Everything I need to know….I learned in FIVE Weeks!
We all know that summer courses are generally more intense being that they are condensed into such a small amount of time. This course was no exception…..it seemed at some points that Michael was pulling social media platforms out of his………hat.
Until this summer, I had never explored Twitter or Delicious. I had no idea what Flickr was, and I certainly had never blogged. I was blissfully unaware that you could create a FREE blog page that included some many themes, media options, and widgets. Oh ya widget, another term I had never heard five weeks ago at this time.
I would say that the portion of this class that I enjoyed the most was interacting with my classmates. So often in these online courses it seems that students make the bare minimum contact required just to get by. This class was much more hands on and I feel like I personally know everyone. It is amazing how much you can tell about someone from their theme, writing style, and comments. There are a couple students in this class that I have actually met and taken several classes with…yet, I didn’t really feel like I knew them until this summer. It really has been a cool experience.
Overall, I really have enjoyed this course immensely. I truly do feel that being I am an IMC major, there should be more classes dedicated to social media studies. We truly are in an age where print media is on its way out and the only way to survive in the industry will be to adapt to emerging technologies.
Facebook Spam: If it looks too good to be true….
Photo: www.socialnomics.net
Social media has grown in astronomical proportions in the last decade…proportions that even Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg would’ve ever thought possible. Unfortunately, with this rapid growth has come a whole new set of security concerns on the Internet.
We all know that we need to be aware of identity theft and to only make secure transactions on the Internet…but a whole new type of threat exists disguised as something completely unrelated. We have all had them…you log on Facebook and find that you have a friend request from some young girl that you don’t know that is usually “from” some place that you’ve never been. In an effort to uncover the mystery girl’s identity you start to browse her pictures only to find there aren’t many….you look through her friends and see that you have no mutual acquaintances. And then, it happens. You start getting phone calls from your friends saying, “quit sending me all this junk about a free IPad!” or “Why did you share the Kim Kardashian sex tape with me?” Yep, you’ve been spammed.
(Example of a type of spam. Being “Tagged” in a strangers album).
According to Facebook’s Social Media Manager, Matt Hicks, they constantly have a team working to stay ahead of spammers on the site. “We take these deliberate spam attacks seriously and devote a tremendous amount of our engineering time and talent to build systems that detect suspicious activity and automatically warn people about inappropriate behavior or links.”
Using information from Facebook user reports, they know how the average person uses the site. For example, if someone sends the same message to 50 people not on his or her friend list in the span of an hour, it’s usually spam. Similarly, if 75 percent of the friend requests a person sends are ignored, it’s very likely that that person is annoying others he or she doesn’t actually know.
Sometimes the scams are easy to detect — “OMG Click here to watch this video, you can’t miss it” or something else that is baiting. Other times, however, the scams can replicate promotions or apps that really do exist such as Farmville, according to www.Mashable.com.
Here’s how it works (and believe me, it does take a genius to get these things rolling). Someone sits at home writing code that will bypass security measures that Facebook has in place. Sometimes the “promotion” will be for a Starbucks gift card or an airline ticket….once the code is in place this person sends it out to a few of their buddies also in on the operation. These people set up accounts that are bogus with all fictional information. As I previously stated, these accounts generally have pictures of young girls, with the target audience obviously being men. They will add as many friends as they can in a short amount of time and begin sending out the code before Facebook shuts down the operation. Everytime someone clicks the link…it is then sent out to their friends and so on and so forth. So, they are deliberately spamming for commercial gain….where is the profit generated you ask? The code is written such that it draws people to different promo websites which ups the traffic to the site immensely. The people that are actually writing the code make a set amount of money for every click generated. I have a few friends in the business of spam and it is lucrative but not necessarily reputable.
So how do you protect yourself from spam? Don’t click any suspicious link…you won’t get a free trip to the Bahamas if you fill out a survey….the young girl from Indiana probably isn’t adding you just because “she” wants friends…..there is no free Starbucks gift card. As with everything else in life….if it seems too good to be true…it is!
Can Britney Do It…One More Time?
The Femme Fatale tour.
Sure, we have all heard about it. One of the biggest concerts of the summer, right? Britney’s comeback, right?
I was pessimistic.
On the eve of her return to Las Vegas for a show at the MGM Grand, I decided to take a little roadtrip to Anaheim to get a preview of what Vegas was in for. As I drove I had a million thoughts going through my head. Namely, the 2007 MTV Awards where a seemingly drunk Spears tripped her way through “Gimme More.” Her story seemed to have the makings to be another Hollywood tragedy….reminiscent of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson.
Still, Spears seems to have kept her fans even through the tumultuous latter part of the decade. And why? Because she has “it”, though no one seems to really be sure what “it” is in regard to her. She’s not a great singer, although she does have a unique voice. She is no longer an incredible dancer, though she keeps up with her backup dancers. What she is, however, is an icon. She has the stage presence that can’t easily be replicated…and believe me…JIVE Records certainly tried when they had all but given up on Spears.
Upon arrival to the arena I was in awe of the variety of patrons. School girls, womanizers, and simply crazed fans of all ages and races. As my friends and I sat bored out of our mind when Nicki Manaj performed to a half empty arena…it became more clear to me. These other pop stars may be more talented…but they just don’t have the presence that Britney does on stage….they can’t hold the crowd’s attention…though like I said in the beginning of this entry, no one seems to really understand what “it” is about Spears.
(shot on IPhone4)
As the countdown began to Britney’s stage entrance the screams of the crowd were deafening. I sat anxiously thinking, “comeback?” “worth it?” “train wreck?” I had no idea what we were in for. As the stage props split to reveal Spears standing atop a staircase it was immediately clear—the Britney that these people fell in love with is back. On a tour that strictly prohibits drugs and alcohol…it was refreshing to see an in shape and coherent Britney dance, sing (with track of course), and entertain a crowd that seemed to be disappointed when they were forced to leave at the conclusion of the show.
So…VEGAS, if you have a chance to catch the Femme Fatale tour, I strongly recommend it. Whether you are a fan or not…you certainly will be in awe of the production…the “it” factor of Britney Spears.
UNLV’s own and www.breatheheavy.com webmaster, Jordan Miller, called the show “amazing” and the “best Britney has looking in years.”
For a full list of Femme Fatale tour dates and a chance at discounted tickets straight from Britney’s camp, check out www.famos.com.
Las Vegas Businesses Succomb To Economic Crisis
When thinking about what I wanted to cover in this blog post, I couldn’t help but to focus on the way the economy has affected local businesses.
I remember that when I first moved here in 2005, the Centennial Hills area was right up there with Anthem and The Lakes in terms of posh amenities and multi-million dollar homes.
Fast forward to 2011. I bought a home up here last June for 1/3 of what it sold for in 2006. It is still a beautiful location lined with palm trees and Mount Charleston in the not too far distance. However, the downfall of the economy really shows in this area of town with one look at the businesses in the area. Huge, lavish buildings sit vacant. The architecturally stimulating Echelon apartments are empty-having not had a single tenant.
As I drove around taking pictures I wanted to make sure I captured the essence of vacancy. Hence the fence being included in the foreground of the Grand Montecito office buildings, and the picture of the Courtesy Import building with not a single car in the lot.
I used two different cameras. One being my Canon SD780 IS and the other being in the Hipstomatic app on my IPhone. I like the way that the app seems to capture the mood of the surroundings.
I took over 100 pictures today but find that these were the strongest and seem to really convey what the economic downturn has done to the area.
Twitter: Journalists Are Milking You For All You’re Worth, in 140 Characters or Less.
When I first saw Twitter I thought it was the stupidest thing ever. Now, despite the length of this post, I find 140 characters plenty of space to communicate about almost anything.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Michael Kirkpatrick. When I first heard about Twitter, I found the idea to be absolutely asinine. I remember thinking that the competition from other social networking sites was too great, and that this one would surely flop. Who would ever want to read 140 characters about what other people are doing at all times? The answer is a staggering 150+ million people!!
@twitter: Now tht is crzy! Facebook watch out. #creepingup
Truth be told, Twitter isn’t stupid. It is a way to instantly send a message to people all over the world. Are you a celebrity that wants your followers to know that the “nude cell phone pics” weren’t you? Tweet it! @Blakelively: There r alternatives. #polaroid. Are you a politician who wants to communicate with throngs of women via the internet without your wife finding out? Tweet them! @AnthonyWeiner: Its called a private msg. #idiot.
In all seriousness…journalists from all over the world can use Twitter as a way to share their articles, interact with their audience, keep up to the minute with what everyone else is saying, and finally…to be available interactively at all times. It really is a beautiful thing.
There are plenty of articles like this one, The Journalists Guide to Twitter that can be very helpful for those of us that are new to the tweeting game. It includes information on the do’s and dont’s as well as access to forums such as Muck Rack that posts what journalists are tweeting in real time. Pretty impressive.
My major is IMC and with my degree I hope to work in entertainment PR. I know that I plan to use to Twitter to stay up on what my clients are doing and also to promote different projects they are working on. It really is a whole new interactive world and I can’t wait to be a part of it.
Feeling Moody? Blog Themes Reveal More than just your HTML knowledge
“Is choosing a blog theme supposed to be a tedious process?” I asked myself after browsing through all the pages of examples…twice. I think the answer to this is, YES! If you’re truly trying to choose something that appeals to you, that you can relate to, and that conveys the message you want your readers to get from you…then Yes, Yes, Yes.
Looking over the “50 Greatest WordPress Themes”, it is apparent that there is something to fit everyone’s taste.
Screenshot Captured From HERE
I think that the theme you choose for a blog says a lot about who you are. Are you a simple person or do you like complex things with lots of cool add ons? Do you like bright, cheery colors…or dark abstract layouts? I remember when Myspace first became popular and hence such did sites offering the ability to personalize your page. I always paid attention to the layouts people chose and made character judgments based on that.
I like simple, yet very artistic and moody layouts. In the article “Five Principles to Design By,” Saint Exupery said, “In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.” I feel that this theme has the perfect amount of white-space and allows me to customize my columns and images to fit my specifications.
Generally, I pick things that reflect how I am feeling at the time. I chose my theme because I feel it sets the mood for the whole blog. It has pictures depicting hearts, a letter, and an IPhone…all things I can relate back to myself. I love to write…whether it be a letter, a blog, or an assignment for school. I feel writing is the most pure form of self-expression.
I love the customizability of this theme. Thus far I have been able to share a photo, twitter feed from work, and a video from my night job. Although I understand these things are very personal, I feel that because I work in a public domain and it is available on YouTube that I might as well incorporate it into my personal blog. It was my way of creating artifacts for the user…now it’s up to them to own their experience!
Journalists: Amp up your Social Media skill-set, BLOGGERS want your Job
Don't Let Your Social Media Presence Be a Blank Canvas. Photo Courtesy of: www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net
After reading the article, “Newspaper Columnists out to be the perfect bloggers,” I have concluded that newspaper columnists should in fact be the perfect bloggers.
I believe that a vast majority of journalists in the world would say that they got into journalism as a way to share a message with their audience. Because they wanted their voice to be heard.
That being said, why wouldn’t a newspaper columnist want to expand their skillset as much as possible to reach as broad of an audience as possible? Let’s face it…newspapers have an audience. A small one. Newspaper readership is down a staggering amount while social media is on a steep incline with no end in sight. I agree with fellow blogger Howard Evans when he says that, “Journalists should learn to do more online, not necessarily write code.” No one is saying that all journalists should learn how to master the art of web design, but rather to interact with readers, post their work online, and ultimately create a following.
As a journalist I would be concerned with job security. There is certainly a younger, more tech savvy graduate student just waiting to take my job. Likely, a student that came out of a journalism school like the one UNLV offers, that took a class such as this one. In a recent Oriella survey it was found that of the 500 journalists polled worldwide, most shunned social media and blogging. The Oriella Digital Journalism study is an annual survey of journalists worldwide conducted by the Oriella PR Network.
In every profession, there will likely be a new technology that comes sweeping through at some point in your employment that will take effort on your part to learn the skills required to operate efficiently. Think about Doctors and other medical field technicians. What if they just decided that they didn’t want to learn new skills, less invasive ways to do surgery, or about new cures for ailments…JUST because they liked the old way of doing things better. I guarantee they wouldn’t retain patients for very long and certainly wouldn’t gain new ones.
By expanding your skill-set you are opening yourself up to an audience that otherwise wouldn’t get to hear all the things you have to say. All the things you are passionate about. I think that journalists need to stop and consider the scope of their potential audience before they discredit new forms of social media as lacking professionalism.
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From me to You
More Photos - Psssttt...I posted a new blog and Podcast about Facebook spam...check it out here: http://t.co/Oujp9Nq...
- Check out my latest blog post--a concert review of Britney Spears in Anaheim! http://t.co/jIrf1PH #imds11
- Driving around looking at the abandoned commercial buildings in Cenennial Hills. Sad. http://t.co/psxfsIi #imds11
- BBC Reporters To Use iPhones For Live Reports http://t.co/gb462MO Thought this would interest the class..
- Check out my new blog about the Twitter world and Journalism at http://t.co/0FTQvX5 #imds11 #journalism