Information System and Internet Environment Legal environment: issues with copyright, security and accuracy Physical environment: Place where the website is accessed from Economic environment: Accessible to those who can afford to have Internet
Information System: Natashas Personal Information System Purpose: To provide the user with information about Natasha Tam.
Information processes Collecting: information was collected to be put into the information system I.e. notes, etc Organising: Organising information by headings i.e. personal, school work, creation etc. Analysing: Data was analysed to produce information i.e producing the study notes, etc. Storing and Retrieving: Information about the person e.g. record of achievements, etc. Transmitting and Receiving: Transmitting and receiving information from one system to another i.e scanning in documents, etc. Processing: Changing the format of the data e.g. changing file formats, etc. Displaying: Displaying the information i.e presentation of the website, layout etc.
Participants User/s on the website Creator of the information system Owner of the website developer (weebly.com) Software Data/information Text/numbers: Information displayed Images/Audio/Video: Images, Video and Audio clips included in the system and displayed Information Technology Wireless technology for access (Internet) Software/s and hardware to make the website Hardware to display website Non computer tools that were involved (handwritten notes) Boundary Information Processes Explanation
Collecting Definition The Information process which data is entered or captured by a computer system. Relevance to the system The collecting process was one of the key information processes in relation to this assignment. Information that was needed in each section was collected in different forms to produce the information system. The information was mostly collected by retrieving old files and transferred onto the computer, using hardware i.e keyboard, mouse, scanner and software i.e Microsoft word to input data. This included text data, numerical data, audio data, image data and video data. Examples One example is collecting all the previous notes I have written to be scanned, so it can be in an electronic form and can be used in the information system. Another example is using the information collected from various resources, and using a keyboard to enter the data onto the information system (Weebly) Computer and non-computer tools Computer tools for data collection include hardware and software. Hardware includes using the keyboard, mouse, and scanner, so basically anything physical that can enter data into the system. Software includes applications like Microsoft Word, Google Chrome (to use Weebly), etc. to display the data collected. Non-computer tools include collecting the hand written study notes on paper, using a pen to write down data, but also non-electronic certificates has information on it as evidence of my school achievements. Social and ethical issues Social and ethical issues involved with the collection of data primarily include copyright, data quality, and data accuracy. Copyright is a major issue as the data collected is not original or acknowledged (if not original) then legal actions would be taken. As for data quality and accuracy, the data collected has to be unbiased and correct, otherwise the information system would be providing incorrect data.
Organising Definition Information process which data is structured into a form appropriate for the use of other information processes. Relevance to the system Organising information is a crucial process relative to the information system, as the information system has to have an easy navigational structure. The organising process does not change the data. Information was organised into headings and subheadings, which helps guide the user around the website, so the users can easily direct themselves to the information needed. Examples One example can be using Weebly, as it organises the data entered into a structured, designable website. Another example includes the structured rows and columns of data in Microsoft Excel for the Gantt chart, as the information can be easily referred to. Computer and non-computer tools Softwares are mainly used to organise data Computer tools, but hardware would also be needed in order to use the software. Microsoft word, would be used to mainly organise text and numerical data, while Adobe Photoshop, was used to organise image data, and Audacity to organise audio data. Non-computer tools used for organising includes having a system to arrange the information i.e the system of an address book, but in relation to the information system, it was the system of how the handwritten notes were stored, which was in a filing cabinet and structured. Social and ethical issues Social and ethical issues involved with data organisation include appropriate use of information, and data security and quality. Appropriate information use for organising includes structuring the information in a suitable manner, while data security and quality involves the misplacement of information (if occurred), which can be lost, and having no repetition or bias of organised information.
Analysing Definition The Information process which data is interpreted, and transformed into information. Relevance to the system The analysing process was necessary to produce the information that is seen on the website. The data was understood, and then it was altered to be information, but no data was modified. This includes sorting out all the information collected to be appropriately categorised, and producing study notes. Examples One example would be the information analysed to produce the study notes that are provided on the website. Another example would be the analysing what information was needed to produce the information system, and hence understanding what data would need to be collected to be transformed into the information needed. Computer and non-computer tools Computer tools used to analyse data includes using software and hardware. The hardware involved would be the hard disk (secondary storage), Random Access Memory and the Central Processing Unit. This is because the CPU analyses the data retrieved from the RAM, which was retrieved from the secondary storage. While the software involved would be using applications to sort, search, model, and stimulate data, as well as file comparisons, charts and graphs. Non-computer tools would require a manual searching filing system, a non- computer model or stimulator. The filing system for the notes from previous years would be an example of a non-computer filing system. Social and ethical issues Socially and ethically, appropriate information use, data accuracy and security of data would be the main issues. Inappropriate information use would include analysing the data for its unintended purpose, and without authorisation, while data accuracy makes sure that the data transformation is still correct, and if not, the user would be reading incorrect information. Also the security of data would make sure that the data analysed is not misplaced or inappropriately used.
Storing and Retrieving Definition Information process which data and information is saved and accessed later. Relevance to the system Storing and retrieving was mostly important for the notes section of the website. This is because the information had to be stored from previous years and retrieved so it can be included in the information system and having a filing system was helpful to find the information. But storing and retrieving also occurs on Weebly as the website is saved automatically, and therefore information has to be saved and recovered by using a data store to hold the information. Examples One example would be again the processes of storing and retrieving the handwritten notes or certificates, because the information would have been stored for a period of time, and retrieved for this information system. Another example would be using a USB to transfer data from one computer system to another, which involves non- volatile flash memory, which can store and retrieve information from the USB stick when needed. Computer and non-computer tools Hardware for storing and retrieving data would include storage devices, magnetic hard disks, optical storage, flash memory and network storage. Software that is relevant to storing and retrieving would involve using the hardware to retrieving the stored data, but also a file management software to allow the user to see the same type of file formats, as well as Internet or web browsers. Non-computer tools include a paper based storage system, microfiches (small sheet of photographic film) and libraries, where information can be physically stored and retrieved. Social and ethical issues A major social and ethical issue concerned with storing and retrieving is data security, as personal data may be stored. Password and encryption and decryption can help reduce the risk of unauthorised access of the data. But also the privacy of an individual and appropriate information use would be included, as an authorised person would only retrieve the information stored for authorised purposes.
Transmitting and Receiving Definition The information process that transfers data and information within and between information systems. Relevance to the system Transmitting and receiving data was used in the information system to upload files onto Weebly, as well as scanning paper notes. Transmitting and receiving involves a sender, medium and a receiver. The main form of data was in numerical and text data and it was transmitted and received though full duplex transfers. Also, the system would have required the Internet to upload files, and to use Weebly. Examples One example of transmitting and receiving data is the scanning of notes using a scanner as the data is transferred from a paper-based system into an electronic version using the scanner. Another example is a using Weebly to upload documents onto the website, as this requires the information to be transmitted from the sender to be uploaded using the Internet to be received by Weebly. Computer and non-computer tools Computer tools involve using hardware such as modems for Internet access, scanners, networks and buses (inside CPU), so the transmitting and receiving of information can take place. But a software would be needed for this to occur, such as an Internet browser, or the application to receive the scanned document. Non-computer based tools include mail, phone, fax, radio and television as these systems do not directly use computers to transmit and receive data. Social and ethical issues Social and ethical issues to do with the transmitting and receiving information are data quality, security of data and the changing nature of work. Data quality must be checked as the information received from the Internet can be inaccurate and unauthorised. Data security is a concern with the process of the information transferred as individuals can possibly interject the transmission which can lead to eaves dropping, identity theft and message modifications. While the changing nature of work mainly concerns the participants working from home or telecommuting as the Internet and technology is evolving and the trend for transmitting and receiving information is changing.
Processing Definition The information process which data can be manipulated in different ways to produce a new value or result. Relevance to the system The processing process involves the CPU to manipulate the data. This includes using the Control Unit (CU), Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), main memory (RAM), input/output and secondary storage. The fasting the clock speed and bus capacity, the faster the CPU can process the data. For the information processes, text, numerical, audio, image and video data were processed. Examples One example of processing data would be adding pictures or documents of the website, via Weebly. This includes changing the size, and file format to make it suitable for the website.. Another example is using Adobe Photoshop to manipulate a picture (Year 9 IST project), hence altering individual pixels. Computer and non-computer tools Computer tools for processing includes hardware such as the CPU, CU, ALU, Ram, input/output and secondary storage to execute data processing as the data is entered through the input, then processes using the CPU (CU and ALU) which stores the information in the secondary storage or RAM, and then the information is displayed (output). Software applications used for processing include paint and draw software for image data, mixing software for audio data, animation and video editing software for video data, word processors for text data and spread sheets for numerical data. Non computer tools includes documenting procedures, so when a process needs to take place, a serious of steps can be followed for a successful process and diagram representation of the process, which includes data flow diagrams (DFDs). Social and ethical issues Social and ethical issues arise with data accuracy, and data security. With data accuracy, there might be bias in the way data is processed, which can influence the outcome of the data. As for data security, the rights of the data can vary, increasing the change for the data to be insecure, as ownership of the processed can be hard to identify.
Displaying Definition The Information process which information is output from the system to meet a purpose. It controls the format of the information presented to the participant or user. Relevance of the system The displaying process includes how the information is going to be shown to the user. For the information system, a monitor will be used to display the information, as well as the website Weebly, to help layout and design the information system. Speakers would be needed as well to display the audio data. Examples One example of displaying is the monitor the website is being displayed on. Another example is the changing the layout or design of the website via Weebly, i.e changing font, colour, spacing. Computer and non-computer tools Computer tools include different types of monitors, printers and audio displays (for audio data) as hardware. The hardware allows the user to see the information output, depending on the type of data. The software for displaying includes the display features within the application i.e formatting within applications, designing simple web pages. Non-computer tools for displaying would include storyboards, using paper, but also paper posters, paintings, can also be used for displaying information. Social and ethical issues Social and ethical issues include an appropriate method of displaying the data for visually impaired individuals, health and safety, as well as the changing nature of work. It would be unethical to display information on a screen, if the individual is blind, there fore needing a braille screen, embosser or speech synthesis to help aid the display of information. The health and safety issue can include the ergonomics involved with using a computer to format the display. Using a computer incorrectly for a long period of time can lead to pain in the wrist and back. Also the changing nature of work and effect how information is displayed, as new technology are being produced i.e 3D printer to display technology, hence training would need to be required to use this new method of displaying information.