RSS
 

Archive for the ‘Online’ Category

Bfn-webontwerpers beïndruk

28 Sep

 

Win a trip to Mauritius

DIE afgelope naweek het ek ’n openbaring beleef. Aan die einde van Oktober kom Rowan Polovin van myvideo.co.za hier in Bloemfontein ’n werksessie aanbied oor hoe om op die web ’n onderneming te vestig en ’n goeie inkomste te verseker.

Ek het besef dit is die ideale werksessie vir almal wat webbladsye in Bloemfontein ontwikkel. Ek besluit toe om ’n paar uur te bestee en op die web na ontwerpers in Bloemfontein te soek. Ek het verwag om dalk ’n handjievol te kry, maar groot was my verbasing toe ek nie minder nie as 20 webontwerpers opspoor.

Ek kon dit nie glo nie. Vir my was dit ’n warm gevoel toe ek van die bladsye besoek en vind die ontwerpers van Bloemfontein het nie nodig om vir enigiemand terug te staan nie. Omtrent 90% van die webontwerpers in Bloemfontein se bladsye is nie net indrukwekkend nie, maar is ook funksioneel en voldoen werklik aan die huidige neigings wêreldwyd.

Ek meen die plaaslike pryse is dalk nog ’n bietjie hoog en dat baie van die ontwerpers vereis jy moet jou webblad op hul servers stoor. Ek stem glad nie daarmee saam nie. Die rede hiervoor is omdat baie ontwerpers dieselfde produk herhaaldelik verkoop en nie wil hê iemand moet dit namaak nie. Ek verstaan dit ook, want ek skep self webbladsye, maar indien ek betaling ontvang daarvoor, is dit die eiendom van die een wat daarvoor betaal het.

Dit is regtig al probleem wat ek met van die plaaslike ontwerpers het. Die gehalte van die werk wat ek gesien het, is na my mening werklik van ’n internasionale standaard.

Indien jy enigsins daaraan dink om ’n webblad te ontwerp wil ek jou vra om beslis eers ’n ontwerper in Bloemfontein te kontak. Die werk van die gemeenskap sal jou voorwaar beïndruk.

 

Google launches new web application

28 Sep

Win a trip to Mauritius

 

ON Tuesday Google launched its newest free webbased application. Now you can create presentations online.

Google has quite a number of webbased applications available, from a writing application, which replaces Word, to spreadsheets to replace Excell. Now you can also replace your PowerPoint application.

These online clones have a number of advantages and obviously some disadvantages.

The advantages are that it is free to use. You can access your documents from any computer with an internet connection. You can easily collaborate and share your work and know that the application will constantly be improved.

The disadvantage for me is that you need to be online to create a presentation or document.

This application allows you to upload your current presentations and edit it. You can save the files online or on your computer. To try it, go to: http://docs.google.com.

I am amazed at the exorbitant prices that some of these mainstream software packages still have today, if you consider that the main competition offers these applications for free through large companies like Google or through open source projects like OpenOffice.

In most countries universities and other government institutions have adopted these opensource packages, but the uptake in South Africa has been extremely slow. I think it is the fear of having to try something now.

OpenOffice also released their updated version of the programme on Tuesday.

If you want a complete suite of applications that include presentation software, writing tools and spreadsheets, you can download it for free.

It is very similar to the Office Packages that we all know with one big difference – its free.

To download it go to www.openoffice.org.

 

 

Presidential candidates use Net

28 Sep

 

Win a trip to Mauritius

THE American presidential election is a year away. Candidates have realised that if they want to grab the attention of the 18- to 30-year-old segment of the population they will have to embrace and utilise Web 2.0 websites and applications.

For the first time in history a very public “war” is waged online. Each of the candidates are grabbing hold of every possible web application they can get their hands on. Twitter is being used by candidates to show supporters exactly what they are up to and when. Podcasts are used to get their messages out. Blogs are updated constantly to inform and attract potential voters.

Candidates are even having debates on YouTube.

The Internet community also loves to create their own content and delegates know that this could be more powerful than the content they generate themselves. They therefore encourage their supporters to generate content about them. In this way many music videos have been created. These videos are played online by millions, improving the candidates’ visibility.

To many of us it sounds unbelievable that the Internet can have such an influence in the political arena, but this is a trend that will soon spill over to our shores.

As the uptake of Internet services continue and prices continue to fall, the power of the Internet will continue to increase exponentially.

At this stage in America a funny, well crafted online music video about a candidate can increase the popularity of a candidate with up to 5% over night.

Next year when the election is coming to a close, this will be something to take note of for the future elections in our own country.

 
 

Tyd vir 'n verandering!

28 Sep

Win a trip to Mauritius

TYD vir ’n verandering!

’n Maand of twee gelede het ek besef dit is tyd vir ’n verandering.

Daar is só baie wat ek nog moet sien en doen dat ’n agt-tot- vyf-beroep nie by my meesterplan inpas nie.

Die internet het ook die nodige geleenthede vir my geskep om daardie angswekkende stap uit die sekere na die onbekende te neem.

Vandag is my laaste dag by die Sentrale Universiteit vir Tegnologie, Vrystaat (SUT).

Ek het besef Bloemfon­teiners het nie altyd toegang tot bekostigbare webontwerpers en korporatiewe opleidingsgeleenthede nie.

Dit het my aangespoor om hard te werk aan die vestiging van ’n onderneming wat bekostigbare webbladsye vir diegene wat dit nodig het, kan ontwerp en een wat korporatiewe opleiding verskaf. Enigiets van akademiese werksessies tot alles wat jy van die web en nuwe tegnologiese verwikkelinge wil weet. Die doelwit is om seker te maak inwoners van Bloemfontein sal nie net ingelig wees oor die internet nie, maar dat elkeen sal weet hoe om die internet doeltreffend te benut – wat beskikaar is en hoe om die wêreld in te vaar met net die kliek van jou muis se knoppie.

Dit is opwindend, dit is ’n wêreld wat gedurig verander en dit is werklik makliker en goedkoper as wat jy dink.

My rubrieke sal ook in die toekoms dalk meer krities en kontroversieel wees. Vir almal op wie se tone ek gaan trap, vra ek nou al verskoning. My mening is dalk soms nie gewild nie, maar ten minste is dit my eerlike mening. Ek sien uit daarna om steeds op ’n gereelde grondslag vrae en boodskappe van almal te ontvang.

 

 

Make Podcamp happen in Bfn

23 Aug

Training Course

I am working on the idea of a national Podcamp, which will bring North and South together, in Bloemfontein.
All the people in New Media – online video, blogging, podcasting and online companies – will come together in Bloemfontein and have an UnConference.

This is a place to meet one another (and maybe collaborate in the future) and share ideas.
Podcamps are always free and the costs are covered by sponsors.

The Podcamp will go hand in hand with many technology exhibitions which will also be free to attend. As with all ideas there are people who think that Bloemforntein is not the right place to have a national Podcamp. They say that nobody from Johannesburg or Cape Town will actually come all the way to here.

I wish to prove them wrong. If you are a company involved in New Media, an individual who is working online, a software developer or just interested in the things taking place online, please let me know.

With the necessary support from you, I can make sure that PodcampSA is held here in Bloemfontein. Otherwise I will probably have to give someone else the opportunity to arrange it in Johannesburg or Cape Town.

Let’s show the guys from the main centra around South Africa that Bloemfontein is up there with the best of them.

Training Course

 

 

World Wide Web in years to come

17 Aug

Liberty Life

THE World Wide Web was made available to the public for the first time on 7 August 1991. Could it really only be 16 years ago?

Even though the web was first started in 1980 it was only meant to be a method for scientists around the world to stay connected and to collaborate on projects.

It is almost impossible to compare the web of 1991 with the powerful World Wide Web that we know today, let alone compare it to the web of 1980. Today’s internet is a network of powerful systems working together as a unit.

Through this elaborate system of connected machines our lives have changed to the extent that we would almost be helpless without it. Waiting for about a month to receive a letter from the UK, in 1991, to receiving an email in a few minutes or seconds from the same person today.

The question is of course what things would look like in another 16 years. Or even in 5 years time. I will take the risk in predicting that in five to seven years’ time the majority of the population will have access to the Internet and our dependence on it will have increased to a point where we only rarely need to leave our homes. We will do everything online. Obviously this could not be true of all occupa­tions but administrative tasks and managerial tasks will probably be done online.

If you want to take a look back at the way things on the Internet were a few years ago visit the Internet Archive.

Click here to visit the Internet Archive to see how websites have changed over the past few years.  Just enter the domain name of the website!

 

 

Facebook

26 Jul

I LOVE Facebook! If you are not a member yet you should go join immediately.

I never quite get used to any of these social networking websites. I play around with them for a while, and many of them are here one minute and gone the next. Well not the case with Facebook.com. Started by college students to be able to network with their friends on campus, this website will connect you with friends you have not seen or spoken to in years.

At first I just went through it and did not quite know where to begin. Then I started searching for people I have not seen for years. And sure enough I found some of them. I was immediately hooked. Because of the fact that you have to approve your friends who add you to their network you have full control of who lists themselves as your friends.

This can be a valuable tool both in your personal life as well as in business. PodCamp Cape Town also created a Facebook group and daily more and more people join. This is a great way to distribute information to all the members of the group and a great way to build a network. When you join a group you will probably get into contact with people who share many of your views.

There are hundreds of fun applications and plug-ins that you can add to your profile and it will keep you busy for hours. You can post your photos, videos, thoughts and send emails to your friends. It is a one-stop gathering space for you and your friends.

Sign up today for a free account and give it a try. Hey, maybe even add me as your friend.

 

 

Heltasa 2007 Conference

20 Jul

 

Shrek Third!

Each week I write about technology and the Internet, the way it influences and impacts our lives. I think that if there is one area where these new technologies and social media will have an ever increasing role to play it is in education.

The problem is that educators do not always have opportunities to find out about all the changes taking place in education around the world and in the end we end up just sticking to the past practices. Because of the rapid pace at which the world is changing we need to stay up to date and implement new strategies. We need to make use of a variety of delivery methods to enable us to reach each and every student. We need to adapt to each individual’s learning style. When we stick to the old methods this is not possible. By utilising these new technologies we are able to do more and truly educate more effectively.

This year, the Central University of Technology, Free State, will be the host for the 2007 HELTASA (Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa) conference. This is the ideal place for educators to get in touch with peers from other institutions to gain and share knowledge and experiences. The conference will have a strong emphasis on new learning and the use of new technologies in education.

This is a great opportunity for local educators from schools and tertiary institutions to attend an international education conference right here in Bloemfontein. If you are an educator who would like to participate or maybe a company who works in the education field please contact me and come and share in this educational experience. Please visit the conference website at www.heltasa2007.com.

 

Shrek Third!

 

Pownce

12 Jul

Kevin Rose is known in the web community as an innovator. His first big poject was Digg.com which was a huge international success. Digg is a social information website where you are able to submit “news stories” and other readers are able to vote or “digg” your story. The more “diggs” your story receives the closer it will come to being listed on the front page. if you succeed in reaching the front page of digg you are assured of a few hundred thousand hits that day. Because users constantly submit stories to digg you are assured that there will always be new content to read. If you have not visited Digg.com please go there today.

Kevin Rose has now started a new project, simply known as Pownce. Pownce is still in beta but you can join when you receive an invitation. I was fortunate enough to receive my invitation earlier this week and after hearing many great things of this website I was not dissapointed when I finally got a chance to play around with some of the features. it is a way to send messages, files, links and events to your friends. You create a network of people you know and when you share “stuff” you share it either with all of them or with individuals.

I like the fact that you can download a small application and have complete control of all the website features on your desktop. No need to revisit the website each time. Through this application you can also chat easily with your friends and I know we have so many chat clients available these days, but for some reason this one just feels smoother.

If you want to give it a try and you do not want to wait for an invitation or the beta period to end before you join please send me an email. I still have a few invitations to give out and would love to hear what you think.


 

Disconnect for balance in life

14 Jun

 

THIS weekend will be the first weekend that I spend cut off from my laptop and the internet in about five years. I have become a digital native even though, due to my age, I should probably be seen as a digital immigrant.

I have this uneasy feeling that while I am away, something may happen and I will miss it. I know that I am a little more connected and computer bound than most people, purely because I am constantly searching for the next great thing online, but have we become too dependent on constant connectedness?

The ability to have knowledge at your fingertips and to instantly connect with almost anybody anywhere? I also heard that the cellphone reception is very poor where I am going which is an added bonus, forcing me to adjust to that sort of situation.

I can almost see all the heads of people who know me nod and I can hear them say “finally!” Each week I advocate the use of the internet and the integration thereof in our daily lives, but this week I want to ask you to at least have balance.

We do need technology to make our lives easier and we do need the internet to communicate and have access to vast amounts of knowledge.

But each now and again, we have to switch off, take a step back and just enjoy all that nature has to give us.

I just hope that I can survive being cut off for an entire weekend.


 
 
Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes