Ch11 was the chapter that left a big impression on me b/c I am itching to start a groundswell at the company that I currently work for. I think I will make some kind of object that goes through a transformation from the inside. Like maybe 1 little person looking at a comp screen, then a bunch of little ppl that look the same all look at the comp screen…

I attempted to build something on 2nd life..as you can see from the blocks at the bottom center of the page..

i did build those..however…i also accidently moved my own head…hahaha

It is rather empty on the Microsoft Island…

Microsoft Island on 2nd Life

 

Then there is me in ITWorld

me on ITIsland

that is me in a hello kitty outfit..flying aimlessly

I paid 200 linden dollars and bought it at a strange porn that was labeled “mature”..

there was a lot of “mature” places on second life

Google SketchUp is a tool that anyone can use to create 3D models, it seemed like a very cool software in the beginning. However, for someone how is not very artistic nor 3D, Google SketchUp has been proving amazingly easy to use. It really makes someone like me who has no concept of 3 dimensional drawings and cannot read a map to save my life feel like an engineer. Here is a summary of Google SketchUp:

1) There is a list of very easy training to do: http://sketchup.google.com/training/videos.html.

2) You cannot only create in 3d, but share in 3d, your designs can converted into jpeg, or share it on youtube as a 3d video tour.

3) The 3d warehouse comes with models of everything in 3D, you can also contribute to the library with your own designs.

4) Google sketchup can be used to make models and become an add-on to google earth.

5) Like all google products, Google Sketch is great for small start-up businesses to large industries.

http://sketchup.google.com/industries/index.html

I have started my research on google earth, I have to admit, I am not a big fan of google maps cause it never gives me the right directions, and I never bothered to look into google earth because I never had to urge to look at my own apartment building from a stallite image. However, I did have a lot of fun doing research, I can believe I just said FUN, here are some of my main points of research:  

1. Google Earth 5.0 comes with images of the ocean floor and historical images of a location. You can even make your own tour, lots of environmental non-profits use the historical images future to document the effects of global warming.

2. Google not only Earth, but MARS, man, is that cool or what, pick your spot on where you want to visit on Mars, NOW!

3. There is a speacial mark-up language used so people can share their place of interests. http://www.google.com/gadgets/directory?synd=earth&cat=featured. Like touring through Hawaii with Jimmy Buffet.

4. Goolge earth is so much more than just satillate images. There is a layers feature in which you can choose everything from Youtube clips about this place to website reviews. I took a tour to Bora Bora and it was beautiful . 

5. There are also enterprise versions of Google Earth, it is used from the real estate industry to intelligence industry. It is how organizations get a virtual view of assets and information that would be other wise hard to get access to without actually being at a place. Google Earth is almost as good as being there literally.

Next are my research points on Google SketchUp which is in Part II

Testing .. Summer is saying HELLO WORLD from Microsoft word..this is so cool!!

I have always been pretty open about myself on the internet, if you type in Summer Xiao on google, my facebook link is the first thing that pops up. I also have a linkedin profile, myspace page, and various other web 2.0 ‘stuff’ that bascially makes me ‘naked’ on the internet. I have never thought of that as an issue, I am a generally friendly person and does not have any life threatening enemies who can take advantage of any of my information online. We have discussed in class that your information is out there for people to see on the internet, and most of us acknowledges that fact and kind of move on. Life is generally good when everything is going okei, HOWEVER, your information on the internet does become a MAJOR issue when some is actually trying to track you down even with mildly malicious intentions. I am currently in that situation, lets just say someone is so determined to track me down that they saw that I am a fan of a restaurant on facebook, and actually went that restaurant trying to find me. Have no worries, I am not in any actual danger, and it is not appropriate to air all my dirty laundry on a class blog. Lets just say, if it wasn’t for Web 2.0, my days in hiding would be a lot easier. Last night, I went on a voyage on google trying to erase every single trace of my existence on the internet. I found out such information:

1) Facebook has a nice setting that lets you block yourself on google search, the link still shows up, but it has no info.  LinkedIn has something to the same degree.

2) Facebook and linkedin are not the most scary application, try search yourself on the following websites: http://www.intelius.com/. (here is a review of which background check site is the best one) http://consumer-advisory.org/Background_Check/index.php?kw=background%20check&gclid=CJHxnofxk5kCFQkzawodcTzGZw.  I guess I am semi-lucky that I am an immigrant so they have collected enough info on me for my profile to show up on these sites, YET.   Can you imagine, for a wendy’s double stack, some one can get your address, your phone number and various other information such as criminal history and mortage value…

3) Your tweets actually show up on google along with your twitter page and all your fellow twitters.  And there is no way to block that with your settings, all you can do is contact twitter, then google and file a request. Even when you contact google, it really doesn’t work that way. Google will only remove your page if you are the webmaster, or has vital private information on their search. So, in an attempt to protect my fellow twitters from being harassed by my stalker, I am deleting my twitter account all together. I am getting a new twitter page without my real name in it, I figured that’s probably the quickest way.

I know some of you are thinking I might be going a little extreme, and here I am only trying to avoid someone with semi-mailicious intentions. Just imagine if you are actually really trying to stay private for some serious reason. I am telling you, you can run, but you can’t hide from the INTERNETS!!!

Talking to Groundswell. Acutally, talking to Groundswell is I think one of the most important part of the corporate strategy. It is not surprising to find out that most people want to hear from corporations. And most corporations should not be afraid to talk to the Groundswell. Maybe we will see a new job title called Web Media Relations Director coming soon in the future? hum..that would be a pretty cool title to have on a business card

I finally got some time to catch up on the groundswell reading, I will write my six take aways from memory, if these are the six take aways that I remember, then they must be important .

1) Groundswell is something that is happening naturally, and I have always known that it is happening, however, it just makes more sense when someone actually defines it. I use to think Facebook was just a place that I went to to add my friends and keep in touch with them online. Now, that I know Facebook is a social networking site that is a part of the ‘Groundswell’.

2) Groundswell can actually affect businesses and companies in the real world, what is happening on the internet can actually make a difference in the real world of business. This statement sounds rather stupid, but from my very small world, the internet has just always been a place that I went on to do silly and nonimportant things like talking to my friends on facebook. I guess it is another example of :”i knew it was happening, but it actually makes a lot of sense when people actually defines in a book”.

3) Companies not only know about the Groundswell, stuffy big’ol corporations like GM actually has a blog. Corporatioins are participating in the Groundswell and gaining some degree of success.

4) It is the PEOPLE who makes the Groundswell so powerful. I think it  is people being empowered with the means of sharing and dispersing information that makes the Groundswell so powerful.

5) Corporations and people need to wake up and smell the Groundswell. I am the first one to admit that I never took this internet thing seriously. I started my first website at thirteen and my aim was to get people together and share their secrets. I never really figured out how people make money on the internet at that tender age. If I had only heard of social networking and googleads back then.

6) The first time I heard of Kevin Rose was on G4′s Attack of the Show, Kevin Rose was the host of the show and it was one of my favorite TV shows. I was really sad when he deceided to leave the show and start this company called Digg.com. I thought, man, that is such a silly idea, why would anyone leave a TV host job to start a silly website that lets people ‘digg’ news? haha