Part 1 to Part 2 Answers

							Lab/Tutorial 8
Assessment weight : 4%
Due : Week 11


Part 1 Review Questions [2 %]


1.   List and briefly describe the seven stages of e-government development.
     Ans:
     The seven stages of e-government development are:
     1. information publishing/dissemination
     2. official two-way transactions
     3. multipurpose portals
     4. portal personalization
     5. clustering of common services
     6. full integration and enterprise transformation, and
     7. the transition to social computing.


2.   List some of the major drawbacks of e-learning and describe how they can be
     prevented.
     Ans:
     ‧Need for instructor retraining
     ‧Equipment needs and support services
     ‧Lack of face-to-face interaction and campus life
     ‧Assessment
     ‧Maintenance and updating
     ‧Protection of intellectual property
     ‧Computer literacy
     ‧Student retention


3.   Describe e-books and list their advantages and limitations.
     Ans:
     An e-book is a book in digital form that can be read on a computer screen. Some
     advantages of this technology include portability, convenience, frequent
     updates, current information, and ease of searching. Limitations can include
     readability, copyright, and formatting issues.
4.   Describe C2C personal services, exchanges, and other support services.
     Ans:
     Personal services advertise a service from one individual to another while
     exchanges enable the bartering of items. Support services help increase trust
     between customers making transactions.


5.   Much of Facebook’s early success was due to the close affiliation of its
     members’ networks. How does Facebook expand into new markets without
     losing what originally made the site popular and alienating existing users?
     Ans:
     The Facebook can develop more application tools, games, email for the member
     to use. It can crossover with other company to build up more event and
     functions.


6.   What are the major characteristics of Web 2.0? What are some of the
     advantages of Web 2.0 applications?
     Ans:
     The following are representative characteristics (O’Reilly 2005): ‧ The ability
     to tap into the collective intelligence of users. The more users contribute, the
     more popular and valuable a Web 2.0 site becomes.
     ‧ Making data available in new or never-intended ways. Web 2.0 data can be
     remixed or “mashed up,” often through Web-service interfaces, much the
     way a dance-club DJ mixes music.
      ‧ The presence of lightweight programming techniques and tools that let
     nearly anyone act as a developer.
      ‧ The virtual elimination of software-upgrade cycles makes everything a
     perpetual beta, or work in progress, and allows rapid prototyping using the Web
     as a platform.
      ‧ Networks as platforms, delivering and allowing users to use applications
     entirely through a browser.
      ‧ Users own the data on the site and exercise control over that data.
      ‧ An architecture of participation and digital democracy encourages users to
     add value to the application as they use it.
      ‧ New business models are created (Chesbrough 2006).
      ‧ A major emphasis on social networks.
      ‧ These networks represent a large, aggregated potential customer base.
     Additionally, these networks can provide the infrastructure for corporate
     communications.
7.   What is Web 4.0?
     Ans:
     The Web generation after Web 3.0. It is still an unknown entity. However it is
     envisioned as being based on islands of intelligence and as being ubiquitous.


Part 2 Internet Exercise [2 %]


8.   Enter pcmag.com, fortune.com, or other online versions of popular magazines.
     How would you compare reading the electronic magazine against the print
     version?
     Ans:
     The electronic magazine may has not provide detail contents. It may provide
     some main topic on it. It has some different with print version.


9.   Enter GOVHK and review the portal. Based on the stages presented in Exhibit
     7.3, what stage does this site represent? Review the available site tours.
     Suggest ways the government could improve this portal.


10. Access “My Virtual Life” (2008) at businessweek.com and meet the seven
    residents in the slide show. Prepare a table that shows the manner in which
    they make money, the required skills, and the reason they do it in Second Life.