The idea of building a website from the ground up has always been something that has blown my mind. I've always looked at it as a complicated process that is intimidating to say the least. There are so many ins and outs and things I am completely unfamiliar with. Just looking at the assignment in front of me was exhausting.
The first step was putting ideas down on paper of how my website would look. As we all know, I am normally a person never short on ideas. This was a new feeling for me. I was very unsure what I wanted to make the site look like. I was even more unsure of how it would come together. I finally decided on a direction and I went to work with a flow chart and some basic concepts that I hoped would translate well onto my website.
My idea was to have 5 pages that looked similar enough that the viewer knew it was the same website, but different enough to show that the ideas on the page are very seperate. I feel as though I succeeded in that with some great backgrounds. Each page has different colors and something in the background that sets it apart from the other 4.
One thing I was sure to keep in the back of my mind was simplicity. Bells and whistles do not make a great website. Doing something that is extremely flashy or over the top will not make my website stand out. This would instead create clutter and make it easier for the viewer to become disinterested or lost. Each page is simple on my website and with good reason. I have a consistent menu bar on the left side that flows well with each page. I have one headline and a simple message below each headline. Everything is presented in the simplest way possible without appearing boring or "cookie cutter" in nature.
These websites were designed to have strong ties to social media. This is a fantastic way to market myself. Having various types of social media easily accessible shows how much of a presence I have online. They also give insight into how I use these sites and what kind of a profile I maintain. I believe promoting yourself can be extended into everything you do on the Internet. The Internet is a dangerous place that can make or break the impression people have of you. If nothing else, this website can be used as a self promotion tool that proves that I am responsible, professional and act like an adult.
One of the biggest obstacles for me was getting used to the software we were working on. The first program I encountered while creating my website was Photoshop. I have never used the program, and that proved to be an obstacle for me. Learning how to use Photoshop effectively proved to be time consuming. I discovered that Photoshop is very user friendly when the user knows how to navigate the program. This was not the case with Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver deals with coding, and that is very foreign to me. Given more time I would feel very confident that I could learn how to use Dreamweaver properly.
I had tremendous difficulty with my Resume. At first I was using an outdated word processor. After that situation I had trouble with bringing the Resume into Dreamweaver as a functional item. By that I mean the Resume would show up in Dreamweaver, but not in the Safari browser. The resume appears in a Firefox browser, so I was thinking that it shows up selectively. This helped to teach me just how difficult computer programs can be sometimes. It was not fun, but it was a learning experience for me.
Another difficulty was the Portfolio page and trying to upload my works to it. We ended up scrapping the portfolio pages as a result. This just outlines how the plan sometimes need to change when facing a hard deadline such as the end of the semester. The portfolio page would have been valuable for some others in the class, but I consider my self very lucky. All of my items I was putting on the portfolio page are already published works on my personal blog. This is a very useful tool in promoting myself, and decreases the importance of a portfolio page for my personal website. Simply linking my website to my personal blog should be a sufficient way to market myself. If a prospective employer wishes to see some professional work they can easily do so by visiting the blog.
The biggest issue when creating this website was the time constraint. The lack of time was just an unfortunate situation that really couldn't be avoided. However, it is a fact that the lack of time did make the web building process much more difficult. That was just part of the challenge presented, which my biography page outlines as something I'm always up for.
Looking back at this process, I can see why creating and maintaining websites are such daunting tasks. No amount of education can prepare someone for the unpredictable nature of computer programming. This project was especially difficult for myself and others in the class mainly because of a lack a familiarity. I like the project itself, even though I struggled like the rest of the class with it.
Overall, I enjoyed the class and what I learned from it. Prior to this class I had never seen a Twitter page or post. I had never worked in Dreamweaver or Photoshop. I had never worked with a blog. Now I can say I have at least spent time in each of these programs. I am also very happy to say that this class introduced me to the blog world and helped make me want to write again. Posting professional work to the web through blogger is an important tool for my desired career path. In the event that I am unable to coach football, I will be able to use my blogging skills to launch my backup career as a journalist or columnist. This website project, although a condensed learning experience, is the culmination of a successful semester of learning about social media on the web.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Good and Bad Web Design
There are many elements to account for in web design. With so many options, it seems like it would be easy to get carried away with bells and whistles. One thing I find to be very important in web design is simplicity. In a phrase, "less is more". Bombarding the viewer with words or images or both will only create clutter and distort your intended message. I am using this approach of simplicity to create my website. Each page has the information intended, without extra clutter. The visual elements are limited to a background and the occasional photo.
One concept I am not a fan of is columns. A website that reads like a book, should be a book. If a website contain more than 2 columns, I am immediately turned away from that site. As stated previously, simple is good. I will choose to avoid the use opt columns on my website. Columns belong in newspapers, not on websites.
Another point similar to use of columns would be the presence of a top section on a website. The top section design always looks nice and professional. It is a simple step that goes a long way. However, I do not view it as a necessity. Having a side section on a site is a refreshing change of pace that serves the same purpose. I am using a side section and I enjoy the way it looks for a personal website. It doesn't dominate the page and it doesn't take away from the material on the page.
Although I am not using white space to my advantage, I cannot overstate how effective white space can be. I look at Apple's website as a prime example. The use of white space makes the website look so clean and refined. Everything is easy on the eyes and easily accessible on the site. White space is a useful term not only in art but in web design as well.
An essential element in website design is a simple navigation bar. I believe that the human mind desires order and organization, at least to some degree. When a website is opened, people expect to se certain things. One of those essential elements is a navigation bar. It should stand out but not take over the page. It should be very clear to understand and extremely easy to find. Anything more complicated than that will become a hinderance.
One element I find underrated in web design is the use of big text. If a site is dominated by any 12-point font, it will intimidate viewers. People on websites want quick and easy navigation. Spending an excessive amount of time on one page reading all of what you have to say is highly unlikely. I put it into terms this way: it is much easier to walk away from a website than it is to walk away from a person in mid-conversation with you.
The final element I am proud to use is colors. Colors can break up sections of a page. Colors can help separate or connect ideas within a given website. They can do so much for a website and they are so simple to add into a website. Now if the entire website is a scrolling, clicking rainbow I will question its effectiveness. However, the use of color should not be underestimated or overlooked.
These are just some of the essential elements to consider when designing a website. Of course, this is all relative. Only the company knows the message intended. Only the company knows what they want to say and what they don't want to say. The web designer needs to be able to take those ideas and bring them to life much like an artist on the canvas.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Quick Hits On Twitter
Point #1: Twitter is Changing the World In Real Time- Twitter is instantaneous. Whenever news breaks someone has information. Normally there are multiple people tweeting an idea, making it reliable. The character limit gives the reader only the important information. Twitter is the popular source for breaking news in any field. It is quick, informative, efficient, and lightning fast.
Point #2: Companies Uses of Twitter- Companies that keep up with technology are rewarded for it. Those companies that use Twitter appear competant and capable. This creates a public perception that the company pays attention. Without a Twitter account, companies seem out of date. The simple presence or lack thereof can help or hurt a company.
Point #2: Companies Uses of Twitter- Companies that keep up with technology are rewarded for it. Those companies that use Twitter appear competant and capable. This creates a public perception that the company pays attention. Without a Twitter account, companies seem out of date. The simple presence or lack thereof can help or hurt a company.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
My Interview As Given By Caitlin
1. How do you plan on promoting yourself? -The best way for me is getting my name out there.
-Take advantage of social media by never presenting myself in a compromising position or in a negative light.
-I always post things I feel that I can benefit from.
2. 3 goals you have between now and graduation-1. For my personal blog to have 1,000 page views by end of first month
-2. To nail down a part time football coaching job at a high school.
-3. To get into conatct with someone about an internship (maybe work with wgr550 radio).
3. What employment goals do you have after graduation? name three- I would like coaching football. I am very interested in that and have been since I was a child.
- I'd like to make it in sport broadcasting and be able to utilize my communications major.
- I'd like to become a contributor to a major newspaper/website (sports section) and possibly have his own column online/offline.
4. Name 3 best case scenario jobs you would like to have and why?-Football coach by time i'm 50, when it come to sports I want to control the team.
-Broadcasting for espn (Mike tirico is an inspiration of mine)
- Blogging for a column online/offline revolving around sports.
5. Do you prefer to work professionally with a group or by yourself and why?-No preference. I like to get my work done, and it doesn't matter what setting. I work well with just about anybody. I like to be in control somewhat though, so I tend to grab the reigns at times.
6. What contributions can you make to a group dynamic? name three things-Creativity
-Flexibility
-Patience
7. What contributions can you make working independently? name 3 things-Focus
-Organization
-Efficiency
8. What are your pet peeves in a work environment?-Disrespect. (Not big on hierarchy in a work environment.)
9. What 3 things you feel passionately about professionally?-I am all about an honest days work for an honest days pay.
-All workers should take their job as seriously as I do and leave your private life at home.
-Being punctual
.
10. How do you handle stress and pressure?-I handle it very well. I think about how I have this oppurtunity, and I want to take advantage of it. I don't look at mistakes as negative things, I look at them as a driving force and learning experiences.
11. Last 3 jobs and what were you successful with and failed at-John & Marys Restaurant
Success- Good at dealing with customers and people.
Failure- Not taking enough hours to avoid getting overwhelmed.
-Transit Valley Country Club
Success- Learned alot about cooking and upperclass people.
Failure- Didn't handle criticism well and being talked down to and left because of it.
- Subway
Success- I was almost promoted, offered, to be manager but I turned it down because of going to college.
Failure- Relationship with co-workers wasn't great, as I didn't really put in effort.
12. How well do you handle criticism?
- Much better than I used to. I used to get very defensive. I take it as another point of view, especially from someone who is more knowledgeable than me.
13. 3 strengths in school/3 strengths in work place?SCHOOL
-On time handing in work
-Determined
-I test well
WORK
-Time management/productive with time
-Work well with others
-Lightening the mood
14. How has creating a WikiPage strengthened your communication skills? 3 things
- Learned to write in a different voice.
- Learned how the Wiki environment works.
- Learned how to cite photographs to avoid copyright issues.
15. How will Facebook be used to promote yourself?
- Be responsible. Only post what will shine a positive light on myself.
- Be consistent. Maintain a presence on the site.
- Be active. Try to use Facebook to enhance my image and actively direct people to the site.
16. How would you promote an organization of Facebook?
- Stay up-to-date. Do not fall behind or have Facebook that looks out of touch.
- Hold events. People notice events. They create attention.
- Stay positive. Do not post anything negative or anything involving competitors.
17. How will Twitter be used to promote yourself?
- Have strong opinions. Limited characters force people to take a stand.
- Be diverse. Comment, re-tweet, and follow many different genres of Twitter pages. Makes you appear wordly and knowledgeable in many areas.
- Be active. Keep my name out there commenting on things. More people have a chance to see me and what I'm about if I am an involved user.
18. Graphically what do you want to have on your website?
- Links to my Twitter, Facebook, and Resume.
- Comments section for feedback.
- Some items that identify me as a person (Not too many).
-Take advantage of social media by never presenting myself in a compromising position or in a negative light.
-I always post things I feel that I can benefit from.
2. 3 goals you have between now and graduation-1. For my personal blog to have 1,000 page views by end of first month
-2. To nail down a part time football coaching job at a high school.
-3. To get into conatct with someone about an internship (maybe work with wgr550 radio).
3. What employment goals do you have after graduation? name three- I would like coaching football. I am very interested in that and have been since I was a child.
- I'd like to make it in sport broadcasting and be able to utilize my communications major.
- I'd like to become a contributor to a major newspaper/website (sports section) and possibly have his own column online/offline.
4. Name 3 best case scenario jobs you would like to have and why?-Football coach by time i'm 50, when it come to sports I want to control the team.
-Broadcasting for espn (Mike tirico is an inspiration of mine)
- Blogging for a column online/offline revolving around sports.
5. Do you prefer to work professionally with a group or by yourself and why?-No preference. I like to get my work done, and it doesn't matter what setting. I work well with just about anybody. I like to be in control somewhat though, so I tend to grab the reigns at times.
6. What contributions can you make to a group dynamic? name three things-Creativity
-Flexibility
-Patience
7. What contributions can you make working independently? name 3 things-Focus
-Organization
-Efficiency
8. What are your pet peeves in a work environment?-Disrespect. (Not big on hierarchy in a work environment.)
9. What 3 things you feel passionately about professionally?-I am all about an honest days work for an honest days pay.
-All workers should take their job as seriously as I do and leave your private life at home.
-Being punctual
.
10. How do you handle stress and pressure?-I handle it very well. I think about how I have this oppurtunity, and I want to take advantage of it. I don't look at mistakes as negative things, I look at them as a driving force and learning experiences.
11. Last 3 jobs and what were you successful with and failed at-John & Marys Restaurant
Success- Good at dealing with customers and people.
Failure- Not taking enough hours to avoid getting overwhelmed.
-Transit Valley Country Club
Success- Learned alot about cooking and upperclass people.
Failure- Didn't handle criticism well and being talked down to and left because of it.
- Subway
Success- I was almost promoted, offered, to be manager but I turned it down because of going to college.
Failure- Relationship with co-workers wasn't great, as I didn't really put in effort.
12. How well do you handle criticism?
- Much better than I used to. I used to get very defensive. I take it as another point of view, especially from someone who is more knowledgeable than me.
13. 3 strengths in school/3 strengths in work place?SCHOOL
-On time handing in work
-Determined
-I test well
WORK
-Time management/productive with time
-Work well with others
-Lightening the mood
14. How has creating a WikiPage strengthened your communication skills? 3 things
- Learned to write in a different voice.
- Learned how the Wiki environment works.
- Learned how to cite photographs to avoid copyright issues.
15. How will Facebook be used to promote yourself?
- Be responsible. Only post what will shine a positive light on myself.
- Be consistent. Maintain a presence on the site.
- Be active. Try to use Facebook to enhance my image and actively direct people to the site.
16. How would you promote an organization of Facebook?
- Stay up-to-date. Do not fall behind or have Facebook that looks out of touch.
- Hold events. People notice events. They create attention.
- Stay positive. Do not post anything negative or anything involving competitors.
17. How will Twitter be used to promote yourself?
- Have strong opinions. Limited characters force people to take a stand.
- Be diverse. Comment, re-tweet, and follow many different genres of Twitter pages. Makes you appear wordly and knowledgeable in many areas.
- Be active. Keep my name out there commenting on things. More people have a chance to see me and what I'm about if I am an involved user.
18. Graphically what do you want to have on your website?
- Links to my Twitter, Facebook, and Resume.
- Comments section for feedback.
- Some items that identify me as a person (Not too many).
The Tweet Taste of Victory
Twitter has changed the game as was stated in a previous post. The site has plenty of positive and negative parts to it. I have found it to be very interesting, and unlike any website ever before. I heard about it for years now and was pressured to join. I always resisted and declined the invitations, because I just did not believe the hype. Now I can see why the world went crazy over Twitter and is largely still crazy about it today. Twitter is not only a form of social media. Twitter is so much more.
The rate at which information can be passed via Twitter has made it a very effective source for news as well. people love to know something, anything, before anyone else does. Any form of gossip or any story that people want to talk about has the attention of the masses. This makes Twitter the optimum place for all current information. Twitter is instantaneous. Twitter operates faster than any other news source you can find. I have a friend that sent me a text message about Santorum putting an end to his campaign, 15 minutes after I saw it on Twitter. It reminded me of those AT&T Commercials: "That was so 15 seconds ago." I almost sent my friend a message back similar to AT&T, but instead thought better of it.
Twitter can be used as a news source as every major company in news is on Twitter in some capacity. One must be wary of false identities, however. Users that are authentic celebrities, news sources, organizations, etc. will have a blue checkmark next to their name. This helps to minimize and avoid the imposters that are out there. News sources on Twitter must also be responsible. With information at our fingertips and the masses only a tweet away, it is very easy to be the first to break a story. However they must not sacrifice accuracy and checking their sources.
Twitter also allows people to connect with celebrities. Many famous people have their own Twitter and manage it as well. This allows the world to see what the celebrity is thinking about, what they want to post about, what they are doing today, and so much more. This makes it increasingly important for all those in the public eye to be careful what they put on Twitter. Countless athletes have posted something their team found inappropriate and were forced to take the post or image down from Twitter. As former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst Herm Edwards would say, "Only you can hit send athletes, Don't hit send!"
Twitter has a use for organizations as well. Any organization that wants to gain a following can go onto Twitter an increase their fanbase, viewership, clientele, etc. Twitter is wildly popular and this means that millions of eyes are watching what goes on. My own personal experience has made me realize just how addicting Twitter can be. I was limited to follow 5 organizations and I wanted to follow so many more organizations and people. The desire to increase what I can see on Twitter is likely shared by the majority of the Twitter community. An organization can put their information and ideas out there without fear; they will be noticed. Twitter makes it very easy to find more "nouns" to follow.
I chose to follow 5 organizations. The first I followed was the Green Bay Packers. I would feel guilty if I had picked any other Twitter account first. Their are many interactive polls and trivia questions and debates held by the Green Bay Packers Twitter. I enjoyed keeping up with what they had to offer.
The second organization I followed was ESPN because I am a sports junkie. I love everything about sports and ESPN encompasses just that. I found that ESPN retweets many posts from their TV shows to their main ESPN account, making it very easy to follow the people and shows at ESPN that I like.
My third organization I went after was The Huffington Post. They are a news source I truly enjoy and find on the cutting edge of everything. keeping up with "The Huff" is nearly impossible. They have so many tweets about all things news. I was very impressed with their content and use of links to stories, photos, etc.
My fourth organization to follow was IMDB. They are my go to source for all things movie related. I find it really convenient that they use Twitter to talk about upcoming movies and events. The only drawback is that the IMDB Twitter seemed to have very few tweets. This may have been a result of comparing IMDB to "The Huff" in frequency of tweets. Perhaps there is more on the IMDB Twitter than I was able to see at a glance.
My final organization of the 5 I followed is LiveNation. This Twitter account was a big disappointment. I could not find anything close to what I wanted to. I looked around for upcoming concert promos and came up empty. All LiveNation seemed to have were posts from recent shows that already happened or a section about starving unknown artists. They also seemed to have some tweets about an upcoming country music show featuring several country artists that I've never heard of (which isn't that hard because that genre is nails on a chalkboard to me).
Twitter is the big fish in the Internet pond as far as I'm concerned. Twitter is abbreviated information that leaves room only for details and links to more information. Facebook is bogged down by advertisments and itineraries for someone's day you likely do not care about. Twitter gives facts and basic information. Facebook gives emotion and reasons. Twitter is much faster and much more direct than Facebook. Half the time I am on Facebook I become bombarded by advertisements and game invites. Twitter leaves this nonsense behind but brings with it one troubling detail.
Twitter makes the users want to sit and watch and wait for more information to be posted about anything. The content matters little. I envision thousands of people staring at their screens just waiting for something to gossip about like an enormous band of high school cheerleaders ready to talk about whatever they can get their hands on.
The rate at which information can be passed via Twitter has made it a very effective source for news as well. people love to know something, anything, before anyone else does. Any form of gossip or any story that people want to talk about has the attention of the masses. This makes Twitter the optimum place for all current information. Twitter is instantaneous. Twitter operates faster than any other news source you can find. I have a friend that sent me a text message about Santorum putting an end to his campaign, 15 minutes after I saw it on Twitter. It reminded me of those AT&T Commercials: "That was so 15 seconds ago." I almost sent my friend a message back similar to AT&T, but instead thought better of it.
Twitter can be used as a news source as every major company in news is on Twitter in some capacity. One must be wary of false identities, however. Users that are authentic celebrities, news sources, organizations, etc. will have a blue checkmark next to their name. This helps to minimize and avoid the imposters that are out there. News sources on Twitter must also be responsible. With information at our fingertips and the masses only a tweet away, it is very easy to be the first to break a story. However they must not sacrifice accuracy and checking their sources.
Twitter also allows people to connect with celebrities. Many famous people have their own Twitter and manage it as well. This allows the world to see what the celebrity is thinking about, what they want to post about, what they are doing today, and so much more. This makes it increasingly important for all those in the public eye to be careful what they put on Twitter. Countless athletes have posted something their team found inappropriate and were forced to take the post or image down from Twitter. As former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst Herm Edwards would say, "Only you can hit send athletes, Don't hit send!"
Twitter has a use for organizations as well. Any organization that wants to gain a following can go onto Twitter an increase their fanbase, viewership, clientele, etc. Twitter is wildly popular and this means that millions of eyes are watching what goes on. My own personal experience has made me realize just how addicting Twitter can be. I was limited to follow 5 organizations and I wanted to follow so many more organizations and people. The desire to increase what I can see on Twitter is likely shared by the majority of the Twitter community. An organization can put their information and ideas out there without fear; they will be noticed. Twitter makes it very easy to find more "nouns" to follow.
I chose to follow 5 organizations. The first I followed was the Green Bay Packers. I would feel guilty if I had picked any other Twitter account first. Their are many interactive polls and trivia questions and debates held by the Green Bay Packers Twitter. I enjoyed keeping up with what they had to offer.
The second organization I followed was ESPN because I am a sports junkie. I love everything about sports and ESPN encompasses just that. I found that ESPN retweets many posts from their TV shows to their main ESPN account, making it very easy to follow the people and shows at ESPN that I like.
My third organization I went after was The Huffington Post. They are a news source I truly enjoy and find on the cutting edge of everything. keeping up with "The Huff" is nearly impossible. They have so many tweets about all things news. I was very impressed with their content and use of links to stories, photos, etc.
My fourth organization to follow was IMDB. They are my go to source for all things movie related. I find it really convenient that they use Twitter to talk about upcoming movies and events. The only drawback is that the IMDB Twitter seemed to have very few tweets. This may have been a result of comparing IMDB to "The Huff" in frequency of tweets. Perhaps there is more on the IMDB Twitter than I was able to see at a glance.
My final organization of the 5 I followed is LiveNation. This Twitter account was a big disappointment. I could not find anything close to what I wanted to. I looked around for upcoming concert promos and came up empty. All LiveNation seemed to have were posts from recent shows that already happened or a section about starving unknown artists. They also seemed to have some tweets about an upcoming country music show featuring several country artists that I've never heard of (which isn't that hard because that genre is nails on a chalkboard to me).
Twitter is the big fish in the Internet pond as far as I'm concerned. Twitter is abbreviated information that leaves room only for details and links to more information. Facebook is bogged down by advertisments and itineraries for someone's day you likely do not care about. Twitter gives facts and basic information. Facebook gives emotion and reasons. Twitter is much faster and much more direct than Facebook. Half the time I am on Facebook I become bombarded by advertisements and game invites. Twitter leaves this nonsense behind but brings with it one troubling detail.
Twitter makes the users want to sit and watch and wait for more information to be posted about anything. The content matters little. I envision thousands of people staring at their screens just waiting for something to gossip about like an enormous band of high school cheerleaders ready to talk about whatever they can get their hands on.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Changing the Game With MicroBlogging
I have just become comfortable with the idea of blogging, and suddenly a new term was introduced to me; microblogging. As I stared at the word for the first time, I wondered what it could mean. My first thought was that it must be more detailed blogging, to resemble the term micromanaging. However, I was wrong. Microblogging simplifies the activity. Blogging has transformed into a form of communication with rigid structure and heavily defined rules. Microblogging reverts back to the exploratory nature of the infant stages of blogging. In that stage, there were no real rules, just adventure and the expanding of the concept of blogging. Today, blogging has much more thought out ideas and a format that must be follwed on a given site.
The most popular site that can be considered a microblogging site is Twitter. Twitter sped up communication to almost instantaneous communication. The only restriction Twitter has is a character limit per post. This forces users to be clear, concise, and succinct. Those who are longwinded like myself, need to cut it down or not apply at all.
Twitter has also found a way to separate itself from social networking like Facebook. Twitter doesn't contain the nonsense that Facebook does (games, nagging statuses, commercials galore, etc.). You follow what you'd like and they post simple messages. It is an all new information highway. Although it is just as addicting as Facebook, it simplifies communication. On Twitter you don't have to be bombarded by game invites to "FarmVille" or "Mafia Wars" or "Words With Friends". Twitter takes the main concept of Facebook that everyone likes and magnifies it; status updates. Twitter is based on simple messages that each user posts. Sure you can add video and article links, but it is really just about written words that top out around 140 characters per post.
When thinking about how I would use Twitter, the answer is clear. I could use Twitter to place my thoughts on news in sports at any given moment. As I've stated in previous posts, I started a blog which I am marketing through Facebook. I could tweet about those same topics on Twitter and have many more people see what I'm doing. The bottom line is that people don't want to read long articles of 700 words or more. Our attention spans are getting slower by the minute. If you can summarize a thought into a tweet or two, many more people are open to reading 100 or 150 words of what you have to say.
The only danger I can see in using Twitter is that I might become too lazy to bother writing on my blog anymore. I value writing more today, than I ever have in my life. I like fleshing out ideas on my blog and bringing up supporting details and statistics to support my often uncommon views on sports. The concept of crafting and argument or building a case for something interests me. Not to the point where I'd like to become a lawyer, but to the point where I'd be happy to contribute to a news source with my opinions and outlooks on a topic I'm very comfortable with.
Twitter makes people lazy. Twitter makes people use improper grammar. Twitter creates many bad things in society, but Twitter is where society is headed. It is time for the rest of us to catch up and try to adapt to the most popular communication tool on the Internet.
The most popular site that can be considered a microblogging site is Twitter. Twitter sped up communication to almost instantaneous communication. The only restriction Twitter has is a character limit per post. This forces users to be clear, concise, and succinct. Those who are longwinded like myself, need to cut it down or not apply at all.
Twitter has also found a way to separate itself from social networking like Facebook. Twitter doesn't contain the nonsense that Facebook does (games, nagging statuses, commercials galore, etc.). You follow what you'd like and they post simple messages. It is an all new information highway. Although it is just as addicting as Facebook, it simplifies communication. On Twitter you don't have to be bombarded by game invites to "FarmVille" or "Mafia Wars" or "Words With Friends". Twitter takes the main concept of Facebook that everyone likes and magnifies it; status updates. Twitter is based on simple messages that each user posts. Sure you can add video and article links, but it is really just about written words that top out around 140 characters per post.
When thinking about how I would use Twitter, the answer is clear. I could use Twitter to place my thoughts on news in sports at any given moment. As I've stated in previous posts, I started a blog which I am marketing through Facebook. I could tweet about those same topics on Twitter and have many more people see what I'm doing. The bottom line is that people don't want to read long articles of 700 words or more. Our attention spans are getting slower by the minute. If you can summarize a thought into a tweet or two, many more people are open to reading 100 or 150 words of what you have to say.
The only danger I can see in using Twitter is that I might become too lazy to bother writing on my blog anymore. I value writing more today, than I ever have in my life. I like fleshing out ideas on my blog and bringing up supporting details and statistics to support my often uncommon views on sports. The concept of crafting and argument or building a case for something interests me. Not to the point where I'd like to become a lawyer, but to the point where I'd be happy to contribute to a news source with my opinions and outlooks on a topic I'm very comfortable with.
Twitter makes people lazy. Twitter makes people use improper grammar. Twitter creates many bad things in society, but Twitter is where society is headed. It is time for the rest of us to catch up and try to adapt to the most popular communication tool on the Internet.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
5 Twitter Organizations I'm Following
This is my first time on twitter. All I've ever heard about is how addicting it is and how I need to be on there. Friends, co-workers, and even family members have tried to nudge me in this direction. Well, this class project has finally forced me into the Twitter world. Here our the first 5 organizations I chose to follow on the blue bird site:
1. Green Bay Packers- For better or worse, the Pack is my lifeblood. I've loved them since I was a child. I have followed them for as long as I could understand football, and even a couple years before I knew what was going on. I could go on and on all day about my love for the team, but it seems to be common knowledge now. The Packers are the first organization I'm following.
2. ESPN- They are the worldwide leader in sports. I am a sports junkie. They love football just about as much as I do. I can't think of a better match of organization and follower. They are always up to date with technology, so it is no surprise that they are on twitter and have incorporated it into their programming seemlessly.
3. Huffington Post- Anyone who isn't at least trying to be well informed of current events in the world is being foolish in my eyes. Turning away from the news makes you less informed and less prepared for the future. I like to voice my opinion. I try to be as informed as I can be. This is my favorite site to get my news from, so I am interested to follow them.
4. IMDB- I am finding this organization more and more helpful as I use it. They have everything I need that is movie related. No matter the case, I am interested in whatever I can find from IMDB.
5. LiveNation- I love concerts. My favorite band (Dave Matthews Band) has concert updates that frequently run through LiveNation. Usually the concerts that this organization promotes turn out to be fantastic performances. I am excited to see what I can find on Twitter with up to the minute updates on music.
1. Green Bay Packers- For better or worse, the Pack is my lifeblood. I've loved them since I was a child. I have followed them for as long as I could understand football, and even a couple years before I knew what was going on. I could go on and on all day about my love for the team, but it seems to be common knowledge now. The Packers are the first organization I'm following.
2. ESPN- They are the worldwide leader in sports. I am a sports junkie. They love football just about as much as I do. I can't think of a better match of organization and follower. They are always up to date with technology, so it is no surprise that they are on twitter and have incorporated it into their programming seemlessly.
3. Huffington Post- Anyone who isn't at least trying to be well informed of current events in the world is being foolish in my eyes. Turning away from the news makes you less informed and less prepared for the future. I like to voice my opinion. I try to be as informed as I can be. This is my favorite site to get my news from, so I am interested to follow them.
4. IMDB- I am finding this organization more and more helpful as I use it. They have everything I need that is movie related. No matter the case, I am interested in whatever I can find from IMDB.
5. LiveNation- I love concerts. My favorite band (Dave Matthews Band) has concert updates that frequently run through LiveNation. Usually the concerts that this organization promotes turn out to be fantastic performances. I am excited to see what I can find on Twitter with up to the minute updates on music.
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