Reflection

Before this assignment I never kept up or followed any blogs.  To be completely honest I hardly knew what blogging was, or how to even set up a blog from blogger.  Now I'm managing this one with 13 Things regards web 2.0 and my personal running blog which I post to on a daily basis.  I soon found out I enjoyed blogging and following other people's blogs and commenting on them as well.
The only "thing" I was somewhat familiar with before starting this assignment was Twitter, but I never used Twitter or any other of these applications or tools before this class.  I found some of the "things" more enjoyable than the others, too.  For instance, I really liked the Mashup and word cloud, Wordle, and plan on applying both these to my running blog in a post or two down the road.    
Wordle is amazing!  I learned a lot from this tool and it gave me great insight on what my blog is about in a nut shell.  I think wordle is basically a summary of your entire blog in a cloud of words.  If you include this tool into your blog and post your cloud your readers should be able to tell what your blog is is all about in a sentence or two based on the words selected.  For instance, some of the words I saw that stood out were the following: word, on-line, Google, vocabulary, thesaurus.  From these 5 words it's evident my blog focuses on on-line tools which Google provides using web tools like an on-line thesaurus, etc.
My favorite post is either the Mashup or the word cloud done through Wordle.  I enjoyed these two the most because they are visually appealing and are very engaging.  Also, they can be used to showcase your abilities to possible employers, future projects, or in other blogs. 
I discovered a few new tools which may be helpful in my day-to-day activities such as the visual thesaurus, social bookmarking (Delicious), and map minding.  I can apply these in my career possibly when putting together a newsletter, project, or for personal use, too.
Besides these three tools listed above I think I may also use Mashup, word cloud (Wordle), and blogger.  I plan on keeping up with my running blog after I graduate and using various gadgets to make it more intriguing along with applying Mashup and Wordle among other tools.  The more I add to it the better it will be, and the more enjoyable it will be for my followers, too. 
I prefer this "self-discovering" much more than specific due dates or check ups.  I feel more accountable and responsible knowing I have to keep up with this project on a weekly basis while preparing me for the "real world."  My boss isn't going to be checking over my shoulder every second of the day and will expect me to get a project or assignment done on a future due date.  Also, I'll have other projects that I'm juggling as well so I need to be well organized, chip away at them on a regular basis, and do the job right the first time through.  This assignment is preparing me for life and my career.  I've been given many projects and am expected to have them done by the end of the term.  Could I do this my first year in college?  Most likely not as well as I can do it now, but that's why we go through various classes and experiences so we can manage tasks like these down the road.
Finally, this assignment and blog will be a good resource to reference for future on-line projects along with showing employers I can use web 2.0 effectively.

I also included a link for a word cloud using Wordle for this reflection: 13 Things Word Cloud Reflection

Word Clouds

Blog Word Clouds:

13 Things Word Cloud

Running Down The Dream Word Cloud

Both word clouds give insight on what the blogs entail.  For instance, with the 13 Things Blog the words chosen deal with Web 2.0, while the Running Down The Dream Blog the words are all related to running.
With the 13 Things word cloud the words most prominent are word, on-line, Google, vocabulary, thesaurus.  The other word cloud dealing with running the most prominent words are running, runners, shoes, foot, train.  
This visual representation of words acts like a summary of what the blogs are focused around or what the main topic is all about.  A person visiting these blogs can simply check these word clouds and get a quick glimpse of the entire blog as a whole.
This seems to be more of a fun toy and I wouldn't expect this to be used professionally unless one's profession deals with creativity like an artist or creative marketer.  Word Clouds also can be used as a motivation tool by inserting words which raise moral within a company to get them all fired up, too.             
 

Visual Thesaurus

Brilliant:
- Superb: having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified.
- Glorious: having or deserving glory.
- Magnificent: characterized by grandeur.
- Splendid: having great beauty and splendor, very good of the best quality.
- Vivid: evoking lifelike images within the mind.

When I write research papers I use on-line thesaurus on occasion. When I was in high school though I tended to use one on a more regular basis. This could be attributed to the fact my vocabulary has expanded since high school, or all I have to do now when looking up synonyms for words is just right click on my mouse then a bunch of related words appear which mean the same thing as the word I have highlighted. This is more convenient and faster than looking up words in a print thesaurus or an on-line web page thesaurus.
I have made the mistake though of choosing a word which I thought was similar in meaning, but found out later it meant something completed different or didn't fit in with the text of the paper I was writing. This is a drawback of using the word thesaurus in Microsoft word and should be monitored very carefully by the writer.

I looked up a couple of simple words people use everyday in passing like table and look and the following are synonyms which came up:
Table: board, mesa, gathering, tabulate, furniture, and shelve to just name a few.
Look: seem, appear, reckon, attend, front, await, and expression just to name a few.

I wouldn't consider myself a word nerd, but I have a decent vocabulary which I have to give credit to my public relations major and classes such as intro to journalism, rhetorical theory, and the many writing emphasis classes which I have taken at Coe these past four years. Also, my father has an unbelievable vocabulary and every now and then he'll throw out a word which is over my head which I ask him the meaning of. Growing up around him has also contributed to my vocabulary and helped me use words accordingly in appropriate situations.

Creative Commons

Creative Commons, CC, has a brilliant idea to say the least. With all the copy right infringements these days users of the internet need to be VERY cautious on what they "use" or "borrow" for their own personal use to enhance their website, blog, etc.
Although I never have run into this issue, I know many others have. Especially those who are regular users of the internet for professional reasons like a teacher, a painter, etc.
Now since I have been learning all these new tools the web has to offer for free, I'm beginning to realize I've used photos which someone has taken, but have not been restricted for public use, especially pictures on Google. Google by the way has utilized CC licenses for many of their resources including their main search engine and image search engine just to name two.
Being that I'm not too tech savvy and don't have much experience with the graphic aspect of the web I don't think others would find my projects too useful to "remix and reuse." Although, with my written work I wouldn't mind sharing some of my work related to intro to journalism or the course I'm currently taking, advance writing workshop. Also, it would be neat to see how others would "remix or reuse" my business papers from my management courses or other business related classes I have taken during my time at Coe. I wouldn't want to share two projects though in my marketing or advertising classes which are my marketing plan and advertising plan, because my group and I spent a lot of time on them and for others to "remix and reuse" those pieces wouldn't sit right with me.

Google Reader

I'm following six blogs from our class and two newspapers on-line. The Gazette, sports section, and The Chicago Tribune are the two newspapers.
I found Google reader to be easy to use, straight forward, convenient, and effortless. It makes it much easier to follow my fellow classmates blogs and see how they're progressing along with their blogs.
I hardly pick up a newspaper anymore, except on the weekends, but this tool has made it quicker to stay up on current events, world and local news, and sports.
When I venture onto a website and see the orange RSS symbols and if I find the website to be interesting all I have to do is click on it and add it to my Google reader on my gmail account.
This tool may be used professionally in that one can add a comment or post on the article at hand, giving their insights or impressions, then others can do the same and get a discussion going. Also, it's good practice on utilizing and practicing blogging skills and keeping current on what's important in the world or to yourself.
For me, the more I comment the more comfortable I feel at expressing my thoughts and not feeling like others will judge me since they're doing the same thing. Also, it challenges me to make my own conclusions on a topic rather than being passive and not caring. I'm taking more of an interest in what I read from columnists and speaking my mind for or against what they're saying.
Finally, I never knew there were so many tools on-line to utilize at one's expense, for free even!

Social Bookmarking

Delicious Username: M.j. Moore
I found Delicious to be a useful social bookmarking tool. It makes it easier, more convenient, and faster to get to your favorite sites at a moments notice. This may be useful in college because it allows students to navigate through many sites at once from a single page instead of typing in each site and trying to remember what site you found some great info on a day or two ago. Once a site is bookmarked it remains bookmarked. After college it's the same type of deal. You don't have to try to remember what web page you were on the other day, or google search the site again, but rather just go to your Delicious account and find it in your bookmarks.
I've never used a social bookmark before, but find it very reliable and a good tool to utilize at my expense. Being that it's free is another great perk as well.

Twitter

* I'm currently following prominent athletes in their own respected sports such as Tiger Woods (professional golfer), Lance Armstrong (former professional cyclist), and Ryan Hall (professional American runner).

* Basically Twitter is simply a status update on what people, especially professionals, are currently doing in their lives at that particular moment. Twitter is a useful tool in that it allows others to see what you are currently working on, preparing for, or keeping others posted on what's going on in one's life.
Writers and realated fields such as PR personal could possibly utilize Twitter as their personal FREE advertisement for their current works to share with others. Doing it this way seems less provocative or in your face like banner ads on the web. Doing it this way makes it more harmless, friendly, and a fun way to get others to recognize your works.
After this term I will not be Tweeting most likely, it just doesn't grab my interest. I feel it's more useful for professional athletes, movie stars, and prominent figures. I don't see any real benefit coming from it for me down the road, and it's just another social networking tool which will distract me from everyday responsibilities I already have like a job search, school, running, etc.

Following Blogs

Commenting online onto other people's blogs or websites helps give constructive criticism, feedback, helpful questions, and basic comments on particular posts. It's especially rewarding when the comments come from those you don't even know. For some odd reason it's exciting to some extent knowing others are checking out your blog or website and seeing what you have to say. It makes you feel important and what you are saying is important. In regards to writer's or PR people it's important to see how their followers and readers respond and react. If they are receiving positive feedback then they are more likely than not will keep posting similar material and vice versa.
I am currently following Garrett Smith's blog on wake boarding, Katie Ricklef's blog on a country music group, and Angelea's on what her view of posting on blogs involves. I tagged or labeled my posts according to what they entailed and were about. For instance, with my Running Down The Dream Mashup I labeled it as running. Overall, the whole concept of blogging and commenting on blogs is highly engaging, an experience, educational, useful, and fun. I have and continue to learn a lot about this whole process as I blog more often.

Mashup Experience Seen Through My Eyes

I had a blast making my mashup. At first it was a bit difficult to figure out, but once I got past that hurdle it was a piece of cake. I was able to move images, texts, and a video around to spice things up a bit. Also, being able to choose a topic of interest to me, running, made it very easy to be creative. As I was making my collage I like the feature which allowed me to drag, re-size images, and basically do whatever I want with them much more worthwhile and fun!
The main advantage I experienced with using mashup as compared to a written story is your audience has a visual in front of them. As a result they can use their imagination to fill in the rest of the story themselves. The main disadvantage is being that mashups are mostly visual pieces there isn't necessarily a clear cut, black and white story line.
Finally, Datamasher is a good tool which presents information in a more readable way, not to mention easier. The program as a whole was intriguing to say the least.

Running Down The Dream Mashup

Brainstorming Through Map Minding

I enjoyed using this program and fiddling around with it. Preparing this online was quicker and more efficient to navigate through for my Running Wild Blog. Mapping out my ideas visually helped me create a good starting point on how I want to attack my blog.  This program has laid out the frame work and foundation through a step by step process.  Being able to add and delete various bubbles was convenient and more readable say by doing it through a paper and pencil method. Also, it looks more professional as well.  I struggled with figuring out how to set up bubbles at first, but caught on very quickly. 

Wikis

* Share some advice on "how to set up a page for an organization."  If you've done it, share your knowledge.  Or go to FB, and find out what it says.

Advice by: M.J. Moore
Who can create a page?  Anyone who has access to fb can create a page for an organization.  Typically, it's the official representative of an organization or business who creates a page for their particualar organization unless they allocate this responsibility to someone else.  Once this is done, the page creator can then add other representatives to help them manage the page for an organization. Each administrator will be able to update and edit their pages from their own fb accounts at anytime.    

* Share some advice on what kinds of posts you might make on your organization's website.  Should you post mini-advertisements?  Photos?  Quizzes?  What works?  Share your own gut feelings, or do a little bit of research.

Advice by: M.J. Moore
Depending on what your organization is and what you want to get out of it from your facebook page will decide what kind of posts you may want to include.  Some basic posts or details you may want to include are a picture of your organization ranging from the logo, co-workers, the founder, the building associated with the organization, etc.  Also, background of your organization to explain what you do will be helpful for your audience, too.  If you are a well establish organization include an advertisement ranging from coupons, a mini commercial, or slideshow.

*Who does a good professional FB page?  Share names of pages you think work well and why they work for you. 

Feedback by: M.J. Moore
**I Am Runner** Posts on a regualar basis from various runners who share training tips, upcoming races, and updates how their runs went.  Basically it's a fun page for runners to communicate amongst themselves.
   

Google Project 10 to the 100th: Spread the Word

Link

M.J.'s Writing Website


The above link will direct you to my website which you'll find some of my various works throughout my time at Coe College.  Also, on my website you'll find my LinkedIn profile which I strongly encourage you do take a peak.   

Charlie's Number One Fan

Pictured here is Barbara Moore and myself dressed as Coe's mascot, Charlie the Kohawk, during Coe's Homecoming game (2010).

Web 2.0

A.) Seeing that I fall into the generation know as Generation Y I'm considered to be a digital native and am expected to pick up on the trends of Web 2.0 very quickly. In this fast non stop society we live in I rely heavily on my cell phone to act as a GPS, internet source, and communication through talking, texting, and emailing.  I also keep up with technology through the use of my iPod Touch and computer. These three devices I use on a daily basis have created a fast and convenient way for me to surf the web, update my Facebook, and email throughout the day.  Web 2.0 is expanding through new devices such as the iPad and iPhones, too.

B.) There are many aspects of Web 2.0 which interest and amaze me.  Such as how accessible it is and easy to use it at your convenience.  The internet is growing rapidly and I don't see any boundaries which can slow it up unless the government begins to regulate it in some shape and form.  Anyone can post articles, blogs, information, websites, etc on the web. The information people post doesn't even have to be accurate, a 5 year old can post something on Wikipedia and no one would even know it was a 5 year old!  Also, there are many different types of ways which people can interact with one another which fascinates me through facebook, skype, email, etc. Finally, Web 2.0 is a great and helpful tool in today's world, but with all things we need to be responsible how we utilize this valuable tool and not take advantage of it which happens all too often unfortunately.