the good, the bad and the needy.

  

      OK world, We, (my collective classmates and I, not you and I) have this week been tasked with writing our fourth and final blog for our Social Media and Society course. So far so good....

      I do not consider myself to be a good writer. Generally requiring 2 or 3 times longer than the average bear to create a somewhat compelling read. Believe me, without spell check it would be more "find-a-word" then college course work, and my grammar ain't any gooder. I would say that I am a more.... "technical" writer, not technically good mind you, rather more on the factual, instructional side of things then the storyteller, spin a good yarn type of writer. So thanks, to those of you out there, wherever your "there" is, for reading, commenting, being supportive and understanding.

      The assigned topic this time, #1 what did I find interesting regarding social media this term, #2 how do I think social media will change by the time I graduate, and #3 how do I think social media has changed the roles of students and teachers? So here we go and remember, don't feed the bears, it only slows down their progress.

OK, time to get serious........... kind of.

      Going into this course I was interested but skeptical. I was expecting to learn about what goes on behind the scenes of the major social media platforms, hopefully gaining a better understanding of how they work, the pros and cons and maybe learn something I could use to impress my kids or the cute redhead I see every morning walking her dog. I didn't get what I was expecting and I'm glad, except for that last one. In the end what I have learned is more valuable.

      We used a couple of new tools over the term such a Google Blogger and learned what a blog is and how to create one. Also acquired some experience with sites such as PBWorks and Google Drive which we used to collaborate with a group and write a wiki post in real time. Cool stuff. What I found most interesting, and this caught me by surprise, was reading and commenting on other people’s blogs and wiki posts. Perhaps on some Freudian level I am missing the contact with people I had gotten used to on my previous career path. Or maybe I just like learning and listening to what people say, either way it was fun and enlightening, reading as many wiki posts and blogs as I could fit in with all the other stuff going down.

      In the short term I'm not sure what is in store for social media. I can make some generalizations, but as far as what will be the hot platform, the next big thing, the trends going forward. Your guess is better than mine. One thing I know for sure is that social media will continue to grow, and be more and more in our faces on a daily basis. There is no escaping, it is everywhere we turn. We can bury our heads in the latest copy of Zombie Apocalypses Quarterly, but that doesn't change the fact that more and more of the "things" in our lives are becoming connected. Those connections continue to define how, (the collective WE this time), gather, access, store and work with information. Let’s not forget that, Information is power, access to information, increasingly driven by the global domination of smartphones, will hopefully be the great equalizer. And yes you can quote me on that.

      Having started full-time studies six months ago, I was not accustomed to how much of my learning would be self-directed via the in house DC Connect platform and other online portals. Being a fairly tech savvy person I caught on quickly and found it was very helpful for me. The various forms of online testing, allowed me to complete them in the quiet comfort of home. Submitting work online saves paper and ultimately, time and money. The access to course material 24/7 saved my bacon on a few occasions.

      The role of student is changing as social media, inside and outside the college framework, continues to be more encompassing every term. Most teachers have their class notes posted on DC Connect, some testing is done online, reports submitted, grades posted, etc. If I miss something important my peers will text me instantly. Do I even need to go to class anymore? The flip side is that more and more of my education is becoming self-directed, and for me that is not always a good idea. Being a lazy serial procrastinating perfectionist I do the least amount of work possible, leave everything to the last minute and then keep doing it over and over again until it is perfect. It is unbelievable the time I have wasted doing online labs over and over trying to get that last mark. Time that could have been better spent sleeping or..... no sleeping is what I would have been doing. I have come by the bags under my eyes honestly.

      So to try and make a clear point or two, students need to be tech savvy, connected consistently and for longer periods of time, able to find and filter required information from numerous learning platforms, stay organized and on top of the work load. With the expanding use of online testing and grading, the frequency of tests has increased dramatically. Personally I'm OK with that. I would rather be tested more often, in smaller chucks, however I know it doesn't work for everyone.

      As for the other half of the equation I think the Professors need to step up their game in the use of social media as well. DC Connect has the potential to be a huge hub in the flow of information between Prof. and student. Many are already doing a great job of posting, grades including class averages, assignment walk throughs, test reviews, video lectures, moderating class discussion boards and posting marks as they are earned so we can track our process. However in my six months I have also had teachers that didn't post any content until the week before the final exam. Social Media has turned us into consumers of information; we expect instant access, constant updates and need to know the score after every play. We want and need the feedback, and I would go as far as saying, it keeps us focused, on track, and actively engaged. Another nugget for your use, just make sure to spell my name right.

Peace

see you in the halls.

Social Media, College and Me: Reflections of a Forty Something

     As a mature college student, age not maturity level, I do not have the same connection to social media platforms as my scholarly peers. My usage of social media tools with respect to college life has been tied almost exclusively to actual school work as apposed to connecting socially. 

     The College's DC Connect site with all its functions has been my most used social media site for educational purposes since starting in January. Wikipedia and Google have been helpful when doing research for various course assignments. I used Google Drive and Blogger for the first time for different aspects of this course. In class we used PBworks and Todaysmeet which were also new experiences for me. The integrated College email along with external email services were used for contacting professors and classmates, for sharing works in progress and for confirming that yes the test is on Tuesday. 

      Personal and College email have been my preferred method of connecting for educational purposes. Most people now have access to their email directly from their smart phones creating almost instant contact. Email applications allow for the transfer of all types of files and content. The built in editing and formatting tools make it possible to quickly create exciting correspondence. For me, what puts email over the top as a form of communication with peers is that, almost everyone in Canada already has an email address and knows how to use it.

     There are also social media sites that I have been educated about that I will probably never use. Not out of dislike for the application, the content or the users. Strictly from my perspective of why, whats the point? I have no need or desire to tweet my comings and goings to the world. The people important to me probably already know that I'm hitting up Timmies before heading to class. Instagram, Pinterest, Keek and the hundreds of other social media sites, sorry I just don't see the value. Fluff. Entertainment. Self Promotion. It all just seems like a waste of time to me. Time that could be better spent in so many ways.

    

     PS: if you want to make someone feel special, write a letter, enclose that special photo and mail it....

           Call your Mother, she is worried about you and Facebook likes just don't cut it.

Dave Matthews Band, Toronto review

  

  I was at the rainy Dave Matthews show at the Toronto Molson Amphitheater the other night and thought I would share my review with the world.....well actually....no one....at the moment. Maybe having a more likely to be searched title will drive some traffic and make me rich beyond my wildest dreams, and believe me there are some wild dreams going on behind these bright blue eyes...ok.... they are brown and have huge dark bags...but lets not sweat the details.
  We got soaked by rain on the way into the show, and had to deal with a few sprinkles during, as our seats were in the last row under the roof. Props to the 7 - 8 thousand diehard fans not under the roof for sticking it out to the end in what turned out to be a foggy, rainy and cold night down by the lake.
  The warm up band, moe, were pretty good. It seemed like a few in the crowd knew who they were, however this was my first introduction. Now I have checked them out on line and learned they formed in Buffalo over 20 years ago and have put out a bunch of albums. Their jam band style of rock and roll fit well with what the DMB has going on.
  Overall it was a great evening that really highlighted the superb musician ship of Dave and the band. They preformed a well polished and tight set that had the crowd standing for a huge chunk of the two plus hour show. The improvisational style of their live performance, created an excitement for the audience, and I'm sure the band as well, that few acts are able to deliver live these days. However as a fan of the band for about 18 years and having 7-8 of their CDs in my collection I think I have the right to be a little critical in my review of the show as well. I also present my thoughts based on the hundreds of shows I have seen over 30 plus years....I think the sound could have been improved my moving some of the equipment hanging on either side of the stage out into the amphitheater a little further. (lots of room under the roof). Generally having the speakers spread out improves the sound quality without having to have the amps turned up to 11. My other complaint will be a touchy one for some fans to swallow as I'm sure the fanatics will say this is the bands "thing". In my defense consider this, I stood, wet and cold for the whole show, was amazed at how good the band is (see above), and I wasn't there to get drunk or high. I was there to see the DMB because I really enjoy their music. This was a great show, however it would have been fantastic if they had played more than one of there hits. No I didn't expect them to play their top 20 as I know this gets boring for the band over the years, however they certainly could have worked five or six hits into the set list. My two sidekicks for the evening each had a few songs they were dying to hear. None of us heard what we came for, and that seemed to be the consensus of the majority of people I talked to afterwards and for that reason I am giving the show one and a half thumbs up.

Social Media: Is who you know more important then what you know?

 

This weeks questions for social media class is, "To what extent is social media a help or hindrance in your personal life and professional life?"

     I consider myself to be a casual user of social media. I have had a Facebook account for about seven or eight years, not exactly sure as the time line does not go back that far. Facebook is a broad interactive platform that allows users to post information, personal messages, pictures, videos or links to on-line content and then allows your "friends" to comment on your posts. Gaming, applications and chat have been added over the years to keep people logged in and engaged as a means of generating ad revenue. Marketers continue to expand their reach by creating Facebook brand sites to connect with people that "Like" their profiles.  I also created a profile on LinkenIn about a year ago as a way of increasing my professional exposure. The theory behind LinkedIn is that by linking with people you know and people working in careers of interest, your "circle" grows. By connecting your circle with that of people you know, you have a link to everyone in their circle as well. Hopefully these connections allow user to increase their professional contacts as a way of self promotion. The social media site that I use the most is the CBC news website. Most people would not consider this to be a social media site, however I have learned over the last three weeks that the definition of social media is a lot broader then I originally believed. The CBC site contains news, weather, sports, music, games, activities for kids, documentaries, investigative reports etc, and allows people to add to the conversation or to thumb up/down previous comments. In my opinion it is these interactions that turn an information driven platform into a social media environment.

     In my personal life the positive aspects of social media out weight the negatives. Maintaining contact with distant family and friends on Facebook is easy, quick and basically free. The speed at which information can be shared with contacts around the world is mind blowing. Posting pictures and highlights of places and events that I visit is an easy way to share my interest with my friends, and viewing their posts also allows me to stay up to date with certain aspects of their lives. The CBC site is where I spend most on my time on line. I keep up to date with current news and enjoy many of the programs from radio and TV that are linked on the website. For me the biggest down side to social media is the time factor. Because of the vast amount of media content on the web it is easy to get lost in cyberspace and waste a bunch of time better spent with friends and a Frisbee at the local park.

     At this point, I do not think that social media has had any impact on my professional life. I am a private person and have always been cautious about what I post on-line. After finishing college and investing time in building my contact circles, LinkedIn should prove to be a beneficial aid for building a second career. Networking becomes more important every year as a way of gaining access to companies that are hiring and to the people making those hiring decisions. Social media allows users to leverage and influence contacts for their own gain across a much wider network then ever before. With competition from thousands of applicants for the same job, it may come down to having "Liked" the right persons Facebook status to get your resume on top of the pile. Maybe who you know, really is more important then what you know.

Hello World, welcome to my first every blog post. ;-)  As part of a course at Durham College called Social Media & Society, students are required to create a blog (nailed it) and comment on a published article about social media. This is mine.

While searching for inspiration I stumbled upon an article titled "Can social media rescue your career?"
by Melissa Neiman published Tue. May 7 2013 at Bankrate.com. I thought it would be a fitting discussion as the course focuses on how social media has, and will continue to change casual, business, and even private/personal interactions and behaviors. Also I am an unemployed college student at the moment, so maybe I can learn something to up my own game.

OK lets get to the task at hand. This is homework with a due date after all.

The premise of the article in question is that companies are increasingly turning to social media to recruit and vet potential candidates.  The article quotes Dan Schawbel, a personal branding expert and author as saying, "Increasingly companies looking for workers are investing more resources into social ads on Facebook, Google, Craigslist, Twitter and blogs." Schawbel stresses that "social media is replacing classified ads" and having an online presence is essential because, "if you aren't visible, you don't exist to the world". The author goes on to suggest classified ads should be disregarded if you are a serious job searcher. Schawbel takes that sentiment further by suggesting, "If I search for your name, or someone with expertise like yours, and you don't come up, you will lose an opportunity each time that occurs. If two candidates have the same background, but one has a popular blog, the blogger will be hired," he says.

In my previous career as a Business Manager, controlling expenses while maximizing the efficient use of resources was a daily job focus. Posting ads on sites such as Kijiji allowed me to reach a vast pool of potential candidates quickly and cost effectively, thereby reducing my initial recruitment costs. In my experience social media tools delivered many more responses in much less time then traditional means of recruitment. I also regularly turned to online searches on sites such as Google, Facebook and LinkedIn as a secondary source of information to gain further insight into applicants before making a final decision. Despite the case made,  I believe the writer has overstated the current  importance of candidates having an online presence. I have removed many candidates from the selection process do to unflattering content online, however I have not eliminated candidates do to a lack of an engaging online profile. For this reason I can not support the writer's notion that without an visible online presence, we are invisible to the world.

 While I agree that social media allows employers to reach a broader pool of applicants, quantity does not equal quality.  I would argue that the process for job seekers has gotten simpler, however the selecting of the right candidate for the job has become much more challenging for hiring managers. Just a few years ago job seekers had to buy and search a local newspaper or go to the job bank offices to identify job opportunities, individually customize and print their resume for each company, and then hand deliver or direct mail their resume to each potential employer. The time consuming nature of the process caused many uncommitted or under qualified applicants to eliminate themselves from the process. Why go through the expense, time and hassle for a job that I not willing, able or likely to secure. Today social media allows information to reach a much broader pool of people almost instantly. Combined with the technological advances making it easier to research employers,  create and electronically deliver resumes quickly around the globe for free, has eliminated the natural constraints previously in place. Job seekers can apply for hundreds of jobs across the country in just a few hours, with virtually no cost all from the comfort of their living room sofa. There are few natural deterrents preventing seekers from applying for jobs they have no or little chance of landing. The ease of the process for job seekers has caused employers to be bombarded by thousands of resumes resulting in what I would classify as nothing more then SPAM.