What's the point of Twitter?

Twitter has been exploding since its introduction to the world in 2009.  I actually do have a Twitter account, but rarely used it until recently.  The main reason I created an account was simply to stay updated without having to constantly check news articles on my computer.  I could simply get tweets sent directly to my phone which essentially is laziness at its finest.  I could care less about tweeting at the time; I had Facebook for that.

Until recently I had very few tweets. and the ones I did have were usually dumb conversations between me and a friend.  At the beginning of this semester I started tweeting more frequently and started following athletes and comedians who I knew or thought were funny.  The goal was to hopefully gain a few followers who would see my posts regarding this blog and who would hopefully view and spread the word.  What I got was not what I was expecting.

Only after following maybe 20 people, my page because flooded with a bunch of "crap" that I could care less about.  Literally every tweet that appeared on my homepage were basically in this format "omg I got 1000 followers just by following (somerandomperson)."  Retweeting nonstop the same tweets promoting followers for simply following some random person.  I literally thought to myself "this is the sadest popularity contest Ive ever seen."  It got me thinking, what is Twitter actually used for?  Maybe Im not seeing the point.

The initial goal of Twitter was to be primarily a platform for microblogging.  Twitter allows users to basically do minute-by-minute updates (if they have literally no life) about what exactly they are doing at that exact same moment.  I can see the point of this, but why do it on Twitter if you have a Facebook page?

Another useful application for Twitter is simply asking questions and/or crowdsourcing.  Most people who have a fair amount of followers can ask a question and within seconds have a handful of answers.  I don't see how this would replace Google, unless your questions are opinion-based.

One of the more beneficial uses for Twitter is job searching.  Many employers have Twitter accounts and may post that they are hiring for "x" position.  Simply posting that your are searching for a job in a certain field may lead to job opportunities from potential employers.  I personally would probably not do this.  Personally I feel that fishing for jobs via Twitter is an act of desperation, or would be perceived as one by a lot of people.  Maybe that's just me.

There are numerous other reasons on how Twitter can be used.  I encourage you to read the article for more information that I did not cover in this blog post.  

The more I use Twitter, the more I keep asking myself "What am I doing on here exactly?"  Maybe I'm just completely missing the point of Twitter.

I would really appreciate some comments or personal insights from anyone reading this blog.  Iam only looking at this through my own perspective.  Perhaps some of you readers use Twitter for more practical uses.  Either way I would appreciate some insight; it may sway my perspective of Twitter.

Until next week...

Chris...

Spring break reflection from Norway

This is so not me. I continuously keep thinking that I really really don’t like the fact that I am writing a blog. And I find myself explaining and defending the whole thing all the time. What I apparently do like is the theme of the blog. I enjoy researching for it, writing it, and more importantly; I believe in the importance of the online personality. So yesterday I caught myself using one hour trying to explain and convince my mom why social media is so important, not only in the “socializing- hobby” kind of way. I found myself very convincing, and suddenly realized that despite my concerns it is probably about time that I take the next step into the social media jungle. Linkedin - here I come!

I don’t like putting myself out there. On the other hand I really see the value of networking and relationships. So to convince myself, and also because I in my first blog promised it; I started researching Linkedin, so that I know what I am getting myself into. There are however so many good information sources out there, that it would only be confusing, and probably a violence towards copy right, to rewrite exactly what is written in for example this blog created by Linkedin.

I strongly recommend reading it if you haven’t already got a linked in. And of you are linked in, this blog might even help you realize ways to use linked in that you haven’t even thought of.

-          If you’re not in the mood for reading, this video raps up some of the basics.

 

I will use this next week go get settled in on linkedin, and next Monday I’ll be ready to give you an update on my experiences, and perhaps some problems I run in to. I would love any comments with tips or recommendations, or if there is anything else I should be aware of?

 

Snakkes - Lise

 

 

Social Media Background Checks

So the other day I was sitting in my capstone class and the professor was giving the class his 2 cents on what and what not to do in job interviews, first jobs etc.  He brought up an interesting concept I have never heard of (although I shouldn't be at all surprised).  He brought up the process of social media background checks, which fits well with my previous post.

It is common knowledge that employers often look up their potential candidates on Facebook and other social media sites.  The practice of social media background checks is simply when a business hires an outside company to do extensive background checks via social media sites on their applicants.  Companies like Social Intelligence do just this.

When my professor mentioned this it actually had me concerned and after class I looked back on my Facebook posts and deleted a few that I thought could be conceived as distasteful.  It also prompted me to do a little research and find out exactly what kind of dirt these background checks can dig up on you.

These companies have complicated algorithms that collect any information, whether or not it's text, pictures or videos, on you that could be seen as "not ideal."  The scary thing is is that this process can go deeper than just your Facebook alone.  Some of these data mining algorithms go much deeper and collect information from blogs you have posted in, youtube comments you have made, forums you have posted in, etc.  Kind of makes you feel like your privacy is being broken.

I know for me this was, in a way, very eye-opening because I didn't realize businesses had these sort of resources at their disposal.  I shouldn't be surprised with social media exploding like it has been and the job market getting tougher and tougher.

All I know is I have a lot of moderating to do.  Looking back at some of my posts from even a year ago, I think to myself "What the hell was I thinking posting crap like this?"

Until next week...

Chris

Think before you put your thumb up!

I recently read a quite interesting Norwegian article about a new study that creates personality profiles based on what we like on facebook. Obviously I agree that because I like “PLU Scandinavian Club” and “all of us that don’t smoke”, people may make the assumption that I am a Scandinavian student at PLU that doesn’t smoke. What shocked me about this article was that American scientists believe that based on the combination of a person’s different facebook “likes” they can tell what kind of person you are in a much deeper sense then just music preferences and so on. If it wasn’t for the fact that they can back it up by a study surveying 58 000 Americans I would probably never have believed it.

The study shows that by creating a pattern of peoples “likes”, it’s possible to uncover information like drug abuse, political views, relationship status, religion and sexual orientation. Apparently if you like Texas, Big Momma movies, and “relationships should be between to people, not the whole universe”, it indicates that you are a drug abuser. If you on the other hand haven’t tried drugs you might like the combination of pages; swimming, ice-cream, cookie dough and “slide on the floor with your socks on”. 

To me this sound really random, but according  to the article I read, people are revealing much more personal information then they might be aware of. This is one of the theories in the study done by Cambridge University. They argue that it’s just as a reliable prediction as many of the exciting personality test’s that many of you probably have taken. Nevertheless I do believe that In this relationship area it is important to create an online network, and it might be just the right thing to for example like your future dream job’s company on facebook, or maybe your future employer might appreciate a common interest for “Nike Running”.

 The lesson might however be that you should think before you put your thumb up. It isn’t necessarily a negative thing that people learn about your personality from your facebook page. Perhaps you can use this tool to create a good reflection of your personality exactly as you want people to perceive you.

Regardless of this being the first day of finals week, I hope you all have a fabulous week - go easy on the “liking”.

 

 

Job Searching? Dont be Stupid...

This post is in regards to things you DO NOT want to to, specifically on Facebook, when you are looking for a job.  These suggestions may seem like simple common sense, but it is amazing how many people overlook these or forget about them.

Literally everything you post on Facebook can be seen by millions of people (depending on your privacy settings).  So you have to be careful about what you post when you are doing job interviews; you can be sure that your potential employees are looking you up to do some preliminary eliminations for their jobs.

The best thing you can do is go through your privacy settings and make sure only your friends can view your page.  This isn't completely foolproof, but its a start from blocking most people from viewing your profile page.

If you settings are less private however, the logic is simple.  Do not post things that could be seen as distasteful to future employers.  This goes beyond simple status updates.  People can post comments on other peoples walls, pictures, groups etc.  Make sure to watch what you write because it can probably be found if someone tries hard enough.

Another area you want to monitor is what your friends are posting on your page and/or commenting on your pictures.  If you have friends commenting about parties over the weekend or things of that nature, it makes you guilty by association (in a sense).  Similarly, make sure you are not a part of any "questionable" groups.  For example, don't openly show you're apart of the group "It's the weekend, time to get wasted."  That may not put you in a good light for a new job.

Another huge problem are pictures posted online.  You have to make sure people don't tag you in their own photos.  You don't want half of your pictures to be you tagged at parties playing beer pong.  Everyone has a good time sure, but employers don't need to see it advertised all over your profile.

Again, these are pretty simple suggestions that everyone should know by now, but it's amazing how many people don't monitor their profile, and forget how important it is, especially when looking for a job.

Online Dating and the "Catfish" Phenomenon...

Internet dating has really grown into a big business within the last decade or so.  I dont even know how many dating websites there are available out there, I just know it's more than a handful.  To some, internet dating may seem like the only way to find "your soulmate," and although it seems completely legitimate, there are some cautions.

Enter "Catfish."  "Catfish" was created as a result of a surprisingly popular documentary movie.  It documents a man named Nev Schulman, and his experience with a long distance relationship.  What he thought was the truth turned out to be nowhere near the case.  The girl he thought was someone else, turned out to be a much older woman running multiple Facebook profiles at once.  After the surprising success of the movie, Nev started receiving hundreds of emails from people who were in online relationships.  MTV picked up the tv show to tell the story of online dating through real peoples experiences.

To avoid an insanely long post I will skip to some of the harsh realities often found in online dating.  Quite frankly many people don't advertise exactly who they are online; many post pictures of unknown and/or random people that they feel people want to see and talk to.  Some people even go to the length of creating multiple fake profiles to make their main profile more convincing.

With all the skepticism that is associated with online dating, there are some steps you can take to ensure the person you are talking to is in fact who they say they are.

1.  Probably the best way to verify if someone is real is to Skype with them.  If the person conveniently doesn't have access to a computer, or something always comes up when you try to Skype, you may have a problem.

2.  Verify information.  What I mean by this is simply do some research.  If they have an employer, call the employer to see if they ever worked there.  Contact people who seem like good friends with the person to verify if their stories check out. (this may not always work if the person has multiple profiles)

3.  Do a simple Google picture search.  Google now allows people to search by pictures that are saved on their computer or through image urls from websites.  You can do a simple search and Google will pull up images with the same person in them (if any exist).  So if someone has stolen pictures from a random Facebook profile, both the real one and the fake one will show up with names (usually), and you will know that the person you're talking to might not be who they say they are.

The point is, when it comes to the internet, a lot is possible, and even more can be faked.  So when or if you're talking to someone online (that you've never met), always be weary that what you see, may not always be what you get.

I appreciate those who stuck around and read this whole spiel; sorry for the rambling.

Until next time...

Chris...

Google - who am I?

I google. A lot of people google. I google a lot of people.  A lot of people google people. Maybe I google you…. What if a lot of people google me? The information that shows up on google is increasingly turning in to the first impression on people like your future employer, a potential business client, or maybe a date… or maybe not, (I’ll definitely google my future boyfriend at some point). But any ways,  even though the reasons to why people google you might be endless, on the other hand some specific reasons are rather important, not only do you want to be correctly presented to certain people, you might also prefer that relevant and impressive information pop up on the first page on the google results page.   

I just read some interesting research on people googleing their one name on brandyourself’s blog. Not surprisingly did 75% of the US online adults in the survey google their one name. However 48% of them stated that the information that showed up was not positive. 42% have searched someone before doing business with them, 45% of these people found something that made them reconsider and not do business after all. This might be something to think about?

Have you ever tried to videotape a school presentation or something like that, to be able to improve before the actual presentation? It’s really awkward and you realize that you sound kind of weird, your hair is kind of off, and what’s up with all the hand gestures? (or maybe that’s just me) The main purpose is how to improve. It is probably the easiest and most honest way to view yourself because you get to see how other people see you. What you do with this information is then up to you, and most likely (because you all are so incredibly smart, innocent and loving people) you don’t need to do anything. In many cases the question is rather if you want to improve it. By focusing this blog on how you appear online I hope that you may not only keep a couple of doe’s and don’ts in the back of your head, but maybe also put in a little more effort to make the gap a little smaller between your actual personality, and the person you appear as on the Internet. Have you googled yourself? If so, would you generally consider the results positive and a good reflection of you?  

 

I found this really random movie that I thought would be… well maybe it’s actually not that appropriate…
 - But at least it shows that some people might have different reasons to google their names.

Hope you have a awesome week!

 - Lise