Laws, Guidelines and Procedures for Safe and Secure Internet Use

How Copyright Laws Affect Internet Use

The same copyright laws apply as with physical content. If you want to use a picture, video or piece of text from the internet you must have permission from the content creator first. If I did not do this then there could be serious consequences.

Consequences of Breaking Copyright Law

There are many consequences of breaking copyright laws, however the most common include:

·         Monetary Fines

·         Loss of property (of whatever breached copyright, like a book with copyrighted images that don’t belong to you)

·         Loss of employment

In some countries, copyright infringement (using copyrighted material to make a profit) can result in civil or criminal punishment (such as community service or imprisonment) if the guilty party is taken to court by the copyright owner. Equipment used by the guilty party may also be seized. For example, if a computer was used to aid in using the copyrighted images, it has the potential to be confiscated as an accessory to the crime.

I wanted to use this picture, however the Initials at the bottom of the photo made me wary of breaching copyright laws. because if this I used a different image instead.

Replacement image

Data Protection Act
The data protection act gives rights to people who have their data stored, and responsibilities for those who store, process or transmit this data. The person who has had their data processed have the right to:

• View the data an organisation has on them.
• Request that incorrect information is changed. In some cases compensation can be rewarded.
• Require that data is not used in a way that could be seen as harmful.
• Require that their data is not used for marketing.

Computer Misuse Act

Based on the ELC's recommendations,Sections 1-3 of the Act introduced three criminal offences:

• Unauthorised access to computer material, punishable by 6 months' imprisonment or a fine "not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale" (currently £5000)
• Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences, punishable by 6 months/maximum fine on summary conviction or 5 years/fine on indictment
• Unauthorised modification of computer material, subject to the same sentences as section 2 offences

Troubleshooting Internet Connection Problems

Whilst using my computer, I lost connection to the internet. I did not know what to do, so I went on the Windows Support Centre website (on my phone using 3G) to see if they could help me with my problem. I found a page called "Troubleshoot network connection problems".

1. First I tried to use the "diagnose and repair" function. However it couldn't find a solution to my problem. 
   
2. As my computer is connected using a wireless dongle, the only cables to check were on the router itself. After checking the router I found that a wire was loose. After securing it I attempted to connect my pc to the internet. this time it worked.

By using Windows' support centre I managed to fix my connection issue quickly.

Sharing information sources with others

minilogs.com is a website where you can make folders that stores internet bookmarks. this can be shared or made public so that others can access the bookmarks stored in the log. this lets me share useful websites with others.

This screen shows the minilogs Chrome plugin which is used to add webpages to a log, or create a new log.

This screenshot shows the log containing bookmarks relevant to my school work.

This screenshot shows the search page on minilogs. By searching my username my profile came up. from there i could acess my public logs, this 

Managing Downloads

The following screenshots will show me downloading a file online and saving it in an appropriate location.

I had to save the picture in a different location because I cannot access the downloads folder on school computer. The download manager In Chrome is useful as you can quickly see how long your download has left by the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.

Above is evidence of me downloading other file types; a PowerPoint document and an .mp3 sound file. It also shows me saving the files in an appropriate location.

Adjusting Browser Settings to Improve Performance and to Meet Needs

In Google Chrome, you can use add ons to customize your browser to optimise the experience to your needs. I use an add on called "Fastest Fox". When you highlight a word, you are given a definition for it by Wikipedia in a pop-up bubble. You are also presented with the option to search the highlighted word on Google, Wikipedia, Bing or DuckDuckGo.

Another function of this add on is that when you search Google, a box appears on the results page that gives you all the possible meanings of the word, this is shown below because it is hard to explain:

This box also lets you search the word on DuckDuckGo. On DuckDuckGo the word is given a page that displays disambiguation of the word, this is also shown below:

I can make the text size larger by using Ctrl and +, or I can make it smaller by using Ctrl and -. By using plugins, I have access to applications more easily. An example of this is a video down loader.

The video down loader plugin makes it easier to download media from websites. The video files it can download include:

• .mp4
• .3gp
• .flv
• .mov
• .avi
• .wmv
• .asf
• .swf
• .webm

The range of video files available to download makes the plugin versatile  and consequently very useful.

Using Browser Tools to Aid Navigation

The browser that I use is Google Chrome. This is because, using my Google email, I can use an identical browser, with all of my bookmarks, apps and most visited websites are all saved. Google Chrome also has useful add-ons and plugins that aid navigation by making it quicker to access applications like Google Translate, the plugin is shown  in action below:

http://screenr.com/juwH

 A setting that can be changed to aid navigation are application shortcuts. They can be setup through the tools menu. This can make it your favourite websites can be pinned to the task bar of the computer, making it easier and quicker to get there. You can also set the shortcut to your start menu or desktop if you would prefer.Another setting that can be altered is the pages that open on starting up Google Chrome. instead of just the new page tab launching I have set it to open my account on the ingots website also. This is useful because I visit this site often so it will save me time. Below is a video of me changing the start-up page settings.

http://screenr.com/KtwH
http://screenr.com/OtwH

This video shows the bookmarks toolbar in Chrome. It currently shows my most recent bookmarks however it can be altered to show whatever bookmarks you want, such as your most visited. This aids navigation as it makes it quicker to access sites I visit often.

http://screenr.com/GtwH

This recording shows the buttons located at the top right of the browser. They are called: Minimize, Restore Down and Close. "Minimize" reduces the window to the task bar, creating more space on the screen. This is used when you don't want to use the internet anymore but might want to go back to it soon. "Restore Down" reduces the size of the window. "Close" closes the window, shutting down the program (like the web browser). This is used when you are finished with the browser.

http://screenr.com/LtwH

This video shows the "back" and "forward"  buttons on Google Chrome. You can use the "back" button to go back to the last page you visited on that tab. You can use this if you accidentally clicked a link and were taken to a different page, and you want to back to the 1st page. You can use the "forward" button to go to the page you just went back from. This is useful when you realise  that you wanted to stay on the page but you have already clicked the "back" button.

http://screenr.com/JuwH

Different Blogging Platforms Research

This screenshot shows that I used keywords to help me with my search. By using only a few words I can find lots of relevant information about "blog" "platforms". If I used too many key words then my search would be too narrow and I wouldn't find the websites that I had. 

This screenshot shows that I used the "open in new tab" feature. I used this to open the first three results on the page whilst keeping the results page open. This means that I can view multiple sites at once and go back to the results page if I could not find any relevant information on the websites.

This screenshot shows the result page that I received using my keywords put into Google. This shows that the information is useful because the sites are either comparing blogging platforms or listing a top ten, both useful for deciding on which is right for me.

This screenshot shows the three websites that I opened in new tabs. I start off with 3 tabs open and if the website does not have any useful information I close it and replace it with another site from the results page which is also still open.

I can tell if a website has the information I am looking for by searching for key words within the text. For this research i was looking for pros, cons and a conclusion. The screenshot below is from the first website. It featured pros, cons and a verdict for each blogging platform covered. This would help me to make an informed decision about the right blogging platform to use to suit my needs.

Connecting to the Internet-Using a Mobile Device

This is a screenshot form the WiFi setting in my mobile phone. My phone has already scanned for local signals and has connected to "linksys two", the WiFi connection set up for our mobiles. It is locked as I am yet to enter the password to access it.

This screen shows me entering the password to access "linksys two"

This screen shows my phone connected to the WiFi. This is because I have entered the correct password and I am in range of the signal, you can see the strength of the connection in the top right hand corner. I will now be able to access the internet on my phone.

Different Types of Connections

Broadband

This is the most common way to connect  to the internet. This term refers to a bandwidth of at least 256 kbit/s. The wider the bandwidth of a channel, the greater the information-carrying capacity, given the same channel quality. There are different types of broadband connection, they include:

Coaxial Cable- is used as a transmission line for radio frequency signals

Optical Fibre- It is advantageous for long-distance communications, because light travels through the fiber more effectively compared to electrical cables. This allows long distances to be spanned with few repeaters.

Twisted Pair- is a type of wiring where two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together to cancel out electromagnetic interference (EMI) from external sources

Wireless (WiFi)-a wireless form of broadband, the device does not need to be wired up to the source of connection. This is common on mobile devices and is common where a wired connection would be too tricky to connect.

Advantages of Broadband Internet Access:

1.   Connection speed is up to 100x faster than dial-up connection.  Online gaming is possible using a broadband internet access.

2.   It is convenient because the internet connection is always on.

3.   Broadband internet offers unlimited access and you won't be charged based on the connection duration, unlike dial up.

Disadvantages of Broadband Internet Access:

   

High monthly fee compared to dial-up internet access.

Higher security risk than dial-up connection.  A personal firewall is needed to protect your computer.

Not all phone wires are equipped for DSL service.  May not be available in rural or remote areas.

3G and 4G Connections

3G stands for "3rd generation mobile telecommunications" It is is a way of classifying mobile connections, which is decided by an international telecommunications committee, the ITU-R. 3G is a faster and more secure way of transferring data using mobile phones, making it easier for your device to access the internet on the go.

4G is the forth generation of mobile communications. this means that it has higher standards, such as 100 Mb/s whilst on the go and Gb/s when stationary Although some network providers claim that they offer 4G, it does not meet the standards set by the ITU-R. This has led to this being dubbed 3.9G, improved on 3G but not quite 4G.

Dial-Up Connection

This is a form of internet connection that uses the  public switched telephone network (PSTN) to obtain a dialed connection via telephone lines. This type of connection requires no infrastructure apart from a connection to  telephone and the modem and server to make the phone calls which make up the connection.

Advantages

A Dial Up connection will remain the cheapest way to connect to the internet

The connection is safer because the IP addresses rotate, each assigned to a user

Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage of dial up is its speed. With a maximum of 56,000 bytes per second it is way behind modern technology

Answering a telephone call will cut out your connection

Satellite Internet Connection

This is provided through communication satellites. Modern connection are offered through the use of  geostationary satellites which can offer high data speed.

Advantages

 Access virtually anywhere on the globe with a view of the southern sky, and areas where DSL, cable and mobile connections are not available.

Some companies bundle together satellite TV and internet connection, creating less hassle. 

Disadvantages

Satellite connection is one of the most expensive form of internet connection.

The speed can be slow due to the fact the signal has to travel 22,000 miles to reach space.

Why I used Blogger

This is a blog that will be used to present the evidence for ITQ G04. By using tags on this blog it will be easier for you to find information relevant to the criteria that you are assessing. This lets you find things easily, which in turn could allow something that you otherwise would miss to be marked, giving me more marks.
I have chosen Blogger over other blogging platforms because for my first blog I used Blogger as it was simple to use.for this reason I have chosen to use it again as I know it works in school whereas WordPress is known to have issues working in school.