I think the tradition media organization that does the best job is The Wichita Eagle. I think there are numerous reasons as to why it is the best news source, especially when it comes to social media.

The daily paper that The Wichita Eagle produces is a great source for tradition news. They keep their content clean and organized. Aside from their daily paper, they are very social media savvy. The Wichita Eagle's website, www.kansas.com, is regularly updated with fresh content. This organization does a lot to make sure that their readers stay interactive with the business.

They do weekly polls over anything from dining to entertainment and from business to sports. They also make sure that readers are able to stay in contact with the writers and reporters who work for The Eagle. There are e-mail links to the writers under the columns the journalists write. If a reader is into a certain interest (for example, dining or shopping) readers have the option to sign up for a weekly newsletter about that subject.  Many of these newsletters are also interactive. Readers can submit questions that are often answered in the following newsletters. Sometimes the journalist, who is in charge of the newsletter will ask that readers a question and the answers to that question will be some of the content of the following newsletter.

Kansas.com also allows subscribers of the newspaper to access more content on the web that isn't available to those who are not subscribed to the paper. However, much of their content is still available to non-subscribers. Readers are able to submit comments under the articles that are written by The Eagle staff.

Another way that The Wichita Eagle fully utilizes social media is through Twitter. Many (if not all) of the journalists at The Wichita Eagle have a Twitter account. From these Twitter accounts, journalists and reports update followers with news updates and story updates. They use their Twitter accounts for readers to link to articles they may have written. These Twitter accounts are also useful for followers to stay interactive with the writers. Followers are able to talk to the journalists about the stories and even submit feedback through Twitter.  Some, but not all, of the journalists from The Wichita Eagle have Facebook accounts that are used in the same fashion.

The Wichita Eagle also uses Blogging. Carrie Rengers, the business columnist for The Wichita Eagle, updates a blog regularly about local businesses. Her blog is updated on a daily-basis. She also uses her Twitter account to link followers to her blog and to interact with followers.

The Eagle also conducts weekly chats for readers to interact with their writers. For example, Denise Neil has a dining chat once or twice a month. Readers are able to submit questions or commentary in regards to dining choices. There are also weekly sports-related chats for readers to participate in.

I think The Eagle is the best source of traditional news media that utilizes social media to the fullest. They update their content and their website regularly. They ensure their writers stay interactive with clients by regularly updating their Twitter accounts and blogs. They also make sure that their readers can easily access the writers through e-mail links or Twitter accounts.

Prior to taking this social media class, I had not heard of the Groundswell. However, I have seen and experienced aspects of it through my interaction and observations of many local area businesses.

Groundswell refers to how businesses can grow by taking advantage of social media and social technologies.

Many local and national companies are utilizing forms of social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and various forms of blogging. Over the last year, I’ve noticed that many local restaurants started using Twitter to advertising their specials. Club use it to promote bands or entertainers that will be at their club.

One of the most useful ideas about Groundswell is that it contains strategies that help companies to interact with their customers through social media. I think this is part of the explanation for why so many companies have become a part of Twitter. This is an inexpensive and easy way for businesses to determine what their clientele wants out of their business. Customers can communicate with the business directly using Twitter. This can be used to make suggestions, express criticisms or show appreciation in an informal setting.

An important thing for all businesses to consider is what kind of social technologies or media their customers are ready for and able to use. For example, a company that caters to older generations may not necessarily want to use social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook. However, their customers may be more likely to use e-mail. That would be a simple, yet effective way to use social technology to interact with their clientele. Businesses, who cater to younger generations, may want to utilize Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or other forms of micro-blogging, because their clientele uses it frequently.

Social techniques can also be used for interaction with a company’s employees. I never really thought of this as being a benefit until I read the chapter on Groundswell. Interaction with employees is just as important as interaction with clients. If the employees are happy, they are more likely to focus on clients. That will lead to better benefits, relationships and sales for the company as a whole.

When Eaton Steakhouse was still in business, I saw that they effectively used social technologies.  They used Twitter regularly to update customers with any specials they were offering, to direct customers to their website, and to advertise events they were hosting. They also had a Facebook page, which they used for much of the same purposes. I noticed that many of their customers also interacted with them on Twitter. Many of their customers retweeted their tweets to promote specials and events. To me, it appeared that their interaction with their clients (through Twitter) was very beneficial to their business.

I was unaware of the definition of POST according to Groundswell concepts. POST stands for people, objective, strategy, and technology. This means that each business would need to determine the amount or type of social media that their customers use. Then the business would need to determine what they want to accomplish by using social media. Next, they would need to factor in how the relationship with their customer may change. Lastly, the company is responsible for deciding what type(s) of social technology they want to use. These are all the factors that one must consider before using social media and technologies for their business.

There are also Groundswell objectives to consider when using social media. It is important for companies to listen, talk, energize, support and embrace before using social media.

One company, who I think effectively uses social technologies, is Associated Advertising. Granted, it is an advertising company so they have a pretty clear idea of what they should be doing, but they use some of every kind of media that is available to them. That is necessary in order to reach their whole audience. It allows them to interact with their clientele and to find out what it is their clients are wanting from them. It also lets them stay in contact with their clients. This keeps their image fresh and it also makes them available. Being available to clients in a variety of ways is a big key in order to effectively use social media.

It makes a world of difference if a company’s clientele is willing to be involving and engaged with social media. If a company’s clientele has no interest to use any form of social technologies, even as basic as e-mail, the company cannot effectively use social media. Luckily, most people use some form of social technologies.

I chose to use Digg.com as my bookmarking site. There are many reasons I prefer Digg to other bookmarking sites.

Many people use Digg. I had been familiar with it prior to taking this social media class, but I had not used it much at all. However, once I started using it, it was very easy to use. It's very easy to "digg" things and to make them a part of my favorites. Using the search feature on Digg is also straightforward.

Digg features a lot of odd news. I find that it puts the oddest news at the top of the site. That makes the site interesting. Users are able to choose what links appear at the top of the page, based upon popularity. I like this feature, because it isn’t like Google. The people, who use the site, decide what should be featured at the top of the web pages. Google allows people to pay to have their web pages appear at the top of the search.

I like that Digg allows users to create profiles and connect with friends. These are other features that are easy to manage. You can put a link on your Digg profile to a Twitter account or messaging service, such as AIM.  The tabs at the top of the profile make managing favorites, activities, friends and preferences very easy. Finding friends and other people through Digg is very simple. You can either search through e-mails or usernames.

Since I was mildly unfamiliar with Digg, I was unaware that users can submit links to sources they find interesting. This feature is user-friendly. I like that users can either submit a news link, photo, or video feed.

I think Digg has many advantages over other bookmarking sites. Its features are easy to use and understand. It is a very popular site, so there are practically unlimited resources and links available to Digg users.

I think both MySpace and Facebook used to be a lot more useful than they are now.

MySpace, which came out before Facebook, was one of the most popular social networking sites back in the early 2000's. It was a great place for friends to interact with each other. Now, because of spam and other applications, MySpace has lost a lot of subscribers. Primarily, MySpace is ideal for spam (i.e. porn and selling products) and unsigned artists and bands. Although MySpace does have many drawbacks that make it almost unusable for the everyday-person, it is a great place for bands to get their music noticed by others. It's easy to post music and photos on MySpace. I think it’s easier for others to hack MySpace accounts. When I used to have a MySpace account, it got hacked several times. As far as I know, my Facebook has yet to be hacked.

Facebook is very useful for the everyday-user. It's very simple to search for people you may know, and it even suggests people for you to be friends with based upon the university you attend or the mutual friends you may have with others. Overall, I think more people use Facebook than those who use MySpace. Also, I think Facebook has a larger variety of users from around the world. Unfortunately, Facebook is being inundated with spam and unnecessary applications, the same way that MySpace is. I have noticed an incline of odd friend requests from people I do not know, useless application invitations, and businesses trying to Facebook friend request me, rather than a Facebook Fan Page. Facebook is not a good place for bands, because it is difficult/impossible to upload music to Facebook.

Both Facebook and MySpace offer privacy settings to all users. This can protect personal information, such as, names and photographs. Therefore, it can protect reputations and personal and professional relationships. However, these settings need to be used properly and need to be used to the full extent in order to be efficient. For example, blocking all personal information, but making photos available for view does not fully utilize the privacy settings that both social networking sites offer.

Some of the statistics mentioned in class about MySpace and Facebook did not surprise me. According to CNET News (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10283447-71.html), many high school students believe that most MySpace users are uneducated and obnoxious. These same high school students will tell you that Facebook is “more mature”. According to Quantcast (http://www.quantcast.com/myspace.com) 58% of all MySpace users do not attend college. Also, 24% of these MySpace users make under $30,000 per year. Many would argue that the lower class makes up the majority of users on this popular social networking site.

It’s important to utilize social networking sites responsibly. Obviously, it’s irresponsible to post information you wouldn’t want an employer, family members, or friends to have access too.

I think, while Facebook and MySpace offer privacy setting, according to several statistics, having a MySpace account almost makes you less credible than if you didn’t have one. While Facebook is still more popular than MySpace, I think both websites have had their 15 minutes of fame.

Social media has a huge impact on how companies conduct business. By utilizing social media, companies not only make themselves available to the public, but they open themselves up to allowing positive and negative feedback.

Lynette Chapman said that there were certain social networking websites that she used more than others based upon the amount of feedback she receives from them. Twitter and Linked In are two websites that she utilizes especially for her real estate business. To me, it appears that Chapman uses Twitter very effectively for her business. She has several business contacts through Twitter. She also tweets about new property for sale.

Tom White Jr. effectively utilizes social media as well. One thing he said that really stuck out to me, was when he mentioned how important it is to try to maintain positive relationships with clients. This is important, because if someone has a bad experience with a company, they can use social media to express their unsatisfactory experiences with the company. If the word gets around that a particular company is difficult to work with, social media has essentially worked against the company, rather than for it.

I think social media can really make or break a company. For example, if a company uses a facebook or twitter page regularly, the greatly increase the odds that the public will learn more about their company. If a facebook page isn’t being updated regularly, that defeats that purpose of having that form of the social media.

I think social media plays a big part in business. It’s a wise trick-of-the-trade to try to utilize all forms of media. Sean Amore even mentioned that businesses are most successful when they use all four forms of social media: traditional, physical, digital, and social. This makes the most sense, because it will reach people who may only be using one or two types of media. It increases the odds of people becoming familiar with a business.

Linked In appears to be a popular social networking site for business professionals. After reviewing this site, I think it would be a good idea for more people to join. Businesses can effectively market their business and also recruit new employees through this website.

It would be a good idea for most businesses to use a social networking site, like Twitter or Facebook. Not only would it allow for the public to find out about any specials the company may be offering, but it also makes the people inside the business more personable. This would probably increase the likelihood of people contacting said business for future work. Blogging is also a useful form of social media for businesses to use. It gives a more detailed look into what the business is doing. Blogs are easy to update. If linked with other social networking tools (i.e. Twitter), people are more likely to read the blog regularly.

If social media is used properly and frequently, it can increase the successfulness of the businesses using it.

There are many communication that help to explain the rise in social media. Social media tools, such as social networking sites and blogging, play a huge role in how we send and receive information.

Mass communication is useful in the sense that many people are being reached at the same time. This not only gets the message out to the public, but it reaches such a broad audience that you're almost guaranteed some type of a response. The only problem with this is I think it is very impersonal and some people do not show interest unless they feel that a message is specifically targeted for them.

Twitter, Facebook, and blogging are all very effective ways to utilize media. Through Twitter and Facebook, small, but attention-grabbing messages can be shared between others. They’re both effective, because they reach many people with very little effort.

The Social Exchange Theory is a wonderful example of how social media is on the rise. The idea behind this theory is that individuals socially engage each other through rewards and consequences. This means that we “read” each other through the choices we make during the conversation or interaction. For example, as we are in a discussion we read how the other person reacts to things we say or our mannerisms. Judging by their reactions, we determine whether or not the interaction is favorable or unpleasant. This is a powerful tool to use in terms of judging social media. For one, we get instant feedback as to how others view us and the things we say. Secondly, we are able to improve the interaction based upon what we see from the other person. However, one of the drawbacks to this theory is that it can easily dictate how we act. We may alter our actions or the things we say in order to get a more favorable response. This can lead to dishonest interaction.

This is part of Grice's Conversational Maxims. According to the PowerPoint Presentation by Marathana Protho, “Maxim #2 is quality. What you say should be truthful. Violation happens when you deliberately lie OR communicate in a way that does not reflect an honest intention.” It’s very important that, regardless of how others react to what you say, you must have honest communication.

I think the Cultivation Analysis describes the rise of social media. This theory says television plays the primary role in how the public view the world around them. This means that people get the majority of their information from a mediated source (I.e. television or radio) rather than gettinProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 the information through direct experiences. I believe this theory is the most accurate of all. Many people believe the things they hear or see on television. In fact, many people would rather get information through mediated sources, then experience things for themselves. It’s easier that way. People believe a lot of what is published, regardless of whether or not the source is credible. Many base their decisions upon commercials or advertisements they see on television. From what kind of dish washing detergent to buy or which movie to rent, the public is inundated with media telling them what to buy, where, sell, smoke, drink, and eat. Television is the home base for media advertisements.

The Strong and Weak Ties Theory also plays a role in social media. This says that the connection we have with different people through social networks is not necessarily the same. We would obviously have stronger ties with family members and close friends than we would have with an acquaintance or coworker. Depending upon the intensity of these relationships, we are more or less likely to buy into what the other person is saying. However, weaker ties can become stronger and we may start to put more weight on what the person (who we have the weaker tie with) may say. This theory also helps us define our social structure. It helps us determine where we place importance upon what people say. It also helps us determine who we place the most importance on and who we place the least importance on. I think there’s a lot of room for shifting within this theory.

I think each theory has an important role upon the influence in social media. However, there are some theories that outweigh others.