Farewell University, Hello College

So as my four years as a comm student at Laurier are coming to an end, I thought I would let you all know what I am doing next year, and how blogging will remain to play a prominent role in my career path.

Next year I am going to college for Corporate Communications and Public Relations. Since the internet has become such a popular space for people to interact, create opportunities and share information, most businesses are actively also engaging in the internet and setting up blogs representing their brand, products or services. Since PR is all about protecting the brand, and ensuring the brand remains strongly and positively recognized by the public eye, the blog has actually become quite an important tool for PR. This is because blogs provide the the perfect way to promote your brands image, product and service.

Blogs are very helpful PR tool because they provide a sense of personalization that is very intimate online, a real person is blogging about in the face of the company, people gain a connection to the writter, a trust is formed and therefore this bridges a connection between the company and readers/ consumers. In the past PR has been known to present manipulative messages to the public, to "spin" messages in order to make the company look good. The blog shifts away from this idea, and creates a more communicative and interactive space where the face of the company (blogger) is having a conversation or dialogue with readers. This approach of open discussion enhances the perception of honesty and trust, and by delievering messages straight to readers, they gain a trust for the company, which will in turn create life long clients.

In addition, blogging is a great tool for PR because the blog acts as a vehicle for release news about the company, and being the first to release consistent news is always a positive way to reach mass amounts of people. The blog allows PR people to write about their industry, comment on their products, provide people with up to date company news, and events which may be of interest to readers, and it proves to be successful as people feel an intimate connection with these corporate blogs. Instead of finding out about the company news from the newspaper or television, the blog strengthens the brand online. As PR is all about being on top of new media, and maintaining a strong brand name, the blog is a great tool to use.

I am really looking forward to my program next year! We will be taking classes on event planning and crisis management. I think posting events on a corporate blog is so much more effective than hearing about them on the news. I really look forward to learning all about PR and how new social media has become an active tool for corporations!

Goodbye for now Active Citizens at Laurier!

Chatroulette's Viral Growth

We have all seen this past year how the internet has acted as a prominent vehicle for celebrity news, gossip, status updates and essentially every form of communication. It is almost as though the idea of going viral on the web, has gone viral itself. The rapid pace of social media and social networking on the internet has not slowed down, and new sites are gaining popularity through the use of others in record times. There is no speed limits on the internet, and people and sites are traveling faster and faster each day.

Over the past few months there has been massive media coverage on the new and popular site Chatroulette. This site connects people for online face to face communication by connecting webcams. The 17 year old founder of this site Andrey Ternovskiy, Said that when he first created the site he had 20 users and then all of a sudden the numbers just doubled and tripped every day. He didn't use any advertising or promotions, this was a purely organic operation, so how did this happen? Well, other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter helped to spread the word about Chatroulette. Within a few months of creating the site he had 30 million users. This is drastic! It is crazy! It took social networking sites like Facebook around three years to have 30 million uses, so i'd say three months is rather astonishing.

"These new media have made our world into a single unit. The world is now like a continually sounding tribal drum, where everybody gets the messages all the time"-- Marshall McLuhan

I think this quote is really important as it illustrates how social media has really brought people together to this massive online world (the internet) where pretty much everything can be done. News, gossip, status updates, comments, videos, online dating, online chatting.. and the list goes on. Being connected to the internet allows everyone to get the same messages all the time. This is how the popularity of the site Chatroulette grew. It is extremely rare in the OFFline world for a company or business to become so popular with no promotion or advertising. Actually i'd say its nearly impossible. But on the internet, this site was able to rapidly gain popularity through OTHER social networking sites discussing them. I think it is so fascinating, and really makes me wonder how many more companies and businesses will be posting their products and services to social networking sites. So many corporations are already on twitter, I can see a strong future for this. Everyday the internet seems to amaze me, the power of the internet is so extreme, and I feel really good about it because our generation has really been around and has prominent roles for the beginning of a lot of social networking that will only continue to develop and grow in years to come

Until Next time,

The active Citizen

March Madness on Social Media

Slam Dunk! March Madness has made quite the presence on social media so far. This month the NCAA college basketball tournament is the talk of the town, especially among sports fans. Powered by CBS sports, the March Madness tournament is available on demand athttp://mmod.ncaa.comand with the new NCAA March Madness on Demand Iphone App ($10). Check out this article in the New York Times, describing this new Iphone App which allows users to enjoy live video of every game in the tournament, anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection of course. March Madness on the iPhone - Gadgetwise Blog - NYTimes.com. I think it is so crazy that you can simple purchase and download an application that will stream live video footage right to your phone, which you can take with you and watch on the go pretty much anywhere. Technology is so fascinating, and Apple always seems to be a step ahead coming out with the most innovative applications.

Other social media such as Facebook, Blogs, Podcasts, Twitter and Youtube also have tons of citizens actively posting, commenting and interacting with one another all surrounding the hype of March Madness. You can find absolutely anything you needed or wanted to know about the NCAA March Madness tournament all on these social networking sites where people are constantly updating their statuses, blogs, and videos. The NCAA websiteNCAA.com – The Official Website of NCAA Championships, is really well organized and has links for all of these social media right at the top. For example, take a look at some of the recent blogs providing information on statistics, standings, and players etc. NCAA.com - The Official Website of NCAA Championships - Blog.

I have never really been a basketball fan, but with all the available social networking sites I have definitely taken a stronger interest in this tournament, as there are so many people who talk about it daily and I feel I need to be in the know. I think the collaboration of people who are using these social networking sites to discuss and hype up sports and this tournament in particular is really exciting as it allows people like myself who don't know much about the sport to be involved, and learn from others. Tennis is my favorite sport, as it is really the only one I still play (and golf) and I look forward to contributing and participating on these social networking sites come time for the French Open, Wimbledon and The Masters!

I hope you have all enjoyed keeping up to date on this exciting March Madness Tournament, I am sure some even have the Apple Iphone App, what a great idea!

Until next time,

The Active Citizen

Google Bomb Much?

I am really interested in the popular discovery that bloggers are finding useful and very fascinating, that being "google bomb". Google Bombing involves modifying HTML pages to increase the chance that websites that are placed close to the beginning of search engine results, or to influence the category to which the page is assigned.

Google bombing is a great attraction for bloggers as it is a way they are able to get their blogs known and their names known, a way of creating an awareness to spread their voice. Google bombing allows bloggers to post specific links to specific postings that were designed to include popular words that google users would commonly use. Google bombs are successful when they bump the link to the ranked number one for each google key word typed in. Google bombing can be great to create awareness for bloggers wishing to spread a voice, and it can also be useful for google users who like to be immediately linked to sites that may spark their interests. It is a form of collaboration in a sense as one word links you to a various number of different links that may be of interest to you, and allow you to learn about more than you could have thought you would. Helpful tool I would argue!

Google bombing is also commonly used as a form of manipulation to change the way people can view a corporation or a political leader. This can be very comical, and rather interesting if you ask me. In 2000 George Bush was targeted on Google Bomb. The words "dumb mothafuka" were typed in and users were directly pointed to links of George Bush related merchandise. Take a look at this google bomb for example. 369539947_e3f05b50e5_o-766849.jpg 450×301 pixels. This is what comes up when you type in "miserable failure" Links to George Bush's presidency and what a failure it was. I found this neat blog that shows some of the best ten successful google bombs, take a look, some of them are pretty funny. : 10 Successful Google Bombs : PingPongPie. Google bombing is yet another really creative and neat function of citizen media that allows individuals to spread ideas through linking key words to the most popular search engine that is used daily. I am really interested in it for some of the humorous content I can find with google bombs (witty people creating these I'd say). In addition, it provides bloggers and online activists with another opportunity to get their names known and their voices even more easily accessible through ONE key word. Many people will find links to other blogs or political or social activist sites that they maybe never would have thought of before google bombing. It kind of reminds me of being on facebook, when there are ads on the side of your column that are targeted at you. With google bombing you are directed to many links that may pertain to your one word that YOU chose to type in, offers you with a diversity of information, and I see no harm in this. Google bombing provides us with a fast way to link to various voices and new ideas. After all, the more voices and options, the better for citizen media

Until Next Time,

The Active Citizen

Where do you go when you're gone?

Today I was thinking about new social media, and how individuals interact in virtual communities through creating profiles on social networking sites. I then got to thinking, what happens to your personal profile when you pass away? Would I want my profile to remain active in the public sphere? Death is obviously not something people like to think of when they are creating their accounts, or actively using them, however, nobody lives forever, and this is an important question that needs to be addressed.

When thinking about this I asked a few friends what their opinions were on the matter. My question to them was "If you passed away, would you want your social networking accounts such as Facebook and Twitter and E-mail accounts likeHotmail, G-mail etc. to be taken down?" I received three different responses. The first response was a definite yes. She said "I think it's weird to have people look at my profile and post stuff if I'm gone. Somebody could make a memory group but I wouldn't want to have a profile." My second response was "I'm not sure, thats a tough question. I think it is a nice way for friends and family to post comments and memories. At the same time, I think if you're gone, it is a bit strange to have an active profile." Finally, another response was "I wouldn't want them taken down right away, I guess it depends on how old I was when I died though. Like if it were to happen tomorrow I'd want my accounts up for longer than if it happened at 85." Personally I think this is a tough question. I shared these responses with you because they were all different and quite interesting. Personally I think I would want my account taken down. There is something slightly morbid about having an active profile of me when I no longer am around. Although it is nice way for people to remember me, I think if I was close to you, I would want you to remember me for our face to face interactions, not my Facebook account. I think if I had a Foundation/Scholarship set up in my honor/name then that should have its own webpage. I would want to take down my social networking profiles and replace it with this webpage. That way if people wanted to write, there is a forum to do it there. But where do you go? and Where does your information go? These are definitely concerning questions.

I found an interesting blog written by Paul Silver, which talks about what social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and E-mail accounts like Hotmail,G-mail and Yahoo mail do when you pass away. Death and Social Media « Paul Silver's blog. Interestingly, Facebook keeps the profiles open for a period of time to allow for people to post comments. They used to take the accounts down, however, after the Virgina Tech shooting friends wanted to be able to leave comments in a form of communication they were used to and comfortable with. The Facebook Terms illustrate this is more detail. With respect to Twitter accounts, if you do not have access to the person's e-mail address and password, you will not be able to access their account. There is just the option to tell the network about the death, then they may be able to tell the person's friend's by changing the status of the account. Hotmail the free version will delete an account if it has not been logged in to for 120 days. G-mail will provide access to the deseased account if you provide them with a copy of a death certificate or a letter from a power of attorney. On the other hand, Yahoo Mail will not give you access to somebody else's account as they say it "breaks the data protection act." This is an issue that most people do not commonly think about, however, a rather important one. Social networks are placed in a difficult position as they want to be considerate to family who have lost a loved one, as well as friends and people who communicated with that individual through these sites. My main question of concern is where do I go when I'm gone? What happens to all of the personal information trapped in my account? It is naive to think it just gets deleted. Nothing is "just deleted" off the internet.

If I were to ask you the same question I asked my friends earlier today, what would your response be? I think this is a very intriguing question that can fuel an interesting conversation. Where would you want to go when you are gone? and Where do you think you go?

Until next time,

The Active Citizen

Tiger Woods: Really who isn't talking?

Tiger Woods finally came out of hiding yesterday at 11:00 am live on CNN, take a look at the video if you missed it.

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com . After three months of saying nothing, he finally made a public apology at a press conference. I was so excited when I heard on the news that he would be making a public statement. I was keen to see this as he has been quite for the past three months as the media and the public sphere have been agressively scrutinizing him and his family. Stories of Tiger Woods along with many allegations and have been flying all over the media from mainstream news to bloggers like us and people active on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. My main point here is that it seems the entire world is talking about Tiger Woods, and participating in spreading their opinions of Tiger through social media.

Added the same day, after the public announcement aired on the television it was uploaded to Youtube. YouTube - Tiger Woods Public Apology Statement & Press Conference - February 19, 2010. Today this video has been viewed thus far by 989 people. With 27 people who rated it and 22 comments. These numbers I am sure will grow rapidly in the next few days, and proves that participatory media is crucial in keeping our generation informed as many rely on sites like Youtube to catch up on the gossip and news they missed. I know when I told my cousin I had just watched the speech on the news he said "ah I missed it, no biggy I'll catch it on Youtube later.

Tiger Woods I thought was an interesting topic to discuss as so many people in the public sphere have oposing views on the situation. I came across an interesting blog you may want to take a look at that demonstrates a rather strong argument supporting Tiger. Tiger Woods is just the world’s best golfer. « NYCA. This blog was interesting to me because he raises some valid points that I know myself turned a blind eye too when I first heard the news. At the end of the day, Tiger Woods is still an amazing golfer, his personal life is really none of our business. Do I agree with what he did, most definitely not, but I will agree with this blogger that I "bought into the superficial, I'm such a great guy" act Tiger had many believing.

So take Tiger Woods for example, this scandal happened three months ago, yet citizens in the public sphere are still raving about it on their blogs, twitter acounts, and Youtube, sharing various voices, expressing new ideas and collaborating their opinions. Although Tiger expresses in his video he wants the media to leave him alone, I believe he has put himself in a position under serious spotlight. The mainstream media as well as participatory media like bloggers will be talking, tweeting and tailing his every move for months to come.

Until next time,

The Active Citizen

Grassroots Grow

With a rising trend toward constant participation in an online space, alternative media sites such as Independent Media Centre http://www.indymedia.org/en/index.shtml and Alternet

http://www.alternet.org/ provide an alternative story and alternative voice than that perpetuated by the mainstream media. The distinction between the way a mainstream media site and an alternative media site tells a story is crystal clear. Mainstream sites will often spin a story in favor of a corporation while the alternative site will provide a voice from everyday citizens and people a part of an activist group or community. As Forde, Foxwell and Meadows propose, "though the lens of the local, that is, that we should consider alternative journalism as a 'process of cultural empowerment... where content production is not necessisarly the prime purpose, and what may be as important (or more) are the ways in which community media outlets facilitate the process of community organization"

I strongly believe that the rise in alternative news sites is a positive trend as those individuals who are committed to social change can take action through alternative sites. Even though this event took place in 1999, it is still one of the most prominent events which demonstrated the strength of globalization and alternative media. The event I am referring to is "The Battle of Seattle." This occurred when thousands of people from all across the country acted together by protesting and shut down the World Trade Organization talks in Seattle. This was a massive movement and fight against corporate globalization. A significant amount of the preparation for these protests and collaboration of citizens was done through sites such as indymedia and alternet. Take a look at this article found on indymedia, it includes numerous hyperlinks to other discussions of alternative voices on the issue of the battle in Seattle.http://publish.indymedia.org/en/2004/12/815172.shtml. This is interesting because people are still discussing the events on alternative sites where public expression is valued.

The mainstream media took this story and turned it into a "hollywood hit," the film used real footage of the protesters involved in the movement. Without the alternative media and active citizens, mainstream media wouldn't have had the accurate footage to make a successful film.I believe a story is never fairly evaluated unless you hear both sides. Mainstream media and alternative media indeed feed off each other. That being said, alternative media is invaluable.

Until next time,

The Active Citizen