Take a Blah Blog and Make it Better

       The internet is inundated with a plethora of blog sites. It appears as if everyone is writing a blog these days. That said, not all of them attract or maintain a following other than close family and friends. This could be for several reasons. One may be able to write engagingly, but not understand how to design a blog that garners attention or is easy to navigate. Another may have the eye for good blog design, but the writing and graphics are subpar and disappointing. There are many components to consider when developing and designing an effective and visually appealing blog. By evaluating the work of other bloggers, and opening up one’s own blog to critique, one is able to review the use or lack of effective elements in their own work, incorporate them into their design, and thus take a blah blog and make it better.

Personal Reflections on Communication - My Motivation

       My motivation for studying communication comes from a heart which desires understanding, as well as to be understood. As a child, and the youngest of nine, I was not in a position physically to enforce my opinions, nor was I loud and brazen enough to win a battle of words in volume (both number of words and decibel level). As a voracious reader, I developed a strong vocabulary and wide base of knowledge, which enabled me to develop my oratory skills in school. This skill was utilized beyond speech and debate classes, as my field(s) of employment required giving presentations, meeting sales goals, crafting persuasive proposals, and creating a growing eco-tourism business from the ground up. Knowing the value of effective communication in both my personal and professional life, and wishing my communication to reflect good character, are my main motivations to further my studies of this subject.

Media Technology - Communication Boon! (A Summary of 4 Technologies - Part 4 of 4)

Telephone Media Technology

While the development of the telephone is, in my opinion, perhaps one with the greatest impact on interpersonal communications, I would not say it is the greatest achievement in media technology. The telephone came about by the need for people to communicate faster and more efficiently. Telephone technology is basically “an instrument which converts sound to electrical impulses of various frequencies, and then back to a tone that sounds like the original voice” (Henderson, n.d.). Telephone technology has developed from units dependent on being linked to each other through miles of cable (i.e. “land lines) and routed through switchboards, to wireless cellular phones dependent on tower receiving and transmitting. There are still applications for land lines and satellite phone services, particularly for business and facsimilie use, however the biggest growth has been in the cell phone market. Telephones have evolved from numbered rotary dials to push buttons, then on to digital touch screens. Today, one’s “smart phone” has replaced numerous gadgets as it has the ability to be not only a phone, but a personal computer, navigator, calculator, alarm clock, encyclopedia research tool, and still photo and movie camera with editing capability, to name just a few applications. Games can be played on phones, often over the internet against other players. Communication with others is not limited to voice interaction, but now people can see each other through real-time video, or they can text (type) in messages to each other and send video or photo files to each other through their phone. Movies can be watched on “smart phones” as well as created. The possibilities seem endless. That said, advertisers have found ways to promote their products through telephone media technology, and it is extremely effective.

Media Technology - Communications Boon! (A Summary of 4 Technologies - Part 3 of 4)

Television Media Technology

          Television media technology has gone through a similar beginning and evolution to radio, albeit a later invention – 1927 (Stephens, n.d.) where moving pictures were coded onto radio waves and then transformed back into pictures. Early broadcasts in the 30s and 40s included news and sporting events, addresses by the President, advertising, and entertainment pieces. Television technology was not as quick, or as easy, to develop as radio technology, and it also had to contend with competition by radio networks. Entertainment programs which incorporated product placement advertising and “plugs” were very popular, as was children’s programming. Advertisers had contracts as sponsors of many of these programs, while in today’s television media there may be product placements in some programming, but advertisers pay handsomely for 15-30 second commercial spots during the hours best suited to their market niche. Entertainment shows have always been popular, as have documentary and news segments. Advertisers have enjoyed having a medium by which they can “enter people’s homes” to promote their products in both a visual and audio format. Television media technology developed to include digital and online formatting where program can be streamed live via satellite internet feeds. The variety and choice of programming is mindboggling. There are still networks which broadcast in traditional ways (through towers by which a television set may pick up a signal through its antenna), but people have options to receive television transmissions via cable, satellite dish, and internet receiver, to name a few.

Media Technology - Communications Boon! (A Summary of 4 Technologies - Part 2 of 4)

Radio Media Technology

          Radio technology originated as the sending of information via electromagnetic energy (i.e. waves) of radio frequency, such as sound. From receiving tubes and analog reception to modern digital formats, radio media technology has evolved and has even added a satellite component. Where radio was once confined to a portable hand crank device or plug-in box speaker with tuning apparatus, it can now be heard beyond the range of radio towers, provided one has an internet connection and a device on which to hear it. The uses of this technology have been diverse through the years, covering such genres as news, education, entertainment, politics, and advertising, to name a few. Again, it was predicted that, with new internet technology, radio technology would fall by the wayside. That has not happened. In fact, total radio listening hours per week have remained stable compared to even five years ago (May, 2013) and many listen to radio through the internet on their computers with providers such as Pandora or Internet Media (radio) player, or through radio “podcasts.”. Satellite radio broadcasters, such as Sirius and XM offer a wide range of subscriber channels along with reception units for vehicles and home use. Radio media technology reaches approximately 92% of consumers aged 12 years or older each week (May, 2013), with digital revenue accounting for approximately 8% of the industry’s total revenue. This seems to indicate that digital revenue will continue to expand, but traditional radio is still a viable and valuable technology.

Media Technology - Communications Boon! (A Summary of 4 Technologies - Part 1 of 4)

           As technology has advanced, so have the different media technologies available for use by individuals and businesses alike. Media technology is the means by which information is communicated and disseminated among people. In ancient days, information was transmitted from person to person by word of mouth. As time passed, some cultures developed the written word, which was often disseminated via transcription, then, eventually the printing press. The latter half of the 19th Century saw the invention of telegraph, telephone, radio and moving picture media. The 20th Century ushered in even greater innovation with advanced cinematic and telephone development, television, and the internet. Of these media technologies, the four to be summarized in these next four posts are: print, radio, television, and the telephone.

Delivering "Bad" News Tactfully and Effectively

For the purposes of a recent Communication Capstone Assignment, the following scenario was to be evaluated in terms of how I would approach an employee, the response I would anticipate, and which conflict resolution techniques I would use.

          The scenario reads as follows: You are a department manager in a mid-sized company that provides technology support services. You have ten employees who are required to maintain a high level of technical expertise and deliver excellent customer service. One of your employees, who has been with the company for two years, is performing at a substandard level and you have received numerous compalinst from customers and coworkers. In addition this employee has displayed confrontation behavior which has created a hostile environment. You must now meet with this employee and deliver an ultimatium regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.