Security, Security…Where art thou?

Where is Security when you really need them? We have all of these cookies, super cookies, and companies intruding on our privacy and security is no where to be found to protect us? Tisk…Tisk…Tisk. Welcome to the modern-day internet!

I’ve always been a nosey person since I was little; but I never invaded people’s privacy so to speak….Yeah, yeah I google people (especially potential boyfriends) and I observe and analyze their social networking profiles but I never ask for their login information or hack into their accounts. In the past, when I did look at the social networking profiles of the guys I was dating, I definitely judged them off of what I saw….so I know that is exactly what companies are doing to prospective employees. Now, while some may say what I am doing is a little off the wall, I am not a company looking to hire individuals to work for me, I am just a young female who doesnt want to be around the wrong person—therefore I believe my dating practices are valid. But what is companies excuse to ask for prospective employees facebook information? Why is that information pertinent to the job at hand? Companies would be lying if they said that they were not judging individuals by the content on his/her profile. We judge people everyday-so I know they are doing the same thing! It’s discrimination at it’s finest and it is definitely an invasion of privacy. I dont think peoples Facebook or instagram should have anything to do with the initial interviewing process.

Over the years, we have read about or seen on the news where a teacher or public official has lost his or her job because of something they posted on Facebook. But is this right? Do you think there is ever a situation in which it is okay for a company to fire an individual because of something they posted on their Facebook profile?  I have learned that it is in my best interest to not befriend coworkers on social networking sites. Believe it or not, I have seen people end up in HR because a coworker told about something that person had on their PERSONAL profile. Do you befriend co-workers on social networking sites? Why or Why not?

Some of us are in the Social Media masters program, so I want to point out and ask you guys, is it ever okay for a potential employer looking to hire you for a social media related position to ask for your login information regarding your accounts? Would you be okay with it in this situation or do you think it is wrong altogether? I can understand a company looking to hire you in a social media related position wanting to see your profile and how you interact online with your audience, however I still do not think they should ask for your password or login information to your personal accounts. But, I will say in this situation, I wouldnt have a problem with them simply looking at my account to get a feel for my skills and expertise. What about you?

Social Intel is absolutely nuts! It reminds me of my horrible driving record that still haunts me to this day! Because of my many many many speeding tickets, a lot of insurance companies will not accept me and I have also been denied several jobs that require travel. I dont want to also be denied a potential job because of things I posted on my facebook or myspace account 7 years ago! Thats not fair! Especially since I am not that 18 year old rebellious girl who thought she knew everything. How do you feel about Social Intel? Do you think it is necessary? I really doubt they have record of everything we have done on our social networking profiles. I know people who have 50,000 tweets alone! And even if they did have all of this information compiled, what potential company would go through all of this meaningless data? Shouldnt they have other things to be worried about?

As far as the health gadgets go,  I think patients should have full access to all of their information, free of cost! I would pitch a fit if I were Mr.Hugo or Ms.Amanda and I had to pay $350 to go to the doctor to obtain MY health information. Where is the compassion and empathy here? These people are literally going broke to get access to THEIR data! It’s ridiculous to me. I’ve never had to pay to get my records on paper and I wont be paying to get my electronic medical records either—I dont care if the data is being obtained from some high-tech gadget. I think these companies who make these implants and monitors are just money hungry and they dont want to spend the money to invest in making this data patient friendly. It’s sad, but this is the profit-driven world we live in. They dont really care about these peoples heart conditions or other medical problems. They’re glad they have them, because these conditions are keeping them in business. In the video clip that accompanied the reading, Elizabeth Hoff, general manager of Medtronic’s data business, made a comparison that stood out to me and caught me off guard. Hoff compared a patient getting access to their data from a Medtronic device to a patient getting an x-ray done at a doctors office and obtaining that data. I disagree with her and I do not think those circumstances are similar at all. For one, you dont have to pay to get a copy of your x-ray and while the technician cant give you information about it, your doctor will right then and there–especially if it is something serious. I wouldnt want a technician explaining my condition to me-however I am aware that they can give me a copy of the x-ray and I would want it. So with Medtronic, while the doctor is the one who needs to interpret that data to the patient, I dont see why they are not able to give the patient access to the data? I cant think of any reasons of they wouldnt want to aside from the cost associated with doing so. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with Ms.Hoff’s analogy and reasonings as to why patients do not have direct access to their data? Have you ever been told you couldnt get any of your medical information until you saw your doctor? 

The way things are looking, it doesnt seem like security will ever rescue us from this massive invasion of privacy. As technology advances and we progress into the “future”, we will only see more sophisticated ways of tracking our every move as well as mounds and mounds of data compilations. The days of having peace and privacy online are long-gone. Do you think laws will ever be enacted to protect us from invasion of privacy? What is your biggest fear when it comes to privacy and data tracking?

Big Data, Are you up in the Clouds?

I thought this week’s reading and information was absolutely amazing and extremely interesting! Big Data is fascinating and the way it is changing all sectors of the world as well as human interaction is mind blowing. Let’s just take a look at some of the statistics:

• For $600, I can buy a disk drive that can store ALL…I repeat ALLLLL….of the world’s music!
• There are 30 Billion…yes BILLION…pieces of content shared on Facebook each month
• $600 Billion potential annual consumer surplus from using personal location data globally
• There is a 60% INCREASE in retailers operations margins possible with big data
• The business sectors will need 140,000-190,000 more deep analytical  talent positions and 1.5 million more data-savy managers to take FULL advantage of big data in the United States  (Perhaps, you and I will fit in somewhere?)

I don’t even think these statistics do Big Data justice nor does it even begin to describe this amazing “digital universe” considering that ONLY .5% is actually analyzed. What does this mean? Just think of all the possibilities and discoveries we could potentially have if even more Big Data is analyzed? Are you ready?

The part of the readings that were most interesting to me was the section about the falling cost of Gigabytes. You guys know I recently started a new job at Verizon Wireless (FYI: If you didn’t know that’s why I am always recruiting you guys to come over to the best 4G network) so this section was interesting to me because our goal is to get all of our customers off of the old “unlimited data” plans and onto a “share everything tiered data” plan. If you’re not familiar with that basically it is a plan in which let’s say you and your mom and dad share x-amount of GB each month. For example, my mom, dad, and I are on the 10GB share everything plan. Some of the underlying reasons were the costs associated with every customer utilizing unlimited data and the potential impact on the network and servers. However, with the continued drops in the price of GB and companies taking full advantage of BIG Data, I foresee more changes in data packages offered to customers. What current data plan do you have with your wireless provider? How do you think the drop in GB will affect data packages offered? Do you think wireless companies will revert back to unlimited data plans? Why or Why not?

*For more readings on wireless data packages check out these: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/18/atandt-and-verizon-shared-data-plans-compared/

Catches In Sprint’s New Unlimited Plans: Prices Could Go Up, No Guarantee Data Will Be Fast

 

I was also interested in the effects that Big Data has on the Healthcare industry. We have already seen the shift to electronic medical records and many providers use technologically savvy devices to help assess their patients. But my concern is the potential for all of my records and information to be invaded. Back in pre-digital era, because my records were on paper, if someone were to expose or release my information (which is a violation of HIPPA) then it was easier to narrow done who that person could be. But now with electronic medical records and the high chance of someone obtaining my info, how do I know my information is secure and protected? How do I trust this new system? Do you? Do you think your health records are fully protected? How do you think health care industries can ensure patients that there records are protected? What is the best practice for secure privacy in this sector?

The fact that I was a victim of identity fraud this past Friday combined with this weeks readings have me extremely concerned about my personal information and its availability to potential hackers. However, aside from calling all three Credit Bureaus to set up alerts and paying for everything in cash, I don’t think there is really a SAFE, SECURE way for me to keep all of my information from being obtained. Very scary!

There are some positives about Big Data though. and I am excited to see what the future holds. The fact that I can buy a disk and have all the music in the world makes me all giddy inside because I LOVE music! Will there also be potential for me to have a disk in which I can store all of my favorite movies as well? If you could have a disk that could  digitally store ALL of something you like, what would it be? Why? What is the potential of your choice being possible in the future?

 

 

Eye for an Eye…

The Digital age runs our society. Everything we do, say, buy, like, etc is being tracked and compiled into data in order to help companies know what we’re wanting so they can create as well as contextualized better advertisements and marketing schemes. This week we look at eye-tracking. After our readings, I can’t help but wonder if nose-tracking will be next? Im sure there is already something for sound-tracking in place. Maybe there will be something to trace the smells we encounter first and if that does/does not have anything to do with our eating choices when we are out in restaurants? I wouldn’t doubt it…

Anyways, it was interesting to read the studies regarding how we read things. I was surprised to see that in the Facebook study, there wasnt much triangle eye-tracking going on, because I know that is what I do, but according to the study, more people are just going down vertically…but not too far, might I add. What is this saying about us? Are we that dependent upon instant gratification and the desire to want things short and concise? What is this saying about us as a society? Is technology to blame?

I’ve learned that I want the full picture and all of the details regarding a product or service so I am not going to just go off of the first 2 or 3 recommendations and I am definitely going to use the “triangle” eye movement. I am going to look at the first recommendation, horizontally move my eyeballs and read the details and info associated with that recommendation and then go on to the next. I am a very picky person, and I want to make sure I am satisfied and like whatever I am going to be investing in. So as far as the new Facebook search tool goes, results based on the amount of Facebook likes and check-ins is not enough for me. Just because it is the first thing I see, doesn’t mean I like it. And just because the results are based of other peoples opinions, doesnt mean I will like it either. Do you use the traingle eye movement when analyzing results? If not, what do you use? Why or Why not? Do you think you get the best information from the eye tracking movement you engage in? 

I think it is amazing how all of this eye-tracking data is being used to design as well as determine the types of images, text, and information we see when reading things online. I definitely understand how it helps organizations and companies…especially news companies. Aside from online news, what companies or industries do you think benefit the most from eye tracking data results? Why? Give me a specific example and tell me what you think they did to meet the needs of their viewers.

I think the information in the Facebook study was very interesting and useful for companies marketing and advertising on that platform. We have studied SEO and how that works, so it was interesting to see what factors came into play when getting results on Facebook. I don’t know how reliable 2 of their factors are “likes and check-ins”, but I definitely think Business information is a good one to go by because it encourages companies to be as detailed as possible. While I do believe likes and check-ins should be included in order to drive the results, I do not think they should be primary factors. What about you? Do you think the 3 factors that Facebook uses to drive results (# of Likes, # of Check-ins, & Business Information) are sufficient and appropriate for yielding results? If so, why or why not?

Perhaps they should go by the sites we look at the longest or spend the most time analyzing since they are tracking our eye movements right? By the way, I want to point out the new Samsung Galaxy phone moves information up and down, left and right BASED on your eye movement. It can tell when you are done reading something and it will automatically continue loading info without you having to touch the screen. Creepy right? What do you think about his feature? Do you foresee all phones, computers, tablets, and laptops having this capability in the future? Why or Why not?

Dabbling in Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing introduces a new, different avenue companies can use in order to operate their businesses. In their research paper,  Marian Poetz and Martin Schreier describe crowdsourcing as “outsource the phase of idea generation to a potentially large and unknown population, referred to as the “crowd,“ in the form of an open call”. Some scholars believe crowdsourcing is beneficial and adds valuable insights to companies while others believe crowdsourcing does nothing of value and that companies should stick to the ideas/innovations of their skilled professionals.

I personally think Crowdsourcing is a great idea, however I think there needs to be restructuring to the whole idea of crowdsourcing. In the “Rise of Crowdsourcing” article, we see how Mark Harmel, a freelance photographer, was significantly cut out of work as well as a profit because of a crowdsourcing site called iStockPhoto. Crowdsourcing has dramatically reduced the profits of freelance photographers like Harmel because of the abundance of top quality photos that are being offered by amateurs starting off in the field who are willing to license or sell their work for little or nothing. While I do think Crowdsourcing creates opportunities and avenues for those less known or shall I say those who may not have otherwise been exposed, I think it is necessary for some type of check and balance in order to ensure that certain industries do not die out as a whole. For example, freelance photographers and graphic designers have to worry about how they are going to make ends meet sometimes because of crowdsourcing. Many of them have had to lower or re-negotiate their prices in order to stay afloat and in business. I understand the idea of crowdsourcing is to provide content to companies and the public at minimal costs, I think there needs to be some type of system in place to ensure that everyone is being properly compensated. If an individual wants to do work for free for a particular company then that is fine, he or she can negotiate a deal with that company in their own time, but I do not agree with companies like iStockphoto selling content for $1. With cheap rates like that, a lot of fields will die out or freelance professionals or contract professionals will end up going out of business. Do you think that there needs to be a system of checks and balances when it comes to crowdsourcing? If so, what regulations do you think needs to be put in place so that crowdsourcing does not negatively impact certain fields of work?

For example, my company Verizon Wireless has a program called The Powerful Answers, which is our version of crowdsourcing. Verizon Wireless gives the “crowd” an opportunity to come up with innovative ideas and solutions that utilize technology in the healthcare and educational sectors. They award $10 million dollars in prizes to the best ideas and they give the entrants access to Verizon engineers and innovators. I think this is an amazing tradeoff for both the Company, the “crowd” who submits their ideas, as well as the consumers. In this scenario, nobody is receiving the short end of the stick, because everyone benefits and profits.

While, I believe people should benefit financially from crowdsourcing in the beginning, I have seen people who benefited from Crowdsourcing in the longterm. I have a friend who is a music producer and he has submitted beats/instrumentals for free to artists for years. Some of his beats were picked up by no-name artists, local artists for free or for a minimal costs; recently one of his beats was picked up by a rap group whose song is currently very popular and is playing on all of the major radio airwaves. Even though, he submitted the beat to the group for free, crowdsourcing has paid off for him because now he has garnered the attention of top, mainstream artists as well as record labels. He was recently offered the opportunity to submit instrumentals at Atlantic Records and they are trying to negotiate a deal with him. I think what started out as crowdsourcing for him is about to end up being financially beneficial and its about to open a lot of doors for him. Do you think that there are other fields in which starting out via crowdsourcing can lead to profitable careers? If so, which fields? If you had to start all over in your career, would you start out crowdsourcing in order to develop/build your career/professional experience?

I loved how in the research paper, we saw how the user generated ideas were better than the Professionals. I always think it is a good idea to think outside the box and get ideas from other people other than the ones who work in that field everyday. It is refreshing and it keeps things innovative and really new…and it allows companies to examine ideas they may not have thought about. The fact that some of these ideas are actually coming from consumers makes it even better. Its a win-win situation for Companies: they’re getting new innovative ideas from their consumers! Who wouldn’t want that? And I disagree on the notion that the user generated ideas/content need to collaborate with the professionals. Some of the individuals who submit their ideas/content for crowdsourcing are professionals who just are not in the field anymore. So I don’t think they should be knocked or undermined just because they are not professionally working in a job that utilizes particular skills and knowledge. And some people just dont have enough experience to get some of the professional jobs they want so I think crowdsourcing is def benefical to them as well. My main concern is just with these individuals being properly compensated. Do you think all companies should have a crowdsourcing department as well as a professional team in place when it comes to generating new innovative ideas?

I also enjoyed the article about IBM and Jamming. I think Jamming can definitely be useful in helping to tackle issues and problems in society and I love how it brings people from all different backgrounds and levels of experience together to give their insight. Do you think more companies should have jamming sessions at least once or twice a year? If so, which companies or specific fields do you think will benefit the most? Why? Which ones do you think need to stay away from Jamming as well as crowdsourcing? Why?

Listen to What they’re telling you…

A company that understands and listens to their customers will always have the upper hand over their competitors. Although my new company, Verizon Wireless, services may cost a little more than other telecommunication providers, they consistently win awards year after year for their superb customer service and they are successfully able to reduce churn because they listen to what the customers say and they work hard to change whatever is necessary in order to keep customers loyal.

The days are long gone when people call in to complain or write a letter to a company detailing their disgust for a service or product. In this digital age, People are turning to social media and the internet in order to talk about their frustrations. And like the “Amplyfying your Social Echo” article says, paying attention, listening and really understanding what is being said about your company and business sector is instrumental in making or breaking your company. Prior to social media, what was your primary method of informing others about a product or service? (Both good and bad) Did you use Word of Mouth? Did you contact the business and tell them why you were happy or frustrated? If so, what method of communication did you use and how did the business respond?

A lot of people pay close attention to what other people say about a product or service online. For instance, I spent days reading reactions on Escursions related to my Cruise before I finally decided on 2. Another example is with my friends boutique: As I’ve mentioned before, she only markets through social networking sites (she doesnt have a physical store or website) and one day she took an old pair of jeans and bleached them and made some really cute shorts. She posted the picture on instagram just to see how her customers would respond. The positive feedback was phenomenal! She was bombarded with calls asking people to customize their old jeans into bleached shorts and now those shorts are her best-seller. Listening to customers and understanding what they want is very integral to a successful marketing strategy. Have you or your company recently changed a product or service to meet the needs/demands of your customers as a result of the feedback they provided online? If so what did you change? How has this benefited your company?

Eventhough, the importance of listening to one’s social echo is very important for a company, with me if I am dissatisfied with a product or service, I am going to tell the manager (if I am physically there) or I am going to call the 1800 number and vent to customer service. I don’t email or vent on social media networking sites or write reviews (although I do read them) because I don’t feel like companies have really learned how to respond and handle that feedback on those platforms yet. Large companies would have to hire several people around the clock to successfully respond to every tweet or facebook comment about their product or service. It would be a lot of work. I am interested in seeing, the strategies that companies come up with individually to handle negative as well as positive feedback. In the reading, one company said they didnt say anything at all, they just let the conversation play out on twitter. I don’t think that is necessarily a good idea but to each it’s own. Does your company have a strategy for handling negative and positive feedback on social networking sites? If so, what is the strategy? Is it working? If not, what do you think needs to be changed in order for it to besuccessful?

With all of the analytics tools out available out there, it is not hard for a company to listen to their customers and understand their needs. One of the challenges pointed out in the “Amplyfying your social echo” article that I can see being tough for many companies was searching for keywords and phrases regarding that company/business. This can be hard because, it is more than just your companies name or just your companies products/services, it is important to know the jargon/lingo of your customer/fan base in order to get a true measure of your social echo. Which keywords or phrases do you search for when listening to your companies social echo? Why do you choose these words? Are they effective in helping you and your company understand your social echo?

I loved the top 11 benefits to listening to your social echo. I think every company should operate by them when it comes to integrated marketing strategies….ESPECIALLY if they really want to wow their customers and keep them loyal. The days are over when people just simply call in or speak to a manager to unleash their frustsrations; much like every thing else in the world: people are going digital!

Our Smartphone Addictions…

I really enjoyed this weeks readings on mobile analytics. Four weeks ago I started my new job at Verizon Wireless and I am learning about a lot of the stuff we read about in the Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast. I am constantly amazed at the quick evolution of smartphones in our society. It is crazy how this one gadget can do so many things–and because of this we have become super reliant on them for every day activities. The most interesting thing to me is the fact that cell phones were made to provide wireless communication to people when outside the home/business so they could stay in touch with others (as opposed to having to pull over to the nearest pay phone like we did in pre-cell phone times…pay phones, remember those?), however I feel like we use our Smartphones/Cellphones more for checking emails, social networking, surfing the net, listening to music, watching shows, and for navigation more than we use it for talking with others.

There were several interesting statistics to me. First of all I am a loyal iphone/apple customer. I have had an android before, but I find iOS to be a better system for me. During training at my new job, we talked about the differences between the Android, iOS, blackberry, Palm, etc systems as well as the pros/cons of each system. Well in the reading I was shocked to see that Android-based devices’ data consumption is 38% higher than Apple devices per month per connection usage. Apple is a very popular, reputable brand and I expected Apple devices to have way more usage than Android based devices. I wonder if it is  because Android-based devices are generally cheaper than Apple devices. Did this statistic surprise you? If so why? Do you have an Android based device or an iOS based device? What are the benefits of this system that you think make it better than the other(s)? 

I enjoyed the table outlining the top applications for Data consumption. I was surprised to see Video/Communications at the top of the list. I expected to see Social-Networking leading by a significant amount. I rarely use my smartphone to watch videos, but I can see how this will continue to rise in the future because now we are able to post videos on Instagram and Vine as well as use apps like Youtube, Hulu, and Netflix for video consumption. For me my table would have been : Social Networking, Music/Audio Streaming, Information, Web Browsing, Video/Communications. What drives your data consumption each month? Rank the 5 categories of applications in order of importance with 1 being used the  most and 5 being used the least, then name the specific apps you use within that category on a daily basis and why you like it.

I don’t have much use with QR codes. I can see how they are beneficial to companies regarding their marketing efforts, but I don’t really see a real benefit from a consumer standpoint. I just don’t see myself downloading an app that reads the barcode just to get information about different products or charitable efforts. It seems to time-consuming for me. I have seen them around at different restaurants and some of my favorite stores but I have never been interested in scanning one to see what information I will receive. Do you use QR codes? Have they provided you with beneficial information that you wouldn’t have received elsewhere? 

My Second Life

A life beyond the realms of reality? Is that really possible? I knew nothing about digital ethnography or virtual sites like Second Life until this week’s readings. It was really interesting to read and learn about people who interact on Second Life and to see how they view this “experience”. Even though the readings provided a lot of insight about the virtual worlds and the overall experience, I am one of those people with limited experience with virtual worlds who Boellstorff says believe “they are just a form of escapism from the actual world” (Bowellstorff p.26). Although some people may truly log on to virtual worlds with the intention of it just being another online video game where you can interact with other people from around the world, I believe those people who are “addicted” or “overly consumed” by the idea of “really living in this virtual world” use it as an escape from their reality. This experience may be comforting to them because they have an extremely stressful job, a dwindling marriage, or maybe they just are socially awkward when it comes to interacting with real humans–regardless of the reason(s) that caused them to be so enamored with the idea of living a second life, I believe they are doing it to escape “actuality“. To support my belief I rely on a quote Boellstorff uses from another study that says “Reality, they assert, is the physical world we perceive with our bodily senses [and] . . . the computer is . . . a subordinate device that can distract us from the primary world” (Heim 1998:37)” (Boellstorff 26). I don’t believe one can truly live and carry on a real “life” outside of the physical body. To me, I would describe people’s experience with Second Life as being a means of using their imagination to create visually appealing and satisfying environments, just like a child does when playing “house” or “school” with their “imaginary friend“. This is a scenario where I would have to agree that the computer is being used as a device that is truly distracting us from the primary world. While virtual worlds like Second Life are solely created with the intent for users to socialize and communicate as they would in the real world, I want to point out that I have seen people rely on this same notion of “escapism” via social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook….more often on Twitter. I know several people who I went to college with who, although their picture in their Twitter profile is them, the things they tweet are no where near representational of the person they are in real life. In my opinion, they too are using this platform in order to escape from their reality, and be somebody they arent in real life. How do you feel about escapism in the virtual world? Do you think people who are consumed by sites like Second Life use them to escape from things that suppress them and cause them to be unsatisfied with their reality? Do you agree that something similar to this can be seen in social networking sites such as Twitter, where some people’s tweets are strikingly different than the person they are in real life?

I thought it was interesting how Boellstorff conducted a study regarding digital ethnography through his experiences on Second Life. It was cool to read about how people attended weddings and married people who they know nothing about in the physical world and to see how everyone interacted with each other. It was also interesting how he noted how one of his virtual friends, Dara, could tell when different people logged into accounts as the same person because of the attitude shifts. I think if virtual sites like this are used and viewed much like one would view the video game “Grand Theft Auto” then it is okay, but comparing it to reality and saying it is much like the real world (eventhough it is void of all human senses) is extreme and far fetched.

My experience on Second Life was short and confusing. I didn’t stay on the site long because I couldn’t “get into it”. I created a profile and flew around some place but I had a hard time understanding how to navigate through the site in general. I guess I need to play around with it some more. At one of the spots where I somehow landed, 3 men and 2 women were taking off their clothes and about to engage in some activity and invited me to join them after they introduced themselves one by one through “chat”. I logged off.

Although I am not too fond of virtual worlds, I really enjoyed the “Learning in a Virtual World: Experience With Using Second Life for Medical Education” article/study. I was fascinated about how they used Second Life to educate Doctors on type 2 Diabetes. I think virtual worlds can be an effective learning tool when it comes to fostering education. I liked how the experiment brought together professionals from several states and educated them on something that goes on in real life everyday. I don’t see a problem with people creating avatars to use Second Life for educational platforms/studies like them because they are not escaping from their realities; they are using the sites as means for learning how to effectively approach and handle real-life issues. However, I think it is important to note that regarding the medical field, I think these sites are only good for being informed not to be confused with “practicing” the art of medicine. Because at the end of the day, the patient are virtual characters. Would you participate in a site like Second Life for educational purposes? If so, in what areas of studies/professions do you think could benefit the most from sites like Second Life? Why do you think so?

I also enjoyed reading about how researchers use social technologies like online questionnaires, social networking, blogging and digital videos in order to conduct social research. Considering this article was written 5 years ago, I think  social networking is the most useful technology of the four that would be extremely instrumental in providing researchers a thorough analysis in our current year 2013. Social researchers can learn a lot about people and their personalities by studying Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and most recently Vine accounts of the general population. Which of the four social technologies used in the reading do you believe are still current and would be most useful today? Do you think any are outdated in our current time? If so, why?

 

Facebook Likes equal “Conversion” Right?

This week’s readings did a good job of further explaining the correlation between Companies having social networking sites and it’s effects on site traffic, and conversion. I think a common misconception is that having a company Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest account and getting a lot of likes, retweets, comments, or pins means that that particular company is doing well and is having lots of success when in reality it is more than just the “popularity” they are receiving on those sites. What use is it to gain all of that popularity if it is not yielding the results the Company desires? (EX. revenue, increases in sales, increases in customer accounts set up, etc)

In the Mashable article Chad Warren says, “There’s not enough focus and emphasis on gathering and understanding all these signals that our customers are sharing with us, either explicitly or implicitly….And pulling those things together to build a greater understanding of who our customers are and what it is what they want, and then acting upon those things.” This is integral information for a company who truly wants to use social networking sites for effective marketing. There is no use in engaging in all of these accounts if you are not going to pay close attention to the message that these retweets on Twitter and pins on Pinterest are indirectly as well as directly sending to you. It is extremely important for a company to pay close attention to all of this things in order to get a true “digital representation” of its consumers and target audiences. Do you follow Companies on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest? If so? Why? What marketing techniques have they used that have caught your attention and subsequently led you to purchase something or set up an account with that company?

I think it is cool that Google and Adobe Aim have programs to use just for Companies monitoring  their social ROI. I was amazed at the example from Expedia and its April 2011 “FriendTrips” promotion. I personally think it was an excellent marketing idea. Even if those people who were RSVP’d didn’t actually book anything that day, at least they now know about Expedia and the things that they have to offer and they can spread the word on to their friends and so forth. At the end of the day you want to spread the word to as many people as possible as an attempt to convert those people into loyal customers.

I think the important message overall in the Mashable articles is for companies to have a “clear goal” in mind. What is it that you want to achieve from these social networking sites? I think if a company does not have a clear, concise business objective at the end of the tunnel then it is pointless to have a company social networking page. Without a goal/plan, it’s just for pure fun and entertainment….and that’s okay if that is what you are trying to “achieve”. Pick your favorite company that you follow on a social networking site and tell me what do you think their “goal/objective” is? Do you think their page is doing a good job of achieving that goal/objective? Why? or Why not? (If not, what can they do, in order to better reach that goal/objective?)

Hootsuite seems like the coolest thing ever! When I finish with my sites, I am definitely going to use the free trail and play around with it. I think it is a very useful tool for companies/business that can afford it. Have any of you used Hootsuite? Did you like it? Was it useful in providing the analytics you were looking for?

The Marketing Blueprint video was very informative as well. Mr.Gill provides a good formula for companies to use when designing an effective marketing plan. I think his most valuable piece of advice is to “measure” everything. I think this is important because you always want to measure/track your success/progress regardless of how big/small the task seems because it contributes to your overall success in the end. Everything you do–big or small–matters and he does an excellent job of emphasizing this.

The “Effects of the Recession on Public Mood in the UK” was a very interesting study that I believe was very accurate and on point. It was fascinating to see how different events affect peoples mood and how they use social networking sites like Twitter in order to convey that mood. I think that is definitely important for companies to take into consideration when they are marketing and advertising products and services on social networking sites because this tells you exactly how your consumers/target audiences are feeling at that moment. I use twitter a lot and I can definitely say that when there is a breaking news story or major event going on in the US, people are defintely tweeting about it and they are significant “keywords” related to that event/story that almost everyone tweeting about it uses. Think about a recent major event/news story that took place. What keywords did you see people use on social networking sites? How did some of your favorite companies respond/act on this? Did they even take the event into consideration and incorporate it into their marketing platforms? If so, do you think it had a positive effect on their overall business goal/objective as it relates to their consumers/target audience?

 

Survey Says….

I’ve never been fond of taking surveys. Although they provide much needed feedback and data to the companies conducted them, they have always been inconvenient for me. Not only are they inconvenient for me, but they can also be annoying. There have been several instances where I have opted out of participating in a survey, yet the Company still pressed me about taking the survey–meaning they continued to either call, email, or mail me the survey until I completed. Do you think this type of persistent behavior regarding getting customers to participate in the Survey is acceptable? Are you more prone to taking the survey after you have been hounded several times regarding providing your opinion about their services and products?

In “The Value of Online Surveys” reading, the author explores the strengths and weakness of online surveys for collecting data and research purposes and he also compares online surveys to more traditional survey formats–the mail survey, the telephone survey, and the in-person survey. For me, I will do a mail survey and a telephone survey before I do an online or in-person survey. In my opinion, mail surveys are shorter and dont require much thought. Because of the high costs of printing and postage, I feel like companies are more concise and straight to the point with this type of survey method. The surveys that I have received in the mail are usually either in the format of a post-card or they are one page and all I have to do is circle the response that best fits my opinion and need. Most of the time the company will include the postage to return the survey back which is even better for me and the best part of all is I get to take it on my time. The authors note how eventhough mail surveys allow them to reach out to larger pools of people geographically, it is sometimes hard for them to receive a large pool sample because some people forget to mail the survey back. I can definitely see that being a weakness of the mail survey as opposed to the others. I am also more prone to doing a telephone survey because they are usually quick and efficient and I get some type of “deal” from my participation. Several of my favorite restaurants and stores will give you a free meal or a discount on your next visit–this encourages me to participate in the survey more because I am getting something out of the deal as well. It is a win-win situation for both parties involved. Just like the mail survey, with the telephone survey I can call and complete the survey on my time within the time frame for submissions. Are you more likely to participate in a telephone survey that requires you to write down a code in order to receive a discount on a future purchase? Why or why not?

I typically do not like in-person surveys. Even though, they are the most interpersonal out of them all, I do not like them because I feel like I have to lie a little regarding my opinion–especially if it is a bad service or if I really didnt like the product. I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings are provide them negative feedback about something they are passionate about. I do think in-person surveys prevent people from being honest in general. What about you guys? Have you ever been less likely to provide honest feedback because of the interpersonal nature of the interview? If so why or why not? 

My problem with online surveys is that they are usually longer than the time they say they will take. Online surveys require more participation and usually have more open-ended questions. They are not as easy and concise as the others, in my opinion. However, I do believe they are a good way for obtaining information for company data collection. Almost everybody is using the internet these days so it is a good way to reach out to people and they also dont require as much time to analyze and study the results because the results can be calculated much easier and quicker than the other traditional forms of surveys.

I also enjoyed the reading regarding the surveys on SmartPhones. One of the approaches that stood out to me was the Surveys Administered via Smart Phone Apps. I feel like this is a good way to receive feedback and while it is fairly new it seems promising to me. I have participated in several surveys administered through Apps that I have downloaded on my smartphone. One of the main reasons why is because they are usually just one question-which only requires me to rate the effectiveness of that particular apps. Im all about quick, easy and simple. A drawback to this type of survey though is that you may not get a good pool of people because people have to download that app in order for you to reach out to them–I believe this can also lead to skewed results. How do you feel about surveys via Smart Phones? Do you like them? Do you feel like they are easier and quicker to use?

It is good to see research based firms like Survey Monkey, Opinion Lab and Qualtrics who help companies and researchers create surveys in order to reach out to their audience. The site that seems more relevant to me and my studies would probably be Survey Monkey. I love how based on what category of survey you need, the site helps you decide which survey format and types are best for you. Out of the 3 survey databases, which one provides services and metrics that are suitable for your job’s needs to reach out and obtain feedback from their customers? Why?