Communication is changing with the rest of the world. There are so many ways to get information from one place to another without spending any money or having it take hours or days. Many people do not even have a land line in their home to talk on the telephone anymore. People are always on the go and have cell phones that can do what their home phones do and so much more. Skype is a newer version of communication that is also replacing home phones. It is a software application that allows users to make voice over calls over the internet (1). People can call, video call, and instant message each other for free and from anywhere in the world (2). My husband and I were able to use Skype this past year when our friends went to Germany for an internship. At least once a week, we would hop on at the same time and chat using our microphones and internet. It is amazing that they could be on the other side of the world and be talking with us clearly. It cost us nothing and we could make the chat from the privacy of our own home. Skype is accessible to anyone, so sign up www.skype.com and start talking with the world. 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype 2. http://www.skype.com/
When I think of personal blogs, my mind turns to my friend’s blogs.They are about their families and what is going on in their lives.I see it as a good way to let people peek into your life, especially if they do not live close.I had no idea that there is a whole world of personal blogs out there.My own personal blog is not profound or inspirational, but there are a lot that are.Some good personal blogs that I found are:
1.Maverick Misfithttp://me-the-maverick.blogspot.com/She is a woman who writes about topics that matter in her life.She expresses her opinions.They may not be “correct,” but they made me think twice.
2.Thinking About Ithttp://patacakebabies.com/wordpress/This blog belongs to a 62 year old woman from the South who recently moved to a Pacific Northwest Tree Farm.It is interesting to say the least!
3.Technology As a Way of Lifehttp://radub-tweaker.blogspot.com/This blog is devoted to new technology.It is an exciting blog to follow and keeps readers up-to-date.
4.This Time This Place http://thistimethisspace.com/This blog really interests me. A reader would enjoy hearing her serene outlook on life and her point of view.
5.My Money Bloghttp://www.mymoneyblog.com/Unusual, but very appealing to people worried about their money.It has a lot of useful information on it.
6.You Must Take Your Chancehttp://youmusttakeyourchance.blogspot.com/This blog is inspirational and will help people believe in themselves and achieve things they never thought possible.
7.Just Bloggedhttp://www.justbloggled.com/Struggling with unemployment and need a place to vent? This blog provides great support and the author knows just how you feel.
8.Venthttp://www.triloquist.blogspot.com/The author is woman trying to get the most out of life.A lot of women can relate to her and her ongoing- movie of a life.
9.Earth to Hollyhttp://earthtoholly.com/This blog is devoted to going green and how to make our country more beautiful.Since so many people are going green, this blog is very appealing to a l lot of readers.
10.I Do Things So You Don’t Have TOhttp://idothings.info/Ready for a laugh? This blog takes you through everything.If you are afraid to try something or spend your money on something, come to blog and chances are, she has done it and can give an opinion.
I chose all of these blogs because in some way or another, they reached out and grabbed my attention.They are not trying to sell products or gain customers.They just want to express themselves and tell the world what they think.I think that when people are in hard times and happy times, they want to share it and find others who are in the same position they are in.
1.Dell http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/ It has a clean set-up that is easy to read and navigate. It not only offers products, but tells about how Dell is a part of society and makes a difference. 2. Southwest Airlineshttp://www.blogsouthwest.com/blogsw This blog is very colorful and inviting. It keeps viewers up-to-date on current events and how they can get low prices to fly to these events. 3. Accenture http://www.accenture.com/Global/Accenture_Blogs/ Accenture has subtitles on their blog that make it easy for readers to find what they are really interested in. Their goal is to help companies achieve high performance and their blog leads readers to other sites that could help companies. 4. Zillow http://www.zillow.com/blog/ Zillow is not only a real estate blog, but gives the gossip on celebrities. Many people feed off of celebrity news, so this is a good sales idea. 5. Garminhttp://garmin.blogs.com/ This blog is appealing because of the real life stories and pictures that people post from trips using Garmin gear. 6. Googlehttp://googleblog.blogspot.com/ So many people use Google everyday and are happy with the service they receive. Google’s blog is just as user-friendly and gives users instructions and tips on how to use Google products. 7. LinkedIn http://blog.linkedin.com/ The reason this blog is so great is because of the professional advice that is given. 8. GMhttp://fastlane.gmblogs.com/ Avid readers of this blog are sure to know the ups and downs of the economy and what is to come in the future. 9. Wal-Mart http://www.checkoutblog.com/ Wal-Marts writes blurbs about saving money in many areas of life and gives consumers money-saving tips. 10. McDonaldshttp://www.crmcdonalds.com/publish/csr/home/_blog.html The great thing about this blog is that they are not trying to just sell product, but are telling stories that people are interested in.
Websites have evolved infinitely over the years.They have gone from plain and ordinary to graphic and exciting.Blogs are also going to evolve like the computer industry and soon provide just as many amenities.
Apple computers website ten years ago, looked just like any website on the internet (1).Everything on the page aligned on the left and the page was very plain (1).Now, entering the Apple website is an adventure with colors, images, and links to get exactly where you need to go (2).Not only can websites include information for the company running it, but websites can contain links to other businesses, news headlines, and logos.There are search bars in almost any website, so that those viewing it, can find exactly what they need.Websites have become so convenient and easy to use.Diane V. Web Design studio, a company that designs websites and increases usability in websites says, “Websites that are easy to understand and easy to use are a pleasure. You can find what you need, and can do what you went there to do. This translates, for the website owner or company, into sales, subscriptions, and everything else the website is intended to achieve. (3).”Websites have turned from ordinary to extraordinary.
Blogs started out just like websites, plain.Now blogs contain many of the same things as websites, such as, logos, links, news reels, graphics, and updates on other blogs (4).Blogs are money makers and also important sources of information for customers and employees. There are many layouts, themes, and backgrounds to add to blogs that make them unique and quite eye catching (4).They are being used like websites and that is why I think they will evolve and keep evolving until the next bigger and better thing appears in technology.
Companies have a name and a reputation to keep in society. If negative or inappropriate images come to customers minds when they think of a certain company, they will not do business with that company and pass the word along to friends. Since so many businesses are using blogs to get information out to employees, customers, and suppliers, they need to keep blogging policies so that what is said on the blog is a representation of the company itself. Fredrik Wacka has created a website devoted to business blogs. On his blogging policies page, he states that companies should be nice, keep secrets, abide by existing rules, and remember that they are personally responsible (1). Elaborating on those, being nice means watch what you say, don't attack people, and be courteous of others feelings (1). Keeping secrets means to hold business secrets as business secrets and not sharing them with everyone. To abide by existing rules, employees need to blog in the same manner that they would conduct themselves at work. The rules that apply to the business also apply to the business blog. Lastly, employees need to remember that they are personally responsible and should not take credit for what they say. Many bloggers use disclaimers to show that this is their writing and not necessarily the view of the whole company (1). There are many other policies that Wacka discusses, but these four are policies all business blogs should abide by.
Business blogs are becoming more and more prevalent and after researching, I have found that there are many reasons why businesses are choosing blogs as a way to talk to customers, businesses, and employees. Blogs are a quick and easy to set up, unlike web sites, which require a lot of time and computer knowledge. A person does not need to have lots of computer experience to start a blog. It is also inexpensive to set up a blog, since an in-house employee usually can start it. Companies can use blogs to communicate with either employees, other businesses, or customers. It is a great way to update company news, product information, and promotions. Customers can frequently view the site to see products and write comments or questions. It is more informal, so customers feel more relaxed and comfortable. Professional blogs are very useful for businesses and help them become more known in a technology-driven world.
Source: "10 Big Benefits of a Busy Business Blog (And How to Take Advantage) by Matt Jackson http://www.webreference.com/authoring/bus_blog/
