Strawberry - Internet Make Me Dumb?

A couple of years ago Duncan Reily made mention of Doris Lessing's Nobel Prize acceptance speech (link). Lessing came out with some interesting remarks about how the internet is fragmenting our culture and knowledge and because of this, as a society we are less intelligent.

While it may be easy to sit here, bash her and assume that her opinion no longer matters - I'm not going to. I think I see where Doris is coming from, she may just have poorly phrased her remarks. The internet is not making us dumb, it's the choices that we have (and make) on the internet that make us dumb.

Think about what is available on the internet. Endless amounts of news, scholarly articles, well written editorials and countless other sources of knowledge and intelligence. Having that information can't possibly make us dumb, can it?

What can make us dumb is our choice to spend more time on Facebook, Twitter or something as ridiculous as lolcats than on Google Scholar.

I'm not saying Doris should have come out and said what she did - but it may hold more weight than we'd all like to think.

Buttermilk - The Evolution of Customer Service

Barney Beal wrote an article a couple of years ago that discusses the social media's role in customer service. Just hearing that phrase "customer service" raises my blood pressure. The countless hours spent on the phone with people who seem like they would rather complicate my problem instead of solve it. Could this all be fixed by social media?

The answer to this question is a resounding "no." The move to social media is not exactly geared towards customer service, but more towards improving customer relations. Blogging about new products, twittering about potential recalls and responding to widely publicized customer complaints does not constitute customer service. I'd rather avoid blogs that try and sell me their opinions (and products) more than Keith Olberman or Bill O'Reilly.

When Facebook can help honor the warranty on my Dell Notebook, then THAT would be a breakthrough.

Apple Cinnamon - Facebook vs. Real World

After reading Clive Thompson's Wired article about real life social networks, it got me thinking about my own social networks and the astounding differences that exist between my Facebook page and my real-life interactions. If one were to browse upon my Facebook page, they may be able to see a snapshot of my favorite books or movies, see some recent photos, or read my most recent updates. And all this information may provide a fair portrayal of who I am. BUT the conversations on my wall would be a very poor assessment of who I'm actually talking to and interacting with on a daily basis. The way I utilize my Facebook page is to keep connections with friends from years past, people that I wouldn't normally be able to interact with. I've always used Facebook this way because that is how it fits best into my life.

In line with Thompson's general conclusions about the differences between social networks and real-life networks, I can confirm that my activity in one is not indicative my activity in another.

It's likely that some of my extremely loyal readers may have a different view - so go ahead, feel free to express your thoughts in the comments below.

Blueberry - Blog Basics

Hey guys, this is my first blog post as a student in ITEC-335 (Social Networking in Business). Should be a lively and fun time - but first we need to address Academic Integrity. So, on my honor, all the posts in this blog are my own. Most of the posts will follow contemporary trends in internet use and how they can benefit businesses.