once upon a blog...

Its Over?

2007-12-16T19:38:00.000-05:00

As finals come around the corner, each year I think to myself, "Where did the semester go?" I don't know if anyone else felt the same way, but I felt that this semester went by extremely fast. Usually it goes by pretty quickly and I realize that at the end of the semester, but throughout the semester I felt that time was going quickly. Looking back at the semester, I think that some of the reason that helped move this fall along was in part due to the weather. There were 3 main aspects that were weather related and seemed to have an impact.

1. Hot.
Having been abroad last fall, I forgot about the fall temperatures down in DC. I was surprised how warm it was and it seemed to be extremely warm for a longer time. I never felt that I really needed to check the weather forecast, because it was typically sunny and hot for the first month and a half. With warm weather, everyone was out on the quad wasting away the few hours that they had between classes or were there just to do the typical "people watching" that so many people do...

2. The trees were very colorful.
Being from New England, one thing that I really miss is the changing of the leaves and how pretty it is back home. This fall the leaves were gorgeous. They were bright and stayed on the trees for quite a while. I guess that this made the semester go by quickly, as it made me extremely anxious to go back home for Thanksgiving Break.

3. We got snow.
I love snow and usually in DC we don't get too much. Thats why when it snowed a couple weeks ago, I was really happy, but also confused. First off, it was early December which seemed kind of random for down here, and second off it stuck to the road and actually accumulated. I've given up checking for how much snow we are anticipated to get, because usually it never turns out to be that much, so I didn't.

So all in all, the weather down in DC this fall was random. While its not the main reason why I felt that this semester went by quickly, it definitely had an impact!

Passionate for Web2.0

2007-12-02T22:15:00.000-05:00

Last month I read in Naked Conversations, that people who blog have a passion and interest in what they blog about. I've brought this point up many times throughout my blog, but I believe passion is a driving factor about why people are so involved in the internet and this "blogosphere" nature. Its a simple matter. People are going to do what they like and will continue to do it if they find it interesting enough.

With the increasing attention and growth in User generated content (UGC) and Web2.0, there are clearly skeptics of this new information. In an article written by Andrew Keen, he talks about how anyone can create content. In Wikipedia for example, an expert can add to the information and the next day, a sixteen year old kid can change or delete the information the expert added. All in all, the issue of credibility or authority can arise in Web2.0, which can further cause incorrect information or misguide readers.

However, while these points are valid, I'm reverting back to the whole idea of passion. I may be too trusting of people, but users who are providing information or adding to certain sites have a reason to: they care about getting information out there. And yes, there will be people who may not have the same idea of what happened or researched as much as say an expert. That will happen, but for the most part, users are not going to add to content if they don't think they can contribute anything worthwhile. It is with passion and desire to inform others that they will take an active role in adding to sites.

There are even social networking sites that are popping up, such as Razoo, that are formed as a means " that encourages user-generated content around shared passions and issues."(read some more about it on this site) Passionate about issues and helping others is the basis that I see and trust UGC. Web2.0 can help the community in providing important information that is a colloboration from other community members, it can be helpful in achieving a greater good, and can overall just be a more effective means of disseminating information. Its important to realize not everyone is an expert, but you don't have to be an expert just to provide more information or add your thoughts.

A Change in Marketing?

2007-11-25T21:36:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for information on a product or some evolving issue, where would you go? It used to be mainstream media as a form of gaining information, but over the last couple of years that has changed dramatically. With the rise of technology, citizens and individuals have become more active in this search for information and freely provide it, whether it be videos, blogs, or other online aspects. These actions are all important in creating User Generated Content, or UGC.

I think that the largest aspect or problem people have with UGC deals with trust. An online post from Bruce Clay, Inc noted that one of the positive aspects of UGC is that it is trusted from consumers. They note that people trust the information about the product because not all comments are positive. There are people who give negative reviews and talk about the flaws in the product.

Advertising and marketing is based on the idea of promoting the positive aspects of a product. People naturally want to know what problems there are with the product or to give a more accurate representation. UGC provides a perfect way to get this information in an unbiased way.

With this being said, what will UGC do to the future or appeal of marketing? In an online marketing blog post about User Generated Content for Search Engine Optimization, they said "Consumer distrust of formal marketing communications has in part been facilitated by the alternatives offered through user generated content." What does this mean for marketing companies?

Well as I see it, people aren't always going to look online for information about their products. Consumer behavior isn't going to change that much in terms of brand loyalty for low involvement products, such as toilet paper or potato chips. People aren't going to search online to see which chip is better for instance. However, in terms of high involvement products, such as cars or electronics, I think that the implementation of UGC will have a much greater impact on the consumer decision making process.
Do you think marketers need to change their strategy to rebuild their trust from consumers? Or do you think there is no need for change?

Do I Know You?

2007-11-04T10:44:00.000-05:00

I was never really a fan of myspace. I feel like there were too many people on their for the wrong reasons. While I know that there are tons of other networking sites and each one had a specific goal once they started up (i.e. facebook and college students), myspace reached out too far. People just add people they don't know based on looks or interests or they look like they could be very outgoing. Instead of having 125 friends, people try to reach up to 300 friends- whether or not they are actually friends. With any developed or long standing networking site that has an unlimited group of people who could join, I feel like people just add people for the heck of it. Facebook has gotten there.

I know all of you have probably gotten a friend request and you are like, do i even know you? and then try to search and see if you have any common friends only to find out, you dont. Some people just try to friend people to create a new connection- one that may not even exist.

With professional networking sites such as LinkedIn, what is the appropriate friending technique? I never know if I should just add someone because I have talked to them once or know about them. Is friending them the right thing to do? In terms of coworkers, I have worked with a lot of individuals but haven't necessarily talked to them other than on work terms. For others, I recognize their names having sent them emails but have very rarely if actually met them face to face. I don't add them to my LinkedIn profile.

In one article, it was said that "Just as we are now seeing a consumer backlash on MySpace--people have too many ‘friends’--we may see a similar reaction with the networking sites, and their value will decline." I completely agree. People sometimes just add people because they may work for the same company and look for people who be useful for connections. And with so many people doing the same thing, these connections aren't strong or useful.

While there may be a few people on your professional account that you may not know, next time you are about to friend someone, think about if its worth it...

Different Minds. Different Results.

2007-10-28T22:52:00.000-04:00

Everybody is different...clearly. So when professionals talk to students or anyone about their role in networking and job searching I find it funny. Funny in the sense that everyone will have a different opinion. When I first created my resume, I had my professor, career center, parents, and friends look at it to get their opinions. Since then, I have added and changed things around, but I have also read books on resumes, looked at the good vs. bad examples, and all those tools that people recommend. But on the outside, I still don't create my whole resume on one suggestion.

A VP of marketing in one company can like my resume or cover letter, whatever it may be, and then the next company could hate my resume. And thats to be expected. So I guess what I have learned from networking books, seminars, and talking to people is that there are basic guidelines, but don't ever just base your final product from one thing.

After reading an article discussing the networking tools, one of the writers, Benjamin Bach, suggested creating business cards that are slightly different so they help distinguish oneself. He gave an example of using a funny slogan or cartoon, but as soon as I read that it made me think back to one networking seminar/speech that I went to that said don't do anything like that. I think for certain industries having a funny, witty, or graphic card can help, but for others if you give a business card with a goofy clipart picture they may look at it and laugh or not be interested.

With all the differing opinions and visions on what should and shouldn't be done on paper (i.e cover letter, resume, business cards), I think the use of the networking sites such as LinkedIn.Com are great assets. For the most part they are standardized, so pages aren't color coded or formatted differently (from what I have seen through my use) and this will provide the information necessary for recruiters. This can help create a way so individuals will be looked at for what they have as experience, rather than maybe on just getting lucky with doing everything the other person looks for in a candidate subjectively.

Linky..

2007-10-27T12:10:00.001-04:00

Technorati Profile

The World Is a Meeting Place...

2007-10-21T21:34:00.000-04:00

When people say the world is becoming more connected, they sure aren't joking! In the Working Together When Apart article, it talked about the ways to help ensure that virtual teams will work more effectively. After reading the article, it made it seem like as long as the teams follow these major points, then things will work for the best. While I understand and agree with the points that were made, I still don't think that virtual teams can work in the long run.

I have been on a team, of which many of the members were traveling, so any given time the meeting would have 5-15 actually in the office and the others dialing in from their remote locations. There were 5 members who would always dial in since their offices were located in Russia, Scotland, South Africa, and the UK. The meetings progressed and on the phone we got our goals accomplished, but it still never felt like a team. A team in my opinion, is more than just what happens when you are "team meeting". It is those times that you share outside of that conference room and in the rest of the office. Say you have birthday celebration lunches, the individuals who dial in aren't obviously getting a chance to participate and build that team feeling.

The benefits of virtual teams are great... they provide a wide range of individuals with different backgrounds and ideas from across the globe and can carry on meetings in any location just to name a few. They are a great asset to companies and should continue to be used to solve problems that are facing the companies. However, these virtual teams will accomplish what they need to and can solve an issue at hand, but I don't believe that these teams will work in the long run or will be the best method of solving a problem that is persistent. In saying that, team dynamics are a huge part of creating a team. In the article I mentioned above, the author noted aspects to make a better dynamic, but again in the long run I feel that teams need to have that physical presence or base connection.

A Fine Line...

2007-10-11T21:01:00.000-04:00

Facebook is key in college. For a majority of people it is a way to stay in touch.. .for others, it is a way to stalk people and see what they are up to. Ever since Facebook moved out of the realm of being "college oriented", there were so many more ways to use it as more than just a social tool.

Employers use facebook as a means to find out about their potential employees- or applicants. In one article, it said that 1 out of 10 people were not hired because their employer searched and found something not appealing about them. I think it is fair for employers to search for their potential hires on google, but I think that facebook or photo albums should not be searchable.

Facebook is used for a social network amongst friends. It isn't fair for employers to break into that to see what they do when they are with their friends. I am making huge assumptions, but if you talk to a lot of the other people that you work with that may be older, they will attest to the fact that they were huge partiers back in the day. Just because there wasn't the technology- digital cameras or the internet, they were not subject to the amount of scrutiny that we are nowadays. To compare where we are now compared to where we were about 30 years, there are obviously so many variables and differences (i.e the party scene, use of drugs), however I think that it is a fair comparison. Employers were hired because of their talent and their attitude and then once they were in the company, if the company determined they lacked the qualities that directly reflected the company goals they were fired. I think that to a certain extent that should be how it is today.

The "certain extent" is what can be found on google or other informational sites. Looking at photos of people drinking or partying or whatever (for purposes of this, do not consider pictures that are sexual in nature- nudity, etc) is normal for the most part. Information about what they have said or participated in or can be searched. It would be interesting to see events in what they did. And with the information that is found out through these means, it should still be taken lightly. If a person interviews and makes a great impression than the other information that can be found out online should just be lightly looked at... not make or break a job offer.

I know that there is a fine line between what is wrong and what can be allowed. And as this post can be seen as semi confusing, I think that is what this whole situation can be seen as. That is the problem now. With the growing technology it is still a new process. No one can say definitively what should be allowed. Until then, the best way to prevent problems is to limit views and use hard copy pictures...

A Whole New World..

2007-10-07T22:32:00.001-04:00

So I'm not the most technologically apt person. I'm not cognizant of a lot of programs, websites and networking tools there are out online. After reading the article "Toward A Better Digg" I was shocked to hear about the various "linking" websites. While I know that I wouldn't have wondered upon these websites on my own, I am surprised that I haven't heard about them more often...its like a whole new world of websites and information.

Looking at the Digg article and seeing all the competitors or similar websites such as CoRank and Netscape, it makes me think about how the internet is so connected. To think that someone could post something from Iran and then have that appear linked to other pages written from Alaska is hard to believe.

In Naked Conversations, Scoble and Israel make the point that successful blogging needs to be transparent and authentic as well as illustrate passion and authority. Reading both the book and the articles, it reminded me about how blogging is something that anyone can do. If someone is going to start a blog, odds are they are passionate about something that they want to share with someone else. Anyone who is creating a blog will also be authentic in what they are saying. With the websites such as Digg, it allows these blogs to connect to each other and help create a common "authentic and passionate" group of people. Not only will this allow for more information to be disseminated, but it will help create more networks. It will create a whole group of people who share beliefs about a certain topic, one that may not have existed or easily accessed before the use of these linking pages.

Not just a virtual game problem.

2007-10-01T00:40:00.000-04:00

I am not an online or virtual gamer in any way and have very limited knowledge of the different games and programs. After reading a few articles and learning more about Second Life, I was extremely shocked. I never realized how intense or intricate the virtual world could be. As described in the article, Even in Virtual World Stuff Matters, Second Life has thought of everything. The people who play it can get everything- clothes, land, apartments, Calvin Klein perfume...

While I think that virtual worlds are smart to a certain extent, as they allow individuals a way to be creative, leave the stresses of real world behind for a bit and get to live another one, I am kind of put back by these virtual worlds.

When reading the articles, I couldn't but help think of online gambling. It started out as a smart idea, a way to get to play a few games from the comfort of home. However, there comes a point when online gambling is more than just a form of entertainment, but rather an unhealthy obsession (which have prompted legal action to help cut down and ban it in the US). There are so many stories of lives being destroyed as a result of online gambling, that I could see also happening from Second Life. While the Lindens in Second Life are not equal to the same $ amount, money is still involved and if people want to achieve more and enhance their life then they will spend more.

Other countries, as well as the US, have realized how online gambling is a problem and have taken steps to try to eliminate and reduce this issue. With the parallel between gambling and Second Life (or so I see it), I think that there should be a certain extent or monitoring of these virtual games.

The Corporation Comment...

2007-09-24T01:59:00.000-04:00

In any business class the dreaded "C" word is always brought up. Without fail, the topic of corporations evokes so much heated conversation and debate, as everyone has mixed feelings on these business moguls. While some of you may agree with what I say, others will cringe and be ready for an argument.. I think corporations are good.

Over the last few years, I have tried working for various sized companies in hopes of trying to find out what I want to do after I graduate, and have come to the conclusion that the corporation route is right for me. With that being said, I don't wholeheartedly agree that everything in a corporation is run perfectly. I will be the first to admit that there are corporations that are stupid and need to be reworked. But for the most part, corporations are good.

Now what do these thoughts have anything to do with blogging? In Naked Conversations, the issue of breaking down the "evil", dreaded, view of corporations can be achieved or lessened through blogging, as indicated by the Microsoft case. Since I do have a bias on this issue, I can't say that me reading corporate blogs will help make me think of another corporation as being any better, since I already have a favorable view..

While I do agree with the authors point (about blogging improving the public image ) to a certain extent, I believe a lot of the people who are against corporations will not change their minds whether or not a corporation blogs. It will help to a certain extent show the personal soft side of the employees. However, most of the problem with the public view towards corporations is the whole entity itself, rather than the employees. So by having the employees blog, it will help personalize or create common ground with outsides, but for the most part the individuals against corporations will continue their views as they will look more so from the outside perspective...

Therefore, it will interesting to see if any other corporations can slightly change their image or gain more customers through the use of blogging. I guess the future will help answer these questions...

Have a little extra time....

2007-09-19T13:40:00.000-04:00

Do you like the topics I talk about? Interested in hearing more of my classmates thoughts? Take a look at a few other blogs...

Every 3 seconds a child dies needlessly...

2007-09-16T23:25:00.000-04:00

Not to start off on a morbid or sad tone, but its always interesting to think about how quickly changes in the world can happen. Sitting on the couch for 15 minutes, so much outside in the world can be turned inside out. Just as with births, deaths, marriages, crimes, etc society is advancing at such a rapid pace there is no idle time. Anything can happen.

In Naked Conversations, it was said that "between yesterday and today a new blog will start at a rate of nearly one per second". While that statistic is quite staggering in that there can be that many blogs, it also is unsurprising at the same time. Last week, I had 2 meetings and my first day at my internship and in all of those circumstances blogging was brought up. It was not that blogging was just acknowledged, but rather that blogging was one of the action items or deliverables. For work, I need to update the company's blog, and for one of my clubs, we collectively add to a blog seen by perspective students. These blogs are not just the personal blogs or ranting blogs that were quite common in the past (and still are), but are necessities in the business world.

Having seen blogging becoming such a large phenomenon in the last few years, it is also interesting to see if there are going to be any long term changes from the importance or rapid growth rate of blogs. Blogging is a different way of communicating as noted. The book pointed out that sometimes the occasional spelling errors can be taken less lightly than before as they personalize or "humanize" the page. However, in the business world so much emphasis is placed on being professional and polished. How then can we have a page that may have an error and pass it off as being alright? Simple items such as grammar and professionalism may be compromised to a smaller extent, but still create change in the way that we operate.

Not only are the blogs rapidly affecting the way that we interpret the company, but I see it as being much more of a networking opportunity in terms of the business world. If management and or other employees are regularly updating the blogs with the latest company news or even personal information about the jobs, employees are communicating outside of the company. These actions can involve the outsiders and can increase the marketability and reachability of the company who is blogging- all of which is realized by both parties.

In general, blogs are redefining the business world. Having appeared and changed how we operate in such a sort amount of time, it is imperative to think about what the future will hold for the blogging and the effect on our society.
It only takes a second for things to change...

2007-09-11T20:11:00.000-04:00

In my Consumer Behavior class we are reading a book called The Culture Code. The basis of the book is to look beyond each products, consumer, and try to figure out the reason or groups that can help us understand or market the products.

It got me thinking about social networks. While we can map out the networks to the best of our ability, there are always going to be connections that we don't see. That isn't a surprise to anyone. Clearly there are going to be people outside of the network that can be connected- ie. six degrees. But I wonder how strong those ties are. Is there a way to illustrate the strength of the ties? Are the closer ties really stronger than the ones that are say three or four degree away?

It is important to map out the networks, but I think that they can't show the real meaning of social networks. The network is influenced by so many variables. Variables for each individual and variables and pressures that affect the network as a whole. ...

A Cookbook?

2007-09-10T00:10:00.000-04:00

When I was looking through the articles to see if there was anything that seemed to catch my eye at first glance, I was brought to the article by Rob Cross. UTC is the parent company of Pratt and Whitney, a company that I’ve interned at for the last 2 summers. Through the intern program, I learned the history of Pratt and UTC and the other business units that comprise the rest of the corporation.

One of the most common stories or comments that I heard was that UTC used to be nicknamed “Un-tied Technologies” because they focused too much on each separate unit, rather than look for some commonalities and shared values. When the CEO took time to look at how to improve the communication between the units he figured out how to collaborate, as the article mentioned, and subsequently improved the communication between companies. Nowadays, UTC prides itself on their diversified portfolio of products, but maintains the communication and “connected” overall company.

With the article recanting the story that I had come to hear over and over again throughout my internship, it made me think about balance. Balance in terms of collaboration and diversification. While it is important to collaborate with coworkers and create the networks, it is also necessary to have a separate identify and diversity amongst the organization and or other business units.

Balance in general is the key to any organization. Organizations need to be willing to try out different ways of managing their resources. In addition to balance, the organizations need to recognize that learning through failure is not actually failure, but rather a learning experience. Management therefore, in the new age of social networking need to be willing to balance and allow their employees time to go out and communicate and build those social networks while still maintaining a healthy balance with actual work. It may be hard to know the exact mixture or recipe of work-communicating, but is absolutely something that needs to be figured out for each company...

More Talk, More Money....

2007-09-04T13:26:00.000-04:00

Rewarding the most successful connectors help better the company. In "The People Who Make Organizations Go or Stop" article, the authors state “the most successful connectors (those who greatly improved employee communications for instance) were awarded bigger bonuses than other managers were- a major departure from the schemes most investment banks follow, in which the managers who create the most profits get the biggest bonuses”

Many of the top firms cite “soft skills” (i.e. communication) as areas in which their employees can improve. Through the development and reinforcement from top management, these social networking tools and rewards can help build and foster more communication and involvement from their employees, all leading to a better corporate environment. In addition to the higher productivity rates, the creation of the social networks can also prove to boost retention rates and employee satisfaction.

With results such as increased productivity, higher employee retention, satisfaction, and involvement, and a more closely tied company, what CEO or COO wouldn't push for more social networks? Is it feasible for CEO compensation to be tied to increases in the number of established communication channels and the amount of company time and resources spent on improving these factors? Or would this compensation reward or bonus be abused when put into practice?

And so it begins..

2007-08-29T12:53:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!

I am a senior at American University in Washington, DC where I am majoring in Marketing and International Management. As part of my Social Networking class, I have created this blog and will continue to update regularly. Hope you will find this blog interesting!

Keeping in terms of the AU integrity pledge, "On my honor, all posts on this blog are on my own"