Instant Messaging

     IM, also known as instant messaging, consist of real-time messages sent between users over the Internet. IM is very similar to text messaging on our cellphones, and can be compared to a private chat room. Before the creation of IM software, such as Google Talk, Skype, MSN Messenger, etc.; many of us utilized emails to communicate but sometimes an email is not fast enough for some of us. This is why IM is such a huge success (Tyson, 2015).

     Some of the most common features that make collaboration possible that are available to users through IM software are: 1) instant messages – as aforementioned similar to text messaging; 2) chat – similar to a private chat room with a single individual or a group of people; 3) web links – the user has the ability to share and open links; 4) video and images – one can send and receive video files, pictures, and video chat with other users; 5) sounds – play sounds; 6) files – one can use IM as a peer-to-peer file transfer service; 7) talk – one can use IM to place phone calls instead of using a telephone; 8) streaming content – receive real-time news or similar applications; and 9) mobile capabilities – send instant messages from your cell phone (Tyson, 2015).

     I personally utilize several different IM applications such as Whatsapp, Skype, Line, and iMessage. The reason why I have so many is because not everyone that I know uses the same so I need several in order to stay in touch. Nevertheless, if I am forced to choose one as my favorite then my choice would be Skype. As I talked about during my blog about VoIP, Skype offers me several benefits that the other IM applications simply can’t; just as the ability to have my own Skype number where anyone can call me regardless if they have Skype or not.

Reference

Tyson, J. & Cooper, A. (2015). How instant messaging works. Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://computer.howstuffworks.com/e-mail-messaging/instant-messaging.htm

VOIP

     The acronym VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, which is a complicated way of saying internet telephone. At its’ most simplistic essence, VoIP technology allows analog telephone communications to happen over data networks. Today, VoIP not only allows users to make phone calls over the net but they have combined this ability with video capabilities to bring us video-calls (Wailgum, 2007). An example of VoIP technology that many of us are familiar with is the software known as Skype. That allows anyone to make free phone calls and/or video calls very easy and convenient.

     VoIP offers many benefits to users over regular telephone calls; for instance, one can save tons of money on long distance calls by utilizing VoIP, another one is that allows users and corporations the ability to work from anywhere as long as they have an internet connection, and on today’s world where online shopping is so huge by utilizing a “click to talk or connect” option by a simple click one can immediately reach a customer service representative for some human to human contact (Wailgum, 2007).

     Many of us would think that if this is so good “why aren’t we all doing this?” The answer is simple VoIP has as many limitations as it has benefits of using it. For example, the main requirement to be able to utilize VoIP is a good network connection. In other words, faulty or non-existent internet connection automatically renders VoIP useless. With a faulty connection, communication is spotty and one can experience many “dropped” calls, which can be frustrating at best.

     I use Skype on an everyday basis not only to stay connected to my family, but to stay connected with colleagues as well. It works great and I recommend it to everyone I can, it offers the ability to make free calls and video calls for free, and for a very low price one can acquire a local phone number. This number allows anyone to call you over the net without any extra charges to them. This is great when working overseas as I do because it allows me to stay connected with everyone I know, and when traveling (regardless to where) as long as I have internet connection I can stay in touch without any extra fees. It also allows me to send instant messages, pictures, videos, and any other file I may need. Overall, I believe Skype (VoIP) has its place in today’s world, but one would be irresponsible not to have a backup plan for those instances when Skype is not working.

Reference

Wailgum, T. (2007). VoIP definition and solutions. Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://www.cio.com/article/2439276/voice-over-ip/voip-definition-and-solutions.html

Linkedin

     Many of us understand that the main purpose for utilizing social media websites and applications is to simply stay in touch with family, friends, and to meet new people along the way. In other words, social media offer us many advantages as a great social tool, but very seldom we see these advantages in real life from simply posting a status update. This was the case until 2003, when Reid Hoffman had a vision and created LinkedIn (Buck, 2012).

     LinkedIn takes all the benefits from social media and puts them to work for you in one of the most useful social media websites around today. LinkedIn takes the “ease of social network sites and caters to benefiting you with career connections” while aiding the user in creating a very respectable online reputation (Duffy, 2013).

     LinkedIn is a very useful social media website because it allows users to not only let potential recruiters that one is back on the job market, but to make new connections that could potentially further one’s career. The website (when not used to it) can be a little intimidating because it looks a little busy, but once one starts getting used to the website it is very easy to see that there is a summary of everything that an individual could need in order to create and sustain a professional network. From suggestions of people you may have some common interests to jobs that you may be perfect for in your area; LinkedIn offers it all (Duffy, 2013).

     The website functions by setting up a profile, that indicates the user’s list of skills and expertise so potential employers and/or recruiters can have an idea if the individual would be a fit for their companies. To the profile the user add “connections” to his/her profile, these connections can give you recommendations and also confirm the skills and expertise listed which automatically gives the user instant credibility.

     As per Alexandra Samuel (2013), writer of Harvard Business Review, the biggest recommendation that she always gives when utilizing LinkedIn is to be very selective with whom you decide to add to your network. She explains that you should ask yourself, “would I do or ask this person for a favor?” If the answer is yes then you should add the individual. In other words, to maximize LinkedIn be very selective about your network – definitely quality over quantity!

     I personally am not very familiar with LinkedIn but after researching it I will most definitely start my own LinkedIn account. Hope to see you in my network in the near future!

References

Buck. S. (2012). The beginner’s guide to LinkedIn. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from http://mashable.com/2012/05/23/linkedin-beginners/

Duffy, J. (2013). LinkedIn. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2120736,00.asp

Samuel, A. (2013). Should I accept that LinkedIn invitation? Retrieved September 15, 2015, from https://hbr.org/2013/06/should-i-accept-that-linkedin.html

Social Networking Sites Comparison Table

     Social media has changed the way we interact with each other, now it is easier to “tweet” or simply send a message online than actually picking up the phone and calling someone. For instance, what was once a simple website for Harvard’s students known as Facebook; today can claim over 1.23 billion monthly active users (Patton-Carson, 2014). With that huge online presence it is very simple to see why social media is so important. Nevertheless, with so many social media websites and applications it is very hard to find the right one for you. The following table compares just but three of the many, but to me these three are some of the most important ones available to us.

	FACEBOOK	TWITTER	LINKEDIN
Description	Largest social network website that allows users to stay connected with friends, family, co-workers, etc. regardless of their location.	Social platform built on the premise of answering short questions or sharing thoughts.	Similar to Facebook, but its’ focus is on connecting professionals with other professionals with the intent of sharing information, ideas, and/or opportunities.
Privacy settings	Privacy settings can be customized to the liking of the users, which can decide what information and/or pictures to share and with whom.	Users can choose between the default public account and a private one (the ability to see updates is only possible after permission has been granted).	Privacy settings are very customizable, thus allowing the user to choose which information to share and with whom.
Smartphone applications	Yes	Yes	Yes
Widgets & integration	Yes	Yes	Yes
Photo sharing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Video sharing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Private messaging	Yes	Yes	Yes
“Friending”	Yes	No	Yes
“Following”	Yes	Yes	No
News feed	Yes	Yes	Yes
Status updates	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sharing	Yes	Yes	Yes
“Like” button	Yes	No	Yes
Groups	Yes	No	Yes
Repost button	Yes	Yes	Yes
Video chat	Yes	No	No
Chat	Yes	No	Yes
Location sharing	Yes	Yes	No
Hyperlinks	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hashtags	Yes	Yes	No
Tagging	Yes	No	No
Commenting	Yes	No	Yes
Checking in	Yes	Yes	No
Age restrictions	13 years old to be able to create an account.	13 years old to be able to create an account.	13 years old to be able to create an account.
Strengths	Great social network site to connect with other people. Millions of users utilize Facebook. The interface of the website is very clean and neat. It allows the user the ability to connect with many other websites and services, such as games, advertisements, etc.	Very vast diversity amongst community users. Allows users to follow their favorite topics, artists, celebrities, friends, etc. Offers multiple ways to interact with other users and how to update your account.	Great social network site to connect with other professionals. Allows users the ability to create a very wide network of businesses.
Weaknesses	The privacy settings are not easy to manipulate or find. It is impossible to have complete privacy. No protection to posted photographs.	Limits the “tweets” to only 140 characters.	There are limitations on how to contact certain users or how many users to search for unless one has the Premium account.

Sites used:           www.facebook.com

                           www.twitter.com

                           www.linkedin.com

Patton-Carson, L. (2014). Why social media is important for your personal and professional life. Retrieved September, 15, 2015, from https://blog.udemy.com/why-social-media-is-important/

Podcastalley.com vs. Podcast.com

     In this new world of information, where podcasts are establishing themselves as one of the preferred methods of sharing it; two websites are standing on a league of their own when it comes to podcasts sharing and distribution – or is it so?

     Although I have seen and heard advertisement for Podcast.com before I was unable to enter the website. As seen on the picture below, both of my Internet browsers and firewalls blocked from even entering the website due to a malware threat. I must admit that this rarely happens when I surf the net and to see this message in a website such as this makes me question the legitimacy of it. Needless, to say I was very disappointed with Podcast.com.

     On the other hand, although my experience with Podcastalley.com was better than Podcast.com (not hard to do when you can’t access a website) it was not one that I could say was pleasant. Finding podcasts of my interest turned to be not an easy task, unless your interests were the same as the featured podcasts (those were very easy to utilize). This makes me believe that the website is created to force users to listen to what they want you to listen, which makes me doubt if they are in it solely for the business aspect of it, or do they really care about sharing information to those who cannot access it any other way.

     Nevertheless, at the end of the day I believe sites that host and present podcast files for users to utilize such as Podcast.com and Podcastalley.com are fighting an uphill battle. The reason why I say this is because today every big name (artist, journalist and/or company) hosts their product through iTunes where users find great podcasts with a very user friendly search function; but between Podcast.com and Podcastalley.com I must say that Podcastalley.com would be my choice.

Sites used:   www.podcast.com

                   www.podcastalley.com

                   www.itunes.com

Podcast.com

Geek News Central

     It is a great podcast for all those technology lovers out there, not only it covers every new device available but it discusses rumors, trends, and any other topic related to technology available. From the new gadgets and websites to what is best for users Geek News Central has it. Out of my three favorite podcasts this is the one that was easiest to manage and navigate, thus making it one of the main reason why I chose it as one of my favorite. As a user nothing irritates us more than having to spend countless amount of time to find a simple answer. Therefore, I highly recommend this podcast to all of you.

For more information, find the RSS feed for Geek News Central on the right side of my blog.

This American Life

     This is a very interesting podcast that I was not aware of before today. It presents everyday situations and/or issues that are affecting Americans around us and we may not even be aware of. Initially, I believed this was going to be your typical “I’m going to vent” type of podcast until I started realizing the magnitude of the information being presented to the general public. An example of this (and the main reason why I chose this podcast as one of my favorites) can be seen in the episode “532: Magic Words”.

     In “Magic Words”, Ira Glass (host of This American Life podcast) invites Jake Halpern (reporter) to speak about a very unique case that he witnessed unfold in a magistrate court in Georgia. The aforementioned case involves your typical blue collar hard working couple that was being sued by a collection company for a debt that the couple did not recognize.

     The collection company acquired the debt from a credit card company for a cheap price and was set in collecting the money. The issue was that the couple did not recognize the charges (over $3500) and asked to see evidence on how those charges came to be. At this point the representing lawyer informed the court that his clients (Collection Company) were going to drop the charges. The reason was simple; they did not have any evidence to present the court and were betting on the fact that 90% of these types of lawsuits are never challenged. This is how these types of companies make their money.

     I highly recommend this podcast and this specific episode. It is very interesting! For more information, find the RSS feed for  This American Life on the right side of my blog.