Sunday, February 10, 2008


This week, while I was home for the weekend, I informed my family that I had started blogging. After a 15 minute discussion about why I was blogging and what I was writing about my dad asks "What is a blog?" I smiled and gave him the answer my teacher had given me a couple weeks ago when we started this project.

It was ironic to me, I've heard from multiple teachers and experts that blogging is a generational tool. A girl in one of my classes commented "Don't you think blogging is a limited tool? My mom would never blog, and the only people I know that do blog are people in my generation!" I'd never thought of that before. I know that change, especially in technology is hard for most individuals to gravitate to in the beginning, but as the tools become more universal the easier and more accepting people become of it.

I've always sat in class learned the information provided to me, and retained that information long enough for me to take my test and forget it all. That's my one problem with school, how is what you are teaching me now ever going to apply to my real life? When am I ever going to need to know this stuff? Finally, as I'm finishing up my major, I am learning applications that are useful in my life.

I now understand how to blog, I understand how this interactive forum allows transparency and commentary from outside sources. This unique tool, which allows a variety of people from all over the world to interact and provide their opinions, is a marketing dream.

Most people gather their information from word-of-mouth from people they know and trust. Blogging allows our social networks to grow and our circles of trust to expand.

I swear that this round-about conversation all ties together! I was reading this blog post; The top five reasons companies avoid social media by Shel Holts. The reasons he gave to why companies are avoiding social media, are all the naive reasons people assume blogging is bad. Companies are afraid to be transparent; they don't want to give up control of their companies and so forth. I understand that, and it’s a valid concern; but there are many uses for blogging that provide benefits.

So how does this all relate to my blog and my countdown to the real world? Social networking is a bran new form of communication, as well as, podcasts and so on. As I'm taking my last classes and learning these new applications, I'm gaining skills that will allow me to penetrate change into companies that might be hesitant to embrace social networking or other forms of media that seem natural to me. Basically, I'm finally learning tools that will benefit me in the real world, and help me find a job! Weird how that works! :)

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