Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Social Networks

I find it really disturbing when the first thing a friend does when walking into my apartment door is have to hunt for my computer so they can check their Facebook or Myspace. I’ll admit it, I do have a Myspace account but I am not a regular visitor to the site. All too often a friend will say something regarding a Myspace message or comment that referred to confirming or making plans with me. Myspace messages are quickly campaigning to be on the same level as text messages or even a phone call! It is now expected that many check social network sites daily or even several times a day. It has become another way of e-mailing. I have even done business over Myspace messages.

Who hasn’t heard that what you post on site like Facebook are now being viewed by potential employers? Employees have been fired because of pictures fully intended only for friends. As an undergrad I was a cheerleader for Drury and we were required to removed any questionable pictures from our personal sites. Here is a blog that addresses this topic http://mynaym.com/

As for the Myspace vs. Facebook debate I can only hypothesize because I have not had a Facebook account in over two years. What I have gathered is from the over the shoulder looks I give my friends when they are perusing their pages. It seems like Myspace allows you to be a bit more creative with your page. It seem like the ability to change your background and upload your pictures right now your page along with many other feature, allows more of your personality to come through.

When it comes to advertisements I guess I knew they existed on those sites but have never acknowledged them. So if companies want me to take notice, Myspace isn’t really the way to go about it.

RSS IT!!!



What is RSS?

RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a way to distribute content to a large number of people.

What is RSS good for?

There are so many websites out there with so much information that is being updated regularly that it would be a full-time job tracking down all of the changing information. Therefore, RSS is a great way to be notified of new and changed content. RSS is even more helpful than old fashion e-mail notifications which can get messy and often get confused for spam.

How does RSS work?

A website author maintains a list of notifications on their website. This list is called an RSS Feed. Those who are interested in the changes can check this list. Then it is up to computer programs called RSS aggregators that can automatically access your RSS feeds and organize them for you. RSS feed and aggregators are sometimes referred to as RSS Channels or RSS Readers.

What info does RSS provide?

RSS gives basic information that is made up of a list that is given in order from newest to oldest. Each one is given a title and a short description of the information. While sometimes it is just a summary.

RSS aggregator programs example:






How can you find out if a website has an RSS feed?

Nowadays most website do provide an RSS feed but sometimes locating that link can be a little tricky. There are certain things to look for that can make it a bit easier for you, such as: an orange button with the letters “XML”, “RSS”, or even a link that says, “Syndicate This”.

This is how it looks to tech savvy individuals….



There are other uses for RSS…

Not only is RSS great for keeping updated on changing information but it awesome for some other uses too!

*Notifying you of a new product in store
*Listing and notifying you of newsletter issues (e-mail too)
*Weather alerts
*And notifying you of additions to databases or new members in a group



Thursday, October 9, 2008

Blogging about blogs

I have always seen blogs as kind of like an online diary. I was never big into journaling but I did have one. My parents bought it for me and since I thought little girls were suppose to journal I would write “Had a great day. Write more tomorrow,” almost every time. My mom said that I would enjoy looking back and reading about what I was up to but from entries like that with simple statements I’m not seeing the enjoyment. So, my point here was that I have always seen blogs in the same way. I have never blogged and do not believe I fully understand the magnitude of what they are capable of doing.
For me it is hard to see the importance of blogging. I have never really read a blog before except like ones like Maddox.xmission.com. And then again I’m not even sure that is considered a blog, who knows but it’s a fun read so go check it out. Warning it isn’t PG-13. As of now anyone blogging really fails to get my attention. There are so many ways that companies can get their words out there that blogging wouldn’t really be beneficial to me. Maybe I’m just behind with the times or maybe I’m just not a big PR person.