Friday 11 May 2007

This an A and B conversation so C yourself out!

Disintermediation ... is giving the user or the consumer direct access to information that otherwise would require a mediator, such as a salesperson, a librarian, or a lawyer. Observers of the Internet and the World Wide Web note that these new technologies give users the power to look up medical, legal information, travel, or comparative product data directly, in some cases removing the need for the mediator (doctor, lawyer, salesperson) or at the very least changing the relationship between the user and the product or service provider.

So all in all this should be the best thing that could of happened to man right?

Today, disintermediation is supposedly dooming distributors, retailers, wholesalers, and all other intermediaries between manufacturers (or service providers) and the ultimate customer. Because the Internet lets customers connect to and order from the primary source of a product, there's presumably no need for traditional distribution channels and their costs and delays. The great role model for all of this is Amazon.com, whose success in the book business has caused much annoyance and gnashing of teeth in many other industries.

The view of the impact of the Internet on distribution channels is that it will eliminate them. The reality is that customers need a significant amount of value to be added to most products before they can buy and use them. Think about an air-conditioning system: A customer needs help to determine how much air conditioning he or she requires, which system to buy, and what related products--duct work, for instance--are needed. The customer also will likely need help installing and maintaining the system. Who is going to provide all this value? Certainly not the manufacturer, which has no local presence and may not have all the needed skills. This value needs to be provided by the distribution channel, which is here to stay, but not in its current form. http://www.informationweek.com/794/94uwmh.htm

Fair enough , is it really that bad? I dont think so at least we have a direct commuination link to ceratin things we wish to find out ..the pain of holding on the phone waiting to be connected to the right department days are long gone.Poeple should learn to embrace new technologies as a gift ratherthan a curse ,its cuts out time constraints by half at times , and reduces risk.

Astroturfing :The Problems



Deceitfulness, is there any better way to describe astroturfing and then what are the problems with being deceitful???

The problem is as much as we human beings love to tell lies ,we hate to be lied to ..true.. ? Very true it defies any ethical part of business culture..Business are suppose to be transparent and visible and yet more and more our intelligences are being insulted.





This why campaigns have been devised to try , control and conquer the way in which business are manipulating their consumers . http://youngie.prblogs.org/category/media-ethics/ .


Arguably every new technology creates hidden effects in its environment, rearranging the social order it penetrates. Many of these effects are linked to ethical issues. Some are eternal issues such as censorship and free speech, but others have new names and dimensions, and may even be new issues. Because of this the CIPR website has set up a set of guideleines /Code of Conduct for practioners to follow in order to keep certain standards .Intregrity,Confidentiality and Competence .http://webct.londonmet.ac.uk/SCRIPT/MK2010N_06-07_Spring/scripts/serve_home

Ehtics can be defined as how someones actions are 'right' or 'wrong' and acts as a sytem of moral values and principles.Astroturfing defies integrity competence and confidentiality , people have lack of trust and are forced intodigital divide.

What Is Astroturfing???

In politics and advertising, the term astroturfing describes public relations (PR) campaigns that seek to create the impression of being spontaneous. Hence the reference to the "AstroTurf" (artificial grass) is a metaphor to indicate "fake grassroots" support.The goal of such a campaign is to disguise the a client as an independent public reaction to some political entity—a politician, political group, product, service, event. Astroturfers attempt to orchestrate the actions of apparently diverse and geographically distributed individuals, by both overt ("outreach," "awareness," etc.) and covert (disinformation) means.

Astroturfing may be undertaken by anything from an individual pushing their own personal agenda through to highly organised professional groups with financial backing from large corporations.
TechniquesA form of propaganga astroturfing attempts to selectively affect the emotions of the public, whether trying to win a campaign, be the top music record seller, the top book seller, or gain political support.Astroturfing techniques usually consist of a few people discreetly posing as mass numbers of activists advocating a specific cause. Supporters or employees will manipulate the interest through letters to the editor, e-mails, blog posts, crossposts,etc .

They are instructed on what to say, how to say it, where to send it, and how to make it appear that their indignation, appreciation, joy, or hate is entirely spontaneous and independent. This makes their campaign seem "real" rather than the product of an orchestrated campaign.

Local newspapers are often victims of astroturfing when they publish letters identical to those received and printed by other newspapers.It has become easier to structure an astroturfing campaign in the electronic era because the cost and effort to send an e-mail (especially a pre-written, sign-your-name-at-the-bottom e-mail) is so low.

Companies may use a boiler room full of telephones and computers where hired activists locate people and groups that create enthusiasm for the specified cause. .

This leads to misuse of the Internet, for one person is able to play the role of a whole group of like-minded people (see also Internet sockpuppet).News consolidation services, such as Google News, as well as PR Watch and Sourcewatch, have made it easier to spot such campaigns through the search of specific key phrases that bring up results showing identical letters, articles, blogs, websites, etc.

Recent examples

In the 2005 general election in the United Kingdom, the Labour Party packed press conferences with party workers who appeared as genuine, concerned members of the public. The Labour Party, The Conservative Party and the Liberal Democratic Party workers also sent letters to the local press purporting to be ordinary members of the public; all of the letters fit a common template covering specific party issues.[citation needed] Aside from deceiving the readership, such tactics also deny space to genuine local residents. (New Labour's use of astroturf tactics was exposed by a UK Channel Four team with the use of an undercover reporter, shown in May 2005 - see below.)

http://www.answers.com/topic/astroturfing#after_ad3

No More Billy No Mates !




Is it adequate to say that as new technologies have developed , so has social power? Social network service is social software specifically focused on the building and verifying of online social networks for hooking up. Nowadays people are meeting ang greeting their aquaintances through a newtowrk of friends.YouTube,MySpace,Hi5,Flickr,Facepic are some of the many popular social networks that exist today ,their online presence is ever increasing...i mean who would of thought that Madonna,Beyonce or Nelly Furtado could be my online buddy!
Second Life another social network with a twist to it . Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 6,240,591 people from around the globe.
From the moment you enter
the World you'll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business.
People are now able to escape realism throught the art of technology ,escape this real place to a palce where you can live your dreams.From being a billy no mates at school you can now become an 'A' listed celebritiy .Second Life I must say was breathtaking,the extent to to which a persons life can develop through software blew my mind,you can work,have aseries of partners withou the complications ,have conferences ,
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=second+life%3Bcompany+conferences and advertise.Could this be a new portal at which business can venture out through inline activity.And yet as super as it seems i personally feel it breaths,the central ethicsout of a business meeting , the understanding, the eye contact and the trust that every business meeting should have .

Introduction To Blogging



My names shana im currently learning key methods behind Communications and Technology Before this module the word ' blog' would been a word used to decribe my incredibly irritating niece.But since my eyes have been opened ive been invited to world beyond amazing belief.Companies,people ,countries all have a sosphisticated way of interatcing over the internet , faster , easier and its definately more fun to write your own opnions rather than feeling hushed. Blogging opens up a whole new social network ,you add icons to your blog as direct links,pictures www.blogthings.com and more importantly what you think ....Welcome to my world of blogging !