Privacy in the Online world

Search engines such as google and yahoo have become the new means of gathering information- its quick and easy and you find the answer you needed. Personally, I use google search at least 5 times a day, which im not sure if it is a good or bad thing. When i go through my search, I usually always choose the first site that pops up to start and if i find what i am looking for, then i dont look more into the subject which i think many people do. Because of this, it is crucial for businesses to gain that #1 spot on the search query and make sure they have relevant labels.

The article, You are what your search engine results return brings up some interesting points. I agree that "we are what we search" because i do trust what i read in the articles i find. The article also talks about how everything we do is documented online, which is one of the reasons i believe that online can be a scary place. If i was to type my name into google, in one search you could find out so much about me, and it is only going to become more advanced with time. You can find my telephone number and address on yellow pages, and then type it into google earth where you can see a picture of my house, its worth and neighborhood. Yeah, it is really cool but im not sure if it is going too far, invading a persons privacy and with time what more advancements will develop.

Virtually Challenged

Before last weeks ITEC class, I had no idea that Second Life or the idea of a new virtual business even existed and to be honest I still feel a little out of the loop.

To my knowledge, Second Life is like a video game for adults, and i dont really see how if can be beneficial for a business world. By making an account and putting in all of your information seems like it can be dangerous- if companies are getting in trouble for blogging, I can only imagine what will happen with this. Although it seems to be a good idea for where our technology is heading for the future, and more and more businesses are logging into the virtual world, i am still hesitant that it will turn out positive.


I searched Second Life on google and found this artice that i thought was interesting:
BusinessWeek Article

I also think its a little creepy to see yourself virtually, but this lady seems to be excited about it:

Fellow Classmate Brian

Lets race

Generation Trendss

As people get older, it gets harder to accept that times are changing. Older generations find it difficult to adapt to changing times, ie: cell phones and internet, so it easiest to bash it. Yes, there are some who are savy, but those who do know know about technology generally do not research it. My gradmother refuses to use a cell phone or buy/learn how to use a computer. Her exact words are:

"I have been living 80 years without it, why would i need it now."
If you really think about it, it is true. My parents just got a cell phone a year ago, when phones have been around for years. I believe that you will use what you grow up with, when you are in your mid-thirtys to fiftys/sixtys you can adapt to the times, and after you are set in your ways and are much harder to change.

Since our generation is easiest to adapt to technology, will we be able to break this trend?

The best of the best bloggggg

Come check out other blogs from American University students!

Andre's blog
Stephen's blog
Katie's blog
Adam's blog
Alyssa's blog

Customize this

Customization has became the new wave for retail businesses and the online world, which is a great idea and has been extremely successful, but does it take away from the brand image? Can customization actually hurt a company because it strays from what their brand stands for?

I have bought sneakers from NikeID after designing them online, and was disappointed with the actual product because they looked completely different on the website. I have heard of many people sending their shoes back to be remade because they are not what they wanted which turns me off from online buying and customization. Although it is convenient, you are not always sure what you may receive.

It is a great idea to put a customization expert in NikeTown, i think that it will generate a lot of exposure, especailly to the generations that are not that internet savvy and may help with making sure you are getting the product that you intended on.

Link to NikeID where you can customize your individual shoe and i designed this pair. Be aware that it is highly addicting with all of the different color options, so i suggest only visiting when you have time to spare.
http://nikeid.nike.com/nikeid/index.jhtml;nisessionid=Y0RTWPMRVDBXMCQFTAPCF3Y?_requestid=2591643#build,nikeairmax_womens.1100102.1,_6169724d61783930303730392e2e32,9010258,