Week Four

1. You have an important personal question you’d like answered. Explain the procedure for getting your question answered and why this method appeals to you (you don’t need to get specific, but let’s assume the answer does not require specific expert knowledge, as from a doctor).

If I have an important question that needs to be answered the first thing I do is go to my computer and Google the question. I do not know how, but Google always has the answer, the search engine has yet to be defeated. Once I type my question into Google especially now with Google instant that comes up with what I am thinking it is easy to come up with an answer in a short amount of time. The more specific the question the better results you will get from Google. If the question is general then I might have to go through a few pages of results before I find exactly what I am looking for. Even though I would prefer an answer from a person, typically my mom, Google is a great tool if I can't get a hold of an actual person.

2. Have you used a website like Craigslist or EBay to buy or sell something? What was the experience like? Would you use such a service again? If you haven’t, detail how you have sold or bought something outside the environment of a retailer.

I have personally bought stuff from Amazon.com usually I buy books for school online and additionally I have bought movies from Amazon as well. When buying products from Amazon you are not buying from a retailer because the products are posted on the website from individual people who are usually responsible for shipping the product to you after the purchase. Buying a product is simple, just type in what you are looking for and click on the product. Then the website will prompt you with purchasing information such as credit card and shipping information. I have tried selling my textbooks online, but I have not had much luck in that department. However, my buying experience has been very successful and I consider myself a loyal Amazon.com customer. This is the first website I visit when looking for a certain product that I cannot find in a retail store. Even though I have personally not used Craigslist my family has had success using the website when selling furniture and other products.

Week Three

1. If managers aren’t important anymore towards the formation or control of groups using online tools, what do you consider the main role websites such as Meetup.com, Facebook, or MySpace have provided newly emerging groups?

Today managers are not important in the job market for the creation and management of online websites because the websites have made it accessible for any person to control a website. It used to be that one person was needed to start a business they had a to plan ahead so that they had enough time to contact every person involved in the business. Now with email on people's phones it is very easy to access everyone in minutes. In Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everbody Ivanna looses her phone Evan, a friend of Ivanna, creates a website in order to locate the lost phone. The website was productive and eventually Ivanna found her phone. The website generated a lot of followers, just random people, and together everyone searched for her phone. By Evan creating the website put him in the role of a manager and he controlled the situation. Facebook has allowed people to become more creative and independent because you are in charge of your Facebook page. Instead of looking to a manager to tell them how to design a Facebook page, people have done it on their own.


2. Describe a group you are a member of (online community, church, job, etc.) and how it is organized. Is there management? How is information distributed within the group?

I am a member of a Jewish interest sorority on campus called Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi. It is organized in a hierarchical manner with an executive board who gets to make the final decisions in the organization. There are five positions which make up the executive board such as president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and member at large. Without these five positions the sorority would fall apart because we are used to needing approval and waiting to hear about final decisions. At meetings the executive board talks about any important topics and reveals new thoughts and conclusions they have determined. After they speak everyone else is allowed to speak and ask questions. This is the management style of the sorority and how information is passed down to everyone.   

Week Two

1. Both Google and Yahoo have been criticized for censoring their search results in China. What are your feelings about this? Why should Google, or why should Google not, produce different search results for different countries?

Even though China is generally a conservative country meaning they have been known to censor information in the past it does not surprise me that Google censors information in China. Google and Yahoo are just abiding by the laws of China. However, I do not think it is right to censor any information because it is free public information, which every person should have the chance to see or read. Since the point of the internet is to gather and distribute information I do not see why any country should censor information. I think that Google and Yahoo should produce the same search results in every country since we are all people I do not see why there should be different regulations depending on where you live. Even if Google and Yahoo censor certain information there are other search engines that probably are not censored where you can find the same information.

2. Chapter 2 revealed the reason behind grocery loyalty cards. How do you feel about the use of these cards that offer us discounts at the cash register? Do you feel your purchasing privacy is worth a discount?

I have never really thought about loyalty cards as invading my privacy because I think the loyalty cards are actually beneficial. I do not care if the loyalty cards memorize my purchasing history. In fact I am glad that the cards memorize my purchasing history because they produce coupons, which will help me save money in the future. I think it is a great idea to offer loyalty cards especially to stores where you frequently make purchases. However it is important to not get out of control making purchases just because you have a loyalty card or coupon.   

"I Pledge" JAZ

Introduction

Hi my name is Julie and I am a junior at JMU. I am a communications major with a concentration in interpersonal communication and my minor is education media. I am from Westboro, Massachusetts and will probably move back to MA after I graduate.  Ideally I would love to work on a radio talk show, but in reality I will most likely end up working in an office. I hope to learn about different types of media including the internet. In addition I am interested in participating in an online class and keeping a blog, which I have never done before.