Class Cloud

The class cloud experience was exactly that for me; a definite “experience”.    Because this class is the first time I have tried Twitter, I am not well-versed in using it.  I learn by doing and using social media platforms, and this one is not one I have fallen in love with.   I know that it is very popular and used by many people, but I don’t have a need to share a lot of information to the public, and those I want to share with I can text without a character limit, and without having to come up with a hash tag or link to a blog post.   I started by creating my first twitter post asking a generic question about social media:  https://twitter.com/SherriDever/status/704525401125625856

I couldn’t decide who to send a second tweet to, and I wasn’t exactly sure the correct way to do it, but it ended up being pretty simple.  I chose to send a question to @mittromney but I never received any type of feedback.  https://twitter.com/SherriDever/status/704530054621990912

I’m not sure if I really expected a response from Mr. Romney, and quite honestly, I’m not even sure if that is his real twitter address.  Nonetheless, it gave me the experience of sending a message to someone.   About a week after I opened my Twitter account, I noticed that I had received a message from a friend of mine that I hadn’t talked to in a couple of years.  I felt bad, because I didn’t even realize that they had sent me a message, and also because I wasn’t really sure of how to use Twitter properly.  But through trial and error, I have been able to figure things out. 

I still don’t use Twitter, other than for class assignments, and when we all started tweeting Wednesday in the class cloud, I was extremely out of my element.  Everyone around me was tweeting like crazy, laughing and having fun with it.  I sat there for a minute not even sure where to start.  I was reading the tweets that were posting, and trying to come up with something to say or someone to respond to.  I did manage to send a few tweets out, and respond to some as well as shown in the following links: 

https://twitter.com/SherriDever/status/705200802952933376

https://twitter.com/SherriDever/status/705209789110833152

Twitter, it seems to me, is a way to spout out what is on your mind or currently going on.  Most tweets I read are just short opinions or funny quips.  It doesn’t seem like much useful information is shared, although my exposure to it has been very limited.  I would imagine if I paid more attention to news media or sports tweets I would be much more informed rather than entertained or appalled.  I know that I could actually use Twitter to report scores and information to the club I work for concerning my team’s performance in games and in tournaments.  Reflecting back to the class cloud experience, I didn’t really enjoy it, but thought it was interesting when other organizations or people jumped in and started to respond from outside the class.  I still don’t think I will ever be a big Twitter user unless I find a need for it, other than class.  I’m from an older generation—an old dog trying to learn new tricks and apps.  

Online Reputation: Jesse Wilson

A song by Slim Shady has been playing in my mind as I have been writing this:  "Will the real Jesse Wilson please stand up—please stand up—please stand up?"  Wait, which Jesse Wilson?  The pastor, the actor, the singer, the football player, the highly ranked service man, the junior hockey super sports nominee, the python collector, the body-building pro, the famous sand-boarding star, or the student majoring in Communication Studies at USU?   My online reputation search for Jesse Wilson showed at least 82 on public records websites.  18 of those were in the state of Utah.  The Jesse Wilson I searched for is in his twenties.  That narrowed things down quite a bit, but still wasn’t specific enough information.   I tried associating him with Utah State University, and there I found success with his account on Facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/jesserosswilson?fref=ts

Let me share some things I learned about Jesse Wilson:   He is from St. George, Utah.  His birthday is April 12 and he has one sister, Brooke Wilson.    He completed an associate’s degree from Dixie State University in Business Administration and now at USU, he is earning his bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies.   He served an LDS mission to Germany, which means he not only speaks English, but he speaks German too! 

From many pictures on Facebook, I observed that Jesse has a pattern of being an avid outdoors enthusiast, enjoying the beautiful mountains of southern Utah.  He is not afraid of heights and enjoys hiking, camping and being in nature.  He also participates in snow sports and snowmobiles during the winter months.  

Jesse has a strong attachment to skateboards, (and if you haven’t noticed, one accompanies him to class each day.) 

Another pattern or trend I found was that Jesse is very social.  He likes to be around friends, and seems to have MANY in different places around the world, including different parts of Utah, Chicago and Germany..........

I discovered information on Jesse’s LinkedIn account as well.  He seems to have a third trend or pattern in his occupation, as he is experienced in “Sales”. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-wilson-8a6025b7

He has been a sales associate at Fisher Home Furnishings, a salesman of pest prevention and control services, and is currently a sales rep for Fox Pest Control.   During this search, I found that I know a couple of people that work at the same pest control company that Jesse does.   Kory Crompton and Zach Hendrickson are two young men I used to coach in high school and club soccer.  The other young man is Sam Rolfe, who was a student worker in my department at USU.  So, we may actually know some of the same people?

Jesse was hard to find information on outside of these two accounts.  He keeps a fairly low profile and stays out of trouble with the law and the courts system.  He doesn’t have anyone searching for him or a bounty on his head that I could find.  By accessing his twitter account, I noticed that he doesn’t use it much, as he started it in 2012 with a tweet that reads, “I’m not so sure how I feel about twitter yet….Day one”.   There were a total of 4 more tweets after that over the span of 16 months, ending in Dec. 2013.  https://twitter.com/search?q=jesseblend&src=typd   The most recent tweets have started in January of this year, 2016, and they pertain to this class.  I’m guessing I can tell how Jesse feels about Twitter…….

This was a fun and interesting assignment.   Although I wished I could have learned even more about the Jesse Wilson I searched for from class, I found there are many other Jesse Wilsons out there I could cyber stalk as well if I need something to occupy my time.  

Legal, Policies and Ethics -- Say What?

I have never been satisfied with my lack of technological literacy.  Sure, I am able to get by and accomplish things I want to on my computer, phone, and limited social media sites.  But if I had to step outside that comfort zone and really know what is going on behind the scenes, or set up my accounts in the most secure fashion, I am in big trouble!  We frequently hear about making sure our Facebook accounts, online banking accounts, passwords, security settings, etc. are as secure as possible.  This is one of the areas I really fall short in.  I need to get better educated before someone “educates” me the hard way—after they have stolen my identity, my money, or hacked my email account.  I liked the information concerning this on the following website:

http://facecrooks.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/how-to-lockdown-your-facebook-account-for-maximum-privacy-and-security.html/

This website ironically is titled “Facecrooks” and gives step by step directions on how to make your Facebook account more secure to protect your privacy.  It also teaches many things I am unfamiliar with--for instance:  What type of email account to use, password protection tips, notifications, use of code generators, privacy settings, selections on who can send you friend requests, filtering levels, who can look me up, search engine preferences, etc. 

This website also gives advice on apps settings, followers, ads, privacy shortcuts, as well as how and what to post, logging out correctly, and using the Help Center.  I decided to apply some of this advice and make some much needed changes to my Facebook settings.  Ignorance may be bliss—but only until someone ruins it. 

What are we allowed to publish, post or say on Facebook or Blogs?  The First Amendment to the Constitution states:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

The website listed at the end of this blog, gives some in-depth explanations on freedom of speech.

It talks about free speech being one of the most cherished liberties, but that it can also conflict with other rights and liberties.  The types of speech are broken down into three different categories:

1-       Pure Speech:  The verbal expression of thoughts and opinions before a voluntary audience.  The courts have generally provided strong protection of pure speech from government regulation.

2-      Speech-Plus:  This involves actions, such as demonstrations or protesting, as well as words.  Speech-plus is not generally protected as strictly as is pure speech, because actions can be physically dangerous.  The courts have ruled that demonstrators may not obstruct traffic, endanger public safety, or trespass illegally.

3-      Symbolic Speech:  Technically this involves no speech at all, but it involves symbols that the courts have judged to be forms of free expression.  Symbolic actions such as wearing black armbands in school and draft-card burning fit this category.  Symbolic speech is highly controversial, and as a rule, the courts have sometimes considered it to be beyond the limits of free speech.

Now that I have a better understanding about free speech from the first amendment, I feel fairly safe with sharing the basic and non-confrontational blogs and posts I make from my (hopefully) more secure Facebook page and Blog.

http://www.ushistory.org/gov/10b.asp

Collaborative and Distance Communication Platforms

I’ve decided that I just don’t have enough time on my hands.  I don’t seem to have time for watching TV, reading a novel just for enjoyment, shopping excursions, travel, or online gaming.   I look at how experienced my 25 year old son is at online gaming with his friends, and I realize I am almost on a totally different planet in that regard.   Speaking of a different planet, how about a different world?   More specifically, an online virtual world called “Second Life”, which is what I would need in order to be able to squeeze this program into my current life. 

According to Wikipedia, Second Life was developed by Linden Lab in 2003, but by 2013 had around 1 million users.  Second Life is similar to online role playing games, but Linden Lab insists that their online virtual world is NOT a game.  There are no objectives and there is nothing to win.  It is designed and focused on interaction between multiple users.  Residents can create a virtual representative of themselves called avatars that can interact with other avatars, other places and other objects.  There are a number of different things you can do with this platform, such as:  meet others, socialize, go to activities, build things, create, shop, trade property, and services with each other.  It features 3D-based user-generated content, has its own virtual currency which is exchangeable with real world currency.  The software has a three-dimensional modeling tool that allows users to build objects.  Another interesting feature is that users can also photograph in Second Life using camera technology.  As amazing and intriguing as this platform sounds, it is just a huge reminder to me, that it would take a lot of time to enjoy and use this program.  Time I just don’t have. 

On another note—something that I can make time to use because it IS very time friendly and time efficient is the application called Skype.  Another program that was ironically released in 2003, this platform can connect you with people all over the world; by voice using a microphone, by video using a webcam, and with instant messaging.  Skype can be very convenient for conference calls, for visiting with someone across the United States, or across the world.  My office has done many Skype interviews with candidates not geographically close enough to come for a personal visit.  I have personally used Skype to communicate with my sons who served missions in foreign countries.  It is a tool that allows communication on a more personal level through face-to-face viewing.  Skype founders were from Sweden and Denmark.  (Maybe they got tired of trying to communicate with each concerning their inventions and invented Skype just so they could communicate?  OK—probably not).  With all of the new technology that continues to come out, it makes me wonder, “what’s next”?   What will be the next new invention that will change our lives significantly?

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype

Location Based Platforms

I didn’t think that I use or have much of an interest in location based platforms.  But, after realizing that I actually do search for locations and restaurants when I am traveling or unfamiliar with my surroundings, I had to have a change of heart.  I do refer to Yelp when wanting a review on a location based restaurant, hotel or store.   Yelp has been one of the bigger location based networks and became more popular with its iPhone app, which introduced several new features, the biggest being the ability to check-in to venues. 

All the information I found concerning location based platforms referred to Foursquare, the newer app Swarm and Facebook.  Foursquare announced that they are splitting their service into two different apps.  One that focuses on local recommendations, and the other, called “Swarm” that has check-in options and can find users friends that may be nearby.   Foursquare decided to make this change based on the needs of users, where they found that most users rely on the app for primarily those two purposes. 

Facebook has also made an announcement that it will “separate in-app messaging from its official iOS and Android apps and require users to download Messenger to chat with friends.”  This is an app that I do use, and I will need to pay attention as to when it’s time to download Messenger before the service in Facebook disappears.  I don’t know that Messenger is necessarily location based—but I may be wrong.

Foursquare isn’t the only app that uses location sharing.   Twitter has tried a feature that lets you see tweets from people near your location.  A new app called Cloak can show where your friends are located so you can actually avoid them.  I’m not so sure these people would be considered your “friends” if you are using this app for that purpose. 

Because I have never used location based platforms for the purpose of finding friends’ locations, I don’t see as much value in it. I typically don’t like to “allow” when my location is asked for on social media.  It seems like an unwanted invasion of my privacy.  I do realize that ignorance is bliss however, and maybe if I had a need for this service or realized the value of it, I may be more appreciative.  I have learned much more about it while researching for my blog.

Sources:

http://www.informationweek.com/software/social/foursquare-splits-into-2-apps-targets-yelp/d/d-id/1235048

http://techcrunch.com/2010/01/15/yelp-iphone-app-4-check-ins/

MOST USED PLATFORMS

I’ll be honest—I wasn’t quite sure what a “platform” really was when I started on this blog post.  I decided I’d better get a definition to make sure I was writing about the correct thing, as well as using proper terminology to discuss it.  According to Techopedia, “a social platform is a Web-based technology that enables the development, deployment and management of social media solutions and services.  It provides the ability to create social media websites and services with complete social media network functionality.” 

Compare using social media to how you act around different groups of people in your social circle.  Think of how you act with your friends, how you act with clients, or how you act around family.  Every social meeting platform can be compared to a different group, a different meeting or a different room depending on where you are.  It is important to use different messaging on each platform so that you can fully use the tools each comes equipped with.  The following text talks about the 4 big social-media platforms:  Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

When using Twitter, use a trending hashtag; one that many people might see.   Include a question to make people stop and think about your tweet.  Use line breaks as they allow your tweet to take up a larger portion of the screen and can attract attention.  Facebook is more about the image.  Compare your Facebook imaging to that of print and magazine advertising.  Instagram is all about real images from where you are and what you see.  It is about simple snapshots taken from a phone.  It’s personal; it’s for those real-life moments.  Pinterest is both about pictures and information.  People shop on Pinterest, so they are willing to spend more time on content.  It is ok to use more space on Pinterest than on other platforms, as the platform dimensions can allow it.

How do you know which platform is right for you?  It really depends on what your interest is.  Is it news?  A professional network?  Photo / visual communications?  (Snapchat might be safe because it is likely that your mom isn’t going to be on there and that might count for something).  At the link below is a social media cheat sheet that lists the pros and cons of several top platforms. 

http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/files/2014/09/social-media-cheat-sheet-users.png

Social media platforms can be broken into 3 categories, which helped me to understand them better.  There are social media platforms that help you Network (like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.);  there are social media platforms that help you Promote (like YouTube, blogs, etc.); and social media platforms that help you Share (like Buffer, Hootsuite, etc.)

If you would like more information on the top 52 social platforms, as well as the categories they fall under, I would suggest that you check out the following website:

http://60secondmarketer.com/blog/2010/04/09/top-52-social-media-platforms/

No matter which platform you choose, understanding your niche and the community you want to engage with are important aspects in making an educated and successful decision.

Sources:

http://www.inc.com/magazine/201311/gary-vaynerchuk/how-to-master-the-four-major-social-media-platforms.html

http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/social-media-user-cheat-sheet/501627

https://www.techopedia.com/definition/23759/social-platform

BLOGGING

Think of the word “blog”.  It is a word that has been in our dialect since the late 1990s, but one that is becoming more popular due to its use in social media.  Where did it come from?  It is a combination of two words:  Web and log.  Within its four letters there lies a brief and exact description:  A blog is a log of thoughts and writing posted publicly on the World Wide Web.  The words web log soon became the word “blog” on the internet. 

What exactly is a blog?  I am fairly new to this scene, and stumble through using my limited knowledge of social media.  Creating a blog post was an assignment that was a new venture for me, but I am ever grateful for online tutorials, and Google to help guide me through many of my questions.   A blog is a form of instant and global self-publishing.  (So be careful!)  “It is the spontaneous expression of instant thought--so it allows for no retroactive editing.  It is accountable in immediate and unavoidable ways to readers and other bloggers, and linked via hypertext to continuously multiplying references and sources.”

One of the main differences between blogs and journalist posts are that blogs involve instant responses from readers; it is more spontaneous and free-flowing.  Journalism is different in that it is planned out writing, with rules to follow and sources to confirm.

It is important to decide the type of blog you want to create—do you want one that earns money, one that has a lot of video content and graphics, or one that is simple with posts of your thoughts?  

Another important question to ask yourself is whether or not you want to use a free site.  Think of it this way:  Would you rather rent or have home ownership of your blog?  If you “rent” your blog site you are at the mercy of the owner of it which means you can lose all your material if the site closes down or decides they no longer want you to have access to their site.  Sites such as Blogger.com, BlogSpot, Google+ and  Wordpress.com are examples of free services.  If you want to “own” your blog it is recommended that you pay even just a few dollars a month for service that allows you to keep or save your own material.  This is what is referred to as a web host.  There are many to choose from, but it is wise to find one that offers customer service.  You may get what you pay for, and if your blog is important enough, paying a little more may be worth the price.  It really depends on what you want from your blogging experience.

Blogs are a great way to link to others that have similar interests as you.  Connections between bloggers can be just as important as the content posted on blogs.  The content not only drives and attracts conversation, but inspires readers.  The more links you create, the more communication you will experience which can lead to a very successful blog.

Sources:

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/why-i-blog/307060/

http://www.buildyourownblog.net/step-1-the-basics/?utmx=222600&callback

http://www.buildyourownblog.net/r1/?targetid=kwd-88563481&matchtype=e&device=c&campaignid=220788442&creative=76410529522&adgroupid=16461982762&feeditemid=&loc_physical_ms=9029805&loc_interest_ms=&network=g&devicemodel=&placement=&keyword=blogging&target=&aceid=&adposition=2o2&gclid=Cj0KEQiArJe1BRDe_uz1uu-QjvYBEiQACUj6oiXyh7KYuvJ3cquN1vM83tdOI3Loe-jvticDs7ozCMIaAvaU8P8HAQ