ALES 204 – Communication and Beyond!

An entire term has passed and yet, I feel as though I have only skimmed the surface of the different forms of social media. Of course, ALES 204 covered a whole variety of communication modes – from academic posters, to Pecha Kucha, to e-mail – but it was the vast array of social media platforms we were exposed to that had the greatest impression on me. Simply the sheer number of social media sites in existence is amazing! I expanded my knowledge about sites such as LinkedIn, that allow you to network with professionals in your fields, as well as sites such as Delicious that allow you to access a variety of information pertaining to your interests. I learned about all the different uses for Twitter, and how to use Facebook for professional purposes. Additionally, I was amazed at the number of sites and internet applications I was familiar with, but didn’t know they were classified as social media platforms, such as YouTube and Skype. The class gave me the opportunity to learn to use some of the platforms and what opportunities they can provide. 

Social media has become so extensive that there are sites and articles, such as the entry from February 22, 2012 on this blog, that can help you decide what social media platforms are right for you (Choquet, 2012). I found the article helpful because, as Erin said in her blog, “social media tools are… here to stay”, and so it is important to know which platforms will be most appropriate for you (Hrycan, 2012). Additionally this means that, regardless of what you think of the social media revolution, it is important to be informed and equipped to use the tools. I appreciated that this class pushed me to further understand social media and its uses.

Even after an entire term spent discussing social media, I am still undecided if it is wholly beneficial to society. Social media has changed how we live our lives. There are aspects of it I wouldn’t give up for the world, and yet, I feel it sometimes does us a disservice. ALES 204 has highlighted all the positive things social media can do for us personally and for our society. Social media gives us hundreds of ways to communicate with those around the world, have access to the most recent information and news, raise social awareness, advertise your business, find jobs and so much more! And for these things, I am grateful. However, I often feel social media hinders our ability to make connections with ‘real life’ people. For two years, I attended an international school where we were not allowed cell phones, iPods, laptops outside our bedrooms, or wireless internet. We were forced to socialise with one another in person. After returning to Canada, what I noticed was striking; people of my generation are disconnected. To generalise, they rarely look at each other when walking to class, instead, they are on their smartphones; when they arrive in class, instead of chatting with the person beside them, they go on Facebook; after class, it is commonplace for students to sit online for hours, watching YouTube videos or going on other social media sites, instead of interacting with friends or family. Now, it would be hypocritical of me not to admit that I often do the same (though my cellphone is anything but smart), but I still think that, in this sense, social media has failed us. 

It is important to retain the ability to communicate face-to-face (Becker, 2012)

Pamela Bentley did an exercise with us in class where we had to introduce ourselves to five people in the class and talk with them for a few minutes. It was hard! After the basic information was exchanged, it was difficult to know what questions to ask next. But if you were to ask someone of our grandparents’ generation to do the same exercise, they would have no problem at all and within a few minutes of discussion, they would feel a connection. As Ms. Bentley stated, the supposedly simple skill of talking to people and establishing a connection is very important, but is one that requires practice. With the influx of social media, we no longer have as much practice and so are losing this skill. However, this skill is important because being able to quickly establish a connection raises your esteem in the eyes of others and helps make a great first impression. For this reason, I greatly appreciated the lectures that focused on public speaking and interviewing skills. No matter what our future profession is, these are two abilities that will be essential. Even if we are not required to speak to large groups of people, we will be required to communicate important information to those we work with and/or to clients; the public speaking skills this class has taught us will be consistent with the skills we will need to effectively communicate in the workplace.

Throughout the course, I commented on the following classmates’ blogs:

•   Jenna P.
•   Brittany S.
•   Alexander B.
•   Jami F.
•   Angela Z.

References

Becker, D. (2012). Changing connections [Image].

Chouquet, F. (2012, February 22). Social Media Landscape 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://www.fredcavazza.net/ .

Hrycan, E. (2012, April 12). ALES 204 – Looking back. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://erinhrycan.blogspot.ca/

Own Choice – The Importance of E-mail Etiquette

“Mrs, please accept my most distinguished salutations” (Roy, 2011),

Dear Dr. Doe;

Hello Ms. Doe,

 Hi!

Hey!

  Yo,

There is no doubt that, whether in the workplace or in academia, e-mail etiquette is of the utmost importance. Following simple conventions that express respect, intelligence, and professionalism, could mean the difference between being hired or not, having your request granted or rejected, or being granted a scholarship or receiving no funding. There are numerous reasons following proper professional e-mail format is important. Firstly, it shows the e-mail’s topic is important enough to you that you took the time to write out the word “you” and not just “u” and ensure etiquette rules were followed. Secondly, it shows you have the education and intelligence required to write a professional letter. It also shows that you respect the person to whom you are writing. Finally, it demonstrates that you can be professional and thus, the recipient of the e-mail would be likely to assume this professionalism will extend to other aspects of life.

It is important to be professional in e-mails (Image: Whitmore, 2011)

One major business e-mail writing taboo is the use of the shorthand that has arisen from texting, Twitter and other forms of social media. My classmate Cassandra wrote about these language changes on her blog. She argues that, although the use of shorthand in the correct context is not bad, it has no place in professional correspondence (Holte, 2012). I find the trap many people of our generation fall into is not knowing when it is appropriate ‘2 rite n dis abbrevi8d lingo’ (to write in this abbreviated language). Perhaps people think this makes the e-mail more concise, or that everyone can understand it, so what’s the harm? Regardless of the rational, the recipient will simply think that the writer doesn’t care. As the spokeswoman for the Emily Post Institute state “I really don’t like [when an e-mail closes with] ‘BR’. How could they be your ‘best regards’ if you couldn’t even be bothered to type them out?” (Morgan, 2011).

However, some say, while writing e-mails ‘lk dis’ (like this) is extreme, aspects of the current business e-mail are too formal for today’s high-tech world. As discussed in a BBC article, some believe professional e-mail conventions are evolving. For example, they feel that by addressing an e-mail with ‘dear’, it makes the e-mail feel cold and distant, or as though one is being mawkish.  These people argue that addressing an e-mail with ‘Hello…’ is just as professional. Additionally, closing a letter with ‘sincerely’ or ‘yours faithfully’ sounds insincere. However, as the article states, it is similar to going to an event, where it is better to be overdressed than underdressed (Morgan, 2011). As such, I will assume it is better to be safe than sorry, and continue to abide by the traditional, formal, e-mail etiquette.

                                                                    Cheers!

                                                          Sincerely,           

             Best Regards,

Respectfully Yours,

                 Thank-you for your time,

“I beg you to accept, Mrs, my most cordial salutations” (Roy, 2011)         

                               

                                

References

Hotle, C. (2012, February 29). Theez Kidds Cain’t Spel. Retrieved April 10, 2012 from http://communication-by-cass.blogspot.ca/2012/02/theez-kidds-caint-spel.html#comment-form. 

Morgan, J. (2011, January 12). Should e-mails open with Dear, Hi, or Hey?. BBC News, Magazine, Retrieved April 2, 2012 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12247262. 

Roy, M-C (2011). Professional E-mail. Retrieved March 28, 2012 from http://www.ales204-2012.blogspot.ca/2012/03/lecture-28-e-mail-etiquette.html#comment-form

 

Whitmore, J. (2011). E-Mail Etiquette [Image]. Retrieved April 11, 2012 from http://jacquelinewhitmore.com/15-essential-e-mail-etiquette-tips/

Wikipedia

I chose to edit the stub on Voluntary Action. I chose to edit this stub because voluntary action is a concept that relates to both humans and animals. Thus, through understanding more about this subject, I predict it would help me better understand animals. This would be beneficial for me because I am in the Animal Health program.

I used psychology books and peer-reviewed articles to gather information and expand the content that was already part of the stub. My addition to the stub is only an overview of the subject. Voluntary action is a large field; there are lots of experiments that have been done on the subject and it incorporates many other psychological concepts and information. However, as an overview, it fits with the encyclopedic nature of Wikipedia. 

My additions the Wikipedia stub Voluntary Action

Jimmy Wales, creator of Wikipedia, never intended the site to be used as a source for in-depth information that could be used in an academic article, for example. In an interview with The Guardian, he said that in reality, Wikipedia shouldn’t even be used as a single source for anything. Because it can be edited by anyone, it would be unrealistic to expect all information on Wikipedia to be factual or scientifically sound. (For more information, see Shannan Wilson's blog!) Despite being monitored by Gardeners and Performers, there are still Vandals that slip through the cracks (as discussed by Erin Dul in lecture, on March 20). However, misinformation found on Wikipedia cannot solely be attributed to those with malicious intent. Since articles are not only edited by neutral experts, some biased or incorrect information is posted by those who do not have a thorough understanding of the subject. Luckily, additions to Wikipedia are monitored by the afore mentioned Gardeners and Performers who attempt to catch any misnomers. Additionally, with the help of “Good Article” statuses and in-depth reference lists, the public can have a better guess at if they are reading accurate information. 

None of the content that was already on the page was referenced so in addition to expanding the information, I had to ensure that the pre-existing text was correctly cited. I found that RefWorks was an incredible tool to ensure that all the citations were done accurately and quickly. This allowed me to concentrate on providing information to the public instead of spending an abundance of time on references.

Module 3: Create a Facebook Page

Today in lab, we learned how to make a Facebook Page. This is one resource you can use to provide future employers with professional information about yourself. I found that creating a Facebook Page is very simple and would be a valuable tool even for those who are less tech-savvy.

This particular page was created to practice some of the skills I will require when job-hunting in the future. I included information about my academic, career and volunteer experience as well as my skills, awards and hobbies. I also stated that "references were available upon request", because I did not want to give out the names and contact information of references on a site that is open to the public.

My Facebook Page

With the ever increasing use of social media, employers are increasingly using the internet to find out information about job applicants. As this Wall Street Journal Article states, recruiters and employers will often ask for your consent to a social-media background check when applying for a job. Having a Facebook Page will provide them with professional information about yourself when they conduct such a check, putting you a step above the competition. Marisa also talks about how Facebook Pages can be used to advance careers in her blog. Check it out!