Random Bytes in March

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Dear Readers,

A lot of rapid changes in the internet and networking world has forced online writers and bloggers like myself to take a step back and reflect upon the changes. The Panda update in the beginning of the year 2011 caused a serious setback to the writers who were solely depended upon the Google adsense for their earnings via content sharing sites. I was affected too and due to several changes that took place as a result in the rules and regulations of the posting policies of these content sharing sites, I decided to stop writing for a while to watch how things would unfold.

My personal life too went through a lot of rough patches and nothing seemed to be going right in the year 2011. I started the year on a bad note with health issues, followed by family issues and to top it all my husband was forced to quit his job as the company that he was working for couldn't afford to pay his salary anymore. It took him six months and thousands of job applications before he got another good offer. 

The world too had a bad start in the year 2011 with the Japan earthquakes and Tsunami that devastated and destroyed thousands of families and homes. The year followed through with many more natural disasters and a supermoon to top it all. We lost the most romantic legend of Bollywood "Dev Anand" just before the year ended. All in all it was a "tragic" year as far as I am concerned. It was probably the worst year of my life. Everything came to a standstill, including my writing and my earnings from Adsense. 

But the year 2012 dawned with a new promise of hope, faith and good tidings. I have decided to continue with my blogs. So do keep visiting for fresh updates of what's happening around the globe.

The social networking scenario is changing rapidly, not to say that I am very comfortable with all the changes. The way people are communicating with each other today has changed drastically from what it used to be when we were teenagers. Being a bit old-fashioned, I must say that things are a wee bit too fast paced and "intrusive" than what it was in our time. There seems to be less and less of privacy these days, in fact people seem to not mind airing their views or thoughts or a glimpse into their private lives online, in the form of minute-by-minute status updates and personal pictures. Everybody seems to know what everybody else is upto...the latest form of gossip (firsthand).

Also it is a little disturbing to see the effects that a social networking site has on the behavior patterns of individuals. This would definitely make an interesting topic for research for a student of sociology. It goes without saying that social networking is affecting the psyche of individuals in more ways than one, which can prove to be disastrous or good depending on the way it is being used. Most people seem to be getting addicted to it and are becoming voyeurs. But, in the end...where will this social networking take us all as a society and what effects it will have upon our civilization and culture, I guess only time can tell. But somebody somewhere needs to give this a serious thought, most definitely.

Looking forward to a happening year ahead and lots of good things to come....

"Understanding Social Media" eBook for Free Download

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"By now, nobody can imagine the online world without social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn & Co. But do you know when exactly this idea of connecting people was born? No! It wasn’t in 2003 when Facebook was introduced, it was a bit earlier. Let’s take a look!"

Social Media is the buzz about town. Almost everyone with internet access is using social media in some form or the other. It is changing the way individuals and organizations communicate or interact with others. However, despite its popularity, most people have a very limited understanding of the scope and utility of Social Media in its entirety.

"Understanding Social Media" is an eBook written by Varinder Taprial and Priya Kanwar that is available for FREE Download from Bookboon.com. This ebook delves into the evolution of Social Media, its benefits for individuals/ businesses and social media management.

EXCERPT 


Contrary to the general perception of social media being restricted to networking websites like Facebook & Twitter, the social media encompasses all the services that facilitate creation, sharing and exchange of user-generated content. These include but are not restricted to Internet forums, groups, blogs, micro blogs, networking sites, social bookmarking sites, wikis, podcasts, content communities for articles, video/photo sharing sites, Q & A sites, review sites etc. Each type of social media has its own benefits and there is something for everyone. Unfortunately people tend to partake in the most popular websites and expect them to fulfil all their needs instead of settling for a service that best serves their needs. If one has focused objectives and knows exactly what he wants, s/he would certainly find a social media platform that will meet his/her particular needs.


The social media also drove a social change. Social media empowered the people to express their thoughts and opinions and share them with others. To add to this newfound power, people realized that they were not speaking in a vacuum; a highly responsive audience, who took part in the conversation and put across their points of view, heard their voices. This started a social shift towards power coming back to the masses. Now one didn’t have to suffer at the hands of the powerful, or be thrust upon with unacceptable quality of products or services or spend his life waiting for justice or for resolution of issues. One had the choice to come on to the social media, and give his side of the story and demand what he rightfully deserved.

As time passed by, people realized that it was not only their petty issues which the social media could sort out, but by working together they could also influence decision-making. In their own right, each individual was turning into an influencer within his network, some more than the others. They now made a difference whether it was a simple recommendation on a product or something bigger like enlistment of support for a public cause. They are now being recognized and known as “Social Influencers”.

Social media has a character of its own; there is nothing that can be assumed or taken for granted. There is no “one hat fits all” kind of a solution. Yes, there are certain aspects of handling social media that apply to everyone, but they can at best be termed as guidelines or best practices. Otherwise, social media management is a learning process. Ultimately it all boils down to understanding the social media, gathering relevant information and then analysing it to tweak your activity, be it online or offline.

In this book, we will discover how the social media has transformed over the years, what benefits it brings to individuals and businesses and why social media management is important. We will also discuss some tools, which are useful to manage your social media activities.