Evolution of Bridgewater Commons article

The Bridgewater Commons is the closest mall to my house in Central New Jersey. It contains many great stores that I shop at and is a very useful mall. It contains many services, stores, dining, and entertainment options.
The first edit I made to the article was to add the stores hours and services. I felt this information would be useful to anyone who wanted to go to the mall at a certain time. My second edit was to add a dining and entertainment section. I listed the movie theater and various restaurants in the Commons and the adjacent Village. Many people like the make a day out of their shopping trips, so I figured people might want to know where they can grab a bite to eat or if they can catch a movies after all their shopping. My third edit was to add a Stores section. I named the various categories of stores that the mall offers. I figured this would come in handy if someone was looking for a particular type of item and was considering malls to go to.
Before I started editing, the Bridgewater Commons article was pretty bare. I feel that I added a significant amount of useful content. I transformed the article into a very informative and resourceful guide. Since I've been working on it, no one else has added anything or deleted any of my posts, so I feel that I have done a good job with it.

Last edit to Bridgewater Commons article

I just completed my last edit to the Bridgewater Commons wiki article. I added a new section titled "Stores". Under this section I named the different types of stores that Bridgewater Commons offers. I originally wanted to name every store that the mall has, but then decided that there would be over 100 stores to name, and that could be a little annoying to have in a wiki article, so I settled on the store categories. You can view my changes here.

Evolution of Delta Gamma article

Delta Gamma is the sorority that I belong to here at the University of Delaware. I belong to the Zeta Chi chapter, but the sorority is located at campuses across the country. I chose to edit the Delta Gamma article because I find learning new things about my sorority very interesting, as I am sure many other sisters do.
My first edit was to the "Famous Delta Gamma Firsts" section. I added some of the notable things that DG has been first to do. My second edit was to the trivia section. I added the fact that DG has its own merchandise website, Anchortader. My last edit was again to the trivia section. I corrected some information about the number of chapters and colonies the sorority has, as well as adding information about alumnae groups and legacies.
I feel that I added valuable information to anyone perusing the article. Even though I made only small changes and additions, the information is still interesting and valuable. And no one erased my conributions this time, which makes me feel a little better.

Evolution of Watchung Hills article

Watchung Hills Regional High School is the high school that I went to between September 2000 till June 2004. It is located in my neighboring town of Warren, NJ.
For my first edit, I just added a few more details about the schools location. I also added the fact that WHRHS has an adult school as well. In my second edit, I added an activities section. In this section I listed the various clubs and organizations that WHRHS offers its students. My Last edit added more members of the administration.
Upon looking at the article now, It appears that someone erased my administration additions. When going to the history of the article, it appears that the person deleted the additional names I posted because they were not core administration. I guess they felt that the people and positions I added weren't important enough. I find that kind of rude, but oh well. Since the start of this project, the article has changed with the additions I have made, and additions by other in the notable alumni section. I would say that all in all the article has improved.

Evolution of Green Brook article

Green Brook is the small town where I grew up in and currently live. It is in Somerset County New Jersey, and I would say it would be considered Central Jersey. Over the course of this project I have made some contributions to the Green Brook Township, NJ article. While none of them have been major, I feel the additions were still significant enough for the wiki community to know.
My first edit was under the education section. I added information about the elementary, middle, and high schools recent expansions. For my second edit, I added a community organizations section. I added the few various organizations that Green Brook offers. My last edit was simple. I just added the township's unofficial motto.
I feel that I added valuable information to this article. No one deleted anything I wrote, which I was happy about. There were a few editors posting during the duration of my project, but none interfered with my work. I think this is a very informative article and educates readers about the wonders of living in Green Brook!

Comment on John Battelle's Searchblog article

I just read an article on John Battelle's searchblog entitled ABC's Shark Jumping Move: Disabling Fast Forward. The article discusses the fact that ABC and ESPN, have made a deal with Cox Communications Inc., a cable operator. The deal is to offer popular shows and football games on demand, but with a condition that Cox disables the fast-forward feature. Therefore, viewers would not be able to skip ads during the programs.
Battelle seems to think this is a bad idea. I, However, think this could be good. Advertisements serve a function. They help pay for the programs, and they also help further the advertising and marketing world. Without them, consumers might not be aware of new products and services. Also, I for one would be out of a potential job if ads became nonexistant. I mean really, what harm do ads to. Sure, they may be annoying when they pop up right in the middle of a good show, but are they really that bad? I didnt think so. I personally enjoy watching ads. I find them very entertaining. Maybe that is one reason why I want to be in advertising, but thats besides the point.
Anyway, whenever I miss an epsiode of Grey's Anatomy or Desperate Housewives, I log on to ABC.com and watch the espisode. The episode isnt in very good qualitly, and I have to watch about four ads online during the hour slot anyway. I would rather watch a show on demand in good quality and sit through a few ads any day.

Mixed Media handout comments

I just wanted to comment on the handout entitled "Mixed Media" that we went over in class on Monday. The article basically discusses the change in networking and media over the years. Many years ago a few networks ran the nation, and it was much easier for them to control conversation and communication. They had monoploies on the industry. Nowadays, there are soo many options. People have so many outlets for news and entertainment. Their viewpoints and expectations have also risen, and now they feel they must actively participate in the industry. The article states that the only way for old media to survive is to adapt to this new environment. Companies who take advantage of new newtorks ideas and focus on meeting expectations of the networked consumer will see themselves being able to thrive.
I totally agree with everything the article discussed. Its hard to imagine what life was like 50 years ago or so when the only way a person got news was from one of three channels, at the 10 o'clock news time. I dont think I have actually watched the news on tv for information in a very long time. Everyday when I sign online, I got to my browsers homepage, and I get a newsfeed on the top stories of the day. That is good enough for me, I dont need to read the paper or tune into the news on tv. I feel like many peoeple like me feel the same way. We want our news easy to reach, and when we want it.
With the everchanging world, the only way older companies and networks will be able to keep up is by adapting and changing. and the better change fast, because before you know it, another way to get news and information will be available.

I also wanted to briefly comment on the other article we received on Monday, pertaining to Professor Brown's involvement with his website and work with Barbaro. I didn't realize that he was so famous in the horse and internet world. Its pretty cool to see articles about him, and see his picture in the local papers. Honestly, I didnt know who Barbaro was until this class, and now I feel like a whole new world has been opened up to me. So I just wanted to say congratulations to Professor Brown for his well deserved notice and attention.

second edit to Bridgewater Commons

I just did my second edit to Bridgewater Commons. I was just there this weekend so it is very fresh in my mind. I decided to add the dining options and entertainment that the mall provides. For entertainment, I added that the mall has its own movie theater. As for dining, I added that the mall has a food court and McCormick and Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. I actually just got a part-time summer job as a hostess at McCormick and Schmick's this past weekend. The Village, an outdoor part of the mall, has Maggiano's Little Italy and Chiptotle for restaurants. Both the inside mall and the village have Starbucks as well, and the mall has a Gloria Jeans too. These arent technically dining spots, but they offer beverages and light snacks, so I figured they were worth including. You can view my additions here.

Amazon Associates

In class we were told that we should sign up for an Amazon Associates account. I thought this would be a good idea becasue I am familiar with Amazon and have used their services before. Signing up and using the program was relatively easy. I got the hang of it after I posted my first book. I chose to post the two books we are reading in class, Search and Naked Conversations, and then The Great Gatsby, because it is one of my favorite books. I would recommend Search and Naked Conversations to anyone interested in the internet, searches, and blogging. I would recommened The Great Gatsby becasue it is a classic book that I think everyone should read. The whole concept of the associates program is pretty cool. I could potentially get paid for promoting these products from Amazon, just by linking to them in this blog. This is a great way for Amazon to spread and promote information through various channels. Although I know that I will probably not get paid for my linkings, the idea that I potentially could is a bit exciting.

Comment on Slashdot article

I was just persusing the articles in my slashdot newsfeed and came across an interesting article. The article is entitled Google's Data-Storage Fuels Privacy Fears. The article discusses how Google, Inc. has developed a new feature that can track a Google users web history. Google users can sign up to have Google keep detailed records of every website they visit so they can find them again later with ease. The issue with this new feature is that Google has recently agreed to aquire Double-Click, which distributes web ads and tracks where people go on the internet. People are beginning to have privacy concerns about Google. The combination of information on users that Google and Double Click has is huge, and people are now fearing that their privacy may be threatened by this abundnace of information on them.
I agree with the privacy concerns. The collection of information that Google would have on its users would be tremendous. They would know exactly what sites users are viewing and where they are going on the internet. They could then use this information to help with Double Click's profits. I would be skeptical to sign up for this new service because I wouldnt want people knowing what my every move on the internet was. I think it is kind of creepy that someone could know that much information about me.

Last edit to Delta Gamma

I just completed my last edit to the Delta Gamma wiki article. First I corrected some previous information. The statistics for the number of collegiate chapters and colonies were inaccurate. There are 144 chapters, and two colonies. I also corrected the number of alumnae groups to 252. I also added that the pledge rate for legacies is 37%. Legacies are those pledges whose mother, granmother, or sister was a Delta Gamma. I thought it was important for the statistical information to be correct. You can see my revisions and addition here.

First edit to Bridgewater Commons wiki article

So I finally picked my last wiki article to edit. I chose to edit the article on the Bridgewater Commons. The Bridgewater Commons is a mall that is located about fifteen minutes away from where I live in New Jersey. It is one of the malls I have been going to most of my life. While it is not my favorite mall, it is the most conveinient for me to go to. I chose to add information about the store hours and services that the mall has. I felt the hours were important information to be known for people who want to go to the mall, and the services are good to know so that people can know how to make their trip more comfortable once there. You can view my additions here.

2nd edit to Delta Gamma wiki article

I just did my second wikipedia edit to the Delta Gamma article. I added the fact that Delta Gamma has its own online store, Anchor Trader. Anchor trader is one of my favorite places to shop online. I can get t-shirts, jewelry, accessories, hoodies, and bascially any kind of clothing with DG letters or designs. I though this was an important piece of information to share because I'm sure many sisters love purchasing DG merchandise. This may be the only place they can find DG stuff. Luckily our school has the store Unique, but other schools may not have stores like that. Therefore anchor trader is a great resource. You can view my contribution here.

Last edit to Watchung Hills Regional High School

I just completed my last edit to the wiki article Watchung Hills Regional High School. I added the names and titles of some administartion members that were not already listed. I added Russ Teller, the Supervisor of Buildings & Grounds; Thomas Douglas, the Information Technology Coordinator; Brian Bayachek, the Computer Technician; Sandra Hockridge, the Adult School Administrator; Sandra Savage, the District Human Resources administator; and Robert Rader, the Interim Business Administrator. You can view my contributions here.

edit to previous post

In the previous post I accidentally wrote the html wrong and the link to my edits wasnt clickable. You can view my wiki contribution here.

Last Green Brook edit

I just completed my last edit to the wiki article Green Brook Township, New Jersey. I added the township's unofficial motto. The motto is "Small Enough to Know You, Large Enough to Get Things Done". You can view my addition here.

Comment on Teammate Kathleen's Blog

I was just looking through my teammates blogs and I noticed a post made by Kathleen on the article about Virginia Tech that we discussed in class. The article discussed how certain information tools could have been used to faster warn students about the gunman on campus. There was a huge time difference between when the first shooting happened and when a warning email went out to the students. A difference of two hours could have saved alot of lives.
Kathleen discusses the use of a text message alert system that goes out to all the students in case of emergency. I think this would be an extremely effective tool considering so many students always have their cell phones with them and constantly check them and text message. Kathleen brings up a good point when she said this system could have a downside if the phone numbers fall into the wrong hands. She states that phones could turn into something like email and spam could fill up our in-boxes. Getting spam in email is annoying enough, so spam in a phone would be so much more annoying.
Kathleen also cites how effective the use of blogs can be in emergency situations. According to the article, blog posts were up two minutes after the second shooting occured. If more students were aware of blogs, this could be a very effective tool. Kathleen mentions how many students are always using the networking site Facebook. She also says that the article states "Virginia Tech: If You Are OK, Please Update Your Facebook Profile." This just shows has resourceful facebook and other sites can be. If a student was wondering if one of their friends was okay, all he would need to do is check to seen if there was activity on the friends facebook page.
Kathleen says that she doesn't think the school is to blame for the incident, considering it was a domestic dispute that evolved into much more. No one could have anticipated what would later occur. However, she goes on to say that the school could have researched better ways about how to inform students of a pending emergency.
Many other institutions are being affected by this incident. Schools are now more aware of the need for a better emergency awareness system. Hopefully one good thing that can come from the horrible tragedy at Virginia Tech will be increased awareness and precatuion on campuses everywhere.

Green Brook Post

I decided to edit the Green Brook Township article since I haven't worked on it in a while. I was reading through the article and noticed that there was no section for community organizations and committees. I added the fact that there is a Baptist Church, Lyons Club, Green Brook Seniors, and Green Brook Recreation Committee. Green Brook is a very small town, so there are not many organizations. However, I felt that the ones that do exist should be recognized. My best friends grandmother goes to Green Brook Seniors every week and she loves it. The club provides her with a chance to get out of the house and interact with people her age. Even though most of the organizations are small, they have an important effect on the residents that belong or attend them. You can view my changes to the article here.

Search Engine Experiment

For my Information Technology Marketing class we are doing an experiment. The experiment calls for each student to blog a keyword into our own blog, and link the word to a totally unrelated site. The keyword is stiuqxela. We are to link this word to the website for the Packers football team. The basis for this experiment is to show that the packers website will come up as a result when the word stiuqxela is tyed into a search engine, even though the two words are unrelated. Our blogs should also come up as a result. The experiment ends with a prize for whoevers blog comes up as the first item on the search results.

addition to fourth wiki edit post

I forgot to add the link to the changes I made in the watchung hills article in the post I just made. You can view my changes here.

fourth wiki edit

Well I just returned from Spring Break in North Carolina, so I have not been able to do any edits or posts for a while. My fourth wikipedia edit was again on the Watchung Hills article. I noticed that there was no section in the article for the activities that WHRHS provides. I added some of the extra-curricular activites and organizations that students can participate in at the school. I added Habitat for Humnaity, AWARE, JSA Debate Club, Mock Trial, Students Against Drunk Driving, NIKE club, Model United Nations, Lenape Yearbook, Gay-Straight Alliance, and the Diversity Club. These are just a few of the more popular activites that students participate in, however there are many more.

third wiki edit

I did my third wikipedia edit on the Watchung Hills Regional High School article. I only did a minor edit. I added the street that the high school is located on Stirling Road. I also added the fact that the school provides an adult school at night. You can view my changes here.

Commenting on Slashdot article

I recently read an article on the slashdot blog entitled Internet Curfew for College Students?. The posting says that a top Indian engineering school, IIT Bombay, has started to restrict internet access to its students in the dorms. The new restrictions will prohibit students from having interent access at night. The reasoning behind this is because school officials beleive that the students are abusing the interent and it is hampering with their time for school work, extra curricular activities, and personality development. Another reason was that students hard drives were filled with bad content instead of good.
While I find it nice that the administration is taking measures that they feel are best for the students well-being and academics, I still find it a little extreme. I dont think that the internet is that responsible for low grades or decrease extra curriculars. If a student doesnt feel like doing work, and doesnt have internet access, he or she will just find something else to do. Watching television, or finding some way to get in trouble or goof off are a few examples.
More importantly, nighttime is when alot of students do studying of catch up on homework. I dont know how schools operate in India, but here alot of my classes post notes online, or involve using the interent to complete assignments or do research with. Not having the interent at night to do this would leave me less time to do it during the day. If I needed to use the interent during the day, it may force me to skipp classes or not be able to get a job.
Access to the internet isnt something that a person should be denied of. There are students that use it responsibly, and they should not have to suffer for others mistakes.

Vanity search

In class we discussed doing vanity searches on the web. Chapter 8 of The Search also discusses this trend as well. Vanity searching is the action of typing ones own name into a search engine to see what articles come up.
I recently did this on Google. I typed in my first and last name to see what kind of information would come up about me. The first four articles did contain the name "Jessica Erskine", but the persons the articles referred to weren't me. The first two articles were about a Jessica Erskine at the Academy of Visual Arts. The third articles was about a Jessica Erskine who posted on an "ecoustics.com" website. The fourth article with my name was a website that performed searches for business professionals, and evaluated their performances and had some personal details about them.
The fifth article finally pertained to me. It was actually a link to this blog! As you can see, my blog is entitled "Jessica Erskine's Blog" so it would very naturally come up in a search with my name. I found this to be kind of exciting because it really made me see the impact that blogging can have on the information and search world.
The sixth and seventh articles listed also referenced me. The link to my sorority, Delta Gamma, website came up. The website contains a list of all the members of the sorority, and that is where my name first appeared. The website also contains bios of the sisters, so my bio came up as well.
The whole idea that someone could just type in my name on Google or some other search engine, and find out information about me, is a little disturbing. There is nothing that came up that was too personal, but it still makes me a little uneasy. Its just weird to know that information about anyone on the web is so readily available.

VALS survey results

We recently discussed different types if research in class. One mode that we discussed was primary research, specifically the VALS survey. I decided to take the survey and see what it said about me. The results came back to say that my primary VALS type is an experiencer, and my secondary type is acheiver. The primary type represent my dominant approach to life, and the secondary type represents a particular emphasis I give to my dominant approach.
The description of experiencers is that they are enthusiastic, young, and impulsive. They seek variety and excitement and like new and offbeat things. Experiencers spend alot of money on fashion, entertainment and socializing. Experiencers purchases reflect their emphasis for looking good and having cool things.
I agree and disagree with this evaluation. While I do like excitement and am enthusiastic, I would not say that I like offbeat things. I do agree on the part about spending alot of money on fashion, entertainemt, and socializing. I feel like that is where all of my money goes sometimes.
The secondary type of acheiver description I also agree and disagree with. It says that acheivers are goal-oriented and commited to career and family, which sounds like me. It also says that acheivers are conservative and value stability, predictablity, and consensus. I can definately agree with that. In types if acheivers consumer habits, they favor established, prestigious products that show success to their peers because image is important to them. I do value image, quality and well-known products.
I guess all in all the VALS survey was pretty accurate in determining what type I am.

Comments on teammates blog

I am commenting on my teammate Sharon's blog posting about Toby's Skype presentation, viewed here. Unlike Sharon, I have never experienced or even heard of a Skype presentation before. However, I agree with her opinion and feedback from it. She said it was a neat idea and really expands our opportunities. I also enjoyed Tobys presentation and thought it was engaging and enlightening as well. All of the points she addressed seem very important to the marketing world and incorporating technology into it. I also would like to have more speakers through skype this year.

2nd Wikipedia edit

I just did my second Wikipedia edit. I edited information on the Delta Gamma article page. I chose this article because I belong to the Zeta Chi chapter of Delta Gamma here at the University of Delaware. I noticed that there was some information missing in the "Famous Delta Gamma firsts" section. I added information regarding DG's philanthrophy firsts, award firsts, and facility firsts. You can view my contributions here.

diva marketing blog comments

I recently read an article on the Diva Marketing Blog called Help Starbucks Get Its Groove Back. The article, created by an author with friends at Starbucks, basically wants people tp post about ways they think Starbucks can improve and differentiate themselves. The author posted what he thought about Starbucks. He goes on to say that Starbucks was initially successful because of its warmth and environment. He thinks that in order for Starbucks to continue in its success, the company needs baristas who are friendly and hospitable. He also suggests that they do events like jazz night, or bring in bakery cookies. Ultimately, Starbucks should try to stray from the cookie cutter corporate tendencies and concentrate on being a neighborhood place.
I definately agree with that idea. I am an avid fan of Starbucks. I go there a few times a week, occasionally even more than once a day. I love the coffee, but I love the atmosphere and feel of the store too. When I go home during breaks from school the first thing that me and my friends do is meet up at Starbucks, sit in the comfy chairs, and talk for hours. It is a place to go to relax, meet up with friends, and hang out. Starbucks is inviting and people want to be there. Therefore Starbucks should try to think of even more ways to make people want to go there, drink coffee, and hang out.

first wikipedia edit

I made my first Wikipedia edit on the article about my hometown, Green Brook Township, NJ. I decided to update the educatio section of the article. There have been recent renovations and additions to both the elementary and middle schools, which I noted. There has also been an expansion of the regional high school which I also added in. You can view my additions and the article here.

buad 477

I am currently enrolled in Buad 477: Information Technology Applications in Marketing. This class requires everyone to make their own blog to track their progress in the course. We are required to make weekly posts. Our posts range from edits from Wikipedia articles, comments on blogs from the required list, comments on our teammates blogs, and general comments on the class material. The main purpose of this blog is to familiarize us with how to use blogs and the many resources and benefits that technology provides.

I just got back from Australia where the weather was beautiful, sunny, and warm. Now I am back in Delaware and it is freezing! I wish that I could still be on the beach everyday getting a tan. I guess I will just have to wait a few more months until summer!

Hopefully this first post works!