And this is what I have been daydreaming about since about 9a.m. This is what I wish I had, more than anything, right now.
Besides staring at food that I so desperately want but do not have, I have been doing some productive stuff as well. When I first got in earlier today, I observed a live chat between people who work in the field of journalism. The discussion consisted of questions that were posted in ten minute intervals.
The first question was about AOL taking over the Huffington Post. A lot of people seemed to agree that the move was beneficial to both companies because it gave one a voice while providing the other with content. As of right now it seems like a good idea.
The second question was about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The discussion was about how SEO is affecting content in the field of journalism. I agreed with a lot of the users who claimed that content should not be changed because of SEO. It is more important that content is good rather than just crap that people search for and click on. If SEO is deemed more important than content, the quality of content will diminish quickly because journalists are more concerned with getting a lot of hits rather than maintaining good quality writing.
The next question was about whether small news organizations should develop applications for iPads, iPhones, Droids, etc or develop efficient, mobile-friendly site. The consensus seemed to be that it would be more useful to create mobile websites because it keeps the reader more interested. Applications in my opinion seem to be too segregated. I think that it is more of a hassle for readers to download and go into an app rather than simple go to a website on their phones.
The last question asked what kind of application would be useful in the field of journalism. All of the answers had to do with user feedback or contribution. Enabling users to post pictures, comments, and videos seemed to be the central answer. I think that a problem with all of this new technology is that although it is cool and fun to use, people can't seem to find a really good, solid use for it in the professional field.
After the chat, I sat down and logged into twitter, facebook, and blogger. I now understand the importance of linking all your social networks to each other. I linked my twitter and blog to my facebook. so that everything is interconnected. My number of followers has increased since last week (which I am happy about) but I still want to get some more followers.
To do this, I started to look at who small publications or organizations in my surrounding areas were following, and I started following them too. I then looked at who they followed and followed them as well. Another way to gain more followers is to retweet what others are talking about and give them recognition; so I tried that a few times. One thing that I still want to try is to participate in hashtags. Hopefully that will bring up my number of followers also.
I must say that at first, I thought it was slightly trivial to have to learn how to use twitter. Now, I am really starting to understand how useful it is in the field of journalism as well as other fields. I am beginning to practice it and am even putting it to good use. For example, I am a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters and am planning on hopefully developing a twitter for them and linking it up to a blog about being a mentor.
I know I am going to learn much more here at the Freeman and am excited to do so. As for now...I'm going to go get some food.
As important as Twitter and Facebook have become for social networking... I would still rather sit at IHOP with a friend eating that huge stack of pancakes and have a real conversation. Too many people are exercising their fingers too much ... their tongues and facial muscles ... not so much.
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