A Few Broad Questions

Our posts have largely been about specific topics, but I would like to address three assumptions or questions that are part of the thread of many articles I have read about social media and ethics.

1) Is the abundance of blogs and free, user-generated content like Wikipedia threatening information, education and the role of 'professional' media and experts? Is this an age of  'copy and paste' instead of research and learn?

2) How far should companies and governments go to protect user data on the Internet, or is up to the individual?

3) Does piracy or even legal purchasing of art on the Internet threaten copyrights, artists, talent or industries?

Discuss.

Here are my thoughts.

1) No, most people understand that you cannot believe everything you hear on the web, and most people who read blogs or Wikipedia use it for entertainment, to get a handle on what ordinary people are saying, or to lead them in the direction of more reliable research sites. In my experience very few students at uni plagiarize, because it is easy to tell if a work is not yours, especially with Turnitin, and you won't really learn anything by cheating. Also, morals are not completely absent from people nowadays, nor is pride in one's work. There are places on the net where you can find reliable or academic articles you just have to be careful, and many people still use books and traditioanal media for information.

2) This is very important, especially when it comes to protecting children's rights. The govt has to establish regulations regarding online information gathering and security standards, especially for sites that store massive amounts of personal data. Social media sites should not be shut down however, as there are people wise enough to know how to use it.

3) No. While I am against piracy, I think figures about how much money piracy costs the economy assume that every item pirated equals to dollars lost. I think the reason why pirates rip off so many goods is that they CAN do it for FREE. They would not be willing to pay money for art. Even if you stopped piracy, all the former pirates would not suddenly start paying money for goods, they would find another scam. They were never potential customers. Legal purchasing of music, games or movies is a wholly positive thing in my opinion. It is cheaper than retail because we don't have to purchase the pre-packaged over-priced sets forced on us at retail, we can choose which individual music, games or movies to download at our convenience. Copyright is still protected, and artists make money. Artists can subvert the traditional talent scouts and producers, who in my opinion probably overlook a lot of talent. If traditional retail companies suffer, that is too bad, there are new companies making money and if a quality product is offered people may come back to retail somewhat.

Now let's hear your opinions.

Power of social media vs Search engine

The Middle Way Meditation retreat starts the business in 2003 and the major advertising is on its own web site. It also advertises by giving out brochure. Web site is a lot more cost effective. It is because the target audience of the meditation retreat is very rare. So this would right for pulling marketing to make it available for people who need to search. Since it starts it only rely on web site and with the help of search engine. “Mediation” is too common to make as key word, so it focus on “Meditation Retreat” and it is successful. The web link of the retreat is always on the first page when search in Australia. That brings the applicants to the retreat.

Recently, the social media like facebook and twitter are becoming popular. The meditation retreat has tried to advertise on facebook. Since facebook can filter the target to specific audience. There are about 4000 people who are interested in meditation and Buddhism in Sydney alone on facebook. The retreat limited budget to $5 a day on trial advertise on facebook.. The result of advertising on facebook has increased in number of visit from 705 (on period 24/01/10-23/02/10) to 917 (on period 24/03/10-23/04/10) which is about 30% increasing

Number of visits (on period 24/01/10-23/02/10) before using facebook advertise

Number of visits (on period 24/03/10-23/04/10) when using facebook advertise

From the statistic it seems that facebook advertising can add up the number of visit. However, the cost for facebook advertising is comparatively high about $150/month which is not good in return on investment. The Middle Way Meditation retreat may consider terminating the trial soon later. The other choice that the retreat can do is forming a group of the past participants on social network to help in spreading the word around to their network friends which will cost nothing.

Take this result as example, the marketer who use online shop or web site still have in mind that the powerful search engine like google still bring a lot of customers to their site. While social media may give more chance to reach the target audience by the filtering facility which is good for the narrow target audience.

Reference

http://www.dhammakaya.org.au/retreat

The statistic provide by Google tools.

“Don’t Know” and “Don’t Care”

Online marketing programs especially via the social networking channels involve with majority of people who “don’t know” and “don’t care” about the benefits and detriments through their active participation with it. For the audience, their main concern is to engage with the products and services besides connecting with more and more people while for the marketers, they just want to sell their products and services as well as to gain continuous return on investment (ROI).

Coughlin, Anderson, Stern and El-Ansary (2001:447-448) stated that Electronic channels function in generating sales to consumers and in business-to-business selling as the market potential for electronic customer channel is dependable on the number of customer who involve with the online services. Therefore, if the marketers have decided to remain seated on the “don’t care” seat, it might be very difficult for them to get the attention from the consumers as their rise and expansion within the social networking channels is totally dependable on customers active participation with their online marketing promotional programs. In understanding the audience, online marketers must be able to develop a mutual understanding of how the audience define meaning of a particular product and service (Reynolds & Olson, 2001: 119).

Sheth and Mittal (2004: 430) stated “The internet has eased the time and place constraints that are imposed by traditional retailing … Internet is also increasing revenues for marketers by allowing them to personalize their products or services and marketing communications for customers”. Therefore, marketers should be striving to come out with more marketing initiatives in making the purchase process more attractive (437).

On the other hand, the audience must be aware that the internet especially the social networking channels has most profound impact on their purchasing behaviour as well as business transaction (Webb,2010: 43). Therefore, they also must be able to move away from their “don’t know” and “don’t care” seat when engaging with any online products and services as somehow or rather, it will affect their purchasing behaviour. Some of the impacts are as follows:

• Adding to the ‘evils’ in the society.

Kotler, Adam, Brown and Armstrong (2001:439-440) believe that “the marketing system has been accused of adding to several ‘evils’ in society at large … social commentators have charged that the marketing system urges too much interest in material possessions”.

It is more a cultural interpretation on how an audience judges another with regard to his or her possessions within the society that will result in differentiation to the level of social status as a whole. The marketing system exists to provide the information but the purchasing power is within an individual’s hand.

• Less face-to-face interaction.

Severin and Tankard (2001:384) mentioned that “the internet could take time away from face-to-face social contacts with human beings …”. This can be read to mean that when the audience spends most of their time by engaging with online advertising, they have separated themselves from personally engaging with their society. For example, previously they will go to the shop to purchase their products but by engaging with online marketing promotions, they will just have to wait for the product to be delivered to their front doors based on the purchasing contract. At the end of the day, this will lead to poor social relationships between them and their surrounding community. They should be neutral in engaging with both online and offline marketing especially in building and strengthening relationship within the social media context.

Just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Therefore, both marketers and consumers must try to avoid the “don’t know” and “don’t care” attitude in engaging with any online marketing promotions.

Coughlan, Anne T., Anderson, Erin, Stern, Louis W. & El-Ansary, Adel L. (2001). Marketing Channels. (6th edn). United States of America: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Kotler, P., Adam, S., Brown, L., & Armstrong, G. (2001). Principles of Marketing. Australia:

Pearson Education Australia Pty Ltd.

Reynolds, Thomas J. & Olson, Jerry C. (2001). Understanding Consumer Decision Making. United States of America: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Severin, W. J., & Tankard, J.W. (2001). Communication Theories. 5th edn. United States of

America: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.

Sheth, Jagdish N. & Mittal, Banwari. (2004). Customer Behavior: A Managerial Perspective. United States of America: Thomson South-Western.

Webb, Karen. (2010). Consumer Behaviour. (2nd edn). Australia: McGraw-Hill Asutralia Pty Limited.

2008 Republican Convention

I would like to bring up an incident from 2008 in the Unites States when Amy Goodman, a reporter, was arrested with a high amount of force and handcuffed along with other reporters, some of whom were, according to Goodman, bleeding as a result of the force behind their arrests by the police. This happened during the Republican National Convention in 2008.

The police claimed most of the 10 000 democratic protesters were peaceful, but a group of 200 or so were becoming violent and many were arrested, including Amy and her fellow reporters. She claimed a whole force of riot officers surrounded the area and were using extreme force to arrest people who were not neccesarily involved in the trouble-making. She claimed when she asked police if she could see her colleagues, she was roughly pushed to the ground and handcuffed, suffering a bleeding nose. She claims she was brought to cages that had been set up to hold all the arrested protesters, and that one of her reporter friends was bloodied. They all were wearing reporter tags around their necks, and allegedly secret service personnel ripped off their tags.

Here is the only clip I could find of her being arrested, it is incomplete:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ&feature=related

Here is a clip of her press report about the incident:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLgetO_BL70

Here is a newspaper report about the incident:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/09/rnc-protests.html

The issues as I see it is whether police were too heavy-handed and whether they were trying to squash dissent and political activity, and whether social media aided our understanding of the issue and helped society learn from it.

The police in riots like these arrest everyone who tries to cross riot lines, and once people start causing trouble, everyone in the near area will normally be arrested. Is this fair? If someone has a genuine problem and needs to talk to police or leave the area via another route than the allowed one, if someone lost a friend or whatever in the crowd, should the police listen to their issue and think about it; or is it justified to arrest anyone who does not stay behind the lines to maintain peace?. As we can see in the incomplete arrest video, Amy was resisting instructions to leave but she was approaching peacefully and asking to see her friends, and the officers were not listening.

Some people may believe the police were justified in using the tactics to maintain order, others believe police were heavy-handed during this incident and used excessive force amongst many people, many young, trying to voice their opinion. Social media like Youtube was used to get out information and videos about Amy's arrests and other's arrests within an hour of the RNC (Republican National Convention), and a deluge of posts via facebook and twitter, and phonecalls and letters inspired by social media, were believed to have played  a part in Amy's release.

Please dicuss this situation or about police handling of protests in general, and how social media relates.

In my opinion, the police were heavy-handed, they even stormed the houses of known activists before the rally to try and pre-emptively stop rioting, this seems like arresting people without them having done anything first. If someone approaches police peacefully and slowly I think they should not use so much force, as during a protest people can get hurt or seperated from loved ones , and may need police help. It is a bit too much to arrest so many people at a whim because some were causing trouble. There definitely some protesters who were being idiots and causing trouble, and definitely the police were right in some of the arrests.

Is it worthwhile discussing this in this blog since none of us were there? If only the people present at an incident speak up about it, will it be hard to receive answers about an incident? Did social media play a positive or negative role during this incident? There are pro-Amy videos posted on Youtube from liberal crowds, and anti-Amy videos posted by Republican figureheads blaming the incident entirely on her. Did social media help this situation be explored in an objective way?

“Know” but “Don’t Care”

Everybody is concern about their privacy information shared on the social networking channels such as on Facebook. But the thing is before they are able to have a login ID, they need to read and understand the terms and conditions (T&C) stated on the site. Most of my friends back home they don’t even bother to read it and just approve it. But once something happen, they will put the blame on the site and the organization. It is where they “know” that they have to read and understand the T&C but they just “don’t care” as long as they are able to register and be connected with their friends.

Terms and Conditions:

• YouTube.com (http://www.youtube.com/t/terms)

(Item 5: Your Use of Content on the Site point G)

“You understand that when using the YouTube Website, you will be exposed to User Submissions from a variety of sources, and that YouTube is not responsible for the accuracy, usefulness, safety, or intellectual property rights of or relating to such User Submissions. You further understand and acknowledge that you may be exposed to User Submissions that are inaccurate, offensive, indecent, or objectionable, and you agree to waive, and hereby do waive, any legal or equitable rights or remedies you have or may have against YouTube with respect thereto, and agree to indemnify and hold YouTube, its Owners/Operators, affiliates, and/or licensors, harmless to the fullest extent allowed by law regarding all matters related to your use of the site”.

 

• Facebook.com (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/terms.php?ref=pf)

(Item 2: Sharing Your Content and Information point 4&5)

4. When you publish content or information using the "everyone" setting, it means that everyone, including people off of Facebook, will have access to that information and we may not have control over what they do with it.

5. We always appreciate your feedback or other suggestions about Facebook, but you understand that we may use them without any obligation to compensate you for them (just as you have no obligation to offer them).

(Item 10: About Advertisements on Facebook point 2)

2. We do not give your content or information to advertisers without your consent.

The T&C have clearly stated on things that we should know prior engaging with these sites…therefore, should we put the marketers at fault for our own carelessness in reading and understanding the T&C? The marketers on the other hand, do “know” that some of the users have agreed to subscribe to their social networking channel without fully understanding the T&C. But they “don’t care” to make/write the T&C in a simpler words so that users can actually understand it well. At the end of the day, regardless whether the users are aware or not, the marketers might be using the information in generating profits in selling their advertisements. Nevertheless, I would say that both users and marketers must be able to “know” and “care” about their roles and responsibilities in the social networking “fever”.

This video provides some safety measures that online users should look into consideration.

US President Obama warns children on Facebook postings

I came across this clip on YouTube a moment ago and just want to share with everyone of you as we should be accountable on anything that we said now as it might get back to us later in the future…

“Don’t Know” but “Care”

The rise and expansion of social marketers within the industry are all dependable on their capabilities to continuously generate profit and revenues for the organizations. They will be fully utilizing all available resources in order to achieve their marketing objectives. They have come out will all sorts of marketing initiatives in obtaining the trust and attention from their target audience by providing continuous speed and convenience through online social networking channels.

McCoy, Frieder, Larry and Hedges (1994: 241) stated “Once customer define what convenience means to them, managers then need to establish how much they value each form of convenience”. Ability to conduct a customer satisfaction survey and research on frequent basis will enable marketers to determine their audience purchasing behavior at all time. This will enable them to provide more value added-services for the customers.

On the other hand, marketers must be able to realize that consumers can be considered as problem solvers as they will involve in any decision making process and come out with solutions in satisfying their purchasing behavior (Webb, 2010: 28). Webb also mentioned that customers will make use of all available alternatives that can potentially solve the problem as it different “between a consumer’s actual current state and their desired state”.

It proves that marketers “don’t know” about their customer’s decision making process but they are willing to determine it by obtaining useful information either directly from the customer through interview or by conducting market research and survey. It is because in generating growth and revenues, marketers do “care” about their customers purchasing needs and also in achieving the organization’s sales target at all time.

McCoy, John B., Frieder, Larry A. & Hedges, Jr. Robert B. (1994). Bottomline Banking Meeting the Challenges for Survival & Success. United States of America: Probus Publishing Company.

Webb, Karen. (2010). Consumer Behaviour. (2nd edn). Australia: McGraw-Hill Asutralia Pty Limited.

Are there 'amateurs', and is it a 'cult'?

I read a book called 'The Cult of the Amateur' by Andrew Keen, the book is described as the Anti-christ of the Internet age. I found myself getting irritated reading the book, although I welcome reading different opinions to my own, the author, in my opinion, spouts a lot of insults and conjecture with vey sparse evidence and very little objectivity.

But he does raise some interesting arguments which may have merit if toned down and argued rationally by someone else. He basically believes the abundance of media, blogs, songs, videos and so on posted by people on the Internet is destroying our culture and values; destroying the idea of expert information and depleting the talent pool. In short, the Internet is doing everything short of tying the damsel in distress to the train tracks and twisting its moustache in glee.

He argues that when communicating opinions and art work without agents or barriers, the quality and reliability of work will dissapear. He also believes it is narssicistic to post opinion pieces.

The problem with his book is the unfounded assumptions he makes. He assumes that people read blogs and Wikipedia for serious research, and that these things will replace 'professional' work. Most people use blogs and Wikipedia for casual research, entertainment or to learn the opinions of ordinary people. If people want to do serious research, they will consult the vast array of articles written by experienced, educated people on the Internet (there are ways to find reliable files on the net such as the University Search Engine or Google Scholar), in books or in journals. Most people use a variety of mediums in their life, assuming that people who use the Internet are somehow hypnotised by the Web to never watch TV, read a book or newspaper again is one of the faults that Andrew makes.

Andrew glorifies traditional media, even though media and 'professional' experts have and will lie or make mistakes, as everyone knows. His use of the word professional states that media contributors to books, tv or newspapers are professionals, and people who use the internet are automatically 'amateur'. This is faulty. Many musicians and novelists of the past had no education, and had to get their start performing on the street or sending in their manuscripts to surly publishers. How is it any worse for a newcomer to an industry to use Youtube or Facebook to advertise their work, how is it different? Andrew seems to use the word professional in an opinionated way. Also, many educated and experienced individuals do use the Internet as a medium to post their work as well as other traditional mediums.

While there are issues regarding copyright on the Web, the ability to cut and paste is tempered by the ability to search people's websites with search engines like Google. I believe copyright can be protected on the Web. He claims that students are plaigarising material off the Web in large numbers for their assignments, and then posts one example of one university where plaigarism rates have gone up recently. I think this is facetious, as he should present to us a study of a large amount of Universities to prove this. From my experience plaigarism in Uni is fairly low, as it is obvious if you have not done your own work and punishments are high. Also, students do not use Wikipedia or blogs for references when they use the Net, they will use academic articles posted on the web, books, journals and a combination of sources. Ofcourse some students might use non-academic web sites if their assignment studies online media, but they will have to use plenty of academic sources as well if they want to pass. If Andrew believes Wikipedia is supposed to be used academically, his assumption is not valid in the real world.

His book raises questions that might be interesting to discuss, but I think, in my inexperienced opinion, it lacks what I have been taught academic writing should be.

To Know and Care

Building and maintaining brand loyalty is the main concerns of marketers besides selling and promoting the products and services to the target audience. However, the marketers must be able to uphold the brand name of the organization that they represent. They must also able to portray the organization to be considered as unique by its audience in comparison to its competitors.

This is because in providing the audience with the best products and services, they must strategically focus in strengthening the organization’s brand and reputation and at the same time improving the available products and services that make them different from their competitors as well as appealing to the customers (Kapferer, 2004: 99).

On the other hand, by formulating more creative marketing promotional programs on social media channels, it will definitely increase audience participation towards their products and services and at the same time able to increase their sales performance (Schiffman et. al., 2008: 467).

Marketers must be able “to know” the organization’s expectation towards their professional services especially in generating growth and revenue and at the same time, marketers must also be “to care” about the audience needs and wants. By having this in mind, they are then able to deliver their services professionally.

Kapferer, Jean-Noel. (2004). The New Strategic Brand Management. United Kingdom: Kogan Page Limited.

Schiffman, L., Bednall, D., O’Cass, A., Paladino, A., Ward, S. & Kanuk, Leslie. (2008). Consumer Behavior. (4th edn). China: Pearson Education Australia.

Advantages of Social Media to the Marketers

Social media is leading the community to the next communication level where the audience is able to interact interactively with the media at any time convenient to them 24/7. In addition, social media does serve the marketers with wide range of opportunities in continuously promoting their products and services in generating profit and revenues. Some of the prominent advantages of social media to the marketers are as follows:

• 
  
  Improve marketing activities.

Janal (1997:64) pointed that “… the purpose for going online is not to sell products but to improve marketing activities by gathering prospects and converting them to customers via online and offline activities …”. The social media platform provides a social networking base that enables organizations to strengthen their customer’s database via active online promotions. It is an advance in strategic marketing activities where a wide range of consumers are connected to the organization. It is a platform for them to integrate and share similarities that will then integrated with another networks. This is the value of social media to both organizations and customers (target audience)

• 
  
  Low maintenance for unlimited usage

Fill (2005:581), mentions that “on the internet, space is unlimited so obvious cost remain very low and static…” It is proven that online advertising involves a minimal cost compared to any other kind of advertising promotions i.e. billboards, TV and radio advert, magazines etc. This will then reduce the organization’s expenditure for a specific period.

Fill, Chris. (2005). Marketing Communications Engagement, Strategies and Practice. 4th edn. England: Prentice Hall.

Janal, Daniel S. (1997). Online Marketing Handbook. United States of America: International Thomson Publishing Company.

Exclusivity 2.0

I was reading a book ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Downloaded: Dissent in the digital age’ edited by Tara Brabazon, and it brought up an interesting perspective on the effects of internet social media: that of exclusivity and the isolation and powerlessness that can result from it. The upcoming Web 2.0 and social apps like MySpace can be argued to be exclusive, just as much as they can be heralded as offering unprecedented access and freedom of communication. Social sites have a slightly up-scale, trendy affectation and can be complicated to manage and use, and the upcoming Web 2.0 may have the same problems.

Many people do not use these sites or even the internet because they do not associate with it or know how to use it, and some cannot afford it especially in Australia with our set of internet plans on offer. This could be stopping these people from being as relevant, politically or socially active as they might have been with usage of these technologies.

Some authors in the book argue that although the internet was supposed to be a revolution for change, the fact that not everyone uses it to the same extent, or at all, has tempered this effect. The internet is full of contradicting information and websites full of differeing opinions, and it can be overwhelming to try and understand how to use the internet to gain information and what you can trust. It requires a certain amount of tech savvy.

I personally think if people are not using the internet (apart from access or financial reasons) it is their fault if they are not able to have as much relevance in certain groups as otherwise. I believe the barrier of entry is not too great, and people can limit themselves to a few familiar sites and email without getting too confused or exposed. However, the goal of achieving some kind of technological or social revolution will be realized to a greater extent than it has been, if more people get on the web and use it more deeply.

Communicating Efficiently via Forums

Marketers use various means of communication in targeting the target audience. One of the means is through forums. “Forums are company-sponsored areas that allow the company to interact with its customers and prospects” (Janal,1997:72). In addition, Wertime and Fenwick (2008:9), supported Janal by saying that “while digital channels are now mass, they can also be extremely targeted, allowing for singular interactions with consumers…marketing through new media can be personalized in many ways”.

Online advertising such as Facebook provides forums for any individuals or organizations to allow direct interaction with their customers, clients, or even friends on real-time basis. This is a good platform to improve the customer service orientation in meeting the customer’s needs and wants as it provides first hand interaction with the customers. Regardless of the face-to-face interaction, forums enable a buildup of strong interpersonal communication between parties involved. However, some of the media users believe that messages are contradicting from their beliefs and likings therefore, they have the option to ignore the message that may be affecting their daily life.

Janal, Daniel S. (1997). Online Marketing Handbook. United States of America: International

Thomson Publishing Company.

Wertime, K. & Fenwick, I. (2008). DigiMarketing: The Essential Guide to New Media &

Digital Marketing. Singapore: Markono Print Media Pte. Ltd.

Does the social network bring happiness in life?

Consider social network as a new channel to explore information on daily basis. It is similar to the old day people had radio, television, newspaper and a coffee shop to talk with others. How much time do we spend on them? What the benefit we get from these media.

It is the channels that we learn from. It also controls the culture of the nation as well. But it seem television, radio and newspaper do have control on it while social network like face book is user control context. So it is depend on the group of people who on those network.

Young generation starts to spend more time on social media, rather than television. Many of them just talking rubbish(useless info) with their friends so this way they would not learn more, but waste time.

Working people would use social network to keep in touch with their old and new friends, they would be able to control them self better than kids. They looking it as a channel for enjoy and relax rather than work.

Some discussions on this blog, mention that social network is noise and clouded. However, the peaceful activities like meditation also advertise on the social network like face book. The middle way meditation retreat also set up facebook group to keep contact with past participant to cheer them up to continue their practice and in this space they can share their inner happiness of the peaceful of mind on facebook.

Therefore, the atmosphere of the social network is really depend on the users. What group you are joining.

What was/is/ will be a wonderful world?

As I WAS a fresh man in the journalistic classroom. Teachers played a movie that described the future media and technologic functions could bring us so convenience life. Then ask us: how long do you think the situation is going to that? Some people answered that question: soon! In 2008, 2009, and 2010. Every year I was thinking now was the best and worst media environment. The best was that we had the wonderful some web 2.0 to report news or information. The worst was the evil media situation because it has been playing the getting rubbish information and keeps going to attack us. Every day it has been changing quickly, it seems like not stopping, however, it is going faster than I can image that. Until 2010, I am pushed to face all the new knowledge & what skills I do not know. Also, the weaken language ability distorts my aggressive attitude. As I skim some the blog contexts, the goods of social networking seem like uncountable, most people have to use them and think they are free, connect with friendship and so on. Moreover, bloggers used a large number of references to improve that: look, that is wonderful FA, people use that to expand friendships, and companies use that in business. In the future, it tends to be inevitable situation. Sometime, I just image that could we stop improve a moment? Could we use a little traditional communication? Could we stop to talk about how the wonderful future in going to come if social media channels develop more? What an embarrassed speaking! I should have passion in learning new communication path, but NOT. I do not have faith-based at all in social networking channels. However, as I realize people or my classmates, teachers who seem like are interested social networking media. I am so shame to speak loudly that I have no any idea to be involved this kind of communication. I am also stubborn to insist my opinions even if my classmates who are cheer that how wonderful it are! If I do not participate in the current popular trend, I need to be out of business & society? I worry about that!

Serving the Society with Community Media

According to Servaes (2008:351), “…the aim of community media to serve the community is often translated as enabling and facilitating access and participation by members of the community”. Community media within the social media context generates a collective participation from everyone that will lead to the concept of group cohesiveness where everyone will be acquiring the information and agreeing on the same issue addressed by the same message in the social media. This is the essence of community media where the same message will be shared together without having any dispute and arguments.

Bryant and Thompson (2002:128), refer to H. Lasswell’s major functions that the media serve in society which are:

• Surveying the Environment

   This is where the audience is aware of what is happening around them through the media messages.

• Correlation of Environment Parts

  The media generates critical thinking among the audience members in coming out with their own perceptions

  about the current messages and making sense of it.

• Transmit Social Norms and Customs

  Media messages serve as the transmission agent of the social norms and values to the new generations of

  audience.

For example, there is a poster and/or message of a missing child distributed to everyone (via email, social networking channels etc) within a particular area. This will definitely trigger the awareness of the whole community in anticipating with the media message (surveying the environment). The community leader will take action to secure its area and to ensure the safety of its community by engaging and responding to the message. He will then call up a group of strong men to patrol the area during the days and nights (correlation of environment parts).

Later on, this procedure will be recorded and distributed among the people within the same contact list and the rest of the social networking channel’s audience in order to address the same issue in the future by the next generation in ensuring that the whole community is safe from any disturbance at all time (transmit social norms and customs). This is the main function of community media where everyone is involved and participates with the delivered message and in to address the issue collectively.

Bryant, Jennings & Thompson, Susan. (2002). Fundamentals of Media Effect.

United States of America: McGraw-Hill.

Servaes, Jan. (2008). Communication Development and Social Change. India:

SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd.

Noise

With online apps like Facebook and MySpace everybody can be an aspiring artist or can share their thoughts to the world by posting blogs, portfolios or any sort of media. People can network for careers by socializing in the right circles, and joining the right groups. Companies can have profiles and can try and spread viral marketing via incentives and humorous advertising methods, to get people to pass messages on to their circle of friends.

But with every individual suddenly having an outlet to their voice, dreams, hopes and goals, is there a cacophony of noise, of text and media, floating around the web? Artists can try and start a career using these apps and bypass traditional obstacles, but with so many people using social media to do this, to put it frankly, only the diamonds in the rough, or needles in the haystack, have any chance of getting a huge amount of attention.

For 'Facebook Philosophers' not looking for a career, just for people to listen and read their thoughts, how much effort will people spare in viewing their media when so many people have philosophical rants about the minutiae of their everyday life?

Networking via Facebook and companies using social media to advertise might become requirements to stay competitive, since other forms of networking and advertising are saturated and well-known. When this happens online apps like Facebook might cease to be an innovative way for companies or individuals to network or advertise, instead becoming de rigeur. Then, like traditional mediums like television which were once new, only the squeakiest wheel or the wheat of the chaff will get paid attention to.

And, I do realize the irony in posting a blog to express this sentiment. :)

A Personal Letter to the Social Media Marketers…

14th April 2010

Shebley Haslan Abdul Majid
UWS Student Residences,
604 Great Western Highway,
South Werrington, NSW 2747.

Dear Marketers,

CHANGES FOR THE COMMUNITY

It has come to my concern on your active usage of the available social networking platforms as your personal goldmine in generating revenues. Personally, I am more interested in the effects of your marketing/advertising promotional programs to the society as a whole as it has diverted my fellow community from engaging with face-to-face interaction in the business transaction within the social media context.

Kotler, Adam, Brown and Armstrong (2001:440) argued that “critics accuse the marketing system of increasing cultural pollution. Our senses are being assaulted constantly by advertising”. By having this notion, I am sure that you are aware that today’s advertising (which involves sex, materialism, and power…well I certainly don’t have any idea why you should promote all these…) pollutes cultural understanding of the purchasing behavior within the society. I am very impressed with your capabilities in engaging with excellent persuasive communication in manipulating my fellow community to continuously engaging with your unreasonable products and services. However, regardless of how you plan to manipulate my fellow community, I am pretty sure that you are being controlled and manipulated by the major organization in achieving their business objective as well as continuously generating growth and revenue for them.

As a consumer, I would like to extend my advice to you to forget about using persuasive communication as you should concentrate in establishing trust and relationships in the social networking channels a ‘person-to-person’ basis. Trust me when I say that not everyone are convenience in engaging with the social networking channels as there are still online users who are reluctant to engage with these channels due to lack of trust to you and your fellow marketers.

As you are also among the consumers who are being manipulated by the marketers therefore, your consideration and understanding on my comments and suggestion is highly appreciated. On behalf of my community, please bring some positive changes to us in addressing and gratifying our purchasing behavior without having any intention to manipulate us.

Thank you and best regards,

Shebley

Kotler, P., Adam, S., Brown, L., & Armstrong, G. (2001). Principles of Marketing. Australia: Pearson Education Australia Pty Ltd.

Am I Hungry?

Within the social media context, marketers considered consumers as ‘hungry’ for information which reflects the consumer’s behavior in fulfilling their continuous consuming needs and wants. Marketers have created various kinds of marketing campaigns in selling their products and services to the consumers through the social media channels via catchy advertisements. Indirectly, marketers are creating interactive persuasive multimedia ads that will certainly attract the senses of their target audience. However, marketers must always be aware of the regulations stipulated by the government regulators and advice from the health professionals if they are involve with any food product promotion on social media.

The practice of responsibility in any marketing and advertising promotions either online or offline is part of the corporate responsibility. Marketers must be truthful with the audience about their products and services as customers will only engage with promotions that they can rely on. However, I would personally think that the customers are not ‘hungry’ but the ‘food’ has been served on the table for them to choose regardless whether they are hungry or not. The consumers will choose the ‘food’ that satisfy them and may not touch any ‘food’ at all if it is not up to their satisfaction as described in the uses-gratification theory. Marketers must not only focus on consumer’s readiness to be involved with the ‘food’ (messages) but they should be concentrating in adding more colors to the ‘food’ in serving their consumer’s needs.

Sorry…at the moment I’m not hungry as I have all the ‘food’ (information) that I need within my grasp. But if I’m hungry, I will definitely eat (gather and utilize) the best ‘food’ served on the buffet table.

Rutledge, Patrice-Anne. (2008). The Truth About Profiting From Social Networking.
United States of America: FT Press.

Social media, Is it really work now?

Thai Buddhist Student Association of Australia (TBS) has been organising many events for Thai communities at Belmore Park city of Sydney since 2004. About a half of participant are Thai Students who live in the city around there. The advertising of the event back at the beginning, TBS used only Poster and Flyer. The number of participant gradually grow up. Till in year 2006 it reach to 2,000 participants. About 10,000 flyers have been release to achieve that number. It is a time consuming work. TBS have to find volunteers to give out the flyer. They will select and give to only Thai so that the message will send to the right audience and make it the most effective way.




For the Thai New Year Festival 2010 TBS try to find more channel to send message across to the target audience. These include flyer and poster, Newspaper, word of Mouth, Thai most popular website in Sydney, radio and using face book advertising for the first time. TBS did a survey to measure the effectiveness of the media channel.



The out come of the survey as follow. 44 People know the event form word of mouth while the next media are flyer and poster (37 people) following by newspaper (22 people). Face book came the next order 22 people know the event by face book.

The ineffective advertise was on the most popular website for Thai in Sydney “natui.com.au” only 4 people from the survey notice the event by the website.



From the outcome of the survey, TBS is more confident to use social media to keep in touch with its audience. In addition to the effectiveness social media like face book provide the audience to give feed back and it Allow the organiser to inform the follower with the change. More importantly, this media is time and cost effective.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=104296322938719

My assignment was on building relationship.

Social networks possibly rarely build large number and great length paths among people communication. As Hanneman and Hendrik (2005) pointed that “the size of a network is often very important”. For example, in a group of 12 students in a seminar, it is quite difficult to build and exchange each relationship well. If the number has expanded to 300 people, how can the students elaborate on their idea! As a group gets bigger, its closed density could decrease, and the group is likely to be differentiated and partitioned. As a result, the network has contributed a kind of communication platform that seems to dilute the powers of the traditional opinion leader. However, power is a consequence of patterns of relations, the low density and weak opinion will reduce the degree and space of issues discussed. In addition, Porter (2007) reported clearly stated that weak ties in social networks. It graphed the differences and relationship among group/networks, weak ties and strong ties. Its context easily indicated that groups of strong ties need a lot of management to stay healthy over time. Groups of weak ties are utilized infrequently and lead to a diversity of ideas, as they tie together disparate models of thought.
The next time, I am going to talking about the further relationship, especially building new friendships by social networking!?


Reference 1. Hanneman, R., & Riddle, M. (2005). Connect. Connection and distance. Introduction to social network methods, chap.7. Retrieved from http://faculty.ucr.edu/~hanneman/nettext/C7_Connection.html 2. Porter, J. (2007,October 5). Weak Ties and Diversity in Social Networks. Retrieved from http://bokardo.com/archives/weak-ties-and-diversity-in-social-networks/

Online Advertising Regulation

Companies are increasingly using Internet sites, advergames, viral marketing, video advertisements and banner advertisements to advertise their products. There are many possible ethical implications to this, considering the fact that the online ads are different in structure to traditional ads and often are under different regulations.

Research shows that children under the age of 11-12 can be unable to consciously register the fact that they are being advertised to, and therfore unable to have a fair chance of putting up a defense or processing the information sensibly. Regulation has severely restricted how TV ads can advertise sugary products and even toys to children, in light of this research. Online mediums often are not covered by the same regulations.This is why sugary cereals and soft drinks create advergames on their sites that are oriented towards kids, and feature brand characters. The web sites are often portrayed as cheery and 'fun-centres' and feature wallpapers, company newsletters and games that you can send to friends, and advertising material in much greater quantity than nutritional or product information. This allows for very blunt advertising that would be unacceptable in traditional media.

Studies of major companies show that most companies do not use the online medium to adequately show nutritional information about their product, or to protect the information children give out when playing competitive or viral games that can be sent to others. Information gathering for marketing purposes can be facilitated on web sites.

Should online advertising be subject to equally harsh regulations as traditional advertising, or is it a different beast? Should certain games and site areas require an age check ( a notification that it is not appropriate for people under 16 for e.g.). Should certain practices such as enhancing a game's features if a user enters in a code found on a product wrapper, be banned as pressure advertising? Is it different from TV promotions promising free gifts and raffles if you find a certain token in your cereal box? Playing a computer advergame is a solitary experience, while parents can supervise kids when watching TV. Even though a tv ad might offer advantatges for buying the product, one does not have to do so to watch the ad. Are advergames with functionality dependent on buying products, much worse than this?

Even adults who play advergames could be subject to offensive material. Could online ads get away with content that may be considered offensive or discriminatory on TV, print or radio? Certainly there could be lawsuits and community pressure against certain web sites, but the regulation is not as well developed.

An article you can find on the library website on children and advertising is:

Playing With Food: Content Analysis of Food Advergames
Mira Lee, Yoonhyeung Choi, Elizabeth Taylor Quilliam, Richard T Cole. The Journal of Consumer Affairs. Madison: Spring 2009. Vol. 43, Iss. 1; pg. 129, 26 pgs

One about an interesting survey of major companies and their websites is:

Analyzing advergames: active diversions or actually deception. An exploratory study of online advergames content

Stephan Dahl, Lynne Eagle, Carlos Báez. Young Consumers. Bradford: 2009. Vol. 10, Iss. 1; pg. 46



One last thing I have to contribute is a story about an advertisement disguised as a survey which I experienced online, which I think would have been considered sexist and exclusive if it was on another medium. I was on a video gaming review website where a site-developed survey popped up. I don't normally do these because I am wary of wasting time and being brought to strange sites, but it was obvious it was made by the site and I thought 'what the hey'; I was in a good mood and not busy.

The survey asked you a series of demographical questions beginning with 'what is your gender' , 'your age', 'how much do you play pc games', as well as questions about what kinds of games you play. If you were not the key demographic they were trying to survey the survey would end prematurely with 'Thank you for your time, the survey is over'. If you answered female to the first question, the survey would end straight away! After you got through the demographic questions the REAL survey began, and the survey asked you your opinion of several recent games and which games you were looking forward to out of a list; making it both an ad and a survey. If you did not meet the cliched demographics of  a 'core male gamer', you would never actually reach the survey! I think of myself as a serious gamer, but the first time I attempted the survey, I only lasted 5 or 6 questions before the survey booted me out! It may be because I prefer strategy games and RPGs (role-playing games) over shooters and RTS's (real-time-strategies) most of the time (them being the most popular genres nowadays).

I Want to Be The Master of My Social Media Choice!

Smith and Mounter (2008:41) note that “uses and gratifications theory suggests that the audience actively consumes their chosen media, often using it in unanticipated ways”. It is where the audience will be engaging with their preferred media in many ways and it differs from one person to another in terms of age, social class, ideology etc.

Metaphorically, the audience is the “master” of its own media choices, and they will act according to how they want to engage with it within the social media context. It differs between one’s personal interpretation, assumptions, and anticipation to the actual message and information. Bryant and Thompson (2002:129), mention: “Particular kinds of gratifications sought by the viewers, as well as the viewer’s attitude, determine the viewer’s attention to the content of those messages”.

This model explains that the media audience will act according to the way they prefer to be involved with the message and that will indirectly affect their thinking abilities, emotions, and behavioral patterns in satisfying their needs. It is all about the audience satisfaction in generating their attitude towards the content of the message.

As a Taekwondo student, I will be searching for the information pertaining to the steps and movements of Taekwondo rather than seeking for information on Wushu or Karate. This is where I will determine the kind of information that I need to acquire from the relevant sources i.e. internet, books, videos etc and indirectly learns about the Korean culture. I might also search for Taekwondo videos on YouTube.com in learning the steps and movements efficiently. The more I involve with the information, the more I will be experiencing social change resulted from the delivered message. Therefore…I am a Master!

Bryant, Jennings & Thompson, Susan. (2002). Fundamentals of Media Effect. United States of America: McGraw-Hill.

Smith, Lyn & Mounter, Pamela. (2008). Effective Internal Communication. (2nd edn). United Kingdom: Kogan Page.

Security of Information

Social networking sites and companies gather large amounts of information and personal data from users. It is imperative that the information is handled safely and with respect to privacy. One who uses Facebook might be opening him/herself up to the outside world, but the extent to which they are exposed should be variable and any use of personal data should be requested first.

There are issues to consider:

-Does the company who runs the social networking site have internal security? Does its employees have secure passwords, are they trained to log off when they go home from work? A hacker breaking into MySpace's databanks would have a huge amount of personal information.

-Does the site give users the option to control who sees private information, can the user reasonably trust the site to hold their private information without giving it away without consent?

-How do marketers use the personal information of people on the app? Even if basic measures are used to stop marketing, what is stopping a company from setting up an account and attracting friends to gain advertising information? Is this honest, competitive advertising or is it something unconscionable?

-There is also the issue of paedophiles and criminals who might stalk and track down people on these sites. Are there parental controls on the site, is there advice available for young kids who may use the site, or adults who may try and organize a blind date from the site?

When these companies hold so much private data, we must ask how safe it is and how it is managed.

Here is one interesting article you might like to read, scroll down to the Technological Ethics part.

Pranee, C. (2010). MARKETING ETHICAL IMPLICATION & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 2(3), PP. 6-22.

Moving with the Message

Audience exposure to the social media involve with the perspective of how they are making sense of what they receive from social media in a kind of symbolic informational message. The dissemination of messages however, differs from how one perceives the message as it is all dependant on one’s culture. They should be looking at the mediums in which culture has been used in understanding the social media and considers culture as shared experience, mediated symbolic communication, resource and policy discourse.

In understanding the culture of an individual, the global social networking users are able to provide the right messages to the right target audience, as now the target audience has been segmented into different cultural groups as it connects people from different cultural backgrounds across the globe.

However, in social networking channels, face-to-face interaction is absent together with the verbal and non-verbal communication and this will affect the interaction of people with the human relations context. Some people chose to have a face-to-face interaction especially in building trust and relationships and some just want to interact with its contacts regardless with or without face-to-face interaction especially when time consuming is concern. But some of the “silver-tongued people” are using the social networking channels in catching their “victim” especially which involve with intimate relationships, online purchasing of products and services, delivering negative information about certain country, religion etc. Just because they can do it does mean that they should because it is considered as unethical and unprofessional. The audience should take an extra precaution when dealing with any unknown online users.

Quality of Information

Social networking can be seen to be quantity over quality, if one looks at it cynically. For example, during the Obama campaign, everyone and their grandma became a pundit and a commentator. Ordinary people would attend speeches which were being covered by professional media organizations, film the speeches using mobile phones or hand-held cameras; and then post it on Youtube along with their own commentary. Some of the Youtube videos were borderline ridiculous like the 'Obama girl' videos, and there is no qualifying variable or bar that has to be passed to be able to post political opinions. Does this lead to informed debate or does it reduce the quality of information that people have access to? Are the professional media any less biased than individual users who post their own opinions and videos using social networking?

Here are some interesting articles you can find on the university library site.

Jadhav, A 2008, ‘Putting you into the democratic process’, McClatchy – Tribune Business News, Feb 24.


Vara, V 2007, ‘Friends' like these help candidates woo the young; but MySpace pages can be tricky for image makers; Hillary Clinton’s fave 16’, Wall Street Journal, May 4.

I just want to Convey My Messages but Why Should I Engage with the Media Forces?

In engaging with the social media, the online users should observe the key factors that are shaping global media developments by looking at the distinctive forces which are focused on the transition from industrial economy to a knowledge economy. All distinctive forces are being targeted to gratifying the consumers and achieving the organization’s business objectives.


Additionally, online users must be able to identify the concept of ideas and intangible assets as among the forces central to the production and distribution of messages today via social networking channels as it refers to the shift of knowledge into innovation via global media. The advancement of internet knowledge in preserving information over time, and the ability to disseminate information across a large audience as along the line, it increases knowledge across all aspects of both economic and social life. By engaging with the media forces, we are then able to grasp the knowledge of how media works and how it will affect our daily behavior within our society. We should not be alienated by the media forces but we should move together with it.

The truth of social networking

Again the social media, actually, I am so tired to talk about what is social networking would bring our life what kind of wonderful time, space or any their claim.

I do not believe at all, but how is the trick thing, I learn communication; have one journalist degree many years ago. Also, I did the publicists many years. Before, I was exposed the news & latest information everyday. Even though I have rarely interesting in any IT or networking technology or something, I have to swallow all the resources.

In Taiwan, we are immersing the most advanced and fastest growing Internet messaging network population. Like facebook, Taiwan is the top 1 of fastest growing over past week in 2009 (www.checkfacebook.com).

So, what is the meaning for? I definitely have no idea. I just am unreasonable to against new technologic development, like social media. However, I used Facebook, because most my friend have immersed in the facebook, it seems like I have to. But, the truth is I am not a Facebook fan, not now, not in the future.

As the start of the unit, my first assessment is about social networking channels, I had called to my best friend, and he is a super fan of any technology development and skills. This is the first time; we have phone fight because I absently reject that he claimed the benefits of social networking. On the other hand, he strongly insists social networkings are generic creation. For example, social networking advertisement can clearly and easily aims the target. Before that, clients were complaining that they had spent huge money to promote products or issues, but the recovery rate was low and high cost. That probably because web world is too huge, the target areas are also too big. The ads agencies spent money but did not work on the sale amount.

The data of Faceook are true, that include the participators location. So, ads agencies can mail their commercial information to the target easily and cost down.

But, what is the social networking? Is it for business or building relationships?

Now, my friends claimed that if customers used Faceook, what is connecting with social relationship building? I guess why did I so hate recently social everything, not just Facebook or social media. In my opinion, our entire environment, all them are going around money, economic, but all them are pretend another thing, that is we concerned what are human happiness and convenience feelings. Question is if we own that, does it make us happy or convenient life? I completely disagree and think that is just business. Please stop lay human and tell them, just do it, everything is possible. It is joking.

 Furthermore, some one claim the traditional media, they control the entire source and controlled by few people, including local government. That is unfair, and the news is one way, does not stand the moiety thought. Yes, I agree it, for example, Taiwan have freedom the media the right after 1979. However, Taiwan society has opened the media, and the situation is really changing. I also doubt that.

As all the statement, could I support left wing？ No, I am just concerned about the psychology health and doubt all the high technologic skills, they are definitely create more convent modern life, but it does not mean that is the only one we should indicated. That is a sick society and not nature.

Everybody wants to communicate these days..

Everybody is using the social networking channels to communicate with each other on all matters such as business, career, education, relationship, entertainment, government affairs etc. Communication nowadays takes place in various types of media i.e. print, online, TV, radio etc. where everyone engages directly with the media as it provides the community at large with the latest messages and information that allows them to be abreast of the current information.

However, media has been treated differently in different countries with regard to what is acceptable to the culture and the society and the level or degree of interference from the government as it is rather complex and varies between countries. Differences occur because media has to report news aligned with the local culture by considering the sensitivity of its people. In this context, can everyone communicate freely as how they want to communicate or do they have to communicate by complying with whatever has been dictates or regulates by the culture or the government authorities? The communication forms are getting complex and varied as there are still barriers between all social media audience regardless of the ‘borderless context’. Therefore, can I still communicate with you in a secure platform?

Double-edged sword

I watched an interview on CNN last night with a Chinese artist called Ai Weiwei who has been censored and harassed by the Chinese government for using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to encourage younger people to post their opinions on social issues. The government uses these social networking sites to track down people seen as dissenters, can monitor these people and use their personal information to invade their privacy and stalk them. Ai mentioned that the government was searching his bank account details and hacking into his computer. Social networking sites give people an extra avenue to use their freedom of expression, but can also be used to monitor people's opinions and to spread propaganda. The government could spread negative information about people using these sites, posing as users.

Just because we can, does not mean we should = the complex decision facing marketers and social media.

Let's think about what this topic really means, I am sure everybody has a different skew on it. My impression is that the explosion of social media has an ethical dimension which is not necessarily being explored fully.

Avenues of discussion could include the possible dangers facing minors on sites like MySpace and Facebook, where they can be tempted to post personal information.

My assignment was on advergames, and my research touched on the question of the ethical implications of using advergames in certain ways, and the dangers of the lack of regulation. Advergames are interactive video games hosted on company's web sites that advertise the company's product or persuade internet users to stay on the web site for longer. The company's brand might be the character in the game or in the background. Most companies that use advergames are for sugary snacks and soda companies, and most advergames are targeted towards children.

Are advergames pressuring children to eat unhealthy foods? Television ads as well as radio and newspaper ads, have to be really careful in how they advertise to kids because of regulations. Should advergames be subject to the same regulations (because they are not at the moment)? The advertising message could be hidden beneath an addictive game, and some advergames have special bonus levels or features which players can only unlock by typing in a code on the physical wrapper of the product they are advertising.