Tech Concepts

Key Concepts in Technology: User Testing, Online Personas, and Wired vs. Wireless Networks

• User testing is an important phase in product and software development, which involves gathering constructive feedback from users to inform future improvements.
• User testing questions should be structured and balanced, and the programmer should weigh up the benefits against the work required to develop suggested improvements.
• User testing should be completed when the program is finished and can provide suggestions for suitable improvements and highlight errors.
• Online personas are created by users when they log onto the internet, but some choose to create a persona that does not accurately represent who they truly are for reasons such as contributing to greater self-confidence or having illegal or immoral intentions.
• Grooming is the act of building a relationship with a young person based on trust and emotional connection in order to manipulate, exploit, and abuse them, which can take place in any environment, including online.
• Grooming can occur in various formats, including social media networks, email, text messages, chat forums in games, and messaging apps.
• If someone has been groomed, they should report it to a teacher or other trusted adult, or report it online using report.cybertip.org.
• Wired networks require cables to transmit data between devices, while wireless networks require a NIC and a wireless router to send and receive data packets.
• A wireless adapter is required to convert data into a radio signal, while a wireless receiver decodes the signal back to data that the computer can understand.
• Wireless networks have advantages such as cheaper setup costs, the ability to connect multiple devices, and no physical disruption, but also have disadvantages such as a less stable signal and higher risk of hacking.
• Wired networks require cables for data transmission and a router to send and receive data packets across computer networks.
• When comparing wired and wireless networks, wired networks are generally more stable, while wireless networks are more convenient and offer more flexibility.