Computer Technology Basics

• EMTEC stands for Empowerment Technologies and aims to empower the world with the use of technology to make work faster and more accurate, especially in information and communication
• ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology, covering the uses of digital technology for information and communication
• Information, in the context of ICT, can be scientifically defined as processed data, aiding decision making, and being any potentially useful fact, quantity, or value expressed uniquely with exactness
• Communication, in ICT, refers to the transfer or exchange of information between entities or places, involving a sender, a receiver, and a code or language understood by both
• Technology, in the context of ICT, refers to the use of scientific knowledge to invent tools that assist humans in overcoming environmental hazards and impediments to comfort, focusing on digital technology like computers, phones, and televisions
• EMTEC uses ICT as a tool, with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) being the ICT arm of the Philippine government
• A computer is a device that can carry out arithmetic and logical operations automatically via computer programming, composed of hardware (physical components) and software (operating system and applications)
• Input/Output (I/O) refers to the transfer of data between a computer and a user or other computers, with examples of hardware devices including keyboard, printer, mouse, scanner, and monitors
• An online platform is a software platform on the Internet facilitating interactions between separate but interdependent entities/users
• An online platform is a software platform with digital services available on the Internet to facilitate interactions between separate but interdependent entities/users
• A software platform can be any hardware equipment/device, a set of hardware equipment/devices, software application, or a group of software applications used to host an application or service
• Online platforms are Internet sites where demand and supply meet electronically
• Examples of online platforms include eLearning platforms like Brightspace, Google Classroom, and Moodle
• Types of social media platforms:

  • Social networks (e.g., Facebook)
  • Bookmarking sites (e.g., Pinterest)
  • Social news (e.g., Reddit)
  • Media sharing (e.g., YouTube)
  • Microblogging (e.g., Twitter)
  • Blogs and forums (e.g., Blogger and 4chan)
• Tips for creating a strong password:

  • At least 8 characters
  • Include uppercase and lowercase letters
  • Numbers
  • Symbols
• Online safety and security measures:

  • Username and password
  • Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Keeping software up-to-date
  • Checking privacy settings for all online accounts
  • Never sharing username, password, PIN, or OTP
• Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) requires users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource, enhancing security
• MFA factors can include things you know (knowledge), things you have (possession), and things you are (inherence)
• Examples of MFA factors:

  • Knowledge: answers to personal security questions, OTPs
  • Possession: access badges, USB devices, software tokens
  • Inherence: biometrics like fingerprint scanning, facial recognition
• Computer/online ethics:

  • Do not use technology to harm others
  • Respect others' work and privacy
  • Do not steal or use unlicensed software
  • Consider social consequences of software development
• Netiquette (online etiquette) rules:

  • No yelling (avoid all caps text)
  • Clear web browser cache and cookies for safety
  • Think before clicking
  • Use proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar
• Productivity tools are application programs/software used for producing information
• Examples of productivity tools include documents, presentations, worksheets, databases, charts, graphs, digital paintings, digital graphics, digital audio/music, and digital video
• Multimedia tools is a sub-category of productivity tools
• In the context of ICT, multimedia tools refer to applications that allow the user to edit or process digital audio/music, digital graphics (both 2D and 3D), digital paintings, and digital video
• Documents can be produced by a word processor/processing productivity tool
• Presentations can be produced by a presentation productivity tool
• Worksheets can be produced by a spreadsheet productivity tool
• Databases can be produced by an RDBMS (SQL) like MySQL, Microsoft SQL, etc., or a NoSQL like MongoDB, FoundationDB, etc
• Digital paintings can be produced by a multimedia software for drawing/painting
• Digital graphics, both 2D and 3D, can be produced by a multimedia tool for 2D/3D graphics editing
• Digital audio/music can be produced by a multimedia tool for audio/music editing
• Digital video can be produced by a multimedia tool for video editing
• Productivity tools covered in EMTEC include word processor/processing productivity tool, presentation productivity tool, spreadsheet productivity tool, GIMP for 2D graphics, and Blender for 3D graphics
• Word processor/word processing productivity tools include Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer
• Presentation productivity tools include Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, and LibreOffice Impress
• Spreadsheet productivity tools include Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice Calc
• GIMP is a free and open-source image editor available for GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows, and more operating systems
• Blender is a free and open-source 2D and 3D graphics suite that allows modeling, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, and motion tracking
• ROM (Read-Only Memory) contains permanent information such as BIOS settings.