Why Blog?

I’ve always known about blogging and that it was out there for people to do and use, but I never understood the real purpose of it. I went through an entire course of ITEC to learn about blogging and I ended up with a personal conclusion. “Blogging is not for everyone”. I strongly believe that you have to blog for purpose.

I don’t see the need for someone to go online and give his personal opinion about random stuff like politics, sports, food, etc. There are always going to be millions of people out there that are going to disagree with you. Why do you want to put yourself in a vulnerable situation to get criticized?

I know for a fact that most of the wealthiest people in the world generally do not speak much. Why? Because they LISTEN. They listen to what people think and that way they get to know the people they do business with. They also find opportunities by listening.

I am not saying that blogging is bad, because it is not. It’s just not for everyone.

Internet Innovations

I thought or heard about this a long time ago but haven’t been following up with technology lately. Computers and the internet have been limited to touch and sight for the past decades. With the advanced technology that we have now a day we can revolucionize this idea and expand into new horizons.

Could you imagine if your online facebook profile or messenger besides having your contact information, favorite quotes, pictures, videos, etc. Also had your unique scent. When someone opens up your online profile, their computer somehow will emit your own unique scent that you would have previously established. This scent could be whatever you want. From the colone you wear on a daily basis to your favorite food. This way, other people will not only identify you with your pictures, but also with a fragrance.

This idea could also be extended to taste. A special hardware will produce samples of unique tastes depending on the person’s profile. These ideas don’t necessarily have to go with online profiles. They could also go with songs or even websites. Technology is evolving exponentially. This is why I am sure that very unique innovasions are going to come in the next two decades.

Cell phones and texting

When I first came to the United States 4 years ago the first thing that I noticed as I walked through the quad of American University was that every single student owned a cell phone. It was shocking to me how most of the students were on the phone while comuting from their dorm room to class. If they were not speaking on their cell phone while walking through the quad, they were using their cell phone to text their friends. It was shocking to me because where I come from people my age are not so dependent in their cell phones. I think it is because Mexico is not so technologicaly advanced as the United States. Plus, not a lot of people can afford the telecomunication services that are offered.

Blackberrys and iphones

Cell phones have evolved incredibly during the last 5 years. They went from being simple phones to pretty much small laptop computers. During the past couple of years, a lot of my friends have been buying blackberries and iphones. I’ve noticed that these people have become addicted and dependent to their cell phones. If they don’t have their phones with them, they feel naked. They are texting ALL day! In class, the bathroom, the club, restaurants, everywhere! I find it anoying because I refuse to text. I do not see the point of texting when you can call them and speak to them in person.

I found a youtube video on text messaging which I found very interesting. There are a couple interviews on the pros and cons of texting.

Politics and social networks

A politician’s main goal is to gain popularity among the general public. That means they need to find the most effective way to comunicate with the people. The best ways to comunicate used to be TV and radio, but lately, people have been using the internet more. People are getting access to the Internet more and more every day and people are becoming active users. Politicians have to find a way to use the internet to their advantage to target these active internet users.

Politicians have to start using the popular online networking services like facebook and myspace to target the young population and get them involved so they can get motivated and eventually vote for then in the next elections. I think they are doing a wonderfull job by creating social groups inside these networking websites and informing the people on their candidates and plans for the future. This way, people can actually make an educated decision about the candidate or party they want to vote for.

Hiring by referral

Recruiting through refreal is being used more and more each day. Companies around the US, especially in the financial industry, gives some kind of compensation to their employees if they recomend someone and gets the job. This is a win win situacion for everyone. Employees want to network and meet as many qualified people as possible in order a job comes up. These employees do not want to refer a person that is not qualified because they will loose credibility with the human resource department and they will make the person they refered waste their time.

The first and main goal of a person seeking employment is to get an e mail or a call to schedule a prelimenary interview. There are numerous ways to get your resume into human resources, but in my opinion, there are some better than others. In most companies, you can submit your resume through their websit. You can also mail your resume inn directy to their human resource department. The most effective way I believe you can make your resume get there is by getting a current employee from the company to take it personally to the HR deparment. It will help a lot if he stapes a recomendation letter to your resume.

The grand majority of friends that have gotten a job in New York City is through recomendations. I haven’t heard from anyone that has been called to get an interview that posted their resume on the company website. What I am trying to say is that it is very important to network and meet people. You never know if you are going to need them in the future. You might not, but I am sure some esle will in the future and you are going to refer them to that person.

EPIC 2014

I watched the EPIC 2014 documentary and I found it very interesting. It talked about how in 2014 Google could use its Google Grid to collect news from its users and somehow give it back. Because the information and news is coming from the consumers, the news that is tailored back could be untrue. This would be called Epic.

I wouldn’t say that Epic is something to look forward to. People want to be well informed of what is happening on a daily base and people are willing to do anything for good, up to date and reliable information. I do not believe Epic will share reliable and trustworthy information, therefore I felt kind of scared when I saw the video.

This Epic idea could really happen because of the fact that people are relying each day more and more on the internet to read their news. That is why probably most of the world newspapers are posting their news online for their subscribed readers to read.

I wouldn’t have any inconvenience of media companies consolidating and becoming one huge media corporation if the news they are sharing is true and up to date. A problem with this scenario is that this could lead to a monopoly in the media services which means that they could have the power to manipulate the general public. Epic could turn into one of these monopolies. I know this sounds kind of drastic, but this has happened and this is something to watch out for.

Virtual Meetings

Less than 20 years ago meetings had to be scheduled way ahead of time to ensure everyone was present at the same place. Now, due to globalization and technological developments, virtual meetings and accessibility have made Virtual Team more popular in nationwide and international businesses. This way of working together has become a lot more efficient because people do not need to travel to other cities or countries to work on a project. It also decreases the overall costs for companies and bussineses. Another advantage is that teams of people can be formed despite large distances between its members. Distance does not become an obstacle for getting the adequate member. However, motivating people to work over long distance becomes more of a challenge. Team leaders have to be personal and being a good leader is more of a hassle. In my opninion, personal interaction is very important in working in a team.

I found a fasinating video on youtube. Cisco is having a Virtual Company Meeting.



Where is the technological trend going? Where are meetings going to be held in the future?