Yeah…so this happened. I don’t really understand it. Since our pre-test I have added a word press account, LinkedIn account, and even an about.me account but it hasn’t improved my social media score. But i know there’s room for improvement. In both my pretest and this test there were a lot of results that weren’t about me. Unfortunately, Brendan Cotter is a very popular name and refers to a lot of juveniles with prison records. But this Brendan isn’t a criminal, I promise!
Here are five steps on how I can improve my score:
Get out there in the social media world. I need to make more professional accounts to boost my resume for future employers.
Delete all the inappropriate posts on all of my social media accounts. I admit it I’m potty mouth and I need to control it.
Constantly check BrandYourself and see what accounts are not associated with me and to make sure I clarify that it’s not me. Like I said according to my BrandYourself I am a prisoner but in reality I’m a wimp.
Improve my online portfolio. Employers look for easy and efficient access to my most professional accounts and why not make it easy and put them all into one site.
Keep all of my accounts up-to-date with important and useful information. I need to use my Twitter and Facebook more as a business aspect rather than ranting to my crazy aunt about the past election.
I know I only said five but here is an important sixth. I need to simply change my name. I was thinking of something unique, something that only I will be known as and all of my accounts will be recognized under. Maybe, Kingothy Walterdome? Still working on it.
Now you’ve seen all my tips on how I can improve my score, I just have to put it in action. I need to stay up-to-date on all of my social media feed while also deleting my curse-infused tweets in Facebook posts. Don’t worry you’ll hear big things from Kingothy Walterdome, big things.
Now many of you might say,”if technology starts to take over our jobs how could it make us work together?” Well if you’re those people who are very pessimistic about the future of technology, I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong. Technology is becoming more and more advanced each and every year due to the exponential growth of our computer systems. As said by Ray Kurzweil, our Computer processing power is doubling every two years. Yes you heard that right, every two freaking years. And scientists are not doubling this processing power just so they could take over our everyday jobs, they’re doing it for a better future and so workers and machines can work in unison.
And I’m not just talking about AI intelligence. There are so many new applications and tools that are helping us be able to collaborate more quickly and efficiently. Like mentioned in our Prezi presentation on “how to learn stuff”. Especially as college students, we use these applications every day for almost all of our group assignments. Think about it, when you write a group paper and need everybody to pitch in, why use Microsoft Word and get bombarded with emails while trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together when instead you can use an application like Google docs. This application allows you to work with partners simultaneously on the same word document. Plus it allows for the students to go back in and change any part of the assignment at anytime they want with also saving it automatically, just like WordPress!
Along with these Applications, networks have also opened up ways to collaborate and function all of your material in one place. One example of this, probably the most famous, is the iCloud. Apple’s extremely successful and well known iCloud has been the way for storing our pictures, videos, applications, and even passwords in the cloud while freeing up space in your actual phone storage. But even with this as we know we can never escape the “iCloud storage almost full” pop-up on our iPhones and Macs. I don’t want to buy more storage okay. I’m a broke college student.
As said by this UsNews article, the number one soft skill every college student needs is collaboration. Learning to collaborate with others and efficiently work in teams is a key skill for college students. Constructive criticism plays the biggest role in the skill. Every student needs constructive criticism to succeed. Without it, we would be doing our own thing thinking it was always the right option. Constructive criticism allows us to get feedback from fellow students that understand our mistakes and can help us fix them. We see this in applications like Google Docs, where it allows for someone to edit your paper by using the comment section and telling you what you can fix.
There is also new devices that allow for turning off light switches in your house and other collaborative uses. Items like the Amazon Echo, Switch Bot, and Google Home allow for the user to talk to the device and Play music, turn on household switches, and even ask a simple question that always bothers you not knowing. These three devices are revolutionary in their field allowing for users to easily speak and let the device do its thing.
Technology is not the end of the world. It’s the start of a new beginning. Our species is increasingly becoming more intelligent allow me for amazing devices and applications that’ll allow for us to work together and collaborate. So instead of living in fear for the future, live in excitement for what’s to come and how much easier our lives are going to be.
Before I started this class, I really didn’t know how much digital media actually affected my future. All I thought I was,”welp I better delete all my social media for when I become an adult and get a real job.” I thought my future employers wouldn’t even care if I had a twitter, Facebook, etc. I mean, they’re in an older generation than I am so they probably don’t even know what those mean and how they work. I also thought it was too late to start deleting my Twitter posts or Instagram posts due to their vulgarity and inappropriateness because there’s too much of it. But while progressing in this course I’ve quickly learned that I am screwed.
All of the swear-infused tweets, and pictures of me clearly doing inappropriate things that I am not of age to do yet can be traced back to me by my employers. The first time I actually realized this was when we did the Brand Yourself assignment in class. After inserting my information and receiving my results, I quickly realized that any future employer could easily do this. It’s that simple. After going through and picking out which profiles were actually mine, I knew I had to get to work on cleaning up my social media.
Before this class, I really didn’t know the variety of jobs available with digital media. I knew it was an up-and-coming field but I didn’t know to what extent. Our field trip to Externa CGI really opened my eyes to the possibilities of digital media. I mean, they get to deal with cool ass virtual reality games and experiences. Not a lot of people get to do that every day for a living. It also showed me that my future job can be fun! Just by touring and playing with some of the gadgets I realized how entertaining yet life changing this field can be to the employees and most importantly the clients. The same virtual reality headsets they use have already opened up opportunities for the first head transplant. By using the HTC Vive (a virtual reality headset), patients can start learning and training for their future body months in advance to their procedure. That’s insane. I know what I’m adding to my Christmas list.
Now I also learned that social media could create some consequences in the near future. Even know I wasn’t able to attend class when we watched Black Mirror on Netflix, I took it upon myself to watch it on my own. The episode “Nosedive” shows an utopian society that simply revolves around this one social media app. Buying a car, going to an airport, or even buying a house all depends on your social media score which increases based on liked pictures and friendly encounters. Now I don’t know about you but this is the last thing I want to happen to our society. We already notice social media starting to corrupt our youth by keeping them indoors glued to their tablets, Smart phones, and computers. We need to stop this. And now they are starting to make sunglasses that can record video?!? Who in their right mind needs that. Seriously. Now all the creeps out there can just watch people without anybody knowing and still have video of it to watch later. Why, just why? It just reminds me of Facebook and now Instagram’s new Live video feature. I don’t need anybody to know what I’m doing right then and there. Privacy please and thank you.
So basically what I am trying to say based on what I learned from this class is to start using social media for the better. Unlike this guy, who clearly didn’t think on his feet and will most likely lose his job due to stupid social media use. Let’s make a change with our future, like this cute little robot, I mean I guess it’s a start. I’ve also learned that the growing field of digital media is a great option for the younger generation, because this is what society is starting to transform into. So Digital media students start to rejoice, the future is looking bright for you.
Technology dictates our future jobs, whether we become garbage men or work at a computer store. That’s why it is vital to for us learn these new technologies as soon as they come out, because we will be asked to use them in the future. This course alone focuses on preparing you for your future technology use. On the other hand, social media can make or even break your reputation. Employers have access to ALL of your social media accounts, delete vulgarness ASAP, and when they see your vulgar tweets or even inappropriate pictures, it could be the decision factor in a future career. Be a professional, because that’s the only way you can become one.
Growing up with technology was never an issue for me. I always understood how it worked and could teach basically anyone the new advancements that released, I always stayed connected. With this, i assumed that social media was the right place for me, so i could hop on these trends as soon as they appeared. So at the young age of 12 I created my first Facebook account. I ran to my parents and exclaimed, “I’M FINALLY ON FACEBOOK,” resulting in my mom and dad looking at me in disappointment since i was too young. Gosh I loved that lecture.
But i didn’t let that stop me from staying connected to my friends, family, and even favorite celebrities. I started to discover all of these new gadgets and tools that without social media wouldn’t have been possible. Most importantly, I could talk to my family and friends because back then I didn’t have a phone yet. This was the first of many social media sites i would eventually join. I then went to Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat once they finally came around. The marketers really targeted me like they mentioned in Generation Like, I was now connected in every way possible.
This made school easier, provided entertainment for me and my friends, and brought me closer to the real world. I started getting information from news pages and could use these same tools for help with school. I expressed myself in each of these social media sites, and now that i look back, i did way too much. My social media use definitely needs a clean-up due to the vulgar tweets, posts, and even pictures that i post. I know now that this can affect in my job search for the future, meaning i have to make a change.
Businesses thrive off social media use, and even use it in hiring processes. They look to Twitter to sell product and stay connected to their consumers, this comes with better results for business. They also use it as a guideline for hiring a new employee. I don’t want to hire someone that drops f bombs and retweets half naked girls, I’d rather hire a more professional individual. This is why i believe that users have to act now, wiping off inappropriate content can only benefit you in present time and even the future.
As i mentioned before technology, social media especially, is the backbone for all future business. So clean up if you have to and even get help so you understand using it. As well as businesses, technology can impact people too. I’ve changed since my first post to my last (my first Facebook post was a picture of me with my middle fingers up, while my last was a information based on the Soccer Club that I’m in). Technology is starting to make our fantasies a reality, so as consumers, we need to stay in touch.
ArtPrize is the largest judged art competition in the world. Luckily, this competition takes place right here in the grandest of rapids. Richard DeVos came up with this idea in 2009, announcing this a brand new “social experiment” and hoped for the best for his hometown. As said by the ArtPrize Story Page in 2016, “Radically open by design, ArtPrize was conceived as a disruption of the traditional top-down art contest—a totally new type of event.” And this is what it was, no one has seen anything like this before. Most art competitions are judged privately and even have a cost of admission, but ArtPrize changed this. ArtPrize is all public, all free, and all welcome. Artists put up there work all around the city, whether it’s outside the Van Andel Arena, or in the abundance of restaurants and local shops, art is everywhere. This also brings in business for local restaurants in the area that agree to include art in there establishments, which in return provide business. I mean, who doesn’t want to enjoy some beautiful art while sipping on a nice cold brew from The B.O.B.
The most important piece of ArtPrize is the technology behind it to make the experience even better for everyone. In 2013, ArtPrize came up with an idea to help the reoccurring question that was asked by ArtPrize-goers, “Where do I start?” This was an issue especially for visitors from other states, even countries, because they simply didn’t know where to go due to their lack of knowledge of the city. ArtPrize executives created a list on the ArtPrize home page to guide users to maps, biographies, and even actual pictures of the art itself (Unger 2011). This was just the first step to help guide users around the city to different locations.
Along with this new technology, ArtPrize has done even more since then to improve the experience for goers. In, 2010 ArtPrize released its first mobile app, letting users use a map and look at descriptions for current artists or art (Reimink 2010). This app was revolutionary and finally gave visitors a way to figure out what to see and where to go at their fingertips. This app has also recently been updated for this year’s ArtPrize. New features to the app include the discover view, providing access to the ArtPrize blog and event calendar, constantly updating you on the happenings of the event (Henschke 2016). This mobile app was downloaded by thousands, and I even used it when attending ArtPrize with my girlfriend. Link to Android app here, link to iTunes app here.
Shown above is the new and improved ArtPrize mobile app being put to use at one of the venues in downtown Grand Rapids
When this mobile app was launched in 2010, ArtPrize received a very vital sponsorship to help those using the app. Comcast agreed to sponsor ArtPrize in 2010 and provided new “High speed 2go” to help ArtPrize visitors vote on their favorite art at five convenient kiosk locations and three roving mobile voting stations within the three square-mile radius of the event ( Business News 2010). This gave an opportunity to submit their vote easily and on-the-go so they could get back to enjoying the city show.
As more and more sponsorships flowed each and every year for ArtPrize, one very important one changed how we see ArtPrize. In 2016, Switch, a Nevada-based company, wanted to sponsor ArtPrize for the 8th annual event. Switch will host an interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) educational experience at the HUB Headquarters located at 41 Sheldon Boulevard SE (Harger 2016). This experience brought about a hands-on experience for visitors of all ages. They will feature virtual games, demonstrations, and even a virtual painting experience. “We’re thrilled to work alongside Switch through their leadership-level investment to bolster educational programming at ArtPrize Eight,” said Christian Gaines, ArtPrize executive director. Steam plans on attending ArtPrize Nine with even more games and technology based activities.
ArtPrize has advanced to be better than it was when it started in 2009. Whether it was giving visitors the opportunity to use an app, a list on their website, or even an interactive based HUB to attract younger users , ArtPrize has improved with the use of technology. I have been to the past 2 ArtPrizes and I already have seen much improvement. Richard DeVos…props to you wise man.
Here are some of my favs from the Eighth Annual ArtPrize:
Unger, L. (2011, September 22). Technology Helps ArtPrize Visitors Find A Starting Point. Retrieved October 13, 2016, from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=lom_gvalleysu&id=GALE|A267654878&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&userGroup=lom_gvalleysu&authCount=1
The internet today already blows our minds and can keep us entertained, but what about five years from now? Fifteen? Predictions have already been released that the internet will produce many more advancements that we don’t even see in fictional movies.
As we all know, internet speeds keep getting faster and faster, but 5 years from now, internet speed will double, maybe even triple. You think high speed internet is fast now, wait 5 years, everything will be instant. Internet users will also increase, according to Business Insider: since 2005, internet users have increased by 66%. But in 5 years, Google executive Eric Schmidt, says that everyone in the world will be able to use the internet. That’s insane, if you ask me, that’s how brilliant our engineers are behind the internet. Another interesting prediction is not only our computers, TVs, and smart devices will be able to have internet connectivity; devices such as: washing machines, door locks, and even refrigerators will be able to connect to wifi (Post, 2015). This would make our lives easier but also, more confusing. All these internet-enabled devices could restrict us from using those certain devices solely due to the fact that we as we age, technology doesn’t come too naturally. I mean, look at our parents.
Now let’s time travel ten more years and unravel the internet. Fifteen years from now, education will be even more advanced and school, specifically college, will be all online.This internet evolution will give other students around the world the ability to learn and afford it (Shirvell, 2014).
One thing that will never change for the future of the internet, is the violation of our privacy. People are watching me type this blog right now. People are listening to your calls, reading your messages, and even opening your snapchats (yeah, they don’t disappear like you think). This is where I believe the government, is wrong in what it’s doing. People deserve their privacy. Otherwise, the internet will continue to thrive throughout the years giving us more and more opportunity. The future is near. Be ready.
For the position, I fall short in being data-driven. I’m willign to learn and prosper in certain fields but being data-driven as always been a struggle for me in previous jobs. With the right assistance I can improve though.
Requires: prior customer service, excellent communication, ability to function in a teamwork environment, friendly disposition and patience.
In the past, having excellent communication skills has come easy to me, I’ve been raised well. But, my patience runs thin and in this case, it’d be tough to gain that trait but with time I could strengthen it.
Requires: Bachelor’s degree, 2 years sales experience, verbal and written communication skills, periodic travel.
So, I do not currently have my Bachelor’s degree as of yet but that is coming. Also, periodic travel would be tough for me, I like being close to home and especially my family. Being open to opportunity can result in me being a better traveler.
Requires: less than 5 years experience, demonstrate excellent work ethic, great people skills.
This job appeals to me and currently I fit most of the requirements. I have great work ethic and my people skills have always been a benefit to myself. Hopefully by this time I will acquire more than 5 years of experience so in this case, this job may not be for me.
Requires: proficiency in Adobe Premiere and After Effects, experience with legal content logs.
Unfortunately I’m not currently familiar with Adobe Premiere software or legal content logs. But once I continue my studies I’m sure i can learn this software and work with it on my own time.
Requires: experience with Final Cut editing software, experience with Adobe Premiere and After Effects, experience with computer animation of any type, familiarity with Youtube.
Youtube comes easy to me, I can use that website every day of my life if I had to. But I need work with Final Cut editing, i have used the software in the past but I know there is much more to learn about it.
Requires: experience with Adobe Premiere Pro, skill at digital photography, ability to create graphics, communication skills, familiarity with regional issues.
This job requires some software experience that don’t come natural to me. I will need to learn how to create graphics, Adobe Premiere Pro, and a brief refresher with digital photography. But networking with professors and family friends in this field, I can learn and become familia with these requirements.
Requires: video editing experience, Apple operating system knowledge, Adobe creative suit knowledge.
For this position, I’m familiar with all Apple operating systems, I own an iPhone, iPad and Macbook. Adobe creative suit technology is foreign to me but I’m willing to reach out and seek help with this software.
Requires: backgrounds in art direction, copywriting, and design.
Being an intern is essential for my degree, why not at a elite Advertising firm? In order for this postion I would need to be assisted in learning art direction and even copywriting, both backgrounds that can be worked on with my free time.
Requires: ability to move quickly, stand for long periods of time, willingness to learn to apply one’s own makeup, entertainer.
Applying my own makeup will be troubling in the first few weeks but like anything I’m sure I will get the hang of it. I also have bad knees so standing for long periods of time could be an issue for me, unless I can work on stretches and rehab for personal sake.
Your name is used by many and it’s important, especially for job purposes, to identify who is the real you. Seeing all of these Brendan Cotter’s out there and realizing they’re not me can rupture a job opportunity. For example, there could be a different Brendan Cotter that tweets vulgarly or represents your name in a poor way. My grade suits me well, my name is pretty popular and fortunately there isn’t too much dirt to my name. This will help me when I search for jobs and even internships in the future.
Your name is used by many and it’s important, especially for job purposes, to identify who is the real you. Seeing all of these Brendan Cotter’s out there and realizing they’re not me can rupture a job opportunity. For example, there could be a different Brendan Cotter that tweets vulgarly or represents your name in a poor way. My grade suits me well, my name is pretty popular and fortunately there isn’t too much dirt to my name. This will help me when I search for jobs and even internships in the future.
Brendan's Brain 