MIT Class

It has been a very busy week in our MIT program. In our Internet Technology we used the JavaScript to write a small application to run on the ebiz server and display on our iPhone. I am not that good with Java but I could follow along with what we were supposed to do. And surprisingly, my JavaScript worked. However, I did learn several things to do when working with Java, or any programming language.

Java uses opening and closing tags (so does HTML & XML) to tell the program running the code what to do. And you have to use the tags in a set or your code won't compile and run (it will have errors). In my Java classes I always left off the closing tag, not always the same closing tag but I would leave off a tag. In last week's class Dr. Piercy told us that when working with tags, brackets or parens, always put the set (opening and closing) tags and then put your code in between the tags. This way you don't have to worry about missing a tag and you won't spend time looking for the error in your code. Trust me, this will save you an enormous amount of time looking for errors. This tip to add the tags as a pair rather than one at a time is very basic and something that I would have never thought of myself. In the Java classes I was so intent on getting the methods right that I didn't even think of how to minimize my errors. My goodness, I love this tip.

And the most important thing I learned in class this past week is that I can write code and it will work. It is such an amazing thing to be able to write code, compile it, and then it actually works. It is so satisfying!

Best Practices for Videos on the Web

This is not the definitive list for best practices on video on the web, however, it is a good start. As I continue to learn more about web development this list will evolve.



Best Practices Checklist for Production and Distributing Video on the Web


1. Know your primary users
2. Determine the primary purpose of the web site and the video
3. Make sure the video will play on the most popular versions of all browsers and
bandwidth
4. Use streaming so that a file or codec is not needed
5. Keep the resolution of the video relatively low to allow of faster download speeds
6. Make sure each video serves a clear purpose and enhances rather than
distracts from the site
7. Be sure captions are provided for each video used
8. Be sure download time and playing time for the video are indicated
9. Be mindful of any copyright rules and regulations
10. If using a video on a web site be careful where the video is placed within the site
11. Be very careful if you choose to have the video begin automatically when the page
is accessed, make sure this is appropriate for the situation. If you choose to
have the video auto start, the volume should set so that it is not be too loud or too
soft. The video player should also have volume controls available for the user.
12. Don’t construct barriers to viewing the video, i.e., ask the viewer to download a
special software, register for the site, or log in before the viewer can view the
video
13. Provide the viewer control over the video, not only of the volume, but fast-forward,
rewind, pause, and playback size

Midterm

Google Docs vs. Zoho

I have played around with both Google Docs (http://docs.google.com/#all) and Zoho
(http://docs.zoho.com/index.do)but I don't know that I have enough information to accurately compare the two applications. If you do the comparison based on the listing of the options available with each one, it appears that Zoho is the more robust of the two. I also found it interesting that you can sign up to use Zoho by using your Google log in. You can also upload documents from Google Docs to Zoho but I could not determine if the reciprocal was also true.

From the main screen in Zoho you can access and share the following: word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, pictures, music and videos. On the Google Docs you can access and share: word documents or pdf documents, spreadsheets and presentations. You also can access and share your pictures, music and videos but you have to leave the Docs application and access another application and this seems a bit cumbersome compared to Zoho.

Both Zoho and Google Docs have size limitations, Zoho offers 1GB storage for free and then it costs depending on how much storage space you need. Google Docs has size limitations at the individual document level. Granted the sizes in Google are very large and will not impede how most people use the application, however, I don't know of very many non-tech people that really pay attention to the size of an individual document, spreadsheet or presentation.

And this leads directly to probably the deciding factor in which application to use-Google Docs is free and there is a cost to use certain parts within Zoho (in addition to the storage pricing). Free beats not free most every time especially if the differences in the two applications is minor. I think more people are aware of Google Docs and will be more at ease with the way this application works. Google Docs help screens are straight forward with backup documentation. The Zoho help screens are also straight forward but with a little less information on the screen, however, this is augmented by a database for additional help topics.

I would probably choose to use Google Docs because it is more well known of the two and is more likely to be used by my peers and cohorts. However, my preference would be to use Zoho because of the greater number of options within Zoho. And of these two, because of the Google name I believe Docs will be the most successful.