Reading, Videos, and Other Reactions

This course has truly been eye-opening thus far given the assignments to connect through various media forms.  I originally was interested in this course because of the insistence of various professors that administrators need to be familiar with different social connection forms to be more efficient, and communicate with citizens on a daily basis.

I consider myself somewhat technologically savvy, though had some difficulty in familiarizing myself with these new tools.  My wife maintains a blog for our family, and I had to solicit her expertise in creating my own.  In all honesty, I did not find the program very user friendly, but I like the idea of posting ideas and events in a creative way.  I can see how politicians and officials can use a blog to transmit ideas and solicit feedback in an environment where direct contact is difficult to achieve.

In creating a Twitter account, it was interesting to "follow" certain people and learn about different things they are involved in.  For example: I follow Governor Jan Brewer, and she posts places she visits, documents she signs, and various programs she endorses.  The use of Twitter as a medium for publicizing events is crucial for politicians whose populace may feel disconnected.  In following celebrities and athletes, a lot of their responses are to social events, but it is interesting to see their perspectives.  My experience with Twitter reminds me of an extended Facebook update, but without all the extra profiles and what not.

Google + and Foursquare are tools that I had not previously been familiar with.  I like the Google + function because it is a good networking tool.  By publicizing my profile, I can also view other acquaintances and connections.  I can see this really helping in a professional setting in finding job contacts and specialists.

The course wiki is an innovative way to present assignments and lecture materials.  Having previously only used Blackboard for this, I like the interactive modules in this course.  I enjoyed the "Social Media Revolution 2011" video about the impact of social media on society.  I enjoyed the emphasis on the younger generation influencing issues now more than ever, and the fact that more people visit Facebook on the internet than Google.  This is interesting considering Google is a search engine, in addition to other services.   There was also a quote in the video about how it is not a choice of doing social media, but how well you do it.  Using social media is a necessary component of public administration and business in general.  Organizations need to adapt in order to keep up with rapidly changing technology.

I really enjoyed the David Cameron video and the idea it raises about combining the right political thinking with the present technological revolution.  He stresses this idea about remaking politics and government to achieve great efficiency in well-being.  I also enjoyed his description of this post-bureaucratic age as a time when genuine people have real power.  This connects closely to citizen use of social media to coordinate thinking regarding social events.  Although the British riots are perhaps a negative example of this, it is a great medium for citizens to connect with politicians, as they have more influence now more than ever.

I enjoyed the Malone reading regarding "The Future of Work."  His view of empowerment from innovative technology is very appropriate for today, given the use of social media and the diverse ways employees can communicate with their supervisors.  I like how he says "technologies allow us to gain the economic benefits of large organizations, like economies of scale and knowledge, without giving up the human benefits of small ones, like freedom, creativity, motivation, and flexibility" (p. 2).  As Malone discusses, this creates an environment of decentralization, where employees participate more in decisions previously addressed only by supervisors.  I like this idea of a peer-to-peer network where people can share ideas and not be punished for open discussion. 

Malone also discusses the cost of communication as a factor in this business revolution.  I enjoyed his discussion on technology resulting in productivity and better quality of life to employees, even in a large organization.  However, this is difficult as most of us still have this idea of classic top-down management.  Malone states "we need to shift our thinking from command-and-control to coordinate-and-cultivate" (p. 5).  This coordination effort depends on all employees embracing this new, innovative technology.

Chapter 2 was interesting because it presented a basic history of human societies and the necessity of communication.  As communication costs decreased, larger organizations were possible, though not always necessary.  Malone explains how they originally offered greater opportunities for economies of scale and specialization of labor (p. 10).  Although organizations have different purposes now, employees operate in similar manners based on the strengths of the organization.

I really enjoyed the assignments this week because they forced me to investigate social media forms with which I am not very familiar with.  I also enjoyed the videos, especially from David Cameron as he faces a unique situation in the UK given the social uprisings.

I look forward to hearing from everyone and learning more about these media forms!