How Computers Work

• Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Processor

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Processor is located inside of the computer case on the motherboard. Its job is to carry out commands and it is sometimes referred to as the brain of the computer. When you press a key, click the mouse or run a program, the command is sent to the CPU. Two well known companies who make this for PC’s are Intel and AMD.
Source: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics/7

• Motherboard or Mainboard

The motherboard is the computer’s main circuit board. It is a thin plate that holds the CPU memory, connectors for the hard drive, expansion cards that control the audio and video and connections to your computer's ports, like the USB port. The motherboard connects to every part of the computer in some way. Two well known companies that manufacture this part for PC’s are Acer and ACube Systems.
Source: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics/7 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_hardware_manufacturers

• Power Supply Unit

The Power Supply Unit in a computer converts the power from the wall outlet into the type of power needed by the computer. It sends power to the motherboard where it can be sent to the other components, either through the motherboard or from the Power Supply Unit. Two companies that make this component for PC’s are Antec and BFG Technologies.
Source: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics/7 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Computer_power_supply_unit_manufacturers

• Random Access Memory (RAM)

RAM if the short-term-memory of a computer’s system. Whenever your computer performs calculations, the data is temporarily stored in the RAM until it is needed. This memory is automatically erased when the computer is turned off. If you’re working on a document, spreadsheet or other type of file, you need to manually save it or it will be lost when your system loses power or is shut off. When you save these files they are moved to the Hard Drive, which acts as a long-term memory for the computer. The more RAM you have, the more things your computer can do at the same time. If you don't have enough RAM, you may notice that your computer is sluggish when you have several programs open. Because of this, many people add extra RAM to their computers. Two manufacturers that create RAM components for computers are ADATA and Lenovo.
Source: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics/7.2 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_hardware_manufacturers

• Hard Drive

The hard drive on your computer is where the software is installed and it is also where your documents and other saved files are stored. The Hard Drive is your system's long-term storage, so whatever is saved to the hard drive is kept even after turning the system off or unplugging it. The faster the Hard Drive is, the faster your computer can start up and load programs. Two manufacturers that create Hard Drives for PC’s are Western Digital and Seagate Technology.
Source: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics/7.2 and http://www.southjerseydata.com/hard-drive-manufacturers.html

• Video Card

A video card is responsible for what you see on your computer’s monitor. Most computers have a GPU (graphics processing unit) built into the motherboard instead of having a separate video card. Some people will add video cards to their computer’s system if they play graphic-intensive games so a more clear image will appear and generally will be more appealing to the user. Two manufacturers that create video cards are Asus and MSI.
Source: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics/7.3 and http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-video-card-manufacturers/computer-hardware?var=2&utm_expid=16418821-179.vk2gM_coRrOMcxn9T2riGQ.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ca%2F

• Sound Card

The sound card, also called an audio card, is responsible for what you hear in the speakers or headphones. Most motherboards have integrated sound, but you can upgrade your system’s sound with a sound card. Two manufacturers that create sound cards are Asus and Diamond Multimedia.
Source: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics/7.3 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_hardware_manufacturers#Sound_cards

• Network Card

A network card allows your computer to communicate over a network and access the Internet. It can either connect with an Ethernet cable or through a wireless connection (often called Wi-Fi). Most motherboards have some sort of built in network connections, and a network card can be added to an expansion slot. Two leading manufacturers that create network cards are Asus and Intel.
Source: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics/7.3 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_hardware_manufacturers#Network_cards_.28NIC.29

Digital Literacy: Tumblr

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/16Pqi8B4HDevLsC7eCpCm3km5w79o0360UhDVseEES-M/pub?w=1456&h=2584

Journal Entry #8: Digital Law

For this assignment, we learned about different laws that are prominent in schools regarding copyright, as well as privacy on the internet and cyberbullying. The part of this assignment that I found most surprising was learning about the different laws that exist when it comes to schools playing music and movies. It was interesting to find out that schools are not allowed to just play any songs they want at certain times and they actually should have a licence! I found this very interesting because I was curious if our school had any kind of licence or not, but it was a very interesting topic to learn about in general because a lot of the rules seem ridiculous but with an explanation and more research, they kind of make sense and I understand why schools probably shouldn't just play any music at any time and at any event they want to. The most confusing part of this assignment was also the most interesting, which is the music licence that a lot of schools in Canada need to play music. This was confusing to me because many of the rules seemed far-fetched and it wasn't established just how important this licence is, so I was confused if it is badly illegal if a school plays copyrighted music whenever they want or is it just kind of illegal? The manual Copyright Matters is is very helpful! I learned a ton of stuff that I probably would have never known about copyright rules and I can see myself being far more careful in the future when I need to be cautious of copyright laws. I think it is a very useful resource for students who want to know more about copyright laws and issues because I learned a lot in no time at all and it can be used as a very reliable source for emergencies, like if a student wants to enter art into a competition they can look up the rules in that manual, and same with schools regarding music copyrights! Personally, I don't find NeedHelpNow.com to be very helpful for all that it states. If I needed help with bullying or something I would never go to that website just because it is quite useless to me. When I need help with a situation like that I need very specific help from certain people, not a website, but that is just my opinion. However, I do think it is a good resource of information! It gives a lot of really good information on how to get intimate images that have been leaked of you down from the internet, and it also educates young people about the warning signs that mental help might be needed by your friends regarding what they post on social media, so it is always important to pay attention!

I think that the biggest issue for young people when it comes to copyright is that they don't know enough about it, and don't care enough to learn more. I have witnessed so many artists get their art stolen or reposted without proper sourcing and when the person who stole it is confronted they always use the same excuse that "it is not illegal" but it is! Stealing any images from the internet or other internet users' photography, art or music. So, I think that young people should be willing to research copyright laws themselves or have to be taught them before using certain websites or making presentations in school.

I think that the biggest issue for young people regarding cyberbullying and privacy is that they don't know all of the laws and they don't take it seriously enough. I have known a lot of people, boys and girls, who have taken sexual pictures of themselves and sent them to only one person but in no time others have seen them and they wonder why. It's very upsetting that this ever happens to anyone but the people who take them are usually underage and they don't know that even when they take the picture it's against the law. Being in possession of and participating in the distribution of child pornography is all illegal! So just don't do it, wait for like, three years and you're set you can do whatever you want. Also, when it comes to cyberbullying it's the same thing. Too many young people don't know enough about what can affect certain people and maybe if it was the other way around and the things said by the bully were said by someone else to them, they wouldn't care, which is the only thought that a lot of bullies put into it before they do it. Which is where the problems begin. The people who choose to cyberbully don't know the mental boundaries of their victims and if they say one thing that triggers that person to commit suicide, they can get in serious trouble and they deserve to. Young people who misbehave like this on the internet have no idea what they are doing half of the time and should be ignored at all costs. 

Assignment #2: Cyberbullying and Privacy

Visit the site's page on "The Law and Reporting." What are two actions that can violate someone's privacy?

Two actions that can violate someone’s privacy are:

1. Non-consensual Distribution of an Intimate Image - If someone has a sexual/intimate photo or video of you that was made in private circumstances, and that person knowingly posts it online or shares it with someone else, knowing that you haven’t given consent or knows that you wouldn’t, that person can be charged.
2. Voyeurism - secretly observing or recording a person who reasonably believes their actions are private and:

• who is in a place where the person might be expected to change or remove clothing 
• who is all or partially naked or engaged in sexual activity at the time; or
• where the recording is done for sexual reasons.

2. There are four other sections on this page about laws in Canada. Identify two of them and provide one example from each section that would be considered an unlawful act. 

Child pornography - (sexually suggestive images or videos of someone who is under the age of 18) is illegal in Canada. It is illegal to view, keep, send, post, or take such pictures or videos.

Online Luring - A situation where one person communicates with a young person through technology (like texting) to make it easier to commit a specific sexual offence against that young person. An example of online luring is if the person asks, hints at or tries to convince the young person to create or send naked or semi-naked sexual pictures or videos.


3. Cite three examples on how you can report a potential crime.

Three ways that you can report a potential crime are:

1. Police - search online for the agency responsible in your area, or call the detachment, let them know your age and what has happened.
2. Cybertip.ca - You can go online to their website and tell them about your concern, or you can call their toll-free line at (1-866-658-9022)
3. Speak to a safe adult - such as a parent, teacher, or school counsellor for advice.

4. At the NeedHelpNow.com main page, there are eight sections (Learn More About...). Select two of them (we just explored "The Law and Reporting") and in a small paragraph provide some information about each section. Consider information that you think is helpful or you did not know about. The section on "Removing Pictures/Videos" is a very good resource.
Removing Pictures/Videos
This section helps work to get pictures of you, usually intimate or sexual images that you did not consent to have shared, taken from the internet. In the system to get these images taken down, it is very important that you state if you are under the age of 18 and have proof that you are the person in the picture. If you are an adult, it may take longer to get the images taken down because there is a bigger issue regarding child pornography rather than pornography featuring legal adults.

Helping A Friend
This section is important because it teaches young people how to recognize the warning signs that their friend could be in danger regarding the internet. Some of these signs to pay attention to are to be cautious of what the person is posting, for example, if they are posting a lot of messages that are about them putting themselves in danger, that can be a sign that you should help. 

5. Visit the site's page on #ChangeTheStory. Scroll down and watch the three short videos. Provide one thing that you found interesting about one of the videos.

Don’t Let Others Write Your Story

I found the part of this video where she said that the people who bullied her were the ones to write her story the most interesting because I don’t think that is the case. I know the story of this certain girl and her story is told by other people mostly, but I feel like it has gotten such serious attention that her bullies have given up on receiving the attention and writing her story and at this point it is mostly her friends.

Manifesto

I found the part of this video where the girl started posting the depressing pictures of herself on Instagram most interesting. At first I thought that it was just kind of ridiculous and that no one would seek that much attention if they were seriously upset or had risky mental health, but I have actually seen this done before. I hate it when people do it and it’s distracting to me but not in a good way. If someone has the nerve to be an attention seeker by posting how miserable they are all the time on social media without ever asking someone they’re close with for help I couldn’t care less. If they can tell the world they can ask a friend. Personally, I never ask anyone for help with any problems I have but that’s just because I feel like I am the most annoying person ever, but I don’t post pictures of myself being a miserable attention seeker for the validation of others. So, I have zero sympathy for these people. 

Change Messages of Hate to Hope

I personally don’t like this video. It sucks that her daughter died obviously and I feel really bad for her because of that but I think that more should be put into making a change rather than just posting about hope and sending prayers. That won’t stop anything. They could do charity events to help support the family or anything else honestly. They can make these posts all they want and it will be great and all but I just think more should be done, and maybe there is more, but it was not mentioned in this video. 

6. What is one way you could help promote the #ChangeTheStory campaign?

One way that you can help promote #ChangeTheStory is to share your own images with the hashtag #ChangeTheStory and share the videos videos associated with the program.

Assignment #1: Copyright and Copy-wrong

1. For which purposes does "Fair Dealings" protect a person when using others' materials? (pg. 2 top)

Fair Dealings protects a person for the purpose of research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, education, satire, and parody

2. How much of another's work can be copied under fair dealings? (pg. 3 top)

A short excerpt of someone’s work can be copied. This includes 10% of a copyright-protected work, one chapter from a book, a single article from a periodical, an entire artistic work from a copyright-protected work containing other artistic works, an entire newspaper article or page, an entire entry from an encyclopedia.

3. Can you share 10% then another 10% then another 10% of the same work.........Explain? (pg. 3 mid)

No, you can’t copy multiple sections of the same work that appear to “technically” fall under the fair dealings law because copying or communicating multiple short excerpts from the same copyright-protected work with the intention of copying or communicating substantially the entire work is prohibited.

4. Can a fee be charged by a place when providing other's copyrighted work without permission? (pg. 3 bottom)

Yes, but any fee charged by the educational institution for communicating or copying a short excerpt from a copyright protected work must be intended to cover only the costs of the institution, including overhead costs.

5. Can teachers copy and use other's work for the purpose of teaching and tests? (pg. 4)

Yes, a teacher can copy (or take any other necessary action) in order to display a work protected by copyright.

6. Can a school make a large print book for a student with vision problems without permission? (pg. 5 bottom)

Educational institutions may not make a large-print book for a student with a perceptual disability without permission from the copyright owner. Students with learning disabilities are provided with alternative formats through production centres across Canada like audiobooks, braille and e-text.

7. Can teachers and students use audio or video for school projects at school? If so what are the rules? (pg. 7)

Yes, you can play sound recordings in the classroom, subject to the following conditions:

• it must take place on the premises of an educational institution
• it must be for educational or training purposes
• it must not be for profit
• it must take place before an audience consisting primarily of students of the educational institution, persons acting under its authority, or any person who is directly responsible for setting a curriculum for the educational institution
• it must not involve a “motive of gain.“

8. Can students at school preform a play or play music that is copyrighted? Explain. (pg. 8-9)

No. Copying an entire musical score that is not in a copyright protected work containing other musical scores is not permitted. Permission must be obtained from the music publisher, which is sometimes stated on the sheet music purchased, if not however, it must be given from the publisher.

9. Can schools legally play music at their own dances and sporting events without getting permission from SOCAN? Explain. (pg. 10 bottom)

Uses of live and recorded music in schools are not permitted by the Copyright Act and therefore require permission and payment. These instances include: school dances, school sporting events, while people are on hold on the phone with the school, at an event where the admission is intended to make a profit or on school premises for no other reason than as background music like in the classroom, cafeteria halls, over the PA system, etc. SOCAN can provide licenses to schools and school boards across Canada so they will be allowed to play music in some of these situations!

10. What are the key questions to use when figuring out if video and music use is legal by staff and students? (pg. 11 bottom)

The key questions to use when figuring out if video and music use is legal are:

• Did the music use occur during school hours?
• Will the student be graded on the activity involving the music use?
• Does the music use involve a demonstration by a student or teacher for other students, teachers, assessors, or parents?
• Is it reasonable to consider the music use to be for educational purposes? The phrase “educational purposes” is not defined in the Copyright Act but can be described as an activity that is planned and where the objective is for students to meet one or more subject or program outcomes.
• Was the music used on school premises?
• If admission was controlled, was it free?
• Was the music use for a non-profit purpose?

11. Can students and teachers use other's copyright protected work to create NEW works? If yes, are their rules? (pg. 12)

The Copyright Act contains a users’ right permitting anyone, not just students and teachers, to use copyright-protected works to create new works.

12. Can a teacher or student rent or buy a dvd and show it in class? Explain. (pg. 15 top)

Yes. The Copyright Act permits showing an audiovisual work such as a DVD or video as long as the work is not an infringing copy or the person responsible for the showing has no reasonable grounds to believe it is an infringing copy. Teachers can show audiovisual works purchased or rented from a retail store, a copy borrowed from the library, a copy borrowed from a friend, and a YouTube video

13. Can a teacher or student copy a dvd or show at home and show that in class or school? Explain. (pg. 15 bottom)

No. Teachers cannot copy an audiovisual work at home and then show it in the classroom. Teachers can, however, show a legally obtained copy in the classroom

14. Can the owner of computer software make a copy? Explain. (pg. 17)

Owners of legal copies of computer programs may make a single reproduction of these programs in only two situations:

• An owner of a legitimate copy of a computer program may make one backup copy of that program. The person must be able to prove that the backup copy is erased as soon as he or she ceases to be the owner of the copy of the computer program from which the backup was made.

• An owner of a legitimate copy of a computer program may also make a single copy of that program by adapting, modifying, or converting the computer program or translating it into another computer language, provided that: 

1.  the reproduction is essential for the compatibility of the program with a particular computer
2. the reproduction is solely for the person’s own use 
3. the copy is erased when the person ceases to be the owner of the copy of the program from which the copy was made.

15. Can teachers and students copy from the Internet? Are there rules? (pg. 18)
Yes, educational institutions, teachers, and students may save, download, and share publicly available Internet materials. The only rule is that it has to be publicly available material. This means that the material was posted on-line by content creators and copyright owners without any technological protection measures, such as a password, encryption system, or similar technology intended to limit access or distribution.

16. Are the works you create in school copyright protected? Explain how you feel about this. (pg. 19)
Yes. Any original work created by a student, be it in the form of an essay, a video or DVD, a sound recording, Web site, or art work, is protected. I think that this is actually a very good idea that these projects are protected because in some cases, especially with art, they can be posted to the school’s online website and from there they can be stolen. Most students put a lot of work into their projects and I think they should always be protected by the school.

17. Look at pg. 22 and examine the references given. Make up a FAKE book or story and practice making a reference for the book. Put the author, title, dates etc.... in the right spots. (You are going to try and copy the correct way to reference a book by making up fake info about a fake book and placing it in the right spot.)
Skywalker, L. (1980). Demystifying Copyright: How To: Luke Skywalker - A Written Tutorial on How To Be Perfect. Tatooine Publishing Association. ISBN: 0-0-88802-298-0, $420.00.

Journal Entry #7: Digital Access

For this assignment, we learned about how many small towns are improving their internet speeds and availability themselves by installing their own fibre-optic cables, and how technology could replace the many different ways we store information, for example, hospitals and schools. The most surprising part of this assignment was definitely learning about the installation of fibre-optic cables and how small towns are managing to develop their modern lives on their own! Some small towns even figured out ways to have faster internet speeds than some of the biggest cities in the country. I also found it very interesting that many big cities have very slow internet and if they wanted speeds like the ones in these small towns, it would cost them a fortune, when in the small towns, the prices are very reasonable. I think that everyone should have access to high speed internet because many people use it for their work and when high speeds aren't given, sometimes that work can be messed up or late. Without high speed internet in everyone's houses, many people in that community will probably leave for bigger cities for easier work or just for entertainment purposes. Today, high internet speeds are very appealing, and when people have the right technology but slow internet, they will see no use in living in that area and leave. I don't worry too much about my privacy being invaded when I use the internet because I don't usually use certain websites enough that require personal information. However, I do think of ways that my personal information can be protected whenever I put out any kind of personal information. I don't think too much about what I am posting at this point in time because I personally don't think that it will affect me too much. I want to be a teacher when I am older and I know how to delete the majority of things on the internet of myself that I don't like. Especially this year where I have many changes happening I am going to want to delete a lot of information that is easily retrieved of me. Also, I hate when people say that nothing is ever deleted from the internet because that may be somewhat true, but it doesn't matter unless someone is stalking you or something uncommon like that.

I think that the biggest issue for young people when it comes to digital access and privacy is that the majority of them don't take it seriously enough. Sure, there is a higher chance of your personal information being safe after you share it online, but you shouldn't just give out your information out like it's nothing. For example, if you live in a huge city like LA and you put your address on the internet, chances are someone will show up at your house or stalk you. It's just lucky that we live in such a small area that the chances of this happening are very slim!

Assignment #2: Privacy Please

1. Our medical records should be all digitally stored online for all medical professionals to access within the hospital when needed.

For:
Medical records would be easier to keep track of and could be found by simply typing in the name of someone. It would move the process along faster and keep the records in a trustworthy place. The technological advancements would at hospitals are already very advanced and if records were kept digitally, the chances of them going missing or not being available would be very slim.

Against:
Keeping medical records stored in a computer could be more efficient, but if there is a power outage or something goes wrong within the system, they would not be able to be retrieved. Installing these systems would definitely cost a large amount of money, and that money could be put towards research done by the hospital or to purchase better equipment that is used most often and wears out quickly, like beds.


2. School report cards and daily attendance should be digital and passwords should be issued for parents to log in and check results.

For:
Storing school report cards and daily attendance on a digital system could be the way of the future because it would be far easier for parents to know how their children are doing in school, and the attendance records would have a lower chance of being messed up. Report cards should be some of the safest kept documents by a school and keeping them in a safe digital program could clear up the stress of losing a student's report card forever! Plus, students would be able to see their report cards digitally and wouldn’t be able to lose them.

Against:
Schools should not store report cards and attendance digitally because even though parents would like the idea of being about to see all of their children's marks whenever they want, I personally would hate that and I don't think that this change should be made. Also, records could be lost in the system, even if an employee simply entered a name wrong. It would be a stressful system especially if issues happen in the system and no one’s attendance is marked for those days. Report cards could be lost and attendance could be recorded wrong, which could greatly affect someone’s exam mark!

3. Digital textbooks should replace entirely paper textbooks by 2020 in New Brunswick.

For:
Digital textbooks should replace paper textbooks entirely by the year 2020 because students would have a lower chance of losing their books and it would also be more efficient to carry one small laptop to class rather than five heavy textbooks. This would also be a good change to make because it would benefit the students that take classes online greatly! They would have everything they need for their classes online and on one system, helping with organization and lowering the stress of losing a physical assignment. I personally think that this is a very good idea and if I was taking an online class I would love to store everything on one laptop.

Against:
Schools shouldn’t replace physical textbooks with digital copies by the year 2020 because there are still students that would not be able to afford a proper laptop with that much data to store multiple textbooks and the costs would probably higher for the digital convenience. Also, it would be easier to lose certain documents or forget to save them, which is impossible when it comes to completing assignments as a physical copy. Also, it would be inconvenient to have multiple, long classes throughout the day and have your number one source of information and note taking run out of battery life!

Assignment #1: Fast Internet Speeds In Small Towns

1. How fast are some of the internet connections in rural communities that are mentioned in the article?
This article states, for one small town, that by paying $60.00 (US) a month, you can stream movies in 4K ultra HD, browse the internet on multiple computers at once and use a multitude of apps across multiple smartphones without a minute of slow internet. In another town, the internet is ten times faster than any other in the country, with a population of just 8,500! It’s very impressive for the population of the town and the fact that an area that small has any internet at all.

2.How are these communities getting faster internet speeds than what is even being offered by Canadian Telecom companies like Bell, Rogers or Shaw?
The small communities are getting faster internet speeds than what is being offered by Canadian Telecom companies because, like dozens in the U.S, the small towns and cities are installing their own high-speed fibre-optic cables setting up homes and businesses with the fastest internet offered.

3. Why is the community of Harriston “fortunate” according to Hope Reidt?
The community of Harriston is “fortunate” according to Hope Reidt because “our owners are very forward-thinking, so they’re way ahead of the curve in terms of wanting to provide the best technology available”. Harriston is a farm town with high-speed internet because the homes there started getting fibre-optic cables installed in 2008. A family-owned and run company called Wightman Telecom has since expanded the installment of these fibre-optic cables to a half-dozen other small communities in the area! The article states that customers can get a “100 megabit per second plan for $76 a month, with unlimited usage” which is $9 less than what Rogers chargers for a comparable option in Toronto, a much larger city. It’s roughly the same price that Bell charges for half the speed and a 250 gigabyte usage cap! This community has developed their own way of doing things and I find this extremely interesting and quite innovative of them.

4. Why did the community of Olds decide to build their own fibre network? How did the community pay for it?
The community of Olds decided to build their own fibre network because some businesses were threatening to leave town due to the challenges posed by its once slow and barely usable internet. According to the article, the community came up with its own fibre network that they payed for using government grants and loans. Now, it's customers can sign up for gigabit home internet access for $120 a month, or slower speeds for less money. This price matches that of major company Shaw that charges its customers in Calgary and Edmonton for a connection that is 88% slower!

5. What happened in Stratford when the community installed its own fibre optic network?
In Stratford, Ontario, the community developed its own fibre-optic loop that spread through the city and gave all of the houses in the area fast wifi access points! After this was created, the University of Waterloo opened a campus there and the Royal Bank opened a $400-million data centre.

6. In what areas did Bell install fibre optics?
Bell announced that they plan to spend $1.1-billion to wire up 1.1 million homes and businesses in Toronto with fibre. Bell’s Aliant unit however, brought fibre to more than a million premises in Atlantic Canada and also to Northern Ontario.

7. Why do small towns and communities need high speed internet more than ever?
Now, small towns and communities need high speed internet more than ever to keep the many employers and residents that were planning to leave the areas with slow (or a complete lack of) internet from fleeing to hooked-up cities.

8. How much money has the Federal government supplied to increase internet access in Canada?
The Federal government supplied $305-million to ensure that nearly every has at least minimal, five megabit-per-second internet speed. For now though, there are a few small communities like Olds that get bragging rights to internet speeds that Toronto and Vancouver are only now starting to notice, and they will unfortunately have to pay much more for them!

Journal #6: Digital Business

For this assignment, we learned about many different forms of digital business and also the available forms of payment when making purchases online like PayPal. This assignment was one of the most interesting ones we have done so far to me because I make a lot of online purchases and this has taught me a lot about staying safe online when putting bank information into the databases of companies. The most surprising part of this assignment was definitely learning about the many abilities of PayPal and just how easy it is to use. In fact, after this unit, I am very interested in PayPal as a company and looked into it further! The only part of this assignment that didn't exactly make sense to me were the questions about what shopping will be like in the future because there isn't any way to know that and in four years, there probably won't be much difference. I just didn't see a point to it. My family, friends and I have all purchased things from online stores and as far as I know it has always been a positive experience! I purchased $150.00 worth of stuff from one website that actually just arrived at my house on Tuesday and it has been a very great experience so far and I am quite impressed. However, I have not sold anything online just because I have never had a reason to, but I am not opposed to it and I probably will be doing it in the future. 

Two tips for additional business tips that I found to be very helpful and important are:

1. "Whenever possible use the "TAP" services when paying with credit cards and debit cards to limit the amount of time your card is with others." I think that this tip is very important because keeping your personal information is very important and giving out information or risking the loss of your card is very dangerous. I also like this point because I am a cashier and I prefer when customers use the TAP feature because it takes up less time, and less issues arise with "chip malfunctions". 
2. "When buying using KIJIJI and other online service make sure buying is done in a PUBLIC PLACE and never send money via email or other ways to the seller." I think that this tip is probably the most important one regarding digital business because making in person purchases from an unknown person on an online advertisement can be very dangerous! Most of the time, people hear the "horror stories" of arriving at someones house to buy a dog and the place practically looks haunted... but these things can and do happen! The situations can end up very badly and should be taken very seriously, so I think that meeting for a purchase in a public place or with other people is the best bet instead of risking your life and safety to make a purchase that may or may not be a trap.

I think that the biggest issue for young people regarding shopping online is definitely not knowing how to properly protect their information. It is very common for young people to purchase things online but many of them probably don't know that it's possible for someone or a company to retrieve your information after making one purchase on one suspicious website. It's not the best idea to put your bank account information into any company's system like it's nothing because the consequences can be very serious! Perhaps the young people who like to make online purchases should be educated on this before making their purchases just to make the best of the situation and lower the risks.

Assignment #2: Paypal

1. Visit Paypal's website and scroll down to see the information about the service and determine what they do. IN ONE SENTENCE describe as much as you can about what Paypal does and why it is so popular.
Paypal is the trusted leader in online payments that allows you to make online purchases, keep your information on hand to shop and pay conveniently, keep your connected bank accounts secure and organized into one place, and more!

2. How does Paypal keep you safe while shopping at ALL OF THE ONLINE STORES that are possible to shop at these days? (think about your identity) Paypal organized many ways to keep it's users interested and also very safe! Although the company stores your information for your benefit and allows you to make purchases easier, it is overall a very safe system. When you create an account with PayPal, they will ensure that the full name, birthday and residential address that you provide is correct using their electronic method, but if that doesn't work out, you must submit two documents proving you're information to be true. They do this to ensure that you are the rightful account owner, rather than someone else trying to take your identity. Also, with PayPal, you can view your purchases and view the amounts of money being added and taken from your account. This is very important to your security because if money is being taken without your consent and you are unaware that it has happened. PayPal will look into the issue and resolve it for you. They are trusted by a multitude of online stores and are even the preferred method of payment by the entire eBay company!

3. How does Paypal make money if they aren't charging the buyer? 
Since PayPal is such a huge, widespread company, they make a lot of money over time with it's users paying small fees at a time. PayPal has two different ways of doing this. They are: The fees PayPal charges to a payment's recipient. Although most transactions are free, its users pay a fee for each transaction. The fee is usually thirty cents plus a 1.9% to 2.9% surcharge fee. The second method they use is by earning interest against the money that its users have sitting in their account. Knowing that there are over 100 million members on PayPal, if every member kept $5 in their account for a year and PayPal gets an interest rate of 1.75%, they would make $8,750,000 a year. The person who owns the account does not make any interest by letting their money sit in there.

4. If you buy something from Asia or Russia and it doesn't arrive how does Paypal protect you? This question may require internet research.
If you make a purchase from a foreign country like Asia or Russia and it doesn't arrive, PayPal has a section on their website where you can "open a dispute" where you log in to your account and the process allows you to get in contact with the company and, if you provide the proof, you will get your money back. I think that this is a very important for PayPal to give its users this ability because if your identity is stolen and purchases are made that don't arrive to you, you can get refunded for the stolen money.

5. If you started a business would you allow payment using Paypal? Why or why not?
If I started a business, I would allow PayPal as a payment option because of its huge popularity. PayPal is said to be the leader of online payment options and if I were to create a business that had an online feature I would definitely allow PayPal, but also any sort of credit and debit cards because it's very inconvenient that the majority of online shopping sites don't have the option to pay with a debit card.

6. Visit https://www.google.ca/wallet and compare Paypal to Google Wallet OR Search for "APPLE PAY" and compare it to Paypal. Which do you prefer and why? Give 2 reasons. 
Personally, I prefer Apple Pay because I use it very often for different points cards at many different stores and it's helpful if you tend to forget your extra cards but remember your phone! The app comes with the more recent versions of the iPhone and you just plug your information into the app and it allows you to carry your entire wallet on your phone. I still like carrying a wallet however because that's just my personal opinion, the same as I still like paying with cash, but this app has saved me many times when I could have wasted getting points that add up to free stuff in the long run!

Assignment #1: Shopping Carts?

1. What are the 2 biggest reasons people still shop at stores?
The two biggest reasons people still enjoy shopping at stores includes not having to pay extra for shipping. Often times, the item listed on a store's website is the same price as it is if you buy it in stores, but you usually have to pay for the shipping and it can add up to fifteen extra dollars to that one item! There may not be much for sales taxes, but the shipping is bad enough that the purchase is sometimes not even worth it. Also, many people prefer shopping at stores rather than online because it is more enjoyable to get the entire, physical experience. Returning items is easier than it is online and clothing can be tried on before purchasing! It's a form of entertainment for many people and taking the best part away from that experience makes it far less appealing!
Source: http://www.thewire.com/technology/2011/12/we-still-shop-mall-bunch-reasons/45738/
2. What are the 2 biggest reasons people shop online?
The two biggest reasons people prefer shopping online includes how convenient it is. There aren't many places that you can go shopping at while in the comfort of your own bed other than online! Many people also enjoy that online stores don't close at any time, and shopping can be done at three in the morning if it's desired. Although the wait can feel tedious the comfort of the purchase and buying exactly what you've been looking for makes the wait worth it! Also, some people prefer online shopping because many stores have more variety! When an item is unavailable at your local store, chances are the website has it! I have also noticed that many companies create items that are only available in certain colors and styles on the website, so if you're interested in buying a blue shirt at your local store that you liked online it may only be available on the website so I always pay close attention when shopping online.
Source: http://upstreamcommerce.com/blog/2012/02/14/8-reasons-consumer-likes-shop-online

3. If you had the ability which buying experience would you prefer and why?
If I had to choose only one shopping experience, it would be going to the stores rather than online because I enjoy the experience and being able to know exactly what I'm purchasing before I buy it. Going to the mall would also be my preferred method of buying because it's an activity you can do with other people and it's a form of entertainment!

4. Will online shopping be the only method in 2050 or will people gradually return to stores or strike a balance? Why?
In my opinion, I don't think that online shopping will be the only method of buying in the year 2050 because going to the mall for the whole experience is still very popular and many people prefer it, including myself. I think that if people decided to start getting rid of real stores and resorted to online shopping only, no one would like it and end up developing their own businesses. Overall, it would mot work out in any way and chances are, it would be protested by the larger majority of people than praised by the small amount of people who think it's a good idea.

5. Canada Post has been crippled by the lack of letter sending due to social media and emails etc..... They have decided to focus now mainly on digital shopping and delivering the purchased products. Is this a smart business plan change? Why or why not?
I believe that this business plan change could be beneficial, but Canada Post should not completely forget about letters and packages being sent out by people. They will probably get a good amount of new business if they decide to make the change to digital shopping, but there are also many small businesses that ship items by hand and need the post offices to bring their packages to rather than online. Although there are a few obstacles that would need to be figured out with this change, it could work out and I believe that this business change could be a smart choice in the long run.

6. If something is wrong with your product it is far easier to return it to a physical store. Suggest one way that online shopping could make their return process easier for the buyer and make physical stores even less meaningful.
One way that online stores could make their return policies easier would be to have an entire subsection on their website for returning items and have better online customer service. I've noticed that many companies will send out a product that is already damaged or gets damaged during the shipping process and if the consumer attempts to contact the company, their request for a new product or a refund gets ignored. So, to keep disastrous situations like that out of everyones lives, online stores would need to develop their customer service and return processes to be fast, easy, and respectful of their consumers.

Journal Entry #5 (Digital Wellness)

For this assignment, we learned about the many issues regarding digital wellness, and the proper uses of technology. I really enjoyed this assignment because I learned a lot that I had never known before about digital wellness and also what I should change about the ways that I use technology! Before this assignment, I had no idea about how many issues there were regarding the improper and unhealthy uses of technology, and it was all very interesting. The most surprising part of this assignment was definitely what we learned about distracted driving. Before this assignment, I knew that distracted driving was a very serious issue but I had no idea that it was this dangerous and this popular! I really enjoyed watching the commercial against distracted driving as well because it was very shocking and I believe that to end this habit among many people is to create media that scares it's viewers and allows them to see their bad habits through someone else's perspective. However, when it came to the second part of the assignment, it was confusing. I found this part confusing because it made it seem like technology is bad and that people shouldn't use it as often as we do, but technology isn't limited to cellphones and computers. Electricity that powers the appliances in everyone's homes is available because of technology! There is an unhealthy amount of use that can be put into cellphones and computers but it's not the end of the world if someone uses their personal devices most hours of the day for mandatory reasons like work, and knows how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I use my phone very often but sometimes it is for important things that aren't just for entertainment purposes, and I'm not extremely unhealthy because of it. I think that many adults need to be more open to learning about modern day technology and how advanced and useful it is because even though teenagers have discovered it and learned about it more than any adults have, it doesn't mean that it's exclusive to our use.

I believe that the biggest issue for young people regarding digital wellness is definitely distracted driving. I think that this is the case because many teenagers do rely on their cellphones for entertainment and out of boredom, and will use them at any time, even while driving. Although I use my cellphone very often, I will never use it while I drive. If you like to have your phone with you at all times like I do, weather it be for emergencies or a cure for boredom, you should not look away from the road to use it! If you get a call or text that can't wait for a reply, pull the car over and reply or answer the call. I do it, it's safe and it's legal!