Greg Harper's Blog

The Class

gregharper — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:22:24 +0000

Blog
Experiences- what I liked: Overall, the entire experience of the blog was good, a real learning experience for me having never even thought of creating a blog in the past. I may not continue to use it beyond the class but I am exploring the possibility of using “Face Book” as a family site to keep updated information and pictures. What I found to be discouraging with using the blog was a lack of guidance in setting up the blog and the fact that even to the last week there was still one entry waiting for approval for posting from the 8th week. I do not know for sure if that person is still in the class or has dropped out. Maybe some type of live tracking sheet that you could record the date and time that you respond to the blog would make it easier to track the responses.
Possibly during the first week a there should be a check sheet of tasks to complete as soon as possible for the class.
What would I keep- the overall blog assignment with some minor modifications, everybody should use the same provider (worldpress.com) maybe they could provide a brief tutorial so that everybody is has the same instructions and the blogs would all be setup the same. Maybe the responses should be placed in two locations one on the blog and then a second time on the discussion page as a weekly post of just the blogs that you responded to not necessarily the entire post just the location.

Overall Class
I found the class interesting especially when you consider at my age of 53, I have seen first hand almost all of the innovations that have come and in some cases gone, and for instance, the FAX machine has come and almost gone. I was a somewhat disappointed in the confusion with the syllabus, and the class description, I came into the class with one idea of the flow of the blog being somewhat open and then the syllabus had a firm schedule of when different assignments were to be completed. The second issue was the lack of responses to email sent with questions or observations. At times, I felt I was taking a class with no instructor.
These observations pertain more to the overall online experience comparing a community college experience to that at Oregon State University. I returned to college about 6 years ago, starting at Lane Community College working toward my two-year transfer degree. Most of the classes I took there, as here at OSU were online classes. Almost every online class started with an in person class meeting or online meeting to discuss the class and make sure everyone was on the same page. Then as the class, progressed most of the assignments and reading deadlines typically were on Sundays. This worked well for a person returning to school and still holding down a fulltime job. I have found that at OSU most of the online classes appear to be setup for the instructors schedule or under the assumption that it is a normal class schedule.

Internet=Crime

gregharper — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:52:25 +0000

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Teenagers who are preoccupied with their Internet time may be more prone to aggressive behavior, researchers reported Monday.
In a study of more than 9,400 Taiwanese teenagers, the researchers found that those with signs of Internet “addiction” were more likely to say they had hit, shoved or threatened someone in the past year.
The link remained when the investigators accounted for several other factors — including the teenagers’ scores on measures of self-esteem and depression, as well as their exposure to TV violence.
If these aggressive behaviors are, being liked to youth in Taiwan where internet use and behavior have be extensively controlled over the years, how strong are the links in other countries like the US where controls are almost no existent? Hardly a day goes by without an article in the news about how internet use has led to some type of crime. These crimes can be crimes against a person modeled after something seen on the internet or taken from a game played on the internet. Other crimes committed can come from web sites where instructions can be found on how to build anything from a simple firearm to a complicated explosive device.
While the internet is a free communication media and I believe that it should stay that way there are still so many dangers that a person can stumble into accidently. While the keeping the internet a free uncensored resource some protection should be built into it so that in appropriate use can be detected and possible problems intercepted and prevented. On the home front, there should be stronger software to control the sites being accessed by minors, adults should have unrestricted access but minors need to be protected and limited to access. I would see the biggest question is who and or how is the internet controlled and patrolled. Should the responsibility fall on the family, the government or a combination of the two?

Comcast :-(

gregharper — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:47:25 +0000

Wild Card-
It all started with a keypunch error. My story of communication gone wrong involves Comcast and their cable system upgrade. With Comcast’s transition from an analog system to an all-digital system, it meant that four of our televisions would require a new digital receiver. When the person at Comcast entered the serial numbers for the equipment into their system on the numbers was entered incorrectly and did not match the number on the receiver. This did not become evident until I went on line to activate the receivers.
Once on line and having discovered the error your only help option is on line live chat and here is where the problems began. First, there was the wait for the technician to come on line to chat. Next, we had to go through the different security issues to prove that I was I. Then trying to explain the problem to the tech was an adventure. It became obvious the person was working off of a script and a set of “frequently asked questions” it also appeared to me that as mentioned in earlier reading this is one service that Comcast had outsourced to a call center some where other than the US. Our on line session took almost two hours to get the four receivers working correctly. The longest time was spent working on the one receiver that had the wrong serial number. Trying to explain that the last two numbers of the serial number were transposed and therefore the activation signal would not activate the receiver, (I am sure that there is a receiver somewhere that was going on and off) was getting to be almost impossible, I ended up listing the number out with spaces between each number.
I have had the opportunity to run a customer service center for the company I work for granted there were only three of us and our cliental was limited to existing customers who had knowledge of the system and its capability. We did not work with a script and usually worked through issues with normal conversation. When we set up the service, we developed it as a go between the “techies” and the user. The idea was for the customer to work with a person who had a working knowledge of the business and products. If there was a question we could not answer, we would take the question to the programmers rather than have the customer talking with the programmers. We would then contact the customer with the answer. This worked very well; we got the information to the customer and kept the programmers from receiving excess calls. On line customer service should be the easiest customer service available to the customer, it leaves a lasting impression on the consumer.

Generations

gregharper — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:32:44 +0000

It is interesting that on page 157 of the text it sited that in the 70′s most people thought that there was no reason for the individual to have a computer, they were for businesses and industry. About 3 years ago, Wells Fargo bank was promoting online banking with a billboard showing –their logo and advertising “Online Banking” the last statement on the billboard said it all- “and you said you would never use a debit card”. The computer and internet are here to stay- you will use them.

The three people I chose to interview included two people from work and my mother in-law.

Kevin from work is 25. At work, he uses the internet to research product for customers, ordering product, and email. At home, he uses it for news, gamming, banking, bill paying, and shopping. He and his fiancé are very comfortable using it; it is second nature because they have had it available to use their entire life. They utilize all forms of communication: email, text, chat, and web cam. When asked if it has changed his life for better or worse; both can be used to goof off and waste time and can also be a valuable tool for research.

David at work is 53 has owned his own business. Like Kevin, the internet is a valuable tool at work for research and customer service. At home, Dave utilizes the computer for home finances including banking, bill paying, and shopping. He does not use for entertainment at all. He is comfortable using the internet for communication as far as email goes by he does not utilize any other forms of electronic communication. He sees the internet as a double-edged sword- on one edge it can be a valuable tool when used correctly, a great source of information. The other edge- the unregulated side, it can be too easy to end up in areas that are inappropriate especially for young users.

My mother in-law Louise- Louise is in her 80′s and utilizes the internet for some financial uses- checking balances but no transactions. She utilizes email but only the basic functions, pictures (one at a time). She does use the internet for research for vacation plans but when it comes to booking, she still uses a travel agent. She thinks the internet has a purpose but only to the extent that you want to use it.

In comparing the three, Dave and Kevin utilize the internet to the level I expected; Dave has a little more technical knowledge. Most of this comes from being a business owner and spending more time developing tools for the business. Kevin is much quicker with the tools again this comes from having the internet available to him all of his life. My mother in-law while not using the internet a great deal I was impressed with skills and use. I would sum it up that regardless of the person and their age most people will accept the computer and internet and use it to the level they need and are comfortable with.

Communication

gregharper — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:28:36 +0000

ScoutNet- Boy Scouts of America. This is a site set up for Scouters and other interested people. I will be serving on the National Staff for the 2010 Boy Scout National Jamboree at Fort AP Hill, VA. This will be my fourth Jamboree, one as a Scoutmaster and now 3 on National Staff. Each time I have requested a different area to staff in, the first time I worked with entertainment- Stage shows, last Jamboree I worked in Leader services, working with the troop leaders coordinating events and providing information. This time in 2010 I will be working with the National Exhibits- we will provide support to exhibitors from the branches of the service and large commercial companies such GM, Lodge Cookware, and Crossman. We will also provide support to the different areas within Scouting that will have displays on site. Past years all communication was done through snail mail and some emails. This year the group organizing the National Exhibits has put up listserv for general discussion and questions.
To become of member of the group I needed to provide my BSA member number, (every registered youth and leader has a membership number), and my National Troop number. (every area at Jamboree is identified by a troop number). As long as those numbers match your are accepted into the group. Now how do you know if accepted by the members and they will engage in conversation- it happens and continues, as this particular group in fairly new 3 – 4 weeks old there are only 8 members at this time and most of our conversation have been related to “war stories” of previous jamborees and the topic of improving safety on site. Because this is a rather closed group that is not open to the general public I believe the quality of the group will continue to high and most of the communication will be positive. As new ideas on a safer event begin to surface I am sure there will be comments about we always did it this way or that, or why change. Another issue that will continue to come up is the issue of continued use of a military instillation for the event, and in fact this will be the last Jamboree held at Fort AP Hill. For the next event in 2014 the Boy Scouts will have developed a new national event and training center. I believe that on this site arguments will not and disagreements will not be a major issue, the site is developed for sharing information and planning schedules. Most of the major sharing of information will take place in the 4 months prior to the event (Aug. 2010).
I am involved in a yahoo listserv for Boy Scout Leader training, it is used for a completely different purpose, we use it as a holding place for commonly used files and announcements, it is use more as a tool box than a communication source. It is still secured so scouters in this council have access to it.

Resources

gregharper — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:36:38 +0000

Internet Banking Security-
The three sources that I could use would include:
- FDIC
- OSU Federal Credit Union (my banking institution)
- Chase Bank (holder of my home mortgage)
I feel that these three sources are creditable for the following reasons:
- FDIC- this is Federal Agency and information should be a creditable source.
- OSU Federal Credit Union is my personal and business banking institution; from personal experience, I have developed a trust of their services. I have experienced one case where an ATM malfunction failed to dispense funds yet charged my account fro the withdrawal. When the error was documented, the funds were immediately replaced and within 60 days, I received notification that the error had happened and I would not be charged the withdrawal.
- Chase Bank services my mortgage, I pay this account online monthly and have never experienced a problem with this account and Chase maintains a very extensive security center.
Other sources that could be used would include sources that have been peer reviewed for accuracy; a creditable source for these would include the University Library.
What is the value of the information you gather? All three sources have an extensive library of frequently asked questions and information on how to handle problems and more importantly information on how avoid problems.
Is some information more or less believable? The information presented on all three sites is believable and support each site. All three sites are creditable in that they are commercial sites rather than informational. They are presenting information that promotes security on the internet along with promoting their own sites as safe sites for internet banking.
Research skills- utilized search of Federal Government sites along with reputable local and national banking sites rather than generic searches of sites pertaining to internet security.

Safe Internet Banking – Protect Your Privacy http://www.fdic.gov/BANK/INDIVIDUAL/ONLINE/protect.html

OSU Federal’s Security Commitment
https://www.osufederal.com/online_services/security_faq.php

Chase Security Center
https://www.chase.com/ccp/index.jsp?pg_name=ccpmapp/privacy_security/protection/page/security_home

Letters

gregharper — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:41:21 +0000

This was an interesting experiment, the results were some what different than I expected.
The two people that I choose had an effect in different areas of my life. The first-Gary is the directory of education for the company I work for. The second- Bert I met through Boy Scouts and was able to get me interested in the leader training within the program.

About 10 years ago I inquired about taking some courses to deal with PC and Office software, the company has a tuition assistance program the cover your tuition as long as the courses are related to work. After competing several of these courses, Gary brought to my attention that we also had a degree completion program that I could use to complete my Bachelors degree. This program is limited to two classes per term. This intrigued me and it has been a long hall. Living in Eugene I started working on the AAOT degree at Lane Community College. When this was completed I transferred back to OSU where I had started my degree in 1973. The topic of my letter (email form) was thanking Gary for his support as I neared the completion of my degree. I actually turned in my graduation request last week. What a good feeling. Gary’s response was almost immediate, he emailed me back with congratulations and an update on his studies, he is working on his PHD, and he will finish class work this term and then he has to complete his thesis.
The second person- Bert, I meet almost 25 years ago in Scouting. I had just take a position as an Assistant Scoutmaster, I was attending a training session for new Scout Leaders. Bert was the Scouter conducting the training. One of the training opportunities being promoted was a course called “Wood Badge” this was a course designed to teach outdoor skills to Scout Leaders. Bert was pretty insistent that every scout leader should attend “Wood Badge”. To make a very long story shorter, Bert not only convinced me to attend the course but to be come an instructor and eventually a course directory. I went on to become the Council Training Chairman, (the council covers all of Southwestern Oregon) and let to my involvement in Scouting at the National Level. (Training and Boy Scout National Jamboree). Bert being a very prim and proper retired Air Force and several decades older than myself- I though the nice hand written thank you for his support would be in order. To my surprise his reply came back in an Email. It was very well written and sincere, it just seemed out of place from Bert.
The email response from Gary was not a really a surprise when you consider the culture within our company, we try to stay on the front edge of technology in our industry. However the email response from Bert did take me by surprise. I anticipated a fairly quick response, just not email.

Distort

gregharper — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:39:51 +0000

OK so I set up a “Facebook” page. Now what do I use it for? Maybe I am an old fuddy duddy but I really do not see where I have a need or use for it. I have been married to the same wonderful woman for 34 years, we have three children, all happily married and living on the west coast, we have four great grandkids. We are both have jobs that we enjoy. She works in retail management and I manage a wholesale distributor ship. I am finishing my degree after taking a 30-year break in my education. We are happy with our life and have no real reason to go looking for attention.
So looking at “my space” and Facebook” pages I see people showing off goofy things they can do to get attention, looking for their “15 minutes of fame”. Then there are those looking for romance, trying to find that perfect mate online. At this point in my life, I have no need for “Facebook or My Space”. Now if this was 35 years ago and we had today’s technology maybe I would try using it to find that perfect mate, or doing silly things for attention.

How would I distort myself, well if I were seriously looking for romance and a long-term relationship then I more than likely would not distort the facts about myself, while I might not share everything about myself until we were better aquatinted. Much like in “You’ve Got Mail”, I would not share personal information until we were ready to meet.

If you distort the facts, then what to you do and how do you explain what you have been doing and saying, without destroying the relationship. It could be the difference in the “we” and “me” generations but I see difference in the ethics between the two. I see what is better for “me” having a greater effect on decisions that are made, even to the point that the other person is hurt.

You need to remember that in the eyes of the person watching, what they perceive becomes what they believe. One that perception becomes reality to observer you will never be able to undo that perception.

“Facebook and My Space” are powerful tools on the internet and if abused or used as a electronic weapon they can destroy a person without even touching them. Be careful what you do or say, once done or said you can never take it back.

Mail

gregharper — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:06:05 +0000

“You’ve Got Mail”- While they developed their online profiles, the profiles were similar to their real life lives only missing some of the more important information that would have given themselves away. She shared that she owned a business as the business was beginning to experience problems with the competition, but as he offered help as a businessperson, she would not share additional information it was against the rules they had decided on in the beginning. With that, he avoided opening up any further, by doing this reinforced the trust that was developing between the two and allowed their online relationship to grow. At the sametime, the two were developing an adversarial position toward each other as business people. He is the ‘big box” retailer coming to town to take the lion share of the market, she is the small business owner about to devoured by the lion. This same conflict happens consistently in our society today- Home Depot-Family Hardware Store, Wal-Mart and all the local merchants, and WINCO and the neighborhood grocer. As the adversarial positions begin to develop, he discovers who his email companion is. He begins to make suttle changes in his emails. Offering little clues to his identity; hoping for discovery. Would a relationship like this develop into a romantic relationship in the “real world” most likely not, the adversarial relation ship is too strong to overcome, one person has destroyed the life and well-being of the other. More than likely in today’s world the new comer would acquire the smaller specialized business. Then incorporate the owner into the business this would help to bring additional business to the larger company. A business relationship would be more likely to develop than a romantic relationship.
It was interesting to see the difference in the technology between now and then, and even the difference within the story. Between now and then we see both of them using the same provider “AOL” the company that started it all and it was a dial up connection. This forced the communication to take place away from work, and usually in the evening when their original partners had left or gone to bed. This twist added a bit of being naughty to the story. If you look at the technology within the movie- she is underdog being the small businessperson, she works on a desktop computer. While he is portraying the modern “big business”, man works on the high tech notebook computer. The story is ok, it is designed to leave you with a good feeling, it was a little slow and while the title implied email communication would be the main topic, it was a tool used to pull you into a romantic movie. Could you do the same movie today with the current technology- yes unless you included digital photography and web cams?

Internet Abstinence

gregharper — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:28:48 +0000

Abstinence: I choose Friday 9:00PM – Saturday 9:00PM. I choose this time window because it was a time away from work. In my job as a Branch Manager for Platt Electric, my job requires the use of the internet all day. Communication with our other branches, main office, and manufactures is thru email and internet research. Even our point of sale system utilizes the internet for communication between out databases in Portland and the terminals at branch level.
Because of the nature of our business, it requires a person to be available on call 24 hours a day, and the manager is the first response. To circumvent this issue I set up the on call system to contact the assistant manager rather then myself. This involved contacting our after hours service, making sure that the outside sales people knew who to contact, and making sure my boss was in the loop. The original plan called for me to be spending the weekend clamming on the Central Washington Coast, a simple diversion from the tech world, even made reservations at a motel that had no internet service. Ah but a simple plan runs amok; weather and flooding prevented the trip. Moving on to my plan B- I spent Friday evening downloading and printing homework assignments for my two online classes, and at 9:00 I shut down the laptop and the internet connection on my cell phone and the project began.
I spent Friday evening completing the reading assignments for this class. Saturday morning brought a foggy damp morning in Eugene, rather than working on yard clean up I worked on formatting my thoughts for my writing assignment for this class. I also spent sometime working on the reading assignments for my second online call: Business Marketing. Later Saturday I did get the opportunity to work on yard clean up projects- I was able to get the inflatable yard decorations dried out and put away. I was also able to finish cleaning up leaves and yard debris, two utility trailers full of leaves taken to the recycle. Between trailer loads, I was able to join my wife at her work for lunch a pleasant break in the day.
While it was a productive day, I found myself missing the internet access several times during the day. I usually start my Saturday morning by logging onto our work network to review the business of the previous day this gives me a head start on Monday morning. I also utilize the internet for keeping up on world events; the local paper is easily 24 to 36 hours behind.
By Saturday evening I found myself anticipating the time, I could turn on the computer and cell phone access back on. I had received six emails dealing with work only one would have required my attention, it had been forwarded to my assistant and he had taken care of it. I had 32 personal emails mostly spam, one from my son in Seattle inquiring if I had made it to the coast for the weekend.
I found the day an interesting experience, I suspect that I have spent most of my 53 years without the internet and that it was not a workday led to the fact it was not huge issue for me. In addition, I did get some chores I had putting off done.