eMPTECH

Midterms
WEEK 1

What is Information and Communications Technology?

 
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) often deals with the use of different
technologies such as mobile phones, telephones, computer, Internet, and other devices, as
well as software and applications to locate, save, send, and manipulate information.
Empowering ICT is important for its innovative uses impacts our daily lives. It has
affected our ways of communicating, made our lives more convenient, and assisted
countries towards their modernization plans. Thus, there is a need to create a foundation
of understanding in the world of ICT.
 
often deals with the use of different technological inventions like mobile phones,
telephones, computer, Internet, and other devices, as well as software and applications to
locate, save, send, and manipulate information. ICT has greatly contributed to how easy
our lives has been today. Our gadgets have become part of our necessity that we check on
them after we wake up. It made communication easier. We can use cellular phones that are
designed for communicating with other people even they are miles away from us. It has
also assisted us in our work since there are Internet-based jobs. It has revolutionized our
education and in the modernization of our economy.
 
ICT in the Philippines
 
Philippines is dubbed as the “ICT Hub of Asia” because of huge growth of ICT-related
jobs, one of which is BPO, Business Process Outsourcing, or call centers. In a data
gathered by the Annual Survey of Philippines Business and Industries in 2010, the ICT
industry shares 19.3% of the total employment population.
 
When the internet was fully commercialized in 1995, it has tremendously impacted culture
and commerce, including the rise of near instant communication by email, instant
messaging, telephony (Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP), two-way interactive video
calls, and the World Wide Web with its discussion forums, blogs, social networking, and
online shopping sites. Internet is the global system of interconnected computer networks
that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and
devices.
 
 
The World Wide Web
 
The World Wide Web is an information system on the Internet that allows documents to
be connected to other documents by hypertext links, enabling the user to search for
information by moving from one document to another. It was invented by Tim-Berners
Lee. The World Wide Web browser software, such as Microsoft's Internet
Explorer/Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Apple's Safari, and Google Chrome, let users
navigate from one web page to another via the hyperlinks embedded in the documents.
These documents may also contain any combination of computer data, including graphics,
sounds, text, video, multimedia and interactive content that runs while the user is
interacting with the page. The Web has enabled individuals and organizations to publish
ideas and information to a potentially large audience online at greatly reduced expense and
time delay.
 
Types of Web Pages
 
· Web 1.0 or The Web.
 It is the first stage of the World Wide Web evolution. It is a flat or stationary
page since it cannot be manipulated by the user.
 
· Web 2.0 or The Social Web
 allows users to interact with the page, the user may be able to comment or create a
user account. Most website that we visit today are Web 2.0.
 
FEATURES
 
FOLKSONOMY
 Allows users to collectively classify and find information using freely chosen
keywords (e.g. "tagging" by facebook). Tagging uses the pound sign #, often referred
to as hashtag.
 Facebook Instagram , Twitter
 
RICH USER EXPERIENCE
 Dynamic content that is responsive to user input (e.g., a user can "click" on an
image to enlarge it or find out more Information).
 An example would be a website that shows local content. In
the case of social networking sites,
when logged on, your account is
used to modify what you see in
their website.
USER PARTICIPATION
 the owner of website is not the only one who is able to put content. Others are
able to place a content on their own by means of comments, reviews, and evaluation.
 
LONG TAIL
 Services that are offered on demand rather than on a one-time purchase. This
is synonymous to subscribing to a data plan that charges you for the amount of time
you spent in the Internet, or a data plan that charges you for the amount of
bandwidth you used.
 
SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE
 Users will subscribe to a software only when needed rather than purchasing them.
 
MASS PARTICIPATION
 diverse information sharing through universal web access. Since most users can use
the Internet, Web 2.0's content is based on people from various cultures.
 
· Web 3.0 or Semantic Web.
 The semantic web provides a framework that allows data to be shared and reuse to
deliver web content specifically targeting the user. Search Engine will learn about you
and your habits from each search you perform and will gather details about you from
your previous activities like likes and social postings and present the answers as per
your preferences.
 
PROBLEMS IN WEB 3.0
 
Compatibility
 HTML files and current web browsers could not support Web 3.0
 
Security
 The user's security is also in question since the machine is saving hes/her
preferences
 
Vastness
 The World Wide Web already contains billions of web pages
 
Vaugeness
  Certain words are imprecise. The words old and small would depend on the user
WQS2
Logic
 Since machines use logic, there are certain limitations for a computer to be able to
predict what the user is referring to, to a given time
 
 
ONLINE PLATFORMS AND SITES CFMS
 
Because of the wide capacity of Web 2.0, it has helped in creating dynamic online platform
sites. Online platform is a specially developed platform using Internet technology. Online
platforms have revolutionized access to any information. Online platforms currently
include, but are not limited to:
 
Presentation or Visualization Platform
allows you to present and share presentations, infographics and videos with other people.
It is used to communicate information clearly and efficiently.
 
Cloud Computing Platform
 is also called as “The cloud.”
 It is the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the internet.
Instead of using your computer’s hard drive, you store and access your data and
programs over the Internet.
 
File Management Platform
 is used for the storing, naming, sorting, and handling of computer files. Allows you
to convert and manage files without download in the software tool.
 
Mapping Platform
 is a transformation taking the points of one space into the points of the same or
another space.
 Uses GPS to detect location and used for navigation.
 
Social Media Platform
 is a computer-mediated tools that allow large group of people to create, share or
exchange information, interest and the information shared can be in the form of
ideas, pictures, videos or anything that you want to create and share to virtual
communities.
 
It can be in the following platforms:
 
Social Networks.
  These sites allow you to connect with other people with the same interests or
background.
 
Bookmarking Sites.
 These are sites that allow you to store and manage links to various websites and
resources.
 
Social News.
 These are sites that allow users to post their own news items or links to other news
sources.
 
Media Sharing.
 These are sites that allow you to upload and share media content like images, music,
and video.
 Media sharing sites can be specific for video sharing, photo sharing, slide sharing,
social bookmarking, and gaming.
 
Microblogging.
 These are sites that focus on short updates from the user. Those subscribed to
the user will be able to receive these updates. Posts are brief that range typically
from 140 – 200 characters.
 
Blogs and Forums.
 These are websites that allow users to post their content. Other users can
comment on the said topic.'
 
TRENDS IN ICT
 
Convergence
 technological convergence is the synergy of technological advancements to work on
a similar goal/task
 
Social Media
 A website, application, or online channels that enable web users to create, co-
create, discuss, modify and exchange user-generated content
 
Mobile Technologies
 The popularity of smartphones and tablets has taken a major rise over the years.
This is largely because of the devices' capability to do tasks that were originally
found in personal computers
 Several of these devices are caple of using high-speed internet.Today the latest
model devices
 use 4G Networking(LTE), which
is currently the fastest mobile
network.
 
Kinds of Mobile Operating Systems
 iOs -
use in apple devices such
as iPhone and iPad.
 
 Android
an open source OS
developed by Google. Being
open source means mobile
phone companies use this OS for
free.
 
 Blackberry OS
USED in
Blackberry devices.
 
 Windows Phone OS
a closed
source and proprietary
operating system developed by
Microsoft.
 
 Symbian
the original
smartphone OS; used by Nokia
devices.
 
 WebOS
originally used in
smartphones; now used in
smartTVs.
 
 Windows Mobile
developed
by Microsoft for smartphones
and pocket PCs.
 
Assistive Media
 
– is a nonprofit service designed to help people who have visual and reading
impairments. A database of audio recordings is used to read to the user.
 Google text to speech
Static – refers to the web that are the same
regardless of the user.
 
Dynamic – refers to the that are affected
by user input or preference.
 
 

 
WEEK 2

Online Safety, Security, and Netiquette

 
The internet is the guiding technology of the Information Technology Age just as the
electrical engine was of the Industrial Age. In these times, more and more people are
already engaged in the use of technology. These people who are raised in a digital, media-
saturated world are called digital natives. No doubt, the Internet has been very useful to
us but with the rise of instant messaging, chat rooms, emails and social networking sites, it
can also bring trouble -from cyberbullying to more serious Internet dangers, including
exposure to sexual predators. Thus, internet safety is always our primary concern.
 
There's almost no limit to what you can do online. The Internet makes it possible to
access information quickly, communicate around the world, and much more.
Unfortunately, the Internet is also home to certain risks, such as malware, spam, and
phishing. If you want to stay safe online, you'll need to understand these risks and
learn how to avoid them.
 
When using the internet to ensure that the users as well as their computers and personal
information are safe from crimes associatedwith using the internet. Below are
personal information that must be kept confidential.
 
There are numerous delinquencies that can be committed on the internet such as stalking,
identity theft, privacy violations, and harassment.
 
To avoid these online crimes, follow the following online safety measures:
vNever give any personal information out about yourself over the internet.
 
vDo not give any banking or sensitive information unless you are sure that it is a reputable
business having a secure service. To make sure that you are in asecured network, the
website address should begin with “https://’ asopposed to “http://”. Never access your
accounts by following an email link,instead type your URL by yourself.
 
Some ways you can check if a website is trustworthy
 
Reliable websites:
- Usually end in .edu or .gov
- Doesn't have errors
- up to date
- use facts
- use experts
 
Unreliable websites:
- MIGHT end in .com
- have errors
- outdated
- use opinions
- use unreliable resources
 
vNever open messages or attachments from someone you do not know.
vRegularly review your privacy settings in your online accounts to make sure you are not
sharing important personal information.
vWhen using a public computer terminal, be sure to delete your browsing data before
leaving.
vKeep your software updated to avoid security holes.
vDo not download or install software or anything on your computer or cellphone that is
unknown to you.
 
NETIQUETTE
- a combination of the words network and etiquette. It is a set of rules for behaving
properly online. Below are the 10 rules of netiquette
*
RULES
1 - Remember the Human
2 - Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
3 - Know where you are in cyberspace
4 - Respect other people's time and bandwidth
5 - Make yourself look good online
6 - Share expert knowledge
7 - Help keep flame wars under control
8 - Respect each other's privacy
9 - Don't abuse your power
10 - Be forgiving of other people's mistakes
 
FLAME WAR
- series of flame posts or messages in a thread that are considered derogatory in
nature or are completely off-topic.
- Often these flames are posted for the sole purpose of offending or upsetting other
users. The flame becomes a flame war when other users respond to the thread
with their own flame message.
 
Kinds of Online Threats
There is no doubt that you need to be vigilant online. As the World Wide Web evolved
over the years, many internet predators have been playing on vulnerabilities to
attack computers and retrieve sensitive data from individuals. Half the time, we aren’t
even aware it is happening until it is too late.
 
Online threat is deemed any malicious act that attempts to gain access to a computer
network without authorization or permission from the owners. These are usually done by
computer hackers who uses the World Wide Web to facilitate cybercrime. Web threats
use multiple types of malware and fraud, all of which utilize HTTP or HTTPS protocols,
but may also employ other protocols and components, such as links in email or Instant
Messaging apps, or any malware attachments on servers that access the Web. They
benefit cybercriminals by stealing information for subsequent sale and help absorb
infected PCs into botnets.
 
Web threats pose a broad range of risks, including financial damages, identity theft,
lossof confidential information/data, theft of network resources, damaged brand/personal
reputation, and erosion of consumer confidence in e-commerce and online banking.
 
The following are the top kinds of online threats that you should be aware of:
 
Phishing
- happens when an email is sent from an internet criminal disguised as an email
from a legitimate, trustworthy source.
- the message is meant to lure you into revealing sensitive or confidential information.
 acquire sensitive personal information like passwords and credit card details.
 
Pharming
- happens when a hacker (or “pharmer”) directs an internet user to a fake website instead
of a legitimate one.
- these “spoofed” sites can capture a victim’s confidential information, including
usernames, passwords, and credit card data, or install malware on their computer.
- pharmers usually focus on websites in the financial sector, including banks, online
payment platforms, or other e-commerce destinations.
 
Internet Scam
- generally refers to someone using internet services or software to defraud or
take advantage of victims, typically for financial gain.
- Cybercriminals may contact potential victims through personal or work email
accounts, social networking sites, dating apps, or other methods in attempts to
obtain financial or other valuable personal information.
- Online scams may come in various forms such as lottery scam, charity fraud
scams, job offer scams, and online dating scams to name a few
 
 
Internet robots
- are also known as spiders, crawlers, and web bots. It is a software application that is
programmed to do certain tasks
- Bots are automated, which means they run according to their instructions without a
human user.
- Some bots are useful, such as search engine bots that index content for search or
customer service bots that help users
- Other bots are "bad" and are programmed to break into user accounts, scan the web for
contact information for sending spam, or perform other malicious activities
- If it's connected to the Internet, abot will have an associated IP address
 
Malware or malicious software
- is any program or file that is harmful to a computer user

Here are the most common offenders in the rogues’ gallery of malware:
 
Adware(advertising supported software)
- is unwanted software designed to throw advertisements up on your screen. Example,
pop-up ads and banner ads.
 
Spyware
- is malware that secretly observes the computer user’s activities without permission and
reports it to the software’s author.
- Example is a key logger.
 Install anti-virus software, update software, only buy apps from trusted sources,
do not click on suspicious link or unknown/suspicious sources, install firewall, back-up
data regularly
 
Virus and Worms
- are malwares that attach to another program and, when executed—unintentionally by
the user—replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and infecting them
with its own bits of code.
 
Trojan, or Trojan horse
- is one of the most dangerous malware types
- It usually represents itself as something useful in order to trick you
- Once it’s on your system, the attackers behind the Trojan gain unauthorized access to
the affected computer
- From there, Trojans can be used to steal financial information or install threats like
viruses and ransomware
 
Ransomware
- is a form of malware that locks you out of your device and/or encrypts your files, then
forces you to pay a ransom to get them back.
 
 
Spams
- are unsolicited emails, instant messages coming from recipients that are not granted
verifiable permission for the message to be sent
- Spam messages can be damaging if you open or respond to it.
 Try to avoid opening emlails, and clicking links in spam messages
 Do not reply
Cyberstalking
- refers to the use of the internet or other electronic device to harass or stalk individuals
or organizations
 
Cyberbullying
- refers to the act of tormenting, harassing, or embarrassing another person using the
internet.
 
Spoofing
- happens when someone or something pretends to be something else to gain our
confidence, get access to our systems, steal data, steal money, or spread malware.

WEEK 3

 
Searching the Web
 
There are billions of information on the web and it is a challenge for us to truly find which
information is reliable and relevant. Here are some tips you may use to be able to look for
relevant and reliable sources:
 
Search Enginesare websites used for retrieval of data, files, or documents from
data bases. Some search engines we use today are:
 
Google, Duck DUck Go, Bing, Dogpile, Yippy, Google Scholar, Webopedia, YAhoo, The
Internet Archive
 
Anatomy of a URL
 
A URL is one type of Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). It is a generic term for all types
of names and
addresses that refer to objects on the World Wide Web.
 
Knowing the URL endings will give you clues to who is sponsoring the website and help
evaluate the sources.
 

1.Protocol
2.Subdomain
3.Domain
4.Top-level Domain
5.Folders/Paths
6.Page
7.Named anchor
 
Popular Domains
 
Top-level domains,
.edu - educational institution
.org - non-profit organization
.gov - government site
.com - commercial site
.net - network
 
Country code top level domains
.ph - Philippines
.eu - European Union
.uk - Uited ingdom
.au - australia
 
Search Skills and Tools
 
1.Boolean Logic
–narrows, broadens, or eliminates search term.
a.Boolean“or”–this operator will find pages that include either of the search terms.
b.Boolean “and”–this operator will retrieve only pages containing both terms
c.Boolean “not”–this operator will find pages that do not include search term
immediately following it.
 
2.Phase Searching
–is used to search for famous quotes, proper names, recommendations, etc. It
encloses the phrase in quotation marks.
Ex.“Jane Doe”“To be or not to be”
 
3.Plus (+)
–indicates that the word after the sign is a required word must be found in search.
Example: +fire
 
4.Minus (–)sign
–indicates to exclude a word from your search that is not required on the result.
Example: Jaguar speed –car
 
5.Ampersand (@)
is used to find social tags.
Example: @SteveJobs
 
6.Hashtag (#)
is used to find popular hashtags.
Example: #LawOfClassroom
 
7.Finding Documents
–using the filetype refines the search for documents on the web.
·filetype:pdf
·filetype:doc
·filetype:xls
Ex. ICT in the Philippines pdf
 
8.Searching Site
–the sites find webpage from a website.
Ex.: National Geographic information in Australia Search: Australia site:
NationalGeographic.com
 
Technology in the Philippines.
This information must come from a government sitein PDF or Word document.
Print the article and paste your work on a separate sheet of paper. Do not forget to
include the URL of the article you have taken the information.
 
Evaluating Sites
The web provides access to some excellent information and can also give access to
those that are irrelevant and outdated. Here is some checklist that you can use to
evaluate your website:
 
1.Authority.
It reveals that the person, institution or agency responsible for a site has the
qualifications and knowledge to do so. Evaluating a web site for authority:
ØAuthorship:
It should be clear who developed the site.
ØContact information should be clearly provided:
e-mail address, snail mail address, phone number, and fax number.
ØCredentials:
the author should state qualifications, credentials, or personal background that gives
them authority to present information.
ØCheck to see if the site supported by an organization or a commercial body
 
2.Purpose.
The purpose of the information presented in the site should be clear. Some sites are
meant to inform, persuade, state an opinion, entertain, or parody something or someone.
Evaluating a web site for purpose:
 
ØDoes the content support the purpose of the site?
ØIs the information geared to a specific audience (students, scholars, general
reader)?
ØIs the site organized and focused?ØAre the outside links appropriate for the site?
üDoes the site evaluate the links?
 
3.Coverage.
This refers to how comprehensive the website is in their discussion of certain topics.
Evaluating a web site for coverage:ØDoes the site claim tobe selective or comprehensive?
 
ØAre the topics explored in depth?
ØCompare the value of the site’s information compared to other similar sites.
ØDo the links go to outside sites rather than its own?
ØDoes the site provide information with no relevant outside links?
 
4.Currency.
It refers to:
(1) how current the information presented is, and
(2) how often the site is updated or maintained.
It is important to know when a site was created, when it was last updated, and if all of the
links are current. Evaluating a web site for currency involves finding the date
information was:
 
Øfirst written
Øplaced on the web
Ølast revised
 
5.Objectivity.
Objective sites present information with a minimum of bias. Evaluating a web site for
objectivity:
 
ØIs the information presented with a particular bias?
ØDoes the information try to sway the audience?
ØDoes site advertising conflict with the content?
ØIs the site trying to explain, inform, persuade, or sell something?
 
6.Accuracy.
It refers to the credibility of the website. Evaluating a web site for accuracy:
 
ØReliability:
Is the author affiliated with a known, respectable institution?
ØReferences:
do statistics and other factual information receive properreferences as to their
origin?
ØIs the information comparable toother sites on the same topic?
ØDoes the text follow basic rules of grammar, spelling andcomposition?
ØIs a bibliography or reference list included?