Piece of Advice

Future Students- Don't let work pile up! If you do every assignment on time you will have an easy time in the course but if you forget just one assignment you'll see how hard it's to catch up. If you pay attention and do the assignments when they are assigned you'll be surprised by how much you'll learn. Take my advice and you'll be fine. I never thought I would've learned how to manipulate pictures or make a website. Overall it is a really fun class. GOOD LUCK!

Favorite Websites

All of my classmate’s websites were amazing but my three favorite would have to be Peter's, Leslie's, and Tommie's. It was very hard to choose favorites because everyone did such a good job but these three really stuck out to me. I enjoyed Leslie's website because of how professional the layout appeared and the attention to design. It truly looks like a website people would pay to have made. I enjoyed Peter's website because of how funny it is. Every single page had me laughing and I was happy to learn more about Petoria, it's a great place. I enjoyed Tommie's website because of the great visuals and the very impressive navbar. I found myself constantly looking back at her navbar because of how good it looked. Overall I think everyone did a truly amazing job with their website and I still can’t believe we were given the opportunity to have them published.

My Website!

PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE AT www.cs.trinity.edu/~jbonacci
At the beginning of the year when I first heard I was going to make my own website I couldn't believe it. Coming into this class I didn't know one thing about hand coding or even the process of publishing a website. Now looking upon my finished website I'm proud to say that I, Danny Bonacci, made a website. Making the website was easier than I thought but took more time than expected. It took a long time to find and fix just one little error. I decided to use Expression Web when making my website because it felt the most natural to me. I'm most proud of my hotspot navbar on every page because it looks very professional and makes navigating about the site very simple. If I had to change something I would've added video critic's over each movie on my list. My biggest design challenge was fitting the pictures on the WebPages without letting them take over the majority of the page or look awkward. My biggest technical challenge was arranging my WebPages in consistent tables so the website as a whole looked somewhat uniform. I will most definitely show my website to all my closest friends and family. I also think that I will make a website for another class in the future because I now realize how easy and truly simple making a website really is.

Hardware Technician SuperStar

Larry Heckler, the Hardware Technician Supervisor, came to talk to our class the other day. He taught me so many things and also told many funny stories. The most important thing I took from the lecture was to always and frequently back up my files whether it is on an external hard drive, DVD, thumb drive, or a cloud resource like our Y: drive. Mr. Heckler told us multiple stories of students who had their entire lives on their laptops and just one accidental drop or drink spill could cause you to lose everything and most likely never get it back. Most times when the information gets lost its irretrievable and gone forever! Apparently even if you take your crashed computer to a company that specializes in  retrieving lost information there is a good chance they'll charge you hundreds of dollars and not even end up retrieving the lost files. It's also very important to never clean your computer with alcohol, which was news to me because that's the way I've been cleaning my laptops and computers for years. Without a doubt the most interesting bit of information I learned from Larry heckler was that it's actually good to run your laptop battery completely down at least once a month. By consistently charging your laptop after just 10 minutes of use your computer gets a short memory cycle, which explains why the battery will only last 10 minutes on a road trip because that is what the battery has become accustomed to. Larry Heckler taught me so much in his lecture and I will definitely apply all my new knowledge of computer maintenance to my current and future computers and laptops.

Picture That Lies

For my picture that lies I decided to incorporate two things I really enjoy and that is cats and watching COPS. I've always owned cats and have always watched COPS. Sometimes I may even watch COPS with my cats!!! The cat picture I received from Stock Exchange and the drug bust picture I received from an online article in The Yukon News. The picture was manipulated by adding a cute cat into the drug bust background. Since the resolution for the cat was much higher than the background I had to resize and distort the brightness, opacity, and saturation of the cat to make him blend in. After the initial changes the cat still stuck out just a little too much so I added a drop shadow behind him and also changed the contrast and hue of the background. Then I added the text just to clarify that the kitty was the one who found the drugs and that they weren't his own. I manipulated this picture because I believe if other animals such as dogs and horses can help officers prevent crime why can't cats? Understandably cats aren't much for training and do exhibit mood swings quite often but I still believe they can be of some assistance to the law. This manipulation wasn’t harmful even though it’s technically deceiving because it's obviously a joke and in no way attacking an audience, well except for the drug dogs. Photo manipulation is usually done to take fat off of a celebrity’s stomach for a tabloid but it has been done by governments to deceive the public to gain support for a cause. According to the article "Plots to rankle Castro--from fake photos to airfare" During the cold war American militarty strategisits tried to fake photos of Fidel Castro in an attempt to get him overthrown in Cuba. This is just one example of how bad intentions behind photo manipulation can lead to awful results, even the U.S. government has participated in harmful photo fakery. While manipulating photos is usually done to achieve harmful results or to deceive the public I believe my photo of DRUG BUST KITTY is an example of a fake photo, with good intentions, meant to entertain people instead of tricking them.

EBSCOhost: Plots to Rankle Castro--from Fake Photos to Airfares." EBSCO Publishing Service Selection Page. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail

PowerPoint Presentations

My PowerPoint presentation covered the new and surging trend of Social Media Marketing. I choose this subject because Marketing is my intended major and social media is the newest stage marketers around the world are trying to conquer. I liked my subject because I learned a lot about how Marketers have to adapt to changes in technology and how they have to be on top of the new popular trends. The one thing I learned the most about while researching for my presentation was the introduction of Web 2.0 and its effects on the business world. Web2.0 makes the internet a collaborative medium that allows people to create and share online. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and various blogs are examples of Web 2.0’s increasing popularity. If there was one thing I would’ve changed about my presentation it would have to be the amount of notes I took beforehand because it caused me not to make as much eye contact as I would’ve liked to during my presentation. Overall I really enjoyed making a PowerPoint presentation which focused on a specific subject related to my Major.
            My two favorite presentations in the class were Heath’s presentation over Geology and Leslie’s presentation over Graphic Design. I really enjoyed the humor Heath put in his presentation and I felt his design was very fitting towards his topic. Leslie’s presentation was very nice because it was very informative but most of all because its design, transitions, and visuals were very professional. Heath and Leslie both had very interesting and well done presentations. This assignment showed me that even though PowerPoint presentations are commonly boring and unprofessional, if done right PowerPoint can be a very effective tool for a presentation.

Chris Nolan - Goggle Connoisseur

Chris Nolan, Assistant University Librarian, spoke to our class about Google and the many features it beholds which most people aren’t aware of. I always thought Google could just perform simple searches but Chris Nolan explained that with the proper knowledge Google could perform very detailed and advanced searches. One thing I found out about Google is that you can perform advanced searches and there is even a Google scholar for exclusively academic works. The thing that surprised me the most about Google is that by simply using symbols like quotation marks, parenthesis, and even a subtraction symbol you can narrow your search down and make finding what you need much easier. I will without a doubt use all the information Chris Nolan taught me about Google to make my future searches painless and more effective.

PowerPoint

Even though I find PowerPoint’s incredibly annoying and usually unprofessional looking I must admit if there is a big project due and little time to do it I usually resort to making a PowerPoint because of how easy and straightforward they are. If done right which is a rarity PowerPoint’s can be very effective, but the majority of the time they just irritate me. These are the five things I dislike about PowerPoint’s the most.

1. TOO MUCH TEXT - I completely understand putting vital information on a PowerPoint slide is necessary but when a PowerPoint slide has paragraphs and paragraphs of text I quickly become uninterested and overwhelmed. There is absolutely no way I'm going to write down or retain all of the information on a slide when there is just simply too much. It's called PowerPOINT not PowerESSAY for a reason!

 2. OBNOXIOUS TRANSITIONS - When a PowerPoint transitions from slide to slide I want it to be simple and professional. The last thing I want when taking notes is a slide that bounces all around the screen or one that a cheesy sound affect every time a new slide appears. Obnoxious PowerPoint transitions are very distracting for the viewer and completely ruin the integrity of the presentation.

3. POOR USE OF GRAPHICS – Graphics can be a very good tool in PowerPoint presentations, say you are giving a presentation over volcanoes and you incorporate a picture of the Mt. St. Helens eruption. That would be a good use of graphics the problem is the majority of the time PowerPoint’s are muddled with tacky animations. The last thing I want to see at the end of a PowerPoint is a banana dancing to peanut butter jelly time.

4. DEPENDENT PRESENTER – PowerPoint’s are just supposed to highlight critical parts of a presentation, not the entire thing. When a presenter reads word for word off of their PowerPoint they have rendered themselves meaningless. What’s the point of you even being present if you’re just going to tell us what we already know? Way too frequently will presenters depend of their PowerPoint to get them thru a presentation.

5. POOR DESIGN – Without a doubt the most common mistake I see with PowerPoint’s is poor whether it’s inconsistent formatting, ridiculous font, or just a dreadful layout. I don’t want to look at a slide with a dark brown background with bright orange font and I definitely don’t want to take notes from a slide that could’ve been prepared by an elementary student. Poor design is the reason PowerPoint’s are considered unprofessional.

PowerPoint’s can be a good tool when they are utilized as a layout to a presentation. Minimal critical text, professional formatting, and effective graphics are what usually lead to a first-class PowerPoint and overall an excellent presentation.

CLT IS THE PLACE TO BE!

Before class I had never even heard of the CLT, also known as the Center for Learning and Technology. It's located in the first floor of the Coates library and has everything a student needs to complete any homework assignement. Robert Chapman, Instructional Support Manger for Trinity University, gave us the tour of the CLT and showed us all of the exclusive features it has to offer. There are a total of 26 computers, 14 macs and 12 PCs, in the Innovation studio and 11 scanners. All of the computers come with the top of the line software and even have the latest version of Photoshop. My favorite part of the tour would have to be the video conference room, which allows students and professors to have video confrences in HIGH DEFINITION! These video confrences can allow students to have job interviews across the world. Trinity University even had a video confrence with the White House and spoke to Hillary Clinton, Seretary of State! Not only does CLT give students amazing technology but you can even rent equipment, like digital cameras, and they also have an amazing staff that will help you with any task. CLT is an amazing place and I will definitly utilize all it has to offer for upcoming projects and homwork assignments.

I scanned this amazing self-portrait by using the scanners at CLT.

60 Mintues... More like 60 Pounds

I'm fully aware that the majority of pictures in gossip and fashion magazines are either manipulated or edited in some way. From making an aging celebrity look younger to slimming down a model for a clothing campaign, edited photos occur much too frequently. But when I saw this edited photo of America's Sweetheart Katie Couric I was appalled. This doctored photo appeared in the September issue of Watch magazine, which coincidently is owned by CBS. Katie Couric's waistline isn't the only thing that's obiously slimmed down in the picture,even her face was doctored to alter her complexion and make it appear thinner. Couric's picture was manipulated because CBS was promoting their new show "The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" and wanted Katie Couric to appear more appealing. I beleive the mainpulation is harmful because it’s false advertisement and in reality is tricking the American people to believe this is what everyone should look like. People are already subjected enough to idealized edited photos of models and celebrities the last thing readers need is for news anchors and people of authority to be altered strengthening this new sense of “thin”. I personally don’t believe fashion and gossip magazines will ever be satisfied with the average healthy weight of an individual and will continue to alter photos instilling this false concept of what an average person should look like.

I choose the following video because it truly shows how easy and quick it is to enhance someone's body. This video shows how instead of months of dieting you can just use Photoshop to shave your weight right off, instantly making you look much thinner. It's easy to do touchups like this which is one reason altering and manipulating photos is so common.

The Excel Experience

At first when I learned we would be using Excel I was a little worried because I have had some bad experiences with it. In high school I only Excel for graphs and I never really got the hang of it. I didn't know how to merge, enlarge, or even move cells around. After doing some excercises with Excel I now realize why it's so popular and used frequently in the business world. Excel truly does make simple tasks like calcualting statistics or grade averages much easier. There is so much that Excel offers and I wish I had some previous training with it because it would have made previous assignments much easier. My favorite function in Excel would most definitely be the sum and average function. I'm so used to just spending a long time plugging everything into my calculator when doing math, but now I know Excel can actually do all the math for me. There are many real life situations which Excel could help me with like taxes and managing a budget. When I take statistics or any other math class I will definitely apply my knowledge of Excel to help me with my homework. The one thing I still dislike about Excel is that I've found when you make a mistake it's usually impossible to find it or fix it but overall I'm sure I will use Excel in school and outside of school to make some tedious and irritating tasks much easier.

COPYRIGHT LAWS

         Copyright laws were something I really never took seriously. I’ll admit I’ve used Limewire many of times in the past. But after the lecture by Jason Hardin, Manager of Access Services, I’m without a doubt going to religiously follow the rules and regulations set by the RIAA, MPAA, and ESA. I have always heard stories of people being taken to court for downloading too many songs or movies off of Limewire and similar sites but I never thought that I was at serious risk of being caught until Jason Hardin explained that the RIAA, Recording Industry Association of America, was constantly monitoring illegal downloads, especially in college campuses! The RIAA can identify exactly what you downloaded, your IP address, and even the exact time (to the millisecond) of when you downloaded it. A Trinity Student was actually caught by the RIAA illegally downloading no more than a dozen classic country songs and settled out of court for 14,000 dollars! I don’t care how much I like a song I’m not willing to pay over 3 dollars for it, let alone over 1,000!
           
             I fully understand that the RIAA, MPAA, and ESA are just protecting the intellectual property of others but I believe instead of spending so much time and money going after the individuals doing the illegal downloading they should go after the sites that offer such file sharing. Many Americans don’t understand the difference between illegal file sharing and websites like YouTube and I believe it’s the entertainment industry’s duty to inform and educate the public of what is and isn’t allowed. Before talking with Jason Hardin I was completely oblivious of what constituted as copyright infringement but now I know what I can and can’t do with someone else’s intellectual property. It’s essential that copyright laws be enforced but if the entertainment industry educates the American people I believe copyright infringement will decrease significantly.

COPYRIGHT LAWS is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

My Trinity Netowrk Diagram

At first when I heard my class was taking a small field trip to the main data center in Halsell I wasn't that excited but I must admit the trip was very informative and actually a lot of fun. Walking into the main data center was pretty enlightening, I never would've guessed there was an entire room in Trinity filled with servers, wires, and stacks of computers. The data center actually has to have constant air conditiong of 60 degrees due to the fact that without it all the servers would overheat and it would also cause an unbearable work enviroment. Even with the constant air conditiong all the machines were hot to the touch and some can even reach over 100 degrees! The one thing the field trip helped me with the most was understanding how Trinity's internet system works. This is my diagram of Trinity's internet system which has been compared to a wagon wheel. Enjoy!

Trinity Mystery Spot

This location is a place many Freshmen pass on their way to class. I altered it slightly to make it seem more obscure. I uploaded the photo on to Piknik and applied the Film Grain and CinemaScope application to make the picture appear like a scene out of an old movie. The Film Grain app makes the picture seem pixelated and the CiemaScope app puts a border around the picture making it look like a widescreen movie. I also added text and many cats because this is a very popular hangout spot for the cats around campus. The cats are neon colors because they always grab my attention and are very lively. The text I added is a clue to where the picture was taken. Where do you think this is? Good luck guessing!

Tech Tips from Mr. Hatch himself

Going into class I thought I knew a lot about protecting my computer and keeping my identity safe but after  Computer Survival Skills with Joe Hatch I now realize that I know nothing. I thought because I own a Mac that I was immune to viruses but I now know that all computers, no matter what the brand, are at risk of potentially catastrophic viruses. Before Mr. Hatch spoke with my class I was still using the network TUGuest which I know know is just for visitors. Students at Trinity have their very one network, TUSecure, which is protected by the Mr. hatch and the rest of his department. The one virus that intrigued me the most was definitely the Trojan because it's cleverly disguised as an email or a link and is nearly impossible to get rid off. After Mr. Hatch's talk I'm much more alert and careful when it comes to roaming the internet and I now wipe my safari after every use just to ensure that I'm not in danger of a harmful virus.

Danny Boy

Hey, my name is Joseph Daniel Bonacci but I prefer to go by Danny. I was born in San Antonio, Texas but lived in South Dakota and Wisconsin for a brief amount of time when I was little. I'm an avid Green Bay Packers fan and love the San Antonio Spurs. Some of my many interests are music and movies. I love all movie genres except romantic comedies and I attend Austin City Limits every year. During high school I played many varsity sports and plan on participating in intramural events at Trinity. My computer skills are very limited, all my knowledge over computers comes from a very brief HTML class which I took in middle school. My favorite teacher of all time is acclaimed author Rick Riordan who taught me Global History in 7th grade and is actually the son of my essential info into technology teacher, Mrs. Belisle. If anyone has any questions you can contact me at jbonacci@tmail.com.