Page 26/27 - Activity 5

Apart from using e-mail, i often tend to use message board sites, such as bebo and facebook, as a more social means of communication. i prefer thise over IM (Instant Messaging) because a site like facebook allows me to do much more than just message my friends, such as upload photos, post videos and alot more. Another type of communication i occasionally use is the chat system avaliable from microsoft on the xbox. this allows me to have a conversation as if i was using my landline/mobile, without paying.

Page 30/31 - Impact of games players

1. I think that computer games are popular seeing as many simulate real life, and real situations. Additionally it also allows player's to indulge in life situations that otherwise wouldn't happen, say the chance to save the day from a terrorist threat in the popular Metal Gear Solid.
2. Personally, I think that video games don't make people violent, especially children. Game's have certificate rating's for a reason, and if these aren't followed by parents then it is there own fault if a child becomes `violent`. Additionally I feel that people blame video games for causing violent behaviours that already existed.
3. I think that computer games do make certain people more isolated, though many choose to only play their console's for a couple hours a week, in some exceptions there are those that play for lengthy hours per evening. Also once these certain types get into this habit, they find it hard to get out of them.
4. Whilst I feel that it is nice to still get to talk to friends while I play my game, or play a game with them, there is always people taking part in the networked game that can be abusive or loud, ruining the online experience for everyone else.

Page 30/31 - Pirated entertainment

1. One advantage of paying a company such as Apple for music is that you know the music is legitimate and does not violate any laws, such as the copyright act. Additionally because the music is legally copied then the quality will be good 100% of the time.
2. One disadvantage of buying pirated DVD's is that even though you think you are buying a new film for a knock-off price, most of the time pirates are cheap forgeries with very little quality.
3. The disadvantage here is that disk's burned in other countries may not necessarily work on UK DVD palyers, so again your money is ripped off.
4. A disadvantage of downloading music illegally through a file sharing site is that there is always a chance you can get caught doing it, because there are people who regulate internet sites, and their users, authorities could easily track down people who use these sites.
5. I think that widespread illicit downloading does discourage funding seeing as there is no point in trying to get peope to buy the music, when some people out there will find a way to get it free.

Page 26/27 - Activity 4

• I use my mobile phone to keep in contact with friends while I'm away and cant see them face to face.
• I often use my mobile phone while out or around my house. I usually use my mobile to arrange meetings with friends.
• Benefits of my mobile phone are that i can keep in contact easily with my friends, which allows me to share news or just chat without having to wait until i see them next.
• Disadvantages phone is the battery life, seeing as their is no mains supply the battery will eventually die on my phone. Addtionally messaging and phoning costs credit, which then runs out and I am unable to keep in contact.
• I think the mobile phone is average technology, back ten years ago I think they fully fulfilled what they were built for. But now phones are a general thing, plus they have become something that was not intended.

Page 26/27 - Activity 3

• I use e-mail to socialise with a lot of my friends. Additionally I use e-mail to check if I have received anything from school. This is how i keep up to date.
• I mainly use e-mail from home to communicate with friends. Normally I only ever send basic letter type e-mails, with no attachments.
• Benefits of using e-mail is that it is instant and doesn't take any time to send. Additionally by using e-mail opposed to posting I save money seeing as e-mail is free.
• Disadvantages of using e-mail is that your recipient is unaware that they may have been sent an e-mail and so the message could sit in their inbox for days. This is a problem if the message is of importance.
• E-mail makes me more productive when I am busy with work, this is because I can save time by sending a few quick messages rather than tracking down individual people. E-mail makes me less produictive when I have to add attachments to the e-mail, as this slows down the messaging process.
• I think e-mail does fulfill its intended purpose as it has changed how we communicate with each other.

1.2 Page 24/25 - Activity 2

Name two different offivce applications that could be used by the small business to improve upon the paper based system.

One application that could be used wouold be Microsoft Excel. Excel would be an improvement seeing as it allows for multiple datas to be stored in tables, these tables can be altered and updated at will without having to draw up another table. Additionally Excel allows the user to create charts using the chart wizard to present the data formally.
The second application could be microsoft word; word also allows for tables to be created and updated more easily than a paper-based system.

Describe two advantages of each over the paper-based system and one advantage of one over the other.

One advantage of Microsoft Excel over a paper-based system is that it allows the user to update and/or correct anything in the tables without having to start from scratch with a new one. The second advantage is that the data can be presented professionally and formally as a graph.
One advantage of Microsoft Word is that it allows the user to format text so all data can look professional. Additionally with word, the user can use a search tool, i.e. Find (Ctrl+F), to quickly locate relevant data without having to read through every entry to find it.
An advantage that Excel has over Word is that it allows the user to create charts. One advantage Word has over Excel is that the user can do alot more with the formatting.

How were secretaries' and typists' employment prospects affected by the advent of these office packages?

With the invention of such packages many typists and secretaries have been put out of a job, before where managers and diretors had hired people to do their admin work for them, on a typewriter, nowadays the manager can personally do it by using a simple program such as Word. Additionally seeing as computers can perform the job of the typists and secretaries faster and more efficiently, then there is no need to hire them.

What new job opportunities were opened up by the advent of office applications?

Even though some people may have been put out of a job due to a computer, many would have been put in a job due to a computer. Many computers at some point crash and need to be repaired. So many computer technicians, such as software specialists, hardware specialist etc. would have been employed to maintain the welfare of the machines. Additionally businesses that sell spare computer parts would have made more business due to the advent of these office applications.

Ambulance case study

Why have some workers objected to being sited in their `resources` in the most efficient place rather than being sited in the ambulance station?

I think that some workers may object to being sited in "efficient places" seeing as they would argue that medical emergencies can happen at random, in random places, and that their is no "peak demand" for anyone area. In addition to this some workers feel that time can be wasted being sited somewhere specific than being able to service a wider area; if they have a particulary quiet night, with few medical emergencies, then their resources could have made use elsewhere.

What other drawbacks have there there been with the introduction of these ICT systems?

Other drawbacks of these ICT systems being put in place would be that some administration and other employees will be put out of a job due to a computer. Another disadvantage is that any computer system is prone to virus attack and/or crashing. If this happens then the paramedics and ambulance staff are left without any communication and/or satellite tracking. The worse case scenario being that an employee could stray away from his or hers duties knowing they weren't being watched.
Furthermore if the data collected is wrong, then the system becomes wrong. For example, if the data regarding where ambulances should be sited is wrong or possibly out-of-date, then hundreds of ambulances could be positioned in useless places where they are not able to help anyone.

What have been the benefits of these systems?

However the installation of these systems has been more of a success than a fail. One benefit is that employers can keep an eye on employyees in the ambulances to ensure they are doijng their correct job. Additionally by collecting precise geographical data on peak deman areas ambulances can now be positioned better than ever to a potential medical emergency, rather than have to travel all the way from the ambulance station.
Also the system seems to save lives, as ambulances can respond quicker, more fatal emergencies can be dealt with quicker. this means that the hospital can become more effecient.
Even though the introduction of these systems put people out of jobs it also allows more to be employed. Seeing as the system will need maintaining, technicians can be hired to lessen the chance of a crash and also administrators to oversee the overall effectivity of the systems.
Lastly that the benefit of these systems overides all costs of the system so the hospital is not at a loss for buying it, seeing as it goes to use everyday.

Page 6/7 - Activity 5 and Activity 6

I have used my I-mail from school to let my friends now that I have created a blog. In Addition to this I have written down the URL at the bottom so they can visit the page straight from their e-mail, for convinience.
Once my friend had replied, we managed to talk about e-mail and the answers are listed below;

1. We thought that the main purpose of e-mail is so that people can keep in contact, either for social or work reasons, without having to meet face-to-face.
2. We think that e-mail fully reaches its purposes, because over 7 million people send messages a day, which shows that e-mail messaging is very successful.
3. Benefits of using e-mail is that it is free, and convinient. Drawbacks of e-mail are that messages can sometimes sit in your recipients mailbox for weeks before getting read, because they do not regulary check their messages.
   
   

1.1 Page 2/3 - Activity 1

I have created my blog.