Secure Email Project

(Screenshots by Matt Hersch, 2011)

http://news.cnet.com/Companies-ally-for-secure-e-mail/2100-1001_3-265402.html

According to this Cnet article, 11 organizations joined the OpenPGP alliance, which allows different secure e-mail systems to work together. OpenPGP uses a public key which is only meant for a specific person to scramble a message. The reader uses a private key to unscramble the text. The encryption system has worked well except for when two Czech researchers found a flaw that could expose people's private keys, which has since been fixed. Even though 11 organizations joined the Open PGP alliance, Network Associates, the owner of the PGP trademark, decided to not join the alliance at the time of the alliance's launch. SSH, a secure-communications software company, e-mail software company Qualcomm, and private technology company Zero Knowledge Systems were included in the alliance. As a result of the alliance, PGP may receive a boost among computer users.

Tutorial Blog 4: Creating a LinkedIn Account to look for jobs

There are several different ways to use a computer to find a job after you graduate. As a graduating senior this year, I have used job sites like Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, Jigsaw and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Job Board to look for a job. However, the job site I use most often is LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, you can upload your picture, your resume, past and current positions that you have held, display any recommendations, summarize your work experience and join groups and associations that you would like to be a part of.

LinkedIn was founded in December 2002 and was launched in May 2003. I have been using LinkedIn since October 2007 to connect with people I have done business with as a form of professional networking. I currently have 42 connections on my LinkedIn profile.

The first step in creating a LinkedIn account is to go to www.linkedin.com and provide your first name, last name, e-mail and password.

Figure 1

(Join LinkedIn Today, http://www.linkedin.com, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)

After you enter that information, you need to add additional basic information about yourself. LinkedIn asks for your current status, country, zip code, years of college attended, and field of interest.

Figure 2

(Creating a LinkedIn profile, https://www.linkedin.com/reg/basic-profile?_l=en&flow=1fm5jmw-16k61ld, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)

Once you have added all your basic profile information, you’re going to want to add a summary of experience in your chosen field. Some people like to keep it short and to the point while others prefer to list a more detailed summary of their extensive experience. After you summarize your work experience, you need to list each position you have held with a description of each task you performed while holding that position.

LinkedIn recommends you get recommendations from your colleagues, as you are more likely to show up in search results if you have recommendations on your profile. The site also provides a listing of People You May Know, a feature in which the site provides three other people in your network you may want to add to your connections.

It is also a good idea to join relevant groups and associations and add them to your profile. Group updates send out recent job listings and allow you to ask questions and interact with people in the group. There are several groups that you can join as an alumnus of the University of Florida, where thousands of people can assist you with any questions you have about your particular field.

                                                                     Figure 3

  

(Groups and Associations, http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)

The final step is to upload your resume to LinkedIn so that it can be viewed by prospective employers. You never know which connections may help you find a job after graduation, so add as many connections as you can!

.                                                                      Figure 4

(Matt Hersch's LinkedIn Profile, http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)

VoIP Extra Credit

I enjoyed doing this extra credit assignment as I use Skype to talk to people that I don’t see on an everyday basis. I mostly use Skype to talk with friends and family in New York, my parents in Miami and my Dad when he is traveling overseas. I also spoke frequently to my old college roommate when he was studying abroad in China! I have never before used Jing and found this free software to be quite useful. I liked that I could record conversations and watch them over again or share with others.  It was easy to choose what area of the screen I wanted to record and how to stop the recording. I hope to use this software to record video conferences at business meetings and to chat with friends and family members who live faraway. Before Skype became popular to use, I used a VOIP by the name of oovoo.

Here is a video of my Skype chat with my cousin in Syracuse:

http://www.screencast.com/users/mattth412/folders/Jing/media/cd9626dd-59d3-4708-91a8-28e170a519df

Database Project

The Database Project was the most challenging project I have done in this class. I began using Access at the end of last year because I have been doing a survey conducted with the Veteran’s Administration at work. At first, I found that particular survey to be very difficult because of Access, but after a month I was able to conduct the survey with ease and teach others how to properly conduct the survey.  However, this project was still quite challenging for me but after completing it, I found the skills I have learned to be quite useful.  I found the Wizard for the table, report, query and form to be easy to use and to setup each item. The most difficult part was getting member’s left date to be in descending order while their last names should be in ascending order and formatting the footer correctly.  I also learned how to add new members in the form activity and lock their identification number. Originally, I must have missed the part about how Access was able to choose a primary key for me to use so it took me a while to figure out which data I should set as my primary key.

A way that I would enhance the functionality of the database would be to add more information to the Member’s Table such as a phone number and e-mail address.  By adding phone numbers, you can track down people who have not re-signed and publicize the latest deals to them over the phone in an effort to get them to re-sign. E-mailing members is also an effective way to get them to re-sign if they learn about a great deal. You could also add the reason they left the gym to the table so you know how to improve how the gym operates and so you can add additional members. In addition, you could remove the state that members live in because it would be very unlikely for anyone to join a gym here that does not already live in Florida in order to eliminate redundant values.

I am glad that I was able to learn how to use Access to keep track of a large database and think that it will definitely come in handy. My job as a supervisor at a Survey Center where there are currently hundreds of employees as well as thousands of past employees demands that I keep track of people’s first day of work, their last day of work, what surveys they completed, their professionalism and abilities on each call and if they retrieved any records to call back.  Although I had to start over a few times because I couldn’t find an undo button once I made an error, this project taught me a lot of new tips on managing a large database.

Tutorial Blog 3: Creating a Facebook Fan Page

During my time as an Account Executive with Alpha PRoductions, UF’s student run PR firm, I was asked to help build a social media presence for my client, the Institute for Public Relations. I helped design their Facebook Fan Page, which is currently being followed by 45 people (the number of people following the page has been going up as word gets out about IPR). Go ahead and “Like” it so that IPR can continue to grow its audience.   Since the page has been built, the Institute has shared videos from their annual conference in Coral Gables and posted relevant articles on public relations.

Today, I would like to show you how to build a Facebook Fan Page for your business. It is a great tool for businesses as their latest updates are shown on their follower’s news feeds and they can keep track of upcoming events and watch original videos.

The first step you need to do when creating a Facebook Fan Page is to go to the website, http://www. Facebook.com/pages/create.php. On this page you have the option of choosing Local Business or Place, Company, Organization, or Institution, Brand or Product, Artist, Band or Public Figure, Entertainment, or Cause or Community.

Figure 1

(Facebook Fan Page – Create a Page, http://www.Facebook.com/pages/create.php, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)



Once you agree to the terms, Facebook will allow you to design your page and gives you tips on how to build your fan page. You are now able to add images, invite friends, tell your fans and post status updates. Before you invite people to access your page, you need to add information about your company and give your page its own visual identity. After you are finished adding background information about your company, you should add logos, photos and videos to promote your page.

   Figure 2

(Facebook Page Terms, http://www.facebook.com/terms_pages.php, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)

  
For my client, the Institute for Public Relations, I identified the company as a Company, Organization or Institution. Next, I had to choose a specific type of company from a long list, list the name of the company and check a box to agree to Facebook’s Page Terms. The Page Terms goes over the terms and conditions you must agree to in order to start a Facebook Fan Page and is very similar to the EULA that we learned about earlier in class. By signing the Page Terms, you agree that only an authorized representative of the subject matter may administer the page and agree to prohibit third party advertisements. You must allow all information posted on the Fan Page to be public information and to be made available to everyone.

Figure 3

(Institute for Public Relations Fan Page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/#!/pages/Institute-for-Public-Relations/148415338553371, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)

People who use Facebook use it mainly for social networking as well as establishing and maintaining relationships. The same rules apply for businesses that create Facebook Fan Pages. In order to get and retain the most followers, companies should invite their Facebook friends, colleagues and those that belong to their target audience to “Like” their page. In order to maintain relationships with their fans, companies need to post frequent and relevant status updates to gain interest from friends of the Institute and keep them informed of all recent activity.

A benefit of building a fan page is that you are able to link your page to other online venues, such as Twitter, your company’s website and RSS feeds by adding widgets. A widget is a mini application embedded within a web page that adds content frequently supplied by a third party. It allows your fans to quickly navigate to your site and to the other social media sites your company actively participates in.

Now you can create your own Facebook Fan Page for your company so that you can interact with your supporters and encourage them to go to events, watch updated videos and visit relevant websites. I really hope you “Like” this tutorial and wish you luck on building your own Facebook Fan Page.



Figure 4

(Institute for Public Relations – Get Started Page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php#!/pages/Institute-for-Public-Relations/175513365829804?created, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)

Web 2.0 Presentation Blog

I really enjoyed working on the Web 2.0 Presentation. As a public relations major, current intern at a health and wellness company and Assistant Supervisor at the UF Survey Research Center I am used to trying to get people’s attention. In my everyday life, I try to spread awareness about a new campaign, persuade people to do a survey and try to get people to adapt a new fitness regimen. I knew the most important part of my Web 2.0 Presentation was to get people’s attention immediately. I considered what song, video or statement would grab my attention and then thought about how I can use that to appeal to my audience. I decided to choose the “This is Your Brain on Drugs” video from the Partnership for a Drug Free America because I remember the impact it had on me when I first saw way back in elementary school. It was a really powerful message and showed what could happen to those who do drugs and how it could affect your brain.

Since I use PowerPoint to debut specific presentations, I know the worst thing you can do is read the words on the screen word for word. “Say it then show it” is a great saying when it comes to how to present a PowerPoint without losing your audience’s attention. I used Screencast to put my presentation online and it was really simple to create an account and upload your video. I used Camtasia for the first time to record my voice and didn’t have any problems in voice quality.  Since I was aiming for an above average presentation, I did have to start over at times when I stumbled over a word or the YouTube video wouldn’t work properly. This was my first virtual presentation and I thought it was an effective way to show your ideas without being there in person. You cannot be judged on your facial expressions or what you’re wearing, only on your voice and the setup of your presentation.

I found the peer reviews to be very helpful and they assisted me in improving my project. I was under the impression that we only had to refer to our sources in our source document, and not the actual presentation. I was unclear on what the source document required so I didn’t include sources in my presentation. The two students who peer reviewed my paper pointed this out to me and I was able to make changes in my final version. Since I put so much effort into my presentation, I wanted to do everything I could to not lose points for not mentioning my sources. Other than that one issue, I seemed to be on the right track when putting together my presentation on How to Make an Effective Public Relations Campaign. When I peer reviewed someone else’s paper and watched several other videos, the first thing I noticed was the variety in each presentation’s length. Some presentations were 2-3 minutes while others were over ten minutes. Even though there was not a set number of minutes each presentation had to be, I found this to be a gaping difference between each presentation. I also noticed that a lot of my peers read directly word for word of the presentation and I suggested you don’t have to put everything on the screen you wish to talk about. I hope I was as helpful to my peers as they were to me when it came to the peer review.

I learned how to record your own voice to do a virtual presentation and how to embed YouTube videos into a PowerPoint Presentation. I also learned how to cite sources and find a way to grab the audience’s attention. The hardest part was getting the YouTube videos to work properly and adjusting the settings to make sure audio was enabled. I plan to use the tips I learned in this project as an alternative to meeting with clients. It seems like you can share the same presentation with clients and get the same results by saving a lot of money for travel and sharing your presentation online. Public relations practitioners work with a lot of different clients all over the world so the idea of sharing a presentation online with your client makes a lot of sense.

http://www.screencast.com/users/mattth412/folders/Default/media/53ee40b1-c660-4d31-bc51-d40ebf945fe4

Tutorial 2: Digital Rights Management

What is DRM?

Digital Rights Management aka Digital Restrictions Management (Free Software Foundation)

Source: http://digizmo.com/2010/04/15/samsung-to-adopt-microsofts-playready-drm/

DRM is commonly used by music artists, copyright holders and publishers to control how a file is used and shared. DRM removes usage control from the person in possession of the digital content and gives control to a computer program. The problem DRM is trying to solve is to restrict repeated distribution of digital content via file sharing networks.

By downloading an MP3 file of a copyrighted song instead of going out to the store and buying a CD, you are causing the artist and their music label to lose money. The movie industry loses approximately $5 billion a year because of illegal DVD distribution. Although it is legal to make a copy of a CD or DVD for yourself, it is not legal to pass along a song or movies to others for free.

DRM helps to prevent copying, limit playback to one device, set an expiration date and use a digital watermark. An expiration date is ideal for rentals, so that the content stops working after a certain time period. DVDs that expire after 24 hours have been sold in retail stores in the past.  A digital watermark stores invisible digital information inside an audio file which identifies who bought the original audio file.

There is a way for people to get past the DRM. By using the analog output of one computer and feeding it into the microphone input of a second computer, you can record a new digital file. In the new digital file, you can exclude limiting playback to one device, a digital watermark and an expiration date. Although there is a small loss in fidelity, it can circumvent the DRM.

Ramifications for the DRM include upsetting honest customers who can only play their files on one device and aren’t able to copy a music file to their I-pod. It is not a good idea to displease law-abiding citizens who are only using your file for their personal use and have no plans to illegally share with others.

Here is a video of a DRM protest that took place at a San Francisco Apple Store. The protesters give  reasons why the public is restricted by DRM to try to persaude the public to eliminate DRM.

Source:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YdnccYI2-w

Sources:

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/drm1.htm

http://www.defectivebydesign.org/what_is_drm

http://digizmo.com/2010/04/15/samsung-to-adopt-microsofts-playready-drm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YdnccYI2-w

ISM 3004 Class Lecture 06.02 – Audio