Microsoft Windows. A brief history.

Nowadays you can see computers everywhere and seems that the people have been using them for ages. However, the early beginning of the computers is setted on 1982 more or less. This post is related to Windows, the most used computer system: Windows, whose creator, Bill Gates, developed in his own garage and later became him in the wealthiest person all over the world. The beginning of the computers and its developing has been very closely related with the information society since their beginning.

The early sustems: Windows 1.0 and Windows 2.0 were not very extended. Later created systems were more accepted and Windows 3.0 and 3.1 went into some homes.  After those Windows 95 which was released three times until 1998 when they relased Windows 2000 which allowed the user to set the computer’s settings back to an earlier date.  Their first attempt, Windows 2000, failed to meet their goals, and was released as a business system. The home consumer edition of Windows 2000, codenamed “Windows Neptune”, ceased development and Microsoft released Windows Me in its place.Microsoft left little time for Windows Me become popular before announcing their next version of Windows which would be called XP. Windows XP has two versions Home Edition and Professional, however, both of them were used at home. There were just few little differences between them.

The latest version, Windows Vista is not very popular, how ever, when Bill Gates left Microsoft this summer he took with him Windows XP so now there is no possibility of buy it legally, that made that Windows Vista increasing his sales.

Latest Windows version logo

References

• Microsoft Windows. (2009, January 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:12, January 24, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Microsoft_Windows&oldid=265495579
• Windows Evolution (June 16, 2006, 6:31 AM) in Soft 32. Retrieved 22:17, January 24, 2009,  from http://news.soft32.com/windows-evolution_1629.html
• Windows XP Proffesional (2002) in Universidad de La Rioja. Retrieved 22:30, January 24, 2009,  from http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=319620

RSS Techonology

 

RSS

Connected with a post below, the RSS is extended from XML language, so in this post I am going to  write a brief description about the RSS.

First of all, RSS is an abbreviation for Rich Site Summary, Really Simple Syndication, RDF Site Summary, or a variation on any of these names. It is an XML document that facilitates content syndication. The term “RSS” is still sometimes used to refer to web feeds in general, including web feeds with a format different from RSS. 

The Blogspace description of using web feeds in an aggregator is headlined “RSS info” and “RSS readers” even though its first sentence makes clear the inclusion of the Atom format: “RSS and Atom files provide news updates from a website in a simple form for your computer. “

Some Internet Explorers offer the possibility of connect RSS in order to allow the user to know about the updatings of the web. Windows Vista, offers a noticeboard to show the updated webpages in the desktop. 

 

Sources:

• RSS. (2009, January 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:07, January 9, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RSS&oldid=262382376
• Blogging, RSS and the Information Landscape: A Look At Online News (March 2005). by, Kathi E. Gill Retrieved 14:17, January 9, 2009, from http://faculty.washington.edu/kegill/pub/gill_www2005_rss.pdf
• Stay up to date with Microsoft RSS feeds. In Microsoft. retrieved 14:21, January 9, 2009, from: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/rss/default.mspx

E-Books

 

E-book Reader by SONY

E-Book or Electronic Book is the digital equivalent for the printed book. E-books are a fairly recent phenomenon. These small, portable, electronic devices are not just books; they could be magazines, books o even newspapers. Some of the advantages are: Text can be searched automatically and cross-referenced using hyperlinks, making the e-book format ideal for works that take profit from such functions. An e-book can automatically open at the last read page or E-books allow for greater fidelity in color reproduction compared to CMYK color printing (although some e-book readers have only monochrome displays), for instances.  Some of disadvantages such as If not viewed on computers, e-books require the purchase of an electronic device and/or peripheral software which can display them. If they are to be viewed on a personal computer, it may require additional software and Looking at a screen for a long time may cause eye trouble and sometimes headaches.

The trend of the electronic books is developing until now there are several projects to make digital libraries, such us that who wants to make a common library with books from all across Europe. And there are already some such as Miguel de Cervantes’s Virtual Library.

References:

• E-book. (2008, December 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:52, December 26, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=E-
• Beverly L. Harrison, “E-Books and the Future of Reading,” IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 32-39, May/Jun, 2000 (http://www2.computer.org/portal/web/csdl/doi/10.1109/38.844370)
• E-books and Their Future in Academic Libraries (July 2001) from D-Lib Magazine. Retrieved 12:57 December 26, from http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july01/snowhill/07snowhill.html

 

Differences between HTML and XML

According to Wikipedia XML language is a meta markup language that is now widely used. XML was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium, in a committee created and chaired by Jon Bosak. The main purpose of XML was to simplify SGML by focusing on a particular problem — documents on the Internet. XML remains a meta-language like SGML, allowing users to create any tags needed and then describing those tags and their permitted uses. And HTML is: is the predominant markup language for Web pages. It provides a means to describe the structure of text-based information in a document written in tags The main differences between XML and HTML are:

• It does not require DTD or Document Type Definition, because XML points to the structure of the information, what saves time and simplifies the software.
• XML does not accept exceptions so every tag does the same action.
• AND content models do not exist, so the elements must be named always in a established order.
• It does not have data, which in SGML allows including specific information such as mathematic symbols.
• It is simple and less extensive than SGML, because of this is much simpler to use
• It is independent from the Internet explorers, because instead of adding to the presentation tags, the explorer will refer you to an style page made with XSL

Resources:

•  HTML. (2008, December 13). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:35, December 14, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HTML&oldid=257683789
• Markup language. (2008, December 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:36, December 14, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Markup_language&oldid=257834827
• Hipertexto, el nuevo concepto de documento en la cultura de la imagen (2008, November 23) by María Jesús Lamarca Lapuente in Hipertexto. Retrieved 20:39, December 14 from: http://www.hipertexto.info/documentos/lenguajes_h.htm

Orality and Hypermedia

First of all, let us define the concepts involved. On the one hand, according to N.H. Nelson, the term hypermedia is used as an extension of the term hypertext, in which graphics, audio, video, plain text and hyperlinks are involved, being the World Wide Web the clearest example. On the other hand orality involves the capacity of speaking of each person as well as the gestures and other sources used.

According to experts on the subject, the hypermedia has changed the orality. As Perez Tornero mentions, due to the hypermedia we can send an oral message from one point of the planet to another, giving a kind of globalisation to the text and without realising how far the person receiving the message is. However, according to Brian and Williams, the hypermedia contributes to the worsening of the language as they, as well as networks, are opened to anybody. Besides, almost anything is accepted and owing to that, some writers transfer some of their bad acquired habits in writing from one media to another. Moreover, a big percentage of the users may write without any kind of information or taking it from poor sources.

 

References:

• Patrick O’Brian & Noel Williams: Computers and Writing, the state of the art. Published by Intellect Books in 1992 ISBN 187151620X, 9781871516203 retrieved from http://books.google.es/books?id=Q75qE4u9fEgC
• De la escritura la hipermedia (30-11-1999) by Jose Manuel Perez Tornero from Comunidad de formadores (retrieved December 3th 2008) from
  http://e-formadores.redescolar.ilce.edu.mx/recursos/pdfs_tornero/escritura_hipermedia.pdf
• Hypermedia (2008, October 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:54, November 30, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypermedia&oldid=245357554
• Orality, Literacy, Digitality (Agoust 1996) In Tarleton State University. Retrieved: December 3th 13.02. From http://www.tarleton.edu/~lilly/discuss2.htm

 

 

 

Group members:   Gorka Lozano, Aitor Macia, Ander Martinez, Milia Mayora and Ricardo Merelas

Kevin Kelly: the next 5,000 days of the Web

 

Kevin Kelly

In order to prepare a debate I got some information about Kevin Kelly, his life and his work. 

Kevin Kelly was born in Pennsylvania in 1952. While he was working as photographer he founded his own newspaper, what worked as a base for his later works. During the las years he was written some books such as Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World which is hi most famous book. His works ar about th Internet and new technologies. In his own words the Internet is one of the most advances of the technologies.

His video in YouTuBe about the prediction of the web, exactly of the next 5000 days of the web, has had a lot of views and has been used in some university research. The main consequence qe can take form it is that ina few years, maybe earlier tha we may think, we are going to be part of the web and the web part of us as well, as consequence of the huge development that the Net is suffering. 

 

 

 

References:

• Kevin Kelly: Predicting the next 5,000 days of the web.(2008 July)  In Ted, ideas for spreading. Retrieved 19:40, November 17, 2008. From:http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html
• Transcription of Kevin Kelly’s talk about the next 5000 days of the web.  In Wiki Littera Deusto. Retrieved. 19:40 November 17, 2008. From:http://wiki.littera.deusto.es/en/index.php/Ist0809/KevinKelly5000days
• Kevin Kelly (editor). (2008, October 9). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:10, November 17, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_Kelly_(editor)&oldid=244052430

Web = Internet + Hypertext

 

The World Wide Web (commonly shortened to the Web) is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet. With a Web explorer, one can view Web pages that may contain text, images, videos, and other multimedia contains and navigate between them using hyperlinks. The World Wide Web was created in 1989 by English scientist Tim Berners-Lee, working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland, and released in 1992. Since then, Berners-Lee has played an active role in guiding the development of Web standards, and in recent years has advocated his vision of a Semantic Web.

 

Hypertext, made famous by the World Wide Web, is most simply a way of constructing documents that reference other documents. Within a hypertext document, a block of text can be tagged as a hypertext link pointing to another document. When viewed with a hypertext explorer, the link can be activated to view the other document. Hypertext’s original idea was to take advantage of electronic data processing to organize large quantities of information that would otherwise overwhelm a reader.

The flexibility of hypertext gives free range to the author’s creativity, but good hypertext appears to have some common characteristics: Lots of documents. Much of the hypertext’s power comes from its ability to make large quantities of information accessible. Lots of links. If each document has just one link, then it is little more than normal, sequential text. A hypertext document should present the reader with several links, offering a choice about where to go next. Ideally, a document should present as many relevant links as the reader can easily comprehend and select among. Range of detail. The great advantage of hypertext is that it permits readers to explore to a breadth and depth that is simply not feasible in print. To make this accessible, available hypertext documents should range from the broadest possible overview of a subject, down to its gritty details. Correct links. This may seem trivial, but it’s amazing how many Web links point nowhere.

 

The terms “Internet” and “World Wide Web” are often used in every-day speech without much distinction or even as if they were the same. However, the Internet and the World Wide Web are not one and the same. The Internet is a global data communications system. It is a hardware and software infrastructure that provides connectivity between computers. In contrast, the Web is one of the services communicated via the Internet. It is a collection of interconnected documents and other resources, linked by hyperlinks and URLs

 

Aside from the complex physical connections that make up its infrastructure, the Internet is facilitated by bi- or multi-lateral commercial contracts and by technical specifications or protocols that describe how to exchange data over the network. Indeed, the Internet is defined by its interconnections and routing policies.  As of June 30, 2008, 1.463 billion people use the Internet according to Internet World Stats.

 

To get access to the Internet nowadays is so easy a mobile phone is enough.

 

 

Resources

• Internet. (2008, November 1). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:17, November 2, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet&oldid=249088618
• World Wide Web. (2008, October 31). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:17, November 2, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=World_Wide_Web&oldid=248911416
• Hyprtext. In E-look. Retrieved 15:12, November 2, 2008 from http://www.elook.org/internet/12.html

Tuenti

Logo of the social net

 

What began as a net for university students to keep in touch between them even being far away finished as one of the biggest social net, which is a revolutionary system in today’s information society, It is Spanis and it has every kind of students, not just university ones. An easy definition would be a Spanish Facebook, but it is not enough. Their ambitions go beyond. Maintaining the privacy and geographic position in real time are the standards of this social net.  Félix Ruiz, Rupert van Millingen y Zaryn Dentzel are the visible heads of this Spanish start up. They are a Spanish, a Londoner and an American. The American one studied at Deusto’s University at Bilbao.

Apparently Tuenti.com is a social net with an emoticon on his log, what gives it an attractive air, but there must be more because most of university students use it as much as the e-mail to contact between them. On 2006, exactly on January Tuenti’s first version was set up. The only way to get into Tuenti is to get an invitation from someone who is already in.

On Tuenti you canshare photos with your fiends, label them into photos and leave commentaries into them. It is an easy way to show to your friens photos of the last trip without being with a CD, or another phisical support. Now there is a possibility to put videos from YouTuBe

It is difficult to know how they are getting financing, because from Tuenti they insist that the initial inversion was a friends&family, convincing friends and family to invert on it. They don’t say how many people are logged up on Tuenti this days but it is calculated that there are more or less three million people.

It was difficult for them to make up a name for Tuenti. They though hundreds of names until they found what they had been looking for. Finally they decided that Tuenti was the best name because it was supposed to be a Net for people in the twenty’s and attending classes in the University. But nowadays you can find any kind of people there from students in the high school until bank managers. It seems to be an Intranet.

Tuenti’s proposal is to update the people about their friends, family, class or workmates or even the acquaintances. With that proposal they have created a system what reflects all the relationships that we have in the real world. tuenti has beaten facebook in Spanish level.  The new development of Tuenti is the mobile version for mobile phones which is specially popular on weekend as a survey in Nielsen Online.

 

Bibliography:

 

• Tuenti. (2008, 21) de octubre. Wikipedia, La enciclopedia libre. Fecha de consulta: 21:20, octubre 25, 2008 from http://es.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tuenti&oldid=21141236.
• Tuenti. Fecha de consulta: 25/10/2008 23:36 from http://www.tuenti.com/#m=somos
• Facebook y Tuenti: la batalla por el liderazgo. (2008 October 1) From El pais.com Retrieved 25/10/2008 23:15 from http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internet/Facebook/Tuenti/batalla/liderazgo/elpeputec/20081001elpepunet_1/Tes

 

Wikipedia

The famous logo of wikipedia

 

 

Larry Sanger - Wikipedia creator

Wikipedia is a free, multilingual encyclopedia project operated by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its name is a union of the words wiki (a technology for creating collaborative websites) and encyclopedia. Wikipedia’s 10 million articles, about a quarter of which are in English, have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world, and almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone who can access the Wikipedia website. Everyone can edit or make an article for the Wikipedia of any topic you can imagine (that may be difficult because Wikipedia has articles of the weirdest topics you can imagine). Launched in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, it is currently the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet. From 2001 until 2008 Wikipedia has been translated to more than 150 languages from all around the world including Chinese and even Swahili.

 

Jimmy Wales - Wikipedia creator

 

Wikipedia is among the ten most visited websites world-wide. Of the top ten, Wikipedia is the only non-profit website. The growth of Wikipedia has been fueled by its dominant position in Google search results; about 50% of search engine traffic to Wikipedia comes from Google, a good portion of which is related to academic research.Wikipedia is not only used by students, The Parliament of Canada, The World Intellectual Property Organization, even the U.S.A. Intelligence Agency have consulted it. Some freelance journalists have used it as a way to start their jobs. The uses of Wikipedia are unimaginable, The Washington Post reported that Wikipedia had become a focal point in the 2008 election campaign, saying, “Type a candidate’s name into Google, and among the first results is a Wikipedia page, making those entries arguably as important as any ad in defining a candidate. Already, the presidential entries are being edited, dissected and debated countless times each day.”

Wikipedia has also spawned several sister projects.

· Wiktionary, a dictionary project, was launched in December 2002.

· Wikiquote, a collection of quotations, a week after Wikimedia launched.

· Wikibooks, a collection of collaboratively written free books.

· Wikiversity, a project for the creation of free learning materials and the provision of online learning activities.

Wikipedia is more than an ordinary encyclopedia. As said before, Wikipedia is from everyone to everyone. The collaboration of people who can live next to you make Wikipedia useful for everybody, so if anybody knows more than Wikipedia, why not complete it?

 

References

• Wikipedia. (2008, October 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:22, October 17, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia&oldid=245844888
• Jimmy Wales. (2009, January 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:33, January 23, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jimmy_Wales&oldid=265423429
• Larry Sanger. (2009, January 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:34, January 23, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Larry_Sanger&oldid=265854290
  

Note: This post has been updated for several changes 11:37. 23 January 2009