I have to say I was a little afraid of this project, but after going through professor Olson's steps, it was a lot easier to understand. I liked the hands-on approach from using Filemaker Pro and appreciated its simplicity after obtaining further knowledge through more usage. I have heard that Filemaker is not as helpful or user friendly as Access, but I didn't see the huge issue in its services.
I liked how you could categorize all the people by their county in which they lived. This was a lot more professional looking and I thought it was helpful in organizing all that data. The find options were a little strange and I wish those would be more easy to work with. The sort button has to be the best thing about Filemaker Pro. You can analyze a lot of data by the simple click of the mouse. Picking the way you want to organize it was also a really helpful factor.
Before I took ISM 3004, I had no idea that database software like this was even used or existed before. I have heard of Access (but didn't know anything about it), but since becoming a proud macbook user last year, I knew I had to adapt to using a program I was unfamiliar with. But that is indeed the reason we as students take courses like this. I look forward to more hands on projects, considering I struggled with Excel as much as I did. Being able to manage your employees, salaries, even the dates a customer quits using your facility, is really important information to know as a hopeful future business person.
After completing the scavenger hunt, I viewed this video. It helped me get a quick understanding of how to operate through Filemaker Pro more effectively, and perhaps it can help you guys use this software more effectively in the future as well.
Thanks for reading everyone. Have a great weekend.
I have to say that I appreciate learning about organizing databases, but these programs can be difficult to get started with. I enjoyed analyzing data, learning about producing queries, which are ways to view the info from certain data sets. Database software makes the process of isolating data easy, but the queries are still a bit strange when it comes to productivity.
The reports sections were better in my opinion. It looked more professional and after it's all analyzed and broken down, it is easier to work with. There are several options of data that help you set up the report, but I wish it was easier to work with.
There is no limitations on how information can be organized, sorted or displayed to produce a productive satisfaction the user. I look forward to furthering my skills in database software, and building a more aware knowledge will defiantly help me in the long run.
After I went through professor Olson's lectures, I did some more research and found this video, which was helpful in furthering my experience.
This was a really interesting part of this semester. The thing I enjoyed the most is just looking at how technology has grown since I was born in 1988. It's pretty fascinating how someone like Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, came up with something that has been the driving force of the computing industry.
Dr. Michio Kaku made some really good points and theories about the future. I thought it was interesting how when he was asked these questions, he simply had a unique view. I liked how he didn't portray himself as a the smartest person in the world. Maybe that's why he's a theorist. At the end of his video he stated this quote:
"By the end of the century, we could have machines as smart as monkeys, which could be dangerous."
Is the death of Moore's law the beginning and transition of our society into becoming a type 1 civilization? Being that we're currently a zero civilization (we live off plants and resources like oil) it's crazy to me to think how future people in America will get their nutrients etc. It's an exciting thing to think about, but will the world simply destroy itself and humanity?
Another interesting impact on me was that there are more types of things on the internet than there are people in the world! That was astounding. I feel that if we keep improving, it's only a blessing in disguise. Yes, invisibility would be amazing to experience, but the crime rates would skyrocket. It's also something that people will get used to. With the internet, i'm still astonished by how great it is, but take it for granted. I also never realized how much I use it on a regular basis. From waking up and seeing where the bus is, to applying for jobs. It's amazing how people did these types of accomplishments without any electronic devices back in history.
Check out this video. This is another guy that I found that was interesting. He was a little more focused on the actual outcome, instead of theory. Enjoy!
I have to say, I'm not an Excel person. I tried my best to make sure that I did that project correctly, and it took me about 4 hours to do. I know that some people probably flew right through this, but I have to say it was a struggle.
The good part is that I did learn a lot. I thought that the pivot tables section was going to be easier, but I was wrong. I liked seeing how you can take such vast amounts of data and format them into an easier-to-see data package. I found that roughly 90% of males and females obtained a total average from the start of their exercise to the highest heart rate point of the exercise. It was also interesting to see how the ages, categorized by a decade, demonstrated a lower or higher performance.
I plan on using excel more often to get better at performing its strengths. I think that if I become more familiar with it assets, I myself can further my strengths in performing at a higher level for my clients. As a Public Relations student, I haven't had to use Excel that much, but after this assignment, it makes me want to learn more. Even though this was not the funnest assignment to date, it was probably the most beneficial to my future.
So I had the pleasure of creating my own avatar. I have to say, this is an interesting feature that you can easily do for a little fun. I think that avatars were a great way to keep things "secretive" and not give away your full identity. What do you guys think? Is this a decent portrayal of myself? I was a little disappointed with the accessories and types of clothing options, but it's a free site, so i appreciated the simplicity of the creation process. I used the site, DoppelMe, considering I have heard so many positive things about the site.
I think the coolest part of creating an avatar, is being able to change your appearance by your moods and what's going on in your life. Obviously, if i was more engaged with using avatars, i would have a cast on my foot at the moment. I broke my foot this week and would have updated the avatar with crutches and a cast on my left foot. Being that this is a free site, it gives you the limited use of clothing and accessories and gets the job done, so there is not too much to argue with.
I enjoyed this process, considering i have not made an avatar for myself since obtaining an Xbox a few years back. I wish that avatars were used more frequently. They are definitely a lot of fun!
I've heard a lot about Google + over the past year, but I have to say, it's nothing more than a glamorized twitter and Facebook combination.
I explored the social networking site to see the main differences, and in my opinion, I can't really tell you what's so great about it. Pulling people into your "circle" is almost the same as adding them as a friend in the first place. I think this would have been more uplifting and successful if it would have built a better marketing campaign.
I know that Google is the best search engine in the world, but this company flopped in trying to keep up with a large social media outlet like Facebook. The thing about Facebook that has been so amazing is that when it was keeping up with Myspace, it focused on staying simple and didn't copy Myspace's interface. It focused on people building connections. I think that the main reason people are so upset with Facebook is because it has gotten so global. People need to understand that when they sign in to a social media site, it is becoming public, which can be dangerous. If you feel the need to say something when you're drunk, angry etc., you need to realize that that form of action can lead to consequences.
I have been a Facebook subscriber for about 5 years now and it has somewhat taken over not only my life, but the way everyone communicates. It's becoming a trend. It's easier to "Facebook" someone before you get phone numbers. It's a way to introduce your friends to co-workers and build a better form of communication in your spare time.
As far as the poll goes, I think a lot of people were simply excited about the "new" platform. Everything that google does is spectacular and I think since their branding is so positive, many new people wanted to believe that Google Plus was going to be just as successful. Facebook works and I don't really see a reason to try to compete with it right now. Eventually, like every other social media outlet, this will become boring and new platform will begin to merge into the internet trend.
I think that Google just came out too early. They should pull back and begin planning and brainstorming new ways that they can be extremely different and also figure out a way to market their product to compete with the mega giant, Facebook. Most of the people that chose Google Plus over Facebook were haters. Haters are obviously going to look elsewhere.
It's very similar to liking a sport. You have your baseball fans and football fans. Sure there are going to be people that are open minded and like both sports, but there is always going to be that one fan that wants to hate or argue why one is better than the other. There is never going to be a "perfect" platform, but it's important to realize that sometimes you have to give one site it's glory and be patient with your future products.
Google made millions upon millions of dollars last year and has been around way longer than Facebook. You (Google) had your turn. Don't be the next most hated company on the internet. That's a great way to lose your branding. cough cough (Metallica vs. Napster).
If you have any suggestions of how I can improve my relations with Google plus, please "add me to your circle". I'm always down to try new platforms and learn more about todays innovative techniques in improving technology and communication efforts.
This video, pretty much sums up my feelings. haha. What do you think?
