The Future of this Blog....To Be Decided

So the semester is almost done. I'm greatly anticipating the winter break, as its already starting to snow, and I just booked my trip to Vegas.

But as this class - Social Networking and Business - comes to a close, I'm trying to decide what to do with this blog. I've been thinking about all the different facets of my life, trying to decide on a blogging topic.

My Major and Future Career: Accounting
In a recent assignment, we had the task of studying the blogging styles of some "famed" bloggers. I was drawn the blog "The Evil HR Lady." This got me thinking, you can really blog about anything and make it interesting. Which also got me thinking -- I'm starting my career as an Accountant, as an intern this upcoming semester, and then I've accepted a full-time job offer for September 2008, why not do an Accounting blog.

Doing a quick Google Search, I found a notable few, but the one that stuck out was "The Anonymous Accountant"

My Sorority
Growing up in State College, right where Penn State is, I myself had this stereotype of Greek Life. I honestly joined my sorority at AU on a whim. And now I myself find myself fighting against this "sorority girl" stereotype. But with that said, my sorority has been such a valuable part of my collegiate experience. And oddly enough, the recruitment process is very similar to the recruitment process for Public Accountants.

Life In General
Maybe this might be a good place to just track the random things that happen in life.

For example, I was walking home last night after a tiring night of waitressing and saw a raccoon on the sidewalk, and a biker speeding right towards it. I guess the biker figured the raccoon would stay put, allowing him to maneuver around the rodent. The raccoon pulled a fast one, and the biker hit it head on, doing a 360 in the air as the raccoon shuffled back into the woods. I rushed to the biker to see if he was OK - its not everyday you run into a raccoon. He was OK, and he was British. And he stopped to chat for a few minutes about the obscurity of the event. (oo la la). Sooo random. hahahah.

Anyway, I guess I'll be floating these ideas in my mind for a while.

Best of luck with finals, and all future endeavors.

Excuse the Pessimism

This post is going to be such a Debbie Downer...but reading Fatdoor Blog's , I can't help but comment on this hope that social networking will have the following applications:

"- Neighborhood social networking. While sitting at home using my PC or driving around my neighborhood with my cell phone, I can identify and connect with people on my street who share common interests. Neighbors I may not know have a choice to make their profile available to me and others in our immediate neighborhood. If an elderly neighbor needs help moving furniture, I can find out about it on our neighborhood social network and volunteer to lend a hand.

- Educational social networking. Students, teachers and the community at large participate in school-based systems that match school assignments, activities or needs with individuals inside and outside the school who can help.

- Social services networking. Using a cheap wireless device, an abused spouse or a person recently released from prison can be linked immediately to a variety of services in their area, including temporary housing, counseling and employment support. Before they even show up at a social service agency, they could access information about the best person to talk to (based on reviews from other clients) and know what services are available in real time without having to wait or be told to go somewhere else.

- Street-smart social networking. Rather than handing over a quarter, a passerby can assist a homeless person using a one-click system that identifies local services or electronically transfers money to an account at a local grocery store or restaurant."

Maybe in an ideal world. But it seems so often that people are unwilling to help out a stranger, let alone a stranger you encountered online. To join a Facebook group and maybe donate a quarter is just a bit different. Maybe I'm just a bit pessimistic today, but I think people would much rather throw money at a cause than give up time, get up and do something, especially for a stranger, in a "Pay in Forward" kind of way.

But on the large-scale, I think social networking has the capability to unite do-gooders, and communities. But to expect someone to notice that your neighbor 2 floors down is moving out, and then proceed to actually help that neighbor, who is a virtual stranger - is kind of odd to me. I think people just have apprehensions, and different comfort levels with that. But to join a cause, and table on the quad to raise awareness about the genocide in Sudan...that seems more understandable.

I think the most revolutionary thing about all these social networking sites is the potential for change in general. The wealth of information. Tapping into the brains of everyone from Joe Smoe to CEOs. Quickly exchanging thoughts and ideas through IM, etc. Maintaining old contacts and making new. By expanding networks in general, we have strength in numbers, and the potential to change.

User Generated Content and Business

I really found the post "User Generated Content & Search" from Bruce Clay Inc. quite interesting. The post really encourages businesses to take advantage of user-generated content (UGC), and raises some really key points about consumers.

I myself am a big fan of review sites. This is really semi-connected - but I've moved into a new apartment fairly recently, and am very into decorating. So I was looking for a new comforter and some other appliances. Anyway, I noticed that stores like Target and Wal-mart, allowed customers to write reviews following the product description. What an odd concept, huh?

I'm thinking, why would a company allow negative comments if they're trying to sell a product. But I think this post - "User Generated Content & Search" - made some excellent points. If customers know what they're getting, returns decrease. Reviews actually increase sales. That makes sense, at least with online purchases. I'm often apprehensive to buy things online. Things always look so different than the picture. And the descriptions can be misleading at times.

Also, I tend to base my purchases more off of the opinions of my friends, family, and generally anyone but the salesmen. I guess its just hard to take some sales people sincerely because they just want you to buy. I dunno, maybe that's just me.

Kudos to businesses embracing UGC!

Information Overload and a PR nightmare

The 2008 campaign in definitely revolutionary due to the use of Web 2.0 applications such as blogs, Facebook pages and YouTube.

Let's take a look at a few of the contenders:

Hillary Clinton:




Barrack Obama


Rudy

John Edwards



YouTube alone is being utilized to help political campaigns, and also to of course mock the candidates because thats just fun!

In all seriousness, I think politicians are beginning to realize the strength of the Web 2.0. Social networking sites alone have the power to put numbers behind a cause. Whether it be to Save Darfur, http://www.abcnews.go.com/WN/PersonOfWeek/Story?id=3260220&page=1, or run for President. Look at Steven Colbert! His "fake" campaign that lasted a hot second was able to unite 1,000,000 Facebook users!

The Web facilitates the transfer of knowledge, and unites people, often for good causes. Blogs allow you to post your opinions, let your voice be heard. BUT, are we in information overload? I think Gerry McGovern, web content expert, makes some excellent points about some of the downsides of technology. There is an abundance of easily accessible information out there. It seems that the PR heads of these campaigns have a harder than time than ever. Every time a YouTube video surfaces, there has to be some damage control. But many of the candidates are using YouTube and blogs to get their voice heard, and campaign.

However, candidates and politicians fail to really utilize Web 2.0 when in office. There seems to be a lack of a happy medium. On one hand, as the McGovern interview points out, you have "Daniel Rosen, a candidate for Nevada's Second Congressional district, who promises to make decisions based on a Web site where constituents tell him how to vote." If politicians expect democracy to do all the work for them, why do we even elect representatives? On the other hand, as representatives, don't these people have a responsibility to the US citizens they represent, and the choices they make that impact the population?

At least businesses are starting to pick up on the effectiveness and the importance of the blog, to address the needs and concerns of the stakeholders. Businesses are recognizing that with the growth of Web 2.0, its no longer a one way street. There's less control. Though politicians are utilizing 2.0 applications to by pass the media in their campaigns, in hopes of getting elected. Though this is written in 2004, Mark Glaser explains why Senators are so slow to blog. It doesn't seem like much has really changed. If you want to raise an issue to your Senator - you write a letter, you call in the media. You yourself can blog, and if you have a popular blog, your blog can reach the media. But otherwise, you local representative or Senator probably will not be responding.

Of course it would be great for politicians to personally blog, not just people from their campaign. IT would be great if they responded to comments, and maybe used the Web 2.0 much like many companies have done. And think of themselves as service providers aiming to please their customers - the tax payers.

But on the other side, McGovern raises another excellent point, It's easy to get carried away with this Wired magazine view of "All You Need is Web 2.0," but in some ways the very technology that is meant to solve problems merely makes people more emotional—not more reasonable. We ultimately do a disservice to society by creating this euphoria about what technology can really deliver." Which I think is so true. I think we live in an age where we are overloaded with information. Web 2.0 creates even more information with user generated content. Abundance of accessible information is not the panacea. We are humans, we can only intake so much. But I do believe Web 2.0 opens a lot of doors for communication and understanding, especially in the political arena.

The Referral Controversy

The whole controversy regarding the referral system really intrigued me. In high school I had this naivety that in America you can make your own destiny. You can choose your own path and grow up to be whatever you want to be. And in school, I think you're taught that if you work hard, academically, these dreams will come true. But really - this is not the case. Referrals, "business casual" when you know the mean "suit", and your "30 second elevator speech" are all part of the game. They get you in the door, but they don't necessarily land you the job.

A personal example is that two summers ago, my uncle got me an internship with NASD. I interviewed for a few positions that I was really not qualified for, and then ultimately got an internship I was qualified for. So I mean if you don't have the skill sets once you get your foot in the door, having that connection can only do so much.

From a HR perspective, referrals make recruiting easier and I think it helps maintain corporate culture. How great would it be to work with your friend, neighbor, or something you think highly of? An article from Inc.com raises some great points about sites like Monster.com, "Today, recruiters' chief complaint is about the volume of unqualified candidates they receive from their postings. Millions of people use job boards and many apply to dozens or even hundreds of jobs per day. The result can be overwhelming, making it more difficult than ever to find the qualified candidates among the flood of thoughtless applications."

So maybe its not fair. Maybe this isn't really the land of opportunity if your destiny is perhaps out of your control, your career limited by who you know. But that's life. The best we can do is take courses like this and work not only on the academics and the resume, but also our networking and people skills.

Making Connections

With more people spending more and more time online, both at home and work, there seems to be numerous benefits social networking sites like LinkedIn. These kind of sites seem like Facebook but for strictly business purposes. So, instead of exchanging business cards, professionals can now search each others profiles. This seems like a networking dream, to have access to current information (e-mail)of those in your professional network, and beyond. I think this can also help strengthen weak connections. For example, some of the companies I've interviewed with send me short bios and pictures of my interviewers. But with these websites, I can just look them up and put a face to the name. Another major pro is that this helps divide personal and professional connections. A major problem with Facebook is that the profile you want your friends to see, you may not want your employer to see. LinkedIn has all the networking perks of Facebook, with more of a business focus.

But in reality - how strong are these connections? How comfortable would you be to refer someone you met in LinkedIn? Or how willing would you be to allow someone access to your personal network? And often, our personal and professional networks are blurred. Another problem with these sites is low traffic. People just don't seem to be using them on a daily basis like Facebook.

I'm curious of everyone's thoughts - would you create one of these profiles? Would you use it?

Tools for Virtual Teams

As a business student at Kogod, I've had a team project/presentation/paper in literally all my courses, except one. Last semester was absolute hell because I was taking five business courses. Every one had a team project. There are numerous challenges with teamwork in general. Everyone has conflicting schedules, so face time is hard to do. Also, face time can be extremely unproductive. People show up late, without having read the assignment, and it's easy to get off task. Also, so often we're thrown together, with no previous relationship to each other, so there's no real time to "feel" out your group and establish norms. The focus is "let's just get it done."

But with that said, from my experiences, I've gathered some useful tools/tips for handling team project, especially when there are time conflicts. One, I think it helps a lot to know your teammates before you work on a major project together. Technology has made this easy with Facebook and AIM. In one group, we even went out for lunch. I mean this is rare, but it helps establish trust within the group, and gauge everyone's expertise.

The other thing I live by now is GoogleDocs. No longer do you need to do that annoying "I'll send you my part." This is so helpful with group papers because you can build off of what has already been said. I work for the Office of Business Communications here at Kogod. Our website has some pretty good tips from team projects in general http://kogod.american.edu/ArtPage.cfm?ItemID=956&AudienceID=16

So to carry these team-building tools to virtual teams, technology definitely has facilitated communication and reduced costs of flying people in, but I think it has limitations. You lose the non-verbal interactions, and the personal connection when you talk to someone face to face. I think these often make and break the team. So where do corporations draw the line and decide when teams need to meet face to face, and when they can they rely solely on virtual tools?

Google Me

I'm so sorry this blog is late. I've been trying to keep all my balls in the air, and lately that has been increasingly hard to do with all these job interviews. But ironically, this ties into this weeks topic, which touches on reputation -- both my own and the firms that I've been interviewing with.

Brushing up your resume, dressing the part, and trying to sell yourself at all these job fairs are all part of creating your personal brand. It's about translating your reputation in the class room, in your previous jobs, and in your activities. All of these you have relative control over. What's scary about your online reputation is that there seems to be less control, despite how limited your Facebook profile is. Pictures your friends post from that "wild" party can turn up. My friend interned at a law firm where part of her job was to search AU applicants on Facebook. I'm definitely trying to be more aware of what information I put on the Web. And, what information is put up about me.

Also, I can definitely tell that firms "Google" me, because they always ask about these two things - "The Office of Business Communications," and my scholarship through the "Former Agents of the FBI Foundation." The Former Agents of the FBI always draws intrigue - "Wait, you were in the FBI?" "No, my grandfather was...."

Anyway, on the other side. It's been difficult to find out the employer's reputation. Yea, they all have websites, but they all basically say the same thing. I've found it extremely odd how in interviews some will bash the reputation of other firms.

So, I would say that now - more than ever - its difficult to manage your reputation. At least on your own. And I guess this is where companies like ReputationDefender.com come in.

Who do you believe?

So for my Capstone class, we had to pick a company and identify a strategic problem. Since we couldn't do Apple, our group decided to do one of their competitors - Meizu.

Meizu, is the Apple clone of China. Since this is a relatively new company, and well, from China, there was very little information given by the company about the release of their iPhone look-a-like -- the miniOne. But there was an abundance of blogs speculating on everything from launch date to product features. Though these blogs were very helpful finding the general consensus on this product (the blogging community seems to embrace the iPhone rip off), I found it hard to decide what was credible. With the launch date for example, I ended up citing information I found in a news article rather than the dates listed in these blogs.

This ties in this Scoble and Israel's chapter on "Direct Acccess." Blogs are valuable tool for companies, especially executives, to create a direct line of communication. Eliminate the third party to protect accuracy. I wish Meizu had a corporate blog...maybe they do but it's not translated. Anyway, I just wanted to add that yea, the news messes up. But I think if you were to poll the general public, people would say that major newspapers, news channels, and radio shows are more credible and accurate than something found on a blog. There's still a lack of trust involving the Internet. Also, I think people don't know necessarily where to find these blogs either. TV, papers, and radio require very little from the audience but to watch, read, or listen. Blogs on the other hand, I think there is more of a search.

Though an official corporate blog is of course going to be credible, what does a company do about all the unofficial blogs? What about the wealth of inaccuracies, misrepresentation, and biases on the Web?

The Virtual Consumer

So apparently I’ve been living under a rock. I’ve never heard of Second Life (SL), the virtual reality game where you can live a second life in a virtual world. To be completely honest, I think that real life is hard enough - paying real bills, finding time to interact with real people, and working numerous real-life jobs. But with all that said, I think, if anything, this is such a fascinating marketing tool.

Of course marketing has used all the tradition media outlets – newspaper, radio, magazines and TV. But with Americans, particularly teenagers, spending hours on end in front of their computer, and with the popularity of Tivo, corporations need to find another way in. This accounts for the spark in internet advertising. This is why Facebook is getting offers for some $900 million. There is huge advertising potential. So I’m really not surprised that corporations have used Second Life as a marketing tool, creating virtual stores that sell virtual products for Liden dollars.

This article does a good job of explain the corporate presence in Second Life:

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/secondlife/index_01.htm

Though I can see this marketing application, I’m not sure if I can see how effective this is as an e-learning tool for the arts, social sciences, law, psychology, archeology, or even as a training tool for corporate culture. This Second Life seems more like an entertainment thing for bored kids and adults that are spending all there time online. It reminds me a lot of the Sims, which can be so fun, but time consuming to play. How people act in a virtual world and in real life are entirely different. Second Life and the anonymity of the Internet give users the option to take on a second persona, and do things they typically wouldn’t do. So to rely on this virtual world as a research or training tool, I question how effective this is.

I’ve never played Second Life, so I’m really curious to hear if anyone has a personal experience. What role do these corporations play in SL?

Bloggers: A Force to be Reckoned With

So during my last post, I toyed with some of the challenges of having a corporate blog.

In the BusinessWeek article “Blogs will Change your Business,” it mentions how this blogosphere is basically turning traditional media on its head, which is really crazy to think about. Think about it. Anytime you wanted to have your voice heard, you had to call the news channels or your local newspaper. With the growth of the blogging world, there are millions of “news” channels. As I’ve learned, it takes two minutes to open up a BlogSpot account. With some strategy, you can make your blog more viewable by linking to other blogs, and using Technorati. Consumers now have more power than ever to make their voice heard. Likewise, companies have less control over what’s being said about them, publicly.

Business Week says it best: “How does business change when everyone is a potential publisher? A vast new stretch of the information world opens up”

I guess it’s a “if you can’t beat them, join them,” kind of thing. Ignoring the blogosphere will only do you harm. You want to know whats being said about your company. Though so many companies have caught on to the blogging trend, I think they ignore the biggest opportunity of having a blog - to facilitate communication with their customers. Companies need to use these blogs not just to inform customers on new products or up and coming events, but to address the concerns and needs of their customers. It can’t just be a one way street.

Check It Out

I've been commenting on the following blogs relating to Social Networking...

Tim's Blog

Seppo Joe

Failure At Its Best

Making Sense of Corporate Blogs

To be completely honest, I first had difficulty seeing how social networking and blogging went together. Especially, having an employee blog about the good, the bad, and the ugly seems like airing out your dirty laundry, not to mention a legal headache. I couldn't quite see the positive applications in the business world. But, a few pages into "Naked Conversations," the connection has become much clearer. Blogging is essentially a forum for discussion, innovation, communication, etc. Its a way to get people talking about your company and your product.

Blogging is also a way to put a face or a human voice to a corporation. Tying things back to my last post, nearly everyone has had a horrible customer service experience. Having a representative from the company to post honestly about their products and services perhaps is the answer to our prayers. But, such honesty seems to be extremely rare in corporations.

Reading "Naked Conversations," I was shocked at their suggestion to even link to your competitors. This seems like suicide. But on the flip side, blogging honestly and sincerely builds trust, understanding, communication and relationships with your customers. Perhaps humanizing the big, bad corporation is really what's important. Corporations make mistakes all the time, but are never quick to apologize or explain.

With all that said though, there still seems to be a very fine line with what a company blogger can say legally, and what's really appropriate to post. Perhaps this is why there's been such hesitation for companies to enter the blogosphere.

Customer Service could benefit from Social Networking

I've had so many frustrating experiences with companies such as Comcast to Verizon, even the American University administration. Reading the "Practical Guide to Social Neworks," I couldn't help but think of how all these places would benefit from a nice look at their social networks.

There have been so many times that I've called a Call Center and the person on the phone is absolutely no help. Most of the time they don't have the authority or the knowledge to remidy my problem. Or, the person only has a script of technical solutions. My favorite from Comcast: "Did you try turning off the cable box and turning it back on." A lot of these service companies tend to have a very routine response.

It seems that a lot of these service companies would benefit from expanding their network, and having more connectors. For example, Comcast's Customer Service could have more of a connection to the technicians.

Cons of Networking

I found the New Yorker article, "Six Degress of Lois Weisberg", extremely interesting, and so true. Its unreal to think just how essential these connectors, like Lois Weisberg, are in life itself, but also to make a business successful and productive. The article mentioned a study that found that people are likely to be friends with someone that partake in similar activities. People are more likely to be friends if they are in close proximity to each other. But, with virtual networks such as Facebook and MySpace, people can connect and stay in touch with people that are from all over. Virtual tools also enable people at work to connect and collaborate with each other.

However, there must be a downside to all this networking and connectivity, especially in businesses. College students joke about how they spend hours on Facebook or AIM instead of writing their paper due the next day. There is definitely a distracting element of constantly connecting at work. No longer are workers confined to the watercooler chit-chat, or the lunch break. Today there are constant e-mails, AIM messages, and cell phones. Though these tools have the convenience of speed, they can definately be distracting.

Managers that are constantly networking tend to get promoted quicker, hence they tend to be more "successful." However, effective managers spend more of their time at the office doing their job, leaving little time to network. So how do you balance social networking? How much is too much?

My First Post...

I am a student at American University - a senior majoring in Accounting. This blog is part of a class - ITEC 300 Six Degrees: Social Networking & Business.

On my honor, all posts on this blog are my own.