Correction: Last weeks blog post should have been titled "Week 9" instead of "Week 8" - I forgot to skip over the Midterm week.
This week we talked about Database Management and the program Microsoft Access. I would also like this point out that this is my first ever "Muddy" blog post. That is due in part to not completely understanding Access. I have worked with MySQL a lot and understand how databases work. However I have never used Access before this week. I thought that it would be very easy to pick up. I was wrong. Its not that easy to pick up. I do understand the basics such as Design View and Datasheet view and how it stores the data. I think the real problem that I am having trouble with is that there is a lot of different task planes and that makes it easy to get confused. I understand what I want to do but not sure how to use the program to accomplish that.
Now I would like to talk a bit about some of the things which I did learn this week and did understand. A database can be defined as a "collection of data organized in a manner that allows access, retrieval, and use of that data" (Discovering Computer 2010, p.514). A database table is similar to what you may see in Excel.
Data can be stored in different ways. It can be in a file processing environment in which every department in a company has its own set of data. Or in a database which is shared throughout the company. Obviously a database is the more efficient choice. In a file processing environment the terms used are different then in a relational database. A file is a table, a record is a row, and a field is a column respectively. Data can also be stored in different dimensions. A relational database stores data in two dimensions but a multidimensional database stores data in more then two. I would like to learn more about multidimensional database since I have never heard of them before but the book does not talk a lot about them.
Microsoft Access is a GUI program that is a relational database management system (DBMS). This means that users can add, delete and sort data. The relational part means that the database stores data in tables using rows and columns. It also means that the database uses relationships. Relationships can be built which connect data and link it together. An easy example of a relationship might be that of a Key Field. A Key Field contains an identification number which is unique to that Record. The only data in a database that should ever be in more then one place is that Key Field. This is because the Key Field is necessary to identity data in different tables. Any other data which is needed in more then one place can be joined together.
In order to manipulate data in a database you need a Query Language. This Query Language is similar in respects to a formula in Excel. It can be typed out by hand but most DBMS such as Access let the user use a wizard. One of the most common Query Languages is SQL where the S stands for Structured. Using a Query Language format data can also be taken out of a DBMS and inserted into a text file. This is an important to do especially for backups. It is also important to note that you don't have to backup the entire database, only certain tables can be backed up if you wish. The text file can then be inserted back into a database. To make sure the data gets transferred correctly is why you would need a SQL. Without it the data may not get put in the correct spot.
Well that is it for now. There is a lot to talk about when discussing database. Hopefully next weeks topic will be easier. :) Happy Halloween!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Presentations and Web 2.0 Project
To start off I would like to say how much I enjoyed working on this project. Here is a link to my presentation on Kiva.org. http://www.slideboom.com/presentations/227265/Kiva .
Now I would like to evaluate my own project.
Is there a logical flow and sequence of content? How could it be improved?
Yes, I feel that there is a logical flow of ideals and sequence of content. I do not think that I could have improved any.
Does the presenter anticipate questions and answer them in the right place? At what points did you have questions that were not answered? Yes, I feel that I did try to anticipate questions in the right place. It can be hard since you are the one that researched the project. Now you have to go back and see it from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about it. I did not have any questions that were left unanswered.
Did the presenter grab your attention in the first 30-60 seconds? I think that I definitely grabbed peoples attention when in the first slide with the slogan "loans that changes lives." Anyone would questions what this could mean and what is Kiva. I also grabbed peoples attention with explaining microloans since it may be a new and interesting concept for them.
Did the presenter ask questions and spark your curiosity? I asked questions that went along with the logical flow and I feel that I did spark curiosity in Kiva and microloans.
Did the presenter set the context with a concise explanation? Is it clear what the presenter is trying to share?
Yes I feel that it is clear what I was trying to share.
Did the presenter validate any claims? Yes the claims were validated since I say that the information is directly from kiva.org.
Did the presenter avoid inconsistencies and errors, typos and unbelievable claims? I do not believe there is any typos.
How well did the presenter avoid clutter? I think that I avoided clutter well by limiting the amount of text per slide.
What did the presenter do to ensure readability? I used a white background with black text and easy triadic color on the side.
Did the presenter say it, and then show it or did he/she read the slides? I did read along with the slides however I tried to add and show information that was not written.
Overall I think the biggest thing that I learned was how to make a presentation in powerpoint with narrative audio. Before this project I had never even heard about doing that or even seen it before. I also learned how to upload my presentation to slideboom.com. I had already made a storyboard before since I am in advertising but it definitely helped with this project. I could see myself making a presentation like this for a company. It is easy to do and you never have to worry about messing up your lines or stage fright anxiety. This is important for me because I really do not like getting up in front of people. I wish that I had of leaned about this a long time ago.
Now I would like to evaluate my own project.
Is there a logical flow and sequence of content? How could it be improved?
Yes, I feel that there is a logical flow of ideals and sequence of content. I do not think that I could have improved any.
Does the presenter anticipate questions and answer them in the right place? At what points did you have questions that were not answered? Yes, I feel that I did try to anticipate questions in the right place. It can be hard since you are the one that researched the project. Now you have to go back and see it from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about it. I did not have any questions that were left unanswered.
Did the presenter grab your attention in the first 30-60 seconds? I think that I definitely grabbed peoples attention when in the first slide with the slogan "loans that changes lives." Anyone would questions what this could mean and what is Kiva. I also grabbed peoples attention with explaining microloans since it may be a new and interesting concept for them.
Did the presenter ask questions and spark your curiosity? I asked questions that went along with the logical flow and I feel that I did spark curiosity in Kiva and microloans.
Did the presenter set the context with a concise explanation? Is it clear what the presenter is trying to share?
Yes I feel that it is clear what I was trying to share.
Did the presenter validate any claims? Yes the claims were validated since I say that the information is directly from kiva.org.
Did the presenter avoid inconsistencies and errors, typos and unbelievable claims? I do not believe there is any typos.
How well did the presenter avoid clutter? I think that I avoided clutter well by limiting the amount of text per slide.
What did the presenter do to ensure readability? I used a white background with black text and easy triadic color on the side.
Did the presenter say it, and then show it or did he/she read the slides? I did read along with the slides however I tried to add and show information that was not written.
Overall I think the biggest thing that I learned was how to make a presentation in powerpoint with narrative audio. Before this project I had never even heard about doing that or even seen it before. I also learned how to upload my presentation to slideboom.com. I had already made a storyboard before since I am in advertising but it definitely helped with this project. I could see myself making a presentation like this for a company. It is easy to do and you never have to worry about messing up your lines or stage fright anxiety. This is important for me because I really do not like getting up in front of people. I wish that I had of leaned about this a long time ago.
Week 8: Clear
This week we learned about the internet and the world wide web. This internet thing has been around for a large part of my lifetime but a relatively short time in other respects (ie mankind). I personally first experienced the internet in 3rd grade with what I believe was AOL. Today the internet is estimated as more then 1 billion users.
The internet can be defined as a web of servers that are linked together but are physically all over the earth. One might ask who is the owner of the internet? Well no one owns the internet (yet) but there is a sheriff per say and that is ICANN or the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. This corporation helps keep the domain names in check around the internet for a small fee of currently .18 cents per year per domain name which every domain owner must pay.
This week we covered a lot of information however I would first like to talk about a web address which is an important part in understand how the web works. There are 5 important parts to a web address. The first is the protocol used. Common protocols are http which stands for hypertext transfer protocol or https which is secure. Another is ftp which is file transfer protocol. The second part of an address is the domain name. Such as scottrpaterson.com (visit it!). Third is TLD which stands for top level domain. This is .com, .org, or .ca and helps identify what the site is and where it is from. Forth is the path. This is the direct path on the server where the file is located. Last is the file name. A common file is index.php which is the page the server will load first when the directory is requested. When a user types in scottrpaterson.com to their browser a DNS server or domain name server translates that name to an IP address (in this case 64.202.189.170) which is then checked on a table and transferred to the correct server location.
There are two common ways to connect to the internet. One is dial up and the other is broadband. Dial up usually requires a phone line while broadband, the new more preferred choice, usually comes through the cable line or satellite NIC.
There are many ways to make a website which can be put "live" or hosted on a web server for all the internet to see. The most popular way is to use a WYSIWYG editor which stands for what you see is what you get. This works well for most people who do not want to mess around with the code. The other way to make websites is using good old fashioned notepad. Or better yet programmers notepad. This is simply a text editor. I prefer this method because it give me much more control over specific details in page design that you don't get access to using an editor. The other reason is that you need it when you build dynamic elements into pages using server sided languages such as PHP.
This is it for now. There is a lot more that can be learned about the internet and I encourage any noob that happens to stumble upon (haha) this page to read more about THE INTERNET. Until next week. :)
The internet can be defined as a web of servers that are linked together but are physically all over the earth. One might ask who is the owner of the internet? Well no one owns the internet (yet) but there is a sheriff per say and that is ICANN or the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. This corporation helps keep the domain names in check around the internet for a small fee of currently .18 cents per year per domain name which every domain owner must pay.
This week we covered a lot of information however I would first like to talk about a web address which is an important part in understand how the web works. There are 5 important parts to a web address. The first is the protocol used. Common protocols are http which stands for hypertext transfer protocol or https which is secure. Another is ftp which is file transfer protocol. The second part of an address is the domain name. Such as scottrpaterson.com (visit it!). Third is TLD which stands for top level domain. This is .com, .org, or .ca and helps identify what the site is and where it is from. Forth is the path. This is the direct path on the server where the file is located. Last is the file name. A common file is index.php which is the page the server will load first when the directory is requested. When a user types in scottrpaterson.com to their browser a DNS server or domain name server translates that name to an IP address (in this case 64.202.189.170) which is then checked on a table and transferred to the correct server location.
There are two common ways to connect to the internet. One is dial up and the other is broadband. Dial up usually requires a phone line while broadband, the new more preferred choice, usually comes through the cable line or satellite NIC.
There are many ways to make a website which can be put "live" or hosted on a web server for all the internet to see. The most popular way is to use a WYSIWYG editor which stands for what you see is what you get. This works well for most people who do not want to mess around with the code. The other way to make websites is using good old fashioned notepad. Or better yet programmers notepad. This is simply a text editor. I prefer this method because it give me much more control over specific details in page design that you don't get access to using an editor. The other reason is that you need it when you build dynamic elements into pages using server sided languages such as PHP.
This is it for now. There is a lot more that can be learned about the internet and I encourage any noob that happens to stumble upon (haha) this page to read more about THE INTERNET. Until next week. :)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Week 7: Clear
This week we learned about presentations. We focused on how to design them and also touched on giving a good presentations. Some of the most important take back for me was that you should stop being going to far. Basically save really in depth information for a handout instead of putting in on the slide in a presentation. I have done this and I think its great advice. Another great piece of advice is to keep the beginner frame of mind on the topic at hand. This will help limit people getting lost on a topic.
I enjoyed that the value of empty space was brought up. I have seen to many professors present material that has way to much going on per slide. The best presentations that I have seen just gave a few key points where were much easier to remember. When giving a presentation in a large room make sure that the people in the back of the room can easily view images and text. Depending on the size of the room this may mean rearranging the slide information.
A storyboard is a great way to organize ideas. From anything from videos to a simple powerpoint presentation a storyboard can really help organize material. As an advertising student I work with storyboard quite a lot for creative production. This can also help, which I believe was not mentioned this week, in laying out how a presentation can be given. Overall I had a basic understanding before this week the aspects of a good presentations, but I still got to learn a few new things. I think that only a hand full of people in the world can give really good presentations. For the rest of us, we should learn as much as we can from them and always continue to become better at presentations.
I enjoyed that the value of empty space was brought up. I have seen to many professors present material that has way to much going on per slide. The best presentations that I have seen just gave a few key points where were much easier to remember. When giving a presentation in a large room make sure that the people in the back of the room can easily view images and text. Depending on the size of the room this may mean rearranging the slide information.
A storyboard is a great way to organize ideas. From anything from videos to a simple powerpoint presentation a storyboard can really help organize material. As an advertising student I work with storyboard quite a lot for creative production. This can also help, which I believe was not mentioned this week, in laying out how a presentation can be given. Overall I had a basic understanding before this week the aspects of a good presentations, but I still got to learn a few new things. I think that only a hand full of people in the world can give really good presentations. For the rest of us, we should learn as much as we can from them and always continue to become better at presentations.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Week 6: Clear
This week I learned about multimedia. I have never formally learned about this topic before so I learned about a lot of new stuff. I learned about lossy and non lossy. I have heard the term before but was not sure what it meant. Lossy is when you compress data and information is lost to save space. Non lossy is when you compress data and information very little data is lost. However the data is rearranged so that instead of BBBBB for 5 black pixels you would have 5B. This process saves space.
I also learned what a key frame is. It is the first frame in a series of video frames that contains the majority of the information. The frames after it contains less information and are based on what changed between that and the key or first frame. AVI is the main video format for non compression. WMV which was created by Microsoft has the ability to use DRM or Digital Rights Management. DRM has the ability to check which person first owned the file. DRM can also contains a watermark and even make the file expire after a set period of time.
The main professional video editing software for the PC would be Adobe Premiere and for the Mac would be Apple Final Cut. Screen casting is when you capture what is happening on the screen of a computer and turn it into a video. Some of the best software for screen casting is Camtasia and Jing. The later is a free web application. When doing a screen cast you can choose to capture the full screen, a region (which is a user choosen area of the screen) or a window.
Overall this was an interesting week. Glad the Excel project is over :) Next week here I come!
I also learned what a key frame is. It is the first frame in a series of video frames that contains the majority of the information. The frames after it contains less information and are based on what changed between that and the key or first frame. AVI is the main video format for non compression. WMV which was created by Microsoft has the ability to use DRM or Digital Rights Management. DRM has the ability to check which person first owned the file. DRM can also contains a watermark and even make the file expire after a set period of time.
The main professional video editing software for the PC would be Adobe Premiere and for the Mac would be Apple Final Cut. Screen casting is when you capture what is happening on the screen of a computer and turn it into a video. Some of the best software for screen casting is Camtasia and Jing. The later is a free web application. When doing a screen cast you can choose to capture the full screen, a region (which is a user choosen area of the screen) or a window.
Overall this was an interesting week. Glad the Excel project is over :) Next week here I come!
Excel Project
I am glad that the Excel project is over! It has been a while since I used Excel and this project was certainly a refresher.
Before starting this project I had never "frozen panes" before. So I am glad that I learned how to do that now. I also learned a lot regarding the formulas. I thought that part of the project was going to be the hardest but it actually was pretty easy. I also got a lot of confident in general regarding using the tables faster.
The biggest problem that I had was by far the pivot tables. I hope that I did them right! I also got the hang of using keyboard shortcuts to move around Excel. I did not remember all of them from the lecture last week but enough to still move around fairly fast.
Another problem for me was the printer section. My laptop (which is where I did the majority of the project) does not have a printer therefore I needed to go to the computer lab on campus to do this part. This got confussing however when I changed versions (Excel 10 to 03) and attempted to edit and work on my pivot tables. Since the GUI is not the same. Hopefully everything worked out.
Overall I am happy about this assignment since I feel Excel is a very powerful and useful program.
Screen shot from “AvgIncrease” pivot table.
Before starting this project I had never "frozen panes" before. So I am glad that I learned how to do that now. I also learned a lot regarding the formulas. I thought that part of the project was going to be the hardest but it actually was pretty easy. I also got a lot of confident in general regarding using the tables faster.
The biggest problem that I had was by far the pivot tables. I hope that I did them right! I also got the hang of using keyboard shortcuts to move around Excel. I did not remember all of them from the lecture last week but enough to still move around fairly fast.
Another problem for me was the printer section. My laptop (which is where I did the majority of the project) does not have a printer therefore I needed to go to the computer lab on campus to do this part. This got confussing however when I changed versions (Excel 10 to 03) and attempted to edit and work on my pivot tables. Since the GUI is not the same. Hopefully everything worked out.
Overall I am happy about this assignment since I feel Excel is a very powerful and useful program.
Screen shot from “AvgIncrease” pivot table.
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