End of the Line

Today marked my final social networking class and therefore this is the last blog post I have to write. I don't usually like to say that a class was easy but this class was. Maybe it was easy because most of the students were willing to talk and discussions were interesting. Maybe it was easy because the professor likes giving out A's...or maybe it was easy because it is an IT course and I'm an IT major, either way, I'm satisfied with the course, with the exception of two things.

1. I HATE Second Life
2. Those damn lateral thinking puzzles can have more than one answer!!

"A police officer sees a truck driver go the wrong way down a one-way street, but does not stop him. Why?"

The "answer" is because the guy is walking, and that is a possibility, but isn't it also possible that the "truck driver" is driving a fire truck to a fire, or the officer is just lazy, or he is trying to catch a murderer or something? Walking?! Think of your stereotypical truck driver, do you think they walk anywhere, ever? Didn't think so.

Anyway, the class was fun, and more than learning about social networks for business, I learned about the personal brand and found new and exciting ways to express my outgoing, happy, egotistical self. Although the class is finished, my blog probably is not, so long as I can think of things to write.

Seeking the Return

All businesses know that you "gotta spend money to make money," but many times what they don't realize is that it can be difficult to see how the money is made. Companies using social media often find it hard to justify using the media because they cannot quantify any financial returns. Unfortunately, executives and managers that implement the social media are often at the whim of chief executives who know very little about social media and its benefits.

Though social media, companies can present themselves to consumers easily and in a cheaper, more casual manner. Rather than a Superbowl ad, try using social media to reach a youthful, expansive network. Instead of simply promoting the product or service to customers, allow them to participate in the discussion through social media. Find out what they like, what they hate, and what they want from you in the future. Although you may have to deal with a lot of annoying customers griping about dozens of problems outside your control, you will also gain a lot of insight into consumers' minds without costly market research. Finally, allow your employees to participate in the process, enhancing their experience with the company and increasing their motivation.

Where does the financial gain come from social media? Everywhere. Increasing the company's reach increases consumer base and sales. Increasing consumer interaction increases consumer satisfaction as does increased awareness of consumer desires. Employee morale and motivation increases also lead to greater productivity and efficiency reducing costs of operation. Altogether, social media can play a strong role in improving a firm's ROI.

Heard It on the Grapevi...the Twitter

The title of this blog is called "The Truth from a Philly Guy," and yes, its true: After 25 years of starvation, Philadelphia has finally won a major sports championship as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4 games to 1 in the World Series...

...but because I'm writing this almost 30 minutes after Brad Lidge threw the final strike to end the game, you probably already knew that Philly won because Twitter told you.

I do not have a Twitter account, but I'm opening one soon. Had I not been able to watch the last part of this World Series, I could have relied on Twitter to provide pitch-by-pitch coverage by some obsessed baseball fan sending updates through his phone. I could have also used it to complain about an umpire's call to anyone who would listen. Although a possibility exists for abuse and mistreatment, the truth is, Twitter is a really cool network.

Actually, its a conglomeration of networks and technologies. Its so powerful it can get you out of jail. (Find out how here.) Major news networks struggle to publish major headlines before they're posted and discovered on Twitter, but those networks lack two things: a high number of contributors and simplicity. Twitter allows registered users to post small feeds and comments. In this way it can function as a chat room, social network, instant message, email, and personal organizer all in one platform. Anyone can add to their feed and they can do it from anywhere using a simple text message. News organizations need to get their limited reporters in vans and race them to the scene while Joe Sixpack and other mavericks (Sorry Ms. Palin, but I had to get a political joke in before election day) simply upload a picture and send a text as the news breaks.

Although the news is not it's only function, I think Twitter's ability to break a story as it happens will be most profitable and useful. Soon, major news organizations may want to use this technology but rather than developing it in-house or using the main Twitter service, they will likely look for a premium Twitter version, or a private platform. A major problem with "the news" is the lag between when an event occurs and when the news breaks, but Twitter can greatly reduce that. Soon though, I'm sure another technology will come out that goes even further, perhaps even bringing you tomorrow's breaking news today.

Virtual Teams? We've Been Doing It All Along

How many of you meet up with your friends face-to-face to make plans for the weekend or weeknights? Probably not many. Most plans are made through IM, text message, and over the phone. This is not an uncommon conversation:

A: Hey, what are you doing tonight?
B: I don't know, what did you have in mind?
A: Game's on tonight, could go to --Insert favorite bar here--.
B: Sounds good, should we call C, D, E, and F?
A: I guess so, I'll call C and F, you call D and E.
B: Okay, see you tonight.

Groups of friends work well as virtual teams and similar practices can be applied to the business world.

Looking for something to do? Studies have shown that brainstorming sessions from virtual teams (those where individuals submit their own ideas) yield better results than sessions completed in face-to-face groups. (Read about it here).

Modern communication technologies have eliminated much of the face-to-face communication between friends and family and business is the next step. We have become dependent on our cell phones and computers, and have come to need the next update instantly through text message or IM, rather than waiting for the phone call or email.

With years of practice under our belts, I think the business world will be strongly enhanced by the use of virtual teams, but the prospect has several risks for the future. Will the practice of virtual teams make us lazier in the future, promoting procrastination and a lack of responsibility? Will this eventually lead to millions of people working from home, conducting online meetings with everyone in a shirt, tie and pajama pants? Some may want to see us go in this direction, but I would like to avoid seeing colleagues in their pajamas at all costs.

Photo credit: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Writing-and-Humanistic-Studies/21W-780Spring-2006/CourseHome/

Breaking News: Tony Romo is a wuss

It may not be nice, but it's true. The Pro-Bowl quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys will miss the next four weeks of action with a broken pinkie. When asked for comment, the object of Jessica Simpson's affection said, "It's hurts really bad and I just feel like crying every time I hold the football. First I scrape my chin and now a fractured pinkus minimus." Without Romo at the helm and with Pacman Jones suspended, the Cowboys' chances of winning the NFC are now "minimus."

I'm a journalist now!! At least that's what happening with the "social news" craze and crowdsourcing. The idea that anyone can post news is not new; in a way everyone creates news stories by writing, recording, taping, or sometimes by making themselves the subject of the story; but to replace classic journalism with stories submitted by random computer users is dangerous and irresponsible.

Take Apple's plummeting stock after some idiot posted that CEO Steve Jobs had a heart attack (read about it here). The Internet's influence on the public is growing, so much so that random stories can cause panic among investors and others. It is impossible to know a "reporter's" background, but for years we were satisfied with a degree in journalism; now we don't care who says what, its all true, accurate, and actionable to us. How many students have composed entire papers from Wikipedia and social news sources, and yet, they'll still graduate with honors?

Is Tony Romo a wuss? I think so, then again I'm a fan of his team's biggest rival, but not everyone knows that. Personally, I wouldn't pretend to be a good enough journalist to publish news (except for in The Onion), just as I wouldn't expect journalism majors to balance my books... but there is a level of personal responsibility, I wouldn't allow journalism majors to balance my books if they tried.

Is It What You Know or Who You Know?

Have you ever worked next to someone and wondered how your boss could hire you and him/her for the same job? Are you tired of colleagues making you feel overqualified because of their incompetence? You're probably not alone.

People will tell you that "it's not what you know, it's who you know," and they will claim that more people are hired because of their social connections than their hard work and experience. Some people even provide networking tips that will improve your chances of getting a job. But is networking really that important? And if so, why?

From my experience, networking meant nothing in getting two internships and my full time job. I interviewed with six different companies for internships, three with people I knew or had met and three with perfect strangers. Surprise, surprise, I received offers from the three strangers and was shown the door by the three I knew. Had I pursued it further, my resume and interview alone would have earned me a spot in the FBI's Honors Internship. I also just received my offer letter from my accounting internship and it doesn't mention how great it was to get to know me, but it does mention how hard I worked over the summer.

Networking is not a bad thing...always, it just sometimes inhibits a company's ability to capture what really matters when hiring. My best friend's, cousin's nephew may really need a job and I might be doing them a huge favor, but if he's not the best guy for the job, he's not getting hired. If you spend too much time networking, chances are you're not working and the people across from you are probably wondering why you're still there. Think about that next time you raise your hand in class; what are your fellow students thinking when you ask the professor to repeat him-/herself for a third time?

It's Not Facebook's Fault... This Time

Last time I checked, Facebook accounts weren't required, and privacy policies and terms of use weren't read, but they are still legal documents; so forgive me if I don't understand why so many people have a problem with Facebook storing profile information. Even writers for the New York Times are complaining that one can never escape Facebook's grasp.

This all comes back to the Internet privacy issue, but in reality, Internet privacy is an oxymoron. People love the Internet because it makes the world smaller, connecting people from all walks of life. Users provide the Internet with information, but as soon as it uses that information in a way they don't like, users lash out against the Internet. In a way, the Internet is like a nosy friend, searching for gossip and then spreading it to others. In the same way, we can use Facebook to find information about others. Don't blame the Internet for giving out information you provided, and stop with the ridiculous legal arguments.

The U.S. Supreme Court has set numerous privacy precedents, including one that states that citizens have a reduced expectation of privacy in their vehicles. If you have a right to little privacy in your car, just how much privacy should you expect over the Internet, after all, I don't think your car is giving out personal information about you. Here is a recommendation that everyone should follow: Don't announce, publish, or discuss personal information if you don't want everyone to know it, Facebook only knows what you want it to know.

Photo credit: www.CartoonStock.com.