Before The War

I chose to restore this photo because it seemed like a challenging one to do, and it was in really bad shape. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, to me it was really easy. But definitely very time-consuming. I have never done anything like this before, and didn't restore a photo in my life but this was easy for me. As a job I feel like I'd get way too bored of retouching photos all the time. It seems like a cool job, you'd get to see some pretty awesome old pictures, and be the one to make them come to life again. Photos are important, they capture a certain moment in time and can last a very long time. I think that job would be pretty important, but not something I'd do.

Photo Editing

Monsters at Blackville School

Monster:   

  http://i0.wp.com/www.cgmeetup.net/home/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Making-of-Scary-Monsters-and-Nice-Sprites-2.jpg?resize=960%2C537

Monsters at Blackville School

Monster picture:

 http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/t/5669dfd6cbced60d962d87ae/1449779163806/

Monsters at Blackville School

Monster Photo:

http://popista.com/very-scary-monsters/real-very-scary-monsters-scary/16277

Monsters at Blackville School

Monster Photo: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/monsterhunter/images/8/87/FrontierGen-Unknown_(Black_Flying_Wyvern)_Render_001.png/revision/latest?cb=2014032413333

Monsters at Blackville School

Monster Photo:

http://previews.123rf.com/images/iimages/iimages1403/iimages140300966/26687611-Illustration-of-a-crying-monster-sitting-on-a-red-sofa-on-a-white-background-Stock-Vector.jpg

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Freak Of Nature

I selected a mouse and a dog because I thought it would look really funny. None of this was challenging for me it was a lot of fun. I think it looks kind of realistic, that scares me but it's hilarious. I've used photo-editing software many times before, I use them for fun. 

Best Vehicles for a Tight Budget

http://vehiclestightbudget.blogspot.ca/

Careers and Certification in the Automotive Industry

   Some of the high-tech systems and materials we have today that were never even heard of 30 years ago included things like wireless internet built in to vehicles, "cobots" (robotic machines that are able to help with the construction and painting of vehicles today,) the self-driving car, and Bluetooth sound systems. Young people would definitely do best in the technical area of automotive careers, this is because today pretty much every young person is up-to-date with technology and know their way around almost anything that has to do with technology. Some advantages in obtaining an education as an automotive technicians versus other high-tech educational options are that you would have career stability and a wide variety of different occupational options. There are expected to be 237,500 new jobs in the automotive-tech field by the year 2020. The automotive job fields will always have work, cars never really go "out of style" so the people working w/ cars or that have certain jobs in that field will most likely always have career stability. That can be a threat to other careers. 4 other positions in the automotive industry are: motor vehicle technician, service technician, CNC programmer, and electric motor technician.

Automobile Body Styles and Design

Part One
THE SUV

SUV's have existed since the 30's, not really reaching popularity until the 90's. SUV's are built on a truck frame and have a powerful engine performance. One of the first popular SUV's (in the U.S.) was the Jeep. There was a huge demand at the time (during WWII) for a four-wheel-drive vehicle. SUV's are generally associated with toughness and off-road handling manners. Though SUV's were known for being more of the off-road-trails type of vehicle, there are also the "luxury" products; with cars like the Range Rover and the Cadillac Escalade. Increasingly, the SUV is becoming a suitable vehicle choice for the luxury-minded drivers. Price ranges vary for this vehicle.

THE SPORTS CAR

Sports cars are often intended to create an atmosphere of fun and speed for the driver. These types of vehicles are on-road performers, not requiring a specific body style. Sports cars can be built using convertible, coupe, and sedan body-styles. Most sports cars are associated with racing, whether it be street racing or professional auto track racing. The pricing range for sports cars ranges broadly from under $20,000 into the millions. Despite the massive horsepower of some sports cars, the future of this vehicle category is increasingly becoming enriched with power-train technology such as hybrid drive platforms.

THE DIESEL 

Diesel engines have two main advantages over their gasoline-powered counterparts. The benefits of this typically applies to truck buyers looking for a vehicle with maximum towing and hauling capacity. Diesel-power is also being integrated with mid-sized trucks to improve fuel efficiency. Companies such as Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have started to offer diesel-fueled engines in North America due to how popular it is getting.

 

THE SEDAN

Sedan's are mostly known as a family car. The sedan is classified under the categories: family sedan, sports sedan, or luxury sedan. Family sedans are priced within reach of most new car customers and sell interior space. The Rolls-Royce Ghost and the Bentley Mulsanne are some examples of luxury sedans. For drivers who want the exhilaration of a sports car but prefer seat-passenger room, sports sedans are a popular vehicle type.

THE CROSSOVER

Crossover's are a diverse vehicle type, featuring the height of a truck-based vehicle with the build of car-like body-frame. For most drivers in the city, the crossover is a better option than a sport utility vehicle. Affordable family crossovers include the Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V. Wagons like the Audi Allroad and Volvo XC70 are considered crossover vehicles since they have all-wheel drive as well as other off-road touches.

Part Two 

Automobile Design

Typically it takes three years to create a vehicle, give or take. The design of a vehicle is called "problem solving" because they have to have an artist state of mind for this, but also must be following a set of engineering constraints. They must also come up with something that is aesthetically pleasing, making sure it looks good and works good. They start out by sketching the design (usually this is done via computer software,) it is then put onto an engineering platform telling them where exactly the occupant is going to sit (or where the steering-wheel has to be, etc.,) they figure out then where all of the basic criteria that they must build around. After they evolve the sketches and make sure everything works well together, they begin the feasibility stage. There is a lot of pressure for them - they must now fit into rigid time-frames and are given only such an amount of time. They must maintain the integrity of the design while also maintaining the quality criteria of the design.

I think it could be possible that engineering vehicles could interest me, I really like working with technology and I think this type in particular is really cool, and might be something I'd try. The majority of my family and their occupations include vehicles, whether it's with the technology or the automobile itself, but when it comes to the new-school type of technology - that is what interests me the most. Not so much working on cars, but more of the engineering process and things like that.

Emerging Technologies and Automobiles PART TWO

Tech for the Sake of Tech?

   It did surprise me that younger generations (ages 21-38) were not so much a fan of being able to connect their smartphones to their automobiles. Especially considering the fact that cellphones nowadays are a very popular (almost addiction-like) form of technology among the younger generations. I think my generation would probably like this a lot. Personally I would like this because I could access all my music easier and play it in the car. Other people in my generation may have different opinions but I am sure they'd be a pretty big fan of this as well. Since our early-2000's generation is so connected these days - and are always on our phones I'll admit - this may greatly be of many of our interests. It can be very beneficial too, because instead of looking down at your phone and taking your eyes off of the road - everything can be accessed at a higher level or by someone else you're driving with so that you can focus. Also, your music is accessed quicker & easier, and you can just play one of your playlists rather than clicking through the radio stations or skipping through the CD's/tapes.
   In my opinion the other helpful technologies that were mentioned in this article could be beneficial as well. Anything that helps the driver and/or that could help us have less accidents on the road is always a good thing. But, you can still never be too careful.
   Considering my family for example, when it comes to automobile technologies, they aren't really a fan & would prefer the older-styled type of vehicle. To the older generations in my family, this would not be helpful because they are not a fan of technology or are quite sure how to use it. The younger generations on the other hand, such as my siblings and I, would go crazy over this. I think that it's really cool. My friends probably would too, since we are all internet-babies and were brought up with all of these types of things. I wouldn't say that it's the most important thing in the world to have these in your car, but it is very helpful.
   When purchasing my own car someday, I don't think it would matter if I had those features or not. They're cool but can be extremely expensive in cars. But, if it were an option & I had the money, I'd want to get a car that did have some form of technology where I could hook my phone up and play music and that would benefit me to not get into accidents or to get distracted. This would be important to me b/c it would be a safe option for me and others on the road - not saying I would ever text and drive - but people do tend to get very unfocused on the road, and should look into this. I think the new technologies they're coming up with could have a very positive impact on our generation.
 
 
 
 
 
   

Emerging Technologies and Automobiles PART ONE

Technologies in Development

   I think the less likely one of these automobiles to happen is The Terrafugia TF-X (flying car.) The reason I think this is because it is going to take years and years to even properly develop, and will need a lot more work. By the time it's done, it will probably cost way too much. There may only be a select few people who would own it at first, for a while. Plus, the amount of years it's going to take to perfect it and to test it will take so long that I'd be long dead and gone, probably, before it is on the road. It seems almost unrealistic to me and very weird, but it will be the future and I won't be alive to see it, though.
   In my opinion the self-driving car (Nissan's autonomous car) will have the biggest impact on our society. There would be little-to-no accidents, and you could just chill while your car does the work on its own and I think that's extremely cool.

   The technology that I personally think will be the first to happen (and that I hope will happen very soon) is Ford's Driver Workload Estimator. It would be so good and benefit the driver a lot - especially if they're under a lot of stress. Most of the time stressed out people can drive a little off. I think this would be an extreme relief for drivers. Less accidents would occur, too. This could very quickly and very soon become our newest reality (and best reality.)

   I very well believe that Ford's "Driver Workload Estimator" could benefit drivers in the best way possible. It seems almost surreal - but also a major possible reality. It amazes me so much. Driver's could be so much less stressed out with this in their lives, & that's a good thing. They wouldn't have road-rage as much I think. And, less accidents caused from crazy drivers who are under much stress.

   My thoughts on the hybrid-car or flying-car are that they seem ridiculous and not realistic. I feel like we have planes and cars as separate things for a reason. It's very scary. Even watching the video made me anxious because this could cause so many problems, and it just would not be for me, at all. I can't think of any advantages this would have for us other than the fact it could make you look futuristic (but it just looks funny) and you'd feel like you were one of the Jetson's.

   I'm on both sides to this. It's very great that this would cause less accidents. But, the feeling of driving and being in control of the wheel is a pretty good feeling. I like Google & Ford's design and make of the self-driving cars - because the steering wheels and pedals are still there. In my own opinion I think yes they're a good idea - just keep the option open, having the steering wheel and pedals kept there also. Less accidents still, because if you wanted a break, were stressed, needed to answer a phone-call or text, or just wanted to sit back and relax as your car drives you - there is still the option of not driving your own car because the car can do it for you.

   

   

Looking at the History of the Automobile

Carl Benz

For around 120 years, cars have been around.

A patent is a government authority or license conferring a right or title for a set period, especially the sole right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention.

When Carl Benz obtains a patent in January of 1886 for his invention, he labels the automobile as "vehicle with gas engine."

Benz's wife Berta is the first to drive the automobile along with her two sons - but Carl had no idea that she did.

The axial pivot steering system solved the problem of having to steer the front two wheels simultaneously.

When the two companies merged, they became the common known name "Mercedes Benz."

Carl Benz lived to see his dream come true. Other pioneers in technology probably never could have experienced that.


Henry Ford and the Model T

Henry Ford had three employees who came to him inspiring him with the idea of having the actual assembly line move - rather than have people move down the assembly line. This way the workers could just stay in one place, making it easier.

The employees were treated fairly when it came to their wage, and work was simple. Therefore - people were a lot more committed to his plant and stayed longer as a result.

The first Model T Ford vehicles costed a little over $1,000.

The price then dropped to $800, and again to $365 (which in this day & age would be $7,000). The reason I think it dropped so dramatically was possibly because it was becoming more of a common thing to have a vehicle, the automobile was becoming the dominant form of transportation all across the U.S.

After the automobile started to become so popular as a form of transportation, people sort of had that mentality of feeling more free, being able to go wherever they want whenever they wanted to. It offered people the satisfaction of just being able to drive for fun, to visit people, or to go places faster. People got a sense of personal freedom.




My Video Selections

The Ford Edsel:
- has gone down in history as the synonym of failure, was a flop.

- named after Henry Ford's only son.

- people did not like it because it was ugly.


Tucker's Dream Impacts Auto Industry:

- Tucker planned to start a company from scratch.

- designed a car, putting a lot of emphasis on the word "safety."

- money quickly dried up for him, only 50 cars were ever built.

Journal Entry #7: Digital Access

What I found most surprising in this unit is the fact that we are progressing so quickly with our technology. I never truly realized just how fast we're evolving in the digital world. No information was too difficult to find in this unit for me. I think it depends on the type of average lifestyle a person in that specific community lives. If they are all tech-interested people, then yes, they should have fast internet speed if they'd like - they can be more connected that way too, which is good. But if they're more of the outdoors-type-of-living people, or dislike technology and internet and those types of things, then it does not matter how quickly they're internet speeds are - since they won't be using it much.
When it comes to sharing material online, I am concerned for my own privacy - I think everyone should be. To prevent your material, personal or not, from being invaded, I think you should find yourself a good company (carrier) or system that can help with the protection of those things. Either that, or make sure you are extremely careful with what you post, share, or save.
I do worry that what I posted/did/said online as a kid (and even right now in this moment in time) might come back & "bite" me. In the future, and possibly now, there will be many many people out there who will look at my past & present digital-footprints. Though that scares me, I can do nothing about it. It's hard to say if it will get me in trouble in the future.
In my opinion, the biggest issue when it comes to younger people being online and sharing/posting, is the fact that they have no idea just exactly how much trouble it could quite possibly get them into in the near or far future. They should be educated on this a lot more - especially considering each day more and more kids are adapting and evolving with all of this technology.

How Computers Work

Hardware parts & what they do:

Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Processor - Located inside the computer case in computer's motherboard, the CPU is the brain of the computer. It is the part that sends out commands and messages throughout the computer. For instance, as I type this, I am sending commands/instructions to the CPU (processor.)

Motherboard or Mainboard - The main circuit board. This holds the CPU along with many other important parts, such as the memory, the connectors, expansion cards, and the video and audio parts. It can be described as a thin plate, that almost looks like it is a scenery from a plane's point of view of little cities & buildings.

Power Supply Unit - This is what makes the computer work, because in order to make it function, it needs power. From the wall outlet to the computer itself, power is sent throughout the machine and its components.

Random Access Memory (RAM) - The RAM is where the data is stored until it is needed. It has a short-term memory; so when your computer is shut off, it all goes away. In order not to lose that data, you have to save the project or material you want to keep there. The more RAM you have, the more things your computer is able to do.

Hard Drive - Long-term storage-unit. This is where certain software is installed, and other documents. This means your data can be saved even after you turn the computer off/close a file after saving it. The faster that your hard drive is, the better & quicker your computer can function.

Video Card - Without this, you wouldn't be able to see anything on the screen. It is responsible for portraying this screen you are looking at right now. Most computers have a GPU just built-in to the motherboard, rather than having it separate. For example, if you like to play video games on your computer, the better your video card, the better the video game can preform & work. The graphics will look a lot better too.

Sound Card - Responsible for what you hear through the speakers or sound system on your computer. Usually the motherboard will have this already, but if you're looking for a better sound card you can get one separate to put in it.

Network Card - Without this, your computer would not have internet. Whether it's through cable, or with wireless; the network card is needed in order to have internet. Motherboards normally have this built-in, but also this can be added into the expansion slot.

How To Use Instagram

Assignment #1: One Mississippi.

After seeing the distance in meter sticks that you're going while not looking at the road when you're driving it really made me think. I have never looked at it that way before. I think we don't realize that our actions - as simple or as grand - have major consequences... The commercial video that was shown of a movie theater was really good - I'd hope, from that, people would pay much more attention to things that matter when it comes to driving, and not to their phones. I have been in cars w/ people who text/call while trying to drive and it made me angry so I told them, and I will continue to keep telling people it's not exactly "the thing to do" too. They need to be more careful. I speak up a lot of the time about a lot of things, this is one of those things because someone could die.

Journal Entry #8: Digital Law

What I found surprising about this unit is that today there are so many helpful ways to deal w/ whatever you are going through when it comes to bullying and/or something personal. It's nice to see that so many people are willing to help each other out.
I didn't find anything confusing about this unit at all. I think the Copyright Matters manual is helpful, and could be put to very good use by other students too.
NeedHelpNow.com is really helpful for teens or even kids of other ages and adults. It has lots of good info.
The biggest issue in copyrighted subjects is that we so often forget to credit others.
The biggest issue when it comes to cyberbullying is that we do not have the respect for others or their personal material, we really need to start being respectful & cautious.

Assignment #2: CyberBullying (and Privacy)

1. One action is: Defamatory Libel: publicly making statements about another person that are likely to hurt their reputation or cause others to treat them badly or ridicule them (e.g. posting online that another person is a racist).

Another is: Uttering Threats: threatening to hurt someone, damage their property or hurt their pet.

2. There are many other sections in unlawful acts, the main four are:

-having a sexual video/picture being posted of you or someone else

-cyberbullying

-having a "youth crisis."

-seeking help for a friend of yours who is or may be in trouble

3. You can report a potential crime by contacting the police, visiting CyberTip.ca, speaking to a safe adult, and/or phoning Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868)

4. Helping a Friend: "Recognizing when a friend is not doing well or in emotional distress can be difficult. Knowing the warning signs and the steps you can take to help support and assist a friend in need may make a huge difference for your friend. It is very important that you pay attention to any dramatic shifts in how a friend is behaving whether in-person or through social networks (posts, tweets, messages, photos, links, etc.). What your friend says and doesn’t say, how emotional they are in their communication, along with message frequency can also be important in determining if you have a friend in need of help and whether you should be concerned about the risk of self-harm or suicide."

Warning signs: 

Messages that indicate a feeling of hopelessness and being all alone.
Frequent use of negative emoticons or concerning hashtags.
Dramatic shift in the type of messages being posted.
Pulling away from activities normally enjoyed.
Frequently talking/messaging about not feeling physically well (headaches, stomach aches).
Frequent reference to sleep issues.
Removal from online and offline socializing as a way of withdrawing and becoming more isolated.

Responding to Youth in Crisis:  "If you are concerned that a teen may be engaging in self-harming behaviour and/or having suicidal thoughts, it is critical that you act on those concerns immediately. Regardless of whether you are a parent, another safe adult, or close friend, reinforce that you are there to listen, support and help. People who receive support from caring family members and friends and who have access to professional support are less likely to act upon suicidal thoughts than those who are more socially isolated."

Signs of suicidal thoughts:

Changes in sleep
Loss of interest and withdrawal
Reckless behaviour
Personality change
Neglect of personal appearance
Substance abuse
Physical pain
Giving away belongings
Drastic change in online messaging

5. The 3 short videos shared a lot of really good advice. I was surprised to see how quick these things happened. I was not surprised at the fact that people are ignorant online and can be very rude. You should never let other people's words affect you negatively whether that be online or face-to-face. Some people may never see eye-to-eye on things and we have to accept it.

6. One way you could help promote #ChangeTheStory campaign is by telling some friends, maybe you and them could tweet the hashtag with a picture or something like that. Share your personal story on Instagram - adding in the hashtag #ChangeTheStory.

Journal Entry #5 (Digital Wellness)

What I found most surprising is that not many people are aware of what is right from wrong when it comes to online wellness or just the internet in general. Nothing about this unit was difficult in my opinion. The biggest issue, I think, is that so many young people are inappropriately using their internet privilages. 

Assignment #1: Copyright and Copy-wrong

1. The Copyright Act provides the fact that Fair Dealing will protect another person's work, considering protecting another's work is very important. Safety is fair.

2. "Teachers, instructors, professors, and staff members in non-profit educational institutions may communicate and reproduce, in paper or electronic form, short excerpts from a copyright-protected work for the purposes of research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, education, satire, and parody." You can share a short excerpt: 10% can be shared.

3. "Copying or communicating multiple short excerpts from the same copyright-protected work with the intention of copying or communicating substantially the entire work is prohibited."
4. Yes, a fee can be charged when another's protected copyrighted material is used.
5. It depends on how the teacher is to use that certain copyrighted material... But, yes, they can for educational purposes - if it is used appropriately.
6. "Teachers and students can copy and communicate the text of federal, provincial, and territorial statutes, regulations, and judicial decisions for educational purposes from every province and territory except Manitoba, Quebec, and Nunavut."
7. "Yes, you can play sound recordings and turn on televisions and radios in the classroom, subject to all of the following conditions: • it must take place on the premises of an educational institution; • it must be for educational or training purposes; • it must not be for profit; • it must take place before an audience consisting primarily of students of the educational institution, persons acting under its authority, or any person who is directly responsible for setting a curriculum for the educational institution; and • it must not involve a “motive of gain.“"
8. Yes, students may perform plays/other performances with the use of copyrighted material. For drama classes, etc.
9. "No. Copying an entire musical score that is not in a copyrightprotected work containing other musical scores is not permitted."
10. Up to 10% of music may be copied under fair dealing. "The Copyright Act permits the public performance of music in schools when it is “in furtherance of an educational object.”"
11. "A person acting under the authority of a non-profit educational institution can: • perform a musical work live if the performance is primarily by students of the educational institution; • play sound recordings containing a musical work; and • play radio and television programs containing a musical work while the program is being transmitted (over-the-air broadcast, cable, satellite, or over the Internet). The following conditions apply. The performance must: • take place on the premises of an educational institution; • be for educational or training purposes; • not be for profit; and • take place before an audience consisting primarily of students of the educational institution, persons acting under its authority, or any person who is directly responsible for setting a curriculum for the educational institution."
12. "The following uses of live and recorded music are not permitted by the Copyright Act and therefore require permission and payment: • at school dances; • at school sporting events; • while people are on hold when they telephone the school; • at an event where the admission fee is intended to make a profit; and • on school premises for no other reason than as background music (e.g., in the classroom, cafeteria, halls, over the PA system, at school events such as fairs, carnivals, sociocultural events)."
13. Yes, they can make a single copy of these items to use.
14. An owner of a legit copy of a computer program copy can, yes.
15. There are many rules when it comes to copying off the internet that apply to both teachers and students. But over-all, yes, they may copy/download items off of the internet.
16. Any original work created by a student in school is copyright-protected. I feel that this is really important. 

Assignment #2: Privacy Please

The three situations I chose to both argue for & against are:

1. Our medical records should be all digitally stored online for all medical professionals to access within the hospital when needed.

4. Schools in 2020 should be closed and teachers and students should begin learning in virtual classrooms using digital technology at home.

5. Digital textbooks should replace entirely paper textbooks by 2020 in New Brunswick.

ARGUING AGAINST

     Argument Number 1: This could be a major issue, considering pretty much everybody is always online now. You never truly know who could have access to your personal medical records. What would happen if someone was to gain access to those and use them incorrectly, obtaining all your personal info of your allergies/disabilities, etc., that maybe you didn't want anyone to know? They could do anything they wanted to do with it, which is terrifying.

     Argument Number 2: I think this may be going too far, and here's why. First of all, students are going to go crazy - how are we supposed to socialize? Talk with friends? Parter up and learn how to work as team? Learn about teamwork and how to settle on/come to one idea among a team? I think if this does happen, we'll look like the people on Wall-E.
   
     Argument Number 3: What if somebody hacks the online textbook, changing the words? If everybody went by this form on education, I don't really know how I'd feel about it. What about the older textbooks that have been around for years and years? It's somebody's hard work, thrown away, replaced by technology. Let's talk about all the ancient documents from thousands of years ago for a second - imagine those artefacts just thrown out and transferred to some digital thing instead. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a physical in-hand copy of something - to know it's legit.

ARGUING FOR

     Argument Number 1: This may possibly be very innovative. Doctors/nurses/surgeons/scientists/dentists etc., could put this to extremely good use. There are many positive possibilities for this. They'd be able to transfer or send certain documents to one another, on a certain patient. It would be easy to share things with each other on patients for sure. But, I would look out for a couple of things... For instance, they should make sure they have absolute permission from the patient that they will be sending these medical documents to another person. Another thing, they should assure their patients & make sure that these documents won't "get out" into the open. It all should be a private thing, and be protected, unless the patient says otherwise.

    

    Argument Number 2: Since the old times, we've worked in-class. I think maybe change would be good this time, today's society is growing and learning and building off of digital things now. I think this would be very good - in most ways.

    

    Argument Number 3:This may not be that bad. I think this also might be positive, in some way, on our society. The world is a whole lot different now. It is also always changing, becoming more "connected" too. Besides, the worse excuse any body could ever use is: "We've always done it this way." That doesn't mean a thing. Things are different now, and this possibly could be an amazing breakthrough, if it does become the reality. Maybe it could even assure the safety of important things and ancient files... who knows.

Assignment #1: Fast Internet Speeds in Canadian Small Towns

   Some of the internet connections in these rural communities mentioned in the article have speeds of up to 1,000 megabits (one gigabit) per second. The reason they are getting these speeds is because they have high-throughput fibre-optic cables deployed directly into their buildings. Places like Harriston, ON, for instance, being very fortunate because of their fast blazing internet connection service speed. The community of Olds has the fastest internet in the country, this being because they've come up with a plan to build their own fibre network. They used loans & grants from the government, connecting each home along the way. Residents of Olds now can sign up for gigabit home internet access for $120 a month.
   When the community of Stratford, ON installed their own fibre-optic network-loop throughout the place, they started building up a reputation as an IT hub. The University of Waterloo opened a campus there, and Royal Bank opened a $400,000,000 data centre.
   Bell announced recently that they plan to spend $1.1 billion to wire up 1.1 million homes & businesses with fibre-op in Atlantic Canada and Northern Ontario.
   I think now more than ever these communities need high-speed internet access because each day we are all becoming more & more connected. The more we connect, the more we can stay up-to-date and alert of things happening around us and, especially, around the world.
   The Federal government supplied $305,000,000 to ensure remote communities of Canada to have increased internet access.

Journal Entry #6: Digital Business

I found this unit to be really interesting, and I have learned much from this.
Nothing was too confusing in this unit, in fact I found it very easy.
I have purchased various things online, so have my family members and friends. Personally I haven't had any issues, but once a family member of mine ordered dresses online for a wedding - only to have them come in the wrong colour & size. For some people unfortunately there are many issues w/ online shopping. While others always have it good.
I haven't sold anything online - but my mom & dad have, using Kijiji, and they had no trouble at all with it. From what I could see it was all positive feedback.
I think when it comes to shopping online, young people are very irresponsible. They may not have that much knowledge on the technology or shopping method they're looking into. 

Assignment #2: PayPal

PayPal offers two different "merchant accounts" specifically for small business owners. It is completely free to set up a normal account. The Website Payments Pro account costs $30 a month and allows consumers to complete their transaction on your website – a small cost for promoting unique brand awareness. With either type of account an internet merchant receives a variety of extra features. PayPal is used by 179 million active users, and is extremely popular mostly everywhere.

PayPal states it is their top priority to keep your information, transactions, and money safe & secure. 

"Once your information reaches us, it resides on a server that is heavily guarded both physically and electronically." - PayPal

 PayPal has a "Buyer Protection Program" and it states: "If your order doesn’t arrive or match the seller’s description, you have 180 days to raise your concerns with us, so our Buyer Protection Program can help you.

Here are some scenarios:

- You received a completely different item.

- You purchased two items, but received one.

- An item is defective but not immediately obvious.

- You bought the original, but received a counterfeit."

 

  So, if you purchase an item from another country, it has your back, and you're protected.

If I were to start an online business, I definitely would allow a payment from the use of PayPal. I just think it is probably the safest way to do your online purchasing.

  I prefer PayPal above any other method, mainly because it is something I am more familiar with than any other method out there. PayPal also confirms the safety of your info, transactions, money, etc. 

Assignment #1: Shopping Carts?

The two biggest reasons people still shop in-store are probably, one: the fact they may not have a computer or credit card, and two: for the socialization and they're being assured they'll get the product/clothing ASAP.
The two biggest reasons people online shop are, one: convenience (also not having to leave the house), and two: sometimes there are really good discount sites and prices.
It depends on what I'm buying - but if it's clothing or makeup, usually online unless I go w/ friends out shopping, just because to me it is easier and there are a lot of really good sites that have things that we don't have here. To be honest there are not many shops around here for things like that. If it's groceries - obviously I don't online shop for that.
Considering online shopping is drastically changing the way we purchase things, I think by 2050 there is a highly possible chance that it may be the most preferred way of shopping. Now that I'm seeing all these apps for shopping, let alone sites that've always been around, there are more and more people using their technology for shopping. There's even apps for ordering food and groceries to your own home! It is getting pretty crazy in my opinion. But, it is the future of shopping.
My views on Canada Post switching over to online sending methods are that it is a very good idea for their business, considering basically everybody is online now. Everyone's got technology of some sort today. Digital shopping is becoming increasingly popular every day.
With online shopping, if you try to send something back (rather than if it were physically bought & you have the advantage of easily returning it,) it can be quite difficult. Not all digital shops allow that. I think what all digital shops should do is to have a no-return-charge law, so people are not charged a second time for having to send it back, instead it can be sent back to the online-shop for free. The shipping & handling prices should be at least lowered. Some sites charge way too much for that. I have heard of people who when they bought an item online, the company had been continuously using their credit card funds without the person even knowing it. Our credit cards & identities should be seriously protected, especially with online shopping being an increased use of shopping day-to-day.

Journal Entry #4 (Netiquette)

I didn't find any issues with Netiquette, it was okay. Most internet users never pay attention to the terms of services agreements & things like those, they probably should though, you never know what you're agreeing to... If I were going to rate my own online behavior I'd say 9/10. I'm not a mean person to others online, sometimes I say some pretty stupid things & ask too many questions, but over-all I do pretty great with my attitude online. In real-life it's a different rate. One thing I can sort of take away from this unit is that I should pay attention to detail - when I send a message or type up something online - because I do screw-up lots.
The most major issue with young people online today is that there is too much negativity, and basically zero respect half the time. Be more respectful. Stop saying dirt on other people. Be a nice human please to other people.

Online Discussion Boards (Assignment #3)

The similarities (and rules that should apply) in digital/online communication and in face-to-face communication are that you should always stay on topic, not using all-caps when typing because in real-life-communication you would not yell at the other person, always saying "please" and "thank you," respecting the opinions of others, answer others' questions, be respectful of their mistakes if they make any, don't be aggressive toward the other people, be kind and polite, and be as forgiving as possible.
The most important guidelines to follow, in my opinion, for starters is the fact you should always be kind to one & other. If you've only got dirt to say on the other person or who ever it is you're talking about, keep it inside. Guideline number two: always use your manners, please and thank you's. Important guideline number three, respect the opinions of others. Always. It doesn't matter if you disagree completely or how much you dislike the other; respect each other and respect each others' opinions. Last but not least be forgiving. Let stuff go. Don't hold grudges.
When I make comments on an online discussion board, most of the time I'm asking questions. The comment board I use the most is probably YouTube's comment sections underneath the videos. I ask a lot of questions all the time, whether it be in real-life or on the internet, so I understand it probably gets annoying, but I'm always full of questions. Most of the time it is a positive experience; I get feedback from the question I asked, all is good. Occasionally there is that one person who replies back negatively to my stupid-question (I ask a lot of those) but I ignore it & only ever pay attention to the positive stuff.
I don't really know if I'd enjoy a course where I discuss online issues with other students, just because it isn't my thing really & I am not interested in that sort of thing.

Do As I Say (Assignment #2)

First I chose to review the Terms of Services of Twitter, since it is a site I use a lot myself. It states:

"If you are accepting these Terms and using the Services on behalf of a company, organization, government, or other legal entity, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to do so."

This basically is saying once you've agreed to this and created your Twitter account, you now have to obey all the rights and terms of services maturely. You leave a digital footprint wherever you go, and even on Twitter, a reputation will build up for you.

Second site (something I rarely use, but was interested to see what it stated to its users): Facebook. Terms and Policies.

I found that it exactly states it will have the right to use all information it receives about you, including some things that you haven't even done yet.

Facebook also uses strategic partnerships to track your purchases in real life which to me is very creepy. They also use you for your data and research, and always remember that Facebook has the right to change its Terms and Policies at any time it wants, while your profile still must obey these things. They could change it to anything, and you'd have to do as it says...

Third thing: iTunes.

iTunes, believe it or not, has some extremely creepy agreements that you most likely agreed to.

One being the fact it knows exactly who you are and what you're doing, at any given moment. You may not have noticed much of their statements (because lets be honest - no one wants to read a 56-page agreement contract, even if they do have the time.) There are some terrifying ones. iTunes basically Geo-Tracks you, meaning it knows your exact precise location, and once you agree with iTunes' "contract" this means that somewhere hidden on your computer is a log of everywhere you've been with a longitude/latitude coordinate and a time stamp. Apparently this is to create more ads that apply better to you and the things you like, but to me it's one of the creepiest things I've ever heard.
There's also this:

Yeah, very creepy.

Fourth: Snapchat
I think everyone know how creepy Snapchat's privacy policies and terms and conditions can be - and that they allegedly used to save your photos to their servers. Apparently now that's not the case. In 2015, around October, they changed their "contract" around. Of course the photos are still sent through the servers - but apparently, not saved into them now. But yes there are still people who will be screenshotting and saving your sent photos to their own phones/devices. Snapchat specifically states they try and notify you as much as possible is someone does screenshot you, but they can't always promise (especially if the person does it the old-fashioned way of using another camera just to take a picture of the device screen.) This is the link to the article I got most of this creepy information about: click here.

Fifth & final: Spotify
Spotify has some eerie terms and conditions too. Even though the boss of Spotify came out and said his apology for the dramatic and creepy terms and conditions, they remain partially the same. Almost as standard as most apps' terms and conditions, it states the basics like: Access to your microphone, Photos, Camera. Most people blow over the boring terms and conditions agreements, even though they've got no idea exactly what they're agreeing to...

Online Standards of Service Use: (Assignment #1)

Companies that use the terms and service agreements or have major conditions before use:

• Apple - when you purchase a product from Apple usually there is a terms and service agreement contract as soon as you unlock the phone for the first time.
• Facebook - when signing up for Facebook, first you have to follow through & accept the terms/conditions.
• Instagram - when signing up, accepting the terms/service agreement.
• Twitter - same as Instagram.
• iTunes - again like it is with Apple: as soon as you download/open iTunes, there is a terms and service conditions"contract" that you must accept.

Though there are many sites and forums about the terms and conditions of many materials, the best one I could find was this.
I think teens especially should pay attention to the terms/conditions on social media. These days not many people are aware of what they're doing or how it could affect them and/or other people. There are always consequences, but in order to receive good outcomes you must be smart with what you share about yourself and others online.

Journal Entry #2 (Digital Communication)

- When it comes to digital communication, the thing I find most surprising is how we take it for granted so much. It's almost like we don't acknowledge the fact we could send a message in a second to someone living millions of miles away from us.

- Things I learned from the "E-mail Etiquette" video was that I should send an email back to the other person very soon after they send me one, because if not, it is rude to take too long to message back an email.

- Blank Carbon Copy is something that allows the sender of an email to conceal the person entered. It's to ensure they don't see each others' names. For business/company reasons it would be acceptable to use.

- The most important thing for young people to understand when using digital communication is that you need to use proper wording if it's an important email.

Journal Entry #3 (Digital Rights and Responsibilities)

What I find surprising about digital rights is that not a lot of people know about them. People don't always take the time to learn these types of things about technology & rights.

From what I can see online, there is lots of immaturity definitely. Though there are many immature people, with that there's an equal amount of positive people/things going around the same way.

Not much people act or behave responsibly when it comes to social media especially. 

The main, and first, commandment on the Tablets is the most important. Texting while driving should never be done. People should straighten out their priorities if texting someone is more important than watching the road & not accidentally killing a person. Many people die each year because of people who were texting while driving. 

The biggest issue towards young people that is faced is probably having their personal material stolen/exploited. Make sure you are careful of who you trust with your personal information, and don't distribute it among other people if it is something you especially care about.

Acronyms Attack (Assignment Two)

 Acronyms can get annoying after a while & shouldn't be used in a formal way of speech or in a letter/text/paper assignment. Four places I'd never use acronyms would be:
1. On an important document
2. While speaking to other people face-to-face (I never did & hope I never will because it's pretty dumb)
3. In front or towards older people who don't understand them
4. In any assignment paper ever
I can't think of any reason you should use acronyms unless it's texting someone & you wanna get the word across quick.

Communication Compass (Assignment One)

  Digital communication is mainly the communication of others through a source of technology. For instance, when you text a friend. The ways we communicate can vary, but for most, it's with technology in this day & age.

Advantages of digital communication: You can message back & forth with friends/family members who live far away. You can share documents & knowledge w/ others in a business or company if your co-workers are not present to speak with face-to-face at the moment, or even if there are businesses & companies that are located overseas. You are able to text a friend to make weekend plans or to plan different sorts of things with. You're able to send pictures to one & other through technology and share different moments.

Disadvantages of digital communication: With all the material being shared w/ many others, there are negative affects, such as the possibility of your personal messages/photos of being put out there in a negative way. People are constantly sharing today, when it comes to technology, so that leaves open doors of negative outcomes. The possibility of your personal material being "leaked" is very high, and also many others may use your pictures to portray as you, when in reality they are only pretending to be you online. It can be pretty scary. For example: when you send a video or image to a friend or stranger, they automatically have the access and power to do whatever they wish w/ it. It is very important you keep your personal things safe. And only trust people w/ your things if you truly trust them a lot.

Three of the most popular used forms of digital communication are probably texting (cellphones), social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, etc.), & some apps that can be downloaded with iPads, tablets, and other tech. The reason of these being so popular is because they're so easy to access. It's literally right at our fingertips. Teenagers probably use them the most. The reason they're so often used is most of the time, we may have friends/family that live far away, and we need to send them a quick message - whereas back in the day when you would send a letter it'd take a long while to get to them. People even have online-friends now.

Today communication is fast and pretty easy. It isn't all right to have out a phone or technology when we are in important situations or scenarios. There's actually a site, I won't name it, you download a certain thing that changes your IP address, giving you access to inappropriate files, videos, drug orders, and many other nasty, graphic, and illegal items. It's referred to as "the deep web" and shouldn't be used as it is illegal & there's a possibility you can get yourself in A LOT of trouble. If you do use it, use it very wisely. You can end up in a bad situation... Many child predators and cannibals, even, spend their time on the deep web. Just don't do it.
   
Dangerous form of communication is probably that of if you speak to strangers. Sometimes, okay, you meet a friend the same age as you, you may think all is good, when there's a large possible reality that they could be like 50 years old. Catfishing is more popular than you'd think on the internet. This can be a danger to you because you never know how much, exactly, that they know about you. For all you know they could have access to your phone number, your address, anything.

As far as I can see, the world gets more & more connected everyday. I am positive that yes at some point in time there will be a "healthy balance" between people and tech. There has to be, with the way it's all evolving so quick. Especially with kids of younger generations, like my sister for instance, who's almost 6, is very smart with technology and she's already beginning to learn how to text. It's a little weird for me to see that, because when I was her age my brother & I were outside 24/7, and didn't have access to technology unless it was the TV, but we didn't watch very much of that. In fact, we didn't have a gaming system until we were a bit older, when my dad brought home an old Nintendo 64 and a GameBoy for us to have & we were amazed with it all, thinking it was the coolest thing. In the early early 2000's when the GameCube was a big thing, we had that, but maybe when we were 8 & 9 years old. And seeing my sister, being so young and having access to much more digital things than we had access to, it blows my mind. I actually see kids every where now with iPhones and laptops, texting and Skyping even. That ALONE seems crazy to me. I didn't get a cellphone until I was 14, & I pay my own cellphone bills. I have no idea how much responsibility these kids will have. I don't know if it'll be a positive or a negative impact on the younger society with all this access to technology. It will definitely be different... 10 years ago is not a long time ago, but since then there's been so many new things and discoveries.

Journal Entry #1: Digital Security

the most surprising thing i found when it comes to creating passwords is that if you've got a strong enough one, the person/computer trying to get access to your account (or whatever it is you have the password on) will automatically just move onto the next one.
i recommend for people to use a password tester online to check and see how difficult your password is, and possibly about how long it'd take for that computer or person to crack the code.
i didn't find anything confusing or difficult, to me this was pretty easy.
based on this assignment, I think my passwords are fine, and as soon as i learned new things during this assignment about the safety of passwords/accounts, i tested my own passwords out to see how strong they were & all of my own passwords seem to be extremely difficult to crack so I was happy with that.
the absolute most important thing to remember when creating a password is that you should include things only you know about, things that no one else could ever guess. add lots of symbols, numbers & letters. use a password tester online, i recommend https://howsecureismypassword.net/. 

Assignments, Digital Security

Digital Security (Assignment One)

I would say that the passwords listed are stupidly easy to guess. They've used the simplest phrases/numbers to incorporate into the passwords that any one really could guess them. For example, the password "abc123." The password "password." In my opinion they are probably going to be the easiest things for any one to guess. Personally I've never used any of those passwords listed, I always made up my own, and tried to make it as difficult as possible for anyone to guess. Seniors probably will use passwords like those, just because they aren't fully aware of the consequences & don't know much about technology. Some may have a hard time remembering their passwords - so they pick the easiest thing they know, or write it down on paper where it's out in the open. Those aren't good ideas, but, if they do have problems remembering, maybe they should pick the name of their pet or a family member. Something they know really well & that they don't have to write down. Another terrible easy password that is not listed there is probably just any password related to "1234567890". Things like that. Passwords don't necessarily have to be long. Just something only you'd know. The strongest passwords are the ones including letters, numbers & symbols all in the same password.
                                               
Hercules Code (Assignment Two)

I pasted the password "TMLLo$343vaKid" listed into howsecureismypassword.net. The "answer" I got for as to how strong that password really is, was that it would take a desktop PC about 157 billion years to crack. I made up a password to test on the same site. The password I chose was "Th3Ra1n1n$pa1n" as in, "The rain in Spain." It answered that it would take about 2 billion years to crack. So what I noticed was that the strongest chosen passwords each consisted of numbers, symbols, and letters. The more letters/numbers/symbols you have in your password: the safer it is. I tried to make a password that would be even stronger than the listed one (which apparently is "BEST.") This is what I chose: TRI$$HIN3$MA1NLY0NTH3PLA1N. As in the phrase, "The rain in Spain shines mainly on the plain." You know how long it will take for a desktop PC to crack that? About an octillion years. Much much more than TMLLo$343vaKid can be cracked in. I went to the link they gave for me to use (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx) tested my password there & it put: Strong.

Apps on Google

The apps I tried out today were WeVideo - Video Editor, & the Audio Editor. The first one, wevideo, was a simple and easy app to create a video if you ever need to make or edit one. I feel that it could be very helpful for people who enjoy uploading videos to YouTube & maybe need assistance in editing their own videos. It could also be helpful when you for example go hiking or snorkeling, any type of adventurous thing with pretty scenery, with the app you're able to edit and enhance the scenery or the ocean water etc. adding nice things onto it.
The second app, Audio Editor, is pretty cool too because you can record a sound (ex: guitar) and either enhance it or add on, you can make music with it, or if you want you can make background music for a YouTube video.

Hacking, Google slide