And this post will conclude this one month long journey with EIR. I am glad to have learned and benefited from this module. Being part of the generation that is very accustomed to search engines and the internet, taking this course allows me to learn things about researching on the internet that I often take for granted.
It is my first time learning about so many other possible search engines and tools such as Meta Crawler, Yahoo Directory, Academic Gateway etc. I now know that there is a variety of researching tools besides Google.
I had fun blogging and dreaming about holidays and indulging in materialism. It is a good way to pen down reflections too.
All in all, I am glad the module has ended and we all learn from it :D
Friday, July 17, 2009
youtubeYouTube plays a substantial role in my life & my friends' lives- it is a very useful, user-friendly tool for us to share videos with one another, be inspired by the countless videos created by budding artists and directors, learn from tutorials and watch simple short entertaining videos. Even before this post, I have already posted 3 videos from YouTube to share with you guys.
I think I can live without YouTube, though it would be extremely inconvenient. There are other Video sharing sites that I frequent such as Vimeo, that has better quality videos normally relating to Art and Design and Tangle (formally Godtube), that features videos from the Christian faith.
YouTube is an effective research tool, because it has EVERYTHING, all sorts of videos from all kinds of genres, and even from long ago. I use it to research on certain Photoshop effects. It is easier to follow a video than to read off a normal html page. I also use it to be inspired for certain design briefs, especially when it is not possible for me to be at a certain place. E.g. I need to know about an Orchestra to design a logo for them, but I cannot go to their performance, a simple search on youtube leads me to it in no time.
YouTube is a very clever creation, something that is in every GenY's life. Its contribution to viral marketing is really remarkable, and will help me if I ever have to use viral marketing to promote something.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
My Dream Holiday
This is inspired by a TV show that I am currently watching.
I want to go to Venice, the city of Water.
Venice is a city in northern Italy, it stretches across 118 small islands along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. It used to be a nation called the Republic of Venice long ago, and was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Look at this spectacular panoramic view!
It's not called city of Water for nothing- since it is an archipelago of islands, there are many bridges connecting the nation and it is amazingly, the largest urban area on Europe that is a car-free area! I would really love to see how people travel around on water or on foot in such a modern city, which is something unimaginable for me, having lived in the convenience of our little red dot.
The architecture of Venice is magnificent, and it a World Heritage Site.
This is the St. Mark's Square. It is known as "The drawing room of Europe", and is one of the few urban spaces where human voices prevail over transportation sounds.
I would love to see such magnificent buildings before my very eyes. This is the St Mark's Basilica, the cathedral church of Venice, one of the best known Byzantine architecture. It was consecrated in 1094!!! And I think its detailing and marvelous workmanship can get viewers staring for such a long time.
I would love to travel on the water buses, cross the bridges and visit all the little shops that carry much treasures and old things. I have something for vintage things!
Venice also has many museums and I am sure it can fulfill my need for visual treats and love for the Arts very easily. Singapore's Art Biennale has a history of a few years, while the Venice Art Biennale was started in 1893!
I would also love to paint my own mask and participate in the Carnival of Venice, I can almost see the wide array of colours and variety of masks in my mind now.
Being in Singapore, a young nation with little cultural history and background, seeing a whole nation of people caring and coming together for a cultural festival is something so amazing and a sight to behold.
While surfing through sites reading up on Venice, I see so many photo opportunities. I would love to take my little camera and trot through those little lanes, cross the bridges and ride on the boats!
I will, when money comes my way. So long, Venice. :D
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
These Singaporean Sites talkingcock.com was founded in August 2000 as a forum for friends to share jokes with one another. What probably started out as pure fun was well received and even featured in Time Magazine, The Economist and various important publications.
talkingcock.com is a whole load of the authors' personal take on current issues and it is done in such a local context that only Singaporeans will be able to understand, irregardless of whether they appreciate the content or not.
The site has existed for eight years and has received some following and fame. I think the author's ability to relate to its audience is the cause of its huge following. And it is updated regularly, talking about various happenings that are new and fresh. With this, I believe it will continue to exist and be sustainable. The only reason it would stop functioning is when Singaporeans suddenly decide to cut down on our lingo and not find our inside jokes funny, which is not very possible anyway.
STOMP is backed up by The Straits Times, and covers a lot more content than talkingcock. It allows much interaction with the public, as one of the most well known sections of STOMP is that the public can send in photos and they can be featured as one of the stories on STOMP.
I have mixed feelings about this. I think it is commendable that STOMP wants to reach out to tis audience, but most of the content received is of couples engaging in public acts of affection, complaining about fellow Singaporeans behaving "disgracefully" in public. I see don't much value in such news actually. It is not constructive, and shows Singaporean's cowardice. How would it help by snapping photos of someone and not going up to them and telling them you think what they are doing is wrong?
If I were the Prime Minister, I will sigh and realise we are terribly far away from the gracious society the government envision Singaporean society to be. The content of on both the websites can be simply nauseating and deserve eye rolls. I do enjoy the simple Singaporean Heartlander jokes and the language used, yet I think they also show our cultural weaknesses as a nation blatantly. I believe it should not be stopped, as much of the media in Singapore is controlled by the government already, and these sites allow some freedom and a diverse opinion. However, I hope our little rojak nation will move on to higher cultural standards, to appreciate the current jokes and Singaporean spirit, but also grow past our flaws.
That's quite a chunk of text to swallow, here's a funny video to reward you for staying till this line. I am sure your army friends will feel for this so much.
...*sings* Stand Up for Singapore!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Started a little thread on ole's discussion board, talking about how incredible Facebook's success has been. It has only been 5 years since Facebook officially started, and billions, gazillions know about it worldwide.
What are the implications such social entworking site has on our youths today?
Just a random though.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Comparing Search Facilities We were told to compare the effectiveness of 2 search facilities. I tried Metacrawler vs Yahoo!Directory.
I realised that Meta search engine gave me a lot more relevant results than Yahoo! Directory. Although Yahoo! Directory gave 249 search results while Meta only gave 50, almost all of the top 5 hits of Meta search engine were relevant to my topic whereas I had to look beyond the top 5 hits for Yahoo! Directory.
The top hit resources that I chose to compare for both search engine also shows that Metacrawler is more effective for my topic. The top hit for MetaCrawler is from a family summit talking directly about homosexuality and youths in Singapore while the one from Yahoo! Directory talks about protecting homosexual students from harrassment in school, whereby I have to infer to make it relate to my topic.
Therefore, for my particular topic, I realise that the crawler is actually faster than the one shouting Yahoo!.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Practical Three Google's search functions Yes, I have always been impressed with Google, I guess my generation relies on it so much that it has become synonymous with doing an online search (e.g. "you need info on that? google it!")
However, through this practical, I learnt about Google Scholar, which I have not used before in the past. Google Scholar is very useful in providing intellectual and useful articles written by people qualified in the field of studies of our research. I will definitely use it more when there is a need to in the future.
Discussion Forum This is probably my first time discussing a serious topic with complete strangers online. I find it very interesting and I anticipate the responses. Forums are very helpful in helping us get in touch with people that we wish to talk to, but never have the courage to approach on the streets. I am not anxious about it, because I am well protected by my monitor screen and the online pseudonym and identity I carry. However, I am well aware of the need to be responsible in my words so as to maintain a good and friendly reputation by speaking objectively and taking a neutral stand in forums, so that I will be able to get more responses.
Citations & Bibliography The need to cite articles online is similar to the need of having to credit an artist/photography when one use their work/photograph. It is also useful in helping me keep track of the precious resources that I take time and effort to find.
Friday, July 3, 2009
If I have $500, I will be a very happy person, I will repay debts and save the rest for an iMac. But since this is a virtual imaginary $500, I shall spend it on the many wants I have been eyeing!
01 iPod Touch I really love the many functions it has, and how I can watch videos on my two and a half hour to and fro school. apple.com.sg $388
02 Satin Jumper Skirt I have been looking for a plain skirt to fit the floral tops I have. This is appropriately priced. This is one of the many local blogshops-turned-websites that we have lately. The owners are normally young and able to capture the target audience's tastes easily. Also, the usage of Asian models is an extra benefit since we can imagine ourselves in the clothes easily. ilovelrh.com $30
03 Fossil Wallet I love the heritage of Fossil, and the pretty prints they have been using. Would love to have this to put coins and random things in! fossilsingapore.com.sg $68
04 Movie Ticket I will buy a ticket to 20th Century Boys part 2, simple because the first one ended with a cliffhanger, hate it when movies do that. I sincerely appreciate the convenience and ease of ordering tickets online. cathay.com.sg $10
After all these, I will be left with $4... Will use the money to go eat Happy Meal.
The purpose of all the shopping websites I visited is to make their products look good, provide clear and concise descriptions, good enough to convince the person to buy a product without having touched it. This is something unimaginable in the past but the net has made it possible. The net has also made many transaction and ordering simpler and more convenient. Online shopping is awesome!
Research Topic We have to choose a research topic for this entire module, and base our Portfolio on it. Since many of the interesting topics given on the list were snapped up behind our backs literally, I created one myself. It is to dicuss the implications of homosexuality on youths today.
I see the need for this controversiol topic because I am hearing more and more stories about people my age choosing to be homosexual, going to gay pubs- things unheard of in the past. Moreover, a recent campaign happening locally called Pinkdot has been receiving much love from the public.
I am NOT against homosexuals as people, though I think their decisions do have implications to the people around them, the people they are able to influence and family- if they were ever to form one. I cannot imagine kids and youths growing up in a family with parents that are gay.
And this is why I wish to research, find out about the psychology behind homosexuality, as well as their implications.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Hello there This tiny hairline woven in the fibre of cyberspace is created to document my learnings and to fulfill exercises for EIR. It's not an easy task crawling out of bed and squeezing like sardines with the fellow peak hour zombies to reach class and wake up fully to absorb, and I hope I learn much out of it.
My parents named me Layling. All my friends call me lays, and everyone thinks of the lays potato chips in foil bags. No, I am not really a fan of lays chips, but this little nick just stuck on randomly.
I do Visual Communication in school and as a hobby. I love print and love how it transcends design boundaries when the recipient can hold and feel it in his/her hands. I also like cacti, dusks, chocolates, surprises and many more things.
This is one of my very last two modules as a final year student. I want it to end quickly and yet, I don't want school to end officially. I can be a walking irony sometimes, such as this.
And this post will conclude this one month long journey with EIR. I am glad to have learned and benefited from this module. Being part of the generation that is very accustomed to search engines and the internet, taking this course allows me to learn things about researching on the internet that I often take for granted.
It is my first time learning about so many other possible search engines and tools such as Meta Crawler, Yahoo Directory, Academic Gateway etc. I now know that there is a variety of researching tools besides Google.
I had fun blogging and dreaming about holidays and indulging in materialism. It is a good way to pen down reflections too.
All in all, I am glad the module has ended and we all learn from it :D
youtubeYouTube plays a substantial role in my life & my friends' lives- it is a very useful, user-friendly tool for us to share videos with one another, be inspired by the countless videos created by budding artists and directors, learn from tutorials and watch simple short entertaining videos. Even before this post, I have already posted 3 videos from YouTube to share with you guys.
I think I can live without YouTube, though it would be extremely inconvenient. There are other Video sharing sites that I frequent such as Vimeo, that has better quality videos normally relating to Art and Design and Tangle (formally Godtube), that features videos from the Christian faith.
YouTube is an effective research tool, because it has EVERYTHING, all sorts of videos from all kinds of genres, and even from long ago. I use it to research on certain Photoshop effects. It is easier to follow a video than to read off a normal html page. I also use it to be inspired for certain design briefs, especially when it is not possible for me to be at a certain place. E.g. I need to know about an Orchestra to design a logo for them, but I cannot go to their performance, a simple search on youtube leads me to it in no time.
YouTube is a very clever creation, something that is in every GenY's life. Its contribution to viral marketing is really remarkable, and will help me if I ever have to use viral marketing to promote something.
This is inspired by a TV show that I am currently watching.
I want to go to Venice, the city of Water.
Venice is a city in northern Italy, it stretches across 118 small islands along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. It used to be a nation called the Republic of Venice long ago, and was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Look at this spectacular panoramic view!
It's not called city of Water for nothing- since it is an archipelago of islands, there are many bridges connecting the nation and it is amazingly, the largest urban area on Europe that is a car-free area! I would really love to see how people travel around on water or on foot in such a modern city, which is something unimaginable for me, having lived in the convenience of our little red dot.
The architecture of Venice is magnificent, and it a World Heritage Site.
This is the St. Mark's Square. It is known as "The drawing room of Europe", and is one of the few urban spaces where human voices prevail over transportation sounds.
I would love to see such magnificent buildings before my very eyes. This is the St Mark's Basilica, the cathedral church of Venice, one of the best known Byzantine architecture. It was consecrated in 1094!!! And I think its detailing and marvelous workmanship can get viewers staring for such a long time.
I would love to travel on the water buses, cross the bridges and visit all the little shops that carry much treasures and old things. I have something for vintage things!
Venice also has many museums and I am sure it can fulfill my need for visual treats and love for the Arts very easily. Singapore's Art Biennale has a history of a few years, while the Venice Art Biennale was started in 1893!
I would also love to paint my own mask and participate in the Carnival of Venice, I can almost see the wide array of colours and variety of masks in my mind now.
Being in Singapore, a young nation with little cultural history and background, seeing a whole nation of people caring and coming together for a cultural festival is something so amazing and a sight to behold.
While surfing through sites reading up on Venice, I see so many photo opportunities. I would love to take my little camera and trot through those little lanes, cross the bridges and ride on the boats!
I will, when money comes my way. So long, Venice. :D
These Singaporean Sites talkingcock.com was founded in August 2000 as a forum for friends to share jokes with one another. What probably started out as pure fun was well received and even featured in Time Magazine, The Economist and various important publications.
talkingcock.com is a whole load of the authors' personal take on current issues and it is done in such a local context that only Singaporeans will be able to understand, irregardless of whether they appreciate the content or not.
The site has existed for eight years and has received some following and fame. I think the author's ability to relate to its audience is the cause of its huge following. And it is updated regularly, talking about various happenings that are new and fresh. With this, I believe it will continue to exist and be sustainable. The only reason it would stop functioning is when Singaporeans suddenly decide to cut down on our lingo and not find our inside jokes funny, which is not very possible anyway.
STOMP is backed up by The Straits Times, and covers a lot more content than talkingcock. It allows much interaction with the public, as one of the most well known sections of STOMP is that the public can send in photos and they can be featured as one of the stories on STOMP.
I have mixed feelings about this. I think it is commendable that STOMP wants to reach out to tis audience, but most of the content received is of couples engaging in public acts of affection, complaining about fellow Singaporeans behaving "disgracefully" in public. I see don't much value in such news actually. It is not constructive, and shows Singaporean's cowardice. How would it help by snapping photos of someone and not going up to them and telling them you think what they are doing is wrong?
If I were the Prime Minister, I will sigh and realise we are terribly far away from the gracious society the government envision Singaporean society to be. The content of on both the websites can be simply nauseating and deserve eye rolls. I do enjoy the simple Singaporean Heartlander jokes and the language used, yet I think they also show our cultural weaknesses as a nation blatantly. I believe it should not be stopped, as much of the media in Singapore is controlled by the government already, and these sites allow some freedom and a diverse opinion. However, I hope our little rojak nation will move on to higher cultural standards, to appreciate the current jokes and Singaporean spirit, but also grow past our flaws.
That's quite a chunk of text to swallow, here's a funny video to reward you for staying till this line. I am sure your army friends will feel for this so much.
Started a little thread on ole's discussion board, talking about how incredible Facebook's success has been. It has only been 5 years since Facebook officially started, and billions, gazillions know about it worldwide.
What are the implications such social entworking site has on our youths today?
Comparing Search Facilities We were told to compare the effectiveness of 2 search facilities. I tried Metacrawler vs Yahoo!Directory.
I realised that Meta search engine gave me a lot more relevant results than Yahoo! Directory. Although Yahoo! Directory gave 249 search results while Meta only gave 50, almost all of the top 5 hits of Meta search engine were relevant to my topic whereas I had to look beyond the top 5 hits for Yahoo! Directory.
The top hit resources that I chose to compare for both search engine also shows that Metacrawler is more effective for my topic. The top hit for MetaCrawler is from a family summit talking directly about homosexuality and youths in Singapore while the one from Yahoo! Directory talks about protecting homosexual students from harrassment in school, whereby I have to infer to make it relate to my topic.
Therefore, for my particular topic, I realise that the crawler is actually faster than the one shouting Yahoo!.
Practical Three Google's search functions Yes, I have always been impressed with Google, I guess my generation relies on it so much that it has become synonymous with doing an online search (e.g. "you need info on that? google it!")
However, through this practical, I learnt about Google Scholar, which I have not used before in the past. Google Scholar is very useful in providing intellectual and useful articles written by people qualified in the field of studies of our research. I will definitely use it more when there is a need to in the future.
Discussion Forum This is probably my first time discussing a serious topic with complete strangers online. I find it very interesting and I anticipate the responses. Forums are very helpful in helping us get in touch with people that we wish to talk to, but never have the courage to approach on the streets. I am not anxious about it, because I am well protected by my monitor screen and the online pseudonym and identity I carry. However, I am well aware of the need to be responsible in my words so as to maintain a good and friendly reputation by speaking objectively and taking a neutral stand in forums, so that I will be able to get more responses.
Citations & Bibliography The need to cite articles online is similar to the need of having to credit an artist/photography when one use their work/photograph. It is also useful in helping me keep track of the precious resources that I take time and effort to find.
If I have $500, I will be a very happy person, I will repay debts and save the rest for an iMac. But since this is a virtual imaginary $500, I shall spend it on the many wants I have been eyeing!
01 iPod Touch I really love the many functions it has, and how I can watch videos on my two and a half hour to and fro school. apple.com.sg $388
02 Satin Jumper Skirt I have been looking for a plain skirt to fit the floral tops I have. This is appropriately priced. This is one of the many local blogshops-turned-websites that we have lately. The owners are normally young and able to capture the target audience's tastes easily. Also, the usage of Asian models is an extra benefit since we can imagine ourselves in the clothes easily. ilovelrh.com $30
03 Fossil Wallet I love the heritage of Fossil, and the pretty prints they have been using. Would love to have this to put coins and random things in! fossilsingapore.com.sg $68
04 Movie Ticket I will buy a ticket to 20th Century Boys part 2, simple because the first one ended with a cliffhanger, hate it when movies do that. I sincerely appreciate the convenience and ease of ordering tickets online. cathay.com.sg $10
After all these, I will be left with $4... Will use the money to go eat Happy Meal.
The purpose of all the shopping websites I visited is to make their products look good, provide clear and concise descriptions, good enough to convince the person to buy a product without having touched it. This is something unimaginable in the past but the net has made it possible. The net has also made many transaction and ordering simpler and more convenient. Online shopping is awesome!
Research Topic We have to choose a research topic for this entire module, and base our Portfolio on it. Since many of the interesting topics given on the list were snapped up behind our backs literally, I created one myself. It is to dicuss the implications of homosexuality on youths today.
I see the need for this controversiol topic because I am hearing more and more stories about people my age choosing to be homosexual, going to gay pubs- things unheard of in the past. Moreover, a recent campaign happening locally called Pinkdot has been receiving much love from the public.
I am NOT against homosexuals as people, though I think their decisions do have implications to the people around them, the people they are able to influence and family- if they were ever to form one. I cannot imagine kids and youths growing up in a family with parents that are gay.
And this is why I wish to research, find out about the psychology behind homosexuality, as well as their implications.
Hello there This tiny hairline woven in the fibre of cyberspace is created to document my learnings and to fulfill exercises for EIR. It's not an easy task crawling out of bed and squeezing like sardines with the fellow peak hour zombies to reach class and wake up fully to absorb, and I hope I learn much out of it.
My parents named me Layling. All my friends call me lays, and everyone thinks of the lays potato chips in foil bags. No, I am not really a fan of lays chips, but this little nick just stuck on randomly.
I do Visual Communication in school and as a hobby. I love print and love how it transcends design boundaries when the recipient can hold and feel it in his/her hands. I also like cacti, dusks, chocolates, surprises and many more things.
This is one of my very last two modules as a final year student. I want it to end quickly and yet, I don't want school to end officially. I can be a walking irony sometimes, such as this.
YouTube plays a substantial role in my life & my friends' lives- it is a very useful, user-friendly tool for us to share videos with one another, be inspired by the countless videos created by budding artists and directors, learn from tutorials and watch simple short entertaining videos.
