Jun's class introduced me to the world of Wikis. It's funny to think I had no idea what a Wiki was while I was using Wikipedia on a regular basis. Wikis turned out to be one of my favorite tools I learned about in the HRIS class. It's great to read up on subjects we don't know about or enrich ourselves with further knowledge on things that interest us. What's even better is to be able to contribute in our own words, with our own experiences, pictures, thoughts and videos.
I believe sharing knowledge and information is a better way of learning than just reading up on it. It also motivates and encourages people to look deeper.
I just found out about Wiki Public Earth. It's a site that includes data about more than 5 million locations from restaurants to hotels and even dog parks! I think it's a great theme for a Wiki. It allows people to virtually travel around the world but it also allows people to share their worldly travel experiences. I also see it as an enriching personalized tour guide. Another great aspect to this Wiki is that you can create your PlaceBook. This online book is divided into different chapters: places you have been, places you would like to see/go to, places that define you, best places to take your kids, best weekend places.
I love traveling and think this Wiki is a great idea. Not only can you plan your trip according to what you see on the Wiki but you can also plan it according to other people's experiences and thoughts. You can keep record of the places you've traveled like an online vacation photo album.
I can't wait to start using this site and to explore the many more applications they plan on adding to it.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Smartphone Applications for Children
I was talking on the phone with my Mom the other day. She was taking care of my 8 month old nephew. She handed him her iPhone and told me "here he wants to talk to you". Two seconds later the line was cut. No, it wasn't ATT's bad connection, for once! My nephew had just hung up on me! It's funny to see how the younger generation and now kids and even babies relate to new technology. It's part of their lives while our generation and the older generations have discovered it. I was reading an online article about parents using smartphones to entertain their children. "Instead of bringing toys to the restaurant", says a mom, "we now just bring our cell phones, we have better technology and kids don't get bored". Now what? New applications have been created and targeted towards children's learning. Applications that teaches hand-eye coordination and other applications for older kids have come out. Is this the new generation's new toy: the smartphone with it's myriad of applications? It strange to think that new technology has also become a toy and a learning device.
I remember my first cell phone when I was in high school. It was so heavy it probably added 5 kilos to my backpack. I could only use it to make phone calls.
The way phones have evolved in the past 10 years is crazy. I don't know what they will come up with next and I'm curious to find out what the new phone will look like when I have children.
I remember my first cell phone when I was in high school. It was so heavy it probably added 5 kilos to my backpack. I could only use it to make phone calls.
The way phones have evolved in the past 10 years is crazy. I don't know what they will come up with next and I'm curious to find out what the new phone will look like when I have children.
Digging Deeper in Social Media
Have you heard about Klout? It's a new application for social networking sites that measures your "influence credit report". It basically detects who you influence and who influences you on Twitter and other social media. I think it's a great tool for companies and especially start-ups. It's certainly a great metric for success. When I read up about it, it seemed somewhat unreal to me. How can such a tool measure influences and trends? I don't know, but all I know is that it does and companies are starting to use it more often.
It's funny to think that social media is really a replica of our lives but in the clouds. First it starts off with relationship building by finding people who share common interests or finding your friends. Then, you can let your friends and connections know what you like, what mood you're in today, what are you weekend plans. Now, it actually measures how much influence you have over others and how much others influence you. It basically builds your reputation for you.
It's crazy to think that while we embrace new technology we don't have control over what it can actually do. Of course, we have the option to make some information private but to what extent?
If an application can put together of all your tastes, your actions, your written thoughts.... it is probably capable of doing much more. When I read about this new Klout application, I felt scared and excited at the same time. It seems as if someone is constantly observing what we do on the web. At the same time as a professional, it is important to see who my company can influence and attract!
It's funny to think that social media is really a replica of our lives but in the clouds. First it starts off with relationship building by finding people who share common interests or finding your friends. Then, you can let your friends and connections know what you like, what mood you're in today, what are you weekend plans. Now, it actually measures how much influence you have over others and how much others influence you. It basically builds your reputation for you.
It's crazy to think that while we embrace new technology we don't have control over what it can actually do. Of course, we have the option to make some information private but to what extent?
If an application can put together of all your tastes, your actions, your written thoughts.... it is probably capable of doing much more. When I read about this new Klout application, I felt scared and excited at the same time. It seems as if someone is constantly observing what we do on the web. At the same time as a professional, it is important to see who my company can influence and attract!
Another Reason for Exploring Social Media
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/20/brothers.reunite.twitter.mashable/index.html
With Jun's class, I have come to discover and appreciate Twitter more than FaceBook. The story in this article made me like Twitter even more. The power of social media is impressive and can be scary at times. With all of the privacy issues going on with Facebook I tend not to spill my life out or post too many pictures. This story however shows how social media and technology can be useful not only in our professional lives but also in our personal lives. People finding other people with a common interest, people offering help to those in need and people just making a difference in others' lives. I was reading up about technology on a French website and noticed a lot of non-profits in France are starting to use Twitter as a tool to market themselves. It's a great idea especially when your financial budget doesn't allow you to spend money on advertising.
Social networking sites are giving a new look to how we build our relationships at work and in our personal lives. It's about connecting with people who share similar interests. I believe that social media encourages people to contribute and makes them feel involved. In the "Digital Nation" documentary, there was a story about World of Warcraft players and the international convention that was organized for World of Warcraft fans. Most of the people who attended the convention knew each other virtually and had never met in person. However, they had already built virtual relationships and felt like they were part of something. It made them feel alive. Some of them had even materialized their virtual relationship and got married. Although I am not a big fan of computer or online games, I really saw a connection between all of those people. I think it's important to feel part of a social group, whether it's a online game group or other. Social media allows people to express themselves in a way they otherwise wouldn't feel comfortable expressing themselves. If it helps to find a long lost brother or meet your future husband/wife or just to explore one's creativity, then there is no harm in that!
With Jun's class, I have come to discover and appreciate Twitter more than FaceBook. The story in this article made me like Twitter even more. The power of social media is impressive and can be scary at times. With all of the privacy issues going on with Facebook I tend not to spill my life out or post too many pictures. This story however shows how social media and technology can be useful not only in our professional lives but also in our personal lives. People finding other people with a common interest, people offering help to those in need and people just making a difference in others' lives. I was reading up about technology on a French website and noticed a lot of non-profits in France are starting to use Twitter as a tool to market themselves. It's a great idea especially when your financial budget doesn't allow you to spend money on advertising.
Social networking sites are giving a new look to how we build our relationships at work and in our personal lives. It's about connecting with people who share similar interests. I believe that social media encourages people to contribute and makes them feel involved. In the "Digital Nation" documentary, there was a story about World of Warcraft players and the international convention that was organized for World of Warcraft fans. Most of the people who attended the convention knew each other virtually and had never met in person. However, they had already built virtual relationships and felt like they were part of something. It made them feel alive. Some of them had even materialized their virtual relationship and got married. Although I am not a big fan of computer or online games, I really saw a connection between all of those people. I think it's important to feel part of a social group, whether it's a online game group or other. Social media allows people to express themselves in a way they otherwise wouldn't feel comfortable expressing themselves. If it helps to find a long lost brother or meet your future husband/wife or just to explore one's creativity, then there is no harm in that!
Digital Nation Documentary-Thoughts
Three weeks ago, I fell upon a documentary on Netflix called "Digital Nation". It portrayed different aspects of new technology and how it affects our lives. It was interesting, inspiring and at the same time disturbing.
Some stories gave me faith. One of them in particular talked about a high school in New York where students weren't performing well. Success was estimated at 25%. The high school director decided to give each student a computer and asked teachers to integrate their class teachings and homework on the computers. One class was studying "To Kill a Mocking Bird". The teacher created an online class discussion and had the students create the character they related to the most in the book. This new way of teaching motivated and encouraged the students because they felt participated and contributed more actively. A year after the computers were implemented as a new way of teaching and learning, success rate went up 25% and has been increasing since then. It's important to show the younger generation that computers and technology is not only for fun and entertainment but also for learning and enrichment. It's also a great way to expose kids to new technology at that age and show them how it can be useful in our lives.
Another story really caught my interest in this documentary. Back in the early 80's, a big multinational computer, technology, and IT consulting corporation acquired a huge building where most of its' employees were working. Expensive furniture was bought and thousands of people worked there long hours. In February 2010, when the producers of "Digital Nation" visited that building, it was completely deserted. No, there wasn't a massive layoff. This big corporation had just taken advantage of new technology, letting its' employees work remotely from home. What really struck me is that they had asked the employees to open a Second Life account and create their own character in order to attend business meetings virtually. Needless to say, the costs of travel for international business trips decreased tremendously. How does that affect the quality of work and the employees' credibility when everything is virtual and when you have colleagues you will probably never meet in person?
It's hard for me to embrace certain aspects of new technology when it comes virtual reality. I work in HR and I'm a big fan human relations. It's important for me to personally know my colleagues. The virtual character doesn't necessarily show facial expressions and isn't that a big part of who we are?
Some stories gave me faith. One of them in particular talked about a high school in New York where students weren't performing well. Success was estimated at 25%. The high school director decided to give each student a computer and asked teachers to integrate their class teachings and homework on the computers. One class was studying "To Kill a Mocking Bird". The teacher created an online class discussion and had the students create the character they related to the most in the book. This new way of teaching motivated and encouraged the students because they felt participated and contributed more actively. A year after the computers were implemented as a new way of teaching and learning, success rate went up 25% and has been increasing since then. It's important to show the younger generation that computers and technology is not only for fun and entertainment but also for learning and enrichment. It's also a great way to expose kids to new technology at that age and show them how it can be useful in our lives.
Another story really caught my interest in this documentary. Back in the early 80's, a big multinational computer, technology, and IT consulting corporation acquired a huge building where most of its' employees were working. Expensive furniture was bought and thousands of people worked there long hours. In February 2010, when the producers of "Digital Nation" visited that building, it was completely deserted. No, there wasn't a massive layoff. This big corporation had just taken advantage of new technology, letting its' employees work remotely from home. What really struck me is that they had asked the employees to open a Second Life account and create their own character in order to attend business meetings virtually. Needless to say, the costs of travel for international business trips decreased tremendously. How does that affect the quality of work and the employees' credibility when everything is virtual and when you have colleagues you will probably never meet in person?
It's hard for me to embrace certain aspects of new technology when it comes virtual reality. I work in HR and I'm a big fan human relations. It's important for me to personally know my colleagues. The virtual character doesn't necessarily show facial expressions and isn't that a big part of who we are?
Friday, May 21, 2010
What I've Learned
So here it is... my last blog for this class. As I mentioned during my presentation and in my first blog (which was my first blog ever), I was skeptical about sharing my thoughts and ideas in the cloud and using social networking sites to openly communicate about my staffing agency. This class has allowed me to challenge this reluctant feeling and fear I had about transparency. It allowed me to think about new technology in a way I had never thought of before and showed me how I can use it to my advantage. I'm using Linkedin on a daily basis to build my business relationships. Twitter has become a great marketing tool for my staffing agency and my CEO has actually asked me to share my new knowledge with him. In addition, tools like Survey Monkey, Wikis, Blogs, and Websites have allowed me to explore many costless options to brand my company. Unfortunately, we don't have the financial means to implement an HR Saas system. Once we do, I'll make sure to wisely choose which one is most compatible with our company culture. Moreover, with the final presentations I learned how to layout a business plan and manage a project using creativity and technology. This class really taught me a lot and made me open my eyes up to a different vision of HR that I had no knowledge about. Before this class, I wasn't technology savvy. I'm a little bit more technology savvy today. It's not just knowing about technology and the changes within, but it's about being part of it all. Technology is a huge trigger for change in HR and in order to keep myself updated with my job and my industry, I need to know, learn, change and contribute to it all.
Thank you Jun for a great class and for allowing me to explore a new spectrum of my field.
Thank you Jun for a great class and for allowing me to explore a new spectrum of my field.
Getting Caught Up in New Technology
http://bit.ly/caRxF1
This article made me think about the Digital Nation documentary I saw 2 weeks ago. They both explain how our brains have become scattered and inconsistent due to our simultaneous multi-use of new technology devices. Example: I'm working on my laptop writing this blog, my cell phone beeps letting me know I have a text message, in the meantime I think about that song I was singing all day yesterday and open a Youtube tab to listen to it, on the Youtube page I see a funny ad and click on it to entertain myself and then I remember I wanted to look up my online bank account and do some research on Peru.... I believe we've all experienced that at least once. The problem is that we think we can multi-task because our new technology devices make us think we can. In the end, we haven't accomplished anything. In the Digital Nation documentary, the producers interview MIT students who openly admit to their constant multi-tasking and who believe it's not harmful. Unlike when I was a college student, these students go to class with their laptops and last generation cell phones and have all of these outlets to distract them from class lecture. The consequences are pretty clear. This one professor explains that the students' way of writing papers has tremendously changed throughout the years. She says students today do not see the big picture as they did 5 or 10 years ago. Their papers are paragraphs that are not interconnected at all. There is no linear thinking because their minds are distracted and scattered by everything around them. Now, since college, I haven't written any papers and I have been more exposed to these technological distractions. I do not know whether this new phenomenon has affected me too. However, writing these blogs has really helped me get back into writing and has forced me to think more about new technology, how it affects my job today and Jun's great classes.
This article made me think about the Digital Nation documentary I saw 2 weeks ago. They both explain how our brains have become scattered and inconsistent due to our simultaneous multi-use of new technology devices. Example: I'm working on my laptop writing this blog, my cell phone beeps letting me know I have a text message, in the meantime I think about that song I was singing all day yesterday and open a Youtube tab to listen to it, on the Youtube page I see a funny ad and click on it to entertain myself and then I remember I wanted to look up my online bank account and do some research on Peru.... I believe we've all experienced that at least once. The problem is that we think we can multi-task because our new technology devices make us think we can. In the end, we haven't accomplished anything. In the Digital Nation documentary, the producers interview MIT students who openly admit to their constant multi-tasking and who believe it's not harmful. Unlike when I was a college student, these students go to class with their laptops and last generation cell phones and have all of these outlets to distract them from class lecture. The consequences are pretty clear. This one professor explains that the students' way of writing papers has tremendously changed throughout the years. She says students today do not see the big picture as they did 5 or 10 years ago. Their papers are paragraphs that are not interconnected at all. There is no linear thinking because their minds are distracted and scattered by everything around them. Now, since college, I haven't written any papers and I have been more exposed to these technological distractions. I do not know whether this new phenomenon has affected me too. However, writing these blogs has really helped me get back into writing and has forced me to think more about new technology, how it affects my job today and Jun's great classes.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
New Technology Incites Creativity
http://bit.ly/99P9CR
As I was surfing the web reading up on the news I fell upon this great video. I think it's pretty amazing what New Technology allows us to do today! This young graduate uses video to market himself, to stand out and make himself unique amongst all the millions of job applicants. He uses New Technology well and to his own advantage. It's great to see that New Technology is not only about the making of complicated devices but it's also about digging into your own creativity and adapting it. There have been so many changes in the music (digital music) and advertising industries with New Technology. Shifts in the way we express our creativity have been clearly influenced by New Technology and will continue to change and evolve as New Technology does.
Although this video is short, it made me think about my job and the way I have been rebuilding my agency's website. I can't just have a simple website. Nowadays that seems outdated. I need to include a blog, a wiki and probably videos that will help promote our services. Social media is revolutionizing the job market and is allowing for more creativity in the way we approach business. Why not embrace it?
As I was surfing the web reading up on the news I fell upon this great video. I think it's pretty amazing what New Technology allows us to do today! This young graduate uses video to market himself, to stand out and make himself unique amongst all the millions of job applicants. He uses New Technology well and to his own advantage. It's great to see that New Technology is not only about the making of complicated devices but it's also about digging into your own creativity and adapting it. There have been so many changes in the music (digital music) and advertising industries with New Technology. Shifts in the way we express our creativity have been clearly influenced by New Technology and will continue to change and evolve as New Technology does.
Although this video is short, it made me think about my job and the way I have been rebuilding my agency's website. I can't just have a simple website. Nowadays that seems outdated. I need to include a blog, a wiki and probably videos that will help promote our services. Social media is revolutionizing the job market and is allowing for more creativity in the way we approach business. Why not embrace it?
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Web 2.0 Expo-No Price on Relationships
After my first HRIS class, with Jun, I was very skeptical about creating a Twitter account and starting to use Cloud computing. I wasn't comfortable talking openly about my business, nor was I comfortable using a Saas and having my company's data out there on the Internet. I know there is a security and privacy system but it still seemed so virtual to me. I do appreciate using FaceBook, Twitter and other media networking sites but to a certain degree. The social and professional networking sites ask their users to sign an online agreement, a contract. However, does that protect us from hackers? Do we actually know where our data is stored and who has access to it? The only way I was going to be reassured was to choose and control what I want to make public. Yesterday, I took the opportunity to spend a couple of hours at the Web 2.0 conference at the Moscone Center in SF. I thought I might be inspired. I attended 2 open conferences:
1. Applications in the Cloud Threat or Menace?
2. Social Media Measurement
I was really looking forward to the first conference but speaker only talked about FaceBook and gave a more philosophical aspect the topic rather than addressing a common concern users might have. He talked about how by creating a Facebook account, we allow data to be taken out of our machine and put on the Internet. There is indeed an online contract, that's non-negotiable, where people are given the choice but are then stripped of power once they decide to "give" their data away. Moreover, because that data is in the cloud, it's less scalable and less controllable. I understood where he came from and what his concern was but he only used FaceBook as an example and didn't care to mention that as users, we still have to the power to choose was upload and what we write on people's walls.
The second conference, Social Media Measurement, really inspired me. The speaker talked about monitoring and measuring one's website via tools like surveys and Google Analytics. This is a great source of feedback for knowing how often is your website being visited, what time of day is it being most visited and what people think about it. Will they continue exploring the website after the consulting the home page? How long will they visit your website? I've been working on my company's website for the past month and I know this tool will be very useful to me and help me make necessary changes. The speaker also talked about how Twitter has become a great source for professional relationships. Like I mentioned above, I was very skeptical about Twitter, but my HRIS class in addition to this conference, showed me how it can be of great help to me. It's all about searching professionals with common interests, searching professionals you can help out and who can help you out, via Twitter search words for example. It's about creating and maintaining relationships online. It's about choosing your openness and transparency, choosing your relationship. It's who you choose to talk to and who you choose to develop a relationship with.
Although my skepticism has not completely died out, I feel more comfortable using and exploring Twitter and Cloud Computing. Just like before any of all of this existed, we had to choose who our friends out on the playground, in class or at work and we had to be careful. We also had the option of not choosing. We are the sole deciders and set our limits whether it's in person or in the cloud.
1. Applications in the Cloud Threat or Menace?
2. Social Media Measurement
I was really looking forward to the first conference but speaker only talked about FaceBook and gave a more philosophical aspect the topic rather than addressing a common concern users might have. He talked about how by creating a Facebook account, we allow data to be taken out of our machine and put on the Internet. There is indeed an online contract, that's non-negotiable, where people are given the choice but are then stripped of power once they decide to "give" their data away. Moreover, because that data is in the cloud, it's less scalable and less controllable. I understood where he came from and what his concern was but he only used FaceBook as an example and didn't care to mention that as users, we still have to the power to choose was upload and what we write on people's walls.
The second conference, Social Media Measurement, really inspired me. The speaker talked about monitoring and measuring one's website via tools like surveys and Google Analytics. This is a great source of feedback for knowing how often is your website being visited, what time of day is it being most visited and what people think about it. Will they continue exploring the website after the consulting the home page? How long will they visit your website? I've been working on my company's website for the past month and I know this tool will be very useful to me and help me make necessary changes. The speaker also talked about how Twitter has become a great source for professional relationships. Like I mentioned above, I was very skeptical about Twitter, but my HRIS class in addition to this conference, showed me how it can be of great help to me. It's all about searching professionals with common interests, searching professionals you can help out and who can help you out, via Twitter search words for example. It's about creating and maintaining relationships online. It's about choosing your openness and transparency, choosing your relationship. It's who you choose to talk to and who you choose to develop a relationship with.
Although my skepticism has not completely died out, I feel more comfortable using and exploring Twitter and Cloud Computing. Just like before any of all of this existed, we had to choose who our friends out on the playground, in class or at work and we had to be careful. We also had the option of not choosing. We are the sole deciders and set our limits whether it's in person or in the cloud.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Implementing New Technology BUT Maintaining the Human Side
I was talking to one of my friends who works as a volunteer in a hospital in the city. He shared with me his concern about time lost at work.
He works in the surgical waiting room where he welcomes family and friends of people having outpatient surgery. Before each shift, he goes into the nurses' station to check the daily operations on the whiteboard and collects his paper files which also give him the schedule of the surgeries for that day (doctor's name, patient's name, type of surgery, time and length of surgery and whether it's an overnight one or not).
Back at his computer-less desk, in the surgical waiting room, he waits for family and friends to come in, he greets them with a smile and a "good morning". He makes them feel at ease in this stressful and emotional moment and offers them something to drink. He answers their questions and tries his best to attenuate their worries. Some parents wait for their 2 day old baby to wake up from surgery.
When changes occur in the schedule, my friend has no way of receiving that information directly unless he goes back to the nurses' station and checks the whiteboard. Some surgeries last longer than expected and for various reasons. Some days are pretty hectic with constant back and forth from surgical waiting room to the nurses' station. He basically never gets updated on the changes unless he physically goes to the nurses' station or the recovery room.
My first reaction was to say that their system is pretty rudimentary. It's not very practical and definitely not very reliable. It's not malleable and doesn't allow for quick exchange and communication of information. It would first of all be more efficient to have a computer at his desk. This computer would be connected to another computer in the nurses' station. The daily surgery schedule can be accessed via the computer and any type of information can be directly changed in the system. This would also allow to reduce the risk of miscommunication and the loss of time. My friend could spend less time wondering if the schedule changed and focus more on the family and friends and making sure they feel comfortable and reassured. It would be a great way to combine New Technology and Human Service.
He works in the surgical waiting room where he welcomes family and friends of people having outpatient surgery. Before each shift, he goes into the nurses' station to check the daily operations on the whiteboard and collects his paper files which also give him the schedule of the surgeries for that day (doctor's name, patient's name, type of surgery, time and length of surgery and whether it's an overnight one or not).
Back at his computer-less desk, in the surgical waiting room, he waits for family and friends to come in, he greets them with a smile and a "good morning". He makes them feel at ease in this stressful and emotional moment and offers them something to drink. He answers their questions and tries his best to attenuate their worries. Some parents wait for their 2 day old baby to wake up from surgery.
When changes occur in the schedule, my friend has no way of receiving that information directly unless he goes back to the nurses' station and checks the whiteboard. Some surgeries last longer than expected and for various reasons. Some days are pretty hectic with constant back and forth from surgical waiting room to the nurses' station. He basically never gets updated on the changes unless he physically goes to the nurses' station or the recovery room.
My first reaction was to say that their system is pretty rudimentary. It's not very practical and definitely not very reliable. It's not malleable and doesn't allow for quick exchange and communication of information. It would first of all be more efficient to have a computer at his desk. This computer would be connected to another computer in the nurses' station. The daily surgery schedule can be accessed via the computer and any type of information can be directly changed in the system. This would also allow to reduce the risk of miscommunication and the loss of time. My friend could spend less time wondering if the schedule changed and focus more on the family and friends and making sure they feel comfortable and reassured. It would be a great way to combine New Technology and Human Service.
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