Everyone has probably sent an e-mail they regretted right after clicking the send button. It’s natural to want to include emotion and tone in your e-mails, it’s how we naturally communicate. Without this tone, our communication would be uninteresting and robotic. However, without facial expression and non-verbal communication cues included in the transmission, our words can often be taken out of context. A new Internet tool helps with this problem and it’s way cool!
The service is called ToneCheck. ToneCheck reports that studies show e-mail is misinterpreted 50% of the time. That’s a pretty high statistic, don’t you think? Don’t fear, ToneCheck is here!
ToneCheck flags sentences with words or phrases that may convey unintended emotion or tone, then helps you re-write them. Just like Spell Check… but for Tone. – ToneCheck.com
It currently only works with Outlook. However, they will soon be launching support for web-based e-mail like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo etc. I highly recommend for anyone in the business environment who deals with a lot of e-mail, especially human resources and managerial positions. This service could really save you a boat load of office hassle, believe me! It would also be useful for college students who often communicate with professors via e-mail. Check it out and let me know what you think of it by commenting!
A report published I read this week really surprised me, or did it?! When I think about Internet privacy I imagine my parents who are too afraid to use Facebook or do heavy amounts of online banking or shopping. They don’t have any kind of presence on the Internet, and they want to keep it that way. However, some new research has led to some intriguing results.
Mary Madden and Aaron Smith of Pew Internet and American Life Project published a very interesting report, Reputation Management and Social Media, that really put my mind into a spin.
44% of young adult Internet users say they take steps to limit the amount of information available about them, compared to 33% of users ages 30 to 49 and 25% of those ages 50 to 64.
71% of younger social networking site users actively change their privacy settings to limit what they share with others online, compared to 55% of those 50 to 64.
41% have removed their names from photos of them posted by others, compared to just 18% of those 50 to 64.
So what does this say about the state of privacy? I believe the younger generation is more willing to share their life online and engage in socialmedia. However, they want to know their in control of the information. They want the say in what is streamed out, and what is not. Rightfully so I might add. A larger portion of the younger generation have an online presence because it truly is “norm” for them. So even the privacy conscious feel compelled to be on these social platforms; however they really take note of their privacy trying their best to lock it down tight.
Older generations are either with it, or they are completely against it. If they feel okay with having their information online, they are generally very “open” type people. They have nothing to hide and don’t fear what others may know about them. These types of people are much less likely to be overly concerned about privacy. They don’t change privacy settings and they don’t un-tag photos of themselves. Those in the older generation didn’t grow up with it so they could take it or leave it, it’s not viewed as a “necessity”, like it is to some of our younger generation. In essence, the adopters of technology in the old generation are truly comfortable with having their indentity online.
These reasons are why Mary and Aaron received the results they did. I wouldn’t call them overly surprising, but more so highlighting the generational divide in technology adoption and the varying principles between the two.
Do you ever think just how important the Internet is these days? Its reach is enormous. From our nations power grid to playing PS3 with your friends across the country. The Internet has quickly integrated into our daily lives; some integration we don’t even realize. A common tactic to flame the fire is the idea of the Internet literally collapsing. But,is that even possible?
The Internet is not one giant pipe that can be severed. The nature of the Internet is that it’s split it a spider web of networks all interconnected. If your data can’t get from A to B because someone maliciously severed a connection somewhere, the traffic could be routed from A to D to C and then to B. The key point in that sentence is the data still gets from A to B, just in a different manner.
So, could the Internet be taken down? In terms of logical ways to sabotage it, no. The Internet is gigantic; it would take a massive attack, and I mean GIGANTIC ATTACK, both of hardware sabotage and network/packet sabotage to Internet backbones around the world. This coordination would be a huge logistical task and highly improbable.
If an attacker severed an “Internet backbone” as their known, traffic disruption on the Internet would occur. In 2008, fiber optic cables on the sea floor were being cut with no culprits ever being found. Some have theorized the attacks were government entities testing the waters on how the public and private sector would respond to disruption. Cutting large cables on the sea floor is no cheap task, I have no doubt it was some kind of professional operation by someone.
So could your e-mail and Netflix suddenly vanish because of no bandwidth some day? Surely, but don’t expect the flow of information around the world to cease at the flick of a switch or slice of a giant scissors. You may be able to slice a chunk of the network out, maybe even a few, but no person or organization could take down the entire Internet. No one.
New media is changing how our society communicates and keeps informed on the topics that are most important to us. Whether friends, family or our favorite celebrities, social media keeps us connected. Barack Obama illustrated how new media platforms could play an integral role in politics. From raising money to keeping constituents informed, new media has solidified its place in the future of politics. One candidate for Governor in Wisconsin is using these new platforms to drive his campaign to what they hope will be a favorable vote this fall.
Hyper Focused Advertising
Inexpensive ads are one of the many advantages for campaigns. The most useful platform for very narrow, focused ads that don’t hurt the pocket book is Facebook. Traditional advertising mediums like television and newspaper may blanket a vast number of people but there is no telling how much waste is included in traditional ad campaigns. The problem is they are not highly targeted, and that is some new media platforms like Facebook deliver. Not only are they a fraction of the cost, but they also let you target extremely narrow demographics and focus a particular message for that group. This kind of targeting is incredibly valuable to political campaigns and traditional business alike.
There are many stories around the country of success with using new media for advertising in politics. One of these is Republican Patrick Mara. Mara defeated a 16-year incumbent in a DC city council primary in 2008. His campaign said they had excellent results using hyper focused ads on Facebook to reach their core demographic.
Put Your Net”work” To Work
No one can help you more than your constituents. Motivating your network to action is an extremely powerful task to accomplish and is now easier than ever before with new media tools and the Internet. Passing your messages and beliefs through your followers is much more effective than any high-dollar ad campaign can accomplish. A personal conversation between friends or family is much more likely to carry weight than a TV ad or a radio spot. Your network is your biggest and most powerful advocate. Don’t forget it, you’ll need them!
Don’t underestimate what your network will or won’t do. Don’t assume they won’t help your cause or do what you ask. Once you have solidified connections with them, your message hits hard. While casual messages through television, radio and other traditional mediums may reach constituents, the message isn’t nearly as personal and is less likely to influence. When your followers choose to connect with you on a new media platform, they’re allowing you into their personal network, they’re not picking up background noise on traditional mediums. Messages are hence stronger and make a larger impact on your constituents, and are more likely to spread.
Bring Your Network Into “The Huddle”
To utilize your network, you need to bring them into your huddle. A disconnect between executives, administrators is a very common problem; both business and politics suffers from this disconnect. This disconnect is often referred to as “Ivory Tower Syndrome.” The leaders of movements often fall out of touch with their base and aren’t aware of what their constituents really feel and really want. New media platforms connect leaders with even the smallest of their base.
82 year-old Dorothy in a town of 1500 people can get on her Facebook account or Twitter account and voice her opinion; something that without these new technologies would be incredibly more difficult for her. This is the power of the “Huddle.” Being your network close and communicate. Don’t just spew one way and use your tools as broadcast platforms. Talk with them, engage them and good things will happen.
“Sometimes we have to ask the hard questions and get real, truthful, and sometimes harsh answers. The more we know about what our constituents are thinking, the better we can serve them.” said Nicole Russo, Legislative Aide to New York State Senator Kemp Hannon. (Mashable)
Transparency = Trust
All of these efforts provide transparency for the candidate. Transparency is something Barack Obama really mainstreamed in his presidential campaign. People want that from the political candidates today. With all our personal information being streamed online, it is becoming the norm to receive your most important & personal information on the Internet.
What are my nephews up to today via Facebook? VOIP chat with them online via the PlayStation Network, and see what my friends around the country are talking about today on Twitter. This transparency is further illustrated by the explosion of location-based services like Foursquare, Gowalla and Loopt. Millions of people have no problem sharing their location every second of the day with the world.
Making the candidate transparent lessens the probability of your messages being lost in translation and makes it much stronger. Trying to communicate solely through press releases or your press team making statement can lead misinterpretation and statements being mis-judged. This can quickly swirl into a PR nightmare. Keeping fresh content and being 100% open on your new media platforms keeps everything on the public record accurately. Transparency also allows to handle small fires that arise on the political trail quickly before they can spread out of control. Cutting the legs beneath allegations and disputes before mainstream media picks it up while reassuring your base of your stance. Mobility and timeliness are key in putting out the fires.
The Neumann campaign uses video to discuss Mark’s stance on the issues and answer question he receives online. The key to efforts like this boils down to one word, genuine. If you think Facebook, Twitter, E-mail will just be another one-way street with you soapboxing your messages, your horribly mistaken. The ship has sailed for you. These platforms need to be personal, they need to be genuine. Your constituents want to feel connected to you and your causes. They do not want to feel connected to your PR team and press releases.
Here is a perfect example from the Neumann campaign. It’s not overly produced and you can tell it’s just Mark speaking, no fancy scripts, no constant cutting and splicing of the video. It’s genuine and it offers some personal details about his life
Wrapping It Up
New media has a firm place in politics. Candidates who fail to utilize these technologies, I feel, are at a significant disadvantage. The Neumann campaign has dedicated effort to the social media sphere and has a following of over 50,000 constituents online because of it.
Don’t be afraid to embrace the new and understand how society is changing. People’s information gathering is changing and they have certain expectations from public figures. Meet those expectations, engage with them, be transparent, and be genuine. Mark has, what can’t others?
I’m sure everyone has heard of the BP oil spill by now, it’s all over the news. One thing BP has done is setup a live camera from unmanned submarines at the ocean sea floor. The camera is trained on the oil well 24 hours a day and accessible by anyone on the Internet at any time. This satisfies our society’s craving for instantaneous data and “LIVE” coverage. The cam makes the oil spill story much more impactful when you see the oil spewing from the sea floor. However, is BP damaging it’s brand by feeding society’s need for this “LIVE” type coverage?
Every time major news outlets talk about the spill, they show this live camera with oil spewing out. This is really ingraining this image of oil tainting our oceans into the minds of viewers. Not only that, the use of the word “BP” as you view the live cam re-enforces that BP is the company involved with the spill. Twitter users have even began to spread pictures of BP’s logo with a slight modification (see below).
So is BP doing the right thing by streaming the oil spill online 24×7 or are they hurting their reputation and brand even more,as if the spilling of millions of barrels of oil isn’t enough to damage them already. Does the public have a right to view the problem even though it’s miles below the surface of the gulf? All I can say is, I hope they hire a great PR firm.
Last year I created a internal memo at the University of Wisconsin — Stout, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, about e-readers and their future on college campuses. For those uninitiated, UW-Stout is a leader in technology with a high percentage of smart classrooms and providing high quality Macbook’s and HP notebook’s to their students. Every student on this campus has a laptop. I think it would be a natural progression to have UW-Stout look into providing their students with this new technology.
When the Kindle first came out I was excited about it’s potential, but it had many limitations that would make it insufficient for an academic enviornment. It was a non-color screen, so science textbooks would be all but useless no the device. There was no way to make notes in the margins or alter anything on the screen; us college folks love our little notes in the margins. I knew that this technology was heading somewhere but it was still in the early stages.
Now comes the Apple iPad. (cue cheesy music) A beautiful color screen and plenty of computing power making this a legitimate contender in the ever expanding “how small can I get my personal computing device” race. It works as a beautiful e-reader and solves some of the problems the Kindle had for use in academic settings. Some schools are brave enough to jump on the bandwagon early, like Seton Hill University.
“Most of Seton Hill’s 2,145 students will have to pay up to $800 a year in additional technology fees for an expanded wireless network and support system.
And Seton Hill says students may still need to buy textbooks. “We believe the iPad will make e-textbooks more viable to assign and use,” said Kary Coleman, media relations director for the school, in an emailed statement” (Wall Street Journal)
Some schools are early adopters of the iPad, but Kary makes a good point. This platform as a digital textbook locker will really take off when publishers start pushing their content to online stores, and that change is coming. Google is opening an e-book store by this summer while other digital book stores continue to expand their content offerings daily.
Devices like the Apple iPad and others still in development will look to revolutionize the education industry. No more heavy backpacks and notebook paper flying all over the room. A seamless and organized experience, interacting with all your textbooks and notes in one digital environment. It’s truly an exciting thought.
The shift is occuring, who will be those first “leaders” in this new technology and embrace “e-reader like” devices for textbooks and content creation among students? It’s still early, but they’re coming.
Want to see the shift that is occurring in action? Watch this…
I’m working on a presnetation on ambient awareness. It has been a research area of mine during my years at UW-Stout. Now I’m pulling together data, white papers and other research to present an overall idea and analysis. Do you feel closer to your network because of digital ambient awareness. Does using tools like Facebook, Twiter, Friend Feed etc. lead to more information crossing our networks? Let me know your thoughts by commenting!
Google is acquiring companies like I acquire candy on Halloween. This raises some big questions like; is Google getting too big for itself? They seem to be on a path to become another Microsoft or Apple, yea that big! Let’s take a look at their latest reason to salivate, Yelp!
Yelp! is a community of restaurant/food fanatics who upload user reviews of eateries and restaurants. From Bob’s Steaks just down the road to the most classy restaurants in New York City.
Larry Dignan at ZDNet. Dignan predicts a dark scenario if the deal goes through: “See where this is going? Google is your friendly neighborhood local business gatekeeper. Google is already the gatekeeper for the big guys. The Google is a local content Borg. Resistance is futile. So is innovation. Any threat these days gets acquired.”
Larry brings up a valid point. Google is becoming such a dominant force could it stifle innovation in the areas they are involved in? Any start-up with any promise that could run with the big boys gets sucked up and purchased by Google. Does this sound familiar? Microsoft anyone?
David Coursey of PC World even published an article inserting the idea of Apple and Microsoft teaming up to take on Google. I’m not the only one seeing the GOOG as a threat, am I?
I will be the first to admit I love Google. They are one of the biggest and best tech companies in the world bar none. Their innovation, products, business ideals are all fantastic. I use many Google products including, search, e-mail, maps, docs, wave, voice etc. You name it, I probably use it.
Do we blame Google for their dominance and great business sense to this point? Or do we blame everyone else who can’t step up and compete with Google? I’m not sure which way the tide would go on that question.
2009 is coming to a close and the web went through radical transformation and progression as it always does. Lots of buzz words we’re thrown around like cloud computing, real-time, geo-locate and streaming video. These changes have been occurring under our noses for the past 12 months and their evolution will continue. Let’s first examine the issue of real-time.
Twitter and Facebook dueled for social supremacy in 2009 with Facebook the obvious front-runner. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, stole some special sauce from Twitter by adding some more real-time interactivity with content and user status updates. Users at first bucked at this change but is now becoming socially accepted among users.
Twitter had changes of its own by re-working their re-tweet system and adding server stability to their infrastructure. Twitter often crippled as breaking news occurred around the world.
Twitter wasn’t the only big real-time dog hitting the interwebs hard in 2009. Services like Brightkite, Foursquare and Latitude really took off as users need for ‘real-time geo awareness’ increased. The ability to track your friends every movement and make stalking easier than ever before really is becoming more accepted in our society. Perhaps the largest use of geo-location services is finding restaurants using services like Yelp.
Augmented realities are really taking off and will continue to do so in 2010. Many iPhone applications are taking advantage of extremely accurate cell-phone GPS and built-in accelerometer technology, your phone not only knows where you are, but where your looking. As you move down the street reviews and content pops up about restaurant reviews, in-store sales, lunch specials etc.
If there is one sure bet in 2010 it has to be mobile phone technology. Mobile platforms are the future of personal computing and mobile technology will continue to advance into 2010 and well beyond.
Everyone is worried about the H1N1 flu this season. This already in addition to the regular flu strain that kills thousands every year. Google developed this trending product to track the spread of flu worldwide.
We have found a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms. Of course, not every person who searches for “flu” is actually sick, but a pattern emerges when all the flu-related search queries are added together. We compared our query counts with traditional flu surveillance systems and found that many search queries tend to be popular exactly when flu season is happening. By counting how often we see these search queries, we can estimate how much flu is circulating in different countries and regions around the world. — Google Flu Trends
How accurate is it? Good question. I’ll let this graphic speak for itself.
This should be an interesting year to track the flu. It is worth a bookmark in your browser.
Everyone has probably sent an e-mail they regretted right after clicking the send button. It’s natural to want to include emotion and tone in your e-mails, it’s how we naturally communicate. Without this tone, our communication would be uninteresting and robotic. However, without facial expression and non-verbal communication cues included in the transmission, our words can often be taken out of context. A new Internet tool helps with this problem and it’s way cool!
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