The Web keeps spinning

Chat rooms Image by: VEER / Andresr ”Instant Messenger ” Image by: Fotolia / MacX Image by: Shutterstock/martan Image by: Shutterstock/Andresr Image by: Shutterstock/AnatolyM Image by: Shutterstock/amasterphotographer+Texelart+Jojje

In this lesson students are learning about: ways in which web conferencing is used to communicate and collaborate ways in which web conferencing can aid collaborative working the opportunities offered by web hosted data storage and software applications

At the end of this lesson students will be able to: identify security issues that arise when information is transmitted digitally illustrate the impact of web conferencing on working practices recognise the advantages and disadvantages of using ‘cloud’ technology

Image by: Fotolia / skvoor Web conferencing Image by: Fotolia / skvoor Web conferencing refers to a service that allows conferencing events to be shared with remote locations. In general the service is made possible by Internet technologies. The service allows real-time point-to- point communications as well as multicast communications from one sender to many receivers. As well as video and voice chat you can also share communication via text-based messaging.

Activity: discussion – My experience of… discussion on your experience of web conferencing. What experience or applications of web conferencing have you been involved in? What are the features of, use of, potential risks and keeping safe with web conferencing.

Web conferencing – features…

Typical features of a web conference include: Slide show presentations - where images are presented to the audience and markup tools and a remote mouse pointer are used to engage the audience while the presenter discusses slide content Live or streaming video - where full motion webcam, digital video camera or multi-media files are pushed to the audience VoIP – real time audio communication through the computer via use of headphones and speakers Web tours - where URLs, data from forms, cookies, scripts and session data can be pushed to other participants enabling them to be pushed though web based logons, clicks, etc. This type of feature works well when demonstrating websites where users themselves can also participate

Continued… Meeting recording - where presentation activity is recorded on the client side or server side for later viewing and/or distribution Whiteboard with annotation – allowing the presenter and/or attendees to highlight or mark items on the slide presentation. Or, simply make notes on a blank whiteboard Text chat - for live question and answer sessions, limited to the people connected to the meeting. Text chat may be public (echoed to all participants) or private (between 2 participants) Polls and surveys – allows the presenter to conduct questions with multiple choice answers directed to the audience Screen sharing/desktop sharing/application sharing – where participants can view anything the presenter currently has shown on their screen. Some screen sharing applications allow for remote desktop control, allowing participants to manipulate the presenters screen, although this is not widely used

Web conferencing – use of… How might Web conferencing be used for Individuals, Education and Business?

Web conferencing – risks… As with all technologies there are associated risks - can you think of any in relation to web conferencing?

Some risks… There is a small risk of eavesdropping because VoIP works over public Internet connections. However, the risk is lower than that of using a conventional landline which can be easily snooped on If you are using VoIP for making calls between three or more people where the dialup and access details are pre-arranged, anybody who can access these details (for example by seeing the ) can also gain access to your call On systems such as Skype, fraudsters can request that you be their Skype contact in order to: Call or instant message you to conduct a scam or fraud, normally by getting you to visit a fraudulent website or download a malicious file containing a virus or spyware Access personal details on your profile and use them dishonestly Share files or direct you to websites containing inappropriate or offensive content

Web conferencing – keeping safe Thinking about the risks, although fairly minimal, what would you suggest

Safe use of VoIP: Ensure you use strong passwords, and do not disclose them to anyone else If the service includes a public profile, don’t put any sensitive, private or confidential information in it When using systems like Skype, be wary about whom you accept contact requests from Set up your service to allow connections only from people you know Quickly block nuisance and fraudulent users from further contact with you and also report them for abuse Check regularly with the VoIP website for updates or patches Ensure you have effective and updated antivirus software Always log out of your VoIP service when you have finished your call. Simply closing the browser may not automatically finish the session

Cloud computing As we have discussed throughout the last few lessons, the Internet has had a profound effect on everybody's lives and its influence is increasing. No matter where you turn, people seem to be talking about… So what is cloud computing? Over the last few years clouds have become the buzzword in computing. But ask someone what cloud computing is and they’re likely to give you a very different answer to the person standing next to them. Like clouds themselves, the definition of cloud computing is currently a little fuzzy. Cloud computing gets its name from the drawings typically used to describe the Internet. But what is a really simple explanation of what this ‘buzz’ word really means? the cloud.

Uses of cloud computing What are your experiences of using ‘cloud’ computing? Consider the advantages of uploading images to online albums and allowing friends to access them rather than ing them or placing them on a social networking site

Image by: Fotolia / Scanrail More than a place to store data… You may think that the ‘cloud’ is just a technology solution to storing various types of data, but it has other benefits. Today cloud computing covers anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. These services are generally divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

Task: Find out what the following mean and illustrate an example… Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

Where is the cloud? And why businesses use it… Image by: Fotolia / Spencer Image by: VEER / Orly Watch these Where: Why Business use the Cloud