EMPOWERMENT TECHNOLOGIES

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) deals with the use of different communication
technologies such as mobile phones, telephone, internet, etc. to locate, save, send, and edit information.

When we make a video call, we use internet. When we send a text or make a call, we use cellular
networks. When we run out of load or battery, we use payphones which use a telephone network. Having
a unified way to communicate is one of the goals of ICT. In terms of economics, ICT has saved
companies a lot of resources (time and money) with the kind of communication technology they use
nowadays. In a

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similar way, we spend less because of ICT. As it normally costs us a peso to send a text message or SMS,
with the internet, we can send multiple messages and only be charged by a fraction.

ICT IN THE PHILIPPINES

Several international companies dub the Philippines as the “ICT Hub of Asia”. It is no secret that there is
a huge growth of ICT-related jobs around the country, one of which is the call center or BPO (Business
Process Outsourcing) centers.

According to the 2013 edition of Measuring the Information Society by the International
Telecommunication Union, there are 106.8 cellphones per 100 Filipinos in the year 2012. That would
mean that for every 100 Filipinos you meet, there is a high chance that they have a cellphone and
approximately for the seven of them, they have two.

In a data gathered by the Annual Survey of the Philippine Business and Industries, NSO, in 2010, the ICT
industry shares 19.3% of the total employment population here in the Philippines.

To add to this statistics, Time Magazine’s “The Selfiest Cities around the World” of 2014 places two
cities from the Philippines in the top 1 and top 9 spots. The study was conducted using Instagram, a
popular photo sharing application.

With the numbers, there is no doubt that the Philippines, is one of the countries that benefits most out of
ICT.

WEB 2.0: DYNAMIC WEB PAGES

The internet has been a vital tool to our modern lives that is why it is also important to take the best of the
internet.

When the World Wide Web was invented, most web pages were static. Static (also known as flat page of
stationary page) in the sense that the page is “as is” and cannot be manipulate by the use. The content is
also the same for all the users. This is referred to as the Web 1.0.
However, the World Wide Web is more than just static pages. Pretty soon, Web 2.0 came into the picture.

Web 2.0 is a term coined by Darcy DiNucci on January 1999. In her article title, “Fragmented Future”,
she wrote:

The Web we know now, which loads into a browser window in essentially static
screenfuls, is only an embryo of the Web to come. The first glimmerings of Web 2.0 are
beginning to appear, and we are just starting to see how that embryo might develop.
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Web 2.0 is the evolution of Web 1.0 by adding dynamic web pages – the user is able to see a website
differently than others. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing
sites, hosted services, and web applications. Web 2.0 also allows users to use web browsers instead of just
using their operating system. Browsers can now be used for their user interface, application software (or
web application), and even for file storage. Most websites that we visit today are Web 2.0.

FEATURES OF WEB 2.0

The key features of Web 2.0 include;

1. Folksonomy – allows users to categorize and classify/arrange information using freely

chosen keywords (e.g. tagging). Popular networking sites such as Twitter, Instagram,
Facebook, etc. use tags that start with the pound sign (#). This is also referred to as hashtag.

2. Rich User Experience – content is dynamic and is responsive to user’s input. An example
would be a website that shows local content. In the case of social networking sites, when
logged on, your account is used to modify what you see in their website.

3. User Participation – the owner of the website is not the only one who is able to put content.
Others are able to place a content of their own by means of comments, reviews, and
evaluation. Some websites allow readers to comment on an article, participate in a poll, or
review a specific product (e.g. Amazon.com, online stores).

4. Long Tail – services that are offered on demand rather than a one-time purchase. In certain
cases, time-based pricing is better than file-size pricing or vice-versa. This is synonymous to
subscribing to a data plan that charges you for the amount of time you spent in the Internet,
or a data plan that charges you for the amount of bandwidth you used.

5. Software as a Service – users will subscribe to a software only when needed rather than
purchasing them. This is a cheaper option if you do not always need to use a software. For
instance, Google Docs is a free web-based application that allows the user to create an edit
word processing and spreadsheet documents online. When you need a software, like a Word
Processor, you can purchase it for a one-time huge amount and install it in your computer and
it is yours forever. Software as a service allows you to “rent” a software for a minimal fee.

6. Mass Participation – diverse information sharing through universal web access. Since most
users can use the internet, Web 2.0’s content is based on people from various cultures.
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3.0 ANDREFERENCE
THE SEMANTIC WEBONLY

The Semantic Web is a movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The W3C standard
encourages web developers to include semantic content in their web pages. The term was coined by the
inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee. Lee also noted that the Semantic Web is a component
of Web 3.0.

According to the W3C, “The Semantic Web provides a common framework that allows data to be shared
and reused across application, enterprise, and community boundaries.” The aim of Web 3.0 is to have
machines (or servers) understand the user’s preferences to be able to deliver web content specifically
targeting the user. For example, when doing a web search in Web 2.0, the topmost result is based on the
preference of several users who already searched for the item. The search engine then labels it the most
common answer to the search query. Though there are instances wherein several preferences are
considered like geographic location, Web 3.0 aims to do better. This is through studying personal
preferences of an individual user and showing results based on those preferences. The internet is able to
predict the best possible answers to your question by “learning” from your previous choices.

For example, if you search the Internet for “Where is the best place to go shopping?” Web 3.0 will aim to
give you results depending on how you have made choices in the past. If you purchased several shoes
online, the Internet will give you results on the best place with the highest rated shoes around your
vicinity.

Another example is when you search for the best restaurant to visit in a specific area. First, it may look
for your previous visits from another restaurants and if you have rated them whether good or bad. In
return, Web 3.0 will search for restaurants that have a similar menu, good rating, and budget that fit your
preference in the past.

Web 3.0 is yet to be fully realized because of several problems;

1. Compatibility – HTML files and current web browsers could not support Web 3.0.
2. Security – the user’s security is also in question since the machine is saving his or her
preferences.
3. Vastness – the World Wide Web already contains billions of web pages.

4. Vagueness – certain words are imprecise. The words “old” and “small” would depend on the
user.
5. Logic – since machines use logic, there are certain limitations for a computer to be able to predict
what the user is referring to at a given time.

TRENDS IN ICT

As the world of ICT continues to grow, the industry has focused on several innovations. These
innovations cater to the needs of the people that benefit most out of ICT. Whether it is for business or
personal use, these trends are the current front runners in the innovation of ICT.

1. Convergence
Technological Convergence is the synergy of technological advancements to work on a
similar goal or task. For example, besides using your personal computer to create word
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documents, you can now use your smartphone. It can also use cloud technologies to sync files
 from one device to another while using LTE technology which means you can access your files
anytime, anywhere. Convergence is using several technologies to accomplish a task conveniently.

2. Social Media
Social Media is a website, application, or online channel that enables web users to create,
co-create, discuss, modify, and exchange user-generated content. According to Nielsen, a global
information and measurement company, Internet users spend more time in social media sites that
any other type of site. With this, more and more advertisers use social media to promote their
product.

There are six types of social media:

a. Social Networks – these are sites that allow you to connect with other people with the same
interests or background. Once user creates his or her account, he or she can set up a profile,
add people, create groups, and share content.
Examples: Facebook and Google+

b. Bookmarking Sites – these are sites that allow you to store and manage links to various
websites and resources. Most of these sites allow you to create a tag that allows you and
others to easily search or share them. Examples: StumbleUpon and Pinterest

c. Social News – these are sites that allow users to post their own news items or links to other
news sources. The users can also comment on the post and comments may also be ranked.
They are also capable of voting on these news articles of the website. Those who get the most
amount of votes are shown prominently.
Examples: Reddit and Digg

d. Media Sharing – these are sites that allow you to upload and share media content like
images, music, and video. Most of these sites have additional social features like liking,
commenting, and having user profiles. Examples: Flickr, Youtube, and Instagram

e. Microblogging – these are sites that focus on short updates from the user.
Those subscribed to the user will be able to receive these updates. Examples: Twitter and
Plurk

f. Blogs and Forums – these websites allow users to post their content. Other users are able to
comment on the said topic. There are several free blogging platforms like Blogger,
WordPress and Tumblr. On the other hand, forums are typically part of a certain website or
web service.

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The popularity of smartphones and tablets has taken a major rise over the years. This is
largely because of the device’ capability to do tasks that were originally found in personal
computers. Several of these devices are capable of using high-speed internet. Today, the latest
mobile devices use 4G Networking (LTE), which is currently the fastest mobile network. Also,
mobile devices use different operating systems:

a. iOS – used in apple devices such as the iPhone and iPad.

 b. Android – an open source operating system developed by Google. Being open source means
several mobile companies use this OS for free.
c. Blackberry OS – used in Blackberry devices.
d. Windows Phone OS – a closed source and proprietary operating system developed by
Microsoft®.
e. Symbian – the original smartphone OS; used by Nokia devices.
f. WebOS – originally used for smartphones; now used for smart TVs.
g. Windows Mobile – developed by Microsoft® for smartphones and pocket PCs.

4. Assistive Media
Assistive Media is a nonprofit service designed to help people who have visual and
reading impairments. A database of audio recordings is used to read to the user. You may visit this
link for several of their audio recordings.

Source:

RBS Empowerment Technologies, First Edition

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