What do I do with it all?

And now, without further adieu . . . here is the final social media-related post of 2010. Free On Campus will be ready to go come the spring semester, with the focus on freebies and cheap deals (and the occasional blog post about social media-related topics, because that stuff is really interesting and still an important part of this site).

What do I do with it all?

What does the future of social media hold? If you’ve been reading this site, you’ve seen a familiar theme: how social media applications and sites are becoming more than frivolous friend-connectors – they are emerging as the new tools of creativity and innovation.

At the recent F5 Conference in Vancouver, author Malcolm Gladwell suggested that the key driver behind social media as a tool for change is in the potential for connectivity. This is a visual representation of what he was talking about, taken from the Intersection Consulting Blog:

Gladwell explained that in the realm of business, social media can be a tool of either “the status quo” or of “radical and transformative change.” Gladwell believes that despite the potential applications of social media in business, it has been mostly underutilized.

The difference is in how the entity using the medium understands it. Social media sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn are appealing because they create a direct link between the creator and the reader. This connectedness is the holy grail for contemporary professionals and businesses. But the connection needs to be understood in the context of the culture change that has occurred as a result of the rise of social media.

This culture change is where you fit in. As a student, you are in a unique position to capitalize on the benefits of using social media to both enhance and raise your profile in the professional world. You’ve already got the Facebook account, the Twitter feed, and the newsreader. You are a part of that culture change.

In other words, the fact that you and your friends can’t go more than an hour without checking Facebook might actually benefit you in the long run. The past few posts on this site have discussed how you, as a student and future professional/employee/visionary can change the way you use social media to enhance the way you use the Internet; the increasing ease with which you navigate the net allows you to also understand the power of networking within the realm of social networks; the more people you know, the more waves your posts can make, the more attention you gain, and the greater chance you have for connecting with those who pay attention.

You’ve got the tools, all that you need to do now is use your brains and creative juices to make yourself really stand above the crowd!

Where’s the free stuff??

As you may have noticed, for a site about freebies on and around campus, there has been a definite lack of, well, actual freebie postings. Here’s the skinny: the past few months have been a bit of a trial run, both with regards to setting up this site, and with exploring avenues related to finding free stuff and deals. In the meantime, the intention has been to connect with the students and everyone else who has come to read the site. These postings about social media and Web 2.0 are meant to not only inform readers about these topics, but to include them in the journey of setting up this site.

So, to everyone reading this, thanks for checking out the site now and through the past few months! And please keep reading. Free On Campus will be expanding in the next few months, and will soon become the fully-reliable source of free stuff and cheap deals it is meant to be. Stay tuned!

Screencasting 099 (Remedial)

Less reading, more watching! This short blog entry is about screencasting. It’ll basically be a quick run-down of screencasting, a short example video made with Camtasia, and finally a brief word on how this medium might benefit you as a student and young professional.

Screencasting falls under the umbrella of “enhanced podcasting.” There are numerous great programs for doing this; for this entry, Camtasia was used (you can download the free trial version here).

Screencasts combine video, images, audio, and on-screen activity, to create a multimedia presentation. Primarily used for instructional videos, screencasts and other forms of enhanced podcasting are becoming more common, as people get creative and explore new ways to apply this kind of media.

It’s a lot easier to just show you, so here is the first official Free On Campus screencast!

The potential applications for screencast are pretty wide-open. The biggest advantage that they hold now is their novelty – they offer a bigger, more complete media experience than a slideshow, and also allow you to more fully flex your creative muscles.

Is the classroom an endangered species?

Have you ever found yourself nodding off in a cavernous lecture hall? Would you rather just sleep in past that 8:30 am class start, yet worry about your GPA slipping when the syllabus says that quizzes will be based on class notes?

Surely, there must be a way to avoid these boring lectures and surprise quizzes!

According to a study done last year, there is a way. An article in New Scientist magazine claims this study found that students who went to class and took notes did slightly worse than students who skipped and took notes from the podcast of the class. The scientist who led the study hypothesized that one major reason for this was that a podcast allows the student to keep up more effectively with what the professor is saying, and also stop or playback difficult portions.

Hold it there, champ. Before you turn your alarm off and sleep in until noon, remember that the podcasting thing is still a relatively foreign concept to most professors (this holds also true for UVic, where few profs podcast their lectures, though you can find some podcasts from in and around campus here.

And really, the point of podcasting is the same as the point of mobile devices, ubiquitous computing, tweeting, and effective blogging: it works best when used in conjunction with the work you are already doing. The best strategy for using podcasts to boost your grades would be to go to class, pay attention to the lecture, ask questions, and then download the podcast after class and take notes from the second reading. That way, you’ve heard it twice, absorbed a lot of information from the first time, and will likely start to consider the broader subjects of the topic while taking notes from the second listen (you’ll also get to hear the answer to your question again, too).

Unfortunately, this isn’t quite possible yet at many universities. Though about 800 universities offer podcasts via iTunes U, many professors at other schools are reluctant to embrace the idea of podcast lectures, probably because they suspect that it could replace the classroom. But the truth is, scholastic success is tied to attendance. One of the best ways to learn is to ask questions, something that can only be done in person.

Sound good? Then get involved! Suggest podcasting to your professors, and explain how this will mean less repeating of the material to students who don’t show up or don’t pay attention (“you’ll find an answer to your question on last Wednesday’s podcast.” See? So easy!). Or write it in your course evaluations (profs claim that they read these). If enough profs hear about podcasting their lectures enough times from enough students, they might start to entertain the idea.

This ain’t just Lil Wayne’s social media.

A recent YouTube video showed L’il Wayne, fresh out of prison, surprising a Las Vegas audience by joining Canadian rapper Drake onstage. What is the most noticeable part of the video (other than the awful sound quality)? Take a look at the audience – actually, take a look at the sea of Blackberries, Droids, and iPhones shooting video of the performance. Everyone has their phone out! And the person who made the actual YouTube video almost certainly shot that on his or her own phone (on that note, check out the high quality zoom on Lil Wayne).

This is a prime example of the bond between mobile computing and social media. Let’s pretend that you are a person in that Vegas crowd, and you have your phone above your head, taking hi-def video (and low-def sound) of the spectacle. What are you going to do with that video? This question relates to the ubiquity of mobile computers in our lives.

To answer the question: what are you going to do with that video? Keep it on your phone, and only show your friends? That’s nice, but kind of boring. Look how many hits some of the other posted videos taken at the same time got. Some are in the hundreds of thousands. You can post it to YouTube, easily: any cell phone that can take video can post to YouTube via an email account. you can also share it on Facebook, and link that to Twitter. Social media sites cross a lot of borders, because the programmers who work for Twitter and Facebook know that cross-exposure is a mutually beneficial thing.

Now, take yourself out of the context of a concert. What is a more student-practical use of using your phone to capture video and other media? How about taking notes during lectures? Smart phones have plenty of different ways to make this easier, from dictation apps, to audio recorders, to video recording.

This blog is another good example of the positive, university-centred uses of mobile computing; pictures of freebies, notes taken regarding events, emails sent and received via prompts. Probably about 60% of the activity of this site is run via mobile computing – and that’s strictly smart phone work, which excludes written work done on a laptop (also technically a mobile computer). Mobile computing – via phone, laptop, and now tablet – has emerged as the major force in social networking precisely because of its mobility. A social person is generally a mobile person; one who can take access his or her social media. Just as the past blog posts have indicated, a mobile, social person can also utilize ubiquitous computing devices to increase efficiency, success, and innovation.

That little icon in the corner; and, how to “Feedly” your newsreader

Because you are an intrepid, bright university student, surely you’ve noticed the little icon found on nearly every web browser. You know the one, it looks like this:

(And please, don’t call me Shirley.)

This icon is the link to RSS (Really Simple Syndication), otherwise known as social bookmarking. This blog will show you how to set up a newsreader through your Google account, and then make it really, really pretty by using an application called Feedly.

Part I: Google Reader

*NOTE: If you already use the Google newsreader, skip ahead to Part II.

Like Twitter, social bookmarks are a way to tailor-make your own web browsing experience. These bookmarks are saved through a customized account called a “newsreader.” This is perhaps the most useful way to maximize efficient web usage.

Rather than read a huge paragraph detailing the steps to set up a newsreader, why not just follow these steps (these steps are for the Google Reader, for reasons to be explained in Part II):

1.     Sign in/up for your Google mail account.

2.     See the menu bar in the top left corner? Click on “Reader.” This will direct your to the Google newsreader page:

3.     Follow the directions on this page, which gives you directions on how to set up the newsreader service.

From there, it’s just a matter of picking the RSS feeds you want to see in your newsreader. Whenever you find a site that you’d like to receive a feed from, click on the RSS icon or link, and you’ll be directed to the subscription setup. Choose Google from the choices, confirm the subscription on your reader, and you’re finished. You’ll receive feeds from that site on your Google account.

Part II: Feedly

The Google Reader process was used specifically for two reasons: first, because it’s the reader I use, and second because I found it visually unattractive.

Wait . . . why choose a newsreader service because it is unattractive?

Well, because the whole point of “Web 2.0” is to make a customized web experience. This is what is referred to as the Semantic Web – the more you interact with the web, the more you tinker with things, the more enjoyable and intuitive it becomes.

Enter Feedly. Feedly is an application that transforms your Google Reader into create an elegant, completely individualized “magazine-like web page.” Installing Feedly is easy; because it is a conventional application, it can be downloaded from the Feedly website.

Do you cringe at this ungainly mess?

This is what that same reader looks like through Feedly:

As amazing as Google is, its colour scheme is gaudy, to say the least (with apologies to those who love its Brazilian-flag motif). Feedly is sleek, simple, and absolutely addictive; play with it, use your newsreader, impress your friends, and bask in your increasingly-advanced web savvy.

Twitter: a Meta-Melodrama in One Act

Cast:

Reader: The young, dashing reader of this blog

Blog: The handsome-sounding, disembodied voice of the writer of this blog

ACT I

[Scene: Reader sits staring at a computer screen, fixated on a blog about social media written]

Fade in

Reader has untagged his or herself from the embarrassing pictures from last summer’s Beerfest, and has decided to give social media a new look.

Reader [soliloquy]: Where to start? Facebook has been fun, but it’s just so, well, friendish. I feel daring . . . I want something fresher than Facebook. Starting a blog seems a bit ominous and daunting. But Twitter . . . hmm, seems fairly light; maybe that’s a good place to start. But what is it? It seems like it could be really great, but also like a big waste of time.

Blog: Twitter is most definitely a waste of time, but not in the what-am-I-doing-with-my-life kind of way. It’s a time waster because of its usefulness. It is a laser beam, guiding you straight to the heart of what you use, want, or need the internet for. A Twitter account offers as much useful or useless information as you  could possibly want. Since it clarifies the web so effectively, it can be hard to peel yourself away from it.

Reader: Sounds promising, but those little 140-character blurbs . . . isn’t the site geared towards people with minuscule attention spans? (Anxiously) How can this be the future of the internet? What an outrageous statement!

[Turns away from screen and yells]

Help!

Blog: Wait! Think about this: those little blurbs are tiny gateways to incredible amounts of information. Consider that as humans spend more time reading from computer screens, they’ve changed the way they read. The human eye tends to scan text in a diagonal fashion, starting at the first word, and moving through the center of the paragraph, seeking only information and skipping the rest. Humans respond more actively to smaller amount of text; therefore, Twitter is the ideal new medium, because gets straight to the point.

Reader: Okay, that makes sense. So what am I gonna find in these blurbs? I don’t need to know what Justin Bieber had for breakfast.

Blog: This is absolutely true. [NOTE: many people need to know what Justin Bieber had for breakfast. At last count, @justinbieber had over 6.2 million followers.] But those who use Twitter effectively know that they can trim all the excess, superfluous communication and strike right to the essence of a message. This is what “microblogging” is all about.

Reader: Okay. This is starting to sound better. So I can get straight-to-the-point messages. But how important can the message be if it is so short?

Blog: Like I said, the blurb is the gateway. Thousands of reputable magazines, websites, and organizations use Twitter. Scientific American cannot possibly tell you about the theories regarding the end of the universe (only Douglas Adams could do that). Instead, you’ll get a headline, followed by a tiny URL. You can click the link to read the article. It’s a hyper-efficient way to browse a load of information and actually absorb what you want.

[Pause. Reader looks up in contemplation to a nearby window. A little blue bird lands on the tree branch outside, and begins to sing in short, concise tweets.]

Blog: See? Twitter. It’s so . . . natural.

Reader [cringes]: Wow. That just happened.

[Camera closes in on over Reader’s shoulder, focuses on the URL bar of Reader’s web browser. Reader deletes “freeoncampus.wordpress.com” from the bar and types in “twitter.com” as the shot fades to black.]

End.

The Leg up! Blogs = awesome

Many students have their own blogs. Though often related to personal interests, some (most notably students of journalism) use blogs to display their abilities and generate a portfolio for prospective employers. But many other students spend little time utilizing blogs, except to read the odd site that appeals to their own interests. Though these blogs can be amazing sources of inspiration and creativity, they are but a small part of the blog universe.

So how else can students utilize blogs, and what benefits are there for those that do? Here are some things to consider:

Your career

Like your journalist friend already knows, a well-written blog is a perfect showcase of your abilities. It also throws your name into the hat of any field that you are interested in. Blogging about political events around your city might not guarantee your future tenure as mayor, but it involves you in that world. The blog becomes another part of your networking toolbox; this means that your chances of being noticed are only boosted.

“Legging up”

Did you see The Social Network? (If you didn’t, stop reading this, and see it! And then read on). One of the most amazing parts of the movie is how Mark Zuckerberg gains probably the most important leg up since Charles Darwin (ever heard of Alfred Russel Wallace? Exactly. It’s the reason they don’t teach “Wallacism” in school today). By beating his rivals to the punch, he put distance between his own work and theirs. He was always one step ahead. Now he’s a billionaire!

Starting a blog is a leg up. Even if your blog about your culinary experiments doesn’t land you a prime slot on the Food Network, it still gives you experience with blogging and utilizing the Internet in a new way. And a failed blog is not a failed experiment; think of it as a draft of a future masterpiece. Start now, then when you feel comfortable, you’ll be ready to delve further into utilizing the web to your own advantage. This puts you ahead of everyone else around you or in your field who hasn’t started yet. Being ahead of the crowd by even a few weeks or months can be the difference between recognition and anonymity. The web is absolutely where innovation and progress is happening; embrace it!

More good reads on students and blogging

5 reasons why every student should blog – http://tiny.cc/5x60p

Learning through blogging: Graduate Student Experiences – http://tiny.cc/vst2v

Blogs help students think for themselves – http://tiny.cc/i2bpd

What is happiness? How about a cinnamon loaf?

Do baked goods truly represent the highest form of reality? Or do the delicious flavours simply lead us astray from true knowledge? If you ask yourself this question, you might find solace knowing that the Philosophy Student Union (PSU) is all for baked goods. They are holding a bake sale in the Clearihue lobby today.

If you have been feeling like tapping into your inner stoic, then you can also head to the SUB on Wednesday and Thursday (November 3) and participate in the clothing drive also being held by the PSU. All proceeds go to the PSU and various student-related groups.

“A Piece for Peace”

Freebie alert!

Where: Monday, November 8, 12:00-2:00 at the entrance tables in the SUB

What: The Jewish Student Association (JSA) and Israel on Campus (IOC) are giving away free pieces of cake in the SUB building. Why? Because the club seeks to bring together Jewish students and lovers of peace in a socially accepting atmosphere where things like peace and life can be discussed. Also, Irina wanted me to tell you to “come out to support a message for peace with cake, a button, and an info for a free (and inspirational) movie screening that evening.”

Also, these groups have a FREE BAGEL giveaway EVERY TUESDAY in the SUB! Come if you are interested in learning more about these clubs, or if you are interested in connecting with the Jewish community on campus.

Thanks Irina and Carrie for the scoop!