Predicting the Digital Future

So what can we expect for our digital future? While we can't know all the details, we can count on more interoperability going forward. 

Cloud-based computing can be expected to grow, wherein computing will increasingly be delivered as a service rather than a product. This is essentially an "in progress" paradigm shift in computing. As cloud-computing continues to grow, computer memory or a user's particular device will become less important for storing data or running programs, and small companies will be able to realize digital opportunities that were previously out of reach. While cloud computing is an advantage in many ways, as data is shared and accessed via a greater number of devices, security challenges may increase, and privacy will be under greater threat.

Going forward, the electrical grid, which is similar to cloud computing in its delivery, is expected to advance to a "smart grid," allowing for more efficient energy allocation and more environmentally friendly use of energy resources. If the smart grid materializes, high levels of data interconnection with regard to energy consumption and demand are expected to give way to energy efficiencies through system communication and automatic adjustments. Palfrey and Gasser (2011) liken the smart grid to an "energy Internet" that integrates "technologies and functions into one network of networks" (p. 242).

An Internet of Things (IoT) is also expected to emerge, in which physical items--appliances, razors, buildings--can be turned into "smart" (computerized) objects that are connected to the Internet for the purpose of data collection, analysis, and application. Again, privacy and security are concerns with the emergence of IoT.

Information overload may be expected to continue to increase, necessitating continued development of search tools and facilitating growth of social technologies. As information grows, it will be used in new ways, and the need for data processing and databases (big data challenges) will expand. Media multi-tasking will be increasingly normative, and technology will become ever more personalized. Different media will continue to converge into digital forms, allowing media texts to be distributed across a variety of devices.

On a related note, transmedia presentation of narratives will expand stories into new and more complex forms. Through transmedia storytelling, audiences will experience congruent entertainment experiences that span a variety of media, with each extension contributing something unique to the understanding of a story. The result will be the creation of dynamic, new, synergistic narrative collections.

In general, these predictions will lead to new user experiences, in which people interact with media and the world in ways unknown to our ancestors. In the digital world, we can expect change to be the only constant.

Palfrey, J., & Gasser, U. (2012). Interop: The promise and perils of highly interconnected systems. New York: Basic Books.

Web Analytics 101: A Framework for Data Analysis

Analytics is the discovery and communication of meaningful patterns in data. Applied to the Web, analytics refers to collecting, measuring, analyzing, and reporting data that website owners can collect from the website visits of users. This allows website owners to understand and optimize their Web strategy to seek better results, or a better return on investment in online strategies.

According to Avinash Kaushik, the basics of Web analytics can be found in defining business objectives, goals, metrics, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), targets, dimensions, and segments and in analyzing data accordingly.

Kaushik presents an overview of these concepts in his blog post, "Web Analytics 101: Definitions: Goals, Metrics, KPIs, Dimensions, Targets."

Given that a PDF of Kaushik's blog post is 12 pages of text and graphics, I've summarized his post in a visually appealing infographic, using Piktochart (below). While a week's worth of study doesn't qualify anyone as an expert in Web analytics, Kaushik lays a foundation by which to get started.

For Kaushik's complete blog post, please see http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/web-analytics-101-definitions-goals-metrics-kpis-dimensions-targets/

Decoding The Mysteries of Code

This week, we went behind the scenes of Web development by looking at the principle programming languages (or codes) that comprise it. These included HTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML, PHP, ASP, SQL, and API. While Module 9 of CEID 100 doesn't promise to create coding experts, it nonetheless starts students down the path of understanding and using code.

Our assignment involved going to codecademy.com to complete an appropriate course for a programming language that is new (to the student), or one that the student could use more work on, and to complete an associated (short) project through codecademy.com.

Proof of my completion of HTML Basics I:

The final project involved coding a basic personal website/Web page, with a title, several headings, several paragraphs of text, several links, and an image. While I am not yet ready to program Web pages for a living, the mysteries of online code are a little less mysterious, and I have the tools to further unravel such mysteries via course at codecademy.com to improve my skills.

My final code page looked like this:

My Web page includes the code below: 

<!DOCTYPE>
<html>
<head>
</head>
<title>
</title>
<body>
<h1>Florene G. Ypma</h1>
<img src="http://athabasca.iwebez.com/images/%7B6FCD6D8D-2427-4657-82F8-AAF691E97480%7DHwyInterchange2.jpg" />
<h3>Personal</h3>
<p>I'm a parent raising two kids--a teenager and a pre-teen in rural Alberta. Unlike 90% of Canadians, we don't live within 100 km of the American border. In fact, we are likely part of the 1% in terms of how far north we live in Canada. We live approximately two hours north of Edmonton, Alberta in a small town called Athabasca.</p>
<h3>Professional</h3>
<p>Professionally, I'm a Course Production Editor at <a href="http://www.athabascau.ca/">Athabasca University</a>, which means that I basically prepare university courses for online delivery. I work with professors, learning designers, visual communication designers, copyright staff, and multi-media Web specialists to produce course materials. My specific skill-set involves expertise with language, though I'm getting handy with design as well.</p>
<h3>Recreational</h3>
<p>When I'm not engaged in the jobs above, I'm a recreational athlete, competing in road races and <a href="http://www.billyloutit.ca">triathlons</a>. I love to swim, bike, and run, and in the winter, I like to cross-country ski. Along the same vein, I help to coach our local swim team, the <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.athabascaadvocate.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcsi.dll%2Fbilde%253FSite%253DGR%2526Date%253D20140422%2526Category%253DATH1101%2526ArtNo%253D304229977%2526Ref%253DEP%2526NewTbl%253D1%2526item%253D1%2526MaxW%253D800%2526MaxH%253D600&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.athabascaadvocate.com%2Farticle%2F20140422%2FATH1101%2F304229977%2F0%2Fath&h=600&w=450&tbnid=7C15PKUccM1BwM%3A&zoom=1&docid=T-5FBjhvgEGzxM&ei=O3m0U7rXD9KbqAbShYKgAQ&tbm=isch&client=firefox-a&ved=0CB8QMygBMAE&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=2706&page=1&start=0&ndsp=16">Athabasca Rapids</a>.</p>
</body>
</html>

Visual translation:

Florene G. Ypma

Personal

I'm a parent raising two kids--a teenager and a pre-teen in rural Alberta. Unlike 90% of Canadians, we don't live within 100 km of the American border. In fact, we are likely part of the 1% (population living farthest north) in terms of how far north we live in Canada. We live approximately two hours north of Edmonton, Alberta in a small town called Athabasca.

Professional

Professionally, I'm a Course Production Editor at Athabasca University, which means that I basically prepare university courses for online delivery. I work with professors, learning designers, visual communication designers, copyright staff, and multi-media Web specialists to produce course materials. My specific skill-set involves expertise with language, though I'm getting handy with design as well.

Recreational

When I'm not engaged in the jobs above, I'm a recreational athlete, competing in road races and triathlons. I love to swim, bike, and run, and in the winter, I like to cross-country ski. Along the same vein, I help to coach our local swim team, the Athabasca Rapids.