Afterimage, Sept-Oct, 2009 by Gretchen Schwarz
Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives
By John Palfrey and Urs Gasser
Basic Books/2008/375 pp./$25.95 (hb)
They are different. They are not a new race of humans, not without the same old issues, frailties, and faults. Digital natives, however, “all born after 1980, when social digital technologies, such as Usenet and bulletin board systems, came online” (1), do communicate in new and different ways, and older adults (mostly “digital immigrants” often puzzled by technology) had better pay attention to them. Born Digital Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives is a useful book for parents, educators, cultural observers, and scholars of communications and technology. With the proliferation of iPods, video games, Facebook, YouTube. and laptops, young people today face new multimedia opportunities and new problems. Adults must become involved in helping youth navigate both the opportunities and the problems.
For media literacy educators, in particular, Born Digital is a must-read well researched, clearly laid out, and persuasive. John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, both lawyers, avoid the common errors of either bashing all media or claiming that new technologies will save the world. They explore urgent topics, from online safety and identity theft to information overload, in a thorough and balanced fashion. For example, the “Lifestyles of young people around the world increase the difficulty, and importance, of addressing concerns about privacy in a digital age” (53). They provide cautionary tales such as the privacy breach of 2005 committed by a “commercial data collection” company, ChoicePoint, that “inadvertently” released the personal records of about 100,000 clients, as well as the fact that Facebook collaborates with companies like Blockbuster to track users’ online purchases in order to target their advertising. Most disturbing is the tendency of young people to post everything from personal pictures to private videos and blogs, which others can access and that remain archived in cyberspace forever. Thus, young people making bad decisions about what they put into the digital world is a major safety concern. In many chapters, the authors discuss legal implications of online safety issues; however, they conclude that the most important thing is that the older and younger generations discuss these issues, share ideas, and use good sense. Palfrey and Gasser declare, for instance, that “those who can do something about it–online technology companies, as well as parents and teachers–need to take on greater responsibility for helping Digital Natives make good choices about the personal information in networked publics” (82).
One of the attractions of Born Digital is its attention to positive aspects of the media, including chapters on creators, innovators, and activists. They suggest, that many people are participating in a “creative renaissance” online. The chapter “Learners” is most relevant for educators since, as Palfrey and Gasser note, “Learning itself has undergone a transformation over the past thirty years. The Internet is changing the way thawt children and college students–gather and process information” (239)
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It is not necessary that the container is expensive but you should choose it as per the theme. It should also be reusable and something practical.
Containers you can use as gift basket could be basket of any size, pots, bowls, fishing creel, tin, platter, plastic container, colander, bucket, canvas bag, day pack or storage box. You can pick up from themes such as kids gift baskets, photographer gift baskets, gardener gift baskets, guitar player gift baskets, grandparents gift baskets, holiday gift baskets, romantic gift baskets and much more. It could be presented on occasions such as birthday, anniversary, festivals, holidays, promotions or anything else.
1.
To create a kid gift basket you can use games, puzzle CD?s, coloring books, crayons, markers, stickers, cartoon pictures and gather it all together in a rubber or plastic storage box.
in Internet (submitted 2009-08-03)
“Internet Marketing” is a hot topic these days, and no wonder. Everyone is trying to scramble on board the Internet Marketing bandwagon and it’s not really surprising, with the potential of huge wealth and the playboy lifestyle that everyone seems to be promising.
But how many people really go on to achieve that Holy Grail? How many in all honesty manage to build that automated, autopilot structure that actually earns 24 hours a day? How many so-called “gurus” in point of fact exist?
And, more to the point, how many can openly exhibit that they do live the lifestyle that all the sales boast promise?
Nasty questions, eh?
It is definitely true that the globe is your marketplace on the World Wide Web – and, if you can get it right, there is no doubt that the lifestyle we’re all striving for so hard is there to be had.
However, if this is the case, why is it so many people get it wrong? Why do so many people with heroic ideas and brilliant products end up on the Internet scrap heap?
It might be something to do with some “traps” or “pitfalls” that can certainly capture you if you’re not wary. They’re pitfalls that everybody has, to some lesser or greater degree, fallen in to at some stage! And they’re traps you need to circumvent (or fight your way through) to succeed!
You Need To Have a Strategy.
I believe it was the Mad Hatter who asked Alice in Wonderland, as she waited at the crossroads:
“Where do you want to go today?”
She replied, “Oh, I don’t much care”.
The Mad Hatter’s shrewd quip was as follows:”In that case it matters not which road you take!”
Does that sound familiar?
All and sundry knows that there are abundant riches to be earned by marketing online, but not many people have a true plan to make sure they get their slice of the action.
It’s true, we’ve all been prepared (sold) to think that you put a product (any product) “up” on the Internet and then sit back and wait to get rich. You sit there scanning your email, second by second as one order after another comes gushing in. Oh, if only it were that stress-free!
Perhaps the copywriters have become too good? It does seem that every product promises “all you have to do is plug in, sit back and win the lotto”. Do you know what the probability is of winning the lottery jackpot?
In the UK it’s an eye-watering 14 million to 1.
This is about the same as the likelihood of you becoming wealthy without a strategic Internet marketing plan. I know this may seem harsh but it’s the truth. One thing I never do is pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. I tell it like it is.
You see, you have to have a strategy, a plan.
Failing to plan is planning to fail! O.K I know, but it illustrates the point.
Setting up an Internet business is the same as setting up a bricks and mortar organization. If you don’t do it as it should be – intentionally plan every step and know exactly what all the steps are – you are doomed to fail.
Too many people just expect it to come to pass without any hard work on their part. An Internet business is not a get rich scheme. It needs in-depth planning. It has to be a coherent plan with rational steps and a workable implementation (that means taking action, between you and me). It takes control and the proper intelligence.
Yes, there are numerous steps!
Find (or build) a product
Build your web presence
Write your copy
Set upset up your PPCcampaign
Optimise the AdWords
Sort out your SEO
Set up your affiliate programs
Build your list
Configure an autoresponder
Keep in regular contact with your list
Plug in a steady stream of products
Develop your back-end – and so it goes
Miss any of these key steps out and you will fail. It’s like trying to put up a building without any foundations – the building would simply fall down.
And, therein lies the following problem.
Information Overload
I mentioned previously that there are so many Internet Marketing products that all promise the earth. It’s tough not to be seduced by some of the brilliant copy that is used. But how many of these products really deliver? Well, in actual fact, many do (although, agreed, many don’t). So, what’s the issue?
This is the conundrum and I’m sure you will relate to this.
You acquire Product 1 and it offers significant riches from, say, ClickBank using perhaps classified ads. You open up the product, have a look and start to put the practices into action.
Great, you place some classifieds and then sit back and wait for the ClickBank counter to start ticking over. You check after an hour, nothing. You go and have a coffee and come back, still nothing – ummm?
You place a few more ads – nothing.
“Oh, well, the commissions will start to roll soon, it obviously takes a bit of time for the ads to filter through and go live.”
When tomorrow comes – nada. Three days time – still nothing. You make a nominal effort at a small number of further ads – nothing. You look at automated ad submission, but it costs. Still nothing. You lose heart.
In the interim, the latest fad product on AdWords has arrived and you start to build some PPC campaigns for your affiliate products. But you never get a decent click through rate and your CPC is rinsing…
…All of a sudden you get the much feared $10 minimum bid messages all over your campaigns! So, that clearly doesn’t work either.
Next! What’s next?
Oh, look, a web business in a box package with 73 eBooks to re-sell. Cool, errr, but I need to figure out some HTML and I don’t know how to do that – it’s too tricky. Oh well, I’ll do that next week.
And, so it goes, and before you know it, Information Overload takes hold. And, yes, I do know all about it. My “Biz Opps” and “How To”cabinet is creaking under the weight (oh, and the loft is full too). I used to be a impulsive buyer of all the up-to-the-minute fads and systems.
So, you finish up with paralysis of analysis and what happens? You do NOTHING!
You wait for the next magic bullet solution to land and get stuck into that – for two days, a week, a month or whatever, until that doesn’t work either.
So, if you connect these traps together, what happens? I’ll tell you.
Without a strategic plan you can’t possibly have any idea where you are taking your business and you spend all of your time flailing around, stumbling from one failed “project” to the next. Is this you? (You can be honest with me!)
So, each time one of the plethora of new products is launched, you get seduced by the copy and purchase. And, make no mistake, there are a massive number product launches each month in this broad niche of “Internet Marketing”.
How many do you see them in your inbox day after day? And, with most “gurus” cross marketing each other’s launches, you see the same product many times! So, is it any surprise that you get suckered?
However you don’t have the time to fully integrate the information (assuming it is a helpful product) and you end up not “following through”. The product then sits disused on the shelf along with the many other products and schemes you have bought over the years. Eventually it is outdated and ultimately useless.
It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee (as they say). It takes time, effort and education to start and build an Internet business. It doesn’t materialize overnight and it does take effort and learning on your behalf.
We have all become far too opportunistic in our buying of these “how to” products and all that they suggest. It’s the ultimate manifestation of the “instant gratification” society!
We have to modify our thinking – there are many facets that you need to employ in building an online business. The process goes something like this…
1. Decide on the Niche you are preparing to sell in to.
2. Perform your Market Research.
3. Set a Strategic Plan in place that includes all of the significant steps and actions.
4. Locate a Mentor who has completed what you want to do.
5. Understand what Tools you need to use, what you need to learn
6. Ascertain how to use those tools properly.
7. Take Massive Action and Implement.
8. Be Persistent! Persistence is the only thing failure can’t live with! O.K, yes, it is tacky, but you get the drift!
So, this is how you decide which “how to” product is right for you?
If it doesn’t fit in with your immediate strategy, don’t buy it – it’s easy really!
If you want to launch an AdWords campaign and the product teaches everything you need to know about opening, running and optimising an AdWords campaign – splendid, buy it.
But if it is a product to do with Seathc Engine Optimisation – don’t! Simple, eh?
Yes, the SEO productmay well be good for you in the future, so remember it, make a note of it for future reference, but, if it doesn’t fit in with your immediate strategy – you simply have to be tough (with yourself) and pass.
Using this example, if you buy an SEO product now and you know you won’t use it for 6-9 months, why bother? The rules for SEO will more than likely have moved in that time! A better product will probably be released in the interim.
So, once you have your strategy defined, it becomes much easier to stay focussed and learn all you need to know. It also becomes much easier to remain on your defined path.
It’s like buying a map that shows you how to find you way to New York. Mid way across the Atlantic, you’re sold by an alternative product that tells you all about the excitement of Sydney and how to get there.
Wow, that sounds really amazing – so you alter course. However, just as you go past Hong Kong you read about the amazing weather and the turquoise waters in the Caribbean. You discover a product that shows you how to get there, so…
…you change route once more.
Are you getting the point?
Where do you finish up? You got it – nowhere (apart from lost in the middle of the ocean). Sadly, this is what most budding Internet Marketers do!
Is this you?
Do one thing at a time and do it properly and make sure the one thing you are focussed on is an integral part of your long term strategic Internet Marketing plan.
I hope this has made you understand that you have to do a little in depth thinking and planning before you get started on your Internet business
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So yesterday morning our American Airways flight (booked for free with my Airmiles) left at 7:13 am to bring us to the Big Apple, a place I had always had a fascination with, but only had visited twice very briefly in my life,and that more than 10 years ago.
Just flying in over NYC was an experience itself, seeing all the skyscrapers of Manhattan, the various bridges linking the mainland with the island, and shortly after flying over the Rykers Island prison we landed at La Guardia Airport, a rather small airport actually, when compared to Toronto.
Our luggage was out in no time and we grabbed a couple of week long transit passes (a pretty good deal at US$24 for unlimited travel for a whole week) and we started our trip to Brooklyn. One bus (through a mostly Latin area in Queens) and one subway ride (through Manhattan) later, we ended up in our lovely bed and breakfast in a gorgeous neighbourhood, just south of Prospect Park in Brooklyn.
Since we didn’t know the area and the website of our B&B had provided just a tiny little map, we had chosen the wrong subway line to get off from and we had to walk about 1/2 hour to find the B&B, but it gave us a good first look at this part of Brooklyn.
It is an area with stately homes and houses that are about a century old.
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I sat down and wept. I missed the bus.
Over the years, I’ve started to sort it all out, the scolding for not listening, the long hours of speech therapy and the teasing from other kids for spelling Banana with a “P”. I just sounded it out. I still run across words I learned wrong. I really cannot find words to describe how painful or disoriented my childhood was.
I’m 41 years old; I will have my 10th birthday on January second. My name is Jamal and I am a recovered drug addict. I am also perhaps the greatest solo
bassist that ever lived. My music colleagues are calling my music the work of a genius. I am a product of a gross misunderstanding and my music tells that story.
If you have any old BTE lying around I would be willing to barter for them or pay what I could. I can do computer work or labor around your house if you
don’t live to far away. I live in Portland OR. It would be interesting to sit and talk with you on several points.
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If your company owns a delivery truck or any company vehicle, invest the money in making the vehicle a driving advertisement. Don’t just paint your company name and phone number on it, either. Treat your vehicle as you would any other advertisement ? use a catchy headline, offer benefits, and use a call to action.
You can also use your personal vehicle for advertising, with a magnetic sign. For a relatively small price you can have a magnetic sign designed for your vehicle. You can also use bumper stickers and window decals on your vehicle.
Vehicle advertising can be especially effective if your product or service is related to vehicles. For example, if your business is a car wash, advertising on a shiny car will be great publicity. Of course, if your business is a car repair shop, but you drive an old clunker with a worn out muffler, you might want to replace your vehicle before you put your advertising on it.
Yard signs are another great advertising method. If you are a contractor, you can use small signs in your customers yards while you’re working on their premises.
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If a particular agent is unable to assist you, it is likely that they would provide you with the contact information of other individuals that may be able to offer assistance. When speaking to a buyer real estate agent it is important to determine how they obtain their fees and what services they offer.
Similar to all other real estate agents, a buyer real estate agent will obtain their fees in different ways. This is important when finding a buyer real estate agent. Los Angeles has a large number of agents; therefore, it is important to find one that offers low fees. Most will receive a commission percentage from the purchase of your home, but it is still important to check first.
It is also important to determine the features or services provided by each buyer real estate agent.
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These nutrients also help fight and prevent heart disease, cancer and diabetes, strengthens the immune system, slows the aging process, increases energy and improves cognitive performance.
Additionally, as we age our appetite lessens, making it even more critical to choose foods wisely. When every bit counts, picking foods with the highest nutritional profile is more important than ever.
An easy way to make your nutritional choices is to look for foods that are bright in color, for they usually contain more beneficial vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. For example, red and pink grapefruit have the heart-healthy cancer-fighting antioxidant phytochemical called lycopene while white grapefruit does not. Here are seven more simple ways to start eating healthier.
Searching for a job is no different.
Set your desk up with office supplies, folders for tracking information, and anything else you might need to work comfortably. If you don’t have these things on hand when you begin, you’ll spend a lot of time running to the copy shop and office supply store when you should be looking for a job.
Don’t Work Yourself into the Ground
Unless your job is working on sleep-deprivation studies, you want to be fresh when you’re interviewing and when you start work. If you toil 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at your job search, you’re going to burn out. The last thing you want to do is to work so hard trying to get interviews that when you finally enter one, you’re only able to communicate through grunts and whistles. Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and stay healthy so you don’t start your brand-new job on sick leave.
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No matter what condition you?re in, the health and fitness benefits are endless. Pilates improves flexibility, core strength and range of motion. It is also known to help alleviate chronic health ailments as well as fight back pain.
But the best part about Pilates is it?s fun!
It?s an exercise that bonds the mind and body allowing them to work together to establish balance. But the biggest benefit is Pilates improves overall body alignment, making it less prone to injury.
Here are some more benefits of Pilates:
? Improves breathing
? Corrects spinal and pelvic alignment through the concentration of slow, flowing, smooth movements with maximum power.
? Builds long, lean muscles that are less prone to injury, while building strength – without the bulk.
? Improves flexibility and range of motion.
? Improves back and abdominal strength.
? Creates balance between muscles – as weak muscles become stronger and the strong muscles also gain more strength never over training or under training any particular muscle group. This balance makes it easier to enjoy daily activities with less risk of injury. Pilates allows you to retrain your body to move in smoother safer, more efficient patterns of motion, which is essential in optimal performance and overall health.
? There is no pounding or bouncing in Pilates.
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