Challenge

Level One:

What is a wiki? What is it used for?

Wiki is in Ward's original description:The simplest online database that could possibly work.

Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly.

Wiki is unusual among group communication mechanisms in that it allows the organization of contributions to be edited in addition to the content itself.

Like many simple concepts, "open editing" has some profound and subtle effects on Wiki usage. Allowing everyday users to create and edit any page in a Web site is exciting in that it encourages democratic use of the Web and promotes content composition by nontechnical users.

Where does the word wiki come from? Why does this meaning apply to the way it is used and applied?

Wiki is an hawaïn word which means quick. It permits to create and edit pages very quickly, without hours ok technical work.

Level Two

What is the best known application of wiki on the internet?

Wikipedia

Do you use it, when and how? Why is it helpful to you?

Yes, I use it sometimes, when I look for definition. For example last week when we had to find TIVO definition or other technical subjects, it was a good source for me because it is user-friendly. But the inconvenient is that we can’t be sure of the truth of the information because every body can write something. That’s the limit of this website.

Why does it have such a strong international impact? What is inherent in it that makes international diffusion faster?

Wikipedia offers an easy access to information. That interests everybody. And it permits to share the knowledge. Moreover, Wikipedia exists in several languages so each user can find what he wants and it is easily understable.-

Level Three

Choose a subject from this application (Level Two) and propose a edit for a page and subject that you are familiar with. Do not vandalize the actual page, but suggest a real edit. Explain what subject you would like to edit and post your discussion of that edit on your blog. For this Level, the words and page that you propose to edit can be from the French edition.

I would complete the page on Avignon. There’s almost nothing about the festival.

Le Festival, son organisation

La mission du Festival est de présenter la création contemporaine française et étrangère en matière de théâtre et de danse, et plus largement des arts de la scène, en offrant chaque année une quarantaine de spectacles à un public toujours nombreux (autour de 100 000 entrées). Les représentations sont données dans une vingtaine de lieux non conventionnels à Avignon et aux alentours: des cloîtres, des églises, le célèbre Palais des Papes, une ancienne carrière de pierre, des gymnases...
Le Festival présente chaque année un programme différent qui, depuis 2004, est inventé en complicité avec un artiste associé. Il est composé majoritairement de créations, c’est-à-dire de spectacles qui ne sont pas encore créés au moment du choix par la direction artistique et dont beaucoup sont créés pendant le Festival.
La direction du Festival, les équipes techniques, administratives et de production sont basées à Avignon ; l’équipe de communication se trouve à Paris. L’équipe est composée de 20 permanents, et s’agrandit progressivement pour atteindre en juillet environ 600 salariés, dont la moitié de techniciens relevant du régime spécifique d’assurance chômage dit "des intermittents".

Depuis 1980, le Festival est une association régie par la loi 1901.
Chacune des collectivités publiques qui subventionne le Festival : État, Ville d'Avignon, Département de Vaucluse, Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, est représentée au conseil d'administration qui compte aussi sept personnalités qualifiées.

Le conseil d'administration se réunit, deux à trois fois par an, pour discuter des grandes orientations du Festival, s'informer de la programmation artistique, voter le budget prévisionnel et en contrôler la bonne exécution. Les directeurs sont nommés par le conseil d'administration, avec l'accord conjoint et formel du maire d'Avignon et du ministre de la Culture. Depuis Jean Vilar, le directeur artistique bénéficie de la plus totale liberté dans le choix du programme et toutes les tutelles publiques ont toujours respecté cette indépendance d'action, quelles qu'aient été les situations politiques.

La programmation artistique
Le Festival est composé de spectacles qui ont été choisis par la direction artistique. Depuis 2004, chaque édition est inventée avec la complicité d’un artiste associé pour tracer avec lui la carte d’un territoire artistique. Au-delà de ses propres créations, ce sont ses questionnements, ses pratiques, ses enthousiasmes qui inspirent librement l’ensemble de la programmation. Les artistes associés choisis par la direction artistique du Festival sont Thomas Ostermeier pour l’édition 2004, Jan Fabre pour 2005, Josef Nadj pour 2006 et Frédéric Fisbach pour 2007. Le programme ainsi élaboré est composé par une vingtaine d’équipes artistiques, dont l’œuvre, est éventuellement déployée dans le temps et l’espace du Festival, avec un ou plusieurs spectacles, mais aussi des lectures, des expositions, des films, des débats, qui sont autant d’entrées dans l’univers de ces artistes. C'est dire la part de risque prise chaque année, partagée avec les artistes. Il y a chaque soir au Festival, une ou plusieurs "premières", qui font qu’Avignon est un vrai lieu de créations et d’aventures pour les artistes comme pour les spectateurs.

C'est le directeur artistique du Festival qui choisit les artistes et leurs projets. Il n'y a donc pas de "comité de sélection" ou de "dossier de candidature" préconçu à remplir et à adresser au Festival.

Par contre, et en marge du Festival, se déroule pendant la même période, le "off", qui, en réponse au désir d'expression de nombreuses compagnies françaises et internationales, présente sur plus de 200 scènes leurs travaux aux passionnés de théâtre en visite à Avignon. L'organisation du off est totalement indépendante de celle du Festival d'Avignon. Il n'y a pas de direction artistique du off mais une association qui offre un certain nombre de services (adresses des lieux, publication et diffusion d'un programme commun...)

Level Four

What new use of a wiki could you propose? How would you apply this to a learning situation, for example?

We could use a wiki in situations in which we need to share informations. It could be useful in the situation of work et distance. In compagnies where there are comercials which don't come to the head quarter. I think about Total for example. Some people in charge of selling products arer very few in relation with their collegues. Wiki could be a space of exchange about experiences and products. It would permit to share important informations quickly, so to be more performant and more aware of the products specificities.
It could be also interesting in a e-learning class. Instead of posting our job on our personal blog, we could altogether make one page on a subject, adding each one our idea. It would be easier to know ideas of other students.

Level Five

Find another wiki application that exists on the web other than the popular one mentioned in Level Two

TWiki? It is a flexible, powerful, and easy to use enterprise collaboration platform. It is a Structured Wiki, typically used to run a project development space, a document management system, a knowledge base, or any other groupware tool, on an intranet or on the internet. Web content can be created collaboratively by using just a browser. Users without programming skills can create web applications. Developers can extend the functionality of TWiki with Plugins.

Review questions for November 30

The exercise we did in class this week involved finding information. What was your best source of information to answer the questions? Why? What other strategies did you use to answer the questions?

I have seeked and found the major part of the informations on Google. I am used to this search engin, as a lot of people. I like it because generally it makes a good selection on topics I want. But sometimes it isn't pertinent, so I also used Wikipedia. This source is practical and user-friendly, and for the technical subjects we had to treat, it was an intersting source for me, while I have very little knowledge in this domain.

At the end of class, we had a collection of answers available to all of you in the form of each student's blog. What is this effect called and what does it do? How can it be useful to you? Did you use it? What types of situations or tasks can it be useful in?

The practice can be useful in term of share of ideas. Instead of having each one our paper and your correction on this, as a traditional way, we can look at other students ideas and definitions. It could be a very enriching experience. I have been on Juliette's blog o see her definition of "long tail marketing strategies".

I believe it could be an interesting tool for group works. It permits to the members to be aware of the new ideas of their collegues.

What is the difference between the attitude and approach of French people (in general) and Americans (in general) to technology and the adoption of new technologies? Should this change? How? What would help it change?

Apparently, American people are more enthousiasts with the new technologies and they adopt them easily, whereas French people are more reticents and careful. But I believe both approachs are interesting: Amercicans permit the technologies be developing and the French approach which prefer studing them, helps to take the distance and to think about the changes this new technologies can provoque in our society.

So, in my mind, on one hand, Americans should think more about their use of new technologies beacause there good and bad things in these. On the other hand, French should be less scareful in front of new technologies. This could chang by an opening of mind in both country to other cultures and uses.

In more and more professions, the application of e-communications skills like we are developing are increasingly important. Give three examples of professions you are interested in where this is the case.

If we considere e-mails as e-communication skills, every professions are concerned. But if we considere the work at distance, I don't see any communication job which this kind of practices are used. Indeed, they are professions in which personnal contacts are very very important. They are on the statement of a good communication. Obviously, conferences at distance exist in every professions. So that's interesting to know how to create and maintain a link in this case.

Concerning the practice of ripping: what is your point of view on this practice? Is it illegal? Is it unethical? What are the moral considerations? Do you consider it normal? Why?

I am not used to this practice because it is technically too much difficult for me! And I dont't need friends make it for me because I don't need new software. So, as I am not concerned, I would say that illegal and unethical, that is a theft. When you want something in a shop, you have to buy it to have it. That's exactly the same on Internet. On the other hand, softwares are very expensive, too much expansive. So I understand people who make ripping.

What are three things you learned from this exercise, two things that interested you, and one question you still have about the subjects mentioned?

I have learnt a lot of things: about every technical subjects: EULA, DRM, TIVO

I was interested by the intellectual property and by television on demand.

One question: what is exactly "monnetize an internet model"?

And for “long tail marketing strategies” answer, remember to give an example on your website!
def:Long Tail Marketing is a technique to increase sales while decreasing the cost per sale by developing and selling to thousands of niche markets. It has implications within search engine marketing, online selling and advertising purchases. Ex; video games companies

example: ebay.fr

Midterm Exam exercise

Level one

An example of true generosity: www.service-public.fr
It is the french administration website. As a public organisation, they don't make money. Each person can find informations about administration for free.

An example of outsourcing: www.photoservice.com
You select you photos, your preference and you send it. The following day, you go to the shop to take it. There's no seller anymore. I lived this reality 2 days ago. I have 1000 photos to develop. On the website it costs me 136 euros. As I had problems to load them, I went to the shop to give it to a seller. But if I use this traditional way it costs me 630 euros, because of the work of people who don't do anything on Internet!

An example of cannibalizing one's own market: www.leroymerlin.fr
On this website you can find products, advice as in the shop. People don't need anymore to move.

An example of creating a community of value: www.skyrock.fr
This the biggest website in France. There is a real community of teenagers on the forum who like same kind of music, RnB.

Give an example of a podcast that helps you learn english and how: http://reelreviewsradio.com/. I don't have any MP3 player or i-pod, and internet connection. So my only solution is to hear it at Celsa, when there is place in the computers room. It is a good way to learn english and to improve my cinema culture.

Give an example of an old media organisation using podcast:http://www.europe1.fr/podcast/podcast.jsp http://www.teleramaradio.fr/article.php3?id_article=3

Level two

Intellectual property. Give at least five example:
Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.Intellectual property is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs. Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of broadcasters in their radio and television programs.
For example: a numerical library shows the problem of intelluctual property. We can't put it on the Internet because of the intellectual property. Then, www.universdugratuit.com is an example of a website wher we can load free musics against the law about intellectual property. Moreover, this notion concerns advertising. When I made my internship in a "régie publicitaire". The advertising director wanted to propose to put a TV ad on the web site but it wasn't possible because of the creative property of the agence. We can also think about emission of television. They make part of the intellectual property. We can't use the image as we want. And to finish, we can't use an artistic image whiwh has a copyright without getting the permission.

EULA, or end user licensing agreement:
An EULA is a legal contract between the manufacturer and/or the author and the end user of an application. The EULA details how the software can and cannot be used and any restrictions that the manufacturer imposes (e.g., most EULA’s of proprietary software prohibit the user from sharing the software with anyone else). Not every EULA is the same. Some contracts stipulate acceptance of the agreement simply by opening the shrink-wrapped package; some require the user to mail back to the manufacturer a signed agreement or acceptance card; some require the user to accept the agreement after the application is installed by clicking on an acceptance form that appears on the user’s monitor. This last method is typical of applications that can be downloaded from the Internet. In all instances, the user has the option of not accepting the EULA, subsequently surrendering the rights and ability to use the software. As in typical legal contracts, the EULA protects both parties from liability if the software is used in a way not intended by the manufacturer or author. The EULA also is often referred to as the software license or user license.

DRM, or digital rights management:
It permits to defend the author rights of texts, images, videos... With a DRM we can broadcast texts, sounds, images on a numerical way protecting author rights.
Ex: protecting of the MP3 music.

Pay on demand TV:
It is a technologic system which permits to watch a TV program when we want. We pay just for one program.
http://www.setanta.com/

Time shifting:
It is a technologic system which records the TV program for example while you are looking it. So that if you want to make a break, you can begin where you have stopped before your break. You see all the film even if you need a break.
Ex: TIVO http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,16498,00.asp

TIVO
TiVo is a popular brand of digital video recorder (DVR), a term synonymous with personal video recorder (PVR). It is a consumer video device which allows users to capture television programming to internal hard disk storage for later viewing (sometimes called "time shifting").

FTP Server
An FTP server is a server which permits to share documents on our hard disk, especially documents which are too big to be sent, as video, photos. The advantage of this software is that whoever can discover the documents. You are not obliged to send it. Just give the address.
www.free.fr

Prime time TV and radio
That's the moment when there is the most people watching TV, or listening to radio. For TV, this is from 9p.m until 11p.m., for the radio it is the same and also early in the morning, from 7 a.m to 9p.m.
Ex of an emission on prime time : www.staracademy.tf1.fr

Long tail marketing strategy
A marketing strategy established on a long period.

Click and mortar company:
A company which exists on Internet and in reality.
www.fnac.com

Ripping
You make an exact copy of a software CD and you crack the codes in order to use the software.

Alternative journalism on the web
It is a journalism different from the classical journalism of famous titles. People give other points of views. It is also people who live in countries where there is a strong control. They publish on their blog useful informations that they are not allowed to give, or opinions that they are not allowed to say.


Level three

"monetize an Internet model"
In my mind, "monetize an Internet model" is to decide to make money on a website whereas it was not its purpose first. I think about radio website as www.funradio.fr. Fun radio exists without the Internet. It is a famous teenager radio in France. At one moment they decided to implant themselves on the Internet. I can't remember exactly the apparence of the first version of the website but It wasn't as developped in term of commercial offers as now. If you go on funradio.fr, you are proposed to buy a lot af think: loading ringings of mobile, buy CD's, DVD's, concert tickets...etc Moreover, Funradio makes money selling a lot a ads on its website. Internet appears as an opportunity to make money for Fun Radio.

Review questions for November 23

1. Learning a language, like English, is not just learning vocabulary and grammar and studying books. It is also learning how to use the language in order to get things accomplished, create contact, maintain relationships, establish trust and so on. These are the social or professional functions of the language. In this respect, what are the ways you are learning English in our class by internet? How are you creating and maintaining contact and relationships? How are you using English? What are the ways you could do this better?

I have indeed experimented the importance of speaking English in context. During travels, as in Thailand this summer, I have understood my lack of knowledge in English. I was with 2 bilingual persons who could speak with every traveler we met, and I I had big difficulties to establish a real contact. Now, as I am preparing my departure in Denmark, I have to communicate in English with the University by mail. So, it is a way for me to use English in a sort of professional context.
I believe that in this point of view, our class of e-culture could be interesting. We are now in master. The time of learning grammar is finish. I know my difficulty is to speak English fluently. That’s not reading texts and books that I will get better, but communicating instantaneously either by writing on msn messenger, either by speaking. Moreover, one of the stakes of an e-culture class with this device is to establish contact in English with Bob but also with the other students. We have to participate in order o maintain the contact. Without participation, each person stays in one’s world without paying attention to the others.


1. What is an FTP server and why is it useful? What are some of the activities you can do with it? Do you have one available for you, and which one is it? If you don't have one, why don't you get one?

An FTP server is a server which permits to share documents on our hard disk, especially documents which are too big to be sent, as video, photos. The advantage of this software is that whoever can discover the documents. You are not obliged to send it. Just give the address.
I don’t have one because until last week I didn’t know it. As I am very bad in technique, I don’t have personal creations to put on the web for example, so I don’t’ see any interest for the moment of using an FTP server. But never know…


1. Our class has a special approach to interactivity. It is not possible to have the same interaction of a normal class, but it offers several new ways of interacting. What are these? What are the ways that are especially interesting to you? How could they work better? What technical solutions can you suggest?

We can interacting by using the common space to make remarks, give our opinion on a subject, make suggestions. But as I am not so good at oral, I prefer speaking than writing, and it’s not easy in this class. Moreover it is slower to react by writing. While you are writing an idea, some one else has already given an other idea on which you would want to react.
But I believe this class is in constant amelioration, even if msn messenger is not the best way to do it.

1. Prepare one question about the last class: what did you not understand? What would like to have more information on and why? What question did our discussion cause you to ask?

I have no specific question. I asked myself about the importance of technology in our society. How we are dependant of it to work: for example there’s no more company which don’t work on computer, it has become a necessity to know using computers. This English class is a perfect example: if we don’t have computer an Internet at home it is more difficult to do homework. We are also dependant of the working of the technology, as we had the bad experience in class. And even if it makes part of the dispositif of our class, it is really difficult not to be angry about it and to positive.

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