Group Final Project Video

YouTube Link

I couldn't embed the video because the Blogger website constantly gave me the same error so I provided the direct link to the video.

Dreamweaver Post

     We had to create a website through the Dreamweaver software. This website is primarily used to showcase the creator, and their talent. You can present whatever you want on this website design because people will be able to view your content, and more importantly learn about you.

     As a promotional tool, I want this website to show the best aspects of my life on a professional level. My major is media production, and I wanted to showcase some of the work that I completed in the past. I love to write so I posted some of the reviews I’ve composed over the last year. I wrote those reviews for a video game website because it would be a lifelong dream if I could work in the video game industry after I receive my college degree. I also posted some PDF files from projects that I composed in my graphic communication class. I took this class primarily for the credit, but I enjoyed that class a lot because I was able to complete projects that were important to me.

     Throughout the semester, we had various projects which implemented social media platforms as the basis for our projects. The first social media project was based on Facebook. This Facebook project was primarily used a mock up promotional tool to show our classmates we could promote various companies with proper video, photos, and event information. Facebook is one of the best platforms for advertising because it’s absolutely free to promote yourself or your company. The next social media project we had to complete used Twitter. Twitter is easily accessible, and anyone can make an account on there. All of the students had to follow and respond to one another so we could see how instantaneous Twitter really is. People constantly tweet so there’s hardly ever a dull moment on Twitter. These two social media projects tie into our personal website project perfectly because nothing is static on the internet. These sites constantly update, and that’s how we have to be if we want to stay relevant in this day and age. By using the proper promotional tools, more and more people will have access to you and your content. With that kind of accessibility, your audience will continue to grow and you never know where your path may take you.

     Dreamweaver is a type of editing software by Adobe. This software is primarily used to design website layouts, and you can even make your website public for a small fee. This wasn’t my first time using the software because I used it at Daemen College when I was a freshman. This software is confusing if you don’t know what you’re doing. Once you have some of the basics down, you can create a decent looking website. One thing that’s great about this website is that you can create a website as simple or as sophisticated as you want. One thing you have to make sure of is that your code is aligned properly. If there are any errors with your design, the website will not come out right at all. Initially we had to draw a layout for our website so we could know where we going to place our content. I didn’t follow my design fully. Once I found a layout I liked, I decided to use that one. I found it easier to post the content as you went through each individual page. As I mentioned earlier, you could add more sophisticated elements to your website, but it was too much of a hassle to do. I remember the night this project was due, I didn’t leave Buffalo State College until 10:40PM. I was exhausted by that point, and I know some of my fellow students were still working on their project once I left. I think the easiest part of designing the website was gathering the content you wish to publish. I knew what content I wanted to use beforehand. The only problem I had with posting the content was the amount of content I could post on my portfolio. This goes back to my previous point of making sure your code doesn’t have an errors associated with it. Whenever I tried to add more than four images, my formatting would go all over the place. My header wouldn’t keep its dimensions, and my images wouldn’t keep their dimensions either. It was really strange so I decided to only use four images so my page would keep a consistent view with the other pages. I also wanted to have a different background for each page so I was able to find the images through Google. It wasn’t too difficult to add them to my website.

    Overall my experience with Dreamweaver went better than expected. There are some annoyances with the software, but it’s nothing that you’ll pull your hair out over.

Interview Q&A: Jhue Kelly

     For this post, we had to interview a classmate of our choice. The only stipulation was that we had to choose someone who wasn't from our group project. I initially made contact with Jhue Kelly. I always see him around the Theater Building so it wasn't hard for us interview each other. 

How do you plan on self-promoting yourself?

I plan on self-promoting myself by showing aspects that showcase my talents and skills. For example if I wanted to get a job editing audio and video, I would send the company a package where it show them that I can do the job correctly and efficiently. Self-promoting will allow me to showcase my talents that will separate me from the rest of the competition.

Name three goals you have between now and graduation.
The main goal is graduating by the end of next year. I’ve been in school for long that I’m honestly getting tired of it. My second goal is to continue writing reviews in my spare time. I write Xbox reviews because gaming has always been a part of my life. The last goal that I have is continue being healthy. I started a new workout program so it’s going to be hard to stay away from greasy foods and sweets.

What employment goals do you have after graduation?  Name three of them.

My main employment goal is to get into a field of work that I actually love doing. I would love to work on the production crew for a video game website or I wouldn’t mind writing reviews for them as well. My second goal is to make a decent living. I know that I move up into Best Buy corporate, I would make more money. I wouldn’t mind working on the media team. My final goal after graduation is to not work all of the time. I need time to enjoy my family and friends. I don’t want to have a job where I’m available twenty four seven.

Name three best case scenario jobs you would like to have and why.

The first best case scenario job would be to make my own hours. I love to make my own hours because I need to see my friends and family to maintain my well-being. The next best case scenario would be to make a decent living. Growing up I watched as my parents struggle through the hard times, and that’s not something that I would want to go through again. The final best case scenario would have to be doing a job that I loved doing. I don’t want to work somewhere where it’s just work. I want to be excited to go to a job, and not worry about it being the same old routine day in and day out.

Do you prefer to work professionally with a group or on your own and why?

I honestly think I would like to work on my own because if someone doesn’t get done, then it’s completely my fault. In a group, you have to worry about everyone holding their own weight. If someone doesn’t do their part properly, it’ll affect the progress of the whole group.

What contributions can you make to a group dynamic?  Name three things.
If I to work in a group, I think I would do pretty well at scheduling appointments. I would make sure that everyone knew what they had to do, and they would know when it was due. I think I could even be the leader of the group because I always put 110% effort into everything that I do. I would never say a job is finished if I wasn’t pleased with it. The final aspect I could lend to a group is just doing my part. If they wanted me to do the busy work, I would do it. If I had the simple task of making phone, I would do it. I would do whatever I had to do to make sure I’m doing my job correctly.

What contributions can you make working independently?  Name three things.
By working independently, a lot of the responsibility would fall onto my shoulders. The first thing I would do is make sure that I’m on time for all of my appointments. You can’t do a job successfully if you’re late all of the time. The next thing I would do is ask questions if I didn’t understand something. I don’t want to do something wrong due to a lack of understanding.  The last thing I would do is make sure that everything is done properly and on time. I would make sure that all of my work is completed instead of trying to hand it in at the last minute, and not have everything completed.
What are your pet peeves in a work environment?
Some pet peeves in a work environment include people showing up late, and acting obnoxiously around others. It’s OK to joke around every once in a while, but you have to know where you draw the line. If you’re working in a public place, people are going to criticize and judge you by the things that you do. You should always think about that before you do anything in a work environment.

Name three things you feel passionate about professionally - this could be school related, current job related, group or organizationally related - and outline why you feel passionate towards them.
I feel passionate about customer service, videogame journalism, and media production. I feel passionate about customer service because people will always remember how you treat them. People will honestly come back to your business based on that customer service experience you provided for them. They will also tell their friends about their experience as well. I love videogame journalism so much. The idea of playing and critiquing games before they even come out amazes me. I receive download codes for soon to be released games, and it’s so hard not to tell my friends about the games due to a strict embargo. I want to go out there, and tell people how great a game is, but I have to wait until I post the review for it. Media production is my heart and soul. When I transferred to Buffalo State College, I didn’t know what I wanted to pursue as far a professional career. I then decided on media production because I love the newest technology, and I’m interested in learning how to make things work. Ask any of my friends, and they’ll tell you the number of cell phones I’ve had in the past. I love mixing and cutting audio clips along with making coherent video files.

How do you handle stress and pressure?
I handle pressure way better than I do stress. Whenever I’m under pressure for an assignment or project, I bust my hump so I can get the job done. I won’t stop working until that project is done. Stress on the other hand is a different story. Whenever something stresses me out, I have to walk away from it. I can’t continue to work on something if I’m stressed. I just have to get away from whatever I’m doing so my mind can refresh on the task at hand.
Name the last three jobs you had, and the best success and the worst failure you experienced at each of these jobs.
This might be my favorite question because I’ve had so many jobs in the past eight years. At one point and time, I was working three jobs around the clock. I currently work at Best Buy. Before Best Buy, I worked at Toys R’ Us. Before I worked at Toys R’ Us, I worked at Stein Mart. Best Buy definitely ranks up there as one of the best jobs I’ve ever worked at. The best success I’ve had working at Best Buy is being promoted to full-time. I never had a full time job before so working so many hours has opened new ventures for me. I wouldn’t be able to own a car, and I wouldn’t be able to buy things I want but don’t necessarily need. The worst failure I had working there was not being able to deal with rude customers early on. Whenever a customer would yell at my face and demand ridiculous solutions; I would just shut down. Now I’ll stand up for myself, and hold my ground. You can’t let people walk all over you. The best experience I’ve had working at Toys R’ Us is working great hours, and having a blast while doing it.  When I worked at Toys R’s Us, I worked the overnight shift so I didn’t have to deal with any customers. I would be able to listen to my music and chat with my friends while I worked. My only failure from this job was that I wasn’t able to see my friends and family as often as I wanted to. While everyone was living their life during the daytime, I would sleep in my bed. I would wake up with so many missed calls and texts. The best experience I had working at Stein Mart was buying discounted clothes. I’m cheap. I believe I used to get 25% off all of the clothing in the store. Once my employee discount was active, I would constantly buy clothes because I needed them. My only failure with this job came towards the end of my career. I was constantly having car troubles, and they didn’t understand at all. I never had to deal with a car that was constantly giving me problems, and they didn’t understand at all. I’m glad I left when I did.

How do you handle criticism?

Initially I don’t handle criticism that well. I always feel like I’m being picked on or singled out for my faults. After I calm down and realize that I can do something better, I take that information to heart and just do it.

Outline three strengths you have in school.
The three strengths I have in school include persistence, being proactive, and constantly thinking about my next move. I’m persistent because next year will count as the sixth year that I’m in college. I’m starting to get annoyed with college, but hopefully by this time next year I’ll be graduating. Being proactive is a great strength because I’m always getting my work done ahead of time. I don’t want to wait until the last minute to finish something. My last strength is constantly thinking about my next move. If I need to save a file somewhere, I can upload that file to DropBox or I can save the file on my flash drive. If I need to get a file off of my phone, I can use my USB cable. If I don’t have a USB cable; I can connect my phone through an active Wi-Fi page. I can then download my files through that page.

Outline three strengths you have in your workplace.

Three strengths that I have at my workplace is being prompt, going above and beyond for the customer, and just being knowledgeable. Being prompt will put you in the right place in the right time because your company will consider you for a promotion over someone who doesn’t show up on time. Going above and beyond for the customer is one of the best strengths you can have. People love when they feel appreciated. It’s even better you get rewarded for your hard work. My final strength is being knowledgeable about various products. Customers will want to buy something, but they might not necessarily know how to use it. By having that foundation, you can offer them a solution and they’ll be happy about the service you offered.

How has creating a WikiPage strengthened your communication skills?    Name and elaborate on three things:

Creating a WikiPage was stressful. With that being said, that particular project strengthened my communication skills. I primarily wanted to create a page that was easy to understand, and even the most basic user could follow my instructions. The second thing I wanted to focus on was on the accessibility of the apps. Apps come in different forms, and they all serve their own purpose. I wanted to showcase a variety of apps so people could understand that there should be an app that suffices their needs. The last thing I wanted to show was the value of the apps. Each app had a different price so I wanted to show important features so the viewers could determine whether the app was worth the asking price or not.

How will Facebook be used to promote yourself?

Name and elaborate on three things:

I want Facebook to show my interests, my strengths, and what I could if you give me a chance. I want to show my interests in video games, media production, and journalism. Through those outlets, I want the world to know what I can do. Some of my strengths include being a hard worker, always being prompt, and finally never quitting until a job is done. The last thing I want to promote is a chance. All I would ever want is for a company to give me a chance so I can show them what I can do. If they saw what I can do, they would be hard pressed to choose anyone else.

How would you promote an organization on Facebook?

Name and elaborate on three things:

I believe there are three main components for promoting an organization on Facebook. The first thing you have to do is get your brand out there. If people don’t know what your brand is, how are they going to support it? The next thing you have to do is post events to your Facebook page as well. Through these events, you’ll be able to get our brand’s name out there. More people can also support you. The last thing you have to do is interact with your fan base. Most people love the idea of being a part of something. If you make them feel valued then there’s no reason why they wouldn’t support you.

Twitter: To Tweet Or Not To Tweet

Twitter allows you to post things that matter the most to you. Twitter is a social media platform that is full of useful and useless knowledge depending on the way you look at it. Twitter is used along with the other social media sites to get a person’s viewpoint to the world.

Twitter is used in more ways than just socializing. People and companies use Twitter to promote themselves or their business. Out of all the social media platforms available, Twitter is the most accessible one. Other sites require the user to jump through so many loopholes to get started, but Twitter makes it simple for everyone to use. People of all different ages use Twitter on the daily basis. Outside of promotional use, people use Twitter as their main source of information. There are a ton of news companies who post tweets that contain a photo; a quote, or even a shortened link that’ll take you directly to that article. For instance, if you like multiple opinions regarding one story, you can always scroll through your feed to see if someone else posted information regarding that story as well. Twitter can allow the user to check so many different things in a short amount of time. Twitter is also great for people who like to skim read. In case you don’t have time to read the full article right away, you can always favorite the tweet, and read it later on.

As mentioned earlier, Twitter is a great platform for more things than just socializing. Twitter is fairly simple to access so journalists can use that feature to their advantage. News is always constant and never static so a journalist has to stay on top of every aspect of every story that he or she is currently covering. Let’s say a news story is constantly updating because a lot is going on at the moment. The journalist can then post short tweets on what’s going on instead of writing a long winded article every time something new happens. These tweets can contain direct links to the story; photos from the live event, and even direct quotes from other people who are attending the event. Once the event is finished, then the journalist can publish his story. This point also ties into politics because campaigns are constantly going through changes. During election night, you couldn’t escape information regarding the presidential debate. That alone can show you how important social media is when it comes to politics. Many people call the last election the Facebook election because Obama’s media team raised so much awareness about him through social media. Without social media being as successful as it is, Obama would’ve had to find another venue to promote his policies and his vision for the future. As an organizational tool, Twitter can be quite effective as well. If you’re working with a team on a group project, you can see what the other people have contributed already. By seeing what they did, you won’t fall into the trap of doing the same thing. You can do your own work, and still contribute to your group as well. You won’t slow your group down by posting the same content.

For my secondary Twitter account, I decided to follow a few things that are important to me and they’re important to social media as well. I primarily wanted to follow people or groups that promoted politics because we should be informed on what’s going on around us. I also decided to follow some groups who have experience in the media production field. I wanted to see what they were doing, and how that might influence what I do in the future. I also decided to follow the NBA because I’m a huge basketball fan, and I wouldn’t mind working for the NBA in the near future. First, I decided by following Barack Obama. Obama won the presidential campaign by beating out Mitt Romney. It’s good to see what the President is doing through Twitter because I would rather read Twitter than watch any of the presidential debates. Politics bore me to death. I also paid close attention to what CNN posted on a daily basis because I respect their opinion on current events. They’re one of the broadcast stations that I actually respect. Out of all the groups I decided to follow, I feel that the NBA tweets the most. From a statistical standpoint, there are 82 games in a single season not including the playoffs. Each team has fifteen active players ready to play at any given time, and there’s always late breaking stories as well. On any given day, something amazing can happen so NBA has to tweet everything that happens.

I honestly would prefer to blog than use Twitter on any given day. I tweet maybe a few times a day, and during this project we had to tweet a lot. After a while, Twitter just became boring and less attractive. Twitter succeeds at what is does on a daily basis, but it shouldn’t be used for a project. There were times where I knew I had a lot to say for a certain topic, but I would have to break up that long tweet due to the tweet restriction of 140 characters. If someone caught the last tweet of a series of tweets, they might not know what’s going on. They would then have to try and find the rest of tweets to get an understanding of what’s going on. Blogging is an easier platform to deal with because there isn’t a word limit, and you can type away to your heart’s desire. The other thing that annoys me about Twitter and other social media sites is the amount of garbage that gets posted on your feed on any given day. That’s one of the main reasons why I hardly scroll through my feed anymore. I could choose to remove those people or groups who annoy me, but that would require too much effort and time that I don’t have. For some Twitter is the best platform out there, but I tend to think there are better platforms available to get your message across.

In conclusion, you can make Twitter work for you in any way you see fit. You can post senseless comments about yourself or you can post information that’s useful to anyone. At the end of the day, the choice is yours to make.