2010 High School Football Highlights

Mobile phones are becoming one of the most creative and effective phenomenons in the world today.  This really rings true with smart phones.  You can look things up online, capture video and audio, take photos along with many other great features.  In chapter 21, studies show that by 2012 nearly one third of the worlds population will be using the internet in at least some capacity.  It’s hard to believe that the first wireless phone was first patented in June of 1969.  I had no idea that they had been around that long.  The evolution of the mobile phone has gone from just a wireless device, to something that you can do just about anything with.  They are also one of the big reasons why just about anyone in this world can have a voice through social media.  People can interact mainly by phone now and not just by a computer.

In today’s world, phones are also used for updating Twitter and Facebook accounts.  This allows for real time interaction between friends and other groups of people.  I notice on our classes Facebook page that everyone is always interacting, part of this may be the result of some people using mobile/smart phones.  Smart phones are one of the great things that has been invented in my opinion.  However, people become slightly obsessed with being on their phones because almost anything they want to know is basically in the grip of their hand.  What made this chapter interesting was the fact that many businesses have only started to understand how powerful mobile marketing can be.   In order to understand the power of something like mobile marketing, we need to actually try it out.  I don’t even have a smart phone yet, but I would like to see all of the different applications that are involved.  As the world is turning away from standard computers to more portable devices, the marketing world is going to change as well.

Chapter 20 talked about how important marketing is in the world of the internet and search engines.  What makes Search Engine Marketing so appealing is that there is almost no cost involved.  Everyone likes results at a low price, right?  I know I do.  When optimized search results and marketing are involved in the right way with each other, almost anyone will have an effective web presence.  The only difference is when Search Engine Marketing is done the right way, you will have great success in terms of sponsors.  The most popular form of SEM marketing is known as pay-per-click.  This is a simple concept, but when it’s optimized the right, revenues and web presence will shoot through the roof.  In 1998, the idea of the pay-per-click concept was introduced by Jeffrey Brewer.  Eventually, Google followed suit and introduced an impression based advertising format.  This is known as Google Ad-Words, which I have used before actually.  If you use this feature on Google, you basically get pay based on impressions and pay-per-click advertising. 

Like I’ve said in recent entries for this blog, this book continues to drive home the idea of creating good content.  In the “Commandments” section of chapter 20, the author describes the importance of good content, because without it no one can get very far.  One of the great things about SEM is that the potential return could be as much as 300 percent of you would spend on the advertising plan in the first place.  That’s a powerful number.  In order to have great web presence and succeed no matter what the business venture is, it’s important to put everything together from marketing, to search engine optimization, to building a community.  Pay-per-click and SEM advertising is all around the web, we just don’t pay much attention.  However, it’s there for a reason, because it’s powerful when implemented correctly. 

Search engines are possibly the most powerful and underrated form of promotion online today.  The more presence you have on a search engine the more likely it is that customers and other individuals will find you.  Search Engine Optimization is a technique that helps maximize the presence of someone’s blog, video, podcast, and many other forms of social media.  I found it surprising that Google or Yahoo were not the first search engine companies.  The earliest search engine was developed in 1965 by a computer science professor named Gerard Salton.  So, the idea of a search engine itself has been around for decades.  I found this chapter very informative because it broke down how Search Engine Optimization works.  An internet search has three major components to it.  There is a huge database that contains information on every website in the world.  Then there are robots or bots that search the world wide web and find key words or information on a particular website or subject.  An example of this would be the results that come up when you type in a key word into a search engine.  Keywords are one of the most important thing when trying to establish great search engine presence.  However, like most forms of social media, content is the driving force.  If you have a website, you have to make sure that the content on each page is solid and relevant.  Being able to understand the keywords on your web page is also an important component.  Chapter 19 describes how it’s important to analyze the key words of each web page and determine which ones are most important.  This was a really good chapter to read because many people don’t understand how search engines work including myself.  Search Engine Optimization helps customers and individuals find what they are looking as quickly and accurately as possible.  Web presence will always be an important part of succeeding in today’s social media driven world.

I never really knew what RSS actually stood for, but now I know that it stands for Really Simple Syndication.  RSS feeds date back to 1995 after Ramanathan V. Guha discovered the concept.  Essentially, RSS feeds are used in many social media formats such as blogs, web pages, and audio among other things.  Anyone who clicks to receive an update from your website or blog, then receives automatic updates as a result of the RSS feed.  Then comes the aggregator, also known as a reader.  These are basically programs that will constantly check all of the sites and blogs you are subscribed to and then feed updates.  Personally, I’ve never subscribed to an RSS feed, and I didn’t really know what it was and how it worked until I read this chapter.  What makes RSS feeds so effective is that they are simple, one click feeds people can use to get updates on your website and other online material. 

Krista Canfield also had some great insight into what LinkedIn is all about.  The public relations manager for LinkedIn states that the basic objective of LinkedIn is to help professional individuals speed up their success.  Like other forms of social media, the success of using LinkedIn is based on how you leverage relationships.  Just about any professional individual should use LinkedIn if they aren’t already.  I found it surprising that even Bill Gates uses LinkedIn.  Why is LinkedIn so effective? Because it is used by many high profile job hiring services like “Simply Hired”.  LinkedIn is a powerful way to stay connected with other professionals in many different industries.

One of the important things that was listed at the end of chapter 18 was to make sure our websites or blogs have easy social bookmarking buttons.  If no one sees that they can subscribe to your content, then there is almost no way they will search to find out.  RSS feeds are a traditional, yet effective way for people to get involved with an individuals content.

Virtual gaming and videos games are a huge phenomenon in the world that we live in today.  Often times they become an obsession for teenagers and young adults because they can be very captivating and addictive to play.  Virtual gaming is so powerful that even Barack Obama’s presidential campaign bought advertising in the online racing game called Burnout Paradise.  If he’s using virtual games as a way to reach a younger audience, then there is obviously some substance involved.  One of the most popular types of virtual gaming are online role playing games like World of Warcraft.  These games have a culture within themselves, and are a way for many young adults to interact with each other on a daily basis.  One thing that makes these games so accessible is the fact that they are available to play at any, at any point in the year.  The difference between a virtual world and a virtual game is a virtual world isn’t first person/role playing like a virtual game is.  But, they use some of the same basic concepts. 

The first multiplayer game was Neverwinter Nights, which was a medieval fantasy role playing game that debuted on the internet in 1991.  Over the years it has morphed from Neverwinter Nights to obsessive games like Halo and World of Warcraft.  Many of these role player games are at the center of controversy throughout the world because of the violence that takes place within them.  Personally, I don’t think a violent virtual game solely causes people to make destructive decisions.  At the end of the chapter, Scott Clough stated that one of the reasons he likes playing role player games is because he gets to be another person within the game.  He also goes onto say that virtual games a part of everyday society and you can find them just about anywhere.  Why are virtual games so relevant?  Because people can interact with other people sharing a common interest.

Virtual worlds are beginning to become more popular as technology increases.  These can be extremely beneficial, especially with our generation expecting better technology and different ways for companies to advertise their products and services.  Virtual worlds began mainly as simulators that were three dimensional.  Eventually, the SenSei Operating System appeared in the late 1980’s and the early 1990’s.  The job of SenSei was to create a experience where are user with almost no computer experience could look at the computer screen and almost automatically know what to do next because the system was so self explanatory.  We see virtual worlds all around us now.  A video game is essentially a virtual world where people can connect on a different level.  On example of this is the game Halo 3.  Microsoft introduced a feature on their XBox console named “Xbox Live”.  This function allowed users across the world to connect with each other playing the game Halo.  In it’s first week, Xbox Live generated more than 2.7 million gamers, which is an insane number.

Chapter 16 also describes a virtual world as a graphic representation of an object, animal, or person.  Certain organizations like the American Cancer Society have begun using virtual worlds to test prototypes with their audience.  They also had a kiosk design contest in which they featured the finalists in “Second Life”, which is a three dimensional version of real life.  Personally, I am a bit weary of virtual worlds, however they do seem interesting and intriguing.  I could see virtual worlds becoming more and more prevalent in the coming years because they are more technological and they are fascinating to look at.  They are a unique way for different companies and organizations to get users and customers involved.  One thing that I want to check out are virtual stores online. 

The great thing about the world we live in right now is that we have so many different ways to communicate with people.  Whether you’re trying to converse with a family member, friend, or business partner, social media has paved a wide path for communicating both verbally and non verbally.  The main difference between now and 10 to 15 years ago is that virtually everyone has a voice to a certain extent.  Chapter 15 discussed how almost anyone with computer and basic technology skills can produce and distribute their own television or radio show across the web.  From the time that WXYC 89.3FM out of Chapel Hill, NC broadcast it’s radio signal over the internet, to the present day where their are thousands of online radio stations, there was a lot of innovation involving the concept of putting audio online.  I find it amazing that once ground has been broken in terms of technology a domino effect starts to occur, and pretty soon a lot of people are taking part in it.  Livecasting video is a very intriguing phenomenon.  I have found numerous videos across YouTube of random people documenting their daily activities.  Everyday people like you and me are uploading instructional videos as well, whether it be a musical instrument, a recipe, or something else.

One of the livecasting services that I’m familiar with the most is Ustream.  It was created in March of 2007 with the concept of being able to lifecast live streaming video for free.  Those who post good content on a livecast whether it’s video or audio, need to still keep in mind that it’s still all about content.  Sometimes I wonder why people upload certain things when the quality of what they’re putting out is sub par.  The “Expert Insight” of Jody Gnant was an interesting piece to read.  She described how lifecasting has helped create a community that has impacted others as well.  Like other forms of social media, livecasting is about getting out and try it.  Personally, I’ve never tried it, but it seems interesting enough. 

Microblogging is a very important part of how we communicate in today’s world filled with technology.  This chapter describes how text messaging is basically microblogging, and we all know how popular and important text messaging is in today’s society.  This is also where the phenomenon known as twitter comes into play.  With the emergence of Twitter, microblogging became the new thing in the world of social media.  Many big time celebrities, politicians, and athletes use Twitter on a daily basis.  We as a society use microblogging services like Twitter to evaluate other people’s popularity and web presence.  What’s even more amazing is how many users Twitter had when this book was published, 75 million.  Couple that staggering statistic with over 35 million total tweets a day, and you have a microblogging phenomenon.  Until I read chapter 14, I never thought of Twitter as a microblogging service, but now it makes total sense. 

Chapter 14 went on to discuss different elements of microblogging such as microspam and microadvertising.  The latter is the one that interests me out of the two.  Twitter CEO Evan Williams announced a plan for a more seamless and innovative advertising model.  This model allows for advertising to be integrated without the user having to leave the current website that they are on.  I think it’s great that the idea of a less traditional and more seamless advertising experience has been brought to the forefront by Twitter.  I don’t like pop up ads or large advertising banners to begin with.  Microblogging and the use of Twitter have also added more slang and jargon into out vocabulary.  The words “tweet” and “hashtag” are often used in conversations with younger adults.

Another thing that I did learn from this chapter is that the cofounder of Twitter, Biz Stone, also helped start the once popular online blogging service Xanga.  Xanga has since fallen off the map, but it has been replaced with a more efficient way to express something.  Twitter came along at a time when society began to want things at a more rapid pace.  Many people around the world, especially those from the United States, live in a very fast paced world.  This is one of the reasons why Twitter is so powerful in my opinion.  It almost feels like Twitter is a must have in society.

I have always been intrigued by how powerful video sharing can be when it’s done the right way.  At the beginning of chapter 13 the author described how a few different people had uploaded videos onto YouTube and were able to get millions of hits within a short amount of time.  They make it seem so easy for a video to go viral, which makes me wonder how it’s done.  For example, I’m not sure how the the “Evolution of Dance” video became such a huge hit.  It has over 100 million YouTube hits!  It just goes to show that if you have something of entertainment value to a large population, then your video can become very powerful.  Chapter 13 then went on to describe different ways of sharing video files with others.  One of them is peer to peer sharing.  This is done by downloading files that other users have requested.  Basically, once all of the bits from a file have been downloaded, they are then converted into the actual file.  Famous peer to peer networks such as BitTorrent and Napster have been very successful, but have also been polarizing as well because of alleged copyright infringement by file sharers. 

The expert insight section of chapter 13 went into detail regarding content partner ships on YouTube.  The manager of content partnerships for YouTube, George Strompolos, described how he deals with YouTube’s content partnerships with the likes of ESPN, the NBA, and the Discovery channel as well as many others.  He also describes how a normal person can have a huge impact with a posted video on YouTube.  There are some people who have posted videos that have greater viewership than American Idol, as well as many other highly rated videos and programs.  This chapter helped prove why video is the most effective medium of communication in the world today.  Much of this is because of YouTube, but it’s also because of the many avenues people can share videos with others.

In my opinion, video is the most powerful medium in the world of media today.  Not only does video have the audio element, but it also has the visual element that can make a video so powerful.  We as humans are often stimulated by what we can see visually.  This is why commercials during the Super Bowl can be so powerful, and why a radio spot is not nearly as effective.  It’s also why YouTube is one of the most popular websites in the world.  Chapter 12 described video by getting down to the basics of frames per second.  Many people do not know how video works.  The standard frame rate in anywhere from 25-30 frames per second.  However, for high definition, it’s about 50-60 frames per second, allowing for a much clearer picture.  The development of Quicktime by Apple on December 2nd, 1991 created the breakthrough for video on a computer.  This was an extremely important moment because without that breakthrough by Apple, we may not have seen the progress with video on computers like we’ve been accustomed to.  Then there was the creation of a video uploading and sharing network known as YouTube.  Like many other kinds of social media, Chapter 12 says to get involved and create your own video and share it.  It’s all about interaction and generating a response.

YouTube has changed the way videos are seen and distributed on an internet platform.  It was created in 2005 by three former PayPal employees.  I find it extraordinary how many social media companies are started.  Often times they are started by people who have experience on at least one or many different social media and internet platforms.  Being able to edit video is extremely important in the world of broadcasting much like audio is.  Editing video is a great skill because it can be used in several different industries, but it’s also much more complicated than editing audio.  I’ve always found creating and editing video more difficult, but the results and reaction you can get are more compelling than many other platforms.  One of the great things about video is that you can create something with a high quality smart phone if you have one.  It’s so easy for people to create and upload videos to Facebook and Youtube making it a very powerful online social experience.

Chapter 11 is basically an extension of chapter 10 except that it is more specific with it’s discussion of iTunes.  This section of the book discusses the evolution of iTunes and the impact that they have had on the audio sharing world.  I found it astounding that when the podcasting feature premiered on iTunes, people with podcasts reported that downloads of their respective podcasts nearly tripled.  What iTunes did was create an easier and more effective way to share audio, whether it’s an Mp3 or a podcast.  This is one of the reasons why Apple and iTunes have been at the forefront of not only audio, but in video sharing as well with the video application that they added in iTunes version 4.8 back in May of 2005.

Chapter 11 also discussed the impact that Podbean has had on people who have an interest in professional sounding podcasts.  Podbean is basically a podcast creation website with the feel of a blog.  It is an easy site to use for anyone no matter the profession that they are in.  The evolution of podcasting and audio sharing has improved dramatically over the last 5 years or so.  iTunes has made it easier to download and share Mp3’s, while websites like Podbean have made it easier to create and promote professional sounding podcasts.  This also goes for the world of blogging as well.  This Tumblr blog that I’m using right now was a piece of cake to set up.  It only took a few minutes, and then I was blogging.

In the latter part of chapter 11, founder and CEO of blogtalkradio.com Alan Levy described how he basically turned the standard blog format into an audio version of itself.  What’s even more interesting ro me is how his website was started.  Levy created a blog for his dad who was ill with cancer.  That was the point when he discovered just how popular and powerful the blogging world was.  The end of the chapter described how the better web presence you or your company has, the more credibility you have as well.

One of my favorite things about being a broadcasting major is the ability to create and manipulate audio.  Audio is all around us, whether it’s natural audio or audio created by us whether it be something for radio or a song.  Podcasts have always been a very popular way to allow an audience to hear a type of audio in an easy, and accessible way.  Podcasts are turning into what radio used to be.  The origin of the podcast is very interesting.  I like how it had to do with the fact that audio file sizes were too large when they were in WAV format.  This is where the idea of compressing a piece of audio down to MP3 format which is way easier to download.  Podcasting is now an important part of many online classes here at UNL.  I took an independent study economics course this past semester in which the professor did his chapter lectures using the podcasting software that was available for him to use.  This was also the case with an online geography course that I took about a couple of semesters ago.  I found it much easier to listen to a lecture, rather than read a bunch of text and then take a test on it.

Another great thing about podcasting and audio in general is that it doesn’t take much money and effort to do.  You can even record podcasts using your computer microphone.  Since I am into audio and I’m a broadcasting major, I have an audio recorder that is even better quality, which can make a huge difference.  In the “commandments” section of chapter 10, one of the points hit home for me.  The author described how we should all experience sound editing.  Sound editing is important in many professions, and it isn’t any different in the world of broadcasting.  Like many others, I love audio because it allows me to listen to music.  Also, unlike video, audio is easy to transfer from place to place when it is in MP3 format.  This makes podcasting and audio an extremely powerful tool in many different professions. 

Photos sharing has been a powerful tool for years in the world of technology.  With so many affordable digital cameras, it’s easy to share photos through Twitter and Facebook.  Also, smart phones like the Droid and IPhone have made sharing photos even more rapid.  Photo sharing has taken a whole role when it comes to Facebook.  If you are tagged in a photo on Facebook, it immediately becomes one of your photos.  This can make for very fast and effective photo sharing.  Chapter 9 describes how there are many different options when it comes to photo sharing.  Two of them that I’m familiar with are Flickr and Snapfish.  Snapfish allows you to view photos individually or as a slide show.  Flickr is probably the most common photo sharing mechanism that I have seen my friends use.  I have mixed views when it comes to large quantities  of photo sharing.  Often times, people will upload a bunch of meaningless photos that I don’t care about.  For me it’s all about the quality of the photographs.  The commandments at the end of Chapter 9 says to take a lot of photos, which I agree with because then you have more than enough to choose from.  I found it interesting that this chapter also says to edit your photos because many people including myself don’t edit photos before posting them.  There are a ton of great ways to edit photos.

One of the constant things that photo sharing has to do with other forms of social media is the concept of creating and sharing photos with groups.  Photos are usually visually appealing, therefore, they are a fun thing to share with others.  Aside from videos, photos are the next most visually appealing thing in the world of social media.  One of the great things about Facebook is that everyone can have photos of themselves can tag and be tagged by others.  This creates an extremely powerful experience on Facebook. 

The word wiki comes from an old Hawaiian word meaning “fast”.  I know of the word “wiki” based on Wikipedia.  Wiki’s have changed the way people communicate on the internet about various topics.  They are essentially an online manual for people to get help on certain things.  Another great thing about the idea of a Wiki in Chapter 8 is that they are very open.  Almost anyone can participate in a Wiki.  Whether it’s WikiHow or Wikipedia, any user can participate.  Wikipedia is one of those phenomenons that has almost become part of the academic language at the high school and college levels.  Many professors don’t like the idea of using Wikipedia as a source when writing papers.  However, I have had some teachers and professors tell me that they are OK with us using Wikipedia as long as we use our best judgement.  I found it astonishing that there are over 15 million articles, and over 59 million people have visited Wikipedia since it began.

I thought the expert insight from the founder of WikiHow very informative.  Jack Herrick explained how the idea of WikiHow started out as an online how-to manual.  Now it is more based on relationships, which is what many forms of social medis are about.  Wiki’s are a powerful tool in today’s fast research and social media world.  Even the author of this book said that it would have been tough to write without certain wikis like Wikipedia.  Once again, for wikis to be effective there has to be interaction and participation among the audience.  This goes for other forms of social media as well.