When I first started this class their was a list of learning outcomes that we as a class were supposed to know.  MLA was a problem with me.  I had a lot of difficulty incorporting and documenting material in my papers using MLA.  I looked over my handbook and did exactly what was in the book but wasn’t able to achieve any progress.  For my last paper I went to the writing center to make sure I was on the right track but still had no positive results.  MLA was one of the outcomes that I wasn’t able to achieve. 

This course was taught using a lot of digital text.  I thought this was very interesting and fun.  The topics were all about technolgy.  The assignments were all fun assignments that I didn’t have to stress about. I was introduced to blogging which I found very nice.  I think the best thing that I enjoyed from this class is writing on the blog.  One thing that I enjoyed the least was the time was so short.   The class was fun because their was a great teacher teaching it.

I found the elevator chats very interesting.  Technology is changing everyday with bigger and better things. I was interested the most on cell phone spy ware.  It was scary to hear that anybody could be a victim.  Whatever happened to privacy?  The worst part about this is that there is no consequence.  This spy ware should be only allowed for people in law enforcement.  This is very scary that can destroy people’s lives. This is a trend that everyone with a cell phone should know about. I hope this trend doesn’t last for long.

Facebook for Fun; Facebook for Sales

Have you ever realized how much advertisement is on facebook?   Facebook was originally created for social networking for people to stay connected with friends and family members.   Now businesses are using facebook to stay connected with old customers while finding new ones.  Facebook has become a new way to serve customers by just a simple click of the mouse.   Facebook is an easier way to advertise. It is paperless and less of a hassle with no physical contact with anybody.  During this economic recession, businesses are turning to facebook to potentially serve more customers and to increase business revenue.

There are many ways a business owner can promote his or her business. Business owners are able to promote their businesses by facebook profiles, facebook groups, facebook pages, and facebook applications.    Buisnesses tend to turn to Face book because of the amount of users that are on. According to “Hoping to Find Some New Fans for a Great Brand, “Brands typically flock to Facebook thanks to its huge audience crossed 300 million members last month and the enviable amount of time users spend there a whopping six hours a day per person” (Morrisey).  With facebook being as popular as it is “these efforts are designed to foster word of mouth,” says Jeremiah Owyang, a partner with Altimeter Group, which advises companies on social strategies.  “Companies cannot tranverse the web quick enough.  They need to create these unpaid customers to do this on their behalf “(Morrisey).  With today’s economy crisis some businesses are not doing as well as they used to. Business owners are struggling.  Facebook is a quicker way for people to spread the word. Businesses can attract fans on facebook. It is a very easy way for marketing your product or service. Some examples of marketing on facebook are Walmart, Victoria Secret and Verizon.  It’s simple and can be done while sitting at home by clicking the mouse.  With millions of people logging on to facebook day to day, at least half of that million would be able to stumble across your profile page.

As soon as you sign on to facebook a profile page can be made. According to Facebook’s “Great Friend to Business” advertisers commit to spending a minimum of $5 per day. An ad campaign can be turned on and of with no monthly minimum.  Choose the best category for your business.  The page should also have a brief description of the business name and a website address. The advertisement that you choose should be demanding and interesting.  When making a profile page you can choose the target group by state, country, or everywhere.  By having a business profile page you can easily track your progress.  Facebook allows you to track who is clicking on your advertisement showing the sex of the customer and age.  By tracking customers this allows you to make modifications for better results.  There is also a like button that enables people to share your sites content back to their page with one click of the mouse.  With the like button there is an option that includes the name and profile pictures of the users whom liked this page which could be helpful to your business.  The profile page can list anything about your business.  It can have anything from pictures, videos or music. According to “How to Add Your Business to Facebook” “facebook users can share there information about a company directly by adding reviews or other information to that business page.” Once your profile page is finished, you can become a fan of your own business.  Soon your friends will visit your profile page and see in the news feed section that you have become a fan of that specific business.  Your friends will soon become a fan as well and your business will soon be visited by many more friends of friends within a matter of minutes.  Your business will be promoted every time someone becomes a fan.  There is also a section on your profile page where you are able to send updates about your business to your fans.  Besides the profile page there is a discussion board where fans can write on your wall with any comments about the business that they would like to share with the owner.  According to facebook “you can reach up to 400,000,000 active facebook users online.

Starting a business could be really hard and very stressful when you can’t find a way to promote it. By creating a facebook group, you are able to create a community.  This is a community that you are able to have conversations and discussions about your business.  On your page you can list sale prices or door busters that will attract the attention of your customers.  This is a great way to promote your business. It’s important to have a group name and a description of your group. As long as you have something interesting to say that will catch the attention of your viewers your page will go from zero members to a thousand in a matter of minutes.  Depending on what information that started the facebook group, that is what makes the group popular. According to Facebook’s great friend to business “there are more than 100,000 small business pages and and 300,000 total business pages on facebook”.

In today’s society people spend half of their time online.  A huge chunk of that time is spent on Facebook.  Facebook has changed the way we communicate.  Sending a message on somebody’s wall seems a lot more reasonable than a phone call.  There is no physical contact whatsoever.  Facebook has made an impact not only on college students but also on businesses as well.  It’s helped businesses spread the word and get more revenue.  Facebook has allowed businesses to find new customers and build online communities.  It allows people to learn about the business and what it has to offer.  People are communicating about products on the business pages rather if it’s to ask about a product, bash it or give it two thumbs up.  Facebook has improved business advertisements in a way where a person is able to investigate a product without leaving there home by reading comments that other people have said about it.

Facebook business propaganda has made an effect on people today.  It has allowed millions of people to browse your site. People of all ages are beginning to search your site and leave comments.  Fcaebook advertising is very popular and will continue to grow.         With facebook having 400,000,000 active users online, business owners utilize their business.  It is quicker to promote your product on facebook because of the amount of users that are on.  It is less of a hassle without stacks of paper to sign.  It has been known to be cheaper.  It can all be done while sitting at home. Facebook is a networking site that is visited by millions of people so what better way to advertise than this.

Works Cited

“5 Ways to Promote Your Business.” 2010. Web. 4 May 2010.                 http://blog.uprinting.com/how-to-promote-your-business-on-facebook/>.

How to Market and Promote Your Business via Facebook. Web. 5/4/10.

http://www.abundancehighway.com/how-to-market-and-promote-your-business-via-facebook/>.

Morrisey, Brian. “Hoping to find some new fans for a great brand  Brandweek 5(2009): 13-15. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 6 May 2010.0.36

Jefferson, Graham. “Facebook’s a great friend to businesses.” USA Today n.d.: Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 7 May 2010.

Have you ever looked around while you were driving noticing people talking on the phone or texting?  Does it ever worry you that there main focus isn’t driving?  Is that message or conversation really that important that it can’t wait until a later time?   According to Redelmeier and Tibshirani (1997) cell phone records of 699 individuals were involved in motor vehicle crashes during a 14 month time period.  The authors found that a quarter of the individuals used their cell phones in the ten minute preceding the crash.  This article has a list of studies that were made for drivers whom were texting and driving, and drivers whom were driving without texting.

Texting and driving is a dangerous procedure that should be banned.  While texting a person is easily distracted ignoring traffic signals and other cars on the road.  In this article Strayer and Johnson demonstrated different studies on the use of cell phones.  They found that 30% of people admit to having sent a text message while driving, and 20% send messages while driving on a regular basis.  Test results have shown that drivers that were involved in texting were in more crashes than drivers that weren’t texting.  Texting has become popular all over the world.  According to a survey conducted by CTIA in 2005, there were 81 billion text messages sent in the United States.  By 2008,

The text messages exceeded to a trillion. I can only imagine what the number would be in other countries as well.   This number will continue to grow.

Another study was made on testing and driving.  About 86% of crashes occurred in the dual task condition of texting while driving.  Texting and driving are two different tasks that can’t be done in the same time.  To send a basic text it could take up to two minutes.  In those two minutes anything from missing a traffic light, running over a person or crashing into another vehicle could happen. It only takes a second to do something that can never be taken back.  Texting is not only dangerous for you but could also kill you.

This article was very interesting.  It is an article that I think everybody should be forced to read.  I think that everybody has been guilty of texting or reading a text while driving at least once.  It seems like it’s a harmless thing to do however it could be deadly. I think there should be a law against texting and diving.  Drinking and driving is a law that must be followed so why can’t we enforce the same law on texting and driving.  I don’t want to be a victim nor do I want to see a family member or friend killed from a driver texting.  Texting and driving can’t be done at the same time so I hope everybody will be able to make the right decision and focus on the road and not the phone.

I

Works Cited

Text Messaging During Stimulated Driving. Academic Search Premeire. Web. Apr. 4/24/10.

            I think this article was interesting.  Technology is expanding and everyday something new is coming out.  Technology is good for us.  Some form of technology is used every second of the day by somebody.  We are dependent of technology to much. I am guilty of using my phone a lot of times when I shouldn’t; however, there are times that I just want to throw it out of a window.  I think there is a point in everyone’s life when they push away all the technology and take a vacation away from everything. Technology is good and very helpful but I think there is a limit to when we should be able to use it and ignore it.

After reading this article I was somewhat biased.  I found it interesting how the author never owned a cell phone or even sent a text and has so much to say.   I’ve also found it kind of distracting that he has never had a facebook or a myspace but has things to say about it.  How can you put something down when you never tried it? I agree with some of the things that the author says like for example the subway driver, that accident could of clearly been prevented if he was paying attention instead of texting or the parents that had there ears wired to there ipods while around there children.  These are clearly things that should be avoided. There is a time and place for everything and people should use there minds more wisely.  I liked the article but I don’t agree with everything the author has to say.  I find some of the technology today to be extremely helpful.  Phones for example work wonders.  I feel paralyzed without it however texting while driving is very dangerous and needs to be expressed more often.

Oprah Winfrey

When I think of who is my favorite pop culture figure a few people come to mind, with the exception of one favorite. Oprah winfrey is a pop culture figure whom not only touched my heart but also touched the hearts of thousands of people as well. She is a television star, magazine founder, celebrity and a wealthy businesswoman.  She is a person whom I look forward to watch.  With television not being a priority in my busy life, I seem to always find time to watch Oprah. Oprah Winfrey is a woman I admire and wish to one day be able to help and inspire people the way Oprah has inspired me.

Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciuko, Mississppi.  She was born to the unmarried parents Vernita Lee whom was an eighteen year old house maid and Vernon Winfrey whom was a twenty year old doing duty in the armed forces.   She was raised by her grandmother and lived on a farm.  She spent the first six years of her life poor.  Day by day she was teased by her fellow classmates because of her wardrobe.   Oprah than moved to Milwaukee to live with her mother.  While living with her mother, she suffered sexual abuse.  She was sexually abused by her cousin, uncle, and a family friend.  She suffered abuse and molestation day to day without telling anybody. She kept all her anger bottled in and was repeatedly getting in trouble and running away.   At the age of thirteen her mother became frustrated with the way she was acting and sent her to live in a juvenile detention home.  There weren’t any beds that were empty for her to sleep in turning her away.  .  She was than sent to Nashville to live with her father.  She began acting up and was very promiscuous.  Oprah struggled with drugs and very bad rebellious behavior.  At the age fourteen Oprah was secretly pregnant and delivered birth to a premature baby that died a week later. Oprah’s father was determined to change her life.  Oprah’s father was very strict with a set of rules and a curfew; however he was very caring about her future and education.  He forced her to read a book and write a report every week.  He wanted Oprah to make the best of her life. Through Oprah’s father she was able to get garner awards in school and earn scholarships.  Oprah was very smart growing up.  She skipped two elementary levels and graduated high school with honors. 

According to Ezine Articles, Oprah was constantly winning contests and honors in school, and was able to earn her college scholarship to Tennessee State University where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication.  She than started her first job as a reporter for a radio station in Nashville.  From that point on Oprah became more famous than ever conquering TV stations and TV shows. According to Entertainment Executive, September 8, 1986, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” became the number one talk show in national syndication in less than a year.  Oprah started her journey from being a poor, farm girl from Missippi to a well known celebrity.

            Oprah is a very well known celebrity that didn’t forget where she came from.  She loves to help people all around the world.  She is very caring and understanding with the ability to help people at there weakest points.  Oprah didn’t let the misery and abuse break her but only make her stronger.  I find that to be really amazing.  Oprah had a dream and was determined to make something of her life.  She chased her dream until she finally conquered it.  Oprah has a big heart and is always trying to help when people are in need.  She doesn’t like to see people suffer the way she did.  I can connect with Oprah because I also have a big heart and I’m always helping people in need.  I don’t have as much to give as Oprah does but a little does go a long way.  I haven’t accomplished as much as Oprah did in her life but I hope that I can climb the ladder as Oprah did.  I could clearly retrace her memories from her childhood as being poor because I also didn’t have much growing up either.  I remember how cruel the kids were to me as well because I didn’t have the nice clothes, or shoes, or accessories as the other girls did.  Not feeling excepted was a terrible feeling that Oprah and I shared.  Oprah and I are similar in a way that we both like nice expensive things, however she can afford them and I cannot.  She is a wealthy African American woman where I differ being an average Arabian American woman.

            Oprah has had a bumpy rollercoaster ride but didn’t ever look back.  One of my favorite quotes that I believe really describes Oprah is “What material success does is provide you with the ability to concentrate on other things that really matter and that is being able to make a difference not only in your life but in other peoples lives’. (Oprah Winfrey)  She is a true person whom is far from selfish and is truly caring. I can connect with Oprah growing up poor but unfortunately the abuse and molestation thankfully never existed in my life.  It makes me look back and think that my life as I was growing up wasn’t as bad as I thought.  I appreciate anybody that is able to be brave and talk about there lives to motivate other people.  My differences outweigh my similarities with Oprah however I believe that she is a great role model that motivates me to follow my heart and not give up.  She motivates me to look ahead and not back. She was a poor girl from Mississippi whom is a multimillionaire.  If she can do it than anybody can.

Works Cited

Oprah Winfrey. 2009. Web. 2010. <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/win0bio-1>.

Woopidoo Biographies. Web. 2010. <http://www.woopidoo.com/biography/oprah-winfrey.htm>.

Oprah Winfrey Biography.” Oprah Winfrey Biography. Web. 2010. <www.essortment.com/all/oprahwinfrey>.

JFK:  This was a live broadcast of the assai nation of President Kennedy. The footage wasn’t really clear and was taped while news casters were waiting on information.  In today’s world the news would come out faster than it did back than.  We have better technology today where if there was a crisis to happen we would hear about it right away.  The two movies relate in the way how they both tried to broadcast the information.  They both just wanted the news to spread about. I found JFK to be very interesting. It was shocking to see how the President was actually assinated.  I was also shocked to see one of the news broadcasters smoking on live Television.

Show me what I’m looking for by Carolina Liars

There are moments in life where you reach your ultimate low and you find yourself asking, “Where are you  God?” This is a song that captures this moment.  This song is very emotional to me. I can relate to this song because I went through a time in my life where I felt the same way. My favorite line in the song is “Save me I’m lost, Oh Lord I been waiting for you” (lyrics.com).

Work Cited

<2008. Web. 17 Feb. 2010. <http://www.lyrics.com/show-me-what-im-looking-for-lyrics-carolina-liar.html>.

Breakeven By: The Script

There are times in life where you go through a relationship where it just doesn’t work.  You sit and wonder what happened to that person and if they are suffering the same way you are.  This song is one of my favorites.  The song is very emotional.  This song hits me in a way because it makes me think of a friend that I once had.  My favorite line in the song is when he says “I got time where she got freedom and when my heart breaks no we don’t break even”.(lyrics.com)

Work Cited

<2008. Web. 17 Feb. 2010. <http://www.lyrics.com/breakeven-lyrics-the-script.html>.

Since u Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson

This song is a well written song.  This song is about a girl getting out of a relationship and realizing that she is better off without him.  Sometimes life works in mysterious ways.  Two people whom are opposite and totally wrong for each other find their way together.  However after the relationship doesn’t work they realize that their better off without that person.  They feel much stronger and happier.  My favorite line in the song is actually the first one which says “Here’s the thing we started off friends, It was cool but it was all pretend Yeah, yeah Since you’ve been gone’.  (artists.letssingit) This song doesn’t have a connection to my life, however I just chose it because I liked the lyrics and the mood that it puts me in.

Works Cited

<1998. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. <http://artists.letssingit.com/kelly-clarkson-lyrics-since-u-been-gone-f5lv5g1>.

Mr. President By: Pink

Have you ever sat down and stopped thinking about your problems and wondered what was going on in the rest of the world?  This is a great song that gets you to think about everything besides yourself.  Dear Mr. President is a great song that somebody finally spoke up about.  I can relate to this song because I have the same questions that she asks the president in my mind.  I also chose this song because it makes you appreciate everything  that you have.  One line that stood out to me was “How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?” ( Lyrics.com)  This is a great song they I hoped the President did actually listen too.

Work Cited

<2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. <http://www.lyrics.com/dear-mr-president-lyrics-pink.html>.

It’s so hard to say goodbye: Boyz II Men

Letting go of someone so dear to your heart is something so hard to do. I think at one point and time everybody does go through this hard time.  I can relate to this song because it touches my heart.  I lost my father 15 years ago and I feel like I still can’t let go.  I said goodbye but cant still grasp the fact that he is gone yet.  My favorite line in the song is “How do I say goodbye to what we had, the good times that made us laugh, outweighed the bad”. ( Lyrics.com)  This song is very old however touches my heart so dearly.  Every time I listen to this song it brings back memories of my father.

Works Cited

<2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. <http://www.lyrics.com/its-so-hard-to-say-goodbye-to-yesterday-lyrics-boyz-ii-men.html>.

It’s not over By: Daughtry

Have you ever been in a time where you wished you had a rewind button that can put you back in time, a button that can allow you to erase all your mistakes?  I can relate to this song because I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life where I wished I could have just started all over.  I wished I can just push the rewind button and fix what I destroyed.  Every time I listen to this song this line stands out to me “Let’s start over. I’ll try to do it right this time around.”  (azlyrics)  This is a line that I wish was always able to work in situations. This is one of my favorite songs. I love the singer’s voice and the way he sings his lyrics.  I love the meaning behind the song.

Work Cited

<2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. <http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/daughtry/itsnotover.html>.

Love Story By: Taylor Swift

This is a typical love story song that I absolutely love.  This song just reminds me when I was younger and met my husband.  This song takes me back to the very first time we were together.  It gives me the same butterflies in my stomach that I used to get when I was around him.  This song allows me to go back in time and remember our memories together. My favorite line in the song is when she said “This love is difficult but it’s real, don’t be afraid we’ll make it out this mess”. (lyrics.com)  this is one of my favorite songs that I can feel with my heart.  It takes me back years ago when I was younger, careless, and free and just enjoying life.

Work Cited

<2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. <http://www.lyrics.com/love-story-lyrics-taylor-swift.html>

Apologize By: One Republic

There was a time in my life that I got into an argument with someone really close to me.  I felt as if that person betrayed me. I needed this person in my life at the time. There is a line in the song that says “I need you like a heart needs a beat”. (lyricsdir.com)  This line stood out to me because I really needed my friend like a heart needs a beat and she was not there for me. It was very hard for me to accept what was done to me.  This song reminds me of that situation because that person kept apologizing to me but I felt as if I couldn’t forget and move on.  I was able to forgive her but not forget what she had done.  This song totally explains my every feeling towards that person. No matter how old the situation was this song brings back every feeling and memory causing me to cry.  Even though this is a song that brings back bad memories, I still love and cherish this song.

Works Cited

<2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. <http://www.lyrics.com/apologize-lyrics-onerepublic.html>.