The social Impacts of the Use of IT

Social impactsThe social impacts of the use of IT are that originally IT gave us the freedom of being able to find out stuff from history and to be able to create different social networking accounts just to allow us to keep in touch with friends but now these very same accounts have taken over our lives as many of us spend all of our time indoors on our laptops and phones instead of getting out and about and meeting up with friends in public being able to talk and have a good time.

Economical impacts
The Economical impacts of IT are that with many jobs in IT now you have to have a decent knowledge of how to use a computer and how to use certain software to allow you to be able to create the items that the job requires. The effect this has is that if some people cannot access a PC at home then they cannot have the required knowledge they need which means that they will miss out on getting the job as someone else with the knowledge will have gotten it.

Legal impacts
The legal impacts of using IT are that with items like images and videos that are uploaded on the internet that many people cannot use these images as they have be copyrighted meaning that if you use them you could face being fined by the owner. Also with students using computers for their work they are copying and pasting information of the internet but the problem with this is that it is plagiarism and this is classed as fraud and can lead to the offender being fined and getting into a lot of trouble.

Ethical impactsThe ethical impacts of using IT are that with everyone having a PC and with nearly everyone using social networking sites their private information such as their phone number and email address can be found by anyone and this can lead to that person being bullied by the hacker/troll and this usually has very serious consequences as quite a few people how are cyber bullied end up committing suicide as they think that no-one is interested in what they are saying or that adults are not listening to them.

Unequal accessThe issues with this are that only certain people in certain countries can access certain things like Facebook. one of the problems this causes is that it is unfair as they are missing out on the enjoyment of social networks and are also unable to access a PC meaning that they cannot do things like search for jobs and find out information meaning they are uniformed which means that they cannot do things that other people can like get better jobs as they don't know enough about the job to allow them to get the job.   

How to setup a blog

To set up a blog you need to either have an existing Google account or you will need to set up an account with Google. If you already have a Google account you need to sign into your account then you need to open Blogger. If you don't have a Google account you first need to create one then you need to ensure you are logged in then you can open Blogger.

Once you have logged into your account and you have blogger open you will see the homepage as shown below.















Now you have the homepage open you need to click on the new blog button at the side of the page and this will open up the new blog design page.














Once you have decided on your blog design then you can begin to add new posts to it and this is your blog now created.

Effectively communicating information

Proofing Tools

Spell-checker

A spell-checker is used to check that everything that is typed in the document is spelled correctly. In Microsoft Word it will also tell you if you have any grammar errors and also when a word is typed in but a different spelling of the word is what was intended. In word if a word is underlined in red it means spelling error, if a green lines appears then it is a grammar error and if it is blue then it means a different word is intended or the word needs a hyphen for it to mean what you want it to.

Thesaurus

A thesaurus is used for finding different words that mean the same thing as the original word you used. This can be helpful as it can prevent you from using the same work again and again such as repeatedly using and or but. Instead you can use also, as well as or including for and. Others for but include; on the other hand, on the contrary, still or although.

IT tool

Presentation

A presentation can be a handy thing to use when you have lots of information and it allows you to put all this onto separate slides to make the data more presentable. Provided below are examples of one of the ways a power point can be useful

Instead of piling all of my information into one long boring, un-readable paragraph i have spread the info out over 3 separate slides to make the info more readable and more interesting

How to use IT tools safely

Keeping personal information private
Keeping personal information private is important as it prevents hackers and other people gaining access to things like credit card details and addresses and phone numbers. All personal information stored in systems online is protected by the DPA 1998 anyway but it is best to keep the information to yourself so there is no risk of it being located and used incorrectly.  

Viewing digital content online safely
When viewing digital content make sure that the content is appropriate for the place that you are in for example only watching music videos or games video's whilst in work and leaving all the rest for when you are in the privacy of your own home. Also make sure that if anyone else can see the content the it won't offend or upset them by you watching it in front of them. 

Uploading digital content
When you upload videos and/or images to the internet make sure that they are not inappropriate and and linked to what/where you are uploading the content to. Also when uploading any content make sure that if there are other people in the video/picture you upload make sure that you get there permission before uploading them as this will more than likely lead to the content being removed. 

Respecting others online (Netiquette)

1.The Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. This rule is an oldie but a goodie and can get you through just about any situation, online or off!
2. No "Flaming": Flaming is a form of verbal abuse when you intentionally attack or disrespect somebody for whatever reason. Maybe you didn't agree with something they said, but there's a nice way to share a different point of view without name calling or attacking someone. Harassing or insulting someone will not likely help you gain many online friends!
3. Respect Others' Copyrights: There are wonderful things online, information for everyone on just about any topic! However, these things have copyrights and licenses. Copying the works of someone else without permission or saying it is your own will not only ruin your online reputation, but could land you with hefty fines and lawsuits!
4. DON'T TYPE IN ALL CAPS: It hurts our eyes. It makes people think you are shouting at them. It's okay to type in caps to accentuate a word or two, but please don't do it all the time everywhere you go.
5. Don't Spam: As a blog owner, I get hundreds of spam messages each day. Most of them aren't even legible, with things like "kjhgsawu" typed in the comments and links to sites with adult or inappropriate content. I don't appreciate it! Some spammers are getting really sneaky, as they use the same generic post over and over again like "I really like your blog" - if you own multiple blogs like I do though you can quickly identify these types of spammers! There's a fine line between spam and self-promotion, do it very carefully!
6. Be Honest: Faking website statistics, pretending to be someone else, or trying to cheat people online will not only hurt your reputation but can land you in a lot of hot water. You know the line honesty is the best policy, it's also one of the 10 best rules for netiquette.
7. Use Proper Grammar & Spelling: If u rite liek this lol ppl might start 2 get mad lol. :) We understand spelling isn't always easy and typos and basic spelling mistakes will happen. But if it's distracting from your message, it can be annoying. Using a browser such as Firefox 3 with built in spell check can be a life saver for bad spellers! Be careful not to use too much web jargon, seeing lol used more than twice in a sentence or two is probably unnecessary and does not promote good internet etiquette.
8. Follow the TOS: Most sites have a terms of service policy that also lists rules of netiquette. Read it and abide by it! I am constantly reading discussions on MyLot about people who have had discussions deleted because what they posted did not meet the terms of the website.
9. Keep it PG-13: I never write or say anything I wouldn't let my kids read. It can really come back to haunt you if you write something that's not appropriate - as a blog owner, it could mean trouble with Google if you use them for adwords or like to be ranked in search engines since they seem to penalize swearing/adult content sites.
10. Research Your Facts/Cite Sources: I can't tell you how many times I read something (often politically related) that is not even close to the truth. There is so much information out there online, it can be very difficult to distinguish what is true and not true. Before posting something, forwarding emails, or going off on a tangent, make sure it is factual and cite sources if possible to boost your credibility. Not only will this help keep down on the hoaxes and insanity floating around online, but it can help make you build a solid reputation online.

Data Protection regulations
The Data Protection Act was introduced  in 1984 but was replaced by the Data Protection Act 1998. It is a UK Act of Parliament that was introduced to help keep the countries personal information private so that no one else is able to access it. If we did not have the DPA our personal data such as Addresses and credit card details could be accessed by anyone and this would mean they would be able to take everyone's money from their bank accounts and they would also be able to find where that specific person lives.
Below are the 8 Data protection principles that have to be followed:

1. Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and, in particular, shall not be processed unless-
   1. at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 is met, and
   2. in the case of sensitive personal data, at least one of the conditions in Schedule 3 is also met.
2. Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes.
3. Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed.
4. Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.
5. Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.
6. About the rights of individuals e.g. personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects (individuals).
7. Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
8. Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.

Keeping data secure (encryption, firewalls and back-ups)
Keeping your data secure on your PC is helpful as it allows you to gain access to your work if you get a new PC or if your computer gets infected with a virus that cannot be removed for your PC. Also if you encrypt your files then you are preventing anyone else from accessing them meaning they cannot be deleted or edited by other people.

Different Online Communication Methods

Different Online Communication Methods

Facebook

The advantages of using Facebook are you can keep in touch with friends and family which is useful if they live abroad, you can share photos with friends and you have posts on your page which can include birthday messages, you can also research businesses and other places like museums and art gallery's. Disadvantages of using Facebook are you can fall victim to internet trolls who constantly bombard you with abuse, your account can be hacked which means people can gain access to private information you may have on your account, people can find out where you are meaning that you could end up getting stalked by a complete stranger.

Twitter

The advantages of using Twitter are when a person follows your page they will automatically receive any updates you make, you can find out about what different celebs are up to by following them and you will receive updates which can tell you about what they have been doing recently and you can get updates about sporting events such as any live games that are being played or any cricket games that are in progress. Disadvantages of using Twitter are that Twitter isn't a professional communication channel it is more for just following your friends or celebs.

E-mails

The advantages of using e-mails are that you can email files such as word documents and images to allow you to access them anywhere, you can send things to a set person or group of people instead of sending it to everyone. Disadvantages of using e-mails are you can receive spam and phishing e-mails which can be annoying and will probably end up costing you money, viruses can be sent in e-mails which will then end up infecting your computer and could cause loss of work.