The question that i am suppose to answer for practical 6 are.


a. Do you think it is more effective to search the invisible web (databases) than using search engines, meta-search or subject directories? Why?
b. Will you use the invisible web (databases) for research in your own respective Diplomas? Why?


A)Personally i do not find using the invisible web (databases) effective at all. Like what the lecturer has said, we have to login to access the databases. while i was using the TP Digital Library Portal Research Gateway(TP's Databases), i find it very troublesome because we have to go through a lot of web page interface before we can even find out if there is any related results to my search. Unlike, search engines, meta-search or subject directories. where we can key in the search and see if there is any relevant result. With this it is more efficient in finding our search. Another important fact is that we do not have to pay access such facilities.


B)As for the question if i will use the invisible web (databases) for research in your own respective Diplomas? I feel that will will not use it as the first webpage that i go to when i am finding for research.Search engines will be my first, followed by meta-search or subject directories. I will even prefer searching for books at TP library, even though its more tedious. After all i personally feel that books are also very relevant as in my Diploma itself it more to the visual industry. Therefore a came up with a conclusion " a picture speaks a thousand words." so using the invisible web (databases) normally will be my last resort.

emptiness inside me allow new challenges to come....

10:41 AM

There was no school on Monday because it is a public holiday. So we did some online discussion forum.

This was what we were supposed to do:
Post your answers to the following questions: Engage in discussions with your classmates by commenting on at least ONE of their responses.

This E-learning activity should be done on 27 Oct 08 (Mon).Your attendance will be marked based on your valid online posting of your answers to the above questions and comment on another classmate's post.

Briefly explain how Internet has enriched your academic and social life. Illustrate your answer using ONE Internet resource and ONE search facility you had learnt in EIR.

So on sunday itself, i texted my groupmates YunJie, Melissa, Mei Juan, Jason and sheryl to meet on monday online together at 10am. This is because i scared they might just forget to do. So i suggested every one come early finish early then we can all enjoy our public holiday during the afternoon.

After 12 noon i realise my plan did work majority of my groupmates finished the discussion forum and they went offline. I suppose they did enjoy their public holiday.

Chatting on the Discussion forum was fun i was able to know how my other classmates feel about the internet. I was so surprised that so many of my classmates have same views as me :) Internet is indeed a useful tool.

emptiness inside me allow new challenges to come....

Saturday, October 25, 2008

9:50 AM

This are the question that we are suppose to do in the daily journal
a. What benefits do you get when using different search facilities to search for resources related to your topic?
b. How do you feel about using site feeds in your blog? Would you use this in future?

A)The benefits of using different kind of search facilities to search for resources related to your topic is that different kind of search facilities provides different kind of search results. For example Metacrawlers.com they provide the best result from various search engines.

Another example would be the Search directory, they are being compile by professional human and they often being sorted out into different categories. The different categories enable user to search their search within the different categories. For example, if a user were to so a search on scooters. He would click the Recreational and Sports > Motorcycles> Scooters> Different kind of scooters.

B) When we add in site feeds in your blog. i feel that it is a bit difficult for me as i have not tried it before, Right till now i am having trouble doing the Site feed in my blogs, however i will get my friend to teach me how to do it before the weekends ends. From what i see in class it is very useful this is because we are able to see new updates clearly. and we do not need to see the post with the blogskin itself. I personally feel that when ever i see a posting in a normal blog i will often get distracted by the beautiful bogskins. Therefore viewing post in site feed is a good way for me to read new updates.

Just a comparison of meta crawler and directory

meta crawler covers the web comprehensively
compared to the different search engines this smaller
is due to the fact that they searches different
search engines.

Web Directory searches is slightly
because they compiled by
professional human and not by machines

emptiness inside me allow new challenges to come....

Friday, October 24, 2008

6:35 PM

Oh right , this is an new addition to my first post i guess i have forgotten to give an introduction to my self. I am Sim Chun Quan, from Diploma in Environment Design.
Now i am asking myself why i was in this course? Actually i have no answer to this question perhaps its a kind of force that made me so attracted to this course. I enjoy going for outdoor activity and also going around Singapore for a different kind of food. Furthermore, i am also in National Police Cadet Corps as a Cadet Inspector of Tampines Secondary school. This is also an external Co-curriculum activity in Temasek Polytechnic.

By the way for this research blog it self i am doing on this topic "Discuss the impact of drug abuse on youth" The reason why i am interested in this topic is because, as a Cadet inspector in National Police Cadet Corps i have been actively involve in the Sana Anti Drug Abuse Campaign. Basically I will receive works from secondary school NPCC cadets. As a result i would like to gain more knowledge about this drug abuse topic by choosing it as my research topic

Signing off here
CQ

emptiness inside me allow new challenges to come....

Thursday, October 23, 2008

10:02 PM

Lecture today was quite fun. We were doing practical 3 using the boolean operators was a new thing for me i did not know such function even existed. Boolean Operators such as AND, reduces our search and boolean operators like OR and * will enlarge our searches. with this i tried using (impact OR effect*) AND (drug* OR substance*) AND (abuse* OR mistreatment*) AND (youth* OR teenager*)

the search reduce by a lot using the boolean operators . I tried using Google Scholars and the normal google. Different search engine provide different kind or results. And in conclusion i feel that Google Scholar is a better search engine cause it gives a focus results with small search size.

Participating in the discussion forum is fun. I had never tried being involve in the discussion forum. The kind of excitement that is generated when you are hoping for someone who you do not even know to reply your posting is fun. My post was created on the first day when we were told what we are going to participate in a discussion forum. Finally some one replied me and it made me feel like continuing the topic itself. the link to my post is Click Here

Citation and Bibliography are very important when it come to research works. Citation and Bibliography is used when we are lifting or using some phrase from some one article or writing or etc...Citation and Bibliography is to give credits to the rightful owner of the source of information. Without Citation and Bibliography and lifting a phrase that does not belong to you is called plagiarism. It is a very big offense in terms of design work

emptiness inside me allow new challenges to come....

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

8:47 PM

Today is a Wednesday and there is no class for EIR.
So i have decided to make myself useful today by doing a bit self introduction about my course. After all my course is a 2 years old course and it considered one of the newest design school course in Temasek Polytechnic.

In this course, you will learn and understand elements of landscape architecture, urban planning, architecture and environmental technologies. Your course will deal with the design and execution of external space like civic plazas and neighbourhood centres, and its main focus is on quality design for the environment which has become a major issue in developing and developed nations.

As part of the course, you will have to be plugged into the latest urban and parks developments. You will go on a journey to explore the aesthetics of creating urban spaces, combined with the knowledge of natural and technical sciences. This will equip you with critical skills to create exciting urban environments that are beautiful, capable of uplifting the spirit of the users, easily maintainable, ecologically friendly and economically viable.

This course will have you engaging in real, ‘live’ projects to escalate your personal learning and to enhance realism. Also, our project-based approach will further develop skills such as decision making, critical thinking, creativity, problem solving and innovation.

emptiness inside me allow new challenges to come....

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

10:11 PM

This is the activity 3 which is the online shopping. I feel that this activity is very interesting because it give us the chance to go shopping online and this is the first time i have encounter websites such as www.ebay.com and www.amazon.com. Now i have realize Internet is such a useful tool.

If i had S$500 i would purchase this!


This computer system was found on the this website.
This system itself contain.



Condition: New, Sealed in Box
Brand: Pilverizer PCs
Operating system: Linux
Primary Drive: DVD+/-RW
Bundled Items: Network Card
Processor type: Intel Core Duo
Processor Speed: 2.2 GHz
Processor Configuration: Dual Core
Memory(RAM): 2 GB
Hard Drive Capacity: 500GB
This system fits my need perfectly and the price is quite attractive it is sold for US$299.99. After conversion to Singapore dollar it is S$442.94. The Hard Drive capacity of 500GB is very huge and it will allow me to store a lot of my personal data as well as school work.It also has a RAM of 2 GB and it caters to the requirements of many application that my course require.

After this activity i found out a lot of useful function on www.ebay.com. Function like the compare tool, advance searches, Feedback on previous purchase done and the information tables

The compare tool allows users to compare different products of the same kind. I allow the buyer to look through a variety of products before making their mind on buying the products.

Advances Searches allow the users to find the right product without having to scroll up and down just to find the product with the correct function and price. It also allow us to key in a range of prices and then search the products according to our range of prices.

Feed back from buyers on seller and product enable new buyer like me myself get assured that they are buying the correct product from the right seller. It also give a sense of assurance.

The way the website show the information is in a table form and it is also very information and the way information is placed across is clear and direct straight to the point.

emptiness inside me allow new challenges to come....