Not Ur Average Blogger

AdWords Celebrates Our First Year

2006-05-20T04:09:00.000-07:00

I read an article today from Inside Adwords about its first celebratory year. It highlights memorable events from the past year of conducting the site. The interesting part about that is that it directly links how search engine marketing is effective to those who actually practice it. And another added point is that even though it is a new type of advertising medium to the industry, it still employs traditional advertising schemes, such as seasonal advertising. It can basically cover all the traditional holiday's that most celebrate and because of the long tail effect, it has the ability to capture more sales. We're in an age where people are moving from books that simplify tasks to now websites. It's amazing.....

Jim Crow Summary

2006-05-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

This edit was important because it contained history that was important to me as a person. I didn't want to add anything that was intelligent or didnt provide a useful contribution. My first edit was thought provoking to me because the fact that Jim Crow was a racist idea, you'd figure with the end of its era would coincide with the end of its effects. For the second edit, I learned something new; I didnt know that Brown v. Board of Ed case consisted of more than one charge (actually it involved 5 states). The last edit was just some grammatical & aesthetic changes to make the page look better. As for the effect on the Wikipedia community, if you're not into history and the ramifications of it, then this article didn't do much for you. Personally, it's a piece of US history that is equally disgusting as it is mirror of times that may come. This one was deep for me.

Mary J. Blige Summary

2006-05-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

From editing Mary J. Blige, I developed an even greater respect for her as an artist and as a person. She went through a lot of struggle & strife in personal relationships and life to become the strong woman she is today. She is now extremely comfortable in her own skin which is the struggle that many people deal with. With respect to the three edits that I did, the first and second dealt with her struggles in her life in the spotlight and the third edit was a lighter mix of her recent developments such as the appearance of her alter ego, Brook Lynn. My edits haven't be changed since they were made, but overall there weren't many edits to that page. I think it is one those pages that isn't accessed very often. But the content I added always contained the evolution of Mary as a person. I never wanted to display her in a negative light

Sex and the City Summary

2006-05-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

If you don't already know, I LOVE SEX AND THE CITY!! To me, it is by far one of the best tv programs that I've watched and I could view the reruns all day, everyday. My first wiki edit I didn't quite understand what was going on and I was afraid to put too much. The second and third time around, I added content that I thought was important. Only if your an avid fan, do you take the time to write summaries on the actual episodes. During my late nites of studying, I would watch an episode or two and was inspired to blog about them. That was the creation of these edits. I feel that I impacted this page the most because I added something that would help the community really understand the love and fascination that people had for the show. I honestly enjoyed this one. And if I've made anyone interested by reading this, then more content can be found at their HBO website: www.hbo.com/city/.

Hypercholesterolemia Summary

2006-05-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest edits for me to do was for high cholesterol. I honestly believed going into it that it would not be difficult. But I actually learned more about the topic than I feel I contributed. My first edit was pretty lackluster; its when I realized I was going to do more research than I thought. My second edit I was particularly proud of, but I dont think the community felt the same way. It was deleted and referred to as redundant. My last edit is where I learned some very valuable information not only about the medication that I take but about the origins of the disease. Overall, my contributions to this topic were pretty insignificant because of my lack of deep knowledge on the subject and apparent "intelligence" of other community members

Dave Williams & 360i

2006-05-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

David Williams one of the more interesting Skype presentations that we've had this 2nd half of the semester. He came and spoke our search marketing strategies. He covered paid search and search engine optimization. Some of the key points of his powerpoint:
Primary Strategies for Search Marketing
1. Search advertising (buying clicks; produces quick results)
2. Natural SEO(takes time for results)
-both types include linking strategies & content strategies
-make certain that you're writing not only for the machine but for human readers when doing SEO

Overall, his tips were easy to understand & even easier to implement. I work for a promotions company & I'm pretty sure by employing some of the tips he listed, I will able to help generate more traffic & hopefully more business.

AOL, Mark Burnett Partner with CBS for 'Gold Rush"

2006-05-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

I was looking on ClickZ News and saw an article about the new AOL online game, 'Gold Rush'. This premise for the game is that players will view segments CBS TV shows, searching for clues that will help move forward in the game. The release of the game is aligned with the CBS fall line-up. The game will take place both online and with real contestants with the clues placed within the AOL canopy: AOL.com, AIM.com, Moviefone.com and MapQuest.com. The companies will also work together to persuade advertisers to market their products and brands on the various properties. Depending on the type of sponsor and size of contribution, the game could become enormous. A theme park sponsor could inspire a real-world location for gameplay.

I chose this article because of the evolution contained within it. The first time that brand were featured in any type of media was Steven Spielburg's film, E.T. I'm certain we can all remember the Reese's Pieces. And I'm sure that no one realized featuring the little candy would yield the magnitude of sales that it did. That began the product placement era. Now almost every movie we watch or highly popular television show has featured name brands. Studies and textbooks do state that their is a fine line between strategically placed brands and an overload. Too much can distract from the film and have an adverse effect for the company. It's the same principle that lies with celebrity sponsors. If they don't have a certain image that consumers can identify with or can't convey trust in the product, then people won't buy it. The magnitude with which AOL & Mark Burnett plan to detail this game, it could be a very successfull cross-media, cross-promotion endeavor.

2006-05-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

For my final Jim Crow edit, I decided to make revisions and grammatical corrections to the page. Honestly, I have researched alot of the information listed within the article and it is very extensive. It will take a historian on the subject to increase upon the wealth of knowledge that is found there. I've learned many things in the course of editing this article.

Mary's Enlightenment

2006-05-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

This is my final edit on Mary J. Blige. Mary has really come full circle in her life. When she hit the scene in the 1990s, she was a "bad girl" doing very bad things. Now when she is listed in the headlines, comments range from radiant, intelligent, and regal. She was a role model before to those in the same struggle, but now Mary can appear to an even broader fan base. This only helps her buzz appeal. I blogged on two things this time: her latest album, The Breakthrough and her alter ego, Brook Lynn. The inspiration for her album was discussed in May 2006 interview with Oprah for her O Magazine, giving great insight to where Mary is today in her personal and professional life. The alter ego, Brook Lynn, first appeared in Busta Rhymes "Touch It" Remix which featured a collaboration of 6+ artists. Brook is loud, wild, and doesn't care about what anyone thinks of her. She's nothing like Mary circa 2006. But, personally, reading how she describes Brook, she may be reminiscient of Mary circa 1992-1994.

Another Final Edit

2006-05-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

This is my final edit for high cholesterol and the more I read, I wish I was never diagnosed with it. My physician has me on a medicinal & dietary regimen to control my levels. So for this edit I decided to research my medicine, Vytorin. The main ingredient in this medicine is statin, which blogs an enzyme which produces cholesterol. Therefore, it has very effective and noticeable results. In my search to fine out more about this medication, I stumbled onto some skeptical views about high cholesterol. This one independent website revealed to me that doctor's are the only source for diagnosis of this "disease". There are no tell tale signs and the measures of what is considered high cholesterol has changed over time. Initially, any middle aged male with a total level of 240 or more was considered to be at risk. Now a level of 200 or more is the acceptable risk level. Also, once a person has had a heart attack they are automatically put on cholesterol medication. It's a sort of punishment for almost dying. They believe it is a conspiracy between the pharmaceutical industry, government, and the ever present dollar bill. Even though you may never know if it's the absolute truth or not, as long as you wake up each day and do something right with your life, those who do wrong can't affect you.

2006-05-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

I learned something new today. I was doing research on my wiki edit for Jim Crow and I realized some interesting information. When conversations or lectures cover this topic, they always speak on the landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education Topeka. Named for Oliver J. Brown, one of the lawyers involved in the case, it changed the landscape of education and civil rights in the deep South. What I found out was that Kansas was not the only state that issued a grievance against the "separate but equal" educational system that existed. The other five states included were: Delaware, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. I was surprised to see Delaware as one of the cases listed because of our location in respect to the other states. So I decided to get more information. I talked with my mother and she explained to me the deplorable conditions of black schools in New Castle County and that black students were bussed to Howard High School, the first black secondary school. Even though the case ruled in the plaintiff's favor, certain conditions still exist in DE schools. Mandatory bussing still exists in New Castle County, with some students traveling a half hour or more when their local school is 5 minutes away. Even with the bussing there is a definite distinction between the have and have-nots. School located in Hockessin and other upper middle class areas have many resources such as updated textbooks, sport team supplies, etc. while schools located within Wilmington have dilapidated buildings, outdated textbooks, and large pupil-teacher ratios.

If you want to know more: http://brownvboard.org/summary/

2006-05-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Mary J. Blige is undoubtedly the Queen of Hip-hop and R&B. But just as every other human being, her life hasn't always been a bed of roses. Her past has been very tumultous and as I've learned in class, personal problems make for great headlines. That was the basis for this edit. In her past, Blige had a serious drug and alcohol problem. If you ever noticed for a long stink during the 1990s no one ever caught Mary without her infamous sunglasses on. That was a tool to hide when she was either high or hungover. She also had an accomplice during this time period, her on-again off-again love Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey, of the duo K-Ci and Jo-Jo. Recently, he made a statement concerning this 6 year relationship, which seemed to be in response to her new radio single, "Enough Cryin". The gist of the song is a female who is fed up with the lies she has been told and the unfulfilled promises. Hailey's stated that during their relationship he had no intention of marrying her and that the rumors of an engagement between them was Mary's doing and not his own. That's the one downfall of being a celebrity: your personal business never remains personal or goes away.

2006-05-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

This is my second Wikipedia edit on high cholesterol. As I stated before, I've known about my condition for almost 6 years now. I am required to see my primary physician every 3 months for regular check-ups on my status. Each time if my results are unsatisfactory, I'm usually given a lecture on activities that will better my status. That is what inspired my edit. My tips are normally based on three actiivities: diet, weight loss, and physical activity. I never do enough of any because I am either too lazy or too busy. All three methods are helpful in controlling my bad cholesterol (LDL) and maintaining my good cholesterol (HDL). The one thing that I have learned though is that no matter how many tips or requirements that I follow, I will always have hypercholesterolemia. Unfortunately for me, I will always be on some type of dependency and in my case that includes numerous medicines.

Sex and the Shoes

2006-05-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

This is my final Wiki edit for Sex and the City. I recently watched "A Woman's Right to Wear Shoes". So that everyone gets the gist, Carrie loses her $485 Manolo Blahnik's at a friend's baby shower and when asked to have them replaced, she is told that they aren't responsible for Carrie's extravagent lifestyle. Carrie ponders if she should've chosen the traditional family and kids route instead of being a single and fabolous woman. For the entire episode she ponders the question and in the end decides that her life isn't extragent. So she registers at Manolo Blahnik and announces that she having a wedding.....to herself. Reluctantly, her friends repay the debt with new shoes.

Related to this episode, as we get older and are one step closer to real world, this is definitely something to ponder. What if all my friends are married and have kids before I even find a good man to date??? That's why I love Sex and the City. Every female can identify with one of these four women and if not them directly, one of the many situations that they have found themselves in. All I can say is that if you are not a fan, then you should definitely become one.

WIKI EDIT

2006-04-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today I did my first Wikipedia edit on the topic of Jim Crow Law. For those who don't know, Jim Crow Law is similar to the caste system of apartheid that existed in South Africa. In the Southern states, there were separate, but most definitely unequal, rules for whites and blacks. In light of the events that have happened on the University of Delaware campus, I am especially glad to have chosen this topic. Jim Crow was one of many heinous times in terms of race relations in the US. I chose to write about the pop culture implications of this part of history. My edit focused on the movie Bamboozled, a Spike Lee Joint which pokes fun but hits on really serious topics. It deals with minstrel shows, performance of white actors in black face depicting African-American life dating back to as early as 1640. In terms of this movie, black actors are dressed in blacker face, making fun and promoting the stereotypes that have a place in these shows. The repercussions show the struggle that Jim Crow had created with the self-identity of many Southern blacks during the 19th and 20th century. This stuff is definitely a good & thought provoking read.

STOP and THINK ABOUT IT......

2006-04-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

I chose to high cholesterol as one of my Wikipedia edits because I have it. I have learned a lot about this condition since I was diagnosed with it in the 10th grade. The wiki page actually contained most of the information I knew and actually taught me some things about high cholesterol that I didn't know. This requires me to a do a little more research so that I can put some beneficial information on the page. So I did an edit on the dietary guideline section of the page. When I was first diagnosed, my doctor gave me a guideline for acceptable/unacceptable foods. I also learned that the condition is based more so on family history than diet. I contributed also to section on diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia.

The edit can be seen by clicking on the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_cholesterol#Dietary_influence

The "Plus One" Problem

2006-04-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

So....I'm obsessed with Sex and the City. When it was running on HBO, I religiously watched each Sunday for the new episodes. Now the series has ended, I still faithfully watch the reruns on WB every night at 11pm & 12 am. Of course, once they hit basic cable the episodes aren't as good, but I still love them. Last night, I watched the episode titled, "Plus One is the Loneliest Number", and I decided to edit it on Wikipedia. Surprisingly, no one had addeda summary to this episode. To give a brief synopsis of what occurred in the episode, each of the main characters deals with the prospect of being without a "plus one". Carrie's book release is coming up and each of the ladies needs to find a date. Here, we first come in contact with Jack Berger, who is soon to be Carrie's love interest;Bunny sticks her nose in the middle of Charlotte's new life; and Miranda realizes life after baby will never be the like life before it. If you love Sex and the City the way I do, even though this episode may not be your favorite, it is sure to make you laugh.

2006-04-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

I was looking at my group's posts and I decided to piggyback off of one of Jaime's earlier posts. Jamie was talking about the Skype presentation with Toby Bloomberg. I agree with what she stated about Skype being an interesting twist in class. Not only is it interesting for class, but it a revolutionary idea in general. If we look back in history, telephones were a radical change to communications then cell phones and now we have internet phones. Personally, I dread receiving my cell phone bill every month where you get "nickel and dimed" for every call, text, or pic that you send/receive. If I could be able to make all of my calls to people all across the world unlimited then I would be beyond estatic. But as with all new internet innovations, as soon as it goes mainstream then the concept of free will soon go away. Until that happens, Skype is one of the best new things on the Internet today.

By the way, click to find out what loocsixela means. It's pretty cool....

"Free Wifi"

2006-04-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

I read the Click Z article today on Bloglines about how Google & Earthlink won a bid to bring internet access to San Francisco. The contract is to provide the entire city with free WiFi access; Google offering 300 Kbps of "basic access" and Earthlink providing 1 Mbps for about $20 a month. But the twist with this "free" access is that Google will also be advertising over the connection. They state that they will bring effective and affordable advertising solutions for small businesses who may not be able to afford traditional advertising. These ads will be able to hit key target markets more effectively and enhance the overall user experience. Google already has a prototype platform that allows ads to be targeted based upon the end user's position. So by providing this free access to the citizens of San Francisco, they will able to test out this program and probably piggyback it to other major cities across the U.S. This is a really smart move by Google because not only are they gaining great press and publicity for the venture, but they get further promote their brand and test out a new product. Seems like a win-win for all

2006-03-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

On Monday, we had a Skype presentation from Dana VanDen Heuvel who works for Pheedo. Basically he talked to us about RSS, really simple syndication and how the next movement in flow of information lied within this innovation. Convenience is the main driving force for this feature because it gives us lazy humans the ability to pull content directly from sites and blogs to our home PC or work unit. It's great for those who measure effectiveness since it allows for an efficient way to track data. RSS allows the computer savvy to track all types of information and allows those with busy schedules to get the current events that are of the most importance. RSS and podcasting are the next generation in marketing tools and it was interesting to see how other advertising mediums either follow suit, merge, or fade out of existence with its impending popularity.

Now all I have to do is pass my midterm...... :\

2006-03-20T06:38:00.000-08:00

I was looking through my partner's blog posts, and I saw Sirint's post on cheesesteaks. Personally, I LOVE all things cheese: macaroni & cheese, cheeseburgers, lasagna, ..... the list goes on and on. And when I travel to Philly, I definitely always get a cheesesteak. I've never personally had one from Pat's, but after reading her post I will go and try one. But since I'm figuring Sirint is a cheese-lovah as well, can I suggest trying a slice of pizza from Lorenzo's on South Street. This hole in the wall shop always has a line outside the door, but trust me.....it's WORTH the wait. The slices are huge and with each bite you feel as if you are clogging your arteries. IT'S FABULOUS. But don't take my word for it, try a slice for yourself!

2006-03-20T06:25:00.000-08:00

I just completed another Wiki post on the famed singer, Mary J. Blige. She is the undisputed Queen of Hip-hop and R&B. I was sitting at my house yesterday wasting away in front of the TV and the E! True Hollywood Story of her life came on. It documented a lot of knowledge that I already knew about her but I didnt know that she used to be a lot heavier. I guess I just never paid attention when Mary was heavier. But looking at the before and after pictures, she took great control of her life and now she looks great. She found that happy medium between waif thin and being a "big girl".

Ta-ta for now.....

2006-03-15T07:22:00.000-08:00

Mark, the author and CEO of Buzzmarketing, was the most interesting speaker to date for me. Buzzmarketing is really interesting, for the fact that most of us in our daily lives do it everyday. If someone compliments our outfit, we automatically tell them where we bought our clothing from; or if we have a really good meal at a certain restaurant, we recommend it to our friends, family, strangers on the street, etc. Also, learning about the 5 top types of celebrity stories (David & Goliath, celebrities, CONTROVERSY, etc.) makes me now look at every piece of media differently. In a world where we are bombarded with catch phrases, slogans, and shameless advertising, its all for the BUZZ.

2006-02-26T22:03:00.000-08:00

I made my first Wikipedia post today. I chose to do one on Sex and the City since that was one of my favorite television programs. The first time around, I only made small changes to some of the text about one of the main characters, Carrie Bradshaw, so I could figure out how serious some of the other wikipedia users were. Hopefully, they will accept my revisions and next time, I'll add something a little more meaty.

Till next time....... blogit2me

2006-02-24T19:22:00.000-08:00

This week in class we were required to read the first 4 chapters of The Search by John Battelle. The first two chapters were rather dry but the other two were okay. Right now I guess the information is kind of over my head but I'm sure as the course continues it will make more sense to me.

Learning more and more each day in class......

2006-02-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

Another entry from the BlogLady.....

So everyone wants to know what I'm doing for Spring Break (drumroll please)

I'M GOING TO MIAMI!!! SOUTHBEACH....the city of the "beautiful" people. 8 glorious nights and 9 fun-filled days

I can't wait for March 26th to come because I am in dire need for a vacation. I deserve some R&R and I'm definitely going to get some.

But while I wait for a vacay, I will be diligently working in my class: http://infotechspring06.blogspot.com

Ta-ta for now

First Entry

2006-02-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

I really don't like to do this internet posting stuff.....but I guess now I'm officially a "blogger".