Ask Tazi! looked like it was going to go viral for a little while...but today the numbers are way down as the column that sent it skyrocketing fades with the passing of current events into political history. Interest in the Cranston Prayer Banner scandal in starting to wan, and the shot heard 'round the world is starting to lose its boom. The links remain on news-sources like WPRO-AM and FM, but page hits are again down.
On the same day as "Tazi" responded to a letter about the prayer banner decision, his column was picked up as a featured story in an international food and beverage organization's newsletter, adding to the international attention his column was receiving. I had to add a BabelFish Translator to the page, so everyone could read the column with ease. I have definitely attracted new readers - which is great, considering the book release of Ask Tazi! occurred yesterday - but I still feel a bit of a let-down. I knew the day would be coming, and it came much later than I expected; but it still leaves me feeling kinda blue...like my 15 minutes of fame ended five minutes too early.
Showing posts with label Internet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Internet. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
On Plagiarism and Other Ills
Twice this week I have come across blogged articles that were blatantly plagiarized from known sources, yet no credit was given. These blogs were copied and pasted word-for-word - complete with accompanying pictures - yet the re-posters failed to acknowledge the fact that the work was not theirs. What is truly sickening is that one of these bloggers is a grad student, who should know better! At the end of the original blog she "apologizes" for not crediting the original author (who she could no longer find) but declares that she posted it in fun. Oh, well that makes it all better, doesn't it?
Plagiarism is one of the great ills of writing in an electronic environment. Because it is so easy for someone to "share" your work without properly crediting it, writers - and aspiring writers - often have their work stolen by those who mean no harm...and by some who maybe do mean to claim another's work as their own. The fact that Blogger offers copyright protection is of some help, but you still have to find the people who are stealing your work - something that is difficult enough when dealing with the printed page; nigh on impossible when publishing online.
I title this blog "...and Other Ills", but really it is just one other thing. The other day, I was watching an old episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, in which Frank decides he wants to be a writer after the Reader's Digest publishes one of his jokes. Suddenly, Frank feels he knows all there is about writing and goes wild sharing his prose with all he forces to listen. At his father's request - and out of pity - Raymond drops one of his father's "columns" in his Editor's inbox. The Editor calls the work "amateurish". Frank decides that the Editor does not know anything about writing, and proceeds to continue writing.
While watching the story-line unfold, I could see where it was going and could not help but compare it to real life. I have often complained about how, thanks to blogging, anyone with a keyboard can think themselves a writer (as opposed to one who writes). I know people who have never taken a Writing or Communications course beyond the General Education requirements of their college or university, yet they believe themselves capable of writing the Great American Novel. The truly sad thing is that although their ideas may be worthwhile, they refuse to take constructive criticism; seeing it as an insult instead of an assist. Furthermore, they will not allow anyone to suggest their precious prose be edited for wordiness. Oh no…every word out of their mouths is a sacred pearl of wisdom to be treasured! How dare someone try to toss these pearls before swine!
I have seen blogs go viral on the basis of one really good article; an article that is well-written, relevant, funny, and something to which the masses can relate. I am truly happy for writers who experience such unexpected success; but my happiness is tempered by the knowledge that pride often comes before the fall. I have seen the swelled heads that prevail after such viral success. Like a writer whose first novel becomes a New York Times Bestseller, they develop a large following very quickly; people clamor for more and the writer feels flattered to produce. However, often times what they produce is....amateurish. The lack of processing and editing is evident; as is the fact that the writer rushed to churn out something to please their legion of fans. As the quality drops, so does the fan base and the opportunity to grow at a slower pace shrivels. I call it the Hootie and the Blowfish syndrome.
For anyone who remembers the late-1990's, Hootie and the Blowfish rocked the scene with Hold My Hand - a bouncy tune that was easy to dance to and fun to sing. This song rocketed the band to stardom, and their CD sales were through the roof. Their follow-up CD, Fairweather Johnson, tanked due to a bad choice of opening release (Old Man and Me) and the band disappeared from the charts, reappearing briefly with I Go Blind (another pop-rock tune) before vanishing for good. The lead singer, Darrius Rucker (aka "Hootie"), is now a Country and Western singer. Whatever happened to The Blowfish is anybody's guess...
When I started writing Ask Tazi! I never expected to gain a following, let alone the continued interest people have shown; an interest that grows by the week. As I have said before, it was simply a class assignment to be launched and then dismantled over the course of a few weeks. I am pleased that it is doing so well, and hope that in time it will become a national phenomenon. I would love for it to go viral...but first, I would love for it to be picked up for syndication - just so I can stay one step ahead of the copycats who would steal my concept of an advice giving cat.
Plagiarism is one of the great ills of writing in an electronic environment. Because it is so easy for someone to "share" your work without properly crediting it, writers - and aspiring writers - often have their work stolen by those who mean no harm...and by some who maybe do mean to claim another's work as their own. The fact that Blogger offers copyright protection is of some help, but you still have to find the people who are stealing your work - something that is difficult enough when dealing with the printed page; nigh on impossible when publishing online.
I title this blog "...and Other Ills", but really it is just one other thing. The other day, I was watching an old episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, in which Frank decides he wants to be a writer after the Reader's Digest publishes one of his jokes. Suddenly, Frank feels he knows all there is about writing and goes wild sharing his prose with all he forces to listen. At his father's request - and out of pity - Raymond drops one of his father's "columns" in his Editor's inbox. The Editor calls the work "amateurish". Frank decides that the Editor does not know anything about writing, and proceeds to continue writing.
While watching the story-line unfold, I could see where it was going and could not help but compare it to real life. I have often complained about how, thanks to blogging, anyone with a keyboard can think themselves a writer (as opposed to one who writes). I know people who have never taken a Writing or Communications course beyond the General Education requirements of their college or university, yet they believe themselves capable of writing the Great American Novel. The truly sad thing is that although their ideas may be worthwhile, they refuse to take constructive criticism; seeing it as an insult instead of an assist. Furthermore, they will not allow anyone to suggest their precious prose be edited for wordiness. Oh no…every word out of their mouths is a sacred pearl of wisdom to be treasured! How dare someone try to toss these pearls before swine!
I have seen blogs go viral on the basis of one really good article; an article that is well-written, relevant, funny, and something to which the masses can relate. I am truly happy for writers who experience such unexpected success; but my happiness is tempered by the knowledge that pride often comes before the fall. I have seen the swelled heads that prevail after such viral success. Like a writer whose first novel becomes a New York Times Bestseller, they develop a large following very quickly; people clamor for more and the writer feels flattered to produce. However, often times what they produce is....amateurish. The lack of processing and editing is evident; as is the fact that the writer rushed to churn out something to please their legion of fans. As the quality drops, so does the fan base and the opportunity to grow at a slower pace shrivels. I call it the Hootie and the Blowfish syndrome.
For anyone who remembers the late-1990's, Hootie and the Blowfish rocked the scene with Hold My Hand - a bouncy tune that was easy to dance to and fun to sing. This song rocketed the band to stardom, and their CD sales were through the roof. Their follow-up CD, Fairweather Johnson, tanked due to a bad choice of opening release (Old Man and Me) and the band disappeared from the charts, reappearing briefly with I Go Blind (another pop-rock tune) before vanishing for good. The lead singer, Darrius Rucker (aka "Hootie"), is now a Country and Western singer. Whatever happened to The Blowfish is anybody's guess...
When I started writing Ask Tazi! I never expected to gain a following, let alone the continued interest people have shown; an interest that grows by the week. As I have said before, it was simply a class assignment to be launched and then dismantled over the course of a few weeks. I am pleased that it is doing so well, and hope that in time it will become a national phenomenon. I would love for it to go viral...but first, I would love for it to be picked up for syndication - just so I can stay one step ahead of the copycats who would steal my concept of an advice giving cat.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
My Point Exactly! (A Promo For "The Art of Cyberdribble")
I normally don't repost other people's blogs for the simple fact that I can be a proprietory bitch when it comes to my blog-space; but this blog deals with the major issues of writing and communication in electronic environments, so I plan on promoing the crap out of it - just because I think it needs to be read by more people, especially Communications majors. Click on the link below to see what I mean!
The Art of Cyberdribble
The Art of Cyberdribble
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Peer Reviewing Reviewed
I have discovered that peer reviewing has its pros and cons and unfortunately, for this class, the cons are outweighing the pros as the semester wears on and approaches the finish line. I have learned a lot in this class, and one reason was the chance to receive feedback from my classmates on the work completed. In fact, it was assigned work that they do give feedback in the form of constructive criticism. However, that does not mean that everyone gave it on time (before deadline) or even gave it all.
For our first class asignment - clubhouse blogs - I got feedback from one student, and I have to say it really wasn't helpful. For some reason, she thought Ask Tazi-Kat! was an advice column for pet lovers, and that it should run tips on caring for pets. The column offers general advice on a range of subjects, and has hardly ever addressed issues dealing with pets. As of this writing, it is up to 1100 hits (in 11 weeks), with 100 of those hits coming in over the past 3 days and a third of the total hits coming in within the last three weeks; as well as an ebook of the archives planned for January publication through Amazon.com; and daily subscription numbers also on the rise. If I had taken the advice to change the format, I don't think it would have been so successful, as pet-care is a very niche market; nor is it my forte.
Project Two did offer some very helpful review advice on travel writing, offering hints on what people look for when they travel to Providence; but even so, one of the reviewers did not offer their thoughts until after the due date for the project. As luck would have it, I got paired with this person for the next two group projects; and as expected, all deadlines were ignored. Thank God that I lucked out on Project Three, as the other member of the three-person group - the only other person I consider to be a contributing member - is an amazing student and an amazing worker. I know I keep touting him, but he seriously is that good. He graduates in May, and I have no doubt I will be seeing his name in the Wall Street Journal some day! (FYI: He is a Business and Finance major).
For Project Three, the recreation of a restaurant website, only one person got their peer reivew in by deadline (others were a week late!) and he gave some very helpful suggestions that were incorporated, and acknowledged on our Peer Review forum message board (including the suggestion that we add a Directions page to the site). The remainder of the reviewers posted their thoughts a week late, and basically said the same exact thing as the first person - lighten the background and add a Directions page - ignoring the fact that the edits had been made a full week prior. Explanations as to why there were no pictures of the restaurant or its food were posted to the forum (after the first reviewer suggested they be added), and completely ignored. Criticisms that we should add some kept pouring into the forum. It was all I could do not to post in a bold, red font "PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOU A$$ AND READ THE G-D D-MN PROJECT UPDATE!!! FOR THE LOVE OF G-D YOU ARE A SENIOR IN COLLEGE!!! PULL THIS KIND OF CR@P IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD AND YOU WON'T MAKE IT PAST YOUR FIRST 90-DAYS!!!!!!!" Thankfully, I have been practicing the art of patience since leaving the professional world of Marketing, and managed to keep my cool. (FYI, part 2: just in case you were wondering, we used placeholders [generic graphics] in place of actual pictures, so as to leave the picture choice open for the business owner to visualize).
With Project Four, the three contributing members of the group all agreed that the criticisms received were bulls--t, and only offered up because the reviewers had to say something. We received criticisms such as:
"You have too many links" (several of the links were required for the project, and could not be removed; the others were essential to the opertation of the site)
"I don't like the sports theme" (the page name is Intercepting Traffick and its purpose is to raise awareness of child sex trafficking at major league sporting events. DUH!)
"I think you have too much information on your site",with the suggestion that people would get bored and move on to another site (the site itself is an informational site with a targeted audience, not a general interest site.)
I have always tried to make my criticisms constructive...which is why this blog has so often turned into a rant. It's all just part of the process.
For our first class asignment - clubhouse blogs - I got feedback from one student, and I have to say it really wasn't helpful. For some reason, she thought Ask Tazi-Kat! was an advice column for pet lovers, and that it should run tips on caring for pets. The column offers general advice on a range of subjects, and has hardly ever addressed issues dealing with pets. As of this writing, it is up to 1100 hits (in 11 weeks), with 100 of those hits coming in over the past 3 days and a third of the total hits coming in within the last three weeks; as well as an ebook of the archives planned for January publication through Amazon.com; and daily subscription numbers also on the rise. If I had taken the advice to change the format, I don't think it would have been so successful, as pet-care is a very niche market; nor is it my forte.
Project Two did offer some very helpful review advice on travel writing, offering hints on what people look for when they travel to Providence; but even so, one of the reviewers did not offer their thoughts until after the due date for the project. As luck would have it, I got paired with this person for the next two group projects; and as expected, all deadlines were ignored. Thank God that I lucked out on Project Three, as the other member of the three-person group - the only other person I consider to be a contributing member - is an amazing student and an amazing worker. I know I keep touting him, but he seriously is that good. He graduates in May, and I have no doubt I will be seeing his name in the Wall Street Journal some day! (FYI: He is a Business and Finance major).
For Project Three, the recreation of a restaurant website, only one person got their peer reivew in by deadline (others were a week late!) and he gave some very helpful suggestions that were incorporated, and acknowledged on our Peer Review forum message board (including the suggestion that we add a Directions page to the site). The remainder of the reviewers posted their thoughts a week late, and basically said the same exact thing as the first person - lighten the background and add a Directions page - ignoring the fact that the edits had been made a full week prior. Explanations as to why there were no pictures of the restaurant or its food were posted to the forum (after the first reviewer suggested they be added), and completely ignored. Criticisms that we should add some kept pouring into the forum. It was all I could do not to post in a bold, red font "PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOU A$$ AND READ THE G-D D-MN PROJECT UPDATE!!! FOR THE LOVE OF G-D YOU ARE A SENIOR IN COLLEGE!!! PULL THIS KIND OF CR@P IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD AND YOU WON'T MAKE IT PAST YOUR FIRST 90-DAYS!!!!!!!" Thankfully, I have been practicing the art of patience since leaving the professional world of Marketing, and managed to keep my cool. (FYI, part 2: just in case you were wondering, we used placeholders [generic graphics] in place of actual pictures, so as to leave the picture choice open for the business owner to visualize).
With Project Four, the three contributing members of the group all agreed that the criticisms received were bulls--t, and only offered up because the reviewers had to say something. We received criticisms such as:
"You have too many links" (several of the links were required for the project, and could not be removed; the others were essential to the opertation of the site)
"I don't like the sports theme" (the page name is Intercepting Traffick and its purpose is to raise awareness of child sex trafficking at major league sporting events. DUH!)
"I think you have too much information on your site",with the suggestion that people would get bored and move on to another site (the site itself is an informational site with a targeted audience, not a general interest site.)
I have always tried to make my criticisms constructive...which is why this blog has so often turned into a rant. It's all just part of the process.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Technology: Rely On It To be Unreliable
I have been meaning to write this blog for a few weeks now, and have just been so busy putting together my final portfolio that my process blog got shifted to the bottom of the priority pile.
If you have been reading my blog you will know by now that my final group project for this class involves creating a social issues site at SocialGo.com. (If you have not been reading this blog, I suggest you go catch up and come back here when you have). When the syllabus was put together, SocialGo was free; now, it is only free for two weeks before they start to charge. THANKFULLY the good people in SocialGo's Finance Department understood the pleas of my professor, and the charges for our project sites have been waived through the end of the year. However, this situation illustrates why putting our faith in technology is not always a good thing.
I am reminded of a letter to Ann Landers that I read several years ago, about a man who knew he was dying (of illness) and wanted to leave some letters to his young granddaughter, for when she was old enough to read them. In order to keep them confidential, he typed them and saved them to a 3-inch disk. After he passed, his wife was uncertain if she should print them out, due to changing technology and the fear the letters would be lost. Ann Landers agreed with her, and got a heaping pile of mail from those who disagreed with her, saying to print them out would be a violantion of privacy. As I recap that letter, I am asking myself "How long has it been since anyone used disks?"
It is truly amazing how much technology has changed in my lifetime. I still remember 5-inch floppy disks...the TRS-80...and yes, Pong, which I still think is a balls-ass awesome video game, if you will pardon the expression. I am not exactly sure what "balls-ass" means, but it is what popped into my head when I was thinking about how awesome Pong was, and how I miss its quaint simplicity.
I often wonder what technological advances will come in the lifetime of the Wikipedia generation, and hope that it will help them to understand where I am coming from when I talk about the importance of learning to do things old school, instead of letting technology do everything for you - because if the computer systems are down and that research paper is due, it is always nice to know how to use the card catalog.
If you have been reading my blog you will know by now that my final group project for this class involves creating a social issues site at SocialGo.com. (If you have not been reading this blog, I suggest you go catch up and come back here when you have). When the syllabus was put together, SocialGo was free; now, it is only free for two weeks before they start to charge. THANKFULLY the good people in SocialGo's Finance Department understood the pleas of my professor, and the charges for our project sites have been waived through the end of the year. However, this situation illustrates why putting our faith in technology is not always a good thing.
I am reminded of a letter to Ann Landers that I read several years ago, about a man who knew he was dying (of illness) and wanted to leave some letters to his young granddaughter, for when she was old enough to read them. In order to keep them confidential, he typed them and saved them to a 3-inch disk. After he passed, his wife was uncertain if she should print them out, due to changing technology and the fear the letters would be lost. Ann Landers agreed with her, and got a heaping pile of mail from those who disagreed with her, saying to print them out would be a violantion of privacy. As I recap that letter, I am asking myself "How long has it been since anyone used disks?"
It is truly amazing how much technology has changed in my lifetime. I still remember 5-inch floppy disks...the TRS-80...and yes, Pong, which I still think is a balls-ass awesome video game, if you will pardon the expression. I am not exactly sure what "balls-ass" means, but it is what popped into my head when I was thinking about how awesome Pong was, and how I miss its quaint simplicity.
I often wonder what technological advances will come in the lifetime of the Wikipedia generation, and hope that it will help them to understand where I am coming from when I talk about the importance of learning to do things old school, instead of letting technology do everything for you - because if the computer systems are down and that research paper is due, it is always nice to know how to use the card catalog.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Group Poop
I am titling this blog "Group Poop" because Group Sh!t does not make for a very polite headline. My final group project for this class was submitted this morning, and I am sooooo glad to be done with it! Although the cause is important to me, group projects tend to go like this: one or two people do all of the work, while everyone else sits back and lets them do it. This project was a bit different, but there was still one obvious slacker in the group.
My problem with the group project dynamic is that I am a "recovering workaholic". I am the type of person who will dedicate all of my time to my work/school projects, to the detriment of other areas of my life. Often time I have said that "there is a reason I am [insert age here], never married with no children". Although those reasons are several, one of the big ones is my dedication to my work - and the sense of perfectionism that I bring with it. I can't just let stuff slide and hope that someone else will do the work because every time I try that I end up working double-time to catch up because nobody else bothered to do the work, either! Because I am aware of my tendency to drown my life in my work, I must make a conscious effort to STOP and balance myself or see my personal life suffer for it.
As for the technical extent of this project, I realize that I have experience in web-building; but my experience is in web graphics/design and writing HTML code. Six or seven years ago, web building software was in its infancy, and social host sites like Yola.com and SocialGo were either non-existent or very, very expensive to use ($1,500+ per yearly contract, as opposed to $100 - $300 now). I have had to make the time to learn how to use these sites, just like everybody else. My experience with HTML coding allowed me to work around some of the limitations of the paid-subscription-only features on sites like WuFoo Forms (BTW: I LOVE THIS SITE!!!), but this does not excuse the fact that one of the "founders" of the site that has been our group project contributed NOTHING except her personal profile and a very short, barely researched blog! In fact, her one source of research was a YouTube video that another member had already posted to our site! How ballsy is that? This person has a semester-long history of phoning it in, so to speak, but this move takes that attitude to new levels!
Overall, the group dynamic of this final project has worked well, with each of the remaining members contributing in some important way; I am just wondering if my dedication hasn't made it too easy for my group-mates to blow off a large portion of the assignment - i.e. learning how to use the social host software, or how to create a WuFoo form. Then again, if I were not so dedicated, I am not certain our site would be as professionally done as it is. Fjavascript:void(0)or my last group project, I was partnered with a different student, and the work he contributed was amazing. For this group project, we are separated; and the difference in the quality of work is obvious. I am really not impressed with his group's site, even though I love the topic [responsible government spending].
I just hope that my influence helps to bring out the best efforts of others, without me coming off as a total b!tch...because behind the scenes - away from work and the formal settings of the university - I can be immature, unorganized, crazy, and loud; but boy am I FUN!
My problem with the group project dynamic is that I am a "recovering workaholic". I am the type of person who will dedicate all of my time to my work/school projects, to the detriment of other areas of my life. Often time I have said that "there is a reason I am [insert age here], never married with no children". Although those reasons are several, one of the big ones is my dedication to my work - and the sense of perfectionism that I bring with it. I can't just let stuff slide and hope that someone else will do the work because every time I try that I end up working double-time to catch up because nobody else bothered to do the work, either! Because I am aware of my tendency to drown my life in my work, I must make a conscious effort to STOP and balance myself or see my personal life suffer for it.
As for the technical extent of this project, I realize that I have experience in web-building; but my experience is in web graphics/design and writing HTML code. Six or seven years ago, web building software was in its infancy, and social host sites like Yola.com and SocialGo were either non-existent or very, very expensive to use ($1,500+ per yearly contract, as opposed to $100 - $300 now). I have had to make the time to learn how to use these sites, just like everybody else. My experience with HTML coding allowed me to work around some of the limitations of the paid-subscription-only features on sites like WuFoo Forms (BTW: I LOVE THIS SITE!!!), but this does not excuse the fact that one of the "founders" of the site that has been our group project contributed NOTHING except her personal profile and a very short, barely researched blog! In fact, her one source of research was a YouTube video that another member had already posted to our site! How ballsy is that? This person has a semester-long history of phoning it in, so to speak, but this move takes that attitude to new levels!
Overall, the group dynamic of this final project has worked well, with each of the remaining members contributing in some important way; I am just wondering if my dedication hasn't made it too easy for my group-mates to blow off a large portion of the assignment - i.e. learning how to use the social host software, or how to create a WuFoo form. Then again, if I were not so dedicated, I am not certain our site would be as professionally done as it is. Fjavascript:void(0)or my last group project, I was partnered with a different student, and the work he contributed was amazing. For this group project, we are separated; and the difference in the quality of work is obvious. I am really not impressed with his group's site, even though I love the topic [responsible government spending].
I just hope that my influence helps to bring out the best efforts of others, without me coming off as a total b!tch...because behind the scenes - away from work and the formal settings of the university - I can be immature, unorganized, crazy, and loud; but boy am I FUN!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Website Update
Intercepting Traffick is now a working website...and I am very, very tired. Yes, there is a causal connection between the two; so whoever is reading this, please support my hard work by "Liking" the cause on Facebook; visiting the website; and at least consider supporting the boycott and adding your name to the pledge.
Facebook Causes and What I Have Discovered About Them
In researching Facebook Causes I discovered two interesting facts: The first is that they are a private company that uses Facebook as its web host; the second is that they are actively hiring new employees. Although I have no desire to work for them - I am quite content with my current job and geographical location - I thought it very interesting that this seemingly altruistic feature is actually a very clever marketing plan by a for-profit company.
The basis of Facebook Causes is simple: the parent company represents the cause by managing their Facebook presence. Unlike Facebook Groups, the Causes feature allows for the donation of monies to the cause directly through Facebook, and uses a multi-level marketing scheme (a.k.a. a pyramid scheme) to reward members who get others to join and to donate. Rewards are not made in cash, but in a gain of status level, like it is some sort of competition. Judging by the number of competitive games on Facebook, I can see why this formation would be successful.
Although I am not certain I like the whole idea of a pyramid set-up to raise funds for worthy causes, I do suppose the end justifies the means. I admire the fact that Facebook Causes (yes, that is the name of the parent company) chose to use Facebook as an already existing platform of over 20-million users to launch their project. It kind of makes me wish that I was [Facebook Founder] Mark Zuckerberg's college roommate instead of [Causes founder] Joe Green (maybe then Ask Tazi-Kat would be a profitable venture by now!).
Source:
TechCrunch.com
The basis of Facebook Causes is simple: the parent company represents the cause by managing their Facebook presence. Unlike Facebook Groups, the Causes feature allows for the donation of monies to the cause directly through Facebook, and uses a multi-level marketing scheme (a.k.a. a pyramid scheme) to reward members who get others to join and to donate. Rewards are not made in cash, but in a gain of status level, like it is some sort of competition. Judging by the number of competitive games on Facebook, I can see why this formation would be successful.
Although I am not certain I like the whole idea of a pyramid set-up to raise funds for worthy causes, I do suppose the end justifies the means. I admire the fact that Facebook Causes (yes, that is the name of the parent company) chose to use Facebook as an already existing platform of over 20-million users to launch their project. It kind of makes me wish that I was [Facebook Founder] Mark Zuckerberg's college roommate instead of [Causes founder] Joe Green (maybe then Ask Tazi-Kat would be a profitable venture by now!).
Source:
TechCrunch.com
Friday, November 25, 2011
Am I An Over-Achiever?
My latest assignment was to work with a group to build a website dedicated to a social cause (for those of you who have not been following). My group's cause is child sex-trafficking at the Super Bowl, and our purpose is raising awareness of the issue.
I have logged over 40 hours into this project, between site design and formatting, graphic design, blog research and writing, and general research on statistics and headlines related to this cause. The site truly looks amazing; if I do say do myself! If you have time, I ask that you please visit Intercepting Traffick today!
One of the few remaining parts of this assignment is to review the sites the other groups have created, and critique them; offering thoughts on one thing that works and one that does not. I have to say, I was quite disappointed with the other groups' sites. I am trying to keep in mind that they are still learning the art of web design, but the web builder offered through SocialGo.com seems pretty user-friendly. Plus, I, too, am still learning the art of writing for online environments (although I must add that this class has taught me a great deal already). I am starting to wonder if I am an over-achiever, because it is difficult for me to believe that so many others are under-achievers. Thoughts?
I have logged over 40 hours into this project, between site design and formatting, graphic design, blog research and writing, and general research on statistics and headlines related to this cause. The site truly looks amazing; if I do say do myself! If you have time, I ask that you please visit Intercepting Traffick today!
One of the few remaining parts of this assignment is to review the sites the other groups have created, and critique them; offering thoughts on one thing that works and one that does not. I have to say, I was quite disappointed with the other groups' sites. I am trying to keep in mind that they are still learning the art of web design, but the web builder offered through SocialGo.com seems pretty user-friendly. Plus, I, too, am still learning the art of writing for online environments (although I must add that this class has taught me a great deal already). I am starting to wonder if I am an over-achiever, because it is difficult for me to believe that so many others are under-achievers. Thoughts?
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Social Causes a Go-Go...and a Closing Reference to a Grito Serpentiono Poem
My next (and final) project for this class is to create an online presence with regard to a social issue. I have always been what I like to call a "silent activist" - someone who quietly goes about raising awareness and funds without getting in peoples' faces about it. For example, many years ago a child I used to babysit (who is now a sophomore in college!) fell ill with a step infection in her stomach. She spent several days in Hasbro Children's Hospital, and came very close to dying. That Christmas season, I made a donation to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital - and have continued to do so every Christmas season since, regardless of my personal financial picture. Why St. Jude's? Because they treat children whose families are uninsured, and do not have the ability to pay for hospital treatment. St. Jude's does not even have a patient accounts billing department, because the patient never receives a bill for services.
In return for my donation, St. Jude's always sends me return address labels with artwork, most of it crudely drawn, completed by their patients. Although my preference would be to use a more sophisticated looking label on my Christmas cards, I use every single one of them in the hope that those who see it will be inspired to donate as well. (Many of my friends tell me that they have been inspired to do just that). This is but one example of silent activism that I have found effective.
With the ever-evolving Internet being a daily presence in most peoples' lives, social networking has become an easy way for people to show support for the causes they would like to support, without actually doing it. There is actually a word for this: slacktivism. By clicking a button on Facebook, I can "Like" Breast Cancer Research, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Disabled Veterans', and other causes that I support financially; but I can also "Like" causes like Stop Pet Abuse NOW! and other causes that may or may not be actual non-profit organizations. In his article Digital Natives As Self-Actualizing Citizens, W. Lance Bennett comments on this phenonmenon.
Bennett points out that many of today's youth generation (i.e. students and adults under the age of 25, or at least this is how I interpret it) use social media as a way to get involved with the political and civic processes of society. However, as Bennett so perfectly puts it, "the bottom line is that digital natives largely do not participate in civic affairs out of a sense of duty or obligation but a sense of personal fulfillment." Slacktivism, anyone?
This sense of "what's in it for me" activism is what divides the old-school activists from the new-school activists, or what Bennett calls the "Dutiful Citizens (D.C.'s)" from the "self-Actualizing Citizens (A.C.'s)". According to Bennett, D.C.'s feel a duty to vote in government elections; participate in government; and seek out information from trusted sources, such as trational media like newspapers and the nightly news; and show their support for a cause by joining a physical organization, one with a Board of Directors and a voting membership.
A.C.'s, on the other hand, are more likely to vote for their favorite American Idol contestant than for their preferred Presidential candidate. According to Bennett, they feel less of an obligation to vote and/or participate in central forms of government. In fact, they mistrust the government; and this mistrust is fed through their choice of alternative forms of media. A.C.'s are more likely to have an online network of "friends" than in-person social ties, and subsequently any social causes in which they involve themselves follow this loose organizational structure.
Having pointed out the differences between the older generations and the younger generations, Bennett suggests that "schools should help students to develop their own public voices by using various digital media, allowing students to find their own means of engaging with and learning about issues, and forming peer-learning communities." I suggest that this slope is a dangerously slippery one, for several reasons.
1. Online content is treated differently than book content
Online content is designed to be consumed in quick bites - small chunks of information delivered in easily processable wording. Even when the content is not designed this way, it has come to be expected. As a Science Tutor, many of the students with whom I work are assigned homework through ChemSkillsBuilder, an online software program that really does help students improve their grade...if they treat it like a regular homework assignment by writing down the problems, solving them, and typing in their answers. My experience in working with Chemistry students is that most will attempt to solve the online problems in their heads, never taking notes on how the problem is done, or reviewing the advice given after a wrong answer is submitted. Consequently, grades are lower, frustration is higher, and nothing is accomplished.
2. Online media is not always accurate
Conspiricy theory sites abound on the Internet. Marketing themselves as "alternative media", they spew absolute farce that they then present as serious journalism. Their sources - when revealed - are quite questionable and usually biased; and many times the "facts" presented are unchecked - and inaccurate. However, their fans have been brainwashed to believe that all reporting is true and accurate - and those who would say otherwise are part of the government machine that seeks to silence the truth.
3. Peer-Learning Communities are invariably unbalanced
When students are assigned to a group learning community, be it a group project or a study group, natural leaders tend to rise to the top. These are the students who take the initiative to organize the project and create a working timeline, based upon the work that needs to be completed by the deadlines assigned for it. Less organized students naturally seek to follow - many will hold up their end of the work, but just as many will allow others to pull the load while they sit back and reap the benefits of the group efforts.
Bennett suggests that the ideal way of teaching students would be to combine the old styles with the new styles, in order to embrace this new form of activism; but I feel he is a bit utopian in his belief that "young people are using their power as consumers to communicate directly with corporations." This may in fact be true, but what are they communicating? That they can type a strongly worded email? Did they write to the CEO of Sony to complain of the harsh labor conditions under which ossium metal (required in the manufacture of smart phones and video gaming systems) is mined? Did they make a credible threat to stop buying PS3 games and consoles and Sony smart phones until the inhumane treatment of workers - mostly poor children of African nations - improves? If the answer from America's collective A.C.'s is "yes", then please excuse me while I put my hip-waders on, because the bullsh-- is getting a little deep.
Bennett ends his article with the thought "the vitality of our democracy rests on reconciling changing youth civic styles with the more traditional notions of citizen engagement that still characterize most schools, governments, and public interest spheres." I could not disagree more. Just because something is popular does not make it right. The popularity of social media has dehumanized youth - cyberbullying is a prime example of this occurance. Rather than give in to the beast, I say fight it. This leads me to another article I read this week, Can Social network Sites Enable Political Action?, by Danah Boyd.
Ms. Boyd write the article in 2008, while a PhD candidate at UC - Berkeley. Her specific area of study was "youth engagement in networked places", like MySpace (remember them?) and Facebook, the Serena Williams of social media*. The title of the article intrigued me, and I was not disappointed by its contents.
Ms. Boyd states her thesis concisely:
Activists have fantasized about ordinary citizens using SNSes for political action and speaking truth to power. Yet these daydreams are shattered through even a cursory look at actual practices...Typical SNS participants are more invested in adding glitter to pages and SuperPoking their “friends” than engaging in any form of civic-minded collective action.
Just when I thought I could not agree more, Boyd ups the ante with an argument that shatters the idea that Facebook and MySpace are places where youth can interact with politicians and their government representatives, resulting in even more vigorous head-nodding on my part. She states, "By and large, when politicians and activists talk about using MySpace and Facebook, they aren’t talking about using it the way most people do; they are talking about leveraging it as a spamming device." A giant spamming device, at that; and a misleading one, considering that many people actually think that politicians - and not their staff and handlers - are the ones reading and responding to their posts.
Personally, I try to keep politics off of my Facebook page for the simple reason that it is a form of social media. The age-old rule of never discussing politics or religion in a social setting carries over to my Facebook page 99% of the time. (There are occasions when I slip and my outrage gets expressed, but I never allow the debate that ensues to turn uncivil). However, there are those that use their Facebook and MySpace pages as political forums for their beliefs. My question is, how much support do they actually hope to garner for their cause?
The Occupy Wall Street movement started out as a social networking movement, in response to the success of the Arab Spring movement. The difference between the two is that in the time it took the Arab Spring movement to topple governments, OWS has only managed to get Bank of America to change its mind about charging a $5/month debit-card fee. The difference in the results speaks directly to the level of commitment from those supporting the cause. In the Arab world, their youth are willing to fight and die for their cause; in America, our youth is unwilling to be inconvenienced. Many years ago, when I saw a performance by Grito Serpentino**, he recited a piece titled "When The Revolution Comes (Ain't Gonna Be No Cappuccinos With It)". I always wondered if that would be true. Now, I guess I know.
*Facebook is younger than MySpace; but just as Serena overtook her older sister Venus in tennis success, Facebook has far outpaced MySpace in popularity.
**The man, not the group, as at the time he was a with the San Jose (CA) Poetry Slam Team.
In return for my donation, St. Jude's always sends me return address labels with artwork, most of it crudely drawn, completed by their patients. Although my preference would be to use a more sophisticated looking label on my Christmas cards, I use every single one of them in the hope that those who see it will be inspired to donate as well. (Many of my friends tell me that they have been inspired to do just that). This is but one example of silent activism that I have found effective.
With the ever-evolving Internet being a daily presence in most peoples' lives, social networking has become an easy way for people to show support for the causes they would like to support, without actually doing it. There is actually a word for this: slacktivism. By clicking a button on Facebook, I can "Like" Breast Cancer Research, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Disabled Veterans', and other causes that I support financially; but I can also "Like" causes like Stop Pet Abuse NOW! and other causes that may or may not be actual non-profit organizations. In his article Digital Natives As Self-Actualizing Citizens, W. Lance Bennett comments on this phenonmenon.
Bennett points out that many of today's youth generation (i.e. students and adults under the age of 25, or at least this is how I interpret it) use social media as a way to get involved with the political and civic processes of society. However, as Bennett so perfectly puts it, "the bottom line is that digital natives largely do not participate in civic affairs out of a sense of duty or obligation but a sense of personal fulfillment." Slacktivism, anyone?
This sense of "what's in it for me" activism is what divides the old-school activists from the new-school activists, or what Bennett calls the "Dutiful Citizens (D.C.'s)" from the "self-Actualizing Citizens (A.C.'s)". According to Bennett, D.C.'s feel a duty to vote in government elections; participate in government; and seek out information from trusted sources, such as trational media like newspapers and the nightly news; and show their support for a cause by joining a physical organization, one with a Board of Directors and a voting membership.
A.C.'s, on the other hand, are more likely to vote for their favorite American Idol contestant than for their preferred Presidential candidate. According to Bennett, they feel less of an obligation to vote and/or participate in central forms of government. In fact, they mistrust the government; and this mistrust is fed through their choice of alternative forms of media. A.C.'s are more likely to have an online network of "friends" than in-person social ties, and subsequently any social causes in which they involve themselves follow this loose organizational structure.
Having pointed out the differences between the older generations and the younger generations, Bennett suggests that "schools should help students to develop their own public voices by using various digital media, allowing students to find their own means of engaging with and learning about issues, and forming peer-learning communities." I suggest that this slope is a dangerously slippery one, for several reasons.
1. Online content is treated differently than book content
Online content is designed to be consumed in quick bites - small chunks of information delivered in easily processable wording. Even when the content is not designed this way, it has come to be expected. As a Science Tutor, many of the students with whom I work are assigned homework through ChemSkillsBuilder, an online software program that really does help students improve their grade...if they treat it like a regular homework assignment by writing down the problems, solving them, and typing in their answers. My experience in working with Chemistry students is that most will attempt to solve the online problems in their heads, never taking notes on how the problem is done, or reviewing the advice given after a wrong answer is submitted. Consequently, grades are lower, frustration is higher, and nothing is accomplished.
2. Online media is not always accurate
Conspiricy theory sites abound on the Internet. Marketing themselves as "alternative media", they spew absolute farce that they then present as serious journalism. Their sources - when revealed - are quite questionable and usually biased; and many times the "facts" presented are unchecked - and inaccurate. However, their fans have been brainwashed to believe that all reporting is true and accurate - and those who would say otherwise are part of the government machine that seeks to silence the truth.
3. Peer-Learning Communities are invariably unbalanced
When students are assigned to a group learning community, be it a group project or a study group, natural leaders tend to rise to the top. These are the students who take the initiative to organize the project and create a working timeline, based upon the work that needs to be completed by the deadlines assigned for it. Less organized students naturally seek to follow - many will hold up their end of the work, but just as many will allow others to pull the load while they sit back and reap the benefits of the group efforts.
Bennett suggests that the ideal way of teaching students would be to combine the old styles with the new styles, in order to embrace this new form of activism; but I feel he is a bit utopian in his belief that "young people are using their power as consumers to communicate directly with corporations." This may in fact be true, but what are they communicating? That they can type a strongly worded email? Did they write to the CEO of Sony to complain of the harsh labor conditions under which ossium metal (required in the manufacture of smart phones and video gaming systems) is mined? Did they make a credible threat to stop buying PS3 games and consoles and Sony smart phones until the inhumane treatment of workers - mostly poor children of African nations - improves? If the answer from America's collective A.C.'s is "yes", then please excuse me while I put my hip-waders on, because the bullsh-- is getting a little deep.
Bennett ends his article with the thought "the vitality of our democracy rests on reconciling changing youth civic styles with the more traditional notions of citizen engagement that still characterize most schools, governments, and public interest spheres." I could not disagree more. Just because something is popular does not make it right. The popularity of social media has dehumanized youth - cyberbullying is a prime example of this occurance. Rather than give in to the beast, I say fight it. This leads me to another article I read this week, Can Social network Sites Enable Political Action?, by Danah Boyd.
Ms. Boyd write the article in 2008, while a PhD candidate at UC - Berkeley. Her specific area of study was "youth engagement in networked places", like MySpace (remember them?) and Facebook, the Serena Williams of social media*. The title of the article intrigued me, and I was not disappointed by its contents.
Ms. Boyd states her thesis concisely:
Activists have fantasized about ordinary citizens using SNSes for political action and speaking truth to power. Yet these daydreams are shattered through even a cursory look at actual practices...Typical SNS participants are more invested in adding glitter to pages and SuperPoking their “friends” than engaging in any form of civic-minded collective action.
Just when I thought I could not agree more, Boyd ups the ante with an argument that shatters the idea that Facebook and MySpace are places where youth can interact with politicians and their government representatives, resulting in even more vigorous head-nodding on my part. She states, "By and large, when politicians and activists talk about using MySpace and Facebook, they aren’t talking about using it the way most people do; they are talking about leveraging it as a spamming device." A giant spamming device, at that; and a misleading one, considering that many people actually think that politicians - and not their staff and handlers - are the ones reading and responding to their posts.
Personally, I try to keep politics off of my Facebook page for the simple reason that it is a form of social media. The age-old rule of never discussing politics or religion in a social setting carries over to my Facebook page 99% of the time. (There are occasions when I slip and my outrage gets expressed, but I never allow the debate that ensues to turn uncivil). However, there are those that use their Facebook and MySpace pages as political forums for their beliefs. My question is, how much support do they actually hope to garner for their cause?
The Occupy Wall Street movement started out as a social networking movement, in response to the success of the Arab Spring movement. The difference between the two is that in the time it took the Arab Spring movement to topple governments, OWS has only managed to get Bank of America to change its mind about charging a $5/month debit-card fee. The difference in the results speaks directly to the level of commitment from those supporting the cause. In the Arab world, their youth are willing to fight and die for their cause; in America, our youth is unwilling to be inconvenienced. Many years ago, when I saw a performance by Grito Serpentino**, he recited a piece titled "When The Revolution Comes (Ain't Gonna Be No Cappuccinos With It)". I always wondered if that would be true. Now, I guess I know.
*Facebook is younger than MySpace; but just as Serena overtook her older sister Venus in tennis success, Facebook has far outpaced MySpace in popularity.
**The man, not the group, as at the time he was a with the San Jose (CA) Poetry Slam Team.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Thoughts and Memories On Internet Marketing
One thing that Facebook is always doing is "updating" their look and organizational scheme, much to the dismay of their users. I think this is partially because people do not like change, but also because it makes the site difficult to navigate. One new feature that I do like is the "real time" status update and comment scroll of my "favorite" friends, in the right sidebar. This allows me to see what is important to me right away, without having to fish around for it.
In spite of Facebook's success, I honestly think that if business websites changed their organizational formats as often as Facebook did the entire concept of the Internet would be one giant FAIL, simply because people would get tired of having to adjust to a new format every few months. I think this is why - on the flip-side of the coin - so many businesses are reluctant to update their website layout, even if it is outdated and/or disorganized.
Over the past 10 years, American businesses have adjusted to the use of the Internet and email as a vital - and expected - means of communication. I remember back in the late 1990's how I was one of the few people I knew to include an email address on my resume, in spite of the fact that no potential employer ever contacted me via email - and I was applying for jobs in the field of Communications and "New Media"!
I remember how back in 2000 while working for an advertising agency - a place where deadlines are always looming, and fast communication is key - my supervisor chastised me for using email instead of the telephone to contact my TV sales reps, saying that "the telephone is quicker; people are more likely to answer it than email". Oh, how times have changed.
I remember the work I did in designing the very first website for Pride Auto Group (which has since dwindled from seven successful dealerships to just Pride Hyundai). I remember trying to sell the owner and Executive Vice-President on investing in the web-software I needed to create a first-class website...and I remember when they fired the HTML code designer (I only handled the graphics, Flash, and layout) because the owner reasoned that "a website is a waste of money; people aren't going to use the Internet to buy cars". This was in 2002 - only 10 years ago.
It has really only been within the past 5 - 7 years that an Internet presence has been considered mandatory for a company to have - complete with Facebook and Twitter accounts - and it seems like many of the haphazard efforts of creating one are still out there and in use. Hopefully, within the next 5 - 7 years, these disorganized efforts will be pulled together into something more appealing to potential customers.
In spite of Facebook's success, I honestly think that if business websites changed their organizational formats as often as Facebook did the entire concept of the Internet would be one giant FAIL, simply because people would get tired of having to adjust to a new format every few months. I think this is why - on the flip-side of the coin - so many businesses are reluctant to update their website layout, even if it is outdated and/or disorganized.
Over the past 10 years, American businesses have adjusted to the use of the Internet and email as a vital - and expected - means of communication. I remember back in the late 1990's how I was one of the few people I knew to include an email address on my resume, in spite of the fact that no potential employer ever contacted me via email - and I was applying for jobs in the field of Communications and "New Media"!
I remember how back in 2000 while working for an advertising agency - a place where deadlines are always looming, and fast communication is key - my supervisor chastised me for using email instead of the telephone to contact my TV sales reps, saying that "the telephone is quicker; people are more likely to answer it than email". Oh, how times have changed.
I remember the work I did in designing the very first website for Pride Auto Group (which has since dwindled from seven successful dealerships to just Pride Hyundai). I remember trying to sell the owner and Executive Vice-President on investing in the web-software I needed to create a first-class website...and I remember when they fired the HTML code designer (I only handled the graphics, Flash, and layout) because the owner reasoned that "a website is a waste of money; people aren't going to use the Internet to buy cars". This was in 2002 - only 10 years ago.
It has really only been within the past 5 - 7 years that an Internet presence has been considered mandatory for a company to have - complete with Facebook and Twitter accounts - and it seems like many of the haphazard efforts of creating one are still out there and in use. Hopefully, within the next 5 - 7 years, these disorganized efforts will be pulled together into something more appealing to potential customers.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Website Overload
When one person is doing something it is special, unique, and eye-catching. When everyone starts doing something, the bar is raised to remain special, unique, and eye-catching. I have lived long enough to watch the Internet grow from 16-mbps (or was it 16-kbps?) to a tool that can download complex flash-animation in seconds. Once upon a time, flash animation was special...now, it is expected. Once upon a time, interactive features were exiting...now, they are routine. Once upon a time, websites were unique...now, they all blend one into the other.
I have been browsing the Internet this week looking at the different styles and layouts chosen by different companies and industries, and quite honestly it has all started to blend into one big swirl. How is a company to stand out when attention spans are too short to catch for more than a few seconds? These are the thoughts I am processing this week...more posts on this subject will follow as I figure out what I am thinking.
I have been browsing the Internet this week looking at the different styles and layouts chosen by different companies and industries, and quite honestly it has all started to blend into one big swirl. How is a company to stand out when attention spans are too short to catch for more than a few seconds? These are the thoughts I am processing this week...more posts on this subject will follow as I figure out what I am thinking.
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