I use the Internet a lot but I do not have "favorite" websites. The ones I use on a daily basis are: Gmail, Blackboard (I am a student), Facebook and Pinterest.
Gmail was added to Google applications in 2004. It is a free web email services. Over the years Google has integrated other services and products that Gmail offers. When you have a Gmail account you also have access to Google Calendar, Google Talk, and Google+.
I use Blackboard for my college classes. Blackboard allows my college to have their own site for students. This is apart of their e-Education platform--designed to enable educational innovations everywhere by connecting people and technology. In February, my school added the mobile app for a smartphone that you can pay to use blackboard on the go.
Facebook is a social media site that I use to connect with my friends and family. I am able to be constantly update about whats going on it their lives. I recently created a page for my moms local business. I can share what's going on in my life with text and pictures.
Pinterest is a fabulous site! It is a tool for collecting and organizing the things that you love. When you "pin" you add an image or video from a website or your own computer. It will show the thumbnail of the image or video you pin. A user can repin any post. When a user clicks on the thumbnail it will lead to the original source.
People are using wiki's now more than ever. We here the term wiki a lot because it is an application we can use all the time even though we don't know we are using it. Many companies now will use wikis for collaboration. What is a wiki?
A wiki is a collection of Web pages where users can add, discuss, or edit existing content that they, or others, have created. People who contribute to a wiki use a wiki application to enter content on a main page and discuss the content of the main page on an associated discussion page. They have an open structure that support creating new pages and linking to existing pages within the wiki.
Companies such as Pixar, are using wikis for collaboration. Specifically, Pixar uses wikis to manage film production. They did this with the film WALL-E. They were able to use a wiki to "coordinate new computerized animation tools."
Sources:
Shelly, Gary B., and Mark Frydenberg. "Understanding Wikis." Web 2.0 Concepts and Applications. N.p.: Course Technology, Cengage Learning, 2011. 64-65. Print.
"7 Effective Wiki Uses and the Companies That Benefit From Them." Stewart Mader. N.p., n.d. <http://www.stewartmader.com/ 7-effective-wiki-uses-and-the-companies-that-benefit-from-them/>.
I am making chocolate chip cookies for a group of people who will be volunteering this weekend. Chocolate chip cookies is an American favorite and I was wondering who came up with the idea. After researching online, I found who it was.
Ruth Wakefield
Ruth Wakefield was the woman who invented the Toll House brand of chocolate chip cookies. She was a dietitian and food lecturer. She and her husband purchased a tourist lodge named, Toll House Inn, where she prepared and served meals to the guests. One day she was making her favorite batch of cookies, Butter Drop Do (which date back to colonial times.) However, she did not have her main ingredient which was baker's chocolate. So she substituted a bar of semi-sweet chocolate which she broke into pieces an placed in the dough. She believed that the chunks of chocolate would melt and absorb into the dough creating a chocolate dough. Instead, the dough was vanilla based and the chocolate pieces did not melt all the way. She served it to her guests and it was a hit.
The semi-sweet bar of chocolate she used was a gift from Andrew Nestle from Nestle Chocolate Company. They became extremely popular in her local community, her recipe was published in Boston newspaper. Sales soured for Nestle semi-sweet chocolate bars and Ruth Wakefield and Andrew Nestle made a business deal. Nestle Chocolate Company would print Wakefield's Toll House Cookie Recipe on their packages, in exchange for a life-supply of Nestle chocolate. What a wonderful story! You can still find Ruth Wakefield's original recipe on the back of any Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips!
As a family, we have a tradition that when it snows we bake chocolate chip cookies. This tradition brings our family together and is something I can't wait to do in my household. Click on the Link above (Chocolate Chip Cookies) and you can bake your own!
"We don't have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is, how well we DO it." ~Eric Quallman
What is Social Media?
Social Media-forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and micro-blogging through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos).
There are so many types of social media. Three major ones are: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Facebook is a social utility that connects people to keep up with friends, upload photos, share links and videos. Similarly, LinkedIn is a networking tool for professional connections. Also used to recommended job candidates, experts and business partners. Twitter, is a social networking and micro-blogging service utilizing instant messaging, SMS or web interface allows 140 character updates.
Today, more than ever, businesses are utilizing social media networks. Why? Because millions of people use social media everyday. What better when then to connect with your customers through Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn? It is inexpensive, easy to use, and doesn't take a lot of time.
When using anything there are always advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages are:
Legal Risk
Multiple Platforms
Hidden Costs
Measuring Results
The main legal risk is false advertisement. Companies need to understand that this can happen using social media and they need to be careful what they advertise on the internet. There are multiple platforms which business can use to promote their products; Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the most popular. However, there is Pinterest, YouTube, GooglePlus, Blogger and a hundred more. Will your company commit to several or should they focus on just one. If they choose more than one do you understand how much time can be consumed maintaining it? Also, for business advertising on these main social media sites cost money. Is it worth the money? Lastly, a disadvantage is measuring the results. Experts differ on the monetary "like" of Facebook or the "follow" on Twitter. Has this helped your business?
However, there are several advantages to social media:
Inexpensive
Establish Brand
Build Relationships
Reach Internationally
Accessibility
Traffic
Word of Mouth
First, social media is inexpensive compared to other types of advertisement which saves your company money. Social media helps your business to establish it branding which creates a specific identity for your service or product. Building relationships with your customers is vital in this day and age. This is a way to connect specifically with your customers on a personal level like never before. Because social media is on the internet it is out there for all people to see, including people all over the world. No longer are businesses confined to just a building, they are able to connect with their customers on the internet. On the flip side customers are able to connect with business on the internet and it is very accessible to them. Traffic is so important for businesses. Once you products and/or services reach a viral status they can be plastered on major search engines which increase marketing for your company. One of the main reasons social media is a major advantage for businesses is because word of mouth is so important. 90% of customers trust peer recommendations compared to 14% that trust advertisements. People will tell others if they liked your product and services which in turn with will create more customers if they have had a positive experience.
The main legal risk for companies using social media is false advertisement. Don't do it. Even when using social media there is an "unspoken" code of ethics that a company is expected to follow. Is it right to false advertise? No. It is very important that your business is aware of this and all your employees.
So what do you think? Is social media important for companies to embrace? Here is a short video to end this blog post. Enjoy!
Sources:
"Social Media Networking for Job Seekers." 14 June 2012. PDF file.
"How Small Businesses Are Using Social Media (Infographic)." Intuit Websites. Intuit, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. <http://www.intuit.com/websites/small-business-social-media-infographic/>.
Sandilands, Tracey. "Disadvantages of Advertising with Social Media." Azcentral. Gannett,n.d.Web. 26 Feb. 2013. <http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/disadvantages-advertising-social-media-5467.html>.
"20 Reasons Your Small Business should Use Social Media." Blissfully Domestic. Ed. Shana Albert. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. <http://blissfullydomestic.com/life-bliss/20-reasons-small-businesses-should-use-social-media/7414/>.
Gmail was added to Google applications in 2004. It is a free web email services. Over the years Google has integrated other services and products that Gmail offers. When you have a Gmail account you also have access to Google Calendar, Google Talk, and Google+.
Facebook is a social media site that I use to connect with my friends and family. I am able to be constantly update about whats going on it their lives. I recently created a page for my moms local business. I can share what's going on in my life with text and pictures. 
Pinterest is a fabulous site! It is a tool for collecting and organizing the things that you love. When you "pin" you add an image or video from a website or your own computer. It will show the thumbnail of the image or video you pin. A user can repin any post. When a user clicks on the thumbnail it will lead to the original source.
