Lesson 1: Introduction To ICT

ICT in Our Everyday Lives:

• Online platforms, Sites, and Content • The World Wide Web

• Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 • Trends in ICT

Lesson 1: Introduction to Information and Communication Technologies

•The state of ICT technologies

• Online systems, functions, and platforms

Information and Communication Technologies

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) deals with the use of different communication technologies such as
mobile phones, telephone, Internet, etc. to locate, save, send and edit information.

WEB 1.0:

When the World Wide Web was invented, most web pages were static. Static (also known as flat page or stationary
page) in the sense that the page is “as is” and cannot be manipulated by the user. The content is also the same for all users.
This is referred to as Web 1.0.

WEB 2.0: Dynamic Web Pages

Web 2.0 is the evolution of Web 1.0 by adding dynamic web pages—the user is able to see a website differently than
others. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, hosted services, and web
applications.

Web 2.0 allows users to interact with the page: instead of just reading a page, the user may be able to comment or
create a user account. Web 2.0 also allows users to use web browsers instead of just using their operating system. Browsers
can now be used for their user interface, application software (or web applications), and even for file storage.

*Most websites that we visit today are Web 2.0.

Features of Web 2.0

1. Folksonomy. It allows users to categorize and classify/arrange information using freely chosen keywords (e.g.,
tagging). Popular social networking sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. use tags that start with the pound
sign (#). This is also referred to as hashtag.

2. Rich User Experience. Content is dynamic and is responsive to user’s input. 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.

3. Long Tail. Services are offered on demand rather than on a one-time purchase. In certain cases, time-based pricing is
better than file-size-based pricing or vice versa. 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.

4. User Participation. The owner of the website is not the only one who is able to put content. Others are able to place a
content of their own by means of comment, reviews, and evaluation. Some websites allow readers to comment on an
article, participate in a poll, or review a specific product (e.g., Amazon.com, online stores).

5. Software as a Service. Users will subscribe to a software only when needed rather than purchasing them. This is a
cheaper option if you do not always need to use a software. For instance, Google Docs is a free web-based application
that allows the user to create and edit word processing and spreadsheet documents online. When you need a software,
like a Word Processor, you can purchase it for a one-time huge amount and install it in your computer and it is yours
forever. Software as a service allows you to “rent” a software for a minimal fee.

6. Mass Participation. It is a 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 and the Semantic Web

The Semantic Web is a movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The W3C standard encourages web
developers to include semantic content in their web pages.

According to the W3C, “The Semantic Web provides a common framework that allows data to be shared and reused
across application, enterprise, and community boundaries.”

The aim of Web 3.0 is to have machines (or servers) understand the user’s preferences to be able to deliver web
content specifically targeting the user.

Several problems of Web 3.0

1. Compatibility

HTML files and current web browsers could not support Web 3.0.

2. Security
 The user’s security is also in question since the machine is saving his or her preferences.

3. Vastness

The World Wide Web already contains billions of web pages.

4. Vagueness

Certain words are imprecise. The words “old” and “small” would depend on the user.

5. Logic

Since machines use logic, there are certain limitations for a computer to be able to predict what the user is
referring to at a given time.

Trends in ICT

1. Convergence

Technological convergence is the synergy of technological advancements to work on a similar goal or task.

2. Social Media

Social media is a website, application, or online channels that enable web users to create, co-create, discuss,
modify, and exchange user-generated content.

Six types of social media:

a. Social Networks. These are sites that allow you to connect with other people with the same interests or background.

b. Bookmarking Sites. These are sites that allow you to store and manage links to various websites and resources.

c. Social News. These are sites that allow users to post their own news items or links to other news sources.

d. Media Sharing. These are sites that allow you to upload and share media content like images, music, and video.

e. Microblogging. These are sites that focus on short updates from the user.

f. Blogs and Forums. These websites allow users to post their content.

3. 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.

Kinds of operating systems:

a. iOS

b. Android

c. Blackberry OS

d. Windows Phone OS

e. Symbian

f. WebOS

g. Windows Mobile

4. Assistive Media

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.