I have learned a lot in this class and am very happy I took it.  Sadly, I have to confess I will not miss the weekly blog postings!  I may keep my blog for a while to see if I get the urge.  I may find I enjoy it a lot more without the pressure of having to post something when I am not in the mood.  My greatest struggle was always WHAT to write about?!

And – no surprise here I bet – I will actually continue to enjoy my second life in Second Life.  Actually, I may even create a third life for those times when I want to be completely anonymous – LOL.

My next technology adventure will be the purchase of an Iphone, which I am really looking forward to.  In doing my final paper, I found a great video called “Connected” that is a marketing tool for a small private college in Texas who is handing out Iphones to all incoming freshman.  It is a great example of how the phone can be used both in and out of the classroom.  In case you are curious, the link for the website is http://www.acu.edu/technology/mobilelearning/index.html.  Right now I am torn between splurging on a Nikon D80 Digital SLR camera or the Iphone.  Both require $$ so I will have to budget for whatever I choose.

Now I am off to pack for my trip to NYC while my avatar, Debbie Rubble dances in SL at the Dogglounge.  At least one of us is having a good time.

Again, I look forward to seeing everyone around campus!  Don’t be a stranger.

Having been guilty of putting in at least 12-14 hours a day for the last few weeks, that is some advice I am ready and willing to adopt.  Hansson said no one can be creative working 14 hours a day.  He thinks the goal should really be to get in 5 solid hours of work a day and then to enjoy yourself and have a life.  In his experience, he believes a person can get so much more done in a focused 5 hour day than a in a lengthy 14 hour day.  The software developer he was advising confessed to having a hard time with focus and being guilty of becoming distracted and surfing the Internet.

While I myself do not suffer from “Internet-surfingitis,” I will admit to suffering from burnout and not feeling the same motivation that I know I should feel.  Perhaps there is a difference between “being creative” and simply working to complete tasks, because I know I work very hard to get as much done in every day as I possibly can. I have no choice. I have deadlines that have to be met.  However, I often leave work exhausted and wake up the next day feeling even more tired than when I went to bed.

It does not take a genius to realize this cannot be a good situation.  However, I persist because despite my exhaustion, I love my job.  I love the people I work with and this situation I currently find myself in is one that we hope to have resolved within the next few months.  Yes, a faint light shines at the end of the tunnel!

And even though I do admit to working too many hours on occasion or even working non-conventional hours, I don’t think it is all bad.  I work the way I do in normal times (right now is not a normal time) because I have a passion for my job and take pride in doing the best job I possibly can.  If I work non-conventional hours, it is because I have chosen to do so, not because someone is making me do it.  Even now, no one is making me put in the extra hours.  It’s just that when you care about what you do, you want to do it well.

However, the words spoken by David Hansson, have given me something to seriously think about.  It was not so long ago that I couldn’t wait to get in to work every day — eagerly awaiting the new challenges that were sure to arise.  I want to feel that way again and I know it is possible.  If I weren’t on overload at the moment, I would be feeling that way right now.  There are so many exciting things happening in my job, at our new Center on Communication Leadership and at the Annenberg School itself.  

I think I am going to make this online promise to myself and blast it outward to the world, as only a blog and the Internet can do.  After this class and my 6 week summer session ends, I AM GOING TO TAKE SOME QUALITY TIME FOR MYSELF AND RECHARGE MY BATTERIES.  Perhaps I’ll take a short trip somewhere and get away… or maybe…just maybe… I’ll do nothing at all.  Imagine that, just laying around the house and enjoying the feeling of having no deadlines to meet and no place to be.  I wonder if I could actually do that?!  I’m not sure but I am always up for a challenge, and perhaps this is my most important challenge yet.

Like most people, I am addicted to my cell phone.  I use it both for business and pleasure.  I can “almost” not remember a time when we weren’t using them everywhere – which is funny since I am definitely of an age where I should remember a world without them.   But that really speaks to just how central cell phones have become to our lives.  Charlie kept referring to them as the “most personal targeted device” we own.  When he said it, it really struck a chord with me.  I had never thought of the phone in quite that way, but as soon as he said it, I realized he was absolutely right.  I invest so much more of myself into my cell phone than I do any other gadget I own, including my computer.  It goes with me everywhere and keeps me “plugged into” the various parts of my life.   Heaven forbid I ever forget it or fail to charge the battery…especially during the week…and especially living here in L.A.  Drive time in Los Angeles without a cell phone is sheer torture.  It’s where I do all my catching up with friends and family.  And, it’s also the place I conduct all of my personal business.  Not surprisingly, I’m much too busy at work to do anything other than, well, work.

I’m also guilty of obsessing over ring tones, call back tones, cell phone cases, cell phone colors, etc.  These are really rather meaningless pastimes, but the customization aspect of these features does allow you to personalize a phone in a way you don’t with your computer.  More confirmation of Charlie’s point.  The phone is an incredibly personal device.

There are two ways to look at our current cell phone obsession.  Some folks would argue that this is exactly the problem with cell phones – they don’t allow you to enjoy any “down” time.  We are constantly trying to maximize every second of every day.  And I have to be the first to admit, I am guilty.  On the other hand, I think the cell phone also allows me a great deal of freedom.  When I do need to be away from the office, I can take off, secure in the knowledge that if I do need to be reached or respond to an email, my wonderful cell phone gives me that capability.

I have so much more to say about this, but I’ve been swamped this week maximizing every second of every day for the last couple of weeks (score one for the cell phone haters) and knowing I have an early day in the morning, I think I will sign off for now and come back to this topic again later.

1)    Find out the latest news on campaign’s progress

2)    Find out how to join or contribute to the campaign

3)    Find out the candidates policy on the economy

Then I scored each site (5 points possible) on the following:

1)    Overall design

2)    Content

3)    Structure

4)    Navigation

Here are my results:

John McCain

http://www.johnmccain.com

User is greeted by an opening screen asking for your email address, but the site does provide a click thru to the main homepage if you do not choose to share your email info.  The main homepage is nicely laid out, with a good text/background contrast making the site easy to read.  Page is divided into clear sections and joining the campaign and donating are both clearly indicated on the top right.  There is a news box on the main page with links to John McCain’s most recent statements as well as links to press releases, news and speeches.  His position on the economy was easily found on a dropdown menu at the top of the main page which allowed a voter to click through and read his stance on various tax and economic issues.  Overall a nice site with all information easy to find at a glance.  Overall score – 24/25

Barack Obama

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

Like McCain’s site, you are met with an opening screen asking you to join the movement and provide your email address.  A “skip signup” button is provided to click on through.  Once inside, Obama’s homepage evokes heavenly blues and whites with touches of red on key buttons such as “donate now” or “apply now.”  The color scheme is really quite nice.  The main page contains several boxes although they are not clearly labeled.  It is necessary to scroll down to find the news and events boxes which I didn’t like.  It was easy to find his position on the economy thanks to a drop down menu labeled “Issues.”  I expected to find Obama’s site the best of the three and in looking for information quickly; his site did not live up to my expectations.  It took me longer to find what I was looking for on this site.  Another annoyance was the back button was disabled forcing me to close the window rather than to click back out.  Overall score – 22/25

Hillary Clinton

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/

Surprise, surprise!  Another annoying opening screen asking for me to give out my email address.  However once inside at the main homepage, the structure and layout of the site is nice and straightforward.  The main page is divided into clear definable sections making information easy to locate.  Buttons to join and contribute are easy to see and clearly clickable.  Like Obama she also had “Issues” as part of a drop down menu located across the top of the page.  The labels on the drop down menu should be more succinct like Obama’s who only lists one word (i.e., economy, war, etc) – which I think is better.  News was also found on the main page and did not require any scrolling.  Overall score – 23/25

Despite the fact that I am a Democrat, I honestly (and surprisingly) liked John McCain’s site the best.  Obama’s was more pleasing to look at than Hillary’s but Hillary’s site had a more straightforward and clearly defined layout making information quicker to access.  Hillary only gained a point over Obama due to his site’s disabling of my back button, otherwise it would have been a tie.  Isn’t it odd that the findings in this usability test have an uncanny resemblance to the current state of affairs on the campaign trail?

What a hoot!  And a day early at that. 

This was just what I needed today – a good laugh when I least expected it.  I started thinking about the last time anyone played an April Fool’s joke on me…and would you believe it has probably been at least 10 years.  What do you think that means?  I like a good laugh as well as the next person.  I don’t think of myself as a particularly serious person.  Is it possible I am reaching the age where people aren’t sure if I can take a joke?  That is almost too scary to even contemplate.  I don’t EVER want to be that old.  Or at least, I don’t ever want to be thought of as not having a sense of humor regardless of my age.  I want to always retain the ability to laugh – both at myself and at others.  Yes!  I said “at others.”  What’s wrong with having a harmless laugh at someone else’s expense?  Isn’t that the point of April Fool’s Day anyway?

In the spirit of April Fool’s, here is a link to the Top 10 Harmless Geek Pranks: http://lifehacker.com/373817/top-10-harmless-geek-pranks 

A quick summary of the pranks are as follows:

10.  Install the Blue Screen of Death Screensaver

9.  Fake a Desktop with Screenshot Wallpaper

8.  Schedule a phone call with a Text-to-Speech Message from Wakerupper.com

7.Fill an office with Packing Peanuts (Or Make it Look That Way)

6. Remote Control Your CoWorkers Computer with VNC

5.Message Co Workers With Net Send

4.”Break” Your Victim’s LCD Screen With Wallpaper

3. Hijack Firefox with the Total Confusion Pack Extended (Enabled April 1^st only)

2. Customize the Office HP Printer’s Console Message

1.Turn Web Pages Upside Down

I am so inspired by this and enjoyed my TechCrunch laugh so much that I am planning to try prank #2 tomorrow at work.  That seems funny and relatively harmless.  I would have loved the packing peanuts prank – which would work perfectly in the Dean’s Suite, but I just don’t have the time to get it together.  I think I’ll save that one for next year!

I began using two monitors several years ago and immediately saw a dramatic increase in my work efficiency.  Shortly thereafter, I turned into what could be called a “dual monitor evangelist” because I have been urging everyone I know to also adopt the two monitor method.  Having two monitors allows me to have several programs open and in view at the same time.  It also allows me to drag info between programs without having to go through extra steps to accomplish the same thing (i.e., no minimizing and maximizing of the programs).  It really revolutionized the way I use my computer. 

What has been surprising to me are the responses I get when I try to tell people how great it is to use two monitors.  Most people just say something non-committal like, “Oh really?”  Or that they wouldn’t like the space that two monitors takes up on their desk.  I even had someone tell me “No thanks,” when I tried to give them an extra flat panel monitor I had at home so they could see for themselves.  What is up with that?!  Turning down a free monitor?!??   Yikes. 

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by people’s reluctance to try something new.  We all have a tendency to get somewhat comfortable with the way we do things.  Even I have to admit to being rather lazy when it comes to embracing new telephone technology.   However, I do TRY to be open-minded about new ways to do things.  If enough people tell me something is great, I recognize that they may know something I don’t and am willing to give their recommendations a serious look.  Yes, it’s true.  Turns out that I am actually an old dog who is WILLING to learn new tricks!  (Rumor has it that I might be looking into getting an Iphone). 

I have always looked for that indefinable x-factor when interviewing potential staff.  Michael Arrington says to look for the person with the “fire in their eyes” who wants to work as part of the team and gets excited about anticipating and solving problems.  I agree they are not hard to spot, but they are often very hard to find – even when the salary is a good one.  I think people like this are often valued at their current jobs and may not always be out there looking for a job when you need them.  So good networking is often the only way to find them. 

However, this advice is not only good for those in the tech industry and startup companies.  I think this is good advice for all companies in every industry. 

In every company I have ever worked in, the people I want to work with and those I want on my team are the ones I know have a passion for what they do.  And I believe it is possible to have that passion even in a receptionist or administrative role.  In my mind, it really comes down to taking pride in your work product and in understanding that you are what you produce.  It makes me think of the stories I’ve heard about self-made millionaires who started in the mail room but were able to work their way up to being the CEO of their company.  These are exceptional people, of course, but they are also the type of individuals who took pride in being even a lowly mail room clerk – because he or she knew their reputation would be built on how well they did in whatever job they were assigned.   And when there was a higher level position available, their superiors were willing to give them a chance (regardless of whether their credentials met the stated requirements) based on their work ethic, their intelligence and their passion for doing an outstanding job under any circumstance. 

In terms of the work/life balance issue, I do think this is important.  I struggle with this issue every day, but if I didn’t love what I do, I wouldn’t be doing it.  I know I can pick up and walk out the door at any time things get to be too much, but I stay and work as hard as I do because I love the company I work for and the people I work with.  I am constantly excited about what is around the corner and what new projects might end up on my desk.  It’s really not such a bad problem to have.  The alternative would, in fact, be much much worse. 

For me, I think the problem might be that I haven’t really found my voice yet (even though this is my 7^th blog for the class).  I am getting more and more comfortable about putting my thoughts out in cyberspace, but I feel like I have yet to find my passion and therefore, any burning need to blog.  It still feels forced and awkward for me.  Every Sunday night…it’s like a trip to the dentist.  I know I have to do it and will feel better once it’s over, but I dread it.  Perhaps it’s because I am blogging about technology and feel I have no expertise here, but I am appreciative of the learning experience nonetheless.

Since I am not part of the ASC Online Communities program, perhaps I am a bit behind the learning curve here.  But I almost feel as though I have been walking around with blinders on.  Yes, of course I knew what blogs were, but I didn’t really see why I should care all that much about them.  I was not aware of the value of tagging, or blog search engines or why they might extremely valuable to me.  Even though I have been faithfully (and happily) reading the tech blogs each week for class, I have certainly not given individual blogs the attention they deserve.  I usually read everyone’s weekly blogs and have learned a lot from all of you.  I have been impressed and entertained when I have least expected it.  It has been a very positive experience.  So why have I not embraced this format on a more global level? Honestly, I’m not sure.

My plan for this week is to start taking a look at other individual blogs on topics that interest me and to start leaving comments when inspired to do so.  Perhaps engaging in this way will help to fire a passion inside of me that seems to be missing when it comes to blogging.  I’m even more inspired to get on sites such as Technorati to see what I can learn from blog search engines. 

Has anyone else felt this way or is it just me?

In case you didn’t see the story, 123people is a program to help you “find everyone you (want to) know.” It basically searches every corner of the Web to find as much information as possible about the person you key into the search field. They claim to be able to find images, videos, phone numbers, email addresses, social networking info, Wikipedia profiles, etc. In addition, you can also add (yes add!) information to the profiles such as tagging, comments, etc. How cool is that?

Currently, the site is optimized for European Web users, so there was a disclaimer in the email they sent that stated US users would have a different experience of the site. For starters, I decided to enter a person’s name who I knew there should be searchable info on to see what would come back (Geoffrey Cowan). I was not disappointed. I found profile and data weblinks as well as weblinks to other places such as Amazon.com where you could buy his books, a ton of images, videos, his email address, a LinkedIn profile and various blogs he’d written. At first glance the site certainly seemed to live up to its hype.

In terms of the user experience, you could add comments, tags, pictures, and additional weblinks that did not come up during the initial search. There was also a ratings section for the individual’s profile that allowed you to rate the person as “smart, sexy, rich, vip, funny or cool.” I tried to explore this feature, but that part of the site did not appear to work. Personally, I thought that feature detracted from the site and made it seem rather frivolous.

I would have to say one of the best things about this program was the “email this profile to a friend” feature. Because they put everything in one neat little spot, it makes it easy to send info about a particular individual to someone else. However, the feature for reporting flaws in a profile could use a lot more work. I found it cumbersome and not well thought out. It would be better if you could click on each flaw and let them know it was incorrect rather than having to list all of the flaws in a single pop-up comment box.

I think this program has great potential even though it will never replace a Google search. The Google search on Geoffrey Cowan was more comprehensive with pages and pages of information. However, the beauty of having a variety of information on someone (contact info, images, videos, etc.) at my fingertips, in ONE place without having to click through a bunch of different search results was wonderful. It is going to be great for quick searches once they get the bugs worked out. I urge everyone to give it a try and see what you think. 

I have another hunch that the Internet and technology has been partly to blame for this situation.  Being able to use the Internet quickly and efficiently has made me very good at my job.  I am able to navigate and find what I need quickly.  It makes me appear to have all the answers at my fingertips whenever anyone needs anything.  However, in my case this wonderful technology appears to be a double edged sword — at least for me.  The words “setting boundaries” spring to mind in my own case.  But enough of that. 

Let’s go back to the wonderful world of technology…and the program NetVibes.  I first read about NetVibes in our required weekly readings (TechCrunch.com) and later heard Erika Shen rave about it in class.  It is my latest addiction and something I can no longer live without.  I spent several hours today setting up a number of different tabs and then adding all of our class information and the various blogs we should be reading on individualized tabs.  I also put everyone’s blogs on a page so I can get to those without having to log into our Wiki.  This is going to be such a timesaver to have all of this information pre-programmed.  I am really excited about this!  If I had the time, I’d do a dorky YouTube video complete with sappy music extolling the virtues of the program.  This is probably the one instance where everyone is glad (and relieved) to hear I am  simply to busy to undertake such a project.

I have a demanding full time job and finding the time to do all the readings and assignments required for this class has been a definite challenge for me.  Based on conversations with some of you, I have to believe you may also share in this struggle. Unlike other graduate classes that simply ask you to read, participate in class and write a paper or two, I find this class to be much more intensive in terms of time requirements.  I think part of the reason for this is that I find myself exploring new technologies that I am unfamiliar with and that takes extra time — to learn , to understand, and at times, to try and gain some proficiency.  Just learning to get around in Second Life took a few intensive night and weekend sessions – and I would still not claim any proficiency other than “basic.”  Add to that, the exploration of the various new technologies I might come across in our tech newsletter readings, or the social networking involvement that I am not ordinarily as committed to, and the reading of other classmates blogs, the regular classroom reading assignments, the module papers and the writing of our own blogs, and I find that my time gets taken up in a number of activities – all valuable - but all requiring a substantial time commitment.

Anyway, discovering a valuable program such as NetVibes that empowers me in ways that allow me to reclaim some of my time makes it worth it!   And for that, Comm 534 and Erika Shen, I can’t thank you enough!