CS 1300

The End...

2009-12-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the semester is over! I have learned so much in this class and enjoyed all the work we have done. Though I thought I knew a lot about computers, the information we learned was shocking, even what I learned on Word! Some advice I have for the next classes is to make sure you pay attention to details because that is usually the hardest part to get right. Also, make sure not to blow off written tests and quizzes because they DO count and are very important for your grade. The most interesting section we did in my opinion was Photoshop, and probably where i learned the msot. Enjoy this class!!

Photo Fakery

2009-11-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

"Doctored images are troubling because they can mislead scientists and even derail a search for the causes and cures of disease."

After reading the article and seeing this quote, I am strongly against this type of tampering. It really does nothing for the researcher if it is not accurate and instead has the potential to harm many other researchers who would have counted on its veracity and any individual who would have benefited from the discovery. The fact that Ms. Roovers did not see the magnitude of her actions, since 'she is not the only one,' makes me feel like this really is a huge problem because faking results should NEVER be acceptable. I am really glad after this occurred actions have been taken to detect the violations and prevent them from happening again.

Pictures that Lie

2009-11-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

For my pictures that lie, I chose two images: one of a phone booth in London and one of the Eiffel tower. I chose these because i really like to travel, I also thought the picture of the phone booth was really interesting and artistic. Both pictures come from the stock exchange. I manipulated the pictures in many ways because I wanted confusion between which city it was. The gray scale made it feel older and ore classic while the color of the phone booth makes the picture more interesting. I don't feel the alteration is harmful in anyway other than confusing the viewer because it does not affect any specific person, rewrite history, or change the news.

I used the magic extractor to get rid of the background around the Eiffel tower
I used the stamp tool to get rid of a Ferris wheel where the tower now is
I used the pattern stamp tool to add trees at the bottom of the Eiffel tower
I changed the opacity of the tower to match the rest of the background
I added an adjustment layer and made the whole picture gray scale
I painted the red back on using the mask feature (black paintbrush)

Powerpoint Presentations

2009-11-04T15:18:00.000-08:00

My Favorites:

I loved all of the presentations we have seen! My two favorites were Noelle's because I thought the topic was really interesting and her explanation was really clear. Also the graphics (lightning at the beginning, and water ripple) were really cool and smart. The other power point I really enjoyed was Melissa's. I thought the black background added a lot since the topic was so complex, I also really liked her use of diagrams to explain what she was describing and the gif she used was very smart too.

Powerpoint Presentation

2009-10-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Guidelines

Limit use of text and bullets so the slide is readable and the point is easy to find
Use big (at least 28-point) font on slides
Avoid using the presentation as a 'teleprompter'
Don't use distracting transitions on EVERY slide because this takes away from the presentation instead of adding to it
Have a 'visual theme' to bring cohesion to the presentation so it does not look like random slides pasted together

CLT

2009-10-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

I actually did not even know the CLT existed so I found the visit really interesting. I was really impressed by the number and variety of computers they had. Also, the kinds of softwear/stations the CLT is divided into are really cool!

I will definatly be comming down here to use the Adobe suites beacuse the definition and monitors down here are a lot better than my personal lapotop. I'll probably also come down here to edit pictures just for fun for the same reasons.

Since this is my only computer oriented class right now, I am not sure how much I will use it for other classes but given the opportunity I will definatly come here!

Excel

2009-10-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Before we started the unit on Excel I did not know a lot about it and, to be completely honest, I was intimidated . However, after everything we have done with it I can honestly say that I really enjoyed learning about excel! I did not know about most of what we learned and all of the applications the program had.

I loved how functions worked and the ease of using them. The running balance was probably the most useful function for me because I can start using it to keep track of how much money I have and avoid over-drafting (again!). I also learned a lot with conditional formating because it can make a table a lot more clear or highlight specific portions that are important. The function I found MOST interesting however, was the 'if' function. I think its amazing how much Excel can compute and organize with just a couple of parameters. These tables will also be really useful to keep track of grades (as we do in class) and to quickly makes charts from specific data.

Chris Nolan

2009-10-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Google Advanced Search

I found the Chris Nolan lecture very interesting and informative. The “advanced search” option in Google was totally new to me but seems extremely helpful. By using this option, I can limit the parameters of my search therefore limiting the number of results I receive to links that I will most likely want to use. I learned that through this tool, I can choose the type of domain I want my results to come from. For example I can limit my search to .gov or simply completely eliminate .com’s. Another way to do this is by entering a minus in front of the site domain to narrow a search, this would look like (-site:.com). Another cool feature advanced search has is an option to limit languages. The “advanced search” allows me to choose language so I can just see websites in Spanish or eliminate websites in a language I cannot read such as Chinese. By using this option I can also choose to only see links with certain usage rights such as free to use/ modify/ect which can in turn protect me from copyright infringement. A portion of Chris’s speech that I found surprising was that all websites that end in .gov are not necessarily run by the federal government. 5% of these websites belong to different organizations that petition to use them and are therefore not always totally reliable.

Pictures that Lie

2009-10-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

The picture I chose to analyze is the "Jackalope" image, I chose this picture because although it is an imaginary creature it is very well doctored and seems real. The picture came from a postcard of an unknown time period and is currently owned by the Museum of Hoaxes. The image was manipulated by adding antlers on to the rabbit's head probably as a prank. The manipulation is harmful for several reasons: it misinforms the public about a "dangerous" creature that is not real, it may also decrease tourism to Colorado due to fear of Jackalope's.

Copyright

2009-09-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

In the Jason Hardin presentation I learned a lot about fair use. Fair use is part of TITLE 17; it is a set of statues that allows for a positive defense against charges of infringement if the infringed article is to be used for educational purposes. However, it is not a guaranteed right. There are four factors used to determine whether or not reproduction is fair use: the nature of the work, the purpose of the reproduction, the amount reproduced, and how the reproduction affects rights holder’s ability to profit. Therefore, the fair use defense usually applies to criticisms, analysis, and reviews. The defense does not apply in the case of copying an entire work, but usually is effective if only a chapter or excerpt is replicated. It also does not cover profiting off someone else’s work or making it impossible for the right holder to profit off the good—for example by giving a copy of a “ripped” movie to a friend.

Network Diagram of Trinity LAN

2009-09-15T06:49:00.001-07:00

Joe Hatch

2009-09-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

The best tip i received from Joe Hatch's visit was definatly CCleaner. This tip was really helpful and interesting since I had necer heard about that program before.My computer had been running really slowly but after using the program it sped up a lot!

About Me!

2009-08-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
I am Cristina and I was born in Bogota, Colombia http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=30.178406,-95.541104&z=19&t=h&hl=en. I lived there for the first ten years of my life after which I moved to The Woodlands (north of Houston) http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=30.178406,-95.541104&z=19&t=h&hl=en.

My favorite activity is horseback riding which I have been doing since I was seven, I show in Hunter/Jumpers. My horse's name is Gunner and will have owned him for three years in October. Another activity I really enjoy is traveling; I have been to Italy, France, Austria, China, and Mexico. My fact is that while I was in Mexico, I was stung by a sea urchin.

So far, I am not involved in any activities on campus but I plan on joining a variety of clubs! I plan on majoring in either Political Science or Internation Relations and attending Law School. I have very basic computer skills but have used some photoshop. I am worried about typing because I type really slowly.

ccahnspe@trinity.edu