Twitter

How free is your Tweeting Bird?               

This module has brought around many firsts for me one of which is the use of Twitter. This is a medium which has been receiving a lot of attention. Radio ones hosts endless hash tag discussions and games inorder to engage listeners but also to demonstrate which presenters can get the most interaction and are there fore most popular.  Radio 1 Example of twitter advice. In terms of popularity Justin Beber is dong very well he makes top tweets most days and sneaks through your filter ( no I'm not a closset fan) on top tweets. Clearly teenage girls are the key demograpghic?

How has twitter changed my life? More than I thought, for a start I have not been buying a newspaper everyday. Eek This has been a somewhat horrifying revelation. I have enjoyed using Twitter to a point, well not enjoyed exactly more its become something I feel I need to do. Now like my email pile I hate when it gets to big.  I still hold with the notion of Twitter as a visual radio. Although this may be a characteristic of my use rather than global representation of it's use.  In fact I would like an addition where I can filter the tweets I want to read into a read later pile.  Once I pass a tweet I rarely go back regardless of my intentions.

I'd to date have been using Twitter more like a service than a communication tool. Discussions on twitter are of the moment and I always take a little longer to settle on an opinion, well at least one I be happy to defend down the line. I'm a bit like the fly on the wall.

Other people who a little more keen on twitter are Sean and Co
 self confessed media geeks who apparently enjoy a touch of arts and crafts Blue Peter style with their cube bombing efforts. They have made themselves a nest and interestingly enough a cage.

 

Which brings me to the key question twitter has raised for me. How free are you really when it comes to tweeting?

Firstly it turns out that bird can get you fired! the Huffington post ran an article on 13 tweets that got people sacked. It an interesting and controversial topic.The tweets that are highlighted here are quite clear cut on being asked to rate the fainess of these actions more than 70% of people agreed it was fair. What I want to know is where is the line. Companies are begining to issue guidelines but it seems unfair that where guidlines are not given with training for copmanies who want a positive publicity that they want your good words but can sack you if they don't like it now thats not really fredom of speech is it.  I would discuss this in relation to my company but that would be unwise.

 Mike Morrison states "With many organisations publicly encouraging people to “go social” and often their customers wanting the opposite, it is only a matter of time before people are either “silenced” altogether – of firms and organisations will be outed for restrictive inappropriate behaviour" .   I think the current financial climate and shortage of jobs however gives employers the edge currently. Although most companies have reacted slowly and have differing views on appropriate use of digital media most recognise it can also benefit them. This raises for me more questions than can be answered.

With these restrains and encouragements who owns your Tweeting soul?

Tomorrows World

How do we educate for a better future?         

                                                                                     
Speak their language is an article I believe highlights why simply teaching children to be better programmers will not help our problems. For them its not a question of changing your view of technology it has already been assimilated into there culture

The guardian ran an article "Why all of our Kids should be taught code"  by John Naughton. While some of these skill will doubtless be needed by individuals and to serve the future employment market they only serve to solve part of a problem.  I was the reading an article which stated very little is written about during the time of a revolution. Most writing takes place after a period of reflection. This happens regardless of  the size of revolution for example  the French Revolution or the Telephone but when it comes to young people I believe the Car car is a better analogy. Technology which changed everyone lives, gave young people new found freedom and took them out with the protection of there parents. How did we solve this problem? By teaching people to drive, having a test and once they had passed trusting them to drive safely. Three things education, standards and trust. We taught them to drive not how to build cars. We won't need everyone to be able to build a website, a programme and a what ever comes up in the future we need them top be able to use it safely. 

Digital judgement?

Digital Judgement

Is poor spelling a digital aged impediment? 

As you will no doubt have noticed, despite my best efforts,  I am a poor speller. I have always been a poor speller and the speed of my written work has never matched the pace of my thinking. Apart from being extremely frustrating , I wonder if this has been part of my reluctance to enter the digital age with enthusiasm. Instead of being frightened to open my mouth ( which I have never been )I have been frightened to commit my thoughts to screen. People judge it's what we do. I do not recount any of my previous statements, or questioning, it's just I think this is part of the reason, the catalyst to my ethical questioning. Generally we question less of the things we like and more on the things we don't.  

I don't think I'm alone in this quandary. Digital communications allow us to speak to everyone at once, this can be a good thing? Well one of the problems of mass communication is tone and language. We don't speak to everyone in the same manner, choose the the same vocabulary or use the same tone.

 Georgina Laidlaws article on the The rapid evolution of digital language  summarises the problem of ever changing digital specific language. The problem itself is a Little wider.

In the old days of the telephone (pre caller I.D) most of us would answer in what we still revert to as our telephone voice. Once we had established who was calling we would change our tone to reflect the relationship you have with the caller. You were speaking to one person if others were listening you could move out of earshot. Now no matters who calling everyone is listening. Its harder to have multiple strands to your identity. Will we all have to have multiple online identity's to re brand ourselves to each environment? Possibly we will become personal brands: Work Angela, Recreational Angela and realistically Drunk Angela but even if you meticulously mannage your brand it will not solve the problem entirely.

I thought all this time by not being on facebook I could opt out of digital inspired problems. Turns out I'm all over facebook, (well on it) in the pictures and pages of my friends. The age old interview question of how would your friends describe you ,will in future be answered by your friends! Not how would they describe you, how do they describe you!

Why do we all want to move to the Matrix?

In the film, the character Neo tries to free people from the oppression of the Matrix. We all seem to be packed and ready to move there! This link makes a comical poke at what the future may look like, ( apparently we won't be wasting any time modernising the kettle) we still drink tea but will need help to make it and we still at least occasionally, leave the house.

 

Joking aside, this clip is always how I imagine the world appears to someone who is austisic. A barrage on your senses making it extremely difficult to process what is appropriate to you. In order to survive you extract precise information such as the tea making.

As peoples sensitivity drops under the constant barrage of communication, we are likely to be subjected to more extreme images. We know as this happens our sensitivity drops, making us less effected by the original level. However I think If I had to live like this, I would make a mental note of all the brands I would not be buying.  

How social is social networking?

How social is social networking?

How long is a piece of string? Likewise the answer to the former question vary, as does the vigour with which they are argued. What is more interesting to me, are our communications aspirations as a global community. How do we want to communicate in the future?

Effective communication is a two way process which involves both, speaking and listening.

In traditional conversations we teach small children rules for effective communication. We are all predisposed to being more accomplished at speaking or the listening and we strive to find a balance.

                                                                     

We do not really teach children (or adults) etiquette with regards to digital communication. Digital etiquette's and cultures have evolved  and are often rather vague. Communications don't have to happen in a set sequence. You can just post on twitter or face book with out reading or read with out posting. Time intervals are not set, people can respond immediately or at sometime in the future and multiple conversation or information transactions can take place at any given time. My interest here lies within weather or not this is an improvement?

 Example, at a recent transition event for primary 7 pupils, designed to give them a positive experience of the future high school and the future peers, it transpired they had already made up their mind to 'hate' some of their new class mates. A fight broke out and was immediately stopped. On investigation as to why two children from different schools who had never met could be fighting so quickly the child answered "I hate him". "How is that possible you don't even know him",was the next question. "Yes I do" answered the boy, "How do you know him"? asked the adult. The answer? Face book.

This was one of the many example of antisocial networking which are increasing. The lines of reality and digital communication are not as clear for everyone. Two children on separate occasions this week said "OMG" not not the words, the letters. Sadly it is not just children,  the recent case of two  Dunblane parents fight  prearranged on face book to happen outside the Primary school , highlights some adults have difficulty with the concept also. Are a certain amount of life skills required which prerequisite safe digital communication? If so how do we prepare future generations for safe use?

Supermarkets are criticised for displaying sweets next to cashiers, Toy companies are criticised for advertising during kids programmes but no one is really monitoring advertising on children's sites. Or worse still don't realise.  The Guardian highlighted this in 2009 after the  Byron  report in 2008. The reports was updated in 2010.

The final example I have from this week is a child from another group I work with. The child has a blackberry however is rarely appropriately dressed and this week had toenails, which were so dirty, I though they were bruised.  It is not an isolated case. For me, this highlights a lack of priorities. Why are communications devices priorities over basic care? There are many possible answers but no positive ones I can think of.

This brings me back to our communications aspirations. We know we are able to bring around huge cultural changes such as the smoking ban and that digital communications can be effective in helping us to do so. We know digital communication is here to stay. It can be used as a force for good or bad. What we don't seem to agree on or be discussing, is how we should aspire to communicate. Public relations is intrinsically reactive, we exist inside a given culture, but that should not dissuade us from having aspirational direction.

What are your communications aspirations? Where should we go?

Conscientious Objector

Conscientious objector                                 

If I’m honest, it's not just that I have never bogged or been on face book or tweeted because I did not know how or could not be bothered.  If I am honest I was kind of against the idea. I think it has contributed greatly to the continuing break down in the country’s interpersonal and social skills.  I have been up until this point a conscientious objector.

What’s happened to old fashioned conversation? What is  wrong with chatting to people face to face or speaking on the phone? Why does it happen less and less? When was the last time you were in a meeting or chatting to your friends that someone was not on their phone? Why do people text you when you are next to them? I am not against progress however seeing photographs of a night out I am still on does not really feel like progress to me. I prefer to regret my outfit choice, or realise I should drink less, somewhere in the future.

My views are split into professional and personal. As a profession I recognise that this is the way the world is moving so I can work with it or get left behind. I just don't necessarily agree it's progress. 

My work currently involves persuading people to be physically active.  It’s seems a little rich to use such an inactive medium to promote activity. I not above hypocrisy ,  I don’t mean I can’t or won’t use digital media, I just wonder wither ethically I should. I think we are all responsible for our own actions and those actions are what mark our contribution as a global citizen. If well all accept that’s the way it is then, that’s the way it will be.  It reminds me of being a child and watching ‘Why Don’t You’ ( it has not aged well!) during school holidays.

Even as a child I thought programme was a bit ironic. Was their goal to stop you watching all programmes, including theirs or encourage viewers to only watch ‘Why Don’t You'? or was it just Rhetoric?

To what extent does compromising the means of communication compromise the integrity of your message?

On Your Marks, Get Set, Blog!

Yes I know it’s ironic. I'm studying Public Relations. Taking a Digital Media module and yet I have never even had a Facebook account! I have never used twitter. I email a lot for work purposes but in my own time, nope. I don't really use apps and apart from iTunes, my smart phone is pretty much wasted and yes this is my first blog. Right so confessions out in the open, expectations of me should now be relatively low. My chances of disappointing you all should be significantly reduced.

Looking forward to learning about this whole new world of communication (well it will be new to me) and seeing all of your good ideas.

For my first blog I have chosen a link for no better reason than I like the video. Obviously Travis Rice is Crazy but how cool is it that this is actually someone’s Job.