My World

Which Department Owns Social Media?

2010-05-18T21:01:00.000+08:00

Should Social Media be managed by PR , Customer Service or Marketing Department? The article gives an interesting view that a company cannot ignore.

Which Department Owns Social Media?

What if a hotel know what you want?

2010-05-02T21:13:00.000+08:00

The New York Times has an article on behavioral tracking, cameras that can follow you and monitor every move and everything you touch. On the web, online retailer can track the search terms, your 'like' and even your wall posting in Facebook and Tweeter. Now with mobile devices such as a smart phone, retailer can send ads to you based on your past preferences and behavior.

If you spend 1 to 2 hours a day on the Internet, you will properly lost track of how many entities are tracking you. Not to mention what they are doing with your personal information.

This seem like a serious intrusion of privacy. And in the US, consumer advocates has been promoting the notion of informed consent whereby company clearly notifies you of its policies and their intend with your personal information.

Look at it the other way round.

Imagine you step in to a hotel you checked in last year during your holiday. The hotel staff promptly address your name correctly. Your check-in process was smooth as silk because they have already assigned you a room based on your last visit. When you entered the room, you noticed that there is an extra power socket on the dressing table. It seem that the hotel remembered your special request during your last visit. In your mind you would have said: "wow, this is great service!".

Will you be angry that the hotel actually recorded your behavior of your last visit? You would properly not if it translate into excellent service the next time you visit the hotel again.

Now, let's go one step further. What if, you noticed that the hotel has placed some promotional material in your hotel room. There are promotions on camera. special tour packages to attractions in the city. Something strange was that these promotional materials matches your recent searches on the Internet before you come for the holidays. It seem that the hotel 'knew' what you are looking for during your stay here.

Will you be presently surprise or feel that your privacy has been intruded?

What do you think?

Slipstream - Consumer Tracking Outstrips Protections - NYTimes.com

Blogging declines among teens, young adults - Internet - News

2010-04-29T22:24:00.000+08:00

it seem that we have advanced from just blogging to just updating our status on Facebook and twitter etc. Blogging declines among teens, young adults - Internet - News

Three Cups of Tea One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

2010-04-15T21:08:00.000+08:00

I have been reading this book written by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It tells the story of how Greg helps to build schools for the poor in remote and secluded places of Pakistan. I am deeply affected by his story.

I too have a dream to help others. Be it building schools or creating a fund to help the poor. It has been my dream. However, I have always think that I need to have enough money first before I could do all this.

This book has changed everything I believe in. Greg show me that you do not need to have money to do good thing. Just have your determination and your belief that you can do it. People will starts to believe in you and support will come it way. It will be difficult and challenging. Like Greg has experienced, it is harder than climbing the K2.

I am going to climb the K2.

MI5 dumps spies who can't use Facebook and Twitter - Telegraph

2010-04-12T21:43:00.000+08:00

Even the UK intelligent service is re-looking at its employment requirements. If you do not have a Facebook account or a Twitter, you better start one.

MI5 dumps spies who can't use Facebook and Twitter - Telegraph

BBC: Tributes to 'father of computing'

2010-04-06T21:35:00.000+08:00

Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen lead tributes to Edward Roberts, the "father of the PC", who died at the age of 68.

While we take computer, internet and other social network for granted, we should not forget how this was made possible by a couple of innovators and entrepreneurs. Is interesting to see how Microsoft became what it is now. All thanks to a simple person - Edward Roberts - who believed in them.

Do you have what it takes to spot such talents?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/technology/8600493.stm

Global Audience Spends Two Hours More a Month on Social Networks than Last Year | Nielsen Wire

2010-04-02T20:59:00.000+08:00

Based on a recent survey conducted by Nielsen, people are spending more time on social networks. Web users across 10 countries spent roughly five and a half hours on social networks in February 2010, up more than two hours from the same time last year. This seems low because I believe many of my students spend more than 2 hours a day updating their walls and twitting.

How many hours do you spend on social networking site per day?

Global Audience Spends Two Hours More a Month on Social Networks than Last Year | Nielsen Wire

Eight-year olds with Facebook pages - Telegraph

2010-03-27T23:28:00.000+08:00

Ofcom, the media watchdog, said that one in five children, 19 per cent, between eight and 12 years old use social media sites such as Facebook, Bebo or MySpace. This is despite these sites officially having an age limit of 13. One of the concern is that at such young age, these children may be too innocent to differentiate truth from fallacies. They could also be easy targets by malicious people.

The Internet, including social media, is full of information. However, we need to be able to discern whether the information is a fact or an opinion. The credibility and reliability has to be determined before we accept it.

We should also not just forward, re-tweet, or post information that we are not sure whether it is true or if the credibility and reliability is in question.

Eight-year olds with Facebook pages - Telegraph

Social media 'more popular in China than UK' - Telegraph

2010-03-24T20:30:00.000+08:00

How true is this? While we are more familiar to Twitter and Facebook, our friends in China has their own set of social media tools such as QZone, Baidu and 51. I think very soon, website publishers will have to create 'share it' links to social media sites in China.

Social media 'more popular in China than UK' - Telegraph

Singapore Police Force Fan Page

2010-03-22T21:32:00.000+08:00

Do you know that our Singapore Police Force has a 'Fan Page' in Facebook? It already has over 13,500 fans. Go check it out and become a Fan. We should all do our part to make this place safe. What do you think about the Fan page and how they could improve it?

http://www.facebook.com/singaporepoliceforce

Take a look at how law enforcement agencies in other countries uses social media to fight crime:

6 Ways Law Enforcement Uses Social Media to Fight Crime

How Privacy Vanishes Online, a Bit at a Time - NYTimes.com

2010-03-19T22:10:00.000+08:00

How much do you know about your friends or relatives? Is interesting that you can find out more about your friends and relatives online than in person.

Some time back, I found out through Facebook that my ex-colleague's daughter was sick. I have also found how my friends and relatives feel through their tag line in instant messaging.

It seem that while we value our privacy more than before, we are in fact giving up more in the connected world.

How Privacy Vanishes Online, a Bit at a Time - NYTimes.com

Need a tutor? YouTube videos await - USATODAY.com

2010-03-15T21:37:00.001+08:00

The article was featured in December 2008. It was resurface again this March 2010 in a Straits Times article.

Youtube has become a place not just for watching some funny videos. It can be useful in teaching and learning. Salman Khan from a not for profit organization Khan Academy has created 1000+ videos teaching maths and other subjects. Many of his 'students' found his video useful because of its ability to keep thing simple. each video focuses on a single concept and keeps the videos to a digestible 10-20 minutes. And best of all, is free!

The technology employed was very simple - Microsoft Paint and a on screen recording software. May be is time for us to do a similar Youtube on programming?

Need a tutor? YouTube videos await - USATODAY.com

Khan Academy

Advertising - Instant Ads Set the Pace on the Web - NYTimes.com

2010-03-13T20:24:00.000+08:00

Online advertising is getting much more targeted now. Online advertisers currently can target their advertisements based on demographics, income and even location. In the case of Google, it can also target the advertising based on the content of the websites the internet users are visiting.

There seem to be a new development now. Pioneered by AppNexus, advertisers can now bid not just a block of advertising space but in smaller unit.

Advertising - Instant Ads Set the Pace on the Web - NYTimes.com

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What a Culture of Candor Really Takes - Harvard Business Review

2010-03-11T22:55:00.000+08:00

This article from Harvard Business Review was written on 17 June 2009, about 9 months after the collapse of Lehman Brothers on 15 September 2008.

One of the key problem in Lehman Brothers was that everyone was kept in the dark and not many of the employees know exactly what is going on. Everyone was happy getting paid and was too busy making money.

In management, it is important to have transparency. Greater transparency and freer flow of information can help employees to raise their concerns and suggest solutions .

What most employees do not what is being treated like mushroom - employees being treated like mushrooms: kept in the dark, covered with dung, and – when grown big enough – canned.

Have you been treated like mushroom before?

What a Culture of Candor Really Takes - Our Editors - Harvard Business Review

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Six Social Media Trends for 2010 - Harvard Business Review

2010-03-10T22:51:00.000+08:00

This article is written in November 2009. Let's see whether the prediction is correct or is already happening.

1. Social media begins to look less social - Already happening. My Facebook is now clustered with so many youtube videos, games that I hope I can avoid seeing. Now you can 'hide' these applications or reduce the instance of update you want to see from a particular friends. So if you have been updating too often on Facebook, be careful that many of your friends may just 'turn you off'!

2. Corporations look to scale - Already happening. Everyone is going social networking. From companies, to schools, to government agencies to political parties. The question is how are they using it and how do they measure success?

3. Social business becomes serious play - Already happening. Just look at the many games you play in Facebook.

4. Your company will have a social media policy (and it might actually be enforced) - Not so yet. Many companies still at lost as to what to do with employees.

5. Mobile becomes a social media lifeline - Already happening. Iphone took the lead in this. Social networking sites now have its equivalent on mobile phones.

6. Sharing no longer means e-mail - Already happening. In any website, including my blog, you can share it whatever ways you want.

So what's new here? Seem like not many.

Six Social Media Trends for 2010 - The Conversation - Harvard Business Review

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BBC News - S Korea child 'starves as parents raise virtual baby'

2010-03-07T19:56:00.000+08:00

This is one of the most ridiculous and sad news I have heard of in recent years. To those who are 'addicted' to the Internet, please read this news and let it be a lesson.

How do you know you are addicted to the Internet? One way to test is try not to log on to your twitter or facebook for a day and see how you feel after that.

BBC News - S Korea child 'starves as parents raise virtual baby'

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School districts discourage online social networking by teachers

2010-03-07T19:37:00.000+08:00

In some districts in US, they are setting rule to disallow teachers to use social media. Teachers are not suppose to be 'friends' of their students on social networking site such as Facebook. Siting the need to be professional both inside and outside of the classroom, they are concern of the conduct of the teachers when they are on social media.

I think these districts should strongly encourage their teachers to use social media to connect with their students. They could take that opportunity to educate their students and to do so in a positive manner. The problem is not social media; The problem is inappropriate behavior. What do you think?

School districts discourage online social networking by teachers » Anderson Independent Mail

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Process and People Management

2010-03-04T21:56:00.000+08:00

This is a true story.

Jimmy is a manager in Department A. He has been given access rights to a department folder stored in a server. Recently, Jimmy was given new duty and seconded to Department B. He has to take on extra duty in Department B while continue to work for Department A.

On his 2nd day of his new duty, he found that he could not access Department A's folder anymore. He alerted the Human Resource and IT Department. The human resource officer informed Jimmy that her department did not instruct anyone to remove Jimmy's access right to Department A folder.

What is shocking is that the IT officer did not seem to do any check and merely ask Jimmy to get his boss to authorize him to have access to the folder. Jimmy was very furious. He cannot see why he should ask his boss to grant him the access to the folder since he had already have access to the folder before the new job. Jimmy now demanded IT department to answer to him who in the first place remove his rights and in whose instruction that the action was taken.

This may seem to be trivial, but it could mean a serious weakness in the process and control of granting access rights. What do you think could be the problem and how should we avoid such thing from happening?

What are your friends worth to you?

2010-03-03T22:05:00.000+08:00

It has been said that friendship is priceless and you can not put a price tag on it. But seem like thing is going to change. A couple of websites are using friends' recommendations to make money and at the same time pay you for the recommendations.

It is a good strategy because most of the time, we trust our friends' opinions and recommendations. Sometime we trust our friends even more than our parents or experts!

One of my FYP team also found this out from their survey on whether teenagers click on the advertisement links on websites. Many of the respondents to the survey responded that they normally do not click on advertisement links on search engine and other sites. However, they will tend to click on advertisements posted at their friends' blog.

So what is your opinion? Do you trust your friends recommendations?

Read the news from BBC and remember to come back here and leave your comments.
BBC News - What are your friends worth to you?

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A social network that ballooned

2010-03-02T21:59:00.000+08:00

This is an interesting article on how a group of MIT students uses social network to locate 10 red weather balloons. The 10 red weather balloons are placed in different locations throughout the United States. In order to win, you need as many participants as possible to help you look for the balloons.

The question now is how do you get as many people to sign up and be part of your team? The genius in the MIT team has devised a smart incentive scheme. Kind of like MLM scheme. But, hey, it works!

This article tell us that in order for a social network to work, it must have incentives to the users - be it monetary, status or just knowledge gained. It has to be useful to us.

Read the story here: A social network that ballooned

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BBC NEWS | UK | Education | Facebook 'cuts student drop-outs'

2010-03-01T21:23:00.000+08:00

BBC on 13 October 2009 published an interesting article. It seem that using social networking websites in education can generate some positive results.

Some colleges have been using Facebook Pages to give assignments to students and provide added assistant to students in better understanding the subjects.

Wonder if this will be useful for programming courses? Your views?

BBC NEWS | UK | Education | Facebook 'cuts student drop-outs'

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What do you remember? Or do you need to remember?

2010-02-28T21:42:00.000+08:00

Two students were having a conversation on their difficulties in studying programming.

A: "Today lesson is tough. I have forgotten last week lesson. How am I going to do this week assignment?"
B: "You did not take any notes?"
A: "Notes, what notes? We are paperless here. And if I need anything, I just need to Google it."
B: "But I am sure you have to remember some of the syntax?"
A: "Syntax? What syntax?"
B: "May be you want to google and find out?"

Internet has now become the source of information for us. Search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo! have become the tools for us to sniff out information. If you need to find something, chances are you can get the answer from the Internet.

The Internet is so convenient that we begin to rely on it more and more. We are now connected so well with the Internet that it becomes part of us. As if it is an extension of our brain. Don't believe me? Try living without Internet for just one week. Try relying the old media - radio, TV, newspapers, books - for information. You may find it hard to live your life without Internet.

However, should we be so reliance with the Internet that we stop remembering thing? After all, the Internet is really not part of our brain. Some experts say that creativity and innovation come from our brain ability to make connection of its past experiences. Our past experiences allow us to make new connections and help us to develop new things. Therefore, if we cannot remember anything, how than can we make new connections?

So how should we make better use of the Internet?

Email - Let it not be an evil mail

2010-02-25T22:01:00.000+08:00

Is there anything wrong with this email:

To me, this email is very wrong. We should observe some form of manner when we write an email. This is especially so when we are writing to someone other than your close friend. Email is not the same as instant messaging, tweet or wall posting. Email is a little more formal, especially when you are using it for formal purpose.

Let's take a closer look at the email. If the reader do not know the sender and it is for official purpose, can you spot the mistakes? How would you improve the email?

What happen when you post a comment?

2010-02-23T22:04:00.000+08:00

When you feel happy, what would you do? Feel like telling the world about it? Nowadays is easy. Just tweet it on tweeter or leave a note on your 'wall' on facebook.

But is there a different when you just share your feeling with your friends at the coffee shop or pub compare with leaving messages on social media such as tweeter and facebook?

For one, the message can reach far more people. It is now not confine to just a couple of your friends. Any messages you leave on social network is going to be read by all your contacts, your contacts' contacts, your contacts' contacts' contacts....

Next, your message is going to be permanent. Anyone who has the access can read it and forward it anytime they want.

So, next time if you are going to say "You are bored in class", "You are looking for solutions for your assignments", "You are asking your friends to skip class", just remember that if you have added your teachers, lecturers, or facilitators, he is going to read this also!

Is easy to just switch on the computer and pen your feelings on social network. But before you hit the submit button, hold back and think about it. Who will be reading this and how it will affect them and you.

What happen when shit hits the fan?

2010-02-22T22:35:00.001+08:00

A colleague of mine used to say this "When the shit hits the fan, which do you want to be? The fan or the wall?"

Put it simply, do you want to be the one giving the orders or be the one receiving the orders? I found this an interesting question.

What do you think? Do you want to be the fan or the wall? And why? (Sound like an RJ question)