My Eighth Lesson with Ms. Noor Azura (part two)

Date : 5^th August 2009 (Wednesday)

Time : 11.00am-12.30pm

Place : DKG 3/9, UUM

With the enthusiasm, Ms. Azura continues to bring us to explore the chapter of Computer Communication. To be frank, it does arouse my memory of how I get into contact with these internet communications.

I used to be repulsive on the cyber world before I step my feet in the university. Maybe I don’t have the opportunity to access internet before that. I am like a “computer idiot”, knowing nothing. I start to send my first my first e-mail in UUM, to send my birthday wishes to my best friend, Kelvin.

I also remember that Sok Ling lent me her hands to download the hotmail messenger. I learn how to “MSN” with my friends like a rookie. Sam, do you still remember that you are the first to chat with me through MSN? Cindy, I shall not forget you as well, because you are the second.

Regarding my blog, erm, I think I would like to thank Sam for teaching me how to sign up for a blog. I still remember how happy I am when my blog is born. Until now, I still write my blog anonymously, without revealing my real name and even my ugly face.

The social network that I have signed up is Friendster, Hi5 and Facebook. I have neglected the previous two. My friends do invite me to join other network, such as Twitter, Netlog and Baboo. However, I have kindly rejected their invitations. Once again, thanks.

Before the class end, Ms. Azura does explain a bit on e-business. And, what a sad news that we receive is, we need to search for the Business-to-consumer (B2C), Business-to-business (B2B) and Consumer-to-consumer (C2C).

Electronic Commerce, commonly known as (electronic marketing) e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the transaction's lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well.

Business-to-consumer (B2C, sometimes also called Business-to-Customer) describes activities of businesses serving end consumers with products and/or services. An example of a B2C transaction would be a person buying a pair of shoes from a retailer. The transactions that led to the shoes being available for purchase, that is the purchase of the leather, laces, rubber, etc. as well as the sale of the shoe from the shoemaker to the retailer would be considered (B2B) transactions.

Business-to-business (B2B) describes commerce transactions between businesses, such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer. Contrasting terms are business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-government (B2G). The volume of B2B transactions is much higher than the volume of B2C transactions. The primary reason for this is that in a typical supply chain there will be many B2B transactions involving subcomponent or raw materials, and only one B2C transaction, specifically sale of the finished product to the end customer. For example, an automobile manufacturer makes several B2B transactions such as buying tires, glass for windshields, and rubber hoses for its vehicles. The final transaction, a finished vehicle sold to the consumer, is a single (B2C) transaction.

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) (or citizen-to-citizen) electronic commerce involves the electronically-facilitated transactions between consumers through some third party. A common example is the online auction, in which a consumer posts an item for sale and other consumers bid to purchase it; the third party generally charges a flat fee or commission. The sites are only intermediaries, just there to match consumers. They do not have to check quality of the products being offered.

All of the above definitions are taken from Wikipedia. I still remember that Wikipedia is only a web site that allows anyone to change its content and can be edited for a “common” opinion. As a conclusion, Wikipedia is not authoritative compared to the academic writing, such as journal. Yet, many of us still like to use it.

It seems that we no longer under spoon-feed education style. We need to search information on our own. I think it is a good start for us. Thanks for the advanced and sophisticated technologies.