Module 3 - FTP

I used Filezilla to upload my sample HTML page onto the student web space in OASIS. This was not exactly as the help instructions directed but close enough for me to figure it out. Anyway the files transferred successfully but then I was at a loss to locate them using a browser. The help page said the location would be http://student.curtin.edu.au/~14083066 but that didn't seem to work.
Then I read that the page can only be viewed on campus and that if I want to view it remotely I have to install a VPN client. Not knowing what this was I looked it up and found that it is software that allows secure connectivity to a private network. So here goes...

No luck with the VPN client. I downloaded it but it slowed down my system incredibly so I deleted the software. I guess I'll just have to take filezilla's word that it's there.

Module 3 - Legal Issues

It was interesting to read in Copyright Website about the differences between Copyright, Trademarks and Patents and what each of them protect. The what, how and whys of copyrights are all addressed in the US legal framework but I wonder if Australian law is the same?

Sounds as thought pretty much anything on the Net is available to be copyright and the copyright process is relatively simple but it sounds to me that it does require the author to actively state the work is copyright and go through a bit of form filling. Otherwise the work falls into the public domain. Obviously if one is in the business of creative expression, be it a journalist, scriptwriter, academic etc, it makes sense to protect your work with copyright but would you bother with something like a blog? Indeed, could I copyright this blog if I thought it worthwhile (which I don't)?

The litigation in this area sounds like a minefield but is interesting seeing how the limits of copyright infringement have been tested. Especially with sites like YouTube and Music sharing.

Anyway, in response to the questions:

• Have I used images or words on my web page or website that contravene copyright laws?

I don't believe I have. The images are my own and the text also my own although I do need to include a complete list of references.

• Would you be in breach of copyright if you put the Curtin logo at the top of your web page for an assignment? This information may be difficult to find so be prepared for a search and some independent thought!

Well, copyright protects expression and graphic art is included in that. However, it does not protect names. So in the case of the Curtin logo which consists of the name and the graphic shield, one would assume this is not protected by Copyright but rather by trademark. The shield design may be available to be copyright on it's own but the trademark would cover both.

I searched the Curtin website and there is a policy of use of the logo. It defines the logo as follows:

Logo means the registered trademark of Curtin University of Technology. This
incorporates the shield, the word “Curtin” and the descriptor “University of Technology”. (Curtin Policies and Procedures http://policies.curtin.edu.au/policies/az_index.cfm)

It also states that the logo is an unalterable registered trademark.

So, I believe the use of the logo is not a breach of copyright but rather a breach of trademark which could be actioned by the University should they wish.

Module 3 - Optional Standards Task 2 - Validation

As I have used the W3C validator page before, I wanted to have another go so I took this newly created page and ran it through. Initially I got some ridiculously high number of errors because I got the DOCTYPE declaration wrong and even when I fixed that up still came back with over 50 errors! My choice of encoding (which I'm a bit fuzzy about) was UTF-8 which came back with a warning so I might avoid that one in future.

Over the next half an hour, I managed to fix them all up. Most were sloppy coding like missing semi-colons or finishing tags which interestingly didn't stop it displaying correctly by Firefox. So it would appear that most of the errors are just XHTML being pedantic. I have to say, it would be helpful if Notebook or some other text editor would tell you this as you go. Although some errors took longer than others to correct, I eventually I ended up with one of these:

I think this quality assurance in Web design is important however most sites already in the WWW would not be up to scratch and may never. Browsers still therefore have to support these so I wonder if this move to XHTML and CSS is going to be a very long road to consistent and flexible designed pages with features and characteristics that are supported by all browsers.

Module 3 - HTML Web page

In addition to this unit, I am also studying NED11 where we are learning HTML and CSS so I was able to start this exercise with at least some knowledge base (for a change!). I've also been playing around with my new photoshop package so I was keen to use one of my photos in some way.
I managed to produce a page using just HTML at this stage. I'm still taking baby steps with CSS so I might add some later.

There are so many tutorials online and I went through the one recommended in the text but there are others I have used in NED11 which I prefer, particularly the W3Schools tutorials. I also heavily rely on my Castro (2007). The reason is that I am trying to discipline myself to use XHTML which is stricter with its syntax.

I can see how blogging sites are so popular as they negate the need to know all this programming stuff which makes them accessible to everyone. But there is something rewarding about building something from nothing even if the result isn't as pretty as a preformatted, computer generated blog site. The knowledge of HTML tags and attributes appeals to my sense of curiosity of "how do they do that?" Once I have that knowledge, I can use it to create something unique and new, which I find enormously satisfying.

Module 2 - Chat

I set myself up in ICQ today and after a lot of fumbling around trying to understand how this whole chat thing works (can you tell I've never used it before?), added a number of other students into my contacts list. Almost immediately, Peter Drewer contacted me and we had a pleasant discussion and I had further instruction on how to do things in ICQ. I will join in on Friday morning on an already established group chat with Peter and two other students.

Even with just two of us, occasionally our messages crossed fire. I can see how if too many people are engaged in one chat, it could become a bit unwieldy.

Update:
After establishing myself in ICQ, and chatted to a few fellow students, I have discovered an aversion to changing my status to "online". I feel as though I'm asking someone to contact me when in fact I'm not. I much prefer e-mail as it feels less intrusive. I respond to e-mail when it is convenient to me however the chat is like the phone, I must stop what I am doing and answer it immediately. Like the phone, I could ignore it but those little alerts and pop-ups are like a blinking light on your answering machine.
Maybe I'm a product of my generation, but I can't see myself using ICQ beyond this unit.

Module 2 - Newsgroups

Well, another new experience in NET11!

• "One source of both information and communication is newsgroups. A newsgroup is a continuous public discussion about a particular topic. You can join a newsgroup at any time to become part of a huge conversation between hundreds or even thousands of people." From How Stuff Works http://computer.howstuffworks.com/newsgroup.htm (accessed 3/4/2008).

The screen asking me for the name of the news server had me stumped momentarily until I thought to visit the Bigpond website. A search of newsgroups took me straight to FAQ page with the name of the server - easy. What wasn't easy was finding something of interest to me and sifting through all of the spam to find a newsgroup that had some worthwhile content.

What took me by surprise though is how Outlook Express changed. I somehow thought I would be directed to a web page with all the news topics but it is all controlled though my e-mail browser.
Anyway, found a fitness group and posted a question.