Questionnaire Design
October 28th, 2008I have been developing a series of questionnaires for my PhD and it has proved to be more time consuming than I thought it would be.
I have to devise a different set of questions for each group to be targeted, students, staff, web managers, industry etc. This has been a complex process! I thought I would try to get a response from the students first so if any of you are studying art at Uni and are willing to take 5mins out for me I will be posting my questionnaire online ASAP, I will let you know when it has been made live.
I’m not sure at this stage how best to circulate it but I have a meeting with my supervisor tomorrow so hopefully all will become clear.
Nanny State?
October 17th, 2008Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has proposed legislation which would give the security services the power to amass a giant database of all emails and phone calls in the UK. Emotive topics like terrorism, murder, child abuse etc. have been bandied about to justify this initiative and while Smith defends the proposed action with the claim that,
“Communications data - that is, data about calls, such as the location and identity of the caller, not the content of the calls themselves - is used as important evidence in 95% of serious crime cases and in almost all security service operations since 2004.”
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7671046.stm)
the proposal is still viewed by many as an infringement of civil liberties. Emailing is synonymous with our culture in the 21st century and it is ironic that the technology which has created this situation has undoubtedly also created its own macabre element but does this minority aspect vindicate mass intrusion? I would be interested to know what you think.
If you wish to read more check out the following links:
BBC News: “Giant Database plan ‘Orwellian’”
Computer Weekly: “Government confirms giant database on citizens’ communication data”
The Independent UK: “Storm over Big Brother database”
Design Timeline
October 17th, 2008I had considered creating a flash timeline to illustrate some aspects of my research for my PhD but then I came across the ‘Open History Timeline’ which was created for ‘A Decade of Web Design’ international conference which took place in Amsterdam Jan 2005. The ‘webdesign timeline’ is still available online.
The open source software used to build this time line is available for download and would appear to be particularly suitable for my project. It is simple and easy to use, is aesthetically pleasing and perhaps more importantly incorporates a collaborative element.
I am quite excited at the prospect of activating my own timeline and will keep you posted as I progress.
Wayback Machine
October 6th, 2008Internet Archive was founded in 1996 in an attempt to off-set the transient nature of the web by archiving information for posterity. This system covers a range of titles including web, moving image, text, audio and software. The wealth of free information within each of these headings provides a great source for researchers.
The Wayback Machine is particularly beneficial for me, considering that web pages have an average lifespan of 44-75 days and I would strongly recommend this admirable service to all interested parties.
