ISM3004 Computing Portfolio Project, 2008 for Mallory Colliflower
Introduction
My name is Mallory Colliflower and I am a graduating senior majoring in Journalism. I am originally from Hollywood, Florida. After graduation, I hope to get a job as a multimedia producer creating online journalism packages for a major newspaper or magazine. I enjoy anything involving a beach or a boat, the sand or the sun. Traveling excites me and I am always game for an adventure to a new place.
My Resume
Web Page Project
Why do you think a Web presence is an "essential" for businesses of all sizes?
It is indispensible for businesses to have a presence on the Web because for most people in this technological age, the Internet is the first place they turn to as an information resource. A well-made, user-friendly Web site that displays information about that business also demonstrates that the business is in-tune to what is going on in the technological world around them. It can give customers and clients an easier way to contact the business and allow a much greater level of productivity. Nowadays, everything from purchases to reservations and live Web meetings can all be done from behind a desk with the connective abilities provided by having a Web presence.
Podcast
Secure E-mail
In a world where paper documents are slowly becoming obsolete, it was only a matter of time until there was a need for a method of sending secure, private documents through e-mail. In response to that need, companies like Verisign and Thawte have made SLL certificates that are used for sending secure e-mail easily available for businesses to utilize.
Initially I was overwhelmed by the detailed instructions on how to install the SLL certificate, save my contacts' public keys and be able to encrypt an e-mail message. As I slowed down and went through each step, I was relieved at how simple the process actually was. Before this technology, private documents would take days to travel through the mail in order to reach their recipient. That waiting period is now a thing of the past and things like medical records, bank statements and other personal documents can be transferred instantly and safely.
The introduction of the internet into the business world has undoubtedly revolutionized the methods and procedures used by businesses and large corporations on a day-to-day basis. While the use of the internet allows efficient, timely methods of communication and heightened levels of efficiency, it also makes businesses very vulnerable to the dangers of the internet, such as spammers, hackers and devastating computer viruses. To combat these drawbacks but still have the ability to use the internet to its full potential as a tool for businesses, secure and encrypted e-mailing is endlessly useful.
Collaborative Computing
Excel 2003/2007 Skills
This portion of the computer portfolio project has by far been the most informative for me personally. As a self-proclaimed computer geek when it comes to the Web, I knew little about Excel other than typing in fields for spreadsheets. As far as using formulas goes, I was clueless. I can now comfortably use Excel to organize data in a much quicker way by using functions and I am able to make calculations with a large amount of data in half the time it would have taken me before. Excel is a very powerful computational tool and I am confident in the ways I now know how to use it.
