reflective post

Bis 315 turned out to be a lot more different than I thought it would be. I never imagined that we would be working with the ICRH group and helping them out the way we did. Their facebook and twitter pages have really taken off!  I learned how important social media really is. As an entrepreneurship major, I now know that social media can really help get a business off of the ground. I actually plan to create a social media plan for the buisness i currently work at now. I think if done right, it will really benefit the business. I am very happy I took this course because I now have a better understanding of social media and its use to the business world.

Pod Cast

This video shows the relationship between social media and Entrepreneurship. I also discuss a social media plan that I created for the business I work at during the summer. They currently do not utilize social media so this is simply my suggestion for them.

Entrepreneurship

As an entreprenuership major I understand how important social media is to my field. Most entrepreneurs do not take advantage of the power of social media. I know that when I begin my own business I'm going to have limited cash flow. Social media is essentially free and can help with a major portion of my business; advertisement. Advertisement is so important when running your own business. Why not use a form of advertising that is free? Simply having a Facebook page that keeps people up to date on specials or new items could help bring in business. Social media is such a powerful tool when it comes to running a self owned business. 

Homelessness

It's that time of year again, the bell ringers are out at every store taking donations. Usually around this time of year ill give a dollar or two maybe once or twice. But I noticed that this year is different for me. After working with ICRH and having a better understanding of homelessness, I found myself donating a lot more. I went to four different stores over break and each one had a Salvation Army bell ringer, I put five dollars in each donation bin. I used to just donate a little money because it's the holidays and that's what your supposed to do...this time I didn't do it because I felt guilty or like I had to, I did it because I wanted to, because I know that even though it wasn't much, every little bit helps. 

Tracking my use of technology.

Tracking my use of technology was a real eye opener. I was most shocked at the amount of time I spend on social media. I check Facebook and Twitter periodically through out the day, but to realize I spend 2 hours out of my day doing that was a shock. That's 2 hours I could be spending doing hw or something else productive. I also text a lot. I like to keep in touch with my family when I'm away at school, so texting is my way of doing that.  I spend about an hour for one conversation in texting, where as the same conversation could happen over the phone and take about 10 minutes. After tracking this stuff I'd made me realize that I need to spend less time on these things. I am going to start putting my phone on silent all day and keeping it out of sight so I'm not tempted to look at it. This way I can get all my hw and studying done with no interruptions. 

ICRH community meeting

On Thursday night I attended the ICRH community meeting. The meeting had a better turn out than expected. A lot of people showed up to the meeting. The meeting was to inform members of the community of what ICRH intends to do. During the meeting there was a moment when everyone was asked to take out their smart phone, and go like the Facebook page. It was really cool to see the amount of likes rising in real time. It shows just how important social media is to this project. Over all I think the meeting went well and informed the community of the importance of ICRH. 

24 hours of no Technology.

On friday morning I began my 24 hours without technology. I allowed myself to use my computer for homework purposes, but aside from that I did not use my cell phone or any form of social media. I knew it was going to be difficult to not look at my phone. I turned my phone on silent and put it in my desk drawer so it was out of sight. A few times I was tempted to look at it but eventually it was like I didnt even have a phone. I noticed that I got a lot more done that day. I completed a lot of homework and studied for tests. I found it to be really nice not having my phone attached to my hip like I usually do. 

Turkle Interview

Aftere watching this interview it really made me realize how disconnected we have become from our "real" lives. We are so quick to keep up with whats going on in our technological world. it is really kind of sad that people feel better connected to someone in an online type of relationship, and are more willing to keep that relationship up compared to someone sitting right next to them. Over the weekend I went out to eat with my sister and one of our friends. Almost immediately they both had their phones out, constantly looking at them. I sat there in awe...I was right infront of them and yet, it was almost like i wasnt even there. We probably would have had a more in depth conversation if we had all just been texting each other while sitting there. After this dinner I decided that when I go out with friends or family, I am not going to take my phone out. I would much rather have a real conversation than a short almost meaningless one over texts.

chp 4 of who owns the future.

So far, who owns the future by Jared lanier has been rather confusing. I feel as if he just rambles on about anything and everything. He throws out these outragous ideas and I just find it really hard to follow. In chapter 4 he discusses finances. One thing he says that did stick out to me was " if technology is getting so good and if there is so much wealth, why should there still be poor people at all?" this stuck out because I do not quite understand what hes trying to say. I dont get why he thinks that having all this advanced technology and wealth should mean that there are no poor people. unless you create the technology yourself...your not going to gain wealth from it.

reflection on ICRH

Working with the Isabella County Restoration House has been a real eye opener. Walking on campus I have seen my fair share of homeless people but It never really hit me that it was a problem. After working with ICRH and learning some of the statistics, I know understand how big of a problem it really is. With the winter months ariving, I cannot help but think about those who will have to sleep outside in the cold. There isn't a place for them to go. ICRH is trying their hardest to fix this problem, they are starting out by doing a rotating shelter. This will help, but it isnt a permanant solution. I hope that eventually they will be able to create a permanant shelter for these people in need. Everyone in Isabella needs to realize that this is a problem, a problem that can be solved if ICRH's plan can go into action.

Future of identity/ Future of states

In The New Digital Age, chapters two and three talk about the future...the future of our identities and the future of our states. The first paragraph in chapter two says that in about a decade, the worlds virtual population will outnumber the population on earth. Every person in the world will be represented in multiple ways on the internet. This can be good because it will create  vibrant and interactive communities with interlocking interests that can enrich our world. It can also hurt it though.....it will strip the worlds citizens of their privacy. If you ask me, I'd rather keep my personal info private than have it all spread out for the world to see. In chapter 3 it discussed the future of our states. Each state will be affected differently by the amount of people in the virtual population. As more and more people are added into the virtual population, each state loses a little more control. Some states will greatly benefit from this, coming out stronger. Others will flounder and not adapt to the technological changes. Boundaries will be tested as more people find the way into the virtual population and it's up to each state to adapt to it. 

The power in digital technology

In chapter two of Who Owns The Future it discusses the power digital technology has and also the power it takes away from us humans. Digital technology has changed they way in which power (such as money or political office) is gained, lost, distributed, or defended among humans. Digital technology has taken away a lot of power from humans and is said to have caused more harm than it has helped. Technology takes away jobs usually done by humans. With technology humans are somewhat useless when it comes to certain jobs. To me it's a terrible thing that so many people lose their jobs because of a machine. technology has taken over and the power humans have over certain things is dwindling down..

My organization

The organization I am currently working with for our client project ICRH, will greatly benefit from social media. I think once we give them a run through on the use of social media in our presentation, they will understand just how crucial social media is for them. Social media is going to help spread the word about homelessness in Isabella county. Right now ICRH doesn't use any form of social media. I think a Facebook page will help out tremendously, it would help them connect with people who want to help, people who are homeless and need help, and potential investors. Social media is the easiest and fastest way to reach your target audience, and I think ICRH will really benefit if they learn how to utilize it.

Social media environment

I think that when it comes to education in my field of study, entrepreneurship, there's a lot that can be done. I think that it is very crucial for entrepreneurs to be educated about social media. Social media is a way to connect and advertise your business. It Is very important to know how to use these social media sites. Facebook is a great way to connect with customers or people interested in investing in your potential business. It allows you to keep them updated on whatever is going on at your business or somewhere they can easily ask questions. It's also a great way to advertise. Twitter is a great way to talk about events you might be having. Social media is the new way of staying connected to your customers and it's important that entrepreneurs now how to utilize it. 

Rewards

In chp 10 of the social organization it talks about rewarding a collaborative community when they have achieved something. I think rewards are a great idea to get a group to perform well together. Knowing that you'll receive something for the work your doing , if done well, fires a person up, they want to go above and beyond to achieve the prize. In a group setting I think it might have to be gone about differently. If the group as a whole gets a reward not everyone in the group will put in the same effort, I think for it to work for everyone to contribute 100% there has to be a reward for each single person. I however do think its a little sad that nowadays you have to basically bribe people into doing their job. Rewards should be given when someone does something outstanding on their own, not being bribed into a job well done. 

Time to adjust

Often times businesses fail because of change and their unwillingness to adapt. in chp 9 of the social organization it talks about businesses making adjustments to changes. From my own personal experience I know it's hard to adjust to changes. People get comfortable doing what works for them and don't try to take any risks or change up the way they do things. Most businesses are this way too. They have a way they do things and don't change even if it's needed and often times this causes them to fail. They believe if they way the started things is working why change it ? A small business I work for only accepts cash, this causes a lot go aggravated customers who only carry a card around with them. In today's worled most people don't even keep cash on them anymore, instead of adapting to this the business chose to stay with what they know, cash only. the business is still successful but if they adjusted to this change the amount of people walking out the door unsatisfied with the business would be a lot less. 

Getting results

In chapter 8 of the social organization it discusses getting results. It says that all too often everyone just focuses on the means of getting results, instead of just focusing on results. This can be detrimental I'm mass collaboration. In mass collaboration it is hard to follow a strict set of rules or a plan for results..in a community setting it comes about in its own time. If a manager of community took control and made a set plan for getting results, it would disrupt the community. A community needs to work it out on its own and in its own. I think this relates a lot to a classroom setting when it comes to group projects. As a group we need the freedom to think and make decisions on our own. If a teacher told us everything we had to do and how to do it...there really would be no need for group collaboration and would defeat the purpose of being in a group in the first place. I think a little bit of guidelines is okay, but the big decisions need to be left up to the group. 

Structure

In chapter 7 of the social organization talks about structure in social media. Structure is a hard thing to figure out when it comes to social media. Not enough structure and people really won't know where to begin or what to do. Too much and people will feel like they don't have the freedom to think freely and incorporate their own ideas. not only is structure hard to figure out in social media, I think it is hard in almost anything, especially in classrooms. When students aren't given a structure for a certain project or assignment it's hard to figure out how to go about doing it..but when given to much it doesn't allow the students to be creative. I think for structure in social media, there needs to be a few guidelines so people have a general idea of what to do, but then they should be allowed to fly with it and add their own ideas. 

Value of our information

In chapter 2 of who owns the future it discusses that our information is of great value. It goes into say that everyone should be compensated for the information. I think it would be truley amazing if everything that I put out on the internet that was used would be worth actuall money. If I could get paid just for posting some type of information on the internet I would probably be on the internet all the time p. It is an excellent idea, but I feel that if it was truley a possibility it probably would have already been done by now. I think there are just way too many people and too much info out there to give pay to every single person that's posted something online that's been used for something else..while it's a great idea, I just don't see it ever happening. but who knows maybe in the future it will be possible and we will all start getting paid for the information we put out there..

Too much too soon

In chapter six of the social organization it discusses how someone's a new business can be overwhelming to consumers. It uses the example of a religious based site that wanted to provide many different services. The site had  multiple services and wanted to make them all available as soon as possible. The book however claims that doing it all at once isn't such a good idea, you don't want to overwhelm your customers. It suggests starting out with just a few, and slowly adding more in as time goes on. I agree with this, i think it's best to put your best features out there first, then every so often add another feature. I know from my own experience that if something seems to be too much all at once I tend to stray awayz from it. 

Social organization

In chapters 3 and 4 in Social Organization it discusses how sometimes social media isn't always as effective as we think. The author discusses that in the work place, when someone uses social media its generally on their own terms. They blog or tweet or write on their wall when they please. It's very difficult to get everyone together to regularly use social media. The company can have a Facebook or twitter, but employees won't use it unless its implemented by the head of the company. I find that for myself, I use my social media sites at my own leisure, unless im being graded on how I use it, I won't make use of them too often. In this class for example we have this blog, if I wasn't given a schedule to follow and was not being graded, I don't think I would use it too often. I think if businesses want their employees to make the most of their social media sites then the CEOs need to take action and actually enforce it.

ICRH

I would like to take a minute to blog about the client project that  I will be working on. I will be working with the Isabella County Restoration House. They are working towards creating a homeless shelter for Isabella County. Most people do not realize the amount of people that are homeless in this area. As a student, I see mulitple people on campus that are homeless. they walk around picking through the trash looking for food or cans or anything they can find that may get them some money. These people have nowhere to go. If they had a shelter they wouldnt have to pick through the trash, they wouldnt have to sleep outside everynight, and it might help them get back on their feet. I am really looking forward to helping out ICRH in any way that I possibly can.

one problem leads to another.

Jared Lanier author of Who Owns the Future wants the answer to that question. He discusses many ways in which technology is a not so great thing. One thing Lanier says that I found to be very true was "Solving one problem creates new ones." I feel like that is a very relevant thing, it always seems that when they come up with new technology, theres an issue with it. They then fix the problem...but then a new problem always seems to arise. there is always some type of glitch, for example the Iphone 4 had a known problem for the home button not working after awhile, the problem was resolved with the 4S but then the 4S had a list of issues as well. So like lanier said, Solving one problem creates a new one. I think that in order to solve the one problem, you have look at it all as a whole. If you re-create the entire phone instead of just fixing small things in it, it may have a better outcome.

My orgnization

The organization I chose to follow for this class is Gibbs Sweet Station. I have worked for this shop for 3 years. I felt this would be a good choice for me because I work there and also because I am an entrepreneurship major and it's a small business. The woman who owns and operates the business has done it all on her own for 30 years. Being apart of the business, I know that social media isn't really used at all. There is no official website, Facebook page, or twitter, at least not ran buy anyone working their. There is a Facebook page but it was made by a customer and she rarely updates it. One major problem is that the owner does not own a computer or cell phone, she has no way of using social media to help promote her business. occasionally one of the employees will post something on Facebook or twitter, but its on our own personal accounts. I think having a an official Facebook page, twitter, and website could really help promote the business, especially when we hold events there. 

leiner Vs. Schmidt & Cohen

technology is an ever growing thing, there is awlays something new out there. The Iphone5 recently came out and as soon as it was released plans of the next one were already being made. Jarred Leiner, author of "You Are Not a Gadget" and talks about how technology is slowly taking over and eventually everything we do will be technology related. Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen, authors of " The New Digital Age" also discuss the unstopable growing of technology. Both books discuss the fast pase of technology but have very different view points. While leiner is more skeptical of technology, Schmidt and Cohen are all for it. When it comes to technology, I am amazed by it. There is so much that we can already do and im excited to see what else will be created. However, I somewhat agree with Leiner, technology is kind of a scary thing. I cannot imgaine waking up one day to a robot bringing me breakfast. While there are things I wouldn't mind being done for me, there are things I still want to be able to do myself.