Sistem Distance Learning dengan Credit Earning Universitas

Perkembangan yang pesat dan dinamis dalam bidang Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi (TIK) merupakan motor penggerak pada hampir semua aspek kehidupan manusia, termasuk dunia pendidikan.

Mereka yang tidak mampu atau tertinggal dalam memanfaatkan teknologi ini akan mengalami kesulitan dalam memenangkan persaingan yang makin ketat. Demikian pula dengan perguruan tinggi-perguruan tinggi, baik negeri maupun swasta, yang tidak segera mengup-grade kemampuan dan penguasaan teknologinya akan tertinggal oleh perguruan tinggi lainnya dan, pada gilirannya, akan ditinggalkan mahasiswanya.

Sebagai tanggapan positif atas perkembangan TIK, pada pertengahan 2006 Ditjen Dikti Departemen Pendidikan Nasional Indonesia mengumumkan pelaksanaan kegiatan pengembangan Backbone Jaringan Pendidikan Indonesia (Indonesian Higher Education Network - INHERENT). Mengiringi kegiatan pengembangan backbone INHERENT ini, Dikti menawarkan hibah kompetisi untuk pengembangan kapasitas institusi perguruan tinggi di Indonesia dalam jaringan INHERENT; program hibah tersebut disebut PHK-TIK (Program Hibah Kompetisi - Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi) INHERENT 2006 yang dibagi ke dalam tiga kelompok peserta kompetisi: K-1 untuk 9 PTN utama, K-2 untuk 73 PTN lainnya, dan K-3 untuk seluruh PTS. Seluruh program yang diusulkan Universitas Gunadarma, beserta aktivitas-aktivitasnya, telah selesai dilaksanakan dengan baik, sesuai dengan indikator-indikator keberhasilan pelaksanaan kegiatan.

Pada pertengahan 2007, Universitas Gunadarma juga kembali mendapat hibah kompetensi terkait INHERENT. Tiga proposal berhasil mendapat hibah, salah satunya adalah proposal Pengembangan Sistem Aplikasi dan Konten dari e-Learning Center dengan dua program: (1) Inventarisasi dan delivery produk pembelajaran elektronis koleksi Pusat Pembelajaran Elektronis Universitas Gunadarma, (2) Pengembangan sistem aplikasi virtual laboratory yang dilengakapi dengan video on demand.

Pada akhir Maret 2008 Dikti kembali menawarkan hibah kompetisi terkait INHERENT; kali ini hibah yang ditawarkan adalah PHK-TIK Tahun 2008: Pengembangan Sistem Aplikasi dan Konten INHERENT. Sesuai dengan tajuknya, tujuan PHK-TIK 2008 ini adalah untuk pengayaan, pemanfaatan, dan diseminasi sistem aplikasi dan dan konten pendidikan tinggi berbasis TIK dan untuk mendanai kegiatan yang salah satunya pelaksanaan kegiatan pembelajaran jarak jauh yang diakui kreditnya. Sehubungan dengan ini, pimpinan Universitas Gunadarma menunjuk Pusat Pembelajaran Elektronis (e-Learning Center) untuk menyusun proposal PHK-TIK 2008 Pengembangan Sistem Distance Learning dengan Credit Earning..

Infrastruktur TIK Universitas Gunadarma, pengalaman keberhasilan Universitas Gunadarma mendapatkan dan menyelesaikan berbagai PHK, termasuk PHK-TIK K-3 INHERENT 2006, PHK-TIK K-1 INHERENT 2007 serta komitmen yang tinggi pimpinan Universitas Gunadarma adalah modal utama sekaligus justifikasi bagi Universitas Gunadarma untuk kembali mengajukan proposal PHK; kali ini adalah PHK-TIK K-1 INHERENT 2008.

Dua program yang diusulkan dalam proposal tersebut adalah: (1) Pengembangan Lingkungan Distance Learning, (2) Pengembangan Sistem Pendukung Distance Learning.

Distance learning adalah suatu sistem pembelajaran yang menggunakan dua pendekatan secara filosofi dan penggunaan teknologi. Filosofi dari distance learning adalah menurunkan barrier ke pendidikan dan memungkinkan peserta ajar untuk belajar sesuai dengan yang diinginkan, waktu yang diinginkan dan dapat berlangsung dengan tempat berbeda. Sedangkan teknologi digunakan sebagai media proses pembelajaran.


Tujuan utama program ini mempunyai dua sisi sinergis, yaitu:
a. Berpartisipasi aktif dalam pemanfaatan jaringan INHERENT.
b. Pendayagunaan dan peningkatan kualitas produk pembelajaran elektronik koleksi Universitas Gunadarma yang dapat diakses untuk semua anggota jaringan INHERENT terutama perguruan tinggi mitra.

Perguruan tinggi mitra yang sudah tergabung dan menggunakan sistem distance learning ini adalah Universitas Negeri Medan (UNIMED) Medan, untuk program studi Akuntansi serta Universitas Sriwijaya Palembang, untuk program studi Teknik Komputer.

Kami mengundang dan mengajak perguruan tinggi lain yang ingin berpartisipasi dalam sistem pembelajaran jarak jauh ini, sehingga akan menambah ramai jaringan INHERENT yang sudah sengaja dikembangkan oleh DIKTI untuk menghubungkan semua Perguruan Tinggi Indonesia melalui jaringan internet dan meningkatkan peran perguruan tinggi dalam upaya peningkatan daya saing bangsa dengan cara menghasilkan lulusan yang cerdas dan berdaya saing tinggi.

Dengan adanya distance learning ini diharapkan memberikan kemudahan bagi peserta ajar dan dosen untuk meningkatkan kualitas proses pembelajaran. Saat ini tersedia 4 mata kuliah untuk program distance learning ini yaitu Arsitektur Komputer, Interfacing, Dasar Akuntansi, dan Sistem Informasi Akuntansi.

Silakan kunjungi situs http://distance.elearning.gunadarma.ac.id

”Spyware” Ancaman Baru di Internet

Jakarta – Spyware adalah istilah untuk software jenis amorf yang masuk ke komputer tanpa diketahui penggunanya. Sekarang, dalam setahun terakhir ini, sudah menjadi epidemi karena semakin banyak pengguna internet dan pengembang spyware (program pengintai) pun makin agresif. Program yang membutuhkan banyak daya ini mengakibatkan komputer hang. Demikian dilaporkan Anick Jesdanun dari kantor berita Associated Press (AP).

Jika dibandingkan dengan spam yang merupakan email bahan promosi, program pengintai ini lebih parah. Berbagai pengalaman pengguna komputer memberi kesaksian bahwa ketika pengguna hendak membuka jalur internet yang biasa dilakukannya, yang terjadi adalah terbukanya situs yang bukan dikehendakinya. Mem-boot ulang PC (personal computer)-nya pun tidak memberi hasil.

Suatu studi dari pemerintah Amerika Serikat (AS) menunjukkan bahwa pada satu PC milik pribadi ditemukan 1.300 program pengintai atau yang berkaitan dengan program tersebut. Si ibu rumah tangga, Jenna Dye dari Young Harris, AS, menjelaskan bahwa ia mengeluarkan 1.800 dolar AS atau sekitar 17 juta rupiah, tetapi sekarang enggan menggunakannya. ”Kadang mati sendiri ketika sedang digunakan. Banyak pop-up (tampilan situs yang muncul tiba-tiba), dan pemutar CD-ROM terbuka sendiri,” jelas ibu dua orang anak ini.
Sedangkan suatu penelitian yang dilakukan perusahaan internet terbesar America Online Inc. bekerja sama dengan National Cyber Security Alliance, menemukan 80 persen partisipan penelitian mereka telah terjangkit.
Sejak EarthLink Inc memberikan antiprogram pengintai, setiap pemindaian menemukan enam program. Jika memindai ”cookie” file data yang digunakan untuk melacak perilaku pengguna komputer secara online rata-rata temuan meningkat menjadi 26. Jenis program pengintai yang paling umum memang yang menimbulkan pop-up yang memunculkan iklan. Jenis ini disebut adware.
Jenis lain disebut pembajak browser, ini jenis yang membuka situs pencari ”liar”. Ini yang membuat suatu komputer selalu membuka situs bukan yang dialamatkan penggunanya. Memang pengembang program pengintai atau para pengedarnya – distributornya— mendapatkan komisi. Jenis lain menggunakan program penghubung telepon (dialer) yang membuat telepon internasional dengan biaya yang mahal. Sedang lainnya yang jarang adalah program yang bisa mencuri kata kunci (password) dan data rahasia lainnya.

Jalur Masuk
Program ini kerap kali tidak dibuat dengan baik hingga makan tempat. ”Kadang kala bukan hanya satu, tetapi setengah lusin atau bahkan selusin sehingga komputer Anda bisa terhenti,” jelas Tim Lordan, direktur Internet Education Foundation.
Cara yang umumnya terjadi jalur masuk program pengintai, termasuk adware, adalah melalui download program file share, screensavers, dan program gratisan lainnya. Biasanya usaha ini mendapatkan pemasukannya dari penyertaan program seperti itu.
”Banyak di antara mereka yang mengatakan bahwa mereka ingin mendapatkan gambar wajah senyum melalui email atau download gratisan lainnya tanpa menyadari betapa perbuatan mereka itu akan menghabiskan banyak daya di komputernya,” jelas Wayne Porter, salah seorang pendiri SpywareGuide.com.
Para pengguna juga mengundang program pengintai secara terburu-buru menyetujui perjanjian tanpa membaca dengan rinci. Kesediaan menerima program pengintai biasanya tersembunyi di dalam perjanjian seperti itu.
Banyak juga di antara perusahaan besar yang memanfaatkan cara ini untuk menyampaikan pesan mereka secara online mulai memperbaiki diri. Di antaranya mereka tidak lagi mengambil data dari cara tersebut. Tetapi terminologi pengintai masih tetap terpakai. Juga cara pemunculan dan penghapusannya sudah lebih baik akibat keluhan para pengguna komputer.
Akan tetapi praktik penyusupan ini masih berlangsung. Teknik yang dikenal sebagai drive-by dowloading meniru istilah berkendaraan sambil menembak drive by shooting yang menjadi ciri gangster AS. Kode tersembunyi dalam iklan berupa pop-up atau situs yang menawarkan lagu gratis, permainan dan bahkan pornografi, yang bisa memerintahkan komputer untuk men-download program pengintai tanpa peringatan terlebih dahulu.

Akibat
Kadangkala, tampilan peringatan diprogram untuk terus muncul. Tujuannya supaya pengguna komputer menyerah dan akhirnya menyetujui download program, demikian Neel Mehta dari Internet Security Systems Inc. Dan bahkan sebagaimana telah diberitakan beberapa waktu lalu, program pengintai ini bisa memanfaatkan kelemahan pada sistem operasi Window serta pencari situs Internet Explorer, dan langsung melampaui pengisian alamat. ”Ketika terburu-buru, orang bisa salah tekan dan tiba-tiba muncul tampilan di komputer yang tidak bisa dihilangkan lagi,” jelas seorang pengelola restoran Damien LaRuffa. Restorannya di Washington DC sudah kehilangan dua komputer selama beberapa hari ketika asisten manajer restorannya terkecoh untuk menerima program anti-spyware. Biaya perbaikannya mencapai 400 dolar AS.
Seorang teknisi perbaikan komputer menyatakan bahwa setengah order kerja yang didapatnya berkaitan dengan program pengintai ini. Para pelanggan, jelas Matt Davin dari Walla Walla, Washington, menyalahkan anak mereka yang men-download program gratis.
Banyak di antara program pengintai ini bisa dihapuskan dengan menjalankan beberapa perangkat anti-spyware yang bisa didapat secara gratis. Namun jenis yang lebih sulit, bisa mengimunisasikan diri dan bertahan.
”Hampir semua yang baru, yang muncul kini, memiliki reinstaller (penginstal ulang) sehingga ketika berusaha dihapuskan, ia akan muncul lagi,” jelas Ron Franczyk, salah seorang pendiri perusahaan Giant Company Software yang memproduksi anti-spyware.
Banyak di antara program pengintai yang meniru komponen utama Windows dan bahkan bersembunyi di antara folder yang biasanya dicadangkan untuk file sistem. ”Dari mana kita tahu bahwa kita butuh atau tidak butuh spool.exe?” tanya Vilis Ositis, pimpinan bidang teknik Blue Coat System Inc.” Window hadir bersama dengan ribuan file. Dari mana kita tahu yang asli dan yang merupakan program pengintai?”
Parlemen AS sudah mengupayakan larangan atas program ini. Perusahaan bidang komputer juga berupa mendidik publik akan cara-cara memerangi ini. Para pakar yakin bahwa penyelesaian masalah ini merupakan perkawinan antara regulasi, edukasi, dan teknologi.
Jika ini tidak terjadi, menurut Ari Schwartz dari Centre for Democracy and Technology, grup advokasi swasta, akibatnya para pengguna komputer bisa menghindari pemakaian internet untuk dagang, layanan pemerintah, dan berinteraksi satu sama lainnya. ”Kita bakal kehilangan potensi besar internet.”

Startegy Online marketing Memenangkan Pemilu Indonesia 2009

Dari traffic search analytic diatas, Personal Branding berada diatas partai, sayang duitnya ngak cukup kalo sendiri :-) . Nah yang terakhir kita coba adu kambing kambing nya eh partainya … :-)

- note : President SBY site has a traffic rank of: 120,888

Waktu pelaksanaan pemilu yang tinggal beberapa bulan lagi dan media online pun seperti blog ikut terus berkembang baik dari segi economic yang ikut menyumbang devisa negara, hubungannya ?…

Saya berprediksi kalo tahun 2009 media online akan terus tumbuh dan media online akan menjadi salah satu sarana go champain country para partai, bahkan ada yang calon independent - walopun udah ngundurin diri-.

Padahal ada baiknya terus champaign karna Indonesia tertinggal 5 tahun dalam pemanfaatan media online, begitu yang saya dapat waktu WordCamp kemarin.

Saya iseng iseng coba analysis pakai mesin 2 juta umat, berdasarkan trend 12 bulan terakhir dengan region : Indonesia.

Online Marketing sebagai saran champaign optimization atau conversation 2.0 lebih disukai anak muda yang tentu juga memiliki hak suara , mereka menyukai online dan komunikasi 2 arah yang terbuka seperti halnya Blog, jadi kebanyakan dari mereka ngak suka sama web corporate atau partai yang hanya mencitrakan diri sebagai yang terbaik, dah kayak jual produk MLM ajah..

Beberapa tips yang bisa dicoba untuk memenangkan pemilu indonesia baik pemilu 2009 atau pun yang akan datang

Mulailah dengan Blog

Banyak hal yang bisa di explore dari Blog, kalo seandainya takut karna tampilannya yang terkesan sederhana, maka bisa dicoba dengan template magazine premium, kalo tetep pengen berbentuk website, saya sarankan coba gunakan Wordpress, ataupun Joomla. Untuk Wordpress ada banyak keunggulan hal yang terpenting Wordpress sangat powerful untuk SEO, walaupun tidak se-CMS Joomla. Luckily, Wordpress as CMS dengan tampilan corporate akan saya bahas di postingan berikutnya, so , doakan suapaya inget :-) .

Banner ad


Email Marketing

Terus meningkatnya online technology yang terus meningkatkan impact positif juga sekaligus me reduce cost dan cepat untuk penyampainan ke target audiences.

Beberapa hal positif email marketing yang bisa diperoleh

* Survey dapat dilakukan dalam jumlah besar untuk waktu yang bersamaan - at one time .
* No International boundaries
* inexpensive alias murah.
* Results can received within a few days.

Content Update

Satu ciri Blog adalah Content yang update, Sudah seharusnya content di update sendiri, jangan via ajudan atau staff, setidaknya jika ingin multi author, sang calon juga harus meng-updatenya.

Jenis content bersifat onactivity dan offactivity

On activity, content yang menjelaskan aktifitas yang dilakukan partai maupun perseorangan. Kesalahan kesalahan yang dilakukan partai serta cara partai bertanggung jawab.gunakan bahasa sehari hari .

Offactivity

Ikut aktif dengan para Blogger ataupun event di online baik itu ngaskus ataupun hal yang ngak berkaitan dengan partai , jangan lupa me-review hal itu di Blog.

yang terakhir ;

Gunakan bahasa bahasa sehari hari karena bahasanya membumi,ringan, ngak kayak koran dan mengajak bicara audiencenya namun tetap menjaga agar tidak lari dari tujuan seperti penggunaan.

Beri backlink, diutamakan do-follow :-)

Tingkatkan Personal Branding

SEO , Mesin pencari atau Search engine telah menjadi kultur baru, era buku kuning -yellow pages , dan alat bantu pencarian sudah digantikan dengan online - Google - dari sekedar informasi, info Small Business , sampai pencarian lokasi sudah digantikan dengan Google earth.

Bermasyarakat dengan netizen non Blogger, umumnya netizen yang non blogger selalu berkunjung ke forum atau social network. Sebagai salah satu strategy Online marketing bisa gunakan FaceBook. According to Budiputra

Kenapa ? Facebook is getting more popular now in Indonesia, it has reached 645% growth rate last year!

At a growth rate of 645% in 2008, Indonesia has been the fastest growing country on Facebook in Southeast Asia , outpacing growth in China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.

Facebook users are also a minority compared with Friendster , the country’s most popular social networking services.

Luckily, With over 12 million registered users in Indonesia , about 60% of Indonesia’s Internet users have a Friendster account.

Online market branding dengan Online marketing 2.0

Selama ini Online marketing di indonesia kurang berkembang karna kultur corporate yang tertutup dan tidak terbuka terhadap celaan. So,

Berdayakan para Internet marketer sebagai rekan kerja sebagai online marketing services, Online Community Consultant, ataupun online marketing research .

Lagi lagi dengan Internet marketer, Jumlah pekerja yang selalu berlebih dengan peluang kerja offline yang tersedia, maka jalin lah kerja sama dengan Internet marketer untuk menumbuhkan peluang kerja sebagai Internet marketer.

Mulailah terbuka dan membumi semoga ditahun 2009 atau setidaknya tahun berikutnya bisa menang pemilu Indonesia .

Police Likely to Drop Case In Dam Failure Tragedy

A month after the Situ Gintung reservoir disaster on March 27, police have yet to locate or name any suspects behind the tragedy, and the investigation will likely be dropped due the a lack of evidence, a police official said on Sunday.

“We have not yet found any criminal violations in this case, because there is no evidence as to negligence on this issue. But we will not drop the investigation yet,” National Police spokesman Chief Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said.

This month leading Indonesian environmental watchdog, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, or Walhi, reported six government officials to the police for suspected negligence that led to the Situ Gintung dam disaster, which killed at least 100 people.

The six officials — Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, Banten Governor Ratu Atut, Ministry of Public Works Director General of Water Resources Iwan Nusyirwan, Tangerang district chief Ismet Iskandar, South Tangerang Mayor Muhammad Saleh, and Ciliwung and Cisadane River Management Agency Chief Pitoyo Subrandrio — were reported to the criminal unit of the National Police.

According to Berry Nahdian Furqon, executive director of Walhi, the officials were reported because they failed to make sure the dam was safe and there had been no maintenance work done on the artificial lake.

He also said reports of damage from the local residents had been ignored and no action had been taken to prepare for potential malfunctions in the dam’s structure.

The head of South Tangerang’s public works agency, Eddy Adolf Nicolas Malonda, was questioned by Jakarta Police early in April over the disaster.


Situ Gintung Dam Survivors Unable To Cast Ballots.



Confusion reigned around the site of the Situ Gintung reservoir disaster on Thursday, with close to half of the survivors who lost their homes unable — or unwilling — to vote.

It was around 7 a.m. when Burhanuddin, 42, and several other survivors of the dam burst arrived at polling station No. 30, just 200 meters from the Kertamukti camp for those displaced by the disaster in Banten Province. But within moments, they were all told that they could not vote.

“They are not on our voters list,” Eman Sulaeman, a Kertamukti election official, told the Jakarta Globe. “They are not residents of Kertamukti, so they are not listed here.”

Unlike the 2004 elections, this year voters were only allowed to cast their vote at the polling station which had their name listed. Voting anywhere else would have required a lengthy administrative process.

Burhanuddin and the others said they had no choice but to return to the camp without voting.

“We don’t know where our polling station is,” Burhanuddin said. “Nobody told us.”

On the eve of the elections, officials visited the camp and registered eligible voters, distributing official invitations that showed them where their polling station was located. However, there were numerous victims like Burhanuddin who did not receive an invitation and therefore did not know where they were supposed to go.

There were four polling stations set up around the Situ Gintung area for victims of the disaster — the Kertamukti polling station not being one of them — but they were all at least two kilometers away.

“I’d rather stay here [in Kertamukti] than vote,” said Sunyoto, 72, another victim. “It’s too far away.”

At polling station No. 23, the names of least 10 of those killed in the dam burst were still registered on the voters list. Syafruddin Nero, an election official at the station, said that only 181 of the 352 voters listed cast their votes.

On polling day, election officials provided a bus to take survivors to their respective polling stations. However, there were individuals like Sunyoto who refused to board the cramped bus.

Several others who did board the bus were taken to the wrong polling stations.

“I feel like a Ping-Pong ball, being tossed around like this,” another victim, Amin, 57, said.

A spokesman for the Banten General Elections Commission, or KPUD, confirmed that 48 percent of the survivors did not vote.

The Situ Gintung dam burst two weeks ago and a consequent flash flood claimed at least 100 lives and left another 1,000 people homeless.

Who is Manohara Odelia Pinot, Indonesian Model

Indonesian websites and socialite blogs are today buzzing with the big question: What really happened to Manohara, the darling of all Indonesia!

WORLD FUTURES

In 2008, the young Manohara Pinot, mix Indonesian and French, adopted two children - one with special needs - to be taken care of at her house. She calls Cannes her home and Jakarta her ‘new’ home but ended up in Kelantan as the wife of a prince who is said to be keeping her locked in the palace.

Prime Minister Najib Razak was spared the embarassement of answering to the questions of the eager and angry Indonesian press at a press conference at Jakarta during his brief visit to Indonesia. Reports from Indonesia indicates that the high profile model's case - which is one between a young husband and a too young wife - is a 'national' affair and can disrupt the good relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia.

Who is the beautiful model Manohara Pinot and what really happened to her?

Indonesian websites and socialite blogs are today buzzing with the big question: What really happened to Manohara, the darling of all Indonesia!

In some case, stories of how she is being mistreated at the Kelantan Palace by her husband is reported with crude details and a website even suggested that Manohara was not treated like a wife but like an object. "She was even made to have sex while in menstruation, which is unacceptable and a horrible thing to do," said the webmaster.

Reporters covering the press conference with Najib in Jakarta, after the leaders met at the presidential palace, were refused permission to ask about the case of 17-year-old Indonesian-American model Manohara Odelia Pinot.

A startling allegation recently surfaced in an Indonesian newspaper about a member of the Kelantan royal household, who is said to have 'abducted and abused' his 17-year-old Indonesian model wife (Manohara). According to the Surya newspaper, the family of Manohara Odelia Pinot are now in the dark as to her whereabouts and fear for her safety.They also claimed that the model, who was named as one of the country's top models by an international magazine, was cut with a razor blade by her husband.Her mother Daisy Fajarina said the royalty had forcefully taken her daughter away in a private jet from Saudi Arabia, where the family had gone to perform the umrah last month. Manohara started her love for fashion at an early age. She loves Roberto Cavalli dresses, Christian Louboutin shoes, Birkin bags, Audemars Piguet and Roger Dubuis watches just to name a few. A close source said that Manohara is exteremely down-to-earth, unlike any other women you see toting Birkins on Louboutin heels, “She is beautiful, outside and inside,” added our source.

Besides preparing to enroll in public relations major at a university in Jakarta, this soft-spoken young lady enjoys painting and writing in her free time. With beauty and grace that resemble Marella Agnelli, combined with such an impeccable manner, Manohara always looks effortlessly elegant and stunning.

She was a rising star and was really loved by the Indonesian people for her generosity and her image. Richly clad and in the company of rich personalities, she was once the girl friend of the son of one of the members of the rich and powerful Bakri family in Indonesia.

One story goes that she was involved with the Kelantan Prince at the age of 15 and was promised to be married to the prince who kept his promise last year when Manohara reached the age of 16.5.

It is also said that she wanted to be involved with the son of the Bakri family but had found out that the boy in question was involved with an Indonesian actress. This made her return to Kelantan where she got married and is said to have been living a sad life.

It is also said that she was introduced to the prince during a party where Najib Tun Razak was present.

Recriminations after NYC jet flyover photo op

NEW YORK (AP) — It was supposed to be a photo op that captured images of an Air Force One plane with a majestic Statue of Liberty in the background. Instead, it turned into a public relations nightmare that led to recriminations from the president and mayor and prompted thousands of others to ask, "What were they thinking?"

Just before the workday began on Monday, an airliner and supersonic fighter jet zoomed past the lower Manhattan skyline. Within minutes, startled financial workers streamed out of their offices, fearing a nightmarish replay of Sept. 11.

For a half-hour, the Boeing 747 and F-16 jet circled the Statue of Liberty and the Financial District near the World Trade Center site. Offices evacuated. Dispatchers were inundated with calls. Witnesses thought the planes were flying dangerously low.

But the flyover was nothing but a photo op, apparently one of a series of flights to get pictures of the plane in front of national landmarks.

It was carried out by the Defense Department with little warning, infuriating New York officials and putting the White House on the defense. Even Mayor Michael Bloomberg didn't know about it, and he later called it "insensitive" to fly so near the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The director of the White House military office, Louis Caldera, took the blame a few hours later. One of the planes was a 747 that is called Air Force One when used by the president.

"Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision," Caldera said. "While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."

When told of the flight, President Barack Obama was furious, a White House official said on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Still, federal officials provided few details and wouldn't say why the public and area building security managers weren't notified. They also wouldn't address why someone thought it was a wise decision to send two jets into New York City, all for a few photos with the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop.

An administration official said the purpose of the photo op was to update file photos of the president's plane near the Lady Liberty.

This official said the White House military office told the Federal Aviation Administration that it was updating file photos of Air Force One near national landmarks. The official requested anonymity to give more details than the official White House announcement.

An Air Force combat photographer took pictures from one of the fighter jets, administration officials said.

The photo op was combined with a training exercise to save money, according to another administration official who also spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly about the behind-the-scenes discussions about the flight.

The FAA notified the New York Police Department of the flyover, telling them photos of the Air Force One jet would be taken about 1,500 feet above the Statue of Liberty around 10 a.m. Monday. It had a classified footnote that said, "Information in this document shall not be released to the public or the media."

"Why the Defense Department wanted to do a photo op right around the site of the World Trade Center catastrophe defies the imagination," Bloomberg said. "Poor judgment would be a nice way to phrase it. ... Had I known about it, I would have called them right away and asked them not to."

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said typically a flight like this would be publicized to avoid causing a panic, but they were under orders not to in this case. They regularly get requests for flyovers, but without secrecy restrictions.

The FAA also alerted an official in the mayor's office, but he didn't tell Bloomberg, who said he first learned about it when his "BlackBerry went off crazy with people complaining about it."

The Bloomberg official who was notified was Marc Mugnos, director of operations for the Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management. Mugnos didn't immediately respond to questions about why he didn't tell the mayor; Bloomberg's spokesman Stu Loeser issued a statement saying: "He has been reprimanded and a disciplinary letter will be placed in his file."

Workers in lower Manhattan were stunned by what they saw.

John Leitner, a floor trader at the New York Mercantile Exchange Building, said about 1,000 people "went into a total panic" and ran out of the building around 10 a.m. after seeing the planes whiz by.

"We were informed after we cleared out of there," Leitner said. "I kind of think heads should roll a little bit on that."

Employees of the Wall Street Journal also left their desks to see what was going on.

Kathleen Seagriff, a staff assistant, said workers heard the roar of the engines and then saw the planes from their windows.

"They went down the Hudson, turned around and came back by the building," she said. "It was a scary scene, especially for those of us who were there on 9/11."

Air Force spokesman Vince King said the "photo mission" involved one of two VC-25 aircraft. The aircraft is part of the Presidential Airlift Wing, based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

The F-16 jet that flew alongside came from the D.C. National Guard's 113th fighter wing.

My Result

Madonna named Hollywood's hardest working mum

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With earnings of $110 million (74.8 million pounds) in 2008, Madonna topped Forbes' list of Hollywood's hardest working mothers, followed by actresses Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The pop singer and mother of three, who was recently turned down in her bid to adopt a second child from Malawi, grossed $105 million on her tour and sold nearly a million albums in the United States. Madonna also signed several lucrative endorsement deals last year, according to Forbes.com.

"She had an incredible year in 2008," said Lauren Streib who helped to compile the list that was released on Friday.

"She had the top tour of any musician...The tour sold out around the world. So it wasn't surprising as much as it is a commentary on how successful her year was," she said.

Witherspoon, who earned an estimated $24 million last year, was second on the list, followed closely behind by Paltrow with $20 million in earnings.

In addition to her film career and raising daughter Ava and son Deacon, Witherspoon, who is divorced from actor Ryan Phillippe, is also the international spokeswoman for the cosmetics company Avon.

Paltrow's role in the blockbuster comic book film "Iron Man," which earned $580 million worldwide, and her endorsements for Estee Lauder and shoe and handbag maker Tod's propelled her to the third spot.

Streib said the list is based on estimated earnings of Hollywood mothers with at least one child. Earnings include album sales, salaries, box-office grosses and endorsements and licensing deals.

She added that for many of the women on the list endorsement deals are a significant part of their earnings.

"I think this is something that has been going on for decades now. We are seeing less and less models and more and more celebrity spokespeople. It is a big part of the business of being a celebrity," she added.

Mother of three Julia Roberts, who returned to the big screen in a starring role in the film "Duplicity," captured the fourth spot on the list, while actress Sarah Jessica Parker, who has a son with husband Matthew Broderick, rounded out the top five.

Angelina Jolie, who has six children but still earned $14 million last year, came in sixth, followed by model and television presenter Heidi Klum, who is pregnant with her fourth child.

Best actress Academy Award winner Kate Winslet, who has two children, and singer and mother of three Faith Hill also made the list, which is posted at www.forbes.com.

British billionaires lose big in rich list

LONDON (Reuters) - British-based steel magnate Lakshi Mittal leads the list of the country's billionaires who've lost the most in the economic downturn, seeing his wealth plummet 61 percent, a survey shows.

As the number of billionaires in the United Kingdom fell by more than 40 percent to 43 from 75 in a year, Mittal's fortune slumped by some 17 billion pounds, the Sunday Times newspaper reported in an annual survey on Saturday.

The country's richest 1,000 lost a total of 155 billion pounds last year, with steel and mining magnates like Mittal among the worst hit, the Sunday Times Rich List 2009 showed.

Despite that, Mittal retained his place as the country's richest man with an estimated fortune of 10.8 billion pounds.

Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea football club owner, who has steel and other investment interests, remained second with 7 billion pounds, down more than 40 percent.

The richest British-born billionaire, the Duke of Westminster, remained third on the list, with his largely property-based portfolio falling by a modest 7 percent to 6.5 billion pounds.

An influx of European and American bargain hunters, taking advantage of a weakened pound, helped boost the income of some retailers including Mohamed al-Fayed, owner of the luxury London store Harrods.

His estimated fortune rose by 17 percent to 650 million pounds.

At the other end of the shopping experience, Ken Morrison, president of the supermarket Morrisons, saw his fortune rise 11 percent to 1.6 billion pounds.

Online betting also benefited, with Peter and Denise Coates, owners of the online sports betting Web site Bet365, seeing their wealth rise by 33 percent to 400 million pounds.

Collectively, the 1,000 multi-millionaires in the list saw their wealth fall by 37 percent. They are worth 258 billion pounds, down from last year's record total of 413 billion pounds.

The annual list is based on identifiable wealth, including land, property and other items such as art, racehorses or significant shares in publicly quoted companies, but does not include bank accounts.

The full list of the richest 1,000 in Britain is released on Sunday.