Old communication technoligies

In today’s tutorial our task was to use different kinds of search engines rather than Google. Personally I prefer Google over the search engines I used for the questions because it seems to have more availability and you can define your search more clearly. Out of the ones I did use I liked Yahoo as I felt I didn’t have to search through pages of searches to find what I needed. The most popular or looked at pages tend to come first in the searches also the sites that match your keywords. These are the questions and answers for the tutorial blogging task this week:

1. Who was the creator of the infamous "lovebug" computer virus? Search engine: AltaVista Answer: Onel de Guzman, 24, a computer school student. Source: http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/06/29/philippines.lovebug.02/index.html

2. Who invented the paper clip? Search Engine: Yahoo Answer: Johan Vaaler, a Norwegian inventor. Source: www.inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blpaperclip.htm

3. How did the Ebola virus get its name? Search Engine: AltaVista Answer: It takes its name from the Ebola River in northern Congo (Zaire), where it first emerged in 1976. Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/ebola?cat=health

4. What country had the largest recorded earthquake? Search Engine: All the web Answer: In the eastern Pacific Ocean about 100 miles off the west coast of Chile, South America on May 22, 1960.Source: http://www.extremescience.com/GreatestEarthquake.htm

5. In computer memory/storage terms, how many kilobytes in a terabyte? Search Engine: Yahoo Answer: 1,073,741,824 Kilobytes, Source: www.wizbit.net/cd-dvd_production_faqs_what_is_a_terabyte.htm

7. What is the storm worm, and how many computers are infected by it? Search Engine: All the web Answer: It is one of the largest and most sophisticated cyber fraud networks ever constructed and it has affected close to 10 million computers. Source: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2007/10/the_storm_worm_maelstrom_or_te.html?nav=rss_blog

8. If you wanted to contact the prime minister of australia directly, what is the most efficient way? Search Engine: Yahoo Answer: Through www.pm.gov.au

9. What does the term "Web 2.0" mean in your own words? Search Engine: Yahoo Answer: It is a computer based term leading on form “Web 1.0” but this time it connects with people rather than just the computer. Source: www.radar.oreilly.com/archives/2005/10/web-20-compact-definition.html


In the lecture we discussed Old communication technologies. We started by looking at the earliest form of communication: rock art. We moved on through old communication technologies looking at the origins of the alphabet, print, telegraphs, telephone, phonograph, radio, cinema and television.

We also discussed theorists and semiotics. Semiotics is hard to get your head around but the simplest way to explain it is the study of signs, but not just everyday signs such as street signs or star signs. It adds meaning to the sign such as it is not only a red flag waving but the warning of danger. We also looked over the years from the 1920s to the 1990s on communication and culture studies.