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.