Social Network Profiting

I meant to post this the other day, my blog still hates me. I found this article http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_40/b4102050681705.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_technology on digg.com. It discusses how google wants to make social networking sites profitable. The basic gist is that google wants to place promotional ads on the most popular social networking sites. They want to create a Web site that will rank the most popular sites so then companies can then target the audiences they want and advertise on the popular sites. To me, ths is stupid. Social networking sites are not for ads or promoting. People use them to get information, to hear people's opinions, and to find interesting links about what is happening. If there were advertisements, I know I would pay no mind to them. Facebook now has ads on users homepage. I never click on them and actually find them quite annoying. I would not like seeing these ads on even more social networking sites. They are distracting and utilizing these sites for the wrong things.

And after thinking more about this issue, I realized that if google ranks and categories social networking sites, people would not need to do research. Everything would be right in front of them. They wouldn't have to research their target audience because they could find them through which sites they visit and target them there.

I think social networking sites should be used for one thing, social networking. Why does everyone need to make a profit through every way possible?

Boom Boom Boom Boom- Week 4

I know recruitment has been going on for awhile, but last night made it a reality. We had Open House for girls interested in Greek life. After all the planning and getting ready, things went so well! I was really proud of myself to see that I planned and organized this entire party and it was successful. There was a great turn out and my homemade chocolate covered pretzels seemed to be a hit :) Which is good to hear since I stayed up uber late making them. We had so much food left over though. Sisters brought it all to the football game, hopefully they come back empy handed. Recruitment always makes me remember why I joined DZ and a sorority in general. It brings back all of the excitement I felt when I went through. Recruitment just shows me that I made the right choice and couldn't be happier :)

Silly Blog

It's official. My blog hates me. Sometime this week, it started placing my posts under the wrong days and are mixing up their order. I feel that makes it hard for any of my friends or followers to see my latest blog and be able to comment on my most recent thoughts. If that isn't bad enough, my professor isn't getting my updates. In other words, she reads everyone else's blogs but mine. Sad day. Blog, please fix yourself :)

Adopt a WHAT?!

Continuing my research of freedom of speech for bloggers in China, I discovered that you can adopt a Chinese blogger. Or any blogger for that fact. The issue is that Chinese blogs are being shut down and closely monitored. Bloggers have looked into moving their blogs to sites outside of China, but it would get expensive and they would face language barrier issues. Therefore, it would not be worth the move in the end. Instead, blogs using independent host services can host a blocked blog. This is basically a loop hole. The host blog just makes it harder for the adopted blog to be shut down. The only requirement to be a host blog is that the blog does not have large readership in the same country as the blocked adopted blog. If the host blog does, it could get shut down. Here is the more in-depth version, http://www.masternewmedia.org/free_speech/China/adopt_a_chinese_blog_initiative.htm

After reading this article and grasping the concept of adopting a blog, I was taken back. It really is a shame that bloggers have to go to such an extent to keep their blogs up and running. It's disappointing. China is seen as such a great country at times, especially after the 2008 Olympic Games. They are advanced in technology and have a thriving economy; they appear so civilized and seem to be a power nation. But really, they are barbaric in a sense. Their government micro-manages everything, even the Internet, to avoid people from saying negative things about their country. The government should not be so concerned about this. Look at America, people say negative things all the time, but we are still a united country with freedom of speech. It really is a shame, a damn shame.

Freedom of Speech

According to Citizen Marketers and a research paper by Matthew Hurst, the most active bloggers are in China. Although America takes second, we were behind them by "a factor or four." And following the U.S. is Taiwan, Japan, and Brazil. Part of me was not surprised that China was number one. It is the most populated country. Since there is a larger population to participate in blogging, it would make sense they would have more active bloggers than the U.S. But what surprised me is the realization that China, and other countries, are becoming as technologically advanced, and some even more, than America. This book even predicts that China may become the blogging capital of the world. That seems crazy, but again, so true. And even though China is most active, their freedom of speech is still in jeopardy when it comes to blogs. Citizen Marketers touched on this issue in the book which peaked my interest. Then I found this article at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/06/technology/06blog.html that clearly states how China's government is monitoring and deleting posts by bloggers. The government even takes it so far as to delete blogs completely if they are seen as "anti-government." And the most disturbing part is that MSN Spaces, where one blog was completely deleted, is maintained on computers in the US. When asked why they deleted the entire blog, they defended it by saying they had to upon request from the Chinese. And the blogger they deleted was well-respected even represented China in Germany for a blog competition. After reading this article, it's apparent that the Internet might not completely support freedom of speech.

New Influencers 2

I know this is a little late, but when getting ready to blog about this weeks reading, I remembered that I wanted to say something about Chapter 2 of the New Influencers. This chapter had so much information in it. I really enjoy this book. My favorite part was definitely the commandments of social media. I think it's neat that there are unwritten rules that people really do follow. Now that I have been a part of the social media world for a few weeks, I was able to see the trend of people posting links, commenting, and being transparent. I think it's nice [best word I can think of] that people can still follow unspoken guidelines. I think that really shows the maturity of bloggers and social media. Also in this chapter, I loved the excerpt at the end. Gillin didn't want to write about popular social media sites such as MySpace or YouTube throughout his book since there are so many other useful sites out there. But, to give them credit, he wrote four pages acknowledging their influences on our generation as well as explaining them in more detail. When I sign on my MySpace now, I feel more informed and have a better idea of what the site really is capable of. I never realized until reading this section all the aspects of MySpace such as music, commercials, giveaways, and more.

Social Media Replaces Porn

The past few days, I've really been trying to remember to visit multiple social media sites. A lot of the information and links are really interesting, but my schedule is pretty busy. But when I get a chance, I love looking around on http://www.digg.com/ or checking out other people's blogs for quirky links. While looking around digg, this Web site, http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/9/is-facebook-distracting-us-from-porn-no, caught my eye. Apparently the number of people visiting porn sites has dropped with the trend of social media sites such as Myspace and Facebook. Some people think it's because people can more easily access these sites at work and in public, unlike porn. Another theory is that people spend so much time on those Web sites, they don't have time for porn. Others think the drop is due to the fact that porn is more accessible through downloading movies has a better quality through other outlets. Personally, and this may be a little blunt, but I feel a lot of people use social media sites for sexual purposes. Aside from the fact that there are sites such as Adult Friend Finder and YouPorn, which is similar to YouTube, people connect through things such as Facebook and MySpace. Girls, and some guys, post scandalous photos in minimal clothing. On Facebook, you can say what you are looking for which ranges from "friends" to "a relationship." And I know when MySpace first got popular, lots of younger users would use the Web site to meet members of the opposite sex. And, as if that isn't bad enough, sites such as Eharmony or Match.com are letting people find partners online. I feel as though these social media sites enable people to use other Web sites to fufill their sexual needs in a more modern way.

Too Many Tweets

While sitting in class just now, I tried to log on and utilize the social media site Twitter. To my surprise, it was "over capacity" and there were "too many tweets." Looks like twitter is getting popular!

There is a light

It's official, the world works in mysterious ways. Today started out terribly. Aside from waking up late for class, a bunch of things started to pile up on me. Of course, all revolved around DZ since my position is in full swing for the next two weeks. First, I ordered stuff for sorority recruitment and it was supposed to arrive today. But instead, I get a phone call and it has yet to be shipped due to the fact that the shipping address is in Ohio but the billing address is in New Jersey. After jumping through multiple holes and having a huge freak out/mental breakdown, everything seemed to play out. The company prioritized my shipment for no charge since the products would be used for a philanthropic event. I was so relieved. It was like a huge weight being lifted from my shoulders. And then, I started to get nervous about decorations, planning, and my budget. But after venturing to Wal-Mart, I was still very well under budget. I always worry about money and the fact that I still had so much money for recruitment was another breath of fresh air. So my day, which started with no light in sight, ended on such a great note. It made me realize that sometimes being positive pays off. Although I got upset and freaked out, I kept telling myself things would work out and could always be worse. And now here I am, cool, calm, and collected :)

Can you Digg it?

I am so excited! I just posted my first thing on digg.com! It was a little confusing at first, but it totally worked. Maybe this social media thing isn't too hard after all. Go check it out at http://digg.com/arts_culture/Drinking_Age_May_Get_Lowered or the original Web site where I found the article http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_College_Presidents_Sign_Petition_to_Lower_Drinking_Age_22620.html. And please comment or digg it ;)

Narcissism: Generation Y

While searching the web at the last minute for an interesting fact, I stumbled upon this article http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0302/p01s01-ussc.html?page=1
that states "... according to the study, 30 percent more college students showed "elevated narcissism" in 2006 compared with 1982." And at first, I was a little surprised. But when thinking about it, all my shock went away. I thought about myspace and facebook. Some users post more pictures they take of themselves than anything. And I will admit, I am guilty of the "typical myspace photo" at times, but now that I am older, I am no where near as bad. Why do girls and even guys feel the need to take 40 pictures of themselves in the mirror, on the phone, making kissy faces, and being redic. I understand that people have "good hair days," but do we need to document every angle of it? Generation Y really is narcissistic. Aside from our array of self-photography, we all have social media Web sites that ask us to tell them about ourselves. It is an open opportunity for people to toot their own horn.

The other day in social media we discussed Generation Y in detail. How they are babied by parents and how fantastic their grades are. Our generation was over-rewarded in my opinion. My mom always laughed at the way parents rewarded their children for an A or acted like their painting was comparable to Picaso. I would question her and compare myself to my friends, asking why I didn't get to go out to dinner because I got an A. And she would always say something to the effect that I should be getting A's because I want to, not because I want a reward. And when I would bring something home from art class, if it was terrible, she would tell me it was a good effort or great for my first try. Other parents though were the complete opposite and I feel as though the way they acted plays greatly into the fact that a good majority of Gen Y is so self-centered and has such high self-esteem.

Another factor is the need for attention. Growing up, Generation Y had loads of attention from parents, teachers, and coaches. Once we enter college, our parents aren't there at every game and don't see every grade. Professors give us a little pat on the shoulder here and there, but nothing as monumental as what we saw in grade school. And coaches are constantly expecting us to be better and push harder. The lack of positive attention drives our generation to use social media outlets to gain attention. Some write blogs about their everyday life in hopes people will read, others post pictures so people can tell them how cute they look, and most have an about me section they have perfected so everyone wants to be their friend. Overall, I believe we are more narcissistic than previous generations, but it is not due to just one thing. Multiple factors have played large roles in Generation Y's overdose of self-esteem and constant need for attention.

Path to Great PR

Handouts...they seem to drag on and be pointless. Honestly, the book must not be that great if you only copied a chapter to hand out to class. The writer has one line of genius and the whole chapter is handed out. But all of this changed while I read chapter 15 in PR 2.0. I actually got out my highlighter and went to town. There were so many interesting facts and such helpful information. This handout really highlighted how social media is helping people to communicate better. When discussing how social media is a great asset to society, the author focused on the terrorists attacks on the subway in London. There was no way for media to get down there so people used their cell phones to let the world know what was going on. This resulted in the BBC setting up a cell phone news channel. I mean, 10 years ago cell phones were used only for talking and now we can text, access the Internet, and even have a news channel via these devices.

The author also called out social media while discussing job interviews. In the past, laws have been implemented to ban interviewers from asking candidate's personal questions ranging from age to religion. With the rise of social media, interviewers can find a loop hole to get the answers to these controversial questions and some. By logging onto Facebook or finding a their blog, the interviewer can discover extremely personal information and have preconceived ideas about the candidates.

Overall, this hand out made me realize that PR is changing, but for the better. And it made me see that maybe all handouts aren't terrible.

Public Relations: a Science or an Art?

After my public relations research class this morning, I had time to look around at some of the social media sites that I keep hearing about. While on www.PRblogger.com, I found a link to a blog all about the importance of research. I found this interesting since I just spent two hours learning about research. After reading it, everything from class and the blog started to piece together.

In class, we discussed whether PR is an art or a science and analyzed case studies. And even though the blog focused on research, it made me think. PR is both a science and an art. The researching part is much like science. Practitioners have to conduct surveys and find data to help them better understand their client, target audience, and even product. After all their research is complete, they have to analyze it, much like science. And if they don't research, their campaign may not reach it's true potential, or worse, the campaign may just fail.

But after all the research, PR takes art form. Practitioners must be creative and think outside of the box. They are constantly thinking of new ways to use their research to reach their audience and sell their product or client. Practitioners can't always just send out press releases and place magazine ads. With social media on the rise, there is always something new for a practitioner to use to reach their target. And this is an art. Not just anyone can think of innovative new ways to promote. It takes a trained professional who is skilled in the art of PR.

Here's the blog on the importance of research in public relations. I liked it so much, I even commented!

http://pohlmrl.prblogs.org/2008/06/17/the-importance-of-research-in-pr/#comment-53

Sorority Forever ♥

So, I just wrote a blog, but I need to get this out there. I have a myspace and I sign on every so often. Well, on the homepage to place my email and password, I saw an advertisement for some Myspace tv show called Sorority Forever. The tagline for the show said "The most beautiful girls on campus have an ugly secret." And all I thought was what a load of bull that was. I really can't believe people feed into stereotypes so much. I was one of those people, that's for sure. I thought Greek life was stupid and full of dumb drunken girls and arrogant self-centered guys. But as a freshman at college, I gave it a try. And thank god I did. I love my sorority. More than anything. And I know people think it's cheesey, but it's the truth. These girls mean more to me than anything. They are some of the most intelligent and genuine people I have ever met. Of course they party, we all party. We are at college for god's sake.

But why must everything having to do with Greek life in the media be so negative. Greek, the show on ABC Family, is really good about balancing stereotypes with real life. But there are books that are published that bash sororities and claim they haze and make it sound like hell. And I will be honest, some campuses have sororities that haze and do terrible things. Yet, there are colleges like mine, where Greek life is so different from what people think. We don't spend every day wasted and we don't force girls to drink. We don't circle girls' fat or make them do things against their wills. We instead have TV nights and sleepovers. And on this campus, all sororities and fraternities get along fairly well. We do philanthropic things almost monthly. We have socials without alcohol and go everywhere together. We are more than just a sorority or a fraternity, but a sisterhood and a brotherhood. We aren't in it for parties and beer, but we do it because it makes us better as students and people.

I have learned so much from my sorority and I still have two years ahead of me. I am currently the Vice President of Membership, which puts me in charge of recruitment. I designed shirts and made books. I organized and planned four mini parties from scratch ranging from theme to food to activities. And all of that applies to my public relations major. I learned how to become a leader, a scholar, a mentor, a sister, and a better person. When my sister's are spending the night studying, it makes me want to study. They make me want to be a better person and I feel that is something no one understands. Greeks aren't just people who hang out. We are a group of friends that are so close, we call each other sisters and brothers. We don't stop at anything to help a fellow member out. When one of our sisters passed away last year, not only did our entire sorority attend her memorial, but the Greek community as a whole went and was there for us. When one of our sister's mother passed away, we all drove two hours to go to the viewing and be there for her.

So this blog is kinda long, but I really want everyone to see the other side of Greek life. I want the public to know that it's not all crafting and partying, but there is substance to sororities. That we may be stereotyped, but that doesn't make those stereotypes true. My sorority is so much more than just a group of friends that I pay for. It is a home away from home, a safe haven. I can cry with these girls or I can laugh with them. A trip to wal-mart turns into a night of fun. But not because we are airheads who drink, party, and get naked. But because we are all individuals who have goals and who study and study hard. We are more than just a sorority ... we are a sisterhood. And i couldn't ask for a better group of friends. And if people want to continue to stereotype and bad mouth Greek life, go right ahead. Because it's not something I can really explain. It can't be written on paper or in a blog. But it's something that needs to be felt and experienced. I could go on for hours, but you still won't understand it until you're a part of it.

Only One Chapter In

Read The New Influencers chapter one. It was no where near as boring as I expected. I like that it's not a text book, but an actual book. Makes reading it seem less like school work. I didn't know what a blog was or anything until I opened the book. I guess I had a general understanding, but hadn't grasped the concept until the chapter progressed. I realized that blogs aren't just something my generation does in their spare time, but blogs are useful to companies, businesses, and even mainstream media. It's interesting to know that the two media worlds interact, and that it is in a complementary way. Although the chapter discussed many incidents where blogs released vital information to the public, such as the Sony cd issue and the AOL customer service fiasco, but the most interesting was definitely the one about George W. Bush and the draft. I think blogs really do give people a voice. I mean, most people who blog aren't some big wig on TV or a movie star. They are just the average person with an opinion and a voice. The fact that these average people can exploit information given to the public by such a major news source as 60 Minutes is astonishing. It really makes me understand that social media as a whole is on the rise and making a difference in more than just the PR world. Honestly, I used to think that social media was a bunch of fluff. I assumed that it was all computer geeks and people who had nothing better to do with their time then write about their life and post silly videos of their friends on youtube. But after just studying this topic for one day and reading one chapter, I am just beginning to grasp the impact social media is having on the professional world. I am beginning to like blogging and having an outlet for my opinions, ideas, and thoughts. Now I see why social media is such an interesting way to communicate.

Hello Junior Year

Today began my junior year of college. I can not believe I have been in college for three years. Jeez. I spent around 7 hours in the same classroom for just two classes. I had a break in between for lunch in the Mac and the line was insane. I guess there are a lot of freshman this year because it was packed. Seven sisters had to cram into a table for 5. But we did wear our recruitment shirts for Delta Zeta since it's Tuesday. They are a candy pink with white writing. I was really iffy about the shirts at first, but once I saw them, I pretty much fell in love. Sisters also sported our new fleeces. Everyone seems to be talking about them :) I am really proud of myself that they were completed and free. Now, if I can only get everything together for our recruitment practices. That takes a little more time and thought though.

Stressing Out

Wow. I just set this up and am starting to stress out. I am so technologically impaired. Hopefully, this gets easier since I need it for a whole quarter.