Week 08 Blog Post

Social media, when it comes to looking into an individual's potentially troubled past, can only do so much good. Viewing somebody's tweets from the past might give insight to their character, yes, but the same tweets that might condemn certain behaviors are also those which are posted "in the moment," under certain circumstances, and as a result of behavior which the viewer might not understand. 

Retrospective psychology indicates that, after tragedy occurs, reading into social media posts will only make matters worse. After a murderer/gunman has been identified, people will no doubt search his/her social media in order to find what might have possibly led to the incident in question. Seeing as there almost certainly has to be a motive for someone to commit such a crime, those searching the culprit will no doubt have already pegged him/her as a terrible person. Therefore, having preconceived notions of the personality of an individual who committed such terrible acts will give the public an idea that everything posted online prior to said tragedy taking place led up to the culprit's eventual breakdown. 

I, for one, do not think it is fair to rely on somebody's social media for an accurate description of their personality - particularly after the individual has done something terrible. Nearly everyone who uses social media relies upon it for the sake of venting feelings, thoughts, and emotions on a regular basis. Posting such feelings, however, does not have to become grounds for judging someone's character. That is not to say that someone (in this case, the Washington shooter) is innocent. Instead, perhaps people interested in specifying the reasoning for his actions should look to his personal history, close friends/family opinions, and other information. There is much more character-defining information to be found in the opinions of one's close friends and family. For instance, I know of an individual who took his own life a few years ago, described by all those who knew him as someone who was always happy and loving life, bringing a smile and comedic relief to all those with whom he had contact. After the incident, all those who were close to him still had the same opinion; it was those who knew this man only through social media who read too far into his prior social media posts and took all the negative ones to mean something more than for what the posts were intended. Such negativity may have only been posted in "the heat of the moment."

In any case, while social media may potentially provide crucial information, it should not be used to judge somebody's character. 

As this article states, some posts are made purely for the sake of boosting the poster's ego and perhaps gaining some sort of following from those who feel the same way: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/13/social-media-narcissism-twitter-facebook_n_3423095.html 

Week 07 - Apple Pay

The launch of Apple Pay could revolutionize the way we purchase items. Whether you go to a restaurant, gas station, or mall, Apple Pay allows users to buy what they need without ever taking out a credit card. In fact, neither the credit card itself nor its numbers are ever seen while a transaction is being made; instead, everything is paid for via iPhone (the iPhone 6/6-plus, to be exact). By simply holding your thumb to the home button and holding the phone near a card reader, a transaction is made in seconds. This, to me, seems like a good idea in terms of avoiding identity theft and security breaches/credit card hacks. Granted, such things could still potentially occur, but without retailers having thousands of credit card numbers stored, security breaches would be less of a threat. Also, use requires the user's fingerprint in order for the payment to go through, so losing a phone or having it stolen does not mean that all your credit card information is available to whoever might take/find the cell phone.
The real struggle for Apple will be getting more than 5% of our nation's stores to make use of the new system. Google Wallet was a similar attempt that failed miserably, becoming obsolete shortly after it was launched. The Wallet attempt was more of a hassle than actually swiping a credit card and therefore did not last long before the appeal of its usefulness was gone. However, Apple Pay offers a much more convenient and secure method of payment with which many individuals (including myself) might find themselves on board. In order for the system to really be a hit, corresponding terminals/card reader systems will have to be installed in stores before they can start taking this form of payment. With the proposed arrival of EMV credit cards in America on the horizon, it is quite likely that switching to mobile payments is not too far in the future.

An article I found that further discusses the coming of EMV credit cards can be read at http://www.cnbc.com/id/102113933

Image from: 

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/apple-pay-is-going-to-be-huge-apple-ceo-tim-100761243774.html

Week 06 Blog Post

"Anonymous", when it comes to social media, is a term that must be used carefully. Apps such as Yik Yak and Fade, along with Facebook/Twitter accounts like Coyote Confessions, are becoming internet sensations due to the obscurity they offer users. However, while some individuals use these apps and websites for good, most users are starting to post little more than trash talk and hurtful comments; hiding behind a wall of anonymity makes people shockingly more brave than they probably should be. Without having their name tied to their comment, nobody cares what they say. Almost all ethical restraints are taken away by the fact that people can say anything without readers having to know who they are. Therefore, I don't much care for these apps. Sure, some posts can be funny, but most of them go too far. Also, it should be noted that none of these posts are truly anonymous; if necessary, a post can be traced back to its author by someone who knows how to navigate a computer. A good rule of thumb to follow with these posts, for the sake of their targets and audience alike, is to not post something online if you wouldn't say it out loud.

The following is an example of people who thought they were being anonymous online actually getting tracked:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/16/-sp-revealed-whisper-app-tracking-users

http://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/460773149.jpg

Week 05 Blog Post

Honestly, I find that technology has made advertising both more streamlined and more annoying. For example, being advertised to through Facebook based on recent internet searches gets to be obnoxious and a little bit creepy. Granted, I like the idea of buying items for a bargain price; however, I would rather seek them out than have my computer keep track of what I look for on search engines and advertise to me accordingly. 
In any case, advertising via social media must be done with care. There is a fine line between appealing to customers and violating their privacy, especially given recent credit card scams and identity theft. Businesses can profit greatly from social media advertising if done without intruding on media users' regular use of their social media. On Twitter, for example, sponsored links and advertisements can sometimes hit the mark on reeling in a new customer; more often, however, these sponsored links get in the way of what users are looking for and end up being neglected and looked over. Facebook is the same way - blatantly throwing a huge advertisement (for a website in which the user might not even be interested) into the user's newsfeed might actually turn users off from that brand entirely. However, if spaced out well enough and worded in a way that will not make users feel as though they are being "bought out," advertisements will be successful. 
Rather than placing any old advertisement out on the web, business should lean more toward drawing in customers with witty comments and consumer engagement. As discussed in class, one of the main benefits of social media is the conversational aspect which it provides, and it is through this aspect that advertising becomes more streamlined. Engaging customers through tweets to which they can respond and retweet allows the customers to feel a more personal relationship with an otherwise faceless company. Taco Bell is an example of one business that actively engages with its followers; in fact, it is often used as an example of one business that effectively streamlines its advertising through the use of technology. 
A point made by the article, "Advertising Turns to Tech to Engage Consumers," states that advertising needs to evoke emotion in addition to the loyalty it is trying to gather from viewers. For the most part, consumers want to feel a personal connection with a brand and product in order to be interested in investing their time in it. With social media advertising just taking off, it might take a while before people can be effectively marketed. Again, as stated in the given article, "It's all part of how advertisers will need to be present, aware and plugged in." To me, this means that businesses will have to pay special attention to what its followers are buying, if they are shopping online or in-store, and if they are directed to such products via social media advertising. In short, the future of social media advertising lies in businesses' abilities to streamline their marketing.

This article basically states that, in order to keep up with the use of social media, businesses and their brands should be keeping up with social media advertising. 
http://www.brandwatch.com/2014/01/why-2014-is-the-year-of-social-media-advertising/

Week 04 Blog Post

Today's work environment is much different from what it was in the past. More and more careers are becoming geared toward technology and social media, and work environments seem to be taking a turn for the casual. Some businesses, such as the one at which I work, require a uniform and therefore have the question of attire answered before employees even have to ask. Uniforms are nice in that they allow for consistency in employee appearance and make the business as a whole look more professional. However, even in environments where uniforms are not required, work can still be done efficiently; work attire does not necessarily have to be professional in order for professionals to work. For example, my sister received her Master's Degree in Business Administration, and soon after got a job in the town she was planning to live. To prepare for this job, we made a special trip to Sioux Falls so she could shop for business clothes that would be acceptable in the workplace. However, after her first few days on the job, she noticed that the outfits she wore were more professional than those of her coworkers, and she was even feeling out of place for being overdressed. As it turns out, the company for which she works is stationed in Chicago, and the office where she got her job (here in South Dakota) is just a branch where local employees for this business work without really making face-to-face contact with customers or the higher-up employees. Therefore, my sister's new wardrobe turned out to be less of a necessity than she first believed. Now, instead, she has a section of her closet devoted to business casual outfits that have been replaced by jeans and sometimes even sweatpants. In fact, the job itself is so relaxed and she is so trusted with her work that her bosses in Chicago allow her to work from her apartment a few days every week. This example just goes to show that what people wear or the environment in which they work does not always have to be professional in order for professional work to be done. To use my sister as an example again, she has said that she works better when doing so at home, due to the lack of other individuals and, consequently, better environment for concentrating on work and work alone. Personally, I feel that work attire should not determine an individual's ability to adequately perform. As the article "Is dressing for success still required?" suggests, a boss's satisfaction should be based on how well an employee works as opposed to how well said employee dresses. That is not to say employees should just "let it all go" in terms of attire; rather, as long as they can look presentable without making the business look bad or having it affect work performance, let them be comfortable. Referring again to the article, bosses should be concerned with the work done by their employees rather than what employees are wearing while they work. 

Another article I found that relates to this topic can be found here: 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/14/living/workplace-dress-code/

The last paragraph is a quote which states, "Be yourself, but don't let your appearance or behaviors detract from your selling points: your intelligence, accomplishments, strengths and experience." and it perfectly sums up my opinion on workplace dress code.