Reflecting Back

Before this Ales 204 class, the extent of my social media usage went as far as Facebook. The thought of utilizing social media in a professional way as a tool had never really crossed my mind. I mean really, I use Facebook as a way to see pictures from a party last weekend so how could it be used for anything that’s not on a personal level? Well, this communication class has definitely opened my eyes and broadened my perspective on this issue and not just with regards to professionalism – I didn’t realize how many social media sites there actually were out there. I knew of Twitter and swore to myself I would never get it; to me it was simply a rehash of Facebook status updates and I certainly don’t need to know the little mundane things going on in people’s lives that they for some reason want to talk about. However, if I think back of my thoughts and opinions of social media the very first day of class and consider where those opinions are today, I am surprised to say how much they have grown and have come to appreciate social media not just as a way of personal communication but as a tool ready and able to be used in the professional world.

Throughout the term we were introduced to various topics on social media and the Internet, and were exposed to different social media sites. We learned of Flickr as a great way of sharing pictures and gained some insight on various copyright laws. We discovered LinkedIn, where we could network and display ourselves in a professional way. Facebook was introduced in a new light as we were shown how it could be used professionally and as a way to put ourselves out there in a way suitable to the working world. The biggest one though was of course Twitter. From day one it was used as participation and to keep updated with others in the class. This idea of using Twitter in class had never been brought up in any other one of my classrooms but it certainly had a huge impact in this one. As I said before, I was dead against Twitter. Almost four months later, my opinion has done a complete turn around and I actually now quite enjoy it as it’s not just simply useless updates about things I don’t need to know. I can connect with experts in my field of interest, use hashtags to find common ground with others, and can even follow along with the news. This is a tool that goes beyond this class and is something that I will definitely keep using. Wordle is another site introduced, one that creates a word cloud from whatever you put in and the more a word is mentioned, the bigger it is. Using this professionally could prove very useful, as it could help one to understand what it is that an employer, for example, is looking for or what kind of message a resume is giving. I even used this on my own blog posts. Between my thoughts on social media in my very first introductory post to those of this post, the word clouds show very different messages and are a very visual way of showing just how my thoughts on social media and communication have changed.

Word cloud of my first introductory post. Screen shot taken by Hillary Banack of word cloud, created from http://www.wordle.net/

Word cloud of this final post. Screen shot taken by Hillary Banack of word cloud, created from http://www.wordle.net/

Social media wasn’t the only thing discussed in this course. Different aspects of the academic and professional world were introduced. Public speaking is a major part of pretty much anything nowadays and tips were discussed which will be very helpful for other classes and life beyond university. Pecha Kucha for example is great new way of doing presentations. Resumes and CV building provided important skills that I will use later on. Learning about Wikipedia and its unreliability definitely showed me how what is written on the Internet cannot always be taken for truth. Searching out peer reviewed articles, how to effectively read an academic paper, and proper referencing were a few aspects pertaining to our academics that was well applied to assignments in this class as well as others. The ability to be critically literate, as Javsveer discussed in her blog, is very important and something I hadn’t really considered before. And of course, various aspects of professionalism and how to use this in the working world as well as personally will probably save me from making quite a few mistakes in the future.

This blog and blogging itself is also a social media tool and is one that has become part of my life. I had never really considered myself ever becoming a blogger; I mean, I’m not really all that great at writing and what do I have to say about anything anyways? Well as it turns out, a lot actually. I find it to be a great way to give my thoughts on a particular subject or share new things going on with myself. It is not just a place where I can write and people can read; it is interactive. People can read and comment back; I can click on their link and be introduced to new thoughts and ideas. From there, I can click a link to another blog or site mentioned. It is an endless way of connecting with other individuals. I can even comment and share my own thoughts, just as I have done on Meaghan’s, Sara’s, Nicole’s, Rosie’s, and Becky’s blogs. If it wasn’t for this class, I would have never created a blog or come to see the great benefits of not only writing a blog, but reading other blogs out there. Although I may not always be able to make a new post every week, I know that this blog of mine will not end with this class.

Social Media and Charities

The use of social media today has expanded from personal publications and communication between friends and family to something much bigger that allows more people to become aware of what is going on in the world around us. It is used for news, to follow the breaking stories in our community, and for businesses, to expand their clientele and reach a broader audience. However, I have recently seen that it has reached another area of our society – charities. These organizations, along with other non-profits, are using social media as a tool to spread the word about what they are doing and get more people involved. It is a great way to reach a new audience and open people’s eyes to ways of becoming involved in a community that needs their help. Two different organizations that I have been aware of and their utilization of social media are the Edmonton Humane Society (EHS) and the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS). 

EHS Logo. Retrieved from  http://www.thebouce.ca/concerts-events/city-of-edmonton-animal-care-and-control-centre-open-house/edmonton-humane-society-log/

The EHS is a no kill animal shelter, based here in Edmonton, that will take in any animal that comes in, regardless of their health. I have known about this non-profit organization for a while, even though I didn’t live in this city up until a year and a half ago. When I moved to Edmonton to come to the U of A, I wished to volunteer, but my studies and busy schedule prevented me from having the necessary time commitment required. However, this has not stopped me from keeping up-to-date with what is going on in their organization. Their website is very well developed and organized and with an easy to navigate side bar, it is simple to become informed of their volunteering opportunities, fundraisers, and adoption events along with their adoptable animals. Immediately upon entering their site, a Twitter and Facebook feed are presented. So not only are you able to explore their website, you can follow them on Twitter, where they make daily updates to keep the public informed, and visit their Facebook page, which shares pictures and statues about animals they have, and events they hold. It makes it easy for one to stay informed with what is going on with EHS through their use of social media and create more awareness.

SCARS Logo. Retrieved from http://www.google.ca/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1280&bih=866&tbm=isch&tbnid=qoru3_JYvDALPM:&imgrefurl=http://www.titansupply.ca/Company/InOurCommunity/tabid/132/Default.aspx&docid=3gV2_wNlB7mtJM&imgurl=http://www.titansupply.ca/Portals/0/SCARS.png&w=703&h=232&ei=s0KHT_2aH8qsiALpqazSAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=133&sig=108210516660639167749&page=1&tbnh=71&tbnw=215&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:0,i:99&tx=137&ty=44

SCARS is another non-profit organization in Edmonton, as well as Athabasca, that is volunteer based. They rescue animals in a no-kill way and are a second chance for those that were set to be euthanized or are homeless. Before this year, I had never heard of this organization. But when I became a member of the Pre-Vet Animal Health Club here at the U of A and joined their Facebook group, a status made by another member informed me of a volunteering opportunity with SCARS. I became interested instantly in knowing what they were about. I visited their website and found myself exploring and learning more about what they do. The site was also easy to navigate, with headings that were simple to follow and find ways in which I could help. A news feed keeps readers informed of what is going on with SCARS in the community. Upon exploring their site, I noticed a link to their Facebook page. I don’t visit this page often but it frequently makes status updates to keep followers informed of their situation. I also found them on Twitter. Although here they don’t keep as updated as the EHS does, there are still numerous statuses about events they are holding and inspiring animal stories. For a seemingly smaller charity than EHS, it does a great job of keeping the public informed and spreading the word about themselves.

These similar but different organizations have both shown me how the use of social media has grown. Although I am not able presently to be a part of these organizations through volunteering, I can still stay informed and hear of events they hold, which can become I way for me to be involved during my free time. Fellow blogger Lauren also shares thoughts on another charity, Dogs with Wings, that as utilized social media as a way of spreading the word about their organization and who also agrees that social media is a great way to keep the public updated. Throughout these sites and social media pages, the one thing that I have definitely noticed that has been held constant is the professionalism. Every post, status update and story made is written in an appropriate manner that does not turn off readers or make them think of the organization as unprofessional on any level. I believe this to be very important, as being improper can make an organization appear much different than it really is, and turn away much needed potential volunteers. It is so great to see social media being used in such a positive way and is a great platform to help make a bigger impact on today’s society

A Wiki World

Wikipedia, a website with pages upon pages of information on anything from amino acids to the anatomy of a cat to anything you would want to know about Snooki. The list is endless. I could imagine that if I were to go and ask my friends, family, and even random strangers if they had ever used Wikipedia, heck even heard of it, I would be bold enough to venture a guess that almost every one of them would say yes. It has become such a huge part of the internet world as a place to get information – it is the internet’s version of an encyclopedia. I know I myself have used it to get quick answers to questions and even used it as a source to settle a debate among my friends. Could I go to an actual encyclopedia and find what I was looking for? Sure, but why would I when I can take out my smartphone and look it up instantly on Wikipedia. It is also generally the first place I start looking when I am given a research project. Now with that said, how reliable and accurate is Wikipedia truly? 

Well, to answer this question I attempted to edit a Wikipedia stub, an entry that has not gained the status of an article because it lacks information and citations. The challenge began with choosing a stub and a challenge it was. The number of stubs on Wikipedia is seemingly limitless so it would seem relatively simple to choose something that I would have knowledge about; however this assumption proved incorrect. While there were many entries where I had a very general knowledge of, nothing really seemed like something I have enough knowledge on that I could write a good article about or could even find enough correct information on. Going through animal stubs and biology stubs, I found nothing. Finally, I stumbled across horse stubs and found Coffin Bone, which is a bone in the hoof of a horse. Perfect! Last semester I took a course on horses so it would seem I have a fair bit of knowledge in this subject area. 

Screen shot of the original Coffin Bone stub

Next came actually writing the article. I looked at past lecture notes given by my professor and looked up more references on the web. Mix this in with the knowledge I already have and I was able to come up with some good paragraphs about the coffin bone, including its location and some health complications that could occur with it. Although I didn’t come up with a nice long article with everything known about the coffin bone, my entry embellished the stub to give a better overview and more general information about it. When it came to actually putting my words into the wiki software to format it, I struggled. I am rather good with computer programs and navigating the internet but, as I found out, when it comes to website codes and all that, I am simply not that great at it. So what did I do? I looked at a Wikipedia article on referencing when writing a Wikipedia article (yes, there is a Wikipedia page for that too). I eventually worked my way through the codes and finally finished my stub, proper referencing and all. 

Screen shot of my Coffin Bone article

Needless to say, I was pretty proud of myself with this process. I got exposure to wiki’s, websites users can add to, edit, and delete the information posted, which Wikipedia is. I learned a bit about website codes and editing articles but learned even more about the coffin bone. When I think about this, it obviously shows I am no expert when it comes to this subject area and, being a student, what I know may not be entirely correct or accurate. Going back to that previous question I posed, how reliable Wikipedia is, I think I just answered my own question. I was able to go in, edit and add to an article about the coffin bone, an area I thought I knew enough about. If I can do this so can everybody else, so how can we know if the information stated is accurate? Simple answer is we can’t. Even with Wikipedia staffers and other experts patrolling the pages looking for proper, unbiased information, sometimes things slip through. Fellow classmate and blogger Nicole also shares ideas on the benefits of Wikipedia as well as its disadvantages, as she agrees there is a problem with reliability. I believe Wikipedia to be a good first place to start to get an overview of a topic and a general understanding, but not for using it as final say for something because there is no way to know if the information came from a scholarly source. It is good keeping up with news and pop culture but academically speaking, Wikipedia is not reliable enough to use as a reference of information. Is this going to stop me from using Wikipedia? Definitely not. However, when it comes to my academics, the most I will be using this site for is to get a broad overview of the topic and perhaps following the references listed on the Wikipedia page to find actual scholarly information.

A Professional Facebook

Picture Facebook and think of what you use it for. Does the word resume come to mind? Had I asked myself this a week ago, that would have probably been one of the last things to pop into my head. Facebook to me is where you go to look at pictures from the weekend or of trips friends have taken, where you keep up with what is going on with the people around you, and where you check in on those you love. This is the last sort of place I would want any potential employer looking into me knowing some unprofessional pictures that I have on my profile are certainly not what they are looking for. So why would the term resume consider even coming near this site?

Well, a Facebook page for instance is very much different than your Facebook profile. One can have a profile where they share all those personal things in their life not meant for the work place but yet have a page where they can present themselves in a whole different manner. A profile can be secured against an employer’s eyes whereas a page can be on full public view, presented in a way one would be very proud to let any potential employer look at. It is like a business card but in much greater detail. With social media gaining more momentum in today’s world, it is easy to forget who one’s audience is. Presenting yourself in a certain way, using explicit language, and showing off inappropriate photos is generally not just limited to being shown to the friends on that site; it is easy enough for anyone to Google you and see for themselves or even go onto your profile if it is not secure. The image portrayed on a social media site may perhaps not be how you want an employer to see you as, however if they can access it, nothing is stopping them from seeing your personal photos and details. One article even states that employers are willing to do this.

Photo of my Facebook page

Personally, I know that what I have on my profile is not exactly something I want someone who is going to hire me to see. Creating a Facebook page puts me out there in a professional way. Any job I apply to that happens to look me up on the web would find this, my Facebook page that outlines me just as a resume would do and already I have given myself a good image to this employer. Even more so, someone looking to hire may just stumble upon my page and end up offering me a job opportunity. I created my Facebook page as my own personal resume. This is a place to go to get to know me better, in a professional way, which could improve my potential career opportunities. I’m not saying that Facebook is bad or what people are putting up on Facebook is bad, generally, but that some things are meant for work and others simply are not.

Check out more about Facebook on Tanya’s blog!

Photo of me in Croatia summer 2011

My name is Caitlyn Erickson. I am a second year student at the University of Alberta in the Animal Health program, majoring in companion and performance animals. I’m not really sure what I’m going to do after this degree. All I know is that whatever I end up doing, it is going to involve animals. I grew up in the country, living on a farm my whole life. Sometimes our pasture is full of my uncle’s cattle but mostly it’s pretty much just cats at our farm, a barn full of them. It’s great to be able to be around animals all the time. I enjoy reading; I actually just finished the Hunger Games series, which is an absolutely great read by the way, definitely check it out. I really love to travel. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a family who likes to vacation a lot. I was even lucky to be able to go on a Europe trip with my high school in Gr. 11 and then again with my best friend just this past summer for a few weeks. People may not be enjoying the weather around this time but I love it (as long as I am bundled and cozy); winter is my favourite season! I love the snow and I love to go skiing. Since probably about Gr. 1, I started figure skating. I haven’t gotten the opportunity to keep up with it too much now that I am going to university but I still really enjoy it. Sychronized skating is my favourite. I did it for quite a few years and hope to start up again next year if I make a team.

Until this class, the only form of social media I really used was Facebook. At first, I was hesitant to get it. I thought, what am I going to use this for? But eventually it grew on me and I started to use it more often. In the summer right after I graduated high school, I got the opportunity to go on a GYLC (Global Young Leaders Conference) trip to China. All by myself, halfway around the world, surrounded by people I didn’t know, I was a bit nervous but having Facebook helped me to be okay, knowing I still had a way to talk my family. Two and a half weeks later on the plane back home, I’m thinking off all the amazing people I met from different countries and backgrounds. I loved my roommate that I had for the trip. I was sad, leaving these people. However, Facebook allowed me to continue to talk to them and to know what was going on in their lives. I could connect with my friends from literally all around the world. This opened my eyes to how amazing social media really is. Up until that point, I had only ever used it to check out pictures of the past weekend with my friends, play games, and occasionally have a conversation with someone I would see the next day. Now I can have a conversation with my roommate who I may never see again but can still feel so close to. 

Photo with GYLC in China 2011

 I’ve never really given thought to the idea of social media in a professional way till this class. People use it all the time to connect with friends, share photos, and keep in touch. It can be used to make new connections with people as well. So it makes sense that this way of communication is gaining momentum with the professional world. It’s a whole new way to connect with clients, colleagues, even potential employers. The benefits are numerous. With me being undecided about my future, having all these new ways to gain information and learn about the many opportunities out there, some of which I possibility could not have known about before, it makes it easier for me to make connections and start to build my future. Check out Meaghan’s blog for more thoughts on social media!