Elwyn's Blog

Introduction Week 10's lesson we looked at the subject of social computing. We dive into aspects such as the fundamentals of social computing in a business setting, as well as what that (social computing) looks like in shopping and marketing. Web 2.0 The first thing we looked at was the web 2.0 tools, as they facilitate social computing. We examined web 1.0 which was the initial generation of the web, and discovered that it primarily focuses on the development and commercialisation of the web. Web 2.0, on the other hand, is a loosely defined set of information technologies, apps, and websites that employ them. Web 2.0 is a new digital ecosystem that fosters innovation, networking, collaboration, convergence, and community. Fundamentals of social computing in business  Social computing (a.k.a social commerce) utilises e-commerce mixed with social computing. Social commerce allows businesses to conduct selling and purchasing products via social media and the online networks; this bri...

Introduction In week 9's lesson, we looked at the topics of ethics and privacy. Here is some of the main concepts that stuck with me throughout this class. Ethics Ethics refer to the "principles of right and wrong that individuals use to make choice that guide their behaviour. There are four different approaches (or standards) towards ethics, this include: Utilitarian approach - Action that achieves the greatest good or causes the least harm.  Rights approach - An ethical action is one that best protects and respects the moral rights of the people involved. Fairness approach - An ethical action treats all persons equally, or if unequal, equitably, in accordance with some justifiable norm. Common good approach - An ethical action is one that benefits the entire community and is crucial for the well-being of all members, not just a few. Privacy Privacy is the right to be left alone without unreasonable personal intrusion. In class, we examined the rules and regulations that...

Introduction For week 8, we looked at and focused on Chapter 5; more specifically the topic of Business Intelligence (BI), and its main function in modern organisations. We looked further at BIs usefulness, and its potential to dramatically improve decision-making via data analysis. Some of the things that resonated that I learnt included BI's characteristics and functions, its importance, and its practical use in action.   Business Intelligence (BI) In today's technology environment, Business Intelligence (BI) is vital for modern businesses approach to data analysis and decision making. There is a great need for businesses to utilise BI tools to extract useful insights from massive amounts of data and their complex data systems. What might not seem obvious to humans (potential trends, etc), can be highlighted by BI; and with these fresh facts and analysis obtained, organisations may make more productive and efficient decisions with greater confidence. Essentially, BI has ultim...

Intro In this week's class, we explored the world of networks; more specifically what they (networks) are and how they have influenced business practices. Let's dive in: 4.1 What is a computer network? - A computer network enables data transmission by connecting devices via communication channels. - Networks have a need for more bandwidth in order to achieve faster functioning (measured in bits per second.) - Two different types of networks: local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN). - WANs connect numerous LANs, separating them from one another. 4.2 Network fundamentals In class, we discussed how networks transmit information using two sorts of signals: analogue and digital . Analogue signals:  Continuous waves that transmit information through amplitude and frequency changes. Digital signals:  Made consisting of discrete pulses that can be represented in binary as on (1) or off (0). Modems are critical instruments for transforming these signal kinds. ...

Introduction In week 5's class, we dove into the complex aspects of data and knowledge management within a business' setting. We looked at the following sub-topics: Managing date, Database approach, Database management systems, Data warehouses and data marts and knowledge management. I found this specific class to be mind boggling (as there is a lot of information to take in), as well as interesting. What I learnt Some of the things I learnt about most and found intriguing include:  1. Database approach   From the 1950s-1970s a file management environment was more common and prevalent, however from then, business' have adopted a more modern database management approach as they found it to: Minimises the problems of: data redundancy, data isolation and data inconsistency. Maximise : data security, data integrity, data independence. We also reviewed database management systems, specifically how Database Management Systems (DBMS) are essential for organising, storing, and ac...

Intro Within this week's class, we looked at chapter 2 of the textbook which dealt with organisational strategy, competitive advantage, and information systems. Some main focus points I found interesting in this week's class/lesson include: Information overload, Strategies for competitive advantage, and the Case-Study Questions.   Information Overload Information overload was intriguing to me since it investigated the premise that information doubles practically every year. From my own personal knowledge and observations, there has been more information ever right now then there has ever been in human history; and the fact that this size of information is doubling rapidly from year to year is incomprehensible to me. However, that comes with it's consequences, organisations need technology to deal and keep up with this exponential  growth of  information and the processing demands. Strategies for competitive advantage Competitive advantage refers to the spec...