Internet Tug of War

Everyday we open our computers and have to make a choice as to where we are going to go. Do we open up google or yahoo, or do we open up MSN or Ebay? All of these questions could become a lot easy in the next little bit according to an article posted on the Washington Posts website. Here are some clips from that article that I found very interesting.
"But the nation's largest telephone companies have a new business plan, and if it comes to pass you may one day discover that Yahoo suddenly responds much faster to your inquiries, overriding your affinity for Google. Or that Amazon's Web site seems sluggish compared with eBay's.
The changes may sound subtle, but make no mistake: The telecommunications companies' proposals have the potential, within just a few years, to alter the flow of commerce and information -- and your personal experience -- on the Internet. For the first time, the companies that own the equipment that delivers the Internet to your office, cubicle, den and dorm room could, for a price, give one company priority on their networks over another.
"This represents a break with the commercial meritocracy that has ruled the Internet until now. We've come to expect that the people who own the phone and cable lines remain "neutral," doing nothing to influence the content on your computer screen. And may the best Web site win.
For more than a year, public interest groups, including the Consumer Federation and Consumers Union, have been lobbying Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to write the concept called "network neutrality" into law and regulation. Google and Yahoo have joined their lobbying efforts. And online retailers, Internet travel services, news media and hundreds of other companies that do business on the Web also have a lot at stake."
As you can see a lot of companies are doing all they can do gain the upper hand on the on-going tug of war over control of the Internet.

Google, Friend or Enemy?

In reading this article there were a lot of things that were brought to my attention that I have never really thought about. First is the fact that anybody, local or world wide can simply enter in my name on google and do a search about me. They can find out my history concerning my life, my schooling and just about anything. There were two ideas brought up about how to control this situation. According to the article it states, "Two solutions are simple to describe, but not likely to happen. First, search engines could voluntarily--or be required by law to--delete search histories after a few months unless the customer objects. Second, federal law could be amended to make it clear that search engines, which serve as a window to the Internet, are fully protected." Each of these solutions seem to be good and no matter which one they choose it is going to take time. Google is good for a lot of things. Examples are, doing research for school, online banking, businesses use them frequently and the most important one, it keeps the world connected. All of these things are good if done in the right way.

This article is very interesting and if you want to read it it is found at the following website:

http://news.cnet.com/FAQ-When-Google-is-not-your-friend/2100-1025_3-6034666.html?tag=nefd.top Check it out!!!!!

Email Etiquette

This article was really informative about the do's and don'ts about emailing. While it is true that emails can bee a source of fun and excitement, they are also a means of business and a way for communication to take place. There were allot of interesting rules that were brought up about the way emails should be handled and written, for professional use. This particular article mentioned 32 tips for emails. I am going to narrow down my top five tips and talk a little about each one. Number one is be concise and to the point. Do not make an e-mail longer than it needs to be. Remember that reading an e-mail is harder than reading printed communications and a long e-mail can be very discouraging to read. Number two is use proper structure and layout. Since reading from a screen is more difficult than reading from paper, the structure and lay out is very important for e-mail messages. Use short paragraphs and blank lines between each paragraph. When making points, number them or mark each point as separate to keep the overview. Number three is read the email before you send it. A lot of people don't bother to read an email before they send it out, as can be seen from the many spelling and grammar mistakes contained in emails. Apart from this, reading your email through the eyes of the recipient will help you send a more effective message and avoid misunderstandings and inappropriate comments. Number four is avoid long sentences. Try to keep your sentences to a maximum of 15-20 words. Email is meant to be a quick medium and requires a different kind of writing than letters. Also take care not to send emails that are too long. If a person receives an email that looks like a dissertation, chances are that they will not even attempt to read it! And last but not least, Answer Swiftly. Customers send an e-mail because they wish to receive a quick response. If they did not want a quick response they would send a letter or a fax. Therefore, each e-mail should be replied to within at least 24 hours, and preferably within the same working day. If the email is complicated, just send an email back saying that you have received it and that you will get back to them. This will put the customer's mind at rest and usually customers will then be very patient! All of the tips for emailing in this article were all very helpful whether you are emailing about business related things or simply emailing a friend. If you have any questions about this article check it out at http://www.emailreplies.com/

BHAG's

It has been a long time since I last made a post on my blog, but I hope that this post will give you some insight to what I have been diving into for the last couple of weeks. If you looked at the title of this blog you might be wondering why it says what it says. A BHAG is a goal that one sets that they never thought were possible for them. BHAG stands for Big Harry Audacious Goal. I am currently taking a course at Utah State called Speech 3250, Organizational Communications, and so far the class has opened my eyes to theories and styles concerning organizational communication. Jim Collins has written several books about organizational communication, among them are Built to Last and Good to Great, and I am fortunate enough to have those books as text books for my class. In his book Built to Last, Collins goes into great detail about BHAG's and the purpose and outcomes of them.

A quick story that involved a small company and a BHAG and the outcome of the BHAG. Have you ever heard of a Boeing jet? Did you know that way back when, America never thought that commercial airlines would be the mode of transportation in the United States? However, one company set out to make commercial Jets the mode of transportation. They set a BHAG to make the biggest jet that would carry passengers, all while keeping their standards of safety in check. Over a period of time Boeing accomplished their goal, even with large sums of money wasted in flight tests and a large number of lost jobs, they created what is now known as the 727 Boeing Jet and the 747 Boeing Jet. After seeing the success of the Boeing Jets, other companies tried to create a jet comparable to the Boeing but never really succeeded. All this was done by a gutsy BHAG. I am setting out to start my very first BHAG next week and I am very excited to see how this works out. I found an article that was posted talking about BHAG's and their purpose, so check it out if you have time. Here it is: http://theleanthinker.com/2009/06/22/the-purpose-of-a-bhag/

Staker Parsons

Staker Parsons has done it again, coming up with a brand new way to support the local communities and the universities. This is a great way to promote and advertise local universities. They have teamed up with these schools and designed a logo that can be seen on cement trucks as they go by. Check this out on their website at http://www.stakerparson.com/community/index.cfm?id=17 Here are some experts from the article:

Ready-mixed Concrete Mixers

With its combined commitment to education and its community, Staker Parson Companies, launched a new program to support universities in local areas. To show its support, the company teamed with Universities across Utah and Idaho to design concrete mixer wraps that would promote each of the Universities. The concrete trucks will be seen throughout Utah and Idaho. The concrete mixers will occasionally make appearances at football games, parades and other school activities.

Rising U.S. Soccer Star

The USA soccer team has never been a power house on the world level, sure they compete and compete well, but nonetheless they have never proven themselves to world. On April 1st, 2009 the world witnessed an amazing display of sure talent when the USA took on Trinidad in a World Cup qualifying match. Jozy Altidore, a young 19-year-old soccer player put his name in the history book of USA soccer by becoming the youngest player to score a hat trick in a World Cup qualifier. He showed to the world that the USA soccer team is going to be a team to beat next year at the World Cup in South Africa. USA dominated Trinidad on both sides of the ball, out shooting, out hustling and flat out out playing Trinidad. The USA soccer team looked very sharp and was relentless in all aspects of the game. An article that I found in the NY Daily News gives a great overview of the game. Check it out at: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2009/04/02/2009-04-02_jozy_altidores_three_scores_do_trick_for.html

Jozy Altidore has proven to be a play-maker and doesn't show any signs of letting up. With the experience of Landon Donavan and Frankie Hedujk, the USA soccer team should be a main player in the 2010 World Cup. Jozy Altidore did not seem like a young man in the interview that he gave to ESPN after the game. He was humble about his accomplishment and proud of his team. He gave all the credit to his team mates and not himself. That is what impressed me the most. Coming from a PR guy, Jozy is an absolute gold mine for the soccer industry in America. Now lets not go crazy just yet, but think of the potential that the marketing and PR could be on this young rising soccer star. The potential that I see could be endless. Jozy has proven to be a powerful striker on the field, but he has also overcome some pretty big obstacles. He went over seas to play in Spain and was benched for a year and then sent to a lower division club team. He has shown the world that patience is the key to success and grabbing hold of an opportunity that presents itself is a must. Altidore was not a planned starter against Trinidad but look at what he did with the opportunity that was given to him. The PR and marketing schemes that could go with overcoming the odds and taking advantage of opportunities is a great way to go, given the current state of our country. In my opinion, Altidore opened the doors, for not only himself but for a whole bunch of new PR avenues with his amazing hat trick. GO USA!!!!!!!!!

Dedicated to the Community

Staker Parsons has been around to see the ups and downs of the business and always seems to find themselves on the top of the every ones list within its realm of expertise. There are numerous reasons as to why Staker Parsons is one of the leaders of the business. Some of those reasons include; innovation, dedication and excellent customer satisfaction. Among those reasons is their dedication to the community. In a press release put out by Staker, one can see that educating the community through a program called, "Rocks Build Our World," Staker Parsons is going the extra mile for its community. The press release can be found at, http://www.stakerparson.com/community/index.cfm?id=9 you can read the release. Here are some experts from the release:

Rocks Build Our World
As a leader in the aggregates, asphalt, and ready mix concrete industry, Staker Parson Companies is committed to educating the community about the vital role aggregate resources provide in improving quality of life. For this reason, the company developed an educational program called "Rocks Build Our World." This program is designed to introduce people to the aggregates industry with the goal of helping people understand the importance of these natural resources and how they relate to each of us in our every day lives. The "Rocks Build Our World" program is custom-designed to the age of the participants and immerses them in a hands-on learning experience that has proven to be very effective.

The program can be offered at school facilities or can be hosted at one of the company's locations. The classroom visits start with some basic information on geology, mining methods and the uses of minerals in every day life. Students then enjoy a ?cookie mining? session where they remove the chocolate chips from cookies (while reclaiming their site by placing all crumbs back into a designated area). Winners of this game receive Rocks Build Our World tee shirts and other prizes. Students see a miniature aggregate operation, demonstrating the mining to material production to reclamation process. They also watch the ?Rockman? music video. The program ends with a question and answer session. Children are given activity books that highlight Rocky and Sandy, characters created for the program, as they explore the different uses of aggregates in a community.