Practical 10 Reflection

One favourite quote I would use would be:
Every drop makes an ocean.

It is the most important lesson that I've learnt in EIR - that every lesson accumulates over time and is dependent on the previous lecture.

I found out that music affects how teenagers dress up, how to they talk or behave and how the musical lyrics influences their attitudes. Music plays a very big part in society. It may been somewhat minor as compared to other current matters but almost every teenager listens to music. Teenagers who are avid followers of their favourite bands may also want to do things the band members do and act like their idols. This may be a negative impact as these bands may portray the wrong idea to these teenagers and the teenagers blindly follow them. Also, teenagers are the most targeted consumer group in the music industry.

Practical 8 and 9 - My Dream Holiday

a. Update your blog with magical pictures of your Dream Holiday destinations
British Columbia Canada

Yellowstone

Colorado River


b. Which evaluation criteria did you used to evaluate the multimedia websites f0r your dream holiday? Why?

Coverage
The website has various pictures,blogs and forum categories for viewing purpose. It is comprehensive in the sense that it gives recollections of past experiences in the USA through the use of the blogs posts, forum posts and pictures that have been posted. There are also links to other destination countries such as India,Cuba etc.

Presentation and Arrangement

The information is well presented and arranged in a simplistic and minimalistic manner. The information available throughout the website follows a consistent web layout. There is a search facility located at the top right hand corner of the website which is very useful as it generates a native list of search results which are relevant.

Overall
The website is pretty simplistic in it's design. It allows users to find photos,information of past experiences by other people who visited the country. The "Photos" link is very essential as ultimately, users seek pictures first instead of text regarding the country that they are planning to go to. The website is informative and provides easy navigation and access to information available.


c. Why did you choose to go to your Dream Holiday Destination.

There are many picturesque sights available in the USA. The sights there such as the Colorado River are very beautiful. I chose USA as it has many interesting and unique landforms.


References:
Retrieved 21 Jan 2010 from,

http://community.usatourist.com/photos/christine_bs_usa_trip_2009/images/2036/original.aspx
Retrieved 21 Jan 2010 from,
http://community.usatourist.com/photos/british_columbia_canada_by_jose_yague/images/974/original.aspx
Retrieved 21 Jan 2010 from,
http://community.usatourist.com/photos/yellowstone/images/1814/original.aspx

EIR PRACTICAL 7

a. Which criteria did you use to evaluate Stomp.com? Why did you choose this criteria? What lessons have you learnt from this activity?
Free expression of thoughts/ideas. This criteria is very relevant as it directly related to individuals. It showcases how open the website is in allowing any form of information that may be personal to be posted and being commented on.

b. How do you feel about sharing your views via Wiki?
It serves as a platform for sharing and interacting with other people. It allows comments to be debated and sometimes, yield very rationale conclusions.

EIR Activity 6

a. Do you think it is more effective to search the invisible web (databases) than using search engines, meta-search or subject directories? Why?

After much interaction with EBSCOhost database, I feel that the information available in these invisible web(databases) are very relevant and reliable. EBSCOhost database is a vast collection of newspaper articles across many domains. Personally, I would prefer using invisible web databases as I feel that these invisible web databases tend to have triumps over other search facilities in terms of trustworthiness.


b. Will you use the invisible web (databases) for research in your own respective Diplomas? Why?

Yes, I would definitely use these invisible web databases as there is so much reliable information available on the articles provided. It assures me that the research repository that I browse is safe and accurate.

c. What have you learnt from your wiki experience during this practical?
I have learnt that through wikis, much more information can be shared and presented as compared to an individualistic project endeavour. Through wikis, different people with similar interest topics are able to express freely and openly. Through the colloborative efforts of various people on the interest topic, the research information is constantly edited,updated and current. Redundant information can be deleted to make the research as detailed and concise as possible. This makes the research topic more interesting and engaging for viewers/readers.

Practical 3 Reflection

Funny photo I'd share before you dive into my wall of text.


Albeit not turning up for the lab on thursday , 5/11/09 , I managed to finish the practical and learn a few useful search terms and functions of google. The reason why I couldn't make it on thursday was due to the fact that I had a an ear abscess surgery at the ENT Department of Changi General Hospital. Back to my topic, I learn how to use the "AND" , "OR" and "NOT(-)" functions on Google. I am amazed by how much the number of results varies when you type certain key words. It helps to narrow down your search effectively. Comparing Google Scholar and Google, my preference would be Google Scholar as it gives citations at the results page even without having to click on the link. The epicenter of Google Scholar would be that it has a "Cited by (XX)" link and also a "ALL X versions" link which is very essential and beneficial for my project. Participating in a forum is also very good for me as the forum is informative and filled with people of all different ages and different expertise. The forum proves to be more than helpful for my project as the people are very friendly and reply to my questions patiently and promptly too. I feel very comfortable conversing within the forum.

Citation and bibliography are very important. Why are they important? Simply due to the fact that people need to get recognized for their work. One similar concept is Copyright. The "Black Eyed Peas" used an old electronica German band's (Kraftwerk) sample to set as the base of their song : "Fergalicious" and "Black Eyed Peas" did mention their use of Kraftwerk's samples. To add to my point-of-view, imagine a 10 pages written report where you took many days to complete being duplicated by your friend with slight dabbles of changes. This is injustice.

Second Lesson of EIR

Today, I learnt about the different categories of information available on the internet. I gained knowledge on the different ways in which information is presented.( E.g Blog, Twitter, E-news, E-magazines, Discussion Forums etc)
The lab session has been beneficial and informative. The activity allowed me to explore and interact with information on the internet in a whole new perspective.

The research topic I chose: "Discuss the trends in music industry for teenagers." I chose this topic as I am a musician myself and personally need more information and background about the music industry as I have plans to make it big in the music industry in Singapore, IF possible. This topic helps me to understand how music is revolutionized and how many new genres came about.

Activity 2: Budget of $500.

I would spend $325 on this guitar effects pedal and save the rest of the money. I have read several reviews about this effects pedal and many of the comments were of good countenance. This pedal would eminently enhance the tone of my guitar providing solid distortion and rich harmonics. In essence, every note is clearly audible and thus brings about a whole and round sound.

Why spend so much on just one effects pedal?

The reason is simple. I am a musician and I am very concerned about the tone of my guitar. I love to experiment with different sounds. Simply put, I'm very passionate about my hobby.

About Me

Name: Brendon Koh
Birthday: 12th March 1992
Diploma: Diploma In Cyber And Digital Security , IIT School.

Past Time Activities: Guitar, Audio Recording/Composing, Disturbing People, Being disturbed by people, Basketball, Soccer, Programming.
Favourite Music: AC/DC , Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Winger, Yngwie J Malmsteen, Mr.Big, Racer X, Dokken, Dream Theater, Poison , Velvet Revolver, Motley Crue, Skid Row, X Japan, Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Iron Maiden, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Loudness, Firehouse, L.A Guns, Warrant, Danger Danger, Cinderella, The Eagles, Guns N Roses, Def Leppard, Metallica, Megadeth, Bon Jovi, Steelheart.

Favourite Singer: Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Richie Kotzen, David Coverdale, Masaki Yamada, Axl Rose , Bruce Dickinson, Miljenko Matijevic.
Favourite TV Programme: Chuck , Friends , 90210 , Whose Line Is It Anyway.
Favourite Movies: Pursuit of Happyness, Rockstar, August Rush.
Favourite Hangouts/Chill-out Places: Starbucks , Timbre , Harry's Bar.
Favourite Internet Sites:
http://www.fmylife.com/ , http://www.youtube.com/.
Hobby/Passion: Electric and Acoustic Guitar
Tip to learn this hobby: Practice makes perfect.
Links Regarding this Hobby:
http://www.soft.com.sg/ , http://www.standardvalue.com.sg/ , http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ .

I'm a self-taught musician.I play the electric and acoustic guitar.I do teach/offer guitar lessons at affordable rates.I picked up the guitar in 2005 and have been playing till now. I aspire or dream to be a successful musician not for commercial profits but to enjoy what I do best - playing music. Albeit a large target audience or in other words a large market, the demand for local music is very low thus chances of profits yielded from Singapore would be very slim.I enjoy TV series preferably comedy like Chuck or Friends.