Business Use of Email, Virtual Communities - Coursework Example

Podcast The ability of people to connect with each other across long distances at practically the speed of light via the web has changed not only theway people communicate, but also the expectations they have for the retrieval of information. Email is free and instantaneous causing its use by businesses and individuals to grow at a phenomenal rate over the past decade. Few people write letters or read the newspapers anymore as these are seemingly archaic methods of communication and have the added disadvantage of costing money, regardless of how little this sum might actually be. “Nowadays, we think nothing of emailing our aunts in Germany and getting an answer back within minutes, or seeing the latest streaming video full of up to the minute news” (Boswell, 2006). Neither letter-writing nor newspaper delivery can provide the instant information that is today essential for businesses in the modern world to compete effectively. The kind of speed offered through digital communication is simply a fact of life that is taken for granted for most people in the developed world. People are now turning to alternative forms of receiving information, such as blogs, video blogs, webcasts, chatrooms and listservs as a means of communicating even faster. New forms of online communication have forced new directions in entertainment and interaction. Through such user-directed content as blogs, webcasts and listservs, the common man is now, for perhaps the first time in history, able to have some form of interaction with the major news mediums of the world. Noah Shachtman (2002) points out how it was internet bloggers that created such a stir regarding Trent Lott’s racist comments on a talk show. This attention on the part of the audience, and their ability to communicate their thoughts to the producers, brought the politician’s past to the attention of major news organizations who would, in all likelihood, have ignored them otherwise. “They kept focusing on Lott’s hateful past – until the national press corps finally had to take notice. … Lott’s bile is one of several issues that this burgeoning community helped push on to the national agenda” (Shachtman, 2002). The greatest player in these conversations has been the blog. The term ‘blog’ is actually techno-geek shorthand for ‘web logging’, and, as such, has a well-earned reputation for being merely an online diary for a variety of people. However, as has been noted by Shachtman and others, blogs have been taking on new meanings in recent years as internet use and knowledge grows among the general public. “Blogs can be used to make political statements, promote products, provide research information and give tutorials” (Ng, 2007). As such, blogs can be found written by politicians, musicians, novelists, sports figures, newscasters and other notable figures as attempts to not only share their opinions, but to promote their own personal agendas separate from the restrictive and uncontrolled traditional venues of newspaper and television. As might be imagined, video blogs add the elements of sound and video to the presentation, providing these users with the added credibility of a news-type presentation. “The potential for everyone to self-publish has the ability to revolutionize the world by sharing video across cultures and countries” (Clint Sharp cited in Dean, 2005). By turning to video, vloggers are able to bring multiple subjects to the screen rather than being concerned about the filters of mass media publishers. References Boswell, Wendy. (2006). “How the World Wide Web has Changed Society.” About the Internet. Accessed February 20, 2010 from Dean, Katie. (13 July 2005). “Blogging + Video = Vlogging.” Wired News. Accessed February 20, 2010 from Ng, Deborah. (2007). “What are Blogs?” WiseGeek. Conjecture Corporation. Accessed February 20, 2010 from < http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-blogs.htm> Shachtman, Noah. (23 December 2002). “Blogs Make the Headlines.” Wired News. Accessed February 20, 2010 from Blogs Virtual Communities Virtual communities have grown up with the web and the increased experience of the public at large. Through listservs, internet users have been able to post their questions to the world even from the internet’s earliest days. This process is almost like standing atop a mountain and shouting a question out to the great beyond. The only difference is, with listservs, users can expect to receive an answer if they’ve selected an appropriate forum. Their question remains online for as long as the server cares to host it, allowing users from all places and multiple times to respond while providing ample room for further discussion. However, sometimes you may need an instant response and can’t wait for someone to come across your post and make a reply. Chatrooms built on this concept of the listserv by adding instant responses to this text-based mode of communication. As users type in their thoughts, other users can immediately respond, having ‘virtual conversations’ in real time. Organized in community groups of shared interests, chatrooms have enabled internet users to share information on a wide scale without dependence upon more traditional methods of news media and without the wait typically associated with previous community-specific publications such as magazines and newspapers (Pack, 2003). This can be considered the true beginning of the virtual community following the crawling progress of the listservs. There remain several inherent risks with this method of communication however, the most pressing being that of internet predators seeking younger internet users for harmful purposes (Sullivan, 2006). This is only possible because of the close relationships that can form with frequent conversation and sharing of interests. Combining the self-expression attributes of the blogs, expanded discussions among like-minded people, with the interactive aspects of listservs and chatrooms and placing it all in streaming media, webcasts allow any average internet user to become their own interactive news program discussing whichever topics they choose and allowing other internet users to call or write in their responses and questions. Many large and small businesses have already discovered the advantages of webcasting as an alternative means of conducting business rather than flying various constituents in from around the country or the world. “Online meetings are interactive and collaborative. They’re in real time so there’s two-way communication via instant messaging or other software between a participant and the conference leader or across the team or group, depending on how you customize the meeting. You can instantly share content and visuals, watch and listen to presentations or ask questions and make comments – often simultaneously” (Krotz, 2007). In the business setting, webcasts have been used to train employees, distribute new product information and provide customers with live help or education among other things. However, they have often been used for other applications as well. Distance learning and even traditional learning scenarios have employed the use of webcasts with an eye toward future technology integration in and out of the classroom, politicians have used them to help launch campaigns or to advocate party affiliations and other organizations have used them as effective press conferences or to inform research markets and analysts. As with the other communication technologies, webcasts have enabled the average individual regardless of their home country, business, vocation or interest to work around the national media chains and present their views in their own way, introducing a great deal more information into the general community than has been available previously. References Krotz, Joanna. (2007). “How to host a successful B2B Webcast.” Small Business Center. Microsoft Office. Accessed February 20, 2010 from Pack, Thomas. (2003). “Creating Community.” Information Technology. All Technology. Accessed February 20, 2010 from Sullivan, Mike. (2006). “How to Protect Your Kids Online.” The Dangers of Chat and Instant Messaging. Security Software Systems. Accessed February 20, 2010 from < http://www.securitysoft.com/chatroom_dangers.html> Business use of Email Despite the glowing claims for the beauty of advertising on the internet, there have been some significant problems in the methods selected that have functioned to drive consumer interest away. A common complaint among users is the consistent use of bulk e-mailing referred to as “Junk Mail” or “Spam.” Opt-in advertising campaigns, a permission-based marketing practice, though technically not considered spam is nevertheless viewed as intrusive and a misuse of internet communications. Strictly speaking, permission based email advertising refers to email from a business that the recipient has done business with but may not have specifically asked for emails from that business. “Ninety-two percent considered unsolicited commercial e-mail from a sender they don’t know as spam, while 32 percent said that unsolicited commercial e-mail from a sender they’ve already done business with is spam” (Dean, 2003). The attraction of permission based advertising to marketers is a pre-set list of customers interested in the products or services offered by a specific website, brand or business. For most consumers, spam is considered not only intrusive but is generally viewed as a scheme of some kind. Those that don’t differentiate between the two are driven away from these emails thus questioning their effectiveness and the ethics of the business itself. A major problem of this form of online advertising is focused upon the ethics of the situation. According to the marketing logic, if a person forgets to check a button at the end of an online order form requesting no further correspondence, this constitutes permission to send marketing messages to that person’s email address. If a consumer is required to type in an email address to visit a web site or bought a related product from another company that, in turn, sold their email lists, this is all considered permission to inundate an email box with spam. An opt-in list can be purchased, on the Internet, of course, thus making even a respectable company’s permission list suspect. Although the company may feel they’re acting ethically, the consumer may have other ideas. There seems to be a perception chasm between marketers and the consumer. Spammers may argue that junk mail does not have the same effect as stealing because there is an opt-out option choice on the email, but the time spent reading, following the link and then the steps necessary to stop the spam is time lost for the consumer. Multiply that 30 seconds of effort by 100’s of spam emails and that is significant money stolen from an individual and/or their employer. “European regulators have moved to adopt what is commonly known as opt-in anti-spam rules that prohibit e-mail marketers from sending promotions to individuals without their prior consent. Lawmakers in the U.S. have expressed a preference for the ‘opt-out’ method where the onus is put on individual users to let companies know that they do not wish to receive spam” (Rhode, 2003). Adopting Opt-in anti-spam email rules worldwide would limit spam messages, perceived or otherwise, as the consumer would have to make a deliberate choice to receive company generated email. There is an important difference in spamming on the internet and other forms of spam such as billboards, television and newspaper’s use of intrusive advertising. Unwanted ads in other forms of media can’t crash your computer, initiate computer viruses or contain hidden programs that steal personal information. Consumers realize email spam has this powerful capability and thus resent its use regardless of the company. Companies interested in keeping their customers happy are wise to avoid this practice. References Dean, Katie. (23 October, 2003). “Survey Confirms It: Spam Sucks.” Wired News. Retrieved February 20, 2010 from Web 2.0 The internet world experienced a vast shake-up in the 1990s when all the dot coms went out of business and a new technology began to emerge. This shift in direction is commonly referred to as Web 2.0. “The concept of ‘Web 2.0’ began with a conference brainstorming session between O’Reilly and MediaLive International. Dale Dougherty, web pioneer and O’Reilly VP, noted that far from having ‘crashed’, the web was more important than ever, with exciting new applications and sites popping up with surprising regularity. What’s more, the companies that had survived the collapse seemed to have some things in common” (O’Reilly, 2005). While there aren’t many clearly defined boundaries between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0, there is a distinct difference in the reliance of Web 2.0 on the input of the community which can be seen when you look at an example of how the Web 2.0 community works. Google has dominated Web 2.0 and provides a good case for discussion. At its core, Google is a database management tool that enables the web to work the way it does, seamlessly insinuating itself between the information and the user so as to facilitate more effective communication. “Google’s service is not a server – thought it is delivered by a massive collection of internet servers – nor a browser – though it is experienced by the user within the browser. … Much like a phone call, which happens not just on the phones at either end of the call, but on the network in between, Google happens in the space between browser and search engine and destination content server, as an enabler or middleman between the user and his or her online experience” (O’Reilly, 2005). By reaching out to all corners of the web, not trying to hold the information but just trying to provide avenues by which to reach it, Google managed to hold on to its market niche and evolve the internet from one based on corporate expectations to one based upon consumer self-service and inclusion. This tendency of Google to focus upon the importance of the end user to the overall function and design of their service is a key feature of the Web 2.0. In keeping with the analogy of the web, as more and more users create links (or strands) to new content, new hubs are formed of high traffic areas, leading to even more connections. While these links are searchable without the functionality of sites like Google, the concept of PageRank, a device by which results of keyword searches are returned based upon the algorithmic functions performed on this link structure, has significantly changed the way in which people find the information they seek. In this case, the link structure of individual users is itself the means by which the service determines which web sites are most likely to meet the needs of the searcher, delivering the results in a ranked list of highest degree of probability to least. This user participation in the creation of the success of the company has been used not just by Google, but several of the other more successful internet-based companies as well. References O’Reilly, Tim. (30 September 2005). “What is Web 2.0?” O’Reilly. Accessed February 20, 2010 from Read More