Life Away From Technology

I guess I would also like to share my thoughts of life without technology. I know that in today's world, it is almost impossible to separate oneself from technology completely, but I think that it is important to take time away from distractions on Facebook and email.

When we were children, we spend more time outside and playing with friends than we did online. I for one spend very little time on the computer. The most experience I had on a computer during my childhood was playing Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego? and Oregon Trail. It wasn't until my teen years that I was drawn to the internet like a moth to flame. I remember when I made my own Myspace page. After Myspace petered out, I made a Facebook. Since that time, social media has been something to constantly keep me connected to friends and family.

Lately, I realized how much of a distraction the internet was for me. So I decided that I was going to wean myself off of it. I logged off Facebook, and made a conscious effort to put me energy elsewhere. I picked up on reading. I've been immersed in books once again. I am more attentive at work if I don't have the constant thought of checking my inbox on my mind. I'm not worried about who wants to "Friend" me.

It's been nice. I know I won't be able to stay off of it for long. I'll probably find my way back to Facebook eventually, but for now I can escape to something else. I feel more energized and less dependent. I feel less addicted to the internet. Maybe this isn't something for everyone, but I encourage people to try and take time away from the cyber world. Do it for a week. I dare you. See how you spend your time. Maybe you'll decided to catch up on your reading as well. Maybe you'll start writing that short story you always wanted to get around to doing, but never had the chance. Maybe you will remember to call home. Maybe. But you don't know until you try.

Websites

I just want to say that I have gained a ton of respect for those people out there who build websites professionally. I believe that I have taken those people for granted. The contribution that they make is tremendous. Without the work that they do, the cyber age would not be the same.

The work that these people put in is unbelievable. Building a simple website was a boatload of work. Hours of planning, formatting, laying everything out, building, and uploading. For just a simple website it was difficult. For websites like Google, Yahoo, or Facebook, I can't even fathom how much work those engineers put in.

Website building is an art. It is something one has to be very patient with and very willing to take time to learn. One must be technologically minded in the extreme. Not just with putting pictures on a screen, but with using code. That's not even something I can do!!!

So my heart goes out to those individuals who know what their doing. Keep building the internet. You're doing a good job.

Marketing

First off, I would like to say how easy it is to forget about his portion of our class. I'm not a blogger, so I constantly forget that I have to get on here and add posts.

I spent my midsemester break in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There I was working on planning future events with University Programming. It was a great time. While I was there, I noticed the presence of marketing and branding all over the place. Every vendor there wanted to persuade every school there that they were worth booking. So to do that they had to market themselves better than everyone else

After a while I noticed the trend that every vendor, comedian, magician, and Joe Shmoe was pushing themselves virtually. They all had blogs and websites that they were begging everyone to see. They us to see their last visit to Greece. Or when they sang with Justin Beiber.

But it wasn't evening annoying.

It was interesting to see how everyone used the internet to draw a crowd and sell themselves. Everyone goes their own way on the internet. It is something that I want to be involved in. As the work place gradually becomes more digital, I want to be on the cutting edge of e-marketing.

Resume Building

I am really looking forward to getting my own personal website up and running. I know that this is definitely going to be harder than I'm giving it credit for. Taking more time on it needs to be a top priority, because now I'm starting to see this as a career builder.

From the platform of a website, I can post all of my resume related information. I'm working with UP, so I look forward to being able to post information about events that I've planned and organized. Being a public relations major, being different is key.

If I can show an interviewer a website that I made, designed, and managed, then I can have a leg up on all the other people going for the same job. It's kind of exciting. Thinking about using this as a tool for future escapades.  I am excited!

Color

I just finished the "reading," and it was pretty danged sweet. I abhor the idea of having to sit for an hour reading a packet about stuff that I need for the class, but ultimately not learning anything because the person made the thing either boring or complicated.

When I first opened the website, I thought I was at the wrong place. I even closed out of it to try again, but alas I was in the right place. And it was fun. I was entertained y bthe movies about each color, and I liked being able to mess around with some games for a bit.

I am not a great learner when it comes to technical things. I can't really work with computers, let alone be confident enough to try building my own website. But a website like the one we looked at this week really gives me hope. It wasn't overly complicated. The characters were basically advanced stick figures. But it was still really engaging. I hope everyone else enjoyed it a little bit too!

Typeface and Text

I see that many people think the same thing about the reading. And I agree with them. It was interesting to think about the effects a typeface has on a person's reading. To think that if something is written in Ariel, it's the most direct of the typeface. It affects how a person comprehends their reading. If I could use Counselor Script on here, I would be able to say something really sophisticated and everyone would believe it! Fun stuff to think about. Maybe this article should have been written in something more exciting. I might have been able to enjoyed it more.

My First Blog

This is my first time blogging, so you'll have to excuse anything that you might not be see, as quality blogging. But I guess this is an opening to the blogging world. Right now I could be like a child learning to use a bike and just having the training wheels taken off. I'll probably fall off a couple times. I might wreck into the bushes. But it will be pretty comedic. And I expect to hear about how spectacular of a crash it is. 

But this is how it all works out. Everything on the internet starts from a person being shaky, trying to find a starting point. And as I started writing, I wanted to get a short intro. I browsed around for what to do in these posts and I found a resounding, "Do what you want."

In the article "Writing for the Web Versus Writing for Print: Are They Really SO Different," by Judy Gregory, she discusses how people like to browse. A reader on the web wants to quickly "pull" the information they want. And thats what I did when I started this. I browsed. I pulled the information I wanted and disregard the information I wanted. Whether it was videos, pictures, or articles, I went with whatever would give me the information the quickest. So expect me to keep improving and honing in on what I need to do here. So watch out for the bushes and keep posted!