Online Discussion Forum Project Report2
Online Discussion Forum Project Report2
Online Discussion Forum Project Report2
INTRODUCTION
This project is aimed at developing online form for the student group discussion on cyber errors.
This is a web-based tool. Any student can post the doubts topics and can reply for the other user
doubts. The user can invites others for Discussion and submit query.
1.2
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Nowadays, Student face a lot of cyber errors and the means at which they communicate with one
another to deliberate on a solution has always been very difficult.
Thats why there is need for the provision of an efficient and easy way student can actually relate
with each other so as to harness the strength in teaming up while solving problems, Also most of
the problems some students are actually facing has been solved before by someone else , so
developing an online student reporting system for reporting cyber errors is actually the very
solution students need as it even allows student to reach each other even from their own comfort
zone , anywhere anytime.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The project titled ONLINE ONLINE STUDENT FORUM REPORTING CYBER
ERRORS is designed using
Category
Post Question
Registration
Answer
Discover
Articles
Search
Category Module: This module is the main module, by selecting the category user can post their
questions easily. They can retrieve the answers for their questions from the different users.
Post Question Module: This module is mainly for the registered users. As the Administrator has
to know who has posted the questions the user is registered here. These registered users alone
can post their question in detailed manner.
Registration Module: This Module helps to give the detailed information about the newly
entered user.
Answer Module: Each and every posted question will get the exact answer from the Discussion
Forum team and also they can get a lot of answers from the different user.
Discover Module: Users can answer the questions which are posted in this site. Both registered
and non registered user is benefited over this module. They can also view the answers posted in
this site.
Articles Module: User can post their invention and also they can know about the ideas of the all
Users.
Search Module: This module is used to search their queries , the articles and also the inventions.
Both registered and non registered users can search over here
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of this study is centered on designing and automated and web-based application for
student online communication for reporting cyber crimes. The system is strictly based on
students.
EXISTING SYSTEM
In general student share their ideas, queries and answers from their colleagues or friends through
the intercom or direct manner. They need to spend time for their work.
DRAWBACKS
Some of the drawbacks are:
1. Details are enquired through phone.
2. It consumes more time
3. They dont get proper answers.
PROPOSED SYSTEM
It is difficult to note down all the problems manually. Instead it is decided to develop an
ONLINE STUDENT FORUM REPORTING CYBER ERRORS to ease the operation.
A system is required which is being capable of elimination all the problems and become useful to
users and thus the new system is derived. Here we get a different view from different users.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1. Interaction will be easier.
2. Users articles can be viewed by others
3. Less time consuming.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Constraints of time and resources are the factors, which prevented the implementation of this
system
1.7 DEFINITION OFTERMS/VARIABLES
Computerized: Convert to computer based system to install or start using a computer system
to organize, control, or automate something.
Processing: To deal with somebody or something according to an established procedure
Communication: Interaction between two or more person or sending of message from one place
to another
Online: Connected via computer attached to or available via a central computer or computer
network.
System: Set of computer components i.e. in assembly of computer Hardware, Software and
peripherals functioning together.
Automation: The replacement of human workers by technology; A system in which a workplace
or process has been converted to one that replaced or ministries human labour with electronic or
mechanical equipment.
Web: A complex structure, or design www: computer-based network of information resources
that combines text and multimedia. The information on the www can be accessing and search
through the internet, a global computer network.
Database: Any collection of data organized for storage in a computer memory and designed for
easy access by authorized users.
Database Update: This simply means applying and maintaining changes on a database after data
must have been added, removed or modified
System Administrator: This is a person responsible for maintaining and operating a computer
system.
PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (the name is a recursive acronym) is a widely used, generalpurpose scripting language that was originally designed for web development to produce
dynamic web pages.: Hypertext Preprocessor is the code used to link the database to the
interface of the website, it is a server code.
Apache: It is the server used for designing php, python pages.
SQL: Structured query language, it is a code used to query or insert records in a database.
MySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that runs as a server providing
multi-user access to a number of databases.
PhpMyAdmin: is an open source tool written in PHP intended to handle the administration of
MySQL over the World Wide Web.
CSS: Cascading Style Sheet is a programming language used in the graphics and fine tuning of
the website
SwishMax: It is animation software used in doing all the animations in the website.
Macromedia Dreamweaver: It is the software used in organizing the website.
Macromedia Fireworks: It is the software used to create or the graphics and images in the
website.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 THE IMPACT OF ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK SERVICES
A social network service focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations
among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. A social network service essentially
consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of
additional services. Most social network services are web based and provide means for users to
interact over the internet, such as e-mail and instant messaging. Although online community
services are sometimes considered as a social network service in a broader sense, social network
service usually means an individual-centered service whereas online community services are
group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and
interests within their individual networks (Shelly, 2000).
The main types of social networking services are those which contain category places (such as
former school-year or classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description
pages) and a recommendation system linked to trust. Popular methods now combine many of
these, with Facebook, Bebo and Twitter widely used worldwide; MySpace and LinkedIn being
the most widely used in North America; Nexopia (mostly in Canada); Bebo, Hi5, Hyves (mostly
in The Netherlands), StudiVZ (mostly in Germany), iWiW (mostly in Hungary), Tuenti (mostly
in Spain), Decayenne, Tagged, XING, Badoo and Skyrock in parts of Europe; Orkut and Hi5 in
South America and Central America; and Friendster, Mixi, Multiply, Orkut, Wretch, renren and
Cyworld in Asia and the Pacific Islands and Orkut and Facebook in India (Shelly, 2000).
There have been some attempts to standardize these services to avoid the need to duplicate
entries of friends and interests Although some of the largest social networks were founded on the
notion of digitizing real world connections, many networks focus on categories from books and
music to non-profit business to motherhood as ways to provide both services and community to
individuals with shared interests (Shelly, 2000).
sites, allowing users to compile lists of "friends" and search for other users with similar interests
(Meleond, 1998).
New social networking methods were developed by the end of the 1990s and many sites began to
develop more advanced features for users to find and manage friends. This newer generation of
social networking sites began to flourish with the emergence of Friendster in 2002, and soon
became part of the Internet mainstream. Friendster was followed by MySpace and LinkedIn a
year later, and finally, Bebo. Attesting to the rapid increase in social networking sites' popularity,
by 2005, MySpace was reportedly getting more page views than Google. Facebook, launched in
2004, has since become the largest social networking site in the world. Today, it is estimated that
there are now over 200 active sites using a wide variety of social networking models (Nova,
2006).
2.4 EMERGING TRENDS IN SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITE
As the increase in popularity of social networking is on a constant rise,[ new uses for the
technology are constantly being observed. At the forefront of emerging trends in social
networking sites is the concept of "real time" and "location based." Real time allows users to
contribute content, which is then broadcasted as it is being uploaded - the concept is similar to
live television broadcasts. Twitter set the trend for "real time" services, where users can
broadcast to the world what they are doing, or what is on their minds within a 140 character
limit. Facebook followed suit with their "Live Feed" where users' activities are streamed as soon
as it happens. While Twitter focuses on words, Clixtr, another real time service, focuses on group
photo sharing where users can update their photo streams with photos while at an event. Friends
and nearby users can contribute their own photos and comments to that event stream, thus
contributing to the "real time" aspect of broadcasting photos and comments as it is being
uploaded. In the location based social networking space, foursquare gained popularity (Parker,
1998).
as it allowed for users to "check-in" to places that they are frequenting at that moment. Gowalla
is another such service which functions in much the same way that Foursquare does, leveraging
the GPS in phones to create a location based user experience. Clixtr, though in the real time
space, is also a location based social networking site since events created by users are
automatically geotagged, and users can view events occurring nearby through the Clixtr iPhone
app. Recently, Yelp announced its entrance into the location based social networking space
through check-ins with their mobile app; whether or not this becomes detrimental to Foursquare
or Gowalla is yet to be seen as it is still considered a new space in the internet technology
industry (Parker, 1998).
One popular use for this new technology is social networking between businesses. Companies
have found that social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are great ways to build
their brand image. According to Jody Nimetz, author of Marketing Jive, there are five major uses
for businesses and social media: to create brand awareness, as an online reputation management
tool, for recruiting, to learn about new technologies and competitors, and as a lead gen tool to
intercept potential prospects.[20] These companies are able to drive traffic to their own online sites
while encouraging their consumers and clients to have discussions on how to improve or change
products or services. One other use that is being discussed is the use of Social Networks in the
Science communities (Parker, 1998).
Julia Porter (2000) has published a study on how New Biotechnology Firms are using social
networking sites to share exchanges in scientific knowledge. They state in their study that by
sharing information and knowledge with one another, they are able to "increase both their
learning and their flexibility in ways that would not be possible within a self-contained
hierarchical organization." Social networking is allowing scientific groups to expand their
knowledge base and share ideas, and without these new means of communicating their theories
might become "isolated and irrelevant".
Social networks are also being used by teachers and students as a communication tool. Because
many students are already using a wide-range of social networking sites, teachers have begun to
familiarize themselves with this trend and are now using it to their advantage. Teachers and
professors are doing everything from creating chat-room forums and groups to extend classroom
discussion to posting assignments, tests and quizzes, to assisting with homework outside of the
classroom setting. Social networks are also being used to foster teacher-parent communication.
These sites make it possible and more convenient for parents to ask questions and voice concerns
without having to meet face-to-face. Social networks are being used by activists as a means of
low-cost grassroots organizing. Extensive use of an array of social networking sites enabled
organizers of the 2009 National Equality March to mobilize an estimated 200,000 participants to
march on Washington with a cost savings of up to 85% per participant over previous methods.
The use of online social networks by libraries is also an increasingly prevalent and growing tool
that is being used to communicate with more potential library users, as well as extending the
services provided by individual libraries (Jerry, 2006).
A final rise in social network use is being driven by college students using the services to
network with professionals for internship and job opportunities. Many studies have been done on
the effectiveness of networking online in a college setting, and one notable one is by Phipps
Arabie and Yoram Wind published in Advances in Social Network Analysis(Jerry, 2006).
2.5 WAYS SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES CAN BE USED OR IMPLEMENTED
2.5.1 Government Applications
Social networking is more recently being used by various government agencies. Social
networking tools serve as a quick and easy way for the government to get the opinion of the
public and to keep the public updated on their activity. The Centers for Disease Control
demonstrated the importance of vaccinations on the popular children's site Whyville and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a virtual island on Second Life where
people can explore underground caves or explore the effects of global warming. Similarly,
NASA has taken advantage of a few social networking tools, including Twitter and Flickr. They
are using these tools to aid the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, whose
goal it is to ensure that the nation is on a vigorous and sustainable path to achieving its boldest
aspirations in space (Meleond,1998).
as Match.com, Yahoo Personals, and eHarmony.com are seeing a decrease in users, where social
networks like MySpace and Facebook are experiencing an increase in users.
The number of internet users in the U.S. that visit online dating sites has fallen from a peak of
21% in 2003 to 10% in 2006. Whether its the cost of the services, the variety of users with
different intentions, or any other reason, it is undeniable that social networking sites are quickly
becoming the new way to find dates online (Cowperwait et al, 2002).
2.5.4 Educational Applications
The National School Boards Association reports that almost 60 percent of students who use
social networking talk about education topics online and, surprisingly, more than 50 percent talk
specifically about schoolwork. Yet the vast majority of school districts have stringent rules
against nearly all forms of social networking during the school day - even though students and
parents report few problem behaviors online. Social networks focused on supporting
relationships between teachers and between teachers and their students are now used for
learning, educator professional development, and content sharing. Ning for teachers, Learn
Central, Teach Street and other sites are being built to foster relationships that include
educational blogs, report folios, formal and ad hoc communities, as well as communication such
as chats, discussion threads, and synchronous forums. These sites also have content sharing and
rating features ( Nova, 2006).
2.5.5 Medical Applications
Social networks are beginning to be adopted by healthcare professionals as a means to manage
institutional knowledge, disseminate peer to peer knowledge and to highlight individual
physicians and institutions. The advantage of using a dedicated medical social networking site is
that all the members are screened against the state licensing board list of practitioners.
The role of social networks is especially of interest to pharmaceutical companies who spend
approximately "32 percent of their marketing dollars" attempting to influence the opinion leaders
of social networks. A new trend is emerging with social networks created to help its members
with various physical and mental ailments. For people suffering from life altering diseases,
Patients Like Me offers its members the chance to connect with others dealing with similar issues
and research patient data related to their condition. For alcoholics and addicts, Sober Circle gives
people in recovery the ability to communicate with one another and strengthen their recovery
through the encouragement of others who can relate to their situation. Daily Strength is also a
website that offers support groups for a wide array of topics and conditions, including the
support topics offered by Patients like Me and Sober Circle. Spark People offers community and
social networking tools for peer support during weight loss (Chiemeke et al, 2006).
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY AND SYSTEM ANALYSIS
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Methodology involves the specification of procedure for collecting and analyzing data
necessary to define or solve the problem for which the research is embarked upon.
1.
Primary Source: This involves oral interviews conducted to students
2.
Secondary Source: These include the use of textbooks, Dictionary, Journals, newspaper
and internet downloads to collect data in order to understand the social networking website and
online communication.
3.
Observational Method: Actually I am a student of an institution aswell in which this
project is focusing on. I know personal challenges and with the ones I ask my lecturers and
fellow students.
UserName
Password
ContactAddres
s
Email Id
CompanyNa
me
Security
Question
Security
Answer
UserImage
Category Module
Registrati
on
Module
Registration
master
Category id
Category
Module
Name
Category master
Post Question
Username
Category Id
Key Id
Date
Question
Question
Module
Question
Question
Desc.
Answer
Username
Question Id
Access Date
Answers
User
Email_id
Image
Answer
Module
Answer
Keyword
Key master
Keyword
Key
Article
Category Id
Article Subject
Article
Article
Module
Link
Content
Key Id
Level_1
Admin
Admin
Admin Table
View
Questio
n
View
Answers
Question
Table
Answers
Table
View
Attachme
nts
Attachment
Table
Question
User
Registration
Table
Questio
n
Login
Question
Table
Login Table
Answer
User
Registration
Table
Answer
Login
Answer
Table
Login Table
ER DIAGRAM
ADMIN
Article
Registratio
n
View article
New
User
View
Profile
Post Article
Post
Question
Profile
Search
Post
Questi
on
View
Questi
on
3.7 IMPLEMENTATION
The website or portal for online communication system was implement using phymyadmin,
macromedia dreamweaver, Mysql database , swishmax, fireworks and apache server.
System implementation follows the approval of the system proposals and its object thus it is to
arrive at a satisfactory, implemental, completed evaluated and function of the automated system.
The system implementation embodies the preparation of resources including equipments and
personnel with the testing of the system.
3.8 CHOICE OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
The requirements of the Online Student Reporting Cyber errors system demands that a capable
programming language can be used for its implementation. Hence PHP was chosen.
PHP: Hypertext preprocessor is a widely used, general-purpose scripting language that was
originally designed for web development to product dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP
code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP
processor module, which generates the web page document. As a general-purpose programming
language, PHP code is processed by an interpreter application in command line mode performing
desired operating system operations and producing program output or its standard output
channel. It may also functions as a graphical application. PHP is available as a processor for
most modern web servers and as standalone interpreter on most operating systems and
computing platforms.
Why I found it appropriate to choose it in implementing this project. Its powerful debugging
facility that provides useful hints and suggestions for error handling.
3.8 DATABASE FILE DESIGN
The automated admission system uses My SQL, phpMyadmin and apache server for its database.
The database contains tables that hold its important data and their specifications. Some of the
tables are shown below:
FIELD TYPE
Varchar
Varchar
Varchar
Varchar
Varchar
Varchar
Varchar
Varchar
Varchar
Varchar
LENGTH
30
30
30
80
80
30
30
30
30
40