residents I have had the chance to read a number of my colleague’s thoughts on the subject and reflect on what they have had to say. I find it interesting how, despite the labelling of the theory being 2 discrete categories, that the continuum between the extremes has been a clear interpretation of the theory by so many. Continue reading →

The concept of digital visitors and residents is one that I have previously not considered. As part of my research for this post I read a number of articles discussing living online and using the internet as a tool.  The model of visitors and residents draws from Mark Prensky’s (a writer and speaker on learning and speaking) model of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrant (2001) since heavily criticised as inaccurate and inflexible. Continue reading →