The main reason why such a large percentage of businesses in the modern world use Information Technology to promote their business is because it provides a totally professional look. The way a computer can present information, such as an advertising poster or an official letter to a customer or to a potential investor, is so much more professional and almost to perfection that no human hands could match it.
When, in the instance of this task, a new business wishes to promote itself as a new, efficient, modern company, but also with the touch of professionalism required to be successful in the hotel industry, it is necessary to be able to promote yourself in this image, by using modern means of communication, such as the computer, and in this way, the IT user gains the advantage of a more professional look to the item that the non-IT user can simply not attain. Another disadvantage to the non-IT user is the question of the time it takes to mass-produce items.
If 1000 copies of a flyer are required for a promotion of your company, and they must first be hand-designed, and then hand-written, it is going to take a very long time to complete. However, by designing the work on computer, that worker could have saved hours even days, by simply instructing the computer to print more copies, or maybe even using a photocopier to reproduce his work, as Information and Communication Technology is not just about computers, but also about the way humans interact with technology itself.
However, the IT user can have many troubles in his quest for a perfect piece of IT work that are encountered simply because he is using IT. A computer may be infallible in that it only computes what it is fed, but there are numerous ways in which information can be corrupted so that it is no longer useable. For instance, viruses are a major problem for computer users, especially those who are connected to the Internet. The virus can destroy the information stored on the computer totally; even destroy the computer itself.
More about this has been written in a later section of this project, which relates directly to the production of my task, but it is obvious that this is not a problem the non-IT user is going to encounter. For this task, I found that the use of IT provided me with many advantages, but it also proved to be a hindrance in other ways. The table below will outline these factors. Advantages Disadvantages I made many errors during the course of my work, but using a computer meant that I did not have to start again.
The system I used was easy to corrupt, especially with so many other users of the server, and the computers did crash and lose some of my work numerous times. I had to produce my work twice. By using it does not require you to copy the whole piece of work again. Computers are susceptible to viruses, and I was lucky at one point not to lose my entire computer to a virus someone attempted to send me, which could have destroyed my machine as well as my work. Advantages Disadvantages I was able to give my work a more professional look that would have been impossible to produce without a computer
I found that using computer aided design for this project was sometimes limiting in the amount of freedom I had to design things in an artistic fashion, whereas if I had done my designs freehand, I would not have had as many limitations Copyright There are many laws governing the misuse of data that is copyright protected. Copyright is a protection that covers published and unpublished literary, scientific and artistic works, whatever the forms of expression, provided such works are fixed in a tangible or material form.
This means that if you can see it, hear it or touch it – it may be protected. If it is an essay, a play, a song, a photograph, HTML coding or a computer graphic that can be set on paper, recorded on tape or saved to a hard drive, it may be protected. Copyright laws grant the creator the exclusive right to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute, perform and display the work publicly. Exclusive means only the creator of such work, not anybody who has access to it and decides to grab it.
These laws mean that I am not allowed to copy anybody else’s work, nor give out any private details. I have been sure to that I have not used anybody else’s designs in my work, and I have asked the permission of the companies involved in my research. They are acknowledged here: Company Acknowledgement Marriott Hotels For the information pack they sent me for my research Greg Barker of Simrad Ltd. For the use of his personal business card Fortek Computers Ltd. For the use of their letterhead design Error Handling and Virus Protection
I was fortunate to avoid most of the errors that could easily have been encountered in my coursework. For instance, I did not have any problems with files corrupting themselves, or any attacks of viruses. I did come across a few problems with file sharing violations when an unnamed individual also working on this project discovered my server access password and attempted to change my files. However, this problem was quickly averted from reoccurring by password protecting my files and changing my user account password.
I made numerous spelling mistakes in the course of this project, which I was able to avert with the use of a spelling checker, and then proof reading the work. I also asked my father to read the work, and he was able to help me correct a few spelling mistakes. It was necessary for me to password protect my files during the course of the project, to avoid attacks from other users. I also decided to backup my files on my own floppy disk, so that I could retrieve my files even if they were destroyed for some reason. A screen print of my spell check. My floppy disk for backing up files.
Other errors I encountered included a faulty printer, which turned out to have no ink left, and also the program I was using telling me not to overwrite a file that I was currently accessing. When using computers, it is vital to ensure that you use correct posture, to avoid giving yourself any unnecessary aches and pains because you sit incorrectly. You should take a break from computers every hour for at least 15 minutes, to avoid becoming transfixed by the computer screen and causing problems with your eyes, and to avoid over-exposure to computer radiation.
Computer users should never turn a computer off while they are still working on it, by pressing emergency cut off switches, as it can damage the computers and also blow the fuses running them. Computer users must be wary of viruses, especially when computers are connected to the Internet. It is very simple to do, as you must simply run a virus-checking program, such as Norton AntiVirus, which highlights any viruses, and have it constantly checking any downloaded files for errors.
