Jenna Adam

[jennaadamcmu]

Implementation

As mentioned in the lecture, my client will want to strive to be a social organization, not just an organization with a Facebook or Twitter account. Many organizations fail to implement strategies correctly, and therefore never get the best results from their social media efforts. For this reason, adaptation is crucial for success throughout the social media journey. When an organization can recognize the weaknesses and opportunities with their platforms, they can see where and how to improve.

I think my client will struggle the most with growing their social media presence, especially because they are a small organization. As we learned throughout the class, it is important for organizations to analyze which platforms will work best for them. Instead of throwing themselves onto all social media platforms, it will be better for them to find ones that directly affect the results they get. Since they do not have a lot of members, it will be important that the people who do run the accounts aren’t overwhelmed with too many. 

I think it might also be hard for my client to see the true purpose in using social media because they do not have a large following on what they do have, and they are still a growing organization. While they may want to take it slow in implementing these strategies, in the end I hope they see the worth in the work they put into it. Like the lecture mentioned, social media can be a tool or even better, a community for the organization to use. The benefits they can potentially reap far outweigh the cons of not using it. 

[quaidja]

Developing & Sharing Content

One underrated aspect that businesses need to focus on their social platforms is how to develop and share their content. Businesses need to know how their information is reaching their target group, and how they react to it. Furthermore, the development of uniqueness to their content is equally as important.

Developing

When a business creates a post, they have to think who their target audience is and who they want to get that message out to. A great post will have an intriguing caption, relatable visuals, relevant content, and finding that perfect posting time. 

A good company that does this is Under Armour. Looking at their Instagram, you can see how they reach out to a specific audience, but also tries to expand that audience that still keeps everything relevant. Under Armour is reaching out to athletes of all sports. Under Armour also uses multiple platforms to express their message, or advertise their product(s). Under Armour is active on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, even TV. Through their variety of sports posts, they’re reaching out to a broader audience, while still remaining on the tracks, or not going off topic. 

Sharing

When businesses share their content, they must make that content easily reachable. Also, they have to make the content intriguing enough for an audience member to stop and like or share their content. This is where the intriguing caption comes into place. If a business can grab the reader’s attention in the caption and first few sentences of a post, the reader is more likely to continue to read into the post.

Social Organizations

Becoming a strong social organization will not occur overnight, however, developing and sharing relevant content is essential to this. Keep content and posts engaging, including visuals and intriguing captions. This business should also share their content on multiple social media platforms, however, should change it a little to fit each platform (don’t just copy, paste content over).

[jennaadamcmu]

Hi Quaid, 

Great post. I thought you shared several key factors to creating and sharing effective content, especially target audience and reach. Like you said, knowing who your target audience is is crucial to sharing content that is effective and actually draws them in. Potential members want to see content that is relevant and exciting, and tailoring your content to this makes sure your company puts their best foot forward. 

[ricehm-blog]

Developing and Sharing Effective Content

When considering how to create effective content for your business, there are many important things to take into consideration. It is crucial that your platform have unique, engaging, up to date and relevant content for the industry you are in. For example, this includes being mindful of your target audience whether that be categorized by demographics (gender, age, etc.) or personality (trendy, old-school, etc.).  This is key in determining a content strategy that works for your brand.

Effective content can also vary based on the platform that you choose to utilize. For example, you may choose to implement a story/highlight feature on Instagram. While you may develop great content for this purpose, it may not directly transfer to other platforms such as Twitter. More preparation and thought would be required in order to share the same information on each platform using different delivery strategies.

Developing and effectively sharing content on your platforms is crucial in becoming a social organization. A principle of social organization is having unique content, ideas or information that can be used to engage other users. Creating a brand that properly utilizes the different platforms and allows for users to engage directly with the brand is a great step in becoming the social organization that so many strive to be.

[jennaadamcmu]

Hi Hannah!

Great post. I like that you reiterated the idea of a content strategy and how effective it can be. Like you said, it is super important for businesses to understand their audience. Businesses can use the content strategy as a reference because it lays out a clear plan for what and how they can accomplish what they want from their platforms. I agree that content sharing is directly tied to becoming a social organization. Successful social organizations have a clear goal that is achieved through the content they share. 

[jennaadamcmu]

Developing and Sharing Content

Developing and sharing effective social media content is super important for the success of an organization in today’s society. Being certain the efforts being put forth are producing the desired results is crucial to the success of the strategies chosen. The Hootsuite modules provided great information relating to social media content and gave helpful tips for organizations in the beginning stages of creating or wanting to improve their platforms. One of the first tips mentioned was to create a strong content strategy. This strategy is the game plan for coordinating, creating, and distributing the desired content. It ensures the members of the organization have a clear understanding of the social media objectives and how they will be executed. Content strategies have four key components; research and analysis, target audience, content-specific goals and objectives, and plans for the distribution of the content. These components help the organization ensure their social media presence is effective and tailored to their own specific goals. A good example of an organization with a strong content strategy is Nike. Their social media platforms are hugely successful, and help Nike keep strong relationships with their followers.

Becoming a social organization has plenty to do with the principles of effective content development and sharing. Social organizations apply mass collaboration to address significant business challenges and opportunities. This mass collaboration is largely affected by the use of social media platforms and how well they do. Organizations are able to connect with a much larger group of people by creating and sharing content. They can find people who want to join their community, advertise their products and services, and amass a much larger market than if they did not utilize social media. Successful organizations are much more likely to have figured out how to create effective content that benefits them. 

[destinybordine-blog]

Online Communities

What is an Online Community?

An online community, also called an internet community or web community, is a virtual community whose members interact with each other primarily via the Internet. Online communities provide a collaborative space for all types of individuals to come together. Chapter 4 of the book The Social Organization by Anthony J. Bradley and Mark P. Mcdonald highlights the importance of community collaboration. Utilizing community collaboration can provide value to any business. When thinking of social media platforms, business owners should adopt a “formulating” attitude. Meaning they should recognize the impact and importance of a properly organized online community.

When Coca-Cola started producing name-stamped bottles the world went crazy. The idea drove a huge number of sales and generated millions of social media posts. The #ShareaCoke hashtag was not only witty in combination with the named bottles, but also encouraged product promotion.

Chapter 5 of The Social Organization describes a particular approach to community collaboration. This “No, Go, Grow” model is used to determine which community collaboration ideas should be pursued. The No stage establishes whether or not the idea is worthwhile. Go signifies the conclusion of collaboration. Finally, grow is the process of putting ideas/products into motion and seeing what happens.

How to Grow an Online Community?

When trying to establish or grow your online community, think about how you can engage followers that might derive value, rather than how do I engage as many people as possible. Quality will last longer than quantity. Not all followers are created equally and it is more beneficial to have a smaller, more interactive following than a lot of followers that never like, repost, or comment on content. It is smart to encourage your off-line customer to follow the business. It is easy to encourage this type of action with a punch card or small freebie. I have suggested this method to my client for the class project. I think a punch card would be most successful, and ultimately will not cost the business much. For example, for each check-in on any social media, you get a punch. Once all ten punches have been filled, the customer will receive a single scoop of hand-dipped ice cream for free.

[jennaadamcmu]

Hi Destiny!

Great post! I agree that a formulating attitude towards growing an online community is really important for businesses. Your Coke example was a great tie into businesses creating communities, especially with the #ShareaCoke campaign. Creating personalized bottles was a perfect strategy for Coke to grow their community and the campaign was super successful! I also think it’s important for businesses to remember that quality is better than quantity when building their community. Like you said, its much more beneficial to have a small number of interactive followers than a large number of inactive ones. 

[austintrpov]

Building An Online Community

Since our world and society is active online and uses social media on a daily basis, it is important for companies and organizations to have a strong online presence. It is understandable that companies that are just starting off and are exploring the online world may not have a large following or lots of interactions. Despite the beginning of the journey, it is where the company goes and grows as the online social media journey continues.

It is important that a company that is starting off online is knowledgeable about the topic of their company. If the company is new, it is important to put your best foot forward and to show the public that the company is knowledgeable and knows what they are talking about. As a personal example, I work for a local contracting company called 3 Feathers Contracting Company. They are an up and coming company that is beginning their social media presence. It is very important to create posts that make sense and relate to the kind of company it is. Since 3 Feathers does landscaping, repairs and much more, it is important that the company sticks to its roots and makes the posts interesting, eye catching, and relatable. If the company were to create posts that use incorrect grammar and spelling, unattractive photos or even inconsistent posts, it could bring off the perception that the company does not really know what they are talking about or what they are doing. 

In addition, I think it is important for companies to remember that one size does not fit all. Just because a competitor is using every single social media platform under the sun, does not mean that 3 Feathers Contracting Company needs to use the same social media platforms. It is important to find the right way to effectively interact with the target audience. 3 Feathers used Facebook and Instagram. They also have a well designed website. Personally, I think that using Facebook is an effective way to interact with the audience. The audience is able to like and comment, share posts, and even follow the page for frequent updates. 

Lastly, it is important for new companies to remember that yes, it feels great to have a large following and lots of interactions, but is important to be putting out valuable information. By being consistent in the content that is being posted, yo are building your social media presence and personality. Be consistent and trust the process and great things will come from that. The followers, likes and shares will come in time, but sticking to the vision will bring a positive outcome.

These principles that I have discussed align right up with my client for the client project. As you could probably assume, 3 Feathers Contracting Company is the company that I will be consulting for the project. I chose these principles because I think as a small local company that is just starting off, it is easy to get carried away and want to do anything and everything to get the name out. While this is still a great mindset to have, it is important remember to be knowledgeable, use effective media tactics and to be consistent in the process.  Without those basic principles, that company might not make it past the first phase of discovery. The public wants to know that when they contact a company to service their property, that they are getting someone who knows what they are doing and can be reliable. In time, small companies will grow, but it is important to stick out the tough parts and keep on pushing forward towards growth.

Below is the information to the 3 Feathers Contracting Company social media pages. Check them out if you would like!

www.3featherscontracting.com

Facebook and Instagram: @3featherscontracting 

[jennaadamcmu]

Hi Austin,

Great post! I believe the principles you discussed would be extremely useful for companies as they grow their social media communities. Like you mentioned, knowledge is a great way to ensure you are putting your best foot forward. I think it’s super important for new companies to understand that not every social media journey is the same. Not all platforms are suitable for every company, so researching the best options for the company personally will help them achieve better results from their social media efforts. I like that you emphasized the importance of this for your specific client, as I would give my client the same advice. 

[jennaadamcmu]

Creating an Online Community

Chapters 4 & 5

Chapters 4 and 5 of The Social Organization gave great insight into how to create effective, successful community building using social media. Using social media to further a business can be extremely useful in this society, and if done correctly can directly impact the success. After reading the chapters, there were a few principles that I thought would be most helpful. First, creating a strong vision statement helps keep the organization’s goals clear. According to the book, a well-done vision statement can provide clarity and direction, guide strategy, enhance buy-in, and inspire participation. This vision statement helps direct the goals of the community and what the benefits will be. Another important principle is to use the No, Go, Grow model. This model allows for ideas to come from the top-down and the bottom-up, resulting in more opportunities to explore. Ideas in the no stage are not pursued. Ideas in the go stage must be assessed extensively to check for potential problems before being put into action. Ideas in the grow stage require more support, but can potentially deliver value to the organization. 

Hootsuite Modules

The Hootsuite modules also provided helpful information on building a successful online community and how it could be used in the project. One principle that could be helpful to my client was to listen to topics brought up that can lead to opportunities. As one video mentioned, it can be helpful to think of the online community as a focus group. By using their feedback and knowledge, the organization may find itself with better products and services that tailor more precisely to the community. Another principle is word of mouth. Finding other on-campus organizations that could advocate for my client’s organization may help bring in more members. Word of mouth is extremely important in this society because people are always talking, reviewing, and posting. Using this to your advantage could really help my client find more members and create relationships with other organizations. 

[boothhadley-blog]

Legal Side of Business

 Businesses Be Aware

When it comes to businesses they need to be aware of how it could affect their clients. By having clients information and sharing it this can cause several problems. If they make it clear that their information will be shared they would avoid most problems. If businesses get hacked and information is given out they can loose their loyal clients they have. By preventing information from being exposed they will keep their loyalty between clients. 

Consumers Be Aware

The first step to consumers being aware would be minimizing the data they give out to businesses. This makes it so you do not even give third parties the opportunity to access your data and information. Our cell phones are great examples of information that can easily be hacked. It is important to know what apps have access to our photos or other information. We would never want a stranger having our face ID or location. 

Searching For a Solution 

In order for us to seek a solution we need businesses to be fully honest on what information they have and how it could potentially be exposed. By having this I believe it is important for consumers to take a second look and think about what they are sharing before they do. Overall it is important for businesses to protect consumers information from third parties who could use it in a negative way. 

[jennaadamcmu]

Hi Hadley!

Nice post! I agree that businesses need to be really careful with the data they receive and what they do with it. As a customer, you want to trust that the places you give information to is keeping it safe and using it for the right reasons. I second the idea that consumers need to be more aware of what we are sharing. Nowadays most websites and apps retain a lot more information than we may think, which is why it is really important to be careful and investigate. Strong privacy policies and up-to-date security measures can make it easier for companies to protect information while using big data. 

[tommykoenig-blog1]

Legal Side Of Business

Business: Businesses should be aware of many things while using big data. The biggest one is getting hacked. If your business gets hacked, do you think your users will feel comfortable giving you their information? No. Not only does this affect your reputation, but it also comes with heavy penalties and legal action.  The second thing to be aware of is cost management. Analyzing, storing, reporting and managing big data comes at a high cost, so these businesses have to make sure they have a budget for this. 

Consumers: Consumers also need to be aware of many things while using big data. As technology is growing, so are personal data breeches. Many companies have struggled with privacy settings in the past even before “big data” was a thing; those companies know are struggling to keep up. Storing big data, particularly sensitive data can make companies more of a attractive target for cyberattacker’s. So with this being said, it is important to know what data you are giving these companies every time you buy something/go on their website. 

Solution: Vendor agreements are important to clarify who owns the data and what can and cannot be done with data. Also, strong privacy policies are really important (they will be honored by the courts) 

[jennaadamcmu]

Hi Tommy!

Great post. Hacks are definitely a huge concern for businesses and consumers while using big data. As a business, it is a huge PR hit to be hacked. Current customers may find it much harder to continue to trust you, and new customers could be put off with the nerves. Seeing news of big banks and other important businesses being hacked definitely reminds us to be cautious of the information we are sharing and with who. Like you said, vendor agreements and strong privacy policies are the best way to use big data with a business. 

[jennaadamcmu]

Legality of Big Data

After watching the presentation regarding Big data, there are a lot of things for businesses and consumers to consider. Big data is large volumes of collected data that business use to analyze and find patterns. They use this data to target potential customers. However, consumers don’t often fully know what data they’re allowing businesses to access and it is important to make sure you are securing your data. 

When using and interacting with big data, businesses should be aware of how to protect themselves and their customers. Keeping information confidential is extremely important in building strong, long-term relationships. If customer information is compromised they will not trust you anymore, which can severely hurt the businesses success. Businesses also need to asses the risks associated with big data. You need to know how likely hacks can happen and how to deal with them. It is also important to prepare for problems ahead of time instead of dealing with them afterwards. If you are precautious with information you are better capable of protecting that information. 

Consumers are often unaware of the data they are giving away. It is crucial to know what companies are wanting to access and how, and what is being done with it. Many companies try to get more information then they truly need to better target you in the future, as well as sell the information to other companies. 

The best ways to balance the opportunities and threats associated with big data were laid out in the presentation. According to Doug LaLone, the best things to do are create strong privacy policies, create vendor agreements, have good security, and clarify what happens in unforeseen events. Using these practices, you can better protect where your information goes. 

[dj75213]

Social Media Consulting

Social Media Consulting can be very impactful at a personal professional level and at a business level. There are many important traits that a consultant should have, but there are a few which I believe to be very important. I think that having a sense of passion in your work is important. You can say this about any job, but it is super important for a social medial consultant as they could directly effect the business or you personally. The other aspect that is important would be an understanding of the industry or person in which they are representing. You don’t want someone who is unfamiliar with your work to represent you on social media.

Personally if I were to consult my own social media, I would have a few suggestions. First off, I would say to post your own original content. A majority of my Twitter is just retweets, not too often do I tweet something. This makes my Twitter seem not very serious and more of a pastime. The second point I would make would be to not retweet as much. Most people don’t care about the stuff I retweet. If I enjoy something, I retweet it. This is a bad habit that I need to work hard to change. Overall, my social media presence could use some work.

[jennaadamcmu]

Hi David,

I like the traits you chose for social media consultants! They are both super important in creating a successful social media presence for any business. Like you said, it is definitely crucial for consultants to be able to understand the industry they are working in. If they do not have a clear understanding of the market they will likely never be able to get a firm following. 

I have the same habit of using Twitter as a platform for anything I find funny. I have my Twitter account on private because I have had it for eight years and would probably be mortified of things I found humorous before! I like to be sure the people that are able to see it are people I truly want to see it. I probably should work on that as well. 

Nice post! :) 

[culleradam-blog]

Junk News

I will take a look at how junk news like conspiracy theories, tabloids, and propaganda spread on social media based on the reasons given by the Oxford Internet Insititute. https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/blog/three-reasons-junk-news-spreads-so-quickly-across-social-media/

Algorithms 

The algorithms that social media sites use create a huge problem of confirmation bias. If you are constantly interacting with articles or posts presenting a particular viewpoint, the algorithms are going to show you even more articles that perpetuate that viewpoint. The algorithms do not care if the information provided is accurate or not, just that you will spend more time on their site because you like those articles. For example, if I google Do masks work, I get this article from MIT as the first choice https://medical.mit.edu/covid-19-updates/2020/07/do-cloth-masks-work. Someone who spends time reading viewpoints that masks aren’t effective, would probably see articles like https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/cloth-masks-are-useless-against-covid-19 when searching if masks work. The algorithms are designed to be custom to you and the sites you read.

Advertising 

Advertising on social media works in a similar way to the algorithms. Since they are customized to your habits, they do not necessarily care if they are providing you factual information. Clickbait titles are pretty common tactics for advertisers on social media. They use titles that make you want to click on them and then the actual story has no substantive content. This link provides some good examples of clickbait ads on Facebook https://adespresso.com/blog/clickbait-facebook-advertising-examples/.

Exposure

The information people choose to expose themselves is probably the biggest factor in the spreading of junk news. People tend to create a bubble of like minded people on their social media accounts. They do not like to see Information that goes against what they already believe. Confirmation bias is a huge issue in todays political climate. Instead of a free open exchange of information, social media provides an environment where you can curate an experience that provides you with only information that confers with your beliefs.

[jennaadamcmu]

Hi Adam!

The confirmation bias that exists because of algorithms is definitely concerning. It did not necessarily occur to me how much they can affect people until Covid began. It seems there are so many people who are constantly reading posts that aren’t true or use clickbaits to purposely mislead people. I think this should be addressed going forward because it has been infuriating trying to reason with people who only ever read posts from people with the same mindset.

Exposure is also another problem with social media and junk news for sure. As you said, social media has no longer acted as an open exchange of information, but rather a small environment that enables wrongdoing. 

Great post! 

[jennaadamcmu]

Junk News

The article discussed three reasons why news can spread so quickly across social media, and why a lot of it is junk news. 

Algorithms was the first reason discussed, which are ways information is sorted and presented to users based on calculations. These calculations are meant to ensure the users get the best experience tailored to them. However, the article mentioned how algorithms can often create filter bubbles that limit important information and news. A specific example of this is https://www.instagram.com. Instagram uses an algorithm that shows us posts based on what we like, comment, and interact with most frequently. There is a discover page that shows users photos similar to ones they often see. Algorithms can be beneficial to users because it personalizes the experience, but users can also miss important posts because of their algorithm.

Advertising was the next reason discussed. Advertising has evolved into a way for creators to invoke curiosity in potential customers. However this leads to clickbait which is something we see a lot nowadays. Clickbait gets people to interact with things they may not otherwise have. It can be misleading to people, and provide inaccurate information that spreads false news.

Exposure is the last reason why junk news can spread so quickly. Recent events in our country have shown the effects of exposure and how it can tout real, accurate information. As the article said, people often surround themselves with people and networks who share similar pre-existing beliefs to them. Therefore they miss out on a lot of important information that may be really important. Facebook is probably one of the biggest offenders of this because most people use facebook as their family social media platform. It can be scary to post or share things that may contradict what people close to you believe, but its the only way to ensure people are getting a complete story. 

Businesses can respond to these by learning how they work and maximizing their potential with them. If they can take advantage of these, they can ensure they are reaching the most customers and using their platforms in the best way. Many businesses can take off with one viral post, so knowing how to make social media work can really help. 

[jennaadamcmu]

Social Media Consulting

As mentioned in the lecture, consulting simply means helping in the most basic form. People come to a consultant for help with something they cannot do. They usually do not know what to do or what is needed, which is where consultants come in. In my view the most important qualities for a social media consultant to have are knowledge of the industry, willingness to adapt and learn, and strategy planning. 

Having knowledge of the social media industry is of course the first thing a social media consultant should know. To be able to pursue an effective strategy for the business, they must know what ways to best promote products/services and reach the right customers. The second trait, willingness to adapt and learn, is important because the consultant needs to understand the companies vision and make sure they align with it. To ensure the company is confident in the consultant, they should strive to show adaptability and be eager to learn about the overall goal. The last trait, strategy planning, is of course really important as well because companies need to be able to plan and execute strategies at the right times, platforms, and so on. As a consultant, it is your job to ensure the strategy being used is well-thought out and planned in advance.

If I was consulting myself about my professional social media presence, I think I would pursue more platforms. I currently use LinkedIn often and update it regularly, as well as use it to look for jobs and network with peers. In the future I should use more platforms to create more presence and be sure to check and update them regularly as well. 

[natalietemro1-blog]

Social Media Privacy

After watching the lecture and viewing the 60 Minutes segment “The Data Brokers,” I learned a lot about the term “Big data”. It describes the storage and analysis of large and or complex data sets. When it comes to big data, it doesn’t seem to be very private but it is a great power tool for online search engines. With GoogleTrends, allows them to see what search terms people are using. That way they can see everything you do on the internet and use that data. The dangers of this are not all of our stuff is private and everyone can see it. There are businesses that collect data about all types of people, and they sell the data that’s collected. The problem with big data is that our data is permanent and beyond our control. I think its crazy how big data appears on social media. I will google something and then go to Instagram, and what I just googled appears on my ads. It’s also creepy to think that everything that we do on our computers and phones is being monitored even in our own homes. I dont mind getting ads, but when it starts blowing up my social media about the same things, it gets annoying. I feel though we should be careful about what personal information we put on the web and just try and be safe.

After reading “The Internet’s Original Sin” and watching Maciej Ceglowski, they talked about ads and how the “pop-up ad is a way to associate an ad with a user’s page without putting it directly on the page, which advertisers worried would imply an association between their brand and the page’s content. Advertising became the default business model on the web, “the entire economic foundation of our industry,” (Zuckerman, 2014) In the internets original sin, they state that  “we’re addicted to ‘big data’ not because it’s effective now, but because we need it to tell better stories.” So we build businesses that promise investors that advertising will be more invasive, ubiquitous, and targeted and that we will collect more data about our users and their behavior.” In the video with Ceglowski, he talked about how we focus on data loss, instead of keeping our stuff safe, and with all this “big data”, we have so much data that we can find anything.

[jennaadamcmu]

Hi Natalie,

I learned a lot more about big data too after watching the 60 Minutes segment. I knew what it was, but had not really considered the amount it affected my life. It definitely seems like we share much more than we probably intend! I have no idea where it goes after sites shut down, etc. I don’t think anyone really does, which is even creepier. 

I think the quote you mentioned is especially interesting because it made me think of big data in a different perspective. It seems as though social media and advertising don’t have a cap, which can be pretty invasive. It’ll be interesting to see how the internet plays out in the next 60 years. 

[britho98]

Your Data Should Be Yours

Everything you do and everywhere you go on the internet is being taken and that information is a commodity. The people who watch your every move are able to use that to gain a whole profile based on what you searched. And that information is being sold to and from different companies that you would not expect. All this is happening behind the screen mostly unbeknownst to us, the consumer. This data is powerful because of the fact it goes beyond what the person wanted to provide, most of the time, if you ask someone for these things, they would say no. However, the Data Brokers retrieve this information without our knowing consent. I am not a believer in the idea of Data Brokers gaining all this information behind the screen and not providing us with all the information they gathered on us. I think to have more visibility on websites that allows us to know which companies are gaining our information and we decide who to give it to. I have experienced this while studying abroad in Ireland. Each website allowed you to decide which of the companies you are willing to provide your information.

I find it interesting discovering what “investor storytime” is. As Miciej Ceglowski explained the term, “ Investor storytime is not exactly advertising, but it is related to advertising. Think of it as an advertising future, or perhaps the world’s most targeted ad.” It is what is driving most advertising currently. The type of surveillance I have noticed and I am sure many people have as well is how our phones listen to us. You are with a group of friends and you guys talk about olive garden. A few minutes go by, and there is an ad for pasta near you or an olive garden advertisement . I think that in the future, once that technology evolves, we shall get more specific and targeted advertisements.

[jennaadamcmu]

Hey!

Its interesting to hear that in Ireland, using websites can be a totally different experience. I definitely feel that allowing so much of ourselves be known is a little scary, but it also brings to light the question of whats the alternative? I feel as though if you aren’t on social media and keeping up with it, you can feel very left out and uninformed. It’s almost impossible to be regulate where your information is really going once you begin to use it. I think as consumers we need to be more aware of the reality and be more cautious moving forward.

I agree that it seems as though surveillance has become everywhere now. Like you said, it feels like our phones are even listening to us. It’s concerning to think about where the data goes and how its being used, especially if it’s something you wish to keep private. 

[jennaadamcmu]

Big Data and Information Privacy

Big data and information privacy are extremely important in today’s business world. With the ever-changing technology world, new sites and apps are being created every day. To make sure our information is secure, we must understand how it works and how to protect ourselves.

Big data is large data sets that are analyzed to reveal patterns, trends, and associations by humans. Companies are now able to store large amounts of data and analyze them to further their businesses. Big data is an extremely powerful tool to push advertisements and target customers. However, the data has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is us. As consumers, we want to be aware of how and where our data is being used. Although most apps and websites are free of charge, we are paying them with our data. While that may not seem like a big deal, it can be hard to know exactly what is being taken. On top of that, the data cannot be deleted or accessed by us, so we just have to hope they use it in good faith. The ease of social media and other things may seem great to us, but it is important to remember that every time you trust a website with your information, they are going to keep it forever. In order to limit the harms, I think first we need to be educated on it. Many people have no idea how or why their information is being used, or that it’s being used at all. Knowing the risks being taken is the first step to protecting yourself. On a societal level, I think we may want to take a step back and think about what we are doing. Are we comfortable with this much being shared? Do the positives of it outweigh the negatives? 

Maciej Ceglowski’s talk about information privacy was really eye opening for me. How scary is it to think of how much data about us is really out there? On top of that, the article talking about advertising only reiterated to me that google knows exactly who I am. Internet business models play into this surveillance, because they rely on being able to target customers. By knowing what customers are interested in products like theirs, they can directly advertise to the people most likely to buy. However this information gathering doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. Like Ceglowski mentioned, where does the data go? What happens to the data when the internet is banned or something? I don’t know and probably never will. I just know that it’s scary to think about.