Saturday, December 29, 2007

Happy New Year from Diane

Just came on to see if anyone is writing. I wrote. I miss this class and my e-mail changed because I forgot my password and there was a lot of spam. Just wasn't worth keeping it anymore. I miss some addresses but the majority of them I did not use any way. I just hope Yahoo will send a change of address notice. I know I have to have every ones e-mail address and I do not. Forget to ask for it.

I received under a a cabinet cd for my kitchen. I like listening to music as I prepare dinner. It is nice. Tony and I recived a new wireless telephone system for Christmas, but we just bought one so we exchanged it for a new upto the date printer.

My medical class already sent my a list of items needed for my class. I have an assignment due on the second day of school. We are already suppose to be working on it. I have not even picked up my book yet. I get this letter that I am suppose to copy the evaluation papers and have a rough draft done by Thursday.

I know, I am getting busy. MY husband is teaching me to scan my books and make copies. Every paper must be attached to a evaluation form. Must have a title page and evaluation form
2 more semesters left and then I graduate. The evaluation forms just make a lot more paperwork.

See you all later. I hope you had a nice holiday. I did.

Your class mate


Diane

Friday, December 7, 2007

The Internet can INCREASE productivity

I found this information very interesting. It is a report from the UK about companies whose productivity increased because their employees used computers and the internet.


ICT & Productivity
ICT use is linked to higher productivity


Labour Productivity: by Employees using ICT in Manufacturing and Services
Labour Productivity: by Employees using ICT in Manufacturing and Services

Investment in computers and software by firms, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and internet use by employees, as well as e-commerce activity, are associated with higher value added per worker.

Hardware and software capital in UK firms increases productivity right across manufacturing and service industries, after taking account of other factors. In addition to the effect of investment, the use of computers, communications and e-commerce also has a positive association with productivity across UK industry.

Manufacturing companies in the UK achieve an extra 2.2 per cent in productivity for each additional 10 per cent of employees using computers. In newer firms, this extra productivity effect rises to 4.4 per cent.

The effect associated with internet use is greater. Manufacturing companies in the UK achieve an extra 2.9 per cent in productivity for each additional 10 per cent of employees using the Internet. Again, for newer firms the effect is larger.


US owned firms in the UK are more successful in exploiting Information Technology (IT) compared to all other firms, and IT accounts for much of their productivity advantage. This is consistent with recent ONS data on international productivity comparisons, which show higher output per worker for the US compared to other G7 economies.



http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1240

What I liked the Most...

I liked having this blog, I just wish that I had more time to come on and post more stuff and actually take time to read every one's. (Sometimes I just skimmed) But I like pretty much all forms of media, I like to watch t.v., read books, go on-line, all that fun stuff. I realized just how addicted I was to all this when I was cut off from it all during our first paper. It was a very fun and interesting experience. I would have to say that maybe the radio is my least favorite form of media. I listen to it now and then, but I usually get sick of them talking about the same stuff, or talking about dumb stuff and all the commercials. I usually just have a CD in so I can just relax and listen to some music.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Final comments

What have I liked? I guess that I would have to say all of the neat things that Jamie found on-line and shared with us, like the first MTV video and some of the u-tube stuff (mainly because I would never search out those things for myself, but I know I could if I ever wanted to.) What have I not liked? Sorry, but this blog stuff has not impressed me at all. I am absolutly sure that the fact that I had 2 online classes and daily postings for those classes affected my opinion, so please do not be offended. I do not see the purpose of this, and I do not have the time to do it. I want to know who I am talking to, and what they bring to the conversation (example:if we are talking religon, is the other person a pastor?) I do not want (or need) to have conversations with God- knows -who in cyberspace. It's just not my thing at all. Thanks for an enlightening class.
Kathy

On a scale of intrigue...

I really enjoyed the time we discussed advertising. That was the most interesting part of the course for me, even though I've enjoyed every week of class. It is fascinating to see "behind the scenes" on something that is made to persuade. The whole industry of advertising is full of quirks and sneaky practices that you don't even notice until you study it.


So, as a whole form of mass media, I think that the Internet was the most intriguing, with newspapers/magazines in a close second place. There are so many controversial issues swirling around the structure, use of, and the future of the Internet, that it is never boring to learn about. I especially enjoyed studying newspapers and magazines in this class because I don't know very much about that industry.

Probably the least intriguing form of mass media for me, was books. I am an avid reader, a book fanatic, so don't think that I think books are boring. There just isn't much intrigue or controversy over them any more (at least the ones I read). I understand most of the publishing process, and the history of books is widely known. I love books, but I already know so much about them, so it just wasn't very intriguing.

Least and most intriguing media....

For me the least intriguing media is newspaper. Because of how the information is written and how it is presented. Even in the earlier times newspaper in the same, although nowadays there are more advertising then there ever was. Newspaper today is fading because of how easy you can get information with just one click away (internet).

The most intriguing media to me is the internet. Internet is so powerful, anyone can put just about anything out there. There are no restrictions, rules or guidance. As long as you are not threatening the government or doing some terrorist act. You can get information to just about anybody, that it is why a lot of people are being identity theft, people are committing some kind of sex act to minor and such. Parents be aware!!!

Positive aspect of the internet is making us aware of different cultures. Today, you can have a conversation with someone half way across the globe. You can look up different culture background, finding out recipes of that culture or whatever. Today, schools are using Epals (pen pals of different ethnicity).

I used to spend a lot of money on phone card to talk to my family back home (Philippines) but today I used email a lot. This saves me money, less writing, and they can access the email right away. Internet is a great tool, just be aware of what is out there.

The Intrigue of Mass Media

This took some serious thought for me. I think the most intriguing form of mass media was advertising. I was surprised at how it has worked its way into movies and television. I had never paid close attention to it before. Now when I view anything I notice right away if it is an advertised product being utilitzed. In fact the other night we were watching Rachel Ray on the Food Network and she was using Grey Poupon Mustard in a recipe. I will never see T.V. and movies the same way again.

As for the least intriguing mass media, I choose magazines. These are frivoulous to me and I very rarely look at them unless I am in a waiting room of some kind. If I want to read something news worthy or interesting there is the newspaper or the internet. I always glance at them in the grocery store checkout and am very surprised at the cost of them.
This class has taught me a lot about media and how it is part of so much of our lives. It has been a fun experience.
:) Cindy