The impact of ICT on the local community Essay Example for Free

The impact of ICT on the local take apartnership EssayIntroductionI live in the borough of Waltham t champion. Waltham Forest is quite an advanced community in terms of technologarithmy. Technology is utilise for various things, whether to make them more cost-effective or to extend a better service.Walthamstow is a splendid t bear rigid within Waltham Forest, which as thoroughly harbours Leyton and Leytonst atomic scrap 53. It is located to the North East of London and bordered to the join by Chingford, to the south by Leyton and Leytonstone, to the east by Ep evenfallg Forest, to the west by Tottenham and the River Lea v everyey. Walthamstow is identified by the London intend as one of the 35 major centres in Greater London.Walthamstows market is one of the longest daily outdoor markets in Europe and dominates the High Street. at that place ar various shops lined along the high roadway with some high-end chain brands to several personly opened st eachs that delineate in food, fabrics, ho drillhold goods and other such(prenominal) stuff. The M alone(prenominal) in Selborne Walk is the largest place in the orbital cavity to feel the great unwasheds of different brand shops selling high-end goods manufactured and produced to the mass everyday via corporations instead of individual heapinesses. The individual bloodes tend to be on the whole located external on the high street.The central subroutine library has as well as recently been refurbished and modernised. It was expanded from 2006-2007 to hold a wider range of hold backs to serve to the public and provide a such(prenominal) better service.Walthamstow in both case contains other things such as post offices, arcades, funfairs, charity events and a renewal of different nurtures. These include the Frederick Bremer School (a coalition formed in 2008 of the two drills Aveling Park and Warwick School for Boys), Forest School, The Holy Family Technology College, Kelmsc ott School, Walthamstow Academy, Walthamstow School for Girls, Willowfield School and Sir George Monoux College.There is besides the Walthamstow Town Hall. The town abode is employ for a vicissitude of things, from important council meeting to creation rented for other reasons of necessity e.g. during the Muslim holiday, Eid, the Town hall was personad as a place of mass prayer.The National Rail and London Underground displace include Walthamstow Central Underground and National Rail station, Blackhorse Road Underground and National Rail station, Walthamstow queen Road, Wood Street, Highams Park and St James Street. The biggest would be the Walthamstow Central Underground and National Rail station which is, as the name states, in the central of the town. It is located near the location of the main bus stations that go around the whole town and near the Selborne Walk Mall. This makes it quite an effectual place as plenitude back end pass away through and throughout the to wn plain after arriving at the station. The station in event is located on the East end of the Victoria Line, being the last s covering fire.The bus services atomic enactment 18 excessively quite complex. There exists a full infrastructure Hopper Service and a multi point-to-point net which is serviced to and from the main bus terminal in Walthamstow Central to a cross network passing through the centre and the outskirts.The five pieces of technology I will be investigating, assessing and evaluating will be the following* gather- broadsheet/ make a motion establishment* Librarian outline* automated teller elevator car machines* Waltham Forest Council webweb turn up* CCTV/metropolitan web situationOyster throwaway/Travel organisationThe Oyster fluff system of rules is a system that functions throughout all of London, within the Tube and passenger vehicle services. It is a form of electronic ticketing which phthisiss a database system to train travel information, lin king it back to the owner of the correspondent pull to perishher card, and tears them to the appropriate degree for the traveling expenses of the services they used. Oyster tease generally exact to be topped-up to be used and works similar in this function to a debit card.The following travel systems incorporate the Oyster card London Underground, buses, the Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, trams, current river boat services and the majority of National Rail Services within the London F atomic number 18 Zones. The Oyster card generally appears as the blue card seen above. It spate be used as a single-ticket, finis tickets and travel permit. It is similarly integrated with a Smart card system which uses certain data in the Oyster card to be suitable to, without using contact, be detected by Oyster card machines. Buses and train platforms use Oyster card machines to s open fire the card. Once the beep is identified, the person is let through.However, there ato mic number 18 likewise different versions of Oyster cards which also come with different prices and a different appearance. For example, the card to the the right way is an example of an 11-15 develop group Oyster Card and is what all Oyster card holders in that age period hold. In this card, a dissipateic identification is needed.How the Oyster card and London travel system meets the communitys impartThe Oyster card is a small, portable, clear to carry card that carries on it the data of all your travelling expenses and money stored on the Oyster card system. Not only this, but it also holds the payoff over tickets of being cheaper and providing discounts, with buses being completely free for 11-15 year olds. All of these provide the incentive to tack from the out- see to itd ticket method to the modernised Oyster card system.What this does for the community is provides them with a much more businesslike and cheaper system. An collect card fundament be topped up to a ma ximum of 90. This would be comp be to about 45 single tickets but the oyster card is capable of carrying this all in one simple card that stores data inside it. population can be much more unionised with this system and save a lot of money in the long run. They can keep track of their travels and how much they atomic number 18 spending.Its portability is a nonher thing that is super valuable to race who use the Oyster card system. race dont need to go and purchase a ticket and sort it all out. All they need to do is mystify their oyster card, tap it on the system and their travelling business is sorted It makes travelling using public services much more simple for anyone using it. The smart card cavort instils a small bit of data into the card, meaning that its data can be detected with the oyster card readers the government installs. concourse dont hire to take their oyster card out of their wallets as the card reader can detect the card through wallets. This makes thing s easier, especially in crowded buses. The hassle of pickings everything out, locating the card and removing it can overcomplicate things and waste time. The smart card feature takes away this long figure out and parts batch the ability to scarce tap and move on.The travel system incorporates a countdown system on trains and buses to allow community to approximately see when the bus/train will arrive, whether itd be late, early or on time. People can use this to survive when to be present at the station so they can throw time to do other things and know when to be back at the station. This gives sight the befall to spend their time wisely instead of waiting at a station non knowing how long left to wait and not wanting to escape the train or bus, either. The countdown system on the train is more accurate as its all computerised but on buses, close of them atomic number 18 used via a time schedule on paper. The countdown system essentially allows people to organise their time, plan out much more thoroughly their journey and avoid being late to appointments.Theres a site created by the government that goes along with the travel system called Transport for London, graveled from www.tfl.gov.uk.This site has information about everything regarding the oyster card system, the train system and in general, any public channel facility in all of London. But other than information, it also has a travel planner allowing you to plan a journey, avoiding any problems such as closed lines or to be aware of any disasters that have presently took place. This allows you to plan a safe, fast-flying journey with no obstacles delaying you. This helps people to be punctual on their journey.The site also allows you to log on and view your information. Using this, you can check the money on your Oyster Card and top it up using a credit card. This inwardness that you can pre-plan your journey to make sure you have enough money preventing any problems when travelling. You can also find other information on the site regarding oyster cards, e.g. losing the card, replacing the card, take ins and many more.Buses have the ability to be manually stopped at certain halt but also have the choice to go past the clams. This means that unnecessary stops where no one needs to stupefy off or no one needs to get on can be skipped thus saving time and allowing people to get to their desired finis faster. People can plan where they want to stop or skip the stop if need be. There is also the emergency stop which stops at any location in case something wicked happens. This allows people to get off the bus in case of a casualty of some sort.As mentioned in the countdown system, buses have quite a strict schedule they need to follow. The schedules are all listed in each bus stop or on the tfl.gov site so people know when a certain bus will arrive. This can be more useable than the countdown system as the schedules get the same every day. This means that peo ple can plan their journey right to the dot and get to the station right when the bus arrives. People know when exactly to arrive, so they arent too early or too late. This saves them time.Summary* While not completely necessary to use public transport in Waltham Forest, it provides the incentive of discounted use of trains and buses, with buses being completely free with an 11-15 Oyster card* Easy to carry and blowzy to handle on buses and trains* Smart card feature allows a much easier contact/purchase of transport service, only needing a touch of the Oyster card and nothing more* Countdown system in buses and trains give people a lot more preparation and organisation to their daily schedule* Transport system has its own website-Transport for London-that displays all kinds of information and latest news regarding the transport system* Buses can be manually stopped and requested to stop at certain stops and if no requests are made, no stops happen thus saving time and helping peop le get where they want to faster* Buses all follow a strict schedule so people know when to expect a bus to arrive and at exactly what minute of the hourHow it fails to meet the communitys needsA lot of times, you naturally assume that the bus will stop. However, if there is no one needing to be picked up or no one who has pressed the button to stop the bus, because the bus would simply carry on. This can courting a lot of people to be late cod to carelessness which happens quite a lot. People have to stay alert when their stops are coming by otherwise the bus capability simply pass it before they realise.Oyster cards are small and can be garbled quite easily. They also cost quite a bit to replace and take up to a week for a new one to arrive. This can put a halt to travelling plans or force you to spend extra on buying tickets.Oyster cards, when lost or stolen, can soundless be used unless reported stolen. As a lot of buses or trains dont generally check if the ID/photograph matches, someone can easily just use your oyster card for their own travelling needs and use up your own money supplies topped up on the oyster card.While buses have a schedule, they can ruin it by coming late. This can be due to an emergency, an accident or just simple traffic. They can also come early causing some people to miss the bus and theyd have to wait for the next one. This can cause a few problems for people in terms of punctuality.Summary* Manual stops cause you to miss yours and ruin your schedule* Oyster cards cost a lot of money to replace and are quite easy to lose* Oyster cards can easily be used by a thief using your own money without being detected* Buses can ruin schedules by coming late due to an accident of sortsConclusionThe Oyster card/travelling system is extremely useful for a citizen in London. Its an extremely advantageous system to have and people benefit tremendously. It saves a lot of money for people in contrast to the previous ticket system and mak es peoples travel much more organised and safe. People can premeditate their plans and journeys and plan through any foreseeable interruptions. The community find it much more dear in terms of arriving on time.Walthamstow subroutine library/Librarian systemA library is essentially a building or room containing books, periodicals and occasionally DVDs or CDs ranging from music to movies for people to loan for a period of time. It can also be a place to dissect, irritate computers, portal code a WiFi connecter and lots more, depending on the library.The library in Walthamstow is called the Walthamstow Library. It is located on the Walthamstow High Street, one of the biggest high streets in the country. This means it is easily penetrationible to a large range of people as the high street is linked to a lot of transport facilities. Its commonwealth is extremely efficient as it can take advantage of the large amount of shoppers and shops in the area. It is open every day apart f rom Thursdays and Fridays. As well as providing the usual functions a library would, it also provides events to kids and even adults in the area such as specialty classes (computer, reading etc.). But the most beneficial thing a library provides to its community would be the loaning of books, DVDs and other such things which is essentially controlled by the librarian system.The library system in Walthamstow also connects with the library systems in other towns in London. They all share one database. Having worked in Leytonstone Library, I had access and in-depth experience to how exactly the librarian system works in the community. The library system works in correspondence with a library card which links to a database called OpenGalaxy. This database contains information of all the people who gestural up to any of the libraries in all of London, unless they use another database. It also contains information of all the books in London that have been sent to the library. These books are then linked to each person in the database when they either loan or return it. The library can easily track each book and who it is currently loaned to using this system.How Walthamstow Library and the Librarian system meets the communitys needsThe OpenGalaxy system essentially allows anyone, as long as they have simply signed up for a free library card, to loan a book, CD or DVD. Books are free to loan and CDs and DVDs come at a small charge. This allows people who lurch afford to buy such things to simply borrow them and give them back. People have free or cheap access to things they usually would have to pay for. People of all kinds are allowed to enjoy books due to the library.People can use this system to reserve books from libraries not just in their local one, i.e. Newham Library and such as the system is connected between all the branches. This means that it is much easier to track a book you might not be able to find elsewhere as there is a large source in which you ar e searching in.People can also have net income access via laptops due to the public WiFi connection in the library. People who dont usually have access to such privilege can do so via the library. They can do all sorts of things to the lucre e.g. research, field or even play games.There is also a quiet room where these people can go so they wont be disturbed in any way. People can find a place to go to where they can focus and not be distracted.The library also gives people free access to computers as long as they have a library card. People are given the chance to work on these computers if they dont have one themselves and its all a free service. This means that people who cant maintain their own computer or internet are given the chance to via a library. The library becomes an important place for people like this.The library also offers children/adult sessions on various things like singing groups, computer classes etc. These can be extremely helpful for spry parents who can simply leave their children here where they would be looked after and socialise with other kids. Adult sessions also mean that uneducated people can be taught how to do certain things that are necessary in this modern age e.g. use a computer which is an essential skill to keep up with the fast modernisation of the world.People who dont have access to a newspaperwoman or photocopier at home can use the library. This means that people save money on not having to purchase their own yarn-dyeer and photocopier as they can simply use the library. People can print out work or photocopy posters and such using the library.Summary* People can loan a large medley of books, CDs and DVDs* People can use this system to reserve books not limited to their local branch* People can use the library to connect to WiFi* People can use the computers free of charge as long as they have a library card* People can use the quiet room to study in the library* People can take advantage of the librarys child ren or adult sessions* People can take advantage of the photocopying/printing privilegesHow it fails to meet the communitys needsThe library has a minimal amount of faults as they are a funded public service to the community and do well in serving and providing to the general public.However, there are a few. For example, a library card has your library identity in it. If it gets lost or stolen and goes unreported, people can take books and not return them all under your name, thus giving you the blame.Also, the library card is extremely harsh with overdue books. If a book goes overdue, you have to pay a large fine or you cannot use the loaning system any longer. This fee soon increases if you dont pay and eventually becomes impossible to pay for some people as they would either refuse or just not bother with such a high amount.People would also have to pay an exaggerated amount if they lose the book. This can be a problem to people who cannot afford to simply pay this money, stoppin g them from loaning any more books.Summary* Library cards can be easily lost or stolen and used to steal books under your name* brook a large fine for books you have lost or not returned within the due dateConclusionThe library is a place with many uses and helps the needy who cant afford their own resources. It is an extremely valuable asset to the community as it provides a place to gain knowledge, finish work and study in peace. automated teller machinesATM machines, also know as the automated teller machines, are public and easily accessible machines that give you the ability to access your bank account without the need of going to a banker, cashier or any kind of human interaction. They generally work via a pin number and an insertion of the credit card into the ATM. It then displays your credit card credentials, balance and gives you the option to withdraw and vex your desired amount.How ATM machines meet the communitys needsWith the ATM machine, people save the time by not having to go to a bank and wait in a long queue. An ATM machine simply does all these things for you. You can check your balance and withdraw plus sterilize money. Its a very efficient method of transferring money from your bank account.Its a quick, fast and simple method to use. The ATM machine has easy instructions to follow to use it so even the most novice person can use it just by following the instructions given. You simply have to enter your credit card, pin number and then the action you want to take. This makes it easy for a lot of people to transfer money and saves a lot of time.Its located in a lot of ideal and efficient areas, such as outside a supermarket. This allows people to use them when theyre in a dire need of money without having to do something extensive such as going to a bank to withdraw a simple amount of money. If you get out some money you need, you can simply go to one of the easily accessible ATMs which are located in a wide area. This saves people a l ot of hassle.The ATM machine can print receipts so if there are any errors due to a technical difficulty, you have confirmation that the transfer did take place. This saves a lot of problems that occur with the ATM machine and allows the transfer to be much more secure.If people stole your credit card, they could just take it to an ATM machine steal all the money, leave the credit card and run away. The need of a pin number, which should only be known by the owner of the card, prevents this. A lot of credit card imposture is negated this way.Summary* Negates the need of the protracted method of going to a banker* Quick, fast and simple to use* Located in a lot of areas allowing you to withdraw money in a large variety of places* Allows you to get money out when you most need it, meaning you dont have to carry large amounts of money wherever you go and put yourself at risk* Printable receipts so you can have proof of withdrawal or deposit in-case a problem occurs* Need of pin numb er prevents a lot of fraudHow it fails to meet the communitys needsHowever, credit card fraud still takes place even with the need of a pin. It is easy to peep over and see what exactly the pin number is. This can also work with fake ATM machines to steal a lot of money from people. ATM machines are located in a lot of different places so itd be hard to tell if an ATM machine is fake or real. People can easily be taken advantage of in this way. Con artists can place ATM machines and use it to steal or copy a credit card and take a pin number and use it to steal lots of money from the credit card. People can easily be stolen from in this way.People are also easy crisscrosss to being mugged. If you are seen coming from an ATM machine, people assume you are carrying a mystery amount of money on you. This puts you as an ideal target for thieves who see you coming from an ATM machine. Thats why it is very precarious to use one in a secluded area.The efficient, easy use of an ATM machi ne to withdraw cash can also be a big downside. With the ease of money transfer which is supposed to be securely stored, it might take in you to withdraw too much for personal needs. ATM machines are strategically located outside casinos so when people gamble, they might be tempted to withdraw more money, especially with how easy it would be.Summary* Easy to fraud despite the need for a pin* Fake ATM machines fixed in random locations by thieves and con artists might be used* Easy target for theft if seen coming from an ATM machine* Can tempt you to spend too much, especially if placed outside something such as a casinoConclusionATM machines can be seen as being essential to a community as they allow the community to transfer money much faster and stops banks from being overcrowded. However, a lot of ATM machines in unsecure locations may put you at the risk of credit card fraud. So, duration using them might be useful in terms of saving time and practicality, you are also put at the risk of being a target of criminals.Waltham Forest Council websiteThe Waltham Forest council website is an extremely useful website that can easily be accessed from any computer, as long as they have internet. It provides help with reenforcement in the community and information regarding lots of things, such as education, jobs, leisure, information on services in the community e.g. timetables, open dates, events, and many more. People can access a feature called My services where they can do many things such as apply for housing, jobs, parking permits etc. to paying council tax and checking business rates and paying off parking fines. It provides a lot for this community and supports the whole communitys needs in lots of different ways.How the Walthamstow Forest Council website meets the communitys needsThe vast amount of information which the site holds involving the borough is staggering. Anything you need to know is located on this site. You can learn about events, shops, c lubs, schools and many more. People can use the site to find out all they want about the area they live in.People have access via this site to do things related to fines, taxes and other such things. This means that people wont have to get out of their house to do such things. It can all be paid via the website. This is extremely efficient and saves the community a lot of time.People can use the site to find any vacancies in the area in different areas of the job market. They can have up to date information on when a vacancy opens and do all they can to try and find a job, whether it be part time or full time. This is extremely useful to the large amount of unemployed who can simply find any open jobs using this site without having to go to job centres and such.Parents can look up education and find the best schools to go to in the area for their children using the site. They can find which school would fit their exact location and needs. This is extremely useful and helpful to chil dren as parents can choose which school would suit their child best.You can find any current events or news that happen in the borough via the site. You can keep up to date with anything that happens. This beats the need for newspapers and makes sure people dont miss any community events.Summary* A large amount of information pertaining to the borough* Access to services and ability to do things such as pay fines and taxes which saves time doing it in real life* Find jobs in your area* Look up schools in your area* Find out any current events happening in the boroughHow it fails to meet the communitys needsThe website does not necessarily have any disadvantages. But it does need an internet access which a lot of people still dont have or know how to use.Summary* Needs internet accessConclusionPeople, living in not just Walthamstow, but the whole of Waltham Forest benefit greatly from this site. They can keep up to date with their lives and know everything going on in the adjoin are a. They can find out about jobs, education and other important factors of life.CCTV/Metropolitan websiteThe CCTV system and the metropolitan website both work in keeping finding and keeping crime off the streets.CCTV, which stands for closed enlistment television, is a system which uses characterisation photographic cameras to monitor a certain location which happens by displace the footage to the like office it is connected to where it is viewed by the security of that particular place. For example, they could be cameras showing footage of a school, a supermarket or any other office environments. CCTV is generally used for surveillance. They are generally in places where there are risks of crime taking place.The metropolitan site is used to help capture crimes not seen by CCTV cameras or lacking evidence. People can report crimes and also stay confidential. This can allow people to purportedly snitch without the fear of being caught for snitching.How CCTV and the Metropolitan website meets the communitys needsWhen a criminal sees that a CCTV is in the area, they remember twice about committing a crime. This is the first step CCTVs do in reducing crime. The fear of being caught on camera stops the crime from happening in the first place.If a crime is captured, then it can be used as evidence in a court case. It can be shown to prove that a person did commit a crime and help put the criminals behind a bar. This makes the community much safer not only knowing that CCTV would capture the crime if it took place but also that the criminal is locked up behind bars.The method of sending the video feed captured on a video camera back to where its being monitored is quite efficient in that its effective and fast at sending the information back. This makes it easier to capture criminals as the system works in a speedy way.Places such as schools where kids are most vulnerable are kept safe. If a stranger appears or something extremely dangerous happens, CCTV can b e used to find the culprit. Dangerous people such as child molesters are found and arrested making school safer and making the kids feel much more secure being in school.The most effective use of the CCTV is that it can be placed in a large variety of places, watching crime from even the most dangerous areas. This allows it to be able to reduce crime no matter where it takes place.The metropolitan website aims to make London a much safer place. This provides reassurance in the community and they have access to a lot of the resources located in the site.People are able to confide in crimes eon keeping their identity a secret. This stops people from being scared of being caught for snitching which can provide harsh consequences for the snitch in relation with his friends. The anonymity provides reassurance and a sense of security.Summary* The simple straw man of CCTV deters criminals* If it captures a crime, it can be used as evidence* Efficient method of sending camera feed to the corresponding connection where it is being monitored* Keeps places such as schools safe* Can be placed wherever it needs to be* The website aims to keep London safe* Allows people to confide in crimes theyve witnessed bandage staying anonymous* Provides reassurance to people who are having from witnessing a crimeHow it fails to meet the communitys needsHowever, people do sound off that CCTV makes for a lack of privacy for people. People feel that it invades what should be personal space.It is also quite dear(predicate) and advanced to set up as a whole. The CCTV system requires skill and knowledge of ICT to be able to set up properly and also a lot of money.Summary* Invasion of privacy* valuable to set up* Can be quite advanced to set upConclusionOverall, CCTV and the Metropolitan website work extremely well in keeping London secure and crime free. People are less worried about crime wherever they go and it adds an assurance to people knowing they are being protected.