Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a general term used to describe Internet services. These include social networking services like Facebook and Twitter, online backup services such as DropBox or GoogleDrive, and applications that run within a Web browser. Could computing also includes computer networks that are connected over the Internet for server redundancy or cluster computing purposes. The "cloud" is metaphor for the Internet and represents the global interconnectedness of online services. Therefore, anyone with an Internet connection can access the cloud and share data with other online users. Also known as: Internet applications or SAAS (Software as a Service). Effectively a mixture of time sharing and distributed computing on the internet. Applications and data are hosted on servers connected to the internet. These applications run through the browser interface. Mostly free at present but ultimately could ask a monthly fee (like water / lights – you get charged per month for how much you use).

Advantages include:

• • Access at any place / time using any computer

  • Need less powerful computers

  • Easier updates

  • Not having to install and manage software

Disadvantages include:

• • No control over data

  • Only works when connected

  • Risk of loss of access with loss of network

  • Risk of loss of access if company sold / bankrupt

  • Greater exposure to hackers

  • Risk of exorbitant fees

Social Networks

Facebook

Facebook is a privately owned social networking website.  Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region.

Twitter

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications. While the service costs nothing to use, accessing it through SMS may incur phone service provider fees.

Flaming

Flaming, also known as bashing, is hostile and insulting interaction between Internet users. Flaming usually occurs in social networking or via e-mail.

Forum

An internet forum is a web-based discussion where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. This usually occurs asynchronously (not real time). Forums are often divided into topics or threads. Threads are a single conversation containing one or more posts by the users of the forums. Forums are usually moderated by the administrators to curb abuse, reposting, spamming, trolling and flaming.

Wiki

A wiki is a website which allows its users to add, modify, or delete its content via a web browser usually using a simplified markup language or a rich-text editor.  Wikis have various access policies which can restrict or allow certain users from performing additions to content or editing existing content.  Some wikis are completely open and anyone can edit them.  The success of a wiki relies largely on a substantial, dedicated, self moderating user base.  This website for example has been created collaboratively by many IT teachers.

Wikipedia is the largest example of a successful wiki. Hundreds of millions of people rely on the information served from the online encyclopedia but only a few thousand regularly contribute.  Wikipedia relies heavily on bots to help manage its pages.  There are bots which search for and undo vandalism and others which fix formatting.

E.g. http://wikipedia.org 

E-Commerce

Electronic Commerce is the practice of selling and buying products or services via an electronic communication medium (usually the Internet)