Secure Email Project

Secure Your E-mail

• I actually liked this project. It was a little difficult due to the fact that the step-by-step instructions were for PC users, but I was grateful for the conversion of commands listed in the discussion by the professor. It was really neat to send encrypted messages, use keys and secure the e-mail from everyone else. Sort of spy-ish!
• It's very useful in a business to keep records confidential. Secure information so it is not leaked. In searching for an article I came across a press release about a company in Brazil that decided to use secure e-mail for exchanging documents within the Board because information had been leaked that could have affected their stock value.

However, the article that I chose was about Germany. The article posted on The Wall Street Journal on Nov. 17, 2010 and on Big News Now, which summarizes it, because WSJ online is a subscription service, says that Germany moved their national postage mail to secure email. A person still has to pay for each letter being delivered through secure email by Deutche Post, but they can pay a flat rate of $87 per year. Germans are climbing on board with about 1 million already signed up. About 100 companies have signed up for the service as well. I assume that secure mail has the feature of encryption and digitally signed e-mails, but it did not say so in Big News Now. It could have in the WSJ.

I think that this is fascinating with a whole country moving to email for regular mail. It uses less trees, is probably more secure for people and it is moving the country/ businesses forward in this "digital age."

Microsoft Access Project Break Down

Assess Access: Success!

What did I learn about Access you say?

I learned how a database functions at the basic levels. It's like a web of information intertwining at all types of different levels and different ways.

I learned the basics of 4 functions: Tables, Forms, Queries and Reports.

It was hard to do the query actually because the data provided in the file we were supposed to use did not match the initial table we used, therefore a lot of modifying had to happen. I eventually just cut out some parts of the address because the instructions said edit it to your table. I figured for this project it was not a big deal, but for a business the full US postal address would be essential. I'm glad I learned how to deal with Access on a basic level. It helps in understanding businesses that you know have databases. Conceptually it is very useful. Forms and reports concentrate more on the design aspect while table and queries have raw, specific data. They both intertwine to enhance customer service and profits of companies. It's a neat and useful tool.

Enhancing the functionality of the database:

I think this database could be broken down better. Maybe two different tables for Family and Individual. These could have different categories that are catered to family or individual. If they have kids that go to a day care center at the gym or if the individual works out longer. You could also run different queries comparing the family and individual to see which category is more likely to stay longer as a member. I think there are many options to enhance the functionality of this database because the information doesn't necessarily flow together and it could have other categories in it. However, I do think it was simple enough for this project's purpose.

Web 2.0 Project

This is my project

Self critique:
I set up my project so it would flow logically from one topic (photos, video, etc.) to the other smoothly. I took a couple slides at the beginning to prepare y audience for what was ahead.
I didn't do a voice over, which was a big flaw in the presentation. I should have done one because some of the bullet points (which are pretty clear) could sometimes use an explanation or I could enhance my overall presentation with some more info.
I didn't ask the audience questions because it was more of a straight-forward thing. These are my skills..one, two and three.
I tried to grab my audiences attention with some slides, music and compelling photos. I hope it worked!
I also tried to avoid clutter with big photos, big text and simple layouts.

Another critique:
The presentation I critiqued didn't really help me. It showed very little of what I could have improved on unfortunately. It's great to see someone show you a new way to do something or a cool idea for a presentation, but I didn't see this.

What I learned:
I learned a little more Powerpoint. One of the most useful things I learned was organization. I organized before I started the project and it really paid off. It's so easy when you create a storyboard. It's just like fitting the pieces of the puzzle together once you have grouped them together. I think sharing presentations online is completely easy because it is easilya ccessible for future employers. It is also easier to share with colleagues and use really neat tools to share information, which is what we do in today's world. I will definitely share my presentations online from now on, because e-mailing it is too big and takes too long. In the clouds, it's more efficient.

Excel Project

My first Excel spreadsheet!

So this is what it's like to work with Excel. I never knew how simple and organized life could really get. Excel is a software that has many functions to keep your life and business running smoothly especially since it is mathematically organized when most of us are not. In these past couple of weeks I have made my first Excel workbook/spreadsheets on a fake set of data that dealt with a 15-minute workout, 5-minute cooldown of 500 subjects while measuring their heartrate throughout at consistent intervals. Below I'll mention some of the interesting things I accomplished (And so can you!) in Excel and the general gist of what I did.

1. Above I described the raw data that was given to me. Your raw data could be anything. Like different crime statistics listed by every university in the country. As a journalist you want to analyze that data for a story. For my analysis, I did a couple summary functions to determine the target heart rate for the subjects involved, then moved from there figuring out the target percent that each subject should achieve and if they achieved it or not. All of this deal with formulas. Formulas are the staple of Excel. They make life easier if you know how to use them. I learned how to precisely get my data by selecting the rows and columns I wanted analyzed, typing in the formula and applying it to the rest of the row through the relative function excel has. I think the hardest part was coming up with the formulas. You really have to think logically before you start to type =(blah,blah, blah) as a formula. Once you have the formula you are set to go. What also helped me was the actual Help box that Excel has plugged in. It gives you steps on how to do things when you get stuck. It is better than some of the advice on the web.
   
2. The next part was the data analysis. Actual comparison of the data. This is where pivot tables shine. I made two tables. One where it showed the target heart rate achieved for men, women and all subjects together. The other determined by age and gender demographics if the workout was effective through the increase in heart rate. I think creating the pivot table was the most difficult process throughout this project. You not only have to plug in the numbers, but you also have to switch them around within the table to determine your data. You have to find out the answers instead of plugging in a formula (function) and having excel spit it out for you. A screen capture of the second pivot table is listed below.

Making things look good is extremely important. Especially in today's world people respond to visual stimulus. Therefore, making a "pretty" spreadsheet is important. I highlighted important aspects of the sheet, bolded headlines and outlined things. It is just a matter of making your book look professional if someone else is going to be looking at the data with a fresh pair of eyes and want the basics fast. Why? Because time is money and productivity can stem from clean, clear cut data. So, make it pretty and professional!