Group items tagged

Instant Messaging (IM) applications, such as AOL Instant Messaging (AIM), MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger, have become very popular in the last decade. This paper by de Vos et al. (2004) investigates the adaption of Instant Messaging (IM) by individual users and pairs of users within a mid-size organization. This paper is important as it examines employees' willingness to adapt to instant messaging tools within an organization. The findings from the research showed a fourfold increase in IM use after the introduction, both in terms of users and the number of conversations. The findings are interesting as it has been argued that the main problem companies experience when implementing online collaboration tools is the objections many employees have when introduced to these new tools (Foster, 2009). The main limitation of the paper is that the authors' research sample was restricted to only one organisation. The period of research was four months before and three months after introduction of IM in an organisation, thus the authors indicate that further research needs to be undertaken to see how usage patterns develop over a longer period of time. de Vos et al found that business mobile phones users don't seem to benefit from IM. However, this finding is not applicable anymore as smartphones with IM applications have been introduced after the paper was written in 2004. References de Vos, H., ter Hofte, H. & de Poot, H. (2004). IM [@Work] Adoption of Instant Messaging in a Knowledge Worker Organisation. Retrieved from https://doc.telin.nl/dsweb/Get/Document-30163/205610019a.pdf Foster, D. (2009). Collaboration Technology and Organisational Change. Retrieved from http://gigaom.com/collaboration/collaboration-technologies-and-organizational-change/

I think the rapid adoption of instant messaging software in the workplace could be due to the trend of consumerisation of products prior to businesses adopting them (Flinley, 2010). Many employees would have been exposed to instant messaging through Skype, Microsoft Messanger etc in their personal use of the Internet (Flinley, 2010). When businesses implement this software into the workplace, they are already aware of the benefits and they are familiar with the how the software is used so this would lead to the employee adopting this software quicker. Instant Messaging is also available in the free download of Skype. Skype provides users with the ability to instant message but also gives users the ability to videoconference, audio calls, file sharing and screen sharing. These are important factors when considering which program to download to implement instant messaging software. By providing staff with instant messaging software that can also provide a variety of tasks saves the company money and provides employees with a variety of ways to communicate and to collaborate with one another. One of the great features of Skype that was updated in their most recent version is screen sharing. Screen sharing is often restricted to the IT department of businesses but Skype gives this functionality to basic users. Allowing people to see each other screens, increases users ability to share information with one another. References: Flinely, K. (2010). Consumerization of IT: 95% of Information Workers Use Self-Purchased Technology for Work. Readwriteweb. Retrieved on 16 April 2011 from http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2011/03/consumerization-of-it-95-of-in.php Finley, K. (2010). Four Trends in Enterprise Video Conferencing. Read Write Web. Retrieved on 12 April 2011 from http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2010/10/trends-in-enterprise-video-conferencing.php

I think we should concern about is how to capture and manage the useful knowledge from Instant Messaging (IM). IM helps staffs share knowledge in organisations. de Vos et al. (2004) wanted to find out in the research that IM supports quick question and clarification, keeping touch with friends and families. This is a common situation nowadays. I have an experience that my friends at Hong Kong always discuss their questions of study or work with me with Windows massager. My friend who work at school library often ask me about cataloguing problem when she is working. IM not only allows transferring knowledge within organisations, it also allows staffs interacting with people outside organisations. Therefore, the first issue of manage knowledge is separated the useful message out. It is not useful of private message. IM sharing is not a formal knowledge sharing method. Nevertheless, it place important role in organisations. Caruso (2010) pointed out in his article that organisations must able to understand some of the tools that can utilize to knowledge sharing all among the organisation. Meanwhile, Caruso (2010) also indicated that "80 percent of organisational knowledge exists exclusively within an individual." Although IM is usual in the organisation, but the information is only store in staffs' brain, not in the organisation. We should think an appropriate way to manage the information in IM. Reference Caruso, S. (2010). Informal Workplace Learning and Knowledge Sharing. Retrieved from http://www.eadulteducation.org/adult-learning/informal-workplace-learning-and-knowledge-sharing/ Caruso, S. (2010). Informal Workplace Learning and Knowledge Sharing. Retrieved from http://www.eadulteducation.org/adult-learning/informal-workplace-learning-and-knowledge-sharing/

This Strategic Guide on instant messaging is developed by ProcessOne, a company that delivers instant messaging services to businesses. The guide examines the real risks associated with instant messaging in corporate environments and explains how to mitigate them. ProcessOne argues that instant messaging is becoming a valuable form of communication in business environment, alongside the telephone and email. IM allows users to see if recipients are available to receive a message, thus it can be a much more efficient communication tool than email and telephone. The report suggests that danger arise when using public IM services like Gmail and MSN. Public IM services have not been designed for corporate activity and do not provide the level of security that is essential in a business environment. The report suggests different risk factors associated with public IM services as well as how businesses can overcome these risks. This guide is important as its attention is on security issues associated with instant messaging. A common concern among companies is that IM programs render their networks vulnerable to viruses and other potentially crippling intrusions (Glasner, J. 2002). ProcessOne suggests that the best way to reduce the risk of instant messaging is to bring IM in-house with the deployment of a central instant messaging server. IT departments can take measures to protect users and intellectual property through the use of encryption, anti-virus software, corporate policy, and domain certificates, thus the risks will be reduced. References Glasner, J. (2002). IM Bans Hush Workplace Chatter. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2002/09/55090?currentPage=1 ProcessOne (2009). Instant Messaging and Security. Retrieved from http://www.process-one.net/resources/research/ProcessOne_Strategic_Guide-Security.pdf

Available online via Curtin Library Catalogue (see below) This article stresses the importance of social media in the promoting of a company's brand or products. Social Media collaboration, according to Kaplan, enables 'the joint and simultaneous creation of content by many end-users'. For advertising social media provides platform which enables customers to partipate in the creation of the brand by generating feedback and product reviews. Mangold and Faulds argue that, for potential customers, online content which is generated by other consumers is typically regarded as more trustworthy than traditional advertising messages. Essentially, social media messages are more likely to be believed and responded to than direct-marketing on the other hand, social media also means companies have less control over the course of discussion. They argue,'while companies cannot directly control consumer-to-consumer messages, they do have the ability to influence the conversations that consumers have with one another'. Mangold and Faulds argue, used correctly, social media has become an important tool, which allows companies to not only talk to customers but also allows customers to talk to each other. Social tools, they suggest, provide customers to obtain information about companies and products and can aid them in the decision making and purchase process. Creating networks of social relationships with potential customers is a strong tool, which aids in the promotion of a brand but it also provides important tools to help managers achieve the company's missions and goals. Some tools companies can use to communicate with customers include company websites, YouTube, eNewsletters, message boards and blogs. References: Kaplan, A. & Haenlein, M. (2010). 'Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media" in Business Horizons (2010) 53, 59-68. Retrieved via Curtin library catalogue. Mangold, W. & Faulds, D. (2009, July-Augus

Apologies. Reposted the article but the link still doesn't work. You can access the full article in the Curtin library catalogue: Mangold, W. & Faulds, D. (2009, July-August). Social Media: The New Hybrid Element of the Promotion Mix in Business Horizons. 52(4) 357-365

This article stresses the importance of social media in the promoting of a company's brand or products. Social Media collaboration, according to Kaplan, enables 'the joint and simultaneous creation of content by many end-users'. For advertising social media provides platform which enables customers to partipate in the creation of the brand by generating feedback and product reviews. Mangold and Faulds argue that, for potential customers, online content which is generated by other consumers is typically regarded as more trustworthy than traditional advertising messages. Essentially, social media messages are more likely to be believed and responded to than direct-marketing on the other hand, social media also means companies have less control over the course of discussion. They argue,'while companies cannot directly control consumer-to-consumer messages, they do have the ability to influence the conversations that consumers have with one another'. Mangold and Faulds argue, used correctly, social media has become an important tool, which allows companies to not only talk to customers but also allows customers to talk to each other. Social tools, they suggest, provide customers to obtain information about companies and products and can aid them in the decision making and purchase process. Creating networks of social relationships with potential customers is a strong tool, which aids in the promotion of a brand but it also provides important tools to help managers achieve the company's missions and goals. Some tools companies can use to communicate with customers include company websites, YouTube, eNewsletters, message boards and blogs. References: Kaplan, A. & Haenlein, M. (2010). 'Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media" in Business Horizons (2010) 53, 59-68. Retrieved via Curtin library catalogue.

My topic is advertising and social media. I am specifically looking at the way companies are using social media tools to build connections and promote their brands and their products via company controlled crowd-sourcing and customer-driven discussion.

In this paper, the authors examine the use of instant messaging (IM) during face-to-face, telephone, and computer-mediated team meetings, a practice they call "invisible whispering". Dennis et al. argue that organisational decision making is dominated by teams as a team has more resources, knowledge, and political insight than any one individual working alone. Collaboration technology has come to play an important role as teams have become more geographically distributed. The authors analyse how invisible whispering alters the socio-spatial and temporal boundaries of team decision making by using Goffman's theatrical conceptualisation of social interaction. Dennis et al. suggest that invisible whispering constitutes a new communicative genre. They distinguish between six types of invisible whispering and then describe how meeting participants used these practices to restructure the socio-spatial and temporal boundaries of collaborative decision making process. Findings from the research showed that invisible whispering is likely to improve the efficiency of collaborative decision making. However, they also found mixed effects on decisions quality, satisfaction, individual comprehension, and the relationship between group members. The paper is important as it shows how instant messaging can be used within organisations a decision making tool. The authors argue that workers are able to influence front stage decision making through backstage conversations, which would have been physically impossible or socially constrained without the use of IM. This proves that instant messaging is an important collaborative tool that organisations can benefit from. References Dennis, A. R., Rennecker, J. A., Hansen, S. (2010). Invisible Whispering: Restructuring Collaborative Decision Making with Instant Messaging. Decision Sciences, 41(4), 845-886. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/doi/10.1111/j.1540-5915.2010.00290.x/pdf

By examining the practice the use of Instant Messaging (IM) for undetectable conversations during meetings, termed 'invisible whispering', this paper provides an interesting example of how communication technologies are changing collaboration. Collaboration generally relies on trust and/or effective collaborative mechanisms (Mockus et al., 2002). However, employees of the two firms studied in this paper regularly used IM to communicate secretly with each other or with others outside of the meeting. I found it interesting that the previously unacceptable practice of whispered conversations became acceptable when conducted using digital means - probably partly due to increased speed and efficiency offered by multiple synchronous conversations (p. 856). To me, the importance of such a case study is that it demonstrates how socio-spatial boundaries have been expanded. In this case, invisible whispering alters socio-spatial boundaries by bringing in the influence of outsiders, and by allowing conversations that would have occurred at another time to be brought into the context of current conversation. As such, this paper provides a good launching pad for considering the scope of online collaboration's influence. An examination of online collaboration projects such as open source software or Wikipedia reveals that, generally, online collaboration has worked to break down socio-spatial limitations by allowing the participation of more people than could ever have fit into one room, practically transcending geographical distance, and changing the nature of conversations so that they can occur either instantly or asynchronously. Reference: Mockus, A., Fielding, R., & Herbsleb, J. (2002). Two Case Studies of Open Source Software Development: Apache and Mozilla. ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology, 11(3), p. 309-346.

The authors examine uses of instant messaging in a high-tech firm to illustrate how knowledge workers use this tool to collaborate with co-workers. According to Quan-Haase et al., the objective with the study was to 1) identify the collaborative practices of individuals in mediated work environments by looking at use of IM, 2) discern what social processes are reflected in employees' use of IM, and 3) investigate how visibility, awareness and accountability are used in an IM system. The research found that IM is used extensively to exchange work-related messages, coordinate and arrange meetings, and inquiry about colleagues' availability for discussion. IM was used as much for internal communication as for external communication. The authors also found that IM functions as a barrier in some cases as some employees use IM as a way to create distance between them and their superiors. Quan-Haase et al. suggest that this is particularly useful when difficult decisions have to be made or sensitive topics discussed. Quan-Haase et al. examines how workers in a small high-tech organisation manage their IM use for the purpose of information exchange and collaboration. The article is interesting as it is based on a case study of an actual organisation. However, it is written 6 years ago so employees' willingness to adapt to instant messaging may have changed as collaborative tools are more common today. Still, most of the findings are still applicable today. References Quan-Haase, A., Cothrel, J. & Wellman, B. (2005). Instant Messaging for Collaboration: A Case Study of a High-Tech Firm. Retrieved from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue4/quan-haase.html

Skype is a free download which can be accessed from their website (www.skype.com.au). It is user-friendly, quick and easy to download. Once installed, minimal instruction is required to use Skype. Skype users can be located through searching the email address book, connecting through Facebook or inputting the username into the search box. Once connected with others, Skype has the ability to make audio calls, videoconference, share files and instant message. Video conferencing can be utilised throughout Skype with no charge. Skype allows users to see and hear others, which increases the effectiveness of the communication exchange. In Skype's recent update, screen-sharing functionality was added. This functionality enhances a videoconference by providing users with access to share one another's screens to view presentations or to assist with IT issues. Audio calls can be made between Skype accounts or through VOIP software to landlines or mobiles. The benefit of making calls through Skype is that they can be significantly cheaper than calling through a mobile or landline. Skype call charges start as low as $0.23c per minute. Credit for calls can be loaded onto Skype through the use of a credit card. Instant messaging allows users to talk to one another without the use of audio or video. It can be utilised when working on projects or for an alternative to video/audio in particular when Internet speed may not be high enough for a good connection. Instant messaging can be conducted with just one person or multiple people can use instant messaging simultaneously allowing for people to collaborate on projects. An extra benefit of Skype is file sharing, files can be shared instantaneously with no limit on the file size. This is a great benefit to businesses that may have size restrictions on their work email.

Skype is an excellent software that both individuals and businesses can make use of. Skype's unified communications capabilities make it a useful strategic tool for businesses. While Skype has been successful in the consumer market, it may have had harder time cracking into business market as there are already several competitors. Skype likes to point out that more than 30 percent of its global user base uses the service for business. However, there have been speculations that a greater proportion of business use is overseas and that a much smaller percentage of "business users" have integrated Skype with their office systems (Blackwell, 2009). Blackwell (2009) suggests that the reason why not more businesses use Skype is that call and connection quality are not always as good as they are on public switched telephone network. As Skype works over the open, Internet and peer-to-peer technology help route calls, thus the service may not provide the quality sufficient for business use. Another concern is the security of the Skype service as it uses the public Internet for voice calls (Reardon, 2009). I think that the different collaborative opportunities Skype offers are valuable for small or medium-sized companies looking to keep costs down. Reardon (2009) believes that businesses in general won't get rid of their existing telephone service to use Skype, but some may use it to communicate with employees internally. References Blackwell, G. (2009). The Pros and Cons of Skype for Businesses. Retrieved from http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/buyersguide/article.php/10729_3816716_2/The-Pros-and-Cons-of-Skype-for-Business.htm Reardon, M. (2009). Skype Targets Businesses with New Service. Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10201830-92.html

I agreed that skype is an excellent tool, since it is user friendly and widely accessible. Apart from computer usage, it could also be accessed on smart phones, which it is a trend now and still growing on mobile phone usages. I felt that Skype had especially collaborated distant communication; as a student studying away from home country, a budget international communication tool like Skype is demanded. Yet the quality of calls is doubtable as Elin Frustol said, and I found this is a problem with most of online calling tools, such as msn messengers, tango and vibers. I believe that is not only the problem of the tool but also internet accessibility, and computer technology. These issues would need a longer time to fixed, and it may lead to broader usage such as business and government, however the question is would it still be a budget tool by then?

This is a study by Louis Chen and Mike Morin in which they examine the use of MSN to help organise and collaborate research in high school education. The students were asked to research a specific topic and where then put in groups to complete the assignment. One of the criteria was using MSN to help organise information and collaborate ideas. The study seems to focus on the positive merits of MSN. Chen and Morin believe that because of the use of short hand language, this makes conversations quicker and straight to the point. Which in turn saves time. Msn also allows students to share links, files and pictures, which are helpful in collaborating research and assignment work. The study found that students preferred this as trying to get together at each other's houses was less productive. The study also found that teachers were able to spend more time on other coursework as they spent time on their assignments out of class. Because of the synchronous nature of msn, it means that students are able to communicate in real time as though they were talking face to face. This means that there is no time delay in reciprocation. However what the article doesn't talk about is that this can actually be a weakness of the tool; If a user is not online, another user has no way to send them information unless they either wait (which seems quite irrational) or they use a different platform (say email) to send the information. However it seems that the positives greatly overshadow the negatives.

I found that article is very interesting and it is so true. I think by using msn to have a group meeting is more efficient, for example, people could share their information straight away via msn, also time of physical transportation have been reduced. More time could be saved for creating and prove reading the work, also more time for rests, which a better quality of work might be assumed. However, I have found a several problems with group chatting via msn. First of all, the stability of Internet connection must be ensured; otherwise, the fluency of group meeting would be disturbed. Furthermore, the level of concentration may be doubt, since every person in the group meeting is apart, and every attendants would be expected to have different distraction according to their surroundings, and therefore online group meeting is not only gathering group mates but also multiplied the level of distractions. Lastly, the creditability would be questioned, it is hard to prove that the person you are talking to is really the group mate; this would be an issue when it comes to a situation of dealing, for example you may have confirmed the job duty through msn, but your group mate would always have an excuse that some one was using their account or so.

In Lomas, et.al. (2008) article, they said that instant messaging service engage the sense of immediacy. It give easy communication way between students. They can have conversation with other about schools as long as they are still online and it's free to use (with internet access). It also diminished geographical boundaries so student can exchange their knowledge with people around the world. When the IM is incorporated with video and audio chat it adding another opportunity of enhance voice communication which is more engaging. Online collaboration tools can create new opportunity in education sectors. There won't be boundaries between student and teacher that will resulting a close relationship. Another type of collaboration tools that can be used is social media. The popularity of it among younger people give advantages to these collaborations tools. They feel like this tools is close to them so they will feel free to participate. Such as using Tumblr as the tool. On of the lecture in American University use Tumblr to collaborate with his teacher (Ackerman, 2011). He said that Tumblr is good for student to learn new platform, assignment submission (so the other student can get access and have peer review), easy to have collaborative feedback, easy to publish supplementing class info, and it engage open dialogue. In my opinion, with using these types of collaboration tools it can make students more engage with their school unit. They will do it with pleasant feeling. Ackerman, M. (2011). Mashable HQ: Why Using Tumblr For Class Makes Sense. Retrieved from http://ausmcedu.org/2011/03/15/test-post-2/ Lomas, C, et.al. (2008). Collaboration Tools. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3020.pdf

Face-to-face communication is not always an achievable goal for companies that have team members who are geographically dispersed. Video conferencing has been available for a number of years but has not always been accessible. Traditionally, video conferencing was an expensive way to communicate due to phone, software, hardware and high-speed Internet connection costs. Most computers now have in-built cameras and microphones. Skype builds on this hardware by providing software to facilitate video conferencing. Skype was originally only able to facilitate two-way conferencing but Version 5.1 allows users to videoconference with multiple users. Skype is a free download, video conferencing is free, calls can be made to landlines/mobiles for a discounted price and exchanging files and instant messaging can be utilised within the program. When face-to-face conferencing is unavailable, video conferencing can be a great alternative. Maintaining interest in an audio only conference can be difficult, attendees have the opportunity to switch off and work on other tasks whilst conferencing. Incorporating video into the meeting provides attendees with the ability to observe one another and see when a person is losing interest. Providing visual cues that assist receivers and senders to decipher messages enhances communication, attendees can also see vital hand/head gestures that help facilitate the flow of the conversation. By seeing these gestures the other attendees are able to grasp pauses in conversations or misunderstandings much faster. Skype and videoconferencing will not be effective if the Internet speed is not able to sync the video and audio. If there are delays or echoes this could have a detrimental rather than a positive effect on communication. Members in this situation may prefer to revert back to audio only or instant messaging as communicating with a delay/echo is annoying and in no means a productive way to communicate. References: Isaacs,

This resource outlines the advantages of using video as oppose to audio only. As mentioned face to face communication is not always possible, and it is important for companies and organizations to consider the advantages of using video conferencing as oppose to audio calls only in order to discuss decisions and have conversations relating to work. Video conferencing seems to be a vital tool for many organisations; more then 50% of mid-size businesses use video conferencing (Finley, 2010). An important part of using conferencing software is to be able to enable natural collaborative behaviours. In this article Tang & Isaac's outline the advantages of using desktop video conferencing and suggest that as oppose to audio only calls, video conferencing can be more beneficial and influence more natural ways of collaborating and communicating. In internet communications we often contrast online communication to face-to face communication. In this article we are not comparing these two, but rather exploring the advantages of video conferencing over audio conferencing. Using this source we can conclude that video conferencing has strong advantages over audio conferencing because they show an employee's facial expressions which can make communication much much easier. Despite these advantages, it is vital for organizations to have a accommodating internet speed as well as hardware in order to enable individuals to effectively use video conferencing without experiencing technical issues (e.g. screen freezing) . Videoconferencing is definitely a valuable way to communicate when there are geographic boundaries between members, however in this situation the workers still face the obstacle of time zone differences. Never the less video conferencing is becoming increasingly cheaper and easier (Finley, 2010) and is clearly an important part of many organisations. This is a useful resource if you are interested in understanding how organisations benefit from video conferencing

Finley, K. (2010). 4 Trends in enterprise video conferencing. Retrieved from http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2010/10/trends-in-enterprise-video-conferencing.php

Very Interesting article. Here I am reminded of Jean Baudrilliard and "Simulacra & Simulation". In it, he talks about how the media shapes the way viewers understand. Effectively he suggests war as it shown on television, was a manufactured by media represention. "The media and the official news service are only there to maintain the illusion of an actuality… of the objectivity of the facts. All events are to be read backward." (Baudrillard, 1994, p.38) Like most things, with recent events in Egypt, it is the media represented accounts, which have become the "real". The idea the Twitter and Facebook can mobilise a revolution is a powerful symbol. "What is perhaps the most telling here is that, as Bikyamasr points out, "millions of the Egyptians that went to the streets probably don't own a computer, and definitely were not checking Twitter or Facebook for where the next gathering was taking place." The article suggests that, by the time the internet was cut off, the protests were already in full swing. Perhaps the Egyptian Government fell for the media reports of the power of Social Media. "It was through word of mouth, not online calls for activism that brought the Egyptian government to its knees". It is important to point out that word-of-mouth is a powerful tool for communication, whether it is through hand-written messages, text or social media, word-of-mouth messages are more likely to be trusted and acted upon by recipients (see Kozinets et.al, 2010) as well as fostering a connection and sense of community between the sender and receiver. References Baudrilliard, J. (1994) Simulation and Simulacra. University of Michigan Press. Translated from the French by Sheila Faria Glaser. Kozinets. R., de Valck, K., Wojnicki, A. & Wilner, S. (2010, March). "Networked Narratives: Understanding Word-of-Mouth Marketing in Online Communities" in Journal of Marketing. 74(2). pp.71-89. Retrieved via American Marketing Association/Atypon.com, 13 April 2011. http://ww

Mayton seeks to address what he views as the Western Media attributing the Egyptian political revolution to the presence of activists online. He underlines that with only a quarter of the population having access to social networks and media online, the idea that a "Revolution 2.0" occurred is seriously flawed. While acknowledging the useful presence of collaboration online, Mayton attributes the success of this political change to a word-of mouth and paper handout campaign, combined with a motivated and committed Egyptian people, preferring to credit the Internet with bringing the issue to the forefront of international politics. However Wael Ghonim a leader of the ground movement that would ultimately topple Mubarak, contradicts the ideas presented in this article. Instead he accredits social networks and in particular facebook (ref) as being the catalyst behind the revolution. While Ghonim acknowledges that any political protest requires bodies on the ground, he attributes the internet and collaboration that occurred on facebook with empowering Egyptian individuals. Furthermore the ability of these networks to spread information at a vast rate, combined with the ability to go undetected were attributed to the success of the initial protest which began in April 2008. This protest organized solely online was the trigger cause for the unrest and the political change that would unfold. Mayton highlights that the common misconception that every Egyptian has direct access to the internet is perhaps symbolism for an Egyptian society that still remains stratified. While this paper underlines the idea that attributing the success of this political collaboration to the internet overlooks the ground work and alternative methods employed to help further this revolution, there can be little doubt that in this course of history social networks did provide empowerment for some of the Egyptian people and played a significant role in this advancing this political colla

To most Australians, the conflict in Egypt was not an Internet revolution until their newspapers, bulletin websites and television told them as such. Spurred on by Google Middle East and North Africa Marketing Director Wael Ghomin's announcement that the Egyptian protesters had "the internet to thank for their victory" (Luna, 2011), headlines across the globe were swept up by the 'Revolution 2.0' media darling. It may be a journalist's job to disseminate current affairs- constructing language and presenting palatable news to their public- however the truth and integrity of the Egyptian Uprising reports suffered at the hands of the outspoken. Jordanian expert on branding Ahmad Humeid recognises these synoptic "slogans" (Pickerill, 2011) such as 'Revolution 2.0' as "extremely important for Western media audiences... [to] take an event and package it in a certain light" (Humeid, 2011). Joseph Mayton's commentary works to detangle the internet's 'exaggerated' role in Egypt. He presents the facts: 25 per cent of Egyptians have no access to a computer, let alone a wifi connected iPhone in their back pocket. The 'Online Revolution' label directly discounts the internet "have-nots" who "struggled for the same cause under the same umbrella". Finally, activists continued to mobilise, even during the four days the Government shut down the Internet service (Mayton, 2011). Yes, there was a significant initial online role in the January protests, but this article encourages that we cannot lump strong-willed street activism in its hundreds of thousands as an Internet uprising. Mayton reminds us the well-worn lesson: we should not accept anything at face value. Ignorance is bred through the blind digestion of 'fact'; we can only come closest to the truth by negotiating as many disparate viewpoints as possible. References: Mayton, J. (2011) Egypt did not have an Internet Revolution. Published on BIKYAMASR, Feb

Throughout this paper Lutz seeks to highlight how the Obama campaign employed a well organized and strategically sound operation in order to assist and promote the largest online collaboration in the American electoral history. While noting the idea that any political revolution will require "boots on the ground (Lutz, 2009)", this paper assess the business-like approach that the Obama campaign employed in order to facilitate this political collaboration. The key notion of this paper is that the strategy adopted was not unknown, rather it advanced techniques previously employed by McCain (BBC news, 2001) and Dean (Wolf, 2004) and this combined with an extraordinarily disciplined and organized approach is what helped to expand this "grassroots revolution" online. There is also a clear link between the organization of this aspect of the campaign and methods employed by large scale corporations. This is related in the employment of the Houdini database used to track people to the polls and help to strategically assess campaign decisions to gather every vote needed to win. Again this business-like organization which would subsequently lead to such a mass political collaboration is further underlined by Lutz as he notes the campaign "went where the people were" - specifically selecting the most significant platforms to advance this message while also making use of mobile devices, source materials and relevant tools in order to re-enforce a political message and give a voter a feeling of empowerment. Finally this paper also highlights a key transition from online political collaboration to offline political collaboration, noting that the volunteers who held house parties and channeled support on the ground were integral to the success of the campaign. It is therefore evident from this paper that while a physical presence is required to instigate political collaboration, a strong and organized presence online can go a long way to laying the foundati

In this article Hsu discusses the importance of keeping up to date with the changes and innovation in online learning and teaching through collaboration tools. He emphasizes that many of the first online collaboration tools were not designed as such, but were initially personal use technologies such as instant messaging and email. Hsu mentions that these "conversational technologies" and "constructivist learning tools" (2008, pg. 63.) encourage users to create their own content and to participate in a more interactive and collaborative way. This is especially true as we move from a more "print based" education method to a more "digitally based" method of education delivery. (Hsu, 2008, pg. 63.) The progression of these online collaboration tools means more tools are now available, evolution from email and forums to instant messaging, blogs and wikis (2008, pg. 70). In 2011 we also see online collaboration occurring through other tools not originally designed as a specific online collaboration and educational websites, such as Twitter and Facebook. Hsu emphasizes that online collaboration in education enhances the experience for students and provides teachers with more methods in which to deliver material to their students. Participation and student satisfaction increase in a "collaborative community" (2008, pg. 72.) Reference: Hsu, J.. (2008). Innovative Technologies for Education and Learning: Education and Knowledge-Oriented Applications of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and More. International Journal of Web - Based Learning and Teaching Technologies, 3(3), 62-81. Retrieved April 15, 2011, from ProQuest Computing. (Document ID: 1525792171). (Retrieved from Curtin Library Catalogue)

Two tools are discussed in this article, a 3D virtual world for teaching and learning called the AET Zone and ConnectYard, a collaborative tool that integrates different forms of online communication. Although AET Zone has some benefits and has been useful in the teaching programme at the Appalachian State University, it is the second tool that offers more opportunity for those needing to collaborate. As a collaborative tool used in an educational setting, ConnectYard provides as its basis for success a social constructivist viewpoint. Learners construct their knowledge through social and cultural settings (Kim, 2001). ConnectYard provides an online collaborative setting allowing students to learn together. One of the main attributes of the tool is that it is able to interact easily with existing social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter, text messaging and even email. The advantage of this is that members do not have to get to know a new technical application - they can use whatever they are most comfortable with. Another feature of this tool is that students are able to contribute even if they do not have an Internet connection. Students can collaborate using mobile phones, allowing them to connect anywhere, anytime (ConnectYard, n.d.). The ConnectYard widget is embedded within a web page, interfacing with other networks (Howard & Wallace, 2010). Using ConnectYard gives collaborative members a choice about what tool they use at whatever time they want. As stated by Howard & Wallace (2010, last para.), "The use of social networking tools allows our students to engage in a level of collaboration that would be awkward, if not impossible, without a means to communicate effectively". ConnectYard is an effective, easy to use collaborative tool, which offers flexibility, privacy and builds community.

References: ConnectYard (n.d.) retrieved from http://www1.connectyard.com/ Howard, B & Wallace, P 2010. Social Networking Tools to Facilitate Cross-Program Collaboration. EDUCAUSE Quarterly (EQ) 33(4) retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/SocialNetworkingToolstoFacilit/219139 Kim, B. (2001). Social Constructivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

The "Old Spice Guy" Campaign has proven to be a game-changer, not only for Old Spice but for social media marketing. Ehrlich points out (2010), such campaigns seek to involve the audience in an immersive experience, essentially making viewers part of the campaign. Since the original campaign advertisement was launched, the campaign reached 40 million views in a week for a total 1.4 billion campaign impressions across all media, including thousands of parody mashups. The campaign has since gone on to increase sales of Old Spice by 107% and even won the Cannes Film Lions Grand Prix in 2010 (the advertising industry's equivalent of winning an Oscar for best film). Arguably, the most interesting and memorable feature of the campaign has been the interactive "Old Spice Responses". Responses was a series of 186 custom-made videos made for fans and celebrities selected from comments from Social Media Sites like Twitter, Facebook and Reddit (Ehrlich, 2010; see also Grant, 2010). These videos posted on YouTube became the basis for a viral campaign that achieved 6,000,000 responses in 24 hours. The true genius behind Wieden & Kennedy's simple idea, as Ehrlich points out (2010), is that it is viewers themselves who are maintaining the campaign's momentum as "viewers to go viral". This marks an important shift as "brands don't make viral videos, users make videos viral." That's exactly what Old Spice achieved." (Ehrlich, 2010). References: Grant, R. (2010, 10 August). 'Wieden+Kennedy's Old Spice Case Study' in We are Social [video] Retrieve 12 April 2010 via http://wearesocial.net/blog/2010/08/wieden-kennedys-spice-case-study/ Williams, M. (2010, 26 June). "Old Spice scoops Cannes Film Lions Grand Prix" Retrived 12 April, 2010 via http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1012646/Old-Spice-scoops-Cannes-Film-Lions-Grand-Prix/

My topic is more specifically related to videoconferencing, through the use of software programs such as Skype. But I found this article (and this marketing campaign) interesting as they were combining video technology with a marketing campaign, which was the first marketing campaign of its kind (Taylor, 2010). Video has many advantages including those discussed by Isaacs and Tang (1994), which are connecting people who are geographically dispersed, building motivation, providing visual cues and body language indicators. I think Old Spice incorporated these four benefits of video and utilised them effectively into their campaign. They could have made the responses in text only versions, but this would not have been as impactful or effective. They relied on visual cues and body language indicators to assist in delivering their message. Due this marketing campaign being innovative it helped to motivate consumers who were geographically dispersed into spreading these videos throughout their social networks. However as discussed by Masum, Brooks and Spence (2005), without the use of a high speed Internet connection this campaign would not have been as successful. A high speed Internet connection would need to be in place to upload the video content to its users and also share the content throughout the network. If it was still common for users to have dial up speed Internet connections, they would not have found this campaign as motivating as they would have had to wait for it to download and users may have become uninterested quite quickly. References: Isaacs, E., Tang, J. (1994). What video can and can't do for collaboration: A case study. Multimedia Systems, Vol. 2, Issue 2, pages 63 -73. Masum, H., Brooks, M. and Spence, J. Music Grid: A case study in video collaboration. First Monday. Retrieved on 16 April 2011 from http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/rt/printerFriendly/1238/1158

Thanks Mandy, you make an interesting point about the importance of Broadband Internet in the growth and popularity of video as a means of communication. It is sometimes easy to overlook or even overestimate the role of tools and affordances in analysing collaborative projects and events. Rosanna's article "Egypt did not have an Internet Revolution" suggests the role of social media was greatly exaggerated by the media and, in fact, the most important collaborative tool in the recent Egypt uprising was, in fact, face-to-face communication and word-of-mouth.

Convofy wants to go beyond being a private Facebook and Twitter to let companies collaborate around content like web pages, images PDF files, PowerPoint files, Word Files and Excel (Tsotsis, 2011). Convofy claims to be the most private powerful social network enabling organisations to communicate, collaborate and share more easily and effectively than ever before. Convofy combines the functionality of twitter, Facebook and Google Docs. Networks within an organisation can post ideas, links, and files, and their followers can comment on them. Convofy also provides on-the-go communication and collaboration by making it available for mobile phones in the form of application. In a market research conducted by Research and Markets in 2009, organisations viewed applications such as Web, audio, and video conferencing, messaging, and document collaboration as critical components of an effective collaboration strategy ("Meeting the Enterprise Collaboration Challenge: Vital to the Success of the Distributed Organization," 2009). The research then concluded effective collaboration is no longer a "nice-to-have," rather it is a critical requirement for success in the modern economy ("Meeting the Enterprise Collaboration Challenge: Vital to the Success of the Distributed Organization," 2009). Though there have been enterprise collaborative tools launched over the years, Convofy claims to be the powerful. We will just have to wait and see. Reference: Meeting the Enterprise Collaboration Challenge: Vital to the Success of the Distributed Organization. (2009). 1. Retrieved from Business Wire website: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20090724005305/en/Research-Markets-Meeting-Enterprise-Collaboration-Challenge-Vital Tsotsis, A. (2011). Convofy Is A Workplace Collaboration Tool Centered Around Documents And Images. 1. Retrieved from TechCrunch website: http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/06/convofy-is-workplace-collaboration-centered-around-documents-and-images/

Due to the global financial crisis, companies globally have been finding ways to cut costs. Instead of staff travelling to attend meetings, businesses rely on methods such as video conferencing to assist in facilitating meetings with geographically dispersed teams. This article published on the technology blogging site Read Write Web discusses four main trends in regards to video conferencing. The four trends stated are consumerisation, mobility, interoperability and providing a social layer. Mobility and the social layer are interesting trends when thinking about collaboration via video conferencing. Smartphones being released are beginning to include video conferencing as a standard functionality. Through the use of smart phones, mobility allows team members to participate and collaborate whilst on the move. It unshackles team members from the restraints of being restricted to an office. For team members that travel regularly being able to videoconference from hotel rooms or other offices through their smart phone provides them with flexibility previously not seen. Social layers being added to software is becoming the norm (Flinley, 2010). The social layer extends video conferencing beyond just audio and video. By adding social layers to videoconferencing software, users are able to communicate in the one location rather than utilising multiple platforms. A social layer provides "social networking, instant messaging, voice and video into one system" also including the ability to share files. By encapsulating all means of communication in the one destination, team members save time and recording communication becomes easier. References: Finley, K. (2010). Four Trends in Enterprise Video Conferencing. Read Write Web. Retrieved on 12 April 2011 from http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2010/10/trends-in-enterprise-video-conferencing.php

This article introduces some video conferencing applications, such as Cisco, Skype, Nefsis Basic, BlackBerry Playbook, and Google Voice, and shows how they are used as collaboration tools in enterprises. Burke (2011) summarizes that the use of such tools helps to establish instant communication, save travelling time, and cut business cost. One of my selected articles, iManage Unveils the First Multi-Platform Collaborative Content Management Suite, announces a new Internet content management application suit called iManage WorkSite MP which is an online collaboration tool as well. Both video conferencing tools and Internet content management applications are network-based, so users' contributions will be available instantly, and shared information can be distributed globally. Both of them aim at improving business efficiency, reducing cost and resource, and finally developing organisational service and product quality. While video conferencing tools focus on communication by audio and video, Internet content management applications, such as iManage WorkSite, has more to do with information management, such as text, image, and spreadsheets. It can be said that online collaboration tools can facilitate meetings among team members geographically, provide access to shared knowledge and ideas, and manage organisational information effectively. I argue that the combination of both video conferencing and content management tools can offer a comprehensive service to an organisation to compete in the global economy. As Fedorowicz, Laso-Ballesteros, and Padilla-Melendez (2008) state, the development of online collaboration "will facilitate multidisciplinary innovation and reduce barriers and inefficiencies among people working together" (p.1). Reference: Burke, M (2011) Comment on Four Trends in Enterprise Video Conferencing. Retrieved from http://groups.diigo.com/group/cur

Video conferencing as one of online collaboration tools, able to change the way people communicate as well as their perceptions towards the work day in nowadays. Video conferencing has become a part of communication strategy, this article shows that about 37% of Skype users use the service for business purpose, which is they use Skype to make conference video that is more convenient and less traveling cost, users would be able to meet up without consuming traveling time which normally required in order to meet face to face. I found out this article are useful in terms of explaining the way video conferencing been used in business as well as introducing 4 new trends on how people use it, and as resources itself, it is credible enough, this article took from ReadWrite Enterprises web sites that mainly focusing on business purposes. By relating on my own topic, which is talk about the use and features of social bookmarking site (delicious), video conferencing as well provides specific features in order to facilitate the video conference, hence users would be able to use the features and communicating online, same as the way delicious using it special features, such as tags, where people would be able to collaborate their bookmarks as long as they are sharing and using same tags. As for value, this article shows and recommends how useful video conferencing is and there is multiple ways and benefits we could get by using it online. References: Finley, K. (2010). Four Trends in Enterprise Video Conferencing. Read Write Web. Retrieved on 12 April 2011 from http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2010/10/trends-in-enterprise-video-conferencing.php