FTP

I use ftp quite a lot to transfer files so I decided to try 3 methods of using ftp including Filezilla to note any differences in completing this task as well as finding the missing word “insert missing word here MATTERS”.

Using my regular program AceFTP compared to the recommended Filezilla program was not too foreign for me to do. I prefer using AceFTP because it is familiar but it seems to me that the look and placement of the various ftp functions are the only differences between the two programs. If I had first used Filezilla (in the old days) then perhaps I would be comfortable using it now, but I like AceFTP because I’m used to it and there’s no reason to change programs.

Next I tried typing ftp://recall.curtin.edu.au directly into my browser (Firefox) and the site directory structure loaded quickly. Right-clicking the file for download is required and that’s it! I found this way the easiest of the 3 methods I tried.

The only problem I had was finding the README text file! I didn’t think this was going to be that hard to do but after further thought I realised that I was reading the instructions from our Module work a bit too literally. I also came to the conclusion that having a little knowledge and experience on something like FTP and UNIX actually caused my problem with finding the README file. I was already aware of the importance of the capitalisation of file names in URLs so I was looking for a file called README.txt in CAPITAL LETTERS as shown in the Module question. The file was actually readme.txt and not README.txt as I first thought.
The missing word was indeed “capitalisation”.

I have to say that reading other student blogs I am humbled by their abilities to overcome something like FTP which is a regular tool for me yet I still stumbled.

(Note to self: get commenting on other net11’ers blogs, lots of student blogs, much to experience and learn from)

...

Telnet

I haven’t played with Telnet for many years and can’t remember much about it. Still I am excited to take another look.
I typed in a question mark to find out what the commands were and that worked! Lucky guess, but I reminded myself not to apply my guessing manoeuvres too often too quickly (edit: at all).
Telnet is really quite easy to use, it didn’t look too foreign for me and I was surprised and impressed with it’s speed especially when retrieving information from Deakin Library and then getting the results file sent back to my student email.

I would still prefer to use the “common” web library portals because telnet is not… colourful and it feels quite old fashioned to use, a bit like MS-DOS.

I looked at towel.blinkenlights.nl for fun – at least I could use telnet again! Very clever ascii production. The characters really did look like those from Star Wars. Blinkenlights was too long for my attention span so feeling a tad guilty; I closed the telnet window before it ended. The creator of this piece would have spent some serious time and thought, positioning the ascii characters just so. Apart from the knowledge, it takes passion to do all that.

Although telnet is still used to some extent, I’ve got my doubts about it being in the hands of us regular users because of its apparent weaknesses regarding data security. From a quick Google search [+why use telnet 2009], I read that telnet is not too secure but it is still used by those who know what they are doing. The expert verbiage used in some of the search results about telnet made me want to run a mile in the opposite direction.

Because of it's flaws, telnet may have assisted in the development of SSH and other more secure protocols in use today. Technology always improves and gets more intuitive as we all thrash it. Telnet deserves some respect.

Log Week 1 - Top 5 Tips

To answer the question posed by my tutors at Curtin... my "Top 5 Tips for New Bloggers" focus on the common questions that beginners have asked or at least should have asked. There is much written about how to find and choose a blog host and what to do to get a bigger following (audience) but I found little mention in a quick Google search about the reasons people would want to start a blog and why this is an important step to consider before they begin to type a word.

My top 5 tips are probably valid and certainly personal however I think they will be helpful tips all the same, regardless of ones technical skills and knowledge about internet communication. So here we go:

1. Who are you? Ask yourself this question and categorise yourself! For example: Are you an individual toying with the blog idea for fun and interest or are you an entrepreneur looking for more market exposure? Why do you want a blog? Stay with me, this is a tip but I just needed you to categorise yourself because this would be your blogs purpose.
   
2. Individuals can approach blogging in much the same way as an ordinary conversation. People with a business or a slightly more professional purpose would be advised to write in the same professional manner. It's important to add personality and connect with your audience too but don't forget who your blog reader is.
3. So you've started a blog, you've started to communicate with the world. Great. Keep your readers interest and help them to stay in touch with your updates. Install an RSS feed, set up a subsribe widget and plugins so we can enjoy being on your blog and return to read it. Entertainment (a bit of humour) never hurts and it's especially cool to make someone smile. If they like you, they will stick by you and follow, you need to give your readers the tools to remember you and return.
4. Keep at it, regular posts and helpful or interesting angles that would otherwise be newsworthy helps keep your blog alive. Your own reason for starting your blog will come to the fore here, so get creative and enjoy sharing your knowledge and opinion.
5. Familiarise yourself with netiquette, that is, how to write without inciting a mini hateful war of words, not misleading your readers, not putting someone elses work into your own words or quoting them without crediting (citing) them etc. Bascially make sure you are aware of your blog host (or website host) terms which usually state that spam practices, racist, hatred and other seriously unlawful opinions are kept off your space - which is actually their space. Avoid being officially slapped or worse "kicked off" the service you use for your blog. Prevent your blog from being terminated! Not knowing the rules is no excuse.

In the Beginning...

This is going to be fun and no doubt an education too.

Aaah my first real blog... Questions have cropped up all of a sudden, thoughts that I had not considered before such as, why did I not start a real blog before today? Why didn't I do it? Perhaps I never had a good enough reason to begin writing a blog. I don't have all that much spare time so to start a blog like this means... I have a good reason! Yes I do.

All other attempts at blog-making and blog-ex (perience) I classed as "I need to know enough so that my clients don't think I am totally clueless" or words to that effect...

Well I'm no longer silent. If I'm literally 'outed' and that's a personal fear of criticism I guess, then so be it. Pulling back the Net Curtin begins!