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Hi all not to sure if this is allowed so tell me to stop if so my partners laptop has started to send emails to anyone who sends her an email as well as anyone who was in her contacts list.
I sent an email to herself from her PC and it came back with another email with the offending text to visit site abcd.com. I did the same from her online btyahoo mail page and only got the mail i sent displayed on the online site.
From this difference in behaviour i deduce that something is lurking on the machine. we run bitdefender as the main protection and i am currently scanning using malwarebytes in Safe mode, after which i'll try superantispyware (catchy name) if nothing comes up i'll then roll back the machine to say 4 weeks ago and hope is all ok. When i do get rid of this, would running IE in a sandbox provided by Bitdefender help to stop further problems?
Any other suggestions? Frank the student
Hi all not to sure if this is allowed so tell me to stop if so my partners laptop has started to send emails to anyone who sends her an email as well as anyone who was in her contacts list. I sent an email to herself from her PC and it came back with another email with the offending text to visit site abcd.com. I did the same from her online btyahoo mail page and only got the mail i sent ...
In memory of an Open University student and lecturer, the Rory Bailey Memorial Prize of £500 will be awarded annually to the best student on each T320, T324 and T325 module.
In memory of an Open University student and lecturer, the Rory Bailey Memorial Prize of £500 will be awarded annually to the best student on each T320, T324 and T325 module. Following Rory Bailey's retirment in 2001 from a career in information technology which took him from the UK to Ireland, and finally Germany where he worked for Digital Equipment for many ...
Marion Grenfell-Essam, 28, from Essex, has had ME since she was just 12 years old which means the smallest of tasks leave her utterly exhausted. But she’s found comfort in OU study, the flexibility of which allows her to work around her symptoms, and she plans on “studying for the rest of my life if I can.”
Forced to drop out of studying for a BSc in Applied Psychology at Cardiff University, Marion was overcome with depression. At the time, her mum was (and still is) studying towards a BSc in Psychology with the OU and “decided to bully me into finding an interest,” says Marion.
“She knew I had always expressed an interest in learning more about web design so she pestered me into signing up for T183 Design and the Web. That was the autumn of 2006 and I haven't looked back.”
“Most sufferers will experience headaches with many having to deal with migraines - basically headaches but with additional components: flashing light or auras, neck pain, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, nausea even to the point of vomiting and skin sensitivity so that even light bed clothes can feel like someone is gripping their hand hard around your skin. Basically when it gets really bad your only option is go and lie down or lie propped up in a dark, quiet room.”
With day-to-day activities like eating and dressing making her tired, Marion sleeps a lot, but she can be awake in the early hours of the morning. So it’s the complete flexibility of OU study that allows her to work at her own pace and in short bursts if necessary, with support for her additional needs via the university's services for disabled students.
“Because I can't plan my good days and my bad weeks I can't always stick to the timetable. My tutors are always very supportive about giving me extensions if I think that a couple of extra weeks might make the difference between a partial TMA and no TMA. I find reading 12 size font just a little bit too small to be comfortable for me so the ability to read my Unit texts as pdfs where I can zoom to a size that works for me is great.
“Where I want to read from the unit but would struggle to hold it open the OU provide me with comb-bound books so that they lie flat on my lap or table so I don't get hand strain keeping the book flattened to read. The use of iTMAs is a big bonus as it means I don't have to try and hand write anything with my sore muscles. At the tutorials my Learning Support team make sure I have a ground floor room close to the entrance so that I can easily walk the distance with the help of my walking stick.
“Perhaps the greatest support the OU gives me is home exams. I simply could never have completed any course with an exam if I had had to go to an exam centre. I can sit where I always sit to study with the light and noise levels set to my preferences and with my body supported to avoid muscle strain.
"I'm allowed 30 minutes of rest breaks so I tend to take at least two breaks of 10 minutes each and sometimes a third of the remaining 10 minutes depending on how tired I am and how the questions work out. I can use these 10 minutes simply to close my eyes and stop for 10 minutes or I can shift my papers and lie down on my sofa and catch 10 minutes sleep if need be.
“Because of the eye strain the OU provides me with large print exam papers on pink paper to avoid the glare off a white page.”
Reassurance that you're not alone
Marion’s an active member of the OUSA and Platform forums, which she finds “an enormous support”.
“Sometimes you just can't talk to your family and friends about what you're dealing with but you need to talk to someone and the other students on the forum always understand what you're facing. Even if they haven't gone through it themselves they usually have some sensible advice and often all that is really needed is the reassurance that you're not alone with having to deal with the consequences of this disease.”
Aside from study, Marion likes to read, watch TV shows from crime to sci-fi and has recently discovered blogging.
“Since January this year I've been feeling more hopeful for the future and felt that my brain state allowed me to at least string some sentences together. So I started by reading some of the blogs listed on Platform and when I felt I'd got a feel for it I took the plunge and wrote my first post.
“It allows me to crow about small accomplishments - like sleeping for nine hours and not two hours or 12 hours. It allows me to moan about the migraines or rave about a new book or TV show.
“With the short-term memory issues that go with ME it is generally impossible for me to remember what happened to me last week certainly not any further back and it is very easy to lose track of time between events. The ability to go back re-read posts to discover what I've been doing for the last three weeks or two months ago is a very useful by-product of keeping a blog.”
Marion Grenfell-Essam, 28, from Essex, has had ME since she was just 12 years old which means the smallest of tasks leave her utterly exhausted. But she’s found comfort in OU study, the flexibility of which allows her to work around her symptoms, and she plans on “studying for the rest of my life if I can.” Forced to drop out of studying for a BSc in Applied Psychology at ...
Hi
I just wondered what first on-line experiences of students might be? I've been a life long OU student and my first 'online experience' was using an old BBC Micro with an illegal modem screwed to a bit of wood. I completed a multiple choice test using the dial up OU BBS at 300 bits/sec around 1984 or so.
You can rat on me to British Telecom if you want, coz I live in Switzerland now :o)
Ahhh, those were the days...
Alan
Hi I just wondered what first on-line experiences of students might be? I've been a life long OU student and my first 'online experience' was using an old BBC Micro with an illegal modem screwed to a bit of wood. I completed a multiple choice test using the dial up OU BBS at 300 bits/sec around 1984 or so. You can rat on me to British Telecom if you want, coz I live in Switzerland ...
GAP (Google Ancient Places) is a web application which allows users to search a classical (500BC - 500AD) text for references to ancient places, and get the results in a user-friendly interface.
“A GAP user can not only see how an author’s narrative moves from place to place, but also how a town or city’s relative importance varies throughout a historical text," said Dr Leif Isaksen, Digital Humanities specialist at Southampton University. Southampton is a partner in GAP with The Open University.
GAP is part of a larger network of linked open data on antiquity called Pelagios. By integrating GAP with Pelagios, researchers hope to give users access to more types of data, such as archaeological artefacts or historical documents.
Open University classicist Dr Elton Barker says: "These projects will make it easier for online users to explore ancient texts and artefacts in their spatial, cultural and literary context.”
The grant is the second round of funding GAP has received via Google's Digital Humanities Awards Programme.
More information
Classics at the OU
Photo: Napoleon Vier
A project to "map" geographical locations referred to in classical texts has received a $50,000 boost from Google. GAP (Google Ancient Places) is a web application which allows users to search a classical (500BC - 500AD) text for references to ancient places, and get the results in a user-friendly interface. “A GAP user can not only see how an author’s ...
The 3rd Virus Bulletin (VB) 'Securing Your Organization in the Age of Cybercrime' Seminar will be held in association with the MCT faculty of The Open University on 19 April 2012 at the OU Campus in Milton Keynes, UK.
The VB 'securing your organization in the age of cybercrime' seminar gives IT professionals an opportunity to learn from and interact with security experts at the top of their field and take away invaluable advice and information on the latest threats, strategies and solutions for protecting their organizations.
View the full seminar programme.
Cost: Standard: £195 + VAT
Bona fide charities & educational institutions: £95 + VAT
Speakers include:
Find out more:
The 3rd Virus Bulletin (VB) 'Securing Your Organization in the Age of Cybercrime' Seminar will be held in association with the MCT faculty of The Open University on 19 April 2012 at the OU Campus in Milton Keynes, UK. The VB 'securing your organization in the age of cybercrime' seminar gives IT professionals an opportunity to learn from and interact with security experts at the top of ...
The Coalition Government's refusal to pardon for Alan Turing, the father of modern computing, is a sad reflection on our capacity for forgiveness and our claim to be a civilised society, argues Dick Skellington…
The news early this month that the Coalition Government had rejected calls for a pardon for Alan Turing, the computer scientist whose work at Bletchley Park contributed hugely to the war effort against the Nazis in the Second World War, is a perverse reminder that while the law of the land changes as our society progresses and matures, as it grows more tolerant in action, anyone convicted of a crime 60 years ago will still have little chance of a posthumous pardon, especially if the conviction was for a homosexual offence. Turing was convicted in 1952 of gross indecency.
Turing was a true scientific pioneer, the father of artificial intelligence. He is widely celebrated for his contribution to modern computer science. His work at the Government Code and Cypher School (GCCS) in Bletchley Park was crucial in the breaking of German ciphers. The historian and wartime codebreaker Professor Asa Briggs, who served as Chancellor to the Open University from 1978 to 1994, explained: “You needed exceptional talent, you needed genius at Bletchley and Turing's was that genius”. The Open University, not far from Bletchley Park, has a building named after Turing.
He was also somewhat eccentric too. While working at Bletchley, Turing, a talented long-distance runner, occasionally ran the 45 miles to London when he was needed for high-level meetings. He also was a keen cyclist. But his bicycle had a fault: the chain would come off at regular intervals. But instead of repairing it he would count the number of times the pedals went round and would get off the bicycle just in time to adjust the chain by hand. Genius.
In 1945, Turing was awarded the OBE for his wartime services but his work remained secret for many years. Since 1966, the Turing Award has been given annually by the Association for Computer Machinery for technical contributions to the computing community. It is widely considered to be the computing world's highest honour, equivalent to the Nobel Prize.
In 1999, Time Magazine named Turing as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century for his role in the creation of the modern computer, and stated: “The fact remains that everyone who taps at a keyboard, opening a spreadsheet or a word-processing program, is working on an incarnation of a Turing machine.”
I couldn't be writing this post on my Apple computer at home if it was not for Alan Turing, and you would not be able to read this blog.
And so here we are in 2012, living in a Britain that claims to be civilised. The Coalition Government had the opportunity to follow Gordon Brown's apology with a pardon. It failed to do so. The result is a new petition. It has already gathered over 20,000 signatures.
It argues: “Alan Turing was driven to terrible despair and early death by the nation he'd done so much to save. A pardon can go some way to healing this damage. It may act as an apology to many of the other gay men, not as well known as Alan Turing, who were subjected to these laws.” If the petition is signed by at least 100,000 people it becomes eligible for discussion in the House of Commons.
Discretion prevents me from writing what I actually think of the good Lord Justice McNally, who concluded in his 'judgment': “A posthumous pardon was not considered appropriate as Alan Turing was properly convicted of what at the time was a criminal offence. He would have known that his offence was against the law and that he would be prosecuted. It is tragic that Alan Turing was convicted of an offence which now seems both cruel and absurd - particularly poignant given his outstanding contribution to the war effort. However, the law at the time required a prosecution and, as such, long-standing policy has been to accept that such convictions took place and, rather than trying to alter the historical context and to put right what cannot be put right, ensure instead that we never again return to those times.”
What is it they say of people who do not learn from history? That's right, they repeat its mistakes.
You can sign the e petition here.
Cartoon by: Catherine Pain
Dick Skellington
15 February 2012
The Coalition Government's refusal to pardon for Alan Turing, the father of modern computing, is a sad reflection on our capacity for forgiveness and our claim to be a civilised society, argues Dick Skellington… The news early this month that the Coalition Government had rejected calls for a pardon for Alan Turing, the computer scientist whose work at Bletchley Park contributed ...
Privacy and security have always had a controversial relationship. On one hand security requires the collection of information about citizens, but on the other, it can be seen as infringement of their privacy.
Kirstie said: “Surveillance has many positive uses, including law enforcement and investigating criminal activity, but it can also affect human rights and civil libertarian issues. Public perception and technology change over time, so surveillance techniques need to be reviewed to ensure they are still relevant and not infringing on people’s lives.”
Kirstie will be involved in two European Commission Framework 7 projects commencing in February 2012. The first, Surveillance, Privacy and Security: A large scale participatory assessment of criteria and factors determining acceptability and acceptance of security technologies in Europe, will re-examine the relationship between security and privacy. This relationship, both at state and citizen levels, has informed policymakers, legislative developments and best practice guidelines concerning security developments across the EU. Current security policy, however, needs to be reviewed in light of new research questioning the validity of the security-privacy trade-off, suggesting it may have over-simplified the impact and acceptability of current security solutions.
The second European project, Increasing Resilience in Surveillance Societies will use public attitudes towards surveillance to identify its impact on everyday life and gauge trust in political institutions. The focus will be on the effects of surveillance in combatting crime and terrorism, and how it affects citizens in open and democratic societies.
A third project, The New Transparency, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, investigates the role of technology companies in promoting surveillance internationally. The team will look at factors contributing to the general expansion of surveillance as a technology of governance and the social consequences for both institutions and ordinary people.
Find out more:
Dr Kirstie Ball, Reader in Surveillance and Organisation at The Open University, has received funding totalling £450k to investigate whether people view surveillance and the collection of information as acceptable in return for enhanced security - commonly positioned as a trade-off. Privacy and security have always had a controversial relationship. On one hand security ...
Hi, Im just new and I am looking to download a free HTML or WYSIWYG editor, thats simple and stable. Any suggestions?
Hi, Im just new and I am looking to download a free HTML or WYSIWYG editor, thats simple and stable. Any suggestions?
Hi,
i am starting the M255/257 courses in Feb 2012.
if anyone else is and wants to keep in touch then that would be great.
Hi, i am starting the M255/257 courses in Feb 2012. if anyone else is and wants to keep in touch then that would be great.
An OU research student has discovered that members of the gaming community - people who play and enjoy games - are older than you might think.
OU PhD student Jo Iacovides, 28, looked at how people engage with digital games and found that the age of gamers is not typically a 20-something playing games like Call of Duty. Rather, hert research found that the demographics are changing among game enthusiasts.
Pictured are some of the research participants playing games in the lab.
An OU research student has discovered that members of the gaming community - people who play and enjoy games - are older than you might think. OU PhD student Jo Iacovides, 28, looked at how people engage with digital games and found that the age of gamers is not typically a 20-something playing games like Call of Duty. Rather, hert research found that the demographics are changing among ...
Is anybody doing MYT362, this here course is giving me troubles especially when it comes to programming. didnt get much out of my lecturers. Please help. 
Is anybody doing MYT362, this here course is giving me troubles especially when it comes to programming. didnt get much out of my lecturers. Please help.
The good news is that more than ten years of open2.net content has been moved to a new website at open.edu/openlearn, creating one home for all the Open University's free online learning for the public.
The new site continues to support OU-BBC broadcasts, but also gives access to iTunes U podcasts, YouTube videos, free study units taken from OU modules and topical content, arranged under subject areas relating to the OU curriculum.
There's lots to do - you can watch Evan Davis exploring the state of British manufacturing; explore the frozen planet; get to know the science and history of the Olympics or have a look at our study units in LearningSpace.
Any existing links that direct people to open2.net content will automatically send people to the relevant pages on the new site.
You’ll find more information at open.edu/openlearn.
open2.net, formerly the online home of joint Open University and BBC programming, is now closed. The good news is that more than ten years of open2.net content has been moved to a new website at open.edu/openlearn, creating one home for all the Open University's free online learning for the public. The new site continues to support OU-BBC broadcasts, but ...
Their top 50 list, called UKtech50, was compiled by a panel of expert judges and an online reader vote to find the people who will be central to developing the role of technology in improving the UK economy.
David (pictured) is the OU's Chief Information Officer (CIO), responsible for delivering the current and future core IT systems for students and staff.
He joined the OU in August 2010 from Directgov, the UK government’s website for citizens. He has led the creation of award-winning IT systems, including the UK’s first real-time internet banking service.
Placing him at 38 in the top 50, Computer Weekly says: "The Open University is leading a move to open education, and David Matthewman is a key figure in using the web and social media to provide lifelong learning materials to all."
David Matthewman, who masterminds the Open University's IT systems, has been named one of the top 50 most influential leaders in British IT by Computer Weekly magazine. Their top 50 list, called UKtech50, was compiled by a panel of expert judges and an online reader vote to find the people who will be central to developing the role of technology ...
Doctor Patrick Wong, lecturer in Intelligent Computer Systems, has recently been appointed Associated Editor of the British Journal Mathematics and Computer Science. The open access journal aims to publish original research articles, review articles and short communications, in all areas of mathematics and computer science. Subject matters cover everything from pure ...
As part of an expert blog, OU Visiting Research Fellow, Peter Sommer makes three predictions for 2012 related to issues around digital evidence.
This blog brings together all the responses to the call for predictions of developments in 2012 and beyond, whether affecting IT law, IP, data protection, e-disclosure, law firm technology or any number of vaguely related developments. Read the blog on SCL - The IT Law Community.
As part of an expert blog, OU Visiting Research Fellow, Peter Sommer makes three predictions for 2012 related to issues around digital evidence. This blog brings together all the responses to the call for predictions of developments in 2012 and beyond, whether affecting IT law, IP, data protection, e-disclosure, law firm technology or any number of vaguely related developments. ...
Interesting video released by Google about the history of their search technology and some hint about the future targets.
The Evolution of Search - Google
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTBShTwCnD4 - 29/11/2011
Related content to "Introduction to searching Google" - TM128 Week 8 Activity
Interesting video released by Google about the history of their search technology and some hint about the future targets. The Evolution of Search - Google http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTBShTwCnD4 - 29/11/2011 Related content to "Introduction to searching Google" - TM128 Week 8 Activity 0
Are you starting this course in February 2012?
Hello!
I'm starting this course in February and thought it would be a good idea to find other people that are going to be starting this course so that we can get to know each other a little bit :)
I have created a Google+ page if you're interested!
https://plus.google.com/117169154441361886188/posts
I look forward to your replies :)
Thanks
Kate - Louise
Are you starting this course in February 2012? Hello! I'm starting this course in February and thought it would be a good idea to find other people that are going to be starting this course so that we can get to know each other a little bit :) I have created a Google+ page if you're interested! https://plus.google.com/117169154441361886188/posts I look forward to your replies :) Thanks Kate - ...
Hi all,
I have a bit of an odd story... I've been working in IT for 5 years. I've been programming in all sorts of different languages throughout this time. The company I used to work for are one of the biggest companies in the world and I was supported up until a certain point with my programming. I am self taught and on the job taught. However, I believe one day without IT qualifications, I will hit a brick wall and won't be able further in my career.
I have decided I needed to probably get a degree to get on in life. When seeking advice, I have been told due to my 5 years of IT experience in the "real world" (so to speak), it would be pointless me getting a BSc in Computing and IT because I would just be getting an expensive bit of paper that I already know about. So I have decided to look at doing the diploma in Software Development (D69) and probably going on to do a masters.
I really need some advice on this though. Would I be completely out of my depth? Is it something someone here has already done and can give me some advice on it? I really need to speak to someone who has done the course that can speak to me regarding information.
Thank you to all help.
Hi all, I have a bit of an odd story... I've been working in IT for 5 years. I've been programming in all sorts of different languages throughout this time. The company I used to work for are one of the biggest companies in the world and I was supported up until a certain point with my programming. I am self taught and on the job taught. However, I believe one day without IT ...
Useful links
Today (14 November 2011) is Student Finance Day. With student fees and loans high on the agenda for those considering university, Platform caught up with some prospective students via Twitter to find out how fees have influenced their decision making so far... Name: Mrs Claire Siciliano Age: 27 Location: Welwyn Garden City Have you got A Levels or ...
Hi all just curious on how many have receievd there study materials from OU?
Hi all just curious on how many have receievd there study materials from OU? Yes 75% (50 votes) No 25% (17 votes) Total votes: 67