my 5 cents

I’ve been blogging now for almost two years. Unfortunately my first two blogs, both of which were for personal use, were not as active as I wanted them to be (both started hot but suddenly turned cold, and the well of motivation for posting ran dry). I know that there are many of us who have experienced this. So I thought why not share a couple of lessons learned about blogging for those who want to try?

i think i caught something

are you familiar with Numa Numa Dance? Star Wars Kid? JK Wedding Dance Video? Susan Boyle? Prison inmates dance to thriller? Valentina Hasan sings Ken Lee? these are called VIRAL VIDEOS.

the tool

in the past class discussion, we were able to present different organizations–both private and public–and how the use New Social Media in their communication processes.

Social Media is the new Punk Rock

a very interesting way of looking at Social Media. i never thought that it could be compared to punk rock. i never even knew the “philosophies” and “principles” of punk. it’s pretty cool.

Organizational Communication

i guess the most frequently asked question i get whenever i tell the name of my course to someone is “what is Organizational Communication?”. before, i would think “oh boy, here it goes again”. as much as i want to lecture them on the subject and give them the *Goldhaber definition (which i think would only further confuse them because of it’s nosebleed-worthiness), i try to give them a short and straight to the point definition: it is about business communication inside and outside the organization.

Social Media Revolution

“Is Social Media a fad? Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?”

I thought this would be useful and informative for those interested in New Social Media and how it has affected our lives through the years.

waves of wonder

a couple of weeks ago, our class was able to see a study, titled Wave 3, by Universal McCann regarding New Social Media. it was very informative and very interesting to say the least.

where does this link go to?

In our study of the organization, we have encountered different organizational models and systems that arose out of existing societal contexts, needs, demands, and innovations of the past decades. With so many characteristics and qualities that could be taken from them, present organizations have taken a liking to three traits: hierarchy (top-down communication, and the construction of the organizational chart), control (information filtering, work standards, deadlines and goals, and career paths), and external pessimism (customers as people who have to be won over). These represented stability and steadiness in the organization.

But we’re over those times. As I said earlier, those were what orgs needed in the past. But we, in the present, have evolved.

talk to the hand… on the keyboard

for the past week’s discussion, our class took a good look at Brian Solis and Jesse Thomas’ Conversation Prism. this concept is very interesting. we are all participating in conversations all throughout the web. We observe, listen, react and share almost everything with people we are connected to. Heck, even those we don’t know can read and comment. And we use different “stages” or “avenues” for our expressions. Facebook, twitter, multiply, wordpress, livejournal, myspace, friendster, xanga, plurk, etc. these are but a few of the known social media platforms that most of us are subscribed to. these are the “places” where we converse with each other, where we share our thoughts, no matter how dull or intricate our issues may be.

Doors and windows

Organizations in the past were closed, guarded and strictly confidential. There was, and still is, a fear about their “great secrets” becoming known to people outside their walls. It may have worked in competition in the earlier times but, as I’ve stressed in my earlier posts, times change. And this change is unstoppable. Instead of trying to hold on to old, out-dated principles that no longer hold value today, organizations should grab the bull by the horns–face the present and allow themselves to evolve. Update and develop. Wisely use today’s technology to their advantage.