Some Library Advertisement

Can a $5,000 advertisement make people go to the library?  This ad really gets me thinking about the state of the library.  Part of my circulum is teaching my kids how to do research and making sure they know that the school 'does have a library and it's a great place to do research.'  Then they go online and wikipedia everything.

Then we have kindle's & nooks which take up less space then a trapper keeper and holds so much more.  So what is the future for the local library?  That is for us to decide, but it wouldn't be horrible if they all turned into something like Barnes & Nobels with Starbucks on the inside.

Marshmallows are good.

This is going to be a hard jump trying to connect eating marshmallows to technologic influence on communication. But i'm going to try.  What we have in this video is either a research study or adults being mean to little kids by torturing them with marshmallows.  I'm going to hope that it is the prior.   Many research studies will reach the masses by being published in journals.  Several others will be presented in conference related to thier fields around the globe.   But I don't read research journals on the regular or have the time and money to make it to many conferences yet I know that in one study little kids have a hard time resisting marshmallows.  Presenting research via viral video's may not be the most scholarly approach but it is a way to attract much attention through a popular medium.  Their are video online of researcher presenting for a conference, but does video do justice the research.  They do not cater to the medium that is viral videos.  The video above is just for laughs, but it got me thinking. (i want some marshmallows)

Viral Muppets!!

Talk about making a comeback.  Disney finally decided to bring Jim Hensons creation to the next generation by putting them on youtube.  The Muppets hit their stride in the 80's and captured the heart and mind of children and adults with the popular "The Muppets Show" and several movies including "The Muppets take Manhattan."  But since being taking over by Disney, and the internet push through the 90's into the new decade, the brand had failed to continue much of their success.  Last week Muppets Studio managed to create the most watched video on youtube by covering Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."  Nothing new for the Muppets except for the medium of delivery which just furthers to prove that companies can no longer ignore the impact of content ready for the internet.

Tis the season to Twitter & be Jolly!

In wake of Friday's shopping extravaganza, social media has taken an interesting role in ensuring the shoppers satisfaction.  This article by cnet.com illustrates how a consumer reached out on twitter to find the answers to their technologic needs.  But twitter has connected consumer and retailers to make the shopping experience more interactive by allowing the consumers to reach out and bargain for prices.  This will hopefully make everyone's job less stressful come this holiday season.  With the combination of this and online shopping, one may rarely have to leave the house in order to get everything on the christmas list.

Ask the Twelpforce

This is Funny & Depressing at the same time

The article that can be read below is about how a women in Canada may be losing her benefits because of pictures found on Facebook.  Just another example how one can get "Got" or caught online for exposing behavior that is socially irresponsible.  Their our mixed feelings from me personally because I do not like those who cheat the system at other people expense, but I also like to think that one can have some kind of privacy online, but then I guess it wouldn't be social then.  Read the article and share your thoughts.

Canadian woman loses benefits over Facebook photo

Afp/File

BROMONT, Quebec – A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits because her insurance agent found photos of her on Facebook in which she appeared to be having fun.

Nathalie Blanchard has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for the last year.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Saturday she was diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from insurance giant Manulife.

But the payments dried up this fall and when Blanchard called Manulife, she says she was told she was available to work because of Facebook.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on Facebook, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday.

Blanchard said Manulife told her it's evidence she is no longer depressed. She's fighting to get her benefits reinstated and says her lawyer is exploring what the next step should be.

Blanchard told the CBC that on her doctor's advice, she tried to have fun, including nights out at her local bar with friends and short getaways to sun destinations, as a way to forget her problems.

Manulife wouldn't comment on Blanchard's case, but did say they would not deny or terminate a claim solely based on information published on Web sites such as Facebook.

Freedom of Speech leaving Social Networks, not just Legally but Socially

I recently recieved a Facebook message from my uncle in reference to my 16 year old brothers language on Facebook.  My uncle came to me, because he believes with my background in communication and coming from at private methodist affiliated college, I should talk to my brother about using words like "hell" when commenting online.  This compounded with the recent charges agains bloggers who deframe celebrites, and bloggers having to report if products being reviewed were purchased or given, I am kind of worried.  Professionalism is the key to using any social networking tool, but it has not always been that way.  There use to be a time, before parents, professors, and future employees, were online where people were saying whatever they wanted, posting innappropriate pictures & and all kinds of things.  Yes! it is unprofessional, but it allowed people to show and share a part of themselves with their friends on a level unscathed by professional interest.

In short: Social networkig used to be a lot more fun.

But all of this was bound to happen one day, and I hope that most people have gotten back ahead of the curve and not exposing themselves online.  Personally I rather not regulate what my brother says or shares online, but I rather try to alter the way he thinks and uses language in general.  But trust there are several things I would have loved to share with everyone online but just could not do it, and it was nothing bad, but I always have to be concern about who sees it now.  Because America is not ready for complete freedom of speech within our social networking sites.

Ochocinco, Social Networking & YOU!

Football Fans & Social Networkers,

If you happen to have some free time on your hands I suggest you check this out.  It is an article about Chad Johnson (oops) Ochocinco's new business deal, which will place him as the mogule of a new social networking venture.  Mr. 85 is already well known to football fans for his on & off the field antics, but now he would like to take his name to new heights by connecting his twitter followers to his inside sources in the league.  As a player Mr. Cinco plans to work around the twitter ban and partner up with Motorola to deliver to users accurate information about teams and players that may not make it to popular sports news networks. 

Heading one's own social networking site is no easy task.  I wish the best for our spanished named friend, but hopes he doesn't quit his day job (which is catching footballs).  More importantely I hope the saturated maket of social networks does not see too much of an increase by celebrities trying to get their peice of the pie.  Social networking was developed to bring us together, not spread us out amongs several different sites when a couple will do.  This may be beneficial for those avid fantasy football players & gamblers, but I can see this promoting tougher regulations on communication between players, teams, and the outside world.  We live in this era and we must be responsible for anything that happens, but stuff like this is purely distracting.

Misleading article shows why Twitter is growing.

I do not want to confuse anyone but I still do not "like" Twitter.  I understand it's popularity, but to a degree we should admit that Twitter is best used sparingly with a "tweet-up" every now and then.  Regardless (as the article below states) twitter continues to grow with the help of easy to use applications that allow these "young" users to stay connected to the social media site.  It's so simple and so quick it is bound to have a following, especially if everyone can continue to 'Tweet' on the go.  And more importantly it is keeping people connected and engaged in some level of communication.....some level (is better then none).

Study: Twitter users young, wireless, on other social sites

by Don Reisinger

A new study released on Wednesday by the Pew Internet and American Life Project has found some rather interesting tidbits of information about social network users.

According to the study, 19 percent of Web surfers use "Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves, or to see updates about others." According to the organization, its earlier findings in April 2009 found that just 11 percent of Internet users were using a status-update service.

But the reason why there has been such an uptick in status updates has much to do with the users themselves, Pew found. According to the organization, the growth is being driven by "social network Web site users, those who connect to the Internet via mobile devices, and younger Internet users--those under age 44."

The study found that 33 percent of those who are updating their status range in age between 18 and 29. Those aged between 30 and 49 make up 22 percent of the group. Just 13 percent of those who update their status are 50 years of age or older.

Pew determined that the Twitter user's median age is 31. MySpace's median age is now 26, down from 27 in May 2008. LinkedIn has also gotten younger by a year, featuring a median age of 39. But Facebook is one of the few social networks to buck the youth trend, upping its median age to 33, from 26 in May 2008.

Social fanatics
Whether or not a user is on other social networks also determines their willingness to use a service like Twitter. According to the study, 35 percent of those who have profiles on MySpace, Facebook, or LinkedIn also have profiles on Twitter. The study also found that just 6 percent of those who don't use other social networks are on Twitter.

Pew believes that there might be a correlation between the way users connect to the Web and use of sites that allow them to update their status. According to its research, 54 percent of Web users have a wireless connection to the Web. Of that group, 25 percent use Twitter or another status-update service. That said, only 8 percent of users who "rely exclusively on tethered access use Twitter or another service."

Pew found that "wireless access is an independent factor in predicting whether someone uses Twitter or another status update service. It is not simply because this group is likely to be young or tech-savvy." According to the research organization, users who connect to the Web via wireless connection are "significantly more likely to tweet."

More devices mean more tweeting
But the research group didn't stop there. The organization found that the more Web-connected devices a user has, the more likely they are to tweet.

"Fully 39 percent of Internet users with four or more Internet-connected devices (such as a laptop, cell phone, game console, or Kindle) use Twitter, compared to 28 percent of Internet users with three devices, 19 percent of Internet users with two devices, and 10 percent of Internet users with one device," the company wrote in its report.

How do you fit into Pew's research? Do you fall in the categories it mentions in its report? Let us know in the comments below.

LOL (now i'm just blogging to be blogging and this wont count for class)

I do not know about you, but I have used part of the pizza box as a plate before (honestly).  This is hardly innovation where i'm from (the suburbs) Wood(hood)bridge, VA. LOL

courtesy of:

ThePressPlayShow.com

Where will you find your (text)Nook?

Here's a little about my background that will set the platform for this story.  A large part of my decision to attend Southwestern College was driven by the fact that they supply all of their undergraduat students & employees with Dell Laptops.  This may not have been a selling point to most in 2003 but I had never owned my own laptop, and the only PC that I owned was passed down from my grandfather when I was in middle school and it still ran DOS!  Though I easily paid off the 3 computers I used in my time at that private institution it opened the world of online communication that was unknown to me prior to my enrollment.  The whole Southwester College community lives and strives with the fact that every person on campus can at least be contacted through their SC (Southwestern College) email associated with their laptop. 

The latest major shift that SC has made is the elimination of their book cave.  Students will no longer be able to go into the school's book store and purchase their textbooks for class.  The school is developing an online system that will allow students to purchase their books online and have them delivered through the mail.  This unfortunately means that all SC students will now have to plan ahead of time when deciding on purchasing a book, or pay crazy shipping charges to overnite.

Now you're probably wondering, Brandon what does this have to do with the Barnes & Nobel's e-book reader?

Personally I haven't jumped on board the e-book trend quite yet, but I do believe it is genius.  And now that the Kindle has competition we will start to see companies targeteting different demographics in an effort to make sales.  The Kindle 2 has already been marketed as newspaper reader and possible replacement for textbooks.  Will we soon be seeing a time where college's & universities start handing out e-books to the student body so that they can download each and every textbook throughout their college career?  There would be a lot of money saved by the publishing companes, and a lot of natural resources saved by not having to produce hard copies of the material.  Hopefully the day will come soon where student start buying digital copies of their needed text without selling them back, since most textbook are actually valuable resources for the future.  That one day can be found in the palm of your hand.