Week four log UPC0004

The Lecture.

In today's lecture, we learnt specifically about the World Wide web and every subject, questions and queries with anything to do with the WWW were answered.

The lecture consisted of everything from the historical side of the World Wide Web, the difference between the Internet and the web, the definition of the WWW and also, Web browsers.

I found Today's lecture extremely useful in helping my studies, because i had previously not known anything about the WWW and never even knew what it was, or how i could use it, but after today's lecture i now know exactly what the WWW is, how to recognise resources from the WWW, and most importantly how to use it.

Even though I know have a much better understanding of exactly what the world wide web is, I still feel more comfortable with using the Internet, only because of the fact that I am more use to it and have known no other way, but from know on and in future assignments I will definitely consider using the World Wide web, and be able to gain even more of an understanding of how it actually works and benefits me as a student.



The Tutorial.
In This weeks tutorial, we were given a range of website and were made to provide reasons as to why we thought this website was a spoof or wether we thought it was legitimate, and all the tell tale signs of why we thought it was whatever it was.
This tutorial was not only enjoyable, but it taught me exactly what to look out for, when a website is not designed to be taken to seriously, and after reviewing a few websites that were spoofs it become more clear that the signs of a joke website are obvious. What i found to be the most obvious tell tale sign of a spoof website was the colour and font, these two attributes to a website really play a big role in wether the website is to be taken seriously or not.


A)a.In your Learning Log explain how have these websites attempted to appear authentic? List at least 4 clues that gives each site away as a spoof (i.e. a website not designed to be taken too seriously).



1.The website with the Haggis had done a good job at attempting to be authentic because it looks like a real website and has its own member centre, haggis Cams, special features, rules, prize winners and even a Haggis shop.

The way the website is written also seems very formal, even though as a reader it is obvious that this page isn't to be taken seriously, but if it was someone reading that didn't know anything about a haggis, the way the page was written makes what is being said almost believable.

The website also provides facts about Haggis hunting which again, to someone who knew nothing about haggis, information such as this could come across as very believable, also another sign that the makers of this website have tried to make it as authentic as possible is the way they have written real peoples names and where they are located in the section of 'Grand Prize Winners'.

Another way of making this website look Authentic is the description of the Gleneagles hotel and all of the features that make it sound very believable and would be suitable for a grand prize.



4 signs that this Website is a spoof.

1. The haggisclopedia states that haggis have one leg shorter than the other. Any apparent difference in length could be due to the haggis’s habit of standing in a bog to confuse predators.



2. The pictures of the different types of haggis show a haggis in its 'cooked' state.



3. The website shows how to make a whisky with a Haggis chaser, Bloody Haggis, Haggis Sunrise, Haggis on the beach, Russian Haggis, Haggis Margarita, and a personal favourite, Sloe comfortable haggis against the wall.



4. Another Haggis Fact also states: Some say the spider watched by Robert the Bruce was escaping from a Haggis foraging for food.





2. The first sign of authenticity the makers of this website had used, was stating on the web page 'official Website' so as a viewer of this website not knowing that it was bogus i could quite easily click on the button that said enter, believing that this website was the real deal official website of the republic of a place called Mollosia.

Like the previous Haggis Website, this one also looks very professional and believable with a tool bar down the side giving links to click on like Media, Shop, Special links, Culture, Government agencies, Government information, History and General information.

The website also has the republics logo or national emblem at the top of the page, and there is another language be it real or not above the special links, which make the page also seem very authentic to its Mollosian Culture.

At the bottom of the page there is a small box showing the date and time In Mollosian standard time and even the weather in Mollosia, despite the fact that the way the weather is written it still looks quite believable and authentic for a website.



4 signs that this website is a spoof.

1. The president is referred to as 'His excellency'



2. The pictures on the website when clicking on the link to receive a message from 'His Excellency' show very random pictures supposedly representing the great republic of Mollosia, for example a dry dead bush, a water fountain, and a tall steel structure, with coloured material hanging off it.



3. In the Message from 'His excellency' he says, "I hope that this site will serve as an invaluable information resource on Molossia, in its unique place in the international world of today."



4. The 'Dead Dog War' and the picture of the battlefield and war monument.



2. The martin Luther King Website.

a) Before even viewing this website, i basically believe that it will be a dedication to martin Luther King with information and a bibliography about his life and death.



3. First Impressions of the Website.

I thought at First that this website was exactly what i expected, it covers the history etc about Martin Luther King Jr, and it had a big picture of him on the front page, but when i actually looked closely and read the links for rap lyrics, and the so called 'True historical Examination' It became clear to me that this Website was a spoof, but on first inspection the website appears to be authentic, because the boldness of the main links IE the historical side the civil rights library etc is what stands out first and catches our eye, and even then the colours of the website and pencil drawing look authentic and believable, but when our eyes wander to the other links and really read the page it becomes quite clear it is just a spoof.



4. If i knew nothing about Martin Luther king this website would seem like an authentic recollection of his life, but i do know about him even before searching facts about him on Google and know that most of the information is made up and entertaining material, but done in such a way that it appears to be authentic and extremely believable.

1.Reading: A brief history of the Internet
This website covers all aspects of the Internet, by providing many subheadings, and a detailed explanation of each of these subheading.
The website contains such information as,

-The origins of the Internet
-The initial inter netting
-Concepts proving the ideas
-Transition to widespread infrastructure
-The role of documentation
-Formation of the broad community
-Commercialization of the technology
-History of the future

2.Reading: History of the World Wide Web
The following website covers the development of computers till the 1960's, History of Electronic Mail, Search engines and basic net data.
More specifically information for this topic, the website contains information about the Internet and the world wide web, and how it has progressed throughout the years.
We are given the differences of what the Internet and the World wide web is, and how both their advantages and disadvantages should be taken into account when researching a topic.