Group items tagged

Wow, such an interesting direction that online/distance learning is taking through MOOCS (Massive Open Online Course). There is a lot more I can say on this topic, and I will! ____________________ Among the tens of thousands of people signed up for the University of Toronto's online computer science course Learn to Program: The Fundamentals, there are a lot of unconventional students.Of late, MOOCs have dominated the conversation around online learning. They drastically change distance learning, breaking down the barriers of geography and fees, while connecting students across the globe with each other and with some of the world's top teaching talents.

This article speaks to how direct marketing concepts can be altered and applied to the digital realm. I thought the paragraph about real-time data flow was the most relevant to our course work.

This an interesting article to follow up my groups presentation this morning on Communication and Organization. We addressed so barriers for remote workers and this piece brings up some interesting advantages to being a remote worker. The use of tools section is particularly relevant to our in-class activity as well.

As more people turn to brands on Facebook, it's important to know why they do-or don't-click "like." Consider these new findings. I find this surprising. Maybe because I don't "like" brands on Facebook to avoid a cluttered page and newsfeed. Personally, seeing a brand's post all the time would turn me away from the brand. I'm not sure why, but I still seem to have this mentality that Facebook brand pages aren't as "legit". But that's just me. Check out the infographic.

VenueSeen is a new company that allows companies to use Instagram for advertising campaigns. The tool aggregates photos that have been labeled with  specific hashtag and brings [the Instagram user] to the company's campaign page.  Instagrammers can then claim their photograph and collect prizes, coupons, and other incentives the company may have put in place. Price for a campaign can range from under $1000/month to tens of thousands depending on the scope and reach of the project.

Scary report that was published today about FB users around the world seeing old privately sent messages appearing in their public timeline. Interesting from two ProCom perspectives - the virtual organization/privacy side and the PR/crisis communications FB now has to handle

When you're evaluating a brand name, it can help to visualize it in a variety of settings. Catchword's Name Visualizer is a free tool that allows you to contextualize name candidates in six real-world scenarios, from a business card to an advertising billboard. This site builds on this week's discussion on virtual team work and also relates to our Visual and Document Design course. We can now have the ability to connect virtually using visual applications. Brand creators can decide on an effective brand name and brand placement for their products or services through virtual applications.

This article is a little saucy, but shows interesting developments in how we are now using wifi to overcome some of the physical barriers/challenges of long distance romantic relationships.

Foxconn, which makes high tech parts for companies such as Apple, has been criticized for the poor conditions of its factory complexes. Breaking news of this riot forces me to wonder: "My iPhone, at what cost?" This is purely speculation, but could consumer demand for the iPhone 5 be exacerbating supply problems?

I love info graphics. This one is interesting (ex. it points out that men are usually early adopters of technology, but 79% of Pinterest users are female), but definitely leaves me with some questions. Check it out.

This article really draws out a lot of the concepts we've been discussing in class in terms of popular assumptions about digital usage. I don't necessarily agree with a lot of the things Mann is mentioning, but I do think it is worth a read.

Interesting how a public figure's personal preference for a product conflicts with the values of the public.

The Circa app for news just launched and I'm already pretty obsessed with it. For my personal life I love this because it is a quick easy way to catch up on daily news. From a communication perspective it makes us rethink what is essential to a news story. Instead of lengthy (or even short) news stories, Circa packages up facts, quotes and photos into a very easy to read format. This app speaks to our constant need for information.

This is our future? Are the days of the Archie comicbook now obsolete? Wil our kids and grandkids, now use tablets to peruse the world of comicbooks?

Facebook is now tracking votes in the American election through people's Facebook status updates. Very cool

Recollect essentially saves your entire digital social media trail so you never lose any post, photo, check-in or anything else all in one handy dandy place. It's like a massive dropbox for your entire social media history. What does this say about us as users that we can't stand the thought of losing anything online. This massively gives me the creeps.

I think this is a new aspect in the reporter/journalist vs. citizen journalist debate. Really interesting how there is already a policy in place regarding live-tweeting from the athletic department at the University of Washington. "Social media has irreversibly altered the media landscape, and the power relationship between big content brands, individual reporters and fans. But the major money makers - ad-rich TV and radio, in particular - will always, or at least for the foreseeable future, remain in the control of the powerful. So it's best for them to lay off the micromanaging, and accept some bit of change."

This infographic by MBAOnline.com shows tech use by different generations during the day. Slightly suspicious of the amount of radio use.

I watched this on TVO today and found it explored some good concepts, particularly the difference between the collective and community. As well, I like his distinction between context vs content providers in higher education -- shaping discussion rather than trying to disseminate it.