Leah's Podcast

Corporate Blogging

Xbox Live

Problem:
When gamers try to access the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, you receive the following error message "How to fix "Xbox Live Marketplace is currently unavailable. Please check back later." http://forums.xbox.com/16905563/ShowPost.aspx (posted comment link)

Cause:
This issue may occur for one of the following reasons:•Some cached Marketplace data that is stored on your console is corrupted.•The Xbox LIVE Marketplace is undergoing system maintenance.

News link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942630/en-us

Purpose of posting:
A user decides to help out and reply to other gamers who seem to be posting threads about this particular issue and provide his/her ways to solve the problem. Also for future reference and ultimately, spreading the word. This thread was greatly appreciated and helpful to gamers since it offered hints and things to try for users to perform. Also, Microsoft publishers quickly supplied a related article with further well thought detail about the issue. It has given the option for users to feedback on the help they received in the article which users are able to rate the feedback and respond.

Blog as Resume

Two Blogs as Resume Provided Below

Links:
1.) http://www.blueskyresumes.com/weblog/
2.) http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/2007/03/06/the-blog-is-the-new-resume/

For link 1.)
Pros:

• it provides extremely helpful ideas on answering common questions from job applicants
• people can learn how to build a resume and realize how blogging is a serious business
• blogger do represent themselves making sure its positive and in their own words
• offers a related discussion on job related issues
• easy to store ideas and links

Cons:

• nothing was mentioned about telling people what you write will follow and stick with you in the long run
• can effect your life over time
• some posting were childish and unhelpful
• seems to concentrate on employees seeking jobs oppose to personal information to help connect with employers
• they don't have underlying business strategy of improving lives

For link 2.)
Pros:

• easy to screen applicants
• gives employer a more detailed sales pitch
• gives an opportunity for employers to see a more "real" you
• not just about seeking employment
• got detailed posts about specific project tasks, detailed posts about my thoughts on industry trends, documented experiences, photos and mock ups, case studies, links to Technocrat and Linked In profiles, a list of must-read blogs, my public bookmarks, links to what others are saying about me, home movies, etc

Cons:

• they solve to many problems, or try to
• seem to be about make someone happy other than the user
• seem to focus on way to much on personal instead of social
• no barrier of entry for the service
  

Blogging for Social Causes

Social Networking and Social Causes

The above article has many interesting facts in which I admire. As a Myspace user I greatly admired MySpace launching its "Impact" channel earlier this year. This encourages political activism and lets users participate in a wide range of charities. This new idea from Myspace will create a positive focus on helping those in need. Basically the site's goal is to allow users of our generation to not only socialize while online but also to change the world. It offers a set of free and easy-to-use online fundraising and community-building tools that help nonprofits create their own branded easy giving center.

Washington Post Article on Social Networks for Social Causes

The above article is easy to admire the new district start up called Razoo. Razoo is a for-profit company that has built a Web site to connect people with one another, much like social networking giants MySpace and Facebook, but in support of humanitarian objectives such as helping the poor in Nicaragua. It's a really neat Challenge, and an easy way to make a real difference to a cause.

My attempt in blogging to further a cause:

I would begin to post my blogs on a global web page to generate a better audience and hopefully result in many donations. I would become a member of an activist site and communicate with people who are also interested in campaigning against the injustice around the world. It is a quick and inexpensive way to create a presence on the Internet, to broadcast information about a cause, and to organize actions to decision-makers.

What is Web 2.0?

Web 2.0:
Is a trend in World Wide Web technology, and web design, a second generation of web-based communities and hosted services such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies, which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing among users. The term became notable after the first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004. Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software developers and end-users use webs.

Example of Web 2.0: www.podcast.net
This site uses Web logs,link logs, podcasts and other forms of publishing for a more dynamic interactive World Wide web. People can post content on an attractive web page distributed through RSS feeds. Also serves web applications to users, creates a more organized and categorized use of content.

Web 1.0:
Refers to the state of the World wide web before the Web 2.0 craze, and included most websites in the period between 1994 and 2004. It is important to note that "Web 1.0" has been retroactively named only after the introduction of the term "Web 2.0", and has very loosely defined boundaries. For the most part websites were a strictly one-way published media, similar to the Gopher protocol that came before it.

Example of Web 1.0: www.hotmail.com
This site uses static websites with search engines and surfing to one web site to the next under the control of so called specialized web designers. Content is flowed through email.