Monthly Archives: September 2012

Exercise 002: HTML5-101

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“HTML is a connected group of pages on the World Wide Web regarded as a single entity, usually maintained by one person or organization and devoted to a single topic or several closely related topics.” – Dictionary.com
From this exercise, I have grasped some knowledge on HTML and most of the basics of creating a website. It was nice to learn the main structure and the meaning behind each element. Hopefully I will learn more codes to create a website for my WordPress website and Tumblr. From everything I’ve learnt, in a group of four; Charmaine Yu, Jennifer (Yoo-Kyung) Kim and Tiffani Hui, we created a presentation online, which I will link under. We also answered the questions listed on the page, this helped us understand HTML better and helped us begin our presentation, rather than loosing our focus.

HTML 5 – 101 Presentation

1. What is a website?
“A connected group of pages on the World Wide Web regarded as a single entity, usually maintained by one person or organization and devoted to a single topic or several closely related topics.” – Dictionary.com
2. What is a webpage?
“A document connected to the World Wide Web and viewable by anyone with an Internet connection and a browser” – Dictionary.com
3. What coding elements provide a webpage its structure, presentation and behaviour, why is it designed this way?
“http://www.web-source.net/html_codes_chart.htm”
<html>
<head>
<title>
<body>

4. What is html 5?
“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML5”
HTML5 (Hyper Text Mark-up Language) is the latest version of standard HTML. It is used for coding websites for presentation, and structure of the site. Currently it is still under development and is aimed for easily read by humans, computers and to support the newest multimedia.
5. How do you write an html tag, why?
“http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_intro.asp”
HTML tags are also known as HTML codes. HTML tags are written between less then and greater than sign. Example <head>. HTML tags are also used to add tables, lists, images, music, and other elements to a webpage.
6. what is the doctype element used for?
“http://webdesign.about.com/od/dtds/qt/tipdoctype.htm”
Doctypes are not exactly the same as HTML codes. They are used to define which HTML document you are using. There are more than one document types of HTML, HTML 4.01 Strict, HTML 4.01 Transitional, XHTML 1.0 Strict, and many more.
7. what is an attribute?
“http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_attributes.asp”
Attributes are used in HTML codes providing details for an element. Attributes are always used specified in the start tags.

8. what is a meta tag?
“http://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_meta.asp”
Meta tags are written on HTML codes to add official data tags. They are not seen on the web site but search engines will be able to read the specific information you’ve written.

9. Where do you write text you want to see on  the page?
Text can be written between the attribute code. Example: <a href=”attributes code”>WRITTEN TEXT</a>

10. What is the h1 tag used for?
 “http://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_hn.asp&#8221;
-stands for “heading”. H1 stands for the most important heading. Seen first.

11. How do you load an image on the page?
“http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_images.asp&#8221;
-the tag for images is <img>. Adding an image you need to provide the url of the desired image between the < >. ei. <img src=”url” alt=”some_text“/>

12. what is ftp and how do you use it?
“http://kb.iu.edu/data/aerg.html&#8221;
-stands for file transfer protocol. it is used to transfer files form one computer to another through a network.

13. what is http and how does it work?
“http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/HTTP.html&#8221;
-stands for hyper text transfer protocol. it is how messages are formatted and transmitted through the web.

14. what is a server, a web server?
“http://www.diffen.com/difference/Application_Server_vs_Web_Server&#8221;
web server: either computer program or computer running a program that responds to http requests from clients

15. what is a url and how does it work?
“http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/U/URL.html&#8221;
-stands for uniform resource locator. It is the original address of docs and other resources on world wide web.  2 parts of url. ->protocol identifier and it indicates what protocol to use, second -> resource name. IP address where resource is located

16. How do you create a link
“http://www.echoecho.com/htmllinks01.htm&#8221;
-need <a> and </a>
<a> indicates where the link should start and </a> where it ends
-lastly add “href=”  after <a ….>
-by clicking “here” it’ll link you to yahoo
ei. Click <a href=”http://www.yahoo.com”>here</a&gt; to go to yahoo.

006: 21st Century Skills

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“Technology is like a fish. The longer it stays on the shelf, the less desirable it becomes.” – Andrew Heller

Most of my life has been based around technology, it started with watching television shows on Treehouse and now it’s all about social networking. The first computer my parents bought was when I was in grade 5, basically I played Arthur with my brothers. Honestly my parents aren’t exactly the hottest for these new gadgets. I’ve asked them if they want to learn how to text but they don’t think its necessary, that calling is more effective. They dislike how we spend “24/7” on technology and want us to go outside of technology. Honestly I do agree with them, I do spend way too much time on my cellphone, computer and television, but this is the 21st century, this is how it will be and continue to develop upon.
Unlike my parents, I’m more skilled on computers, I’m not the best but I do know things here and there. In grade 9 I learned the right way to type and how to type fast without looking at the keyboard, of course I’d glance every so often but I did improve this skill a lot. For researching or an assignment, or what not, I learned how to find information at a more efficient rate in a business class. One problem my parents are amazing at overcoming is purchasing the newest technology. Whenever I see something new I like, I’ll want it, usually my parents stop me with the “after one year it will be useless” line but sometimes it doesn’t work. Over time my multitasking skills have grown, I can do multiple tasks at once, but sometimes I do get distracted or forget something I needed to do. There are a few multitasks I have trouble with: surfing the net while talking or studying/writing a paper while listening to english music. I would love, to enhance my researching skills, to fully understand how to fix a computer and designing on a tablet.

005. Tinkering

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“Tinkering: to repair in an unskillful, clumsy, or makeshift way. To busy oneself with a thing without useful results.” – Dictionary.com

Tinkering? Thinkering? At first I thought the word was thinkering and maybe it meant a person doing some hardcore thinking. Soon I realized there wasn’t a ‘h’ and that the word was tinkering. This is a completely new word for me, and it’s good to learn new vocabulary, when I was a kid my mother told me to read the dictionary, never did. In my eyes, Tinkering means to enjoy fixing and experimenting with different parts, and how we build on our imagination from daydreaming and doodles. My tinkering skills are focused around doodles and sketches, and some dream involvement. I remember in grade school when we were suppose to be reading I would stand the book up and doodle behind my book, until the day I got caught. Sometimes when I sleep, I can somehow create story lines, usually I forget them but every so often I would remember when I wake up. When it does happen, I usually try jointing it down for later uses or I would tell a friend on how crazy the dream was. I wish I knew how to always remember my dreams, it would make my tinkering skills better. I want to learn how to develop these skills and how to incorporate these into my designs or anything in general.

Exercise 001: Network 101

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Group: Jennifer (Yoo-Kyung) Kim and Melissa Chan

1. What is a computer network?
A Computer Network is a collection of computers connected by communication channels that allow sharing of information with each other.

2. Define and explain visually the difference between these different types of networks:
LANs (Local Area Networks):  A network that links computers within a designated area. For example a computer room within a building, the computers are allowed to share data and resources with each other. WANs (Wide Area Networks): A communications network used for telecommunication devices such as telephone lines, or radio waves to span over a large area. Example, the Internet is a WAN.Internet: A large computer network linking smaller computer networks worldwide. It can share giant amounts of  information on almost any computer worldwide.

Intranet: A private computer network with restricted access. Many companies and corporations communicate with employees through private intranets.
MANs (Metropolitan area Networks): A computer network that spans over a city or a large campus. Usually interconnected to many LANS using high capacity technology. 
VPN (Virtual Private Network): A computer network with more secure options, usually using ids and passwords. Example Ryerson’s Internet access requires your student ID and password.

3. How do these two types of networks differ?
Peer-to-peer: a network that allows sharing information from one computer to another, also there is no hierarchy system for sharing.
Server – based: A network with one designated computer, acting like a controlling machine for the network. This designated computer manages all the information clients can access with a login.

4. What is the difference between a client and a server? A server is the main controller of an entire network’s information. A client is a smaller device that can access different information from the server.

5. What is the OSI model? OSI model (Open System Interconnection model): A worldwide communications that in broken down into 7 layers. Communication is passed from one layer to the next, until it reaches the bottom. OSI model exists in all communications systems.

6. Identify 5 different network architectures and explain what each does.
Physical: layer that is specified to transmit the stream of bits over the communication channel
Data linking: transfer data between networks and detect error that could possibly occur in the Physical Layer
Network: responsible for packet forwarding including routing through intermediate routers.
Transport: provides data transfer services that are reliable. This layer allows the users to know if the data transmission was successful or not.
Session: this layer sets up and manages the connection between applications.

7. Define and visually explain what the following terms mean:
Protocols: rules that are set to exchange messages with other networks
TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol is a communication protocol that is used by internet and networks
FTP: File Transfer Protocol is a protocol that allows the users to exchange files from one to another through internet. HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol is an application protocol that is used to distribute and collect informations through webs


Telnet: a network protocol that allows user to access another computer that is a part of the same network

8. What is a router?
It is a networking device that sends off and receives data along the networks

9. What is a network firewall?
It is to help the clients to keep their network secured and prevents any virus to flow in.

10. What is the difference between a Web and FTP server?
The web server is to transmit and read the hypertext language documents that one is browsing. The FTP server is a File Transfer Protocol that allows one to upload and download the files on the server

11. What is an IP address?
It is a numerical label that are assigned to identify which computer network and server each are on

004. Oral Skills

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To be completely honest, public speaking has never been my top skill. I stutter, forget my lines and cannot improvise. If I want a good presentation, I have to prepare ahead of time, memorize my lines and know exactly what to say. Even though they are not my best skills, I know that they do exist within me.
Although I didn’t learn English as my first language, I did learn it before the start of first grade, which is why my pronunciation doesn’t have much problems. Of course there are those few words that I stumble on, example permanent or probably. If you ask me to say probably, there’s a high chance I will say pro-ba-be-bul-ly. Brainstorming and gathering ideas for a presentation is something I feel more comfortable around. Presentation skills do exist  in me, but are definitely not top notch skills. I won’t run off stage or hurl, but I do stutter and blank out often. Do to my shy personality, my voice tends to be softer than others and no matter how hard I try to be loud, my voice seems to always fail me. I want to learn to talk to the audience, instead of reading to them, I want to improve my research skills so I can delivery clear presentations and maybe grab the audience’s attention.

003: New Media?

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New Media: developing usually electronic forms of media regarded as being experimental. 

What is New Media? Before I began class I was always asked this question, honestly I didn’t know how to respond to it. After researching and talking it over with a group I’ve come to a conclusion; New Media is you. We create New Media, from the first cellphone made to 3D gaming experiences, we’ve made it all. It’s a cross between traditional arts and technology today. Without our constant changing and creative minds we wouldn’t have new media.
After each class, I’ve learnt more and more, and in this program, it really never ends because there is always new changes. A technological example in new media is the newest cellphones, iPhone 5 and Samsung S III. I mean have you seen these phones? They can do so much more than the last generation, and every year they just continue to grow in design & spec. A creative example in new media is the newest entertainment, from 4D movie experiences to the latest games. Like cellphones, each year new graphics are added, new experiences and things we are still creating.

Communicating, Creating and Changing.

002. Blogging

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“Blogging: a Web site containing the writer’s or group of writers’ own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites.” – Dictionary.com

So now that I’ve created a blog, what is blogging? In my eyes, blogging is expressing yourself on a personal website according to your tastes and emotions and providing frequent updates and posts. Basically it’s a diary or journal posted online, but the difference is online users can read it. Usually each blog has one specific theme or interest. Today many users have a personal blog where they have their rules and post what they are interested in. Or like me, some bloggers even have two blogs for separate interests.
My skills on blogging are mostly learnt from Tumblr. I have a main blog where I post my personal thoughts and anything that I find interesting or funny. I do know some tricks and methods on blogging from tags, adding pages, changing blog display, etc. Also I do have a very limited understanding of HTML. I really hope to learn how to use HTML fully, because I’ve always wanted to make my own theme, where everything is suited to my taste.

001: Introduction

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Hello, hello! Welcome to my Blog!
My name is Melissa Chan; I am 19 years old, even if I do appear to be 14. I live in Thornhill, commuting takes around an hour or so, I wish to live downtown, but it’s far too costly. To be honest, I have a shy personality, I tend to be quieter than the average person. I’m probably like this because of a grade 4 teacher who gave push ups to anyone in class that spoke out. Last year I was in Architectural Science at Ryerson, which is an amazing program but wasn’t for me; that’s when I transferred to the New Media program at Ryerson. Why New Media? I want to prove to people that they were wrong; art does have a future. I actually became interested in this program because of my friend who is currently in the same program. I love how this program is so open to your creativity and mind. At first I wasn’t sure what I was suppose to expect but after reading the course outline, I expect to improve my presentation skills and my researching skills, two areas that aren’t exactly my best, haha. In high school, I was briefly taught how to make a website, but I hope to improve those skills and create a new website.
What I imagine that we are going to learn? I imagine that we will learn about newly created technology in the world, different ways to do coding, what New Media is and hopefully many newly interesting topics. I hope to learn and gain many skills in this class, as it is one of my first New Media courses. I hope to have a great time for the whole term and hopefully the next four years will be full of excitement and creativity.

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu