Asynchronous Communication

According to www.businessdictionary.com, asynchronous communication is a “data transfer  method in which signals are sent and received in spurts and not in a continuous stream. This relates to what we are doing in class through the use of a blog and also through WebCT. When we send data out, and wait for a reply, this is asynchronous communication. Almost everything we do short of actually speaking to someone is a form of asynchronous communication. According to definethat.com, even Direct communication, where all of the individuals are involved is a form of asynchronous communication. The reason being is that situations like this allow the conversation to evolve over time. As stated before, most any type of communication is asynchronous. As a matter of fact, the only thing I can think of that may not be is talking to yourself! As far as this class goes, the usage of asynchronous communication is present everywhere! Being an online class, there is a break in communication every time one of us posts. When we write on our blog or on webCT, we have to wait for a reply. That and the ever evolving nature of our discussions makes asynchronous communication the only communication for CSC200!   Not my best work... But it'll do :)

A little about me.

My name is Steven Wilmes, but I've always been, and will continue to be called Jake Wilmes. I'm a CIS major whose interest lies in Java Programming. The reason my assignments are so close to deadline is due to most of my free time is taken up by lengthy Java assignments :). I'm from Albany, MO which is about an hour away from St. Joe and I grew up on a large farm, raising registered Angus cattle. Also, I come from a large foster family. My parents now raise abused kids in a 12 bedroom Childrens home. :) I have 2 real sisters, 1 real brother, 3 adopted brothers, and roughly 20 foster siblings. That's about all there is to know! :)

Blogs vs. Wikis

In comparison, a Wiki is not as good of an information source as a blog. The main reason is that anyone with access can make changes to a wiki, whereas a blog is usually managed by just one person. I can decide for myself if a person's blog has information that I believe is true or valuable and can continue viewing their blog based on my opinion of how credible the information they post is. On a wiki, I might read something credible at one point and something that is complete garbage the next. Wikis are more vulnerable due to their openness, whereas blogs are more secure. Both can be very informative, but I trust blogs more often than a wiki.

 

Convergence in the technological world today is very important, while at the same time getting less important. The reason I say this is today's society is very technologically advanced, and needs less to adapt to changes in technology. At the same time, convergence is still important to break down the complex pieces into something the average person can easily and quickly understand.

Blogs can be collaborative because people can get together, taking turns researching data and posting on a blog to save time and energy. The fact they are working as more of a team makes it collaborative. These types of blogs are more interesting due to the difference in entries and opinions.

I know this isn't what I'm supposed to say, but until wiki's, and blogs for that matter, become more secure and reliable, I don't see much of a good use for either that hasn't been done. My opinion is based on the amount of hacked blogs and the amount of sensitive information that has recently been released in a wiki, giving away locations of soldiers overseas, among other things.