Digital Skills & Stuff

 For today’s society, a life without internet is nearly impossible to imagine. From home, schools, local cafes, malls, and even public transportation — wireless internet is available almost anywhere you go. The reality, however, is that millions of people around the globe do not have access to the web — let alone a device that allows them to do so. Yes, you heard me right folks. At this very moment, there are walking, living, breathing human beings who go through their every day lives disconnected from the online world. How are they any different from us you might ask? Well, for starters - they interact with each other…face-to-face. All the time. 

(Source) Although it is, in fact, possible to function in society without the use of digital devices —there is no denying its ability to heighten ones overall capabilities. With the help of the internet, the ability to learn, communicate, and obtain information has never been easier. Just like how having access to any other resource would, it can improve ones quality of life. In the instances that this resource is scarce, this is described as the digital divide. According to Maria Skaletsky, “The Digital Divide can be defined as an inequality in access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT), such as personal computers, Internet and mobile phones (Norris, 2001)… At the global level, the problem of the Digital Divide is important since access to ICTs is an important tool for social development and economic prosperity (Sciadas, 2005).” (p. 1) Despite the continuous advances of todays day and age, however, there remains segments of people who 
have never been exposed to the internet .

(Source) Who is missing from the web? 
Continuing on this notion of a global divide, for those living in developing countries, the gap is especially prevalent. More often than not, these individuals are living in remote areas where they do not have the resources or funding to acquire such technology. As a result, they are left at a disadvantage compared to their developed counterparts. In a documentary titled “Black Girl Code”, the film reveals the reality of the underrepresentation of black girls and people of colour alike in the technological field. This is only one of the many examples of this absence.  So, how can we bridge the gap?

(Source) The first step is acknowledging that this is a problem that exists. This requires increasing awareness globally about the issue at hand, and supporting the initiatives that present us with various solutions. Some of these include: 

XO laptop — One Laptop per Child
 Just like the name suggests, XO laptop is an initiative that works towards providing all children in developing countries with a learning device that has been tailored specifically to their learning needs, and also to the environment around them. Through donations, the foundation is able to provide kids in schools with laptops to enhance the overall education experience.


“internet.org” In an attempt to provide global internet access to the 5 billion who are not online, internet.org is Zuckerberg’s vision to unite those missing from the internet. By using Facebook as its platform, the initiative seeks to encompass an all-in-one program that includes everyday applications such as news and health. Through its use, the initiative hopes to improve the lives of these individuals in ways big and small. 

Who benefits? Simply put - everyone benefits. For those in disparate areas, the internet not only act as a resource, but provides each person with a voice to express their thoughts, ideas, and obtain an immeasurable amount of knowledge regardless of their living situation. This opens up opportunity for increased creativity and communication, which can be especially useful when it comes to determining solutions to problems, or working together to come up with new initiatives. Will reducing this divide be an easy task? Of course not. But it will be worth it.

Whether it is at work, school, or simply the dinner table - manners are something we have all been taught to use. So why should it be any different in the online world? To decipher whether or not your online behaviour is appropriate, here are some basic rules to follow:

1. Avoid oversharing This is something many of us have been guilty of at one point of our social media lives. Today’s technology has equipped users with then ability to exercise ones freedom of expression at any given place and time. Being behind a screen, however, can often cause individuals to share recklessly. For example, if you would not tell a stranger on the streets about how your boyfriend cheated on you with your best friend, why post about it in explicit detail online? Do yourself a favour by keeping the online spectators out of your business, and sparing yourself that future post-and-delete session.

2. Be selective with content For those who are trying to build their own personal brand, digital technology provides users with an abundance of tools and resources to do so. Whether you are a marketer or just use it for fun, social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, have allowed individuals to create a polished version of themselves for the world to see. Of course - this also has its own drawbacks with questions of authenticity, but nevertheless, it is a powerful method of communication when used strategically.  3. Limit post frequency No one needs to know where you are, what you are doing, eating, etc. at any given moment, and the truth is - it can get annoying. From a marketing perspective, keeping your audience captivated and interested means posting content when it is fitting, and not all the time. Being flooded with ads, emails, etc. is something nobody wants, and often takes away from the desired reaction. The same goes for general social media use. Individuals want to view a variety of content from those they follow, and cannot do so if you are tweeting every 10 seconds.

4. Respect others Have you ever heard of the saying “Talk about what you love and keep quiet about what you don’t”? Well, the same applies online. It should be common sense, yet digital technology today has given users a false sense of superiority and anonymity to say things that would not normally be said in a real life setting. Unnecessarily rude, mean, insulting comments have no place on the internet. In short - be nice. If you do not like something you see, you are one click away from that block, unfriend, or unfollow button.

5. Privacy matters Continuing on the notion of respect, the concept of netiquette also involves respecting the privacy of others. Though the web is very much a public space for users, it does not give you the right to, for example, harass another person into sending you photos, his or her number, or accepting your friend request. Privacy is also a huge issue for online marketers. 
“On the internet, a variety of information is available not just on those who register, shop and use credit cards, but also on those who just surf ([5] Caudill and Murphy, 2000).” (


Wirtz, J., Lwin, M. O., & Williams, J. D. (2007)). Data collectors must be wary of the means in which this information is attained, and ensure that it respects the desire for confidentiality by the user.

  6. Adjust for formality 
 The way you talk to your professor would not be the same way you would talk to a friend. 
As a result, your writing style and the type of posts put out should be tailored accordingly. This is especially important when it comes to things such as emails or public profiles. Ensuring that proper grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. does not get lost in everyday abbreviations is key to success when it comes to networking with professionals, employers, and the sort. In contrast, if your aim is to be funny or relatable, you might want to do the opposite. This day and age’s online culture has little concern for the “correctness” of things, but rather, how funny they are.

*cue soundtrack* From DSLR’s to the camera’s on our mobile phones, the photography devices that we know today have come a long way from where they were many years ago. Fortunately, with the help of technological advancements, the world of photography has been able to realize huge leaps. Let’s rewind a bit shall we? In 1923, this marked the earliest known invention of the instant camera by Samuel Shlafrock. This invention, however was not commercialized till around 1948 by a man of the name Edwin Land. The model 95 Land Camera, (later renamed to the Polaroid Camera) consisted of self-developing film where users were able to print their photos in real time, at the touch of a button. (Well...not exactly)

The Development Process Developing instant film was not the most flawless process. Unlike the modern Polaroids sold on the market today, a fair amount of manual work had to be done in order to obtain quality results. These cameras required the shooter to flip a switch and pull “the large tab in the back of the camera to pull the negative over the positive, through some rollers to spread the developing agent. After the picture developed inside the camera for the required time, the photographer opened the small door in the camera back and peeled the positive from the negative.” (Source). It was not until the introduction of integral film in 1972, that this process became automated in the camera itself.

(Source) Product Lifecycle At the beginning stages of its introduction, instant film cameras saw a significant amount of success in its popularity amongst consumers. “The physicality of the Polaroid photo, combined with ability to produce it almost instantly, transforms it from merely a photograph, into a sort of instant source of entertainment, amusement and play.” (Source). It is to no surprise then, that its demand was very high.

As time progressed and the development of camera functionalities continued, Polaroid began to take a hit from the increasing digitization occurring in society. "With the creation of digital photography, and the increasing popularity of photo viewing and sharing via the computer and Internet, most of Polaroid's consumer based...left the Polaroid behind for the even more instant device, the digital camera." (Source) This shift from physical to digital allowed individuals alternative, more efficient methods of storage - turning the idea of hardcopy photos into one that was less appealing.

(Source) Today, the Polaroid still exists on the market. In fact, there are quite a few distributors who carry the camera along with accessories tailored especially for it (Ex: packs of decorated film, photo albums etc) . I would argue that its use has actually picked up amongst consumers - particularly millennials, who have upheld the interest in instant photography and the sentimental value it imparts.

New to EID100? Here is a comprehensive beginner’s guide to help you succeed in the course!



Crafting Blog Posts

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Throughout the semester you will be blogging about different topics that pertain to what is being taught in the course. Now, this is not your standard writing assignment - after all, this is a digital skills course. In addition to being informative and grammatically correct, blog posts should be fun and interesting. Be prepared to incorporate videos, gifs, memes…and did I mention memes? Oh, and another important tip: don’t forget to cite your sources! 

Once you have completed and published your entry, you are now ready to share it with your peers. On twitter, create a tweet which includes a hashtag of the Module number, a link to the post, and be sure to tag @EID100_RU to get your completion marks.




Effective Note Taking

(Source) The way people take notes differs for everyone. Whether you use a laptop or the traditional paper and pen to take down information, the following tips will apply in both cases. 

First and foremost, make an effort to pay attention. Yes, I am referring to you sleepyhead in the back… I see you dozing off. (Just kidding). While it is not always possible to avoid coming to class tired, there are some things you can do to stay alert. These include…


Avoiding distractions
 Whether it is your phone, social media sites on your computer, or anything else, do not engage in it. It is so easy to miss things your professor is saying when other things are occupying your mind. In addition, you are likely distracting other students in the class as well. Not very productive! 


Listening with intent
 When your professor is talking about one slide for an extended period of time, chances are, it is important. And when it is important, it is likely going to be something that you will be tested on. So be alert! The professor may also even hint at this, or explicitly tell you. So when you hear the words “know this for the exam”, write that information down like it is a reflex.


Short and sweet
 In addition, an important part of effective note taking is keeping things visually pleasing. By this, I mean keeping things organized in a manner that does not overwhelm you when you look at it. Short and sweet is often the way to go. I recommend using bullet points, visuals, or simple charts to structure information on your page. After all, writing down every single thing word for word is just not efficient - and let’s face it, who wants to read all of that?



Studying for the Exam 

With effective notes, this should come easy. However, in addition to your notes, online participation is also very useful. Interacting with your peers by answering and asking your own questions is a great way to create discussion. In addition, it also gives you the opportunity to learn something new and even help someone understand a concept. 

Another tip I recommend is to look over your Teaching Advisor’s notes. For each lecture, there will be a set of notes available on your Ryerson Google Drive. These are particularly valuable for filling missing gaps of information that you may have in your own.

Social media, in today’s modern era, is viewed as a means of self-expression. For some, this may take place in the form of thoughts and opinions, and for others - well...memes. If you are not already familiar with it, a “meme” is a term that has be coined by those familiar with today’s internet culture. To state it plainly - the creation of a meme involves taking a photo out of it’s original context, and framing it in such a way that is comedic, often relatable, and almost always has nothing to do with it’s actual background. “Limor Schifman defines them as "cultural information that passes along from person to person, yet gradually scales into a shared social phenomenon"” (Marwick, 2013, p.12) Memes are very much like inside jokes - except in this case, it is one which takes place between an entirety of users on the world wide web.

Origin & Context This image originates from a tweet posted by child star Skai Jackson before her appearance on Good Day New York. For those viewing the image above for the first time, it should appear to be just another photo of a young lady looking poised and capturing the moment. If something other than this came to mind -  then you are likely part of the like-minded crowd who can make a joke out of anything. (Don’t worry, you’re not the only one.)

(Source) The transition from a simple photo into a susceptible-to-all-kinds-of-memeing opportunities one began when a user “tweeted [out] the photo with a captioned imaginary conversation between a boyfriend and girlfriend” (Source)

(Source) After this went viral, people began to become more and more creative attaching their own captions to the photo, which often presented Skai being the epitome of pettiness, and the perfect model of masking of emotions in various social situations. In another case, it was even combined with memes embodying the same (petty) category to create an entirely new meme featured below.

(Source) According to Google Trends, usage of this meme saw it’s highest peak in popularity in early May, with continued but decreasing use there on after. Today, there still remains are an endless number of scenarios where use of this meme would be deemed fitting. Luckily for Jackson, it seems these days are coming to a steady halt. With new photos surfacing on the web everyday, the creation of new memes that will garner more attention is inevitable.

Who knows? Maybe you could even end up being one of them.

The web is a resource containing vast amounts of information. When you want to know or find something, a simple google search usually does the trick. But what happens when you cannot locate what you are looking for? Although this is a rare case, it does happen. What many people are not aware of, is that there is a whole other world concealed from the face of the internet that we are not exposed to. This is called the Deep Web. 

 “According to recent studies on the size and scope of the Web, it’s estimated that the “hidden Web” far outnumbers the visible Web. One study estimates that there are 550 billion documents housed on Web pages contained in more than 100,000 deep Web sites. Another study found that general-purpose search engines only uncover a fraction of what is available on the Web.” (Noack). So what is the purpose of all this information if we cannot access it? Well the truth is we can. It just takes a little effort and knowledge to do so.
 Although the invisible web can be leveraged for positive use, there is a large area in which this is not the case. Legal Implications 

The Deep Web is largely known for its ability to provide a platform of anonymity for its users. “Tor is a useful privacy tool designed to keep the users’ identities, locations, and browsing habits anonymous (Dredge, 2013).” (Beverly, 2014, p.1) Though the power to protect ones identity can come with its own advantages, this is often the cause for several legal implications. The tendency for people to act in a malicious manner increases significantly when they are behind a screen. It is to no surprise then that the invisible web is largely known for its harbouring of socially inappropriate content.



(Source) To a more serious degree, it is also used to commit criminal acts. Some examples include:



1) Buying/Selling of Drugs 
   Because of the lack of restriction, the Deep Web is also home to many underground drug markets. Beverly (2014) calls this The Silk Road, “where people could buy anything anonymously, with no trail to lead back to them (Kushner, 2014).”



2) Identity Theft
   Have you ever wondered why it is so difficult to track down the hackers who steal personal information? Part of this may be due to the fact that this is done through the Deep Web. According to Beverly (2014) “An identity theft service called SSNDOB sells social security numbers, birth control records, credit and background checks on millions of American citizens. They market themselves on the Deep Web as both reliable and affordable” (p.6) 



(Source) Managing Online Crime  So how do we stop this crime when it is happening right under our noses? "There are several laws already on the books in the United States to protect citizens and punish those misuing their computers for nefarious purposes. These laws range from privacy laws to anti-fraud laws to laws protecting children from exploitation." (Beverly, 2014, p.19) Moreover, the government is also doing its part by participating in undercover investigations in which they work to track down individuals who are flagged for their suspicious activity online.


(Source) As a society, there is still a lot more to be learned about the Deep Web. Increasing awareness about how it can be used in a productive and healthy manner is a start. The Deep Web does not always have to be the dark web. Be mindful, and browse safely. Johnson, B. (2014). The advantages and disadvantages of the deep web, tor network, virtual currencies and the regulatory challenges thereof (Order No. 1571522). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1645951956). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1645951956?accountid=13631


The cloud. No, I am not referring to the one floating in the sky - although the two do in fact share many commonalities. The cloud I am talking about is one that has to do with the storage of data. Still don’t know what I am talking about? Let’s get more into depth.

(Source) The analogy of the cloud, or “cloud vision” as one would call it, refers to the concept of a more efficient and effective method of data storage. The way this works begins with redundancy. Redundancy involves implementing multiple backup servers should there be any failures with power supply or the system itself. Kind of like a safety net. Next, we have virtualization. Typically, when an operating system fails, individuals are left unable to access the application until the problem is fixed from the source. With virtualization, however, the system itself can simply shift to one of the readily available backup servers. In turn, users can avoid lost productivity from the wait time to get online again.
 Lastly, there is middleware. Essentially, middleware is software responsible for the transition of data between applications that would normally be separate. Sort of like a technical adhesive. 

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Cloud vision is innovation at its finest. Not only is it convenient, flexible, and cost-effective, but it also encourages creativity and civic value. But like with every great idea, we must also consider its drawbacks. 


Some disadvantages of the cloud include:

Issues with legacy software 
Imagine paying for a storage space for your belongings every month - but there is a catch. You will eventually be unable to access these things because you will lose the key to the lock. So what do you do? 

In this scenario, you have two options:
 (1) to completely abandon your items or 
(2) find an alternative way to open the door. 

 The first decision to abandon all your stuff represents the difficulty 
faced by legacy systems each time new technology, like the cloud, is introduced. Similar to how sentimental feelings attached to belongings would make them hard to let go of, to many businesses, these old systems “still provide important value by performing crucial work for their organizations, and usually they represent a significant investment and years of accumulated experience and knowledge [Bat98].” (Wu, p.4)  As a result, refusing to forgo old ways means having to deal with the expenses associated with the upkeep of the storage unit - in this case the legacy system.



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Keeping the system
 Should a business decide to continue using the legacy system, several courses of action can be taken. According to Lei Wu, the most ideal method entails “migrating legacy systems towards object technology…This strategy focuses on leveraging existing legacy software assets while minimizing the risks involved in re-implementing large-scale mission-critical legacy applications [Uma97].” (Wu, p.2)


Issues with intellectual property
 The cloud is something that is not only accessible to the individual, but the public as a whole. This is something that poses risks in terms of intellectual property - or who has ownership over what. When ideas, data, and information are compiled into one collaborative platform, several security protocols must be put into place to ensure that what is meant to be confidential stays confidential. This is where things such as encryption and authentication play a huge role. ___________________________________________________________

Now that you have a better idea of the cloud, here are a few examples of some cloud based services that may be familiar to you:



Gmail  — a platform that combines almost every emailing service into one platform for users to access regardless of which one they use. Since its production, it has eliminated the need for separate emailing applications on the phone or computer. 

 Drop Box — a cloud storage platform that allows users to upload a variety of files (i.e., documents, photos, videos etc.) and sync them on any device. Unlike traditional storage methods, it eliminates the risk of all your data being lost should you ever lose the device itself.

 Google Docs — I’m sure we have all experienced the struggle of group projects. With conflicting schedules, setting up a time to collectively meet can be a nightmare. Google Docs, like many of the available collaborative platforms online, provides an alternative that defies time or location restraints, where users can work ‘together’ in real-time. 

All in all, the cloud foreshadows a vision for the future of technology - one that is simpler, cleaner in design, and changes the way we do things for the better. How do you feel about the cloud?