Graduation and out into the world

As graduation near I not only look forward to a new chapter of my life but also a new adventure. This summer I will be spending most of my summer with a French family and experiencing French culture. After months of reading books, researching and planning I am about to be completely immerse in French culture. One of the topic I encountered was learning through technology, more precisely the web. A topic that was not covered but I believe it will be more important as higher education increase in cost. One of the services I found was personal language lesson via webcam and microphone. I find this idea great and could be used in many ways. Yet, the web cam has not been as widely adopted as the cell phone. The question I pose is how is technology adopted? can bogging accelerate adoption of new ideas and if yes to what extent?

In the book naked conversation is stated "the number of bogglers almost triple from under 7.5 million users to almost 20 million. Someone started a blog onced every second today, and about every two seconds someone else abandoned one" (Scoble and Israle). Despite this fact Molly Woods article "Five Reasons social networking doesn't work" believe otherwise. The question both raised was the future of social networking, whether it will continue to evolved or become yet another event in the past; similar to the dot com event.

I on the other hand it will evolve but limited. I do agree that it will benefit companies that encourage its employee to blog, however with the heighten security measure that our society has and will continue to evolve into there will be a fine line between what is considered ok material and what is not. The also depends on how the access to the internet will expand. In the developed nation internet access is taken for granted. However, emerging countries it is still new and many times have limited websites that are in the local language.

I believe social networking would evolve into media form where video would be more popular due to its personal connection that can be made. It's more personal to view authors (to a blog) that speak than it is to read what they wrote, which is why bookstores that feature best selling authors. Their present draws readers further more into their books and also heighten their popular status. It would even better if the sense of smell is able to be convey in the future, then maybe there would be food smell to entice visitors :) So that there would be more things to do contradicting one of Wood's factor

Finding a job

After reading Hansen's article it gave me a perspective of a recruiter. It had confirmed my suspiction that online recuitring has not gain the momentum that many people expect it to be. Being a Kogod student obtaining a job has always been a great emphasis in the school of business. I have attended many job search workshops. One of the fact that suprises me is that 75% of the jobs are not listed. The article mentioned linkin which I only found out through class last week. I didn't expect to find my collegues from my work on the network. Being that I have never searched for a full time position (I plan on going to graduate school) I really don't know what the networking scene for recruters is like. I have found may part time and summer jobs though. My most sucessful tool is through the temp agency.

Hopefully one day finding a job online wouldn't be too difficult. It takes about an average of 6 months to find a position. I even tried to one find work at P&G and they require a 40 mintues evaluation. It seems like the new trend is to screen people out with behavoral questions prior to even looking at the resume. This I find to be a very bad idea because the all the answer to the questions are multiple choice. Therefore, after 20 mintues or so it gets a little boring. A company can lose some very key talent if they do this. I know they lost me, because applying took forever. Hence my advice is to find someone who works there first and see if there is a better way to apply. Through social networking if possible.

Value of customer

In the USA customer care usually is one of the top priority in a business. Some companies go to great lenghth to maintain a relationship with a customer. For example, the summer I was preparing to study abroad in France, I had planned on cancleling my cell phone plan. However, T-mobile managed to let me negotiate my needs. Because I have no use for US cell phone service in France I felt like I don't need it. After a lengthy call T-mobile offered to postpone my plan and in return I signed a 2 year contract. I have heard that it takes less resources to keep a customer than it would to obtain new ones. As a business student I would agree.

The opposite holds true in France. The customer is seen last and customer care does not exist. Especially true in in public settings, where you are at the mercy of a civil servant. In the book naked conversation by Scoble and Israel listed conducts on blogging etiquette for companies. Reading this I thought about the world of difference between customer care here in the US and France. The concept of blogging for customer care I think will never exist in France.

International Teamwork

A while back I was part of an experiement regarding time delay and team. The purpose of the experiment was to analyze how what time difference cause on work quality and efficency. It was stimulated to paralle a company that have offices around the world. For example: one trial would be two office with a 6 hours day. In addition, all the communication between workers is through chats. As one of the workers, I found out how frustrating it can be when I begin my own work and my collegue would be getting ready to "leave" the office.

There was a disconnect between each office. There are many reason for this. One of which is "the difference (location) caused problems in aligning the groups based ont eh alliance agreement."--Robert Cross, 2004. Cross wrote about how the difference cause a lack of awareness of each indivual's experties within the company. Creating a personal relationship with virtual teams is difficult. Not knowing the atmosphere of difference or even the personality of each indicudual can lead to barriers in regards to teamwork. Most of the time we have small talk to people we see. It would be odd to email someone to try to mimic that. Most of the time we email with a purpose or to get information. The question I present this week is how can a virtual team get to know each other through the net and still be strictly professional?

Networking in the new age

Recently I attended the Kogod Networking event in Gallery Place/Chinatown in DC. Because internet has been so intergrated with school, RSVPed for the event through the career website. In addition, I was able to do research on the other companies that will be represented at the event. I know that in the past networking would not be as high tech as it is now for me. Throughout the event I gathered some business cards and then later utilize the internet to send out follow up emails and resumes.

In the book "The Hidden Power of Social Networks" By Cross and Parker, it discussed the steps of initiating, development, and maintaining networks. The emphasis is on building trust among strangers. A tip that the book is to make someone more "human" by having a card with facts such as hobbies in networking events. I personally thing it would be a good idea for a conversation starter. However, I also see it as something that takes away the professional tone of a relationship if collegues turn into for example drinking buddies.

However, I think it's always better to be buddies than hostile collegues in the workforce. I intern at a local consulting firm which has a very intimate office. Every once in a while on Friday the whole office would go to happy hours. Even the CEO would come. I have personally not gone to any of these events because I am the youngest person at the office and others are much older than me. The book did not mention about age differences and how that affects a network. I wonder if there is a way to help with the large age barrier among the new graduates coming into the workforce and soon to be retire baby boomers?

Extra Credit: the dirt on ITEC 333

blog about your experiences in this class. Why should students take this class? Who shouldn't take this class?

I took ITEC 333 because it fitted well into my schedule. I am a senior and majoring finance. You should take this class if you are into social networking (ie facebook, my space). You should take it if you want to know more about it. This class will expose you to many facets of social resources online and also the history of the internet.

You shouldn't take this class if you cannot turn a computer on, but since you are reading this I am assuming you have a basic knowledge of operating a computer with internet. You shouldn't take this class if you don't have internet access because this is a class that focuses on technology. Sometimes class may be conducted through Webinar and students may not even have to leave the comfort of their homes. It's a class that lets you express your thought through blogging.

To be or not to be

The last lecture the topic of identity was dicussed. The guest speaker we had pointed out really interesting methods that I have never thought about as "identity" such as the smarttrip card, which I own as a commuter in DC. He also spoke about the future of license in which a digital chip would carry an enormous amount of personal information.

Relating to this would be a chip that is implanted in somone's hand or wrist. If you are a fan of the show "Lost" (ABC) chips implants enabled certain members access to a facility base on a wave of the hand. I think that chip implants can be a sucessful mode of identification but the issue of who can have access to a reader (of the chip) may arise.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/05/technology/05verichip.html?ex=1328331600&en=55afb7f2ba98da7e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Technology have made this possible even in pets. Dogs and cats can now have also chip implants on neck. Many pounds asnd animal shelters are equipt to read the chip with a scanner. This is helpful in cases where a dog may get loose and get lost. Yesterday, I saw a dog that ran away when a door was open at a gas station. The dog ran toward the highway. This even was not only dangerous but very traumatizing for the family of the dog. I think chip implants for animals is ok because they cannot talk for themselves. However, this can also be applied to patients of mental institution or even prisoners. There will always be an ethical issue when it comes to gray issue like this.

Reality to Virtual Reality

Before my departure to Nantes, France I wanted to do as much research as possible about the coutnry and culture. As I search the web I found blogs about Nantes and even a blog about virtual world. This upcoming class will be about Virtual World and I am looking foward to finding out what it is. The blog that spoke about Nante's virutal world was made by a lady who once studied abroad there and wanted to continue her experience by inviting people who love Nante, lived in Nante or interested in Nante to join her "world."

Although, I think it's interesting I feel like it is better just to go to Nantes and live there if you really like tha city. I can understand though if you don't have the time or the money to travel to create worlds online parallel to a town you wish to visit. I do not know the extent to what virtual world is but I think it would be nice for me to visit Washington DC virtually once I leave this coutry just by a click on my mouse.

Google yourself lately?

This weeks reading reagarding reputation is one that was highly publicised lately, espcially last semeter. Facebook--once a place for college students to keep their friends informed about their lives became a potential informaiton mecca for potential employers. This created potential business for companies aim to protect reputations. As discussed on National Public Radio everyone can have a person PR staff working for them.

Having a reputation online I think is harder to valudate and proctect because there are no history, non verbal cues and body language to count on. Which is why I think online dating is close to impossible. How can someone trust a profile base on just text or photo? These days any photos can easily be alter. I think there should be a dating sites where a potential mate should get other close friends and contact to build their website rather than themselves. This way a potential mate may find the profile more credible. The more people involved in the building the website the more creditble it becomes.

I question the fact how can all the profile say they are "funny, smart and intelligent" yet they are single? there must be a flaw in either their reputation or something else less to be desired. Therefore, it is always a good idea to google someone before getting too involved. However, as more companies establish their business to protect their online reputation (NPR) googleling someone may not work as effective as it use to be.

An E- Trail

One of the great point made in the reading is how blogging allows for a electronic trail. This aspect of the technology is a reason that can benefit businesses exectives. Especially when the media portray the interview in a fashion far from truth.

Another source of electronic trail is through blogging. It is the ultimate form of keeping thoughts and ideas because it can never be destroy. Once a blog is publish everyone who has internet can have a copy of what has been typed. It is especially true when the blog is read by a large network.

Consumer Power

The reading from Cluetrain Manifesto, Chapter 4, "Markets are Conversation" brought up a very interesteting point about how markets are essentially a conversation between buyers and seller. I do not agree with the author regarding how consumers need to buy more and not just consumer more but more of the same things. More of the same things so that a "one size fit all" model can be used by manufacture to save money and in turns create more profit.

Americans are more in debt today then they were in the past. Driven by credit cards company to qualify people for credit cards and charging phenominal interest rates. Our society is already driven by consumers. We consume the most natural gas and create the most waste out of all develped nation.

The internet allows consumers to chose from a vast amount of goods and products. It also benefit sellers and company from maintaining a store front and start up cost. Through sites such as Ebay and Amazon, consumers have the power to select among a global market. Things do not need to be stream line and often cannot due to the prefereneces among culture.

Internet all around

As I sat in an auditorium listening to Vint Cerf, the "father" of the internet (who now works as an evangelist at Google) speak about the internet I found his note on the globalization of internet interesting. He spoke about how a few years ago over 50% of the internet is in English. As technology advances this statistic is shifting toward the Asian market, now being 56% in languages other than English. He pointed out the fact that this is because of the cell phone, many of which have internet capabilities.

The cell phone is a device that merges the virtual world with reality. It allows for virtual network to communicate in reality through instant messaging. Many messenger devices now enable users to input their mobile numbers to enable them to receive text messages from the virtual network. Similar to what Robert Rheingold (57) said in his book regarding the merge that has happened between the communication nodes.

One of the indicator of advancement in a country is by the amount of land telephone lines, hence many third world have more cell phone users than land phone users. Therefore, I think logically anyone with a cell phone can be connected despite being oceans apart. In the future I believe that the 6th degree of separation will be more true. As the internet integrate into our lives with just not our phones but also in our appliances, cars ect.

Shortcuts

In the reading Robert Cross mention how a member from one network living in one part of the country can be friends with another group from another network much father away, the connection can be classified as shortcuts. I can apply this concept to may life because I am from Minnesota but I attend school in Washington DC. The networks and connection I make from college are mostly from the east coast and yet I still have old friends from high school.

Last night I went to a party hosted by a friend of mine who is from St. Croix, US Virgin Island. through out the night I met her friends who are all from a different part of the work. As I sit and watch I thought of how all the connections were being made and the merges of network from all over the world. I realize how internationally diverst Washington DC is which is the number one reason I moved here in the first place.

Social Ca

I find the reading very informative. I did not know that social networking has such a mathematical history. For example the nodes of connection is sqare in addition to the many laws laid out by early networking pioneer. The titled for difference individual in a network is different, some of the description I read I can identify with people in my network. For example, "boundery spanners" one of my best friend would fit into the description seamlessly because she attend a different college and I have met many different people through her.

Welcome

I am a senior attending a university in Washington DC. I am a finance major and biochemistry minor. This blog is for my ITEC 333 social networking class. I agree to uphold academic integrity.