Online Shopping

With just a click of the mouse, one can buy any item from the internet irregardless of the geographical location. This is known as online shopping (Wikepedia).

Shopping is just a click away

Shopping online has gain more popularity over the years. In a survey conducted by BizRate.com and The Kelsey Group in 2004,
     Nearly half of respondents (43 per cent) said that they preferred to research and shop online, while around 28 per cent displayed some combination of offline/online behaviour. (Weboptimiser).

There are many reasons to why shopping online has become more favourable. Firstly, one can shop from any country. There is no geographical boundary. If Singapore does not import certain items, one can purchase it online. Shopping online also allows one to compare prices from different online stores. Additionally, one does not have to travel from one store to another to find an exact product. This makes shopping online very convenient. (Advantages of online shopping).

In Singapore, the National Trust Council has made shopping online safer for its consumers. All consumers will just have to look out for the TrustSg seal on the website to ensure that it’s a credible website.

TrustSg gives you the assurance that you are dealing with trusted online merchants who will honour their promise and deliver what you order. Sufficient information about goods and services is also made available to make an informed buying decision. So, not only do you get the conveniences of online shopping at your fingertips, you can also shop without fear of security risks and fraudulent merchant behaviour (TrustSg).

For further reading.
The Bargain Queen
Bargin Hunting
Sg Spree

The Internet

Can you live without the internet? What will you do if the internet server was down? Or if the internet connection was slow?

With more and more people getting hooked to cyberspace, being disconnected in a totally connected world is like being left out of the gang. For most, it's like a drug -- one that calls for a daily fix. – Gopika Kapoor (Rediff.com)

Being connected to the internet has its positive sides. But if one can’t control themselves from the internet, they can get addicted to it and it’ll thus result in negative repercussions. But in this post, I’ll be pointing out the benefits of the internet.

Firstly, the internet provides us with fast and easy access to any kind of information. No more the conventional way of flipping through piles of books. We can also read news reports from around the world. Shopping online has too become another option. In addition, communication via the internet is becoming very widespread. Lastly, entertainment on the internet is another outlet from the television.

For further reading.
Taiwan Earthquake Disrupts Internet Access
Internet Marketing Singapore

Blogging Censorship in Singapore

If blogging is an online dairy, is there a need for censorship?

However in Singapore, the government has enforced strict censorship rules even on websites and blogs. Furthermore, they must be registered with the government (BBC). This is because Singapore is a multi-racial society and thus protecting the social harmony and political stability is important to the government.

Reasons to why the government implemented such harsh censorship rules are due to the fact that blogging has been used as another outlet for the opposition party to win votes from the citizens. Additionally, national servicemen were blogging about their military life both locally and overseas. But, there’s a need for information security. Hence the call for such measures. (AsiaMedia)

The National Internet Advisory Committee (NIAC) advises the Media Development Authority (MDA) with regards to the Internet policies and regulations governing the internet, new media and related services. Every year, there will be a censorship review committee that will assess the present framework of regulating the content of various medium. (MDA)

For further reading.
Singapore: New Media, Politics & the Law
Capitalist Infidel

Why blog

Blogging is a way of collecting links to webpages and sharing thoughts and ideas with people online. Blogs (or Weblogs) are basically online journals or diaries which are great for sharing information and ideas. (BBC)

Or Blogger.com would say,
         A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.

To me, blogging is one way where I can update my friends about what’s happening in my life. However, blogging to others may seem as an outlet where they can pour out their emotions or it’s a way to inform people about one’s new discoveries.

Blogging is an advancement from the traditional dairy where one would write their thoughts and feelings in a book. No more using pen and paper. Now, it’s typing time. Furthermore, I can not only upload pictures and videos, but I can have comments from my friends as well.

For further reading.
Active Rain Blog

Introduction

Welcome to my humble blog. This blog has been created as an assignment for one of my modules – Document and Design Publication.

I blog for personal use. But blogging as an assignment is something very new. I’m being graded for blogging. How interesting is that?

Let me give you an overview about the posts that are to come. Basically, I will be giving my personal comments about the new forms of media technology and communication practices that are current in the 21st century. Hence my blog address, thetimenow.blogspot.com.

So stay tuned for more of my posts.