We talk a lot about the vast possibilities that the Internet has afforded PR, especially on this blog. But it is not often we reflect on the limits of the Internet, as Felix Salmon points out in this Portfolio article.
If you were to help build a list of limits, what would you include?
According to TechCrunch, Facebook launched an instant message service over the weekend “in a few unspecified networks.” I graduated from AOL Instant Messenger after college and have since moved on to Google Talk. But with Outlook e-mail so readily available on my desktop, I use it infrequently at work and only sometimes at home. There’s just no telling if Facebook’s version will get much face time from me. How about you?
I read the other day, in my Vogue magazine, that Wendi Deng, who’s married to that guy, ugh his name is on the tip of my tongue, is heading up MySpace China.
Tom?
No, bigger than Tom.
Rupert Murdoch?
Yes!
That’s cool. You should blog about it.
What would I write?
Hmm …
I don’t know how she does it with two children, but I digress. The company is trailblazing ground with the effort, which has been criticized for censorship among other things. It’s very interesting to observe something that’s inherently global meet resistance as it takes roots in a new market.
Yep. You should definitely blog about that.
The Wall Street Journal’s online “Small Business” section is a plethora of online visibility pointers. Among them:
Building an Online Community of Loyal and Vocal Users
The March issue of Wired just arrived in our mailbox. Interestingly, the magazine offers a report on the institution of municipal Wi-Fi across the country. The story provides a map (unlike my earlier post on the topic) that demonstrates the magnitude of the “free” municipal Wi-Fi movement and the status of network construction efforts in various locations.
You can check the Wired story in print (at local bookstores or subscribe online), and while you have the issue in hand, you might also consider reading “How to Fly Through Airport Security” and “And Laptops for All.”
You may have heard that starting this spring, Starbucks will offer free limited Wi-Fi, effectively joining the ranks of connected coffee shops, campgrounds, and libraries across the country.
In 2007 alone, more than 4000 new, free Wi-Fi locations were added to the Wi-Fi FreeSpot Directory. Some of those locations even included McDonald’s restaurants, which began providing the value-add service in 2003.
Naturally, many airports and hotels are part of the Wi-Fi fabric as well. Travel Post offers a definitive guide on airport connectivity, while Wi-Fi Free Spot Directory will tell you which hotels provide free Internet access.
Following in the footsteps of St. Cloud, Florida, some U.S. municipalities are even pursuing city-wide Wi-Fi plans, ensuring you can get an Internet connection wherever you’re standing.
Fair question. But that does not mean that Wikipedia is fair game for PR pros.
Wikipedia explains further on this page, which provides answers to several commonly asked questions.
Whilst Mark Zuckerberg catches flack for Facebook, Flickr is smiling for the camera. A CNET.com story published 18 hours ago (or so) reads “Flickr to host Library of Congress photos.”
The article outlines the value of tagged photos and illuminates the power of using an online photo management tool to increase visibility on the Web. The story itself is a public relations best case scenario: use of social media tool + timely/interesting angle = bonafide third party story.
I fell into PR by accident.
In college, I was drawn to Student Activities Board, Student Government and Greek Life – any opportunity to plan events, lead projects, be creative, research and write. Even though I wasn’t majoring in communications I was inadvertently studying it.
So when it came time to find a job, I wanted to maximize the skills I’d learned as student/event planner/liaison/nerd. I traveled the country looking for the right match, taking contracted jobs for short-term projects to make some money (secretly scoping out the lay of the land), and refusing to settle.
As my personal Three Little Piggy’s story goes, I first interviewed at a global firm in New York, but starving, disgruntled interns and the prospect that I’d be pigeon holed into a “practice area” blew my hopes of a job in the Big Apple.
The second house office was of the Congressional variety in Washington, D.C. But the conversation about job responsibilities was as clear as mud, leaving me to suspect that not only would I NOT be doing REAL public relations, but that there was a distinct possibility that groveling and coffee fetching were in my near future. Not that I was completely opposed, but c’mon, I wanted to learn SOMETHING marketable.
A few weeks later, I arrived at Standing Partnership in St. Louis, slightly disheartened by experiences thus far but hopeful. The intern mentor promptly emerged and welcomed me into her office. We chatted about core values, managing work load and being prepared to think, solve problems and take on challenges. One thing was clear – THIS was what I’d been looking for. Luckily, they were looking for me too.
More than 2 years later, I’m still Standing.
The Standing Partnership staff waves to Marijean during our annual holiday party. This year, the “Home for the Holidays” themed party was celebrated at Whittemore House.
