Banking

Online banking

Had bank trouble in the past? Lost some money in the bank unnoticed? Then online banking is the way forward for you.  Internet access is steadily increasing, internet banking has emerged. Internet banking has changed the banking industry and is now considered as a good link with their customers to from a better relationship.

Online banking was introduced in the 1980’s.However in 1994 Stanford Federal Credit Union was the first bank to offer online internet banking services.Internet banking allows customers to control their financial transactions on a website via online.  Online banking has now become much more common; you can access your account quickly and check your records and past transactions. As soon as you have logged in, the online banking site would give you guidance and help on how to navigate around, all sites are customer friendly. And if there are any problems with the site or anything like that, then you can just easily contact the bank to talk to them about it and ask for help.  Online banking makes everything so simple with what you do financially; you can access it anywhere if there is an internet.  Whether you’re just checking your account and reading some information about it, or even making payments. Instead of going to your local bank, you can now do this with just one click on your mouse.  It makes your financial life much simpler to manage.

Online banking is gaining more audience everyday as customers now sees or recognises its full potential and its advantages. There are many banks today that have their own high street branches and also have online services such as HSBC. HSBC is one of the biggest banks not just in the UK but also in Europe. Now there are also banks that are purely online which means that they do not have street branches, one example of this is EGG.EGG banking specialises in savings, credit cards and general insurance but they no longer offers loans or mortgage products.

Advantages to the customers

• One of the main features of online banking is that you can pay anything online, pay your bills etc in the comfort of your own home.
• You can also view your previous transactions; you can check your account history. This is the quickest way of checking your account and looking after it.
• You can also see if there is any unauthorized transaction quickly and therefore you can report about it faster and actions can be taken faster. 
• You can transfer money via online; it’s effective, convenient, efficient and faster.  Because of lower overhead costs, online banks are able to offer more or better rate of interest.

Advantages to the Bank itself

• Banks having online banking also attracts more costumers, and maybe the banks itself may gain more profit.
•  It will make their bank more popular and boost its appearance and trust worthiness.
•  Having online banks also mean that the bank company is expanding its business and its target audience by being used worldwide.
• Some are purely working just online therefore there is no need to buy a land or build your own building etc, you don’t need many employees as normal bank would need therefore this will save more money.
• Annoying mails coming through your doors are also out as online banking will only send emails, this saves time and more convenient.

Advantages to employees

• There aren't a lot of advantages to employees as not much people are needed for the online banking to function well. They only need few employees but this also gives new jobs to other people like web designing etc.

Disadvantages to the customers

• Just like all other sites, online banking has its disadvantages too. The lack of trust is one of the biggest problems and there is no real relationship with the bank.
• Online banking can be difficult and complicated if you’re a beginner.
• Security concerns are also a massive problem that needs solving; we have no idea how secure the online bank is. They always have doubts as they know that hackers are always around.
• Errors occurs frequently especially with online banking. With just one click of a wrong button customer’s money might be wasted.
• One of the biggest problems is also the digital divide. Other people are really good with computers whilst others knows basic skills therefore they are unable to use computers.
• If help are needed, some customers would rather to a person that read something on the website. Customers still like the feeling of having a face to face negotiation with a banker etc.

Disadvantages to the Bank itself

• For the bank itself, if the online banking is a failure then people or the customers would also think that their actual bank would be a failure or is a failure. This would give the bank a bad image and might lose some of its costumers.
• The cost of creating a website and making sure that the security is high is quite expensive.
• Buying new up to date technologies for the online banks are costly.

Disadvantages for the employees

• Some employees who only need basic computer skill will need constant care and constantly need to be train as technologies are evolving every time.
• Some employees will need to gain new skills in order to work in an online banking and learning this new required skill might take a long time

Contemporary issues in ICT

Contemporary issues in ICT

ICT now plays a big part of everyday life. Since its introduction, ICT is gradually improving. ICT are now use in different areas of our life, in school or education, in trains etc and in government too. In the last couple of months or so, ICT has been making noise through the news, bad or good, and I will analyse these news to give more insight about ICT and what it does.

Better hospital IT 'would save thousands of lives'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15340102

In this news, they are arguing that with better use of information technology in England’s hospital, it could prevent 16,000 deaths a year. One of the systems they recommend hospitals need to use is a computer reminding nurses or other member of staff when to give patients their drugs. Evidence suggests that hospitals may miss one dose in every five and I think by using this system, it would reduce errors and the timing of delivering patient’s drugs would be perfect. With the number of errors decreasing, more life could be saved.   Reducing errors is not the only feature this “system” has; it also generates alarms when patient’s heart rates etc changes and more. The hospitals main objective is “to unleash a revolution of information throughout the NHS, so that everyone benefits from a modern, responsive service,"

This shows how ICT can be a good help not just for us well and sick free people but also for people at the hospitals. This could potentially be a big break through on ICT being use in hospitals; this could lead to ICT being use in more variety of ways to help the nurses, doctors and the patients.

BlackBerry Messenger shutdown rumour spreads in London riots

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/blackberry-messenger-shutdown-rumour-spreads-in-london-riots-50004663/

Windows smashed, cars and streets are burned, group of people out at night and people panicking, this is what local people from London experienced and encountered. Riots in London broke out couple of months ago and it spread out so quickly that most shops got looted before the police can do anything about it. The police were wondering how it spread out so quickly and how a big group of people can unite and cause mayhem so easy and rapidly. This is where the use of ICT comes in, the rioters or the leader of these different groups just easily contacted people to join them. By just using a mobile phone, simple text or a simple blackberry messenger text or by a small twit on twitter, people are all together. This show how powerful ICT can be and there is no doubt that ICT is very helpful but in this case ICT has let us down and maybe we should just stop developing and live life simpler.

This is an evidence that ICT, if use badly can cause havoc and big problems in a city. This is just a start and polices and the government should take this as a warning on what could come up next.

Making the London Olympics technology fit together

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15084036

Technology is key aspect not just in a good Olympic but in every sport. London Olympic committee is making sure that technology will not let us down and that it will play its part accurately. Technology is very useful in making big decisions in an event, a close 100m sprint finish and just a quick video review or a photo finish would solve the problem. The way they show the event is also part of the technology or ICT, better quality of technology and more the audience will enjoy it.

This is shows how important ICT or technology is these days and how it can help to improve a particular sport and make it more entertaining and fair.

3D learning tools positive for pupils, says study

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15115059

ICT plays a big role in education and in this news they are trying 3d tools to help students learn. They have found out that it improves test results by an average of 17%. With the test results improving, student’s behaviour also improves and student pays more attention with this tool as it grabs their attention and carries on till the end.

I think this is clever idea that obviously works with the results they’ve got. With 3d, you focus only on what you are watching and nothing else, you cannot get distracted. This helps the students learn, make teachers job a bit easier and this also helps the school to get better results. Overall it’s a win win situation for both students and schools.

Has the iPod made us anti-social?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15066957

IPods are created to entertain and make our life more colourful. By just pressing a button, your mood can change. Music can dictate our mood, calm, energetic, sad or happy. This news argues that IPods are complete opposite of what said. They argue that IPods makes us anti social, which can be true in some aspect. When we listen to music we block out the rest of the world. Listening to music is our time to reflect our life and just be on your own, it isolates us from everyone else and due to this, it does make us anti social but not in a bad way. I would also argue that, does watching TV make us anti social? Does

This shows the good and maybe bad side of IPods. It just depends on how you use it and how you portrait “anti social”. I think sometimes that it’s best to be “anti social” and just to be by ourselves this enable us to learn more about ourselves.

Who are the jail breakers?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15340326

Jail breakers or hackers are common in ICT and this is the biggest problem ICT encounters every day. Hackers are very clever people and everyone should be take notice of them and be aware at all times when using ICT.  Hackers are around 24 7 and this causes concerns to people especially if they are using online banking, buying online etc. These causes the companies to invest more money enable to stop these hackers and guarantee customers that their sites are safe.

This is the bad side of ICT. This shows that ICT is not always a safe environment and that people should be wary of what they are doing at all time. Hackers should also be a sign of warning for big companies that they should invest more on security of their own websites to make sure that no hackers can get through.

Other issues in ICT

Is the internet rewriting history?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15097139

Can train technology reinvent the wheel?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9617577.stm

Web commerce hack attack may 'happen again'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15348821

Radar that can 'see' through solid walls

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15376184

Suspected LulzSec and Anonymous members arrested in UK

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14760650

E Government

E Government

ICT have revolutionised not just our life but also businesses and government. The potential of ICT also inspires visions of a more open Government with greater public cooperation.  ICT has grown so quickly that everywhere we go; we can find evidence whether in a new TV, services, internet and more. Business and government uses ICT to reach out to their customers and audience and to show the dramatic improvements in service. Government have the opportunity to adapt ICT to improve the efficiency and effectives of Government’s public services, ICT enables the Government to be more transparent with their citizens, giving them more access to information generated by Government. ICT can also be the missing link that Government needs. ICT could be a great fit to improve the whole city or the whole population.

The main advantage of e government is that it will improve the efficiency of the current system or old system and in return it would hopefully save money and time but this system loses the person to person interaction which is valued highly. It is also easy to make excuses for errors.  They could easily make up excuses like the server has gone down etc.

Governments use of ICT

•  Online tax (Inland Revenue, car tax)
• Online voting
• Contact Member of Parliament
• Electronic application services (UCAS)
• Tell us once
• Statistics (crime info)
• Employment

  5 popular uses

Theory test (driving applications)

 Ever had trouble with your theory test and getting driving applications? You can now book your theory test, pay the fees and other driving applications online. The government has now realised that most people owns a computer or some sort, which where they can get information from. This makes it easier and quicker for the people and this gives the Government a great option to communicate and be in touch with their people. Instead of buying a book, theory revision sites are now also available online, they also makes DVD revision that works on your computer, this make it easier for drivers get information and be more prepared easily.

Advantages

•           more convenient, saves time
•          all information are online and can it get easily

Disadvantages

•            website might be out of date
•           Some information given might not be needed or might not the one you’re looking for

Police websites- Need to report a crime but too scared to do so? Needs advice on how to protect yourself or your child? Police websites can now allows this. Police website gives you more privacy than ever when reporting a crime. You can report the crime anonymously which gives the “reporter” more comfort. Additionally, police websites also allows you people to give them feedback on what you think about your place or city, or what’s your opinion on police’s services overall. Police websites also gives you a map, detailed with where crimes are occurring; this gives the citizen a feel on where they can go etc. You can also find latest news about the area and about crimes which are very helpful and can also be entertaining. Police websites is very helpful for the citizens. This is very clever for them to build websites as it creates a new way to communicate with them and share their opinions.

Advantages

          

• Extra way to communicate police
• A good source of news about your local area
• Can also get advices and careers
• Can get more details about different crimes

Disadvantages

• Internet access is needed and some doesn't have internet
• Knowing the crime statistics in your area might be a bit scary

Petitions
Ever wanted to appeal about something you are not happy about? Need people to join you with this? Do you have issues that you feel very strongly about? Then starting a petition might be the solution. A petition is request for a change or action; usually it is signed by large number of people. Petition is a strong way of getting your point across and very effective as it can get support from thousands of people. Petitions can be requests for or against something. Enable for your petition to be granted you will need thousands of signatures and creating online links, social network groups would easily get supports needed. Creating a petition group online is very easy and you’ll have people joining instantly. Online petition give you unlimited reach and lets your petition to develop and spread quickly. If you are looking to influence some part of society and need help, then online petitioning is a great tool for this.

Advantages

•           You’ll be able to link and share  your petition with others quickly
•           Social networks and others websites can be linked to help your petition
•           You will be able to get signatures quicker with just a click of a button

Disadvantages

•        Take a long time to create a petition or a page for it
•           Money is maybe needed for advertising the petition

Health (NHS Direct)

Ever had a health issues and needed help and advice instantly? NHS Direct offers help and advice, and it’s just a click away!  NHS Direct is a health related website for the UK. NHS Direct only provides its services for residents and visitors in England, Scotland and Wales. They give heath advice and reassurance. As a part of the National Health Service, all NHS Direct services are free. The healthcare should be available for everyone who needs it, whenever ever they need it. NHS Direct was designed to do this.

 NHS Direct firstly started with a 24 hour telephone advice line and from then on, it has developed further.  As the telephone service was rapidly increasing, NHS Direct was then ready to introduce its next phase and that phase is a website. They created this website to build a new approach to healthcare. Its aim was to be a good source of accurate and up to date health information. The website allows people to access clear and straightforward health information anonymously. Since it has been created, NHS Direct website has attracted more and more users.

Advantages

•          Easy access  and just a click away- instead of calling or making personal appearance, you can now get help by just getting or searching on the internet
•           Get a lot of information  in a short period of time
•           Immediate and 24/7 help or advice is available

Disadvantages

•          Not all people has internet connection or use a computer/technology
•           Person to person- Some people would rather go to the doctor than trusting a “website”

Directgov

Directgov is UK government’s digital service for the citizen in the United Kingdom. Directgov is the most exceptional form of e-Government in the UK. It links together many different Government departments and agencies websites. They receive more the 15 million visits a month since it was launch in April 2004. They provide access to public sector information and services. Directgov’s main outlet is via a website although some content and services can be delivered via interactive TV. Government is using ICT more smartly for a change in service delivery, targeting to make public services more effective.

Directgov’s priority is to be the citizen focused digital channel for the Government offering a high quality experience for customers by delivering information and services that meet most of their needs. Directgov will give the citizen easy and effective digital access to all the public services and information they need, when and where they need it. Directgov also gives citizens new ways of communicating and community groups to provide better interaction with the Government.

Advantages

•           More efficient- the sites has links with other websites therefore there is no need to search
•           All in one- all services you need, you can find it in just one website
•           No paper work- most data or when you have to fill up date, you can do it on the internet therefore there is no need of hand writing.

Disadvantages

•           Too much information to process in a page
•           Internet connection needed

Online Services- Education

Online Services- Education

Online education is now very popular. People or students uses online to revise, research, get information and learn. Websites are specifically created for learning and revision purposes like my maths, BBC bitesize and forums or students rooms. Even teachers now uses online for teaching, this gives them variety of ways that make their teaching better, improve it and make it less tedious. Schools emails is also a great source for education, you can now communicate with your teachers via online. In today’s busy lifestyle, people need as much information they can get in small period of time and online education does this.

Revision- Revising online is now easier as you have many resources you can revise from. You have bitesize, mymaths and more. You can also get past papers online which is very helpful for revising specific subjects.

Buying books and other resources- different websites now sells school books, textbooks and revision books which is very helpful for students especially when they need another source of help from something else. Different books also give different views which are very helpful for gaining more information and making a specific topic easier to understand.

Mymaths- mymaths is a specific subject just for maths and a little bit of statistics. Mymaths is also used by teachers as well as students. Mymaths explains a specific maths or statistics topic clearer and explained in little stages. Teachers can also set homework in mymaths for students to do.

Research- lots of people now a day find it easier to get information in the internet or online. It is quicker and you can get variety to choose from. Collecting information by yourself or personally would be time consuming and maybe expensive, the online community take that away. Additionally you can search on the internet or online every hour of every day.

School websites- education online doesn’t just satisfy students but it can also satisfy parents. Parents can now also visit school websites to get information, contact that school and read news about the school. This will keep the parents updated.

Virtual learning environment (frog) - i think that frog can be very useful. You can access it 24/7, get your documents and your teachers can share information or additional studies that needs to be done. Teachers can also put documents that are important and the students can just read about it. I think that is a good way for revising and a good way for getting information about a specific subject as your teacher specifically put that item or document for you as resource.

Email- school email is very important. It’s a good and easy way to communicate with your teachers and maybe other students. You could easily ask teachers about subjects or lessons and any revisions that should be done or need doing and they could response to you immediately. Teachers could also send student important information that would help students.

Forums/ student room- forums and student room is very helpful for getting information as it enable student to talk and collaborate with other students.  Students’ gets different and variety of views but some might be unreliable. It also allows you to share your views.

Video conferencing (Skype) - video conferencing is really not that popular for students to use especially if they are using it on their own time. Some students would rather just do the work by themselves instead of being recorded but video conferencing could be very useful if it’s a group work etc as it’s free and could work with more than 2 people. It could also benefit people who need help from others and need support from others enable to do some work.

YouTube- YouTube is a site where you can share videos to all of the users all over the world. It’s a good way to get recognise and show talent but it’s not just all about that, users or video makers also uses it to help others, either for education or just for everyday thing.  There are YouTube videos that are good for revising a specific subject like maths etc. They sometimes explains that subject clearer and easier.

Best 5

Research- have you used Google? Or even yahoo? Or maybe even Bing? All of these sites are use for researching and getting information about a specific subject. Most people or students now use search engines like Google to collect information and use this information for their work. Google and other search engines changed everyone’s life and maybe made our life easier.

Advantages

• You can get variety of information from different search engines.  
• Quicker to use
• Easy access

Disadvantages

• Its secondary date therefore, some information may not be reliable
• Data you've collected might not be the one you necessarily need

Mymaths- Need helps with mathematics or statistics? The mymaths is the site for you to use. It is specifically made for stats and maths. Mymaths is good for a student who needs extra help with maths GCSE and A level, statistics GCSE and A level.  You can learn and practice different topics easier and more accessible.  

Advantages

• Easy access and can use it anytime
• School protected

Disadvantages

• Might be hard for some people to understand the way a topic is explained
• Some topics you need to learn might not be in the site

School website- ever had a problem knowing when the next half term is? The latest news and updates about your school? Well your problem is solve, most school now have their own school websites.  Unemployed teachers and new students also firstly look at school websites to find details about the school etc. School websites is now one of the most important features of the school.

Advantages

• Updated about the latest news and goings on about the school
• Parents could check and contact teachers

Disadvantages

• Cost lots money to create the website
• Hard to update regularly

Email/ school email- everyone are use to calling to school to contact teachers, maybe writing a letter was an old way of contacting a teacher or the school but now school has their own email, teachers has their own school emails. This allows the parents and the students to contact teachers and the school easily and more convenient.

Advantages

• Easy to contact teachers and schools
• More accessible
• Can send messages to more than one people at the same time

Disadvantages

• Spam and maybe even viruses can be transmitted through
• Responses might take a long time

Forums/ student rooms- ever needed help from other students? Ever want to share your opinion or views about a specific subject with everyone? Then forums and students rooms are what you need. A student room is a unique site where you can get help from other students and where you can look up universities and revision help.

Advantages

• Help from other students
• Responses is quick
• Can argue or talk about a specific subject

Disadvantage

• The argument or the forum may go off topic

E Commerce

E Commerce

What is e commerce?

E commerce or electronic commerce is any business or commercial transaction which is done online. It connects the transfer of information or money across the internet. It covers different variety of business from retail sites, through auctions, music sites, to business exchanging trading goods. Ecommerce is currently one of the most important aspects of the internet that has emerged.  Ecommerce emerged in the late 1970’s. what’s good about ecommerce is that there are no barriers of time nor distance, ecommerce has expanded over the years and I believe that it will continue expanding.
Advantages of e commerce

Ecommerce allows the users or the buyers a faster way of selling and buying products. You can also use ecommerce sites everyday and every hour. It has no closing time and its open 24/7. It is also good for business that doesn’t have company set up or building set up, ecommerce gives small companies an equal chance to sell.  Ecommerce is also very easy to start and manage; costumers can easily select products and even compare them.
Disadvantages of e commerce
These are some reasons why ecommerce is not a big industry on the internet.

Ecommerce is not always goods, it also have its bad qualities. Many bad sites that are created can eat up money or take money without the costumer knowing, there is also no guarantee of the product’s quality. Mechanical or technical difficulties may also occur and may interact with the paying or the transaction. Also security is a big problem, there is many hackers around who are always look for opportunities and ecommerce sites like banking and auction sites are their main targets. 

Online banking

Online banking was introduced in the 1980’s. Internet banking allows customers to control their financial transactions on a website via online.  Online banking is now become much more common; you can access your account quickly and check your records.  Online banking makes everything so simple with what you do financially; you can access it anywhere if there is internet. It makes your financial life much simpler to manage.
Advantages of online banking to the customers

One of the main features of online banking is that you can pay anything online, pay your bills etc. You can also view your previous transactions; you can check your account history. This is the quickest way of checking your account and looking after it. You can also see if there is any unauthorized transaction quickly and therefore you can report about it faster and actions can be taken faster.  You can transfer money via online; it’s effective, convenient, efficient and faster.
Advantages of online banking for banks

Banks having online banking also attracts more costumers, and maybe the banks itself may gain more profit. It will make their bank more popular and boost its appearance and trust worthiness. Having online banks also mean that the bank company is expanding its business and its target audience by being used world wide.
Disadvantages of online banking to customers

Just like all of other sites, online banking has its disadvantages too. The lack of trust is one of the biggest problems. Online banking can be difficult and complicated if you’re a beginner. Security concerns are also a massive problem that needs solving. Most costumers always have a feeling that if there account is safe, they always have doubts as they know that hackers are always around.
Disadvantages of online banking for banks

For the bank itself, if the online banking is a failure then people or the customers would also think that their actual bank would be a failure or is a failure. This would give the bank a bad image and might lose some of its costumers.

Shopping Online

Online shopping is now very popular. Many people use it instead of actually going to the shop itself. They find it more convenient and easier as there is no need to travel which means saving money and time.
Advantages of shopping online to customers
You no longer have to wait in the queues as they will deliver it to your house and al you have to do is click, the online shopping is also open 24/7. You can save your favourite items and the online website can make recommendations. Online shopping also gives the costumers a wider variety of stock to choose from which one of the biggest advantage is.
Advatages for the business

Having shops online gives a shop like Tesco another feature. This makes them more flexible. This boosts their appearance and makes the shop looks good. This will also increase their popularity and will definitely up their profit.  This is also a good way of expanding their business.
Disadvantages to the customers

Shopping online is not always good. Obviously you won’t or can’t try out the goods, like feel the weight etc. Also going to the shop itself, saves some money and you won’t have to pay extra money for deliveries.  There are also no delays; you don’t have to wait for the goods to be delivered. The goods you bought is yours and can be taken immediately. One of the biggest advantages on shopping on the shop is that you pay with cash, some people doesn’t want to use their credit cards due to security concerns.
Disadvantages for the business
 They will need to pay large amount of money to create and maintain the website. Other shops also have online sites which means there are a lot of competitions around.

Auction online
Advantages of auction online to customers

Selling and buying online is a big hit now a day. Few online selling sites are now created and functioning very well.  EBay is one of the success stories of selling products online. Ecommerce gives small business a chance to expand especially when they actually don’t have a shop and just purely internet controlled. EBay was founded in the mid 1990 and still going on from now. For this kind of business, trust plays a massive role. Setting up an auction of your own is very simple; you have the control of everything. The whole auction, buying and selling builds and open mutual trust to both seller and buyer. Also big asset for online auctioning is that it’s global. It opens the door for international markets and helps them to expand.  Auction sites also help new businesses that offer new products.
Disadvantages of auction online to customers

Auctions online is full of scammers. Some people sells fake products and just take money. Also if your account or site is not very trustworthy, no one would be attracted to use or even go on it. You have to have a big and good reputation enable to sell. There are also chargers for selling or even setting an account in some auction online site like EBay. The right of testing the product is also out of the costumers’ hands; they can only see the items and cannot test it or touch it. Some people may also take time to respond to emails and some may take time to pay out for goods.

Real Time Information

Real Time Information

Travel time, RSS feeds, weather, chat, sat nav, theatre and concert booking, travel booking, webcams, parcel tracking, plane tracking

Real time information is data updated instantaneously at once. It’s the fastest way to receive information.  They occur immediately and instantly, additionally real time information is data that are displayed instantly after it has been collected. Real time information can also means that a specific event simulated by a computer at the same speed or time that they would occur in real life. This makes it easier for everyone to be informed about travel time (bus or train), rss feeds, weather, chat, webcams and theatre and concert booking.  

Travel time- this can be broken down into many subjects like bus times, train times and more. This is very helpful to the public as they can now check online when or where they can get the bus/train from instead of waiting for the bus/train for a long time.  Because of real time information you can also track bus location exactly and you can tell whether the bus is running late, early or on time.

It also gives the operator the chance to make changes to the bus whilst on route. You can book your ticket online 5 days before or couple hours before getting the bus or train, this is faster and comfortable way of buying tickets. You can also get discount if you book your train ticket online which is a bonus as you don’t get discount when buying it in the train station itself. Thanks to real time information we have the freedom to do this.
Advantages- real time data gives you information that is happening at that particular moment, therefore there are no delays. It can also be useful for tracking plane, bus and train times.
Disadvantages- Sometimes the information you will find is not updated therefore can be misleading and this could be a huge problem.  Also people who do not have internet won’t be able to access it so that lowers down their target. Some information can be reliable and some information given is not always useful.

I have checked and booked a train ticket online myself, it’s faster and very accessible. You no longer have to wait in the queue. Checking the arrival and departure times is also simple, I will know when exactly I need to leave my house and be on time for the train.

RSS feeds- also known as Rich Site Summary. It is used in many news related websites. It gives you update about websites, it gives you news about it. It’s like newspaper, but faster. RSS feeds are a wonderful resource; it has many interesting applications like news headlines, music, receives instant notifications, movie releases and more. RSS feeds benefit both readers and web publisher since the site owners can get their updated content to subscribers faster.

 An important aspect to RSS feeds is that it is in chronological order, which means that new items appear to the top of the list and older items at the bottom.  Users also have free choice on which websites to subscribe in and they can change at any time they want. It also saves time, as it provides a summary of the related article. One of the best features of it is its spam free, unlike email or others.  It doesn't ask for your email to send updates thus your privacy is kept safe. It can also be used for advertising but its new and upcoming technology which means that many sites still doesn't support RSS feeds.
Advantages- it's easy to read on your computer screen. RSS feed also saves time as you wont need to go on the website to check for updates.

Disadvantages- Some users still prefers receiving email updates over an RSS feed. Photos do not appear in all RSS feeds which are a big minus.  RSS feeds do not display the actually URL which can be confusing on what feed a user is actually reading. They cannot also determine how many users are subscribes to their feed and how many times they visit therefore they would not know the reasons why some users unsubscribe.

I do not use RSS feeds myself as I have never actually encountered it before. I still get my updates via email which I find easier. I’m sure RSS feed can be very helpful but maybe they need to advertise it better so that other users will notice it therefore it’ll improve their subscribers rate.

Weather- weather update is very important now a day.  Having an online weather update makes it even better and quicker. Online weather updates is very access able online, you can find it any news site or radio site there is, one of the exactly is the yahoo UK website which has a direct link to the weather in the UK. Checking the weather update online will not only be easier but you can also get 5 days or even monthly forecast, this means what you can plan ahead to whatever you want to do. By having a 5 days or monthly forecast you’ll be warned on how bad or good the weather will be like therefore you’ll be more prepared.

Advantages- On an everyday basis, people use weather forecast to determine what to wear on a given day. Forecast can also be used to plan activities, and plan ahead. 
Disadvantages-  not all forecast are accurate; there is a chance that the forecast will be incorrect sometimes. Some online weather update website can be unreliable.

I have checked the weather forecast online many times before, it’s very useful and it gives me an 
idea of what would the weather be like for the whole day. It’ll also give you an idea on what clothes to wear, for example if it’s going to cold then you’ll be warned instantly and therefore will put on an extra layer of clothing. I also wanted to go to thorpe park one day but found out it will be raining, and because of online weather update i knew that it'll rain and therefore did not go.

Traffic update- traffic update is vital for people who travel a lot, this give me idea on what is going on around the area where they will be travelling. Traffic update is very popular and clever. By using or listening to traffic updates you will know what road or motorway to missed out and find another route. The updates are all up to date, which mean that it’s live and happening right now. You can also find out if there are any accidents or road work.

Sometimes traffic update is hard to receive using radio, it’s sometimes lagging, slow and very hard to listen into. Sometimes it also freezes so you’ll miss out a bit of the update.

I have listened to a traffic update before, it’s very useful and if you have good connection to the radio station it’s very easy to listen into. The update will give you details about which area are traffic and if there is any delayed. I think that traffic update is very useful but need a big of improvement.

Chat- live chat is now vital in all social networks, its one feature that should not be missing. Users now find it easier to “chat” because the users get an instant replies and its more realistic but with no emotion. You can now also have a “group chat” which you enable you to chat with more than one person at the same time. Real time chat also allows you to send news or any message to people quickly. Business now uses chat to talk to their employees and update them. This saves them a lot of money and this can also advertise their business. You’ll meet a lot of people who have the same interest as you in chat; this could be good if you are doing some kind of work or research.

Sometimes chat can be slow and some messages you’ve send doesn’t goes through. You can also come across to some strangers if you are on a “free chat”. You cannot also use chat without being online therefore you will need internet for it and you can’t have a connection when you are out on public.

I do use chat to talk to my friends, it doesn’t cost anything therefore its very popular to public. I personally think that chat is easy to use and very accessible if you have internet or wifi connection.

Travel booking- booking travel or holidays online is very effortless if you have done it before. It’s very quick as online travel agencies help you find the best accommodations and place to stay. It also saves some money as the travel agencies will give you variety of choices to choose from. It saves a lot of time doing it online on our own time. You can also check if the date you want is available and if it’s not then you can just easily find another date you want.

Most online agencies are not very reliable and sometimes it becomes impossible to find a good agency, they are always problem arising when you are about to leave.  Booking online reduces the existence of traditional travel agents who could provide better views and opinion.

I have never booked online before but I know that my parents have. In my opinion it is cheaper and quicker although sometimes it can be misleading as the pictures can be different from the actual thing. Booking online is now getting popular.

Theatre and concert booking- booking online is the most convenient way of getting tickets as it cost much less hassle and they can also give you several benefits. There are also varieties of sites you can get tickets from which sometimes you can find cheaper prices.  You will also receive the ticket immediately and therefore will no longer have to wait for the queue. They can also give you information about the seating.
Advantages- easy and convenient to book. You can get discounts and see what tickets are available. 
Disadvantages- Sometimes some website is not 100% reliable therefore you can get the ticket for higher price. Also the tickets might get mixed up and you won’t get the ticket you asked for.

I have booked ticket online before, all you need is a credit card and it easy from there. The tickets also arrive immediately and there was no problem with it. 

Online Communication

There are varieties of methods to communicate today. The development of ICT means more and better technologies are created which has different use for each one. One of the most popular ways to communicate is mobile phones, there a re now variety of phones with different application and new added features. Emailing has been going on since 1971 and still people these days use it.  Some people also use blog to interact with other users online, others uses social networks like facebook and instant messaging site like msn and Skype. Some might use online conferencing and message boards.

Mobile phones: there are now vast amount of brands of phones with different features. Blackberry is one of the most popular phones at the moment. It has a feature called “Blackberry Messenger” which enables the user to leave a message to other blackberry messenger user. This is quick and easy way to communicate. Other phones like IPhone can now access internet which allows user to go on their emails. 

Although you can access internet on your phone, when you are not connected on wifi and only uses 3g it’ll have low internet signal which makes it slower to run the internet, this can be very frustrating. I sometimes use my Ipad to access the internet, Ipad is smaller than a laptop or a computer but still has the same connection with the internet which is quick and you can still access every website you want to.

Email: Email replaced writing letters. Emailing is one of the most popular and easy way to communicate. Users of email usually use a computer to receive, read and respond to messages.  This is a quick way to send a message although it might take time of the receiver to reply. Using email is also free, you can send as much messages as you want and it will not cost you anything. Despite Email being popular it has of the biggest problems. Anyone can send you a message if they have the right email address, this could be just a random person you don’t know.  Another problem is that many viruses are sent through email, and the email will be full of spam messages. The developers of email do try to development a system that detects virus. It is also very easy to lose track of the messages you have received. I use my school email to send my homework or unfinished work to my home mail, this is quicker way instead of printing my work then copying all again. Also when I receives my work from my school email, I then saves this to my laptop which allows me to access this work at home any time.

Blog: is more likely to be use as a journal or diary.  There are different type of blogs, interactive blogs and topic specific blogs. Interactive blogs allows other users to comment or put their opinion across whilst topic specific blogs just talks or write about one specific topic and putting your opinions about it and other users just reads it. Blog is an excellent way to share your knowledge to everyone and to get positive or constructive feedbacks.  Although it’s a good way to communicate, blogs are very hard to keep an eye on. You have to constantly update it to gain or to keep your followers. Writing a blog is time consuming. You cannot really communicate using blog as it takes times for you or other people to reply or respond.  Personally I don’t use blog but I have read some blogs. Some of it I find interesting but others rather boring.  I don’t think blog is the way forward in case of communicating.

Social Networks: Social Networks are invented recently but blew up very quickly. Online social networking is a big hit for everyone, it is now use personally and even use for businesses to communicate. Social Networks doesn’t usually cost you anything. Businesses find it easier to find new target audiences by using social network, they can also find what people like or dislikes. By using social network you can be find your long lost friends and get connected with them again. Social network also allows you to leave a message to your social network friends and chat with them in real time and get replies much quicker, also the fact that you can communicate with other users when you’re at home and they are in different place makes it so much better. The fact that it’s use worldwide and use by limitless people means that it can be very time consuming. You’d probably spend so much time on social network but you don’t realize. You’ll also most likely to get some harassment or cyber bullying because if your profile is save as public, all people can access it and leave you messages.  You will also need to put important personal details on this social network like your address, etc. Everyone can then see all of these details and can be use against you. I use facebook myself. It’s one of the most popular social networking at the moment. Teenagers and adults use it to communicate and to catch up with their friends. You can also talk or chat with other people who are online. This is more like a normal face to face conversation which is one of the biggest advantages.

 Instant Messaging: Instant Messaging has transformed the way we talk to each other. They are free way to communicate or chat to people around the world; MSN and Skype are the main ones that are use today. It’s very easy to set up. People who know your exact email address are the only one who can add you so it’s very safe and you won’t get random add. You can spend hours chatting to your friends and it will be much quicker than email. Messages are also send it real time and responses are immediate. A long and proper conversation can also take place without having to pay anything although emotions cannot be expressed as well. You can also talk to more than one person at the same time. It’s not just having a conversation, instant messaging also allows you to send a file or pictures but you can also get viruses through. Another one that has become very popular recently is Skype. Skype allows you to actually talk to people by using a webcam. You can hear and see the person you are talking to. I used to use MSN, it’s very easy to use and you can talk to your friends when they are online. You can ask them to send you files like music etc and receives it instantly. I think that instant messaging is a quick way to communicate and with Skype being new and becoming popular straightaway I think in the next few years more instant messaging will be created and be popular.


 Online Conferencing: Using online conferencing enables you to access the conference from anywhere in the world and can do this anytime  instead of travelling which is very time consuming and expensive. High level of participation can be expected when using online conferencing. More people actively participate in an online conferencing than face to face conference.  You can also share presentations or documents with fellow online conference participants. But because online conferencing is new, an old computer might not be able to access it therefore you will need to buy a new or a latest computer. Security is also a big factor; it can be hack easily if protections are not high. You cannot control over people who may overhear the conference. Technical difficulties might also interrupt the conference, unexpected power cut or malfunctioning Internet connections can cause catastrophe. I have never experience using online conferencing so i don’t have much opinion on it, but from the stuff i have read it looks like online conferencing is good for business and even schools but like other type of communication it does have disadvantages that need to be sorted.

Message Board: Message board or forums enables the users to interact with one another by exchanging opinions and discussing topics related to a theme. Forum is more of a discussion environment, anyone can put their points across and everything that is posted can be read and read again.The discussions aren’t in real time which means it can be left for few days, months or years before someone replies. Forums allow you to create communities online, allow you to get educational input or information furthermore new ideas are always welcome which makes it even more exciting but sometimes the comments can be off topic and gets complicated from the original theme and then it become tedious. I have not use or created a message board before but i have read some. Some topics can be really interesting and some can be boring. It depends on what you are interested on. I think that message board is good for students when you are trying to get help or trying to get information. I think message board are people who have lots of spare time and patience enough to get responses.