A Writer’s Perspective

"If you want to be a writer, you have to write every day." - Walter Mosley

Merriam-Webster defines a writer as one that writes or someone who has written something. To be a writer, as award-winning novelist Walter Mosley explains, is to write every day.

To write a novel Mosley says that "the only thing that matters is that you write, write, write" (Mosley, 2000). It doesn't matter if what you write is not good or makes sense, just write.

Mosley compares writing to some of life's activities that are daily events; you don't skip or forget to do these things.

"The consistency, the monotony, the certainty, all vagaries and passions are covered by this daily reoccurrence" (Mosley, 2000).

Another point that Mosley discusses in his writing process is how quickly and easily ideas form and disappear. As a creative person I understand how this impacts the process of creating or writing. I get a million ideas a day that could be harnessed if I would take the time to write them down. Sadly, 99.9% of my ideas are lost because I don't write daily.

"Our most precious ability, the knack of creation, is also our most fleeting resource. What might be fades in the world of necessity" (Mosley, 2000).

Over the course of this class my thinking has changed on the writer's perspective in the social media environment. Social media gives writers the opportunity to expand on and explain their creativity in ways that didn't exist before. It provides an opportunity for writers to give the back-story or detail where some of the ideas came from. Social media also can give help to the creative process by providing starting points or inspirations from the experiences of others; it's learning about life in a new way.

"...creation, like life, is always slipping away from you" (Mosley, 2000).


References
Mosley, W. (2000, July 3). Walter Mosley: For Authors, Fragile Ideas Need Loving. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/library/books/070300mosley-writing.html

Multimedia Tools

Multimedia works; it brings words to life.

Multimedia is the use of computers to present text, graphics, video, animation, and sound in an integrated way (Webopedia).

Multimedia tools improve information comprehension, viewers understand better, and drive viewer engagement. The why and how multimedia is effective lies in the way we learn. These facts help us see why it is a good option:

• According to the Social Science Network, 65 percent of the population is visual learners. Visual learners usually prefer graphics, illustrations and charts. They are able to remember details and ideas in picture form, typically what they've seen before.
• According to 3M Corporation, the brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text.
• According to Zabisco, 40 percent of people will respond better to visual information than plain text.

There are a number of multimedia options available to choose from. There are things to consider when deciding which tool to use. The first thing is to understand the audience. No matter the audience, research tells us that multimedia drives engagement. There isn't one type of tool that is more effective than the other. The most effective tool is based on what is being conveyed, and the desired result or feedback. A few things to consider are:

• Visual content drives engagement. In fact, just one month after the introduction of Facebook timeline for brands, visual content -- photos and videos -- saw a 65% increase in engagement (Simply Measured, 2012).
• Posts with videos attract 3 times more inbound links than plain text posts (Hubspot, 2012).
• On Facebook, photos perform best for likes, comments, and shares as compared to text, video, and links (Hubspot, 2012).
• Research by Twitter shows that tweets that include a photo or video receive 3 to 4 times more engagement (retweets, replies, etc.) than those that don't.

 

PowerPoint is a popular tool that is easy to use. I can see myself incorporating the other multimedia tools into a PowerPoint presentation. Before this module I had never heard of Animoto, and it is a great tool for sharing photos in multiple formats. It allows users to mix audio, text, photos and videos together in one product.

 

References

Multimedia Press Releases - Add photos and video to your release. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.prnewswire.com/products-services/engage/

Schoenfeld, A. (2012, March 27). The Impact of Facebook Timeline for Brands [Study] | Simply Measured. Retrieved from http://simplymeasured.com/blog/2012/03/27/the-impact-of-facebook-timeline-for-brands-study/

Sibley, A. (2012, August 6). 19 Reasons You Should Include Visual Content in Your Marketing [Data]. Retrieved from http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33423/19-Reasons-You-Should-Include-Visual-Content-in-Your-Marketing-Data.aspx

What is multimedia? - A Word Definition From the Webopedia Computer Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/multimedia.html

You need to update your blog!

When I'm done with my life responsibilities or want to steal away for a few minutes to look at something that doesn't pertain to work and is entertaining, I visit Jasmine Water's blog, http://jasfly.tumblr.com/. She's one of my favorite bloggers. I discovered her on Twitter and have been a follower ever since. I check her site for her ventures, opinions and experiences.

Jasmine 'JasFly' Waters bio on LinkedIn says she is a New York based Writer, Journalist and Multi-Media Personality who has interviewed such noteworthy names as Jay-Z, Warren Buffett, Common, Joan Rivers, Spike Lee and more. Her career in Film Production and Television Development includes work on dozens of projects including Spiderman 2, Hardball, Save The Last Dance, MTV's Real World, Barbershop 1&2 and NBC's ER.  Jas is also the the official Ambassador to Pop Culture for ooVoo a video chat platform with 80 million users worldwide.

Setting up and maintaining a successful blog takes time, effort and calculated actions. I stumbled upon a "best practice" post from EchoDitto, a small digital firm that works with social change organizations and social enterprises. They provided three basic keys to building a successful blog:

1.       Engage with other blogs and your own readers
2.       Keep the material fresh and exciting
3.       Give people a reason to return

In my opinion, reasons two and three are the most essential elements in having a successful blog. Fresh and exciting content is the engine that drives a blog. Regardless of the topic or subject matter, there is no reason to visit a blog if it isn't up-to-date and properly maintained. All the marketing, promotion and advertising in the world will not keep visitors coming back to a boring, outdated and un-engaging blog.

EchoDitto also listed some things to keep in mind when blogging:

1.       It's OK to say what you think.  Blog readers want to hear opinions; otherwise most wouldn't read blogs.

2.       Engage from the beginning. Blog readers generally pay attention to the title and the first two paragraphs of any given post, and then decide whether to read the rest.

3.       Be casual. Most blog readers want to know that they're talking to a human being much like themselves, who happens to know a bit more about the subject than they do, or who shares their views on the subject.

4.       Remember, it's a conversation. Keep the discussion open. You don't have to be a closer; meaning you don't have to tie up all the loose ends and answer all questions by the end of a blog post; leave some questions asked and unanswered.

5.       Never forget, it's personal. Blogs live, breathe, and die based on the level of involvement with their readers and other blogs.

6.       Link or trackback to other blogs whenever possible. Linking builds community across blogs, expands the conversation and it gets bloggers' attention.

7.       Read other blogs, and write about what you read. If you want to comment on something use your blog web address to direct people back to your blog. If you want to write about and/or trackback to another post, link to the initial post in what you write.

8.       Turn-around matters. If you want to write about a hot news story that's all over the blogosphere, turn it around by the next day at the latest.

9.       It doesn't have to be perfect. One of the great things about the blogosphere is that you don't have to be right all the time. It's standard to post a brief update. Bloggers understand that, and will forgive you for being wrong as long as you're up front about it.

10.   Use syndicating technologies. XML and RSS feeds are a technical ways of syndicating your blog to other blogs, a sort of personal AP Wire for your campaign.

11.   Click your own links. When you post an article that links to other post or blogs, be sure to click those links after you post.

12.   Don't be afraid to promote. Tell them about it! People who are active in the weblog world are active precisely because they are curious people who are always looking for new perspectives. Your purpose is simply to be read by people you respect and if you achieve that, you have been successful.

Jasfly's blog doesn't do a good job of posting fresh material, but she's very active on Twitter, a micro-blogging social network. I enjoy her Twitter posts but her long blog needs to be updated more frequently. When she first began her blog her posts were more frequent and engaging.

Sources

http://www.echoditto.com/insights/blogging-best-practices

http://jasfly.tumblr.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jasmine-jasfly-waters/78/274/a83

 https://twitter.com/jasfly

 

 

Penn State Community Mourns the Death of Legendary College Football Coach Joe Paterno

STATE COLLEGE, PA – Former Penn State University football coach, Joe Paterno, died of lung cancer on January 22, 2012 at the age of 85.

Often referred to as “JoePa” by fans and media, the former coach served as the Nittany Lions head coach of the football program from 1966 to 2011. During his tenure Paterno led the program to a 409-136-3 record, 37 bowl appearances and two national championships.

In a statement from the Paterno family, “he leaves us with a peaceful mind, comforted by his "living legacy" of five kids, 17 grandchildren, and hundreds of young men whose lives he changed in more ways than can begin to be counted.”  In his 46-year tenure as head coach, Coach Paterno had more than 360 of his former players sign NFL contracts, and three players have been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The recent sexual-abuse scandal involving a former Penn State assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, created controversy over the legacy of Coach Paterno. Many former players continued to support and praise Paterno for his accomplishments.

"He's putting together this winning program, but meanwhile he's teaching 17-, 18-, 19-year-olds how not to screw their lives up, how important education is, how important it is to have social acumen, “ said former Nittany Lion and NFL player Greg Buttle. “Forget what he's done for players. He's done more for a single university than anyone else. It transcends his coaching. "

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Facebook Post:

Penn State Community Mourns the Death of Legendary College Football Coach Joe Paterno

Former Penn State University football coach, Joe Paterno, died of lung cancer on January 22, 2012 at the age of 85. Read more

 

 

 

 

(Com510 Module Seven Assignment)

 





New Media Tools

With new media tools reaching your audience or people that may be interested in your information is easier than ever.

I think that mobile tools are an effective way to reach an audience. Mobile is anything that involves cell phones and other wireless devices. This includes mobile web, mobile apps and text messaging. Mobile web allows users to get on the internet using a mobile browser. Mobile web makes all other forms of mobile communications possible except for text. Texting is sending and receiving messages directly on a mobile device. Texting get messages directly to members of an audience. Eighty percent of cell phone users send or receive text messages (New Media Tools, n.d.), it is highly effective. Mobile apps allow users to perform specific tasks on their mobile device. This tool is generally downloaded by the user for the reason of getting or sending information on the specific task (New Media Tools, n.d.). Users of apps are engaged with the task or topic of the app; it was a decision made to download the app. Mobile is a user's connection to people and information that reside outside of the device.
Link: http://www.hhs.gov/digitalstrategy/mobile/mobile-apps.html

Real Simple Syndication (RSS) is another tool that can effectively reach an audience. It is one of the most effective new media methods of getting web site messages or updates to site visitors. With an RSS feed, visitors subscribe to a particular website and automatically receive updates via email or a news reader (New Media Tools, n.d.). Instead of browsing sites for the latest online content – like blog posts, news stories, and podcast – they can be compiled and delivered to subscribers as soon as they are published from various different websites. For journalists following certain industries or businesses this type of tool can be extremely useful.
Link: http://aids.gov/news-and-events/?showTab=hiv-aids-feeds

A mashup combines data from more than one source into a single tool or interface. This combination, or “mashup,” allows you to see a connection between two or more sources (New Media Tools, n.d.). Mashups are perfect for using to give information such as location, contact information or directing a user to a specific place.
Link: http://www.candlelightmemorial.org/map
References
New Media Tools. (n.d.). In AIDS.gov. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://aids.gov/using-newmedia/tools/index.html#tool-bookmarkingNew

It’s About Time

Doctors Abusing Medicare Face Fines and Expulsion! With the cost of everything going up and government spending going up this article on The New York Times (NYT) website is great news. This article also interests me because I work for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) state quality improvement organization.

The article says, “The Obama administration is cracking down on doctors who repeatedly overcharge Medicare patients, and for the first time in more than 30 years the government may disclose how much is paid to individual doctors treating Medicare patients.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/26/us/doctors-abusing-medicare-to-face-fines.html?hp)

In understanding how important these new penalties are, we need to know how many people are affected and how much the government spends annually on Medicare services. The article provided links to other published articles about Medicare and Medicaid on the NYT website to provide some background information.  Other links within the article helped me find these stats:
·         Medicare provides coverage for items and services for over 43 million beneficiaries. (http://cms.gov/Medicare/Coverage/CoverageGenInfo/index.html)
·         Medicare spending grew 6.2% to $554.3 billion in 2011, or 21 percent of total NHE.
·         Medicare spending is estimated to have grown 6.3% in 2011 and projected to grow an average of 6.1% per year over the projection period. (https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NHE-Fact-Sheet.html)

An article about government spending and regulations has to have proper information. Most government reports and legal documents can be accessed online on the website of the agency being discussed.  An article about government policy or regulations should, to be credible, have a link to a supporting document or official government maintained website. There is no reason for any non-governmental sites to be cited or used as a source. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that gives you the right to access information from the federal government. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government (www.foia.gov).

The NYT article shared three important links in the article, all linking to government sites. From the government links I was able to find the full, official document for the rules and regulations changes.  The article also provided the link to official report that led to the changes. The last link directs readers to the policy that allows for the information on amounts paid to individual physicians under the Medicare program to be released to the public.

 

This NYT article provides transparency and access to the sources for me to say this information in it is credible.

 

My New Media Habits

On a daily basis, I use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. A lot of the content on these sites overlap, but they're still useful for me.

I don't watch a lot of TV, so social media sites keep me informed on news, happenings and events around the world. As a communicator, I'm still amazed at how posts on social media sites can mobilize cultures or generations to take action. New media, because of the opportunity for engagement, is a powerful tool in connecting a large number of people.

Fundraising for political, social injustices and disaster events has benefited tremendously from new media. From the Obama Campaign to Trayvon Martin and Red Cross Relief efforts, social media keeps people informed and gets people to take-action. 
(http://www.proutjournal.org/2012/01/the-medias-impact-on-the-american-red-cross-fundraising-and-volunteerism-efforts-during-natural-disasters)
The lifespan of these efforts and events last a lot longer than a segment on the news or a TV telethon. To me this makes the influence positive and gets people invested in events. New media creates a connection that other mediums can't.