Final Project, Progressive Research Findings #6

Ways to promote the organization through social media.

What Club Rainbow offer: Currently they are using web 1.0 interface website. It’s has static pages. No animation support and one of the social network, Facebook was not linked at their corporate sites. Buttons are located everywhere and too many sub button links as to get to the proper page content.

What changes to apply: Change the website to web 2.0 interface website. This is to create a dynamic user-generated content. Able to link those external social networking application for easy referring. Reorganize the page layout to give a proper main, sub button heading for user to click on.

________________________________

What Club Rainbow offer: There have a social networking sick, Facebook account. But they were not updated nor were the organization information was not added nor there is pictures and video. Basically their Facebook account is empty, an empty shell.

What changes to apply: Hopefully someone/a group of people would to keep the information going. By creating shoutout post, friends who follow them may able to receive the new information faster. Photos that are posted in the corporate website should be upload at the Faceook account too, for easy access for those community member has Facebook account. Since Facebook photo has tagging application, make it more easy for those who in the photo can receive those images. Therefore the person who upload the picture can just tag the person, making life easier then sending them through zip folders and emails.

below picture show that the last Facebook wall update was in Dec 07, 2009. however announcement events that Club Rainbow corporate website are currently having are the Colour Their World 2010. Proves that there’s lack off updates.

________________________________

New changes to apply: Creating a Twitter account. Conversation can made easy through micro blogging. It is simplicity and mobility. It can be sent and received by a PC or mobile devices. Able to extend group of friend to stay in touch while away from the computer.Retweet function that make available act like a viral properties. When Club Rainbow tweet an event, a user can retweet that event and it pass to its friends. Therefore it create awareness whereby the other friend of the user know Club Rainbow too. Since Twitter is limited to 140 character, Club Rainbow can shout out short message for example maybe tag line of the events they are holding and leave hyperlink of the intent website so that the audience can click too.

________________________________

New changes to apply: Creating a YouTube account. Videos can loaded here. It has the enable links html codes for user to share and spread around the videos. Youtube users who used their search engine may able to come across the video they uploaded with. Thus creating awareness to spread to people whom may not know them. In addition Youtube has a function to rate and comment about the video. There’s user interaction of comments and views can be shared here too. Existing community member who has YouTube account may subscribe to this Club Rainbow channel too as they can get updates on their profile to what new video are begin uploaded by Club Rainbow .

________________________________

New changes to apply: Creating a blog. Community members and parents may blog about their experience about the difficulties raising their child or the events that they had recently taken part or upcoming events and blog it online to the express view and thought. Reader may received casual information there rather then those formal information posted on the corporate website. Blog are good too, as comments can be posted as while. Readers may also have they say in reply to the blog post. Interaction is taking place. Readers may choose to leave a comment given in each entry post, that’s if they have a Blogger/Gmail account. Incase they don’t have an account, they can leave the comment in the given shoutout box aka tag board which are placed in the blog page.

Future more, this blog can add as a mini wiki for the types of disease that Clubrainbow children are dealing with. Those Internet user who Google search and the result they show may linked to this blog website thus creating more awareness about the organization. Under the section of “our” in the prototype blog(picture below)site is the reasonable related links to what sickness the children in Club Rainbow are facing.

“the old communication model was a monologue now its dialog.”

(changing web 1.0 to web 2.o. monologue is a one way flow conversation while dialogue is a two way flow conversation; ideas, comment, thoughts are shared with each other.)

Final Project, Progressive Research Finding #5

Flickr or Photobucket?

Flickr, “is an online photo management and sharing application. Its primary goals are to help people make photos available to those who matter to them, and to enable new ways of organizing pictures.”

Photobucket “is a free and easy image hosting software and online photo album for uploading pictures and sharing of photos.”

Both Flickr and Photobucket are photo sharing site but which one is better? Below are the list of comparison.

Bandwidth.
Both Flick and Photobucket has it limit. Flickr lets user to upload about 100MB worth of photos each calendar month, while Photobucket gives each user up to 25 GB of monthly traffic. However, Photobucket has this “bandwidth limit exceeded” when the images does not load while Flickr has no restrictions on the download bandwidth.

Hosting images.
Flickr is primarily a photo sharing while Photobucket, is a photo hosting site whereby user can input any images here and there and use them wherever they want but the only restriction is the bandwidth restriction. The Flickr service makes it possible to post images hosted on Flickr to outside web sites. However, pages on other web sites that display images hosted on flickr.com must provide a link from each photo back to its photo page on Flickr. Thus, for pure hosting purposes, Photobucket is a options.

Storage images
Photobucket offers 1 GB of storage to each user, and uploaded image files must be 1 MB or less. On the other hand, with Flickr’s free account, user can upload files up to 5MB in size, but there is no limit to how many images they want to upload.  Flickr free account has a limits to the number of photos displayed. Only the recent 200 photos will be displayed. Couple that with the monthly 100 MB restriction for upload, and you got yourself a lot of restrictions. Both services are actually quite restrictive when it comes to hosting, and the choice comes down to personal preference. We declare this one a draw.

Sharing images.
Photobucket is all about hosting images, while Flickr is all about sharing them. If user wants to share photos with their friends, Flickr will make a better choice.

To choose Photobucket or Flickr?
Up to the individual choice, because both cater the need of photo sharing. Photobucket is more useful for simple, quiet image hosting. Flickr has the Web 2.0 flare but just that user can’t upload a bunch of images on it and host them on their website. Too which many others may not know Flickr actually offers more, in term of  sharing and social networking.

Final Project, Progressive Research Finding #4

What is Plurk?

Plurk like Twitter, is a micro-blogging site. They both have similar functions but it to say that Plurk’s has a better layout and format style to provide users a different experience. Launched in May 2008 and is created by the A Team. Plurk’s goal is to create a fun, social, laid back and collaborative community that consists of genuine and positive people.

The different between Plurk and Twitter.

Karma function stands for regular updates and popularity. If user does not update at least once every 12 hours or they will lose followers, thus Karma will drop. With regular updates, responses to user plurk and with the increasing number of followers and friends the Karma will slowly rise up. The higher Karma reflects the better plurker the user is thus it entitles user with more emoticons, which are widely used in the Plurk community.

List layout, Plurk places user’s updates on a time line illustrated.Rather than in a vertical list (Twitter), Plurks updates appear on a horizontal timeline. When user scroll through the timeline they will pass date borders. Scrolling over a Plurk, user will able to see what the exact post that’s was been posted.

Statues updates with other social media applications. Plurks has an interesting feature that connects user Plurk updates to his/her Facebook, Multiply and Twitter accounts. That way user can stay in touch with their friends on other sites without having to make individual updates to each of these, thus it save time.

Recognizes links to other share applications. Plurks recognize links to YouTube, Flickr, ImageShack, and Photobucket and includes them in user update. Thus  followers have no longer needed to open a new window to view the link, they can view url of the photos or videos within Plurk. Therefore it is extremely convenient.

Neated conversation display. The actual conversations between user through replies are associated with the original update. Thus enable user to have a clear conversation between the other user and not getting lost through the tremendous updates. Something which Twitter does not have, as the @replies are showcase in the vertical layout together with the other user updates.

Even with much difference function that’s available in Plurk, why is Twitter better than Plurk?

The below image has show that Twitter has gain more popularity with the amount of  unique visitor compare to Plurk. Plurk may be successful in creating a warm and chatty environment. But compared it with Twitter, it is a less effective information-sharing platform. Thus with the growing community of online business users, Twitter is obviously the preferred choice for going viral.

Final Project, Progressive Research Findings #3

What is Social Media?

Social Media is a conversation supported by online tools whereby people who use it create social interactions with others. Examples of online tools are YouTube, Wikipedia, Flickr, WordPress, Facebook, Photoobucket, LinkIn and others more. With such online technologies and practices available people can use to share opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives with each other, in other words to communicate.

Social Networking are the in tend right now, as in popular. Below are some support statics that are found over the Internet:

YouTube are ranked to be number one for all video website. Every minute, ten hours of video are uploaded, more then 100,000,000 video can be found. About 51% of users go to YouTube weekly or in regular basics while 52% of the of the user share the links and pass forward them.

Facebook have more than 60million of active user. 140 applications have been added daily. 14millios photo uploaded daily and 6 million active users’ great groups for others to join as to create awareness. 57% have joined such social network platform.

About 200,000,000 Blogs are created. 73% are active online users who read blog. 45% have their own blog.

55% has uploaded picture through Flickr.

Base on Singapore hitwise site,below are the Top Websites and Search Engine Analysis

Base on this statics data, my group will use the following social media to promote the awareness of the site: Facebook, YouTube, Blogger, Twitter and Google Analytic.

Final Project, Pogressive Research Findings #2

Why Social Media?

It’s free, marketing website with the social media are mostly free. Of course they do provide premiere services and others. But most of the time free things are what users are interested at. It will cost time and it varies the result with the comparison to the value of the traffic that will flow in return. Since most of the time, bloggers/organisation is on tight budget when it comes to marketing, social media can be a great help for you.

It’s flexible. There are many different social media websites that are available, ranges from social news, bookmarking site and general networking sites. The most important factor in using which social media is to know which options that will benefit the company/organisation/you.

It’s get easier as time goes by. If the users are new to social media, time and effort is needed. . Once you have established a bit of a reader base and you’ve hopefully attracted some social media users to your blog, it will be much easier for you to get votes and ultimately get more exposure. The more you use social media the more you will understand about how it works and how users will respond.

The future of the Internet is social. Social media and social networking won’t be going any time soon. The types of social sites may change as time goes as to caters and improve the needs of individuals. It’s is a trend that online marketers need to adjust to, without building a website or blog and not using social media means that you are lacking behind by competitors and technology.

Previous data save. Material kept during those previous traditional media (eg, newspaper, brochure) can still is kept in some selective social media website. Therefore materials can still be use overtime. Even though the campaigns/events are ended doesn’t mean material are thrown away too.

Final Project, Progressive Research Findings #1

Club Rainbow, http://www.clubrainbow.org
“Established in 1992, Club Rainbow (Singapore) is a registered charity committed to helping children and youths suffering from a range of chronic and potentially life-threatening illnesses.”

The website provides good and usefully information given for the viewer to read at. Information given there include its support services, events that taken place, description of the type of illness face by the children, newsletters, media reports and etc. The website created was mainly more to text content base as there’s few pictures are been applied.

I find that, the whole website have too many different types of buttons links. There’s about three to four cluster of group buttons. It will create confusion for the very first new viewer who enters this site, as there’s too many buttons that the viewer can click on. Thus in result, I believe they will click mostly all to get a feel how the site was layout. To further add one, the default word texts are small for both content and button name link. I believe viewer would have zoom in the text or the page size for a more readable view. Not sure if the viewer notice, alignment of one element with other element on the website since to be either short then other a bit off. Apparently maybe it’s the developer intention of not having it the whole content to perfectly align.

Suggestion.
Hopefully more images are been applied in the website, having a picture gallery on the events take place would create more attention span for viewer to look at. In addition, it provides viewer a clear vision of how Club Rainbow actually helps these children to precede their life.

They could actually create a short clip on the events they had too, for example the camp rainbow. They could showcase the different programs held in the camp, the children and volunteer’s interactions and etc. Under the social integration, whereby Club Rainbow organises trips activities for both the children and family, they could create foliage footage of the trips they had when too. In any case, if there too many video clips created, they could create a YouTube account to load their video. By doing so, I believe it will attract a huge audience, not just the viewer who visited the site knows about it, but other unknown audience may come across the video and might watch it. Thus it actually creates awareness to public about the organization.

lecture review

Guest speaker, Mr Lionel Chin come by today to interact with us.

Be a freelancer, slowly make you way up. If we are interest of having a job in this sector field, we should start building our portfolio now. One should continue to improve, be an independent learner, able to gain loyal customers, keeping in touch with the current trend in technology, social media tools, programmes, etc. Speaker says that the best way to advertise yourself are Twitter, Nuffnang, Goggle Adwords, forum, Search engine optimization (SEO), etc.

Being a freelancer is good in term of upgrading yourself. But what been share by the speaker itself said that there are negatives to it. In term of upgrading yourself, we will upgrade ourselves in term of the area we are expert or interested with it. We are trapping ourselves in the comfort zone, not waiting to expose to other type of expertise. Thus is not good just to be good in one area, one should be good in every areas.

To further add on, a freelancer may not able to commit fully. Partly because we are still schooling, thus we have to able to cope extremely well through our school works and personal activities. If we can’t cope well, we would not be able to commit in giving our fullest in completing the job. Thus it result, insincerity of completing the works or giving up / backing away from the project given which eventually led to unprofessionalism.

School assignment project and company base project. Speaker commented there’s a huge different gap. Lecturer will give you negative comments in a good way. But for clients there will screw you / scold you, right, left, back, front and centre. They are classified as the unforgiveable customers; they expect changes and solution to be done immediately. We have to continuously re-do till they are satisfied. The way we plan draft on school assignment, thinking it’s acceptable by the lecture; it may not be the same in the company. The company may want more or may actually reject your proposal. Thus we should keep in mind that, we should be well prepared for negative remarks. Not crying your tears out or cursing them.

New words learn were, Content Management Systems (CMS). Taken from Wikipedia, “A Web content management system (WCM, WCMS or Web CMS) is content management system (CMS) software, implemented as a Web application, for creating and managing HTML content. It is used to manage and control a large, dynamic collection of Web material (HTML documents and their associated images). A WCMS facilitates content creation, content control, editing, and essential Web maintenance functions.” The most to what I can understand is that, the client is able to make changes and edit even thought they are not IT geeks and content are save in database. They don’t need the help of the creator of the website to do for them unlike the Static website.

Since I missed a few minutes of the introduction due to lateness (i’m sorry for not being on time), and I ask around who is he, whoa! I’m surprise that he start up RippleWerkz Studio; basically he may be so call the boss and has its own company at the age of 25. That incredibly young! Maybe someday, I will be inspired to have my own a company. But before that, it’s best if I were to able to able to work with a well known company mainly just too impress my resume to the interviewer.

The works that the company work on impress me. I didn’t know that Xia Xue blog was created by RippleWerkz. I was amaze when I first revisited her blog (a curious reader), that the site was revamped incredibly nice. The way every time a visitor enters in, the main image chances. I didn’t know how to the coding goes, and how the twitter box came about in a speak box. Mainly because of the back coding, I’m inspired to actually wanting to know how they did that. If I knew all coding, I would have it apply it on my own blog.

I was inspire with this statement I heard today, it not just how well and perfect your output is but how you add something to generate the traffic flow. The bigger the traffic flow is, the better your site are well know, thus the creator of the site will feel the wonders of satisfaction. Thus leading of wanting to achieve more.

I personally think it useful having guest speaker to share his / her experience with us. Mainly because they will share their working journey with us, we are expose to the local company that available in Singapore that we ourselves don’t even know. I would prefer if the speaker could have exposed us with more information. I can’t blame the speaker that he doesn’t have enough contents; he is new to this since it’s his first time, it’s acceptable. Maybe it’s our fault for not asking relevant questions, it’s just that we are use to listening instead of asking. A two way communication learning? It’s quite hard to see this happening. And the speaker was friendly with us, since he is young; communicating with us was rather enjoyable.

reflection onsite (NAS)

National Archives of Singapore (NAS) is a building where mostly everything related to Singapore history records is gathered here, both from public and government sector. It acts as a storage room where everything is compiled together. Collection of materials range from documents, books, posters, pictures, data, maps, audios and videos which are taken way back as early as 19th century can subjectively be found here.

A few information examples that can be found in NAS range from Singapore government press media and speeches. Building and road maps. Various collections of photographs from different festival season, landscape, architecture awareness, campaign and film poster. Audio video clips film way back such at National Parade, news and so on.

The public can preferably use NAS as a source of database whereby they can access research finding for school research assignments, data statics, evidences, cross referencing or understanding the past history such as the culture and heritage.

Materials in NAS are mostly voluntary given.

NAS also provide archives conservation services. Whereby paper document that badly damage due to physical wear and tear or bugs infestation can probably be conserve back to brand new though some conservation procedure.

They also have image preservation laboratory. Most of the material store here are not physically store as those bulky books, documents, record tapes and etc. There are some, but most are them are been scanned and transfer to computer and then save into a digital storage data, for example such as a microfilms. For those bulky films recording tapes are minimised and converted by storing them as a compact disc. Since lands in Singapore are limited and small, NAS need to minimise their material storage. By doing so, this output can be preserve even longer though the climate controlled room that they have created to store them to. In return NAS received ISO certification in year 2003 in imaging and conservation services through its excellent accuracy and quality of the preservation development.

NAS provides guided tours around the building to educate the public with the service they provide in term on how different materials are preserved and store and the steps taken for each process (archives conservation, image preservation). They also are in partnership with local universities as to provide internships to students whose corresponded course are related in this working field as to expose and for adapt them in working lifestyle.

enemies of paper, both environment and handling factors.

the different stages perform for archives conservation services.

image preservation lab, the different equipment use to scan different materials.

sound and moving image lab, the time line of  how audio visual data be save as.

pictures above credits to stessen.

NAS has created a website for the public to access on, Access to Archives Online Singapore (a2o). It’s the one-stop portal site on heritage information. It allows users to search for information across NHB’s various independent databases, allowing public to view selected photographs and maps, listen and watch to short snip clip of oral history interview and audio video recordings, at the comfort of home though our fingertips. It’s a click away. Each individual material they have their own specific id number-name. If the public wish to excess to them, take note of the id and they can drop by to NAS for assistants about their findings. For example, if the users wish to develop the photo found in the Picture Archives Singapore (PICAS) for education wise, they should take note of the necessary information given and then head down to the NAS Archives Reference Room.

Previously NAS has travel exhibition that showcase in school, community club and etc to promote the awareness of Singapore history to the public. In some exhibition, due to it high popularity, a2o website has created online exhibition which are enhanced with interactive multimedia for the public to excess too. Thus in any case the viewer forgot some information from the show case they can always visit the website for more in dept details with just a click away.

On side note, NAS does not have those email newsletter notification on happening or events that going to held. They only update such information on their main website. NAS are not much into social media, as I can’t seem to find any RSS feeds, follow Twitter account nor a Facebook group account. Thus leaving the public clueless in term of getting them to stay connected with NAS, though the net. I personally think it’s best to have a so form of web communication. Hopefully in future time having at least some social network tool like Twitter or Facebook account can be a very useful tool to keep the NAS and the public interact in term of updates, promotion and events.

print screen of database Collection of Oral History Recording Database (CORD).

print screen of database of Picture Archives Singapore(PICAS).

print screen of database of POSTERS.

print screen of Online Exhibitions (a20 website) linked to external Ode to Friendship website.

Epilepsy Care Group (ECG), non profit organization

“Epilepsy is not a disease, and it is not contagious. It is a common neurological disorder that causes sudden, uncontrollable electrical surges in the brain. These brief interruptions in the brain activities causes periods of altered awareness, known as seizures whose nature and intensity vary from person to person.” Source taken from http://www.epilepsy.com.sg/epilepsy.html

In short, a person who suffers from epilepsy may suffer a short / long (depends on individual) blank out at any point of what they doing at anytime, when they are back to reality they forgot what happen before the accident take place.

Epilepsy Care Group (ECG) is a non profit volunteer-based organization. It aims to promote awareness, concerning and provide education and counselling to a person with epilepsy, their family member and to the public. Its objective is to provide social and emotion support, opportunities and activities for person with epilepsy and their caregivers.

Bases on the website they created, I believe most of the public do not know about this organization. Partly because the website seem clean. It stated who they are, what they do, contact information, activities, join them and some useful links. It’s basically a typically website full of information texts.

To gain more viewer and interaction between public, I believe the website should have a simple communication with the member of the organization itself. Inputting a simple chatbox in the website can actually begin a new interaction. To improvise furthermore the creator of the website could add an additional link path as to create a simple forum. Thus with is availability it helps the public, members and caregiver’s communicate in term of sharing views, opinion, suggestion of activities and so for.

Since Facebook is the trend now, having a group account about this organization is not a bad idea too. Thus it will reach out the other people in the network to join them. Sending them invitation and recommendation to other people, helps to increase awareness about ECG. It is also an easy and faster way to keep updates about their news and events to the public.

Another way is to use the old style method by advertising them by using brochure. Since epilepsy is a sickness, a person whose quite new to this might be emotionally break down for not knowing what to do. Simply by placing a few brochures at clinics, hospitals and polyclinics at the brochure holder border can create awareness to the people who are usually randomly picking up something to read while waiting for their queue. In addition, doctor who are apparently treating them for check up session or the nurse who giving medicine for them can actually offer this brochure to them. Thus it a win win situation, epilepsy people get help from them, the related member of the epilepsy person can actually know that such organisation exists thus exposing the information they need to know.

print screen of Epilepsy Care Group (ECG) website

communication process

Consist of six elements:

1) A source / messenger – The purpose of communication such as to conveying a message, to pass idea, to advert, to ask or share something, to show bounding with the other party.

2) An encoder – The person who has something to communicate through words, body languages, facial expression, etc.

3) A message – The message that need to be communicated.

4) A channel – A path / medium to how the message is send across. Through email, face to face, phone conversation, instant messaging, fax, website, etc.

5) A decoder – Reading by the receiver of the encoding done by messenger (retranslate). By using equipment like answering machine, mobile phone, etc. Together with cultural, background, language skills it play a part to how the message is translated

6) A receiver – The other party who suppose to receive the message that sends across.

The finally step does not end at destination to the receiver. Apparently, the final step is to go back to the start which is collecting feedbacks. Thus the messenger can further improve itself to send the messenger across clearly. It like a life cycle. Something is send, it then received and it has to respond back.

During the process itself, things may go wrong due to interference of noise. They are

Physical noise: interference of radio broadcast, poor mobile / tv reception.

Human communication: unable to translate the message due to unknown words, tone and body language use to send the message across to the receiver may be different from how the actual message supposes to be.

Usually in most cases, message received may not be the same as the message sent.

credits:  link to picture source