TECHNOLOGY-BASED COMMUNICATIONS

Current technology has created many new ways of communicating. Where people were
once restricted to writing letters, using landline phones, and speaking in person, there are now a
variety of other methods of communication that use technology to increase their speed, range,
and accuracy. Communication technology can significantly influence the performance of a task
and ensure prompt and reliable communication among team members.

 Phones

Phones are an interesting manner of communication that uses technology because they
are not as "new" as the other forms. Telephones have been around for more than 100 years;
however, it is only in the last 10 years or so that they have become portable.

 Cell Phones

Cell phones have changed the way people communicate by giving them the ability to
make phone calls when they are on the move. A phone and its number are now attached to a
person, where previously they were associated with a household

 SMS

Cell phones have also created a new form of communication -- text messages. This is
often cheaper and easier than calling someone, and it is a form of communication that has risen
with cell phone use. Texting (or SMS] is a communication tool that has shortened
communications between people and delivered information far more efficiently than a phone
conversation can.

 Internet

The Internet is an enormous communication tool that affects both 0f the other two
mentioned above, in addition to providing its sources of communication. The Internet provides
the ability for peoples' computers to interface with one another via phone lines.
 New Media

New media is a broad-based term that describes social media websites. They differ from
older websites because they encourage participation from and interaction with the viewer; rather
than have the company that runs the website put content up for users to passively take in, new
media encourages users to put content up themselves.

 Fax

Fax machines are a combination of a photocopier and a phone. Users scan documents,
which are then encoded and relayed through phone lines to another fax machine. This makes it
possible to quickly send documents that are not available in digital form.

1.21. Effective e-Mail Messages

Although e-mail is a valuable communication tool, its widespread use in academic and
business settings has introduced some new challenges for writers. e-mail is used for many
different purposes, including contacting friends, communicating with professors and supervisors,
requesting information, and applying for jobs, internships, and scholarships. Depending on your
purposes, the messages you send will differ in their formality, intended audience, and desired
outcome.

Important Components of an Effective e-Mall

 Subject Lines

E-mail subject lines are like newspaper headlines. They should convey the main point of
your e-mail or the idea that you want the reader to take away from your e-mail. Therefore, he as
specific as possible.

 Greetings and Sign-offs

Use some kind of greeting and some kind of sign-off. Don’t just start with your text, and
don’t stop at the end without a polite signature. If you don't know the person well, you may be
confused about how to address him/ her or how to sign off. When in doubt, address someone
more formally to avoid offending them.

1.22. Slide Presentations

A slide presentation is a series of pictures or pages of information (slides), often

displayed on a large screen using a video projector. The first slide shows were done with pictures
on pieces of glass, to be later replaced by photographic film slides in the 1940s. As the
technology improved, overhead projectors began being used to project a picture on a screen. The
slides were made with transparent slide media about the size of a piece of paper. Printers could
print text and images on this media or dry-erase markers could be used to write and draw on the
media

For today's presentations and showing slides, a slide in a slide show is essentially a
single screen of information, able to display text, Charts. and images. A slide can also feature
various transitions, which are added effects to enhance the slide and provide different viewing
styles. Transitions can include words fading in or out of view, words sliding into view from the
left, right, top, or bottom of the slide, as well as others. Slide-based presentations are a popular
choice for business meetings, due to the ease of creating each slide and the attention they can
grab from viewers when done correctly.

Simple to complex designs can be created with Microsoft PowerPoint and the
presentations can be built with as many slides as necessary. Google Docs also offers a
presentation application. allowing multiple people to work on the presentation in a collaborative
effort. Other applications are also available for creating slides and presentations, including
applications from Adobe and IBM. After completed slide shows are usually shown on a projector
or TV. Slide shows can even be copied onto a DVD and played In a standard DVD player
instead of through a computer.
1.23. Editing Skills Using Software

 Non-Linear Editing System

In non-linear editing, the source files are not lost or modified during editing. This is one
of the biggest advantages of non-linear editing compared to linear editing.

The non-linear editing method is similar in concept to the "cut and paste" techniques
used in film editing or 11‘. However, with the use of non-linear editing systems, the destructive
act of cutting film negatives is eliminated.

 Metadata

When ingesting audio or video feeds, metadata are attached to the clip. Those metadata
can be attached automatically (timecode, localization, take a number, name of the clip) or
manually (players names, characters, in sports: red card, the goal...).

 Direct Access

Non-linear editing enables direct access to any video frame in a digital video clip,
without needing to play or scrub/shuttle through adjacent footage to reach it, as is necessary with
videotape linear editing systems.

 Basic Techniques

The non-linear editing method is similar in concept to the "cut and paste" techniques
used in film editing or IT. However, with the use of non-linear editing systems, the destructive
act of cutting film negatives is eliminated. It can also be viewed as the audio /video equiva1 lent
of word processing, which is why it is called desktop video editing in the consumer space...

 Broadcast Workflows and Advantages

Video and audio data are first captured to video servers, other hard disk-based systems,
or other digital storage devices. The data are either direct to disk recording or are imported from
another source ' (transcoding, digitizing, transfer). Once imported, the source material can be
edited on a computer using application software, any, or a wide range of video editing software.
 HD Format

In early 2000, the introduction of highly compressed HD formats such as HDV has
continued this trend, making it possible to edit HD material on a standard computer running a
software-only editing application. Avid is still considered the industry standard, with the
majority of major feature films, television programs, and commercials created with its NLE
systems.

 4K Videos

As of 2014, 4K Video in NLE is fairly new, but it is being used in the creation of many
movies throughout the world, due to the increased use of advanced 4K cameras such as the Red
Camera.

 Image Editing

For imaging software, early works such as HSC Software's Live Picture brought non-
destructive editing to the professional market and current efforts such as GEGL provide an
implementation being used in open-source image editing software.

 Quality Editing

At one time, a primary concern with non-linear editing had been picture and sound
quality. Improvements in compression techniques and disk storage capacity have mitigated these
concerns, and the migration to High-Definition video and audio has virtually removed this
concern completely. Most professional NLEs are also able to edit uncompressed videos with the
appropriate hardware.

 Audio Editing

Audio editing software is software that allows editing and generating audio data. Audio
editing software can be implemented completely or partly as a library, as a computer application,
as a Web application, or as a loadable kernel module. Wave Editors are digital audio editors and
there are many sources of software available to perform this function.
 MODERN-DAY RESEARCH AND STUDY SKILLS

1. 24. Search Engines

A search engine is a software, usually accessed on the Internet, that searches a database
of information according to the user's query. The engine provides a list of results that best match
what the user is trying to find Today, there are many different search engines available on the
Internet, each with its abilities and features. The first search engine ever developed is considered
Archie, which was used to search. for FTP files and the first text-based search engine is
considered Veronica. Currently, the most popular and well-known search engine is Google.
Other popular search engines include AOL, Ask. com, Baidu, Bing, and Yahoo.

 How to access -a search engine?

For users, a search engine is accessed through a browser on their computer, smartphone,
tablet, or another device. Today, most new browsers use Omnibox, which is a text box at the top
of the browser. The Omnibox allows users to type in a URL or a search query. You can also visit
one of the major search engine's home pages to perform a search.

 Which is the best search engine?

There isn't one search engine that is better than all the others. Some people could argue
that Google's search engine is the best and it is probably the most popular and well-known. Often,
if someone asks how to do something, or what something is, another person will suggest they
"Google it" "Google," used as a verb, means to search for results using the Google search engine.

Microsoft's Bing search engine is also popular and used by many people. Bing does an
excellent job of finding information and answering questions. Yahoo's search engine, while not
quite as popular as it used to be, still does an excellent job of searching for information.

1.25. Repositories

In software development, a repository is a central file storage location. It is used by

version control systems to store multiple versions of files. While a repository can be configured
on a local machine for a single user, it is often stored on a server, which can be accessed by
multiple users.

A repository contains three primary elements -a trunk, branches, and tags. The trunk
contains the current version of a software project This may include multiple source code files, as
well as other resources used by the program. Branches are used to store new versions of the
program. A developer may create a new branch whenever he makes substantial revisions to the
program. If a branch contains unwanted changes, it can be discontinued Otherwise, it can be
merged back into the trunk as the latest version. Tags are used to save versions of a project but
are not meant for active development. For example, a developer may create a "release tag" each
time a new version of the software is released

A repository provides a structured way for programmers to store development files.

This can be helpful for any type of software development, but it is especially important for large
development projects. By committing changes to a repository, developers can quickly revert to a
previous version of a program if a recent update causes bugs or other problems. Many version
control systems even support side-by-side comparisons of different versions of files saved in the
repository, which can help debug source code. Additionally; when a repository is stored on a
server; users can "check out" files for editing, which prevents files from being edited by more
than one user at a time.

FORUMS

1.26. GitHub

GitHub is a website and service that we hear geeks rave about all the time, yet a lot of
people don’t understand what it does. To understand GitHub, you must first have an
understanding of Git. Git is an open-source version control system that was started by Linus
Torvalds-the same person who created Linux. Git is similar to other version control systems -
Subversion, CVS, and Mercurial to name a few.

So, Git is a version control system, but what does that mean? When developers create
something (an app, for example), they make constant changes to the code, releasing new versions
up to and after the first official (non-beta) release. Version control systems keep these ‘revisions
straight, storing the modifications in a central repository. This allows developers to easily
collaborate, as they can download a new version of the software, make changes, and upload the
newest revision. Every developer can see these new changes, download them, and contribute.

Similarly, people who have nothing to do with the development of a project can still
download the files and use them. Most Linux users should be familiar with this process, as using
Git, Subversion, or some other similar method is pretty common for downloading needed files -
especially in preparation for compiling a program from source code (a rather common practice
for Linux geeks). Git is the preferred version control system of most developers since it has
multiple advantages over the other systems available. It stores file changes more efficiently and
ensures file integrity better.

1.27. Slack Exchange

Stack Exchange is a network of question-and-answer websites on topics in diverse fields,

each site covering a specific topic, where questions, answers, and users are subject to a
reputation award process. The reputation system allows the sites to be self-moderating. In 2008,
Jeff Atwood and Joel Spolsky created Stack Overflow, a question-and-answer Web site for
computer programming questions, which they described as an alternative to the programmer
forum Experts. Exchange. In 2009, they started additional sites based on the Stack Overflow
model: Server Fault for questions related to system administration and Super User for questions
from computer "power users"

In September 2009, Spolsky's company, Fog Creek Software, released a beta version of
the Stack Exchange 1.0 platform as a way for third parties to create their communities based on
the software behind Stack Overflow, with monthly fees. This white label service Was not
successful, with few customers and slowly growing communities.
 OSS COMMUNITIES (MOOC, SWAYAM, NPTEL) AND QUORA

1.28. MOOC

MOOCs are the natural evolution of Open Course Ware, first created by the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2001. Therefore, it does not a surprise that MIT
also leads the development of MOOCs, first with MITX, and then with edX.

The term MOOC was coined during the course "Connectivism and Connective
Knowledge" by Dave Cormier, from the University of Prince Edward Island (Canada). A
massive open online course (MOOC) is an online course aimed at large-scale interactive
participation and open access via the web. In addition to traditional course materials such as
videos, readings, and problem sets, MOOCs provide interactive user forums that help build a
community for the students, professors, and teaching assistants (TAs). MOOCs are a recent
development in distance education.

A MOOC is an online course with the option of free and open registration, a publicly
shared curriculum, and open-ended outcomes. MOOCs integrate social networking, accessible
online resources, and are facilitated by leading practitioners in the field of study. Most
significantly, MOOCs build on the engagement of learners who self-organize their participation
according to learning goals, prior knowledge and skills, and common interests.

1.29. SWAYAM

SWAYAM stands for “Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds". It
is a MOOC platform MOOC launched by the Ministry of Human Resource Development
(MHRD), Government of India, to bind online and offline education together. It is started with
an expectation of launching 2,000 courses, to make it the largest course catalog, among all
provided so far. For SWAYAM an independent platform is developed Learners across the
country can get credit for MOOC courses offered on SWAYAM, and they can get their credits
transferred and recognized at the parent institution, which was not possible in conventional
MOOC platforms.
 SWAYAM is the right effort of credits using the course that will encourage the learners
to complete the course and get their certificate. For SWAYAM, a credit framework has been
finalized that would allow the transfer of credits between institutions. An academic institution in
India can offer up to 20% of its catalogue in a particular program Via SWAYAM. Currently,
SWAYAM offers Courses for school, certificate, diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate.

The responsibility of delivering courses is assigned to six institutes based on their type,
such as NCERT and N105 for offering school education, IGNOU for out _of school learners,
CEC for undergraduate education, UGC for post-graduation education, NPTEL for engineering,
and IIMB for management studies. The content or videos created for this platform will be
available on a platform called e-Acharya that already hosts educational Video content created by
MHRD.

1.30. NPTEL

NPTEL stands for National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning. It is a

project funded by MHRD, initiated in 2003. It is a joint initiative of seven Indian Institute of
Technology [IITs] and -Indian Institute of Science (IISC) for offering courses on engineering
and science, initially. Now, NPTEL has started an online course in computer science; electrical,
mechanical, and ocean engineering; management: humanities, music, etc. It offers a free course
with nominal fees for certification. Anybody from anywhere can join their course.

NPTEL uses open-source technology for offering courses. The courses are powered by
Google's open-source platform Course Builder that runs on App Engine and Compute Engine.
Also, it offers course content mainly in video lectures prepared in a conventional classroom
environment, while some may also use slides to share the content.

Already, NPTEL is the largest single repository of technical courses in the world in the
streaming video format and with text metadata for videos, text transcription and subtitling, and
possible conversions to all Indian languages. Initially, its courses were having minimal
interactivity and uneven quality, even then the courses ceased to attract a large number of
learners. Currently, it is offering more than 1200 courses and is planning to launch, 600 more
courses on various topics for the period 2016-2020. With the new course, they are looking to
operate like MOOC providers in the market by offerings lectures, assignments, and tests.
1.31. Quora

Quora is an American question-and-answer website where, questions are asked,

answered, and edited by Internet users, either factually or in the form of opinions. Quora was co-
founded by former Facebook employees Adam D'Angelo and Charlie Cheever in June 2009. In
an answer to the question "How did Adam D'Angelo and Charlie Cheever come up with the
name Quora?" written on Quora in 2011, Charlie Cheever stated "We spent a few hours
brainstorming and writing down all the ideas that we could think of. After consulting with
friends and eliminating ones, we didn't love, we narrowed it down to 5 or 6 finalists, and
eventually settled on Quora." Cheever went on to state, "The closest competition that [the name]
Quora had was Quiver."

Quora first became available to the public on June 21, 2010, and was praised for its
interface and for the quality of the answers written by its users, many of whom were recognized
as experts in their fields. Quora's user base increased quickly, and by late December 2010, the
site was seeing spikes of visitors five to ten times its usual load-so much that the website initially
had difficulties handling the increased traffic. Until 2018, Quora did not show ads because "...ads
can often be negative for user experience. Nobody likes banner ads, ads from shady companies,
or ads that are irrelevant to their needs.

Today, Quora is an awesome hangout. Anyone can ask a question and people answer. It
is also a mega-website. Quora gets around 100 million monthly visitors.

1.32. Plagiarism

Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work or borrowing someone

else's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness ‘of
the offense. In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud It involves both stealing someone else's
work and lying about it afterward. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual
property and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Almost all forms of
expression fall under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some way (such as a
book or a computer file). All of the following are considered plagiarism:

 turning in someone else's work as your own

  copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit.

 failing to put a quotation in quotation marks

 giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation

 changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit

 copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work,
whether you give credit or not (see our ‘section on “fair use” rules)

Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply

acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed and ' providing your audience with the
information necessary to find that source is usually enough to prevent plagiarism.