ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am greatly thankful to my beloved tutor Mdm. Syarila Iryani for being so

cooperative and understanding in facilitating me in making this academic exercise

possible. I also would therefore like to grab this opportunity to convey my heartfelt

gratitude to my parents, all my friends and colleagues who have been contributing their

efforts and time in helping me doing this report. Not forgetting to all further valid

responses they have returned. Your support, encouragement and cooperation will never

be forgotten.

I am pretty sure that this valuable academic exercise will not only provide variety

of information and suggestions, it is also meant for the teachers and students of other

school to help them in their learning and teaching process.

Last but not least, thank you to Allah the Almighty for giving me the strength and

the power to complete this study.

Azuriah Bt Abdullah

780704035624001

1

WHAT IS MULTIMEDIA?

Almost everybody by now has heard the word multimedia. Everybody reads about

it, talks about it and wants it? But what is it? When looking for a multimedia computer,

most ads indicate that if you have a CD-ROM drive and sound capabilities you now have

a multimedia computer. Unfortunately this definition of multimedia only misleads

people.

Multimedia has a very simple definition. Multimedia can be split into “multi” and

“media”. Multi means many; whereas media means the tools used as the medium of

communication, such as newspapers, radio and television.It involves any combination of

two or more of the following elements: text, image, sound, speech, video, and computer

programs. These mediums are digitally controlled by a computer(s). In order to get an

idea across, one can use multimedia to convey their message. Multimedia enhances the

information for better communication and understanding.

The combination of sounds and speech are used on the radio, newspapers use a

combination of text and images, and television combines all these elements (except

computer programs) and uses it to relay a message to the viewer. For years the concept of

multimedia has existed but the word 'multimedia' did not. How the viewer interprets this

data depends on how he or she perceives the information. Television doesn't allow users

to assess the information at their own speed. The message is transmitted one-way via

cables or radiowaves to their television sets. The user doesn't have the option to interact

with this type of multimedia presentation.

With the use of computers, the user is now allowed to be involved and interactive

with the multimedia presentation. The user now has control over the flow of data. Each

user can follow a uniquely "personal" trail through the information. This dynamic

interaction allows the user to perceive the information at their own speed and getting

feedback were necessary.

Today multimedia is used for advertising, entertainment, public information,

training and education. Educational computer programs which use multimedia and the

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interaction of the student allows the student to see their mistakes immediately and guide

them to learn a concept more quickly. The student can also move at their own speed, by

reviewing or skipping material that they are unfamiliar or familiar with.

The following are a few definitions of multimedia ;

According to Tay Vaughn’s definition (2001,pg 4)

“Multimedia is any combination of text, graphics, sound, animation and video

delivered to you by computer or other electronic or digitally manipulated means.”

Multimedia is media and content that utilizes a combination of different content

forms The term can be used as a noun (a medium with multiple content forms) or as an

adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in

contrast to media which only utilize traditional forms of printed or hand-produced

material. Multimedia includes a combination of text, audio, still images, animation,

video, and interactivity content forms.

According to Shuman’s definition (1998) pg 5;

“Multimedia refers to a computer based interactive communication process that

incorporates text, graphics, audio, video and animation.”

Multimedia is also simply multiple forms of media integrated together. Media can be

text, graphics, audio, animation, video, data, etc. An example of multimedia is a web

page on the topic of Mozart that has text regarding the composer along with an audio file

of some of his music and can even include a video of his music being played in a hall.

Multimedia enables us to simulate an environment allowing the user to feel like

they are actually there(eg. aircraft simulation). The actions of the user are computed in

real-time allowing their perception of the environment to respond accordingly. Using the

example of an aircraft simulator, when the pilot pulls back on the yoke, almost

immediately the view out of the 'window' acts as though the plane is rising. The plane

also tilts in a manner which feels like the plane is actually rising.

3

The applications of multimedia are constantly growing. They are becoming more

domestic and millions of people are going to be affected in the way they communicate

with one another.

4

HOW MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY WILL INFLUNECE THE FUTURE OF

SCHOOLING?

Multimedia technology will definitely have a profound affect on our school systems,

however, not until several issues in education have been addressed and resolved.

According to Kearsley (1998), he believes that there is no reason to expect

multimedia technology to make much of a difference until we can properly deal with the

common problems of education, such as, ineffectual teachers, inept administrators,

irrelevant curricula, weak leadership and political interventions. For example, most

educators are often ill prepared, lack of adequate teacher training and good leadership in

creating multimedia technology.

Furthermore, since most educators work alone or lack formal training (Bickerstaff,

1993) in developing multimedia technologies these problems will continue to exist. In

order to develop a good understanding to use technology well in the classroom, years of

extensive training must be involved. There is no quick fix for these problems with our

current conceptual framework – the way we apply technology and to resolve them will

take quite some time.

Technology has effectively revolutionized Malaysian society. An unexpected

byproduct of this revolution has been the emergence of a generation of children weaned

on multidimensional, interactive media sources, a generation who’s understanding and

expectations of the world differ profoundly from that of the generations preceding them.

At some point in the future the superhighway would serve all of the nation’s educational

software to children at home, but before that happens Web-Based Instruction have to

undergo some major enhancements. A few design issues have surfaced in the

development stages of Web-Based Instruction, such as, ignoring the forms and styles

required by the medium, using the structure of a traditional lecture course as the structure

for a Web-Based Instruction course (Peraya, 1994), and the transferring of existing

course material verbatim to Web-Based Instruction without considering using the

medium's capabilities, such as graphics or communications (Parson, 1997). Often there is

5

a lack of interest in interface design, because authoring systems are expected to provide

attractive and easy to use interfaces (Squires and Preece, 1996). The need to replicate

the best classroom environment and distance education by taking advantage of Web

capabilities (Welsh, 1997) also needs to be considered and if it’s not addressed then

converting solely to multimedia technology will be useless. In addition, use of Web

characteristics that are unlike traditional software applications, such as access to

interfaces which cannot be controlled by the application (Pernici and Casati, 1997), and

the incorporation of screen and interface design at the same time the course is being

designed and developed (Jones and Okey, 1995) are all usability issues in the design of

Web-Based Instruction.

Multimedia in the classroom could include Power Point presentations that are created

by the teacher, commercial software (such as multimedia encyclopedias) that is used for

reference or instruction, or activities that directly engage the students in using multimedia

to construct and convey knowledge. For the purposes of this course, we will focus on the

final category engaging students in the use of multimedia to construct and convey

knowledge. Examples of multimedia, then, could include:

1. Students using concept-mapping software (such as Inspiration) to brainstorm

2. Students using a spreadsheet or graphing calculator to record data and produce

charts

3. A small group of students creating a digital movie to demonstrate a procedure

4. A class website that displays student artwork

5. Students scanning their hands and importing the images into PowerPoint for a

presentation about fingerprints

Multimedia activities encourage students to work in groups, express their knowledge

in multiple ways, solve problems, revise their own work, and construct knowledge. The

advantages of integrating multimedia in the classroom are many. Through participation in

multimedia activities, students can learn:

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Real-world skills related to technology

The value of teamwork

Effective collaboration techniques

The impact and importance of different media

The challenges of communicating to different audiences

How to present information in compelling ways

Techniques for synthesizing and analyzing complex content

The importance of research, planning, and organization skills

The significance of presentation and speaking skills

How to accept and provide constructive feedback

How to express their ideas creatively

In the speech of Prime Minister at his alma mater, High School Bukit Merrtajam

(HSBM), Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi highlighted that he has given instructions

to Minister of Education, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein that all schools nationwide,

should be converted to "Smart Schools".

The Smart Schools initiative is one of the seven flagship applications that are part of

Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project. The Government of Malaysia

aims to capitalise on the presence of leading-edge technologies and the rapid

development of the MSC’s infrastructure to jump-start deployment of enabling

technology to schools. This will be done by creating a group of 90 pilot Smart Schools by

1999 that will serve as the nucleus for the eventual nation-wide rollout of Smart School

teaching concepts and materials, skills, and technologies. By 2010, all 10,000 of

Malaysia’s primary and secondary schools will be Smart Schools.

[Source: Official Malaysia Smart School Website]

According to the same source, "The most distinctive feature of the Smart School will

be a teaching and learning environment built on international best practices in primary

and secondary education. This entails aligning the curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and

teaching-learning materials in a mutually reinforcing, coherent manner."

7

Datuk Hishammuddin highlighted that 95% of all schools will have the necessary

hardware to become smart schools by 2010. As of today, he reported that 4,500 schools

have computer labs under the Computers in Education programme and 8,120 schools

have broadband connections under the School-Net programme.

On top of that, all schools have laptops and LCD projectors to assist them in the

teaching of Science and Mathematics in English. They are also entitled to take part in the

TV Pendidikan (Educational TV) programme.

"If we define smart schools based on how well-equipped they are with IT appliances, then

we can say that almost all schools are smart schools.

Are there any aspects of schooling that technology cannot replace?

It concerns me that as a society we are leaning further and further towards distant

learning programs. I am an advocate of distant learning because it gives learners the

freedom to learn when obstacles may prohibit them from attending a learning facility.

However, distant learning does not always provide learners with expert feedback or

discussion. This is an advantage schooling has over technology. There are situations

where learners want and/ or need to acquire the understandings and skills of an “expert”

as defined by “objectivist cognitive psychology” (Reigeluth, 1983). For example, most

distant learning programs are set up with lesson plans already intact, which may not be

completely clear. Furthermore, teaching assistants are employed by the professor to grade

student’s work, peer-to-peer chat rooms or discussions are encouraged and teacher/

student interaction is totally neglected. Where is the expertise? These are just a few

reasons why technology cannot replace schooling.

Assistant Professor Vivienne Collinson argues that as student use of computers

increases, teachers will be more indispensable than ever to guide the intellectual, social,

and moral development of children. To illustrate this point, Collinson describes

intellectual, social, and moral issues that one teacher has faced in a technology-rich

school.

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Collinson points out that the widespread access to computer technology in the

classroom has brought with it a plethora of social and moral issues that teachers have not

previously faced. She is clear that computers are a powerful tool, especially adept at

accessing, arranging, and storing vast amounts of information. But technology has its

shortcomings. “Computers do not teach children to question, to discriminate among

sources of information, to weigh perspectives, to think about consequences, to bring

contextual meaning to a situation, to be creative, or to make careful judgments.”

As access to information increases through technology, teachers will have to

teach students how to judge the source, relevance, and quality of information. Teachers

will also have to set explicit criteria and expectations for quality and then teach students

how to judge the quality and presentation of their own work. She also provides examples

of situations where students misuse computers, ranging from plagiarism to hacking into

Internet servers. And she also describes how the potential social isolation and lack of

involvement that computer technology can encourage.

Thus, computers are inadequate in preparing adolescents socially and morally for

a life in a complex, democratic society. She concludes that: “Computers are now a fact of

life in American schools although accessibility and instructional use vary widely. The

introduction of computers into classrooms has brought both blessings and burdens to

both teachers and students. However, the most serious problems facing schools are not

going to be solved by quick access to vast amounts of information made easy with

computers… Computes are impotent in solving social/emotional problems teachers face:

conflict and anger, social inequalities, alienated adolescents, unmotivated students, and

unacceptable behaviors.”

In several years, multimedia teaching becomes more and more popular, because it

is visualizing, attractive and flexible to mobilize studying enthusiasm of students

effectively and improve teaching efficiency. But now we will find that there are more and

more disadvantages about multimedia teaching, such as false cognition about the

multimedia-aided teaching, neglecting reflection of student, describing too particularly

9

for students. Our purpose is to realize the advantages and disadvantages about

multimedia teaching, and then know how to use it effectively

10

ONLINE SHOPPING

There are many advantages to shopping online, but probably the most notable one

is convenience. Considering that life has become so hectic these days, the ability to find

anything and everything you need without even leaving your home is a can be a great

time saver. No longer do you have to make the trek to the grocery or discount store with

your kids in tow, screaming because they want everything in sight. You can order

anything you want with the click of your mouse.

Another thing to think about is that many online shops offer free shipping if you

order over a certain amount. Amazon.com, for example, offers free shipping on most

items if your order total is over $25. So, not only do you not have to pay for the gas to

drive to the mall or store, you don’t even have to pay the shipping cost for the items you

order.

You will never be able to match the selection of items that you will find online.

You can find anything from books, music CD’s, and DVD’s to electronics, cameras, and

computers. Discover toys and video games that will please the kids, and keep them busy

for hours – another plus. You will find a never-ending selection of clothes to choose

from, in sizes to fit the entire family. Not to mention shoes in every style. Jewelry and

accessories are available as well. You can even order food and grocery items online.

The Internet is especially helpful when you are looking for an item that is hard to find.

You can find any type of collectible imaginable, like art prints, comic books, coins, dolls,

games, and cards, just to name a few. Or maybe you are looking for a part for your car

that your local auto parts store doesn’t carry. You can likely find it online. Along with a

tool you can use to install it. Looking for a special gift for your child for Christmas or a

birthday? Look no further!

Some websites allow you to comparison shop for items. One such site is

http://www.shoppingland.us. ShoppingLand.us allows you to search for the items you are

looking for, and then compare the prices of these items from several different online

shops in one place. This sure beats running all over town in search of the best deal!

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Are you looking for some fitness equipment to help you get in shape? Order it online and

have it delivered to your door. You can find tons of health and fitness products including

treadmills, ab machines, aerobic equipment, benches, treadmills, and lots more at

http://www.buyersmls.com/fitness/.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping

Advantages

Convenient

Convenience includes the overall ease of finding a product, time spent on

shopping, minimization of overall shoppoing effort (Schaupp & Belanger, 2005).

Online shopping allows consumers to shop at the convenience of their own home,

and to save traveling time to retail stores and spend their time on other important

tasks and hobbies. Researchers idenfity convenience as a 'fundamental objective'

related to online shopping (Schaupp & Belanger, 2005). This is relevant to 72%

of online shoppers' claim that they would rather surf online than go to retail store

to attain information about a product (Lokken et al., 2003). According to a study,

72% of online shoppers chose convenience over privacy (Bhatnagar, Misra, &

Rao, 2000). In addition to ease of finding products online and shopping time

reduction, consumers can shop without time limitation with 24-hr access at their

convenience because the World Wide Web never closees. Lokken mentions 24-hr

access as a beneficial characteristic of online shopping (Lokken et al., 2003).

Also, consumers can exchange information online through chatting and discussion

forums to help them make wise consumer decisions.

No need for vendors and no pressure to buy

Online shopping benefits both the society as a whole and individuals. The society

can save human resources when consumers help themselves by browsing freely

online instead of asking for assistance from vendors. In addition, consumers are

freed from the pressure to buy from the vendors and can spend more time to make

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wise purchase decisions. But it is imorpant that Web sites have good product

descriptions because it is one of the significant condition that satisfy consumers

(Limayem, M., Khalifa, M., & Frini, A., 2000).

"Infinite shelfspace" available

Consumers desire a variety of products because they look for the right product

that will fully satisfy them. There is infinite variety of products available online

because online shopping allows consumers to browse through products that are

made all around the world without geographical boundaries.

Able to compare product price and features

With the online tools that enable product comparison, consumers can compare

product prices and features to make a better decision with less effort.

 Disadvantages

Enjoyment of retail shopping lost

Many enjoy shopping with others and it is often a good way to make social

connections. When shopping independently online, the enjoyment is lost.

Privacy and security issues

Privacy is the number one reason that non-online shoppers do not shop online.

Almost 95% of Web users have declined to provide personal information to Web

sites at one time or another when asked (Hoffman, Novak, & Peralta, 1999).

Another recent study has found that privacy was the top concern of customers

while security ranked bottom (Schaupp & Belanger, 2005). This proves that many

do not trust the privay of the Internet and are concerned with their credit card

fauds, unwanted solicitation, and use of their information for other purposes.

Security of Web sites is not the top concern because many shop on Web sites that

they trust so that other factors appear to be more important than security.

Access to the Internet and computer necessary

Because one needs money to buy a computer and to have internet connection,

online shopping seems to be limited people of reasonable amount of income.

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Also, since it is harder to learn computer at an older age, the elderly people tend

shop at traditional retail stores.

Product category risk

Product category risk is related to functional products such as apparel, perfume,

and electronics, that have functions that cannot fully be expeirenced online.

Online shopper are worried that the products will not be what they have expected

by viewing online. This is a clear disadvantage of onlins shopping because it

shows that "[t]he likelihood of purchasing on the Internet decreases with increases

in product risk" (Bhatnagar, Misra, & Rao, 20000, p. 100). Apparels in particular

had negative rating in online shopping because of it is difficult to feel and see the

texture of color online that is incomparable to going to a retail store, even with

magnifying tools online. Also, one cannot try on a clothing before buying it

online, so it would be very inconvenient if the size did not fit the person and

he/she had to return it.

Too many choices

Although having access to a very large number of products is highly desirable,

consumers have limited cognitive resources and may simply be unable to process

the potentially vast amounts of information about these alternatives (Haubl &

Trifts, 2000). Online stores need to provide the variety in an organized way that

will facilitate shopping online.

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QUESTION 2

a) Explain what is Web 2.0 and do you think this technology will bring a

significant impact to Internet users. If yes or no, why?

WEB 2.0

The concept of "Web 2.0" began with a conference brainstorming session

between O'Reilly and MediaLive International. Dale Dougherty, web pioneer and

O'Reilly VP, noted that far from having "crashed", the web was more important than

ever, with exciting new applications and sites popping up with surprising regularity.

What's more, the companies that had survived the collapse seemed to have some things in

common. Could it be that the dot-com collapse marked some kind of turning point for the

web, such that a call to action such as "Web 2.0" might make sense? We agreed that it

did, and so the Web 2.0 Conference was born.

The term "Web 2.0" describes the changing trends in the use of World Wide Web

technology and web design that aim to enhance creativity, communications, secure

information sharing, collaboration and functionality of the web. Web 2.0 concepts have

led to the development and evolution of web-culture communities and hosted services,

such as social-networking sites, video sharing sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. The

term first became notable after the O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004.[1][2]

Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an

update to any technical specifications, but rather to changes in the ways software

developers and end-users utilize the Web.

According to Tim O'Reilly:

“ Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the

move to the Internet as a platform, and an attempt to understand the rules

for success on that new platform.[3] ”

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O'Reilly has said that the "2.0" refers to the historical context of web businesses "coming

back" after the 2001 collapse of the dot-com bubble, in addition to the distinguishing

characteristics of the projects that survived the bust or thrived thereafter.

Tim Berners-Lee inventor of the World Wide Web, has questioned whether one can use

the term in any meaningful way, since many of the technological components of Web 2.0

have existed since the early days of the Web.

b) MySpace, You tube and Facebook are among the social media revolution

MYSPACE

MySpace is a very popular social networking website with an interactive, user-

submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos

for teenagers and adults internationally. Its headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California

USA, where it shares an office building with its immediate owner, Fox Interactive Media

which is owned by News Corporation, which has its headquarters in New York City. In

June 2006, MySpace was the most popular social networking site in the United States.

According to comScore, MySpace was overtaken internationally by main

competitor Facebook in April 2008, based on monthly unique visitors. The company

employs 300 staff and does not disclose revenues or profits separately from News

Corporation. The 100 millionth account was created on August 6, 2006 in the

Netherlands and the site counted approximately 106 million accounts on September 8,

2006,. As of mid-2006, MySpace.com attracted 230,000 new users per day.

MYSPACE FEATURES

Bulletins

Bulletins are posts that are posted on to a "bulletin board" for everyone on a

MySpace user's friends list to see. Bulletins can be useful for contacting an entire friends

list without resorting to messaging users individually. Some users choose to use Bulletins

as a service for delivering chain messages about politics, religion, or anything else and

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sometimes these chain messages are considered threatening to the users, especially the

ones that mention bad luck, death, or topics similar to that.[32] They have also become the

primary attack point for phishing. Bulletins are deleted after ten days.

Groups

MySpace has a Groups feature which allows a group of users to share a common

page and message board. Groups can be created by anybody, and the moderator of the

group can choose for anyone to join, or to approve or deny requests to join.

Facebook applications. In May 2008, MySpace had added some security options

regarding interaction with photos and other media.

MySpace Mobile

There are a variety of environments in which users can access MySpace content

on their mobile phone. American mobile phone provider Helio released a series of mobile

phones in early 2006 that can utilize a service known as MySpace Mobile to access and

edit one's profile and communicate with, and view the profiles of, other members.

Additionally, UIEvolution and MySpace developed a mobile version of MySpace for a

wider range of carriers, including AT&T, Vodafone and Rogers Wireless.

MySpace News

In the month of April 2007, MySpace launched a news service called MySpace

News which displays news from RSS feeds that users submit. It also allows users to rank

each news story by voting for it. The more votes a story gets, the higher the story moves

up the page.

17

YOU TUBE

YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video

clips. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November

2006, YouTube, LLC was bought by Google Inc. for US$1.65 billion, and is now

operated as a subsidiary of Google. The company is based in San Bruno, California, and

uses Adobe Flash Video technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video

content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content

such as video blogging and short original videos. Most of the content on YouTube has

been uploaded by members of the public, although media organizations including CBS

and the BBC offer some of their material via the site.

Unregistered users can watch the videos, while registered users are permitted to

upload an unlimited number of videos. Videos that are considered to contain potentially

offensive content are available only to registered users over the age of 18. The uploading

of videos containing defamation, commercial advertisements, pornography, copyright

violations, and material encouraging criminal conduct is prohibited by YouTube's terms

of service.

Before the launch of YouTube in 2005, there were few simple methods available

for ordinary computer users who wanted to post videos online. With its easy to use

interface, YouTube made it possible for anyone who could use a computer to post a video

that millions of people could watch within a few minutes. The wide range of topics

covered by YouTube has turned video sharing into one of the most important parts of

Internet culture.

An early example of the social impact of YouTube was the success of the Bus

Uncle video in 2006. It shows an animated conversation between a youth and an older

man on a bus in Hong Kong, and was discussed widely in the mainstream media. Another

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YouTube video to receive extensive coverage is guitar, which features a performance of

Pachelbel's Canon on an electric guitar. The name of the performer is not given in the

video, and after it received millions of views The New York Times revealed the identity of

the guitarist as Jeong-Hyun Lim, a 23-year-old from South Korea who had recorded the

track in his bedroom.

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FACEBOOK

Facebook, formerly The Facebook, is a free-access social networking website that

is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Users can join networks organized by

city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can

also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify

friends about themselves. The website's name refers to the paper facebooks depicting

members of a campus community that some US colleges and preparatory schools give to

incoming students, faculty, and staff as a way to get to know other people on campus.

Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook while he was a student at Harvard

University.Website membership was initially limited to Harvard students, but was

expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University. It

later expanded further to include any university student, then high school students, and,

finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. The website currently has more than 150 million

active users worldwide.

Facebook has met with some controversy over the past few years. It has been

blocked intermittently in several countries including Syriaan Iran. It has also been banned

at many places of work to increase productivity.Privacy has also been an issue, and it has

been compromised several times. It is also facing several lawsuits from a number of

Zuckerberg's former classmates, who claim that Facebook had stolen their source code

and other intellectual property.

FACEBOOK FEATURES

The media often compares Facebook to MySpace, but one significant difference

between the two websites is the level of customization.MySpace allows users to decorate

20

their profiles using HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), while Facebook only

allows plain text.

Facebook has a number of features with which users may interact. They include

the Wall, a space on every user's profile page that allows friends to post messages for the

user to see,Pokes, which allows users to send a virtual "poke" to each other (a notification

that tells a user that they have been poked),Photos, where users can upload albums and

photos,and Status, which allows users to inform their friends of their whereabouts and

actions.A user's Wall is visible to anyone who is able to see that user's profile, which

depends on their privacy settings. In July 2007, Facebook began allowing users to post

attachments to the Wall, whereas the Wall was previously limited to textual content only.

Over time, Facebook has added several new features to its website. On September

6, 2006, a News Feed was announced, which appears on every user's homepage and

highlights information including profile changes, upcoming events, and birthdays related

to the user's friends.Initially, the News Feed caused dissatisfaction among Facebook

users; some complained it was too cluttered and full of undesired information, while

others were concerned it made it too easy for other people to track down individual

activities (such as changes in relationship status, events, and conversations with other

users).In response to this dissatisfaction, Zuckerberg issued an apology for the site's

failure to include appropriate customizable privacy features. Since then, users have been

able to control what types of information are shared automatically with friends. Users are

now able to prevent friends from seeing updates about different types of activities,

including profile changes, Wall posts, and newly added friends.

One of the most popular applications on Facebook is the Photos application,

where users can upload albums and photos.[Facebook allows users to upload an unlimited

number of photos, compared with other image hosting services such as Photobucket and

Flickr, which apply limits to the number of photos that a user is allowed to upload. In the

past, all users were limited to 60 photos per album. However, some users report that they

are able to create albums with a new limit of 200 photos. It remains unclear why some

members have a 200-photo limit while others do not. Privacy settings can be set for

21

individual albums, limiting the groups of users that can see an album. For example, the

privacy of an album can be set so that only the user's friends can see the album, while the

privacy of another album can be set so that all Facebook users can see it. Another feature

of the Photos applications is the ability to "tag", or label users in a photo. For instance, if

a photo contains a user's friend, then the user can tag the friend in the photo. This sends a

notification to the friend that they have been tagged, and provides them a link to see the

photo.

THE STRENGTH OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

- CMC can have a positive effect on student/teacher communication which can lead to

positive student outcomes. The use of emoticons enables the relationship between

teachers and students to become more personal.

- Business decision makers are now preferring communication channels that are two-way

dialogs, channels that resemble social networking applications. This is a great way for

businesses to advertise their product. It is also a way that has proved to be more effective

than the previous “word of mouth” influence.

- Social networking allows us to identify and connect with friends and strangers while on

the go. Such computer mediated communication also allows us to reconnect with friends

from the past whom we may have lost contact with.

- LinkedIn is a sns (social networking site) particularly used by jobseekers. It is a tool

used to link users to people they may have worked with in the past through various jobs

or institutions. Users also have the opportunity to link to certain companies they aspire to

work with.

LIMITATIONS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

On the contrary, not all networking applications used in the professional

environment are beneficial or successful. Some prospects experience trouble while trying

to build their networks, thus they may produce ineffective work. [32] Employees are now

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more likely than before to carry on inappropriate conversations at work. Communicating

with such technologies creates a relaxed feeling in a professional environment. Some

messages that should be relayed in person are being sent through the computer; the nature

of the message and the audience should dictate the medium used to transmit the

message.The ability to network with 100 people will not improve our communication

skills when in contact with them.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Majumin Hanum Abdul Samad (2008) CBMT2103 Introduction to Multimedia

Technology, Open University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

Harrell, W.B. (1998). Language learning at a distance via computer. Indian Journal of

Open Learning, 7(2), 179-190.

Maznah Muhamad and Associates. (2001). Adult and continuing education in Malaysia.

Serdang: UNESCO Institute for Education and Universiti Putra Malaysia..

http://blog.anjungpc.com

www.sim.org.my

http://www.tss.uoguelph.ca/ltci/TGuides/multimediahowto.html

http://www.buyersmls.com,

http://shopping.solveyourproblem.com

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