A tangled Web of traps!

Hello all!

I wanna tell you something before you start reading: I'm going to be long-winded but the subject is worth it!
I want to talk about the risks of the Internet and the related observations that we came up with last Wednesday during class.

Let's go through a brief list of the most common web-traps we might encounter while surfing the net:

• to plagiarize others' works; the infringement of IPR (see here, here and here);
• huge amount of information (difficulty to find and judge the info - see here);
• technical problems about saving/losing/editing your materials online;
• to give and/or get false information;
• to run into unwanted sexual, violent, illegal contents;
• privacy violation;
• cloning (e.g. credit card);
• viruses, spams (e.g. e-mail), crackers, Trojan horses, pop-ups;
• identity problems;
• addiction;
• unconscious clicking, scams.

Well, as far as I'm concerned, I'm a Web enthusiast and I know that my enthusiasm comes from a responsible and fruitful use of the Internet. The technical and intellectual information that we've learned during classes should have given us the proper tools to be - reasonably - safe and curious when using the Internet and its services.
What I want to say is that if you don't have the basic, background information on how the net should be handled, you could run into the above mentioned traps and get frightened by the Web.

What we've learned so far through Sarah's classes is that the Web is huge and we are far from knowing it properly, in all its aspects. However, if we manage to keep our eyes firmly open the net can become a 'good friend' of us.

Let's see some actions that can be useful to turn a 'bad egg' into a 'good fellow':

• when you subscribe to any website, blog or create your account into any free, online services (e.g. Bloglines, Del.icio.us) always remember to read carefully the terms of the service/(web) contract you are subscribing to. We (too) often think that if something is not printed (i.e. vitual) is less valid and legal: WRONG! It's always a matter of rights...and duties too;
• be aware of what plagiarism, IPR and Creative Commons are; they are crucial concepts that turn to be useful in printed works too;
• be careful when giving your personal information (e.g. credit card number, personal e-mail). I've personally decided to have a second e-mail address to use when subscribing any online services;
• moms, dads, brothers & sisters, anyone who are informed about web-traps: never let children alone in front of a computer, and when they are sufficently grown up give them the needed tools to deal with the Internet properly.

However, despite reading, learning, searching any information about these risks, the traps are always around the corner. So, the only thing I can say and suggest about these issues is: keep your eyes open!!!

Well, let me know what's your point of view and your possible solutions to these problems.

Bye
Giorgia
(photo source)

Let's save our bacon!

Hello all,

according to what we've learned so far, let's try to make a list of what we are supposed to do to respect sources, IRP and avoid plagiarism.

Dos & Donts:

• images - use Flickr with the CreativeCommons that provide all the info on copyrights; remember to cite the source and/or put the link which you take the image from. If the image is not taken from Flickr, make sure you are allowed to use it (i.e. see at the bottom of any web/blog page, there should be information about copyright);
• quotations, data, stats, research results (written productions) - remember to cite all the needed information about what you are writing whether you are exactly repeating or just paraphrasing someone else's words. There are different ways to cite (i.e. in-text citations, bibliography) and most of the times they have to be used together. Try to take a look to the two most common referencing styles > MLA and APA. Anyway, to make proper references within a blog is far easier than doing it in a formal piece of writing. In a blog you have just to put a link which works like an in-text citation and/or bibliography at your fingertip.

Well, these are just little tips I've learned so far...so, since the topic is very important and wide, I really need your help. Everyone is welcome to write a comment giving any kind of suggestions on referencing issue.

Bye
Giorgia
(photo source)

It's a snap(shot)!

I totally agree with Betta’s post on images: that of photo sources is a problematic issue. Finding a useful photo on the net is very easy, but discovering if it's possible to use it is not so immediate. More often than not photos on the net are covered by copyrights, so they cannot be copied and then pasted somewhere else, otherwise you’d break the law.
When you find an image that you want to use try to find out as much information as possible concerning the right to use it and always remember to put the link from which you took that image.

Another great tip that I’ve got from the teacher is to use Flickr, which is an image and video hosting website (online community for photo sharing) with plenty of photos. The good thing is that each photo is accompanied by some specific symbols explaining the way in which you are licensed to use that photo (i.e. if it is covered or not by copyright). These symbols are - technically speaking - the Creative Commons license: each symbol represents a type of license.

Well, as regards my blog I've put the link of each photo at the end of my posts, while if you click on the photos on my sidebar they take you directly where I found them.

Hope you'll find some useful news!

Bye
Giorgia