Technologies of the WWW: October 2011

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Creating an HTML Page

Although this was not my first time creating an HTML web page, it was great to be reminded again of how older web pages were once built using very simple HTML code. I think learning how to use HTML code BEFORE learning how to use web development programs is very critical for having success in web design.

Here is my simple HTML webpage code:

<html>
<title>My Web Page</title>

<body style="background-color:grey;">

Old websites sure did look funny compared to current websites today.
Here is a picture of Apple's old website from 1997!! 

<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/6/11379739_2e9fb453b8_o.gif">
 

<marquee>This website is AWESOME!</marquee>
 

Here is a picture of the current Apple website 14 years later!! 
<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/coupons-for/apple-com/320x240.jpg" alt="Shop at apple.com"> 
 
</body>

</html>

Here is my webpage output:

My Web Page
Old websites sure did look funny compared to current websites today.

Here is a picture of Apple's old website from 1997!!

This website is AWESOME!

Here is a picture of the current Apple website 14 years later!!

Shop at apple.com

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Similarities and Differences between Email and the United States Postal Service

Many people may not realize how similar the Email really is compared to the U.S. Postal Service. I recently learned that it is not a coincidence at all that email is structured how it is now. The designers of email wanted a system that would retain the same core structure of the postal service; however, they wanted a better more efficient mail system that could do things the postal service could not. Let’s take a look at some major similarities of email and the U.S. Postal Service.

Both systems have the following in common:

a sender and a receiver
require a system that allows messages and letters to be delivered to the correct destination
specific routes taken with many stops along the way
junk mail sent to their mail box
require a form authentication by the user, usually a key or username/password; although, both systems are not completely safe from unauthorized viewers

Email also has many obvious differences from the postal service. Some of these differences are mentioned below.

Differences between the systems include:

All mail is sent electronically with email via the Internet instead of hard paper copies
Email for the most part is free - no stamps needed to send an email
Expected time of delivery for an email is basically seconds instead of days or weeks like in the postal service system
Email addresses do not leave room for any human error if address is slightly wrong (sometimes the case with USPS)

Email has become a highly respected form of communication in our current society. Perhaps it was the well thought out, well designed and well implemented system of email that made it as popular and trusted as it is now. I think email is a brilliant highly efficient communication system that has even greater potential to grow in the near future.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

What I hope to learn in TINST 207

In order to truly appreciate something for what it is today, I believe that someone must first learn its history of how it started out and how it was able to grow into its current state of being. In this class named "Living and Working in the Virtual World," I hope to not only refresh my memory on the history of how it all got started with both the Internet and the World Wide Web; but to also learn new information and concepts that I have not yet learned before.

My interest in the IT industry is very strong and I plan to pursue a degree in computer science; however, I know that I have hardly scratched the surface in the knowledge that can be learned in the IT field. My interest so far in school has been computer networking, but that is beginning to change as I progress further into learning the many emerging technology careers in today’s society.

My goal in this class is to become much more aware of how current technologies and the web are shaping a completely new way of living. I hope that in this class I will be exposed to new emerging technologies and organizations so that I can better determine what future career I truly will be happy in.