ABSTRACT
Despite the fast
growing trend and popularity of social networking sites across the globe,
Computer Science Department still uses the traditional method of communication
between students, and this method has a lot limitations and shortcomings, and
at the same time not effective. It is therefore, in the light of the above,
this research titled “Students Interactive Network System” is aimed at
designing and developing a social network site for Computer science students,
that will serve as a platform where information and messages can be posted,
academic materials/archives be uploaded and downloaded accordingly; simply
because academic issues and problems are now being extensively discussed
online. Student Interactive Network System is a user friendly system that allow
users to communicate with one another simultaneously. Hence, the interface is
developed using HTML, PHP, CSS, Bootstrap framework, some technical tools, and
the Structured Query Language (MySQL). The system has reserved a high storage
space for both storing information in the digital archive section of the site,
thereby enhancing effective and efficient access of these voluminous resources
among the teeming users.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
A
social network can be seen as a network of friends, colleagues and other
personal contacts. It is also seen as an online community of people with a
common interest who use a website or other technologies to communicate with
each other and share information, resources etc. (dictionary .com, 2010).
Social
network is the use of internet programs to make connections with friend, family
members, classmate customers and client. Social network can be used for social
purposes, business purposes and academic purposes etc. The program shows the
associations between individuals and facilitate the acquisition of the new
contact (Inventopiedia 2016).
The
unified interactive network system is an integration of two or more real time
communication system into one platform.
Social
network is a dedicated website or other application which enable users to
communicate with one another by posting information, comments, messages and
image.
Social
network are online services, platforms or sites that focus attention to build a
social relation between who share common interest or activities. Social
networking site are website that allow those who have account with them to
communicate with a selected group of friends.
According
to (odoh 2014).In addition social network comprises of a representation of each
user(often known as profile)his/her social link and a varity of additional
services, most of the social network are
web based and it provide means for their users to interact via the internet
such as e-mail and instant messaging. Social network allow the activities, events
and interacts within the their
individual network.
Interactive
social network will be a user friendly system that will allow user to
communicate with each other
simultaneously.
However people always want to communicate with other
people. Therefore people have to visit whom they wanted to see and then communicate.
The longer the distance the harder to communicate. Throughout history, people
came up with various ways of communicating: i.e through post, pigeons,
telegraph, light signals and telephone. Getting responses a few hundred years
ago meant waiting for months or a year. Thankfully humans never stopped looking
for a faster method to communication. The 21st century brought us the internet
so as to conduct researches, browser for news/information and also connect to
friends in either a workplace or in the college setup. A social networking is
web application that people use to build social relations with other people who
share similar personal or career interests, activities, backgrounds or real-
life connections. The variety of stand- alone and built-in social networking
services currently available online introduces challenges of definition that is
social networking system or services are internet-based application. Most
social-network are web-based and provides means for users to interact over the
internet such as by e-mail by instant messaging and through online forums.
Social networking sites are varied,
they can incorporate a range of new information and communication tools
operating on desktops and or laptops, on mobile devices such as tablet
computers and smartphones. They may feature digital photo/video/sharing and
“web logging” diary entries online (blogging). Online community services are
sometimes considered. Social-network system, through in a broader sense, a social
– network usually provides an individual – centered service whereas online
community services are group-centered. Services as “web sites that facilitate”.
The building of a network of contacts in order to exchange various types of content
online; social networking sites provides a space for interaction to continue
beyond in person interactions. These computer medicated interactions link
members of various networks and may help to both maintain and develop new
social community. Social networking sites allow use as to share ideas, digital
photos and videos, posts and to inform others about online or real-world
activities and events with people in their network. The main types of social
networking contain category places (such as ago or occupation or religion),
means to connect with friends (usually with self – description pages) and
recommendation system linked to trust. One can categorize social network
services into three types:
·
Socializing social network used
primarily for socializing with existing friends (e.g whatsup) etc
·
Networking social network used primary
for non-social interpersonal communication linkedn, a career and employment oriented
site).
·
Social navigation used primarily for
helping users to find specific information or resources (eg Good-read for
book).
This
research focus attention on an academic social network site which when
development it will help both lectures and students in simplifying the way
users commutate among themselves.
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Presently
there is no plat form that allows lectures and students of the department
(computer science technology Isihagu to communicate and share information among
themselves other than mobile phones and notices-boards.
The
present system of using phone calls and notices – board is characterized by a
lot of problems and short coming which includes cost, time consuming,
unreliability of the network, poor or too slow system (ie notices board), lack
of security (tearing of information in the notices-board by other students).
The problem of exchanging phone number between students and lectures and most
importantly lack of a forum and students, lack of academic archives where
students have access to resources download.
Therefore
in any academic setup like this department lecturers and students should have
full benefits of digital system of communication that are peculiar to modern
era of automation. Hence, this project is proposed to solve the problem and
difficulties associated with the current system of communication in computer
science department (FCAI).
1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The
aims and objectives of this project are enormous. Therefore below are some of
the aim and objective.
-
To develop an effective and efficient
interactive web based social academic forum for computer séance technology
department in FCAI.
-
To develop fast, secured communication
channel between students and lecture’s
-
To reduce the cost of maintaining manual
way of passing information in the department.
-
To create a user friendly interface
system for the lecturers and students to enhance their efficiency in the course
of learning.
-
To create variety of access services for
searching and discovering resources through the student social networking
system for computer department in FCAI.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The
purpose of this study is to develop a Robust user friendly environment in form
of website that student of computer science technology department FCAI can
access resources and gain information from distance places without the use et
notice board or phone calls. It will create a simplify, ease and speed the way
the students of this department in FCAI communicate, share ideas, pass
information among themselves.
The
system will also eliminate some of the routine manual work prevalent in posting
information on the notice board.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
significance of this study cannot the over emphasized because everybody knows
the importance of digital communication in our contemporary society- therefore
this project is going to have a great impact on both lecturers and students of
computer science technology department in FCAI both academically and socially.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
scope of this research work is to create an enabling user friendly environment
that will have the following features of a social networking system
1. Searching
and retrieval of resources for students.
2. Database
management
3. Registration
of users
4. Information
Indexing
1.6 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This
research work does not incorporate audio files. It is does not have a provision
for online payment for access information. In addition the system would not
contain information about students result, grade or performance but in future
this function can be enhanced the system to accommodate such feature by the
up-coming researchers.
It
will be used by the staffs and students of CST FCAI only.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Website:
A website also written as “web
site”, or simply “site” is a set of related web pages typically served from a
single web domain.
2. Interactive Website:
An interactive site is simply a site that allows visitors or users to interact
with the content in some way. It could be as simple as a blog that allows
comments and includes a contact form.
3. Forum:
Is an online medium where ideas and views on a particular issues(s) can be
exchanged in form of posted message.
4. Chatting:
Exchange message online in real time with one or more simultaneous users of a
computer network – on the internet at the same time with you.
5. FCAI:
Federal College of Agriculture Ishiagu
6. CST:
Computer science technology
7. Server:
A computer program that manages access to a centralized resource or service in
a network.
8. Client:
A client is a place of computer hardware or software that accesses a service
made available by a server.
9. Messaging:
A verbal, written or recorded communication sent to or left for a recipient(s) who cannot be contacted directly.
1.8 CHAPTER SUMMARY
The
chapter contains the introducing part of the study, aim and objective, purpose
of the study, scope of the study limitation of the study as well as some
definition of terms and concomitantly in the study.