Final Reflections...

I have really enjoyed this class. The mini-projects have really helped to tie everything into our lessons. They have created a way for us to understand what we are learning using real-world instances. My favorite one was when we created our own e-business. Considering my degree concentration, this was a very productive exercise for me. My goal is for my e-business to be the next Amazon.com or Ebay.com. I want to offer the best products and the best customer service that will keep customers coming back and generate new customers as well.

Another week to reflect on...

We all depend on the Internet to provide us with accurate information, but it's amazing how much information is unreliable! Just from our Wiki mini-project, it's obvious that anyone can provide what they feel is knowledgeable information regardless of their credentials! Any information can be worded to sound like you are an expert, but that is not necessarily always the case. I know that the subject that I chose to elaborate on is a subject that I am learning more and more about daily. Although, I have experienced some things first hand, that's still not enough to make me an expert on the topic. I look at so many things via the Internet that I would hope to be accurate. Now I must question the accuracy because any average person like myself could be the source of the information, and could basically not have any expertise on the subject.

Holy Cow!!!!

OMG! I completely forgot about posting my reflections for week 9! Well, I guess better late than never!

Last week we focused on security and I know that it is a major issue within my company. Some employees still have the old computer systems that don't do much and have no Internet access, but for the ones of us that needed newer computers for email access and Internet, security becomes imperative. When the new computers were incorporated into our offices, there were no firewalls in place to guard against gaming, chatting, and just plain goofing off. The system administrator monitored the systems very closely and realized that there was definitely a need for some restrictions! Internet security is needed so that hackers are not given an open invitation to your personal information. So many people didn't understand the importance of the blocks being put on different sites, but they have enabled us to share and transfer information without compromise!

The answer to an unanswered question...

Les, you asked me a question last week about the project that my group had to do using SDLC. You were wondering if it was in academic or real-world environment. Well, initially it was supposed to be created for academic purposes. However, that changed after we started considering areas of interest. Our project was done right after Hurricane Katrina and we all wanted to do something. We knew that there were other people that wanted to help that couldn't pack up and go to New Orleans. So, we focused our site on letting people know how they could help! We had a person writing code, another researching organizations that were helping, others conducting surveys of their peers. During the implementation stages, we all used our coding skills to embed different sites and pictures that we thought would be of interest to our visitors. The finished product was a success! We received an A, and our page was posted on the school website so that everyone could know how to help!

Offshore Outsourcing,,,

In my opinion offshore outsourcing is unfair. During week 7, this subject sparked a lot discussion and hit really close to home for me. I have been a victim to offshore outsourcing and understand what it does to so many prominent companies and it's employees. Although I was able to capitalize on another great employment opportunity, there are many people that worked with that are still searching.

Thoughts about the midterm...

The Midterm! Wow! The midterm was nothing like I expected it to be! I mean nothing! I think that I would have much rather have had more questions, maybe multiple choice, short answer or fill in the blank. My brain still hurts because I think I put too much thought into it. I read each question a million times hoping the words would change and just show me the right answers. I was at a small disadvantage because of some extenuating circumstances, but I pulled it out OK. Overall, I'm alright with the outcome.

Reflections on Week 5...

It's great to know that Amazon.com uses customer relationship management to take care customers like me! Of the sites that offer services or products online, my site of choice is definitely Amazon. After I log in, my information is right there for me each time I order. All I have to do is choose the product that I am purchasing and click the mouse button. Shopping couldn't be any easier. I sometimes take advantage of the products that they send me via email based on my previous purchases. Amazon.com knows that it is important to keep the customer happy so that we will continue to return and spend our money!