New Social Media

There is so much out there in terms of social media and social networking that it is hard to even think of something that we don't have yet. But in reality, there is SO much that we do not know about yet and do not have yet. With all the technology advances that we have seen over the past few years, this is only the beginning of social media and social networking.

My love for fashion has turned me into an obsessive shopper. I think that department stores, such as Bloomingdales, Saks, Barneys, etc should all have social networking sites. Every person has their favorite department store that they are into, mine is Bloomigdales (and Saks too). I think it would be brilliant if there would be a site that could connect shoppers and let them blog and chat and becomes friends. Everyone has one thing in common - their love of fashion, through this they can communicate and build a friendship. Sharing ideas and fashion tips. In addition it would be amazing if there would be commentators online that are professional shoppers and stylists. There can be rewards and prizes for winners of games and competitions. And special promotions and coupons for frequent users of the site. The site will keep users up to date on what is happening in store and online-- specials, promotions, new arrivals, etc.

This is a fashion lovers dream come true!! :-)

Progress on WIKI project

Although I have not actually contributed to the WIKI page yet, I have been doing research and collecting data. I will be contributing to the business of social networking aspect. How does social networking play a role in the business world.

PR and Marketing - social networking is a god sent blessing for PR an marketing. Social networking makes getting the word out - and idea, a concept, an advertisement - anything or anything - it spreads the news and it spreads it fast. Not only fast, it is also easy and cheap!

In a more broad sense, social networking is good fro business. it is a good way to reach out to your customers and your clientele. See what they like and dislike about your product or service. Again, it is a fast, easy, and cheap way to connect with your clients.

In addition, it is also good for internal affairs. It is good way to keep all employees in a big company together. Keep them knowledgeable of what is going on throughout the entire company not only in their department.

The impacts and the way that social networking is used in the business world fascinates me. Its taking something that is normally thought of as a social tool and turns it into a business tool. Its amazing!!

My Term Project

How you did your research

- I started my search on google. I found that there was so much information that I didn't really need to go further. I did however need to weed through the useful information and the not useful information. I then went onto the baruch library databases and searched in the Academic Search complete database for scholarly articles. These scholarly articles added some more substance to my paper which was good. 

What you found in your research; what you learned

- One of the most interesting things I learned was the use of social networking in the business world. PR marketing etc. 

Why you chose your topic

- I chose my topic because I felt like social networking is becoming such a large part of our lives and I wanted to research its pros and cons. I believe that it is as important to know the negatives as it is to know the positives. 

Your major findings / conclusions

- Yes, social networking has its pros, but it also has its cons. It can be dangerous and not safe if you are not careful and don't know what you are doing. 

The Social Network

I can honestly say that this movie is nothing like any of the movies I have ever seen. I am used to the common chick flick, and the basic comedy, but this movie I actually enjoyed. It was educational and interesting at the same time. A real eye opener. 

I am a user of facebook, but I never got addicted to it. It was always something I had and used but for some reason I just never got addicted. For me it was always a source of information and way to stay connected to people I do not see on a regular basis. I never really thought about how it got started or all that it took to start up and maintain the site in a regular basis. 

For starters I am SO impressed. Usually people underestimate the geeks- but in this case the roles were reversed and the geeks ruled. It was the jocks (prestigious olympic rowers and their friend) that depended on the geeks to upstart their site. They had the idea but essentially they didn't have the brains or the mental resources to stand behind their idea and bring it to fruition. 

I was amazed at the whole process of how the site started. To begin I thought that his honesty and truthfulness for all the sites he began beforehand was something else. He could have easily sold one of his sites to Microsoft but he didn't-- he uploaded for free. Then he started friendsmash on the night that he broke up with his girlfriend. He did this drunk in one night while blogging at the time. And to top it all off he crashed the Harvard server-- that is no easy feat! This guy is clearly a genius! He created a site that has nearly taken over the world!! 

Another aspect of the movie that seriously fascinated me was the business aspect of the configuration of the site. It started out as a great idea and then cascaded into this HUGE business (currently worth 2 billion dollars). To me that is amazing! An idea that literally started in the dorm room of a few geeky guys (granted they were in Harvard but still...) and now this kid is a billion air! Just goes to show you that no idea is to small. We should all reach for the stars and NEVER let other people take advantage of you or your ideas. You never know what will be a hit and it is always worth a shot! Also another lesson that I learned is to never stop trying. No matter how bad you think it is and no matter how many people are breathing down your back. He was fighting multiple lawsuits and he didn't give up and he didn't let them get him down. He kept on moving and doing his thing. This is what you need to do in the business world - keep on moving no matter who gets in the way and keep your mind in the game and you will succeed in the end. Sometimes there are bumps in the road, but don't let that stop you, you never know you could be the next big thing!! 

Privacy

With the use of social networking, this generation is lacking the idea of privacy. Social networking has made it that everyone knows everything about you and your life. We are all so used to the internet, social networking, and the like that sometimes we don't realize how dangerous it could be. These sites are never one hundred percent secure and safe. Assume that with a little effort anyone can retrieve any information that you post online. Whatever you put up there is there for the world to see. It can be dangerous to post things like your address, possible passwords, vacation plans, etc because you never know who is out there reading what you are saying - remember anyone can find any of the information that you are posting online nothing is 100% safe! 

Advice

Although I am already a Junior here at Baruch College it was just last fall (fall 2009) that I was a freshman. Baruch college was my first college experience, and I have to day that coming from a small private high school it was a big adjustment. Baruch College is HUGE! There are so many people a bunch of different buildings, and it can be a scary place for someone who is just starting out.

Baruch does try to make the orientation process easier. There are a slew of orientations and days where they set you up with your classmates and your blocks and give you all your usernames and passwords, but that does not carry you throughout everyday. If you did not come with friends (which many people do not) it is hard. You need a way to interact and befriend all different people.

There is a freshman seminar, but personally I feel like it is a useless waste of time. It is an outdated system. It has you running around and attending different seminars etc. Which is good but doesn't really help you socially.

I think that setting up a special social networking site or page would be very useful and beneficial. It could be a place where new students meet existing students and get advice and share experiences. It would make the whole process a lit easier feeling like you are going through it with other people not alone. As I will mention in my paper several times, today people feel like social networking is REAL; real communication with people. And it is easy and convenient. It would be easy to get people into it because people are already on these sites and I think that everyone would enjoy feeling like that are a part of something at baruch college, especially incoming freshman.

Twitter vs BB and in class discussions

Just to put it out there, I personally feel like twitter is an absolute waste of time!
The 140 characters seriously limit your choice of words, making what you have to say sound like curt shorthand. To me it seems like a meaningless blast that you send out to your group of "friends" to see who will respond and to see who is even interested in what you are doing (no body!) Anyways, the 140 characters bothers me immensely because I feel like I can never get a point across properly without cutting it short. 140 characters is good for a "tweet" not a real discussion.
On the other hand a BB discussion allows you as many characters as you want, not limiting you to 140 characters. This allows you to fully develop a concept and idea. I also like the way that BB organizes their discussions. For me it is easier to use and navigate (but that could be because I am used to BB and not twitter- only time will tell.)
The absolute best option is an actual in class discussion; face to face. I believe that it stimulates a better conversation and gets people really thinking.