Final thoughts....Finally

With my Business Writing class coming to an end, it was asked that we talk about our thoughts on social sites and what affects it has on business today. Technology is becoing more sought after as a way to communicate not only within a company but also when it comes to seeking perspective employees. This not only creates a "closer relationship" between employer and potential employee but also give employee access to private information about the employee. This can be good and bad, depending on what is found I guess.

There are many social sites out there like Facebook and Twitter where potential employers can find information about you. When we post to sites like this, the last thing on our mind is whether it will do harm to us later. I think I need to start thinking about this more often so I do not incriminate myself later. When I enter the professional world, I want to be seen as a professional inside and outside of work. I think a great place to start that mindset would be on social sites. These sites may be somebosies first impression of me, might as well make it a good impression.

As much as I dont like the whole idea, social media is a part of business. There are good and bad things about it. One good thing is that it allows business's to get information out there that others are interested in. Information that might draw potential customers. The whole world uses the internet, why not advertise there? A bad thing about social media and business is the fact that it's hard to hide information that you do not want others to see. I think that everybody has the right to have fun or to be silly on occasion. When we decide to share this on the internet, it's there for everybody to see. I don't feel I should have to fear somebody seeing this information.

How do we get around it? The best safegurad would be to not share your drunk, skinny dipping excursion you had over the weekend on Facebook. If you don't put the information out there, then there is no information to be found. As some begin to enter their professional careers, it's time to start looking at social media from a different perspective. A perspective which gives potential employers a positive outlook on you and what you can do for their company.

I do not agree with social media being used for business decisions but I can't change that. My best practice will be to tread lightly and understand that the information I put on the web is not only being seen by my friends. Does it mean that I want to? No. Does it mean that I have to? I think so. Whether we like it or not business and the internet are going to intermingle permenantly and there is nothing I can do about it. I say, just make the best of it. You may be surprised what the outcome will be.

Chapter 14

There are many important aspects when writing a paper. One of these is repitition. When we write it's important to maintain the same layout, font size and design throughout your paper. This not only makes the paper more appealing but also keeps the reader interested. If you wrote a paper that didnt maintain a continious layout, the reader may be turned off immediately. 

When I think of layout the first thing that pops in my mind is alignment. We use alignment to make sure everything matches down the left and right sides of the paper. If we did not align the columns things would look out of place and all over. We also align columns to make it easier to read, you can see exactly where paragraphs begin and end.

Writers also use various styles and sizes of font when writing papers. Writers use different sizes to seperate tiltles and headlines from the body of the paper. The titles and headlines are often put in bold to better seperate them from the rest of the paper. It allows the reader to quickly find what the article is about. Different styles of font are also used depending on the audience and intended message of the paper. The writer will choose different styles based on their preferences. Its always important to maintain consistency when choosing fonts to maintain a good look throughout.

Shhhh, listen.

People often have so much to say they forget to listen. I found an article that touches on listening and its benefits. The first topic is to concentrate when you listen. People often listen but also think about other tasks while listening. When doing this type of listening we may miss key points that the person is trying to convey. When listening we must concentrate on what the person is saying so we can walk away with accurate infromation.

When listening to a person talk, dont make early judgements. When people make early judgements they may lose interest in what is being said no matter the importance. Hear the person out and you may be surprised at what they have to say.

Another important thing is to ask questions. This will not only clear up any doubts you may have but will also pull more out of the person doing the speaking. By doing this we may walk away with more infromation than intended. Listening is a very important task in any jib. By following some simple guidelines, people can be great listeners and carry more away from the conversation.

College dropouts becoming more popular

I am 34 years-old and am attending college to hopefully better my career. On a daily basis I find myself wondering if this is what will work for me. I mean, I sure do hope so, spending thousands of dollars on my education, I hope it's worth it. Many students are leaving school for other reasons according to The Dropout Dilemma. Students spend alot of their high school tenure working on getting into college. Once they get to where they want to be they begin getting homesick and start missing what they know best, home. The student in this article began confining himself to his room, emailing back home and not doing so well in school. College is not what they had expected, many want to just get back home to what they know best.

The article suggests some options to help make the transition to college easier. One thing is to try to join activities. The article describes some people as not being "social butterflies". These people resort back to their dorm for comfort because they do not like approaching new people. The article suggests joining activities and groups to aid in meeting new people.

Another suggestion is to take a course such as University 101 ( yes, its an actual course) to learn how to adapt to college and to take advantage of what it has to offer. College is not an easy experience, by coming out of your shell and trying to things it can be the best experience of your life.

What Twitter is to me

Twitter is becoming a huge tool in peoples everyday lives. Anywhere from finding information to sharing thoughts of your own, people look to twitter as as a way of sharing information. You can look on facebook and find links to twitter posts. Sitting around watching television you see twitter hash tags. Twitter is everywhere and seems like its getting even bigger. In this article, the author discusses what he originally thought of twitter, what twitter is today and what its becoming. He found himself a skeptic at first thinking "the idea that something intelligent, something worthy of mindshare, might occur in the space of 140 characters", its no more than a text message. He finds himself more drawn into the concept today, using it himself. It's a datafield, able to give answers to everyday asked questions.

Ok, terrific, we now have another social search engine. I am a skeptic as to what it will become and also of its "ease" of use. I find it easier to search what I need on google. I can find the same infromation, more information, on the topic I am searching. I am not totally against twitter but feel there are easier ways to find the information. Maybe I just dont get it, maybe it will grow on me. Right now, I dont care for what it is and would rather look elsewhere for the information. Twitter may someday be great for me, ehhh, I doubt it. I will steer away from the whole thing and stick to what I know best.

Remember Ethics when Writing

Chapter 9 talks about Developing an Effective Style. There are 2 items which caught me attention: Adapting sentences for non-english listeners and remebering ethic guidelines. When we speak to an audience, have a coversation with others or write a paper we must always keep in mind who our audience is. The Untied States is a diverse area. There are many different origins, religions and languages. When we write or speak to others we must keep in mind that they may not understand some of the words we use. Using ethics when we write is important so everybody can understand what is being said. This includes using words that are understandable as well as adapting our writing to other langugaes. Here in the U.S. we use a lot of slang. This slang used is not always familiar to the listener. Try to use words that are common. By doing this, you will get your message across much easier.

The impact of the Occupy Protesters

This article discusses what the furture of the Occupy movement could hold. We have all seen it on TV, the police vs. the protesters. This is becoming an all common scene. People who are trying to stand up for "income inequality" are constantly being punished for their actions, so it seems. With the unemployment rate so high the protesters have nothing but time. The effects of the movement could last for quite some time. IS anything being done? It seems the White house is becoming a little more interested. They are beginning to dicuss the matter more than in the beginning. It just seems at times that the protesters are just looking for an oppurtunity to claim brutality, or act like they are standing up for something. The author of this article was at a camp,"when I dropped by the park, about 20 people, including some who looked disheveled and homeless, shared food and barely listened to a speaker with a graying ponytail who denounced New York as an “illegitimate police state.” These people do not seem like they care what the message is. But when the oppurtunity arises to stand against police, they are steady on their feet. I am with what the protesters are fighting for, just seems at times their goals are elsewhere. I believe this can be handled differently, or at least ought to be. Will the protesters message accomplish anything? Only time can tell.