Download Services

Downloading has grown into one of the most commonly used ways to access products online, and from this has attracted fundamental advantages and disadvantages. It’s a service that allows anyone to gain a product over the internet, which in turn acts as an easy accessed advantage. Its use of transactional payments online is the way to purchase a product, however for many downloading has succumbed to illegal barriers, with many now being free.

Examples of downloadable services include;

·        Music- This is the biggest form of downloading on the internet, whether it is for making money purposes or non-profitable (illegal) ways. ITunes is an example of money making software, with each customer setting up their own account for themselves. This allows them to store whatever music they desire, with you either playing it through ITunes itself, or transferring onto their Iphone/Ipod. This transaction favours a lot of people, as it allows them to download a song/album wherever a WIFI connection is present.

·        Games- This is another form of downloading and allows people to download files onto either CD’s or their computers hard disk. From there they can be play the files, on either consoles like PS3’s or your PC. This isn’t favoured to many gamers, as consoles like PS3’s can pick up fake disks and ban you from using the online services.

·        Software- Large companies are the people that will release software, with many bringing out further updates as well as adds ones for products. Patches for glitches can also be released, that can help the product perform. These can either be free trials with a later option to buy, or a straight purchase. A straight purchase will generally be used for a whole program. E.g.-Adobe Photoshop.

·        Videos- Sky player is an example of playing back videos and films and is a free feature with a general sky account. This allows people to watch shows whenever they want, whether it’s through a computer or accessed through services on their television.

·        Anti-virus- This is another common download and allows people to be safe and secure when roaming online. Free software can be available for this, but is usually only appeared as a free trial leading to a payment, (eg-1 month free trial). However, these don’t tend to be secure, so it is recommended that payed downloads are the best/safest products to go for. An example would be Norton’s antivirus.

 

With all of these example comes an array of advantages for downloading, over that of physical purchase. The downloadable purchase is generally always cheaper, with a number of these either being updates or add ones to the software, or just small files, like songs. Furthermore, this will not take a lot to format/make and therefore will be cheaper than hardware purchases.

The chance of not having to leave your seat is another bonus, with a WIFI connection only needing to do so. This helps people who may be stuck in remote area, where shops like Curry’s and PCworld are not nearby.

The security of the product itself is always an issue when buying something, with trying to keep it functional/working and not losing it. This isn’t a problem for downloads, with many optioning for back up storage, which allows for lost or accidental deleted files to be restored to the hard drive. This saves people buying the product again, and in turn makes people come round to the idea of downloading further files.

Another advantage is that the file will never have issues of being out of stock. This allows people to buy and downloads the product, without this ever being a problem. In conjunction to this, timing should never be an issue, with downloads being available 24/7 365 days of the year.

However, though these advantages hold an incentive to downloading products, it does nonetheless have disadvantages, with different people owning altered points of view. The transactional side of this is the main disadvantage, as it possesses a security risk that too many isn’t trusted. Many feel that certain sites can’t be trusted and need to make customer security number one priority, with stronger passwords needed as well as securer transaction of payment.

With this in mind, many online sites allow customers to use a secure payment website called PayPal. PayPal act as the middle man, and allow both ends of the bargain to get what they want, whether it be getting the product or the money. A site can show it used PayPal through the ‘PayPal verified’ sticker being located on the payment section of the purchase. These sorts of transaction sites hold a guarantee for people when downloading, and can allow them to do so, safe and secure.

As well as paying for your downloads through sites like PayPal, downloading has become a trait that too many is seen now as free. Piracy has taken this on, with various sharing domains being open for file sharing between people online. Pirated products have grown massively, but with it holding illegal traits, does hold consequences if caught.

An example would be pirate bay, where through registration you can access millions of different songs, videos and films that are available through file sharing called torrents. Pirate bay itself is 100% legal as well as the downloading side, however if said material holds copyright laws, sharing of the product is therefore illegal and can hold consequences to the sharer.

Downloading has become one of the main uses of the internet across its existence and will only get stronger and more used. It brings people a number of different produce without even having to leave their home, however, with this brings disadvantages including secure payment issues, as well as the products roots, whether it be legal or illegal. Whatever anyone says, downloading will always be a part of the internet and to many will continue to bring merchandise.

E-Government

Everyday technological aspects of the world are developed, and in turn provides more services to the world’s infrastructure. This has now been applied to the internet and in turn as provided a functional government scheme. This scheme is called electronic government or e-government.

The aim of E-government is to transfer all paper based documents online to produce an 'online application scheme', in turn saving government spending by £1.4 million. This will need to be tackled for a number of services including;

·        Tax and benefits

·        Crime justice/law

·        Employment online

·        Health and well being

·        Employment online

·        Citizens online

·        Education and learning online

·        Home and community online

·        Motoring online

·        Travel and transport online

With this comes an enormous audience, with 62.7% said to have internet access on a daily basis.  This allows a much larger amount of viewers to these sites, with a number of different options being available to them. Furthermore, this allows people to read easy accessible information, which in turn can create successful and positive feedback for these areas websites. I shall be explaining 4 of these, with me analysing what they can deliver and achieve for the modern day person.

Some of these areas have become more popular than others, and have succumbed to sub sections and divisions within their website. This allows people to have easy access to certain areas of the website, rather than reading various amounts of paperwork which would have happened in the old system. An example would be the motoring section of www.Directgov.co.uk, which splits itself into specific areas. This gives you expertise about what exactly you need to do, in comparison to a certain topic.  DVLA, Taxing, Testing and buying a vehicle are just some of their areas you can access, with various help sections being accessible. With it all being available online, this allows the general public to view it 24 hours a day, therefore accessing the information as and when they wish.

This cross over to an online scheme does bring a lot of information being let loose onto the internet, with access to it potentially being tricky. However, in conjunction to this, a number of these areas have come together, making them into ‘partnering websites’. This allows one specific website to hold a number of divisions, which in turn provides its information about a number of different topics easily and hassle free.

www. Directgov.co.uk  is an example of this, with my previous comments regarding ‘motoring online’ being a area within.

Another area within the Directgov site is ‘Travel and transport’. This section provides information mainly in conjunction to being abroad, with topics on Foreign Travel, Passports and Boating and travelling. These subject matters need to be very detailed, with certain aspects of it having to be done in person, rather than over the online application. However, this isn’t to say some documents can’t be filled out online, with introduction of this helping parts of UK business, (e.g.-post office).  However, it can be argued with such areas like renewing your passport now being available online, this had affected post offices and has lead to a decline of business for them, and therefore eventual closure.

Information regarding staying in the country is also displayed with topics on Highway Code, Getting about in the UK, and Cycling being available. Again, like the other areas, subsections are provided, which in turn makes the viewers needs a lot easier.

If there is certain information not covered within this site, information can be accessed elsewhere with the websites approval. In conjunction still with ‘Directgov’, useful contacts have been set up in place to help with topics that they know can be explained further.

An example would be ‘Access for disabled people’, with a further site given further, more accurate information on this. Other than the website link, Directgov provides the user with general points about said site, with the address, phone number and email address being shown.

 

‘Crime Justice’ is another area which can has been affected through the government’s scheme. Again, information regarding this can be found on the ‘Directgov’ website, with a number of topics being displayed and updates regularly.

This area has probably been affected the most, with a number of sections positively advancing for the greater good. The accessibility of sites like these can be shown as evidence for any case, with areas to pay fines and tax as well as a person’s rights if arrested. In relation to the fines, including speeding and parking tickets, there is areas online for them to pay them across a certain time span. This therefore shows no reason/excuse not to pay a ticket/fine at anytime.

As well as information on people pursuing the crimes, there is also allocated sections for victims and people that have been affected by this. This is show as the largest section, with a number of topics being displayed below, demonstrating what to do if you are victim of a crime, if you witness a crime, and your rights. This shows that the treatment of victims and people safety is their most important feature.



Education and learning is the final section I'm going to look at, with its departure to the online application having a positive effect on it overall. The area focuses on education right through your life, starting from primary school, straight through to where your university degree can get you. Its subject matters include,

·        14-19: your life, your options

·        Preschool

·        Higher Education and university

·        Qualifications’ explained

What this does is explain every option of you life’s education, will all parts of it being explained on what it does, where it can get you, and how it can change your life. This is again very detailed, however is seen more as a learning aid, with a number of matters including higher and lower education having to be tackled head on with certain teaching agreements and organisations.

Other than this, information regarding them as a person is also available, with costing always being a major issue. The costs to get to and from college/school and university are a serious matter when it comes to learning, with this no doubt deciding a person’s need and chance of gathering this learning. Schemes like EMA are set in place to help these people covers these costs, with a weekly amount being sent to certain people regarding their attendance and grades in class. This will allow people to get there education they deserve with costing having to not be an issue.

In conjunction to the overall e-government scheme, it does bring out numerous areas that have positively advanced from it. The chance to have various information on sites like ‘Directgov’ allows people to access information in an easy navigated way, with other topics being interlinked with these. This allows people to read up and gain knowledge on areas that they would never have thought of even reading.

The sites friendly and well maintained way allows people to interact with it, through the use of gaining information to transactional payments, whether it be Road tax or fines.

With ‘Directgov’ being a general example of this turnover, it can only be described as a success that will continue to grow and be updated as time goes on.

Online Education

Online Education has grown into one of the most frequently used ways of learning today. The use of the internet provides people with millions of different links that can help and inform them for a number of different topics. This use of education can not only be accessed for people at home, but it used as a learning tool for teachers and students in the modern day classroom. The 3 main ways of which learning can be achieved is through, literate, audio and visual.

    Although there is much information provided free on the internet, certain sites and education packs do require signing up. This involves handing over details including name, household address and email address'. From here, you are granted the material as well as constant emails from the company explaining about new upcoming software and merchandise. This provides the company with advertisement to people they know have a chance of purchasing it.

    An example of an educational website that requires a subscription is MyMaths. MyMaths is a revolutionary program that teaches through the aid of homework sheets, revision pages and videos examples. With a yearly subscription price, it brings multiple students/teachers with a number of revision tools and practices that will set them up for maths tuition/revision across the course. Its designed for both GCSE and A-level courses and incorporates the idea that maths can be fun and included in everyday life. With these fundamentals revealed, MyMaths uses its examples with relation to everyday life, whether it is counting money to pay at the shops right through to working out how much petrol is left in your car. Although this site can be a great tool for students and teachers, it doesn’t replace the contribution of an educator and is therefore maintained as a revision guide as well as homework activities. With this in mind, individual logins can be made for students where tasks and revision exercises can be set by teachers. These tasks can be marked online, with a grade/score being sent to the teachers allowing them to monitor each student’s progress through the topics. This has therefore seen MyMaths grow into one of the most used and respected maths programs on the internet.

     Another example of online learning is YouTube. YouTube is an uploading videos site, which provides people with a subscribed account to upload videos, social network and comment to each other about everyday life. However, unlike MyMaths, it isn’t a site dedicated to learning, but much rather a source of enjoyment and acknowledgement. This isn’t to say it can’t be used as an educational tool, with numerous videos being available to the public about a number of different topics. These videos vary from ‘Maths problems tutorials’ right through to ‘how to make a cake’ and ‘riding a bike’. On the other hand, there are disadvantages to this, with some videos not always being 100% correct, therfore making users not always sure on the subject matter themselves. In comparison to MyMaths, this is not the case, with MyMaths always being correct and guaranteed. There are of course advantages for YouTube, which can overweigh the problems. One is the way in which the videos are shown, with many portraying topics in both videos and audio form step by step. This allows the viewer to have 1 on 1 security with videos, as well as the chance to rewind and watch over bits that may not be understood first time round. Unlike MyMaths, YouTube is free with all videos being available to anyone with an internet connection. Nevertheless, donations can be made to the organisation at anytime.

     There are websites that require no general subscription or payment/donation. One example is BBC Bitesize. This is an online program which provides information about a number of different subjects at both GCSE and A-level intensity. Again, like MyMaths, it uses examples through the eyes of everyday life trying to relate it to the daily person as much as it can. However in comparison to MyMaths, Bitesize doesn’t possess the inline depth in regards to topics, which MyMaths can undoubtedly deliver. This site is more suited for revision purposes and reading over subject matters. Nonetheless it is still a tool for online education.

     Wikipedia is again like BBC Bitesize with regards to it requires no subscription, with it instead being a site run purposely on donations. Each topic, whether it be a person or event or product is provided a page, in which all types of information is provided. However, unlike MyMaths, YouTube and Bitesize, these facts can be edited. This allows any general person to edit information about whatever it is, and in turn creates a disadvantage. This therefore allows any person to upload information that may not be correct and in turn gives out false information to both viewer and other general public. This causes people, including students, to being doing important research, being misled and then told it’s incorrect.

     Online education has been massive transformations in the way people learn, and has opened up a huge market to do so, with huge profits and donations to be made for a number of organisations and companies. With a variety of offers and subscriptions being available, it is clear that these programs requiring a payment to use are the stronger educational tools. This supplies people with accurate and supported information that can be used and learned in a number of different ways.

Online Banking

    Online banking is a internet accessed way to your bank account allowing one to check balances, transfer between accounts and launch international wires from anywhere in the world. From this, loans and mortgages cane be granted as well as managing personal details. These purposes are formed for all banks, and I plan to focus on both ‘Halifax’ and ‘NatWest’ in particular.

    Online banking is an industry used by pretty much any high street bank chain, providing people with wide spread access about them and their banking experience. What people intend to do with it is entirely up to them, with a range of programs that isn’t just targeted at one subject audience, however any one owning and possessing a bank card.

    Therefore online banking can be used by anyone, providing people with an up to date check of the details, including balance and transactions payments, just through login. This overwhelms high street banking with queuing and access to information also being a major problem throughout the countries systems.

    Security is the main concern for people through the idea of online banking. With millions of people now preferring this to normal banking, so have public ‘scams’, with more and more people now trying to  corrupt people’s security to access vital funds. The idea of people having their money stolen or accessed has feared many people, and without these upcoming security checks, online banking to many would be a ‘no go area’.

A number of fake web pages are designed made to look exactly like that one of the banks. From here, emails are sent with links to these sites, telling these people to update their current information, which means logging in vital account details that are then saved and made to hack and clear out.

    However, with this rise of online theft, so has the rise of security, with many banks now possessing security questions that hopefully only the client should know. In conjunction to this, Halifax and NatWest these both have the security of the customer as priority.

    NatWest have gone one further than anybody else, and have provided a system called ‘Rapport security check, which enables customers a chance to do online banking securely, with regular scans and checks of your finances for any intrusion or irregular behaviour. If anything is thought to be happening, the bank is there to contact you, where guidelines and support will be laid down for you. As well as this, phishing emails information is available to you, where you can access details on how to know when it’s a real email and when it isn’t. This varies from the definition of phishing, right through to what to identify from wording to sophisticated language.

    Halifax have also kept their customers secure with a section on security questions. These are question specifically about the customers themselves, allowing them to disclose answers to questions that only they should know. However, these questions have been known to have been too simple and through this, have created something called ‘memorable information’. This involves having a word involving both letters and numbers. This acts as a password, however rather than being asked for the secret word as a whole, they would ask for 3 of the characters, which are randomly selected. This adds a constant array of security with the hackers having to get past 2 sets of question in order to technically steal your ‘identity’.

   

    The transaction of payment is another problem across modern day shopping, with a banks spending and loaning of money playing a major part of this. People fear that they will not get their end of the bargain, and through this are anxious of where the money might go. With his in mind people tend to use other forms of transaction, with websites like Paypal.com and Google checkout being these. From this, online banking is helped and can provide people with an incentive to join and experience, with PayPal being the only ones able to access your bank  account and not that of a complete stranger.

    PayPal is often used through auction sites like eBay, where identity fraud and consumer declaration laws are broken on a daily basis. This helps both sides of the transaction have their product/money, with the aid of one side not feeling they got ripped off or scammed. In relation to Halifax and NatWest, both of these yes use these sites, and rain nothing but the praise for them, with each explaining how these sort of operations have only helped the growth of online banking.