Digital Health and Wellbeing

Interactive Elements of the Internet

Individuals and groups are increasingly using interactive tools that offer innovative ways to share ideas and resources on the Internet. These include such technologies as listservs, Usenet, and chat systems that simulate conventional forms of communications online, and can be incorporated into Web sites. NIDRR grantees may want to examine some of these options to see if they could enhance their efforts to gather and share information about disability research via the Web. Some grantees are already using them effectively and might serve as resources for others.

Listservs

Electronic mailing lists known as listservs expand the concept of e-mail and are a staple of Internet discussion. Rather than sending a message to one person's e-mail address, sending to an automated "listserv" address allows you to contact an entire list of subscribers. The subscribers are people interested in the general topic of the list. Listserv is the type of software that redirects the mail to all subscribers.
Listservs can either be moderated or unmoderated. A moderated list receives input in the form of e-mail from its subscribers that can be collated, edited and sent back out to the readership. A moderator controls the flow of mail to the list. An unmoderated listserv allows any subscriber to send messages and have them automatically sent to everyone on the list without review.
There are thousands of mailing lists available through the Internet covering many specialized topics. Researchers and educators at universities might start a list for discussing pertinent issues with colleagues. Non-profit organizations may have an announcement listserv for keeping people updated on the organization's events, and individuals with particular hobbies may have a list for meeting others with their interests.
The NCDDR has created and maintains several listservs to assist in facilitating communication among NIDDR-affiliated individuals, including:

• RRTC Research Directors
• work group for a general RRTC World Wide Web site
• work group for a general RERC Web site
• dissemination committee of the Model Spinal Cord Injury System (MSCIS) projects
• NCDDR's Multicultural Task Force

A number of grantees also operate listservs as part of or in conjunction with their NIDRR projects.These are described in a separate article (see p. 7) Three indices for listserv discussions include:

• Directory of Scholarly and Professional E-Conferences
• Liszt, the mailing list—directory
• Discussion Lists on the Internet

Starting a listserv mailing list requires some assistance from a system administrator, or you can make use of sites that offer free list hosting services.

• CoolList
• ONElist

Usenet newsgroups

Like listservs, newsgroups allow individuals to post questions, comments, and suggestions for review and response by other readers. Internet newsgroups form the "Usenet," which is the mass of hierarchically and topically oriented text-based forums for people to post messages. Usenet newsgroups are similar to public bulletin boards where anyone can post messages on any subject. Unlike listserv messages which show up in your private mailbox and may only have a select group of readers, newsgroup postings are carried by publicly-accessible servers all over the world, and can have an audience of millions. Some newsgroups are regulated and have a set of guidelines, either in the form of a charter or a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, that people should read and follow before posting messages.
Accessing the Usenet can be done through newsreading software, such as Forte's Free Agent for PCs, or MT-Newswatcher for Macs, which then connects to a news server to list and retrieve postings. Internet service providers often have a server dedicated to Usenet messages. Most of this software combines e-mail and newsreading functions into one package, so switching between the two is easy. Netscape, for example, builds the capability to connect to Usenet servers into its Communicator software, while Microsoft offers an e-mail/newsreader addition to its Internet Explorer browser called Outlook Express.
Web gateways to Usenet that do not require separate newsreading software, such as the free DejaNews or the fee-for-service Newsguy, also exist. Both of these allow newsgroups to be searched and read directly from their Web sites, as well as messages to be posted online.

Web Bulletin Boards

An alternative to newsgroups are Web-based discussion forums, or bulletin boards, which are hosted on a specific Web server. These bulletin boards are private and may be monitored. They are often more convenient than either listservs or Usenet groups because they can be accessed through a Web browser and integrated into a Web site. Web bulletin boards vary greatly in appearance and complexity, and may be customized for your site's need.
One popular option is the Ultimate Bulletin Board, which comes in both free and professional versions. A demonstration of this forum can be seen on the NCDDR's Web site for Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers: <http://www.ncddr.org/rrtc/forum/cgi/Ultimate.cgi>. As with other Internet resources, there is a search engine available to find Web bulletin boards: Forum One tracks and indexes over 180,000 such discussion forums.

Online Chat

Even more interactive are the various forms of direct online discussion ("chatting"). A chat, in virtual-spaces identified as "channels" or "rooms," allows multiple people to simultaneously communicate by typing comments back and forth, in real-time. This way of communicating is transitory as it is only viewed by participants as the discussion occurs, although a chat log may be saved for later review. Online chatting has the benefit of being immediate, mirroring such real-world concepts as teleconferencing, and can be used as an alternative or supplemental way to talk to a large group. Chats can be closed (admittance by password) and scheduled for particular topics or to speak with a special guest, for instance— or they can be open and available continuously for anyone who might happen to stop by. In either case, the communications are often informal, with active chatters creating their own electronic slang or "Netspeak."
The best known chatting system is the "Internet Relay Chat" (IRC) in which thousands of people simultaneously take part in chats about numerous topics, on hundreds of servers worldwide. IRC predates the Web; it was originally developed in Finland in 1988 to replace the "Talk" program which let a single Internet user type messages to one other. Most online chatting programs are modeled on IRC.
Many servers are available for public use, and each "chatter" must have client software to be able to connect to a server and join a chat room or channel. While public chat servers are used primarily for socializing, running the hosting software on a private system would make it feasible for research and work groups to conference in online meetings. The original IRC software required learning a variety of commands, but newer versions are easier to use. Commercial derivatives are available for many platforms and can be accessed from separate IRC software, or directly in a Web page via Java.

• Globalchat
• ConferenceRoom by WebMaster
• Chat Server by Microsoft
• IRCHelp is a complete archive of helpful files including FAQs, guides, etc.
• As it does with listservs, Liszt identifies current IRC channels.
• A listing of Internet Chat sites can also be found at WebWorld
• Ziff-Davis's ChatUser discusses a variety of online interactive elements, including how to add chatting technology to Web sites.

NIDRR Grantees and Web Interactivity

These and other evolving technologies can be incorporated into grantees' Web sites to increase interaction with other researchers and members of the greater public audience. The purpose and goals of such interaction must be specified ahead of time. Some strategies (such as a chat) require more effort in terms of monitoring and guiding the interaction. Others require more resources in terms of server and hardware and/or software.
As with all Internet technologies, the use of interactive components must consider accessibility for varied users. Screen readers can manage text-based formats, such as those employed in listservs, Usenet, and IRC, but may have difficulty with Java implementations. Grantees should strive to make their Web sites as accessible as possible for all potential visitors.

TWO OTHER ELEMENTS.

Addiction

The definition for addiction is the fact or condition of being addicted. In our modern world there are many internet related factors which may cause people to use the internet for excessive hours daily. One major aspect are the internet games teenagers are interested in. It is not healthy to play computer or internet games for too long. To truly comprehend the impact that the internet can have on us, here are some affects of long term use of the internet:

• Lack of sleep and feeling tired throughout the day.
• Feeling separated when not near the computer or internet.

It’s important to set a certain time limit and adhere to it. This will help to learn to do something other than using the internet for games. Overall the internet can be very helpful for all kinds of research and shouldn't mainly be used for fun games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1cky3eFGJU

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is a complex name given to a simple concept. The basic idea of this is the safe physical use of the computer. This can include many aspects such as: sitting on the chair correctly, holding the mouse lightly and the right distance which we sit at from the computer. The are many different things a computer user can do to lower the risk of any physical pain and to increase his/her productivity while using the computer. This can include simple exercises which warm and loosen-up the body.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cyumcU_3G8