Information Technology – A Definition:

We use the term information technology or IT to refer to an entire industry. In actuality, information technology is the use of computers and software to manage information. In some companies, this is referred to as Management Information Services (or MIS) or simply as Information Services (or IS). The information technology department of a large company would be responsible for storing information, protecting information, processing the information, transmitting the information as necessary, and later retrieving information as necessary.

History of Information Technology:

In relative terms, it wasn't long ago that the Information Technology department might have consisted of a single Computer Operator, who might be storing data on magnetic tape, and then putting it in a box down in the basement somewhere. The history of information technology is fascinating! Check out these history of information technology resources for information on everything from the history of IT to electronics inventions and even the top 10 IT bugs.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware."^[1] IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.

Today, the term information has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems.

When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, or "infotech". Information technology is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information.

BASIC TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE A PRESENTATION

• Dress smartly: don't let your appearance distract from what you are saying.
• Smile. Don't hunch up and shuffle your feet. Have an upright posture. Try to appear confident and enthusiastic.
• Say hello and smile when you greet the audience: your audience will probably look at you and smile back: an instinctive reaction.
  
• Speak clearly and confidently, and not too fast (you are likely to speed up and raise the pitch of your voice when nervous). Give the audience time to absorb each point. Don't talk in a monotone the whole time. Lift your head up and address your words to someone near the back of audience. If you think people at the back can't hear, ask them
• Use silence to emphasise points. Before you make a key point pause: this tells the audience that something important is coming. It's also the hallmark of a confident speaker as only these are happy with silences. Nervous speakers tend to gabble on trying to fill every little gap.
  
• Keep within the allotted time for your talk.
• Eye contact is crucial to holding the attention of your audience. Look at everyone in the audience from time to time, not just at your notes or at the PowerPoint slides. Try to involve everyone, not just those directly in front of you.
• You could try to involve your audience by asking them a question.
• Don't read out your talk, as this sounds boring and stilted, but refer to brief notes jotted down on small (postcard sized) pieces of card. Don't look at your notes too much as this suggests insecurity and will prevent you making eye contact with the audience.
• It’s OK to use humour, in moderation, but better to use anecdotes than to rattle off a string of jokes.
• Take along a wristwatch to help you keep track of time – the assessor may cut you off as soon as you have used the time allocated, whether or not you have finished.
• It can be very helpful to practise at home in front of a mirror. You can also record your presentation and play it back to yourself: don't judge yourself harshly when you replay this - we always notice our bad points and not the good when hearing or seeing a recording or ourselves! Time how long your talk takes. Run through the talk a few times with a friend.
• It's normal to be a little nervous. This is a good thing as it will make you more energised. Many people have a fear of speaking in public. Practising will make sure that you are not too anxious. In your mind, visualise yourself giving a confident successful performance. Take a few deep slow breaths before your talk starts and make a conscious effort to speak slowly and clearly. Research by T Gilovich (Cornell University) found that people who feel embarrassed are convinced their mistakes are much more noticeable than they really are: we focus on our own behaviour more than other people do and so overestimate it's impact. This is called the spotlight effect. If you make a mistake, don't apologise too much, just briefly acknowledge the mistake and continue on. For more details see "59 Seconds" by Prof. Richard Wiseman

• Build variety into the talk and break it up into sections: apparently, the average person has a three minute attention span!

Presentation Skills Training and Coaching Tips

Good presentation skills are within everyone's reach. For many people, if not most, presenting can be a daunting and unpleasant experience. It needn't be so, and here we'll give you some simple tips to help you hone more effective presentation skills.

Presentations are an effective way to communicate to large numbers of people at the same time. However, it is not just about communicating information, but more importantly, to have advanced presentation skills you should be able to create interest and excitement in your subject and trust and enthusiasm in you.

Let's have a look at some presentation skills essentials

• Preparation

• Developing Presentation Style

• Dealing with Presentation Nerves

• Working your Audience

• Structuring Effective Presentations

• Developing as a Presenter

PRESENTATION SKILLS
(Started 29 April 1997)
Updated 20 August, 2009

As engineers, it is vitally important to be able to communicate your thoughts and ideas effectively, using a variety of tools and medium. You will need to develop and use this skill throughout your years in University; when you attend job interviews and especially when you start working in the big wide world. But, it is often said that engineers do not possess the ability to communicate well. Of course that is a load of b*&%@ks - not enough coaching and practice that's all!

This page contains links to material that is designed to improve your presentation skills. Most of the links are to the Web sites of business consultants, so they should know what they are talking about. If you are a member of the Scheme, you should have received a little booklet entitled "Communication Skills for Engineers and Scientists". Nevertheless, you may still find these links useful.

DEFINITION OF ETHICS
Ethics is a set of beliefs about right and wrong behavior. Ethical behavior conforms to generally accepted social norms, many of which are all most universal. However, although nearly everyone would agree that lying and cheating are unethical, what constitutes ethical behavior on many other issues is a matter of opinion. For example, most people would not steal an umbrella for someone's home, but a person finds an umbrella in a theater might be tempted to keep it. A person's of what represents ethical behavior is strongly influenced by a combination of family influences, life experiences, education, religious beliefs, personal values, and peer influences.
As a children grow, they learn complicated task-walking, riding, writing the alphabet- that they perform out of habit for the rest of their lives. People also develops habits that make it easier to choose between what society considers good or bad.

WHAT IS ETHICS?
Each society forms a set of rules that establishes the boundaries of general accepted behavior.These rules are often expressed in statements about how people should behave,and they fit together to form the moral code by which society lives. Unfortunately, the different rules often have contradictions, and can be uncertain about which rule to follow. For instance, if you witness a friend copy someone else answers while taking an exam, you might be caught in a conflict between loyalty to your friend and the value of telling the truth. Sometimes, the rules do not seem to cover new situations, and you must determine how to apply the existing rules or develop new ones. You may strongly support personal privacy, but in a time when employers track employee e-mail and internet usage, What rules do you think are acceptable to govern the appropriate use of company resources?
The term morality refers to social conventions about right and wrong that are so widely shared that they become the basis for an established consensus. However, one's view of what is moral may vary by age, cultural group, ethnic background, religion and gender. There is widespread agreement on the immorality of murder, theft, and arson, but other behaviors that are accepted in one culture might be unacceptable in other. For example, in United States it is perfectly acceptable to place one's elderly parents in a managed care of facility in their declining years. IN most Middle Eastern countries, however, elderly parents would never be placed in such a facility; they remain at home and are cared for by other family members.
Another example concerns attitudes toward the illegal copying of software (piracy), which range from strong opposition to acceptance as a standard approach to business. In 2003, 36 percent of all software
in circulation worldwide was pirated, at cost of $29billion to software vendors. The highest piracy rates were in Vietnam and China, where 92 percent of software was pirated. In United States, the piracy rate was 22 percent.
Even within the same society, people can have strong disagreements over important moral issues- in United States, for example, issues such as abortion, the death penalty, and gun control are continuously debated, and both sides feel their arguments are on solid moral ground.