E-Commerce

E-commerce (or electronic commerce) is used to describe business that is conducted over the Internet using any of the applications that rely on the Internet, such as e-mail, instant messaging, shopping carts, Web services, FTP, and EDI (electronic data interchange), among others. Electronic commerce can be between two businesses transmitting funds, goods, services and/or data or between a business and a customer.

 E-Commerce includes:

E-commerce can be divided into:

E-tailing or "virtual storefronts" on Web sites with online catalogs, sometimes gathered into a "virtual mall“

The gathering and use of demographic data through Web contacts

EDI, the business-to-business exchange of data

E-mail and fax and their use as media for reaching prospects and established customers (for example, with newsletters)

Business-to-business buying and selling

The security of business transactions

 Types of E-Commerce

Examples of E-Commerce

Advantages of E-Commerce

Advantages of E-Commerce

Overcome Geographical Limitations

Gain New Customers With Search Engine Visibility

Lower Costs

Locate the Product Quicker

Eliminate Travel Time and Cost

Provide Comparison Shopping

Enable Deals, Bargains, Coupons, and Group Buying

Provide Abundant Information

 Disadvantages of E-Commerce

Disadvantages of E-Commerce

Ecommerce Lacks That Personal Touch

Ecommerce Delays Goods

Anyone Can Set Up an Ecommerce Website

Security

Many Goods Cannot Be Purchased Online

Ecommerce Does Not Allow You to Experience the Product Before Purchase

Have you ever experienced using E-Commerce? 

If Yes, how it works?

If No, what is your opinion about E-Commerce nowadays?

Collaborative Online Learning

As for this topic, I'm going to share about Online Forum, Wikis, Podcasting & Second Life

What is Forum?

According to the Oxford Online Dictionary, forum may be refer to few meanings which are:

• The public square or marketplace of an ancient Roman city that was the assembly place for judicial activity and public business
• A public meeting place for open discussion
• A medium for open discussion or voicing of ideas, such as a newspaper, a radio or television program, or a website
• A public meeting or presentation involving a discussion usually among experts and often including audience participation
• A court of law; a tribunal

What is Internet Forum?

Based from the Wikipedia internet forum is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages.

There are few things we should know that fall under the Online Forum

Troll

User that repeatedly & intentionally breaches netiquette, often posting derogatory or otherwise inflammatory messages about sensitive topics in an established online community to bait users into responding, often starting flame wars

Spamming

Is a breach of netiquette where users repeat the same word or phrase over and over, but differs from multiple posting in that spamming is usually a willful act which sometimes has malicious intent

User Group
 

Privileges & rights are given based on user groups. The privileged is set by the administrator. An unregistered user of the site is commonly known as a guest or visitor. Guests are typically granted access to all functions that do not require database alterations or breach privacy.

A guest can usually view the contents of the forum or use such features as read marking, but occasionally an administrator will disallow visitors to read their forum as an incentive to become a registered member

  

Moderator

 

The moderators are users of the forum who are granted access to the posts and threads of all members for the purpose of moderating discussion and also keeping the forum clean. Have access to all posts and threads. Moderators also answer users' concerns about the forum, general questions, as well as respond to specific complaints. They also can do anything to lend a helping hand to a user in need.

Administrator 

 

The administrators manage the technical details required for running the site. Promote members to moderators, manage the rules, create sections and sub-sections, as well as perform any database operations. Administrators often also act as moderators.

Post

A post is a user submitted message enclosed into a block containing the user's details and the date and time it was submitted. Members are usually allowed to edit or delete their own posts. Posts are contained in threads, where they appear as boxes one after another. The first post starts the thread; this may be called the TS (thread starter) or OP (original post). Posts that follow in the thread are meant to continue discussion about that post, or respond to other replies; it is not uncommon for discussions to be derailed.

Thread

A thread (sometimes called a topic) is a collection of posts, usually displayed – by default – from oldest to latest, although this is typically configurable. A thread is defined by a title, an additional description that may summaries the intended discussion, and an opening or original post which opens whatever dialogue or makes whatever announcement the poster wished. A thread can contain any number of posts, including multiple posts from the same members, even if they are one after the other.

Private Message

A private message, or PM for short, is a message sent in private from a member to one or more other members. Private messages are generally used for personal conversations. 

Emoticons

Emoticon or smiley is a symbol or combination of symbols used to convey emotional content in written or message form. Forums implement a system through which some of the text representations of an emoticons (e.g. XD, :p) are rendered as a small image. Depending on part the world the forum's topic originates (since most forums are international) smilies can be replaced by other forms of similar graphics, (e.g. *(^O^)*, (^-^)').

Now, let's move on to the Wikis  

What is Wiki?  

Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser.

Wiki is a combination of a CGI script and a collection of plain text files that allows users to create Web pages “on the fly.”

Wiki supports hyperlinks and has simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslink’s between internal pages on the fly.

Wiki is unusual among group communication mechanisms in that it allows the organization of contributions to be edited in addition to the content itself.

Podcasting

A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through web syndication.

Podcasting is a method of publishing audio files (usually MP3s) to the Web, which are then made available through subscription and automatically downloaded to a personal computer or portable MP3 player.

The mode of delivery differentiates podcasting from other means of accessing media files over the Internet, such as direct download, or streamed webcasting. 

Commonly used audio file formats are Ogg Vorbis and MP3.

A list of all the audio or video files currently associated with a given series is maintained centrally on the distributor's server as a web feed, and the listener or viewer employs special client application software known as a podcatcher that can access this web feed, check it for updates, and download any new files in the series. 

Second Life

In Second Life participants use avatars, virtual selves that reflect the creators’ personalities, to interact with one another within the online environment.

A free client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars.

Residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another, or travel throughout the world.

 

Through this feature Second Life can bring people, ideas, and subject matter together in a fuller representation of real human relationships.

Second Life enhances social presence that can support collaborative online activities and enrich interpersonal understanding among their participants.

In terms of educational practice, this virtual world allows for a reimagining of the classroom as one that meets the new needs of online instruction while providing students with a sense of belonging to a learning community. 

For example, Second Life allows for online interactions that mimic the face-to-face conversations of the campus classroom while minimizing the formality that usually prevails in academic discussion forums.

The flexibility of Second Life also makes it an ideal vehicle for constructivist pedagogy.

Based from this topic, what would you say? Leave your comment down here...

Learning and Communicating

At the end of this topic, we would able to:

  

 In 2005, a survey has been conducted in US and the findings are:

More than 900 million users

About 90% use e-mail,

40% use instant messaging

20% use chat/forum

Interpersonal, organizational and educational online communication helps to:

Connecting people in workplaces and educational institutions
  Supplement for other communication channels

Support for diverse interpersonal and group interactions and activities

Development of online relationships

E-Learning Online Communication

§  SELF - individual use of the internet 

§  INTERACT – online communication with others 

§  RELATE – skills for development of online relationships 

§  PRESENT – presentation of oneself, product, organization 

§  LEARN – finding, using and presenting educational info 

§  PROTECT - related to internet security and privacy

Learning Networks & Communication Skills

Teleconference

Offline meetings are important to student learning, small group teleconferences were organized each week. The purpose of the teleconference was meeting with students to review the previous week’s activities, introduce the current week’s activities, and address any questions or concerns. 

Additionally, instructors would monitor student progress by posting questions related to that week’s course materials. In addition, instructors and students communicated through email.

E-mail

Email is an important interactive tool in any e-learning environment. At the beginning of the program, students were required to send an email in English to the instructors either explaining why they were taking this course or asking a question related to the course. These emails were to be polished and professional. Based on this initial assignment, students have high confident in communicating via E-mail.

Teleconferences also proved useful in providing students with an opportunity to fine-tune their English speaking skills. Because the teleconferences were organized in small groups, every student was required to speak. Students’ communication skills are developed by producing a new product or a system, and then he or she has to explain the usage of the product to the customer or client.

One-to-One-Communication

 There are few tips that students need to understand. Below are the tips:

—  Understand the importance of one-one communication

—  Select the most appropriate method to communicate

—  Prepare to communicate with an individual

—  Communicate appropriate and effectively

—  Maintain appropriate records of communications

  

Effective Communication

Here are the tips to practice communication effectively

—  Understand the communication process

—  Appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of different methods of communication

—  Recognize which communication method to use in a range of work situation

—  Describe the key stages in the communications process

  

Non-Verbal Communication

 Now, let's see about non-verbal communication

—  Understand the need for the communication

—  Select written communication type

—  Produce effective written communication

—  Use standard conventions when writing

—  Use appropriate tone (eg: DON’T USE CAPITAL LETTER) and level of language

9 Qualities of an Effective Team Player

 Qualities of Good Member

 

This is a video about How to Communicate Effectively

   

 

Would you able to communicate in the most effective way?

Using The Internet: Net Competency

Netiquette and Security 

 

What is Netiquette?

 

Netiquette = net + etiquette

Netiquette is a set of social conventions that  

facilitate interaction over networks, 

ranging from Usenet and mailing lists to blogs and forums.

Netiquette, or net etiquette, refers to  

etiquette on the internet

Guideline of Netiquette

Rules

You may also read about Netiquette Guideline by clicking here

Well, in your opinion, do you think that by practicing netiquette can really avoid misunderstanding between internet users?
Do leave your comments . . .