End of 2008. December is CRAZINESS.

When I signed up for Social Networking and Business back in the Spring I thought it would be a good free elective for me because it sounds like a class that I would actually need to take...I think it should be required frankly.

Walking into class the first day I was a little nervous because I didn't know anyone and coming from SOC, I know all of the students in my year who take Public Comm classes.

I thought it was a weird compilation of students but surprisingly, I feel like our class is one big happy family now. We have been so open with eachother and find a lot of the same things funny or embarassing. I couldn't be happier with the outcome of the dynamic of the classroom.

I am happy to have learned so many social networking applications I can't even think of one to choose that stands out in my mind. All I know is that this information is like gold for my resume and interviews...and I learned it in a fun entertaining knowledgable social setting.

For all future students, I would totally recommend this class in a heartbeat. I have no qualms.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Goodbye Class Tweeting, Hello Again Old Friend!

Since this class is almost over I figured I should share with everyone that I will be blogging from Spain come January! Feel free to follow my stories on my Spain blog...address coming soon...

ROI...A concept I've heard many a time. Everyone always wants proof if their measures are actually working for some benefitt. People always need actual evidence, statistics, and research to back up why a particular means is the solution to the problem.

It's like that menality: What's in it for me?

I kind of hate that way of thinking and I'm sure everything you do to promote yourself/a business is at least somewhat worth it even if you capture one person's attention. That one person could be the biggest opinion leader!

Anyway, I understand though that "time is money" and people need an efficient way to measure their success by using a certain tool.

Happy almost-Winter! (snow, cold = my walk to school is sadness)

twitter.com/kimchiquita

Twitter is a very interesting tool. I have yet to come to terms with my feelings for it. I don't understand still why there is an importance for it especially since, as of right now, it doesn't seem as popular, or could be as popular, as something like a Facebook.

I read the news article about James Buck being arrested and how the public became informed about his situation by his use of Twitter:

On his way to the police station, Buck took out his cell phone and sent a
message to his friends and contacts using the micro-blogging site Twitter.

Honestly, I'm really happy for James Buck but if I had texted my twitter with any sort of update on my status of well-being I doubt anyone who actually knew or cared about me would see it. It just seems like a one and a hundred chance that someone I care about would be constantly checking Twitter.

On the other hand, I can understand why people would want to use Twitter for their own personal benefits. As stated in 25 Twitter Tips for College Students, I would definitely use Twitter to send me to do list updates or to use "tweet what you eat" -- it sounds so fun!

I made a Twitter and so has my roommate...check ours out and maybe one day you can save me when I've been arrested in a foreign land.

My Super Crew

I really enjoyed reading A Mind of a Hustler, the road to success starts in the streets. Every good crew in real life or in the movies clearly has an archetype like the hustler mentioned.

If I were to form my own super crew based on those stereotypes I would choose the following:

The Leader: that would be me. I would totally be the leader of the group because I would be the one founding this business adventure. I would probably open my own events business or maybe run my own restaurant. The options are endless...

The Brain: This is a tough decision. I would either pick Warren Buffet, the current wealthiest man in the US or the brain from the PBS kids show Arthur. Both seem like very sufficient picks and very outgoing.

The Anchor: I need some girl power up in here so even though the anchor is supposed to be somebody who would question your ideas and maybe have you rethink what you are doing...I am going to go with the wisdom and wit of Joy Behar or the intelligence of Natalie Portman. I feel like both would add a great deal to this team.

The Solider: Dwight Schrute from the Office will absolutely be my soldier. He is diligent, compassionate, and is willing to take a bullet for his current boss Michael Scott, so I'm sure him and I will get along just fine and he will be my right hand man.

Now this super crew may need some adjusting, but I think we will do just fine with our start up business. Plus, I will give everyone an office with a window so that we can all brainstorm separately. Because you know, if you brainstorm separately before coming together in one group you will think up many more ideas.

I think it's really important to surround yourself with people who will empower you, will be loyal, and add a new perspective to your life. Unfortunately, finding these essential people is the hardest part.

I think the Hustler's point, in dealing with businesses, is that you're only as strong as your weakest link. Being able to delegate responsibility to everyone is very important because you don't want someone lagging behind...

Who would your super crew be? Do you believe in the power of brainstorming? How would you control your crew? IRL or in the Virtual World?

photo credits:

http://pbskids.org/arthur/friends/images/rollovers/brain_home.gif

http://gurugilbert.com/wp-content/Buffett.jpg

http://cricketfeet.com/actingqs/JoyBehar.jpg

http://abreka.com/jbn/images/natalie-portman.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/content/images/2007/05/02/dwight_schrute_396x222.jpg

Just Because

¡La Revolución!

Do you think you can really make a difference? Does what you say really even matter? Well, if you're reporting on Steve Jobs' health and supposed heart attack you could have Apple's stock drop 10 points almost instantneaously.

This new found era of expressing your ideas and informing the public on "news" is creating a catastrophe for the print publications (cosmogirl just went under!) but it is also creating a new outlet for people around the world to tell the public the "truth" without biases.

Last spring break I traveled around the UK and when I was in London I stopped by speaker's corner in Hyde Park.

Seriously, going back to literally standing on a soapbox preaching to people on the street.

From Thomas Paine's Common Sense to Current_TV and iReport, people have been informing others by word of mouth for decades. Now we are just able to see numerous points of view digitally and within minutes.

Actually, there was a guy standing outside of the Chinatown metro today SCREAMING about how Christians are the most ignorant and hateful people in the world. Only in America, yeah? You should have heard the people at speaker's corner...

Networking IRL

My dad made me start keeping an excel spreadsheet of all my contacts/business cards I've ever received since my senior year of highschool. It was probably one of the best things I've kept up with because now I have a lot of contacts stored in one place on my computer.

I've been to a bunch of networking events and just with the nature of internships I've had, I meet a lot of people in a lot of cool industrys. It is absolutely necessary to keep in touch with these people because obviously it's not what you know, but who you know. Especially networking for students...I've fine tuned my elavator speech and I even have my own business cards. They are pretty snazzy.

Did you know that through the career center here at AU you can go on trips to NYC to meet with AU Alumni in high level positions in different communications/marketing fields? It's a really great opportunity and you should look into it!

It's never a bad idea to put yourself out there and grab any opportunities that come your way!

Privacy?

If only there were more foot doctors in life that could diagnose the problems of people being too nosy. Luckily we know of one intelligent man who can spot a Googler when he sees one, Dr. Scott Haig.

Its a critical epidemic nowadays and it is spreading to our youth. People stay up for hours on end checking incessantly peoples' status, photos, wall posts, music updates, etc. just so they can find out a little bit more about a possible friend or foe.

Where does this disease spread and how harmful can it be? Well, unfortunately there are predators out there who contract this disease and have malintentions. This is where the line needs to be drawn.

According to a very prestigious research institution, surveys show statistics like these:

Do you know what your kids are publishing on the World Wide Web?! Because I have a 14 yr old sister, and I barely know what she is up to...& I'm a part of her generation!

Life in the Big Apple

This summer I worked in NYC for Paramount Pictures independent movie branch, Paramount Vantage (Babel, No Country for Old Men, The Kite Runner, etc.)

You may be thinking, okay what's the point of you telling me this?

Well throughout my summer life either working or playing I came across both concepts that are discussed in Digital Domain and Conversational Marketing.

Zagat is one of my most trusted sidekicks while browsing the streets of NYC and I have always turned to them for advice on where to eat. I also check out Gayot.com.

UGC is applicabable to many many different things such as movies, books, etc. But I find myself always second guessing those critics because those preferences are always extremely personal. HOWEVER, with food, I feel that most of the time food critics are dead on when they give a restaurant a Zagat rating. Come on, anyone can tell the difference between good and bad food so it's handy that a professional is scoping out the place before you drop $50+.

In working in the city life, I did publicity for Vantage's new film American Teen. We relied HEAVILY on facebook advertising.

Not only did we have fan pages for each one of the "teens" but we also had a fan page for the movie, 2 applications, and events going out constantly for word of mouth screenings. We targeted the audiences by summer camps, location, age, etc. Facebook was there to help guide us along!

I can't even imagine any business who targets a youth audience nowadays NOT being on Facebook.

Did you know that movies rely so heavily on MySpace/Facebook? Have you ever used Zagat? I mean, have you ever worked in a place that focuses on these Web sites so heavily?

Quick Update!

Here's a fun link to designing your own shoes through PUMA!

AND a YouTube clip of Dwight, from The Office, in Second Life!



Enjoy!

New. Chic. Innovation. CURRENT.

Even the cynics like Andrew Keen, author of The Cult of the Amateur:How Today’s Internet Is Killing Our Culture, have to face the facts that today techonology is consuming and taking over our lives.

Think about this election...the first election to be powered and fuled by the digital generation. YouTube videos for campaign announcements, text messages sent out for VP endorsements...it's out of control -- yet, for someone like me a part of the digital generation, it seems so normal.

I know the difference between an "amateur" blogger and a harvard intellectual. I am aware that Wikipedia isn't always a reliable source of information. Growing up in this generation we are accustomed to seeing the difference between facts and someone just talking to talk.

Current TV, a new form of television where viewers can submit content, really emphasizes the difference between intellectual and hot-air. Even though I think this is an amazing concept, and I could see myself buying and tuning into Current (for fashion/travel tips from around the world!) I still think people should have good judgement about who they're actually listening to.

Being a part of this generation, it also intrigues me about what lies ahead. I am not afraid because I think that we are only progressing at the natural technological pace that we have now set for ourselves. Though I do think this could end terribly, there's no turning back now.

Brand Loyalty

We've been discussing whether or not it is useful for business' to use crowdsourcing and to use consumers as a part of the innovation/creation process. It's helpful to know that people also agree with the success and wonderful idea of using customers DIY tactics.

It's really genius because having consumers contribute their ideas makes them feel a part of the company and will keep them coming back for more. Using this strategy even within your company with your own employees I'm sure is very beneficial as well. Giving people more responsibility allows them to invest more of themselves and their time into the product you want to produce. And along with themselves, they bring their social network of family, friends, etc. FANTASTIC!

Creative Collaboration

I am all about having big corporations open up to the public and other academia outlets in order to promote or to create awareness about their new products. In Big Firms Eye 'Open Innovation' for Ideas it discusses how IBM has opened their new product Blue Gene to scientists. It is benefitting IBM to find out more uses for their product AND it is benefitting scientists who may have trouble getting resources or their research out to the public. I think it's always a great idea to be boundary stretchers and reach out to different areas to think of new and innovative ideas.

For example, in Nike's New Public Design Studio consumers actually go to Niketown in NYC to design and create their own custom made sneakers. It brings online fascination of "DIY" things to hands on reality. It is a wonderful idea especially because who knows how Nike is benefitting from all of these new color pallets and fresh new designs. Plus, think of the publicity! As a PR major, think about the possibility on hooking these consumers for life because they feel like they are a part of the design.

An interesting fact, when applying for a job at Vitamin Water they ask you if you were to create a new flavor what would it be and what would you call it. Think about how many applications they receive and how many new ideas they get everyday...

BRILLIANT!

Totally Unreal.

Fast Talk: Getting A (Second) Life examines the wonderful positives of being a part of the virtual world. One can hold business meetings, network with others, or even fly. The article states that the IBM uses second life in order to educate and accustom its new employees to the culture of IBM.

While this all sounds fine and dandy, think about how people skew their actual personalities and appearances on the Web. How do you know who you are speaking with is genuinely what they act like online? You don't.

I feel that it is extremely risky for businesses to have mentoring programs or any sort of acclamation into office culture on the Web because...it isn't REAL. No one can actually gauge the office mood by being online.

Even in a Virtual World, 'Stuff Matters emphasizes my point of people being something they're not. I have a cousin who gets so caught up in the virtual world that he just sits on his computer all day and does nothing else. Who knows, he could be THE man in second life.

But it's not real life. And to the public who engages and interacts with you everyday - you, in the real world, is what matters.

"[Socialization] in a 'Pulsing Star' Pattern"

While reading Social Graph-iti and Clive Thompson on Real-World Social Networks vs. Facebook, it only further deepened my concern for people losing their will to communicate with one another in person.

Thompson talks about how scientists are using "reality mining" (Reality Mining defines the collection of machine-sensed environmental data pertaining to human social behavior. -MIT Media Lab) in order to accurately deduce when/how people are going to gather their information and then bring it back to the table to discuss it with others.

Scientists track what you are doing via your cellphone and other technologies in order to predict when you are going to sit down and have a chat with another person...

They called this socialization method the "pulsing star pattern" because "[people] fan out to gather information, then regroup" (Thompson July 2008).

Anyway, besides the interesting scientific part of this article, it really just creeped me out even more. The fact that the government, scientists, and my peers can track what I am doing at any given moment because of the internet and this new technology is freaky.

One of my friends attended a conference about social networking and the future. She told me that this one think tank predicts that in the future there could be these special "glasses" that you could wear and any time you see a person, who also has these glasses, you can see all of their information surrounding them.

Imagine a facebook chart about the person pops up in your "glasses". In return, you could customize different phrases such as "I'm lonely say hi to me" or "practicing spanish, speak to me" so that if someone looked at you, they would know what you were thinking.

When she told me this...I was astounded that someone was trying to create this. How in the world is this remotely okay?

This brings me to the next article I read, Social Graph-iti. If people are going even further with this social networking techonolgy craze, I would analyze how many people now are getting sick of the facebook/myspace invasion. In this article there was this one paragraph that really stood out in my mind.

"But unlike other networks, social networks lose value once they go beyond a certain size. 'The value of a social network is defined not only by who's on it, but by who's excluded,' says Paul Saffo, a Silicon Valley forecaster. "

Facebook, MySpace, etc. are having this problem and I know more and more of my friends are being turned off by it. Facebook was supposed to be a way to network with people from college and now it's open to anyone and their mothers.

All in all, it's crazy to think about the expansion of social networking and technology in our daily lives past just my computer screen. More so because people I know are livid with it already.

Can't we just revert back to mailing letters? What happened to face-to-face communication?

The First View from a Girl at AU

On my honor, all posts on this blog are my own.

I have just started my social networking a business class at American University through the ITEC department. Professor Melander is very insightful in this field so I will certainly be learning a lot. So far it has been very interesting and I think everyone in the class will be very open with one another. We did a lot of ice breaker activities, which I love. I think I am the queen of ice breakers I have done them so much throughout the years.

Check back each week for an addition to my blog! We will be discussing different topic on social networking and I'd love to share my views with all of you.

Have a wonderful day!