Converge, converge!

In PC World's review of ecirkit.com, it compared the "webtop" idea of compiling all your RSS feeds, blogs, social networks and a mini-browser into one site to old-school AOL. Though the idea is not a new one, it would be very useful. Think of it as a more intense version of iGoogle.

When I was a freshman here at the prestigious Park School of Communications, the word on everyone's tongue was convergence. Convergence of ideas, convergence of media, converge, converge. This is convergence occurring right before us. Which goes to show convergence won't die. Even though I haven't heard a professor (or dean for that matter) go off on the importance of convergence since that frightening first semester at school, it's still going on around us.

B-b-back to the Future!

This whole week I have been dreading everything that has to do with my future. Whether it's my lack of internships, my questionable summer job, my desire to not be a resident assistant in the dorms and therefore destroy my future at Ithaca College because of a lack of a payment plan, or just my stupid car troubles, it all adds up. I freak out when I think about the future. But one little website takes my sorrows away (even for a short while) and makes me feel as though I DO have a possibly bright future! This website is the Westminster Kennel Club's Dog Show, specifically, the Samoyed breed.
Just kidding. But they are the most adorable dogs on the planet, right?

Careerbuilder lets you build a profile depending on the type of job you are seeking, where you want to find the job and what your skills are. I entered information for my chosen field and set it for information in and around the Denver, CO area since that is where I want to live after I graduate, and voila! Instant results. There are a couple downsides though. First, the entry level jobs that appear are jobs that I feel anybody with a high-school diploma could get. It's been my experience that to get the really good jobs, ya gotta know somebody. Another downside is that there is some spam/junk. I'm not the only one who knows how annoying the spam is. Bloggers Chuck Huckaby and Dane Carlson note this as well.

And the picture of Dwight Schrute? Oh you know, just one of my idols.

Link it!

Many college students have been warned about the "dangers of Facebook," yet few actually adhere to these precautions. The limited profiles seem like a great idea, except when you realize that by posting pictures on Facebook, you are actually giving them to Facebook for it to do with it what it pleases.

For students who are seeking more protection, but would like to use a social network for business networking purposes, try LinkedIn.

This network is specifically built for networking students with businesses.

An issue that may arise from using alternate sites for networking is that it only networks those who join. Therefore, the network is only as strong as its popularity. In networking terms, this is a major downside. Good news is as of December 2007, its site traffic was 3.2 million visitors per month.

Let's Do the Time Suck, Again!

Tonight, I had plans. I was going to get so much work done and get to bed early. I planned on reading for Audience Research, finishing my logo assignment for Ad Copy & Art Direction, printing notes for International Marketing, AND write my case brief for Government and Media. Here's what really happened:
I added 2! new stations to Pandora, I played Food Friendzy (the only application worth your time on Facebook), checked my iGoogle account too many times to count, watched videos on YouTube, joined Ebay, and budgeted how much its going to cost me to buy a MacBook Pro. Now, I also got all my other work done, but I have been in the library (and Park School of Communications) for almost 6 hours.

This leads me to believe that social networks are just big time sucks. That's right, I said it. What benefit (besides $.50 for CampusFood from Food Friendzy) did I receive from these social networks?

Am I mistaken? Apparently so. Peter Black's Freedom to Differ blog refers to this aspect of social networking being a bad idea or a waste of time, but then goes on to compare it to other major inventions (like airplanes and the talking picture). OK, let's not get carried away. I mean comparing Facebook to Airplanes?

The marketing opportunity value of Facebook and other social networks is proving to be a force to be reckoned with. So maybe it's not such as much of a time suck as I thought.

The Business Side

Please bear with me as this blog is in the process of deciding what it wants to be.
With that said, social network's monetary future looks bleak, according to the Tech Trader Daily's blog. “Social networking inventory is not monetizing as well as expected,” Google CFO George Reyes stated.
This could mean that Apple made the best choice by not getting caught up in the Myspace and Facebook of it's kind. On the other hand, an Apple social network, if marketed the right way, could have been a huge success with college students and the post-college age market.
PS- Feedback is welcome!