Social Media Project

For our groups social media project we chose to research Netflix. Below is the link to our results.  

http://ism3004socialmedia.wikispaces.com/Netflix

In analyzing the various social media outlets of Netflix I learned what tactics the company uses to reach its consumers. A primary source that Netflix uses is Facebook and a source that Netflix has little to no presence on is YouTube.

The Netflix Facebook page has over 3 million likes and has over 45,000 mentions. On their Facebook page there are links to other social media outlets, advertisements for recently added television shows and movies and much more. Facebook's growing popularity among older generations helps Netflix to utilize one site for multiple target markets. 

Another social media outlet that is used by Netflix is Twitter. They have an official Twitter page with about 161,268 followers. Netflix "tweets" about 1 to 4 times a day. With their tweets they advertise movies and television shows that viewers can watch instantly, information on events hosted by the company, movie facts, and questions to encourage consumer interaction. Twitter is a successful use of social media for Netflix. The company is able to get their name out to a variety of consumers in a subtle and informative way. 

Some things that Netflix does not have are a presence on YouTube or a social media policy. Although there has been talk of YouTube being a potential competitor, Netflix should at least have an official account to post promotional videos and such. YouTube can only further put there brand out there.  Netflix also doesn't have an official social media policy, they state objectives with social media but no true policy. Social media policies are essential to companies using the social media outlets for business and is something they should seriously consider. 

Netflix is a very interesting and successful company. They use social media to their advantage and it is something that is very effective.

Week 12: Telecommunication (Clear Blog)

One for the lessons we learned about this week from Dr. Means was telecommunication. Specifically the way that information travels through the internet. She did a great way in explaining the information in  a clear and descriptive way.

According to Dr. Means lecture, Business Telecommunication can be defined as electronic communication, the science and technology of transmitting information electronically by wires or radio signals with integrated encoding and decoding equipment and information transmission over communications lines.

Information travels to get from one location to the other.

Transmission control protocol or TCP used on the start and end of the information. It takes the info and slices it int data grams to send out, IP routes the packets and TCP and reassembles the packets into the complete format to display on users computer.

UDP is used when its important for packets to arrive quickly for things such as Skype. It may glitch, but its sacrificed for the speedy arrival of data.

Last mile, final leg in the connection. Internet speeds are ranked low in the US because we are so spread throughout the country and not in one specific area.

Broadband high speed last mile technology. Wireless uses mobile networks are good but get bogged down at times such as game days.

All of this information is something that I, and a lot of people, take for granted. I just trust that the internet is going to be fast and get from my computer to another in a timely manor, which now-a-days is milliseconds. It was cool to learn about the process and some of the steps necessary in the process.

The most interesting piece of information from this lecture was that WiFi is just a brand name and doesn't stand for anything. I had no idea that its a common misconception that it stands for "wireless fidelity."

Extra Credit: VoIP and Video Capture

For this extra credit assignment I downloaded the the Jing Project software and Skype to record a conversation and video of my friend and I. I had never used VoIP before, so I was excited to see what it was all about.

At first, I thought it was kind of awkward to record my conversation but I started to think of the practical uses that it can serve. The program is really easy to use, it took less than 15 minutes to download and is very user friendly.

I explained our class and why I needed to record her. We talked about how this program could be used for online interviews, for the employer to record the interview and be able to go back to see how the candidate answered questions. It could potentially be used for a teaching tool. For example if a professor interviewed an individual and wanted to show his class the interview later.

There are several things that the program can do as well as many benefits for users.

This was an interesting extra credit assignment that showed me another free and useful resource on the internet!

My Jing experience below:

C:\Users\Mariah\Desktop\Jing_Trial-ISM3004-MCurry.swf

Are you Smarterer? Extra Credit

This extra credit assignment was really interesting. I enjoyed taking quizzes and seeing just how much I know about platforms I use every day.

I took three quizzes, one on Facebook, one on Google and one on romantic comedies. The one I found most interesting was the quiz on Google. I found out so many interesting things that Google does and offers for their users, as well as fun things written into the code. It is so cool that wen you type "do a barrel roll" the Google home screen  does a 360 degree spin. Or when you type Google in backwards "elgooG" you get a mirror image of the Google logo. 

The Facebook quiz was the one I did the best at, scoring 85% proficiency. I knew the most about Facebook, but there were still things I didn't know. Mostly things like regarding Facebook Market Place and the logistics of Facebook Pages.

I also took a romantic comedy quiz. I took this quiz for fun because I love romantic comedies and I pride myself in my vast knowledge of them. Well this quiz showed me otherwise. I need to brush up on my rom-com knowledge this summer.

This was a creative and fun extra credit assignment but has taught me that I need to learn more about the websites that I use on a daily basis.

Facebook: http://smarterer.com/mariahlcurry/facebook

Google: http://smarterer.com/mariahlcurry/google_search

Romantic Comedy: http://smarterer.com/mariahlcurry/romantic_comedy_trivia

Extra Credit: Google+

For this extra credit assignment I had to make a Google+ profile. This was interesting to me because when Google+ first came out I was hesitant to see what it was all about. Making the account was super simple. I didn't have to add any personal information and I could choose who I wanted to follow and things I wanted to follow. I like the concept of circles, because that is one thing about Facebook I'm not too fond of, is having everyone lumped together.

I found the article, comparing Facebook to Google+, very interesting. I was surprised to see the number of people who said that they were going to ditch Facebook for Google+. So far I have not seen that with my friends. When Google+ first opened last summer, there was little to no buzz about it from any of my friends. Out of the 888 friends I have on Facebook, I found less than 20 that are actually on Google+.

I do agree that Facebook privacy was an issue when Google+ first came out. However, as result Facebook has made major changes in the privacy department.

Facebook also made other changes when Google+ came out. When trying the Google+ "Hang out" option, I found it was very similar to the video chat option on Facebook. The only difference is that the "Hang out" option allows more people to chat at once, which I think is more useful. You can "Hang out" with individual people or whole circles. That would be perfect for chatting with family members who are far apart of with groups for projects!

Google+ was a good idea in theory, however I haven't seen it take off the way that Facebook did. Granted the platform is still relatively new, however I don't think at this point it is good enough to compete with the empire that is Facebook and I don't see myself switching over anytime soon.

Database Project

I found the Database Project very complicated and complex. However, I did learn when done right, this program is very useful. It helps the user to weed out unnecessary information and compile what the user desires in an organized table. This project showed me step by step how to create layouts and finds in the FileMaker Pro program.

When doing this project I found the tools quite difficult to find. On FileMaker Pro there are only 5 buttons in the tool bar. This makes the user have to search through to find the command they want to do next. It would enhance the program tremendously if the command buttons were easier to find and separate.

Blog 10: Microsoft Access

Before this lesson I didn't know much about Microsoft Access, other than it was in the menu of Microsoft programs that were on my computer and something I would likely never use.

However, in doing the lesson for this week it opened my eyes to what Access is and what it can be used for. Access is an amazing program. It is very detailed oriented and in the beginning a little overwhelming to learn.

As the scavenger hunt continued I was able to pick up the different commands that Dr. Olson was teaching and I saw how useful this program actually is. 

Microsoft Access has a whole realm of things that it can be used for. Sorting data such as student grades,  age, ID numbers and much for. We learned how to create new tables, input data into tables, sort data, make certain data show and much more. 

While watching the lectures this week I stated to think about ways that Access could be useful in my own life. 

I am looking forward to doing the project and using the skills that I learned this past week. I think the project is going to be challenging, but once complete I will definitely have a sense of pride for completing a project on a program so new and foreign to me. 

Technology: Past, Present and Future (Blog 9)

The history of technology and all that is associated with it is a fascinating. Starting with the Tabulating Machine Company in 1896, later to become IBM. It is amazing to me that the idea of advanced technology was thought of at that time. Then in 1958 the first integrated circuit, by Texas instruments, which led to the first modern computer. It is astounding to me how far technology has come in the last 100 years.

 In this lesson we also learned about Moore's law which is that the chip or processor performance should per dollar of cost double every 18 months, basically saying that chips manufactured now should be twice as fast but cost the same. This is an interesting concept to me. More and more technology is being made available to consumers at the same or lower price. This is a trend that I have seen in the market over the last couple of years.

 Price elasticity was also discussed in this lesson. I found it very interesting how much price can affect the popularity of an item. In the video the example of the Kindle Fire and the iPad were compared and it was said that if the price for an iPad was lowered the demand would increase. This is a concept I had never really thought of before hearing this. And inversely the demand for something like Insulin is never affected because of the price.

 An interesting concept to keep in mind is where technology is headed in the future. It is beneficial to focus on the future and new technological advancements as they are happening everyday.

 The quote, "A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be," said by Wayne Gretzky. It perfectly fits the computer industry in knowing where it is going, always knowing potential and not dwelling on the past.

Excel Project

The Excel Project was a very interesting project. It had great benefits to applying what we learned in the real world. Overall this project gave me skills that I will be able to apply for the rest of my time using Excel in an business environment. Although Excel is an, at times, confusing program the Excel scavenger hunt really helped in learning the tools necessary for completing this project.

In the project I learned how to do a multitude of things. Things such as fitting the cells, centering the cells, adding columns and so much more. As the project progressed it definitely got harder but with a couple of tricky things I really had to pay attention for. In this program the details really matter. The one thing that really through me off was remembering to format the cells appropriately, whether that be number, currency, percent, etc.

One of the tasks that I found most difficult was the percent increase heart rate. I figured out what I thought was the formula but for some reason  it didn't work. I worked at the formula several times until I realized that I was forgetting one small detail, that the format had to be as a percentage. This just reiterated how important it is for you to pay attention to even the smallest details when working Excel.

My favorite part of this project was learning how to make the Excel page print on one page in width, that was something I have had issues with in the past and I will definitely find useful in the future.

Overall this was a great project, with useful and applicable knowledge gained!

Screen shot of  my Average Increase Pivot table!

The Cloud...And its Many Possibilities

In this weeks lesson we learned about the Cloud and the many possibilities that it can give to users. Dr. Olson explained all that goes into the Cloud.

I was unaware of what the Cloud actually was until this lecture and to be perfectly honest, I didn't even know it existed.

The Cloud consists of open source code that anyone can obtain for free and make changes to if necessary. however as Dr. Olson pointed out just because the programs are free it doesn't mean it is completely free. He compared it to a free puppy, just because it is free upon getting it doesn't mean there won't be future bills down the road.

Having open source code allows access to the code when it is necessary to fix bugs, modify behaviors to the applications and add features. The fact that the code is open makes it a community, not just code as Dr. Olson explained. The community provides collaborative development, support resources and contributions from several parties.

An open source that we use here at UF is Sakai. Sakai was originally designed by the University of Indiana and a university in South Africa. Sakai is a resource that we as students, faculty and staff at UF use everyday.

I found the open source code an interesting concept. I didn't know that things such as Mozilla Firefox, Apache and Linux Operating System are all open source code.

This lesson really opened my eyes to all that is out there involving code that I truly didn't even know existed.

Who knew that the Linux Operating System is the system that Facebook and Google were built upon.

The use of open source code is a wonderful thing that allows individuals from all over to contribute to already great code, making it better and easier to use.

Support Melissa Dohme Presentation Project

The presentation process was a lot harder than I expected it to be. From the lessons on presentations section in this class I learned what we needed to do, but in implementing them in my presentation I was able to fully understand what goes into creating a successful presentation.

 In my presentation I chose to present about one of my best friends, Melissa Dohme.

[Dohme Family Photo]

On January 24, 2012 Melissa was attacked by her ex-boyfriend, Robert L. Burton. He stabbed her 17 times in the head, neck, back, face and arms. Melissa was in the ICU for two weeks and in the rehab center for on week at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Burton is currently in jail in Pinellas County and charged with attempted murder in the first degree.

Melissa is now home and working to get back to life as usual. She is back in school and going to therapy several times a week.

We are all very thankful that we still have Melissa with us today, however the cost of her medical bills is too much for her family to bare.

That is why I chose the video subject that I did. The following video means more to me than just the project that we were assigned to do. The goal of my video is to encourage someone to want to donate and/or support Melissa and her family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MI65-ojTFk

Critiques:

To critique my video the first thing I would do differently would be to add music. I didn't want to add music for fear of copyright infringement.

I would also add a clip of Melissa herself talking to the audience so they could see her now, after the attack.

My video needs to be edited better, I should have researched how exactly to edit the video instead of just "winging" it.

One thing I didn't do in my presentation was ask questions. I feel as though I sparked curiosity with the information I gave, however I did not do it by asking a question.

I really tried to avoid clutter and being too wordy. I focused on making a point with pictures on a page and explaining the page with my voice.

In doing my peer review I realized I wasn't the only student not to use music which makes me feel better. One thing I liked about the peer review was that we did different scenarios, so I was able to see how someone did the project in a different direction than me.

But all in all I truly enjoyed this project and I look forward to the other useful projects that are assigned in this class!

Licenses: Not Just for Driving or Marriage

This week we learned about a variety of things involving computers and the inner workings. We learned about software, applications, operating systems hardware and much more. One of the most interesting things that we were taught in this week's lesson was about software licenses and the ins and outs of that process.

When we first come to school we are faced with a long to do list of things to get. Laundry bag, check, laptop, check, software...wait, whats that? Or at least that's what I first thought when I came to college. I had no idea that software needed to be purchased, let alone the many different ways it is offered. This topic was a muddy one for me, but after this lesson the basic ideas of licences became clear.

Commercial software is software that you purchase, usually its the code that you buy that allows you to download the software. When it is being purchased there are different ways this can be done; the shrink-wrap method, single-user applications,Original Equipment Manufacturer licences.

The shrink-wrap application forces you into an implicit agreement with the company. When one opens the shrink wrap of the source code, you agree to the terms and conditions of the license.

Single-user application is a license that has perpetual use. Users can use the application on any machine they own as long as the application is uninstalled in the old machine and re-installed in the new one.

OEM licenses are cheaper than full retail or packaged licensees but they are tied to one machine. Once the license is used it can not be used again.

The best piece of advise I learned from the lecture on licenses is before you buy a license use a trial license. Feel the program out, make sure you understand and feel comfortable using it and then make the decision to purchase and download on your computer.

Presentations: The Do's and Don'ts

Presentations are something that is used in business, in school are several other facets of life. I have made presentations for school since ever since i was young, not to mention the various presentations I made to try and convince my parents to get me things like a puppy when I was in grade school.

In this weeks lesson the do's and don'ts of presentations were explained. If I only knew then what I know now. The lesson this week is not only important for our assignments, but it is useful information that we as ISM students can bring into the real world. 

When composing a presentation the first thing you need to do is create a storyboard. Close your laptop and grab a piece of paper and a pencil and start sketching what exactly it is you want to get across in your presentation. Include pictures, topics, points and anything else you feel is relevant. 

Next look into how you can successfully present your information. Don't put too much text on one page, and don't put a page full of bullet points in your presentation. Instead stretch that page out into separate pages with the bullet point and a visual, for example. Make your readers feel an emotional connection to what you are saying with the non-verbal aspects of your presentation.

Something to be aware of when making your presentation and adding images is not to use copy-righted material. Use websites such as Flicker and Google Images to find non copy-righted material. 

After your material and images are on your presentation, look at the ascetics of it. Make sure it appeals to your target audience. Make sure the colors you have chosen blend well together. To create a custom color theme for your Power Point go to Kuler.com. 

A couple more do's and don'ts and you will be on your way to having a rockin' presentation. Make sure you chose a font and size that is legible and don't make it move on your page. The idea is to make it so your readers can actually read and understand what you are saying. 

Always remember the 5 rules of presentations by Duarte Design: Treat your audience as king, spread ideas and move people, help them see what your are saying, practice design, not decoration and cultivate healthy relationships. 

Keep all of this in mind and your next presentation is sure to be a successful one!

-----------

Sources: 

http://www.duarte.com/training/tools/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KbSPPFYxx3o

DoppelMe: My Avatar

I made my avatar on DoppelMe. It was an interesting experience making an avatar that is based on me. I based my avatar on a typical outfit I would wear. The idea of using an avatar for things on the internet is something I was unfamiliar with before the assignment. As I researched more about it I found that avatars can be used as a visual online identity. 

Technology and It's Impact on Today's Business World

Today technology plays a huge role in how the modern-businesses world operates. In this week's lesson we learned about the impact of technology not only on businesses individually, but on the business world as a whole.

I find it fascinating how much technology has changed the way things are. Business is moving to a paperless world, with the use of technology. Businesses are online now, using technology to communicate with their employees and clients, save documents and preform daily tasks.

In order to make it in today's world it is imperative to understand technology. It is built into jobs everywhere; it is rare for a job in today's world not to involve technology in any aspect.

Technology in today's business wold encourages people to develop critical thinking skills, evaluate new and up and coming technologies and gives employees an advantage in making decisions.

Technology has changed the way the business world operates in the past twenty years as it evolves will continue to change in years to come.  To work in today's business world you need to be willing to change and adapt as the technologies impact the way things are done.

Although technology has impacted the business world, it is understood that it is a "key enabler" rather than the reason for advantages. The key values of business haven't changed, but technology gives companies the the tools to succeed in today's world.

The best thing you can do when it comes to technology is embrace the changes, rather than fight them. Technology has the power to positively impact your experience in the business world in more ways than one.

Networks: The good, bad and confusing (Week 3)

When learning about Networks this week I was a little overwhelmed with all that it entails. The old networks, new networks, what used to be acceptable, what is dangerous, what you need to watch out for etc. etc. 

Some of the concepts that gave me the hardest time was grasping the ideas of what used to be an acceptable form of internet access and what is used today; as well as what the networks are preferred.

The original form of internet access is known as an Ethernet cord. It is connected to one network and one IP address. There is a port in the back of most computers for the cord to plug into giving the computer access to the world-wide web. 

The other, more recent form of internet access is known as WiFi, or more technically as 802.11. This form of internet access allows companies and family households to have more than one computer connected to the internet in more than one location, as long as it was in range of the signal. However as the years when on it was discovered that accesses such as a WEN signal was unsafe and more secure networks were formed. This however did not prevent things such as wireless phones, baby monitors and microwaves from interfering with the connection. The radio waves from all of the devices weekend the signal. 

There are many concepts regarding computers and the network connections that I took for granted before taking this class and really diving into the logistics and history of computers and their connections to the world-wide web through internet servers and Networks. 

Netiquette: Everything you need to know (Clear Bog Post)

Netiquette is very use full and is per-tenant to everyday life. Whether you are online for social reasons, business reasons or online blogging it is important for one to remember etiquette for the net. It is important to remember that people are at the other end of the computer. Not only in social uses of the internet, but also in business. there will always be a future employer, consumer or employee at the other end reading everything you post. 

A few tips to follow while you are on the net will get you a long way in the grand scheme of things. Remember while online, Don't be rude or abusive, Avoid sarcasm and facetious remarks, without the voice inflection and body language it can be easily misinterpreted. Cite all of your references, you don't want to get caught up in a copy write infringement scandal. Lastly be authentic, you are a real person, so act like it. 

These are just a few Netiquette tips that will result in a positive outcome when you are online.

References: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=165752193483755&comments