Week 14 - Post 3

            A concept that I found interesting in chapter 11 was about mobile telephony. Trenholm discussed that young people think that a cell phone is considered a necessity instead of a luxury. I know that I am apart of this generation that believes in that, though, I do think that cell phones can still be considered a luxury. Young people are starting to get cell phones at a younger and younger age, which promotes more communication with peers outside of school for them. Some parents are not able to afford the expensive and ongoing bill that cell phones require for their children. The new smart phones provide even more ways for communicating with people because they give us apps such as Facebook, Twitter, email, and Internet access that we can contact people with. My generation heavily relies on cell phones, but I definitely think it is possible to live without them, since past generations have proved that they were able to live without a cell phone when they were our age. 

Week 14 - Post 2

            I do agree with Marshall McLuhan’s idea that “the medium is the message”. For example, if you email a person that rarely checks their email and would prefer to discuss matters over the phone, you might not receive a reply for a while. The medium that the message was sent through might technologically be transmitted, but not personally to the person, because they have not checked their email yet. McLuhan describes television as a “cool medium” because it requires the viewers to fill in detail. Television provides us with the ability to see emotions and body language as well as everything else that we could experience while being face-to-face with a person. Viewers are able to see what is on TV as if they are physically watching what is going on. The viewers can fill in the details because they are able to piece different clues together in a conversation from nonverbal and verbal cues, just like face-to-face conversations. 

Week 14 - Post 1

            I have never made friendships that exist exclusively in cyberspace. I mainly use cyberspace, such as social networking sites and email, to stay in contact with people that I already know. For example, I do not accept people that I do not know as friends on Facebook. There are a lot of horror stories about stalkers and people who are not who they say they are online, which leads me to be distrusting of people in cyberspace. If you meet someone online, you might not ever truly know who he or she are unless a mutual friend can vouch for their credibility. It is such a dangerous world online so I always have my guard up and do not form new friendships through cyberspace. Although, I can say that I have maintained many of my friendships through cyberspace, and it is the most convenient and easy way to do so. I think that cyberspace is a great place to maintain friendships, but not smart to form them.

Week 13 - Post 3

              A concept that interested me from chapter 8 was interviews. Everything about interviews are extremely important. Interviews are all about first impressions of the interviewer as well as the interviewee. The questions that are asked, the answers that are provided, the way you dress, they way you speak, your preparation, and even prior and succeeding communication can all influence an interview. Although I have yet to experience an interview for a large company or career, I have been through many interviews for various jobs and positions. Most interview questions have been similar, if not the same, throughout every interview. The questions are typically about outstanding qualities that would apply in that specific job or position and how I would be asset to the job/team. School and extra-curricular activities are usually brought up as well as why I want that specific job and why I should be hired. Interviewers need to be able to trust you, so the answers that you give them need to show that you are a perfect fit for anything.

Week 13 - Post 2

            Cells phones can be considered a huge distraction in certain situations. Etiquette for cell phone use is necessary for the respect of others. The text mentions a few places where the use of cell phones is unethical such as during a church service, the movies, or at dinner. I completely agree with the ground rules provided. Talking on a cell phone should not occur while other many other people are around you and especially not in a quiet, public area. Your recorded message on your answering machine should inform people of basic information such as who they have just called, and what you would like them to leave in their message. Discussion anything else or playing music and such makes a person seem unreliable, unprofessional, and irresponsible. Conference calls are typically professional, so the need to act like professional is crucial. Faxing etiquette is useful, but not always used and I don’t think it is a huge deal if used incorrectly. Screen names and ring tones are a big deal because it shows people what kind of personality you have and can inform them of your personal life, which could be a good or bad thing. The only time that call waiting is not considered rude is you are putting a person you are extremely close with on hold. Even then, they should only be on hold for a few seconds.

Week 13 - Post 1

         An organization is a system consisting of a large number of people working together in a structured way to accomplish multiple goals (p. 199). Organizations are tied to the environment because a large amount of people working together is bound to run into change and roadblocks. The environment is constantly changing, which forces an organization to change the way they do things, or even the people who are involved in the organization. Change is the primary link that organizations and the environment share. The relationship between San Jose State University and the city of San Jose is that it is difficult for the school to change because of the downtown area that it is located in. It is in a city-like place, so when expansion is needed, it is impossible to spread out. The ethical obligation that a college or university has to the local community is to produce well-educated people for the future in that community.