Final log entry on Module 4

Walking in Ireland my selected site would be helpful to anyone researching or planing a walking trip to Ireland. The site was not biased and was not selling a message. The author is experienced with other blogs and web sites to his credit, his writing style was relaxed and appropriate to his intended audience. The information was current and appeared accurate, while the major walking areas were covered in reasonable detail. The home page was clear and indicted it's content and links to various walks effectively, and would be a help to a new visitor to the web site. The .org in the URL suggest the site is a non-profit organisation but the presence of a few adverts suggest the author was trying to recoup some of his costs.

Evaluating the web Annotation

Evaluating Walking in Ireland web site using the elements as mentioned in Ohio SU met.Tutor.

1. Purpose: An excellent website with helpful content, relevant to any pre-planning for a walking trip to Ireland. The main purpose of the site was to inform by giving an insight into what to expect and with a minimum of relevant adverts for accommodation and available tours.
2. Author: Leslie Gilmour has written extensively about walking in Ireland and other countries on various web sites and also in his personal blog. I found details on his various blogs and web sites in Ezine @rticles.
3. Content: Relevant, accurate, helpful, with basic maps and links to other sites and books for more details on numerous walks.
4. Coverage: Google Advanced Search indicated there are 30 pages that link to Walking in Ireland. I did not find any other site that were as well informed and as unbiased on the subject. All other sites were sponsored and were there solely to sell their services.
5. Currency: Last updated Monday, 27th April 2009. All links were working.
6. Recognition: Delicious showed 10 tags for Walking in Ireland.

Details on software used on "Organising search information task"

I used Delicious, Diigo and firefox to store my sites. I am slowly getting used to Delicious but find the bookmarking system in Firefox easy to operate and I have my sites stored in folders within the Bookmarks tab. I believe in the end I will settle on Diigo as I like it's system of highlighting and "sticky notes". I used Gadwin Screen capture to grab a "screenshot" of each site.

The best three sources on "Walking in Ireland" No 3

URL http://www.walkinginireland.org/
Authos, Leslie Gilmour
Institution, Walking in Ireland
Blurb, Walks in Ireland Ireland for such a small country offers a wide variety for the hill walker, cyclist, and tourist. Walking in Ireland website visited 18th July 2009

The best three sources on "Walking in Ireland" No 2

URL http:www.walkinghikingireland.com/
Author Not cited
Blurb Guided/Escorted Walking Tours and Vacations in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and the Lakes District, to suit all levels of fitness and ability. Foothills Walking Holidays web site visited 18th July 2009

The best three sources on "Walking in Ireland" No 1

1.
URL www.walkingholiday.ie/
Author not cited
Institution, Failte Ireland
Failte Ireland web site visited 19 July 2009
Blurb Wonderful Ireland allows you to enjoy the best walking holidays in Ireland. We organise guided walking tours and self guided walking holidays.

Boolean Searching on the Internet

Google
Walking in Ireland.............................................. 18,200,000
Walking AND in AND Ireland........................... 26,600,000
Walking AND Ireland..........................................25,800,000

Copernic
Walking in Ireland ...............................................................63
Walking AND in AND Ireland ............................................77
Walking AND Ireland ........................................................ 69

Metacrawler
Walking in Ireland ..............................................................48
Walking AND in AND Ireland ...........................................78
Walking AND Ireland .........................................................69

Curtin University
Walking in Ireland ................................................................8
Walking AND in AND Ireland .............................................8
Walking AND Ireland ...........................................................8

Google's results were huge but contained a large number of sponsored sites. The best results came I believe from Copernic which also had some sponsored sights. Metacrawler was similar to Copernic and both had helpful suggestions on other areas to search under the heading "Are you looking for?" Curtin University Advanced Search with the exact phrase Walking in Ireland
yielded zero results.

Searching the Web Entry 3.

Metacrawler Search:
Walking in Ireland
Trek-Inn Walking Holidays
Walking Ireland
Walking in Ireland Wicklow Way
Walking Ireland



Google Search:
Walking in Ireland
Irish Walking Vacations
Trek-Inn Walking Holidays
Walking Ireland - Ireland's Official walking website
Walking in Ireland - Wicklow Way, Ring of Kerry and More

Searching the Web Entry 2.

Using Metacrawler it used Google, Yahoo and Ask, I searched "Walking in Ireland" and got 45 hits.
I liked using Metacrawler and felt the power of the combined search engines was productive and effective. I tried copernicnicus but was unimpressed and failed to find its multiple search engine function, I did however like using copernic it's results were concise and neatly presented.

Searching the Web Entry 1

Google Search, "Walking in Ireland"

www.walkingholiday.ie

Number of hits 14,800

Downloading Tools for using the web

1. Adobe's pdf reader, already installed
2. Apple Quicktime Player, Windows Media Player and Real Player, already installed
3. Downloaded Copernic and Copernic Meta
4. Downloaded PageSucker

I can't imagine working for long on my PC without using Adobe's pdf reader, I have it installed on my three computers. The same goes for the three nominated media players, I find that some sites requires one or the other of Quicktime or Realplayer and Windows Media Player came loaded on my computers. I have found that Realplayer was the best to use when downloading lectures from Swinburne University, as I could store/file them and replay them easily many times over the following weeks.
I have been using Copernic as a search engine since installing the programme and like it's results and presentation.
Pagesucker at this stage is not working well for me but I hope to master it over the coming days

Web 2.0

What applications or "services" are web 2.0 indicative? Google would have to be at the forefront of any list of applications that has used web 2.0 to make the move from desktop "client" applications to server or web based applications. Web 2.0 has brought democracy, freedom, convenience, performance to the web and Google has been a leader offering Gmail, Google Documents and Google Maps. No longer are you tied to your desktop machine with all your data stored there, you can work on and share documents anywhere in the world without fear of crashes, viruses or the need to constantly back up in case of theft of your own machine. By the end of 2009 Google Wave will allow users to simultaneously work on documents in real time no matter where whether they are in New York, Sydney or London. For me Google represents the leader in web 2.0 it is bringing "cloud computing" to the masses by removing the need for all the software to reside on your PC. Other applications indicative of web 2.0 would be SKYPE, Wilipedia, eBay, Amazon and Blogger.com.

Diigo versus HTML. My vote would go to the Diigo site and it's huge potential as a research and Social Bookmarking tool. Diigo's ability to Bookmark, make Annotations, add Tags, Sticky Notes and create groups with similar interests is where we are going with web 2.0. It's ease and convenience is what we are promised by web 2.o and it leaves HTML as a milestone in the move from client based software to web based applications.

Blogs

Learning about blogging has been a great experience and very informative plus educational. Since starting this course an organization Avalon Computer Pals for Seniors I am a member of, has started a blog linked to our website for the information and sharing of ideas, thoughts and schedules of members. So far it has been adopted by the members with great enthusiasm which will hopefully continue.
I can see blogs being effective in promoting small businesses, a friend of mine imports bags and is going to set up a blog to display her products and promote her business to existing and new customers using a blog.
Local community action groups can quickly spread call to arms via blogs, as seen on a greater world scale in news from Iran over the last few weeks.
I have been able to track down blogs that interested me on walking in Ireland, Body Building, Vintage Car Restoration, Family Tree research and IT bog by Chris Pirillo.
Blogs are a wonderful and effective way to launch private thoughts, experiences, points of views of individual or groups into the public domain at minimum cost. They have come along way since their beginnings in 1999 and when they initially took off in 2000.

Record the url of your uploaded page in your weblog

Failed to complete this task. Tried both FileZilla and Core FTP, I was able to tansfer a file to my file on the Student Network, but could not open it or record the url Very disapointed as this is the first task I have not been able to complete. I will try and return to it at a later date.

Copyright Task

I have looked at the Copyright Website and also Cutin home page on Copyright:

• I believe I have not used words or images on my blog or web page that contravene copyright laws. All use of links (URLs) have been "Fair Dealing". I have not used any one's list of websites that was copyrightable. I have not used Curtin's Network to copy software as specifically prohibited on their web page on Copyright. I have respected and not copied any Intellectual Property in producing my blog or web site.
  
• The policy on Curtin University of Technology logo clearly states that "expressed permission" must be sought and failure to do so is "violation of international copyright law". So if I was to use the Curtin logo on a web page without "expressed permission'' I would be in breach of copyright law.

It was also interesting to learn that contrary to some web site's position on the history or origin of Copyright, Copyright Protection Agency asserts that it can be traced to "6th Century Celtic Ireland". The King of Ireland in a Copyright dispute between St Finian and St. Columcille regarding the hand copying of books declared "As to every Cow its Calf, so to every Book its Copy". St Finian's right to all copies of his original work was recognised.