Interning this past semester was an...interesting..experience...I will leave the name of the organization that I interned for unnamed...however I do have a couple of things to say..
1. Overall, I appreciate the experience that I gained from working there for a semester...
2.Would I do another semester of it? No. Definately not..
3. I liked the chance to work on my writing and design skills..working on press releases and creating things that were going to be mailed out to clients/donors was great
4. working on finishing up all the left over stuff that no one else had time to do was something that i could have done without..like folding things and handwriting letters...
I just don't understand...why do they think that just because you're interning you are automatically someone that has time to waste.. I mean the point of interning is to gain knowledge/experience of a certain field...at least I thought that's what it was...But hey, it's something to put on your resume, right?
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
I'm not gonna lie....twitter kinda stresses me out...
Sorry Gee, I know that you enjoy all the social media and are very good at keeping your profiles up to date but Twitter just seems like another thing I MUST do. First I have to hop onto the internet and check my e-mail which will of course lead me over to Facebook, take a swing around to Linkedin and then hit Twitter? Whew, before I know it, three hours have slipped through my fingers.
I understand the convenience of the website in finding what exactly the media is up to and clicking on a link that someone else suggested. But who really wants to know that I am "currently making breakfast" or "watching TV?" Thus far it appears that Twitter is simply a way to get your voice heard. SOMEONE will surely read the fact that "today, your socks don't match." In order to avoid this, I attempt me to think of incredibly intellectual things to blurt on Twitter like " Your 'Yes' means nothing if you never say 'no'." Whew, this is hard work.
Therefore, I do not think that Twitter is for me. Maybe when I enter the field of PR I'll see the site in a different light.
I understand the convenience of the website in finding what exactly the media is up to and clicking on a link that someone else suggested. But who really wants to know that I am "currently making breakfast" or "watching TV?" Thus far it appears that Twitter is simply a way to get your voice heard. SOMEONE will surely read the fact that "today, your socks don't match." In order to avoid this, I attempt me to think of incredibly intellectual things to blurt on Twitter like " Your 'Yes' means nothing if you never say 'no'." Whew, this is hard work.
Therefore, I do not think that Twitter is for me. Maybe when I enter the field of PR I'll see the site in a different light.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Twitter Exercise
After getting used to Twitter, I found myself more comfortable using it. I feel like I would be more efficient at posting updates if I knew more people using it, especially family members. I feel that it isn't as personal as facebook, but I like that you can give your background a personal touch. I uploaded a photo I took in Killiney, outside of Dublin, Ireland, of the walls outside of Bono's house. Thousands of fans have visited and written U2 lyrics, their own poems, or just messages.
What I don't like about Twitter is that random people, who you aren't even following, can spot you and ask permission to follow you. Even though you can reject them so that they can't see your updates, it is still pretty annoying. With facebook, I adjusted my settings so that only Marquette students can request to be my friend. I actually received a message- not a tweet- from someone from the UK that I let follow me, who said that he "looked forward to reading my updates." Really? Don't you have better things to do than see what's going on with a random student across the ocean?
I think Twitter is very useful for PR professionals, or any professionals for that matter, in keeping up to date on their respective industries. I just don't understand all of the "lurkers" who try to follow you!
What I don't like about Twitter is that random people, who you aren't even following, can spot you and ask permission to follow you. Even though you can reject them so that they can't see your updates, it is still pretty annoying. With facebook, I adjusted my settings so that only Marquette students can request to be my friend. I actually received a message- not a tweet- from someone from the UK that I let follow me, who said that he "looked forward to reading my updates." Really? Don't you have better things to do than see what's going on with a random student across the ocean?
I think Twitter is very useful for PR professionals, or any professionals for that matter, in keeping up to date on their respective industries. I just don't understand all of the "lurkers" who try to follow you!
Britney: For the Record ..... Good or Bad PR?
If you have watched MTV or ABC lately you have probably heard a lot about Britney Spears. A documentary, morning special on Good Morning America, new album, her birthday and so on. For a celebrity that has had so much bad publicity and public involvement in her private life in the past few years, it is interesting to see her putting everything "on the record" for MTV and the public. After watching her special I realized that this was a great PR move for the singer. Just as most people have their set opinions about her, she allowed cameras to follow her and tell her side of the story. I think that it made her appear more real to her fans and maybe even made people feel bad for what she has to deal with on a daily basis. For someone who is making a comeback, she sure is doing a good job of getting a lot of attention!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
After my brief experience with Twitter I found myself with mixed feelings regarding the social networking site. It's one of those things you either love or hate .... or learn to love, I guess. At first, I looked at it as only a "Facebook status" update which seemed fairly useless to me and not very entertaining. I think it is a great tool to get a point across for those who know how to use it properly. After getting familiar with the site, I found myself not necessarily updating it very often, but checking it daily along with my email and Facebook. I think it is a great public relations tool that is able to reach a broad audience. At the same time, it's not something I choose to use at this point but could see it being useful to me in the future!
Something I hope our class blog will never be!
This link is to a list of the "Top 11 Lamest Blogs" on the internet today. I looked at the list, and I think it was an accurate assessment. But it got me thinking about the very fine line of blogging between interesting and just pathetic. And yet, I LOVE reading blogs. My obsession began ages ago right when livejournal was getting popular. I somehow was enthralled by reading every detail of my friends' lives. (This was the true start to social media, I'd say.) Next it was reading blogs of friends who are abroad- the ideal way to stay connected and hear about all their great adventures. And now I am obsessed with Marquette basketball blogs, without them I would never stay up to date on statistics and team happenings.
However, this list of lame blogs is a great reminder for our future in the business world. Blogging can be a great way to get the word out about a company, but it needs to be done tastefully and be associated with articles people really are interested in reading. So check out the list, and keep their mistakes in mind and be rest assured that I am confidant our class blog would not be on this list.
Getting to be that time...
Working as a public relations intern has been incredibly beneficial. In fact, I swear that I have learned more at this internship than I have in class thus far. Is that common? However, This internship was my first. Unfortunately, I cannot intern next semester. I am a little nervous about finding a job with only one internship under my belt. I am aware that some of my peers have done at least two or three....
TWITTER!
Well, where do I begin when it comes to Twitter? I have the same feelings as most of the class, it seems. Compared to Facebook, (my social site of choice), Twitter is wayyy less fun, but I like the conciseness of 'tweeting'. I followed some classmates, found a high school friend on the site, and 5 of the people recommended by Gee. I can see how Twitter would be fun, IF I got more of my friends to be on it. Honestly, I didn't care what pitchengine was doing every five minutes, but I was excited to see updates from my friend Zach. I think I'll keep my account, just to see what I can make of building a friend network, and its a good source of PR and web information, too.
The World of Twitter
My experience with Twitter was a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be. It really is a great site to find out what is going on with others you care about and about companies that matter to you as well. I also enjoyed being able to make announcements about my life via twitter. The only real downfall I see currently in twitter is that is a very PR based website, and most of my friends would never be exposed to it. In the future, as twitter's popularity grows - and I am very sure it will- I could see it becoming a very valueable resource for me to keep in touch with others.
I also loved being able to respond to classmates updates, because that is where I believe the real connection comes in via the internet, which is so important as we become more dependant on conecting through social media.
I also loved being able to respond to classmates updates, because that is where I believe the real connection comes in via the internet, which is so important as we become more dependant on conecting through social media.
My Twitter Experience
I have mixed feelings about twitter. I don't feel like I've really gotten anything out of it. I don't really know if maybe I am just not following the right people but I constantly feel like it is a stream of useless information, with a spattering of good things here and there, but they get lost in the clutter. I guess I don't understand how it could be an effective communication tool, although I get how ideally it should if everyone always had important posts to make, but I just think that it is kind of a pain to keep up with. I will probably continue to sign on and off here and there, but in the end I do not really see a purpose for it in my life. I just feel like it is a trendy thing that everyone wants to be a part of, but I think in the end it hinders communication because even important things could be deemed unimportant because of the constant clutter of communication.
Tweet
Over the past few weeks, my experience with using twitter has overall been a good one. Before this class, I had heard of Twitter, but did not know much about it or its uses. However, after using it for a few weeks now, I have gained an understanding and appreciation of its uses. I have enjoyed checking it daily to see all of the updates. Some of which were very appealing to me, and others which were not. I also enjoyed reading my classmates updates, seeing what they are up to in comparison to what I was doing at the moment.
Although my experience using Twitter for this class was good, I will only continue to Twitter if more of my friends, family, or co-workers join. I see it as a great way to keep in touch with friends and family who are far away, as well as share information with co-workers.
Currently I am convincing my family and friends to join Twitter to have an easier way to keep in touch. I would like to continue to Twitter, as I had a good time doing so for this class, I just hope that more of my friends and family will join. I also see Twitter as a communication tool that I will use in the future to communicate with co-workers, and keep updated on the public relations field.
Although my experience using Twitter for this class was good, I will only continue to Twitter if more of my friends, family, or co-workers join. I see it as a great way to keep in touch with friends and family who are far away, as well as share information with co-workers.
Currently I am convincing my family and friends to join Twitter to have an easier way to keep in touch. I would like to continue to Twitter, as I had a good time doing so for this class, I just hope that more of my friends and family will join. I also see Twitter as a communication tool that I will use in the future to communicate with co-workers, and keep updated on the public relations field.
Using twitter has been an interesting experience. It is a great tool to get information out to a lot of people at one time and I wish more people knew about it. As I was using Twitter, you definatly have a wide variety of people using it. For those who use it as a professional tool, it is a great way to spread information about their jobs and what they do.
I think that more people should use Twitter because it is a good way to advertise for their business or get out information about a cause. Twitter could be an important part of the future for PR as well. It is an easy way to tell people to check out what is new with a client or to share new product information.
The only thing that bugged me about Twitter was the people that update every second of the day. I got really annoyed when my whole screen was convered in posts from one or two people. I think that some people have too much time on their hands.
Overall this was a good experience and I will continue to use Twitter.
I think that more people should use Twitter because it is a good way to advertise for their business or get out information about a cause. Twitter could be an important part of the future for PR as well. It is an easy way to tell people to check out what is new with a client or to share new product information.
The only thing that bugged me about Twitter was the people that update every second of the day. I got really annoyed when my whole screen was convered in posts from one or two people. I think that some people have too much time on their hands.
Overall this was a good experience and I will continue to use Twitter.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Twitter Experience
"Tweeting" over the past week and a half has definitely improved my understanding of how Twitter can be used as a social networking tool. I loved spending time looking through all the different people/businesses that have learned to use this communication tool.
To make the most of my account, I found people to follow that relate to my career interests. For example, I am currently very interested in multi-cultural marketing so I searched for accounts that would provide me with updates on the latest developments in this field. I have personally found Twitter to be a great way to stay updated on everything from current events to the latest PR trends to discounts at your favorite store. The only thing I dislike is how fast and often people update their posts. It's hard to keep up on all the latest information unless you are visiting the site very often since some people make new posts every few minutes. Other than that, I find it a great tool and will continue to use my account to stay updated on the changes occurring in the world.
To make the most of my account, I found people to follow that relate to my career interests. For example, I am currently very interested in multi-cultural marketing so I searched for accounts that would provide me with updates on the latest developments in this field. I have personally found Twitter to be a great way to stay updated on everything from current events to the latest PR trends to discounts at your favorite store. The only thing I dislike is how fast and often people update their posts. It's hard to keep up on all the latest information unless you are visiting the site very often since some people make new posts every few minutes. Other than that, I find it a great tool and will continue to use my account to stay updated on the changes occurring in the world.
Hello, My Tweeples
Twitter has been an interesting experience so far, but it all seems too fast paced for me, even after this experiment. I found five of the listed accounts to follow, and it seems like there is a new tweet from one of them every other second. Maybe I just don't have the time or the desire to keep up, but Twitter moves way to fast for my taste.
It is clearly beneficial to follow the media accounts, and I understand that now more so than I did before the assignment. Twitter is an excellent networking tool, and hopefully I will have a little more drive, or potentially a little more time, in the future to keep up with my Twitter account. I've definitely come to realize its networking value, so I won't discontinue my account, but I don't know if I will make the effort to keep up with it too closely.
Even with all the people you can follow, the thing I like most about Twitter is the direct messaging. I've communicated with friends through the direct messaging, and it's almost like sending a text message because you have a limited amount of characters available. So all in all, I guess I like the social aspect more than the media aspect of this particular social media tool.
Reaction to Twitter
When I first heard that I would be assigned to use Twitter for a few weeks, I was a bit apprehensive. I did not see the value of the micro-blogging website; in my eyes, the website was relatively pointless and also invaded personal privacy. Rather, I preferred Facebook and did not plan on using any other social-networking websites.
After using Twitter on a regular basis, I have been accustomed to the website. I realize Twitter's value for the public-relations profession as well as other industries. It creates one quick stop to gather information as well as create responses to the customer. However, I think that it is unneeded for personal use. I do not plan on continuing to using the website, purely due to lack of time and the inability to adjust to using it. Yet, I do see a great value in Twitter: it creates connections between a variety of audiences and shares information easily and quickly.
After using Twitter on a regular basis, I have been accustomed to the website. I realize Twitter's value for the public-relations profession as well as other industries. It creates one quick stop to gather information as well as create responses to the customer. However, I think that it is unneeded for personal use. I do not plan on continuing to using the website, purely due to lack of time and the inability to adjust to using it. Yet, I do see a great value in Twitter: it creates connections between a variety of audiences and shares information easily and quickly.
After completing the Twitter assignment I know feel that I have expanded my knowledge of the website, and have found myself actually enjoying the website. When I first signed onto the Twitter world I was dumbfounded, I had no idea what to expect. I did not understand how to fully use the site, and to be honest I was unaware of all the benefits that came along with the site. After playing around with the website and starting to add people I wanted to follow, each time I signed on to Twitter I found myself spending more and more time on the site. With each new person I followed I found more and more information being posted that I was interested in. Twitter is a great way to stay up to date on what is currently going on in the world of public relations, and what is going on all around the world. For example, when the Mumbai terror happened I found myself turning to Twitter to read all the up to minute up dates. I know use Twitter to stay informed, and share my thoughts. I am going to keep "Twittering" and hopefully one day I am useful to other people using Twitter, as they are to me.
The Final Days....
ADPR 181 has been one of the best classes that I have ever take. It has allowed me to actually have hard copies of things that I have worked on and learned throughout the semester. Now I know that many of the other Comm classes provide you with a final project that you can save and treasure but.. How many other classes leave you with your very own portfolio? And this portfolio was no joke, that's for sure. This class has allowed me to learn different PR techniques and social media forms...IT'S AMAZING that all these things like Twitter exist and it's only until you are informed of them that you actually appreciate all that they have to offer! I can only hope that my PR knowledge will increase after this class!
Tweeting
So I'm not going to lie, I had no idea what Twitter was until we were told to make an account during class...and to tell you the truth, I have found it extremely interesting to see what updates have been posted by others. So many things pop up that I feel you never come across just by reading the paper or watching the news. It's neat to see what others have to say and then read the article (if available) to comeup with your own ideas! I'm pretty sure Tweeting will become more popular as soon as more people become aware of the great pros that Tweeting has to offer!
When I first made my Twitter account in ADPR class, I did not really know much about it. Now that I have taken the time to actually use it and understand Twitter terminology such as "tweet" and "tweeples" I feel comfortable using it on a daily basis. I now realize that Twitter is a great way to read news updates as well as see what other people I am following are doing. It is interesting to read their new posts and links. I have convinced a few of my friends have created twitter accounts and I hope they find it as useful and interesting as I do!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
PR Blogs-Good to Check Out!
So I was googling to find something neat to write about for my last blog and I stumbled upon this website called PRPerspective which had the lovely slogan "News from PR Pros...For PR Pros". It claims to post headlines from the best PR bloggers and make it simple to access the best blogs about PR. It's actually pretty interesting, and while some blogs obviously stray from the PR purpose they claim, there were some pretty neat ones too including one on social media (applying things from class to the real world?!). I think it would be beneficial for any of us to check out once in awhile just to see what some of these people have to say!
Learning to "Tweet"
After using Twitter for about a week and a half, I am torn on the usefulness of the social media site. I had fun using Twitter and "tweeting" updates on my life and interesting news. While I enjoyed updating the world on my activities, I'm not sure those updates were at all useful to anyone. I can see the possibility for Twitter to be very useful in spreading news and for public relations, but some people hinder this possibility by abusing their "tweeting" abilities. Some people update many, many times each day with information that is not all that interesting. I think they are creating a "tweeter who cried wolf" syndrome. When they have something important to say, no one may be listening.
That said, I like Twitter overall and do find some great links in others' posts. I don't plan on updating very often, but I will maintain my account and read up on the posts of those I follow. I think this will be valuable because, as a communications student, I need to understand social media and how to use it properly. I also will learn about new social media sites, other sites and news.
That said, I like Twitter overall and do find some great links in others' posts. I don't plan on updating very often, but I will maintain my account and read up on the posts of those I follow. I think this will be valuable because, as a communications student, I need to understand social media and how to use it properly. I also will learn about new social media sites, other sites and news.
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